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Ruben Amorim will be looking anxiously over his shoulder after Eintracht Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmoller revealed his love for Manchester United and made clear his desire to manage the club one day. Toppmoller is building an impressive reputation in the Bundesliga and has earned praise for developing emerging talents such as Hugo Ekitike and Omar Marmoush.

All eyes on under-fire Amorim

Amorim has endured a torrid time at Manchester United, they finished 15th last season, their worst finish in the Premier League era, and they lost the Europa League final to Tottenham in Bilbao. This season has brought more misery, the Red Devils were dumped out of the League Cup by League Two Grimsby and below-par performances have turned the heat up on the Portuguese boss.

AdvertisementAFPThe young German with a big reputation

In his first season, Toppmoller led Eintracht to a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga, securing their return to the Europa League. Last season he guided the team to third place in the Bundesliga, securing Champions League for the first time via the league. And they started Europe's elite competition by demolishing Galatasaray 5-1.

Dino's Topp target

Toppmoller told the Phrasenmaeher podcast: "Basically it's a dream to be at Frankfurt. It's simply a fantastic club. Here, as a teenager, I witnessed for the first time that my father was a Bundesliga coach. That naturally creates an emotional bond with the club. Thinking about abroad, I often played computer games as a child, always with one team – Manchester United. That would definitely nice some day because's it's an extraordinary club. When I was a teenager, Manchester United were along with Real Madrid the biggest club of all."

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Getty Images SportWill Toppmoller leave Frankfurt?

It's unlikely that Toppmoller will leave Eintracht in the immediate future, as he signed a contract extension until 2028 in May. But continued poor form for United could force Amorim out the door and very few have said 'no' to taking the top job at Old Trafford. 

The washout means Wednesday’s match between England and Afghanistan is a knockout, with the loser certain of exiting the competition

Firdose Moonda25-Feb-2025 – Match abandoned due to rainThe much-anticipated Champions Trophy match between Australia and South Africa in Rawalpindi was washed out without even a toss, forget a ball being bowled, after persistent drizzle. The match was called off at 5.10pm local time, three hours and ten minutes after the scheduled start of play at 2pm and two hours and 22 minutes before the cut-off time for a 20-overs-a-side game, 7.32pm local time. This was due to be the teams’ first meeting at a Champions Trophy.The result means that if Australia and South Africa win their final group matches, against Afghanistan and England respectively, they will progress to the semi-finals. Wednesday’s match between Afghanistan and England is a knockout, with the loser certain of exiting the competition. The winner will have to beat their next opposition to make it through to the final four. As a result, one of the matches between Australia and Afghanistan on Friday and South Africa and England on Saturday could be a virtual quarter-final. Both Afghanistan and England have to win both their matches to qualify for the semi-finals.With no XIs named for this encounter, South Africa kept their cards close to their chest on Heinrich Klaasen’s availability. He missed their opening match against Afghanistan with an elbow injury and now has three more days to recover before the game against England on Saturday.This was due to be the first meeting between Australia and South Africa since the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, which Australia won, and means that they continue to have the advantage over South Africa in ICC events. In nine matches, Australia have won four, South Africa three, there was a tie at the 1999 World Cup and now, their first washout.

Liverpool have shut down around 145,000 ticket accounts in the past two years as part of a huge crackdown operation. The club say they took 'decisive action' to put an end to 45,000 fake ticketing accounts and they are currently investigating a further 10,000. The Reds added that this is a 'positive' drop in the almost 100,000 fake accounts that were created and closed in the 2023-24 season.

Ticket touting has been a rising problem

Back in 2023, BBC Sport reported that Premier League ticket touting was worth more than £50 million ($66.7m) per year.

In January of that year, Brighton blocked approximately 150 Liverpool fans from gaining entry to the home section of the Amex for their FA Cup clash, with the Sussex side discovering that touts had set up multiple fake accounts to buy tickets from the club and then resell them for up to £250.

Arsenal also said they had blocked "100,000 suspected bots" from their ticketing sites. Fast forward to the present, and this is still a raging battle, but one that Liverpool are seemingly determined to win.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLiverpool take decisive action

In addition to shutting down 145,000 ticket accounts, Liverpool also revealed that they issued a record 1,114 lifetime bans last season after discovering the mass manipulation of software used to buy tickets. This is in stark contrast to the 75 lifetime bans handed out across the 2023-24 season.

Almost 500 people were denied entry to Anfield for trying to enter the ground with a 'burner phone', and just under 400 targeted stops were carried out on matchdays. Investigators for the Reds also shut down 162 social media groups – with a combined membership of more than 'one million users' – involved in selling fake tickets that came to nothing or at 'extortionate rates'.

A statement on Liverpool's official website reads: "Liverpool FC continues to crack down on all forms of ticketing touting, both online and on the ground, to protect genuine fans from being ripped off or scammed. 

"Liverpool FC will continue to take robust action across this season, with increased resource targeting those involved in the proliferation of touting activity. Supporters should be aware that if they are in possession of a ticket that has not been forwarded in line with the club's terms and conditions, or are present inside Anfield without a valid ticket, they will be ejected by stewards or the police."

The club added that fans can report unofficial ticket sales or fraudulent tickets to them here.

Ticket touting 'endemic' in football

Tom Greatrex, the head of the Football Supporters Association, told that he had doubts over the Premier League's commitment to tackling this issue. 

"Long-term supporters are finding it impossible to get tickets because of the way they are made available through secondary agencies," he said. "This is becoming endemic across the game."

BBC's report adds that just 12 arrests were recorded by the Home Office last season for ticket touting across English football's top six tiers.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport said in a statement: "The unauthorised resale of football match tickets in England and Wales is illegal. Legislation is in place to minimise the risk of disorder, with football clubs responsible for implementing their own strategies to prevent ticket sales to unauthorised resellers. While the law applies only to domestic resales, it covers any element of an unauthorised sales chain that takes place within England and Wales."

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Liverpool prepare for busy period

Aside from ticket touting crackdowns, the reigning Premier League champions and early pacesetters are gearing up for a busy period over the next week or so as the second international break of the season nears.

Arne Slot's team travel to unbeaten Crystal Palace on Saturday, before heading off to Turkey to face Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday. They then kick-off October with a trip to London to play Chelsea four days later. If they can win both of those league games, the Merseyside outfit may extend their lead at the top beyond the current gap of five points.

Leeds United’s squad of 2019/20 will go down in history, with the Whites sealing a return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence under Marcelo Bielsa in what was the club’s 100th anniversary.

Patrick Bamford played a key role in that side, but after seven years at Elland Road, has now left the club. The striker was not in Daniel Farke’s Premier League plans after Bamford became a two-time Championship winner with Leeds and mutually had his contract terminated.

Back in 2020, Bielsa had 18 players in his Leeds squad who made 10 or more Championship appearances as the Whites eventually won the league by 10 points ahead of West Brom.

Wins

28

Draws

9

Losses

9

Points

93

Goal difference

+42

Biggest win

Leeds 5-0 Stoke City

Now, following Bamford’s Leeds exit, we’ve had a look at where the rest of the 2019/20 squad are in 2025.

18 Kiko Casilla 36 appearances

Goalkeeper Kiko Casilla officially left Leeds in 2022, having his contract terminated a year early.

The Spaniard made 36 Championship appearances in 2019/20, and after leaving the Whites, signed for Getafe before retiring in 2023.

17 Luke Ayling 37 appearances

A regular at right-back and the scorer of that wonderful volley against Huddersfield Town, Luke Ayling is currently at Championship side Middlesbrough.

He initially moved to the Riverside on loan in 2024 before making a move permanent and is under contract until 2026.

16 Ben White 46 appearances

Starting every Championship game that season, Ben White would seal a big-money move to Arsenal in 2021, where he has gone on to be a regular.

Costing around £50m, White has featured as a centre-back or right-back and is under contract at the Emirates until 2028.

15 Liam Cooper 38 appearances

Captain of the side, Liam Cooper, left Leeds in 2024 after making 284 appearances for the Whites.

He swapped Yorkshire for Bulgaria and CSKA Sofia, but after just over 12 months, became a free agent in 2025.

14 Ezgjan Alioski 39 appearances

Initially a left-winger, Ezgjan Alioski turned into an attacking full-back under Bielsa and scored five Championship goals in 2019/20.

He featured regularly in the Premier League in 2020/21 but left that summer for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli. Alioski also played for Fenerbahce before returning to Swiss side FC Lugano, where he is under contract until 2027.

13 Kalvin Phillips 37 appearances

A vital member at the base of Bielsa’s midfield was Kalvin Phillips, who sealed a £50m move from Leeds to Manchester City in 2022 after starring under the Argentine.

Things didn’t go to plan for the holding midfielder at the Etihad, though, with Phillips having loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich Town. In the summer of 2025, he was looking for another new club but is still under contract with City.

12 Stuart Dallas 45 appearances

A versatile star under Bielsa, Stuart Dallas transformed into a Leeds legend but suffered a serious injury against Manchester City at Elland Road in 2022.

He would officially retire from football two years later after failing to recover, ending in 267 Leeds appearances in all competitions. Dallas now works as a pundit for Sky Sports’ EFL coverage.

11 Helder Costa 43 appearances

A loanee for the 2019/20 season, Helder Costa’s Leeds move became permanent in 2020, however, he had spells with Valencia and Al-Ittihad before being released at Elland Road in 2023.

The winger then played in Portugal with Estoril and China with YN Yukun, but as of the summer of 2025 and at the age of 31, Costa was without a club.

10 Mateusz Klich 44 appearances

Box-to-box midfielder Mateusz Klich became a cult hero at Elland Road and, after starring for Leeds, was allowed to join DC United in 2023.

The Poland international joined Atlanta at the end of 2024, and then in August 2025, returned to his native country with Cracovia, where he is under contract until 2027.

9 Jack Harrison 46 appearances

Still at Leeds is winger Jack Harrison, who had two loan spells with Everton following Leeds’ Premier League relegation back in 2023.

Having work to do to get the Leeds fans back on side, Harrison is still under contract at Elland Road until 2028 and appears to be in Farke’s plans.

The winner will play New Zealand in the final and also get a chance for some Champions Trophy prep over in Karachi

Firdose Moonda11-Feb-2025Big Picture: The knockout before the knockoutThe original Champions Trophy started as a knockout tournament so, as we build up to this year’s edition, here’s a bit of a throwback: Wednesday’s match between Pakistan and South Africa in the mini tri-series is a winner-takes-all affair, with New Zealand already through to Saturday’s final. It won’t be quite so do-or-die in the Champions Trophy, but groups of four mean that teams can only really afford one slip up from the outset, which makes this match excellent practice for both these sides.On recent form, Pakistan have the upper hand over South Africa, who they clean swept 3-0 in December on South African soil for the first time. The result must be caveated, with the disclaimer that South Africa were understrength, though Pakistan won’t (and shouldn’t) care about that.Related

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What they will be interested in is that South Africa are still hamstrung. They are without half of their Champions Trophy squad with Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada only due to arrive in Pakistan on the weekend.To make full use of any advantage, Pakistan’s batting will have to perform better, after they were dismissed for 252 by New Zealand on Saturday and lost nine wickets for 149 after getting off to a decent start. Their middle order will be under pressure but no more than South Africa’s bowling attack, which wasn’t unable to defend 304 and lacked bite in their tri-series opener. They have been reinforced by the pace of Corbin Bosch and Kwena Maphaka but will need to combine that with discipline to challenge for a place in the final.What’s at stake is more than just the trophy: the opportunity to have one more competitive match before the Champions Trophy starts, and for Pakistan, to have a dress rehearsal for the tournament opener. They play New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi so being able to face them five days earlier at the same venue will be an added bonus. South Africa also stay in Karachi for their first match against Afghanistan but before they think of that, they’ll want to break a losing streak that has lasted five matches.Form guide: SA’s unwanted streakPakistan: LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa: LLLLLFakhar Zaman hit a quick fifty in the opening ODI of the tri-series•Associated PressIn the spotlight: Fakhar Zaman and Tabraiz ShamsiAfter 15 months on the sidelines, Fakhar Zaman made his comeback with 84 off 69 balls and showed both the power and the pace to help Pakistan chase a big score. They didn’t get there, but the early signs from Fakhar are good. He was especially confident in taking on the short ball from Will O’Rourke in Lahore and was aggressive against New Zealand’s spinners. Bear in mind that Fakhar averaged 50.82 and scored four hundreds when he last played in 2023 and it seems like he has picked up where he left off. In Saim Ayub’s injury-enforced absence, Pakistan seemed to have found the perfect replacement. Now, it’s for Fakhar to show consistency.Tabraiz Shamsi has bowled 15 overs in four matches (across formats) and it’s been 15 overs since he last took a wicket. He had a quiet SA20 for Jo’burg Super Kings, but the time is coming for Shamsi to step up, especially as South Africa have gone into the Champions Trophy with just two specialist spinners despite at least two others being in good form. Bjorn Fortuin and George Linde had good SA20s and though they are usually sidelined because they can’t get past Keshav Maharaj, with a lot of white-ball cricket in the subcontinent in the next year, South Africa might be considering their options. Since Imran Tahir’s retirement in 2019, Shamsi has been South Africa’s premier attacking spinner and there’s no better time to show it than now.Haris Rauf walked off the field with a side strain in the opening ODI•Associated PressTeam news: Rauf unlikely to featureHaris Rauf left the field after bowling 6.2 overs against New Zealand with a side strain and while it is deemed a low-grade injury, he will not be risked for this match. Mohammad Hasnain could play in his place. Pakistan may also consider a change in the batting line-up, with Saud Shakeel a possible replacement for Tayyab Tahir.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Kamran Ghulam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt), 5 Salman Agha, 6 Tayyab Tahir/Saud Shakeel, 7 Khusdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Mohammad HasnainTony de Zorzi and Corbin Bosch who are both in the Champions Trophy squad as well as 18-year left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka have joined the South African touring party and are available for selection. De Zorzi and Bosch both played in the SA20 final on Saturday but may be pulled into the XI, along with Heinrich Klaasen, as South Africa aim to push for a spot in the final. Don’t be surprised if Lungi Ngidi sits this one out, after bowling seven overs – his most since last October – as he continues to work towards full fitness. Maphaka could be selected in his place.South Africa (possible): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Matthew Breetzke, 3 Tony de Zorzi, 4 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 Wiaan Mulder, 7 Senuran Muthusamy, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Kwena MaphakaPitch and conditions: Expect another high-scoring gameThe series moves to Karachi, which last hosted an ODI in May 2023. Then, New New Zealand successfully defended 299 against Pakistan. In six ODIs here since January 2023, the average first-innings score has been 286 and the team batting first has won five out of those six games. That suggests another fairly high-scoring encounter but it may not be the pitch that’s most in focus. Like Lahore, Karachi has undergone significant upgrades ahead of the Champions Trophy including new dressing rooms and hospitality areas, an increased capacity of 5000, two new digital replay screens and 350 LED lights for improved broadcast coverage.Stats and triviaSouth Africa have lost their last five ODIs, which puts them on their longest losing streak since 2004. They have previously lost ten matches in a row in 2004 and 1994. The last time Pakistan failed to make a tri-series final was the Morocco Cup in 2002, when South Africa and Sri Lanka competed for the trophy. Pakistan have since played in six other tri-series, but only won one: the Kitply Cup between themselves, Bangladesh and India in 2008. Pakistan beat India by 25 runs in the final.Quotes</b"Tomorrow is obviously a big day for the series. We played Pakistan not too long ago, but obviously Pakistan in their conditions are a different beast, so I'm looking forward to that. We just got together today, basically the boys only arrived at 2 o'clock this morning. For the guys that are new to the squad, we've got to do a little bit of homework, we've got a nice day out to face these conditions and see what it is like. Obviously there's a bigger picture in mind as well. The ICC [Champions] trophy is also in play next week, so it's a good exercise for us. If we can knock them out and play in the final, and the home country is not involved, that will at least put a smile on my face."
Heinrich Klaasen explains the importance of what is effectively a semi-final

“I thought it was just good thinking of using home tactics [to] your advantage,” Trent Boult says of Gujarat Titans opting for a black-soil pitch

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-20251:40

Pujara: Good to see Prasidh developing variations

Prasidh Krishna hadn’t played any IPL cricket since 2022. At one point, he seemed locked-in as a bowler India would turn to during the middle-overs of a white-ball game because he had pace, height, and an ability to hit the middle of the pitch hard and trouble batters with his natural variations. However, injuries forced him into the sidelines.Playing his second game of IPL 2025, for a new franchise, Prasidh came on when Mumbai Indians (MI) were 97 for 2, needing 100 runs in the remaining 54 balls. “I was itching to bowl actually,” he said at the post-match presentation. “It was the tenth over. I was just thinking I haven’t really waited so long in a game, in a T20 game, before bowling but everything paid off.”We were sitting on top and watching how the first innings went. We could kind of read that cutters into the wicket and balls into the wicket were doing well. So just had that in mind and whenever I got to bowl, the plan was to make sure I use the length.Related

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“I just figured [slower balls] were working well. I didn’t really want to test the speed gun or try and do anything different. I just wanted to keep things simple. Knowing what the scoreboard was, I knew every single over, every single ball was really important. Just tried to keep things simple.”Prasidh is not particularly known for his variations but here they worked so well that he bowled his four overs on the trot, picking up the wickets of MI’s two top-scorers, Suryakumar Yadav for 48 off 28 and Tilak Varma for 39 off 36. He was named Player of the Match.”I think he did more than pretty well,” Prasidh’s Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill said in the press conference. “He did a pretty amazing job for us to be able to come in like that in a pressure situation and I think he changed the game for us in the way he bowled. I think he gave around 14 runs [18] out of which I think a couple of boundaries that he got hit for came in the last over. In the first three overs he gave around six or seven runs. In a T20 game, when the opposition is chasing 200 [197 to win], you know the match is almost done.”Ahmedabad, GT’s home ground, has two kinds of pitches – red soil and black soil. Gill and his team management chose to play this game on a black-soil pitch, which tends to be a little slower and lower than its red soil counterpart.1:40

Pujara: Good to see Prasidh developing variations

“I thought it was just good thinking of using home tactics [to] your advantage,” Trent Boult, the MI quick, said in the press conference afterwards. “Obviously there should be an advantage for the home team. We understood the wicket, that was black soil, and we didn’t adjust nicely enough.”Obviously there’s a difference. Wankhede is obviously typically red soil. Good tactics from the opposition. If you’ve got those options to do that, it obviously makes things… But I don’t think we will be using that as an excuse. There are players in our team that have played all over the country on all different types of wickets, as well as the international players there. So, I don’t want to say [anything] off the game tonight. They scrapped their way to a good total and they showed us how to bowl on that wicket. So credit to them.”Gill explained why GT did what they did.”I think each team has their own strengths and the way they like to play certain type of cricket I think this kind of a wicket suits our batting and bowling and overall strength of our team more than on the red soil and I think the way the game is going, you know, we see 250 to 240 runs [being scored].”We have to sometimes give that cushion for the bowlers so there’s something in it for the bowlers and it’s an equal game. We just don’t want all the games to be, you know, 240 to 250 runs. I feel if there are such high-scoring games the skill out of cricket, it takes away from that.”

Nottingham Forest have officially lodged a complaint with UEFA following their dramatic 3-2 Europa League home defeat to FC Midtjylland, as the pressure mounts on manager Ange Postecoglou just six games into his reign at the City Ground. Forest chiefs were left incensed by the controversial officiating during Thursday’s European clash, which saw the visitors escape with three points amid a series of questionable decisions from French referee Willy Delajod.

Forest erupt after Europa League chaos

According to Delajod’s performance is at the heart of Forest’s outrage. Despite Midtjylland’s bruising, physical approach, the official showed just one yellow card to the Danish side, to wing-back Kevin Mbabu, while three Forest players were booked: Morato, Igor Jesus, and Morgan Gibbs-White.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportReferee under fire after Midtjylland mayhem

A particularly reckless challenge by Denil Castillo on Elliot Anderson early in the contest summed up the inconsistency, with the Midtjylland midfielder somehow escaping with only a verbal warning. Forest sources say the stop-start nature of the officiating killed their rhythm and denied them the chance to build any attacking momentum.

Ange under fire: Six games, no wins and no mercy

The defeat has left Postecoglou’s position hanging by a thread. The Australian boss, who only took over in the summer, has endured a nightmare start to life in Nottingham, with no wins from his first six games in charge. This is the worst record by a Forest manager for over 100 years, since John Baynes went winless in any of his first seven games in 1925. 

Thursday’s loss marked yet another low point, with sections of the City Ground crowd turning on the manager by chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning!”; a brutal soundtrack for a coach already fighting for survival. Fans also resurrected songs for former manager Nuno Espírito Santo, who was sacked only last month but has since resurfaced as West Ham boss.

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(C)Getty ImagesForest at a crossroads before international break

Sunday’s clash with Newcastle could well determine Postecoglou’s fate. Club insiders admit that failure to end the winless run will almost certainly trigger a managerial change during the break. Forest’s owners are said to be “deeply concerned” about the team’s direction and fear that another loss could see morale sink even lower. 

Even after winning four games from four in the Premier League, there’s still a number of problems that Liverpool have to solve and one star has just clapped back at fans with one issue that he has.

Liverpool unbeaten but unconvincing

Some will say it’s the sign of champions, others will claim that it’s unsustainable. Arne Slot’s verdict will be that the best is yet to come from his side, who have needed four late winners to keep the only 100% record still going in the Premier League.

It was unexpected heroes Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha against Bournemouth and Newcastle United and then it was Dominik Szoboszlai’s spectacular free-kick which sealed all three points against title rivals Arsenal. The trip to Burnley, meanwhile, was billed as routine before proving to be anything but. This time it was Mohamed Salah who stepped up to score late on from the spot.

Whilst the Reds struggled to break Burnley down going forward, there’s no denying that they were once again imperious defensively. Although the Clarets handed them a simple job, both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate deserve praise for how they took full control.

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Konate, in particular, has been back to his best in recent displays following a tough opening to the campaign. It’s the type of form that may quiet down any talk about his contract and he’s now hit back at fans with the “problem” that he has.

Konate hits back at Liverpool fans after recent form

With his poor form coinciding with his contract saga in games against Bournemouth and Newcastle, Konate received his fair share of criticism. Since then, however, he has been as dominant as ever and has earned praise as a result.

Feeling how quickly the mood of fans can change, Konate hit back on social media, responding to a Liverpool fan page by saying: “The problem is some of you forget to quick. Only after 2 games.”

Dubbed “tremendous” by Micah Richards last season, there’s no debate that Konate is one of the best defenders in the Premier League and someone that Liverpool must do everything to keep.

As things stand, with less than 12 months remaining on his current deal, the Reds are facing a Trent Alexander-Arnold repeat as Real Madrid continue to sniff around. The last thing that Anfield chiefs need is for another star man to jump ship on a free deal.

New Zealand seamer’s four-for gives Worcestershire the upper hand on lively deck

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Apr-2025Jacob Duffy and Matthew Waite took advantage of a seam-friendly pitch to skittle Essex for 179 in the Rothesay County Championship at Chelmsford.New Zealand’s Duffy led the way with a fine display of fast, accurate bowling that was rewarded with figures of 4 for 39 while Waite took out three middle-order wickets as Essex were dismissed inside 59 overs.Only Simon Harmer’s innings lasted more than 47 balls and 68 minutes – his obdurate 77-ball 28 spanned nearly two hours – as no one got to grips with a hybrid pitch that had plenty of grass on it and provided extra lift, carry and lateral movement. The toss was crucial and Brett D’Oliveira won it for Worcestershire.Not that the visitors fared much better when it was their turn to bat. Though Essex were without England pace prospect Sam Cook on instruction from the ECB, they still managed to reduce Worcestershire to 22 for 4 before they revived to 98 for 4 when bad light ended play with nine overs remaining.A knee injury to Michael Pepper, that necessitated a runner when he came back to bat, meant Jordan Cox had to take the wicketkeeping gloves earlier in the campaign that he had planned.Essex never recovered from a poor start. Paul Walter was the first to go when Duffy left just his leg-stump standing as he played across the line. Duffy had a second wicket in eight balls. Charlie Allison had already three times driven Tom Taylor exquisitely straight before playing around one to fall lbw.Cox might have gone in his first over from Tom Taylor, an involuntary edge sneaking through the slips for four. Unfazed, Cox then came down the wicket and lofted Ben Allison over his head for six.Tom Westley had earlier hit Taylor out of the attack with three boundaries in an over, but the bowler gained revenge when he returned to have the Essex captain caught behind after a 60-run partnership with Cox. Cox followed 10 balls later, though, beaten by one from Duffy that nipped off the seam and took a leading edge through to the wicketkeeper.Pepper was injured before lunch, but came out to continue his innings after the break but lasted one ball before rearing up in agony and immediately retiring hurt. It was 106 for 5 soon after that when Matt Critchley sauntered down the wicket to Waite and could only deflect the delivery that followed him. Waite collected a second when he had Noah Thain trapped by a straight one that hit his back pad.Shane Snater slammed Waite for 14 from an over, including a straight six. He was determined to repeat the feat but perished with a wild top-edge against Duffy to be caught at deep third.Pepper returned with Allison as his runner, but his dismissal initiated the beginning of the end of Essex’s innings as the last three wickets fell for two runs. Pepper was trapped lbw before Allison came to the party with two wickets in three balls. Harmer finally departed to a fourth catch at the wicket by Roderick, and then Porter lost his off stump to his former team-mate.The wickets continued to clatter when Worcestershire batted. Jake Libby pushed a delivery from Snater into Critchley’s right hand at third slip and Roderick fell to the same combination, though the catch was taken low down this time.Essex’s debutant overseas bowler Kasun Rajitha made an instant impact by knocking Roderick’s bat out of his hand with his second ball. The Sri Lankan had his first wicket soon after when Cox snaffled Rob Jones behind the stumps.Porter then had Kashif Ali taken by Thain diving forward at fourth slip, before Adam Hose and D’Oliveira pieced together the biggest partnership of the match so far with an unbeaten 76 added for the fifth wicket.

Frenkie de Jong is set to secure his Barcelona future by signing a new contract extension until 2029, with an enormous €500 million release clause. The Dutch midfielder will put pen to paper on Wednesday alongside club president Joan Laporta. His renewal marks a major boost for Barca, who view him as a central figure in Hansi Flick’s long-term project.

De Jong to sign new Barcelona contract

According to , the Dutchman has reached a full agreement with the Catalan club that will see him stay for the next four years, with the contract set to be signed on Wednesday. The new deal comes with a massive €500m (£426m/$547m) release clause, up from €400m (£341m/$438m) in his previous contract, reflecting his importance to the team.

Under the updated terms, De Jong will continue to earn his current salary for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, with the revised wage structure kicking in from July 1, 2026. The midfielder’s renewal had been delayed due to a change of agents earlier this year but is now complete. At 28, De Jong is set to remain at the heart of Barca’s midfield until at least the age of 32, ensuring continuity for Hansi Flick’s evolving project.

AdvertisementLaporta & Deco both happy with Dutch midfielder

The signing ceremony will take place in the presence of president Laporta, who has personally overseen the negotiations to keep one of Barca’s most valuable assets at the club. Sporting director Deco also praised the midfielder’s contribution, describing him as “a key player for the project” in a recent interview.

De Jong has been a mainstay in Flick’s system, forming a reliable asset alongside Pedri. The duo’s control and creativity have been crucial to Barcelona’s build-up play this season, particularly amid the team’s struggles with injuries and form.

GettyDe Jong’s long road to renewal

The extension marks a dramatic turnaround for De Jong, who in 2024 was widely expected to leave amid ongoing tension with the board and financial pressure on the club. Barcelona had even considered selling him to Manchester United to ease wage concerns, but the player remained steadfast in his desire to stay. De Jong has since made over 260 appearances and won six trophies, including two La Liga titles.

His previous deal featured deferred payments that inflated his later wages, causing issues as Barca sought to restructure their finances. Despite those challenges, De Jong’s performances remained consistent, evolving from a promising youngster to one of the squad’s senior figures.

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AFPFocus turns to Girona clash as Hansi Flick's side seek rebound

With De Jong’s renewal now sealed, Camp Nou can focus on matters on the pitch as they prepare to face Girona on Saturday, October 18. The Blaugrana will be looking to bounce back after disappointing defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla before the international break. The Dutchman, fresh from international duty with Netherlands, is expected to play a leading role in midfield once again.

Barca will be without several key players including Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres, while youngster Lamine Yamal, who returned to training, but may be rested as he returns from injury. However, the return of Fermin Lopez provides a timely boost for Flick’s side as they aim to reclaim top spot in La Liga.