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Real Madrid explored the prospect of bringing Achraf Hakimi back on a free transfer in 2026, banking on his stalled renewal with Paris Saint-Germain and strong emotional ties to the club. But everything changed after Kylian Mbappe’s exit opened huge salary space at PSG, leading the Moroccan star to make a dramatic U-turn and sign a long-term extension in Paris instead.

• Madrid’s plan for 2026 return collapses after PSG intervene

  After spending years in Madrid's youth academy, Hakimi left the club in 2020 to join Inter after a positive spell on loan at Borussia Dortmund. He has since blossomed into arguably the best right-back in the world, having since joined PSG and helped fire the French team to Champions League success last season. Naturally, Madrid fancied bringing the Morocco star, who made 17 senior appearances for Los Blancos, back to the Santiago Bernabeu, and with his contract expiring in 2026, there was a period they had high hopes of luring him.

  At the time, Hakimi’s renewal talks with PSG had stalled, and Madrid had privately informed him years ago that if he ever completed his PSG contract and became a free agent in 2026, the Bernabeu doors would be wide open. With relations between Real Madrid and PSG strained, a no-fee return was viewed as the only viable path. That possibility dramatically shifted after Mbappe left and PSG suddenly had significant financial room to manoeuvre, setting up the turning point that derailed Madrid’s plan, according to .

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• AFP
  

  PSG shift strategy and give Hakimi an offer Madrid couldn’t match

  The Moroccan future was headed towards a free-agent crossroads until the Ligue 1 giants acted decisively. Mbappe’s departure freed up enormous wage capacity, allowing PSG to table a package Madrid simply could not compete with. The offer, strengthened by Luis Campos’ sporting project and Luis Enrique’s influence in the dressing room, convinced Hakimi to rethink his future and sign a long-term deal in February of this year.

  From PSG’s perspective, retaining one of the world’s best right-backs became a cornerstone of their post-Mbappe rebuild. Hakimi, already deeply integrated into the Paris squad and the club’s long-term vision, chose stability in Paris over sentiment in Madrid.

• Injury recovery, Murcia visits & strong ties to Madrid remain

  Throughout this saga, Hakimi has been recovering from the ankle injury suffered after Luis Diaz’s heavy challenge in the Champions League. PSG allowed him to continue treatment in Murcia, where he works closely with Salinas and the Innova Clinic team. He was recently seen on a rolling mobility device at the CAF awards after winning the 2025 African Player of the Year.

  His regular appearances across Spain in recent weeks also kept speculation alive. Hakimi’s visit to Real Madrid's 2-2 draw against Elche in La Liga last week, where he watched former Madrid academy striker Alvaro Rodriguez score and mimic Hakimi’s “penguin” celebration. Despite his PSG renewal until 2029, those emotional links remain intact. Just as telling: he met his close friend Mbappe after the Elche match.

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• AFP
  

  Renewal to 2029 ends Madrid hopes but connection endures

  With Hakimi now tied to the European champions until 2029, Madrid’s long-standing plan to re-sign him has effectively ended. The club always knew that negotiating with PSG’s hierarchy was nearly impossible and once a free transfer was off the table, the window closed.

  For PSG, Hakimi will be a central figure in Enrique’s evolving project, expected to return from injury ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations window. For Madrid, it is the story of a reunion that seemed increasingly possible until PSG’s post-Mbappe rebuild swept him firmly back into the Paris project.

  Even so, his repeated presence in Spain, his Madrid academy past, and his affection for the club ensure that his relationship with Los Blancos will always remain part of his identity even if the comeback will no longer happen.

There has been some understandable concern from some sections of the Leeds United fan base over the club’s recent run of results in the Premier League under Daniel Farke.

The Whites have lost their last three matches in the division, to Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa, despite taking the lead in the last two games.

This run of results has left the West Yorkshire outfit in the relegation zone, albeit only on goal difference, with a daunting run of fixtures on the horizon in the Premier League.

Leeds travel to The Etihad to face Manchester City this weekend before a clash with Chelsea at Elland Road in midweek and a game against reigning champions Liverpool next weekend.

Unless the Whites pull off a surprise result in one of those matches, which is not impossible when you consider that Farke did beat City with Norwich in 2019, they could find themselves adrift in the relegation zone.

If Leeds lose all three of those games, it would be six defeats on the spin and a spot in the bottom three for the club. That is a hard position for any manager to keep their job in.

The case for Leeds to stick with Daniel Farke

Farke’s Premier League record will, naturally, come into question after his dismal time in the top-flight across two seasons with Norwich and the Whites’ form this term.

The German boss has lost 42 of his 61 games in the league, averaging 0.61 points per game, per Transfermarkt, with the Canaries and Leeds combined, which is a concerning statistic for any supporter looking to the manager and hoping that he can keep the team in the division.

However, it is worth adding some context. Norwich spent money on one permanent signing, Sam Byram for £750k, in the 2019/20 campaign and they had to play their last nine games behind closed doors. Before the second season, Farke’s best player, Emi Buendia, was sold to Aston Villa just weeks after they earned promotion from the Championship.

Then, of course, Farke wanted Leeds to strengthen their attacking options in the summer transfer window, but the club were unable to get a deal done for Harry Wilson on deadline day, which has left the manager short of options in the final third.

xG

14.3

13th

Goals

11

19th

xGA

16.1

12th

Goals conceded

22

17th

xGD

-1.8

12th

GD

-11

19th

As you can see in the table above, Leeds should be in midtable based on their performances, but the players have not taken their chances and their goalkeepers have conceded more than expected.

Whilst all of this mitigation is a case to save Farke’s job, a fresh report suggests that the club may be making a change in the dugout in the coming weeks.

The latest on Daniel Farke's future at Leeds

According to Football Insider, the owners are ‘preparing’ to part ways with the German boss if he is unable to oversee an improvement in the team’s results in the next week or so.

The report claims that the club are planning to sack Farke if he does not pick up any points from the matches against Manchester City and Chelsea, as harsh as that may seem given the level of opposition.

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It adds that the Whites are already looking at possible options to come in and replace the German manager in the dugout if they do have a decision to make in the next seven days.

Football Insider reveals that Valencia head coach Carlos Corberan is one of the names in the frame to possibly replace Farke, stating that he has moved ahead in the race to move to the Premier League.

If Leeds are able to convince their former U21s boss to return to Elland Road, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke and the club’s new Marcelo Bielsa.

Why Leeds should appoint Carlos Corberan

Whilst, as aforementioned, there is plenty of mitigation that suggests that Farke would be somewhat unfortunate to lose his job, this latest update clearly shows that Leeds are preparing for a change.

With this in mind, the focus should be on getting the best possible manager in to take the job, and there may not be many better and realistic options than Corberan, due to his history with Leeds and his managerial career to date.

The Spanish boss, who has played a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 in LaLiga this season, was a first-team coach under Bielsa at Elland Road before taking his first senior posting outside of Cyprus with Huddersfield in 2020.

Since then, he has managed Olympiacos, West Bromwich Albion, and Valencia, gaining vital experience, and has had his coaching style compared to that of Bielsa’s, as shown in the post below.

This suggests that the Whites would be signing a more pragmatic manager than Farke, and one who may be able to implement more subtle tactics within matches to secure results.

That is backed up by his record in LaLiga with Valencia since he made the decision to move on from West Brom to make the move to Spain midway through the 2024/25 campaign.

Matches managed

61

34

Wins

9

12

Draws

10

11

Losses

42

11

Points

37

47

Points per game

0.61

1.38

As you can see in the table above, the ex-Leeds U21s manager has a far better record in a major European league than Farke has, with ten more points from almost half as many games.

Of course, there is the aforementioned mitigation to take into account for Farke, but the Valencia boss is now a proven operator at that level of management, whilst the German is still yet to prove that he can successfully keep a team up.

Corberan was once hailed as “elite” by scout Petar Petrov for getting more out of his group of players than expected, which is exactly what the Whites need in the position that they are currently in.

Therefore, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke, due to his proven ability to get the most out of his players at the top level in Europe, whilst also being Bielsa 2.0 with his pragmatism and willingness to adapt, which is why the club should move for him if they sack Farke.

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ByKelan Sarson Nov 28, 2025

Manchester City might have closed the gap on Sunday, but this season feels different for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been almost faultless over the last couple of months, so much so that a point away to the high-flying Sunderland feels like a defeat.

Moreover, while the Gunners finally conceded against the Black Cats, they remain unbeaten in 14 games across all competitions and are still top of the Premier League.

One of the reasons why Arsenal have been so successful is how quickly their summer signings have adapted. However, there are now reports that they could be interested in someone who could be an upgrade on Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal target world-class midfielder

Since arriving in North London for around £58m, Zubimendi has been an ever-present figure in Arsenal’s midfield.

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The Spaniard has already made 14 competitive appearances for the side, in which he has scored two goals and provided one assist.

However, his place in the side might not be as secure as it seems, with the Gunners now interested in another world-class midfielder.

At least that is according to a report from Caught Offside, which claims that Arsenal are interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha.

The report has revealed that, alongside Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus, the Gunners are monitoring the midfielder’s situation.

However, in addition to convincing him to leave the reigning European Champions, the North Londoners would have to stump up an enormous fee of around €130m, equivalent to approximately £114m.

With that said, if this is a deal that can be done, it’s one Arsenal should pursue, even if that’s bad news for Zubimendi.

How Vitinha compares to Zubimendi

The first thing to note is that Zubimendi is doing a brilliant job for Arsenal so far this season and could be a key reason why they finally win the Premier League.

However, just because a player is performing well for a side, it does not mean they cannot be upgraded upon, so would Vitinha be that upgrade?

Well, both midfielders are capable of playing in central and defensive areas, so neither one takes the lead when it comes to versatility.

However, when it comes to their output, it’s a different story entirely.

For example, while the Gunners’ ace has two goals and one assist to his name this year, the PSG star already has a staggering tally of two goals and eight assists in just 16 appearances, totalling 1237 minutes.

In other words, he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.6 games, or every 123.7 minutes, which goes some way to justifying respected analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s “the Xavi of this generation.”

Unfortunately for the former Real Sociedad star, he also comes out second best when it comes to major honours, as while he has a Copa del Rey and Euros to his name, the Portuguese star has won the Champions League, the Nations League, three Ligue 1 titles, two Portuguese League titles and a plethora of French Cups.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.24

0.13

Progressive Passes

14.7

6.25

Progressive Carries

4.02

1.06

Shots

2.29

0.86

Shots on Target

0.80

0.29

Passing Accuracy

93.6%

88.7%

Key Passes

1.84

0.87

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.84

0.87

Shot-Creating Actions

4.92

2.21

Goal-Creating Actions

0.91

0.29

Tackles Won

0.92

1.06

Shots Blocked

0.23

0.10

Clearances

0.80

1.83

Carries

103.8

42.9

Finally, it is once again the former Porto star who comes out on top when comparing their underlying numbers.

For example, “the best midfielder in the world,” as dubbed by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, comes out way ahead in crucial metrics such as progressive passes and carries, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions and shots blocked, all per 90.

In fact, the only metrics in which the Spaniard does better are some of the defensive ones, and even then, it’s not by a significant amount.

Ultimately, Zubimendi has been unreal for Arsenal so far this year, but if Vitinha is attainable, the club should do everything possible to bring him in.

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ByEmilio Galantini Nov 11, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur swooped to appoint Thomas Frank as their new head coach ahead of the summer transfer window after they opted to remove Ange Postecoglou from his post.

The Australian manager won the Europa League at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, beating Manchester United in the final, but that was not enough for him to save his job.

Daniel Levy, who has since moved on from his role as chairman, parted ways with Postecoglou and snapped Frank up from Brentford, where he had won promotion to the Premier League and established the Bees in the division.

Four wins, two draws, and one defeat in the first seven matches of the top-flight campaign suggest that Spurs made a good decision when they changed managers this summer.

In his unveiling, the club’s official website noted that one of the reasons why Frank landed the job was that he has a proven track record in developing players.

Tottenham will now be hoping that he can work wonders with the plethora of talented young players at his disposal in North London, as he did with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Kevin Schade, and Yoane Wissa at Brentford.

Ranking Tottenham's most valuable U21 players

Whilst Frank could develop players of any age, the powers that be at Spurs may hope that he can develop the U21 players at the club to help them grow in value.

Tottenham have a rich history of developing and selling players. Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, both sold to Real Madrid, are notable examples, whilst Harry Kane came through the youth ranks before moving on to Bayern Munich in 2023 as the club’s all-time record goalscorer.

The Lilywhites may not have their next Kane in the making at the club at the moment, but they do have several impressive young stars who could have bright futures under an outstanding coach like Frank.

Spurs have four players aged 21 or under in their squad who are currently valued at £17m or more by Transfermarkt, which shows that several impressive young talents are waiting to explode in North London.

Lucas Bergvall

19

£33m

Archie Gray

19

£33m

Mathys Tel

20

£30m

Wilson Odobert

20

£17m

Kota Takai

21

£2m

Dane Scarlett

21

£2m

As you can see in the table above, Lucas Bergvall is the joint-most valuable U21 player in the squad, and he has emerged as an early favourite under Frank.

The Sweden international has started four of his six appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist, which shows that the manager has taken a liking to him.

Spurs will be hoping that Bergvall benefits from this exposure to regular starts in the top-flight to emerge as a star for Frank in the middle of the park.

Archie Gray is currently valued at £33m, the same as the Swedish starlet, but he has only made two appearances and started once in the Premier League so far this season.

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Whilst Bergvall is seemingly Frank’s favourite U21 player at the club at the moment, the England U21 international has the potential to develop into a Bukayo Saka-esque talent for Tottenham if he gets more game time in his favoured position.

How Archie Gray can become Tottenham's Bukayo Saka

At the start of Saka’s Arsenal career, Mikel Arteta played the English star at left-back 21 times, in central midfield five times, and at left midfield 29 times, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that the left-footed youngster had to play in several roles before nailing down a regular spot in his favoured position on the right flank, where he has scored 47 goals and provided 40 assists in 137 starts.

Gray has suffered through his versatility throughout his senior career to date. 30 of his 49 starts for Leeds came at right-back. 34 of his appearances for Spurs have come at right-back, centre-back, or left-back. Meanwhile, he has started just 13 matches as a central midfielder, his favoured role, in that time, per Transfermarkt.

13 starts as a central midfielder, the position he grew up playing at academy level, in more than two years as a first-team player for Leeds and Spurs shows that he has not had many opportunities to develop in his long-term position.

Gray finally had the chance to play in central midfield for England’s U21s against Moldova last week and caught the eye with an impressive and well-rounded display in the middle of the park.

Minutes

90

Pass accuracy

94%

Long pass accuracy

100% (3/3)

Dribble success rate

100% (3/3)

Ball recoveries

5

Ground duels won

3/4

Aerial duels won

1/1

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old star put in a sublime performance in and out of possession, as he was effective as a passer and a dribbler, whilst also being almost perfect defensively.

This shows that he has the potential to deliver quality displays as a midfielder, despite playing so many other positions ahead of his best one at senior level to date.

Gray, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed was “born to play football”, could realise his potential at Tottenham if Frank plays him in his best role for an extended run of matches.

Analyst Ben Mattinson once claimed that the England U21 international is a “future £100m CM”, and it is not a crazy prediction when you consider that he is currently valued at £33m, having barely played in his natural position.

Gray has 30 matches of Premier League experience under his belt and has won the Europa League with Spurs, but the next step is for him to nail down a regular spot in the XI in the middle of the park.

Frank could, then, unearth his own Saka-type player as the former Leeds starlet could follow in the Arsenal superstar’s footsteps by transitioning from playing out of position at full-back to being a star in his natural position.

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ByKelan Sarson Oct 13, 2025

Deepti Sharma the bowler as Lord’s ODI briefly veers towards controversy again

Valkerie Baynes19-Jul-2025Smriti Mandhana’s knowing smile said it before her words did. India’s return to Lord’s for the first time since Deepti Sharma ran out Charlie Dean backing up to sweep their ODI series here nearly three years ago would always pose the question and Mandhana knew it was coming.”Doesn’t happen, right? You come to Lord’s and that question is not asked?” Mandhana said. “We didn’t really think anything about all of that incident. Only today, there was one random appeal for Tammy Beaumont, when that happened. And again, Deepti was bowling.”That’s when we cracked a joke that Lord’s and Deepti has an, I don’t know how I term it in words, but we had a small joke around it.”The whole match last time, of course it was overshadowed quite a lot because of that one incident. But I would say the way we all actually played cricket in terms of that whole series, I mean, one incident cannot overshadow it, and the chat was only about how good we played and we have to just keep continuing that.”But if the venue, teams and individuals reconvening for the second of three ODIs in this series – which England won this time against the backdrop of two significant rain interruptions to draw level 1-1 – didn’t already promise some drama, a number of on-field incidents delivered.The first, which Mandhana referenced, came when India appealed for Beaumont to be dismissed obstructing the field.Beaumont had set England’s initial pursuit of 144 in 29 overs off to a flyer on 25 off 17 balls with England 36 without loss in the fifth over. She clipped a Deepti delivery towards midwicket and set off for a run but turned back as Jemimah Rodrigues pounced and fired the ball back to the striker’s end.Beaumont’s left foot was grounded inside her crease as she brought her right leg forward and the ball ricocheted off her pad as wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh threw her arms up in appeal. After an umpire review, Beaumont was adjudged not out.”I was not in a really good angle, to be fair, probably it was not visible at all,” Mandhana said. “Jemi definitely felt that maybe she kicked it or something. They referred it and it was not out, so I’m sure that they should have seen all the angles. That’s the only view I have on it.”But I was in no angle, to be fair, to see what happened. At mid-on you don’t see what exactly happened from that way. So not being diplomatic, but genuinely I did not see it.”Amy Jones, who top-scored for England with an unbeaten 46, was at the other end when it happened and spent a nervous few moments “talking it through” with Beaumont as they awaited the result of the review.”It was weird,” Jones said. “I’ve never been out there for one of those before, I don’t think. The umpires were happy that Tammy was in her crease, so she wasn’t trying to not get run out, but obviously they appealed for obstructing the field.”I learned that even if you’re in, you can still be out, but obviously Tammy had no intent of actually obstructing them. I think she was just trying to get back into her crease, so all okay in the end. She didn’t know if it could result in a wicket or not.”In Deepti’s next over, she pulled out of her delivery stride and Beaumont, who wasn’t backing up excessively, made it back into her crease safely at the non-striker’s end. Mandhana shrugged that off after the match, saying Deepti “actually pulls out quite a lot”.”I would say that every match she would’ve played maybe once or twice she has the habit,” Mandhana added. “Maybe she wants to watch the batter or she has her own strategy. But it was not discussed at all.”Why would we discuss all of those things? We came here to play good cricket and that was the only discussion which we had. She does that quite a lot. I think it’s more to do with seeing what the batter is doing.”Beaumont ultimately fell lbw to Sneh Rana for 34 off 35 balls after staging a 54-run opening stand with Jones.The match was reduced further by a heavy evening downpour with England 102 for 1 from 18.4 overs, eight balls shy of the 20 overs needed to constitute a match.Nat Sciver-Brunt, who had put on 48 runs with Jones, was bowled by Kranti Goud on the second ball after the resumption with a revised target of 115 off 24 overs.With England needing 13 more runs off the last five overs, India reviewed for caught behind off new batter Sophia Dunkley, despite the stump mic picking up Ghosh saying there was no bat involved, which was proved on the replays.Again, Jones found herself in conversation with her batting partner about keeping calm in the moment.”I thought they played that very well,” she said. “We tried not to get drawn into it. It was always going to happen. It’s part of the game. So we did acknowledge it when Dunks came out. I was like, ‘it’s a bit annoying out here’.”It’s what most teams would do. So I tried to leave that to the umpires. It is a part of the game.”With the series level, the final ODI in Durham on Tuesday has plenty at stake, lots of recent history behind it and promises to be entertaining.

قلص رافا مير الفارق لصالح إلتشي أمام برشلونة، خلال المباراة التي تجمع بين الفريقين، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

ويحتل برشلونة المركز الثالث برصيد 22 نقطة، بينما يحتل إلتشي المركز التاسع في جدول ترتيب الدوري الاسباني برصيد 14 نقطة.

وجاء هدف رافا مير في الدقيقة 42 من أحداث الشوط الأول من اللقاء، بعد أن سجل برشلونة هدفين عن طريق لامين يامال وفيران توريس في الدقيقتين 9 و12.

اقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | لامين يامال وفيران توريس يسجلان هدفي برشلونة الأول والثاني أمام إلتشي

ودخل هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة لقاء اليوم بتشكيل مكون من: تشيزني، بالدي، جارسيا، أراوخو، كوندي، لوبيز، مارك كاسادو، فرينكي دي يونج، راشفورد، فيران توريس، لامين يامال.

ويغيب عن برشلونة العديد من اللاعبين في مباراة اليوم، مثل رافينها وخوان جارسيا ومارك تير شتيجن وبيدري وكريستنسن للإصابة.

After the perfect start against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade has revealed how he’s similar to the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane.

Howe "really pleased" with "humble" Woltemade

Eddie Howe couldn’t have asked for much more from his £69m striker on his debut last time out. The 6’6 forward rose highest to head home what proved to be the winning goal against Wolves, before wheeling away in celebration. After waiting all summer for a new striker, St James’ Park got the emphatic introduction that they had been desperate for.

Like the rest of those watching on in Tyneside, Howe was left delighted with Woltemade, telling reporters: “It was a great moment for Nick. I was very pleased with how he played today.

“You saw his qualities, his technical qualities that we’ve been discussing and his intelligence but most importantly for a striker, when the ball comes into the box, you need to be there and he was.

“It was a great finish. I’m really pleased for him personally because that just settles him down and relaxes him, he’s a very humble guy, he wants to do well and he’s delighted to be here — I think it’s a great start.”

Woltemade’s debut goal would have surprised no one back in Germany. There’s every reason why Bayern Munich were so keen to secure his signature and even more reason why he stole the show at the U21 Euros in the summer. Now, he’s the man that could make Newcastle forget all about Alexander Isak.

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The 23-year-old is hardly short on confidence, either, and has already told Newcastle fans exactly what they can expect from him in the coming years.

Woltemade makes Ibrahimovic comparison

Revealing the players that he’s most similar to, Woltemade compared himself to the great Ibrahimovic. One inch taller than the former AC Milan star, the German’s comparison is a fair one to make, given how he still maintains his technical ability despite his height. Whether he eventually reaches the same level as the Swede is the big question.

Describing his style as “rare” for someone of his height, Newcastle can expect the unexpected from their new striker, who will be looking to follow up his debut goal with another against Barcelona this week.

Embattled Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was dealt a crushing insult by LBC radio presenter Nick Ferrari on Tuesday, when he gleefully compared her tenure to that of Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim. Badenoch and Amorim both took on their respective roles in November 2024, and have presided over some of the worst results in the history of two of the UK's most successful institutions.

• WATCH: Ferrari compares Badenoch to Amorim

  The Conservatives have lost swathes of their councillors and members to the surging far-right vehicle of Nigel Farage, Reform. Now polling as low as 17% with the general electorate according to the latest YouGov polling, calls for Badenoch to step down have accelerated.

  Badenoch was doing her media rounds on Tuesday morning, after she had addressed her members at the Conservative Party's annual conference in Manchester the day before.

  Ferrari used the opportunity to direct the jibe at a slightly bemused Badenoch, comparing the politicians requests for more time to that of the Portuguese manager.

  "If this was like football Mrs Badenoch, you need to look across to Old Trafford, the manager of Manchester United, Ruben Amorim, who keeps saying ‘give me time’ and keeps losing matches," said Ferrari. "You’re losing councillors, you're losing support, you're losing members. You are the Ruben Amorim of politics Mrs Badenoch."

  Badenoch largely skirted around the comparison, instead focussing on her attempts to lead the party through its current predicament. 

  "Well, that is certainly not the case. What we are doing is shedding a lot of the baggage of the last 14 years. I remember last year, we had people defecting to Labour because Labour was doing well in the polls. Now we have people defecting to Reform, because Reform is doing well in the polls. We need people in the party who are here for the right reasons."

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• Badenoch and Amorim – two leaders destined for the chop?

  It's unclear who out of Badenoch or Amorim should be more insulted by Ferrari's jibe. A recent survey of Conservative Party members found that more than half think Badenoch should leave her role. While no such poll of Red Devils supporters exists, it's not hard to think that given the Portuguese's 17 losses in just 36 competitive games at United would likely return similar numbers.

• Man Utd legends continue to criticise Amorim

  Several of United's most decorated players have continued to question the manager's methods of late. Paul Scholes recently claimed the Portuguese is "getting too much time" considering the lack of success on the pitch. 

  On the latest episode of Scholes delivered a damning verdict on Amorim's reign. 

  He said: "I feel like with Ruben Amorim it’s got to the point where we don’t want to talk about sacking managers all the time and Manchester United do give managers enough time.

  "He’ll never get booed by the fans and it wasn’t until that Brentford game [where they lost 3-1] where I thought, ‘He’s getting a little bit too much time’ and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before things come to an end."

  Wayne Rooney similarly questioned Amorim's performance on a episode of his podcast: "I just don't know what's going on. I have tried my hand in management and it didn't work out too well, I get it. Ruben Amorim is my age, he is still a young manager and I'm sure he still has a massive future, but what's going on at Man Utd, this is not Man Utd. I honestly hope he can turn it around and he does. But if you're saying to me, 'do you believe he will?', then, after everything I've seen, honestly, I've got no faith in it."

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  Man United prepare for Liverpool clash

  Unlike Badenoch, Amorim has a massive chance to quiet his detractors in the coming weeks. After the international break, United will square off against their fiercest rivals Liverpool in a Premier League clash that could have profound impact on both club's respective seasons. 

Australia captain Alyssa Healy will miss next month’s T20I tour of New Zealand, but there is “no doubt” over her status for the ODI World Cup as she rehabilitates after a wretched run of injuries.With Healy absent as expected due to a foot injury, Melbourne Renegades wicketkeeper-batter Nicole Faltum has been called up in Australia’s 14-player squad for the three-match series starting in Auckland on March 21.Tahlia McGrath will captain with Ashleigh Gardner to be her deputy, while Beth Mooney will again take the gloves in Healy’s absence.Related

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Faltum, 25, has yet to play international cricket but is coming off a strong season for WBBL champions Renegades and captained the Governor-General’s XI against England in January. She beat out Tahlia Wilson and Maddy Darke for the New Zealand tour.”We just see Nic slightly ahead of the others, particularly for the T20 format,” Australia chief selector Shawn Flegler told reporters. “It’s really unlikely that she will play. Obviously, Beth will take the gloves for this tour and she did a really good job during the Ashes replacing Alyssa.”But we just thought it was a great opportunity for Nicole to come in and be around the group, train with them and get to see the environment first hand.”Healy, who turns 35 in March, was not named in the squad due to the stress fracture in her right foot. She missed the T20I portion of the Women’s Ashes and had to prove her fitness for the MCG Test before playing as a specialist middle-order batter.Healy had ruptured her plantar fascia in her foot at the T20 World Cup in October last year which saw her miss Australia’s final group match and the semi-final against South Africa. She also suffered a knee injury in the early stages of the WBBL which meant she missed the remainder of the season and the subsequent ODI series against India.Healy had to skip the ongoing Women’s Premier League, but a return to the field could take place at the women’s Hundred ahead of an ODI series in India in September that runs straight into the World Cup.”My understanding is that there’s no doubt that she’ll get through to the World Cup, that’s for sure,” Flegler said. “She’s had a complicated last couple of years with some different injuries that’s been related to foot…some Achilles and stuff.Nicole Faltum will be part of her first Australia tour•Getty Images

“We certainly don’t want to rush it. As far as I’m aware, there’s no risk that she’ll miss out on that World Cup.”Allrounder Sophie Molineux will continue to be on the sidelines as she recovers from a knee injury that ruled her out of the multiformat Ashes series. “We want to make sure that she’s right for that World Cup, we think she’ll be an important member of that side,” Flegler said.”When she came back into the team, she played a really good role for us across all formats. We’re not going to rush her back. It’s a bit of a complex injury, but we want to make sure that she’s good to go in September.”But there is no set timeline for Tayla Vlaeminck, who dislocated her bowling shoulder just moments into Australia’s T20 World Cup match against Pakistan last October. She is hoped to return at some stage next summer.Australia will enter the T20 series against New Zealand in high spirits after their historic 16-0 Ashes triumph. But Australia should feel extra motivated facing the reigning world champions on their turf in what will be rare matches in the format ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup in England.”We were really disappointed with how the T20 World Cup ended for us, and New Zealand did extremely well to win that World Cup,” Flegler said. “It’s a great chance for us to go up against them. There’s always a great rivalry against New Zealand and I’m sure they’ll be keen to play well against us.”We don’t have that many T20s leading into the next T20 World Cup, so every opportunity we get is really important to keep trying those different combinations and getting players used to those positions that they are now in.”

Australia squad for New Zealand tour

Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (capt), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Federico Valverde has revealed Real Madrid held a series of "rare" crisis talks after their 5-2 derby humiliation against Atletico Madrid. The midfielder slammed his teammates' attitude as Xabi Alonso's men were overpowered in the second half of the encounter despite going in level at half-time with a 2-2 scoreline.

• Madrid look to rebound

  The match at the Metropolitano was a brutal reality check, ending Real Madrid’s perfect start to the new La Liga season. Despite dominating possession, Alonso’s side were defensively dismantled and clinically punished by their city rivals. Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler turned out to be mere consolations in their first defeat of the campaign. The loss was doubly impactful, as it saw Madrid surrender the top spot in the table, falling one point behind league leaders and arch-rivals Barcelona.

  Speaking in a press conference ahead of their Champions League match against Kairat Almaty, Uruguayan midfielder Valverde gave a stark assessment of the mood inside the dressing room after their derby humiliation on Saturday.

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  'Rare' crisis talks held after derby humbling

  "They were two very tough days, very upset by the defeat," he told reporters on Monday. "We talked a lot; since I've been at Madrid, that's rarely happened, so many conversations. We have to change as quickly as possible. We emphasized the attitude on the pitch. Also with the coach, there were many conversations. We have to change as quickly as possible. We emphasized the attitude on the pitch. Also with the coach, there were many conversations. [On Tuesday], the first game, to change all that."

• 'Attitude is non-negotiable' – Valverde's damning assessment

  The midfielder was particularly critical of the team's mentality at the Metropolitano, stating that a lack of application was unacceptable. "These are games where you don't even need to shout in the locker room to get motivated. These things can't happen, not at Madrid or anywhere else. You have to motivate yourself with any game, especially in a derby. We can fail in many ways, but attitude is non-negotiable. It's the first step to show that we want to win," Valverde insisted. 

  He specifically pointed to the start of the second half, adding: "We came out as if a draw would do the trick. We have to change that, starting with this game. As a key player for this team, we have to move on from that moment and take this game as an opportunity to grow."

  Manager Alonso sought to broaden the analysis, stating the defeat was not solely down to mentality. "It wasn't just attitude. It was also rhythm, tactical aspects, aspects of the game," the coach explained.

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• Valverde 'frustrated' with personal form

  On a personal level, Valverde admitted that he has not been at his best in recent games and is determined to improve. "I'm a little frustrated. I'm aware of how I'm playing; I'm the first to know when things aren't going my way," he said. "Now it's much harder for me to feel comfortable on the pitch. I'll keep working. As captain, I'll continue to lead the group and stand up for myself when I play."