All posts by h716a5.icu

According to a report by L’Equipe, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur have been ‘contacted’ by Barcelona over signing France international superstar Antoine Griezmann as they desperately try to offload.

The Lowdown: Barca in financial crisis…

The Catalan giants are in deep financial woe and simply must trim players off their sky high salary bill, with Barcelona estimated to have lost around €350 million (£299m) due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Barca also have a salary cap to contend with before they can register any new contracts or signings – so shifting players like Griezmann, who has a wage of around £294,000 per week, is absolutely imperative.

The Latest: Spurs ‘contacted’ over signing Griezmann

As per L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Tottenham have been ‘contacted’ over potentially taking the France star off Barca’s hands this summer along with Atlético Madrid, Manchester City and Juventus.

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However, the outlet does not detail Spurs’ reply or any response from the other clubs, but it doesn’t appear any party has quite taken the La Liga giants up on their offer just yet.

Griezmann’s sky high wages could prove an issue for chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici.

If Spurs do want to land the forward for new boss Nuno Espirito Santo, that may be a big obstacle.

The Verdict: Avoid…

The 30-year-old is undoubtedly a star player and has been shining at the top level for many years across stints at both Atletico Madrid and Barca.

Griezmann has also been called ‘remarkable’ by Les Bleus national team coach Didier Deschamps and even ‘one of the greatest of all time’ (Reuters), racking up 220 career goals.

However, his age could represent little sell-on value for Spurs and his valuation, reported to be around £54 million by Transfermarkt, could be far too steep for amid the Lilywhites’ own financial concerns.

In other news: ‘Massive’, ‘Exactly what Levy wants’…Sky pundit in awe of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium news, find out more here.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire says Glasgow Rangers have closed a £332m deficit in nine years to their rivals at the top of the Premiership.

The Lowdown: Gers on top of Scotland

The Gers are at the top of Scottish football right now. Last term, they won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years, completing their return from the depths of the fourth tier.

They are also in with a chance of qualifying for the Champions League group stages if they can beat Malmo and get through one more round.

The Latest: Maguire makes claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire says Celtic’s complacency has allowed Rangers to close a £332m gap to their fierce city rivals. He said:

“Not qualifying for the Champions League is going to hit them realistically by £25m.

“Champions League is also beneficial for your Uefa coefficient, which can be massive as far as seeding and European income are concerned.

“It’s indicative of how much that club has thrown away through arrogance and complacency.

“Since 2012 when Rangers had to start again in the lowest tier of Scottish football, Celtic made £332m in revenue more than Rangers. What have they got to show for it in 2021?”

The Verdict: Gers have roared back

When Rangers entered administration in 2012 (BBC), Scottish football was rocked. The Gers have long been one of the country’s two big powerhouses, and it was therefore a shock to see they had been so badly run. They were demoted to League Two as a result, and were forced to work their way up the divisions.

They have now done that, and are now a club that appears to have an idea what to do off the pitch as well as off of it. To make up £332m is no mean feat – the Gers will now be hoping to push on.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid with this man’s article.

Andrew Symonds has joined his good friend Matthew Hayden for a net session in Queensland in what is believed to be his first hit-out since being banished from Australia’s squad

Cricinfo staff13-Sep-2008
Adam Gilchrist: “Andrew Symonds is heavily affected by the last year’s incidents” © Getty Images
Andrew Symonds has joined his good friend Matthew Hayden for a net session in Queensland in what is believed to be his first hit-out since being banished from Australia’s squad. Symonds took the opportunity for some practice on Friday, the same day he was left out of Australia’s 15-man touring party to visit India.The reported that Queensland were hopeful the allrounder would be training with the state squad within a couple of weeks. He has reportedly already spoken to Phil Jauncey, the sports psychologist who will help Symonds through his rehabilitation program organised by Cricket Australia.However, Cricket Australia stood firm on Symonds’ situation and told the selectors he was not ready to be considered for the India trip. Aside from a brief statement that shed little light on his situation, Symonds has not spoken publicly since being sent home from Darwin for going fishing when he should have been at a team meeting.Symonds’ general attitude has been a concern for Australia over the past 12 months, a period during which he was subjected to monkey chants during an ODI series in India and was then at the centre of a racism controversy with India’s Harbhajan Singh. The incident resulted in Harbhajan being initially banned for three Tests but then cleared on appeal.Adam Gilchrist, Symonds’ former team-mate, believes the batsman remains upset about the racism episodes. “I think it is fair to say that Andrew Symonds is heavily affected by the last year’s incidents,” Gilchrist told .”I can’t speak for him as in what he was thinking but it is difficult to explain things. It is a common problem or issue and it is only going to be increased with pressures and intensity and the scrutiny that these players go through.”The loss of Symonds, who has averaged 77.70 in Tests in the past year, is a big blow to Australia’s middle order ahead of the four-Test tour. Harbhajan, who will play in the series, is keen to put last season’s controversy behind him.”I would prefer to look forward,” Harbhajan told the . “He is obviously a great player and there is no doubt about his ability to change a match. He has done a lot for Australian cricket. I hope he is well, and that he is getting better.”

West Ham United could finally be closing in on that centre-back signing…

What’s the word?

The Irons have been left frustrated in their search for a new marquee defender over the past week or so, with Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma rejecting the opportunity to join David Moyes’ squad.

However, they have been given fresh hope after renowned Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano provided an exciting update.

“West Ham are progressing in negotiations with Fiorentina to sign Nikola Milenkovic as centre-back. Details still to be discussed to reach an agreement but talks ongoing,” he tweeted.

“Fiorentina are closing on Matija Nastasić as replacement. No Zouma for West Ham, as of now.”

Encouraging signs

With the new Premier League season just a week away, this latest development should provide some much-needed encouragement as Moyes is finally edging closer to signing a new centre-back, something which has been his priority in recent weeks.

The Hammers need strength in depth right across the pitch, especially in defence, where there is now a void following the departure of Fabian Balbuena, who left after his contract ended this summer.

Angelo Ogbonna, one of the Scot’s first-choice options, has also been dealing with an injury problem and has to be a doubt for their opening clash with Newcastle United, meaning he’ll only have Issa Diop and Craig Dawson at his disposal at centre-back.

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Milenkovic has been coveted by teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the past, so he could be seen as quite the coup for the East London outfit.

Indeed, he has been compared to Premier League legend Nemanja Vidic and described as “fearless” and as having the “physical characteristics of a beast.”

As per WhoScored, the 28-cap Serbia international averaged three aerial duels won, 1.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per league outing, which only further highlights his imposing stature, though he was still equally adept with the ball at his feet, managing an 86% passing accuracy too.

Standing at a whopping 6 foot 5, Milenkovic could be the scary physical presence that the Hammers need going into a campaign in Europe.

Much of the London Stadium faithful have grown frustrated by the lack of transfer activity throughout the summer, especially with the season starting next week, so this news should have them a little more excited over what’s to come.

Milenkovic would be quite the coup with a fee of just €16m (£13.5m) being mooted. That’s quite the bargain.

AND in other news, West Ham can seal bargain swoop for “physical” £18m-rated beast, Moyes would love him…

Abdul Qadir believes Pakistan should play at neutral venues, but former captains Ramiz Raja and Intikhab Alam think otherwise

Cricinfo staff08-Oct-2008
Despite the PCB’s promises of the highest security cover, teams have been reluctant to tour Pakistan © AFP
Abdul Qadir, the former Pakistan legspinner, has suggested Pakistan play their international fixtures at neutral venues given the security situation in the country. Pakistan have hosted international teams at neutral venues in the past, but former captains Ramiz Raja and Intikhab Alam felt the PCB should not adopt the same approach this time.The Pakistan board recently inked a US$9 million contract with Dubai Sports City, which will see the team play limited-overs games over three years at the under-construction Dubai Sports Stadium. Ehsan Mani, the former ICC president, had also spoken out against the move to play at neutral venues. “By offshore series Pakistan can perhaps get the TV rights money but there will be no crowds and sponsorships,” Mani told the Voice of America. “If there was no cricket played in Pakistan, it will be loss to cricket, loss of Pakistan cricket in the longer run.”But Qadir said it wasn’t easy to guarantee security to foreign players, especially after the bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad where teams usually stay. “We can’t provide accommodation to foreign teams in forts, and in the present scenario I believe Pakistan should arrange Test matches against other teams at places like Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, and we could generate revenues,” Qadir told the .The ICC were forced to postpone September’s Champions Trophy after five teams expressed their unwillingness to visit Pakistan and more recently the West Indies board called off its women’s tour to the country and declined a invitation for the men’s team to play two Tests. Australia had also postponed its tour of Pakistan earlier in the year and haven’t visited the country since 1998, but Ramiz and Alam felt neutral venues weren’t the right alternative.”Passion will not be there if we opt to play at neutral venues,” Ramiz said. “The conditions will be alien for both teams, especially for us as we will lose the home advantage.” Alam had a different reason. “We should not play at neutral venues because then it will set a wrong precedent and even teams like Sri Lanka and India would prefer to play against us at neutral venues.”Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup successfully in June-July, with India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE and Hong Kong taking part in the tournament besides the hosts. However, Pakistan haven’t hosted a Test this year – Bangladesh and Zimbabwe played five-ODI series. India are scheduled to visit early next year.”The main problem is how to break the myth of foreign teams to tour Pakistan and see whether it’s right for other teams to pick and choose tours,” Ramiz said. Australia decided to tour India despite recent bomb attacks in the country, and are slated to play the third Test in Delhi, where blasts have taken place in the past month.Ramiz said the PCB should invite a World XI for the three limited-overs games in order to promote a “soft image” of Pakistan. “At the moment organising bilateral series with any country is a little bit difficult in Pakistan, but if the PCB invites a World XI and pay them well, it might help them to change the world opinion about Pakistan.”

It’s no secret that the world of football sponsorship is big business. Almost every year a new financial record gets broken for the most expensive sponsorship, with recent examples including Emirates Airline’s £300 million deal with Real Madrid, as well as the £448 million seven-year agreement between Manchester United and the car manufacturer Chevrolet. It’s clear that sponsors think it is worth the cost.

One element of football sponsorships that is becoming increasingly visible is the tie-in between football teams and online casinos. A huge number of iconic teams, including Celtic, West Ham, and Crystal Palace, are all sponsored by online casinos. But why is this the case? Read on to find out some of the reasons.

Many casinos offer sports betting

One of the main reasons why almost 60% of English Premier League clubs have had at least one sponsorship with an online casino is because many of those casinos also offer betting on those same football teams, creating an obvious tie-in. Once a casino has caught a football fan’s attention, they can start marketing other products to them.

For example, Mr Green Casino, which sponsors Celtic, offers a range of sports betting services, but it also offers immersive live casino gaming and award-winning blackjack online services that visitors can try. In some ways, football betting is a way of getting people through the door, so that they can gain access to some of the casino games on offer.

Casinos are flush with cash

Running a Premier League football club is, to put it mildly, expensive. That’s why most of the top clubs will only consider sponsorships from massive companies with plenty of resources to invest. That’s why casinos are an obvious choice for many.

The online casino industry has experienced massive growth over the course of the past decade, with some of the top UK casinos ranking among the most profitable companies in the country. There are few better candidates who are willing to stump up millions and millions of pounds for long-term sponsorship deals.

Casinos care about branding

The casino industry is a PR-conscious one that tends to prioritise brand visibility above most other forms of marketing. It does not take a genius to figure out why a football team sponsorship would be a stellar way to raise the profile of an online casino. Tens of millions of people will be exposed to an online casino brand whenever a footballer wearing a sponsored strip appears on the screen.

This is the kind of publicity and brand visibility that is impossible to attain via any other medium. Casinos know that football sponsorships work, in part because the exposure that such sponsorships afford is so massive that it is always bound to result in an influx of customers.

For both football clubs and online casinos alike, brand sponsorships of this kind work. It is for these reasons why it is unlikely that online casinos will be disappearing from football strips and stadia anytime soon.

Ricky Ponting will consider making changes to his bowling attack for Thursday’s must-win final Test in Nagpur after the visitors failed again to dismiss the hosts on the last day

Cricinfo staff02-Nov-2008
Australia could pick offspinner Jason Krejza ahead of Cameron White for the final Test in Nagpur © Getty Images
Ricky Ponting will consider making changes to his bowling attack for Thursday’s must-win final Test in Nagpur after the visitors failed again to dismiss the hosts on the last day. India declared twice in the drawn third match in Delhi, posting 208 for 5 to follow their 613-7 in the first innings, and left Australia desperate to find ways to come back from a 0-1 deficit to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.”We’ve proven in this game that our batting’s certainly up to scratch in these conditions,” Ponting said. “The challenge ahead is to take 20 wickets in Nagpur. We’ve got to look long and hard at the guys on the sidelines – Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle, and Jason Krejza – and see if we think they can add anything to our bowling group.”Siddle took four wickets in the second Test in Mohali, which Australia lost by 320 runs, while Bollinger is an uncapped left-arm fast bowler. Ponting said the offspinner Krejza would be looked at closely after missing out to legspinner Cameron White in Delhi. White, who has played three Tests, suffered some severe treatment from the Indian batsmen in the first innings, but captured the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar on the final day to return match figures of 1-96 off 23 overs.”Jason was named in the 12 and, believe me, he came very close to playing in this Test,” Ponting said. “So with a bit more work this week he’d certainly come into consideration.”Australia started well in the first session on Sunday by removing Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid, but it was a familiar story after lunch when the Indian batsmen controlled proceedings. In the first Test in Bangalore Australia failed to dismiss India on the final day and the lack of penetration has been a regular headache.Ponting said his fast bowlers had improved since their displays in the first two games. “Our whole approach in the second innings was a whole lot better with our fast bowlers and that certainly paid dividends for us early on,” he said. “But it’s probably a little bit late to be doing it in the second innings when there’s 600 on the board. We need to be utilising what we did in the second innings early on in the first innings and unsettling their batsmen as much as we can.”Ponting was pleased with Brett Lee’s performance, despite him picking up overall figures of 3-167 from 47 overs. “Brett Lee’s intensity through this game, and his pace, was a lot better,” he said. “He hit the crease a lot harder so there are a lot of good signs for him.” Lee managed just four wickets in the opening two matches in his first Test tour of India.The fourth Test will be played at a new ground in Nagpur and Ponting expected the conditions to suit the home team. “I think they’ve probably got a curator on their side,” he said, “who’ll be probably helping them a bit more than he’ll be helping us out.”

Former Newcastle United star Steve Howey believes that Adam Armstrong will score goals in the Premier League for Southampton.

Armstrong completed his move to Southampton earlier this week, signing a four-year deal with the Saints.

The 24-year-old was in fine form for Blackburn Rovers in the Championship last season as he scored 64 goals and 19 assists in 160 games for the Ewood Park outfit.

Southampton finished 15th in the Premier League last season accumulating 43 points in the process. Manager Ralph Hassenhuttl has moved to strengthen his side this summer bringing in six new players, with Armando Broja, Theo Walcott, Tino Livramento, Romain Perraud, Dynel Simeu and Adam Armstrong all putting pen to paper on deals at St Mary’s.

After impressive seasons in the Championship, Howey reckons Armstrong will be successful in front of goal in the Premier League.

He told the Transfer Tavern: “I think the lad will score goals and I really wish him the best of luck.  People like him and Ivan Toney, it just goes to show they weren’t given an opportunity at Newcastle and they’ve worked so hard to get back and you’ve get to say fair play to them, ‘you deserve your chance’, and I think both of them will score goals.”

Both Toney and Armstrong were the two top scorers in the Championship last season, with Toney netting 33 goals and Armstrong getting 28.

Shelley Nitschke’s breezy 94 ensured a clean sweep for Australia in the five-match ODI series against India after the bowlers had restricted the Indians to 177 for 9

Cricinfo staff09-Nov-2008
Scorecard
An allround effort from Shelley Nitschke – 94 off 56 balls and 2 for 16 – helped Australia sweep the ODI series against India 5-0 © Getty Images
Shelley Nitschke’s breezy 94 ensured a clean sweep for Australia in the five-match ODI series against India after the bowlers had restricted the Indians to 177 for 9. Nitschke, Emma Sampson and Delissa Kimmince took two wickets each to set up a seven-wicket win at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.Indian openers Sulakshana Naik and Anagha Deshpande justified stand-in captain Rumeli Dhar’s decision to bat first by putting on a 54-run opening stand. However, once Naik fell, castled by Nitschke, a mini-collapse followed and India slipped to 70 for 4. It was thanks to Priyanka Roy and Amita Sharma’s 40-run seventh-wicket partnership that India went past 150.The Australian reply never looked like faltering. Alex Blackwell, fresh from a century in Saturday’s match, was cautious, while Nitschke launched into an Indian attack weakened by the absence of their fastest bowler, Jhulan Goswami. Nitschke slammed 15 fours and a six on her way to her highest ODI score, off 56 balls. She was eventually caught by Dhar off Mithali Raj, who also struck with her next ball, trapping Lisa Sthalekar leg-before. However, Australia had little trouble in completing the rout with 21 overs to spare.Nitschke, who missed the first four matches due to a thigh injury, was pleased with her efforts in her comeback game. “It’s never good being injured and it felt like a long time since I’d played, so today I just wanted to get to the crease and have a bit of a look at the bowlers,” she said. “We got a message early on that we wanted to try and get the runs quickly and by that time I was pretty set, the ball was getting older and things started to roll my way.”.Things haven’t gone India’s way since winning the Asia Cup earlier this year. They have lost all nine of their completed matches since then and have no more games scheduled before next year’s World Cup in March.Australia travel to New Zealand next for five ODIs and a Twenty20 to round off their pre-World Cup campaign.

Glasgow Rangers legend Brian Laudrup has admitted he is worried about the future of Connor Goldson as the central defender’s reported new contract remains unsigned.

The Lowdown: Goldson future uncertain

At the moment, Goldson has just one year left on his contract at Ibrox (Transfermarkt), but there were reports the Gers were looking to offer him a new three-year extension (Football Insider).

However, negotiations seem to be taking forever, and there has not yet been any breakthrough.

The Latest: Laudrup worried

Writing in his column for The Daily Mail (via The Daily Record), Laudrup expressed his concern. He said:

“Goldson has been regarded as the best central defender at the club rightly so, in my opinion – so why didn’t he sign a new contract months ago?

“All the noises have been very positive. Yet nothing has been confirmed. What’s the issue? It seems strange.

“I always think clarity is key for a player. Otherwise, performances can be affected.

“I know fans will say you are paid a lot of money to get on with it and that’s absolutely true.

“But it’s not easy to just switch your brain off from thinking about what’s next for your family, how and where will they be settled? I can sympathise with anyone in that position.

“You go home and talk about it with your wife or partner. You discuss all the options and worries.

“It uses up energy. When those aspects of your life are sorted, you can concentrate fully on being a footballer.

“I don’t know Goldson personally, or what’s in his mind just now, but finalising his situation one way or the other would surely be best for all parties. There has to be an outcome soon.

“He hasn’t started the season in great form and maybe this issue has been a contributor.”

The Verdict: Get it sorted

Time is running out for Rangers to sort out the 28-year-old’s future. With just one year left on his contract, it means £6.75m-valued Goldson (Transfermarkt) can negotiate with other clubs as early as January if a deal is not signed before then and he does not leave this summer.

Last season, the former Brighton man played every single minute of every single game in all competitions, and has already done the same so far this term – it is clear he is a hugely important player for Steven Gerrard. As such, the boss and Ross Wilson should push to get Goldson’s future resolved as soon as possible.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this interview.