Category Uncategorized

Sky Sports presenter Dan Bardell has now shed light on a “sneaky” Leeds United moment against Aston Villa, which VAR may have missed in Unai Emery’s side’s 2-1 win at Elland Road.

Morgan Rogers’ second-half double sealed Aston Villa a 2-1 win at Leeds and lifted his side into the Premier League’s top four. The England forward cancelled out Lukas Nmecha’s early opener for Leeds soon after the interval before his exquisite free-kick secured Villa a sixth win from their last seven league games.

A fifth defeat in six league matches was a bitter pill to swallow for Leeds, who remain in the relegation zone and had nothing to show for a spirited display, which saw them match their opponents for long periods.

Leeds dropped into the bottom three for the first time this season after Saturday’s results and a second home league defeat of the season heaped further pressure on head coach Daniel Farke.

Eight of Leeds’ 11 points prior to kick-off this season had been won at Elland Road and they made the ideal start, taking an eighth-minute lead after a lengthy VAR decision.

Sean Longstaff’s free-kick was hooked back across goal by Gabriel Gudmundsson and after Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez dropped the ball under pressure from Anton Stach, Ezri Konsa’s attempted clearance rebounded off Nmecha and into the net.

VAR Paul Tierney concluded after a lengthy check that neither Gudmundsson or Stach had been offside.

"Sneaky" moment VAR may have missed in Leeds v Aston Villa

Nmecha’s third goal of the season was confirmed after a lengthy VAR check for offside. There will have also been some fears that a foul could’ve been given, something which may not have been checked in great detail.

Taking to X during the first half, Sky Sports man Bardell suggested the goal shouldn’t have stood due to a “sneaky nudge”, despite the fact Martinez should’ve done a lot better, saying: “Could be disallowed for a couple of things there, but not great from Martinez, although I do think there was a sneaky nudge too. Not ideal.”

Ultimately, regardless of whether there was meaningful contact, the Argentinian should’ve done a lot better, considering he is still regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

That said, Villa managed to force their way back into the game regardless, with Rogers putting in a fantastic second-half display, bagging a brace, which ensured his side moved up to fourth in the Premier League table.

Leeds looking to boost survival chances by submitting imminent bid for Real Madrid star

Leeds set to make imminent bid for Real Madrid ace after Farke convinces 49ers

The Whites are looking to bring in a new forward, having not scored enough goals so far this season.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 21, 2025

وصل تشابي ألونسو لتدريب ريال مدريد الصيف الماضي، وعلى الرغم من ذلك فقد كشفت تقارير جديدة فإنه كان من الممكن أن يتخذ مساره التدريبي اتجاها مختلفا قبل عودته لملعب سانتياجو برنابيو كمدرب.

وبحسب الصحفي “فابريس هاوكينز” فإن تشابي ألونسو مدرب ريال مدريد كان من بين الأسماء المرشحة لتدريب باريس سان جيرمان في عام 2023 عندما كان يحقق نجاحاته مع بايرليفركوزن.

وأضاف أن باريس سان جيرمان وصناع القرار في النادي كانوا يبحثون ويدرسون أسماء العديد من المدربين وملفاتهم الشخصية.

أقرأ أيضاً.. مخاوف في باريس سان جيرمان بسبب لويس إنريكي

وتحدث هاوكينز عن ارتباط عدة أسماء بتدريب باريس سان جيرمان في عام 2023: “وضع المدير الرياضي لويس كامبوس قائمة طويلة جداً، كان أرتيتا أحد المرشحين الأوفر حظاً وكان أيضاً هناك هانز فليك ولويس إنريكي وتشابي ألونسو”.

وأكد الصحفي الفرنسي أيضاً أن باريس سان جيرمان تحرك للعديد من الأسماء المرشحة الأخرى: “كان هناك محادثات مع ناجلسمان، وأرتيتا، وتشابي ألونسو، أراد ألونسو الاستمرار في ليفركوزن وكان يحلم بتدريب ريال مدريد بينما أراد أرتيتا البقاء مع آرسنال”.

وحول قرار باريس سان جيرمان بتفضيل تعيين لويس إنريكي مدرباً جديداً للفريق، اختتم أيضاً: “ما جذب اختيار لويس إنريكي هو شخصيته، إنه شخص يعبر عن رأيه بصراحة، ولا يخشى اتخاذ قرارات صعبة، هناك أيضاً الجانب الرياضي وقصة لويس إنريكي التي أثرت في ناصر الخليفي ولكل هذه الأسباب كان الإسباني هو المدرب المختار”.

Bob Costas is retiring from baseball play-by-play broadcasting after an iconic 44-year career, according to a report from Andrew Marchand of , which was confirmed by Costas.

Costas, who is enshrined in Cooperstown as a broadcaster for his legendary career, told that he would prefer to formally address his status at a later date, but did confirm that he was in fact retiring. Costas's final MLB call was when the New York Yankees won Game 4 of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals on Oct. 10 to clinch a spot in the ALCS.

The 72-year-old Costas will still be seen from time-to-time on MLB Network, where he will serve in an emeritus role as a studio analyst. Costas has been MLB Network's lead play-by-play announcer since the network's inception in 2009.

Costas's contract as a play-by-play announcer with MLB Network was up at the end of the 2024 season, but he made his decision that this would be his final year prior to the season beginning, according to Marchand's report.

Costas began his play-by-play career 44 years ago, and has called three World Series and 10 league championships in his career.

Bavuma sustained the injury in the WTC final during his match-winning 66

Firdose Moonda20-Jun-20257:27

Bavuma: We’ve wiped all doubts with the way that we’ve played

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the two-Test series against Zimbabwe, which starts next Saturday. Keshav Maharaj will captain the team in Bavuma’s absence.Bavuma has not recovered from the hamstring strain he suffered during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia last week and will undergo further scans to determine the extent of the injury.The squad features five uncapped players as South Africa rest several all-format players including Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is only available for the second Test.Related

Glimpse into South Africa's future: Young squad set for Zimbabwe challenge

Raza, Curran and Ngarava out of Zimbabwe vs South Africa Tests

Brevis, Lhuan-dre Pretorius in SA Test squad for Zimbabwe series

Bavuma, who led South Africa to the WTC title, sustained the injury on the third day of the match. He was on six runs at the time and pulled up while completing a single. He received treatment on field and batted through to tea, where he was advised not to continue batting.After the game, Bavuma revealed that he went against medical advice because he did not want to give himself the option of not being in the middle at a crucial time in the game. In consultation with Markram, who agreed to downscale the tempo of his running between the wickets.Bavuma resumed his innings and saw South Africa through to the close of play. He finished on 66 as South Africa won by five wickets.South Africa’s next assignments after Zimbabwe, which Bavuma could be part of, are ODIs against Australia in August and England in September. Their next WTC campaign begins against Pakistan in October before a series in India in November. South Africa will not play any home Tests until October 2026, when they will host Australia. Bavuma has indicated he would like to continue playing until the 2027 home ODI World Cup, fitness permitting.This is the third hamstring injury Bavuma has suffered in less than two years. He was injured during the 2023 ODI World Cup and played the semi-final and then again during the Boxing Day Test against India that year. He has also had a series of elbow injuries and plays with a heavily strapped left elbow.South Africa squad: David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi (second Test only), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf

Six-laden display from West Indies not enough to stay in the series, as Banton, Bethell star in chase

Andrew Miller08-Jun-2025

Tom Banton swings into the leg side in his matchwinning cameo•Getty Images

England 199 for 6 (Buttler 47, Brook 34, Banton 30*) beat West Indies 196 for 6 (Hope 49, Charles 47, Wood 2-25) by four wicketsHarry Brook had said at the toss that he “fancied a chase” in the second T20I in Bristol. Well, he was handed one all right, as West Indies obliged in trademark style, serving up a six-laden display of power-hitting that included five in a single 31-run over from Adil Rashid – the second-most expensive in England’s T20 history – and 75 runs off the final four overs of their innings.Despite 15 blows over the ropes in total, and a stiff target of 197, even that was not nearly enough to rein in a newly liberated England batting line-up that responded with a salvo of cameos to hunt down their target with nine balls to spare.Fresh from his matchwinning 96 on Friday, Jos Buttler was once again the top-scorer, with 47 from 36, while Brook led as he would wish to be followed with 34 from 20. However, the star turns came from the young guns Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton in the middle order, whose combined haul of 56 from 21 balls drove England to an unassailable 2-0 series lead with Tuesday’s final match in Southampton still to come.Wood brings the wheelsIn a match marked by such formidable hitting, however, it was a bowler in his first international appearance since September 2023 who made the ultimate difference. Brook had wanted a “point of difference”, he said, in confirming Luke Wood’s recall. His left-arm pace is an attractive option at the best of times, but with a strong cross-wind cutting across the County Ground, the conditions were tailor-made for his inswinger to the right-hander.So Evin Lewis discovered with an Exocet of a first delivery – full, fast, tailing in at the toe, and extracting an immediate verdict from umpire Martin Saggers, even as Wood charged down the pitch in full celebrappeal mode. His follow-up to Shai Hope wasn’t quite as intended – a wild full-toss as the yorker slipped out – but two overs for four runs in the powerplay kept West Indies very much under wraps.Brydon Carse’s introduction gave a more accurate reflection of the carnage to come, however. With England once again opting for just two frontline quicks, Carse’s more conventional angles were very much to Hope’s liking – with two fours and three sixes, each of them creamed over long-off as he opened his stance to take advantage of the short straight boundaries.Jason Holder slammed an unbeaten 29 off nine balls, including three of five sixes off one Adil Rashid over•Getty Images

Hope and Charles fail to kick onEngland’s plethora of spin options were rolled out after the powerplay, as Hope’s early momentum was stalled. Johnson Charles, who had hitherto been the silent partner in their second-wicket stand, took a few early lumps out of Bethell and Rashid, whom he slammed over midwicket for six, through the grasp of a leaping Wood on the boundary’s edge.In the same over, however, Rashid followed up with a ripper – a dipping, fizzing legbreak to Hope, that turned sharply past the edge for Buttler to complete the stumping as West Indies’ captain toppled out of his crease for 49 from 37 balls.At 90 for 2 in the 11th, Sherfane Rutherford was pushed up the order in a bid to pick up the tempo. But Will Jacks – a decent match-up to the left-hander – cramped his style with a series of offbreaks across his body, before Bethell sent him on his way for 6 from 8, as Banton hoovered up a slog to long-on.Charles connected for a third six, off Rashid, but 15 dot-balls out of 38 told a tale of an innings without fluency. Carse returned with a change of ends to make amends for his profligate opening gambit, but it was Wood who prised him out – second ball of his second spell – via a deflection onto middle stump as he followed the batter outside off.Power surge to finish West Indies’ extraordinary depth of power-hitters means that someone is bound to come good in the end … or several people, as it turned out. Rovman Powell was briefly the man as he brought Friday’s hero, Liam Dawson, down to earth with 20 off his final over, and he had blatted his next ball, from Carse, over deep midwicket for another six before Wood clung onto an excellent tumbling take on the cover boundary.But, with Brook trusting his senior man Rashid to bowl the 19th over, Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd turned on the afterburners, amid scenes of certain carnage that were reminiscent of that infamous final over in Kolkata in 2016. Rashid was smoked for five sixes out of six – the exception being a scuffed single to backward square from Holder off the fourth ball, to mock boos from an enthusiastic contingent of West Indies’ fans.Wood restored a degree of decorum – and capped an excellent comeback with figures of 2 for 25 – as Shepherd was run out for 19 off 11, but Roston Chase smacked his first and only ball down the ground for six, the 15th of the innings, as West Indies finished on a healthy 196 for 6 that included 75 from the final four overs. Brook had got his chase.Buttler, Duckett start with poiseWith ten an over needed from the outset, Jamie Smith didn’t hang around, twice slogging Holder through the line and holing out to the second attempt for 4. But his second-over departure meant the in-form Buttler had all the longer to marshal the chase, and in Holder’s next over, he signalled his poise with an imperious driven six over long-on.Ben Duckett, however, was the impish source of early impetus, with his array of sweeps and dinks including a scoop over the keeper for six. He had a life on 11, when Lewis couldn’t cling on at point, but – after setting up the chase in a 58-run powerplay – Duckett miscued a pull off Shepherd and was spectacularly grabbed by a leaping Powell at wide long-on for 30 off 18.Buttler took up the cudgels, including an audacious reverse-hoick for six off Gudakesh Motie’s second delivery. But, on 43 from 29, he had a reprieve in the midst of a pacy over from Alzarri Joseph, in which he was tempted to take on the short straight boundaries and instead miscued a short ball to deep midwicket. Charles, however, couldn’t settle under the swirling ball, and the moment was lost.Banton and Bethell apply the late flourishWith the run-rate nudging above 11, it was Brook’s turn to come to the party in a 20-run over off Shepherd that included an extraordinary cut for six off a fast, straight full toss, as well as a misfield from Charles that earned him further stick from an invested Bristol crowd. But, just when it seemed the worm was turning in England’s favour, Buttler reversed his hands on a sweep off Akeal Hosein – fresh off the plane at 7.30am after his visa issues – and that man Charles was on hand at deep third to send him on his way for 47.Brook greeted the offspin of Chase with an open-shouldered launch down the ground, but two balls later, he picked out Powell for an easier grab in the deep. At 126 for 4, the innings was in danger of slipping away.Banton, however, slog-swept his first ball for six to lay down a marker, and though Motie’s next over started tightly, Banton showed his versatility with a reverse for four and a muscular straight six to keep the chase right on track. Bethell immediately got the memo with three more startling blows over the ropes in Joseph’s next over – his fast hands belying his apparently slight frame.He ruined his cameo by dinking the final ball straight to Chase at short third, but his 26 from 10 balls had broken the requirement into tiny pieces. Jacks picked out cover for 7 but by then Joseph had already wrecked any hope of a fightback with five wild wides down the leg-side. Banton and Carse duly closed out the chase to make it five wins in five for the Brook regime.

Chelsea wonderkid Estevao Willian is being backed to emulate Gianfranco Zola and Eden Hazard by securing legend status at Stamford Bridge, with the Brazilian youngster considered to be “unbelievably good”. He has already been likened to iconic countryman Neymar, with big shoes to be filled there, while also earning the nickname ‘Messinho’ (Little Messi) in his homeland.

• Meteoric rise: Estevao tipped to reach the top

  That goes to show how far the teenager has come in a short space of time. He only made his professional debut at Palmeiras in December 2023 and, less than two years later, is now a senior Brazil international and a Premier League performer being tipped to reach the very top.

  A transfer to English football was completed in the summer of 2025 after turning 18 and facing Chelsea at the FIFA Club World Cup. He admitted when arriving in west London that adjusting to life outside of his comfort zone would be difficult.

  Estevao has, however, hit the ground running with Chelsea – opening his goal account in stunning style when netting a stoppage-time winner in a dramatic victory over defending champions Liverpool. He had already been catching the eye prior to that outing.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  Next Neymar: Estevao compared to fellow Brazilian

  His quick feet and ability to drift beyond opponents have made him a fan favourite and earned the respect of those who are sat alongside him in the Chelsea dressing room. There is the promise of much more to come, with the hottest of prospects seemingly ready to become the next South American sensation.

  Ex-Chelsea winger Pat Nevin has told : “Estevao has been exactly what I hoped for. I think he could be one of the best. It's a lot to ask of a kid who's 18, but he's got everything, everything you need. Next off the Brazilian production line like Neymar. It's a good solid start, but I'll tell you what underlines it. I was at the Chelsea v Liverpool game just the other week and the ball went out to him and the noise in the stadium is different from every single other player. That is wow, not many can do that. So nice solid start, but he's a kid that can go wherever he likes. He's unbelievably good.”

• Chelsea greats: Estevao to follow in iconic footsteps

  Nevin went on to say of Estevao following in some iconic footsteps: “Style-wise, Chelsea have got this long list from Gianfranco Zola, Eden Hazard, Juan Mata was much much loved down there. It goes all the way back to Charlie Cooke. Chelsea have got a whole list of these little creative players that they absolutely love.

  “Estevao will be one of them. If Chelsea treat him right, if they stick by him, if he doesn't get injured, he will be in that pantheon. There's a couple of ifs in there, but definitely capable. Which one of them is he more like? He's probably closer to Neymar. He's not really like them. But creative, small, playing for Chelsea and could be world class very soon. He's up there and he should be one of them because he's good enough.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Next for Estevao? Chelsea return to Premier League action

  Another former Blues star, Champions League-winning coach Roberto Di Matteo, told GOAL recently when asked how god Estevao can become: “Let’s not overwhelm him with pressure, but he’s going to be a top player! You can see that he is so advanced in his football development.

  “I saw him before the international break and he looks like a 15-year-old! You look at him and think ‘you are playing already?’ Amazing skills, technically, he’s fast, unpredictable, can go outside and inside. Very good attitude. He’s quite advanced for his age. Ancelotti loves him in the Brazil national team.

  “He’s got a very good family around him as well, his parents have moved over with him. He’s got good management around him so I have no doubt that he’s going to grow and become a top player, a world top player.”

  Chelsea have Estevao tied to a long term contract through to 2033, meaning that they stand to benefit from the unlocking of further potential. He was among the goals for Brazil during the international break, netting a brace against South Korea, and will be back in Premier League action on Saturday when the Blues take in a trip to Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal came back with a bang this weekend

Mikel Arteta’s side appeared to have put their defeat to Liverpool well and truly behind them as they comfortably beat Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest 3-0.

There were brilliant performances across the pitch for the home side, with Noni Madueke continuing his form from the international break, Martin Zubimendi scoring a brace, and Viktor Gyokeres netting his third goal of the Premier League season.

While Eberechi Eze also impressed on his first start for the club, he did endure a slightly more unproductive night in the Champions League against Athletic Club.

Therefore, a slight tweak to Arteta’s side could get the best out of him.

Eze's superb showing against Forest

He may have made his official debut for Arsenal against Liverpool prior to the international break, but it was over the weekend that Arteta handed Eze his first start for the club, and boy did he repay him.

The England international was signed to bring an air of unpredictability and flair to the Gunners’ attack, and it took him all of five minutes to do just that, beating a defender and getting the crowd on their feet.

It was much of the same from that point on, as while he did not win every duel nor complete every dribble, the former Crystal Palace star was a constant threat on the left-hand side and ensured Forest couldn’t get a moment’s rest.

The Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, received his reward just a minute after the restart, drilling a ball across the penalty area for Gyokeres to smash into the net.

It was a truly brilliant performance from the Englishman, one that saw the Standard’s Sam Tabuteau award him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, which, based on his statistics, felt more than justified.

For example, in 79 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goals and assists figure of 0.50, provided one assist, completed three dribbles, took 43 touches, played one key pass, was accurate in 100% of his long balls, created one big chance, won two fouls and won 100% of his aerial duels.

It was the kind of showing that more than justifies the money Arsenal spent on him, although if Arteta wants to get even more out of him in the future after a subdued display in Europe on Tuesday, one change could be made.

The Arsenal star who can make Eze even better

The truly exciting thing for Arsenal fans is that after their summer of business, they have so many talented players in the squad who all deserve to start.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, Arteta could make Eze even more unplayable by dropping the in-form Riccardo Calafiori, “Arsenal’s Player of the Season so far” in the words of one content creator. Instead, Arteta must look at unleashing new signing Piero Hincapié.

The £65k-per-week international completed his loan move with an option to buy at £45m to the club on deadline day and hasn’t been able to play from the start for them yet, but as his performances in the international break showed, he’s more than match fit.

Moreover, there is one part of his game that could make him the perfect partner for Eze on that left-hand side: his ability to overlap.

The Ecuadorian “beast,” as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, might not be as gung-ho as a Jeremie Frimpong, but he is undoubtedly excellent at bombing up and down the byline, so much so in fact that respected analyst Ben Mattinson described him as “a left-sided Ben White.”

Shots Blocked

0.63

Top 1%

Touches (Def Pen)

6.86

Top 1%

Touches (Def 3rd)

27.36

Top 1%

Progressive Passing Distance

362.56

Top 2%

Passes Completed (Medium)

27.99

Top 2%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

42.26

Top 2%

Total Passing Distance

1024.66

Top 3%

Pass Completion % (Short)

94.3%

Top 3%

Live-ball Passes

64.71

Top 3%

Passes Received

56.86

Top 3%

Aerials Won

2.29

Top 3%

Passes Completed

61.85

Top 4%

Carries

46.56

Top 4%

Progressive Carrying Distance

139.59

Top 4%

Touches

81.65

Top 5%

Total Carrying Distance

234.96

Top 5%

Pass Completion %

87.8%

Top 6%

Average Shot Distance

13.10

Top 7%

Passes into Final Third

5.12

Top 8%

% of Aerials Won

63.8%

Top 8%

You can see some elements of his desire and ability to maraud up the pitch in his underlying numbers, with FBref ranking in the top 2% of full-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues for progressive passing distance, the top 4% for progressive carrying distance and overall carries, the top 8% for passes into the final third, and more, all per 90.

With all that said, you may wonder why having an overlapping full-back would help maximise Eze’s potential.

Well, simply put, while the former Palace star can play at left-wing and looked great there on Saturday, he is someone who very much prefers to move into more central areas when he gets closer to goal, which we can see from his heat map last season.

Therefore, if Hincapié starts at left-back and is the one to provide width through his overlapping runs, Eze can move closer to the middle of the pitch and do what he does best.

Ultimately, we’ve not seen it yet, but this pairing could be the one that helps Arsenal’s left-hand side become as much of a threat as their right has been in years past.

£150k-per-week Arsenal star looks like the player Pepe was supposed to be

Nicolas Pepe is back at Arsenal, albeit in the form of a different player.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 16, 2025

An “incredible” star turned down a late move to Aston Villa after they expressed a willingness to fork out £43m, it has been revealed.

Villa in need of fresh injection of quality

Emery has undoubtedly done a fantastic job at Villa, turning around the club’s fortunes by leading them to the Champions League and the Europa League, but the manager clearly needs a fresh injection of quality in his squad.

It has been a slow start to the season for the Villans, losing two and drawing one of their opening three Premier League games, during which time they failed to score a single goal, which meant it was a busy deadline day for Emery.

Perhaps in light of his side’s attacking issues in the first three matches, the Spaniard opted to bring in two new attackers, with winger Jadon Sancho arriving on loan from Manchester United, alongside Liverpool attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott.

However, one position in which Aston Villa were unable to strengthen was between the sticks, and in the end they didn’t need to, with Emiliano Martinez remaining at the club.

It has since been widely reported that Martinez was actively seeking a deadline day move to Manchester United, phoning international teammate Lisandro Martinez to advocate for him, but the Red Devils ended up signing Senne Lammens instead.

With the Argentinian seeking a departure, Villa were looking to bring in a replacement, and a report from Record (via Sport Witness) has revealed they agreed to shell out €50m (£43m) for FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Aston Villa struck gold on "machine" who's worth more than Elliott & Sancho

Aston Villa have certainly hit gold on this unbelievable star, who is worth more than both new recruits Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 2, 2025

Costa was being targeted as a replacement for Martinez, but Emery’s side were unable to get a deal over the line, with the Portuguese shot-stopper rejecting a move to Villa Park in the final days of the window.

"Incredible" Costa could have been ideal Martinez replacement

Ultimately, Emery didn’t need to bring in an immediate replacement for Martinez, with a move to United failing to transpire, but it remains to be seen whether the Argentina international has a long-term future at the club.

The 33-year-old was clearly agitating for a move on deadline day, and in some ways it is disappointing that a deal didn’t go through, given that there is little point keeping a wantaway player on the books.

Not only that, but missing out on the Porto goalkeeper is a blow for Emery, given that the 25-year-old has put in some top-quality performances during his time with his boyhood club.

Having also amassed 36 caps for national side Portugal, and been described as “incredible” by compatriot Diogo Dalot, Costa could’ve been an ideal long-term replacement for Martinez, but Aston Villa will now have to wait until January at the earliest to pursue a deal.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has issued one of his starkest warnings to European football. Calling today’s game “too slow, outdated, and destined to die,” he argues young audiences are tuning out of a sport stuck in the past. From pushing a 16-team Serie A to free-to-air broadcasts, he insists football must reinvent itself with bold reforms before collapsing under its own weight.

• De Laurentiis believes football is on the cusp of death

  De Laurentiis has never shied away from blunt truths. For years, he has positioned himself as football’s reformer-in-chief, unafraid to call out what he believes are fatal flaws in the game’s structure. In his view, football is losing its grip on younger audiences-too slow, too outdated, and too detached from what captivates kids today. His latest comments follow the same line, but with an even sharper warning for Europe’s top leagues. The president had earlier also suggested radical reforms advocating for a 16-team Serie A and free broadcast of matches. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Napoli president warns kids are too 'distracted'

  “Football is doomed. Real reforms are needed.” With these words, De Laurentiis launched a fiery critique of the sport’s current path, in a press conference.

  "Football must find a new path, because as it is currently conceived in Italy and in many other European countries, it is destined to die because it will not be able to survive and sustain the current costs. I hope that at some point there will be a chance to rethink how to organise the championships, how to organise the game of football so that kids and young people don't get distracted as they do today, only enjoying the highlights because during matches they fiddle around, they don't have time to watch what they consider slow and boring and a thing of the past.

  "This too should make us reflect and ask ourselves 'How should this football be changed, and why not change quickly?' Perhaps to allow those who, holding some institutional position, are afraid the toy will break in their hands to live peacefully? But this is not right and proper for the many millions of fans who would like less alarming and more modern answers."

• A 16-team Serie A?

  The Napoli owner has long pushed for radical solutions. Among them is reducing Serie A to 16 teams, a throwback to 1986. He believes fewer matches would protect players from burnout, increase competitiveness, and restore the league’s credibility.

  His other proposal is free-to-air broadcasts funded by advertising. He argues this would democratise access, bring back millions of fans alienated by paywalls, and boost ratings dramatically, reigniting passion for Italian football.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Football's age-old system is in crisis

  Beyond Serie A, De Laurentiis sees the entire European game in decline. Too many matches, ballooning debts, and governance controlled by institutions instead of clubs have left the system "broken", the film producer says. He is not the only figure calling for a reduction in the number of matches being played. Former Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund star Mats Hummels recently spoke out in favour of reducing the calendar, echoing sentiments made by Kylian Mbappe. Kevin De Bruyne, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have all spoken out, too.

Following their dominant start to the Scottish Premiership season, one Celtic target now reportedly wants to complete a move to the Bhoys this summer with negotiations already taking place.

Celtic ease to victory in Scottish League Cup

Of course, it’s not just the Scottish Premiership that Celtic are looking to retain this season. Brendan Rodgers’ side also won the Scottish League Cup last time out and have already taken their first positive step towards winning the trophy once again – defeating Falkirk 4-1 on Friday evening.

Goals from Daizen Maeda, Dane Murray, Alistair Johnston and an own goal from Keelan Adams saw Celtic ease past Falkirk and stretch their unbeaten start to the season in all competitions to three games.

Rogers was left pleased with the way in which his Celtic side secured their place in the next round, telling reporters: “I thought the performance was very, very good from the first whistle,” he said. “You’ve seen the hunger in the team and the intensity in the team.

“The first half we were good with the ball but not so good without it. It gave Falkirk a couple of wee opportunities to break through. We weren’t aggressive enough and tight enough. When we corrected that at half-time, we really dominated the second half.

Lionel Messi names the top fans between Celtic and Rangers, calls them "the best"

The Argentine icon has played at both Parkhead and Ibrox.

ByCharlie Smith Aug 15, 2025

“The goals were excellent and I thought we played really, really well. Overall really pleased. A lot of the players who hadn’t played came in and gave great value to the team. We had good variety in attack tonight. We were precise around the box when we needed to be.”

It’s the type of dominance that is likely to attract several targets, and that includes one long-term candidate who now reportedly wants to complete a move to the Scottish champions this summer.

Balikwisha now wants Celtic move

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Michel-Ange Balikwisha now wants to complete a move to Celtic this summer after Parkhead chiefs commenced “negotiations” to sign the talented winger earlier on in the window.

A long-term target, the Belgian would likely be a Celtic player already if it wasn’t for his untimely injury last summer. It was undoubtedly a cruel twist that took place 12 months ago, but whether the Bhoys make up for it and finally get their man remains to be seen.

Dubbed “direct” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Celtic have just a couple of weeks left to get their deal to sign Balikwisha sealed and delivered at long last.