Tottenham Hotspur are now confident about winning the race for a £25m striker, who could be in line to join alongside West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus, according to a report.

Tottenham pushing to sign Kudus

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has now revealed that Tottenham are in ongoing talks over a deal to sign Kudus, with the Ghanaian winger keen to make the move across the capital.

The interest in Kudus comes amid doubts over Son Heung-min’s future, with widespread reports suggesting the forward wants to remain in north London for one more year, which means Thomas Frank may have to bring in a long-term replacement for his captain.

With Everton and a whole host of other Premier League clubs keen on Richarlison, a new striker may also be required, and Tottenham have now been provided with an update on their pursuit of OGC Nice’s Evann Guessand.

Football Insider sources say that Spurs are confident about winning the race for Guessand this summer, with the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers also in the race for the forward’s signature.

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The French side have set an affordable asking price of £20m – £25m, off the back of an impressive 2024-25 campaign, with transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke adding: “There’s been talk that Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce would like to sign him as well.

“My sources tell me the player himself is not overly keen on that move, so that will be positive news for his Premier League suitors.

“Looking at the interested clubs, Brighton, West Ham, Wolves… Tottenham I’m sure would be pretty hopeful that, if they do follow up their interest, that they could win the race for his services.”

"Electric" Guessand could be versatile option for Frank

The 24-year-old is capable of playing on both wings and through the middle, meaning he could be a versatile option for Frank in attack, and the 2024-25 campaign was by far the Nice star’s best season to date.

The Ivory Coast international registered 12 goals and nine assists in 33 Ligue 1 outings, indicating he could be a solid replacement for Richarlison, who missed a whopping 37 games through injury last season.

Having averaged a 7.19 match rating in Ligue 1, the France-born forward was also Nice’s second-best-performing player last term, while outperforming every Tottenham player to make more than six Premier League appearances.

At just £20m – £25m, Guessand could be a bargain addition to the Tottenham squad, and a move to north London should be a far more attractive proposition than joining Wolves or Brighton.

Veteran allrounder set to move into coaching after calling time on 19-year professional career

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2024

Steven Croft, Lancashire’s veteran allrounder and stalwart of their 2011 Championship-winning side, has announced his retirement from professional cricket at the age of 39.Croft stepped down from first-class and List A cricket at the end of the 2023 summer, and had been on a T20-only deal for this summer’s campaign. However, he has now confirmed his full retirement with immediate effect, and will instead move into Lancashire’s coaching staff on a full-time basis.His final appearance came earlier this month, in Lancashire’s defeat to Sussex in the Vitality Blast quarter-final, and was his 600th match for the club across formats. He made his Lancashire debut in 2005, and went on to make a total of 19,183 runs, as well as claim 199 wickets with his offspin.In 2011, he scored the winning runs against Somerset at Taunton, as Lancashire ended a 77-year wait for the County Championship, and four years later, he captained the T20 team to their maiden T20 Blast title at Edgbaston, beating Northamptonshire in the final.Between June 2006 and July 2018, Croft played 148 consecutive T20 matches for Lancashire, which is an English record. He finishes his career as Lancashire’s leading T20 run-scorer with 5,486 runs.”My dream as a boy was to play one game for Lancashire, in the end it became 600,” Croft said. “So, after just over two decades of playing for the club, I have taken the decision to retire as a player.”I can confidently say I have realised my dream and more, and what a ride it has been. To go with the games, runs, wickets and catches, I have played alongside some of my heroes and many greats of the game.”There have been so many highlights along the way, too. Winning the County Championship in 2011 will stay with me forever. The 2015 T20 Blast too, what a great night that was! But also, being awarded my county cap and being appointed club captain were special moments.Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s Director of Cricket, added: “On behalf of everyone at the club, I would like to congratulate Steven on an incredible Lancashire career.”Steven epitomises everything good about this club. He is an outstanding individual who always puts the team first and anyone who has watched him knows that Steven puts his heart and soul into every game and his record speaks for itself.”To be such an influential member of our side – as well as contributing to so many match-winning performances – over such a long period of time is something he should be very proud of.”Players like Steven don’t come around too often and whilst we will miss his skill and experience on the field, we’re thrilled that he will continue to play a vital role in continuing to develop the exciting young players we have at Emirates Old Trafford, working across the Men’s First Team, Second XI and Academy.”Even over the last 12 months, I’ve been really impressed with how quickly he’s taken to coaching and the impact he’s had in a short period of time. I am looking forward to seeing him develop these skills in the next chapter of his career.”

Celtic legend Chris Sutton has raised concerns regarding the lack of transfer activity at Parkhead as the Hoops prepare to kick off their Scottish Premiership campaign on Sunday.

The Bhoys cruised to their 55th top flight title last season, leading rivals Rangers by a wide margin for practically the entire season, but it’s fair to say their summer hasn’t been quite such smooth sailing.

Star winger Nicolas Kuhn has left Glasgow to join Serie A side Como, along with experienced leadership figure Greg Taylor, who joined Greek side PAOK on a free transfer, although Kieran Tierney’s return should go some way to filling that void.

Celtic arrivals

Fee

Celtic departures

Fee

Benjamin Nygren

£1.7m

Nicolas Kuhn

£16.5m

Shin Yamada

£1.5m

Gustaf Lagerbielke

£2m

Kieran Tierney

Free

Kwon Hyeok-kyu

£200k

Ross Doohan

Free

Greg Taylor

Free

Callum Osmand

Free

Scott Bain

Free

Hayato Inamura

Undisclosed

Luis Palma

Loan

Maik Nawrocki

Loan

Adam Montgomery

Loan

Josh Clarke

Loan

Jeffrey Schlupp

End of loan

While the Hoops’ model has long been to develop and sell players like Kuhn before replacing them with cheaper, younger assets, the fact they are yet to make a marquee signing just days away from the beginning of the season is certainly a concern.

Sutton: Celtic need signings before Champions League qualifiers

Celtic will play the first leg of their Champions League qualifier on August 19-20, coming after league matches against St Mirren and Aberdeen and a cup clash with Falkirk, and Sutton believes Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed with the lack of business.

“If you look at the squad going into the season, it’s still a little bit light,” Sutton said in quotes shared by the Press Association.

“Brendan Rodgers, everything I’ve seen him hint and say, he feels the same. The fact that Brendan talked about ambition, he is always quite calculated in what he says and the words that he uses. I think that’s a little warning shot across the bows to say ‘we need to bring players in’.

Celtic's major signings so far: in pictures

“It’s fair to say the squad aren’t as strong right now as they were at the end of last season, and that’s not ideal. But there’s still plenty of time left in the transfer window.

“If you look back at last season, Celtic won the league in the first half of the campaign. They won 16 of their first 18 games, set off like a house on fire and there was real momentum going into the season from pre-season. It doesn’t quite feel like that at the moment.

“And they didn’t have the burden of the Champions League qualifiers last season and we know how enormous they are for the club.

“Celtic have been in this position before where they are signing players when the Champions League qualifiers have already begun. That’s not ideal.

“You want players in so you can work with them, so they get the idea of the way that the team works. You don’t want them learning on the job when the Champions League has started and then missing out. We know how massive these games are. If you’re slightly off it, then you can get beat.”

He continued: “I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s never easy for Celtic and Rangers in the market they are in. We know what Celtic’s model is in terms of bringing players in.

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“We will find out at the end of next month whether Celtic have done enough. It’s OK for pundits to say ‘the board need to do more’ but at the end of next month if Celtic bring another few players in of quality which is going to lift the squad, all well and good.

“If not, then clearly people are going ask questions about why they are weaker now than they were at the end of last season.”

Manchester City have now made contact over a deal for a Barcelona star, who is regarded as “the best in the world in his position”, journalist Fabrice Hawkins has revealed.

Man City looking to sign defender amid Akanji uncertainty

Pep Guardiola’s rebuild is well underway, and there could still be a few more departures to make way for new arrivals, with Manuel Akanji now being targeted by Galatasaray, following criticism from supporters for some of his performances last season.

City expert Steven McInerney believes it could be best for all parties if Akanji is moved on this summer, alongside a number of other players, saying: “I’m fine with it. I definitely feel the more (players) that move on right now it’s a good thing. I’m not one for pushing people out the door, but I think Akanji was probably at the scene of the crime far too many times last season.

“He’s obviously a good player, but I think he’s another that has had the post-treble malaise. It’s definitely a thing at City where you can see some players have reached the top of the mountain and the only way is down a little bit.”

Man City ready to submit £51m bid to sign top target to replace Ederson

Man City are now working on a deal to sign their top target this summer.

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Consequently, Guardiola may need to bring in a new centre-back this summer, while it has been clear for quite some time that the manager is keen on a new right-back, with Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries and Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento on the shortlist.

As such, it could be a clever move to sign a versatile defender capable of playing in both of the aforementioned positions, and Man City have now made contact over a deal for Barcelona defender Jules Kounde, according to an update from Hawkins on X.

Kounde is currently in negotiations over a new contract, with the La Liga club viewing the defender as “the best in the world in his position”, but the Blues are now hoping to lure him to the Etihad Stadium.

Kounde could be statement signing for Man City

The Barcelona star is very assured in possession of the ball, which could make him a good fit in a Guardiola system, while he has also received extremely high praise from teammate and major Ballon d’Or contender Lamine Yamal.

Statistic

Average per 90 (past year)

Passes attempted

71.73 (96th percentile)

Pass completion %

86.7% (90th percentile)

Progressive passes

5.14 (84th percentile)

Indeed, Yamal described the Frenchman as the “best right-back in the world”, but the £226k-a-week defender has predominantly featured at centre-back throughout his career to date, showcasing his versatility.

With Kyle Walker moving to Burnley, and Akanji’s future up in the air, the 26-year-old could be the ideal addition to Guardiola’s defence, given his ability to play at both right-back and centre-back.

However, it could be very difficult to lure Kounde away from Barcelona, considering he is currently in negotiations over extending his stay at the Camp Nou.

شارك النجم الدولي المصري محمد صلاح، لاعب الفريق الأول بنادي ليفربول، في مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

واستضاف ليفربول بقيادة الهولندي آرني سلوت نظيره أتلتيكو مدريد مساء الأربعاء، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة، على ملعب “آنفيلد”.

وانتهت المباراة بفوز ليفربول 3-2 على رجال سيميوني ليستكمل المشوار القوي الذي بدأ الموسم به حتى الآن إذ لم يخسر الفريق الإنجليزي في أي مباراة حتى الآن بالموسم الجديد.

وخاض محمد صلاح، مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد أساسيًا ولعب حتى النهاية واستطاع أن يساهم في الهدف الأول والثاني. ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وأتلتيكو مدريد

وبدأ محمد صلاح المباراة متحمسًا في بداية اللقاء وقام بإعاقة أحد لاعبي أتلتيكو مدريد في الثانية 56 من بداية المباراة وأطلقت ثاني صافرة للحكم بالمباراة باحتساب خطأ.

وساهم صلاح في الهدف الأول لـ ليفربول في الدقيقة 4 والذي أحرزه اللاعب أندي روبرتسون بعد تنفيذ ولا أروع من الملك المصري لركلة حرة مباشرة ارتطمت الكرة في الظهير الأيسر الأسكتلندي، خدعت أوبلاك وغيرت اتجاهها.

وسجل محمد صلاح، الهدف الثاني لصالح الريدز في الدقيقة 6 بعدما قاد الهجمة من جبهته ومرر الكرة إلى جرافنبيرخ الذي مررها ببراعة إلى صلاح الذي اخترق الدفاع ووضعها بيساره على يسار أوبلاك.

وفي الدقيقة 21 قام محمد صلاح باستلام تمريرة أكثر من رائعة من فيرجيل فان دايك بالجبهة اليُمنى، استلمها الملك المصري واخترق بالقرب من منطقة الجزاء وسدد الكرة بقدمه اليُسرى لكنها جاءت خلف القائم الأيمن لـ أوبلاك.

اقرأ أيضًا | محمد صلاح يواصل تحطيم الأرقام القياسية بمساهماته التهديفية أمام أتلتيكو مدريد

وفي الدقيقة 31، تم إرسال تمريرة عالية سريعة خلف دفاع أتلتيكو لم يستلمها صلاح بل سددها مباشرة على مرمى أوبلاك لكنها ذهبت إلى المكان الذي يقف فيه وأمسكها بسهولة.

وفي الدقيقة 40، نفذ روبرتسون رمية تماس ومررها إلى إيزاك الذي خاض أول مباراة له بقميص ليفربول، وبعدها أوصل الكرة إلى محمد صلاح الذي سدد الكرة مباشرة على مرمى أوبلاك لكنه تصدى لها.

في الدقيقة 61، كان صلاح قريبًا من المرمى لكن الحكم أطلق صافرته واحتسب حالة تسلل على قائد منتخب مصر.

وفي الدقيقة 64 سدد محمد صلاح كرة أكثر من رائعة من منطقة الجزاء في انفراد تام بالمرمى الذي يحرسه الحارس يان أوبلاك لكنها ارتطمت بالعارضة اليُسرى للحارس السلوفاكي.

وفي الدقيقة 72، قدم محمد صلاح تمريرة رائعة وصلت إلى الفرنسي إيكتيكي الذي لم يتمكن من التعامل جيدًا مع كرته قبل اقتطاعها من الدفاع.

وفي الدقيقة الأخيرة من المباراة، كان محمد صلاح قريبًا للغاية من زيادة مساهماته بعد التمريرة الرائعة التي مررها إلى هوجو إيكتيكي لكنه أضاع الفرصة بغرابة شديدة.

It would be fair to say that last season did not go entirely to plan for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side once again failed to win any silverware, and while they made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League, they finished a distant second to Liverpool in the Premier League.

One of the key reasons the Gunners failed to live up to expectations is that Bukayo Saka was out of action for almost four months following hamstring surgery.

There is no doubt that the Englishman is the club’s most important player, as even though he missed so much football, the Hale Ender was still the most effective player in the squad and ended the campaign with 26 goal involvements in just 2619 minutes.

So, fans should be excited about links to an international attacker who’d be a dream signing for the mercurial number seven.

Appearances

37

Starts

30

Minutes

2619′

Goals

12

Assists

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

Minutes per Goal Involvement

100.73′

Arsenal target dream signing for Saka

So far, this summer is shaping up to be a brilliant one for Arsenal.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Andrea Berta has made several additions that should solve Arteta’s problems with depth while also adding the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres, who should be able to come in and become regular starters early next season.

However, even with six new faces through the door already, the Premier League runners-up look deadset on doing more business, and are now supposedly eyeing a move for someone who’d be a dream signing for Saka.

At least that’s according to a recent report from football.london, who have claimed that Arsenal are interested in Ademola Lookman.

The report has revealed that, as things stand, there are a number of people within the club who admire the Nigerian international, who looks set to leave Atlanta this summer.

For some time, it looked like Inter Milan were going to secure his services, but over the last week or so, the Bergamo outfit have made it clear they do not want to sell him to another Italian side, and with his price tag being just £43m, this feels like a deal very much within reach for the Gunners.

It could still be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but Lookman has proven he’d be worth the effort, and we can’t help but think he’d be a dream addition to the team for Saka.

Why Lookman would be a dream for Saka

There are three primary reasons Lookman would be a dream signing for Saka, and the first relates to his positional versatility.

While the former Everton ace has spent plenty of time playing up top and as a second-striker over the last year or so, he is just as capable of playing off the left and right, which means he’d have more opportunities to form an understanding with the Hale Ender, and crucially, he’d be able to cover for him when he needs to rest.

However, more important than his ability to play across the frontline is his ability to create and score goals.

For example, in just 40 appearances last season, totalling 2871 minutes, the “world-class” attacker, as dubbed by the BBC’s John Bennett, was able to score 20 goals and provide seven assists.

In other words, the former RB Leipzig star maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.48 games, or every 106.33 minutes, which isn’t too far off what the Gunners’ talismanic number seven managed.

Finally, there is an enormous amount of pressure on the North Londoners to get over the line and win something this coming season, and so Saka will want teammates he’ll be able to rely on to perform in the biggest games.

Fortunately, we’ve already seen that the Wandsworth-born monster is capable of doing just that, as he scored a hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final against a Bayer Leverkusen side who were unbeaten at that point.

Ultimately, thanks to his versatility, effectiveness in front of goal and ability to rise to the occasion, Lookman would be a dream signing for Saka.

Therefore, Arsenal should be doing what they can to bring him to the Emirates this summer.

Arsenal can hand Arteta his own Isak-level signing in £100m Eze alternative

The incredible international could be a real game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 6, 2025

Liverpool new boy Alexander Isak has claimed that "not everyone has the whole picture" on his controversial Newcastle exit. Isak forced through a British-record transfer to Anfield on deadline day after accusing Newcastle of "broken promises" and essentially going on strike. The striker is currently on national team duty with Sweden and played his first competitive match since May against Kosovo.

Isak opens up on Liverpool transferMade an appearance for Sweden against KosovoSweden went down 2-0 in World Cup qualifierFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After missing out on playing against Slovenia last week, Isak finally appeared on the pitch for the first time since May as he made a substitute appearance in Sweden's shock 2-0 loss to Kosovo on Monday in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game. 

AdvertisementWHAT ISAK SAID

After the game, the striker addressed questions related to his British record £125 million ($169m) move to Liverpool from Newcastle, which caused plenty of controversy throughout the summer window. He told reporters: "It’s great that things were cleared up before the squad and that I could focus on playing football again. It’s been a fairly new situation for me, but you always learn and develop mentally off the pitch too.

"It’s a bit like it is. It’s clear that not everyone has the whole picture, but that’s something for another day. Right now, the disappointment is about this match and how it went. But at the same time, I have a positive feeling about the club team part that is coming."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Isak drew fierce criticism from a large section of fans and experts for forcing his way out of Newcastle. Speaking about the negativity surrounding his transfer, the forward added: "That’s part of football. I can’t control everything that is said or written. But I’m glad I became a Liverpool player. That’s what I wanted and I’m happy about that. There is a lot to discuss, and it can be discussed for a long time. It has been educational, and I’m happy with the final result. I’m happy and proud to be a Liverpool player. I don’t want to go into details or talk about that situation too much. It is a closed chapter, but I have never had any problems."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ISAK?

After making a brief appearance against Kosovo, Isak will now aim to make his Liverpool debut this Sunday as the champions face Burnley in the Premier League.

تمكن فريق الاتحاد الليبي من الفوز على ولايتا ديتشا الإثيوبي 3-1، في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

والتقى الاتحاد الليبي مع ولايتا ديتشا، في إياب الدور التمهيدي لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية على ملعب طرابلس الدولي.

طالع.. خاص | براتب ضخم.. الاتحاد الليبي يتوصل إلى اتفاق لضم حسين الشحات

وكانت مباراة الذهاب في العاصمة الإثيوبية أديس أبابا قد انتهت بالتعادل السلبي، ليحسم الاتحاد بطاقة العبور بفضل انتصاره في مباراة الإياب.

سجل ثاتاياوني ديتلهوكوي هدف التقدم للاتحاد في الدقيقة 18، قبل أن يعادل الفريق الإثيوبي النتيجة في الدقيقة 41.

وفي الشوط الثاني، أحرز نوفل الزرهوني الهدف الثاني بالدقيقة 55، ليختتم أحمد الصويعي الثلاثية بهدف قاتل في الدقيقة السادسة من الوقت بدل الضائع.

وبهذا الفوز، يضرب الاتحاد الليبي موعدًا ناريًا مع المصري البورسعيدي في دور الـ32 من المسابقة، حيث تقام مباراة الذهاب في ليبيا أحد أيام 17 أو 18 أكتوبر المقبل، على أن تُلعب مواجهة الإياب في بورسعيد أحد أيام 24، 25 أو 26 من الشهر ذاته.

The South Africa head coach says that growing the talent pool means sometimes playing youngsters in big series

Firdose Moonda16-Nov-2024

South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter will make “no excuses,” for South Africa’s 3-1 defeat to India but explained the series as a “balancing act,” between fielding the best XI and exposing younger players to top-level competition.In particular, South Africa’s attack, who conceded over 200 three times in four matches, were in focus. They were without the experience of Kagiso Rabada (rested), Lungi Ngidi (injured), Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi (both no longer nationally contracted) and appeared out of their depth, or at least out of practice. Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee both made their returns from months on the sidelines as they recovered from injury and concentrated on conditioning, Andile Simelane debuted in the series, Nqaba Peter played his first internationals at home and Lutho Sipamla returned to the fold after a period of three years, all of which left Keshav Maharaj as the senior-most hand, who lacked support.Walter argued that is in the inevitable consequence of trying to deepen the player pool.Related

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Transformers: India's next-gen embraces T20 format and bosses it

“To grow the net of players, there’s times we have to play younger guys even in big series against good teams. And ultimately, that’s where they’re going to learn the most,” he said in Johannesburg after South Africa’s 135-run defeat in the fourth T20I. “It’s really a balancing act and there’s no right or wrong. We’re trying to get it right, we’re trying to get rest right, we’re trying to get rotation right, we’re trying to get exposure right all at the same time. But it doesn’t excuse the performance. We still need to be better and that starts with me as the head coach of the team.”Since Walter took over in February 2023, South Africa have played seven bilateral T20I series and not won any of them, which he acknowledged is an “incredibly difficult,” thing to accept. But it may be made easier with the knowledge that he is also the only coach to oversee the men’s team to a major tournament final, at this year’s T20 World Cup.Asked to explain the discrepancy between their bilateral form and the tournament success, Walter did not miss a beat. “The easy answer is that when we go to the world tournaments, we’re picking our very best 15 players but we can’t pick those same 15 players every single time we play. It’s just not feasible. It’s just too much cricket. So, the rest of the time we have to build our base of players up to be to the same level, which is what you’re seeing with the Indian side, right?”Only four of the XI that won the T20 World Cup in June were part of the Indian squad that beat South Africa in this series, which speaks as much to the quality of their depth as it does to the concern with South Africa’s and Walter recognised that.Lutho Sipamla returned to the fold for South Africa after three years•AFP/Getty Images

“Their fringe players are stepping up and creating pressure on the guys that are in main XI,” he said. “Ultimately, if you look at the stats around the number of players used by the different international sides, they all sit in the same space over the last two years, in between 30 and 36 players roughly. Everyone’s attempting to do the same thing because the cricket landscape is actually the same for everyone.”And that’s where he may stand corrected, to some extent. India are the only country who do not have to concern themselves with losing players to franchise leagues because they do not allow their active players to compete anywhere but the IPL, which offers sufficient compensation. South Africa, whose home currency, the Rand, is the weakest among SENA countries, are at particular risk of their players opting for hard currency payments in leagues abroad and the two biggest examples are Nortje and Shamsi. Both opted out of central contracts this year – Nortje partly because he wanted to manage which formats he played as he came back from a severe injury – and though they are available for South Africa, there is also a need to look elsewhere.”A guy like Anrich, I certainly wouldn’t doubt his want to play for South Africa and his commitment to do that. But he made a decision personally around contracting so that he could move away from playing Test cricket for a while. I think physically he was finding it a bit tough to do everything and I respect that,” Walter said. “At the end of the day, when it comes to the world tournaments, we want to pick our best side. And if he is one of those best players, we consider him. Shammo has done exactly the same thing. We need to be cognisant of what’s happening in world cricket. It’s not easy and the national side is competing with franchise cricket. The money lies in franchise cricket, not international cricket. That’s the reality that we live in.”There was an audible sigh before he finished that thought. “And so, again, the balancing act continues.”

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Depois o triunfo do Botafogo sobre o São Paulo por 2 a 1, neste sábado, no Nilton Santos, John Textor falou na entrevista coletiva e explicou o momento da equipe comandada por Luís Castro. Com isso, o empresário assumiu a responsabilidade pelo fraco desempenho do time no início do ano, que resultou na eliminação no Campeonato Carioca.

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Vale lembrar que a equipe não avançou às semifinais do Estadual e teve que disputar a Taça Rio para conseguir uma vaga na próxima edição da Copa do Brasil. Por outro lado, Textor ressaltou que a ideia era fazer um planejamento fora do país, o que não aconteceu, e que a temporada começou neste sábado para o Alvinegro.

– Obrigado por todos estarem aqui, hoje é o início da temporada real, com o Campeonato Brasileiro. O ponto-chave é que hoje é o início da temporada. Quando eu vim para o Brasil, vi muitas coisas sobre o Campeonato Carioca, federação e fãs levam muito a sério. Vim para o Brasil com mentalidade mais europeia, da duração da temporada, do que seria bom para os jogadores. São mais ou menos 16 jogos em uma pré-temporada, não é o adequado e ideal para os jogadores. Em outros países há uma pré-temporada de forma real, em que você consegue avaliar o elenco e entender as necessidades – disse, antes de completar:

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Para os nossos fãs que ficaram chateados com nossa performance no Carioca, a falha se inicia comigo. O plano não era esse, era fazer pré-temporada nos Estados Unidos, enfrentar times da MLS, mas não houve possibilidade de escalar o time B no Carioca. As regras mudaram, quase uma limitação de usar o time B, o Carioca se tornou mais relevante pela vaga na Copa do Brasil e não houve consenso entre os clubes – frisou:

– A responsabilidade é minha. Já tínhamos planos, estavam todos cientes, foi algo que teve que ser ajustado em curto espaço de tempo, foi difícil administrar, entender as forças e fraquezas, o Carioca foi a pré-temporada, sujeita aos resultados. A ideia é lógico desenvolver junto à Federação, aproximar, entender, discutir, de que forma o Carioca pode ajudar os times. Mas a mensagem desta noite é que a temporada iniciou hoje, com uma boa vitória sobre uma equipe muito importante. Temos esse início com equipe capaz de disputar bem a competição – concluiu.

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O Botafogo volta a campo na próxima quinta-feira para medir forças com o Universidad César Vallejo, do Peru, às 21h (de Brasília), também no Nilton Santos, pela Copa Sul-Americana. No Brasileirão, os comandados de Luís Castro entrarão em campo na segunda-feira, dia 24, às 21h, para encarar o Bahia, na Arena Fonte Nova, pela 2ª rodada.