تحدث أندرو روبرتسون مدافع ليفربول بعد مساهمته في فوز فريقه على أتلتيكو مدريد 3-2 في الجولة الأولى بمرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وجاءت أهداف ليفربول في المباراة عن طريق روبرتسون ومحمد صلاح وفيرجيل فان دايك، بينما سجل لصالح أتلتيكو مدريد ماركوس يورينتي هدفين.
وقال روبرتسون في تصريحات نشرتها “بي بي سي” البريطانية: “علينا العودة إلى أسلوب الفوز بطريقة أبسط وأسهل”.
أقرأ أيضاً.. تقييم محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وأتلتيكو مدريد بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا
وأضاف :”عندما التفت لي مساعد المدرب وقال إنه أصبح كبيراً في السن على ذلك لذا لا أستطيع تخيل شعور الجماهير، إنه لأمر رائع أن نتمكن من مواصلة اللعب حتى النهاية، عندما تكون متقدماً بهدفين نظيفين وتلعب بشكل جيد في الشوط الأول، كان من المفترض أن تكون ليلة أكثر راحة”.
وواصل عن هدفه: “كنت أحاول فقط الوصول لخط حارس المرمى لذلك لم يستطع الرؤية، إنها نهاية رائعة، أعطوني جائزة بوشكاش الآن، لكن لا، بصراحة لم أكن أعرف شيئاً، كانت بداية رائعة والحمد لله أن الكرة دخلت المرمى”.
وختم: “لدينا الكثير من اللاعبين الجدد وهم بحاجة للتأقلم، اللعب لنادي كبيراً ليس بالأمر السهل، قدموا جميعاً أداء رائعا، إنهم المستقبل، هم من سيقودون هذا النادي للأمام، لقد أظهروا لمحات وسوف يتحسنون فقط”.
While yesterday’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur has somewhat taken the shine off things, there’s no doubt that, so far, this summer has been a positive one for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side have beaten the likes of AC Milan and Newcastle United on the pitch, and the club have been busy with transfers off of it.
So far, Andrea Berta and Co have welcomed in six first-team additions, with Viktor Gyokeres undoubtedly the pick of the bunch following his unreal tally of 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 games last season.
Gyokeres
Yet, the North Londoners don’t seem to be done there, as they’ve been linked with a host of other players, including Xavi Simons, although it now looks like they could go for someone who’d be a far better signing.
Arsenal target big Simons upgrade
It was only a few weeks ago, if that, when Arsenal were being quite heavily linked with RB Leipzig’s exciting Simons.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, since then, it has looked increasingly likely that, should the Flying Dutchman come to the Premier League this summer, he’ll be doing so to join Chelsea.
The West Londers have reportedly agreed personal terms with the 22-year-old, and that an offer could be made at any moment for the player valued at around £61m.
Now, some fans might be understandably upset at this development, but they shouldn’t be, as it would appear the North Londoners may well go for another talented attacker, someone who’d be a far better signing than Simons.
At least that is according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has reaffirmed Arsenal’s intense interest in Eberechi Eze.
In fact, in news that should delight fans, the Italian journalist has revealed that Crystal Palace “expect” the Gunners to make a move for the Englishman, and that he is now “very keen” on the move.
Interestingly, the £67.5m release clause in the 27-year-old’s contract has now expired, so it remains to be seen what the price needed to get him out of Selhurst Park will be, but whatever it is, Eze’s worth fighting for, and he’d be a far better signing than Simons.
Why Eze would be a better signing than Simons
Now, both Eze and Simons are brilliant players, and Arsenal would massively improve their squad by signing either one.
However, there are some key reasons why the former would be far better than the latter for the Gunners.
The first comes down to their output, as while both are dangerous in front of and around goal, the Englishman is that bit more so.
In 43 appearances, totalling 3303 minutes, the former QPR gem was able to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists for Palace last season, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.
In contrast, the Leipzig star was able to score 11 goals and provide eight assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2763 minutes, which comes out to a still good, but less impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes.
Eze vs Simons in 24/25
Players
Eze
Simons
Appearances
43
33
Minutes
3303′
2763′
Goals
14
11
Assists
11
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
0.57
Minutes per Goal Involvement
132.12′
145.42′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
On top of that, the Eagles’ midfield “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, is far more experienced than the younger Dutchman, and crucially is Premier League-proven, which, according to Opta analyst, is the toughest competition in world football, whereas the Bundesliga comes in as the fourth most challenging.
This is particularly important for the Gunners, as their second-place finishes in the last three years make next season a must-win year.
Crystal Palace's EberechiEzecelebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup
Therefore, they will want players in their prime, not those with significant development potential.
Moreover, with the 27-year-old already living in London, he surely wouldn’t need much time at all to settle in.
Ultimately, Simons is a great player and could be something truly special in a few years, but as things stand, Eze would be a far better signing for Arsenal.
Arsenal eye £55m deal for player who's held talks with Arteta and Berta
Arsenal have been blessed with some truly exceptional players over the last ten to 15 years.
Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and William Saliba are just some of the names from the current squad that could have made it in some of the club’s most iconic Premier League winning sides.
Then, going back a little further, we get to some genuine game-changers like Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez, who may not have left on the best of terms, but were unquestionably world-class for much of their time in N5.
However, one player who might not always get the respect he deserves from other fanbases, but is rightly adored as something of a cult hero by the Emirates faithful, is Santi Cazorla.
The Spanish magician joined the club for under £15m in the summer of 2012 and went on to score 29 goals and provide 44 assists in 180 games before leaving in 2018.
The 40-year-old midfielder is still an incredibly popular man in the red side of North London, and now it looks like the club are trying to sign someone who could be Mikel Arteta’s version of Cazorla.
Arsenal target their new Cazorla
This summer is shaping up to be something really quite special for Arsenal, as the board appear intent on backing the manager to the best of their ability.
Transfer Focus
For example, the signings of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, and Kepa Arrizabalaga have already been announced, while Noni Madueke has reportedly passed his medical, and Christian Mosquera is set for his.
Moreover, the North Londoners have reportedly agreed a deal for goalscoring extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres, which will see them pay Sporting CP an initial fee of just £55m.
Sporting CP's ViktorGyokerescelebrates scoring their first goal
Yet, the Premier League runners-up are not done there, as they have now turned their attention to someone who could be their new Cazorla: Eberechi Eze.
Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are still interested in the Crystal Palace star, and are in talks with his camp over a move.
Moreover, another report from the Mail Online has claimed that the England international is now the Gunners’ new top target.
It won’t be a cheap deal to get done, though, as Romano reaffirms that the Eagles are holding out for his full release clause, which stands at £68m.
Crystal Palace's EberechiEzecelebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup
Even though that is a lot of money to spend on one player, Eze would be worth it, especially as he could be Arteta’s own Cazorla.
Why Eze could be Arsenal's new Cazorla
Okay, so it should be said that we don’t think Eze is exactly like Cazorla, nor will he be just like him at Arsenal, but there are some undeniable similarities between the pair, similarities that would only grow should this transfer happen.
The first of which is where the pair play on the pitch, as, like the Spanish maestro, the Palace ace is more than capable of playing on the left, having done so on many occasions in the past, but has found his best position to be in attacking midfield.
Moreover, like the former Gunners star, the English “superstar,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is not just someone who passively recycles the ball in the middle of the park, or passes it off to a more dynamic teammate, he’s someone who can explode into life at the drop of a hat and make things happen himself.
Appearances
36
43
Minutes
2285′
3303′
Goals
11
14
Assists
6
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.47
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
134.41′
132.12′
For example, in just 43 appearances last season, totalling 3303 minutes, the game-changing dynamo scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists, which comes out as a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.
He was almost as dangerous in the season prior, when, in 36 games, totalling 2285 minutes, he scored 11 goals and provided eight assists, which came out to a goal involvement every 1.89 games, or one every 134.41 minutes.
Furthermore, he proved he’s capable of standing up in the big games this season, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the FA Cup, just as Cazorla helped the Gunners’ comeback against Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup final with that sensational free-kick.
Finally, while this is a little harder to quantify in numbers, the £100k-per-week star is also someone fans simply love watching, with Micah Richards accurately describing him as a “magician” with the ball at his feet – and if you watched the former Malaga ace, you’d have said the same about him.
Ultimately, it might be an expensive deal to get over the line, but Arsenal should do all they can to sign Eze this summer, as not only would he help improve the team, but he could also become the club’s modern Cazorla, getting the fans on their feet every week.
As exciting as Gyokeres: £80m "superstar" now open to signing for Arsenal
The international monster would be a game-changing signing for Arsenal.
Miller, Klaasen, Maharaj have been included while Rabada has been rested
Firdose Moonda31-Oct-2024Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee will make their returns to international cricket in next month’s T20I series against India at home after a conditioning break. Both players have been part of the CSA domestic T20 Challenge, after Jansen last featured at the T20 World Cup in June and Coetzee at the preceding T20I series against West Indies in May.The pair have worked on a shoulder and hip niggle respectively and were the first two bowlers to be given an extended period of time off as Cricket South Africa (CSA) introduced structured breaks in play to work on conditioning. Lungi Ngidi, who is part of the Test squad in Bangladesh but has not played a game since an ODI in October, will have his turn to work over the next six weeks, as he prepares for the home Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. He is not part of the T20I squad for the India series while Kagiso Rabada has been rested with the Tests in mind.Fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who opted out of a national contract, has also not been named in the squad. “I wanted to prioritise other fast bowlers in the group. Anrich is a quality player, he plays in leagues around the world and we know what we get from him. We need to give some of our other bowlers an opportunity to play quality opposition,” Rob Walter, South Africa’s white-ball coach said at a press conference.Related
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South Africa still have several big names in the squad. Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Keshav Maharaj, who were not part of South Africa’s white-ball squads in the UAE, have all been included.The squad will be captained by regular leader Aiden Markram and will have Reeza Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton at the top of the order.There are two uncapped players, allrounders Mihlali Mpongwana and Andile Simelane, who were the joint second-leading wicket-takers in the recently completed T20 Challenge. They were among four players who took 12 wickets at averages of 14.08 and 14.25 respectively. Both have been part of South African squads in the recent past and add to a strong all-round contingent. Donovan Ferreira, who was the third-highest run-scorer in the T20 Challenge, and Patrick Kruger have also been included.ESPNcricinfo LtdNotably, there is no room for Tabraiz Shamsi after he also opted out of a national contract last month. He remains available for international cricket but South Africa have opted for Maharaj and legspinner, Nqabayomzi Peter.”Shammo’s situation is similar to Anrich Nortje,” Walter said. “They are both available and wanting to play. For me, giving Nqaba Peter an opportunity to play was a priority. Shammo has played a lot for South Africa and in leagues around the world. We know what we get from Shammo.”He is a fierce competitor and loves playing for South Africa. It’s important we get the balance right between experience and inexperience.”South Africa’s seam-bowling contingent will be bolstered with the addition of Lutho Sipamla for the third and fourth matches on the Highveld. Sipamla last played for South Africa in 2022 in a Test match and has not played a white-ball international since April 2021 but his career-best 4 for 12 at the Wanderers in the T20 Challenge final forced him into the squad. Sipamla will not be in the squad for the coastal games in Durban and Gqeberha, which kick off the series, which starts on November 8.There has been no movement on Quinton de Kock’s availability, despite him not announcing his T20I retirement. Walter had previously said he has not had any discussion with de Kock about his future and that remains the case.”Quinny’s status is as it has been for the last couple of months. I continue to leave the ball in his court. I have allowed him to have his space and not play international cricket. If he wants to play for South Africa, we will have that conversation. For now, he is not part of our selection conversation,” Walter said.South Africa Squad for T20Is against IndiaAiden Markram, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla (only for third and fourth T20I), Tristan Stubbs
Everton manager David Moyes has personally picked out his priority focus for the summer transfer window, according to reliable journalist Patrick Boyland.
Moyes set to be backed by Everton's owners
The new Premier League season may not be too far away, but there is still plenty of time for the Blues to conduct some important transfer business.
In fact, a positive claim from journalist Miguel Delaney has even suggested that Everton’s owners, The Friedkin Group, could make as much as £150m available for new signings, as Everton look to move away from being a relegation threatened team year upon year.
Everton manager DavidMoyesreacts
The likes of James McAtee, Douglas Luiz, Maghnes Akliouche, Merlin Rohl, Takefusa Kubo and Georgios Vagiannidis are all mentioned as options by Delaney, ahead of what could be exciting next month or so.
Elsewhere, Everton are said to be in contact with Atletico Mineiro defender Lyanco over a summer move to Merseyside, while they have also enquired about the availability of Rangers striker Hamza Igamane, as Moyes looks to add more attacking quality to his squad after the exit of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Moyes wants key position strengthened at Everton
Now, according to The Athletic‘s Boyland, Everton boss Moyes is targeting a new right winger as a priority during the summer transfer window.
It is claimed that it “will be top of their list” ahead of the new season, especially after the double exit of loanee pair Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, who have returned to their parent clubs.
David Moyes
A new right-sided option makes perfect sense for Everton, with the position standing out as one that lacks quality and depth currently.
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On the left flank, Iliman Ndiaye has been a revelation for the Blues, wowing with his creative brilliance and scoring nine league goals last season, and they need to look to sign a player with similar levels of ability.
Unfortunately, rumoured Blues target Johan Bakayoko has completed a move to RB Leipzig, acting as a blow to Moyes, but there should still be plenty of options out there.
The aforementioned Kubo could be the perfect alternative choice for Everton, having impressed in Spain and even been dubbed “The Japanese Messi” in his homeland of Japan, such is his quality and style of play.
Takefusa Kubo’s international stats
Caps
Goals
Japan
50
10
Japan Under-23s
4
0
Japan Under-22s
1
0
Japan Under-21s
2
0
Japan Under-20s
5
0
Japan Under-19s
5
1
Japan Under-17s
7
3
Japan Under-16s
12
4
Japan Under-15s
5
8
The 24-year-old has 41 goal contributions (23 goals and 18 assists) in 137 appearances for Sociedad, and while most adept at cutting inside from the right flank onto his left foot, he can also thrive across the attack. For that reason, he should be considered the Blues’ No.1 right-sided target.
Ryan Mason has undergone a lot of pre-seasons as a player.
However, the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder turned West Bromwich Albion boss is now close to completing his first summer in football as a rookie manager, with all the pre-season fixtures done and dusted ahead of Championship action kicking back off.
Mason will be hoping he’s the spark from the dug-out that guides the Baggies back up to the promised land of the Premier League, with West Brom deep into their fifth straight season as a second-tier outfit when matches get back underway.
The 33-year-old has been well-backed in the transfer window, with a whopping £4.7m solely splashed out on landing the clinical Aune Heggebo from Brann, as the lavish spending looks set to potentially continue in the centre-forward department.
West Brom could go back in for £4.3m star
The proof will soon be in the pudding as to whether that amount was too steep to fork out for Heggebo.
However, his numbers playing in his native Norway do not lie, with a mightily impressive 51 goals coming his way for Brann from 146 appearances. Subsequently, Mason is now spoiled for choice up top between his new, shiny 24-year-old and West Brom’s main marksman, Josh Maja.
He could have even more options to call into action if reports from Spain are to be believed, with a new update coming to light on West Brom’s previous centre-forward target, Chris Ramos.
Indeed, Diairo De Cadiz has stated that the Cadiz attacker is generating plenty of interest this summer in his services, but there is no rush to offload him just yet.
The La Liga 2 club is waiting for an offer in the £4.3m region to consider parting ways, having had a far lower £2.1m bid from the Championship side come their way in recent times.
The hope will be that the 6-foot-3 Spaniard can go on to be Mason’s very own Salomon Rondon, with the lofty striker often a physical brute when powering home goal after goal for Cadiz, much like the imposing Venezuelan was at the Hawthorns.
How Ramos can be Mason's own Rondon
Of course, when Rondon was leading the line as a formidable centre-forward, West Brom were seen as Premier League regulars, rather than second-tier promotion material.
While the now 35-year-old was never the most clinical or the most eye-catching – with a reasonable 28 strikes coming his way from 120 Baggies outings – nobody could speak ill about his commitment to the cause, as his final season at the Hawthorns saw him win a dominant 7.7 duels on average per Premier League clash.
Ramos has shown off a similar prowess in the air for Cadiz all across his ongoing stay at his hometown club, with this powerful effort above showing off the 28-year-old’s ability to head home under pressure in a similar vein to Rondon.
Staggeringly, Ramos wasn’t too far off Rondon’s duels won total either when plying his trade in La Liga during the 2023/24 campaign, as the Spanish forward averaged a mighty 7.1 successful duels per match, even as Gaizka Garitano’s side succumbed to relegation.
Games played
37
37
Games started
30
24
Goals scored
5
10
Scoring frequency
Every 525 minutes
Every 223 minutes
Big chances missed
16
15
Total duels won*
7.1
5.1
West Brom do need an option up top that can throw themselves about with conviction, especially with Daryl Dike now back in the treatment room, with Ramos also a reliable source of goals for Cadiz across his last two breakout seasons, as seen in his tally of 15 strikes in all competitions.
While Ramos might struggle initially to instantly break into the first-team ranks, possessing a striker with such strong physical attributes will be an effective weapon for Mason to have up his sleeve across the long EFL season to come.
If he does go on to be a success, the Cadiz number 16 could retrace Rondon’s footsteps even more by becoming a tough, no-nonsense attacker for the West Midlands outfit in the luxurious Premier League.
Perfect for Fellows: West Brom weigh up offer for PL "huge talent"
West Bromwich Albion could soon bring in this exciting talent to partner Tom Fellows.
The Women’s T20 World Cup trophy will be taken on a nine-day tour of New Zealand after they won their maiden title earlier in October.New Zealand travelled to India directly after their World Cup triumph for a three-match ODI series that concluded on Tuesday, and will land back home on Friday.On Saturday, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will start the ‘trophy tour’, with members of the women’s team and support staff set to make appearances in fan events in their cities.The team members will interact with fans at free-entry public events and also visit cricket clubs and schools.”The World Cup win is without a doubt a watershed moment for women’s cricket in this country and we’re determined to make the most of it,” NZC marketing communications general manager Stacey Geraghty was quoted as saying in a release.”Based on the amount of excitement back here in New Zealand following the win, we’re expecting the public to get out in force to celebrate with the team, in the same way Kiwis supported the BLACKCAPS during their ICC World Test Championship Mace tour in 2021.”The tour will begin in Dunedin and cover ten cities, including Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.NZC also announced that the T20 World Cup trophy will be on display at all of New Zealand women’s matches in the home summer.After beating West Indies in the semi-final, New Zealand beat South Africa in the final in Dubai to lift their maiden T20 World Cup trophy, powered by an all-round display from Amelia Kerr.
Pakistan captain relieved after change in tactics helps bring end to barren home run
Danyal Rasool18-Oct-2024
Shan Masood greets the fans across the railings after Pakistan’s win•Getty Images
Not quite vindication just yet, but certainly relief. That was the tone Pakistan captain Shan Masood tried to strike after Pakistan had skittled England out for 144 in Multan. It gave them their first home win in four years, and on a personal note, Masood his first Test win as captain.”This was a very important win for Pakistan cricket,” he said. “The recent results were unacceptable. There is relief. This is a long process and journey. It won’t be fixed overnight. It’s been three years and 10 months since we last won a Test at home. That’s not acceptable for Pakistan cricket. We pride ourselves on how well we play this game and how we see ourselves as a team. For us to get a result and hopefully start something here in our own conditions is exciting. Going through that adverse situation for years and still getting a result: that’s the character you want from your players, staff and cricket board. Everyone’s responded well after the [first Test] loss which is very heartening.”Following an innings defeat that intensified focus on Masood’s captaincy and a seemingly endless losing streak, the newly established selection committee overhauled Pakistan’s template overnight. Fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah were dispatched from the squad, and Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali were brought in from the cold – none of them having played any first-class cricket since January. The same pitch as the first Test was recycled and reused.Masood, though, said Pakistan had not changed their line of thinking on the one subject that really mattered. “I said that in defeat, and I’ll say it in victory: 20 wickets is non-negotiable in Test matches,” he said. “Conditions in the 4th innings are only batting-friendly about 10% of the time. We have to understand our conditions and think first about what combinations get us 20 wickets. We need big first innings with the bat and then the bowlers to back us up to give us a lead. The lead took the third-innings pressure off us, and the 75-run lead helped us because where we scored 220-odd [that] resulted in a nearly 300-run target.”Sajid Khan and Noman Ali took all of the 20 wickets in the Test•Getty Images
Masood acknowledged the central gamble at the heart of Pakistan’s winning tactic this week though. Perhaps the most important act of the game was the flip of the coin before the first ball was bowled. Ben Stokes called tails, as he always does, and when the coin pointed the other way, the gambit had paid off.The rest was taken care of by two of the spinners they brought in, with Sajid and Noman splitting all 20 wickets between them – the first time two players have been responsible for all opposition wickets since 1972, and just the second time in Pakistan’s history. In the second innings, no other bowler even turned their arm over as England were wrapped up in 33.3 overs.”Today, we were solely focused on how to take eight wickets,” Masood said. “Since I’ve come in, we’ve had no issue taking risks. We’ve tried to play cricket that brings results, and we’ve lost a lot of matches doing that, too. When the selection committee came in, all of us had one concern: to take 20 wickets. We’d only taken 20 wickets once in my tenure. We looked at conditions and realised playing on a used surface and giving spinners an advantage [could work]. We thought why not try something different.”You’ll have to give credit to Noman and Sajid, the way they came back. It looked like two seasoned campaigners were bowling for Pakistan. These risks need to be taken to try and take 20 wickets, no matter what kind of pitch we do it on.”It’s been a familiar refrain for Masood this series, one where the result has justified the somewhat extreme methods Pakistan adopted. This is, as he pointed out, just the second time in seven Test matches under his captaincy that Pakistan have managed to take 20 wickets. He said Pakistan would be guided by the most efficient route from hereon, no matter how.It is a subtle departure from the message of belligerent positivity that Masood has preached for the best part of his stint, but at some point, idealism had to be abandoned at the altar of pragmatism. It leaves the question of what Pakistan do in Rawalpindi, a surface that has never been amenable to prodigious turn. And though Masood did say Pakistan would need to understand conditions at each specific venue, there was little attempt to conceal what Pakistan really wanted from the pitch for the third Test.”I would [like it to spin]. I don’t know if I’ve seen it turn in Rawalpindi, so that’s an issue. We’re hoping the sun can play its part and the wicket can be on the drier side. But it remains to be seen. We’ll go there on [Sunday] and have a look. The groundsmen are already there and working on a Test match pitch. We’ll try to create a good Test wicket where both teams can pick up 20 wickets.”
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal says he dreams of following in Lionel Messi's footsteps by winning multiple Ballons d'Or.
Yamal among favourites for 2025 prizeHoping to win title many timesWinner to be announced this monthFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Yamal is among the favourites to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or award after a stellar year for club and country. The Barcelona teenager played a key role for Hansi Flick's Barca side as the Catalan giants won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup in 2024-25.
AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
If Yamal does win the Golden Ball in 2025, he will become the youngest player ever to pick up the prestigious prize. However, he faces stiff competition from PSG star Ousmane Dembele, who helped the French side secure their first ever Champions League trophy as part of a brilliant treble. Yamal has now spoken about the Ballon d'Or and is hoping that he can follow in the footsteps of Barcelona legend Lionel Messi and be named the world's best player multiple times.
WHAT YAMAL SAID
He told Jose Ramon de la Morena‘s podcast : "I don’t dream of winning one Ballon d’Or, but I dream of winning many of them. I believe I am a player capable of achieving that, and if I don’t achieve it, it will be because I didn’t do things the right way, not because I didn’t want to. So, I dream of having many of them, and when the day comes that I get there, I will be very happy, but I will keep winning more and winning with my team and everything."
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?
The winner of the Ballon d'Or will be announced at a ceremony in Paris on September 22. Before then, Yamal will return to action with Barcelona after the international break against Valencia in La Liga on Sunday.
عبر جوليان ألفاريز مهاجم أتلتيكو مدريد عن سعادته بعد قيادة فريقه للفوز بخماسية لهدفين ضد ريال مدريد، على ملعب واندا ميتروبوليتانو في الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.
وقال ألفاريز في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “يوم مميز للغاية، كنا ندرك أهمية هذه المباراة، كونها مباراة ديربي، كنا نسعى لحصد نقاط من الفريق المتصدر”.
وحول ما قاله له سيميوني بين الشوطين أجاب ألفاريز :”سيطرنا على المباراة وسجلنا الهدفين بسرعة كبيرة، لم يتوقف الفريق عن الإيمان بقدراته، في بداية موسم الدوري، أتيحت لنا العديد من الفرص وتكرر الأمر نفسه اليوم لكننا كنا فعالين”.
اقرأ أيضاً.. موعد مباراة ريال مدريد القادمة بعد الهزيمة أمام أتلتيكو مدريد في الدوري الإسباني
وواصل حول ركلة الجزاء التي حصل عليها ضد ريال مدريد: “كل ركلة جزاء هي فرصة جديدة، كنت واضحاً بشأن الفريق، وكان ذلك مهم للغاية لأننا كنا متفوقين”.
وتحدث ألفاريز عن الهدف الرابع الذي سجله من ركلة حرة مباشرة مميزة في شباك كورتوا: “نتدرب من حين لآخر في التدريبات، أتعامل بشكل جيد مع المخالفات، لقد طلب مني نيكو تسديد الكرة، لقد اتخذنا قرارًا صائبًا”.
وختم عن هدف أتلتيكو مدريد في المرحلة القادمة: “سنواصل نفس النهج ونحسن الجوانب التي تحتاج للتحسين، علينا أن نسعى للحفاظ على نظافة شباكنا، لقد خلقنا أكبر عدد من الفرص في الدوري الإسباني وواحد من الأكثر في أوروبا أيضاً، كنا بحاجة لنكون فعالين وهذا ما كنا عليه اليوم، علينا أن نواصل على هذا المنوال”.