Former Australia batter Nicole Bolton has announced her retirement from state cricket with Western Australia where she stands as their leading run-scorer.Bolton, who played 55 times for Australia between 2014 and 2019, making a century on debut in an ODI against England at the MCG, said she had been considering stepping away for some time. She will continue to play in the WBBL having moved from Perth Scorchers to Sydney Sixers during the off-season.”It’s probably something I’ve been thinking about for 12 to 18 months, did I have another year in me? Another two years?” Bolton told reporters in Perth. “It’s been a really emotional week and there’s been a lot of tears, the stages of grieving really.”It wasn’t an easy decision. Everyone who knows me well enough knows I do things 110 per cent and now I’ve developed a few [interests] outside of cricket, my priorities have changed.”My heart still loves cricket but it’s something that’s not at the forefront of my mind anymore – if it’s not something that I’m able to put in 110 per cent, I think it’s time to walk away.”WA Cricket chief executive Cristina Matthews called Bolton “probably the greatest WA player ever” for a career that brought 2758 runs.In what proved to be her final innings for WA in last season’s WNCL she scored an unbeaten century having led them to a maiden title in the 2019-2020 campaign where she was the leading run-scorer and Player of the Tournament.”I want to thank everyone at WA Cricket, if it wasn’t for the staff and Christina growing women’s cricket, I wouldn’t have got to where I am now,” she said.”I turned up as a 15-year-old kid, playing against women more advanced, but many people have believed in me along the way, and it’s been those people who gifted me the opportunity to play for my country and my state.”

In recent years, Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais have developed a strong reputation for producing and developing some of the hottest talents in European football. Roazhon Park has previously been home to a host of young stars like Eduardo Camavinga, Ousmane Dembele, Jeremy Doku, Raphinha, Desire Doue, and Mathys Tel – all of whom were sold on to bigger clubs for huge sums of money.

This summer alone, Rennes sold over £115 million worth of talent, including midfielder Doue, who joined Paris Saint Germain in a deal worth £42 million. Now, a number of their current stars are again attracting attention from some of Europe’s most famous teams.

Rennes players in demand again

One of those Rennes players who is wanted elsewhere on the continent is striker Arnaud Kalimuendo. Previously linked with a move to Leeds United, the 22-year-old has in recent months been linked with a move to Serie A, with both Juventus and AS Roma understood to be among those interested. Another Rennes star who is in demand is defender Christopher Wooh.

According to TBR Football, the 23-year-old defender, who moved to Rennes from Lens in a deal worth £8.5 million in the summer of 2022, is wanted by Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers. TBR Football claim that Wolves have been “keeping an eye on” the player, though it’s unclear how serious their interest is, nor how much Rennes would want for Wooh.

Wooh’s former Lens coach Franck Haise once described him as an “intelligent” player. “He has real potential for Ligue 1,” Haise said of the defender back in 2022. “I have complete confidence in him.”

Wolves need defensive reinforcements

While its unclear whether Wolves will move for Wooh, one thing that is clear is that the Midlands club desperately need some defensive reinforcements. Gary O’Neil’s side are currently rooted to the bottom of the Premier League having picked up one point from seven games, conceding a whopping 21 goals in the process – six more than any other team in the division.

Wolves lost central defender Max Kilman to West Ham in the summer, and their former captain has been a huge miss in the heart of their back four, with O’Neil now forced to rely on the veteran Craig Dawson, 34, and Portugal international Toti Gomes.

Colombian youngster Yerson Mosquera had been a regular feature along with Dawson up until September when he picked up an ACL injury in Wolves’ 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa. He’s now expected to miss the rest of the season.

Speaking about Mosquera’s injury at the time, O’Neil said, according to TBR Football: “He’s a great kid and I’m absolutely devastated for him because of the energy [he brings].

“No matter how things go each week, he gives absolutely everything and he always attacks things and does things in the right way,” he added. “It’s a big loss to us. It’s a big blow to the team but it brings an opportunity to others.”

The big IPL auction has “outlived its usefulness”. That’s the view of Kolkata Knight Riders’ chief executive officer Venky Mysore and Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal.The strong statements from the heads of two of the eight existing T20 franchises came on Tuesday, after the teams finalised their player retentions ahead of the 2022 mega auction. While Mysore felt the big auction was no more the “level-playing field” it once was, when it was first held in 2011, Jindal said it was “heart-breaking” to invest time and money into so many players only to lose them three years on.”There is a tipping point that’s coming for the league where you have to question whether a big auction is really something that needs to be part of this whole process,” Mysore told ESPNcricinfo while discussing Knight Riders’ retentions on Tuesday. “Or you can do drafts for new players coming in, you can do trades, you can do loans and allow teams to build something for the long haul.”Related

• IPL 2022: Brian Lara, Dale Steyn join Sunrisers' support staff; Tom Moody returns as coach

• Rashid, Rahul, Hardik among big names released

• Dhoni, Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah, Russell retained

• IPL retention in numbers: Venkatesh Iyer's 40x pay hike; uncapped Umran Malik's big contract

Both franchises retained four players each, but they had to release others who had been part of their core group for the past few years. For example, Knight Riders parted ways with Shubman Gill, Lockie Ferguson, Rahul Tripathi and Nitish Rana, among others, while Capitals let go of Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, R Ashwin and many more.While Shreyas Iyer had opted to leave the Capitals and go back into the auction, Jindal felt the situation could been avoided. “It was heart-breaking to lose Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, a Kagiso Rabada, an Ashwin,” Jindal said while speaking to host broadcaster on Tuesday. “It’s just that this auction process is built like this and I think going forward the IPL really needs to look at it because it’s not really fair that you build up a team, you give youngsters a chance, you groom them through your set-up and they get opportunities, they play for your franchise, then they go and play for the county or their respective countries, and then you lose them after three years.”Several of the IPL franchises now own academies and have an in-house scouting system that taps talent from the lower rungs with the aim to groom them for the team.”Directionally at this stage, if you ask me, since the league has completed 14 years, the big auction has outlived its usefulness,” Mysore said. “And you have to reward franchises investing in scouting and academies, in growth. We have done that with KKR Academy and we have our scouting structure, both domestic (and) international. Someone sent me a note the other day that from 2018, we have had six uncapped players who have gone to play for India. You feel very happy that that we are making some contribution in that regard as well.”More importantly, from a franchise standpoint, there’s return on the kind of investment that you make and you feel good about that. There was a time when the big auction really was important to create that level-playing field, but even then we were sort of feeling like if you are going to give a franchise the opportunity to pick some players back, it should be through right-to-match cards rather than pre-auction retention.”When the IPL started in 2008, the plan involved all players going back to the auction. However, before the 2011 mega auction, when two new teams – Pune Warriors India and Kochi Tuskers Kerala – were added to the league, the IPL decided the eight original teams could retain four players each. Before the second mega auction, in 2014, Mysore had suggested the right-to-match method so teams could retain their core. It was accepted and the teams were allowed to retain four players and match two players. In the 2018 mega auction, the eight existing teams were allowed two right-to-matches, again along with three retentions.This time, the IPL removed the right-to-match option. And with the two new teams – Lucknow and Ahmedabad – allowed to pick three players each from the non-retained pool, both big-name and uncapped players have opted not to be retained.6:17

Vettori: Delhi Capitals have nailed their retentions

“My sense is this challenge will always occur as long as you have this pre-auction retention rule there,” Mysore said. “Our recommendation has always been to say – please allow the marketplace to determine the price and allow teams to pick the numbers of people at the auction.”So our consistent recommendation is put everybody back into the auction and if you are allowing existing teams to pick four people, give each of them four right-to-match cards and give three to the two new teams. So there is no confusion.”One downside to the right-to-match method is that rival teams can always drive up the price of a player you want just to cut your auction purse. Pre-auction retention was designed to stop that but Mysore isn’t convinced.”You can’t blame anyone either because there’s always that argument – why pre-auction retention? Then someone says, ‘oh, you know, if you go only to the auction and have only right-to-match cards, other teams know who the franchise is going to retain, they are going to run up the price’.”I think the league has reached a level of maturity and all the people at the table, they also understand how this works. And they’ve been burnt also – if you try to use that strategy, just to drive somebody’s price up so that they will have lesser money for the next lot of players, that can come back to haunt you if you really don’t want that player. If you want that player then that’s a different story.”

West Ham have been used to having a “defend first” policy in recent years, and are trying to change this dynamic under new manager Julen Lopetegui, to be more on the front foot, and dominate games on the ball.

Having said that, The Hammers are coming off the back of one of their worst defensive campaigns in recent years, conceding 74 goals during the 2023/24 season, giving them the fourth worst defensive record in the division.

They have already conceded more this season (11) than they have scored (10), which could tempt the Hammers back into the market in January in order to strengthen those defensive options.

West Ham target available on the cheap

According to reports from the Star, via the Evening Standard, West Ham target Harry Maguire could be available for just £10m in January.

The defender is approaching the final months of his deal. Manchester United will want to extract some sort of fee for the 31-year-old defender, who they originally bought for £80m.

Maguire has made 215 appearances for United, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists in 17,193 minutes. He also has 64 international caps for England, scoring seven goals, making his debut in 2017.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Maguire vs Rice comparison

Declan Rice made 245 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 15 goals, providing 13 assists and totalling 20,580 minutes played for the club.

He was named club captain when Mark Noble left the club, and led his side to European glory in 2023, winning the UEFA Conference League with a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina.

The 25-year-old made 20 appearances for Ireland in the youth ranks, before making three senior appearances for them.

He then changed alliances and has made 60 appearances for England, scoring four goals in that time, and reaching the Euro finals twice.

It was a big loss, more specifically from a leadership point of view, but Maguire could help make up for that absence. The English defender captained United from 2020-2023, and this sort of leadership could be very valuable to West Ham, who saw Rice head to Arsenal for a mega £105m.

Maguire was praised as “one of the best defenders” in the history of English football by international teammate, Harry Kane and one of his best weapons, alongside his leadership, is his aerial prowess for both defending the box, and attacking set pieces.

Maguire (23/24) vs Rice (22/23) vs Zouma (23/24)
Stats (per 90 mins)	Maguire	Rice	Zouma
Goals	0.16	0.10	0.08
xG	0.11	0.07	0.05
Progressive Carries	1.01	2.59	0.20
Progressive Passes	3.85	6.62	1.55
Passes into Final Third	3.99	6.60	1.63
Key Passes	0.28	0.98	0.11
Tackles	1.15	2.22	0.76
Blocks	1.79	1.20	1.18
Interceptions	1.25	1.63	0.96
Aerials Won	3.90	0.95	1.89
Stats taken from FBref

That shows in the stats, winning 3.90 aerials per 90 and generating 0.11 xG per 90, which largely comes from attacking set pieces. Out of the three players we have compared, he also scored the most goals per 90 with 0.16.

The 31-year-old defender would bring improved defensive numbers ahead of Kurt Zouma who left the club on loan this summer, whilst also adding extra leadership that the club has missed since Rice left the club.

Lopetegui could already have his own Jhon Duran in West Ham machine

West Ham could already have their own Jhon Duran at the club.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 16, 2024

Enzo Maresca is now insisting that Chelsea move on from Victor Osimhen and sign a different striker to complement Nicolas Jackson at Stamford Bridge, according to a fresh report.

Chelsea's striker situation unclear

Jackson has enjoyed an excellent start to the season, grabbing six goals in ten Premier League outings so far and a further three assists. His form has been rewarded with a new contract, which ties him to the club until 2031, and his future in west London appears set in stone just 12 months after his arrival from Villarreal.

But beyond the Senegal international, Chelsea’s striker situation is far less clear. David Datro Fofana has been sent out on loan, but has started just two games so far in Turkey, while the signing of Marc Guiu from the Barcelona academy over the summer has had similar results, with the Spaniard not having been in any of Maresca’s last six Premier League squads.

Christopher Nkunku has also been overlooked regularly, with the Frenchman not having started in the top flight since the opening day of the season, and summer signing Joao Felix is yet to start a Premier League game.

The Blues were linked with a move for Napoli star man Victor Osimhen over the summer, only for a deal to fall through and the Nigerian striker to join Galatasaray on loan instead, where he has scored four times in five Turkish Super Lig outings.

Chelsea have reportedly remained in contact over a potential January move, but other options are also under consideration, and Maresca is pushing to sign an alternative.

Maresca wants Spanish star

Now, a fresh report from Spain has claimed that Chelsea boss Maresca is pushing hard to try and get Chelsea to sign new Porto star Samu Omorodion in place of Osimhen. Chelsea were in talks to sign the Spanish U21 international over the summer as part of the deal to sell Conor Gallagher to Atlético Madrid, but the deal fell through, and they moved to sign Felix instead.

Related Chelsea and Maresca ready to axe player who's cost them over £7m in wages

It would be a bold decision to part ways with him.

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Omorodion still left the Wanda Metropolitano, heading to Porto in a deal worth £12.7m plus potential add-ons, and handing Atleti a mammoth 50% sell on clause for any future deal.

He has hit the ground running in Portugal too, netting seven times in seven outings for Porto as well as four times in three Europa League outings, delivering on the “elite” label placed upon him by Football Analyst Ben Mattinson, who warned on X that he was “far too good” for the Portuguese league.

Omorodion’s Porto career to date

Appearances

11

Goals

11

Assists

0

Minutes per goal/assist

69

Yellow Cards

2

Now, Maresca is ‘insisting’ that Chelsea push to sign him once more as they look to bolster their frontline, but they will have to pay almost seven times what Porto paid to sign him, with the striker having a €100m (£84m) release clause, of which Atletico are due to get half.

It is added that “Samu is very happy with the Portuguese team”, but that should an offer come in, he could see his head turned by the prospect of a new project.

A deal in January seems unlikely, but with Omorodion having slipped through Chelsea’s net once already, they may be keen to avoid a repeat if he continues to perform.

أكد اللاعب باسم مرسي، مهاجم الزمالك السابق، أن المدربين المصريين يعانون من قصور كبير في الجوانب التكتيكية والتدريبية، مشيرًا إلى أن معظمهم يفتقدون القدرة على تطوير اللاعبين أو إدارة المباريات بشكل احترافي.

وقال مرسي في تصريحات عبر بودكاست “جول كاست”: “المدربون في مصر كلمة ‘فاشل’ قليلة عليهم، 85% منهم لا يفهمون شيئًا عن التكتيك أو بناء الهجمات، لقد لعبت في الدوري المصري لمدة 13 عامًا، وعملت تحت قيادة أكثر من 15 مدربًا أجنبيًا، وأستطيع أن أؤكد أن الفارق بين المدربين الأجانب والمصريين شاسع للغاية”.

باسم مرسي: أنا أفضل مهاجم في الزمالك آخر 15 عامًا.. و4 لاعبين رفضوا عودتي للقلعة البيضاء

وخص مرسي المدرب عبد الحميد بسيوني بانتقادات حادة، مؤكدًا أنه لا يمتلك أي قدرات تدريبية تُذكر، وأن اللاعبين كانوا يسخرون منه بعد المحاضرات الفنية.

وأضاف: “تدربت تحت قيادة الكابتن عبد الحميد بسيوني، واللاعبون كانوا يضحكون عليه بعد المحاضرات، بعد انتهائه من الحديث، كان اللاعبون يقومون بشرح الخطة بأنفسهم، لأنهم يعلمون أن ما قاله لا فائدة منه”.

وتابع مهاجم الزمالك السابق هجومه قائلًا: “هذا المدرب لا يعرف كيفية إعداد التشكيل، ولا كيفية إجراء تغييرات أثناء المباراة، ولا حتى إعطاء التعليمات للاعبين، في أحد المرات، قال لنا قبل المباراة: (المباراة ليست مسؤوليتي، أنتم لاعبون كبار، لا تحتاجون إلى توجيهاتي)، هل هذا كلام مدرب محترف؟ حتى اللاعبون الكبار مثل كريستيانو رونالدو يحتاجون إلى تعليمات من مدربيهم”.

وأكمل: “عندما كان بسيوني مدربًا لطلائع الجيش، حقق نتائج جيدة لأن النادي مؤسسة ناجحة، وليس بسبب قدراته كمدرب، لكنه عندما تولى قيادة سموحة والمحلة فشل فشلًا ذريعًا، الجميع في الوسط الرياضي يعرفون ذلك”.

وفي المقابل، أشاد باسم مرسي بالمدرب علي ماهر، مؤكدًا أنه المدرب المصري الوحيد الذي يرى له بصمة فنية واضحة، وقال: “علي ماهر منذ خمس سنوات يحقق نتائج إيجابية مع الفرق التي يدربها، ونجح في تحقيق ثبات فني مع جميع الأندية التي تولى قيادتها، أما باقي المدربين المصريين الذين عملت معهم، فكل تدريباتهم تعتمد على تقسيمة ومربعات، بلا أي تكتيك أو فكر كروي”.

وفي سياق آخر، أكد مرسي أنه لا يشعر بأي ندم على عدم مشاركته في كأس العالم 2018، مشيرًا إلى أن المنتخب المصري لم يحقق أي شيء يُذكر خلال البطولة.

وأضاف: “الذين شاركوا في كأس العالم خسروا ثلاث مباريات متتالية، ولم يحققوا أي شيء، لو كنت هناك، كانت النتائج ستكون نفسها”.

لكنه أعرب عن ندمه الوحيد في مسيرته، وهو مغادرة نادي الزمالك، قائلا: “الشيء الوحيد الذي ندمت عليه هو رحيلي عن الزمالك من أجل الاحتراف، المستشار مرتضى منصور حذرني وقال لي (ابقَ في النادي)، لكنني أصررت على الرحيل، وهذا أكبر خطأ ارتكبته”.

وواصل: “لقد لعبت لنادي الإسماعيلي، ويا ليتني لم أفعل! سأروي موقفًا يلخص معاناة النادي، كنت أذهب يوميًا إلى التدريبات، ولم أجد سوى المشاكل المالية والاجتماعات المتكررة حول المستحقات، وفي أحد الأيام، أثناء نزولي من الاستراحة باتجاه الملعب الرئيسي، رأيت مجموعة من الأشخاص يجلسون في المدرجات، فظننت أنهم جماهير جاءوا لدعم الفريق”.

وأردف: “لكن مع اقترابي تفاجأت بأنهم يرتدون الجلابيب ويحملون العصي، وعندما سألت عنهم، قيل لي إنهم يعملون في جمع الخردة، وجاءوا لجمع ما يمكنهم بيعه لصرف جزء من مستحقات اللاعبين! هل يمكنك تخيل مدى الأزمة المالية التي كان يعاني منها النادي؟ أقسم بالله هذا ما حدث بالفعل”.

وأتم: “وفي موقف آخر، علمت أن النادي كان يعاني حتى في أبسط الأمور، الإسماعيلي يمتلك مطعمًا، وكان يوفر زجاجات مياه صغيرة للاعبين، لكن بعد أن يشرب أي لاعب منها، يأتي شخص ليجمع الزجاجات الفارغة، وعندما استفسرت عن السبب، أخبروني بأنهم يبيعون البلاستيك لجمع بعض الأموال للنادي! أخبرني كيف يمكن للاعب كرة قدم أن يركز ويؤدي في مثل هذه الظروف؟ أنا مهاجم وأحتاج إلى بيئة تساعدني على التألق، وليس أجواء مليئة بالأزمات”.

The second day of England’s first warm-up match was washed out

AAP24-Nov-2021

The long-range forecast suggests the opening Test could be hit by poor weather•Getty Images

Experts are warning to expect more than the usual afternoon thunderstorm in Brisbane as rare weather patterns threaten to spoil the Ashes build-up for both Australia and England and the first Test itself.Play was abandoned without a ball bowled on day two of the England vs England Lions three-day game at Peter Burge Oval in the coastal suburb of Wellington Point on Wednesday.Only 29 overs were possible on Tuesday, with openers Rory Burns (39 not out) and Haseeb Hameed (53 not out) untroubled in taking England to 0 for 98. About 90mm of rain fell between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning and there is an expectation of more to come that could see day three washed out as well.England only have one more tour match scheduled before the December 8 Ashes opener at the Gabba, with star allrounder Ben Stokes desperate for time in the middle after nearly five months out of the game to prioritise his mental health.Australia’s Test hopefuls are set to battle for the final spots in the Test XI at Peter Burge Oval in a three-day intra-squad match from Wednesday next week.Ominously, Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) meteorologist Helen Reid said “very wet thunderstorms” were forecast until at least Sunday, while the La Nina weather pattern will ensure a more humid environment brings “more rain days and higher amounts of rain”.”You can’t set your clock to the 3pm Brisbane thunderstorm anymore; they’re coming morning, day and night,” Ms Reid told AAP in a nod to the fierce but brief afternoon storms that have often impacted Gabba Tests. “It’s already soggy and it’ll stay soggy for the next couple of days. This amount of rain is uncommon and that’s why we’ve noticed this La Nina business.”The prospect of no play in Australia’s intra-squad game doesn’t help wicketkeeper Tim Paine’s cause as he attempts to prove his fitness and hold his place, despite the recent text message scandal that resulted in him stepping down as captain.It would also deny selectors one last chance to observe batsmen Usman Khawaja and Travis Head, who are vying to occupy the No.5 spot.The Test itself could also be plagued by uncharacteristically persistent rain but Australia opener Marcus Harris is seeing the lighter side.”I saw somewhere that someone said Jimmy Anderson brought the rain with him. He’s definitely done that,” he said. “[But] this time last year, with the way COVID was, I’d only played a couple of Shield games then I was in the Test squad.”It’s been tough for us guys from Victoria and NSW to get the amount of cricket in, but having played a full winter of county cricket, a few Shield games – I’ve definitely played plenty of cricket so I’ll be ready to go.”

ITV pundit Lee Dixon is now convinced that a “most intelligent” player could sign for Arsenal, with the ex-Gunner believing he’d be an ideal recruit.

Arsenal's rumoured transfer plans for 2025

Sporting director Edu Gaspar and manager Mikel Arteta will be devising ways to strengthen the north Londoners’ ranks in 2025, and it is believed that Arsenal would like to sign back-up options who can rotate with key players.

Arsenal given till January 16 to sign £21m star after he agreed summer move

The clock is ticking for Edu to strike a bargain.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 17, 2024

Bukayo Saka’s hamstring scare on international duty with England highlights the glaring need for Edu to potentially bring in an alternative for that area of the team, with Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo believed to be a target for Arsenal in that regard.

As well as Semenyo, reports claim Arsenal would still like to bring in a striker, despite Kai Havertz’s excellent form this season. The German withdrew from international duty with a knee problem, and while it isn’t thought to be serious, there are still doubts surrounding Gabriel Jesus’ future at Arsenal – so a new number nine is apparently something to watch out for.

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

Arsenal appear to be in pole position to sign Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, despite his recent new deal, but there are suggestions he will cost around £67 million. Defensively, Edu and co have been monitoring new options as well, considering how much they rely on star centre-back duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Indeed, Arsenal scouts were in Munich on Monday to run the rule over Jorrel Hato, with the Ajax starlet on their transfer list as he continues to impress in the Eredivisie. Arsenal have held internal talks over signing Hato, according to other reports, so it appears Emirates Stadium officials are weighing up the possibility of bringing in more players in a wide variety of areas.

The midfield definitely cannot be discounted, either, considering both Thomas Partey and Jorginho are out of contract next summer.

Lee Dixon convinced Arsenal will sign Angel Gomes

An astute option could be Lille midfielder Angel Gomes, who recently received his first-ever England cap and has impressed in Ligue 1.

As quoted by CaughtOffside and The Metro, former defender Dixon has claimed that Gomes could join Arsenal next year on a Bosman deal, with his Lille contract expiring as clubs are handed the opportunity to bring him in for free.

“I think Angel Gomes would fit in at Arsenal superbly,” said Dixon.

“His qualities are clear to see, he’s a very good link-up player and we’ve seen that he can play alongside Declan Rice. He’s got a lot of potential and although there will be plenty of clubs looking at him, I could see him at Arsenal next season.”

Former Lille manager Paulo Fonseca, now in charge of AC Milan, has also lauded the ex-Man United starlet’s technique and in-game intelligence.

“Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team. He understands faster than the others everything about the game; he loves the game. He loves to learn and he is a player with big skills, big technique,” said Fonseca.

“He is a player who under pressure it is not easy to steal the ball off him and who discovers the space so easily. He is young, he has a big talent. I believe with the right coach, with the right project, with the right game for him, he can have the possibility to have a big step in his career.”

Finch keen to play a support role for Maddinson in his first year at Renegades

Alex Malcolm18-Nov-2021Nic Maddinson will captain Melbourne Renegades in the upcoming BBL with long-time skipper Aaron Finch standing down to fill a role as a senior mentor.Maddinson has not played a game yet for Renegades after making the move from Melbourne Stars during the off-season. Renegades is the third BBL franchise he will play for after starting his career at Sydney Sixers. He has captained both the Sixers and the Stars, leading as a stand-in skipper in eight BBL games. He has also captained New South Wales six times in the Sheffield Shield.Finch, who has captained Renegades since 2012-13 and led the team to a BBL title in 2018-19, opted to stand down after a discussion with new coach David Saker.”That was a really easy one, to be honest,” Finch said on Thursday. “It was a chat I had with Sakes, probably two months, six weeks ago about I think just having a young family and I guess captaining every game that you play around the world.”It does take its toll and probably doesn’t allow you enough time at times to be able to work on your own game as much as you would like and I suppose in the Big Bash we’ve got a really young squad at the Renegades and I think to have the opportunity to work with the young players a bit closer as just as a player and not have your focus taken away from just helping them out as much as you can by meetings and strategy meetings and things like that, I think it will be really important.”Hopefully I can be a really important part of the transition with Maddo as captain as well. I think I wouldn’t like to leave the Renegades, say I play for two more years and I just captain right to the end of that and there’s been no real succession plan, I think that would be a bit unfair. So hopefully I can still have an impact with Maddo and sort of help him if need be.”Maddinson was pleased that Finch would be there to help him in his new role.”It’s a huge honour and a challenge I’m really looking forward to. It’s a great group of players with some young guys mixed in with experienced players,” Maddinson said.”Taking over from someone like Finchy is a huge task but having him around to help out and be that experienced head will be a great plus for me.”Maddinson is unlikely to be available for Renegades first three fixtures given he will almost certainly be playing for Australia A against England Lions in a four-day game in Brisbane starting on December 9. Renegades will also be without Marcus Harris due to Test duty while veteran Shaun Marsh looks set to miss a large chunk of the BBL after tearing his calf during Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland last week.Finch is also in doubt for the first match of the tournament after revealing his surgically repaired knee had caused him problems in the field during the T20 World Cup.”I pushed the rehab really hard and probably paid the price for it a little bit throughout the tournament,” Finch said. “Maybe a little bit more time off at the moment to just make sure I get that right.”I’ll wait and see over the next couple of weeks and not sure when our first game is for the Renegades [against] Adelaide but we’ll wait to see if I’m right.”Renegades’ first match is scheduled for December 7 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

RAJ Sports ownership made the groundbreaking announcement Thursday

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• Portland Thorns and future WNBA team to share new facility
• Will cost $75 million to build, and will be privately funded
• Will be the first training center shared by two women's teams in different sports

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A state-of-the-art facility and a first-of-its-kind, the Thorns and Portland's future WNBA team are expected to open a joint practice facility by early 2026, owners and operators RAJ Sports announced Thursday.

  The 12-acre facility will be a repurposed office complex recently occupied by Nike, and it will cost $75M to build. Completion of the Thorns' portion of the facility, and the shared areas, are expected to be completed in time for training ahead of the 2026 season — while the unnamed WNBA team's section will expect to be completed by the start of their inaugural season in the summer of 2026.

  RAJ Sports projects to invest more than $150M into the multi-phase project, with the 63,000-square-foot facility being the first stage of their investment specifically for women athletes.

  The ownership behind the project, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage, purchased the NWSL side for an estimated $63M in January 2024 and paid the WNBA $125M for an expansion franchise in September later that year.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  “When we acquired the Portland Thorns and the Portland WNBA franchise, our family committed to investing into the Thorns, the WNBA franchise, and the Portland metro region,” Merage, Governor of both teams, said in a news release. “Building an innovative training facility that provides the best possible environment for our athletes across professional soccer and professional basketball will be a game changer for women’s sports. Our goal is to create the most inclusive and welcoming environment for our athletes, staff, supporters, fans, partners, and community as we strive to be an elite organization on the field, on the court, and in the community.”

  The facility will include a 17,000-square-foot basketball gym featuring two full-size courts, two soccer pitches alongside an outdoor training zone, dedicated dressing rooms featuring a "spa-like setting," with amenities aimed toward female athletes; a full-time chef and nutritionist working within a shared dining room; social media content creation rooms, team meeting rooms and family rooms along with strength facilities, outdoor turf zones, yoga and pilates rooms, and sports science and sports medicine areas.

  “It’s an exciting time for our club, and as players we are thrilled to be getting a first-of-its-kind, dedicated women’s performance center,” Thorns forward Sophia Wilson (formerly Smith) said in the news release. “This kind of high-performance training facility allows us to elevate every part of our game, becoming better and more well-rounded athletes. Having a space designed specifically for female athletes gives us yet another leg up on the competition and will be vital to our future successes.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Portland was one of the NWSL's founding teams in 2013. The city also had a WNBA team, the Fire, from 2000 until it folded in 2002 — where they averaged 8,000 fans in attendance at the time.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PORTLAND?

  The facility will serve it as the first time a pair of women's teams, in different sports, will practice together. Slated to open in 2026, construction will now begin rapidly in the buildup to opening.

  The Thorns, meanwhile, begin their 2025 NWSL campaign on March 15 against the KC Current.