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Cody Gakpo has opened up on the difficulties at Liverpool since team-mate Diogo Jota tragically passed away at the age of 28.

Portuguese forward passed away on July 3Tributes flooded in from around the worldFriends & family coming to terms with lossFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Portugal international Jota and his brother Andre Silva lost their lives in a car accident on July 3. An outpouring of emotion accompanied news of Jota’s passing, with tributes flooding in from around the world.

GettyWHAT GAKPO SAID

Friends and family are still coming to terms with the loss, and that includes Jota’s professional colleagues on Merseyside. Dutch forward Gakpo admits as much, telling : “Yeah, it’s been very difficult. A lot of us were still on vacation when the situation happened. We came together as a team and as a club as soon as possible. We tried to be there as much as we could at that moment for the family and together as a team to help wherever we could. We still try to do that, and everyone is still busy a bit more behind the scenes than what is in the news, reaching out and helping as much as possible.”

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Gakpo was on holiday when Jota passed away, but was among those to attend an emotional funeral in Gondomar and to visit a shrine that was created outside Anfield. He added: “The family of Diogo hopefully felt the love we have for them, and for Diogo and his brother. You could see how we try to act as a club and a team, the supporters as well, the whole city, every football fan; as Liverpool, we really try to be a family.”

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Liverpool have retired Jota’s squad number, with players set to wear a ‘Forever 20’ emblem on their shirts and stadium jackets throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Gakpo said of that show of respect: “It is the least we can do. Obviously, he was an outstanding player, but he as a person was even more wonderful. He was good with everyone. Everyone loved him, and that is also what you saw with how everyone reacted.

“So yeah, it’s more that we want to remember who he was to us. Not as a player, because the player we can see on the highlights on YouTube, but more as the person he was. He will be missed this season, but he will also be missed by everyone in this team and in this club, and by his family, for the rest of our lives. We will not forget him.”

Montes is currently under contract with Lokomotiv Moscow through mid-2029, but could return to Liga MX

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• Chivas would need to pay a transfer fee near $5.5 million
• Montes has experienced relegation twice in La Liga
• He played for Espanyol and Almería in Spain, Russia with Lokomotiv

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chivas are already shifting focus toward the upcoming Apertura 2025, after failing to secure a spot in the playoffs this season – an outcome that led to the dismissal of head coach Gerardo Espinoza, who had taken over mid-season from Spaniard Óscar García.

  In a bid to end an eight-year title drought, the Guadalajara club is reportedly preparing a major signing, with top priority given to strengthening their back line. are considering a move for Mexican international César Montes, currently playing for Lokomotiv Moscow.

  Less than a year after arriving in Russia, the 28-year-old center back has reportedly emerged as a key target for Chivas’ sporting director Javier Mier and club leadership – despite the fact that a new head coach has yet to be appointed.

  Montes is under contract with Lokomotiv until mid-2029. To secure his transfer, Chivas would need to spend more than $5.5 million. Since joining the Russian club in September 2024, the defender has made 17 appearances, scoring twice and registering one assist. With a strong chance of being part of Mexico's 2026 World Cup squad, his signing would represent both a short-term fix and long-term investment.

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  The defensive line has been one of Chivas’ weakest points, especially following the departure of Jesús “Chiquete” Orozco to Cruz Azul. The team conceded 24 goals in 17 matches during the regular phase of the Clausura 2025. With Orozco and Gilberto Sepúlveda previously anchoring the defense, stability at the back had been a recurring theme – one the team has struggled to recapture.

  According to Fox Sports, Chivas have already made initial contact with Montes. Still, the club’s immediate priority is to appoint a new head coach. Former Manchester City assistant Domenec Torrent appears to be leading the race, though national team coach Jaime Lozano and Liga MX veteran Guillermo Almada are also under consideration.

  Defensively, the next manager would have the following players at his disposal: César Montes (if signed), Gilberto Sepúlveda, Miguel Tapias, Luis Olivas, Alan Mozo, José Castillo, Leonardo Sepúlveda, and Raúl Martínez.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Montes’ addition would provide much-needed experience and aerial dominance to a back line that has lacked consistency. Since moving abroad in 2023, the player known as "El Cachorro" has endured a tumultuous stint in Europe – first joining Espanyol in Spain, who were relegated that season.

  He then signed with Almería, but suffered another relegation before landing in Russia. A return to Mexico could mark a new chapter, and possibly redemption, with one of Liga MX’s most storied clubs.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?

  While still in search of a replacement for Espinoza, Chivas is set to begin its Leagues Cup campaign on July 31 against the New York Red Bulls. The Guadalajara club will also face Charlotte FC and FC Cincinnati in the group stage.

  No preseason friendlies have been confirmed yet, but the squad is scheduled to report back for training on May 21.

Federico Chiesa earned huge praise from Liverpool's captain after inspiring Friday night's opening Premier League win.

• Van Dijk talks up Chiesa impact
• Winger had decisive role against Bournemouth 
• Teammates always had faith in him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Van Dijk spoke with reporters following Liverpool's 4-2 win, which briefly looked in jeopardy after surrendering a 2-0 lead in the second half. Chiesa scored a clever goal late on to restore the lead, before Mohamed Salah made it comfortable, and his captain suggested the rest of the squad always knew the Italian was capable of making such an impact. 

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  Chiesa emerged as one of the continent's brightest young attackers when he inspired Italy to Euro 2020 glory, but injuries in more recent times have hampered his development. Liverpool paid a bargain transfer fee to Juventus last summer, but Chiesa struggled to establish himself due to persistent fitness issues. All in all, he only played 104 minutes in the Premier League across 2024-25. His arrival as a late substitute in the Bournemouth game when Liverpool were looking for a goal to retake the lead was even openly questioned by club legend and co-commentator Jamie Carragher. 

• WHAT VAN DIJK SAID

  "Fede is an amazing character, he works so hard and has been unlucky with injuries but we are all here for him and we all know what kind of impact he could have," Van Dijk explained. "He's a great character and we all love him, I think everyone can see that, and he's loved by the fans, and to produce moments like he has [against Bournemouth] is something we all want to see." 

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHIESA?

  Competition for places at Liverpool is rife, with Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah first choice in the wide positions, and Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike also capable of playing from the wings. But, if Chiesa can stay fit, the club's busy schedule across four different competitions this season could still hand the Italian plenty of opportunities. The fact that he has proved himself so early in the campaign bodes well for him. 

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has claimed Marcus Rashford wanted to be a "one-club man" for Manchester United before being frozen out by Ruben Amorim. The England international, who spent nearly two decades rising through the ranks at Old Trafford, found himself on the fringes after the Portuguese manager took over and has now embarked on a new journey to reignite his England dreams.

Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan dealWas exiled by Amorim in December 2024Forward looking to revive his career in SpainFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rashford joined United’s academy at the age of seven and became a fan favourite after his sensational debut in the 2015-16 season under Louis van Gaal. He scored twice in his very first senior appearance, which came during a Europa League clash against FC Midtjylland. However, his story at United took a difficult turn last season as new manager Amorim sidelined him from the regular first-team setup following ideological differences.

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By January, he was loaned out to Aston Villa in a surprising mid-season switch that allowed him to reignite his form. At Villa Park, he enjoyed a resurgence, showing flashes of the brilliance that once made him untouchable in United’s lineup. Villa’s loan agreement included a purchase clause, but Barcelona’s interest came in swiftly and decisively once it was evident that Rashford would not be part of United’s long-term plans.

WHAT LAPORTA SAID

Laporta emphasised Rashford never intended to leave United but was left with no other choice.

“We are very happy because a player of great quality is coming, at a great age to come to Barça with extraordinary motivation. Personally, I’ve seen how excited he is to come to Barca," he told reporters.

"One of his virtues is that he is sincere. His dream was to play for Manchester United for the rest of his life. He arrived at the age of seven and was born there with an interesting life. He wanted to be a ‘One club man’. It’s nice for a player to say this with all the sincerity."

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DID YOU KNOW?

However, with Amorim's tactics sidelining Rashford and his career at a crossroads, the player found solace in the idea of joining a team he had admired from afar.

Laporta added: "But when a situation arises in his life that he did not expect, the team he had always liked is Barça. He had faced us and had Barça on the radar. He was loaned to Aston Villa so that it could be seen that he is the best player ever, the best in England and he says that his maximum motivation is to win the Champions League with Barça and the World Cup with England.

"We have him very motivated. He came in strong as a rock, he’s very excited, he’s entered well with his teammates and I’m very happy because two years ago he beat us in the Europa League. He made the difference in the tie and that’s why I’m very happy that he came.”

The fast bowler says the Brisbane pitch is “a little bit too firm” for the pink ball

Andrew McGlashan25-Jan-2024

Mitchell Starc acknowledged that it was “humbling” to pass 350 wickets as a summer of landmarks continued for Australia’s Test attack, but he will only really sit back and reflect on personal achievements when he hangs up his boots.After Nathan Lyon’s 500th Test wicket along with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood crossing 250 this season, it was Starc’s turn to tick off another landmark on the opening day at the Gabba. When he had Alick Athanaze caught behind, he became the fifth Australia bowler to 350 Test wickets. He finished the day with 4 for 68 and is now four wickets away from overtaking Dennis Lillee’s tally (355), which would make him the country’s second-most prolific quick behind Glenn McGrath (563).”Numbers are nice, [it’s] something else to reflect on when I’m all done. Still got some wickets to take,” Starc said. “Nice to have an impact today, go past that one…Gaz [Lyon] was saying there’s another 150 to go.Related

Da Silva, Hodge lead West Indies' recovery on see-saw day

A day of positives and progress for West Indies

“They are all nice things to tick off and very humbling [to close in on Lillee] but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Need 20 wickets to win and we’ll all reflect on [the landmarks] when we are finished, sitting around with a beer at a golf course somewhere. At the moment we are just enjoying our cricket as a group of players.”Early in the season, during the opening Test against Pakistan in Perth, Starc made some mid-match adjustments and said he had been searching for “that perfect feeling” throughout the summer. He was pleased with his rhythm and the pace he was able to generate on the opening day in Brisbane.Three of Starc’s inroads came in the first session when Australia made good use of the new ball to leave West Indies 64 for 5. But life became tougher for the bowlers after that as the pink ball softened and it wasn’t until the second new ball that Starc struck again to remove Kavem Hodge.Starc’s record with the pink ball is outstanding – he now has 65 wickets at 18.09 from 12 day-night Tests – and he has come to believe that the key to the format is the pitch and its impact on the ball. This Brisbane surface, he said, was a little on the firm side to be ideal, which meant the ball became soft within the first hour, whereas Adelaide, which traditionally hosts the day-night encounter in Australia, has a more forgiving pitch.”It comes down to the wicket, which I think Adelaide has got right,” he said. “Because of the ball, we know it goes softer at certain stages depending on the wicket, think there’s a certain cushion to what they make at Adelaide, which is why it’s been such a good pink-ball Test in Adelaide.”Think this wicket is pretty similar to the game we played Pakistan [in 2016-17]. In that game [the ball] went soft pretty early, there were a lot of dead patches where it was hard to score and wasn’t much in the wicket for the bowlers. Pakistan were about 450 chasing 490. Feels a bit like a similar wicket where it’s a little bit too firm. Think it would be a fantastic red-ball wicket, but probably too firm for the pink ball.”

Birmingham City have completed the eye-catching signing of Kyogo Furuhashi from Rennes, with the Japan forward returning to football in the British Isles just six months after a £10 million move to Ligue 1. The ex-Celtic star joins the Tom Brady-backed Blues on a three-year deal as their ambitious summer recruitment drive continues to prepare for the Championship.

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Furuhashi joins Birmingham after tough six months at RennesBlues continue spending spree with another eye-catching signingEx-Celtic star eager to rediscover top form in EnglandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Furuhashi has officially joined Brady's side and signed a three-year contract with Birmingham City after struggling for game time at Rennes. The Japan international failed to score in France and now links up with Chris Davies’ newly-promoted Championship side. Despite links to a Celtic return, he chose St Andrew’s instead as he looks to bring his career back on track.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT FURUHASHI SAID

Speaking to Birmingham City club media, Furuhashi said: “I’m very happy to be here. I’m looking forward to working together with you all. I get fired up more in bigger games, but I score goals because of team-mates, so I’m grateful for that. I’d like to achieve the same here, and hopefully my goals will make everyone happy.

“I have good memories (from Celtic) with lots of titles, so it was a wonderful three and a half, four years. Lots of fans still say hello to me, so I felt I was really lucky. But this is a new place, and I’d like to do my best here. I’m here to help the team. I’d like to express what I can do on the pitch.

“I don’t want to talk a lot, but there’s a chance that we can go up to the Premier League. We all want to aim for that and after nine months, it will be great if we share the happiness of achieving that.”

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Birmingham’s rebuild is in full swing, with Furuhashi joining fellow summer additions Tomoki Iwata, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Demarai Gray, Tommy Doyle, and James Beadle. Backed by NFL icon Tom Brady, the Blues are making an aggressive push to contend in the Championship.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR FURUHASHI?

The Japan international is expected to be in contention for Birmingham’s pre-season opener next week. Blues will hope his return to British football reignites the goal-scoring form that made him a Celtic hero.

Since the Chelsea ownership changed back in 2022, one of the main goals for Todd Boehly and co, whether it is for better or for worse, has been to lower their wage bill, introducing incentivised contracts and targeting younger players who aren’t earning huge money at their respective clubs.

By doing this, they can ensure the players they are recruiting are still receiving a pay increase to make the move more appealing, whilst also offering them competitive incentive-driven increases.

Reece James

£250,000

Raheem Sterling

£215,000

Wesley Fofana

£200,000

Christopher Nkunku

£195,000

Enzo Fernández

£180,000

Marc Cucurella

£175,000

Pedro Neto

£160,000

Moises Caicedo

£150,000

Cole Palmer

£130,000

Tosin Adarabioyo

£120,000

The highest earner at the club currently is Reece James, club captain and very important to the team when he is fully fit, so this does make sense.

However, certain players in this list either haven’t offered the same value thus far or aren’t perfectly suited to Enzo Maresca’s system, particularly in those full-back ranks.

Chelsea's full-back options

We have seen this season how Maresca wants his team to set up, and most importantly, how he wants to use his fullbacks in a versatile manner to aid his team.

James is one man who has shown this so far under Maresca, inverting into midfield alongside Moises Caicedo at times, filling in as a third central defender at other times and even attacking as one of the pocket players – at number ten – when required.

Marc Cucurella has been used in a similar fashion from the left-hand side, arriving in the box and scoring goals under Maresca, something he hadn’t previously been known for, showing his versatility as a player and ability to affect the game in more ways than one.

Indeed, the Spaniard has already chalked up five goals this term, having only netted once in total for former club Brighton.

Whilst the likes of Cucurella and James have suited this approach used by Maresca, there is one man who certainly did not, and this just so happens to be another one of the club’s highest earners, making it much more of an issue.

The Chelsea high earner who needs to be sold

Chelsea signed English left-back, Ben Chiwell from Leicester City back in 2020 for a fee of around £50m. The 28-year-old fullback has made 107 appearances for the Blues since arriving, scoring nine goals, providing 12 assists and totalling 7,385 minutes played.

Despite being a huge part of Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League-winning campaign under Thomas Tuchel as a flying wingback, the England fullback now finds himself out of the plans under Maresca, as the usage of fullbacks within this system doesn’t cater to Chilwell’s qualities.

Since joining the club, Chilwell has earned over £40m in wages, as per Capology, with his current deal set to expire on June 30th, 2027.

Whilst he didn’t make the top ten highest earners list, due to being on loan with Crystal Palace paying half of his wages, Chilwell is one of the highest earners at the club, usually on £200k per week.

Perry Groves labelled Chilwell as “rusty” when speaking on talkSPORT in March last year, criticising the England left-back for only “doing just enough” when turning out for the Three Lions.

Since being on loan with Palace, Chilwell has only managed to make five appearances, totalling just 184 minutes played. This could prove to be an issue when finding him a new home in the summer, but Chelsea and Boehly will look to cross that bridge when it comes to it.

Better than Colwill & Fofana: Chelsea in talks to sign £50m PL star

Maresca wants to bolster his Chelsea squad with £50m PL addition

ByConnor Holden Mar 28, 2025

Robert Lewandowski's declaration that he will not accept a call-up to the Poland squad has sparked 'celebrations' from the rest of the team.

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• Lewandowski loses captaincy after fallout with coach
• Poland players reportedly relieved by his exit
• Zielinski takes over as captain for upcoming fixtures

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lewandowski has lost the support of his Poland team-mates following a public fallout with head coach Michal Probierz, according to . The Barcelona striker declared he will not feature for the national team under the current boss after being stripped of his candidacy, bringing an end to his national team career. Sources close to the squad claim the decision was met with applause and relief by several players and earned new respect for the manager.

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  Lewandowski's strained relationship with the squad had reportedly deteriorated over time, with multiple internal issues affecting trust. The tension intensified in March after a 2-0 win against Malta. Lewandowski is said to have stormed into the locker room and berated the coaching staff and his team-mates, later going public with his criticism. Other players were reportedly already angry at him, feeling he had put Barcelona ahead of the national team before the game.

• WHAT LEWANDOWSKI SAID

  Lewandowski made his declaration via social media, saying on X: "Considering the circumstances and the loss of trust in the coach of the Polish National Team, I decided to resign from playing in the Polish National Team until he is the coach. I hope that I will be able to play for the best fans in the world again."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR POLAND?

  With Lewandowski out of the picture, head coach Probierz will continue to implement his vision, likely focusing on younger players such as Jakub Kaminski and Nicola Zalewski. Poland will face Finland in a crucial World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday, with Zielinski set to lead the team.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a saída de Maurício Souza, o Vasco se movimenta em busca de um novo treinador no mercado. Enquanto isso, o interino Emílio Faro estará à frente da equipe nas próximas partidas, e recebeu muitos elogios do zagueiro Anderson Conceição.

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– O Emílio está aqui desde a montagem do elenco, conhece cada peça que está aqui, um cara muito inteligente. Vai saber a melhor maneira para o time voltar ao caminho, ele entende muito de futebol, fala muito bem. Que a gente possa conseguir a vitória na quinta e no domingo -disse, e em seguida emendou:

– Gostaria de agradecer ao Maurício, um cara nota mil, grande profissional, tem muitas boas ideias, mas a gente sabe como é o imediatismo no Brasil, precisa de resultados. Agora é abraçar o Emílio, dar seguimento, voltar para os trilhos. A Série B é muito difícil, mas é seguir em frente, contar com o apoio do nosso torcedor no próximo jogo e voltar a conseguir as vitórias – completou.

+ Confira e simule a tabela da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro

De acordo com o treinador, o elenco teve uma reunião importante nesta segunda para compreender a situação de Emílio. Vale lembrar que o treinador assumiu, de maneira interina, durante a transição entre Zé Ricardo e Maurício Souza, e obteve bons resultados com os triunfos sobre Náutico e o líder Cruzeiro.

– Temos uma gordura ainda, mas já ligamos o alerta, conversamos sobre isso. O estilo do novo treinador vai de acordo com cada um. O Maurício tentou implementar as boas ideias dele em pouco tempo, acabou não dando certo- explicou, e acrescentou:

+Conselho Deliberativo convoca reunião para debater proposta da 777 Partners para a SAF do Vasco

– Tivemos uma reunião ontem com nosso diretor, passou essa situação do Emílio. Ele tem nossa confiança, vamos abraçar ele para que tudo saia da melhor maneira possível. No primeiro turno a gente fez esses dois jogos (CRB e Chapecoense) fora, agora teremos o fator casa, o apoio da torcida, vamos buscar bons jogos para voltar a ter a credibilidade do nosso torcedor – citou o zagueiro.

علق وسام أبو علي مهاجم فريق الكرة بالنادي الأهلي، على إهدار الفرص خلال مباراة بورتو البرتغالي، مؤكدًا أن الأحمر قدم مباراة رائعة بختام مشواره في كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وتلاقى الأهلي أمام بورتو البرتغالي فجر اليوم الثلاثاء، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة من دور مجموعات البطولة، المُقامة حاليًا في أمريكا.

وانتهت المباراة بتعادل إيجابي بين الفريقين، بأربعة أهداف لمثلها، ليودعا البطولة سويًا، في حين تأهل بالميراس وإنتر ميامي من المجموعة الأولى.

وقال وسام أبو علي في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “حزين جدًا وأشعر بالإحباط، كان يجب أن أسجل المزيد من الأهداف، وكانت هناك فرص رائعة، لكنها أُهدرت”.

طالع | عادل عبد الرحمن يطالب الأهلي بإبرام صفقات جديدة: نعاني من مشاكل كبيرة

وأكمل: “لقد بذلنا قصارى جهدنا، وأنا سعيد لأننا سجلنا هذه الأهداف وقدمنا أداءً مميزًا، وبدأنا المباراة بشكل قوي، وكان من المفترض أن نستغل كل الفرص المتاحة أمامنا”.

واختتم: “لقد حاولنا بذل كل جهد ممكن واستغللنا الفرص المتاحة، وأنا سعيد لأننا أظهرنا للجماهير كل الحماس، فهم الداعمون الأساسيون لنا، وكانت الأجواء مثيرة ومذهلة بفضل الجماهير”.