تحدث وائل جمعة لاعب ومدافع النادي الأهلي الأسبق، عن مواجهة الأحمر القادمة أمام الترجي التونسي، التي ستجمع بينهما ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع الترجي في مباراة نهائي المسابقة القارية، والتي تقام مساء السبت ‏القادم على أرضية استاد رادس في تونس.

وقال وائل جمعة في تصريحات عبر قناة “الأهلي”: “نهائي إفريقيا هي أهم مباراة لـ الأهلي هذا الموسم، فهي أصبحت بالنسبة لنا مثل لقب الدوري، كل موسم لو لم يتوج الأهلي بدوري أبطال إفريقيا تكون هناك مشكلة، ونعود ونحمس أنفسنا لكي نتوج به، الأهلي أصبح ماركة عالمية، بطولة مهمة للنادي وللاعبين والمدرب وكل من هو أهلاوي”.

وواصل: “وجود الأهلي بجوار الأندية الكبيرة في كل القارات، نتحدث عن كأس العالم للأندية توجد به أكبر أندية في العالم مشاركة في البطولة، آخر 4 أبطال لدوري أوروبا مشاركين في البطولة نتحدث عن ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي وتشيلسي وبرشلونة، فرق لها تاريخ كبير في كرة القدم، مجرد أنك تتواجد معهم فخر لنا كلنا كأهلاوية، واسم الأهلي وعلمه يكون مرفوعا في هذه البطولة”.

طالع أيضاً.. مران الأهلي | كولر يحاضر اللاعبين فنيًا.. وتدريبات بدنية استعداداً لمواجهة الترجي

ووجه الصخرة رسالة لخط دفاع الأهلي، قائلا: “كلهم لاعبين ممتازين، مجرد أنهم ارتدوا شعار الأهلي ولعب في النادي أكثر من سنة على التوالي، يطبع بطباع الأهلي، لديهم الخبرة في التعامل مع مباريات مثل مباراة الترجي التونسي، لا بد أن يعمل حساب للترجي 1000 مرة، الفريق التونسي تحسن مع المدرب البرتغالي بشكل مميز جدًا الفريق أصبح صلب دفاعيًا جدًا.”

وأكمل: “الترجي من طينة الأهلي، لديه الخبث الكروي والقدرة على حسم المباريات والتاريخ والإمكانيات، مع تدعيمات الفريق بالثنائي البرازيلي، لاعبين ممتازين جدًا وخطيرين جدًا ومن أقل فرص يسجلا الأهداف”.

واستكمل: “الترجي خلال البطولة صلب جدًا دفاعيًا وصعب جدًا أن تسجل في مرماه لكنه يسجل من أقل الفرص، ستكون مباراة كبيرة وصعبة وستحسمها تفاصيل صغيرة وأتمنى الأمور كلها تكون في صالح الأهلي”.

وعن صورة محمد الشناوي مع مصطفى شوبير، أفاد: “الشناوي كابتن النادي الأهلي وحصل على بطولات كثيرة في الفترة الماضية، وهو اللاعب الأهم في الجيل الحالي، الشناوي يجب أن يعطي مثلا للاعبين وللجماهير، بمعنى أنك تكون كابتن الأهلي، الصورة عجبتني جدًا، أهم واحد في الفريق يساند ويدعم الحارس الذي لعب مكانه وأخذ الفرصة منه، كل التوفيق للثنائي”.

وأردف: “الأهلي يحتاج إلى المنافسة في مركز حراسة المرمى، ومنافسة صحية للفريق، وأتمنى أن يحصل الأهلي على دوري أبطال إفريقيا، والزمالك يتوج بالكونفدرالية، ويلتقيا مع بعضهما في كأس السوبر الإفريقي”.

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is known to 'appreciate' a Scottish Premiership midfielder and could look to bring him in before the end of the transfer window, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news involving Leeds United?

Leeds United have slowly built their way into the transfer window and so far have wrapped up the additions of Karl Darlow, Ethan Ampadu, Sam Byram and Joe Rodon, as cited by Transfermarkt.

According to journalist Alan Nixon on Patreon, Everton striker Tom Cannon is a target for Leeds United as Farke looks to strengthen his forward line; however, he could cost in the region of £8 million to bring to Elland Road.

In conversation with Football League World, former England international Carlton Palmer has indicated that Leeds United are keen on Swansea City striker Joel Piroe and stated in an interview with the outlet: "Leeds have a genuine interest in Swansea striker Joel Piroe.

"They need to bring a striker in, but Swansea do not want to sell and with interest from other clubs, Swansea are asking for a £20 million price.

Football Insider back up the notion that Leeds United are indeed keen on Piroe, though Southampton and Leicester City are also monitoring the Dutch poacher.

Earlier this month, The Daily Mail revealed that Leeds United were weighing up an offer for out-of-favour Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara, who earns £21,000 per week north of the border, as speculation over the future of USA international Tyler Adams continues to grow in the latter stages of the window.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has detailed that Leeds United boss Farke is known to 'appreciate' Kamara, who is "made of iron", though he doesn't expect negotiations between both parties to be straightforward.

Romano stated: “He's a player they appreciate for sure. This is true. It’s a name they have discussed internally at the club.

“So, let's see in terms of numbers with Rangers because it's never an easy negotiation when you want to sign important players. But it's true they have his name on the list.”

What now for Leeds United?

Leeds United will need to up their game in the Sky Bet Championship after taking just one point from six available in their opening two matches against Cardiff City and Birmingham City, as per Sky Sports.

Cited by The Yorkshire Evening Post, Whites manager Farke has urged calm with regard to their transfer activity in the window's closing stages, stating in a pre-match press conference before his side take on West Bromwich Albion at Elland Road: "It's a bit tricky, but I'm quite confident that we'll have some good solutions and you know the quote 'Save the best for last'. So sometimes it's even a good choice."

According to Football Insider, Leeds United, West Brom and Rangers are all vying for the signature of Millwall central defender Jake Cooper, who is in the final year of his contract at the Den and could be available for a cut-price fee.

Football Scotland have revealed that Leeds United sent scouts to watch Aberdeen forward Duk in action against Scottish champions Celtic last weekend.

Everton manager Sean Dyche has been tirelessly searching for a new strikeforce at Goodison Park this summer and could look to swoop on an outfit relegated from the Premier League…

Who do Everton want to sign?

As per multiple reports, Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana is attracting the attention of the Toffees after impressing in spells for the Saints after completing a £22m transfer from French side Rennes in January.

BBC Sport confirmed last week that he has indeed been earmarked by the Merseyside outfit, eyeing up a loan deal after missing out on the Ghanaian six months ago.

And now, Daily Express reporter Ryan Taylor has offered his insight into the situation for GIVEMESPORT, stating that completing a swoop for the 21-year-old would be a "very good" move.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Taylor said: "I think they would be two very good signings [Sulemana and Wilfried Gnonto]. Ultimately, I think that's the kind of market they should be shopping in because they don't have the kind of cash that can really sign game-changing players.

"So I think they would be smart moves. I would like to see Everton do something like that in the market. I think their signings are a little bit predictable. Danjuma was a step in the right direction. I think they would be smart acquisitions."

How good is Kamaldeen Sulemana?

Sulemana did not transform the Southampton attack but he did add a new dimension and impressed with his "incredible speed" – as has been lauded by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag – and directness down the flanks.

Having played 18 times in the Premier League, starting ten matches, Sulemana scored two goals and registered one assist, but it was not until the term's culminating match week that he truly exhibited the class that the south coast club hoped would catalyse their weary campaign.

In an enthralling 4-4 draw against Liverpool to end the season, with Southampton's fate already sealed, Sulemana utilised the freedom to dance sinuous lines around the Reds.

He netted twice and earned a stunning match rating of 8.7, also succeeding with two of his three dribbles, winning six of his nine duels and really just producing the all-encompassing display that the Saints hierarchy knew he was capable of.

He would bring a new threat to the Toffees attack, and a very different approach to that of Jack Harrison, who is a brand new arrival at Goodison Park side having also been relegated from the English top-flight this year, with Leeds United.

Where Sulemana utilises his blistering pace and dribbling ability (indeed, the £8k-per-week ace ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref) Harrison flourishes through his ball-playing skill and technicality.

Once described as "explosive" by former manager Jesse Marsch, Harrison scored six goals and supplied ten assists across all competitions last season and could use his creativity to provide Sulemana with a constant flow to latch onto – the likes of Alex Iwobi could also aid in this regard.

Truthfully, Everton's issue has long been scoring and last weekend's 1-0 home defeat against Fulham highlighted this issue, the Blues taking 19 shots to the Cottager's nine but failing to bypass Bernd Leno's net, and Sulemana would not bring the incisiveness to rain goals in abundance, that is a fact.

But the 5 foot 9 ace would be another layer to the attack, another string to the bow, and with Harrison alongside him Everton would creep closer to where they need to be.

Said to be a "brilliant player" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Sulemana and Harrison could wreak havoc in a manner that has not been seen on the blue half of Merseyside for some time, and the divergence from the offensive inefficacy that has plagued the club for several years now could well be set to take its leave ahead of an exciting new chapter for Everton.

Tim Paine will play his first Test match in more than seven years while Cameron Bancroft is set to replace Matt Renshaw and Shaun Marsh is in line for another comeback

Daniel Brettig16-Nov-2017

Tim Paine will play his first Test match in more than seven years as part of an extraordinary Australian Ashes team selection to face England at the Gabba.Cameron Bancroft’s rich vein of recent domestic form has eclipsed the worth of Matt Renshaw’s sturdy first 10 Tests, while the 34-year-old Shaun Marsh is set to make yet another return to the Australia batting order.On Thursday Paine was fielding minus gloves for Tasmania at the MCG in a Sheffield Shield match as the Test incumbent Matthew Wade stood behind the stumps. But by early evening word had circulated of the selectors’ decision to reinstate Paine in place of Wade for his first Test since Bengaluru in 2010.At the time he was touted as a future captain, before a horrid finger fracture in a Twenty20 exhibition match took Paine to the brink of retirement. His meritorious return to the game was recognised earlier this year with a recall as Australia’s T20 wicketkeeper, and ahead of the Ashes the selector Mark Waugh had revealed the 32-year-old was back in the Test mix despite being in the same state as Wade, who moved from Victoria to Tasmania in the off-season.”Matthew Wade did a pretty good job in the subcontinent, he’s had some tough places to keep on in Bangladesh and India, he’s done a pretty good job without scoring the runs,” Waugh said in October. “He’s disappointed with his scoring of runs since he’s been back in, because that was one of the reasons we brought him back, to get some runs out of that middle to lower order.”That hasn’t happened, so he hasn’t nailed that down, so that opens a spot up for conjecture. Peter Nevill’s definitely there or thereabouts, we’ve got a young guy in Alex Carey who’s making good inroads, and even someone like Tim Paine, his glovework’s been excellent when he’s been given the chance in the T20s, it’s just that he’s probably not going to be playing for Tasmania, so that makes it a bit difficult for him, but I think we’ve got the depth there.”Paine’s selection will not only displace Wade but also Peter Nevill, a more recent Test gloveman who was considered likely to resume in a team where Australia have moved from choosing an allrounder at No. 6 to picking the best six batsmen in deference to a strong visiting bowling attack.At the same time Renshaw’s omission and Marsh’s inclusion will raise eyebrows given the Cricket Australia Board’s instruction to the selectors last November to look for longer term, youthful options.Several players of similar age and with similar records to Marsh have either not entered selection calculations or not even been chosen for their states. Ed Cowan and Michael Klinger were dropped for New South Wales and Western Australia, while the Tasmanian pair of George Bailey and Alex Doolan have not figured in discussions.The selection changes have already caused a stir in the Australian cricket community, not unlike the changes made to the team on the eve of the 2010-11 Ashes series. In the words of Jamie Cox, a selector at that time, “You’re only right if you win.”Australia Ashes squad: (possible) Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird

Despite Glasgow Rangers conceding a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League playoff qualifying round match in midweek, Michael Beale will surely take confidence from the performance.

A positive result in Eindhoven will secure a spot in the lucrative group stages of Europe’s elite competition for the second year in succession, yet Beale will be focusing on the tie against Ross County this afternoon.

A trip to Dingwall is never easy, but the Ibrox side know that three points is a must, even this early in the season in order to stay in touch with Celtic.

What is the Rangers team news vs Ross County?

With the Gers already playing six competitive matches before the end of August, Beale may make a few changes to his starting XI against County.

The 42-year-old did have some positive news regarding injuries however as he spoke to the press.

He said:

"Ridvan returned to training but won't make the squad for the weekend.

"Tom Lawrence and Roofe will both travel with the squad.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

"Lawrence and Roofe back in the squad is a big boost and both hopefully feature tomorrow."

This certainly gives the club plenty of options, especially from an attacking viewpoint and although the supporters may only see fleeting glimpses of both Lawrence and Roofe today, it’s a step in the right direction.

One player who must be given a start however is winger Rabbi Matondo, as he is showcasing the abilities which led Giovanni van Bronckhorst to shell out £2.5m for his services last summer.

How has Rabbi Matondo performed recently?

The Welsh winger didn’t quite light up Ibrox like many though he would last season, starting just 11 matches across all competitions for the Gers while registering just five assists in the process, and it looked as though Beale would ship him out during his summer rebuild.

The 22-year-old has worked hard over the summer however and following a 20-minute cameo where he grabbed an assist against Livingston, he was given a rare start against Greenock Morton in the League Cup.

He was arguably the finest player on the pitch, terrorising the defence with his pace and trickery while delivering quite a few dangerous balls into the box.

His performance led Rangers Review journalist Euan Robertson to laud him as a “bright spark” and more was to come against PSV.

Emerging from the bench with just over 20 minutes to go, Matondo finally began to demonstrate his vast talents as he got on the end of a stunning pass by Cyriel Dessers to put the Light Blues 2-1 ahead in the tie.

The former Schalke gem also succeeded with four of his five dribble attempts and won four of his six ground duels, showing that he was more than up for the challenge against the Dutch side and eager to impress.

Meanwhile, journalist Joshua Barrie even claimed that “Matondo continues his redemption arc” following his display, so Beale should have absolutely no worries about deploying him in the starting XI against County this afternoon.

Jonny Bairstow has indicated he would consider taking the matter of Australia’s sledging further if they “crossed the line” again later in the series

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2017Jonny Bairstow has said he wants to move on from the sledging episode that marred England’s defeat in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane, but added he would consider taking the matter further if Australia “crossed the line” again later in the series.Writing in his column, Bairstow denied that Australia’s players bringing up his “headbutt” greeting of Cameron Bancroft earlier in the tour had contributed to his dismissal in the second innings at the Gabba, when he was caught at third man trying to ramp Mitchell Starc. Saying he had been “stitched up” by the episode, he admitted to being unsettled by Australia’s verbal attack but said it was not the reason for the shot.He also added that “some other things” were said at the time, which would stay in the middle. That followed Matt Prior’s claims to BBC 5 Live earlier in the week that the England players were upset by what had gone on in Brisbane.The unspoken implication is that, however much Steve Smith’s Australians insist they do not “cross the line”, England have reason to think that they did.Bairstow did not want to “make an issue” of what else was said while he was batting, beyond suggesting that relations between the two sides had improved.”Some other things, apart from the ‘headbutt’ business, were said by Australia in the middle but what they were is staying there. We move on. Hopefully it’s gone now. I’m not making an issue of it. Only if they are said again would the matter go further. We just need to get on with trying to get back in this series.”The second Test was played in a good spirit, tough but fair. There were some verbals from both teams but this time nothing crossed the line. Clashes like we saw in Adelaide are part of sport.”England’s ten-wicket defeat in the first Test was overshadowed by claims made on the fourth evening that Bairstow had headbutted Bancroft, which brought a renewed focus on team socialising. While confirming there was nothing malicious in what Bairstow had done, Andrew Strauss said the players needed to be smarter on tour and instigated a midnight curfew – something which has been relaxed while the squad is in Perth.”Did I feel as if I had been stitched up? Yes I did in many ways, but at the same time I honestly never thought of it as anything to worry about,” Bairstow wrote. “I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong and, more importantly, the team and management knew that too.”Australia, as they have admitted, were trying to use it to get under my skin. Realising what they were doing was important. I never said a thing back to them … It did get to me a bit when they started sledging me because I didn’t know what they were talking about. But I can honestly say the shot I got out to in the second innings had nothing to do with it.”I played a bad shot. You have to take a few risks when you’re batting with the tail and the truth is I had forgotten they had a third man.”Jonny Bairstow wore a dejected look as England stuttered just before tea•Getty Images

Bairstow’s dismissal came as England lost their last four wickets for 10 runs, with Australia subsequently chasing down a target of 170 for no loss. They extended their lead to 2-0 in Adelaide, with a 120-run win.Ahead of the Adelaide Test, Steven Smith was asked if Australia’s players had crossed the line of what was acceptable at any stage and he replied, “I think everything was fine”. England’s coach, Trevor Bayliss, said he was uncomfortable with the level of sledging and would prefer that stumps microphones were turned down.However, Prior, the former England wicketkeeper, claimed in a radio interview during the second Test that Australia had gone too far and the full story had yet to come out.”There’s a lot that’s gone on that I think the England players are quite upset about – and rightfully from what I’ve heard,” he said. “There’s been a lot of chat on the pitch that hasn’t got anything to do with cricket and frankly shouldn’t be on a cricket pitch – stuff that hasn’t come out, for various reasons.”

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to make their first huge gaffe under Ange Postecoglou, with an outstanding reason to avoid this touted transfer…

Who could replace Kane at Tottenham?

Romelu Lukaku is something of a pariah in Italy at the moment since returning to Chelsea after the conclusion of his loan.

Having been vocal in his love for Inter Milan, the Nerazzurri were incensed to find out that the Belgium international was flirting with the idea of joining Juventus. More recently, it is the fans of the Turin outfit that have made their feelings known, with the fans protesting against his signing by storming the pitch likely due to his ties with their rivals.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Now it is the Lilywhites who could be set to swoop in, with Italian outlet Calciomercato suggesting they are planning a move for the 30-year-old outcast.

The report suggests that he is an 'old passion' of Daniel Levy's, and with the expected departure of Harry Kane, a new starting striker is needed. However, it is a wonder whether even the Spurs fans would want this move to come to fruition.

How many goals did Romelu Lukaku score for Chelsea?

Whilst the one-time Manchester United man has enjoyed a largely successful career, recent campaigns have tarnished his reputation somewhat, likely leading to such turmoil regarding his potential deal.

After all, he is the player who has accumulated the highest cumulative transfer fee in history. This does not happen without a degree of quality, which was best showcased during his stints with Everton and Inter.

The former arguably kickstarted his career, becoming their all-time top scorer in the Premier League era before moving to the Red Devils. Then, after departing Old Trafford, his 34-goal haul across all competitions in his debut year in Italy fired the San Siro outfit to the Serie A title.

However, that form has waned more recently, having returned to Chelsea for a mouth-watering £97.5m fee, before returning to Inter on loan just one year later with just 15 goals in total for the Blues.

A shocking interview where he lambasted the west London outfit drew scorn from Graeme Souness, who claimed: "I can’t tell you a worse thing that a player can do at this moment in the season. To come out and say basically I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to play with players I’m playing with anymore and the manager. And how that damages Chelsea going forward, it has to.”

This has seen his goal tally drop to eight and ten in the Premier League and Serie A respectively, with his stock deservedly plummeting. Football Transfers detail this, as his value now sits at €40.9m (£35m).

Journalist Mohammad Butt had arguably found out Lukaku way before the downfall, branding him "slow and sluggish" back in 2018.

Postecoglou has been decidedly proficient in this transfer window, methodically improving his squad all across the board with careful additions for largely within market value.

Even though the Kane situation is a frustrating one, it should not spur the Australian boss to throw aside his planning for a quick fix.

The Belgian mercenary would solve few of their issues, and has seen a career slowly decrease in quality in recent years. It would certainly not offer a long-term solution to the revolution they are seeking to usher in, likely proving to be the first howler of the new era.

Australia captain Steven Smith admitted that he may have to use more of his top hand and be slightly less wristy after copping a freakish blow to his hand at training ahead of the fourth Ashes Test

Daniel Brettig at the MCG25-Dec-20170:58

May have to play less wristy shots – Smith

Australia captain Steven Smith admitted that he will have to find a slightly different way to bat after suffering a freakish blow to the hand at training. However, that is just about all Smith wants to change as the hosts chase the first of two wins that can give them a 5-0 Ashes whitewash to reprise those of 2007 and 2014.Given the runs he foresaw on the surface, Smith was more than comfortable with the prospect of England pitching short at him to target his right hand, which was already sore from slips catching before it was struck by a ricochet from a Cameron Bancroft shot in the nets on Sunday. But that soreness is enough for Smith to concede that he may need to be a more orthodox, top-handed player in this match.”I hope [they target my hand] on this wicket. It doesn’t have quite the same pace and bounce as the WACA did, so if you’re bowling that length out there, it’s not a bad thing,” Smith said. “I’ll still be [fielding] in the same spot. Maybe I’ll just have to use a bit more of my top hand throughout this game, a bit less wristy.”It’s more the back of my hand. I copped a few in the nets in Perth and a few more in the game, and it just seems to be whenever you’re getting hit in a spot it just continually gets hit. Yesterday was a little bit bizarre. The ball came over the nets, I didn’t see it, someone called heads, I sort of tried to put my head down and of course it hit me in the same spot. It was a little bit sore playing a few shots after that. It was a little bit sore today playing a few different shots, but I’ll be able to deal with it and l get on with it.”The decision not to risk Mitchell Starc’s bruised heel on Boxing Day was given further context on match eve as Smith stated how flat and unforgiving the MCG’s drop-in pitch appeared to be. While the surface has, in past years, been left with some moisture in it to aid bowlers in the early stages, Smith said this time it had been ready to play on for several days already – reverse swing looms as one way to break any batting deadlock that ensues.”The wicket’s been pretty good, pretty flat the last few years. It looks much the same this year,” Smith said in Melbourne. “It was probably ready to go three days ago. It’s a wicket that really hasn’t broken up much over the last few years, it’s stayed pretty good for five days. Hopefully, I can cash in again this week. It doesn’t look like there’ll be great deal of sideways movement, maybe a bit of reverse swing as the game goes on. But it looks a pretty flat wicket.”We’ve been able to get results here in the last couple of years. Hopefully we can do that again. We’re going to have work hard, first-innings runs are going to be crucial again. Hopefully, we can get the ball reversing, and hopefully, there’s a little bit of spin for Nath [Lyon]. He didn’t get a great deal last game at the WACA, the ball just went straight on for pretty much everyone. So if there’s a little bit of spin, it’ll certainly bring him into the game as well.”The inclusion of Jackson Bird for Starc will offer Smith the chance to operate with a somewhat different bowling balance. The Tasmanian can deliver longer spells that in turn should allow Pat Cummins, in particular, to stay at his optimum pace in shorter bursts. Bird has previously enjoyed success taking the new ball on Boxing Day, on debut against Sri Lanka in 2012, but Smith stopped short of saying who would share the new ball with Josh Hazlewood.”He deserves a go, he’s worked very hard,” Smith said of Bird. “He hasn’t played since this game last year. He’s been on a few tours, guys have come in and jumped him. He’s been great around the group.”He works incredibly hard, and when he’s gone back to Shield cricket, he has dominated. He bowled exceptionally well in the first couple of Shield games this season. He bowls well out here, so he deserves a crack and hopefully goes really well.”Having secured the Ashes in the minimum three matches, Smith said he had not yet pushed the concept of 5-0 with his players, preferring to maintain the level of focus on the next game that had served Australia well in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. For all their success this summer, it should not be forgotten that this is still a young team with a spotty record – as of this match they remain the No. 5-ranked team in the world.”We’re obviously pretty confident, it’s been a good summer so far,” Smith said. “We’ve won back the urn, which was the objective at the start of the series. We’ve now got an opportunity to keep winning, that’s been my message to the boys: don’t worry about 5-0 at this stage, you’ve got to win this one first and keep winning games of cricket. Winning can become a habit. For us, it’s about staying in those good habits.”

India will play more than half their cricket against Australia, England and South Africa between the World Cups of 2019 and 2023 if the proposed Future Tours Programme (FTP) – agreed to in principle by the BCCI at its special general meeting (SGM) on Monday – is ratified and signed. They will play fewer Tests and more T20Is, play more of their cricket at home, and will prefer to restrict their southern-hemisphere tours to the new year.The FTP includes no matches against Pakistan outside ICC events, a state of affairs the PCB has challenged. The total workload of the players will reduce, too: according to the BCCI, India will have played 390 days of international cricket plus ICC tournaments in the four-year cycle that ends in 2019, but will only have about 350 match days over the next cycle, including two home ICC events.The SGM has also mandated the office bearers – acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry – to nominate a working group that will deal with all the details and intricacies of the FTP, including the Members’ Participation Agreement (MPA). ESPNcricinfo understands the working group will be formed from among the general body. By doing so, the BCCI wishes to retain some control and leverage when it comes to playing arrangements. In the past, India’s participation has been used by the board as a negotiation tool at times, and a diplomacy device at others. While there had been a broad FTP in the past too, each tour needed a final stamp of approval from the participating teams. It is understood the body was not in favour of losing that power.A final approval on the working group will need to be given by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA). The CoA had already given its nod to the broad FTP, prepared by the BCCI operations team led by its CEO Rahul Johri. Representatives from all boards and the ICC met in Singapore on December 7 and 8 to flesh out the FTP.In particular, the operations team has tried to eliminate the imbalance typical of India’s FTPs. They didn’t want a repeat of the 2016-17 home season in which India played 13 Tests, nor did they want another season like 2017-18 in which the only three home Tests they played came against Sri Lanka. The new FTP seeks to eliminate the home-away imbalance: most of India’s cricket since their last overseas cycle has come at home, and almost all of the important cricket they play next year will be overseas.At the press conference, Choudhary and Johri said they were pleased with the proposed FTP. Choudhary said India’s home matches would go up from 51 to 81, which is about a 60% increase, but also said the match days would only increase by 20% – a clear indication of the reduction of Test cricket. India’s tours, as is obvious from the increase in home cricket and reduction in overall playing days, will be fewer and staggered to meet the team management’s demands of not spending long periods away from home.The new FTP will look to some as a continuation of the infamous Big Three, with the addition of South Africa to a lesser degree, but that, according to those present at the meeting, was also a demand of the broadcasters. It has become difficult to market Test cricket that doesn’t involve the four main Test-playing nations. Asked if this was a sign of things to come, if Test cricket was going to be played extensively only among the top four nations, Choudhary said: “Well you can say so. You can say so. But then time is not constant. There will be changes. These are things that will keep happening, and we will have to continue dealing with them.”India’s engagement with other Test teams is likely to be capped to two matches per series, which is the minimum requirement of the ICC Test Championship. If anything, this only formalises what has been apparent for a while. In the cycle between the World Cups of 2011 and 2015, 80 of India’s 166 international matches were against Australia, England and South Africa.Another contest that did not enjoy patronage from the broadcasters was the Champions League T20. It has long been discontinued, but the BCCI has retained the three-week window in September originally meant for the Champions League, which means another T20-related event cannot be ruled out.About securing a fixed home season, Choudahry said: “Traditionally speaking our season begins in October and goes on till March. While we were negotiating and preparing for the FTP conferences, we made certain assumptions. One of them was that it was a long season so let’s qualitatively assign them into two parts.”We decided October, November and December are our primary season. And January, February and March are our secondary season. The reasons mostly being the fact that you will attract more home crowd and there will be more certainty of matches in the first three months than the next three. The next three months, half of India will have other difficulties.”We have tried to make sure that our home matches fall in our primary home season firstly, and otherwise secondary. We know that the seasons of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand will clash with ours, and we will tour them but will prefer to do so in January, February and March.”

تحدث مدافع فريق وست هام، فلاديمير كوفال، عن مواجهة مانشستر سيتي الحاسمة يوم الأحد المقبل، حيث اعترف أن لديه حافز إضافي من أجل منع حامل اللقب من التتويج بالبطولة هذا الموسم.

ويواجه مانشستر سيتي نظيره وست هام، في الجولة الأخيرة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز على ملعب “الاتحاد”.

ويحتاج مانشستر سيتي إلى الفوز في تلك المباراة من أجل الحفاظ على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي للمرة الرابعة على التوالي، دون الأخذ في الاعتبار نتيجة مباراة آرسنال وإيفرتون.

وقال كوفال في تصريحاته لشبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية: “لقد عُرضت عليّ قهوة مجانية لبقية حياتي! لدي العديد من مشجعي آرسنال من حولي، ابني يلعب كرة القدم، لذلك لدي مشجعين كبار لـ آرسنال هناك”.

وأضاف: “لقد تلقيت بعض الرسائل منهم مثل: هدفك الأول في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز قادم! وأشياء من هذا القبيل، سيكون أمرًا لطيفًا حقًا، لكننا سنرى”.

وواصل: “أعتقد أن ديكلان رايس كان على اتصال بالأولاد الإنجليز، لكنه لم يرسل لي رسالة نصية! إنه لاعب في آرسنال، لذا فهو يهتم بفريقه وبأدائهم”.

وأكد: “لم أتواصل مع أي شخص في آرسنال، لذلك لديهم معركتهم الخاصة ولنا معركتنا، أنا متحمس حقًا، لأكون صادقًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ديفيد مويس يرد على مساعدة رايس خلال مباراة مانشستر سيتي من أجل آرسنال

واستمر: “لا أستطيع الانتظار لرؤية كأس الدوري الإنجليزي للمرة الأولى، لذلك أنا متحمس حقًا، وآمل أن تكون مباراة جيدة جدًا”.

واعترف: “ليس هناك شيء أفضل من أن يكون لديك خيار لتحديد لقب الدوري الإنجليزي، نحن لا نفكر في اللقب، لكن يمكننا أن نقرره، لذلك هذا جيد”.

واستأنف: “ستكون قصة رائعة أن يتمكن وست هام من إلغاء سيطرة مانشستر سيتي، يمكن أن يكونوا أول فريق يفوز بها أربع مرات متتالية، لذلك سيكون من الجيد إيقاف ذلك”.

واختتم: “ربما تكون واحدة من أصعب الأماكن للعب، أعلم أنه ليس لدينا سجل جيد هناك، أود أن أقول سجل سيئ للغاية! لكن هذه السلسلة يجب أن تنتهي في بعض الأحيان، ولماذا لا تنتهي يوم الأحد؟”.