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Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper was the latest player to vent his frustrations at an umpire after some very questionable calls but somehow he was able to avoid being ejected for his actions on Sunday.

With the Phillies trailing the Angels by six runs, Harper worked a 3–0 count in the bottom of the eighth inning. A pitch that seemed to be out of the strike zone made it a 3–1 count and then a few moments later a similar pitch was called for strike three by Steven Jaschinski.

Instead of earning a walk, Harper headed to the dugout. But before he did that he shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand in disgust at Jaschinski two times.

This is often enough to get you tossed from the game:

The Phillies would go on to lose the game, 8–2.

It took him just 17 balls to pick up four West Indies wickets, and no matter the kind of pitch, this feat was impressive

Danyal Rasool18-Jan-2025Theatre actors have often spoken about guarding against losing respect for the art. Arriving on stage night after night to produce the same high standard of performance has a jading effect, and one where the performer has much more to lose than they have to gain. A good performance is just another day at the office, a bad one the stuff of bad reviews and blooper reels that acquire a life of their own – and with the threat of reputational damage. Especially when it feels as if people have been waiting to stick the boot in, anyway.That is what it must feel like to be Sajid Khan, who, unlike his partner-in-crime Noman Ali, identifies as something of a performer.The first Test against West Indies, in Multan, was something of a no-win situation, his success explained away as a masterstroke in pitch curation than the magic in his fingers. Surely, he can’t have been that good on his own merits, the reasoning goes, or why else was he omitted from Pakistan’s squad for the Tests in South Africa immediately prior?Related

Noman, Sajid share nine WI wickets as Pakistan dominate day two

Do well, and the theory gets even further validation; or don’t, and be written off as a one-series wonder. That was Sajid’s window of possibilities. So what might just be another low-profile Test to an observer was reputational to him. Pakistan’s selection panel had huge expectations of him; when Pakistan folded for 230 on the second day, Aleem Dar, now a member of the selection committee, reckoned it was near 400, factoring in the difficulty of the pitch. The expectation placed upon Sajid was clear.And Sajid knows the talk has to be walked to retain its potence. His in-your-face celebration rubbed a few players in the England camp the wrong way, and needs to be fed by regular wickets. Against West Indies, on Saturday, it took him just seven balls to get his first, what he later called “an offspinner’s dream wicket”, flighting the ball outside off stump, lulling Mikyle Louis into the drive, and sneaking through the gate and rattling the stumps.Eleven balls later, Sajid had four wickets to his name, West Indies’ top order being cut to ribbons. No matter the kind of pitch, this was impressive; it took West Indies’ collective spin attack nearly 62 overs to match what Sajid had managed in 17 deliveries. Indeed, if what Sajid was doing wasn’t exceptional, there would be no point in preparing these surfaces – because anyone could then match him toe-to-toe.West Indies, in contrast, have held off operating spin from both ends, preferring to give Jayden Seales a longer spell first. That may just have to do with Seales’ excellent showing in each innings – far superior, indeed, to anything a Pakistan seamer has managed in these conditions. But bowling wicket-taking spin with the new ball isn’t as easy as Sajid makes it look, either.

“As an offspinner, I have a bit of a complicated bowling style. I can’t introduce too many new things to it”Sajid Khan on his bowling

“I’ve worked with my head coach in Peshawar, Zohaib Khan, to prepare with the new ball,” Sajid said after the second day’s play. “I’ve bowled with him a lot with the new Dukes ball, and worked on it a lot. We used to work on bowling with the new ball for one to two hours on end. The plan was to keep the run-scoring tight. If I concede [runs] off a good ball, [Mohammad] Rizwan doesn’t mind. But the expectation is we’ll continue to hit good areas on this wicket.”Sajid has also continued to add arrows to his quiver. He comes in wider of the crease to exploit footmarks when required, or simply to change the angle to discomfit a batter. His action, which he admits is “difficult”, allows him to vary the pace and trajectory without letting batters pick it up, something he believes is essential to his game.”As an offspinner, I have a bit of a complicated bowling style. I can’t introduce too many new things to it,” Sajid said. “Every coach I work with has said my strength is my sleight of hand. Batters find it hard to read my flight or variation in pace because my front arm moves very quickly – even if I’m bowling in the nets to our own batters.”Sajid Khan removed West Indies’ top four•PCBNo matter the assistance from the pitch, though, there came a reminder that a drop in levels comes with consequences. With Pakistan hunting for the final wicket, the intensity dropped as Sajid went in search of his fifth, greedily flighting it and pitching it up to force the issue. But it wasn’t the right length, and was much too predictable; and though West Indies’ No. 10 and 11 batters were at the crease, Sajid was dismantled. Two sixes and four boundaries came off his final three overs, which leaked 37 runs to mar his figures slightly.Those overs, perhaps more than any of Sajid’s wickets, demonstrated the rarefied nature of his skill: it wasn’t just the pitch, but what he made the ball do on it, that was bringing him success. There will be times it doesn’t work, as is true for every skillset on any surface.For now, Sajid turns it on day-in and day-out, with no signs of losing respect for the art, or his hunger for more. And as he mentioned last year, while people have jumped at the chance to write him off in the past, his continued refusal to play to that narrative means the ink on those pens may have begun to dry.

After Erik ten Hag’s dismissal from Manchester United in October last year, it was always going to be crucial that the hierarchy made the right call with their next appointment.

The Red Devils board turned to Ruben Amorim to fill the void, but around 13 months on from his arrival, he’s still struggling to provide the goods on a consistent basis.

He’s currently achieving a 41% win record in his 56 matches in charge at Old Trafford to date, with the 40-year-old only registering a total of 23 victories across all competitions.

His 3-4-2-1 system is yet to be seen in full flow, as numerous players are still getting used to the demands of the manager’s intricate system in the Premier League.

One player in particular has had to adapt his playstyle over the last couple of months as a result of the switch, but he’s struggled in 2025/25 – as seen by his stats in recent weeks.

The stats behind Dalot’s struggles in 2025/26

Diogo Dalot was signed by United back in 2018 from boyhood club Porto, with the Portuguese star seen as the long-term solution at right-back at Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old has already racked up over 200 senior appearances for the Red Devils since his transfer, but concerns have been raised about his performance levels in 2025/26.

He’s been asked to operate in a more advanced right-wing-back role as a result of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system – a position in which he’s massively struggled to date.

In his 11 appearances in the Premier League, he’s massively struggled in possession, as seen by his lowly tally of just 2.8 progressive passes completed per 90.

Such a tally ranks him within the bottom 20% of all full-backs in the division this season, further showcasing his lack of impact when in possession this campaign.

Going forward, he’s also massively struggled to impress, as seen by his tally of just 1.7 passes into the final per 90 – which also places him in the bottom 14% of other defenders in the league.

When he gets himself into shooting positions, Dalot has also massively struggled in the Premier League, as seen by his tally of zero shots on target, the joint-worst of any player in the division.

It’s evident that he’s massively struggled to impress since the arrival of his compatriot, with the manager desperately needing to address the situation in such an area.

The star who can end Dalot’s Man Utd career

In an attempt to fix the issues in the wing-back department, Amorim has put faith in Amad Diallo to try and nail the place down as his own in recent months.

The Ivorian, who’s primarily a winger, has managed to impress in the role, with the 23-year-old netting 11 goals and eight assists across all competitions in 2024/25.

In the current season, the youngster has continued to impress, already netting a goal and two assists – with his only goal a tremendous strike in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.

However, the manager could be presented with an issue in the months ahead, with the player set to join up with the Ivory Coast national team for the African Cup of Nations.

Despite the issues, the manager could call upon academy star Bendito Mantato to try and fill the void and solve the long-standing problem in wide areas.

The Englishman joined the academy at the age of nine, subsequently spending his entire youth years with the Red Devils and is now a star performer in the youth ranks.

He’s made three appearances for the U18 squad during the early stages of this season, but has managed to impress – as seen by his tally of three goals and three assists.

Mantato, who started out as a winger, has even played as a full-back for the academy sides, subsequently allowing him to make 11 appearances for the under-21 side this campaign.

As a result of his recent performances, analyst Ben Mattinson has already labelled “explosive” – even touching on his ability to get up and down the pitch with his tireless nature.

The youngster starred in the U18s 7-0 demolition of Liverpool at the weekend, with the wideman finding the net early on to get the ball rolling against their bitter rivals.

At just 17, expectations will no doubt have to be managed by the club and Amorim, but it’s evident that he’s a player with bags of talent and potential for the future.

However, if he does manage to continue his current trajectory, there’s no reason why he can’t replace Dalot in the first-team setup and save the hierarchy millions.

The Portuguese international is certainly on borrowed time at Old Trafford, with the full-back needing a miracle to prevent the hierarchy from looking at options to replace him.

Better than Dorgu: Man Utd plot move to sign 'the world's most coveted LB'

Manchester United look set to make yet another big-money move in the defensive department.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 2, 2025

Rishabh Pant has received a “return to play” clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence following two stages of rehab for a fractured foot and if fit and in form, could make the squad for the two-Test series against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2025Rishabh Pant’s return to competitive cricket following a foot injury will begin with him captaining India A in the two four-day fixtures against South Africa A in Bengaluru starting October 30.Pant has received a ‘return to play’ clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence following two stages of rehab for the fractured foot that he suffered during the fourth England vs India Test in Manchester in July. Pant’s India A selection means he will not be playing for Delhi in the second round of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy from October 25 as earlier envisaged.India A vs South Africa A fixtures

1st four-dayer – Oct 30 to Nov 2
2nd four-dayer – Nov 6 to Nov 9

Pant and vice-captain B Sai Sudharsan are set to feature in both the matches, while the likes of KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna ad Mohammed Siraj will feature in only the second four-day fixture, to be played from November 6. It’s likely that all of them will make the cut for India’s Test squad for the South Africa series, which starts on November 14 in Kolkata.The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel has had to balance out the squads to ensure there’s also a bit of continuity with those featuring for their respective state teams in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.This is possibly why Rajat Patidar (captaining Madhya Pradesh), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Easwaran (captaining Bengal) and Akash Deep, among others, are part of the squad for just one of the two matches. Meanwhile, the likes of N Jagadeesan, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain and Harsh Dubey have been rewarded for their domestic form.KL Rahul is among a host of internationals who will come in for the second game•AFP/Getty ImagesIf the selectors are convinced with his form and fitness, Pant is likely to make his Test comeback at the first India vs South Africa Test.India squad for first four-day matchRishabh Pant (capt, wk), Ayush Mhatre, N Jagadeesan (wk), Sai Sudharsan (vice-capt), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed.India squad for second four-day matchRishabh Pant (capt, wk), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sai Sudharsan (vice-capt), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.

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O Botafogo tem jogo contra o Bahia neste domingo (5), pela quinta rodada do Brasileirão. A bola vai rolar a partir das 18h30 (de Brasília), no Nilton Santos (Rio de Janeiro), com transmissão do SporTV e do Premiere.

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
BOTAFOGO X BAHIA
BRASILEIRÃO – 5ª RODADA

🗓️ Data e horário: domingo, 5 de maio de 2024, às 18h30 (de Brasília)
📍 Local: Estádio Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
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🟨 Árbitro: Rafael Klein
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⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Artur Jorge)
John, Damián Suárez, Bastos, Lucas Halter e Hugo; Danilo Barbosa, Marlon Freitas e Eduardo; Júnior Santos, Savarino e Luiz Henrique.

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BAHIA (Técnico: Rogério Ceni)
Marcos Felipe, Gilberto, Gabriel Xavier, Víctor Cuesta e Luciano Juba; Caio Alexandre, Jean Lucas, Thaciano, Everton Ribeiro e Cauly; Everaldo.

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The spin-bowling consultant has also taken on the role of being motivator-in-chief at the Women’s T20 World Cup

Firdose Moonda16-Oct-2024Most teams are made up of certain key characters: the responsible one, the serious one, the young one, the popular one, the talented one and most importantly the funky one. In South Africa’s case, the last of those is a position taken up by one of their support staff: spin bowling lead Paul Adams.He has assumed the role of motivator-in-chief, alongside his technical coaching, and taken some of the burden off captain Laura Wolvaardt, who also has opening the batting to focus on.”I found it one of the hardest parts of the job – finding something new to say every single game,” Wolvaardt said at her pre semi-final press conference. “A lot of it doesn’t really change, especially in the series where we play the same opposition six times, so to come up with a new pre-game speech is tricky. But we’ve had Paul Adams and every game he’s come up with something really creative and really new.”Related

• Eden Carson – NZ's reel sensation who clicked at the biggest stage

• October 17 at T20 World Cup: Unbeaten Australia take on SA in 2023 final rematch

• Annerie Dercksen, from farm girl to fast bowling allrounder

• Australia to give Healy as much time as possible to be fit for semi-final

Adams started off by introducing the team to the ancient but now-popular practice of grounding, which traces its history back to ancient Egypt, and does exactly what it says on the tin. All it is is standing barefoot on a surface, preferably grass but beach sand or if circumstances are extreme, artificial turf or concrete might do just as well, and feeling the earth below. The team did it ahead of their first match to feel as though they had arrived in the UAE, the place where they will compete to win the World Cup for the first time.Then, he moved to poetry and composed four verses for the team ahead of their final group stage match against Bangladesh to urge them to stay in the moment. A taste of it reads: “So focus hard, embrace the fight, each second is our only right,” and Tazmin Brits described it to ESPNcricinfo Powerplay’s podcast as emotional and inspiring.Laura Wolvaardt: It’s an amazing opportunity we have tomorrow to have all those lights on us and have a good time•ICC/Getty ImagesNow, ahead of the semi-final, Adams has had to pull another trick out of the bag and he managed to come up with one. “Today we had a video about ebbs and flows and going with the game,” Wolvaardt said. “He absolutely loves it. He runs our spin meetings as well and every meeting there’s some kind of a video about birds that fly together and stick together and teamwork and all of that stuff.”Of course, we shouldn’t forget that spin coaching is Adams’ primary role and he has done some innovative things in that department too. He has worked on Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus and Seshnie Naidu’s actions, not by passing on his own contortionist means of delivery, but by using weighted balls to align their hips over their feet and get their arms into the optimal position for accuracy and the results, especially for Mlaba, are obvious. She is the second-leading wicket-taker of the tournament and has rediscovered an element of threat that left her after the last World Cup.Adams, who has himself been through a harrowing time after the Social Justice and Nation-Building hearing in 2021, will not necessarily be with the women’s team through all of their next series. Since the SJN, he coached a bit at the provincial team Border and has now been employed to work across all South African teams, but for now, the impact he is making is clear. “He’s very creative, he loves it, he always reads into things and he’s been really great for the group,” Wolvaardt said. “We’ve needed someone to really pump us up and bring our little fun element to each game as well, which has been awesome.”That comment is telling because this South African team, until earlier this year, had been under the same management for most of their careers. Hilton Moreeng, who oversaw the development to professionalism and years of succession in reaching semi-finals and eventually a final, was in charge for almost 12 years. Post last year’s World Cup, there was talk of a need for change in order to inject new ideas and move the team forward. That half-happened with the promotion of assistant coach Dillon du Preez to interim head coach and the appointment of other, new support staff.For the first time, the South African women’s team have a batting coach in Baakier Abrahams, and a spin-bowling consultant in Adams. They mention the pair almost every time they are asked about how this side is different, and perhaps better, than the one that reached the final in 2023. “We have a year of experience, we line up a little differently and we’ve also had a bit of change in staff,” Wolvaardt said. “So, a couple of fresh faces, fresh ideas. It’s been a bit of an up and down year for us. I think we’ve played some really good cricket in Australia and had a few disappointing series as well.”For South Africa, their first wins over Australia in an ODI and T20I earlier this year is what they are holding on to as they take on the world champions again. But whatever happens, they know they’ve already done something “very special,” as Wolvaardt put it by qualifying for another semi-final and doing it with a smile. “We don’t even realise how many people at home are following us and watching us. My mum keeps texting me that she’s been to the dentist today, and the dentist is asking about our game tomorrow, and they seem super excited,” she said. “It’s an amazing opportunity we have tomorrow to have all those lights on us and have a good time.”

Liverpool have been warned that club legend Mohamed Salah will not play for the club again following his explosive rant against the Reds and manager Arne Slot. Salah let rip after being benched for a third straight match against Leeds and told the media he felt he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club. The Egypt international was subsequently omitted from the Liverpool squad to face Inter in the Champions League and is facing an uncertain future at Anfield.

• Salah rant adds to Liverpool struggles

  Liverpool have endured a miserable defence of their Premier League title so far in 2025-26 and currently sit down in 10th place in the Premier League table, already 10 points behind leaders Arsenal. The Reds have also seen Salah add to their struggles by giving an explosive interview after defeat to Leeds last time out in the Premier League. Manager Slot has said he has "no clue" if the talisman will ever play for the club again, while former Manchester United forward Patrice Evra has insisted it's all over between Liverpool and Salah and that the Egypt international's rant reminds him of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.

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  Salah's rant is 'Ronaldo-esque'

  Evra told : "It reminds me a little bit of when Cristiano did the interview with Piers Morgan (in 2022). People sometimes forget we are human beings and we can get hurt. And I feel like when I heard what Salah said, I feel like someone is hurting a lot. The backlash he had from the fans is just ridiculous. Like what he achieved for the club, but at the same time, when you're not playing well, sometimes you need to accept being on the bench. I feel like he’s not going to play for Liverpool again. You never know, Liverpool could perform better without him and they're going to maybe let him go in January.

  "I feel like it was a year too long, he should have left last summer. When Sadio Mane left, I knew Liverpool would be in trouble. Even though they won the league last year, I knew at a certain point they would get in trouble. Salah feels like the club is throwing him under the bus – but it’s never good to speak out about the club publicly. I don't blame Liverpool. I don't blame Salah. He's a human being. He went there. He did an interview. He talked with his heart. Sometimes it's not always good to talk with your heart, but I see it as a no return for Salah."

• Could Salah follow Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia?

  Ronaldo famously let rip at Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag, saying he had no respect for the Dutch coach, before leaving Old Trafford at the end of 2022 and moving to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. Salah is now being tipped to follow in the Portugal icon's footsteps and move to the Middle East, with a host of clubs reportedly interested in trying to tempt him away from Anfield in the January transfer window. It still remains to be seen if Salah will move on this winter, but he has previously admitted he came very close to joining the Saudi Pro League earlier this year before penning a lucrative two-year contract extension with the Reds.

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  All eyes on Salah as Liverpool face Brighton

  All eyes will now be on Anfield on Saturday as the latest drama in the Salah saga unfolds. Liverpool return to action in the Premier League against Brighton in a fixture that will be Salah's last before he is due to join up with Egypt's AFCON squad. It's not clear yet if Salah will be involved in the game or if he will be on the bench once again for Liverpool. If Slot does leave Salah out of his starting XI once again, it will likely increase speculation about a winter move away from Anfield.

Jake Lehmann continued his fine form to lift the home side to a defendable total after they had slipped to 68 for 3

AAP09-Oct-2025

A super spell from South Australia quick Nathan McAndrew inspired the reigning one-day champions to a 79-run bonus-point win against Victoria.Set a target of 274 at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, Victoria were in trouble straight away as McAndrew dismissed openers Matt Short and Campbell Kellaway cheaply.After steering Victoria to victory in a dramatic Sheffield Shield finish two days earlier, teenage sensation Oliver Peake also fell to McAndrew When Peake departed, the visitors had crashed to 61 for 4.Wicketkeeper Sam Harper saved some face for Victoria, crafting a team-high 59 from 68 balls. Harper had more than solid support from Blake Macdonald.But SA did all the early work and Victoria couldn’t recover, with McAndrew taking the final scalp for a five-wicket haul as Victoria were out for 194 in the 45th over.SA defeated their state rivals again after claiming bragging rights in last season’s Dean Jones Trophy final. They endured a difficult start to their title defence, losing the first two one-day games to slump to 0-2.Victoria also entered the match winless from two starts, meaning they have dropped to 0-3 and requiring a power of work to be in contention for back-to-back finals.Earlier, Jake Lehmann’s superb run of form continued with an outstanding 85 to anchor SA’s 273 for 8.Fringe Australia white-ball batter Jake Fraser-McGurk showed some promising signs at the top of the order after a difficult 12 months. He smashed 34 from 29 balls, while Harry Manenti made 34 off 46 deliveries.Xavier Crone was the pick of the Victorian bowlers with 4 for 61 which included bowling Fraser-McGurk with a beauty and having Jason Sangha taken at second slip with consecutive deliveries.SA took a liking to the under-strength Victorian bowling line-up missing captain Will Sutherland and Fergus O’Neill. Opening bowler Cameron McClure went for 1 for 68 from his eight overs.Victoria are next in 50-over action on October 20 when they host New South Wales at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, while SA face Queensland on the same day at Karen Rolton Oval.

أثار لامين يامال، نجم نادي برشلونة، الجدل حوله واعترف أنه يحب كثيرًا أن يكون نجمًا على أرض الملعب، موضحًا أنه ليس مهووسًا بتحقيق الأرقام القياسية في كرة القدم.

يامال يعتبر من أكثر اللاعبين إثارة للجدل حول العالم، لكنه في المقابل يقدم مستويات رائعة للغاية مع نادي برشلونة وكذلك مع منتخب إسبانيا.

وأدت مستويات يامال المميزة مع برشلونة الموسم الماضي، إلى ترشحه لجائزة البالون دور حيث احتل المركز الثاني هذا العام خلف نجم باريس سان جيرمان، عثمان ديمبلي المتوج بها.

وقال يامال في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة سبورت : ”أصف نفسي كلاعب مرح وأعتقد أن هذه هي الكلمة الأنسب، في النهاية، الهدف هو أن يستمتع الناس بكرة القدم”.

وأضاف يامال في حديثه: ”هدفي ليس تحطيم جميع الأرقام القياسية أو تسجيل مليون هدف، أو لعب مليون مباراة، أنا رياضي أحب الاستمتاع  وآمل أن يرغب الأطفال في أن يكونوا مثلي”.

وأوضح: ”أود أن أغير يوم الناس، إذا كان أحدهم حزينًا ويشاهد مباراتي فأريد أن يتحسن مزاجه، أريده أن يعود إلى منزله أسعد مما كان عليه”.

وأردف: “لم أكن يومًا من أولئك الذين ينزلون إلى الملعب ويقولون أريد تسجيل أربعة أهداف، إذا كنت أريد الاستمتاع وأفعل ما تعلمته بالأمس، وما اعتدت فعله في الحديقة، فأنا أريد أن يستمتع الناس وأريد أن أستمتع مع زملائي، وبالطبع، إذا سجلت الكثير من الأهداف فسيكون أفضل، لكن كرة القدم تتجاوز ذلك”.

وتابع يامال: “في كل مرة أواجه فيها ثلاثة مدافعين لا أعتقد أنهم سيأخذون الكرة مني، مع أن هذا يحدث لي كثيرًا، أحاول دائمًا مواجهة الخصم لأن هذه هي لعبتي ولن تكون كذلك إذا مررت الكرة في كل مرة يأتي فيها مدافعان أو ثلاثة لإيقافي، أفكر في إيجاد الحلول بأفضل طريقة ممكنة”.

وواصل: “لو كنت ظهيرًا لما أحببت تلك الطريقة، لو أفلت مني لاعب أفضل طوال الوقت ومر مني، لطلبت منه أن يبطئ قليلًا، وإلا سوف يسخر مني أصدقائي”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. ديكو يفسر معاناة نجم برشلونة في ناديه السابق: كنا نبحث عن لاعب مثله

وعن المقارنة مع أسطورة برشلونة ومنتخب الأرجنتين، ليونيل ميسي استكمل يامال: “أحترمه لما كان عليه ولما يمثله لكرة القدم، وإذا التقينا يومًا ما على أرض الملعب فسيكون هناك احترام متبادل، إنه الأفضل على الإطلاق وكلانا يعلم أنني لا أريد أن أكون ميسي، وميسي يعلم ذلك، أريد أن أسلك طريقي الخاص”.

وعن تعرضه للانتقادات استطرد اللاعب الشاب: “كنت أقول لهم على سبيل المثال، إن كان لديك وظيفة ويسألونك إن كنت تريد أن تكون المدير هل ستوافق أم لا، هذا هو جوابي”.

واعترف يامال بمعاناته قليلًا من حياة النجوم في سن صغيرة، حيث قال: “يخرج الأطفال من المدرسة ويعودون إلى المنزل، بينما أذهب إلى التدريب فأجد أربعة مصورين باباراتزي على بابي يسألونني عن حياتي”.

وأضاف: ”أفتح التلفاز وأرى نفسي هناك، أسير في الشارع، فأرى شابًا يرتدي قميصي، أخرج لشرب مشروب ولا استطيع لأن الناس يمنعونني، لذلك أحاول دائمًا القيام بأبسط الأشياء مثل لعب ألعاب الفيديو، أو زيارة والدتي، أو قضاء الوقت مع أخي، لكن بصراحة لا أعتقد أنني سأصبح مراهقًا عاديًا أبدًا، لأن الناس لا يرونني طبيعيًا ولن أتمكن من التصرف بهذه الطريقة”.

كما اعترف يامال بتأثير والدته الكبير في حياته الشخصية ، حيث أوضح: “عندما عدت من العطلة واضطررت للذهاب إلى منزل والدتي، كنت غائبًا عن المنزل لأيامٍ عديدة، وكان ذلك كافيًا ليخبرني بأي شيء”.

ووصف يامال والدته بالملكة وأنها تساعده كثيرًأ على تقبل الكثير من الأمور، إذ أردف: “السؤال هو من أستمع إليه؟ الإجابة أمي، لا تبالي بتسجيلي للأهداف، هي من تدير أموري وأنا سعيد بذلك”.

وتابع يامال: “في حيي، كانت هناك جدران يجلس عليها الناس ولم يكن هناك شعور أفضل من أن أجعل الجالسين هناك يقفون تقديرًا لما أفعله بالكرة، أعتقد أنه أفضل شعور في العالم، وأتذكر ذلك عندما ألعب في الملعب ويقف المشجعون ويفاجأون باللعب الذي ألعبه”.

وعن ضغط حمل مسئولية برشلونة على كتفيه قال لامين: “إنه أمر نفسي لم أشعر به إطلاقاً، ولا أعتقد أنني أشعر به لأنني لم أختبره قط، لا أشعر بضغط لعب كرة القدم وأنا واثق من قدرتي على تحقيق ما أريد”.

واعترف يامال بأنه لن يقوم بتغيير شخصيته حيث أضاف: “هذه شخصيتي وهذا ما يساعدني على تجنب الانهيار، لم أخلد إلى النوم يوماً غارقاً في الحزن أو الإرهاق، بل أفكر دائماً أن غداً سيكون يوماً آخر”.

وواصل يامال: ”سأذهب إلى التدريب وسأكون أفضل، وستكون عطلة نهاية الأسبوع على ما يرام، هذا يساعدني على الصمود في هذا العالم الصعب”.

وعن فرص إسبانيا في بطولة كأس العالم العام المقبل اختتم لامين: “أصل إلى كأس العالم وأنا في قمة مستواي.، أعتقد أن إسبانيا ستبقى فريقًا عظيمًا لفترة طويلة، البلاد متحمسة وأنا أتطلع بالفعل للمشاركة في البطولة”.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now made contact with Xavi as a replacement for Vitor Pereira, with the 57-year-old being dismissed after the 3-0 defeat against Fulham on Saturday.

Pereira was given plenty of time to turn things around, but the loss against the Cottagers was the final straw for Fosun, with the Old Gold now eight points adrift of safety in the Premier League, having made a very poor start to the season.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was particularly critical of the performance after the match, describing it as “embarrassing.”

Wolves are still searching for their first top-flight victory, having collected just two points from their opening ten games, while they were also dumped out of the EFL Cup by Chelsea last Wednesday, with the Blues emerging as 4-3 winners at Molineux.

It is going to be a tall order for whoever replaces Pereira to dig the Wanderers out of trouble, but Fosun are now eyeing what has to be considered an ambitious move for Xavi…

Wolves make contact with Xavi to replace Pereira

That is according to a report from Spain, which states that is indeed not Gary O’Neil at the top of the wishlist. Wolves have now made contact with the former Barcelona manager, who they have identified as the main candidate to replace Pereira, given his experience of managing at an elite level.

Fosun see appointing the legendary midfielder as a golden opportunity, as they are admirers of his possession-based style of play, and believe the 45-year-old could restore confidence to the squad.

The Spaniard is the top target, but he is not the only manager on the shortlist for the Old Gold, who are working quickly to appoint a new manager, with Bologna boss Thiago Motta emerging as a potential alternative option, given the Italian side’s impressive start to the campaign.

It would no doubt be a major coup if Wolves were somehow able to tempt the former Al-Sadd manager into a move to Molineux, given that he is held in very high regard by Barca president Joan Laporta.

The Terrassa-born manager, who prefers to implement a 4-3-3 system, has won eight trophies as a coach, across spells in Qatar and La Liga, most impressively lifting the Spanish title in the 2022-23 season.

Xavi has been out of work since being dismissed by Barcelona over 18 months ago, but in truth it is difficult to picture him moving to Molineux, given the mess Wolves currently find themselves in, sitting bottom of the Premier League, having shipped 22 goals, the highest number of any side.

Wolves also targeting Brendan Rodgers as replacement for Pereira

Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira

The Old Gold have made a very poor start to the season.

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By
Dominic Lund

Oct 29, 2025