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Hans-Joachim Watzke has been elected as the new president of Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, succeeding Dr. Reinhold Lunow after serving as the club's chief executive for over 20 years. The 66-year-old was voted in with 59 percent of the votes during a marathon annual general meeting that lasted over 13 hours and vowed to create history for the football club.

Watzke elected president with 59% of the vote

Watzke is the 19th president of Borussia Dortmund following a vote at the club's annual general meeting. The long-serving CEO, who was the sole candidate for the presidency, received 59 percent of the votes cast in a hybrid voting process that included both in-person and online participation. Daniel Lorcher was elected vice-president with 71% of the votes, while the previous vice president, Silke Seidel, was voted in as treasurer with 61%. The new board has been elected for a three-year term.

Watzke's election came at the end of the longest general meeting in the club's almost 115-year history, concluding just after midnight. The lengthy process was partly due to technical issues with the electronic voting system, which was being used for the first time. A total of 1,951 members were present in the Westfalenhalle, with another 4,128 participating online out of the club's total membership of 238,109.

AdvertisementAFPWatzke's emotional farewell as CEO and address to members

Before his election as president, Watzke stepped down from his role as CEO, a position he held for over two decades. In an emotional speech, he reflected on his tenure, which included steering the club through a near-bankruptcy in 2005, the bomb attack on the team bus in 2017, and the coronavirus pandemic. "We experienced wonderful days together, won five titles, and had seven more opportunities to win further titles. It was always extremely close; we were always incredibly near the top," Watzke stated, adding that the pandemic was "for me, the most difficult time."

As CEO, Watzke presented the financial report for the 2024-25 financial year, highlighting consolidated revenue of €526 million, an operating profit of €115.8m, and equity of €326m. He emphasised the club's financial stability, noting: "We have not taken on any debt for sporting success in these 20 years. That is exceptional."

Watzke also addressed the sensitive issue of abuse allegations against a former employee from the 1990s, expressing his "deepest sympathy" to the victims and promising a transparent investigation. "If there were any oversights – and there apparently were – then we will rectify them," he said.

Conciliatory tone and future plans as president

Both Watzke and outgoing president Lunow struck a conciliatory tone during the meeting. Lunow, who received a standing ovation from the members, thanked Watzke for his support during difficult times and embraced his successor. Watzke reciprocated, thanking Lunow for his unwavering support during the club's financial crisis.

As president, Watzke aims to "maintain dialogue between everyone, listen to everyone" and "be a president for all Borussia fans." He announced plans for a "balanced committee on the statutes" to modernise the club's governance, further professionalization, and a commitment to promoting women in leadership roles. He also addressed fan concerns about potential tightening of stadium bans, promising to work with the fan department to prevent such measures from "getting out of hand."

Several motions regarding changes to the club's statutes were also passed during the meeting, including a revision of specific sections and measures to strengthen democracy within the club.

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Getty ImagesWhat next for Borussia Dortmund?

The election of Watzke as president marks a new chapter in Dortmund's history, ensuring continuity in leadership at the highest level. As president, Watzke will oversee the club's strategic direction and represent its interests in various football bodies, including the DFL, DFB, and UEFA. The club will also proceed with the announced transparent investigation into the historical abuse allegations. On the pitch, Dortmund will continue their campaign in the Bundesliga and Champions League, with upcoming fixtures and potential transfers likely to be key topics in the coming months under the new presidency.

Chelsea have now made contact with Ateltico Madrid over signing Pablo Barrios, according to reports, and have been told how much it will take to lure the midfielder away from Spain in 2026.

With the January transfer window less than two months away, the Blues have already got an eye on potential reinforcements. It’s a rare day when those in West London aren’t thinking about the transfer window and Todd Boehly could be about to spend big yet again to help Chelsea bridge the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Having already welcomed the likes of Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro in the summer, those at Stamford Bridge are now reportedly interested in signing Ousmane Diomande.

The Sporting CP defender is one of the most promising centre-backs in Europe and certainly fits the criteria of young stars that Chelsea have been recruiting in recent years. But he’s not the only target in their sights.

The Blues have also been linked with a midfield upgrade in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. The England international is among the most sought-after talents in the Premier League and will have the biggest decision of his career to make sooner or later. Whether that results in a move to West London remains to be seen.

With Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez at the base of the Blues’ midfield, it would take quite the talent to take a starting spot in the middle of Enzo Maresca’s side, but that may not stand in the way of BlueCo’s spending.

If it’s not Wharton that arrives in 2026, then it could be Atletico Madrid star Barrios, who has entered Chelsea’s radar ahead of the January transfer window.

Chelsea launch contact to sign Pablo Barrios

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea have now made contact over signing Barrios from Atletico Madrid, only to be told that the Spanish club will only be accepting offers in the region of €100m (£88m).

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Whilst money hasn’t been a problem for Chelsea in the past, they should question whether they actually need another midfielder with Caicedo and Fernandez already performing so well together this season.

League stats P90 25/26

Barrios

Caicedo

Fernandez

Minutes

856

945

880

Progressive Passes

7.47

5.71

8.16

Tackles Won

0.95

1.90

0.71

Ball Recoveries

6.11

5.43

3.88

Barrios has certainly impressed enough to force Chelsea to ask themselves the question about his potential arrival, but whether they can lure him away from Atletico Madrid is another question entirely.

Diego Simeone is a big fan of the midfielder and told reporters when the 22-year-old was first breaking through: “He has a fantastic game, and I told him that we’re going to work to shape it. Koke is there now (at the ‘5’) and we are trying to bring out Pablo’s full potential. He has to grow, but he’s doing very well. I’m excited. He’s a kid from the academy, and he can play several roles.”

Forget Delap: 18-year-old star is destined to be Chelsea's future number 9

South Zone were on 129 for 2 at stumps, still trailing by 233 runs

Ashish Pant13-Sep-2025

Yash Rathod missed out on his maiden first-class double ton, but his 194 was enough to give Central Zone a firm hold on the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy final in Bengaluru.Resuming the third day on 384 for 5, ahead by 235 runs, Central Zone stretched their lead to 362, with useful contributions from Saransh Jain (69) and Deepak Chahar (37) alongside Rathod’s ton. Left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh and left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma took four wickets apiece, but Central Zone racked up 511 in 145.1 overs.In reply, R Smaran and Ricky Bhui maintained a positive approach as they took South Zone to 129 for 2 at stumps, still trailing by 233 runs.Related

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Saransh Jain, Kumar Kartikeya hand Central big advantage

How Kartikeya turned the Duleep final on its head

The morning session on both days of the final had plenty for the fast bowlers. That wasn’t the case on day three, though, with the pitch flattening out. Rathod clipped Gurjapneet through midwicket early before Jain reached his second successive fifty with a cut through point. Rathod, too, reached his 150 after the lead crossed the 250-mark.South Zone missed a chance to send back Jain on 61 when he seemingly played and missed a flatter delivery from Ankit. Replays confirmed Jain had got a thin nick through to the wicketkeeper but none of the fielders appealed. The miss didn’t cost South Zone much with Jain missing a reverse sweep off Ankit and getting bowled for 69.Deepak Chahar cracks a cut•PTI

Rathod, meanwhile, picked up pace. He drove V Koushik past mid-off and lifted Bhui over long-on. South Zone burnt their final review when Ankit pinned Deepak Chahar on the back foot with a quicker delivery, but the ball was sliding down leg.Having defended and prodded enough, Chahar took on Ankit, depositing him over long-on and then slashing him through point before going after Gurjapneet through mid-off and cover in an over.Rathod looked fidgety after lunch, and his luck ran out when Gurjapneet got a length ball to nip back sharply into the batter, breaching his defence to end a 286-ball knock. Central Zone lost their last four wickets in 11 runs as Ankit wrapped up the innings. He toiled 44.1 overs and took 4 for 180, while Gurjpaneet picked up 4 for 124 in 28 overs.With no major alarms in the pitch, South Zone started their second innings confidently. Chahar and Aditya Thakare got a hint of movement, but Tanmay Agarwal and Mohit Kale kept things steady. Kale was circumspect initially, but back-to-back flicks for four against Chahar got him going. He reeled off four fours in the next three overs as South Zone went into tea on 57 for 0, trailing Central Zone by 305 runs.Jain got Central Zone the first breakthrough after tea, trapping Kale lbw with a quicker delivery. Smaran, in at No. 3, pulled and drove Kuldeep Sen twice in three balls, but the fast bowler struck at the other end. Agarwal shouldered arms to Sen, only to find the off bail getting dislodged.With the ball gripping and turning, Bhui and Smaran counterattacked against the spinners and found the boundaries regularly. Smaran had a close shave when he was given out lbw to Jain, but a tiny inside edge onto the pad saved him. The duo added an unbroken 53-run stand for the third wicket before bad light ended the third day 25 minutes early.

Fast bowler heads for Bristol for first six fixtures of County Championship season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2025Gabe Bell, the Tasmanian fast bowler, has signed for Gloucestershire for the first six matches of the 2026 Rothesay County Championship.Bell, 30, has taken 192 wickets across 51 Sheffield Shield appearances, 41 of which came in the 2023-24 season. He is currently ninth on this season’s wicket-taking list with 16 wickets in five matches.Standing at 195cm, Bell bowls with pace and steep bounce, and though he has yet to be capped by Australia, he represented their Under-19s in 2013, taking five wickets in three Youth ODIs at an average of 20.60.His stint with Gloucestershire will include away fixtures against Middlesex at Lord’s and Derbyshire, plus home games against Durham, Lancashire, Kent and Northants, and is set to get underway at the start of their campaign on April 10.”Obviously thrilled to get the opportunity to come over and play some county cricket with Gloucestershire,” Bell said. “I can’t wait to get over to Bristol to meet everyone, and get started in the new year.”Jon Lewis, Gloucestershire’s director of cricket, said: “We are really excited about Gabe joining our championship squad at Gloucestershire. We looked hard at what it takes to win in our own conditions in April and May, and Gabe comes highly recommended from our network of contacts across Australia.”He’s been very successful over recent Sheffield Shield seasons and is exactly the type of bowler we feel will thrive in the early part of the season in England. Gabe has played and performed consistently and has an excellent record in Australia. He’s a hardworking individual, which is exactly what we need at the start of the season.”We’re really excited to welcome Gabe and his family to Bristol in early April.”

Al-Nassr continued their perfect start to the 2025/26 Saudi Pro League season with a spectacular 4-1 win over sixth-placed Al-Khaleej. It was the Joao Felix and Cristiano Ronaldo show yet again as the Portugal internationals bagged one goal each, taking their respective tallies for the season to 10 apiece. The Faris Najd have now bagged nine wins in nine games with 30 goals to their name.

• Al-Nassr win 4-1 against Al-Khaleej

  Al-Nassr hosted Al-Khaleej at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on Sunday in Matchday 10 of the Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo's side lead the table with a perfect record, while the visitors sat sixth ahead of the clash. Jorge Jesus' Al-Nassr arrive unbeaten, having won all eight of their league matches so far. They have scored a league-high 26 goals and conceded only four.

  Al-Nassr kicked off the game strong with Ronaldo coming close to opening the scoring in the fourth minute with a long-range attempt after Joao Felix's well-worked ball, however, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner could only drag it wide off the mark. Ronaldo got the second chance of the game as well, although in a much better position as Sadio Mane found the Portuguese striker inside the six-yard box with a delightful ball. However, the 40-year-old's shot was spectacularly saved by Al-Khaleej goalkeeper Anthony Moris.

  Felix then seemed to open the scoring in the 33rd minute; however, after a lengthy check by the VAR, the goal was ultimately ruled out for a handball in the buildup by Marcelo Brozovic. It didn't take too much longer for Faris Najd to retake their lead after a wonderful cross by Angelo fell right at Felix's feet, who found the back of the net with a deft touch. Just minutes later, Wesley doubled the lead with a superb strike after Felix's eager pressing gave Al-Nassr the ball inside Al-Khaleej's box.

  The second half presented an uphill battle for the visitors as they faced the challenge of clawing back from a two-goal deficit against Saudi Pro League's best defence. However, they made the perfect start after Murad Al Hawsawi struck the ball with all the perfection in the world to halve Al-Nassr's lead, one minute into the second half. While Al-Khaleej did pump up the pressure, trying Nawaf Al-Aqidi on multiple occasions, it was Al-Nassr who struck a finishing blow to the visitors. Sadio Mane managed to find the back of Moris' goal with a lobbed curler to take Faris Najd's lead back to two.

  Al-Khaleej's Dimitrios Kourbelis had a night to forget after his earlier missed chance was followed up by a horrific stamp on Ali Al-Hassan, which saw him receive a straight red card. The sending off followed yet another spectacular goal, and possibly the best of the lot as Ronaldo pulled off an ecstatic bicycle kick from Nawaj Boushal's cross to give the host a comfortable 4-1 win.

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• Getty
  

  Felix continues his superb Saudi Pro League form

  Felix was once again the main man for Al-Nassr as the former Chelsea, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid flop managed to maintain his joint lead with Ronaldo as Saudi Pro League's top goal scorer. The Portuguese forward's strike took his season tally up to 10, and also bagged his first assist of the season with his decisive pass to Wesley for Al-Nassr's second of the night.

• Getty Images
  

  Brozovic lucky to not be sent off

  Brozovic had a very rare night off as the Croatian midfielder looked out of sorts through the middle part of the first half. Additionally, he cost Al-Nassr their spectacular opener with a needless handball, which should have seen him receive a second yellow card. However, Jesus was quick to react and hooked the former Inter Milan midfielder at half-time.

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  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt appeared to question manager Ruben Amorim's tactics after the Red Devils' embarrassing loss to 10-man Everton on Monday. The defeat ended a five-game unbeaten streak for United in the Premier League and sent them tumbling to 10th in the table, 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, and De Ligt pulled no punches after the final whistle.

Getty Amorim's tactics under the microscope

Everton played the game with 10 men for more than 80 minutes after Idrissa Gueye was bizarrely sent off for clashing with team-mate Michael Keane They also saw right-back and captain Seamus Coleman forced off the pitch with an injury in the 10th minute. However, despite the early setbacks, the Toffees took the lead on the half-hour mark through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and defended resiliently thereafter to frustrate United.

The hosts did not make their numerical advantage count. Instead of making runs from deep, United kept sending long balls and crosses and relied on set pieces. Amorim's side attempted 38 crosses in the game and won nine corners but none of those mattered in the end as the tall Everton defenders comfortably dealt with the aerial threats. Benjamin Sesko's injury-enforced absence up front did not help the home team. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'A bad night for us'

Dutch centre-back De Ligt was understandably frustrated with the team's performance and seemed to point the finger at Amorim for the defeat. He told : "It’s quite clear. A bad night for us. 70 minutes more or less 11 vs 10, conceded a goal and not creating many chances. A few but not enough for a match against 10. A disappointing night. From our side, we didn’t do enough. Didn’t make the runs or bodies into the box. They are strong in the air so we didn’t have the players to score from that.

"We basically played to their strengths. These are the main aspects, but we have to look at ourselves and it’s not good enough. We’ve been away and trained for a while together. I just think we lacked a bit of urgency in several situations. They get punished if you lack this urgency. If you don’t score, you lose this game. We lacked this hunger to make a difference on the most important moments."

Amorim makes 'afraid' admission

Amorim admitted that United "deserved to lose" against the Toffees and challenged his players to issue an immediate response. The Portuguese coach told reporters: "I think they were a better team with 11. They then worked really well with 10 men for 70 minutes. So I think we deserved to lose. We didn't play well. We didn't play with the right intensity. I know which point we are in the moment. So we are not there, not even near the point that we should be to fight for the best positions in the league. We have a lot to do, and we need to be perfect to win games. We were not perfect. 

"I feel afraid of returning of this feeling of last season, that is my biggest concern. So we need to work together. We are going to work together. I'm not going. The players are trying, but we need to be better so we have training tomorrow, and we are going to prepare the next one."

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Getty Images SportUp next: Palace test at Selhurst Park

United could have moved into the top five with a win over Everton as their closest rivals dropped points, including Manchester City and Liverpool. Instead, they are now way off the pace in the race for a top-four finish and cannot afford anymore slip-ups.

Another tough test awaits Amorim's men at Selhurst Park against Oliver Glasner's high-flying Crystal Palace on Sunday. Another loss would pile more pressure on the Portuguese coach.

Celtic have now been told how long they’ll have to wait to appoint Kjetil Knutsen with their search for a new manager taking another frustrating blow.

The Bhoys have been in no rush. After Brendan Rodgers’ shock exit, they know that they can’t afford to get their next appointment wrong and have handed Martin O’Neill the position on an interim basis to buy themselves some time.

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A boost for the Bhoys…

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To the 73-year-old’s credit, he has so far rolled back the years in the dugout. A Champions League defeat at the hands of Midtjylland aside and victories over Old Firm rivals Rangers and Falkirk have represented a step in the right direction.

Even after those three games, however, O’Neill has continued to distance himself from the permanent job. In midweek, he told reporters that he’ll be at Celtic until they no longer need him, before revealing that he’d be “absolutely fine” if Sunday’s Kilmarnock clash is his final game.

Alas, as the search for the next Celtic manager has continued, so have the rumours that they could yet turn to O’Neill until at least the end of the season. And it’s easy to see why. The Northern Irishman is about as experienced as it gets, representing a safe option until the right candidate emerges.

A decision to keep their interim boss until at least next year would also allow Parkhead chiefs to play the long game and perhaps land a frontrunner for the job in the long-term.

Celtic handed fresh Knutsen problem

As Graeme Bailey told 67 Hail Hail, Knutsen wants to finish his Champions League campaign with Bodo/Glimt before taking any job with Celtic. This means that the Bhoys could be forced to wait until next year with the Norwegian side’s last group game coming in 2026.

As things stand, they sit 29th and unlikely to qualify for the next stage. This means that their final Champions League game may well be against Atletico Madrid in January before Bodo take a break from football altogether until March. It’s then that it would make perfect sense for Knutsen to take the job.

What also helps Celtic’s pursuit is that the 57-year-old is reportedly keen to take the job if he gets his Champions League wish. So, the big question for Celtic will be whether he’s worth the wait.

A deeper dive into his history suggests that the Bodo/Glimt boss is certainly an interesting option. Having managed the club since 2018, Knutsen can boast four Norwegian league titles and showed his managerial expertise in full with a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on the European stage this season.

Andy Robertson makes Celtic return decision

Adelaide Strikers needed 13 off the final over with the last pair together and nearly got there

AAP23-Nov-2025

Perth Scorchers 159 for 4 (Devine 49*, Scholfield 46*) beat Adelaide Strikers 158 (Edgar 4-25, Ainsworth 3-22) by one runAs if there hadn’t been enough drama in Perth on Saturday, Scorchers clung on for a thrilling one-run victory against Adelaide Strikers to secure their third win of the season.Strikers began the final over needing 13 runs, and with one wicket in hand, but fell an agonising two runs short of victory when Darcie Brown top-edged a sweep off the penultimate ball.Scorchers wicketkeeper Beth Mooney and non-striker Megan Schutt almost collided but Mooney was able to take evasive action and pouch the catch to clinch victory.Earlier, Sophie Devine joined Mooney and Ellyse Perry as the only players with 4000 runs in the WBBL as she top-scored for Scorchers. Brown was the pick of the bowlers for Strikers.When Strikers batted, Scorchers took 4 for 6 in the two-over power surge, including a team hat-trick in an Amy Edgar over (the second a run out) with Strikers on 121. Edgar finished with 4 for 25.Opener Laura Wolvaardt made a rapid 41 off 36 balls, and Madeline Penna chipped in with 36.