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Hollywood actor Gerard Butler was in attendance as he watched Chelsea's rampant victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge.

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Butler records message for Chelsea fansScottish actor watched the Blues' 5-0 victoryChelsea leapfrog Man Utd temporarilyWHAT HAPPENED?

Butler picked a good game to visit west London as he witnessed the Blues score five unanswered goals past the Hammers and climb to seventh in the table. Prior to the game he recorded a brief message that was posted on the club's Instagram page. Butler described his excitement to be at the game and spoke of his 'joy' at watching the Blues.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT BUTLER SAID

Speaking to the Chelsea faithful, Butler said: "Hey Chelsea fans, Gerry Butler here. You might not be Chelsea fans, but if not, maybe you should be Chelsea fans! Here at Stamford Bridge for the West Ham game, I'm super excited and it's going to get a lot busier than this. You can feel it already – it is a joy to be here! Take care."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Gerard Butler grew up in Paisley, just outside of Glasgow, and is a huge Celtic fan. The actor has explained in the past that he has often woken up at the crack of dawn in Los Angeles in order to watch his beloved Bhoys.

Aditya Sarwate’s third wicket of the day could well be the most important of the final

Saurabh Somani in Nagpur04-Feb-2019A well-laid plan and a bowler who could execute it to precision were the ingredients that gave Vidarbha Cheteshwar Pujara’s prized wicket for just 1 in the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 final on Monday.Pujara had come out with Saurashtra at 79 for 2 in reply to Vidarbha’s 312, and the two best opposition bowlers were in operation: Umesh Yadav from the Secretary End, and Aditya Sarwate from the Pavilion End. Sarwate had bowled two spells of two overs each from the other end before changing, and had just dismissed Vishwaraj Jadeja, the batsman playing for the turn to the arm ball and trapped in front.Pujara had one ball to face in the over, the 26th, which he came forward to, and it rolled off a thick bottom edge. Snell Patel didn’t get off strike in Umesh’s next over, and when Sarwate came back, a forward short leg was put in place immediately. A slip and silly point, placed smartly parallel to the stumps, were already there, and Vidarbha were telling Pujara that they were attacking both his outside and inside edges.The silly-point fielder was almost a short gully, waiting to pouch anything that would fly off the outside edge, however softly Pujara might tap it. The close-in cordon showed how well Vidarbha’s think tank, led by head coach Chandrakant Pandit, had read the pitch as well as the batsman – the bounce was low, and Pujara plays with soft hands, so the edges were not going to carry straight and high.ALSO READ: Jaffer and Pujara: genial giants of domestic cricketTo make the plan work, Sarwate bowled straight lines, and a length the forced the batsman to play him. Pujara had already jumped out of the crease a couple of times to defend, but had spotted the dangers. So he was trying to defend from the crease, but was still tentative. He played out a maiden.In his next over, Sarwate maintained the same line of attack. The first ball, Pujara prodded towards short leg. The next one, he again lunged forward to defend, but then improvised to tap the ball just short of the close-in fielder on the off side. The slight bounce and turn might have created a sliver of doubt in Pujara’s mind as he appeared to be in two minds trying to defend the next delivery. The ball had pitched on a length that drew him forward, but Pujara stopped midway, attempted to play it down, but the bounce meant a thick outside edge off the top of his bat and Wasim Jaffer neatly, and gleefully, accepted the offering.”Pujara is the biggest wicket I’ve got,” Sarwate said after the day’s play. “We have watched him a lot, and we saw him on the Australia tour also. We felt that initially, he is a bit tentative, and he jabs at the ball. That is why we kept a short leg. If the odd ball turns, then there is a silly point. Maybe he played half-cocked which is why he got out.”We plan the field setting after watching him on TV. If you keep fielders in his weak areas at the start, then his shots get curtailed. He had just come to the crease, with tea also not far away. So our plan was to attack. We didn’t want to let him step out, which he does a lot. We thought the more we make him play from the crease, the better it will be for us.”Vijay Dahiya, the former India wicketkeeper who was commentating on TV at the time, said the wicket was a tribute to Vidarbha’s smart planning. “The field placement according to me is always as per the batsman. Full marks to Vidarbha’s management here,” Dahiya told ESPNcricinfo. “There had been a partnership going on earlier, and there was not a short-leg fielder then. Pujara coming in, such a big name, and straightaway there was a short leg in. And that silly point fielder was absolutely adjacent there. That’s how you take big wickets, with a game plan.”If you look at this pitch, there is not much bounce, so it’s not going to go straight. Even the catch that went to slip, it didn’t carry at normal height, it was going down. When you don’t have enough bounce, you try and pitch it inside. Full marks to their thinking, especially against someone who has had a fantastic Australia trip, and came from the semi-finals scoring a match-winning 131 not out. Credit goes to the bowler as well in bowling in the right area.”The wicket took Sarwate’s season’s tally to 47. In Vidarbha’s semi-final win against Kerala, which was wrapped up inside two days, Sarwate didn’t get to bowl a single ball, with Umesh and his fellow pacers cleaning up the opposition. Back at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur with its spin-friendly pitch, Sarwate may have just bowled the most significant 10 balls of the game.

Tottenham are reportedly keen on signing a £34 million star from abroad as a replacement for midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in January.

"Important" Hojbjerg could still leave Spurs

Injuries and suspensions have hampered manager Ange Postecoglou over what has been a disastrous last nine days. Summer signings Micky van de Ven and James Maddison, who've starred since joining the club, won't be seen again until 2024 – with Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero also suspended.

Postecoglou is missing his entire favoured backline right now, and the lack of Maddison's creativity in midfield was on full display during Spurs' dramatic 2-1 loss to Wolves last Saturday. Hojbjerg slotted in for the England international in a more advanced role but couldn't quite replicate his attacking influence, and reports suggest the Dane could still leave in January despite Postecoglou's lack of squad depth.

The 28-year-old is reportedly attracting interest from Juventus and Atletico Madrid, with Hojbjerg's agent already reaching an exit agreement with these two sides. Postecoglou, though, is of real belief that Hojbjerg is still a "very important" player.

“It is obvious someone that has played regularly would have wanted to play more but ultimately our performances have been strong and he has had to bide his time," said Postecoglou on Hojbjerg.

“He has also been very important in a lot of the games that we’ve won late or had to shore up late. He has been one of the people who has helped us and it is not like he hasn’t contributed at all. He’s been a really important part for us. We wouldn’t be in this position if we were just reliant on our starting XI.

“With Pierre, he is professional and very determined."

Spurs eye Andre to replace Hojbjerg

Regardless of Postecoglou's statement, Hojbjerg's future appears far away from north London as there is still plenty of noise surrounding his future.

Before Spurs' succession of absences, the former Southampton star failed to start a single league game, with his first nod coming in a win against Fulham to replace the suspended Yves Bissouma.

Now, according to a report by 90min, Tottenham and sporting director Johan Lange by extension are keen on signing Andre but must first sell Hojbjerg before making a move.

The Fluminese star would act as his replacement, but Spurs face competition from up and down the Premier League for his signature. Andre, who has a £34 million release clause in his contract, has also been called the "best midfielder" in his country right now.

"Pressure and playing with the confidence of someone who knows they are different," said South American journalist Fernando Campos on Andre.

"Get out of the way and make the team work. André Trindade is the best midfielder in the country and is a monster of a player."

Passing

Dribbling

Through balls

Andre has attracted more praise from fellow reporter Nathan Joyes, too, who called him an "unbelievable talent". The Brazil international made 26 league appearances for Fluminese over their latest campaign, amassing a pretty impressive 94.7% passing accuracy (WhoScored).

تحدث نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، عن رأيه تجاه ما كان سيحدث لو تمكن النجم الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي من اللعب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، خلال مسيرته.

وتمكن ميسي من اللعب في الدوري الإسباني، في معظم فترات مسيرته الاحترافية المميزة، مع برشلونة قبل رحيله إلى الدوري الفرنسي من بوابة باريس سان جيرمان.

اقرأ أيضًا | “قدوة لسنوات”.. سلوت يتغنى بدور محمد صلاح مع ليفربول بعد الفوز على آرسنال

وقرر ليونيل ميسي، الفائز بكأس العالم 2022، مغادرة القارة الأوروبية بعدما قرر الانضمام إلى إنتر ميامي، الذي يبدو أنه سيكون آخر نادِ في مسيرته.

وسُئل محمد صلاح عما كان سيحدث لو لعب ميسي في الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث رد في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “sportskeeda” الإنجليزية، نقلًا عن “TNTSports” الأرجنتينية: “لو لعب بالفعل لكان هدافًا ونجمًا، هذا أمر طبيعي”.

وأضاف: “أنت تتحدث عن أفضل لاعب في العالم، أينما ذهب سيظل يلعب كرة القدم، كرة القدم بالنسبة لـ ميسي تُعد موهبة إلهية، لذلك سيفعل ما يفعله في أي دوري”.

واختتم: “كما أن أرقامه أمام الفرق الإنجليزية كبيرة للغاية، بالنسبة لي أعتبره الأفضل في التاريخ، كان لي الشرف أن أقابله في المباريات”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em eleição realizada no último sábado, Duílio Monteiro Alves foi eleito como novo presidente do Corinthians com 1.080 votos pelos sócios do clube. A gestão será iniciada no dia 4 de janeiro e Duílio terá muito trabalho para fazer em seu triênio como presidente. Alexandre Guariglia, responsável pela cobertura do Corinthians no LANCE!, avalia o cenário que o novo presidente vai encontrar. Assista ao comentário no vídeo acima!

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Former Zimbabwe coach Heath Streak has submitted a court application asking for Zimbabwe Cricket to be liquidated in order for the board to pay its debts. The eight-page document, seen by ESPNcricinfo, was submitted to the High Court in Harare on September 20.In his application, Streak lists the monies owed to him and other members of his coaching staff, who were all dismissed following their failed World Cup qualifying campaign in March. He accuses ZC of “illegally” terminating their contracts and claims the organisation is being run in a “reckless and negligent manner,” and that it should be declared insolvent.Streak claims to be owed USD 128,762.95 and states that batting coach Lance Klusener, fitness trainer Sean Ball and A team assistant coach Wayne James are due USD 11757.93, 43,999.23 and 14175.66 respectively. The total amount members of the coaching staff are owed is USD 198695.77, a fraction of the sum of ZC’s debts which is believed to run into millions of dollars.In the court application, drafted by Gerald Mlotshwa, the same lawyer who was assisting Zimbabwe’s players in setting up an association earlier in the year, Streak writes that he believes ZC’s board of directors has “run the organisation in a reckless and negligent manner, mismanaged loans and grants that were advanced to it by the International Cricket Council and failed to make meaningful repayments.” He has named Winsley Malitala as a provisional liquidator, to oversee the dissolution of ZC.This action was taken despite the developments that followed the ICC’s annual conference in July, when ZC was placed on a payment plan to ensure a drip-feed of funds into the system in order to restructure the board’s debt. Since entering into the deal with the ICC, ZC paid outstanding player salaries and trimmed its staff.ESPNcricinfo also learned that ZC could face more legal action in addition to Streak’s case, should it be successful. Further applications could compel Zimbabwe’s Sports and Recreation Committee to take disciplinary action against ZC if the board is declared insolvent, while another case may be filed to compel the SRC to release the results of a ZC audit. But the liquidation case will need to be completed for these applications to be considered. Sources told ESPNcricinfo they expect the matter to be heard next month.

MatériaMais Notícias

Eliminado da Copa Sul-Americana de forma precoce no meio desta semana, o São Paulo ainda tem duas possibilidades reais de título nesta temporada: o Brasileirão e a Copa do Brasil. As competições nacionais são as duas últimas cartadas da gestão do presidente Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva, o Leco – que se encerra no fim deste ano, mas já muito próxima da reta final dos torneios.

Sem conquistar qualquer título desde 2012, quando faturou justamente a Copa Sul-Americana, o São Paulo vive um período de seca. Quando assumiu, o presidente Leco falava em reconquistar o protagonismo, mas o clube disputou apenas uma final (Paulistão do ano passado) e não teve grandes campanhas nos pontos corridos. A eleição no clube do Morumbi se aproxima e o cargo máximo passará a Julio Casares ou Roberto Natel – os dois candidatos à presidência do Tricolor.

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Até lá, no entanto, o São Paulo do técnico Fernando Diniz tem duas boas possibilidades ainda nesta temporada. Na Copa do Brasil, a equipe está classificada para a fase quartas de final e conhece seu adversário no mata-mata nesta sexta-feira. São apenas seis jogos que separam o São Paulo da conquista inédita, de uma bolada de R$ 54 milhões paga pela CBF ao campeão e também do retorno à Copa Libertadores.

No Brasileirão, o caminho é mais longo, mas a situação atual do São Paulo é mais confortável. Embora seja o quinto colocado na tabela, com 30 pontos ganhos, o Tricolor é o clube de melhor aproveitamento no campeonato (62,5% de pontos ganhos) e tem três jogos a menos do que seus adversários. A equipe, inclusive, pode ganhar o título simbólico do primeiro turno caso vença essas partidas.

No sábado, às 19h, o São Paulo inicia o returno contra o Goiás, no Morumbi. Restam mais 22 partidas para o Tricolor no Brasileirão e a equipe briga direto contra Internacional, Flamengo e Atlético-MG pelo principal título nacional. Resta saber se terá fôlego para aguentar o calendário puxado até o mês de fevereiro.

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar do crescimento individual de alguns atletas, é impossível discordar que o grande nome do Palmeiras nas últimas semanas foi o de Andrey Lopes, técnico interino do Verdão.

Com quatro vitórias e um saldo de 11 gols em cinco jogos, Cebola deixa o Verdão em outro patamar para Abel Ferreira, que assume o comando do elenco nesta terça-feira (3).

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A empolgação com o ‘Cebolismo’ foi tanta que até Leila Pereira, conselheira e patrocinadora do Verdão, fez elogios para o auxiliar técnico nas redes sociais.

– Esse é o nosso Palmeiras. Isso que gostamos de assistir. Mas gente, estou aqui para dar os parabéns e meu muito obrigada para o Cebola. Cebola, você resgatou, você retomou nossa confiança! Parabéns pelo trabalho. Estamos juntos – exclamou a principal candidata a assumir a presidência do clube na próxima eleição.

Andrey Lopes também trouxe mais alegria e união para o ambiente interno do elenco palmeirense. Prova disso foram as comemorações efusivas do técnico com os jogadores após os gols do Verdão.

Contra o Galo, o treinador tomou até cartão amarelo por ter largado a área técnica para abraçar Zé Rafael, após o gol de Wesley.

A evolução tática da equipe foi outra coisa que chamou atenção no curto período do ‘Cebolismo’. Em pouco tempo, o técnico encontrou uma escalação ideal e fez importantes mudanças, como tirar Felipe Melo da zaga e voltar a dar uma consistência defensiva para o time, que vinha sofrendo muitos gols com Luxemburgo.

continua após a publicidade

Cebola deixa o comando do Palmeiras nessa segunda passagem com os seguintes números:

5 jogos
4 vitórias
1 derrota
14 gols pró
3 gols contra#Cebolismo pic.twitter.com/TwRdkEY9DO

— Gabriel Amorim (@gabrilamorim) November 2, 2020

Apesar dos pedidos da torcida, Andrey Lopes não deve ficar no banco de reservas de Abel Ferreira. O auxiliar fixo do Palmeiras costuma assistir aos jogos dos camarotes dos estádios, para fazer observações táticas e passar para a comissão técnica durante os 90 minutos.

– Fico feliz com essa passagem que eu tive, eu tenho 47 anos, faço com muito estudo. Às vezes, as pessoas não tem um entendimento do todo. É no dia a dia do clube que a gente constrói as situações. Sei que vou crescer com o Abel. Ele vai passar coisas pra gente, e vamos passar coisas pra ele – afirmou ‘Cebola’, após a vitória sobre o Galo no Allianz Parque.

Andrey Lopes chegou ao Palmeiras no final de 2017 e, desde então, ganhou o respeito de todos os técnicos com quem trabalhou no clube.

Abel Ferreira será o quinto técnico com quem o auxiliar vai trabalhar no Alviverde Imponente. Com contrato até 2022 e uma promessa de mais paciência da diretoria, o português fará de tudo para que o ‘Cebolismo’ não precise voltar tão cedo ao Verdão.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be glad to see the back of the summer transfer window, in what was a trialling time for the Old Gold – and owners Fosun – amid their financial issues.

Julen Lopetegui’s exit, swiftly covered by Gary O’Neil’s arrival, was the climax of the problems surrounding Molineux’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) restraints, giving the squad just five days to adjust before their Premier League opener.

Despite the hardships and uncertainty that fueled the summer break, Wolves prevailed in a positive light, putting in encouraging performances in their fixtures so far with the hope that the results will follow.

The squad has changed dramatically since the end of the 2022/23 campaign, with key players departing and new faces arriving, giving those associated with the club time to reflect on the talents that remain.

How much did Wolves pay for Pablo Sarabia?

Signed in January from Paris Saint-Germain, Pablo Sarabia is one of the players fans will hope to see succeed under O’Neil after a slow start to his Wolves career.

The Midlands side paid PSG a fee of €5m (£4.4m) for the Spaniard, a minimal fee for a player past the stage of his prime with him being 30 at the point of his transfer.

It turned out to be a forgettable 2022/23 campaign for the winger, who netted once for Wolves in 13 appearances and failed to score or assist in 19 appearances for the French outfit before his move.

Beginning his first full season in the Premier League, Sarabia has had a hot and cold start, a narrative identifiable from last term’s disappointing form.

How much does Pablo Sarabia earn?

Picking up a weekly wage of £90,000, the Spaniard is Wolves’ highest earner, which makes for interesting reading considering his lack of performance since his arrival at the club.

Described by journalist Alex Richards as being “anonymous” in the Premier League last time out against Crystal Palace, the 31-year-old has a lot of making up to do with reference to his hefty paycheck at Molineux.

A stellar Carabao Cup performance against League One side Blackpool softened the criticism Sarabia had been receiving, however it was a display expected by an accomplished player with a recorded 508 appearances at the top level.

A salary of £4.6m a year is what Wolves pay to receive the services of the 31-year-old, who averaged a Sofascore match rating of 6.57 in the Premier League last season.

There was talk in the transfer window that the former PSG man could be on his way towards the exit at Molineux after just six months, with interest from Saudi Arabia in the inconsistent forward.

Journalist Ben Jacobs relayed the news that Al-Ettifaq were “considering” a move for the winger, however opted for Demarai Gray instead, giving the Spaniard a lifeline to try to impress in gold.

There’s plenty of time left for Sarabia to impose himself at Wolves, with this season pivotal for the 31-year-old’s career as he is presented with the opportunity to have a key role under O’Neil if he performs.

With one goal and one assist to his name since arriving in the Premier League, the £90k-per-week expense must be shown some sort of explanation to avoid the deal being branded a waste of funds as far as Fosun – and Wolves – are concerned.

In another instance of his unusually hands-on involvement with team matters, Nazmul Hassan has questioned the interim coach’s ability to handle the batting side of the Bangladesh job

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2018

BCB

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has credited his advice to the players for turning Bangladesh’s form around in the Nidahas Trophy. He has also said interim coach Courtney Walsh cannot be relied upon to come up with batting plans for the team, and that the senior players would have to do this themselves.Unusually for a board president, Hassan has frequently involved himself in day-to-day matters of the team since 2015. His meetings with players have become commonplace, as have his interactions with the media to inform them about these meetings.After a heavy defeat to India in their opening match, Bangladesh chased down 215 to beat Sri Lanka on Saturday.”I sat with Mushfiqur [Rahim], Tamim [Iqbal] and [Mahmudullah] Riyad after the India game,” Hassan said. “There was a lot of emotion in the meeting. Our batting against India was unacceptable. I told them that you didn’t play cricketing shots; you only tried to swing at deliveries outside off-stump. The new boys may have done it but not Tamim, Mushfiq and Riyad. They gave away 57 (68) dot balls.”Who will bring them out of this? I am a non-technical person. They have to do this job. They have Walsh who is the interim coach but we can’t expect batting plans from him. We spoke a lot about this; there were a lot of emotions. I said there’s no point being emotional. Let’s stick to the basics. What happened to our body language? Winning and losing isn’t a big deal but we have to show that we want to win in every delivery.”Walsh, who became Bangladesh’s bowling coach in September 2016, recently took over as the team’s interim coach. Bangladesh are yet to fill the head coach’s role on a full-time basis following the exit of Chandika Hathurusingha in November 2017. Walsh played 132 Tests for West Indies, finishing as their leading wicket-taker with 519 scalps, but also earning a reputation for being one of cricket’s most hapless No. 11s.Hassan went as far as saying that he has told the senior players to threaten young players like Mehidy Hasan Miraz with the axe if he attempts to play out of character.”After Friday’s meeting, they understood what they have to do,” Hassan said. “There are small issues like Miraz trying to hit a six against India. How can he hit a six in such a big ground? Did anyone scold him for it? Someone has to tell him that if he is playing this way, he will be dropped. A young player will become nervous if I try to tell him. So it is the senior players who have to tell them.”