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Manchester United's shocking decision to exile Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho has been traced back to one major reason – full backing for Ruben Amorim’s system and authority. The Portuguese manager’s desire to implement his 3-4-2-1 formation without compromise has left the duo surplus to requirements as United prepare for a new era under Amorim.

Rashford, Garnacho exiled to support AmorimMan Utd willing to sell four wingers this summerAmorim backed fully after derby win without duoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United are prepared to offload Rashford and Garnacho, having previously frozen them out of first-team plans under Amorim. The pair were notably dropped for the Manchester derby win at the Etihad just weeks after Amorim took charge. Amorim has since received the club’s full support to reshape the squad in line with his tactical vision.

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Manchester United's willingness to part ways with Rashford, Garnacho, Antony and Jadon Sancho underscores their long-term commitment to Amorim. The manager’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system requires defensive discipline in wide areas – something he felt the quartet lacked. Club chiefs are adamant that no player will be allowed to challenge Amorim’s authority or disrupt his project, as per Manchester Evening News.

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Rashford and Antony were both sent out on loan last season, while Garnacho was told in May that he could leave. The club also attempted to offload Sancho permanently to Chelsea, who declined and instead paid a £5 million ($6.7m) penalty to avoid a full transfer. Meanwhile, all four wingers – along with Tyrell Malacia – reported for pre-season but have been sidelined from the main group.

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United are exploring permanent exits for Rashford, Garnacho and Sancho, though the trio's high wages could complicate matters. Amorim is expected to bring in at least one new forward more suited to his tactical blueprint. With Amorim fully backed, the club’s focus now turns to building a disciplined and positionally flexible squad.

Manchester City officials were reportedly left incredulous after the Premier League approached them with an unexpected request: to collaborate on content with Conor Moore, a comedian known for his satirical sketches that often target the Cityzens and their manager Pep Guardiola. The timing and subject of the proposal left many at the Etihad Stadium shocked, especially as the club remains embroiled in an unresolved legal dispute with the league over 115 alleged financial breaches.

City waiting for ruling on 115 chargesMoore is known for hilarious jabs at GuardiolaPremier League's offer has been turned downFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Conor Moore, an Irish impressionist, has built a following for his humorous takes on football personalities such as Roy Keane, Jurgen Klopp, and Pep Guardiola. However, his portrayals of City, particularly during the ongoing legal saga, have struck a nerve with the Manchester club.

In one sketch, Moore dresses up to impersonate Guardiola at a fictional press conference. When asked about transfer activity, 'Pep' quips, "We have signed four barristers, eight lawyers and a judge," a clear dig at the club’s mounting legal defence costs amid the charges related to breaches of financial regulations. Another video, titled 'Pep Guardiola Goes to Court!!! Man City Charged!', casts Moore as Guardiola again, this time appearing in a courtroom scene.

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Despite the nature of Moore’s previous content, the Premier League suggested that City allow Moore to do live impressions, possibly including Guardiola, in front of their players as part of a light-hearted promotional video. The plan was for the footage to be co-published by both the club and the league as shared content. Unsurprisingly, the club declined the offer, as revealed by the

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City are no strangers to working with comedians or online personalities. They have previously partnered with Troy Hawke – a character created by comedian Milo McCabe – who appeared in a 1930s detective persona to greet players during their U.S. pre-season tour.

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City’s ongoing legal entanglement with the Premier League stems from a comprehensive four-year investigation into their finances, which concluded with charges in February 2023. The case was passed to an independent commission for review, but no public verdict has yet been announced. The club has consistently denied all allegations and insists it has provided irrefutable evidence to prove its compliance. However, with the hearing phase complete and a ruling still pending, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the Premier League giants.

R Ashwin was pulled up for running on the protected area of the pitch on the second morning

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-20243:05

Ashwin on running-on-pitch penalty: ‘My poor motor skills didn’t allow me to get off in time’

England began their first innings in the Rajkot Test on 5 for 0 after India were hit with a five-run penalty because R Ashwin ran on the protected area of the pitch while batting during the first session of day two.India had already received their first and final warning when Ravindra Jadeja was warned for running on the protected area on the first day of the third Test.The law defines the protected area as “that area of the pitch contained within a rectangle bounded at each end by imaginary lines parallel to the popping creases and 5 ft/1.52 m in front of each, and on the sides by imaginary lines, one each side of the imaginary line joining the centres of the two middle stumps, each parallel to it and 1 ft/30.48 cm from it”.The penalty runs were awarded to England during the 102nd over of India’s first innings, when Ashwin pushed the ball towards cover and ran down the pitch before being sent back by Dhruv Jurel. Umpire Joel Wilson had a word with Ashwin, who was upset at being penalised, before signalling the penalty runs.Ashwin later said at the press conference that he was aware of the umpires’ previous warnings but his “poor motor skills” came in the way while he was trying to get off the pitch.”They clearly warned some of our batters yesterday for running on the pitch,” Ashwin said. “I was aware of it, but my poor motor skills didn’t allow me to get off the pitch in time. If if the English media and players think it was on purpose, it wasn’t, if that’s how you want to read it. I don’t think that pitch is breaking because I ran on some… those spikes are really, really thin, like wafer-thin. I went to Joel and Kumar [Dharmasena, umpire], and I said it’s pure, poor motor skills. If I was any better, I would have been in the Olympics. Why play cricket?”Alastair Cook, the former England captain, was of the opinion that it could have been a deliberate, tactical ploy from Ashwin. “Is it deliberate? Yes, it is,” Cook said on TNT Sports. “It’s a tactical ploy that you can disturb the middle of the wicket because Ashwin wants as much help [as possible] when he can bowl. Normally, it happens in the third innings. You’re 150-200 runs ahead and you think, ‘just make sure you get up and down the wicket’… that was gamesmanship there, wasn’t it?”Related

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Law 41.14, which concerns batters damaging the pitch, states: “It is unfair to cause deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch. If the striker enters the protected area in playing or playing at the ball, he/she must move from it immediately thereafter. A batter will be deemed to be causing avoidable damage if either umpire considers that his/her presence on the pitch is without reasonable cause.”If either batter causes deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch, other than as in 41.15, at the first instance the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence. The bowler’s end umpire shall then warn both batters that the practice is unfair and indicate that this is a first and final warning. This warning shall apply throughout the innings. The umpire shall so inform each incoming batter, inform the captain of the fielding side and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of what has occurred.”If there is any further instance of deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch by any batter in that innings, the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence.”The bowler’s end umpire shall disallow all runs to the batting side, return any not out batter to his/her original end, signal no-ball or wide to the scorers if applicable, and award 5 penalty runs to the fielding side.”India were 358 for 7 at the time of the incident, having lost both overnight batters Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja within the first hour of play on the second morning. The five-Test series is tied at 1-1 after England won the first match in Hyderabad and India drew level in Visakhapatnam.

Nick Woltemade has been told stay clear-headed as Stuttgart team-mate Deniz Undav offered support to the striker amid his Bayern Munich transfer saga.

Undav urged Woltemade with calming adviceTold not to stress over chatterBayern move talks spark dressing room concernFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

German prodigy Woltemade is pushing hard for a move to Bayern, but Stuttgart are standing firm on their €65 million (£56m/$75m) valuation. After a stellar U21 Euro campaign, the striker reportedly reached a personal agreement with Bayern, who submitted two formal bids only to see both rejected. Stuttgart are refusing to negotiate unless their asking price is met, and despite Bayern pausing their pursuit for now, Woltemade is growing frustrated.

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Woltemade’s breakout year has triggered major interest, but Stuttgart’s leadership remain defiant. With the DFL-Supercup – which is against Bayern – approaching, the club want their squad settled. Bayern’s reported refusal to submit a third bid signals a potential pause in the saga, but behind the scenes, pressure from Woltemade and his agent may force Stuttgart back to the table. A power play is unfolding, and the tug-of-war could shape both clubs’ summer windows.

WHAT DENIZ UNDAV SAID

Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav has publicly backed teammate Woltemade amid growing tension over a move to Bayern. With the young striker reportedly unsettled and eager to push through a transfer, Undav has stepped in to offer emotional and mental support during a turbulent period. “We all want to help him so he can stay clear-headed,” Undav told . “It’s completely understandable that a player is concerned when FC Bayern calls.”

Undav revealed he had reached out to Woltemade privately ahead of pre-season camp, urging him to block out the noise and stay focused, saying: “Before the training camp, I wrote to him once or twice and told him not to read so much, not to look left and right, and not to worry about whether the fans still like him… He should just not worry too much and just give it his all. 

“He should never forget that we stand behind him, even if he leaves the club. We need him no less now than before, and in the future as well.”

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Despite personal frustration and a muted training camp mood, Woltemade remains under contract with Stuttgart. Unless Bayern raise their offer to asking price, no progress is expected. For now, Stuttgart hold the upper hand, but if the striker’s mood worsens or Bayern reignite their push, this saga could explode again before the Supercup kicks off.

Yash Dayal held his nerve and gave away just seven runs in the final over to help RCB seal a thriller

S Sudarshanan18-May-20242:47

‘Kohli left CSK bowlers frustrated’

Virat Kohli was nearly in tears. Faf du Plessis could not contain his joy. MS Dhoni was nowhere to be seen after the game. All of it summed up the drama of the night in Bengaluru, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won their sixth game on the trot in IPL 2024 to knock Chennai Super Kings (CSK) out and make the playoffs.RCB have been in this situation many times – needing a win in their last league match to make it to the knockouts. They were at the same venue last year, where they managed to post a tall score featuring a Kohli century, only for a Shubman Gill ton to overshadow it all and knock them out. On Saturday, they found themselves in a similar situation again.RCB were asked to bat first. They posted 218 and needed to win by at least 18 runs to knock CSK out. They were helped by blazing starts from Kohli and du Plessis with cameos from Rajat Patidar and Cameron Green.Related

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Stats – RCB do six in a row, and Kohli does it in sixes

Ball-by-ball – Ferguson and Dayal deny Dhoni and Jadeja in dramatic finish

CSK came within touching distance. They needed 10 off the last two balls to qualify with Ravindra Jadeja, the batter who hit a six and four to win CSK their fifth title last year, on strike. But Yash Dayal bowled two off-pace length balls to deny Jadeja and CSK. This was after being taken for a massive six on the first ball of the last over by MS Dhoni, and then using the back-of-the-hand slower one to have him caught at deep square leg.CSK hopes dipped at that moment and RCB never let them back.Kohli, du Plessis and the rain breakKohli has reinvented himself this season like none other. He is leading not just the pack of run-scorers this season (708) but also that of six-hitters with 37 to his name. Tushar Deshpande delivered a couple of length ball that he duly deposited into the stands. Du Plessis also struck one off Shardul Thakur when rain hit pause on RCB’s charge at 31 for 0 in three overs.The 40-minute intervention seemed to have changed the track, with both Maheesh Theekshana and Mitchell Santner bowling seven dots in the two overs since resumption. RCB finished the powerplay at 42 for none, their joint-lowest score this season alongside the 42 for 3 they made against CSK in the season opener.Kohli tried to break the shackles with sixes off Santner and Ravindra Jadeja but holed out to wide long-on. Du Plessis, though, hit two sixes and a four of a Jadeja over to get to a 35-ball fifty after being on 29 off 28 at one point.Patidar, Green and a tall finishThat Patidar takes down spin is an open secret, and he proved it with a massive hit over long-off off Theekshana, who was the most economical CSK bowler. But he loves playing fast bowlers more. And that facet came to the fore with the ease he hit Simarjeet Singh for a four and six off successive balls. He continued his unhindered strokeplay against Deshpande and Thakur to super-charge RCB’s progress, along with Green, who showed his power game to full effect.Green slapped Simarjeet through point before hammering Theekshana straight down the ground. He then hit Thakur for back-to-back sixes as RCB crossed 200 for the sixth time this season, becoming the third team to do so in an IPL season.The result? CSK leaked 63 at the death (overs 17 to 20), the most they conceded in the phase in the entire season. The presence of dew meant they were not able to grip the ball and use the assistance the pitch had, especially when off-pace length balls were dug in.Dinesh Karthik and Mohammed Siraj celebrate RCB’s win•BCCIRavindra and Jadeja, the bright spots in the chaseAfter Glenn Maxwell, brought back in place of Will Jacks, struck first ball to have Ruturaj Gaikwad caught at short fine leg. Dayal then had Daryl Mitchell miscue to wide mid-off. CSK’s charge in the powerplay was led by Rachin Ravindra, with some assistance from Ajinkya Rahane.Rahane targeted Dayal and hit a six and two perfectly-timed fours off him. He added 66 off 41 for the third wicket with Ravindra, whose gameplan seemed quite simple – to slice the length balls square through off.Like he did and succeeded against Maxwell in the first over. He would use even the slightest of width – like Mohammed Siraj provided in the fourth over – to thrash it through point, while the short-of-good-length ones would either be ramped over short third or heaved through midwicket. He brought up his half-century off 31 balls and looked good to be the difference, before a mix-up with Shivam Dube saw him be run out.Thereon, dew was a constant presence in the middle, which made RCB reluctant to bowl spin. That helped Ravindra Jadeja, who walked in after Ravindra’s dismissal, to get into the groove quickly. An off drive against Green got him going before hit a six each of Dayal, Siraj and Lockie Ferguson. Despite middling almost everything, it was not enough to see the side through.Contrasting middle oversIn hindsight, the middle overs proved to be the difference between the two teams. It was the phase in which Patidar and Green showed RCB the way. It was the phase were RCB scored boundaries at will. It was the phase that set them up for a tall final flourish with the bat.RCB scored 113 runs in overs 7 to 16, and lost just two wickets. But CSK could not quite capitalise in the phase, and could score only 80. What’s more, they lost four wickets in the phase, one each in the 12th, 13th and the 14th to be devoid of any momentum. One of those was all du Plessis’ brilliance. Mitchell Santner had creamed a lofted off drive off Siraj that seemed to clear mid-off. But du Plessis swiftly moved to his right and timed his leap perfectly to pluck out a one-handed stunner. CSK, as a result, went from 115 for 3 to 129 for 6 in the space of 13 balls.It prompted Dhoni to walk out to bat at the earliest point this season. And even his 25 off 13 was not enough for a possible fairytale ending, if it indeed is one.

Roberto De Zerbi has explained his touchline clash with Unai Emery following Marseille's fiery 3-1 friendly win over Aston Villa. The tension boiled over after Mason Greenwood's bust-up with Tyrone Mings, with the OM boss revealing he 'didn't like' Emery complaining about his players.

Greenwood clash with Mings sparks mass melee in friendlyDe Zerbi unhappy with Emery’s criticism of Marseille playersExchanged words after tense gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The bad blood began when Greenwood’s late challenge on Amadou Onana sparked a melee between both sets of players. Mings intervened, grabbing Greenwood by the collar, which tore the striker’s shirt as tempers flared. The hostility carried on after the final whistle, with Emery and De Zerbi exchanging words on the touchline.

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Speaking to the media about what incited his shouting match with Emery during the tense match, De Zerbi said: "The match was tense, but that’s also what the people came to see. They paid to come; they could have gone to the beach, but they came to the Velodrome. Unai? He complained about my players, and I didn’t like that. It’s up to me to talk to them; the opposing manager has to take care of his players."

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While only a pre-season friendly, the game had the intensity of a competitive fixture. De Zerbi’s comments highlight his belief in defending his players from outside criticism, which he has often done over the course of his career.

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Marseille will aim to channel that fiery spirit into their Ligue 1 campaign. Villa, meanwhile, will hope to avoid carrying any despair from the loss into their own domestic preparations.

Jess Carter suffered online abuse at Euro 2025 and has revealed she worried Lauren James would be targeted if she failed from the spot at Euro 2025.

Lionesses win Euro 2025 in SwitzerlandCarter suffered abuse during campaignWorried team-mates would also be targetedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Carter admitted she was "super scared to play" for England at Euro 2025 after receiving vile abuse during the tournament. The Lionesses star has now revealed how she felt relieved to see some of her white team-mates join Lauren James in missing penalties against Sweden in England's quarter-final shoot-out win.

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Carter says that she feared James would receive "astronomical" levels of abuse if she had been the only black player to miss. The defender also opened up on her experience in Switzerland and how the abuse she received affected her and her family.

WHAT CARTER SAID

Carter told ITN: "It's horrible to say but it's almost like a sigh of relief when other players that weren't black missed a penalty, because the racism that would have come with LJ [Lauren James] being the only one that missed would have been astronomical. It's not because we want them to fail – it's about knowing how it's going to be for us [black England players] if we miss."

The Lionesses star also spoke about the impact: "It makes you feel really small. It makes you feel like you're not important, that you're not valuable. It makes you second guess everything that you do – it's not a nice place to be. It doesn't make me feel confident going back on to the pitch. My family was so devastated by it as well and so sad."

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Wiegman's side are back in action in November when they play a friendly against China at Wembley.