De maneira épica, o Palmeiras derrotou o Independiente del Valle por 3 a 2, de virada, fora de casa, e segue invicto na atual edição da Copa Libertadores.
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Herói do Verdão no duelo, Luis Guilherme saiu do banco de reservas para marcar o gol que garantiu a vitória nos acréscimos da segunda etapa.
No vestiário, o técnico Abel Ferreira pediu concentração para os jogadores que iniciaram o confronto no Equador e cobrou atenção para aqueles que entrariam no decorrer da partida, caso de Luis Guilherme.
Confira no vídeo acima os bastidores do discurso do treinador português antes da virada histórica do Palmeiras.
➡️ Luis Guilherme, do Palmeiras, atrai o interesse de gigantes do futebol europeu
PALMEIRAS ENTRE OS CLUBES BRASILEIROS NA LIBERTADORES
▪️ Brasileiro com mais finais disputadas: 6 (1961, 1968, 1999, 2000, 2020 e 2021) ao lado do São Paulo; ▪️ Brasileiro com mais títulos: 3 (1999, 2020 e 2021) ao lado de Flamengo, Grêmio, Santos e São Paulo; ▪️ Brasileiro com mais gols marcados: 458 gols; ▪️ Brasileiro com mais vitórias: 134 triunfos; ▪️ Brasileiro com mais participações na história: 24 edições disputadas.
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Abel FerreiraFutebol NacionalLibertadoresPalmeiras
San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller achieved one of the rarest feats in baseball on Wednesday, as the flamethrowing 27-year-old recorded the 119th immaculate inning in league history.
Even more impressive, Miller did it all using the same pitch; his devastating slider, and didn't have a single Orioles hitter make contact, even a foul ball, with any of his nine sliders in the inning.
Miller benefitted from a called strike on the very first pitch of the inning, and he followed up by throwing eight devastating sliders in a row, attacking various parts of the plate.
There have been more than twice as many no-hitters as immaculate innings in MLB history, some evidence as to just how rare the feat is. Even more rare is an immaculate inning in which every pitch is a slider and there wasn't a single foul ball, making Miller's accomplishment even more impressive.
Miller has been fantastic since joining the Padres at the trade deadline in a deal with the Athletics. He's logged a 1.64 ERA with 19 strikeouts and five walks in 11 innings.
The tournament is not perfect, but it’s not the disaster England have often tried to paint it as being
Matt Roller19-Jun-2025The World Test Championship might be fundamentally flawed but after three missed attempts to reach the final on home soil, it is time for England to take it seriously. Ben Stokes believes it is “utterly confusing” but he must have looked on with envy as Temba Bavuma lifted the golden mace at Lord’s last week, capping a comeback victory that was celebrated throughout South Africa.The third WTC final was the best yet, one that underlined the significance of a concept that has added plenty to Test cricket despite its flaws. The quality of cricket was incredibly high, embodied in the performances of Pat Cummins, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada, and the occasion was clearly enhanced by the jeopardy created by a one-off final.But England’s attitude towards the WTC has been ambivalent. The ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket believes it is “hard to understand”, the chairman has called for it to be “fairer and more competitive”, and the chief executive said last week that it is “not the be-all and end-all” when compared to the results of five-Test series against India and Australia.Related
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Markram: Playing two-Test series throughout WTC cycle could help us in the final
These are not just sour grapes from a team that has finished fourth, fourth and fifth in the first three cycles. Even the WTC’s most vocal proponents would accept that it is a long way from perfect: no sporting league with any competitive integrity should be superimposed onto a fixture list decided between individual boards, as this one effectively is.The uneven, unequal fixture list has been a clear frustration for England: the percentage-point system effectively penalises them for playing longer series against high-quality opponents. Still, Australia and India have overcome similar scheduling to reach two finals each out of three; England, by contrast, have never come close.But the reality is that for all its flaws, the WTC has been a success: it has created a showpiece final for the Test format, which in turn has provided context and incentives that did not previously exist for smaller nations. For New Zealand’s and South Africa’s players, winning the WTC was a bigger achievement than any single series win of their careers.England must accept that they will have to adapt accordingly. The ECB has made the case that the over-rate penalties they have faced have been outsized, considering that they have only drawn one of their last 36 Tests, but every other team has been able to get through their overs more quickly. Their complaints will be taken more seriously from a position of strength.They have also developed a bad habit of ending series poorly: in four of their last five series, they have won the first Test but lost the last. Stokes has attributed that to mental and physical fatigue, but there have been hints of complacency too, not least against Sri Lanka at The Oval last year.England have been the perfect hosts for the first three WTC finals, but as a team they have been ambivalent towards the tournament•Gareth Copley / GettyIt was a series that England needed to win 3-0 to retain realistic ambitions of reaching the final, but their performance suggested a team who considered the match to be a dead rubber: they handed a debut to an incredibly raw fast bowler, and were bowled out in 34 overs in a frenetic second innings. It was anything but ruthless.The great curiosity of England’s position is that they appear to have taken a sudden interest in the ICC’s Test rankings, despite the WTC rendering them almost irrelevant. Stokes texted Brendon McCullum and Rob Key to say, “One more place to go,” when England briefly rose to second last month, and Key has publicly targeted the No. 1 spot.It is a strange focus as a new WTC cycle starts, akin to an international football team talking about the FIFA rankings at the start of a World Cup. England’s public stance is that they focus on winning every Test match they play in, and that winning enough will get them into the final: “As a group, we’re probably not looking that far ahead,” Brydon Carse said on Wednesday.England’s fixture list in the 2025-27 cycle is frontloaded. If they emerge from their next ten Tests – five against India, five in Australia – with a winning record, then they should be well positioned for their four remaining series: three Tests apiece against Pakistan and New Zealand at home, three in South Africa, and two in Bangladesh.The ECB is keen to retain hosting rights for the WTC final, and the indications are that it will do so at next month’s ICC conference in Singapore. If that happens, it will provide their side with yet another prime opportunity to reach the final in home conditions; to do so, they must engage with the WTC’s oddities rather than fighting against them.
Head coach believes 50-over struggles are in a category of their own as attention shifts to Perth
Cameron Ponsonby01-Nov-2025
Brendon McCullum oversees a training session during England’s ODI series•AFP/Getty Images
Brendon McCullum conceded that England “clearly need to improve” in one-day cricket after they fell to a 3-0 clean sweep against New Zealand. ‘Go harder’ has been the mantra of this England team, with Harry Brook imploring his side to double down in their efforts with the bat after his side’s first collapse in Mount Maunganui a week ago. Two matches and two further batting failures later, however, McCullum has reset the party line and called for England to adopt a more considered approach.”Harry’s said before that we need to put pressure back on the bowlers, and there are times when we do need to be a little braver and put some pressure on the bowlers,” McCullum said following the defeat in Wellington. “And then there are other times where we’ve got to adjust to their lengths and lines.”Not necessarily in a high-risk sort of way but just by being brave enough – whether that’s coming down the wicket or moving around the crease – just get things going a little bit more and bounce off one another.”Across the series, England lost 11 wickets in the opening 10 overs of the innings, compared to New Zealand’s four, and were bowled out in all three matches. Their innings in Wellington was their longest of the trip, batting for 40.2 overs before they were all out.”I think when we’re confronted with good, flat wickets, we’re a very, very good cricket team,” McCullum said. “I think we play a high-octane style of cricket and those conditions suit us. When the wickets have a little bit in them and they’re a bit more challenging, whether that be spin or seam or swing, we probably can’t quite adapt our tempo quick enough.Fewest runs by a team’s top four•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“We’ve got some talented players but, unfortunately, our performances at the moment in this form of the game aren’t quite up to scratch and we need to rectify that.”England’s top order combined for an historically poor series, managing just 84 runs between the top four, the lowest tally in one-day international history. Of the top six, only Brook, Joe Root and Jos Buttler made a score of 20 across the three matches.McCullum, however, does not believe it is a concern heading towards the Ashes, where Australia are expected to serve up similar styles of wickets. In the longer format, he argues that England have been able to counter different conditions well.”I like to separate it,” McCullum explained. “I think in T20 cricket we’re going really well and in Test cricket we have a pretty decent idea of where we’re at – and I think we’ve performed reasonably well, albeit we have a huge challenge ahead of us.Related
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“One-day cricket is clearly the area we need to improve, and my comments are more directed at one-day cricket. I think when we do come across the trickier conditions in Australia and Test cricket, we have a pretty good understanding of how we’re going to go about it. It doesn’t guarantee us anything but it gives us a level of confidence going into that series.”He also believes that, despite a number of players experiencing a poor run of scores, the likes of Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Root will be “better for the run” after getting a number of games under their belt.”They’ve marked centre a few times and gone through the process and I’m sure they’ll be better for it. With the prep that we’ve had with the other Test guys who’ve been here for a while too, we’ll have no excuses come Australia.”McCullum identified Jamie Overton as England’s “huge win” for the tour, after the bowling allrounder contributed with the bat in all three matches and put together his finest performance in ODI cricket in Wellington, scoring 68 runs and taking two for 32 with the ball.”I think there’s times when we think he’s a better player than he does,” McCullum said. “And on this tour he’s fully believed in the player he can be at this level. There’s not too many players around the world who can bowl 140kph, field the way he does and hit the ball as cleanly. It’s been a huge series for Jamie…he’s incredibly well liked within the group and we’re all delighted for him.”England’s next competitive fixture will now be in Perth, with the long-awaited Ashes series finally around the corner after years of build-up.”I’m proper excited,” McCullum concluded. “We’re incredibly respectful of the challenge Australia is going to present us and we know how hard that tour is going to be.”It’s going to require a team to stay together right throughout, to be as strong as we can to try and block out any of the outside noise. But we’re very respectful of who we’re coming up against, we’re so excited to get over there and we can’t wait to get started.”
Diego Simeone has fuelled speculation about his long-term future after openly admitting he can “imagine coaching Inter one day." The Atletico Madrid boss, now in his 14th season, made the confession ahead of a crucial Champions League meeting with the Nerazzurri – a moment that has reignited old ties and sparked fresh questions about what comes after his successful era in Spain.
Simeone stirs future talk before high-stakes Inter clash
The build-up to Atletico's Champions League showdown with Inter was already intense but Simeone turned it into global headline material. Speaking on the eve of the match at the Metropolitano, the Argentine coach revisited his emotional bond with the Nerazzurri, where he spent two seasons as a player between 1997 and 1999.
His comments arrive during a turbulent European campaign for Atletico, marked by strong wins against Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Saint-Gilloise but also damaging defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal. With qualification still uncertain, the club’s margin for error is slim, making the Nerazzurri's visit a defining moment in their season.
And yet, instead of cooling the atmosphere, Simeone chose to heat it up, hinting at what could be his next chapter. That set the stage for his most eye-catching admission of the night.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportSimeone admits he imagines coaching Inter
Before addressing tactical matters, Simeone was asked directly about rumours linking him to Inter. The 55-year-old didn’t hide behind diplomacy and gave one of the clearest answers of his managerial career.
Introducing his remarks with calm assurance, Simeone acknowledged both his past at the club and his long-term ambition. “It doesn’t depend on just me, but in my coaching career I can imagine myself managing Inter one day. I think it will happen one day,” he said.
The statement echoed a sentiment he has carried privately for years, but rarely expressed aloud. In Madrid, it landed like a bombshell; in Milan, it was heard like a promise.
Praise for Inter and deeper implications for Atletico
The Argentine didn’t stop at expressing affection he went on to shower praise on Inter’s current squad and project. He highlighted how strongly the San Siro side have developed, stressing their consistency, structure and attacking clarity. “They play very well, they have personality and they have a clear idea of how to attack. The squad is incredible. Against Milan they were proactive. They didn't finish, but they could have won. They deserved it. We have to take the game to a place where we know we can beat them.”
He then underlined their recent pedigree in Europe, placing them at the top of the continent’s contenders, adding: “In the Champions League, the numbers speak for themselves. They've played two finals. They're one of the favorites to win and demonstrate their strength, as they have done so far.”
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AFPLong contract at Atletico, but a future with Inter remains open
On paper, there is no immediate drama. Simeone is tied to Atletico until 2027, and Inter are thriving under their current manager. No short-term change is expected. But sentiment matters and Simeone has now publicly outlined what could be his next step after closing his long chapter with the Rojiblancos.
The Spanish side have spent big on transfers in recent years and those above Simeone believe it is time to deliver trophies, having failed to do so since 2021, with the club's president saying in the summer that they are aiming to win the Champions League. Failure to beat Real Madrid and Barcelona to another domestic title, at least, could see pressure build on the Argentine as the season wears on.
For the time being, though, he remains the undisputed leader of Atletico’s most successful era. He has coached the club for nearly 15 consecutive years, delivering league titles, Champions League finals, and a modern identity built on emotional intensity and structure. Yet after this press conference, one thing feels clearer than ever: whenever the Inter bench becomes available, Simeone already sees himself there.
They were victors in 2023 and 2024 and things are looking good this year as well
Mohammad Isam10-Oct-2025Big picture: Series win beckons AfghanistanAfghanistan are on the cusp of a third consecutive ODI series win against Bangladesh. They won the last two series in 2023 and 2024, as these two sides have become frequent bilateral opponents. Afghanistan’s five-wicket win on Wednesday was also a breath of fresh air after they lost their last five international matches.Azmatullah Omarzai was the all-round star in the game, taking three wickets and scoring an important 40 in the chase. His ODI stocks have been on the rise for the last few years. Rashid Khan also had a strong outing, picking up 3 for 38 and going past 200 ODI wickets.Afghanistan’s win this week also highlighted their other strengths. Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a mature knock under pressure, curbing his natural flair for the sake of the team’s stability. Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi continued as the background guys, keeping the batting line-up in shape in tricky chases. Left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote was another unsung hero, conceding just 31 runs in his full quota, taking Saif Hassan’s wicket. It is these percentage performers that keep the Afghanistan team going in ODIs.That isn’t the case for Bangladesh, who are having a hard time finding any consistent performers in this format. They are now lurching from one defeat to another in ODIs, having won just two games in the last 12 months. It was evident on Wednesday why they are no longer an ODI force. Bangladesh threw away a good start with soft dismissals and despite a recovery through a 101-run fourth-wicket stand, the rest of the batters succumbed to Rashid’s accuracy. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan were all lbw to Rashid, which might have kept the head coach Phil Simmons busy in the lead-up to Saturday’s match.Bangladesh also need to figure out the Abu Dhabi conditions better. Afghanistan picking four spinners may have a lot to do with their confidence in the likes of Kharote and AM Ghazanfar, but Bangladesh missed out on playing Rishad Hossain. Bangladesh won the T20I leg of the tour 3-0. They’ll need some of that form seeping into the one-day leg if they are to keep the series alive.Form guideAfghanistan: WWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first) Bangladesh: LLWLLNajmul Hossain Shanto needs to turn his form around•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the spotlight: Rahmat Shah and Najmul Hossain ShantoRahmat Shah goes undetected in the Afghanistan line-up of star allrounders and mystery spinners. But he leads the engine room – the middle-order – from where he has scripted many match-winning efforts. The latest was against Bangladesh, when he scored an invaluable half-century, in a 78-run third wicket stand with Gurbaz. It provided the foundation for Omarzai to thrive later on. Rahmat is the accumulator, and without him in the background, the Rashids, the Nabis and the Omarzais wouldn’t be able to grab the limelight.It has been a quiet few months for Najmul Hossain Shanto. Captain of Bangladesh in all three formats even last year, Shanto has taken a step back to work on his batting. Except that too hasn’t worked out well, after making just 37 runs in Bangladesh’s last ODI series against Sri Lanka. He came into this Afghanistan series with a single fifty in four matches for Rajshahi in the domestic T20 tournament. The format is different but Bangladesh need more from their No. 3 batter.Team news: Bangladesh need extra spinnerAfghanistan are likely to be unchanged for the second ODI.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah, 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 AM Ghazanfar, 10 Nangeyalia Kharote, 11 Bashir AhmadBangladesh could bring in Rishad to bolster their spin attack.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditions: Another slow pitch awaitsAbu Dhabi will continue to dish out slow pitches, so it is up to the batters to find ways to increase their scoring rates. The weather will be hot throughout the evening.Stats and trivia: Bangladesh struggling Bangladesh have won just two ODIs in the last 12 months, which has left them at No 10 in the ICC ODI Team Rankings. Rahmat took 119 innings to become Afghanistan’s first batter to reach 4000 runs in ODIs. He is now two runs short of reaching 5000 runs in all international formats. Bangladesh played out 168 dot balls, which represented 57.34% of the balls faced in the first match. Afghanistan meanwhile played 53.36% dot balls in their reply.
Very few players dig as deep as he does and over this India series and the Ashes coming up, he’ll need to
Sidharth Monga09-Jul-2025
Ben Stokes is an irrepressible presence•Getty Images
There are many compelling sights in our sport. Right up there is a batting team on the top, the conditions flat, the ball not doing anything at all for the other bowlers, and then Ben Stokes charging in and drawing life out of nowhere in a long spell.Stokes has the rare ability to take you along on the ride. You don’t need to be a cricket connoisseur to know something special is taking place in front of your eyes. You can almost feel the strain he puts himself through, the stretching of every sinew, the twisting away of the torso to create the unusual angle, the high pace eked out of a battered body, the unusualness he extracts from dead conditions, and the satisfaction of having achieved something when it hadn’t seemed possible.It is not magic. In this series, for example, Stokes has swung the ball more than any other fast bowler. His release is wider than most – only Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Tongue have gone wider in this series – and the swing creates problems coming from that angle.Related
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When Stokes is nearing the top of his mark, it seems like he is dragging his feet and has no gas left. They hardly seem to leave the ground, and seem like they are being thrown forward by force. Then he picks up pace and leaves a piece of himself on the pitch. It is tempting to wonder how much better his numbers would have been had he just been a bowler.Every time you feel this must be it for him, he comes back for another over, against the wishes of the coaching staff as his workload needs to be managed. It just doesn’t seem possible for Stokes to have a measured go. Even at press conferences, he is not finishing a chore, but gives thoughtful answers. Despite all his injuries, only a small percentage of his spells is short. Among 27 fast bowlers who have bowled 100 or more spells since 2021, only James Anderson, Matt Henry, Kagiso Rabada and Ollie Robinson have bowled a lower percentage of spells of four overs or fewer.Ben Stokes has made 86 runs from four innings at an average of 21.50 in this series•Getty ImagesThis is also part of the reason why Stokes is rated highly as a captain. His tactics on the field can yo-yo between the astute and a random smokescreen, but he has the ability to drag his team-mates with him, much like Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff before him. He doesn’t take the new ball, still bowls long spells, and batted against nature just to get a buy-in into the style of play he and Brendon McCullum wanted England to adopt.Stokes batted at 57.07 per 100 balls before Bazball, and has gone at 66.83 since. At the start, he batted frantically just to drive the message home despite being the one batter in the line-up who was more at home playing traditionally. It is the fall in the batting average from 36.05 to 33 during Bazball era that is starting to hurt England. In matches that Stokes has played in the Bazball era, top seven batters have averaged 38.25 overall. Of course he could ease his own batting load a little by getting in a better batter than Zak Crawley, who averages only 31.79 on some of the flattest tracks of the last decade, but Stokes the captain is not one for half measures.In opting for this way of playing the game in the first place, Stokes has shown courage of conviction to go against the grain. Captains are known to design pitches to suit their bowlers to win matches; Stokes and McCullum saw a weakness in their batting and asked for surfaces that played to their strengths instead, asking batters to make up for it with quick scoring. It hasn’t turned them into world-beaters, and the surfaces haven’t all been the same, but it has improved the results.Stokes will continue to rouse us with those bowling spells and will keep inspiring his team, but eventually the game is won by runs and wickets. He is one of the players who can get away with some leeway because of the way he plays, but the next eight Tests that Stokes plays have the ability to overshadow even that reputation. Especially because it is quite plausible that Stokes retires at the end of the Ashes.A lot – disproportionately so – rides on the next eight Tests. Stokes could perhaps drop down a slot if he feels mentally spent. Jamie Smith has shown signs he can bat in the top six. Alternatively Stokes could perhaps reinforce the batting and drop Shoaib Bashir. A home series against India on the line and the Ashes at the end of the year, runs not coming, rest of the bowling struggling, a body to manage, this is going to be some ride that Stokes will surely take us along on.
Newcastle United just cannot string together a consistent run of wins at the moment.
Indeed, Eddie Howe would have been hopeful that his side had turned over a new leaf when getting the better of Manchester City in Premier League action 2-1 last time out, but – again – home comforts clearly were in play, as the Toon have since succumbed to a 2-1 away defeat at Marseille in the Champions League.
On another night, however, Newcastle might well have walked away from the Orange Velodrome with another three points secured in Europe, with Harvey Barnes’ early opener suggesting that the Magpies would be successful on their travels.
Unfortunately for the away side, though, ex-Premier League goal machine Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would have other ideas, as his quickfire second-half brace sealed the win for the Ligue 1 hosts.
While the former Arsenal striker was his instinctive self throughout, he was undoubtedly helped by Nick Pope dropping even more clangers in between the sticks.
Why Nick Pope has to finally be dropped
It’s now three away games on the spin where the ex-Burnley goalkeeper has looked ropey and unconvincing.
He gifted Marseille a route back into the even contest on Tuesday night when rushing out of his net, only for Aubameyang to utilise his pace to comfortably place an effort past Pope, who was stuck in no man’s land after the “inexplicable” error, as it was branded by the Athletic’s Chris Waugh.
The immediate inquest now centres on whether Howe should get rid of the 33-year-old or not, with Aaron Ramsdale certainly a capable replacement, having previously kept 32 clean sheets on the books of Arsenal.
Still, despite all the rampant criticism coming his ‘keeper’s way, Howe would publicly defend Pope at the full-time whistle, stating that he “certainly” backs him, having saved his side “many times” in the past.
Yet, even with this very public vote of confidence, Howe must be aware that his usually trusted number one is declining, with another well-established defensive presence for the Toon, who lined up against Marseille, now also fearful of his starting spot moving forward.
Howe must also bench another Newcastle hero
At this point in time, the 47-year-old could well find he’s on the chopping block sooner rather than later, if he doesn’t drop the likes of Pope, even if they have been regular fixtures of his reign so far.
Fabian Schar also falls into the category of a long-standing servant who likely isn’t the required standard of the first team anymore, even with 241 games under his belt at St James’ Park, and the label of being a “total one off” handed to him by his manager for what he provides for the club at his very best.
Minutes played
61
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
30
Accurate passes
13/16 (81%)
Possession lost
5x
Tackles won
0/0
Interceptions
1
Clearances
7
Blocked shots
0
Recoveries
1
Total duels won
0/3
Based on the table above, though, he is experiencing a swift decline akin to the Toon number one right now, with the Swiss international winning zero of his attempted duels, during his 61 minutes on the pitch.
On top of that, the ageing centre-back would only manage to complete 13 accurate passes all night long, with Aubameyang no doubt feeling even more confident in front of goal, knowing he had the shoddy duo of Schar and Pope to get the better of.
With only five Premier League starts next to his name this season, too, it’s clear that Schar is no longer a guaranteed first-teamer under his manager, with talk also centring on the ex-Deportivo defender being resigned to walking away from Tyneside when his contract expires next year.
As the new breed of Newcastle stars coming through in Malick Thiaw continue to shine, with the German completing 36 passes and winning four duels in France, it’s now very clear that the old guard at St James’ Park are rusty, and cannot be kept in the side long-term.
The obvious alteration to make is to drop Pope, after another “moment of madness” cost his side dear, as his rush out of the goal was branded by journalist Mark Douglas.
But, Schar isn’t above criticism, either, with both well-established Toon servants in very grave danger of dropping out of their manager’s XI for the upcoming away trip to Everton.
As bad as Pope: Howe must drop 4/10 Newcastle dud who made just 14 passes
Newcastle were defeated at Marseille in the Champions League.
Athletic Club players arrived in Prague for their crucial Champions League clash against Slavia, and were immediately greeted by a blanket of snow. The Basque squad turned the moment into pure comedy, launching a spontaneous snowball fight as they stepped off the plane.
Snowy welcome for the Athletic squad in Prague
Athletic Club’s arrival in Prague ahead of their Champions League group-stage meeting with Slavia Prague produced an amusing scene. After landing in the Czech capital, several players began tossing snowballs at one another before even reaching the airport terminal, turning the tarmac into a playful battleground.
The Basque players could be seen delighted as kids when they saw the first snowfall of the season. The clip circulating online shows members of the squad laughing, and pelting teammates with snowballs as they exited the aircraft steps. The light-hearted exchange came as winter weather swept across Prague and added a spirited twist to Athletic’s arrival.
The team touched down ahead of a decisive fifth Champions League group-stage fixture, with Athletic sitting 27th in the overall standings on three points, just above Slavia Prague who sit 30th with two points. Despite the cold conditions, the mood within the travelling party appeared warm and relaxed.
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Prague conditions
The snowy conditions may caught several players off guard, with some reportedly surprised to encounter winter weather this early in the season. Local reports highlighted that temperatures dipped sharply in the hours before Athletic landed, creating the crisp surface that quickly became ammunition in the players’ impromptu game. The moment reflected a welcome break in tension for Ernesto Valverde’s team, who arrive in Prague after a difficult stretch domestically.
Just days before travel, Athletic suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Barcelona at a newly reopened Camp Nou, a result that intensified the pressure on a team already struggling with consistency in La Liga. The opportunity to briefly switch off, even through a snowball fight, appeared to lift morale.
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Athletic and Slavia fighting for revival in Champions League
Beyond the viral moment on the runway, both teams face a crucial night in Europe. Slavia Prague are winless in the Champions League so far, sitting 30th after two draws and two defeats. Their struggles include a 3-0 home defeat to Arsenal and a goalless draw with Atalanta, despite dominating domestically with an unbeaten 16-match run and 36 points in the Czech First League.
Athletic’s European campaign has not been much better, Ernesto Valverde’s men have registered just one win, from their match against Qarabag, while losing to Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, and Newcastle United. They have scored four and conceded nine across four games.
Domestically, the Basque side sit eighth in La Liga and have managed just one win in their last five matches. The combination of European pressure, league inconsistency, and recent setbacks makes their upcoming clash with Slavia a pivotal turning point.
With only a point separating the two sides in the overall Champions League standings, Tuesday’s fixture at the Fortuna Arena is shaping up to be decisive, for team's revival in the championship.
Athletic will aim to harness the positive energy from their snowy arrival and translate it into a composed and effective performance on the pitch. Slavia, backed by a strong home record and high domestic confidence, will look to capitalise on Athletic’s recent struggles. A tense meeting awaits, but for a moment in Prague, the Basque players allowed themselves to enjoy the simple joy of winter.
Celtic have officially confirmed that interim manager Martin O’Neill will remain in post, alongside assistant Shaun Maloney, until they can finally confirm their long-term replacement for Brendan Rodgers.
The management duo are expected to be in the dugout when the Hoops return to action against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership in the evening kick off on Saturday.
Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy is reportedly the frontrunner to land the job, per the Daily Record, as the club look to finalise a deal for the MLS tactician.
It has been reported that Celtic are in talks with the French manager to take over at Parkhead, and he will be looking to build on the success that Rodgers had in his second spell in the dugout.
Whilst there will be a focus on instant results if and when a deal for Nancy gets over the line, there will also be an eye on what may happen in the January transfer window, which is little over a month away from opening for business.
One of the first things that the Columbus Crew head coach may have to deal with is the future of star forward Daizen Maeda, who has been linked with a move away from the club.
The latest on Daizen Maeda's future at Celtic
Earlier this month, the Daily Record reported that the Japan international is set to seal a permanent transfer away from Glasgow when the January transfer window rolls around.
The outlet explained that Maeda was unhappy with a failed attempt to leave the club in the summer, amid interest from Brentford and teams in the Bundesliga, because Celtic were unable to get a replacement in to allow the winger to move on.
Daily Record added that ‘sources close’ to the attacker have confirmed that there is still strong interest in his services ahead of January, which has left the Hoops bracing themselves for offers.
These updates suggest that Maeda, who has scored four goals in all competitions for the Scottish giants this season, may be on his way out of Parkhead in the winter.
Losing the 28-year-old star, who can play anywhere across the front three, would be a big blow for Nancy early on in his tenure at Celtic, because he is a proven threat at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership.
Daizen Maeda – Premiership
24/25
25/26
Appearances
34
9
Goals
16
3
Minutes per goal
160
217
Conversion rate
28%
16%
Big chances created
10
2
Assists
10
2
Stats via Sofascore
Maeda, as shown in the table above, has scored 19 goals and provided 12 assists in the division since the start of last season, which shows that he offers quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
The aforementioned Daily Record report also claimed that the recruitment team are already looking at potential options to come in and replace Maeda in January, to ensure that Nancy is not left short-staffed for the second half of the season.
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It was recently reported that Celtic have been offered the chance to sign three players from Chelsea on loan. Deivid Washington, Axel Disasi, and Raheem Sterling were the three names that the Hoops are said to have been made aware of.
With this in mind, Nancy could seal a dream first signing at Parkhead by pushing the club to land Raheem Sterling on loan as a replacement for Maeda, should he depart, in January.
Why Sterling would be a dream signing for Celtic
The former England international is reportedly on £325k-per-week at Stamford Bridge, but he has not made a single appearance in any competition for the Premier League side this season, per Transfermarkt.
Given his complete lack of minutes on the pitch and the report that Celtic have been offered the chance to sign him, Chelsea may be willing to send him out on loan and pay a portion, or the majority, of his wages so that he can go and play regular football again.
If the Conference League champions are willing to do that, Sterling could be a phenomenal addition to the squad and ease any concerns over Maeda’s potential departure from the club in January.
There may be some understandable concerns over his recent form, because the 30-year-old winger has not played any competitive football this season and only managed one goal and five assists in 28 games for Arsenal last term, per Transfermarkt.
However, Sterling has spent his entire career in one of the best leagues, if not the best league, in Europe and has an excellent goalscoring record at Premier League level, along with 20 goals in 82 caps for England.
Raheem Sterling’s Premier League career
Season (appearances)
Goals
Assists
24/25 (17)
0
2
23/24 (31)
8
7
22/23 (28)
6
3
21/22 (30)
13
6
20/21 (31)
10
8
19/20 (33)
20
4
18/19 (34)
17
10
17/18 (33)
18
12
16/17 (33)
7
7
15/16 (31)
6
2
14/15 (35)
7
7
13/14 (33)
9
5
12/13 (24)
2
2
11/12 (3)
0
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, you only have to go back to the 2023/24 campaign to find a season with more than ten goal contributions in the Premier League for Sterling.
It is worth remembering that Kelechi Iheanacho has three goals and one assist in eight matches for Celtic, after a return of one goal in 24 games in the Championship and LaLiga combined last term.
Scotland ranks 18th in UEFA’s league rankings, 17 places behind England in 1st, which speaks to the difference in quality between the two levels of football, which is why Sterling could recapture his goalscoring form at Parkhead.
At the age of 30, the Chelsea outcast still has plenty left to give and a move to Celtic could reignite his career after a difficult spell at Stamford Bridge, whilst allowing Nancy to forget all about the possibility of Maeda moving on from the club.
Not just Ralston: Nancy must ditch Celtic dud who "unsettles defences"
Wilfried Nancy should immediately drop this Celtic forward from the starting line-up once he arrives.
ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025
That is why Sterling could be a dream first signing for the French tactician if the Hoops are able to work out a loan deal that makes sense for all parties involved.