Chelsea boss Enzo Marseca has explained the reasoning behind his decision to leave Reece James on the bench in the Blues' Conference League triumph.
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Reece James left on bench for UECL final
Came on at half-time as Chelsea won 4-1
Maresca explains decision to bench James
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Chelsea's decision to drop James to the bench for their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis raised a lot of eyebrows, especially after the West London side conceded an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
As Chelsea continued to struggle to dominate Manuel Pellegrini's Real Betis through the first half, Maresca decided to bring James on at half-time in place of Malo Gusto. The Blues' substitutions, along with Los Verdiblancos' drop off in the second half, helped Maresca's side go on to grab a massive four-goal comeback to clinch the Europa Conference League title with a 4-1 win at Stadion Miejski. The Italian coach has now explained why he decided to leave James on the bench for the start of the clash.
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WHAT MARESCA SAID
Speaking to the media, Maresca said: "I promise you, I would always start with Reece. But I’m trying to protect him. He’s a top player for us. It’s like Cole, the problem is we need to manage him. When we changed him, he said to me, 'Boss, don’t worry, we’re going to win the game'."
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WHAT NEXT FOR JAMES?
Maresca's decision to keep the injury-prone Chelsea captain on the bench could be influenced by the fact that the Blues' season is not yet over, as they will travel to the United States next month for the Club World Cup. James is expected to be a certain starter for Maresca through the competition.
Glasgow Rangers may have shown their fighting spirit during their comeback victory in midweek, but this was severely lacking at Ibrox this afternoon.
Barry Ferguson had led the Gers to league titles and a plethora of domestic honours on the pitch at Ibrox, deserving of an excellent reception ahead of the clash against Motherwell.
However, it was a different atmosphere at full-time, as the club suffered a dismal 2-1 defeat to the Steelmen. The away side scored twice in the opening 30 minutes courtesy of Luke Armstrong and Tom Sparrow, and they were deserving of their lead at the break.
Cyriel Dessers scored within 10 minutes of the restart and they had a goal disallowed late on. The defeat was the club’s sixth of the Scottish Premiership campaign – hardly the best preparation ahead of the Europa League clash against Fenerbahçe on Thursday.
Rangers' best and worst performers vs Motherwell
In truth, Mohamed Diomande was arguably the only player who looked up for the task. The midfielder made three key passes during his time on the pitch, while succeeding with 100% of his dribbles and taking three shots in total.
Diomande also won 100% of his total duels contested in what was a solid display despite the final score.
Rangers v Motherwell: Key statistics
Metric
Highest-ranked
Accurate passes
James Tavernier (67)
Key passes
Mohamed Diomande and Vaclav Cerny (3)
Tackles
Kai Andrews (4)
Shots on target
Mohamed Diomande (2)
Ground duels won
Callum Slattery and Jefte (7)
Via Sofascore
Elsewhere, there wasn’t much to shout about. Dessers may have scored yet again, but he only managed to complete 15 passes and take 34 touches throughout the 90 minutes.
At the back, James Tavernier and Robin Propper failed to prevent Motherwell from scoring and lost possession 18 times between them in what was a poor showing from the duo.
Cyriel Dessers
Ferguson made three subs at half-time, bringing off Hamza Igamane, Propper and Ianis Hagi. It was the Romanian who failed to showcase his true talents, which could have turned the game.
Ianis Hagi's game in numbers v Motherwell
Hagi was deployed on the left of a four-man midfield as Ferguson opted to use a 4-4-2 system at Ibrox this afternoon, but this tactical tweak failed to have the desired effect.
Hagi took 44 touches during the first half, yet lost possession 15 times in total, failing to make anything positive happen. He even completed fewer accurate passes than Jack Butland (19 v 21) during his spell on the pitch.
He had one shot off target, delivered just two accurate crosses from 10 attempts and succeeded with only 50% of his dribble attempts during the first half.
Ianis Hagi
There is no doubt that the attacking midfielder has shown glimpses of his talents since returning to the fold in October, but this will be a match he will look to forget.
Having been awarded a match rating of 4/10 by Ibrox News, Hagi was also criticised by journalist Michael McEwan on X, who said:
“I’ve been critical of him recently but Mo Diomande is the only Rangers player who looks worthy of the jersey today. The rest have been 3/10 at best. Jefte, Cerny, Ridvan and Hagi have been unspeakably bad.”
Ferguson will have to get back to the drawing board, especially as a trip to Turkey awaits in a few days.
49ers Group have a "dream appointment" to succeed Barry Ferguson at Rangers
He could be a popular choice among the Gers fanbase.
With the January transfer window now closed and plenty of reinforcements ready to make an instant impact, Aston Villa could now reportedly turn their attention towards a South American gem.
Aston Villa transfer news
The Villans entered January with the aim of making improvements all throughout their squad and by the end of the window, they had done just that. Boosting their backline by signing both Axel Disasi and Andres Garcia, those in the Midlands also strengthened in attack with Marcus Rashford, Donyell Malen and Marco Asensio – albeit at the cost of Jhon Duran who left for Al-Nassr.
Of course, time will tell whether their business has been worthwhile, but on paper it certainly looks as though Unai Emery’s squad has been boosted by welcoming much-needed depth. So much so that they’ve got the chance to focus on the addition of future stars when the summer transfer window arrives.
According to The Boot Room, Aston Villa could now join the race to sign Agustin Ruberto alongside the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, with representatives already in Venezuela for the South American U20 Championship.
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The 19-year-old striker has already scored twice for Argentina at the tournament, including in a 6-0 thrashing of Brazil in the opening game of the group stage. Now, he will have his sights set on repeating the feat in the final stage and helping Argentina to eventual victory.
Meanwhile, Villa and others will continue to watch on and take notes on a rising South American star who could yet be destined for the Premier League sooner rather than later.
"Electric" Ruberto is one to watch
For any Premier League side, the task for their scouts should be in Venezuela with a wealth of talent on show at the U20 South American Championship, including Ruberto.
The 6’1 teenager has already made his mark and has been earning the praise of Ben Mattinson for some time. The South American football expert even went as far as to describe Ruberto as a “physical” striker with “instinctive finishing” and “electric pace” last April.
The likes of Brighton & Hove Albion have benefitted in the past by jumping ahead of Premier League rivals and discovering the next big South American star. Now, Aston Villa could do the same to replace Duran and welcome the future of Emery’s frontline.
As the U20 Championship continues, Ruberto will remain one of the most exciting prospects to watch as he looks to add to his two-goal tally for Argentina. As for Villa, they’re already thinking about the summer and will be eagerly anticipating their reports from the ongoing tournament.
So far, Rafael Fernandes, a 22-year-old centre-back is the Light Blues’ sole winter arrival, despite the fact Philippe Clement’s side sit a whopping ten points adrift run-away Premiership leaders Celtic, having played a game more.
Rangersmanager PhilippeClement
Their title hopes are all but mathematically over, but there’s still plenty to play for, given the Gers’ involvement in the Scottish Cup and the Europa League, welcoming Belgian outfit Royale Union Saint-Gilloise to Ibrox for a crucial European tie on Thursday.
Due to numerous injuries, Clement has been forced to name makeshift back-lines on multiple occasions this season, so could Rangers re-sign a former centre-back to bolster his options?
Rangers looking to re-sign a defender
According to Timo Rizzi of Swiss online newspaper Watson, Rangers have now ‘made an offer’ to FC Zürich, as they attempt to re-sign defender Nikola Katić, who ‘wants to leave’ Switzerland this month.
Zürich boss Ricardo Moniz claims his side are yet to receive any offers for Katić, but former Rangers defender Craig Moore urges his former club to re-sign the “big, solid defender” who he describes as a former “fans’ favourite” from his time in Glasgow.
Katić was one of the very first players signed by Steven Gerrard when he took over as Rangers manager in 2018, arriving from Slaven Belupo Koprivnica for a reported fee of £2m.
The highlight of his Rangers career, unquestionably, was heading home the winner at Parkhead in 2019, as the Light Blues won an away Old Firm derby for the first time in nine years.
Nikola Katic
How Nikola Katić's return could help Rangers
In total, Katić made just 59 appearances across four seasons in Govan, not featuring at all between 8 March 2020 and 11 August 2021, a period of 521 days, after suffering a “career-threatening anterior cruciate ligament”, thereby loaned out to Hajduk Split the same month as his return, before joining Zürich a year later, upon the expiration of his contract.
Since the centre-back was last bedecked in red, white and blue, a lot has changed, not least his nationality.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Katić earned one cap for Croatia, featuring during a friendly against Mexico at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in May 2017.
However, he was then never called up again so, in 2024, he switched his allegiance to Bosnia & Herzegovina, the country of his birth, debuting against England in a pre-Euros friendly at St James’ Park, starting all six of the Golden Lilies’ fixtures in June, September and October, before sitting out the November’s Nations League double-header.
Meantime, he’s made 86 appearances for Zürich across the last two and a half seasons, established as a regular in their defence, albeit he’s sat out their last two Swiss Super League matches, against Yverdon Sport and Luzern, potentially due to ongoing transfer speculation.
So, could the now-Bosnian defender be returning to Govan and would he be a good signing? The answer is yes.
As alluded to earlier, Rangers have not had a settled centre-back pairing all season, yet to properly replace Connor Goldson, who departed for Aris Limassol in the summer.
When fit, John Souttar would be first choice, with veteran Leon Balogun or summer signing Robin Pröpper his most frequent partner, so let’s examine how Katić compares to that duo.
Appearances
86
54
109
Minutes
7,512
3,739
9,037
Pass completion %
85%
75.6%
82.5%
Ball recoveries per 90
0.39
2.33
0.37
Interceptions per 90
1.3
2
1.6
Tackles won per 90
1
1.3
1.2
% of dribbles tackled
50%
73.3%
57.1%
% of aerial duals won
72.2%
58.5%
50%
As outlined in the table, since the start of the 2022/23 season, Katić comes out on top when it comes to passing and % of aerial duals won, and he compares favourably to both Balogun and Pröpper in most metrics, such as tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries.
Also, during this very long timeframe, the Bosnian has racked up almost twice as many minutes as the Nigerian suggesting, unlike his previous stint in Glasgow, he can be available for a prolonged period, a valuable ability considering Rangers’ constant defensive injury crisis.
Katić’s aerial prowess particularly stands out so, if Rangers are able to re-sign the centre-back this month, it appears to be a move worth making.
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أحرز كيليان مبابي هدف التعادل لصالح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، أمام ريال مايوركا في اللقاء الذي يجمعهما بمنافسات الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “لاليجا”.
ويواجه ريال مدريد نظيره ريال مايوركا، في الجولة 36 من الدوري الإسباني، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.
اقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | فالينت يسجل هدف ريال مايوركا الأول أمام ريال مدريد في الدوري الإسباني
ونجح مهاجم ريال مدريد، كيليان مبابي، في تسجيل الهدف الأول لفريقه في اللقاء عند الدقيقة 68 من عمر المباراة.
هدف أصحاب الأرض جاء بعدما تلقى مبابي تمريرة حاسمة من لوكا مودريتش، ليقوم المهاجم الفرنسي باستلام الكرة والتسديد بقوة داخل منطقة الجزاء، معلناً تسجيل هدف التعادل للنادي الملكي.
وافتتح مارتن فالينت التسجيل لصالح ريال مايوركا بحلول الدقيقة 11، عبر تسديدة يسارية قوية سكنت شباك تيبو كورتوا.
وفي حال فوز ريال مدريد في مواجهة اليوم سيرتفع رصيده إلى النقطة 78 ليعزز تواجده في المركز الثاني بـ ترتيب الدوري الإسباني. هدف تعادل ريال مدريد أمام ريال مايوركا بـ الدوري الإسباني
مبابي يصل لـ40 هدف هذا الموسم! 🔥#مبابي #ريال_مدريد #الدوري_الإسباني pic.twitter.com/b512CZ7kwd — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) May 14, 2025
Ashleigh Gardner a big gainer across all three charts after key contributions in both Australia’s games so far
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2022
Smriti Mandhana scored an unbeaten half-century against Pakistan•Getty Images
Smriti Mandhana’s unbeaten 42-ball 63 against Pakistan in the Commonwealth Games has taken her one spot up to third in the women’s T20I rankings for batters.Mandhana’s power-packed half-century helped her go past Sophie Devine into the top three, and within two rating points of Beth Mooney, who is placed second. Meg Lanningis top of the pile.Related
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Mandhana has been No. 3 on the T20I batters’ list previously as well – first in 2019 and more recently in October last year.The rankings were updated after six T20Is at the Commonwealth Games. Suzie Bates, on the back of her 91 not out off 64 balls against South Africa, jumped two slots, leapfrogging Alyssa Healy and Chamari Athapaththu to move to sixth place.Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored a half-century in the CWG opener against Australia, moved four places to 14th position.Ashleigh Gardner, the Australia allrounder, was one of the biggest gainers, moving in all three T20I lists. Her match-winning 52 not out in the opening game against India propelled her five places to 11th on the batters’ list. She then shone with the ball against Barbados, returning 2 for 6 in a crushing nine-wicket win that saw her jump from 45th to 26th on the bowlers’ list. Gardner also moved to a career-best third on the allrounders’ rankings – a jump of four places.On the bowlers’ table, Jess Jonassen, who returned 4 for 22 against India, moved up two spots to fourth position, with Sophie Ecclestone still in the lead.Megan Schutt and Amelia Kerr have moved up one spot each to seventh and eighth respectively. Hayley Matthews is the lone new face in the top ten of the bowlers’ rankings, replacing Ayabonga Khaka.
De contrato renovado até 2024, o atacante Arthur Chamonge participou dos treinos com o time profissional do Avaí nesta semana. Após assinar seu primeiro contrato profissional com a equipe no início do mês e fazer um gol na vitória do Sub-20 sobre o Metropol, o atacante foi acompanhado pela comissão técnica de Eduardo Barroca.
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>Listamos 16 camisas de clubes desenhadas por torcedores
– Treinar ao lado do elenco profissional é incrível. Trabalhar com jogadores que tenho como referência é muito bom para meu crescimento como jogador. Espero ter atendido às expectativas da comissão técnica para participar dos treinamentos com esse grupo mais vezes – declarou o atacante.
Essa não é a primeira vez que Arthur é integrado ao time principal. No ano passado, ele já chegou a ter a oportunidade de treinar com os profissionais do clube.
Agora, Arthur volta sua atenção para a disputa da Copa Santa Catarina sub-20. O Avaí enfrenta o Manchister no sábado (21), podendo virar líder de seu grupo em caso de vitória.
Everton are reportedly interested in signing a “wonderful” player who is excelling in the Europa League this season, with the Blues even preparing an offer for him.
Everton transfer news
Blues supporters will be hoping that a special new era at the club is about to begin under The Friedkin Group, having suffered for so long under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri. Things aren’t going swimmingly under Sean Dyche, however, and it feels increasingly likely that a change of manager could happen in the coming months, most likely at the end of the season.
Dyche will hope to be backed in the January transfer window, in order to give his Everton side the best possible chance of avoiding yet another relegation battle in the Premier League, let alone be sent packing to the Championship for the first time.
Everton manager Sean Dyche
One transfer report has claimed that the Blues are looking to sign a new right-back and winger in January, in order to boost their options in those areas of the pitch. Seamus Coleman is not the long-term solution at right-back, while on the right flank, there isn’t enough quality in the mould of Iliman Ndiaye on the opposite side.
In terms of possible sales at Goodison Park in the near future, Everton striker Beto could be on the move, following a disappointing spell at the club. Sevilla are looking to strike a deal for him, with his representatives in talks with the La Liga side.
Everton preparing offer for "wonderful" 24 y/o
According to Takvim, Everton are keen on signing Galatasaray winger Yunus Akgun in the January transfer window, with an offer being readied for his services.
The report states that the 24-year-old has been “placed on the transfer list of Everton”, adding that the Merseysiders are “expected to knock on Galatasaray’s door during the mid-season transfer window and make an official offer”.
Yunus Akgun for Galatasaray.
Akgun could be exactly what Everton are after out wide in January, adding the attacking quality that is badly needed between now and the end of the season, and beyond.
The Turk is equally adept at shining on the left and right-hand side and his performances in the Europa League have really caught the eye this season, with five goals coming his way in just six appearances.
Appearances
6
Starts
6
Minutes played
521
Goals
5
Assists
0
Dribbles per game
2.8
Shots per game
2.8
Key passes per game
2.2
At 24, Akgun is still a relatively young player with further levels to find, and football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded him as a “wonderful” player in the past.
Everton have been so lacking in front of goal all season, only finding the back of the net 15 times in 18 Premier League outings, but snapping up the Galatasaray ace would surely help change that for the better in the coming months.
أكد روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، مهاجم برشلونة، أن طموح الفريق هذا الموسم لا يتوقف عند حدود نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وساهم ليفاندوفسكي في تألق برشلونة بالموسم الحالي بجميع البطولات حيث لا يزال الفريق ينافس على لقبي الدوري الإسباني وكأس ملك إسبانيا ووصلوا إلى المربع الذهبي في دوري أبطال أوروبا على حساب بوروسيا دورتموند.
اقرأ أيضًا.. ديكو يحسم موقف برشلونة من بقاء تشيزني وينتقد رابطة الدوري الإسباني
وتحدث ليفاندوفسكي لصحيفة “بيلد” الألمانية عن الانتصار الأخير على بوروسيا دورتموند في ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، قائلًا: “كانت تجربة مهمة، أدركنا أننا بحاجة إلى تقديم 100% من مستوانا في كلتا المباراتين”.
وأضاف حول طموح برشلونة الأوروبي: “بالطبع نرغب في الفوز باللقب”.
وعن صافرات الاستهجان من جماهير دورتموند في مباراة العودة، قال ليفاندوفسكي: “أتفهم الجماهير، لكن عليهم أيضًا أن يتفهموني، لقد أظهرت دائمًا احترامي لهذا النادي، لقد لعبت ضدهم 29 مرة، مهمتي هي الفوز”.
كما أثنى ليفاندوفسكي على نيكو كوفاتش، مدرب دورتموند الحالي، والذي سبق وأن دربه في بايرن ميونخ، قائلًا: “يمتلك خبرة كبيرة، ويعمل بدقة شديدة، أعتقد أنه قادر على قيادة فريقه إلى الأمام، وهو مناسب تمامًا لهم”.
واختتم المهاجم البولندي حديثه بتلميح مثير حول مستقبله في الملاعب: “ربما أواصل اللعب حتى أبلغ الأربعين، مثل كريستيانو رونالدو، من الناحية البدنية، هذا ممكن، لكن هناك عوامل خارجية كثيرة، طالما لدي الرغبة، سأقدم دائمًا 100%”.
Bayern Munich’s frustration following their stalemate with Mainz has been compounded by the confirmation that Manuel Neuer will miss the final fixture of 2025 through injury, handing another crucial opportunity to backup option Jonas Urbig.
Bayern confirm Neuer blow
Following Bayern’s surprisingly gritless 2-2 draw against Mainz at the Allianz Arena on Sunday, the club confirmed that captain Neuer sustained a significant muscle injury during the contest.
The 39-year-old goalkeeper, who was visibly grimacing in the closing stages of Sunday’s match, underwent a detailed medical examination in Munich on Monday. The diagnosis – a muscle tear in his right thigh -officially rules him out of action for the remainder of the year. While the timing is unfortunate as Bayern look to consolidate their position at the summit of the Bundesliga, it forces a rotation at the back that sees Urbig return to the starting lineup for the third time in the league this season.
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Thigh tear compounds Mainz misery
The injury adds a bitter postscript to a match that Bayern Munich will be eager to forget. Neuer was kept busy throughout the encounter, powerless to stop headers from Kacper Potulski and Mainz talisman Lee Jae-sung as the visitors exposed rare lapses in the Bavarian defence.
Medical staff have indicated that a muscle tear of this severity typically sidelines a player for several weeks. In the middle of a standard campaign, this would see Neuer miss a significant chunk of domestic action. However, the timing of the injury is arguably the only positive to be drawn from the situation. With the Bundesliga entering its traditional winter hiatus after the upcoming matchday, the actual impact on Neuer’s season is minimal. He will miss the trip to Heidenheim but is expected to be fully recovered and ready for the resumption of the league campaign in January.
Urbig returns for third Bundesliga start
Neuer’s enforced absence clears the path for 22-year-old Urbig to step back into the spotlight. The highly-rated young goalkeeper, who joined Bayern in January with an eye on eventually succeeding the veteran, has already been trusted with the gloves twice in the Bundesliga this season and has reportedly impressed the coaching staff with his displays in training. Vincent Kompany’s willingness to rotate him in earlier in the campaign showed a clear belief in his abilities, and Sunday’s match offers Urbig another chance to showcase his development.
Kompany is expected to hand Urbig the start for the final match of 2025 against Heidenheim. This fixture, however, poses a different challenge to his previous outings. Heidenheim, who sit second-bottom of the table, have built a reputation as one of the Bundesliga’s most uncomfortable opponents on their own patch at the Voith-Arena, known for their relentless pressing and set-piece prowess. While Urbig has looked composed in his limited minutes so far, a commanding performance away from home in such a hostile environment would be a significant statement of intent as he looks to cement his status as the heir apparent.
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Kompany demands defensive reaction
The loss of Neuer strips the Bayern defence of its most vocal organiser at a critical moment. Without his sweeping presence behind the high line, the tactical dynamic shifts, placing greater responsibility on the centre-back pairing to protect their younger goalkeeper.
The team's centre-backs will need to be flawless to ensure Urbig isn't left exposed. The focus in training this week will likely shift to defensive solidity and communication. Kompany knows that ending the year with a win is non-negotiable to keep the chasing pack at arm's length.
While Neuer will be frustrated to miss the final game, the upcoming winter break serves as a perfectly timed reset button. Instead of rushing a return, the goalkeeper can focus entirely on his rehabilitation over the festive period. The club’s medical team is confident that with rest and treatment, the tear will heal completely, allowing Neuer to return to team training during the January camp in optimal condition.
For now, the spotlight shifts entirely to the collective. Bayern must navigate one final hurdle without their leader. If they can overcome the tough test in Heidenheim and secure a victory with Urbig marshalling the defence, it will prove that the squad has the depth and resilience required for a title charge. The Mainz result was a stumble, and the injury is a setback, but the response next Sunday will define the mood heading into 2026.