As rumours continue to surround Ruben Amorim’s future, Manchester United have reportedly joined the race to sign a much-needed midfield reinforcement in 2026.
Ruben Amorim sack update
Despite some reports suggesting that he has just three games to save his Man United job, Amorim reiterated that a meeting with club chiefs was nothing more than routine earlier this week.
Reports claimed that INEOS had already lined up the likes of Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva as potential candidates to replace their struggling manager, but Amorim has since shut down any rumours that he could be on his way out of the club.
The former Sporting Club boss also reiterated that now is not the time to change his 3-4-2-1 system, telling reporters: “No, no, no. Not once [have I thought about changing]. Not even the Pope [can make me], it will not change.”
It’s a decision that continues to split opinion. Amorim’s win-rate suggests that things wouldn’t get worse with a change in system, but he looks unlikely to change things up in the face of yet more disappointing form.
Before the manager changes once again at Old Trafford, INEOS may decide to change the players. Ahead of 2026, Old Trafford chiefs have reportedly set their sights on beating Arsenal to a talented midfield target, who would be an instant upgrade on their current options.
Man Utd racing Arsenal to sign Agoume
As reported by Caught Offside, Man United are now racing Arsenal to sign Lucien Agoume from Sevilla in the January transfer window. The Gunners already made an approach to sign the talented Frenchman in the summer, but their failed move has now potentially left the door ajar for the Red Devils to move in.
Praised for his “amazing” profile by analyst Ben Mattinson, Agoume is the type of player that United should do everything to sign when the chance arrives.
The midfielder is still just 23 years old and about to enter the peak of his powers. If Amorim is looking to replace an ageing Casemiro, then he should look no further than the Sevilla star.
Man Utd keen to sign £70m Champions League star with same agent as Mainoo
He’s a man in-demand…
ByTom Cunningham Sep 20, 2025
Jumping ahead of Arsenal in the race for the midfielder won’t be easy, but United already proved their attraction by landing Benjamin Sesko in the summer.
The defending champions dismissed the visitors for just 119 in their second innings leaving them 36 to win
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Apr-2025Surrey 367 (Burns 76, Smith 58, Lawrence 55*, Sibley 53, Gregory 3-46) and 36 for 2 (Burns 20*, Smith 12*) beat Somerset 283 (Lammonby 76, Gregory 62, Clark 5-68) and 119 (Pretorius 54, Worrall 3-16, Clark 3-24) by eight wicketsChampions Surrey recorded their first win of the season in emphatic style, beating Somerset by eight wickets at the Kia Oval.Dan Worrall and Jordan Clark shared six wickets as Somerset were bowled out for 119, having conceded a first-innings deficit of 84. Surrey knocked off their target of 36 in 5.2 overs and moved up to second in the table. behind early leaders Nottinghamshire.At one stage Somerset lost six wickets for 13 runs in eight overs and were 38 for 7 after Clark and Worrall proved too good with a new ball that swung nicely.Somerset, winless after four games, were complicit in their own downfall with some soft dismissals in the post-lunch period when five wickets went down in 34 balls for just four runs. Migael Pretorius held up Surrey with 54 but it was only delaying the inevitable.Somerset had dismissed Surrey for 367 an hour into the third day but were soon in trouble. They lost Archie Vaughan to the sixth ball of the innings thanks to a fine catch by wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who dived full length when Vaughan leg-glanced Worrall.With Sean Dickson unable to bat because of a broken finger, Josh Davey came in at three and he and Tom Lammonby did well to get through the rest of Worrall’s skilful five-over opening spell. Davey, who batted at ten in the first innings, appeared to relish the extra responsibility when he took two boundaries off Gus Atkinson in an over with a straight drive and sweetly timed clip through mid-wicket.But the stand was broken in off-spinner Dan Lawrence’s first over when he skidded his fifth ball into Lammonby’s pads. Surrey sensed blood, and they ran through Somerset in a remarkable period after lunch.Tom Abell clipped the first ball of the session from Jordan Clark off middle stump to fine leg for four but shouldered arms to the next delivery and lost his off stump. Davey (17) unluckily played on two balls later and in the next over Dan Worrall dived low to his left to intercept a full-blooded drive by Tom Banton in his follow through which was followed by an elaborate celebration.It got worse for Somerset. They were 38 for 6 in the 18th over after Kasey Aldridge’s attempted pull at Clark cannoned off the bottom edge into his stumps. Worrall struck again in his next over when James Rew’s clip off his pads was caught by the diving Lawrence at backward square leg to leave Somerset staring down the barrel at 38 for 7.Pretorious kept them waiting with an attacking 54 off 45 balls, including eight fours, as he and skipper Lewis Gregory put on 79 for the eighth wicket and it took a fine one-handed catch by Foakes to break the stand and give James Taylor a deserved wicket. Taylor finished the innings when he had Jack Leach caught at slip.Dom Sibley was caught at square leg and Ollie Pope played across a straight ball from Davey before Jamie Smith hit the winning boundary to mid-wicket. Victory lifted them into second place behind Nottinghamshire, who also enjoyed a three-day victory, over Sussex.At the start of the day, Surrey’s final three wickets added a further 46 runs. Lawrence followed up his 117 against Sussex last week with an unbeaten 55 off 74 balls with seven fours as Pretorius, Davey and Aldridge took a wicket apiece.
The chocolate glaze on Laura Wolvaardt’s cake glistened in the searing Colombo heat, desperately clinging to the layer of sponge beneath. It was a thoughtful end to the pre-series media briefing, as Wolvaardt was surprised with a cake to celebrate her 26th birthday alongside fellow captains Chamari Athapaththu and Harmanpreet Kaur.They would have been forgiven, however, if they had wondered whether the cake cutting -and the trophy unveiling that preceded it – might have been better served being held in the air-conditioned media centre instead of on the outfield at the R Premadasa Stadium.The oppressive heat – temperatures the mid-30 celsius – is something the players will need to come cope with during the tri-nation series. All seven games are daytime matches in Colombo.”It’s definitely a lot hotter than what we’re used to back home,” Woolvardt said when asked about the conditions. “In fact I think we’re going into a winter now [in South Africa], so it’s going to be a bit of a shock to the system.”Harmanpreet said India had placed a lot of importance on managing the conditions. “As we all know heat is going to play a big role,” she said. “For the last three-four months we have been playing only night games, after a long time we’re going to play a day game. So I think keeping ourselves fresh and hydrated is going to be key.”Just months out from the ODI World Cup to be held in India later this year, all three captains acknowledge the experience to be gained during the tri-series is invaluable.For India and South Africa, third and fourth respectively in the ICC Women’s ODI rankings, and expecting to make deep runs into the World Cup, it’s an opportunity to get into a tournament mindset. Tri-series are quite rare in the modern cricket calendar. “I think it’s a great initiative,” Harmanpreet said. “Before the World Cup we’re getting a similar kind of feeling where we’re playing against different teams, and a situation where you need to keep looking at your run rate. These things play a very big role.”Wolvaardt said it was “perfect in a World Cup year”. “Just being able to play in a knockout format, and then a final before the World Cup is a great experience. Conditions-wise, being able to prep and play against different teams is also very good.”All those points are true for Sri Lanka as well but they have more work to do. The last couple of years have been the most successful in their history but they are still not consistently competitive against the top sides – particularly in the 50-over format.One of their primary concerns is an over reliance on the top three of Athapaththu, Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama. The hope in this series is that the rest of the batting begins to provide much-needed depth.”In a lot of games, the top three – Vishmi, Harshitha and myself – have played and scored runs, but to be honest the middle order hasn’t contributed enough,” Athapaththu said. “That’s one of the reasons why we’ve brought in Hasini [Perera] and Hansima Karunaratne. We also have the Under-19 captain Manudi Nanayakkara. The goal is to create a deep batting order, because in the 50-over format it’s our batting that has been a problem.”With four uncapped players in the Sri Lankan squad, Athapaththu hoped playing against strong opposition will give the younger players invaluable experience. “We’re looking to get a good combination of youth and experience – we’ll be trying a few young players out ahead of the World Cup.”I think it’s a big opportunity for them, especially to play against two top international teams prior to the World Cup. I’m confident that they will give their best, but I have no desire to put pressure on them – that’s what the senior players are there for, to absorb the pressure. For the youngsters it’s important that they play as freely as possible.”
Arsenal’s summer transfer window once again blended big-money investment with their long-standing faith in youth.
After finishing second in the Premier League last season, and reaching the Champions League semi-finals, the club doubled down on its squad rebuild.
Major arrivals included Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Departures such as Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Reiss Nelson cleared space in the squad, while Arsenal also leaned heavily on their Hale End academy graduates.
Ethan Nwaneri, now 18, continues to develop after becoming the Premier League’s youngest-ever debutant in 2022.
Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a breakout season, and Max Dowman, still only 15, made his senior bow against Leeds.
That commitment to the academy has become a central pillar of Arsenal’s squad-building philosophy under Mikel Arteta.
Yet while several young prospects have been integrated, others have slipped away.
The balance between spending heavily and nurturing talent is once again at the heart of Arsenal’s defensive planning.
Who is Piero Hincapié, and Why Did Arsenal Sign Him?
When Arsenal announced the arrival of Piero Hincapié from Bayer Leverkusen on loan with a £45m option to buy, it was framed as a major upgrade on the left side of their defence.
At 23, the Ecuadorian international already brings European pedigree, with 32 Bundesliga appearances last season, contributing two goals and two assists.
Piero Hincapie in action for Bayer Leverkusen
Hincapié has been on Arsenal’s radar for years, valued for his ability to operate at both left centre-back and left-back.
With Gabriel undergoing hamstring surgery at the end of last season and Riccardo Calafiori struggling with fitness, versatility is essential.
Sporting Director Andrea Berta emphasised Hincapié’s tactical flexibility, and Arteta believes he is not simply cover but a genuine competitor for a starting role. His statistical profile backs up the excitement.
Matches Played
32
Progressive Carries
52
Progressive Passes
152
Tackles
52
Blocks
40
Aerials Won
65
Compared to positional peers, Hincapié ranked in the 96th percentile for progressive carries (1.69 per 90), underlining his comfort driving forward with the ball.
He also sat in the 86th percentile for progressive passes (4.94 per 90) and an eye-catching 94th percentile for key passes (0.54 per 90) – numbers that show how he can help Arsenal’s build-up from deep.
Defensively, he impressed in the 89th percentile for tackles won (1.29 per 90) and the 86th percentile for passes blocked (0.72 per 90).
This blend of defensive solidity and forward-thinking distribution makes him a natural fit for Arteta’s system, where centre-backs are expected to initiate attacks as much as they are to shut them down.
His arrival represents a continuation of Arsenal’s recent strategy: recruit players with multi-positional value while retaining the ability to progress possession.
Ayden Heaven could have been Hincapie 2.0
As Arsenal commit to potentially spending £45m next summer to make Hincapié’s move permanent, questions linger over whether they let a homegrown option slip through their fingers.
Ayden Heaven, once considered one of the Hale End academy’s brightest defensive prospects, departed for Manchester United in February for a fee of just £1m.
Ayden Heaven for Arsenal.
His departure came after limited opportunities at the Emirates despite being highly rated within the club. Analyst Ben Mattinson once described Heaven as “highly unique,” and he has quickly shown why.
Drafted into United’s first-team picture earlier than expected after Lisandro Martínez’s season-ending injury, the 18-year-old has already made eight appearances for the Red Devils.
He has looked composed in possession, comfortable carrying the ball out from defence, and tactically assured despite his age.
United moved quickly to secure him on a long-term deal running until 2029, amid reported interest from Barcelona, Frankfurt and Marseille.
Heaven’s profile, a left-footed defender who is confident on the ball, is precisely the type of player Arsenal are now looking to integrate through Hincapié.
The irony is hard to miss.
Where Hincapié ranks among Europe’s best for progressive actions, Heaven has showcased similar traits in his early United outings.
His poise on the ball and ability to step into midfield mirrors the qualities Arteta demands from his defenders.
For a club that has prided itself on giving opportunities to youth, losing Heaven for such a modest fee may come to be seen as a misstep.
The comparison is not to suggest Hincapié is the wrong signing – his experience and proven metrics make him a high-level addition.
But for a side that has successfully nurtured Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, the case of Heaven highlights the fine margins of squad planning.
Arsenal could soon pay £45m for a defender to fill the very role that a Hale End graduate, now at a Premier League rival, may have slotted into seamlessly.
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IPL 2025 will resume on May 17 and end on June 3, as per the revised schedule announced by the BCCI on Monday night.The remainder of the tournament, which was suspended on May 9 for a week due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, will be played at six venues: Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.The venues for the playoffs will be announced later, but the matches will be played on the following dates: Qualifier 1 on May 29, the Eliminator on May 30, Qualifier 2 on June 1 and the final on June 3. A total of 17 matches will be played after the resumption, with two double-headers, both of which will be played on Sundays.The revised schedule features 13 league games and the four playoff matches. This means that the Punjab Kings (PBKS) vs Delhi Capitals (DC) game, which was called off midway through the first innings on May 8 in Dharamsala, will be played again, on May 24 in Jaipur, which will be the temporary home base for PBKS.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Two days later, PBKS will play against Mumbai Indians (MI), a match they were originally meant to play in their second home base of Dharamsala on May 11. The match that will restart the tournament on May 17 will be played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Bengaluru.On the first of the two double-header days, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will meet PBKS in the day game (3.30pm IST) on May 18 and DC will take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in the evening (7.30pm IST). The next Sunday – May 25 – will see GT take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the day game in Ahmedabad and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) meet KKR in Delhi at 7.30pm IST. The last league game will be between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and RCB on May 27 in Lucknow.The change in venues also means that three teams – PBKS, CSK and SRH – won’t get to play on their original home grounds anymore. With CSK and SRH out of the playoffs race, PBKS will count themselves unlucky to be playing two of their home matches at a neutral venue. With 15 points from 11 matches, PBKS were third on the points table before the tournament was suspended.The official release said the BCCI held “extensive consultations with government and security agencies, and with all the key stakeholders” before finalising the resumption of the tournament.The delayed finish of the IPL, which was originally scheduled to end on May 25 in Kolkata, means it will now coincide with the entire ODI series between England and West Indies starting on May 29 in Birmingham and ending on June 3 at The Oval. It will lead to a clash for Romario Shepherd (RCB), Shamar Joseph (LSG) and Sherfane Rutherford (GT), who have all been picked in the West Indies ODI squad. England have not named their squad yet but the players likely to be affected are Jos Buttler (GT), Phil Salt (RCB), Jacob Bethell (RCB), Liam Livingstone (RCB), Will Jacks (MI) and Reece Topley (MI), depending on which teams make the playoffs.6:21
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The revised IPL schedule also squeezes the gap between the IPL final and the WTC final to just seven days, with Australia and South Africa set to contest the Test world title from June 11 at Lord’s. Both Australia and South Africa are scheduled to announce their squads on Tuesday. The players who are currently part of the IPL teams and are likely to be picked for the WTC final are Australia captain Pat Cummins and Travis Head (both SRH), Mitchell Starc and Tristan Stubbs (both DC), Josh Hazlewood (RCB), Marco Jansen and Josh Inglis (both PBKS), Aiden Markram (LSG), Kagiso Rabada (GT), Ryan Rickelton (MI) and Kwena Mphaka (RR).The revised schedule will also potentially impact the India A tour of England, which is scheduled to begin from May 30, for two unofficial Tests in Canterbury and Northampton. Several fringe India players, some of whom are likely to be part of the India squad for the five-Test series starting on June 20 in England, will now be part of the IPL when the A matches begin.For now, the biggest challenge for the 10 IPL franchises will be to re-assemble their squads and bring back overseas players and support-staff members who had begun flying back home over the weekend. The team that could find it easiest to get back together will be GT, currently on top of the table, who had seen only two of their overseas players fly back: Buttler and Gerald Coetzee. The rest of their squad was continuing to train in Ahmedabad. MI could also benefit from the revised schedule, as their first game is on May 21, four days after the tournament resumes.
Speaking on Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 podcast, he looked forward to India’s contest against England’s batters
ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2025
Jasprit Bumrah: ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year for 2024•ICC/Getty Images
Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s No. 1 Test bowler, is keen to get his hands on the Dukes ball and play in swinging conditions during India’s upcoming tour of England, which starts with a warm-up game from June 13 to 16 followed by the first Test in Leeds from June 20 to 24.”Playing in England is always a different challenge,” Bumrah told former Australia captain Michael Clarke on the YouTube channel. “I always love bowling with the Dukes ball.”But I don’t know how much the Dukes ball is doing right now because there’s always constant changes to the ball. But the weather, the swinging conditions. And then when the ball becomes soft, there’s always a challenge. So I always look forward to playing in England.”This will be Bumrah’s third bilateral Test series in England – he also played the World Test Championship final there, against New Zealand. His previous eight away Tests against England have brought him 37 wickets at an average of 23.78. He is the most experienced member of an India pace pack that also includes Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh; he felt all of them have the ability to run through oppositions, especially when they bat aggressively like England do.LA 2028 a target
“Now, I’ve heard there’s Olympics in cricket coming as well, so that is something I’m really looking forward to. Who would have thought cricket would become an Olympic sport? So, yeah, that’s something that excites me”
“They’re playing an interesting style of cricket which is interesting because I don’t really understand it too much,” Bumrah said. “But as a bowling unit, we always feel confident that when the batters are being ultra-aggressive, on a given day, anybody could run through and get wickets.”The five Tests in England will be played over 46 days from June 20 to August 4, in Leeds, Birmingham, Lord’s, Manchester and The Oval. Bumrah is unlikely to feature in all five Tests, though, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar having indicated that his worload may need to be closely managed.Related
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With India set for a packed next nine months, which include a T20 World Cup in February 2026, Bumrah said he would play all three formats but pick and choose his games to keep his body fresh.”Obviously, it is tough for any individual to keep playing everything for so long,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for a while, but eventually you have to understand where your body is going, what is the important tournament.”You have to be a little selective and smart about how you use your body. As a cricketer, I would never want to leave anything and always keep on going. But I don’t set goals or look at numbers. Whenever I have [set goals], I’ve never been able to fulfil them.”I just try and enjoy because that’s why I started [playing] this sport. Take one day at a time and collect memories because, at the end of the [career in] sport, that’s all I’ll remember.”
There is no hiding away from the fact that Glasgow Rangers have had a horrendous start to the 2025/26 campaign, domestically and in Europe, under Russell Martin.
The Light Blues swooped to appoint the former Scotland international, who had been out of work since being sacked by Southampton last season, but he has failed to win the supporters over yet.
It has been the worst start for the club in the Scottish Premiership in 47 years, with four draws and one loss in five games, after the 2-0 loss to Hearts on Saturday.
Lawrence Shankland, who was a reported target for Rangers last year, scored both of the goals for the Jam Tarts, as the Light Blues failed to offer a threat of their own at the other end of the pitch.
The Ibrox giants made 14 additions to their first-team squad during the summer transfer window, which means that there does need to be a degree of patience with some individuals as they get up to speed in a difficult environment, created by the team’s performances.
Rangers have seen it plenty of times in recent years when a player has a slow start to life at Ibrox before exploding into life. Malik Tillman is one notable example of that.
Rangers hit the jackpot with Malik Tillman
The Light Blues swooped to sign the USA international from German giants Bayern Munich on a season-long loan in the summer of 2022 to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
At the time of the announcement, Giovanni van Bronckhorst said: “He is an exciting young talent who will further add to our attacking options and myself and the coaching staff are looking forward to working with him.”
The Dutch head coach made it clear that he was a ‘young talent’ whom the coaching staff would work with, which is why it was not a surprise when he had a fairly slow start to life at Ibrox.
Tillman managed two goals and one assist in his first 12 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, as he struggled for consistency early on in his Glasgow career, per Sofascore.
However, the German-born star went on to end the campaign with 12 goals and five assists in 43 outings for the Scottish giants, which shows that he improved his output at the top end of the pitch as the season went on.
xG
6.35
Top 9%
xG on target
6.59
Top 8%
Goals
10
Top 6%
xA
4.60
Top 15%
Assists
4
Top 33%
Chances created
46
Top 9%
Successful dribbles
43
Top 9%
As you can see in the table above, Tillman ended up being one of the most impressive attacking midfielders in the Premiership in the 2022/23 campaign, as he ranked highly as a scorer, a creator, and as a dribbler.
This shows that the Gers hit the jackpot with the USMNT talent because they were willing to be patient with him as a loan player, which is something to keep in mind when judging the current squad.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Whilst you may jump to Thelo Aasgaard as a direct comparison to Tillman, given that he is also an attacking midfielder and has failed to deliver a goal or an assist in his first three outings in the Premiership.
However, Martin is brewing the club’s next version of Tillman at Ibrox in a different underperforming Light Blues attacking signing – Mikey Moore.
Why Mikey Moore is the next Malik Tillman for Rangers
Unlike Aasgaard, Moore is similar to the former Rangers star in the sense that he is also a loan player from a big European club, Tottenham Hotspur instead of Bayern Munich, and is a young and inexperienced player.
Whereas Aasgaard is 23 and played 163 first-team matches for Wigan, as well as 17 for Luton Town, before his permanent move to Ibrox during the summer transfer window.
Moore arrived in Glasgow this summer with just three league starts in first-team football under his belt during his time with Spurs, as this is his first loan move away from the Europa League champions.
This is why it should not be a surprise to anyone that the 18-year-old talent has had a slow start at Rangers, despite his claim that he would like to be one of the best players in the world.
Moore has delivered no goals and one assist in five appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues so far this season, per Transfermarkt, assisting Nedim Bajrami for the opener in the 4-2 win over Alloa Athletic in the League Cup.
All of the teenage talent’s appearances for the Light Blues so far this season have come on the left wing, per Transfermarkt, but his career statistics suggest that he should be used more centrally.
Left wing (18)
4
6
Attacking midfield (8)
6
4
Centre-forward (7)
11
4
Right wing (6)
1
0
Left midfield (3)
0
1
As you can see in the table above, Moore has scored 17 goals and delivered eight assists in 15 outings as an attacking midfielder or striker, compared to five goals and seven assists in 27 games as a winger, on the right and left combined.
These statistics suggest that the English whiz, who was described as “fearless” by teammate James Maddison, would be far more effective for the Gers if Martin utilised him as an attacking midfielder or perhaps as a second striker behind Bojan Miovski or Youssef Chermiti.
Moore has looked a little lost on the left wing in the Premiership, completing 17% of his attempted dribbles this season per Sofascore, and playing him centrally could help to simplify his game and allow him to concentrate on making an impact in the box, rather than trying to beat three or four players with the ball.
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Therefore, there needs to be a degree of patience with Moore whilst he finds his feet at Ibrox and Martin finds out how best to utilise his talent within the team, because his statistics in central positions suggest that he has the potential to explode in the same way that Tillman did.
Roma legend Francesco Totti has made a stunning confession, revealing his infamous red card kick on prime notorious Mario Balotelli was a premeditated act against an "arrogant and presumptuous" player. The Roma legend also opened up on his bitter feud with Luciano Spalletti and the emotional trauma of being forced to retire from his boyhood club.
Totti meets Balotelli in cup final
Totti has revealed that his infamous kick on Balotelli during the 2010 Coppa Italia final was a premeditated act born from long-standing frustration with the striker's attitude. In a remarkably candid interview with former Italy teammate Luca Toni on 's 'Fenomeni' podcast, the World Cup winner opened up on the most controversial moments of his career, his bitter fallout with Luciano Spalletti, and the emotional turmoil of his forced retirement.
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The infamous Balotelli kick explained
The most striking revelation centred on the final minutes of the 2010 final between Roma and Inter, which saw Totti shown a straight red card for a wild, cynical kick on a young Balotelli. The Roma captain came off the bench for the second half and was dismissed in the 87th minute as his side lost 1-0. He has now admitted the challenge was not a moment of spontaneous madness, but a calculated decision to lash out at a player whose on-field persona he disliked.
“The Balotelli thing had been brewing for a while," Totti confessed. "He was young and phenomenal, but also so arrogant and presumptuous. My goal that day wasn't to equalise the game; I just thought that if I had the opportunity, I'd take the opportunity to send him into the stands. Then I heard from him and apologised, and we laughed it off.”
Balotelli himself, speaking on a separate occasion, had a different theory, suggesting Totti's anger was misdirected. "I don't think he was angry with me for that reason. In the final of the Coppa Italia, he got angry with the coach who had not let him play from the beginning and that's why he was nervous," Balotelli said.
'Spalletti came to Roma to make me quit'
Totti also addressed the complete breakdown of his relationship with coach Spalletti during the manager's second spell at the Stadio Olimpico. He claimed Spalletti returned in 2016 with a clear agenda, supported by the club's hierarchy, to push him into retirement.
“In my view, Spalletti arrived in 2016 with the express idea of making me retire, backed by the club. There were always problems with him; towards me, Spalletti was the exact opposite of the one he had been in 2005," Totti stated. "Perhaps he was convinced that I had pushed him away by taking Ranieri in his place, but that's not true: the management called me and other players to ask us who we wanted between Mancini, Ranieri, and others."
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The emotional trauma of forced retirement
The Giallorossi icon detailed the immense pain of being told his 25-year career at his boyhood club was over, claiming he felt more let down by the club than by Spalletti at that moment. The emotional farewell at the Stadio Olimpico in May 2017 was a traumatic experience that left him feeling lost.
"When I left, it was the club who told me I had to stop," he revealed. "I'm not stupid; I knew I'd have to stop sooner or later, but I still felt good in my legs and head. Perhaps on that occasion, Roma disappointed me more than Spalletti; I think I was a nuisance. I said I'd play even for free; I'd give everything for Roma. When I stopped playing, I felt like I had no ground under my feet. For three weeks, I cried every day. I was scared… That day, for me, was like a separation between mother and son."
One Newcastle United player has found the experience of playing in England “bad” and now wants to leave the club, in a significant new update.
Howe demands more quality from Newcastle
The Magpies have suffered some demoralising home defeats already this season, including against Liverpool and Barcelona, and Arsenal inflicted a last-gasp loss on them on Sunday afternoon.
While Eddie Howe could find positives from Newcastle’s performance, he has also made it clear that he needs to see the same level of quality as he does commitment from his players.
“I think harsh words are sometimes needed. Whether that is to the team or to indviduals, I will usually look to do it on an individual basis. What I look for is effort, commitment, desire and organisation.
“There are so many things that go into a performance. I am seeing the effort there, but the quality was lacking. So I have to be very careful. You don’t want to make the morale or the mood worse, I will be very reflective tonight and figure out a way forward tomorrow.”
This is still a strong Newcastle squad that Howe has at his disposal, but it looks increasingly as though one player doesn’t have a long-term future at St James’ Park, following a fresh update.
Newcastle player wants permanent St James' exit
According to a new update from Estadio Deportivo [via Sport Witness], Newcastle goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos wants to leave the club permanently, despite only joining last year.
The 31-year-old is currently out on loan at Sevilla, keeping a clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano over the weekend, and he wants to stay there permanently, following a “bad experience” living in England. He is valued at £4.3m by Transfermarkt and hopes to be sold for an “affordable price” by Newcastle.
The January transfer window feels like the right time for Newcastle to sell Vlachodimos for good, considering Howe doesn’t appear to have any plans for him at the club moving forward.
This is despite Jurgen Klopp speaking glowingly about him after an impressive performance for Benfica against Liverpool back in 2022.
“We should have scored much more. I think, mainly because of their goalkeeper, credit to him. Their goalkeeper was probably the game’s best player. We played well, but he made a couple of really good saves.”
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Sometimes, a move simply doesn’t work out for various reasons, which appears to be the case for Vlachodimos at Newcastle, and it’s now a case of them trying to get as much money as possible for his signature.
Mjallby AIF, based in a small fishing village, have achieved an incredible feat as they secured their first-ever Swedish league title with a 2-0 win over Goteborg on Sunday. Mjallby made history with three games to spare as they now lead second-placed Hammarby by 11 points. The club have secured an outstanding 20 wins in 27 league games and have lost just once.
Leicester-esque achievement from Mjallby
Mjallby AIF come from a small southern fishing village Hallevik, which has a population of just 1,500. With a 2-0 win over Goteborg on Monday night, the club wrote an unthinkable underdog story as they secured their first-ever Swedish top division title. In the process, they have also secured a berth in the 2026-27 Champions League (second qualifying round) for the first time in their history. Mjallby's achievement is drawing comparisons to what Leicester City achieved in the 2015-16 season when they won the Premier League, beating a 5000-1 odds. Also, it has to be noted that when the Foxes did the unthinkable in England a decade ago, Mjallby were struggling in Sweden's third tier.
The current era in Sweden has been mostly dominated by Malmo, who won in eight out of the last 12 editions of the Allsvenskan. However, Mjallby have broken that recent dominance, managing to do so on a budget estimated to be around 15 per cent of Malmo's.
AdvertisementAFPHow have rivals described Mjallby's historic season?
Kim Hellberg, head coach of Hammarby, who have been Mjallby's closest rival in the 2025 campaign and are poised to finish as runners-up, spoke highly of the new champions.
"Mjallby are a really good side," he said. "They’ve been absolutely fantastic, they've exceeded all expectations. It's also a team that has got an exceptional amount out of what they've created. If you look at the underlying numbers, they've been overperforming quite a lot."
Who are the key figures behind Mjallby's success?
Firstly, Mjallby's head coach Anders Torstensson has to be named who has played a key role in club's historic success. 59-year-old Torstensson is assisted by Karl Marius Aksum, a tactics guru who has a PHD in 'visual perception in football'. The club have sold several of their youth players and reinvested the money judiciously for fresh signings, strictly based on data-based recruitment. This has resulted in the club signing Gambian attacker Abdoulie Manneh.
Another key figure in their dressing is 23-year-old goalkeeper Noel Tornqvist who has had exceptional campaign with the now Swedish champions. Mjallby conceded only 17 goals throughout the season and much of that credit goes to the Swedish custodian. Tornqvist was so good at his job that he attracted interest from Como boss Cesc Fabregas, who signed the goalkeeper in the summer but loaned him back for the remainder of 2025. Tornqvist will soon head to Italy to play in Serie A from January following the conclusion of the Swedish campaign. He has also earned a call up to the national team after Sweden's long-serving No.1 Robin Olsen announced his international retirement.
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GettyMjallby's achievement a silver lining amid Sweden national team's crisis
While Mjallby's historic title win will inspire clubs across the globe, the Sweden national team's performance is at an all-time low. They are on the verge of failing to qualify for the expande 48-strong World Cup after taking just one point from their first four matches. Most recently they lost back-to-back games in the October international break against Switzerland and Kosovo. The losses meant that only a miracle can help them secure a berth in the World Cup next year.
Sweden took steps to remedy that by sacking head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson. The Dane became Sweden's first-ever foreign coach in February 2024 but his reign lasted less than two years as he was relieved of his duties last Tuesday, a day after Sweden suffered that embarrassing loss against Kosovo.
Both of Sweden's star forwards, Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, featured in the October clashes but the high profile Premier League pair failed miserably in front of goal. Sweden next face Switzerland and Slovenia in their final two group fixtures in November. If they win those last two matches, they will at least stand a chance to progress to the World Cup play-offs next month.