England’s women cricketers are to receive equal match fees to their male counterparts, beginning with Friday’s first T20I against Sri Lanka, following an explosion of interest in the format this summer, including record-breaking crowds of 110,000 over the course of seven Ashes matches in June and July.The increase, which was recommended as an immediate step for the ECB to take by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket report earlier this summer, follows similar improvements to the funding pot for players in the Women’s Hundred and the regional domestic system.The ICEC report, which found that the average England Women’s salary was 20.6% of their male equivalents (the ECB considers this figure closer to 30%), also set targets for equalising pay at domestic level by 2029 and for internationals by 2030.Heather Knight, England Women’s captain, said the first steps were important in making cricket an “increasingly attractive” career option for girls and young women getting into the game.”It’s really important that we continue to drive the women’s game forward and it’s fantastic to see equal match fees for England Women and England Men,” she said. “The direction of travel for the women’s game has always been the most important thing, creating a sustainable product that people want to watch and play, and I’m sure this will make cricket an increasingly attractive sport to girls and young women as we continue to grow the game.”I would also like to thank the PCA and England Women’s Player Partnership for their support in representing the players and the growth of the professional game.”The multi-format Ashes series saw new attendance records for women’s matches set consecutively at Edgbaston, the Kia Oval and Lord’s, the first ever sold-out women’s ODI series and an overall increase in tickets sales of more than 200% from 2019.Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive officer, said: “This summer’s thrilling Metro Bank Women’s Ashes series demonstrated how women’s cricket is continuing to grow at pace in this country, with record attendances and TV viewing. Growing the women’s and girls’ game is a key priority for us, and in recent years we have considerably increased investment both in building a domestic women’s structure to produce the players of the future, and in increasing player rewards.”In the years ahead, we will continue to invest ahead of revenues. We are currently considering all the recommendations made by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, but equalising match fees is one immediate step we are pleased to make now. We all want cricket to be the team sport of choice for female athletes, and with the investments we are making – and increasingly lucrative opportunities around the world – we are seeing cricketers become some of the highest earning female athletes in UK team sports. However, we know there is still much further to go as we ultimately strive for equality across the game.”As we continue to grow women’s cricket, we will continue to focus on making considered investments that stretch far and wide across the women’s cricket structures, delivering a thriving, profitable and future-proofed game.”Knight agreed with that sentiment, adding that the objective now was to ensure that girls get an equal opportunity to make a career in cricket, by hitting those targets for equal pay throughout the sport’s pathways as set out in the ICEC report.”The priority is making women’s cricket sustainable, and making sure the pathway is there,” Knight added. “Quite often you get girls of similar ages that, when they come to make their international debut, they’ve played hardly any games compared to the guys. We want to make sure that girls are getting as much opportunity to play cricket and develop their skills in the domestic game as they do in the men’s.”We’re starting to see players that are a lot more ready to play international cricket because they’ve been professional cricketers for a few years and played in high-standard competitions,” she added. “So continuing to grow that is important, although obviously there’s not an infinite pot of money. But this is another unbelievable step forward. And we’re hoping those steps continue to be in a forward direction.”

تشهد أجندة مباريات اليوم الأحد، 13-7-2025، مواجهتين بارزتين على الصعيدين الدولي والودي، حيث يُسدل الستار على النسخة الجديدة من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، فيما يبدأ ليفربول استعداداته للموسم الجديد بمباراة تحمل طابعًا إنسانيًا خاصًا.

وتتجه أنظار عشاق الكرة العالمية مساء اليوم إلى ملعب “ميتلايف” في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، حيث تُقام المباراة النهائية لبطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، التي أُقيمت لأول مرة بمشاركة 32 فريقًا، وانطلقت في 14 يونيو الماضي بلقاء جمع الأهلي المصري وإنتر ميامي الأمريكي.

وسيكون النهائي بين باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي وتشيلسي الإنجليزي، بعد أن تأهل الأول باكتساح ريال مدريد برباعية نظيفة، فيما تخطى تشيلسي نظيره فلومينينسي البرازيلي بثنائية دون رد في نصف النهائي.

من جهة أخرى، يخوض نادي ليفربول أولى مبارياته الودية استعدادًا للموسم الجديد، عندما يواجه بريستون نورث إند، وتأتي هذه المواجهة في أجواء استثنائية، بعد وفاة اللاعب الشاب ديوجو سيلفا وشقيقه أندريه سيلفا في حادث مأساوي.

ورغم هذه الظروف، قررت إدارة ليفربول والجهاز الفني إقامة المباراة بعد التشاور مع اللاعبين، على أن يتم تكريم اللاعبين الراحلين قبل وأثناء اللقاء، ويُتوقع أن يظهر عدد من الصفقات الجديدة للفريق، أبرزهم ميلوس كيركيز، وجيريمي فريمبونج، وفلوريان فيرتز.

طالع أيضًا | الأفضل في العالم ولكن.. ماريسكا يحذر باريس سان جيرمان قبل نهائي كأس العالم للأندية مواعيد مباريات اليوم الأحد 13-7-2025 والقنوات الناقلةموعد مباراة باريس سان جيرمان وتشيلسي في نهائي كأس العالم للأندية اليوم

باريس سان جيرمان ضد تشيلسي، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قنوات: إم بي سي 1، إم بي سي مصر 1، إم بي سي مصر 2، إم بي سي أكشن، إلى جانب تطبيق dazn. موعد مباراة ليفربول وبريستون نورث إند الودية اليوم

ليفربول ضد بريستون نورث إند، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، ولم تعلن أي قناة عربية حتى الآن حصولها على حقوق إذاعة تلك المباراة، واكتفى ليفربول بذكر كونها ستُبث عبر LFCTV، وسيتم التحديث حال وجود أي جديد على الفور.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

Hasty World Cup prep begins as England embark on first white-ball campaign since March

Alan Gardner29-Aug-2023Big picture: Back to the 20-over format
Roll up, roll up! We’ve had rollercoaster men’s and women’s Ashes, the Hundred has enjoyed its month in the spotlight… but there’s still room in the sardine can for a bilateral white-ball series or three! Astute followers of the game will be aware that New Zealand arrived in the country a few days ago, but the rest of you are forgiven if you missed it between 100-ball shenanigans and World Cup squad headlines.The tour begins with four – yes, four – T20Is, starting at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, before four – yes, four – ODIs that will set England on the runway towards their 50-over World Cup defence. As such, the T20Is provide more of an opportunity to test the hosts’ depth, ahead of another global event in the US and Caribbean next year – although plans to blood a trio of young pace bowlers have already taken a turn after injuries ruled out John Turner and Josh Tongue.Gus Atkinson, one of the breakout stars of the season and a man capable of bowling 95mph/152kph, should, however, win an England debut over the next few days. Atkinson helped Oval Invincibles to the Hundred title at the weekend, having caught Jos Buttler’s eye during a head-to-head contest earlier in the campaign, and the Surrey man has shot up the pecking order to the extent that he is also in the provisional World Cup squad – despite having only played two List A games in his career.There should also be chances for the likes of Rehan Ahmed, Luke Wood and Will Jacks, while Jonny Bairstow is set to play his first T20I in over a year, having missed England’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign in Australia. Bairstow may be the immediate beneficiary of Alex Hales’ recent retirement, having only opened sporadically over the course of his international T20 career.Gus Atkinson is expected to make his England debut against New Zealand•Getty ImagesSuch is the sense of dislocation around the schedule, England haven’t actually played a limited-overs international since mid-March, when their world champion status was knocked by a 3-0 T20I defeat in Bangladesh. But Buttler, coming in off the back of a tournament-leading run haul in the Hundred, and Matthew Mott now have an intensive programme with which to fine-tune preparations for the subcontinent.As it happens, the tournament opener on October 5 will pit England against, yes, New Zealand, in a rematch of the 2019 final (with Player of the Match at Lord’s, Ben Stokes, back out of retirement, although he won’t be involved in the T20Is). Tim Southee, New Zealand’s T20I captain, acknowledged that all roads currently lead to Ahmedabad, and there is plenty for the tourists to get straightened out over while in England.They arrived on the back of a 2-1 win in the UAE with an experimental side – but saw a remarkable record of 39 games without defeat against non-Test nations ended in the second match of the series. The squad to face England will be significantly stronger, however, with several already in rhythm after plying their trade in the Hundred.For New Zealand’s World Cup hopes, the most-important element of this tour might be how Kane Williamson goes in his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury. Williamson is not expected to be involved against England, while Trent Boult will only play the ODIs as he returns to the fold after opting out of a central contract last year – but after several months in which the global T20 franchise circuit has dominated conversations, a different narrative is starting to build.Kyle Jamieson made his comeback to international cricket in the UAE last week•Emirates Cricket BoardForm guide
England LLLWW
New Zealand WLWWWIn the spotlight: Harry Brook and Kyle JamiesonJos Buttler last week described Harry Brook as unfortunate to miss out on selection for the World Cup, sentiments which he repeated before the game at Chester-le-Street. Brook is a T20 World Cup winner who averages 62.15 with a strike rate of 91.76 in Tests – and therefore perfectly suited to the 50-over game – but Stokes’ return has nixed his hopes of being in India (at least for now). Having responded to his omission by scoring the fastest century in the short history of the Hundred, off 41 balls, he will doubtless be keen to nudge the selectors again.Kyle Jamieson suffered a back injury on New Zealand’s tour of England in 2022 that subsequently ruled him out of action for much of the next 14 months. His phenomenal start to life as a Test cricketer led to a US$2.5m IPL deal in 2021, although life has not always run smoothly as he attempted to juggle his workload across formats. Jamieson has only featured eight ODIs and 11 T20Is for New Zealand but played his first cricket since February in the UAE and could yet be a key weapon at the 50-over World Cup, with his imposing height and ability as a lower-order hitter.Team news: England test bench, NZ welcome big gunsEngland’s intention for this series had been to blood their next tier of white-ball quicks, ahead of next year’s defence of their T20 World Cup title, but two of those uncapped prospects, John Turner and Josh Tongue, have already been withdrawn through injury, with Brydon Carse and the old-stager Chris Jordan slotting in in their stead. The third of that trio of new boys, Atkinson, is sure to play at some stage as England seek to fast-track his international experience ahead of his prospective World Cup call-up, although having featured in Oval Invincibles’ victory in the men’s Hundred final on Sunday night, his involvement may yet be deferred. On the batting side, Brook is the squad’s cause celebre, although Ben Duckett and Jacks have plenty of incentive to impress as well, with Buttler having admitted last week that nothing is yet set in stone for the World Cup.England: 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Chris Jordan/Brydon Carse, 10 Luke Wood, 11 Gus AtkinsonMatthew Mott and Jos Buttler were reunited after a long break in the white-ball schedule•Getty ImagesNew Zealand’s squad is assembling Avengers-style from myriad corners of the cricketing universe. A scratch squad contested a brace of warm-up games against Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, but now a host of Hundred combatants are returning to the fray – among them Southee, Daryl Mitchell and Adam Milne, who provided three touches of Kiwi class in an otherwise dead-rubber clash between Birmingham Phoenix and London Spirit last week. In a rather more high-profile outing, Devon Conway and Finn Allen formed a potent alliance for Southern Brave in Saturday’s Eliminator at The Oval, and will slot back in at the top of the NZ order, after Tim Seifert and Chad Bowes stood in against UAE. Jamieson made his comeback in that series after a long-standing back injury, and will continue his progress over the coming games. Jimmy Neesham, a hero of the Hundred final for Oval Invincibles, is heading home for the birth of his child.New Zealand: 1 Devon Conway (wk), 2 Finn Allen, 3 Mark Chapman/Tim Seifert, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Rachin Ravindra/Cole McConchie, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Lockie Ferguson/Adam Milne, 11 Ish SodhiPitch and conditionsChester-le-Street last hosted a T20 international in 2017, and is not known as a batter-friendly venue – in this year’s Vitality Blast, it was the third-lowest scoring of the major grounds, with runs coming at 8.27 an over. There is a chance of some rain to freshen conditions further on Wednesday, although the forecast for the evening is clear.Stats and trivia New Zealand have won eight and lost 14 of their previous 22 completed T20Is against England, including a tie in Auckland in November 2019 that Chris Jordan duly sealed in the Super Over, to claim a 3-2 series win in the two teams’ most recent bilateral outing. Since then, England and New Zealand have played twice more, at consecutive T20 World Cups. At the former event in 2021, Daryl Mitchell propelled his side to the final where they fell short against Australia; then, 12 months later, England exacted revenge in the group stage, en route to their victory in the final. New Zealand’s four-match series is set to match their previous tally of T20I fixtures against England in England. They’ve won one and lost two of their previous three completed matches in 2008, 2013 and 2015, with a two-ball wash-out at The Oval in 2013 completing the set.Quotes
“I don’t think he has a point to prove. We all know what a fantastic player he is. He’s unfortunate to miss out on selection at this stage. We’ve said it for a long time in English white-ball cricket we’ve got a lot of depth and talent, and young players coming through pushing [for selection] has been a hallmark of the team. It’s natural that good players miss out.”
“Any cricket now in the lead-up to the World Cup is good cricket. For the guys that go on to that tournament, you’re playing against quality white-ball opposition. I know it’s a different format but I think any cricket leading into the World Cup is good cricket.”

Rangers are back in action on Saturday evening, seeking to continue the momentum established prior to the international break.

First, Barry Ferguson’s side ousted Fenerbahçe from the Europa League, prevailing on penalties at Ibrox, thereby setting up a quarter-final clash with Athletic Club Bilbao.

Then, three days later, the Gers were 3-2 winners in the Old Firm derby, with Ferguson becoming the first Rangers manager since Walter Smith in 1991 to win their very first Glasgow derby at Parkhead.

While it’s too late to reignite the Premiership title race, the Light Blues will be seeking another victory at Dundee on Saturday evening, although this is unlikely to be straightforward, considering they’ve drawn their last two visits to Dens Park, held to a 1-1 stalemate there in January.

If Ferguson is to land all three points in the City of Discovery, he should unleash his superstar striker.

Cyriel Dessers' recent Rangers form

As noted by Scott Bradley of Breaking the Lines, Dessers’ performances for Rangers have been largely ‘inconsistent’ and ‘frustrating’, adding that he ‘divides opinion’.

The Nigerian striker arrived from Cremonese for a reported fee of £5.5m in July 2023, scoring 44 goals in 99 appearances for the club to date, averaging a goal every 138 minutes, which certainly isn’t bad.

Following Rangers’ 3-1 win at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium last month, Fenerbahçe manager José Mourinho said that “today, Dessers looked like the best player in the world”, with John Walker adding that this was Dessers’ ‘best match for Rangers’.

However, he is often criticised for not being clinical enough, a perception supported by the fact that, since the start of last season, he has missed a humongous 46 Opta-defined big chances across the Premiership and Europa League.

So, after Dessers got the nod at Parkhead, we’re advocating for Ferguson to start his other centre-forward at Dens.

Rangers' starting striker vs Dundee

Hamza Igamane’s last-gasp winner in the Glasgow derby a fortnight ago will forever cement his name into Rangers folklore but, even before that, his performances had been catching the eye.

During the international break, the 22-year-old made his senior debut for Morocco, coming off the bench for the final eight minutes as the Atlas Lions beat Niger 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Oujda.

Head Coach Walid Regragui, who guided the North African nation to the most recent World Cup semi-finals, praised Igamane’s “mindset”, also adding he “has a bright future ahead of him”.

At club level, Igamane has scored 14 goals since joining Rangers last summer, four of which have come in the Europa League, described as “unpredictable” and “outrageous” by scout Ben Mattinson, thereby attracting Premier League interest.

So, let’s analyse how Rangers’ two centre-forward options compare.

As the table outlines, while Dessers’ pure goals and minutes-per-goal statistics are superior, Igamane comes out on top for pretty much every other underlying metric.

In this season’s Europa League for example, the Moroccan ranks second for goals – xG, behind only Malick Fofana of Olympique Lyonnais, while the Nigerian sits joint-fourth bottom for the same metric, out of the 702 players who’ve attempted at least one shot in the competition, above only Ulrik Saltnes, Kevin Rodríguez and compatriot Victor Osimhen.

This emphasises that Igamane is a significantly more clinical centre-forward and, at 22 years old, has a significantly higher ceiling than 30-year-old Dessers.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Thus, in Premiership matches that don’t matter a great deal, Ferguson should prioritise giving Igamane minutes, starting on Saturday, giving him the opportunity to stake a claim, with the first leg against Athletic Club coming up soon.

Rangers have sealed a "jackpot signing" who could be their new Nacho Novo

Barry Ferguson could find Rangers’ next Nacho Novo by unleashing this star.

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Dan Emery

Mar 27, 2025

Mujeeb Ur Rahman could have picked up a major injury when his knee seemed to go into the surface when he put in a dive in the outfield

Matt Roller07-Oct-2023Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan’s head coach, feels Mujeeb Ur Rahman was lucky to escape without a serious injury after his left knee went into the sandy Dharamsala outfield when he put in a dive during Afghanistan’s six-wicket defeat to Bangladesh on Saturday.The grass on the outfield was patchy and mossy, and several players on both sides lost their footing in the deep. Mujeeb appeared to jar his knee while diving to stop a Shakib Al Hasan sweep, and Azmat Omarzai tumbled over when attempting to save a boundary off what turned out to be the penultimate ball of the match.India’s third Test against Australia was moved from Dharamsala to Indore at short notice earlier this year following concerns about the condition of the outfield – which the BCCI blamed the “harsh winter conditions in the region” for – while Indian media outlets reported last month that an ICC inspection team had identified a fungal infection at the ground.Related

Buttler slams 'poor' Dharamsala outfield, urges players to be careful in the deep

Trott warns England of Dharamsala outfield concerns ahead of Bangladesh fixture

Mehidy is the impact allrounder Bangladesh didn't know they had

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Mehidy, with a little help from Shakib and Shanto, takes Bangladesh past Afghanistan

Trott made clear that he did not blame Afghanistan’s heavy defeat on the condition of the outfield, and said it was not his place to “make an assessment” on whether the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium was fit to host games at the World Cup. But he said that it had not helped the spectacle, and suggested that the ICC should look at the quality of outfields across the country.”If you’ve got players unsure of whether they can dive… we see the product of cricket all around the world where players are taught, encouraged to improve their fielding,” he said. “And when you’ve got players worried about getting injured… I mean, we are lucky Mujeeb hasn’t got a serious knee injury towards the end.”Yes, he probably shouldn’t have dived with his knee. But we saw the other night [in Ahmedabad], Devon Conway from New Zealand early on as well, so it’s something for them [the organisers] to look at. I’m definitely not putting any blame on that, but that’s something to keep an eye on for the future.”Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was named Player of the Match for his 3 for 25 and 57 in 73, said that the outfield had been on the slow side. “The outfield was a little heavy,” he said. “The ball wasn’t travelling a lot. But you can’t blame the outfield… you have to perform in every situation.”The state of the outfield will be a concern for both Bangladesh and England ahead of their fixture at the same venue on Tuesday. Both sides will be wary of the possibility of losing players to injury, particularly so early in the competition, while Jonny Bairstow and Reece Topley are among the England players who have suffered freak injuries after slipping in the past 18 months.That said, Dharamsala holds fond memories for some England players – not least Liam Livingstone, who hit 94 off 48 balls in a narrow IPL defeat for Punjab Kings at the ground earlier this year, an innings that included nine sixes.”It’s an incredible ground and an incredible place to bat if it’s anything like it was that day,” Livingstone said on Saturday. “It’s a very good place to play cricket and it’s always nice to go back somewhere you’ve got good memories. Hopefully it stands me in good stead.”Conditions here should suit us and the boys are really excited. We want to get over what happened the other day [against New Zealand] and almost go twice as hard.”The stadium is nearly 1500 metres above sea level. “Because of the altitude, the ball just flies really well,” Livingstone said. “It makes you more confident to take on the boundaries: they aren’t that big here anyway, and the altitude just makes it better with the power we’ve got in our line-up. It certainly helps as a batter, standing there knowing you can take the fielders on.”

خطف نادي الرجاء المغربي، صفقة قوية من الزمالك، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية، وذلك بعدما انهى الاتفاق رسميًا مع اللاعب بشكل رسمي.

الزمالك كان يستهدف التعاقد مع صفقة جديدة لتدعيم خط الهجوم، وهو المغربي بلال ولد الشيخ المحترف في صفوف نادي فوليندام الهولندي، حيث كشفت المصادر أنه كان أقرب المرشحين للانضمام إلى صفوف القلعة البيضاء.

ووفقًا لما أعلنه نادي الرجاء، عبر صفحته الرسمية على “فيس بوك: “في إطار تعزيزات الفريق الأول تحضيراً للموسم الجديد، يعلن المكتب المديري لنادي الرجاء الرياضي عن تعاقده مع اللاعب بلال ولد الشيخ لموسمين رياضيين”.

وتابع النادي في بيانه :”كان بلال ولد الشيخ قد خاض مجموعة من التجارب في مختلف الدوريات الأوروبية، ويتمنى نادي الرجاء الرياضي كل التوفيق للاعب بلال ولد الشيخ في مسيرته مع الفريق”.

يذكر، أن عقد بلال ولد الشيخ انتهى مع فريقه الأخير فولندام الهولندي في 30 يونيو الماضي.

طالع | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة الزمالك ووادي دجلة وديًا اليوم

من ناحية أخرى، حسم نادي الزمالك، 5 صفقات بشكل رسمي حتى الآن في الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية، وهي الحارس المهدي سليمان، والثنائي عمرو ناصر وأحمد شريف من فاركو، والأنجولي شيكو بانزا والفلسطيني آدم كايد.

Club legend to depart at end of County Championship campaign after seven years in role

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2023

Glen Chapple will end an unbroken 31-year association with Lancashire this week, when he steps down as the club’s head coach at the conclusion of their ongoing contest against Kent.Chapple, 49, has been in his current role for the past seven seasons, having previously worked as Ashley Giles’ first-team coach for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and as acting head coach in 2014 following the departure of Peter Moores to the England job.Prior to that, Chapple had served as a player-coach in the latter years of a record-breaking playing career, in which he claimed 1373 wickets in 664 appearances for Lancashire across all formats and captained the side to the County Championship title in 2011 for the first time in 77 years.After making his first-class debut in 1992 and his List A debut the following year, Chapple also became a key figure in the great Lancashire team that claimed nine one-day trophies between 1989 and 1999.His finest hour in that phase of his career came at Lord’s in 1996, in the final of the NatWest Trophy, when he returned figures of 6 for 18 to bowl Essex out for 57. But he was surprisingly overlooked by England in the prime of his career, and eventually played a solitary ODI against Ireland in 2006, at the age of 32.As Lancashire’s head coach, Chapple led the club to three second-place finishes in Division One of the County Championship and reached T20 Finals Day on three occasions too. However, last year’s thrilling one-run defeat to Hampshire was the closest they came to lifting the title. Carl Crowe and Graham Onions are among the internal candidates to succeed him in the role.Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, said: “Glen has been an incredible servant to Lancashire Cricket over the past 30 years – as a player, captain and most recently as head coach – and on behalf of the club, I’d like to thank him for everything he’s achieved.”He will go down as a legend of the club from what he achieved during his playing career and has overseen a sustained period of success over the last seven years as head coach.”Glen’s shown a relentless commitment and passion to the Red Rose during his time as head coach and we wish him every success in the next steps of his career.”Chapple added: “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved at Lancashire over the years and I would like to thank all the players, staff and members and supporters for the support I’ve received – both as a player and as a coach – during my career at Emirates Old Trafford.”I feel that now is the right time in my career to explore and pursue other coaching opportunities and I wish the club all the best for the future.”

Joao Felix could be on the verge of a homecoming as Benfica reportedly weigh a £25.6 million offer for the forward, whose form has declined significantly since he left Portuguese shores in 2019. The Chelsea attacker, currently under contract until 2031, endured an uninspiring loan spell at AC Milan last season, and now finds himself at a crossroads once again.

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Felix's future under the scannerMight retrace his steps to BenficaChelsea willing to cut their losses Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After a permanent switch to Chelsea for £45m ($61.75m) following a short stint on loan from Atletico Madrid in 2023, the Portuguese forward managed just one goal in 12 appearances. His performances at Chelsea failed to justify the investment, prompting a loan move to AC Milan. Unfortunately for Felix, his fortunes did not turn around in Italy and was criticised for his attitude and commitment.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According to Portuguese outlet despite the struggles, Benfica are considering bringing Felix back to the Estadio da Luz, the club where his professional journey began. They are preparing a £25.6m ($35m) bid for the 25-year-old, hoping a return to familiar surroundings can revive the spark that once made him one of the most exciting talents in world football.

DID YOU KNOW?

Though Benfica may be keen to facilitate a reunion, reaching a deal will be complicated. Felix is still tied to Chelsea on a lengthy and lucrative contract reportedly worth £130,000 per week until 2031. However, Chelsea and Benfica are scheduled to meet in the Club World Cup Round of 16 this weekend, creating a convenient opportunity for both clubs to hold in-person talks regarding a potential agreement.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR FELIX & CHELSEA?

Félix's fading relevance in Chelsea’s plans is underscored by the club’s aggressive pursuit of new attackers. Liam Delap has already been brought in for £30 million, while players like Hugo Ekitike, Jamie Gittens, and Malick Fofana are being closely linked with Stamford Bridge moves. Whereas, for Felix, a return to Benfica could represent the chance to reset his turbulent career. Familiar surroundings, a supportive fanbase, and a system tailored to his strengths could offer him the platform he’s lacked since leaving Lisbon.

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Mesmo com a forte chuva que cai sobre a capital paulista, cerca de mil torcedores lotaram na manhã desta quarta-feira (28) o entorno do CT da Barra Funda para mostrar apoio ao São Paulo no último treino antes do embarque da equipe para a final da Copa Sul-Americana contra o Independiente del Valle, do Equador, às 17h (de Brasília) deste sábado, em Córdoba, na Argentina.O L! transmite a partida em tempo real a partir das 17h.

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+ Relembre os campeões da Copa Sul-Americana de 2012 pelo São Paulo e onde estão atualmente

Inicialmente, os torcedores ficariam na porta do CT à espera da saída do ônibus. Mas, segundo publicou a organizada Independente, a maior do clube, em suas redes sociais, a ordem para abrir os portões partiu do próprio técnico Rogério Ceni.

Durante toda a atividade, as arquibancadas do local, lotadas, cantaram músicas de incentivo e o hino do clube. Do gramado, jogadores acenavam. No final, alguns, como o atacante Luciano, ovacionado o tempo todo, foram ao alambrado trocar rápidas palavras com os são-paulinos.

Na hora de saída do ônibus, a Polícia Militar precisou interditar parcialmente a Avenida Marquês de São Vicente (zona oeste paulistana) e alguns torcedores tentaram acompanhar o ônibus.

O voo fretado do São Paulo rumo a Córdoba tem decolagem prevista para às 15h (de Brasília), saindo do Aeroporto Internacional de Guarulhos (Grande São Paulo). A previsão é que a delegação chegue às 18h20 (horário de Brasília) na cidade argentina.

Na quinta e na sexta-feira, o Tricolor vai treinar no estádio Francisco Cabasés, que pertence ao Talleres, principal clube de Córdoba. Também na sexta será realizado o reconhecimento do gramado do Mário Kempes, local do jogo.

> Confira classificação, jogos e simule resultados do Brasileirão-22
> Confira todos os jogos da Copa Sul-Americana-22
> Conheça o novo aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

The Gabon forward netted the 2–1 winner that kept América out of the Club World Cup

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• Market value is $9.2 million according to Transfermarkt
• LAFC reportedly want $12 million to sell him
• Bouanga has scored 81 goals in 130 appearances for LAFC
• Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  After a trophyless semester, Club América are preparing for their upcoming season as they aim to reclaim the Liga MX title and secure the CONCACAF Champions Cup – the only trophy missing under André Jardine. Among the players they are reportedly targeting is LAFC forward Denis Bouanga, whose performance helped eliminate América from the Club World Cup.

  According to TUDN, América have formally asked LAFC about Bouanga, who struck late in the Play‑In round to score the crucial second goal that kept them out of the tournament.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  LAFC are reportedly seeking a transfer fee in the region of $12 million, despite Bouanga’s current market valuation standing at approximately $9.2 million per Transfermarkt.

  The striker is still with LAFC at the Club World Cup but he has underwhelmed so far – missing a penalty in the loss to ES Tunis that confirmed LAFC’s early exit.

  Back in Mexico, América have kicked off their preseason in Cancún, including beach training. A friendly against Cancún FC is scheduled for Friday. Their Apertura 2025 opener is set for July 11 at FC Juárez, with no signings officially announced yet—though Cruz Azul midfielder Alexis Gutiérrez appears poised to become their first arrival.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Since his arrival in 2022, Bouanga has been pivotal in LAFC’s successes, helping them lift the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield. In 130 appearances, he has found the net 81 times and provided 37 assists.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LAFC?

  Steve Cherundolo’s team, already eliminated from the Club World Cup, will wrap up its participation tonight against Flamengo at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.