Glasgow Rangers face arguably their most important summer in recent memory. Barry Ferguson’s interim spell will finish at the end of the season, which means that the Ibrox side will be looking for a permanent manager.

The news story which has dominated the previous few weeks was whether or not the 49ers Enterprises would finalise their proposed takeover of the club heading into the summer.

The latest on Rangers' prospective takeover by the 49ers

An update given by the Scottish Sun a few days ago stated that Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers have secured the required shares to complete their takeover at Rangers.

The American consortium has acquired 51% of the Gers and is expected to complete the multimillion-pound deal by the end of next month.

Firstly, they will have to bring in a new manager to the club, especially with pre-season looming on the horizon.

After several poor managerial decisions, this next one has to be spot on, otherwise the Gers will continue to see Celtic motor away, hoovering up all the Champions League cash and winning title after title.

A couple of names have been linked with a move to Glasgow, but one stands out among the others, especially with his history…

Will Rangers really appoint Jose Mourinho?

Three Premier Leagues, two Champions Leagues, a La Liga title, two UEFA Cups/Europa League crowns. The list of Jose Mourinho’s achievements in the game are second to very few.

The truth is, he has won just a single trophy since the start of the 2017/18 campaign, and that was the Conference League with AS Roma in May 2022.

He showed plenty of respect when Rangers knocked Fenerbahçe out of the Europa League at the last-16 stage in March, even coming into the dressing room to offer congratulations and wish the squad well going forwards.

Mourinho has always preferred a defensive style of play, and given what the Ibrox support have been witness to in recent years, this won’t exactly be music to their ears, that’s for sure.

Of course, it may lead to more success domestically, but going for a manager who is keen on attacking football and has a proper philosophy would be the ideal appointment for the long-term future.

Mourinho rarely hangs around longer than three seasons, but this team requires a manager who is in it for the long haul. Someone who can build a dynasty that will challenge Celtic over the coming years.

Could Gerrard do it again?

Steven Gerrard now open to a Rangers return

According to TEAMtalk, the Light Blues are after a high-profile manager to take the reins ahead of the 2025/26 season, which means a return for Gerrard is on the cards.

The report goes on to state that the former manager of the Gers would be very open to a return to the club that he managed between 2018 and 2021, winning a single Premiership title during that spell.

His departure in November 2021 was arguably due to the fact that he wasn’t properly backed that summer, having led Rangers to their first domestic title in a decade, yet things would be better this time around.

Gerrard isn’t the only big name that has been mentioned with regard to the job, either. TEAMtalk understands that the aforementioned Mourinho is another manager who would be open to a move to Glasgow, although this would be more difficult to get over the line.

2021/22

22

41

1.86

2020/21

56

141

2.52

2019/20

54

110

2.17

2018/19

60

115

1.9

He has a contract with Fener until 2026, which means the Ibrox side would have to pay substantial compensation to lure him away. His wages would also be an issue.

Mourinho may be the headline name, but his style and combustible nature might not go down too well with the Gers faithful.

Why Rangers return for Gerrard makes sense

Gerrard may have failed at his previous two jobs with Al-Ettifaq and Aston Villa since leaving Glasgow in 2021, but his appointment could mirror that of Celtic bringing Brendan Rodgers back to the club.

The former Liverpool captain may have taken a few years to achieve success at Rangers, but those were spent building a team which could go toe-to-toe with their domestic rivals.

Throughout his three-year spell with the club, Gerrard won seven of his 12 games against Celtic, losing just four. Two of those came during his first season when his squad was arguably at its weakest.

A lack of success against the Parkhead outfit is why the fans turned on managers such as Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale and finally Phillipe Clement. Gerrard certainly wouldn’t be fazed by Rodgers’ side, that much is certain.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

His preferred system is a 4-3-3, which worked wonders for him, especially during the title-winning 2020/21 campaign.

Alfredo Morelos was often flanked by Ryan Kent on the left and Joe Aribo or Ianis Hagi on the right. Steven Davis and Glen Kamara operated at the heart of the midfield and provided superb defensive support.

Add in the likes of Connor Goldson and Filip Helander at the centre of the defence and Allan McGregor in goal, it was perhaps no wonder the club conceded just 13 goals throughout the entire campaign in the league.

This sort of formation would work wonders with the current squad, especially as Gerrard would hopefully get free rein in the transfer market to bring in his own transfer targets ahead of next season.

Much will depend on other managers who may become linked and show interest in the role over the next few weeks, but at this moment in time, Gerrard is the one who stands out.

He knows the club, knows how to beat Celtic on a regular basis and more importantly, knows how to win a league championship.

These three factors could prove to be a massive advantage when it comes to staking his claim for a return to the Glasgow side. Will it happen? Only time will tell.

Worse signing than Propper: Rangers must finally axe forgotten Ibrox flop

Rangers must ensure their transfer business is solid this summer

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 20, 2025

تحدث الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش، المدير الفني لفريق بيراميدز، عن مواجهة الغد أمام الأهلي السعودي، المقرر لها ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الإنتركونتيننتال، مؤكداً سعادته بالمستوى الذي وصل إليه فريقه.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي بيراميدز مع الأهلي السعودي، مساء غد الثلاثاء في تمام التاسعة مساءً، على ملعب الإنماء (الجوهرة المشعة) بمدينة جدة.

وقال كرونسلاف يورتشيتش في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “بالطبع لم يكن أحد يتوقع يوما لنادي بيراميدز أن يحقق دوري الأبطال في هذه المدة واللعب في كأس العالم والإنتركونتننتال، ولكن الحلم أصبح واقعًا والآن نحن نلعب في هذا المستوى ولدينا فرصة للوصول إلى نقطة أبعد”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيفا يُعلن حكم مباراة بيراميدز والأهلي السعودي في كأس إنتركونتيننتال

وتابع: “طالبت اللاعبين بضرورة إظهار قوتهم في مواجهة خصم قوي أمام جماهيره ولابد من إظهار الشغف والقتال من أجل الفوز والوصول إلى مرحلة اللعب في قطر وإضافة إنجاز جديد وبطولة هامة في تاريخ نادي بيراميدز وكرة القدم المصرية”.

وأوضح: “نادي الأهلي سبق لي اللعب أمامه عندما كنت مدربا للنصر السعودي وحاليا هو فريق قوي للغاية ويمتلك لاعبين رائعين ومدرب رائع وجماهير ضخمة، وبالفعل شاهدت آخر مباراتين في دوري أبطال آسيا والدوري السعودي وأظهروا قوة كبيرة ورد فعل قوي ولكن في النهاية أنا أثق بشدة في لاعبي بيراميدز وقدرتهم على الفوز”.

وحول فارق الإمكانيات المالية بين بيراميدز والأهلي السعودي قال: “المال مهم بالفعل في كرة القدم ولكنه ليس أهم شيء، وفي النهاية الملعب هو الفيصل في حسم المباريات”.

واختتم: “بيراميدز بالفعل يعاني من بعض الغيابات في صفوفه ولكن في النهاية المجموعة جاهزة وأنا أثق فيهم بشدة، وأهنئ في النهاية الشعب السعودي بيوم المملكة السعودية الذي يتوافق مع نفس يوم اللقاء”.

“We’ll see,” he said after the loss to Australia. “Obviously you go to Asia [later this year], the make-up of the side changes”

Alex Malcolm11-Mar-20241:23

Southee: ‘Changing times for NZ as a Test side’

Tim Southee has conceded there’s no guarantee he will captain New Zealand’s next set of Test matches when they head to the subcontinent for to face Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and India later in the year.Southee cut a dejected figure after a heartbreaking three-wicket loss to Australia in Christchurch. New Zealand had Australia 34 for 4 and 80 for 5 defending 278, but were unable to finish the job as Alex Carey, Mitchell Marsh and Pat Cummins guided the visitors home.It means New Zealand’s 13-year winless streak in Tests against Australia is set to extend while their 31-year drought at home against their neighbour becomes interminable with no future tour scheduled at the moment.Southee put his own form under the microscope before his 100th Test, at Hagley Oval, saying he had not taken the wickets he would have liked. He took just four for the series even as Matt Henry, Ben Sears and Will O’Rourke all bowled impressively throughout.Related

Southee's endurance and adaptability to the fore in unique landmark

India and Australia are still the top dogs in Test cricket

Carey, Marsh carry Australia home in tense finish at Hagley Oval

Cummins: Someone stood up and made themselves a matchwinner

Carey second to Gilchrist, New Zealand's first home series defeat since 2017

Southee captained New Zealand’s most recent Tests in Bangladesh last year when they only picked two seamers and he is aware that his position is vulnerable.”We’ll see,” Southee said. “Obviously you go to Asia, the make-up of the side changes slightly with spin becoming the main threat in that part of the world. But we’ll see when we get there. We’ll deal with this tonight and look to move forward to what’s to come.”Southee’s captaincy came under the microscope on day four in Christchurch as Australia wriggled their way out of trouble.He opted not to bowl Glenn Phillips until the last over before lunch after Marsh and Carey had already reached their half-centuries and the pair had shared a 94-run unbeaten stand. Phillips had picked up both men already in the series, including Carey twice. He almost had Marsh out lbw on the stroke of lunch but was saved by an inside edge.Southee said there was enough there for the seamers that enticed him to stick with pace through the first 90 minutes of the rain-shortened session.”Hindsight is a wonderful thing,” Southee said. “But I think the amount of times we went past the bat in that first session, we felt that seam was the option. We created a few chances through that first session. I think we felt that seam was the right move.”He also defended the selection of Scott Kuggeleijn who only bowled three overs in the second innings despite being selected as a specialist bowler. Kuggeleijn only conceded 10 runs off the bat but his maiden included critical extras of four byes and six leg byes from three balls that were angled down the leg side.”He’s been a been a standout performer at domestic level,” Southee said. “He added a very valuable 40-odd runs for us batting in that No.8 position and when you play the four seamers you’re looking for someone who can bat a bit.”Scott’s got a handful of first-class hundreds and we saw how valuable that 40-odd runs were.”Disappointing with the ball. But I think he’s still chimed in with a couple of important wickets in the first Test in Wellington and 40-odd runs here. It’s tough for everyone to play a role at times.”Southee also refused to blame his side’s fielding as a reason for the loss. They dropped critical catches in Wellington and Rachin Ravindra’s drop of Marsh in the second over on Monday morning proved very costly.Marsh was 28 at the time and went on to make 80. Although Southee did note that without the drop, which also cost a single, they may not have got Travis Head out next ball.”Guys don’t mean to drop catches,” Southee said. “Everyone works hard on the fielding. Obviously that one went down early in the day. But if we take that then we don’t get the wicket the next ball and who’s to say Head doesn’t go on and have an innings like Marsh. You look back on a number of things. But the guys work hard on their fielding.”Southee denied his side had a mental block against Australia but he couldn’t put his finger on why they continued to struggle in the crunch moments against them.”I’m not too sure,” Southee said. “They’re a tough side to beat, not only in Australia, but when they travel as well.”I think when you play the best you’ve got to be at your best for those periods, that little bit longer. We had moments through both Test matches where we could have been a little bit better at times and then things could have been slightly different. But it was just another great Test and there’s been plenty of those over the last few years.”

But there was still the feeling he bowled a little too short, especially with the first new ball when Trent Boult and Tim Southee had pitched theirs up with devastating effect

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch31-Mar-2018A lot can change in a week. Just ask David Warner, Steven Smith, Cameron Bancroft and Darren Lehmann. In a less dramatic way, things have changed for Stuart Broad. Or actually, in a sense, they haven’t.In the build-up to the Auckland Test there was a strong indication that he would lose the new ball role he has held, largely without interruption, since 2013. Then England were bowled out for 58 and there was no time to try something new. Broad took the new ball alongside James Anderson.

‘Felt in the best rhythm I have for a couple of years’

Stuart Broad said his second-day performance in Christchurch was as well as he had bowled since his 6 for 17 against South Africa in Johannesburg more than two years ago. Broad took 4 for 38, moving ahead of Curtly Ambrose in the all-time list, to give England the advantage having spent a lot of time working on his action before this series.
“I’ve a had a couple of four-fors since then, but don’t think I’ve created as many plays and misses and chances. Today, I hit length hard, I was snapping into it. That gives me a lot of confidence and it proves, at the most basic form, that a bit of a hard work really pays off.
“I felt in the best rhythm I have for a couple of years. I was rubbish in Australia, to be honest. It was the lack of bounce I was getting because of my wrist. Everything about my bowling today, I felt in full control. The ball was bouncing through, it had pace, it was nipping. It’s quite an exciting place to be. When you see improvements over a short period of time it gives you a lot of energy.”

His 400th Test wicket, when Tom Latham clipped to midwicket, was one of the more subdued landmark moments you could see but there were small signs that the work he had put in during the alone hours in the Trent Bridge indoor school were paying off. There was a little bit more zip and bounce than in Australia and he was better aligned to the right-handers.But there was still the feeling he bowled a little too short, especially with the first new ball when Trent Boult and Tim Southee had pitched theirs up with devastating effect. The length of England’s new-ball bowlers has often been a gripe and was never more evident than the first afternoon of the Adelaide Ashes Test when Joe Root had put Australia in and watched his senior duo waste conditions.Two days before the second Test in Christchurch, Root had a long meeting with his bowlers which ran well past the end of an already lengthy training session. There have been a lot of meetings in the last few days. What was said will probably remain behind closed doors, but it would be a surprise if pitching the ball up had not been on the agenda.If it wasn’t, and the second morning in Christchurch was just Anderson and Broad thinking on their feet, then you would have to wonder why they couldn’t have done it before.The effect of pushing the ball full was almost instant and for Broad made for his most impressive spell since the start of the Ashes. He drew Latham onto the front foot, finding the outside edge as the opener looked to drive, then pushed one out a touch wider to Ross Taylor who couldn’t resist a flat-footed flash which sent a catch to Alastair Cook at first slip. The scalp of Taylor will have been especially satisfying as it continued a hold Broad has had over him throughout their contests together. This was the 10th time he had dismissed Taylor in 14 Tests.A full length also soon defeated Henry Nicholls, the ball nipping past the inside edge to take the back pad. CricViz analysis during Broad’s first spell showed at one point he was pitching 37% of his deliveries in a full-length area compared to 30% normally – the difference in length was calculated at 30cm.Bowlers have a natural length and it can be difficult to adjust at the drop of a hat, but when Broad gains the success he did pitching it up. it is a wonder why it hasn’t been his default. When Broad went through a previous struggle in 2011 it came during a time when he was given the ‘enforcer’ tag which led him to bowling too short. After a lean series against Sri Lanka that summer, he then pitched the ball up against India and took 25 wickets in four Tests at 13.84.”To go away and play for Notts and get a five-for pitching the ball up a week before the Test gave me a lot of confidence,” he said at the time. “That was how I wanted to bowl in this series but then for it to happen straight away at Lord’s, to pick up four wickets and could have potentially had more, that length showed me the way to go.”This time, the problems, Broad believed, had been caused by bowling so much round the wicket to the left handers. Leading into this series, having worked hard to make small corrections, Broad spoke about having plenty of legs in him at Test level. “I’m in a place now where I feel like I can do quite a bit of damage as a bowler again,” he said. Whether the new-ball talk was a ploy to get the competitive juices flowing or not, it may now be a little while before the Anderson-Broad partnership is broken.The new-ball burst didn’t last long enough to be classed as a return to the streaks that made him such a devastating bowler up until early 2016, but there were signs that he still has some more in him. However, late in the day, with England having endured a 142-run partnership between BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme, Broad returned and struck with his second ball. How? Yes, it was a full delivery that got the batsman driving. Saturday’s performance wasn’t a case of teaching an old(ish, by fast bowling standards) dog new tricks, but reminding him of the ones that make him most effective.

Kent and Somerset look to be heading for a draw in the Vitality County Championship at Canterbury after the visitors reached 374 for 7 at stumps on day three.Tom Lammonby hit 90 and Matt Renshaw 66 as the visitors survived an early evening wobble to overhaul Kent’s first innings score of 284. Kent debutants Matt Parkinson and George Garrett took 2 for 116 and 2 for 61 respectively, but a stand of 101 between Kasey Aldridge and James Rew gave Somerset a potentially useful lead of 90.Aldridge was unbeaten on 50 while Rew made 57 before he was out in surreal circumstances following a delay caused by a rogue mobilty-scooter.The draw always looked the most likely outcome after 119 overs were lost to the elements on days one and two, but if Kent were going to force the issue they needed to exploit the new ball.They couldn’t. Sean Dickson was on four when he edged Wes Agar between second and third slip, but both Daniel Bell-Drummond and Jack Leaning went for the catch and neither managed to hang on.Dickson failed to cash in, edging Garrett to Leaning for 17, but that was the only bright moment for the hosts during an otherwise joyless morning session that ended with Somerset on 108 for 1.Lammonby played with restrained elegance, although he reached his fifty with a streakily edged four off Garrett.Renshaw was then dropped on 58 off Parkinson when Joe Denly couldn’t hang on to a diving chance at mid on. Parkinson, however, broke through in his next over, conjuring a ball that pitched outside off and spun viscously back into Renshaw’s middle stump.If that was the only wicket of the afternoon session, Parkinson’s unbroken 25-over spell at least offered home fans hope that this season might offer something more than the toil of the previous campaign.He lobbed in the occasional bad ball but always looked like making something happen and, in the second over after tea, he duped Lammonby into a swipe that was grabbed by Ben Compton at square leg.A mini-collapse ensued as Tom Banton smacked Garrett for six but was caught behind off the next ball for 28 and Lewis Goldsworthy fell to the new ball, driving Nathan Gilchrist to Joey Evison at extra cover for 35.Lewis Gregory made just one when he cut Wes Agar to Daniel Bell-Drummond and at that point Somerset were on 255 for 6. But Aldridge and Rew exploited some average fielding to push Somerset into the lead and give them their first score of over 300 in the first innings of a summer since 2014.The torpor of the late evening was summed up when a man on a mobility scooter dawdled in front of the sight screens and Rew fell to the very next ball, skying Leaning almost vertically before he was caught by Harry Finch.Aldridge then brought up his half-century when he took a single off the final ball of the day from Leaning.

Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus put in a fine all-round show but it wasn’t enough

Vithushan Ehantharajah06-Jun-20244:19

Finch: Berrington showed his experience and class

Scotland produced a stunning run chase to beat Namibia by five wickets in the T20 World Cup 2024. Returning to the Kensington Oval after their washout against England, they achieved a target of 156 with nine balls to spare, securing their first T20I victory over Namibia at the fourth attempt.A 74-run partnership between Richie Berrington and Michael Leask, ultimately, saw Scotland home. Berrington finished 47 not out after Leask injected impetus into the chase with a 17-ball 35.Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus had earlier turned matters in his side’s favour with the ball, taking 2 for 29 after his 52 underpinned their 155 for 9 in the first innings.Erasmus’ decision to win the toss and bat first on what has been an unpredictable Kensington Oval pitch was not immediately vindicated as Namibia found themselves 55 for 4, thanks largely to the excellence of the new ball pair of Brad Wheal and Brad Currie.But Erasmus put the Namibia innings on his back with his 11th fifty-plus T20I score, 37 of which came in a rebuilding stand of 51 with Zane Green for the fifth wicket.Despite losing George Munsey earlier in their chase, Scotland had chipped off 49 midway through the eighth over for the loss of just one. Michael Jones stepped up the gears, scoring 15 of the 18 runs in the final over of the powerplay, but Erasmus returned to the fray with to instigate a collapse.With his wily offspinners at one end, and Bernard Scholtz’s slow left-arm at the other, the pair pocketed three wickets between them as Scotland fell from 49 for 1 to 73 for 4 after 11 overs.It was at that point Leask joined forces with Berrington to take Scotland to the brink with a 42-ball partnership that included seven boundaries, including four sixes from Leask. Though he would fall, Berrington finished the match off in style, carting David Wiese into the pavilion at long on as Scotland triumphed to put them top of the group.Leask the beastHow about that for a cameo? In just 17 balls, Leask turned this chase upside down and inside out. He arrived at a time when the boundaries had dried up, with Scotland requiring 80 from 50 deliveries. By the time he was done, that equation was 9 from 13.After playing out a dot ball first, he was never below a run a ball, and would score off all but one of his next 16. He was the ideal foil for Berrington, who, having been out there from the 10th over, was finally getting to grips with the pitch.Once Berrington had blown the horn on the boundary pursuit with a six and four off consecutive deliveries from Tangeni Lungameni, Leask took the lead. Erasmus was the first to get it, heaved to midwicket for the first of Leask’s four sixes.Then came the killer: a 17th over that went for 19. David Wiese, the hero of Namibia’s Super Over victory over Oman, was treated with disdain, sent over the sponge at cow corner twice by Leask – strikes which sandwiched a Berrington four in the same region.Leask’s final six was his biggest of the lot – reading a slower ball from Ruben Trumpelmann and sending it back with interest over to the leg side for all of 101 meters. The scale of the strike was more than its distance as it took Scotland’s ask to under a run a ball for the first time in the innings.Gerhard Erasmus was stumped one ball after reaching his fifty•Getty Images

Spin shocks JocksAfter Michael Jones had blitzed the sixth over, Erasmus decided to take pace off. Together with Scholtz, they set about pinning Scotland’s middle order down.Erasmus operated exclusively around the wicket, darting his off breaks across the right handers, limiting their scoring by restricting their ability to swing straight. Jones’ half-hearted attempt to do so resulted in a caught behind. An absent-minded Brandon McMullen was then stumped at the second attempt after dancing down the pitch and failing to reclaim his ground with his back foot.Scholtz was subsisting on a wicket-to-wicket line at the other end, a frugal tactic that saw him go for just one boundary. In a bid to break the shackles, Matthew Cross fell lbw attempting to sweep a ball that was a touch too short to sweep. It spoke of the panic Namibia had concocted at the time. After a Powerplay of 43 for 1, the next six overs had produced 35 for 3.Erasmus all-round display in vain”It would be better if had come in a win,” bristled Erasmus at the end of the match. He’s right, of course. For the longest time, it looked like it would.Before his two wickets had tilted the chase Namibia’s way, his 52 from 31 had made the game competitive. The knock was an anomaly in a stodgy batting effort where opener Nikolaas Davin was the only other Namibian top-order batter to strike in excess of 120. Erasmus struck his second ball for six, and his third for four – both coming at the start of the sixth over, as Scotland tried to sneak six balls from Mark Watt in at the end of the powerplay. The point region was peppered throughout, likewise midwicket, for all of his seven boundaries.Who knows how long he could have gone on had he controlled his aggression instead of trying to blast Leask over his head after slog-sweeping him for six the ball before. The strike saw him pass JJ Smit’s record of 51 T20I sixes for Namibia. Had others stood up, he would have been a worthy Player of the Match.Brad Currie struck in the powerplay for Scotland•Getty Images

Currie does it for the medium pacersIn a tournament where the out-and-out quicks are already dominating the column inches, Currie put in a display that showed there is glory to be had with mediums.The 25-year-old has been doing that for a while, both domestically for Sussex and with Scotland, coming into this match with a T20I record of 19 dismissals and an economy rate of 4.94. Those numbers have now moved in different directions after 2 for 16 from his four overs.Currie had the ball on a string throughout, mixing up cutters and the odd cross-seam delivery amongst his stock deliveries. The left-armer’s first two overs utilised the swing on offer with the new ball, assisted by Cross standing up to the stumps to keep Davin and Jan Frylinck honest.While Davin was able to impart his own pace on the ball to strike a four through backward point in the fourth over – the only boundary against Currie – Frylinck played on when attempting to do the same two balls earlier.He returned for the 11th over, before conceding just three runs off the 19th, in which he varied his lengths to prevent the lower order from hitting down the ground. Trumpelmann’s attempt at a six into the wind gave Currie a well-deserved second wicket.

Mexico will face Honduras next Wednesday, July 2, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., in the semifinals of the Gold Cup

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

defeated Saudi Arabia 2–0Gilberto Mora made his official debut for MexicoMexico reached 200 all-time goals in the Gold CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Javier Aguirre evaluated Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the Gold Cup quarterfinals, where they now face Honduras for a spot in the final. Aguirre continues to rotate players and praised their performances.

“They deserved to play. Gilberto Mora and Julián Araujo are two players who earned their spot in training,” said Aguirre during the press conference.

“He is making history. Mora has a great mentality, he is a valuable asset for us. He’s well-mannered, respectful, and eager to learn. He passed the test in his debut,” Aguirre added about Mora, who became the youngest player ever to represent at 16 years and 257 days old.

With this win, “El Vasco” reached 27 victories as Mexico’s head coach in official matches, surpassing Ricardo LaVolpe’s 26, making him the coach with the most wins in the team's history.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT ALEXIS VEGA SAID

“A very controlled match. In the first half, we had a few chances we couldn’t finish, but in the second half, we had a lot of possession. I was fortunate to score. The game against Honduras will be very tough, but we’ll give it our all, and God willing, on Wednesday we’ll be moving on to another final,” said Alexis Vega after the match against Saudi Arabia, where he scored Mexico’s opening goal.

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Mora became the youngest player ever to debut for Mexico in an official match and he acknowledged he was confident his time would come before the moment.

“Honestly, I’ve been enjoying every training session. I knew the opportunity would come eventually, and I think I had a good game," he said. "My teammates gave me a lot of confidence. Edson Álvarez especially told me to just do what I know how to do."

Mora currently plays for Liga MX side Tijuana, where he's made 26 league appearances – scoring two goals.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM?

Mexico will face Honduras next Wednesday, July 2, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., in the semifinals of the Gold Cup. The match will determine one of the finalists of the tournament. Following their victory over Saudi Arabia, Javier Aguirre’s team is scheduled to travel on Sunday to begin preparations for the clash against

Despite positive updates arriving regarding Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool’s future, the Reds are now reportedly willing to offer as much as £87m to sign one of the world’s best defenders.

Fabrizio Romano provides Van Dijk update

Whilst there’s no doubting the fact that Liverpool have endured a fantastic first season under Arne Slot, recent weeks have handed the Dutchman his most difficult spell in charge yet. First exiting the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, Liverpool then lost against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at the same time that Trent Alexander-Arnold’s likely departure stole the headlines.

Making matters worse, Slot’s side failed to make it back-to-back victories on their Premier League return, following their win against Everton with a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Fulham. So, although the title is just four wins away, those at Anfield needed the good news that Fabrizio Romano has just provided.

By sealing new deals for both Salah and Van Dijk, Liverpool would instantly avoid what would be a disastrous start to their summer transfer window. Losing Alexander-Arnold will be a major blow, especially for free, but losing all of the big free at the same time without making any profit would be the ultimate nightmare for those at Anfield.

For now, at least, Van Dijk has remained particularly relaxed over his situation – telling reporters after the Fulham game: “There is progress, yeah. Listen, these are internal discussions and we’ll see.

The next Michael Owen: Liverpool plot move for "phenomenal" £40m striker

Liverpool could be about to land a new version of Michael Owen this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 9, 2025

“I love the club, I love the fans and they were there for us again [at Fulham]. We wanted to reward them, but I ask them to be there again on Sunday and make the stadium an amazing venue like always for us.”

What that recent news will do is allow the Reds to focus on incomings which could yet reportedly include one of the best defenders that European football has to offer.

Liverpool plotting £87m Araujo deal

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now willing to offer a ‘blockbuster’ deal to sign Ronald Araujo worth as much as €100m (£87m) this summer. The Reds reportedly have concrete interest in the Barcelona defender even with Van Dijk set to stay put and could yet form the ultimate partnership between the impressive duo.

Starts

21

31

Progressive Passes

101

152

Tackles Won

22

16

Ball Recoveries

102

97

Although Araujo has missed the majority of the current campaign through a hamstring injury, last season’s numbers suggest that he’d form quite the partnership with Van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.

Having been dubbed “excellent” by Hansi Flick on his return from injury earlier this season, Araujo is certainly a key man for Barcelona. Whether they still decide to ease their financial problems by cashing in on their defender will certainly be interesting, however.

The incident took place during the third over of the Nepal innings in their game against Bangladesh on June 16

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2024Bangladesh fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib has been fined 15% of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct after an altercation with Nepal captain Rohit Paudel during the teams’ meeting in Kingstown on June 16.The incident took place just after the end of the third over of Nepal’s innings, when Tanzim, after bowling a delivery, “walked towards Nepal batter Rohit Paudel in an aggressive manner and made inappropriate physical contact”, according to an ICC release.There were a few words exchanged between the two players followed by plenty of hand gesturing, with the on-field umpire Sam Nogajski having to separate the two. The umpires were also seen having a word with Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto after the incident.Tanzim was found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match”.