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Paris Saint-Germain have condemned the racist abuse directed at defender Nuno Mendes on social media following their win over Brest.

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PSG beat Brest 3-1 in Ligue 1Mendes receives racist message after winPSG condemn abuse defender receivedWHAT HAPPENED?

The Portugal defender was the target of abusive and racist comments following PSG's 3-1 win over Brest in Ligue 1 on Saturday. The left-back, who conceded a penalty in the victory, shared on his Instagram account a racist message he received – prompting the French giants to hit out at the perpetrators and pledge their support to the 22-year-old.

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PSG's official statement reads: "Paris Saint-Germain offers its full support to its player Nuno Mendes, who was targeted with offensive and racist comments on social media following yesterday's match against Stade Brestois.

"Paris Saint-Germain doesn’t tolerate racism, antisemitism or any other form of discrimination. The racial insults directed at Nuno Mendes are totally unacceptable. We stand firmly by Nuno and all those affected, and we are working with the relevant authorities and associations to ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.

"At Paris Saint-Germain, we are committed to fostering an environment of inclusion, respect, and unity both on and off the pitch. Racism has no place in football, and we will continue to uphold the values of tolerance and respect that define our club."

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This is not the first time a PSG player has been targeted with racism on social media. Team-mate Ousmane Dembele was on the receiving end of such abuse following their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Barcelona back in April; and the year prior, two Juventus fans were convicted of racist gestures at the Parc des Princes.

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After this nasty incident, Mendes could return to PSG action when they host La Liga side Girona in their Champions League group stage opener on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Reims on Saturday in Ligue 1.

He had undergone six Covid-19 tests until July 20, out of which five were positive

Umar Farooq30-Jul-2020Haris Rauf, who had first tested positive for Covid-19 over a month ago, has returned two consecutive negative tests. It makes him eligible to join the Pakistan team in England will be flying out on Friday morning.He had undergone six Covid-19 tests until July 20, out of which five were positive. There was one negative result, but according to regulations he needed to provide successive negative results to be considered eligible to travel to join the Pakistan squad. He remained asymptomatic the entire time.While Rauf was struggling to clear his test, chief selector and head coach Misbah ul Haq called up Mohammad Amir back. Amir had earlier pulled out of the tour due to a clash with the expected dates of the birth of his child, but made himself available after his wife gave birth earlier this month. But Amir’s presence with the side does not sideline Rauf, who remains part of the PCB’s plans for the T20I series.

Can't thank enough Allah for the blessings He bestowed upon me during my tough times & fight against the epidemic COVID-19.
الحمدلله tested negative and feeling absolutely fine and well. Thank you everyone who extended their prayers & well wishes.

— Haris Rauf (@HarisRauf14) July 30, 2020

He was among the ten players who tested positive for Covid-19 in the last week of June, but stayed back after the larger group flew out to Manchester on a chartered flight on June 28. The 18 players who tested negative, alongside the support staff who were tested, were the only ones to board the plane.Rauf was originally picked for white-ball cricket, but he had expressed an ambition to play Tests. His chance to do that in England during this series was hampered by repeated positive results for Covid-19 that didn’t allow him to join the squad in time. The Pakistan management have already named a 20-man Test squad which Rauf is not a part of. He is, however, a part of the T20 set-up, with the first T20I scheduled for August 28 in Manchester.

Sangwan has played for four IPL franchises in the past, while Suyal has been a part of two teams

Press Trust of India21-Aug-2020Over 12 years years after he impressed with his incisive swing bowling in the Under-19 World Cup, which India won under Virat Kohli, 29-year-old left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan will travel to the UAE with Delhi Capitals as a net bowler along with five others.Apart from Sangwan, Pawan Suyal, another left-arm seamer who has played for Mumbai, is also in the list of net bowlers for Capitals. Delhi allrounder Pranshu Vijayaran, Railways left-arm spinner Harsh Tyagi, and two relatively unknown youngsters – left-arm wristspinner Rajat Goel and pacer Bobby Yadav – complete the list.”Yes, Sangwan and Suyal are travelling as net bowlers. Pranshu is the third guy and even Harsh who now plays Ranji Trophy is our boy as he represented Delhi during his India Under-19 days. Rajat is a local club cricketer while Bobby is from UP,” a senior DDCA official told PTI on condition of anonymity.For Sangwan, who has played for Delhi Daredevils (Capitals’ earlier avatar), Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders in the past, it’s like life coming a full circle after he played alongside Mohammed Asif and Glenn McGrath for the Daredevils before being the first Indian cricketer to be banned by BCCI for failing a dope test in 2013.

Sangi [Sangwan] has suffered a lot due to injuries in past few years. So has Suyal, who has now cut down his run-up consistently after stress fractures and back injuries. Hope bowling in IPL nets help them”Delhi cricket official

“Sangi has suffered a lot due to injuries in past few years. So has Suyal, who has now cut down his run-up consistently after stress fractures and back injuries. Hope bowling in IPL nets helps them,” the official, who has tracked both since their younger days, said.The logic behind having two left-arm quicks in the pack of six is because all the primary squad speedsters are right-arm bowlers – Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan. “You need variation at training and hence Sangi and Suyal are on board. They are experienced first-class players, who will provide quality practice,” a source told PTI.Goel is one of the players, who has been a regular at the Capitals nets over the years and has done well in the office-cricket circuit, and is expected to simulate the bowling of Knight Riders’ Kuldeep Yadav. Bobby is a right-arm fast-medium bowler who is expected to make his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh in the coming season.With Axar Patel being the main left-arm spinner in the Capitals line-up, Tyagi could be an important bowler during net sessions. “DC has two wristspinners in Amit Mishra and Sandeep Lamichhane and two fingerspinners in R Ashwin and Axar. Harsh is typical shorter-format bowler, who bowls the restrictive line. It would be good exposure for him,” the source said.Allrounder Vijayaran, who was first spotted by Gautam Gambhir, bowls wicket-to-wicket and is known to have variations in his slower deliveries.

Vincent Kompany remains a truly unbeatable defender, as evidenced by his performance in Bayern Munich training.

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Bayern boss joined in with trainingWent up against his own attackersWas not beaten in video posted by BayernFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kompany showed that he still has all of his defensive faculties after joining in with Bayern training on Monday. The former Manchester City captain went down in history as one of the greatest Premier League centre-backs of all time, and he gave his players a reminder of just how good he used to be, and still is, by putting his body on the line.

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It is not clear if Kompany went head-to-head in the drill with Harry Kane, who has been in remarkable form this season thus far. He has already scored 10 goals and provided five assists in six appearances.

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Bayern meet last season's Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. They then continue their Champions League campaign against Aston Villa.

Leeds United are set for a big summer transfer window after they failed to secure an immediate return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The Whites are now preparing for a second season in the Championship following on from their 1-0 loss to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley last weekend.

This could have big implications for the next few months as Wilfried Gnonto is reportedly looking to move on and Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing up Crysencio Summerville.

The club may have to deal with star players moving on as well as having to find a replacement for one loanee who may not make his stay permanent this summer.

Joe Rodon's future at Leeds

Daniel Farke may now have to find alternative options at the heart of his defence next season as Tottenham Hotspur loanee Joe Rodon may not return to Elland Road.

Earlier this month, Football Insider reported that the club had an option to make the deal permanent if they had won promotion, and that a deal could be too expensive should they remain in the second tier.

This suggests that the failure to return to the Premier League could put their hopes of bringing the Welsh star back to Yorkshire to an end, leaving the Whites in need of a replacement.

Instead of going out into the market and splashing the cash on a big-money centre-back to come in and replace the Spurs loanee, Farke could unleash a player already at his disposal.

Leeds may already have dream Joe Rodon replacement

Charlie Cresswell could emerge as a dream replacement for Rodon at the heart of the Leeds defence after a season riding the bench this term.

The 21-year-old centre-back, who was hailed as "impressive" for England U21s by journalist Josh Bunting, only made five league appearances this season and was an unused substitute in both of the semi-final clashes with Norwich recently.

However, his performances on loan with Millwall during the 2022/23 campaign suggest that the potential is there for the youngster to breakthrough as the first-choice for Farke in the right-sided centre-back role.

Appearances

28

43

Sofascore rating

7.13

7.19

Tackles per game

1.5

1.1

Interceptions per game

1.3

1.2

Ground duel success rate

58%

69%

Aerial duel success rate

61%

67%

As you can see in the table above, Cresswell's form for the Lions was not too dissimilar to what Rodon produced in a Leeds shirt this season, from a defensive perspective.

He also ranked within the top 38% of Championship centre-backs for progressive passes per 90 (3.23), which suggests that the England U21 international is also a forward-thinking passer who could thrive in Farke's possession-based side.

At the age of 21, the 6 foot 3 titan is five years younger than Rodon and has time on his side to improve and reach the Welsh star's levels of dominance in duels, but he needs time on the pitch to do so.

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Leeds United could look towards their youth if Wilfried Gnonto ends up exiting Elland Road.

ByKelan Sarson May 29, 2024

Therefore, Farke may find a dream replacement, given they would not need to pay any money to bring him in, for the Spurs loanee by finally unleashing Cresswell as a starter from next season onwards.

A former Premier League referee believes it was "pathetic" that VAR did not intervene and award Crystal Palace a penalty against Liverpool.

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Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 1-0Van Dijk avoids penalty over Guehi incidentEx-ref slams decision as 'pure garbage'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to ex-official Keith Hackett, Palace were denied a "clear and obvious" penalty for Virgil van Dijk's pull on Marc Guehi in the second half. He added that it was "pure garbage" when the VAR team argued that the "challenge was not sustained holding and had no impact on the play".

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Hackett told The Telegraph: "As Marc Guehi attempts to get to the ball at the back post of the Liverpool box, Virgil van Dijk blatantly pulls him back to stop any chance of him doing so. Indeed, the Liverpool defender used both hands to commit the foul as if trying to draw attention to the fact he was doing something illegal. Of course, referees will miss things and, therefore, Simon Hooper is not entirely to blame despite being at fault for making the initial mistake. But for the VAR to not intervene was frankly pathetic. The whole point of VAR is to correct mistakes, not ignore them for sake of convenience or some other unknown reason."

He added: "To make things worse, the Premier League then confirmed the incident had been reviewed by VAR and put out a statement, arguing “that the challenge was not sustained holding and had no impact on the play”. Pure garbage. Everyone can see it was, in fact, sustained holding and it did impact play – even if Guehi still had some work to do to reach the ball. Putting out statements like that just confuses everyone when the footage quite clearly shows the opposite. Officials need to concentrate on applying the law first and foremost. Holding is an offence in law. It really should be as simple as that."

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On such fine margins are games, and even titles, won and lost. The decision to not award Palace a penalty helped Liverpool secure the victory and maintain their place at the top of the Premier League, whereas the Eagles are in the relegation zone and are still searching for their first win of the season.

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Palace and Liverpool will return to Premier League action following the conclusion of the international break. On their return, the Reds host Chelsea on October 20 and Palace travel to Nottingham Forest a day later.

Sam Cook provides final-day breakthroughs to all but confirm Essex’s place at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network08-Sep-2020Unbeaten Essex all but confirmed their place in the Bob Willis Trophy final as South Group victors with an emphatic nine-wicket win over Middlesex.Sir Alastair Cook, Paul Walter and Tom Westley knocked off the 53 required in 13.5 overs, after wickets for Sam Cook (two), Aaron Beard and Simon Harmer, had bowled Middlesex out for 150.Essex’s place at Lord’s seemed to have been confirmed when Derbyshire failed to get a batting point in their North Group fixture against Lancashire, which was met by cheers from the Essex dressing room. It meant Derbyshire could only match Essex’s 90 points if they manage to win at Aigburth, but Essex’s superior win record would still take them through.However, due to the Covid-related abandonment of Northamptonshire’s match with Gloucestershire, the ECB may yet decide to use net run-rate rather than matches won to determine the finalists. Essex are currently top in that respect too, although a freakish set of final-day results, including a rapid Derbyshire run-chase at Aigburth could yet derail them*.Nevertheless, Essex will almost certainly face the winner of the Central Group – either Somerset or Worcestershire – for a five-day match starting on September 23 at Lord’s.Middlesex resumed with a slim lead of 25 runs, six wickets down, with the hope of the tail setting Essex a tricky fourth-innings chase.It didn’t pan out how they would have dreamed overnight; instead, Sam Cook’s fantasies were realised.The fast bowler, who had taken four wickets in the first innings, beat James Harris’ edge of the bat to uproot his off stump with his second ball of the morning, and he only needed another 13 balls to strangle Blake Cullen down the leg side, as the 18-year-old tickled through to wicketkeeper Adam Wheater – his first second-innings catch having pouched five earlier in the match.He thought Thilan Walallawita had top-edged a bouncer behind three balls later, but the umpire correctly adjudged the ball to have deflected off the batsman’s shoulder.Cook was replaced at the Hayes Close End by Beard, on the back of three wickets in 21 balls on day three, who also struck immediately. Walallawita saw his leg stump cartwheeling towards the River Can as Beard unleashed a yorker – the 22-year-old ended with career-best figures of 4 for 21.And in the next over, Tim Murtagh swung wildly and was stumped to hand leading wicket-taker Harmer his 34th scalp of the Bob Willis Trophy. Middlesex lost their last four wickets in just under 15 overs, as John Simpson was left unbeaten on 26 off 123 balls.That left Essex needing 53 to seal an 11th straight first-class victory at Chelmsford. Alastair Cook and Walter marched to 41 as both struck four boundaries apiece in what appeared to a procession to victory.Murtagh castled Cook to slow Essex, but Walter (20) clipped the winning runs off Nick Gubbins, who bowled his legspin while wearing a cap.”It has been a shorter season and given the format we knew we needed three or four wins to get to the final, so to win four out of five and the other was rained off? You can’t ask for much more,” said Anthony McGrath, Essex’s head coach.”We have carried on from last season; it has been unbelievable consistency from everyone, and now we can look forward to a Lord’s final. I was critical after the second day against Kent [the first game of the season] but since then we have been very good.”In hindsight, today looks good but at the time you never know in cricket. The guys were straight on it this morning with the early wickets. Porter and Harms tend to get the plaudits, so Sam Cook and Beard go under the radar a lot. The way Cook has bowled this year he could easily have another 15 wickets, while Beard’s spell really cracked the game open for us – he is improving all the time.”We are mathematically in the final so the guys can relax and get a bit of lunch now. To play a five-day final at Lord’s is special – you don’t tend to get that in red-ball cricket, and it might not happen again.”*Permutations correct to close on Day 3

Chelsea are thought to be battling over the signing of one Arsenal player in a potential Ashley Cole repeat, amid claims he's destined to leave the Emirates.

Maresca set sights on defensive signings at Chelsea

New head coach Enzo Maresca, assisted by co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, could orchestrate somewhat of a defensive shake-up this summer.

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Tottenham and Atletico were both interested.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 11, 2024

The Italian was forced to watch on as former stalwart Thiago Silva waved goodbye to Chelsea after four faithful years at Stamford Bridge, and it's safe to say that the Brazilian's colossal presence/experience will be a sore miss for Maresca.

Luckily, Chelsea have already sealed a deal for Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham, and the Premier League defender could do wonders to assist the Blues in filling the void left by Silva's departure.

Fulham 5-0 West Ham

8.44

Fulham 3-0 Brighton

7.59

Nottingham Forest 3-1 Fulham

7.33

Fulham 5-0 Nottingham Forest

7.31

Chelsea 0-1 Fulham

7.28

Fabrizio Romano has hinted that the search for centre-backs may not stop with Tosin, though, and it is also believed that Maresca has his eyes on a new goalkeeper for Chelsea as well.

"It will continue to be a busy summer at Chelsea," said Romano on Chelsea's transfer plans after bringing in Maresca to replace Pochettino.

"It won’t be completely crazy but they will try to make smart things happen, including a new goalkeeper and I expect them to try for at least one new centre-back, but it could be two. I also expect Chelsea to be busy with the striker position."

Chelsea are apparently keen on Leicester City shot-stopper Mads Hermansen, as well as their former keeper Marcin Bulka, after his excellent Ligue 1 campaign at OGC Nice.

With Kepa Arrizabalaga's desire to leave Chelsea, Maresca apparently wants another keeper brought in, and they could apparently turn to Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale.

Chelsea battling for Ramsdale in Ashley Cole repeat

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea are battling Newcastle to sign Ramsdale this summer, with the £120,000-per-week England international destined to leave in the coming months.

The Three Lions ace lost his number one spot to David Raya last season, and reliable Gunners reporter Charles Watts suggests it is a matter of when, not if, he departs Hale End. If Ramsdale were to swap Arsenal for Stamford Bridge, it would be a repeat of the scenario which brought Cole to Chelsea in 2006.

"I do think he will be on the move at some point over the next couple of months," said Watts.

"Obviously we have the Euros coming up and he will be away with England, so that could delay things and Arsenal also need to be confident that they can land a replacement before sanctioning any exit.

“But I do think both things will happen. It’s a matter of when Ramsdale leaves, not if. The key thing for Arsenal is getting value for money. I saw an initial fee of £15 million mentioned in reports last week and that is quite frankly ridiculous. Arsenal signed Ramsdale for nearly £30m two years ago and he has developed into a far better keeper since then."

ESPNcricinfo’s updates from the 22nd match of IPL 2020, in Dubai

Matt Roller08-Oct-2020