In the latest from our series focusing on players who swam against the tide during their careers, we take a look at one of Germany's great sporting rebels

"We do what we want? Revolutionaries against authority: 16:0!" That was the message displayed on a banner by Bayern Munich fans during their team's game at Augsburg back in April to commemorate the great revolt within the club of March 1979.

Led by captain Sepp Maier and midfielder Paul Breitner, the Bayern players seized power in Bavaria to overthrow authoritarian, long-time president Wilhelm Neudecker and pave the way for the Uli Hoeness to take over and usher in the modern Bayern Munich.

That Breitner was at the heart of it came as little surprise, since he was someone who personified the term 'rebel; a player for whom accepting the status quo just wasn't an option.

Getty ImagesThe spark

After the club's golden era in the early 1970s, during which they won three European Cups, Bayern slipped into a veritable crisis, both in sporting and economic terms. In dire straits, club president Neudecker saw only one path towards salvation: Appointing Max Merkel (pictured) as the team's new manager.

Legendary Austrian coach Merkel had led both Bayern's rivals 1860 Munich and FC Nurnberg to league titles in the 1960s using questionable methods, earning himself the nickname 'Peitschenknaller' – the whip cracker.

Unsurprisingly, Bayern's players had no desire to endure Merkel's torture, and after a 4-0 home defeat to Arminia Bielefeld, they made a deal with Neudecker. If the team earned at least three points from their following two away games (with a win worth two points) against Eintracht Braunschweig and Borussia Monchengladbach, popular interim coach Pal Csernai would be allowed to stay on. Otherwise, they would accept Merkel.

Just before the first of those games, key players Maier and Breitner fell ill while star striker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge picked up an injury. Nevertheless, the all-important trio fought through and helped the team secure a 0-0 draw. The jubilation after the final whistle was great, but that turned to anger when the players subsequently learned that Neudecker and Merkel had long since signed a contract.

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"Sepp and I went to the team and said, 'Not with us'," Breitner later recounted of the incident. Backed by the 14 remaining squad players, he and Meier told Neudecker that evening that if the deal is broken and Merkel took over, the team would go on strike.

Completely taken aback by such a drastic reaction, Neudecker resigned after 17 years in office. Csernai was kept in charge, and the team went onto achieved their now-irrelevant three-point target with a spectacular 7-1 victory over Gladbach.

"That was something that had never happened before in German football," said Breitner, who was 27 at the time. "The fact that we turned against the coach and thus also against the president, that we took revolutionary steps – that's something that Germans don't normally accept." The public outcry was correspondingly huge, but the revolt was unstoppable.

Maier had to end his career in the summer of 1979 after a car accident, leaving Breitner to take over the captain's armband. His childhood friend Hoeness, who was the same age but could no longer play due to a knee injury, filled the power vacuum created by Neudecker's departure at the administrative level and became the youngest general manager in the Bundesliga.

Together, they catapulted Bayern back to the top. Breitner, in collaboration with Rummenigge, led to two league titles while Hoeness ensured the club's economic recovery with clever advertising deals and transfers.

Complicated figure

Breitner and Hoeness had been on the pitch together as Germany won the 1974 World Cup final, with the former already something of a rebel back then as his his flowing mane and beard made him look like Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara.

Breitner's behaviour gave creed to those comparisons, too. Without being assigned to do so, he converted the penalty to make it 1-1 against the Netherlands in the final, and when the players' wives were not invited to the subsequent German FA (DFB) victory celebration, the then-22-year-old promptly resigned from the national team – a decision he later reversed.

There are several such contradictions in Breitner's life. He posed under a picture of the controversial Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong with the German edition of China's state-owned newspaper – in his hands. However, after the 1974 World Cup, he transferred to the ultimate establishment club, Real Madrid, which was exploited by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

once dubbedBreitner a "left-wing rebel with a Maserati and a pool". Just like Hoeness, Breitner used the early forms of football commercialisation to enrich himself, appearing in films and signing advertising contracts with companies such as McDonald's. In reality, Breitner just did as he pleased without a care for who might be offended by actions.

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Getty Images SportTaking on Bayern (again)

Breitner ended his playing career in 1983 at the age of just 31. He was later inducted into the Bayern Hall of Fame, during which the club called him "an eccentric, a revolutionary, a maverick, an uncomfortable rebel – a footballer who divided opinion."

Breitner lived up to these attributes even after his career ended. As a newspaper columnist, he regularly clashed with his former club and, above all, with his childhood friend Hoeness, who was still in charge in Bavaria. Their relationship suffered greatly as a result, but Breitner did eventually return to Bayern as a brand ambassador. Nevertheless, he "talked himself out of part of his own career," Rummenigge said. "But Paul was always authentic, an exotic character, a little crazy, but also always interesting."

Alex Carey posted his second Shield century in two games while Nathan McSweeney continues to push his Test credentials with 72 as South Australia build a big lead

AAP22-Oct-2024Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey has fired another warning shot to India with an unbeaten century for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland.Already in blistering form to start the red-ball summer, Carey was again chief agitator on day three scoring 123 not out from 163 deliveries as SA stormed to a 358-run lead at Allan Border Field. Skipper Nathan McSweeney continued his excellent form making 72 to push his case for a Test call-up.A declaration appears likely overnight, with paceman Jordan Buckingham unbeaten at the crease alongside Carey.As at the close of play, Carey is averaging 122 across four knocks this summer in positive signs for an Australian middle order missing Cameron Green for the five-Test series against India that begins next month.Unfazed by the second new ball, Carey notched his second century of the summer by blasting paceman Mark Steketee for three consecutive boundaries in the final hour of play on Tuesday.The 33-year-old bookended a huge six over deep mid-wicket with a pair of fours past extra cover to race through the nervous nineties and into triple figures. He capped a brilliant day at the crease by slogging his favourite victim Steketee for six over deep mid-wicket in the final over.Earlier, Carey brought up his half-century pulling Tom Whitney’s short ball to the boundary in a rare tough over for the impressive debutant paceman.Carey raised his bat from only 67 deliveries, signalling his intentions to pick up where McSweeney had left off before Usman Khawaja caught the South Australian captain at first slip off Mitchell Swepson.Whitney backed up his five-wicket haul from the first innings with three key scalps early on day three before a minor heel injury prevented him from bowling as Carey kicked on in the afternoon.Whitney trapped opener Conor McInerney lbw early on day three, before cleaning up Nathan McAndrew’s middle stump with his first ball following lunch after the nightwatcher stubbornly stuck around through the first session.Whitney’s figures of 8 for 119 across the two innings were the third-best for a Queensland debutant in Sheffield Shield history.In the spotlight since his omission from the Australia A squad, Test hopeful Matt Renshaw grabbed a headline moment late on day three – but not with the bat.The towering Renshaw dived at midwicket for a brilliant catch to dismiss Jake Lehmann from Marnus Labuschagne’s part-time medium pace.Labuschagne joined would-be Test opener Renshaw on the highlight reel with a catch above his head to send Liam Scott packing and help Queensland tear into the bowlers.

Celtic kicked off their Scottish Premiership campaign with a 1-0 win over St Mirren at Parkhead, thanks to a late goal from substitute Luke McCowan.

The Scottish central midfielder came off the bench to score from the edge of the box, via a fortunate deflection, to secure all three points for the home side.

After the match, Brendan Rodgers revealed that he still wants more signings to come through the door before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September, particularly in the attacking department.

The Northern Irish boss said: “It’s just about improving. There’s areas that we want to improve in the forward line. That’s something that we hope we can do over these remaining weeks.”

Adam Idah started the win over St Mirren as Celtic’s number nine and failed to do enough to suggest that he is set for a prolific season as a regular starter for the Hoops.

The Scottish giants reportedly agreed a deal worth up to £9.5m to sign the striker on a permanent deal from Norwich City last summer, but he has yet to nail down a position in the XI.

Why Celtic need to sign another striker

Rodgers confirmed that the club are going to be dipping into the market to bolster their attacking options in the coming weeks, and a new number nine should be on the agenda for the Premiership champions.

Idah has, unfortunately, failed to prove that he has the quality or consistency to deliver as the main number nine for Celtic, based on his form over the past 12 months or so.

Since the start of last season, the Ireland international has scored 13 goals from 14.66 xG in the Premiership for the Hoops. This shows that he has not been clinical in front of goal and has wasted too many high-quality opportunities in the league.

The closest Idah came to finding the back of the net against St Mirren was in the clip above, when he brought down a cross from Liam Scales and rocketed a shot off the post from close range.

Vs St Mirren

Adam Idah

Shots

4

xG

1.09

Goals

0

xA

0.05

Assists

0

Duel success rate

42.9%

Pass accuracy

63.6%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the £9.5m signing failed to score from 1.09 xG worth of chances and four shots, whilst he also created almost nothing for his teammates.

The 24-year-old centre-forward was replaced by Johnny Kenny in the 78th minute, before Celtic broke the deadlock nine minutes later through McCowan.

Because of the lack of quality that Idah has provided, consistently, on the pitch, Rodgers should be looking to find an upgrade on him before the window slams shut.

Last month, TEAMtalk reported that the Hoops are eyeing up a potential swoop for Wycombe Wanderers centre-forward Richard Kone, who is valued at £7m by the English side, this summer.

Why Celtic should sign Richard Kone

The Premiership champions should push to win the race for the £7m-rated star before the end of the month because he could come in as a big upgrade on Idah.

Transfer Focus

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

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Kone is a young and hungry forward who could follow in Gary Hooper’s footsteps by making the move from the lower leagues in England to shine at Parkhead for the Hoops.

The biggest concern with Idah is that he does not finish chances efficiently, as evidenced by his aforementioned xG underperformance, but that may not be an issue for the Wycombe star if he makes the move to Glasgow in the coming weeks.

Kone, who scored three goals in three games in pre-season for Wycombe, enjoyed a stunning 2024/25 campaign in the third tier of English football, and his form last term suggests that the potential is there for him to be a fantastic signing for Celtic.

The Ivorian marksman had only scored three goals in 17 matches in League One in the 2023/24 campaign for the Choir Boys, before he hit his stride in his second season at first-team level.

Kone, as shown in the post above, won the League One Player and Young Player of the Season awards at the end of the campaign, which speaks to how impressive he was at the top end of the pitch.

The Hoops target ended the season with a return of 18 goals and three assists in 43 appearances in League One for Wycombe, albeit it was not enough to help them earn promotion back to the Championship.

24/25 League One

Richard Kone

Percentile rank vs STs

xG

15.89

Top 7%

Goals

18

Top 7%

Shots on target

40

Top 8%

xA

3.33

Top 8%

Assists

3

Top 32%

Touches in the opposition box

243

Top 1%

Successful dribbles

44

Top 6%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old talent was ruthless in front of goal for his side, outperforming his xG by just over two goals in the league, and ranked highly as a creator and a dribbler for his side.

Former teammate Joe Jacobson described him as a “goal machine” and it is not hard to see why his teammates held him in such high regard, as he was lethal for Wycombe in League One last term.

Kone could arrive at Parkhead as a big upgrade on Idah as another towering, but mobile, centre-forward, but one who can finish chances with efficiency.

The £7m-rated star could make the most of the high-quality chances that Celtic are able to create for their number nine on a regular basis, whilst Idah has yet to prove that he can do that.

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Therefore, Rodgers should be pushing the club to strike a deal to bring Kone over to Glasgow as soon as possible, as he has the quality, as a scorer and a creator, to come in as an upgrade on his current number nine.

Everton’s fourth summer signing of the 2025 window is through the door at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Toffees have brought in young Bayern Munich left-back Adam Aznou, for a fee reported by the Liverpool Echo to be in the region of £7.8m.

Indeed, the same report details that the Toffees’ summer spending is way past the £50m mark already. Charly Alcaraz made his loan move permanent, Mark Travers signed from Bournemouth as their new back-up goalkeeper, and the marquee signing so far has been Thierno Barry. The French striker joined Everton from Spanish side Villarreal.

Yet, David Moyes is not content, and reportedly wants five or six more signings this summer. Already, the Toffees have been linked with a new attacker.

Everton’s pursuit of a new attacker

It seems like Moyes wants to overhaul Everton’s attack this summer. Dominic Calvert-Lewin left the club on a free transfer, and Barry has been signed as his replacement. Now, the focus on the Blue half of Merseyside has seemingly switched to a new winger.

Transfer Focus

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

According to a recent report from Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees have enquired about signing Como and Senegal international winger Assane Diao. He is one option on the list as Everton look to reinvent their forward line under Moyes.

However, this will not be an easy deal to do. Como, managed by Premier League legend Cesc Fabregas, have ‘already turned down a bid this summer’ for the young winger.

That club is unnamed, but perhaps it came from Everton’s Premier League rivals, Chelsea. One Spanish report said earlier in the window they were set to bid £43m for the 19-year-old.

Why Diao would be a good signing

After coming through Real Betis’ academy, Diao made the move to Italian side Como in January. Described as an “electric” winger by football scout Antonio Mango, the 19-year-old has made a huge impression in Serie A so far.

Although he is just 15 games into his Como career, Diao, already a Senegal international, has eight goals and one assist to his name. He was a key player under Fabregas, playing 1259 minutes, the equivalent of 13.9 full 90-minute games.

The former Betis star, who managed six goals and three assists for the club, showed in his short Como career that he can step up in the big games. Last season, he bagged goals against Milan, Juventus and Scudetto winners Napoli.

Moyes would surely be hoping the Senegal international could replicate the impact of his international teammate Iliamn Ndiaye. The Toffees’ attacker was described as a “superstar” by former defender-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher.

His impact last term, his debut campaign for Everton, was astronomical. He played 37 games across all competitions, scoring 11 goals. That included nine strikes in the Premier League, with this stunning effort against Tottenham Hotspur a standout.

Diao’s record at Como stands out in such a short amount of time, and he has a habit of finding the back of the net against big sides. There is reason to believe he has the talent to replicate what Nidaye has done.

He can also play on both wings. With his international teammate favouring the left, there is a chance Everton fans could see them line up on either flank.

The stats on Squawka, using Diao’s numbers from Serie A, are remarkably similar. For example, the Como star completes 1.4 take-ons and averages 0.6 chances created per 90 minutes. In contrast, Everton’s number 10 completes an average of 2.6 take-ons and creates 0.7 chances per game.

Goals and assists

0.7

0.4

Chances created

0.6

0.7

Forward passes

4.4

6.2

Take-ons completed

1.4

2.6

Duels won

7.9

6.7

Ball recoveries

3

6.4

With the Toffees looking to overhaul their attack next term, signing Diao could be the dream option. He is a direct winger with an eye for goal and has the ability to light up the Hill Dickinson Stadium with his flair.

Joining his Senegal teammate Ndiaye on Bramley Moore Dock would be an exciting move, especially if he can become the second coming of the Everton star.

Their new Gordon: Everton set to hold talks over signing big-money PL star

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ByWill Miller Jul 30, 2025

Glenn Maxwell has been named to make his red-ball return in Cricket Australia’s Second XI four-day competition after being named in Victoria’s 12-man squad to play Queensland at the Junction Oval starting on Monday.Maxwell was named for his first four-day match in over 12 months as he begins a build towards potentially going on Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year.It is unlikely Maxwell will play in Victoria’s next Sheffield Shield match which starts on October 20, just three days after the completion of the Second XI game. Some of Australia’s Test players including Steven Smith, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc are set for that match while Scott Boland is likely to make his Shield return in that game as well.Related

• Maxwell set for Shield return with Test hopes on the horizon

• Sheffield Shield preview: Western Australia chase history, Test stars to play early rounds

• CA schedule day-night Shield games to build pink-ball experience

The rules in CA’s Second XI competition allow for 12 players to play in the game, with 11 batting and 11 bowling, meaning rest and rotation is possible for players within the four days. Maxwell’s workloads are carefully monitored given the horrific leg injury he suffered two years ago. He turns 36 on the first day of the match and has played only two first-class matches in the last five years.Victoria coach Chris Rogers was very happy to have Maxwell playing with some of Victoria’s young Second XI players while being unsure when he will have him available for Shield cricket.”This is an opportunity for us,” Rogers said. “We’ve got a lot of young players who are playing, and anytime you get to throw in someone with that experience and talk about batting and fielding and strategy, that’s great for us as well.”Maxwell looks set to play the one-day domestic fixture against New South Wales on October 25, which could feature Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, but he is unlikely to be available for the third or fourth Shield rounds for Victoria which overlap with Australia’s ODI and T20I series against Pakistan.He would be available for Victoria’s fifth and sixth Shield games before the BBL begins and appears set to play at least one of those. Victoria play Queensland on November 24 at the Gabba in a pink-ball game under lights before hosting Queensland at the MCG on December 6.Australia’s selectors could also give him a run in a two-day pink-ball Prime Minister’s XI game against India in Canberra starting on November 30.Maxwell is a serious contender for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka given his Test experience in the subcontinent. Maxwell was part of the Sri Lanka tour in 2022 and nearly played the first Test in Galle, with his ability as a spin-bowling allrounder seen as an asset in spinning conditions, especially if the Tests are set to be low-scoring and fast moving.All of his seven Test matches have been played on the subcontinent with his last coming in Bangladesh in 2017. The selectors have indicted previously that Shield cricket has no relevance to Test cricket in Sri Lanka given the conditions and style of cricket is vastly different but it is understood both Maxwell and Australia’s selectors are keen for him to play some red-ball cricket from a physical conditioning standpoint.Victoria have also named state captain Will Sutherland to play in the Second XI game after he was left out of the first Shield round as he continues to build his bowling following a serious back injury. He will bowl under restrictions.”He’s tracking well,” Rogers said. “This game was probably a bit too far where he was to bowl back-to-back days, and multiple spells. “But he’s ready to go for the Second XI and hopefully that’ll set him up well for the Shield game against New South Wales.”Rogers was unsure whether spin-bowling allrounder Matthew Short would be available for the next Shield game against New South Wales as he recovers from a minor adductor strain he suffered in the final ODI of Australia’s white-ball tour of the UK last month.Victorian Second XI squad: Will Sutherland (capt), Austin Anlezark, Liam Blackford, Dylan Brasher, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Jai Lemire, Reilley Mark, Glenn Maxwell, Jon Merlo, David Moody, Doug Warren

After scoring 152 from No. 3 against Delhi, the allrounder says he enjoys batting higher up the order

Daya Sagar19-Oct-2024

File photo: Washington Sundar scored 152 from No. 3•BCCI

Washington Sundar began his first-class career for Tamil Nadu as an opener – that was the position he batted at in all five matches in his first Ranji Trophy season in 2016-17. Since then, though, he has largely batted in the lower middle order, sometimes as low as No. 8. But after scoring 152 from No. 3 against Delhi in Delhi on Saturday, he said he still considers himself a top-order batter.”It was a decision by the management, and I am grateful for the opportunity,” Washington said of batting in the top order. “I knew it was going to be a good opportunity for me to bat at No. 3 and I am glad I was able to contribute.”I definitely consider myself a top-order batter. I’m very happy with the kind of opportunity I got, to bat at No. 3. For me, one thing is very important – I need to be able to do whatever the team demands. It is a team game. That is what I always think about. Hopefully, I can deliver such knocks consistently.”Related

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By the time Washington came out to bat, N Jagadeesan and Sai Sudharsan had already put on 168. Washington and Sudharsan then added 232 for the second wicket.Washington was on 96 at stumps on the first day. When play resumed on Saturday, he did not take much time to complete his century. In the third over of the day, he steered Navdeep Saini between slip and gully for a four to bring up his second first-class hundred.After Sudharsan fell for 213, Washington and Pradosh Ranjan Paul added 92 for the fourth wicket. Tamil Nadu finally declared their innings on 674 for 6. In reply, Delhi were 43 for no loss at stumps.”Definitely yes,” Washington said when asked if he would like to continue batting in the top order. “I have been feeling very confident about my skills and how I have been batting in the last few years especially. I have just been trying to focus on what the team demands me to do, no matter what the situation is. But batting at the top of the order is a lot of fun.”Before this, Washington was with the Indian team for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.”It is exciting, isn’t it? You get to play all formats and get a number of opportunities,” he said.”It is a lot more exciting that way. Obviously, you have to do whatever you need to do to be able to switch formats, especially in white ball, but as elite cricketers, we are very grateful to be having these kinds of challenges. It is all about getting past these challenges. When we come out successful from these challenges, it is very exciting.”Obviously, Test cricket is the ultimate format. Everybody values it a lot. For me, red-ball cricket means a lot. Hopefully, I can play a lot of games and keep performing really well.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Pela terceira vez nos últimos quatro jogos, o Palmeiras precisou correr atrás do resultado. Embora isso mostre uma virtude do time, acaba desgastando o elenco em meio a uma maratona de partidas. O empate em 2 a 2 com o Vasco, neste domingo, foi comemorado pela comissão técnica, mas ficou uma ponta de lamentação pela “energia extra” que foi gasta para conquistar esse ponto. Além disso, houve reclamação em relação à qualidade do gramado do estádio do Maracanã.

> Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Em entrevista coletiva após o duelo desta tarde, o auxiliar técnico de Abel Ferreira, João Martins, analisou a vantagem inicial do Vasco como mais mérito do adversário do que demérito palmeirense e valorizou o gol marcado ainda no primeiro tempo para poder buscar o empate no segundo. Algo que potencializou a força mental da equipe, mas exigiu um desgaste a mais que ainda será sentido.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

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– Édiário esse trabalho de força mental para que eles façam o melhor até o momento de o árbitro apitar, infelizmente tivemos novamente de correr atrás do resultado, sabemos que gastamos uma energia extra para isso. Sai um pouquinho mais caro e pagaremos mais à frente. Por exemplo, sabemos que se tivéssemos controlado o jogo de quinta-feira, poderíamos ter poupado energia para hoje, não aconteceu hoje também e temos que estar preparados para quarta-feira, porque vai ter que ser no sacrifício, na entrega, mas os jogadores estão preparados para isso.

>VÍDEO: veja os melhores lances do empate entre Vasco e Palmeiras

O que também pode ter contribuído para esse desgaste foi o gramado do Maracanã. Apesar de ter elogiado o jogo e atmosfera do estádio, João Martins lamentou o estado do campo, o qual ele diz nem ter sido molhado antes de a bola rolar. O auxiliar de Abel pediu uma padronização no Brasil.

-Foi um excelente jogo, uma excelente atmosfera, pena o estado do gramado, às vezes é muito difícil dar um espetáculo melhor, mas os jogadores das duas equipes tentaram. É muito complicado ter um extra de qualidade, é muito difícil – declarou João antes de completar:

-Não só atrapalha, como atrapalha muito. Só quem está nisso todos os dias é que sabe que o gramado é essencial, é impossível ter qualidade de jogo sem um gramado em condições, tem que haver regras, não vou me meter nesse assunto, não é da minha competência. Nossa competência é exigir que pelo menos a água colocassem no campo, nem isso fizeram, porque sem a bola andar, é impossível jogar um jogo de futebol. Nós viemos de um lugar em que isso não acontece há 20 anos, onde o gramado é um pormenor essencial para o espetáculo e nós trabalhamos para dar um espetáculo. O futebol é um espetáculo, para ter um espetáculo é preciso ter bons intervenientes, boas condições para isso. Maracanã tem tudo, uma torcida fantástica, um estádio dos melhores do mundo, mas infelizmente o importante, que é onde se joga, o gramado é muito fraco.

>ATUAÇÕES: Palmeiras vai mal no primeiro tempo, mas melhora no segundo

Depois dessa sequência de desgastes, o Palmeiras agora foca suas atenções na Copa do Brasil, em jogo que acontece na próxima quarta-feira, contra o Tombense, às 20h, em Uberlândia. Depois de vencer a partida de ida, no Allianz Parque, por 4 a 2, o Verdão pode até empatar ou perder por até um gol de diferença, que conquistará a vaga para as oitavas de final da competição.

continua após a publicidade

Till Monday evening, Priyansh Arya must have been a relative unknown. But the people who matter at three IPL franchises – Delhi Capitals (DC), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – had certainly heard of him, and wanted him in their team for IPL 2025. Eventually, he went to PBKS, who forked out INR 3.80 crore (USD 450,000 approx.) for him. That’s what hitting six sixes in an over in a competitive local T20 league can do.But he did more than just hit those six sixes for South Delhi Superstarz at the inaugural Delhi Premier League in August this year. He was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 608 runs in ten innings opening the batting for his team.

Arya loves hitting sixes down the ground

In the very first match of the Delhi Premier League, against Old Delhi 6, Arya hit 57 runs in 30 balls, and followed it up with 82 in 51 balls against Central Delhi Kings, hitting seven sixes. The carnage continued. Against East Delhi Strikers, he scored 53 in 32 balls, against Old Delhi 6, he hit 107 runs in 55 balls, and against Central Delhi he again scored 88 in 42 balls.Then came that innings that made headlines. South Delhi Superstarz scored 308 for 5 in their 20 overs against North Delhi Strikers, and Arya contributed 120 in 50 balls in that. That was the game in which he hit Manan Bharadwaj, a left-arm spinner who even sent one delivery in right-handed to try something different, for six sixes in an over, the 12th of the innings. All of Arya’s sixes were in the “V” down the ground.Overall, his 608 runs came at a strike rate of 198.69 and an average of 67.56. He his 43 sixes in those ten innings.Priyansh Arya on Ayush Badoni: “I interact with him a lot on and off the pitch and his experience is very useful to me”•Delhi Premier League T20

On to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

The performance in the Delhi Premier League put Arya in the Delhi squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season – he had played the tournament, as well as the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, the previous season too – and while run-scoring hasn’t been as easy there as it was at the Delhi Premier League, he hit 102 in 43 balls, with five fours and ten sixes, against Uttar Pradesh. The timing couldn’t have been better: that century came November 23, the day before the IPL 2025 auction began.More importantly, take a look at who the Uttar Pradesh bowling line-up had: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shivam Mavi and Piyush Chawla. Apart from Bhuvneshwar, everyone conceded runs at more than ten an over.

The Gautam Gambhir connection

Arya’s parents are teachers in a government school in Delhi, and he trains under Sanjay Bhardwaj, Gautam Gambhir’s former coach.”When I was young, I used to watch Gautam Gambhir sir bat in the nets,” Arya told ESPNcricinfo during the Delhi Premier League. “When I grew up a little, I started talking to him. Apart from this, Ayush Badoni [of Lucknow Super Giants] is my good friend. He is also our captain in the Delhi Premier League and he has IPL experience also. So I interact with him a lot on and off the pitch and his experience is very useful to me.”

The bidding war at the IPL 2025 auction

DC first bid for Arya when he was introduced at his base price of INR 30 lakh on the second day of the auction in Jeddah. PBKS got involved. The price gradually reached INR 1 crore. RCB got involved around then. The price rose, till PBKS, who had more money to spare at that point, got their man at INR 3.80 crore.

A late fast-bowling burst from the West Indies seamers left Bangladesh 410 behind with eight wickets in hand

Mohammad Isam23-Nov-2024

File photo: Greaves posted the highest first-class score of his career•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Bangladesh 40 for 2 (Alzarri 1-2, Seales 1-15) trail West Indies 450 for 9 (Greaves 115, Louis 97, Athanaze 90, Roach 47, Hasan 3-87) by 410 runsA maiden Test century for Justin Greaves headlined a dominant day for West Indies against Bangladesh on day two of the Antigua Test. After his 115 helped West Indies post 450 for 9, West Indies bookended the day with two Bangladesh wickets, leaving the visitors 410 behind with eight wickets in hand.It was a fine recovery after slipping to 261 for 7 despite an overnight score of 250 for 5. Greaves shared a 140-run eighth wicket stand with Kemar Roach, who batted for more than four hours for 47, his highest Test score in his 15-year career.Greaves’ unbeaten 115 justified his Super50 form, where he struck three consecutive centuries earlier this month. He made a patient effort, striking just four boundaries in his 206-ball stay. It was the perfect follow-up to the nineties that Alick Athanaze and Mikyle Louis had scored on day one to lay the foundation.Bangladesh continued to give away strong positions with the ball, toiling for 144.1 overs, but unable to bowl out the home side. Hasan Mahmud took three wickets, all of them on the second day. Taskin Ahmed toiled hard and even found the edge of Greaves’ bat once but nobody appealed. The spinners, stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam, shared three wickets from their combined 73.1 overs.West Indies declared with Bangladesh needing to bat out a maximum time of an hour and 45 minutes. But there was no respite for them against the four-man West Indian pace attack. Zakir Hasan fell for 15 after he under-edged a Jayden Seales delivery onto his stumps. The left-hander struck three fours in his short stay, all off Seales, but was slightly unlucky with the ball shaving the leg-stump. Mahmudul Hasan Joy edged Alzarri Joseph for 5, shortly after he was dropped on the same score.It was a long way from the start of the day for the visitors, having started the day in the best possible way by taking two early wickets.Mahmud removed Joshua Da Silva with the fifth ball of the morning session, trapped lbw with a delivery that darted into his front pad. This was Mahmud’s first wicket in the game despite bowling well on the first day. It was also his 24th wicket this year, making him the highest wicket-taker in a calendar year among Bangladesh’s pace bowlers.File photo: Hasan Mahmud had helped Bangladesh start the morning well•BCCI

That number became 25 when Alzarri fell in Mahmud’s next over. Zakir took a superb two-handed catch at gully, reminiscent of how he opened the Pakistan tour with Abdullah Shafique’s catch at gully in August. If Bangladesh sensed they had their opening to bowl out West Indies for under 300 runs, that was blunted by Roach.He was the right type of foil for Greaves, who was willing to grind out the Bangladesh attack. Greaves handed the strike to Roach from time to time, as the pair didn’t allow any more wickets in the first session. There were only two boundaries in those 26 overs too, but that hardly bothered the home side who needed a recovery.Greaves started the second session with his third boundary when he pulled Taskin through midwicket. He, however, survived a caught-behind chance on 77 with neither Taskin nor wicketkeeper Jaker Ali (who was deputizing for Litton Das after the first session) hearing a faint nick. it was only a replay on the big screen that showed what Bangladesh missed out on.Shortly afterwards, a Roach single brought up the team’s maiden century partnership for the eighth wicket against Bangladesh. It was followed by a rain break of seven minutes, after which Roach slammed Mehidy over his head for his first boundary. Mahmud finally removed Roach with a fine angling delivery, clipping the top of his middle-stump. Their 140-run stand was West Indies’ third-highest for the eighth wicket.Greaves soon reached his century with his fourth boundary shot, driving Taijul through the covers. It was potentially his best shot of the innings and the landmark was only his second first-class ton.West Indies declared in the 145th over of their innings, after their tail-enders Seales and Shamar Joseph struck some meaty blows. That left enough time for the bowlers to have a crack, which they successfully did.

Aston Villa kicked off their Premier League season with a draw at home against Newcastle United.

Villa looked in trouble at half-time as they hadn’t had a single shot, whereas Newcastle had eight shots that were valued at 1.1 xG.

However, the second half was a better performance, and post-match Unai Emery praised his team’s efforts: “We didn’t concede a lot in the second half and created chances, but the red card completely changed the match. We have to feel happy and proud of our work. This is the level we are playing against, which is the highest in the Premier League and Europa League. Today was a very good test, and, in the end, it was a good result.”

In the second half, although Villa had less possession, they did more with it as they registered three shots on target. Newcastle again had eight shots, but they were of significantly lower quality as they only valued 0.33 xG.

With game one down and their attention back on the transfer market, Villa have agreed to move on a player who was excluded from yesterday’s squad due to ongoing transfer negotiations.

Bailey allowed to travel for medical ahead of Aston Villa exit

Leon Bailey has been granted permission to travel to Rome for a medical ahead of his loan move to Roma. The winger was not in Villa’s match-day one squad due to the negotiations, with looking to move Bailey on all summer since “Emery has not been happy with his progress since he signed his new deal in 2024” and has wanted him gone.

Sports Witness have cited reports that Aston Villa’s Director of Football, Monchi, has now agreed a deal with Roma for Bailey to join on loan with an option to buy. There was no indication as to how much of Bailey’s £6.24 million-a-year contract will be covered by Roma.

A deal is well and truly on the cards, pending a medical, between Roma and Aston Villa, with Bailey set to travel on Monday.

Where things went wrong for Bailey at Villa

When Bailey arrived at Villa, he was seen as a player with a lot of promise as he was coming off the back of a 25-goal involvement season at Bayer Leverkusen.

Midway through his stellar 23/24 season, Bailey was awarded a new contract that kept him at Villa until 2027, with the club having the option to extend by another year. During that season Bailey registered 27 goal involvements across all competitions, which made it for most prolific season in his career.

However, his form took a sharp turn downwards in the 2024/25 season when he only managed six goal involvements in all competitions. This has led to Emery being unhappy with his progress and wanting to move him on.

While it looks like the loan will only have an option to buy, and there is always the possibility that Bailey returns to Birmingham next summer, it might be best for all involved if this move is made permanent and Bailey gets a chance to rediscover his best form in a new environment.