Uncategorized

Subterms

    More stories

    • 225 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      Borussia Dortmund legend Marco Reus announces shock resignation from role in unusual video three months after new deal

      by

      BORUSSIA DORTMUND legend Marco Reus has announced his shock resignation as captain of the club.The German international, 34, has skippered the club for five years having been given the armband by former manager Lucien Favre in 2018.
      Marco Reus took the unusual step of announcing he was stepping down as captain with a video on TwitterCredit: Twitter @bvb
      Dortmund won the DFB Pokal and the German Super Cup under Reus’ stewardship.
      Having been the club’s talisman pretty much since his arrival in 2011, Reus found himself regularly outside the Dortmund starting XI for much of last season.
      And his decision to resign the captaincy reflects his reduced role in the team, often only appearing as an impact sub towards the end of the campaign.
      The attacking midfielder announced his resignation in an unusual video on Borussia Dortmund’s Twitter.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      He said: “It’s very important for me to tell you something personally: I had a lot of time to think during my vacation and decided to pass on the captain’s armband.
      “I informed Edin Terzic and Sebastian Kehl about this yesterday. I was allowed to wear this armband for five years with pride and honour.
      “Thank you for your support over the years and I wish Edin and Sebastian that they find a very good successor – I am sure that they will be successful.”
      The news comes as a double-blow for Dortmund, who lost star Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid in a fee that could rise to £115million.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK
      Reus is not expected to leave the club and is entering his 12th season with Dortmund – scoring 161 goals and providing 121 assists in his 387 appearances for BVB.
      He signed a one year contract extension in April which will keep him there until next summer.
      Reus was on course to lift Dortmund’s first Bundesliga title since 2012, but after a 2-2 final day draw with Mainz they were pipped to the title by Bayern.
      With Reus out of the XI towards the end of the season, Jude Bellingham commonly took the captain’s armband.
      Reus’ successor looks likely to be 34-year-old Mats Hummels who previously captained the club before departing for Bayern in 2016.
      Hummels re-joined the club in 2019 and has been a regular at the heart of Dortmund’s defence.
      Other potential successors include Nico Schulz, Niklas Sule and Marius Wolf. More

    • 175 Shares189 Views

      in Soccer

      Birmingham set for huge transfer windfall once Jude Bellingham completes £115m Real Madrid move

      by

      BIRMINGHAM City are set for a huge transfer windfall once Jude Bellingham completes his £115million move to Real Madrid.The England international is set to sign for the Spanish giants after a deal was agreed with Borussia Dortmund.
      Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid will land Birmingham City a huge transfer windfallCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Bellingham is on the verge of finalising the move, with a medical expected to take place in the comings days.
      The deal is worth a total of £115million, consisting of a £88million initial fee and £27million in add-ons.
      The Mirror report that this will see Bellingham’s former side Birmingham receive £10million as part of a clause included when he was sold to Dortmund in 2020.
      Although the exact percentage of the sell-on clause is unknown, it means the Championship side will have now banked £35million from the sale of Bellingham.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      The teenage midfielder was sold to Dortmund for £25million after a breakthrough campaign at St. Andrew’s.
      During that campaign, a 16-year-old Bellingham became the Blues’ youngest ever player and scorer.
      His performances were rewarded upon his departure as Birmingham retired his number 22 shirt.
      He has since become a key man for Dortmund and England, captaining the former several times despite still being just 19.
      Most read in Championship
      Jude Bellingham enjoyed a breakthrough season with Birmingham City in 2019/20Credit: PA
      Bellingham was named their player of the year for the 2022/23 season after they narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga title.
      He has also won 24 caps for the Three Lions and scored at the World Cup in Qatar. More

    • 200 Shares99 Views

      in Motorsport

      Lewis Hamilton fans slam ‘shameless’ F1 star George Russell for his cheeky request to Mercedes team-mate

      by

      F1 FANS have slammed George Russell after his “shameless” request to Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton during the race.The 25-year-old Brit requested that he could pass team-mate Lewis Hamilton after he incurred a five-second penalty for a dangerous re-entry.
      Lewis Hamilton and George Russell during pre-season testing.Credit: Rex
      Russell got into trouble after rainfall from lap 51 onwards caused chaos for a number of drivers.
      The Brit had been on course for a podium finish but saw himself drop down the positions to fifth after running off track at the Mirabeau corner.
      He then compounded his mistake when Red Bull’s Sergio Perez struck his Mercedes’ when he re-entered the track.
      That collision ensured Russell incurred a five second penalty, which was the beginning of the controversy between him and Hamilton.
      READ MORE ON F1
      With Russell in fifth and Hamilton in fourth, Russell was heard on team radio requesting that he overtake his team-mate so he could better protect his five second lead on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in sixth.
      Russell did promise, however, that he would not build a lead of over five seconds on Hamilton.
      That meant that Hamilton would technically still have been in fourth position despite his car being behind Russell.
      That didn’t stop fans raging about the request with many saying it reflected that Russell was “not a team player”.
      READ MORE ON MOTORSPORT
      One fan raged: “George Russell is not a team player. Makes it sound like it’s for the team but it’s purely self-served. Hope Mercedes chuck him next season!”
      Another said: “George Russell is a shameless t*** for asking team orders after bottling the position!”
      While another added: “George Russell, you almost have to respect the audacity to ask if you can get past Lewis to create a gap for your own 5 second time penalty.”
      Russell did not receive permission from Mercedes to complete the manoeuvre.
      He did manage to comfortably hold on to his fifth place finish however, with Leclerc unable to chase down the Englishman.
      Hamilton managed to hold on to fourth with Apline’s Esteban Ocon coming third, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso secured second, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen comfortably holding on to his pole position throughout the race.
      Verstappen’s victory was his latest as part of a fine season, with the Dutchman sitting top of the drivers’ standings on 144 points.
      His team-mate Sergio Perez sits on 104 points in second, with veteran Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso rolling back the years to sit in third.
      Hamilton and Russell’s positions are a carbon copy of where they finished at Monaco, sitting in fourth and fifth respectively. More

    • 175 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Which teams have the most favourable fixtures throughout March? Dream Team gaffers take note…

      by

      MARCH brings a promise of spring and, more importantly, a fresh batch of Dream Team transfers.Gaffers will be able to make changes to their XIs from Friday morning if they so wish and, as always, it’s best to consider the month ahead as a whole when determining a strategy.
      With that in mind, let’s run through the fixtures for each of the top ten Premier League teams.
      The schedule is subject to change, of course, but this exercise should paint a relatively clear picture of the coming weeks.
      Please note we have not included fixtures taking place this evening (March 1st) as lock out currently applies to all players.
      Arsenal’s ‘Starboy’ has 128 points to his name
      ARSENAL

      Bournemouth (h)
      Sporting CP (a)
      Fulham (a)
      Sporting CP (h)
      Crystal Palace (h)

      The Gunners recommence their Europa League campaign this month and two legs against one of Portuguese football’s so-called ‘big three’ means they’re busier than most teams.
      Craven Cottage isn’t an easy place to go this season but home fixtures against the Cherries and the Eagles look very friendly on current form.
      Backers of Bukayo Saka (£4.8m), Martin Odegaard (£3.4m) and company will be hopeful of bountiful returns.
      Most read in Football
      MANCHESTER CITY

      Newcastle (h)
      Crystal Palace (a)
      RB Leipzig (h)
      FA Cup quarter-final

      Pep Guardiola’s side are likely to be favourites in their FA Cup quarter-final no matter who they draw but at one end of the scale there’s Man United and at the other there’s Blackburn.
      Saturday’s early kick-off at the Etihad promises to be competitive but it’s worth noting that Newcastle’s otherwise sturdy defence conceded three to City at St James’ Park earlier in the season.
      A shock elimination from the Champions League would change the outlook considerably but the smart money is on Erling Haaland (£8.9m) and his merry men to progress to the last eight.
      MANCHESTER UNITED
      Erik ten Hag has dramatically improved Man UnitedCredit: GETTY

      Liverpool (a)
      Real Betis (h)
      Southampton (h)
      Real Betis (a)

      If the newly-crowned Carabao Cup champions get past West Ham in the FA Cup this evening then they’ll have five fixtures to fulfil before the end of March.
      The Red Devils boast more Dream Team centurions (seven) than any other team at present so there’s every reason to back Erik ten Hag’s side right now, both in attack and defence.
      Real Betis are currently fifth in La Liga but they’ve conceded a fair few goals of late so the in-form pair of Marcus Rashford (£6.5m) and Bruno Fernandes (£6.1m) may cash in.
      TOTTENHAM

      Wolves (a)
      AC Milan (h)
      Nottingham Forest (h)
      Southampton (a)

      The north Londoners can book themselves into the FA Cup quarter-finals with a win over Sheffield United tonight.
      Elsewhere, their Premier League fixtures are relatively favourable – all three opponents have relegation concerns.
      Spurs are 1-0 down on aggregate against Milan and the Italian giants have enjoyed an upturn in form recently so the second leg could be a tense affair.
      NEWCASTLE
      Nick Pope has served his suspensionCredit: GETTY

      Man City (a)
      Wolves (h)
      Nottingham Forest (a)

      Just the three fixtures scheduled for the Magpies this month currently and given that one of those is a trip to the Etihad it could be a lean few weeks for their assets.
      Kieran Trippier’s (£6.5m) owners are unlikely to ditch a player averaging 6.2 points-per-game, rightly so, but it may be the case that replacements are needed elsewhere.
      Saying that, it wouldn’t be a massive surprise if Newcastle kept their sheets clean against Wolves and Forest.
      FULHAM

      Brentford (a)
      Arsenal (h)
      FA Cup quarter-final

      Marco Silva will be hoping for a favourable FA Cup draw to ease what could otherwise be a testing little run.
      The Cottagers have performed above expectations this season but a trip to their west London rivals followed by a meeting with the league leaders looks rough on paper.
      LIVERPOOL
      A daunting trip to Madrid awaits

      Man United (h)
      Bournemouth (a)
      Real Madrid (a)

      It’s hard to know where the Reds are at right now.
      In February they followed two solid wins against Everton and Newcastle with a spectacular capitulation at the hands of Real Madrid at Anfield – fans won’t be overly optimistic of getting anything from the Bernabeu having lost the first leg 5-2.
      On current form, Man United will fancy their chances of registering a comfortable victory over their rivals on enemy soil this weekend.
      BRIGHTON

      West Ham (h)
      Leeds (a)
      Crystal Palace (h)
      FA Cup quarter-final

      It’s three bottom-half opponents for the Seagulls before their FA Cup quarter-final which has to be considered a favourable set.
      It’s the midfielders who have generally bagged the points for Roberto De Zerbi’s side in recent months: Kaoru Mitoma (£3.5m), Solly March (£3.4m), Pascal Gross (£2.8m) and Alexis Mac Allister (£2.9m).
      BRENTFORD
      Ivan Toney’s availability is uncertainCredit: GETTY

      Fulham (h)
      Everton (a)
      Southampton (a)
      Leicester (h)

      The Bees are eleven games unbeaten in the Premier League and if they get past Fulham on Monday night they will fancy their chances of extending their streak until April.
      It remains to be seen what punishment will be handed down to Ivan Toney (£5.8m) after the striker submitted a guilty plea for multiple betting charges.
      The 26-year-old is by far and away Brentford’s top scorer this season both in terms of goals and Dream Team points.
      CHELSEA

      Leeds (h)
      Borussia Dortmund (h)
      Leicester (a)
      Everton (h)

      Graham Potter is under severe pressure having won just one of his last eleven fixtures.
      Read More on The Sun
      And the English tactician will have to go without Thiago Silva (£6m), arguably the Blues’ best player this season, for approximately six weeks after an assessment of the Brazilian’s knee injury.
      Failure to attain positive results against bottom-half opponents this month would surely prompt the club’s hierarchy to evaluate Potter’s viability. More

    • 188 Shares129 Views

      in Soccer

      Norwich planning talks with ex-Huddersfield boss David Wagner to replace axed Dean Smith as manager

      by

      NORWICH plan talks with David Wagner about becoming their new manager.The Canaries have a shortlist of candidates and German Wagner has a strong chance through his links with sporting director Stuart Webber.
      Norwich City are planning to hold talks with David WagnerCredit: Getty
      The pair worked together at Huddersfield, where Wagner — who was most recently at Swiss outfit Young Boys — did well.
      Wagner also has a proven record in the Championship, notably taking the Terriers into the Prem for the first time through the play-offs in 2016-17.  
      He then kept Huddersfield in the top-flight the following season.
      Since leaving England, he’s also managed Schalke 04, but he was sacked following an 18-match winless run.
      read more on football
      Swansea’s Russell Martin — a Norwich old boy — has his fans at Carrow Road.
      But his compensation fee could rule him out of replacing the axed Dean Smith.
      Smith was sacked following Monday’s 2-1 defeat at Luton, which left the club fifth in the Championship.
      They’ve since dropped out of the play-offs entirely after they were only able to draw with Reading on Wednesday.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      The ex-Aston Villa had been in charge for less than 14 months, but was unable to keep the club in the Prem.
      And their hopes of securing automatic promotion already appear out of reach with Burnley and Sheffield United comfortably ahead at the top.
      Webber said: “This was a tough decision, but one that we felt was necessary to give ourselves the best possible chance of achieving our objective of promotion to the Premier League this season.
      “We would like to place on record our thanks to Dean, Craig and Liam, who have always put the best interests of the football club first.
      “With just under half of the season remaining and three consecutive home games on the horizon we now have a real opportunity to build some forward and positive momentum, both on and off the pitch.” More

    • 225 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Rangers eye £500k January transfer for Angola ace Benedito Mambuene Mukendi but face competition from top European clubs

      by

      RANGERS are interested in a £500k move for Angolan rising star Benedito Mambuene Mukendi.The 20-year-old midfielder currently plays in Portugal’s second tier for Trofense, and is considered one of the most talented players in the division.
      Rangers are keeping tabs on Trofense star Benedito Mambuene MukendiCredit: Getty
      Born in Angola’s capital Luanda, he arrived in Portugal at the age of 18, and has spent the last three seasons raising eyebrows, especially in cup competitions.
      Nicknamed “Beni”, his contract is up next summer and Rangers are among several top European sides casting their eye over the player.
      Primeira Liga giants Braga are also considering making a move having monitored him in Portugal for some time.
      Yet Rangers are believed to be preparing a serious January bid for the youngster to scare off any other potential suitors.
      Read More on Transfers
      The Scots also feel they can offer more attractive wages and a chance to play European football should they qualify next season.
      Ibrox has experienced a lot of change in the past few months, with Queens Park Rangers boss Michael Beale replacing the sacked Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
      Beale is looking to bring in a whole host of young talent this winter to bolster his new side’s title charge against rivals Celtic, and Beni could be one of those.
      Rangers reached the Europa League final last season, having finished second in the league, but flopped in the Champions League this campaign, losing all six group games.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
      The midfielder has registered a total of two assists in 15 matches so far this season.
      Beni has amassed 40 appearances across all competitions for Trofense ever since his arrival. More

    • 200 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Why Holland star Denzel Dumfries was given red card AFTER World Cup penalty defeat to Argentina

      by

      NETHERLANDS defender Denzel Dumfries was sent off AFTER his side were knocked out of the World Cup by Argentina on penalties.In a feisty game of many cards, the Inter Milan star saw red off once the shoot-out had finished.
      Denzel Dumfries was seen trying to distract some of the Argentina players
      Dumfries was sent off after the penalty shoot-outCredit: Getty
      Dumfries and Inter Milan team-mate Lautaro Martinez were all hugs after the gameCredit: Getty
      The 2010 finalist had battled back from 2-0 down to force extra-time thanks to Wout Weghorst’s late brace.
      But the Dutch were unable to complete the comeback in the extra 30 minutes and were beaten after Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis missed from 12-yards.
      It left Lautaro Martinez to score the winning penalty and send Argentina through to the last four.
      After the game there were scuffles between the two sets of players, with Dumfries at the centre of things.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz had already dished out an incredible numbers of bookings.
      And after Dumfries, already on a yellow card, clashed with club team-mate Martinez at full-time, he was sent off.

      Dumfries was seen during the penalties trying to distract some of the Argentina players, although to no avail as only Ezno Fernandes managed to missed.
      But it matter not as Martinez converted Argentina’s next spot kick to set up a semi-final meeting with Croatia.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST WORLD CUP BETTING OFFERS AND FREE BETS
      Even after the Dumfries had seen red, he was still involved in further altercations, before he was eventually pulled away by his team-mates.
      TalkSPORT commentator Ian Danter said: “There are still some angry Dutch players out there, Dumfries out there is still wanting words with some of those players.
      “Dumfries is trying to go for one of the Argentinian coaching staff, what on earth is going on down there?” More

    • 238 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      World Cup fans all say the same thing after England keeper Jordan Pickford’s hilarious dive for wild Wales shot

      by

      JORDAN PICKFORD had social media laughing after his hilarious dive against Wales.The Everton star was in action for England in their crucial World Cup clash against their British rivals.

      Jordan Pickford made a hilarious dive from Joe Allen’s wayward shotCredit: Getty
      Pickford flung himself across the goal despite the effort going miles overCredit: Getty
      Pickford clearly saw the funny side of it with John StonesCredit: Reuters
      But the first half was rather forgetful, with the ex-Sunderland keeper a mere spectator as Rob Page’s side hardly laid a glove.
      In truth, England weren’t exactly at their flowing best, but Wales were even worse.
      As a result, the Dragons mustered up just two shots on goal, neither of which were on target.
      One was a nothing attempt from Joe Allen, while the other was a more threatening effort from the Welshman, although it still sailed off target.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      Despite the shot flying miles over, it still led to Pickford making a sarcastic dive.
      And fans have all noticed the funny moment.
      One said: “Some dive from Pickford there!!!!”
      Another second joked: “Idk what’s funnier, Joe Allen’s shot or Jordan Pickford’s dive for it.”
      Most read in football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      A third said: “That Pickford dive was ridiculous. Talk about one for the cameras.”
      A fourth responded: “Lovely dive for the camera there Pickford!” More