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Manchester United hold “concrete interest” in signing Scott McTominay, with the midfielder also being targeted by Barcelona, and Napoli’s stance on sanctioning a move has now been revealed.

Man United have set out to sign a new central midfielder in 2026, and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson has now emerged as a major target, having registered their interest in signing the England international earlier this week.

With Anderson becoming as an important player for both club and country, however, it is likely to take a huge bid to get a deal over the line, and Forest are set to hold out for a fee of around £100m – £120m.

It remains to be seen whether the Red Devils would be willing to smash their existing transfer record to sign the 23-year-old, but if INEOS deem the deal to be too expensive, there could be a much more affordable alternative option.

Man Utd now hold "concrete interest" in Scott McTominay

Indeed, Anderson is not the only British midfielder being targeted by Man United, with a Caught Offside source revealing they hold “concrete interest” in signing Napoli star McTominay, with the Scot really kicking on since leaving Old Trafford.

It could take a bid of at least €50m (£44m) to tempt the Italian club into a sale, although it is also feasible they will be unwilling to sanction a departure at all, having not even set an asking price, given the midfielder’s importance to Antonio Conte’s side.

The 28-year-old is happy at the Italian club, meaning it is unlikely he will agitate for a move, but there is certainly no shortage of top clubs lining up to get a deal done, with Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also being named as potential suitors.

Lauded as “sensational” by broadcaster David Tanner, the Scotland international has taken his career to the next level since making the move to the Serie A, playing a major role in Napoli winning the 2024-25 league title.

The Lancaster-born midfielder had the most prolific season of his career in front of goal, finding the back of the net 12 times in 34 games, while also providing six assists, and the United academy graduate already has two Champions League goals to his name this season.

That said, it could perhaps be viewed as a step backwards to re-sign their former player, given that he never managed to reach similar heights during his time at Old Trafford, regularly receiving criticism for his performances.

As such, Ruben Amorim may be better off focusing on alternative targets, and there is certainly no shortage of exciting options, with the likes of Anderson, Carlos Baleba, Javi Guerra and Alex Scott all on the shortlist.

How much Man Utd are ready to spend on Carlos Baleba with talks now open Related How much Man Utd are ready to spend on Carlos Baleba with new talks now open

What a signing he could be for the Red Devils.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Nov 4, 2025

It’s still early on in Thomas Frank’s tenure, but there are a lot of problems at Tottenham Hotspur at the moment.

Now, they are certainly harder to break down under the Dane and sit much higher in the Premier League than they did under Ange Postecoglou.

However, the North Londoners are one of the worst teams to watch in the league and were utterly hopeless in the derby against Chelsea, a game in which they amassed an expected goals figure of just 0.05.

One of Frank’s most significant issues at the moment is that summer signing Xavi Simons isn’t firing, so it’s fans should be excited about reports linking them to an attacker who could help get the Dutchman back to his mercurial best.

Spurs target attacking reinforcements

In stark contrast to last season, Spurs are simply not scoring enough goals this year, with their return of 17 being the same as Manchester United, who not long ago were in yet another crisis.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Moreover, across all competitions, their top goalscorer is Micky Van de Ven, with five.

However, while scoring has been a problem for the North Londoners, there is a massive caveat: the number of players out injured, including Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski.

Fortunately, it appears as if the club are looking to address this lack of available firepower in the January window.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Spurs are interested in Porto striker Samu Omorodion.

The report has revealed that, alongside Chelsea, the North Londoners are leading the race for the Spanish striker and could make a move for him as soon as January.

However, with a release clause of €100m, which is approximately £88m, it could be a complicated deal to get over the line.

With that said, given his record, it would be a deal worth working on, especially as he could help Simons rediscover his form.

Why Samu would be a dream for Simons

While it sounds simplistic, the most significant reason Samu would not only be an excellent signing for Simons but also for Spurs is his goalscoring ability.

For example, despite being his first year with a new club, the Spanish marksman managed to rack up a brilliant haul of 27 goals and three assists in 45 appearances, which translates to an average of a goal or assist every 1.50 games.

This season has seen the 21-year-old score nine goals and provide one assist in just 12 appearances, two of which have come in the Europa League.

In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.20 games, which would be impressive for a seasoned professional, let alone someone so young.

Now, were Simons to play alongside, or just behind someone, talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed “one of Europe’s most prolific players,” then there it would be reasonable to expect his assist tally to soar.

Appearances

45

12

Goals

27

9

Assists

3

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.66

0.83

However, it’s not just the output that would make Samu a perfect teammate for the Dutchman, but also his physicality.

Standing at 6 feet 4, the Melilla-born poacher is also incredibly strong and could help compensate for the lack of physicality that the former RB Leipzig ace has.

Moreover, this strength could help him hold up the ball for the North Londoners, in turn allowing the likes of Simons and Kudus to run beyond and cause chaos.

Ultimately, while it wouldn’t be cheap, Spurs should do all they can to sign Samu, as not only could he get Simons firing, but he could also rejuvenate the entire front line.

Spurs can fix Simons problem by unleashing "one of England's best talents"

The young talent could one day be an even bigger star for Thomas Frank and Spurs than Simons.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 4, 2025

Looking ahead to 2026, Everton have reportedly joined the race to sign a former Real Madrid defender alongside a number of Premier League rivals.

David Moyed "thrilled" with Crystal Palace win

Without a win in four games in all competitions and heading into the Hill Dickinson to host a Crystal Palace side without a defeat in 19 games, Everton looked destined for an uphill battle on Sunday. The Eagles had just defeated the Premier League champions in Liverpool and were after another Merseyside scalp – taking the lead through Daniel Munoz.

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From there, it seemed as though Everton were set to hand Palace the 20-game unbeaten run that they were after, only for the Hill Dickinson to get its most dramatic moment yet.

After equalising through Iliman Ndiaye in the final 15 minutes, the stage was set for someone to become a hero and that someone was Jack Grealish. The Manchester City loanee was perfectly placed to benefit from Munoz’s clearance and simply deflected home to hand his side a 93rd-minute winner.

David Moyes, like every Everton fan inside the Hill Dickinson, was left “thrilled” by his side’s dramatic comeback – telling reporters: “I’m thrilled with the three points, thrilled with the result.

“Mixed emotions on the performance. Not very good at all in the first half and could have been three down, but kept defending, kept stuck at it, showed a bit of resilience.

“I’ve been waiting on a late goal here. Aston Villa was 0-0, we couldn’t quite get the winner against West Ham, so I was hoping we’d get one of them. Thankfully, we got it today.”

Having sealed the three points, Moyes’ side now sit as high as eighth in the Premier League and providing an early marker to become shock contenders for a European place – something that should boost their transfer ambitions.

Everton join race to sign Mario Gila

According to The Boot Room, Everton have joined the race to sign Mario Gila from Lazio in 2026. The former Real Madrid defender has attracted interest from all around the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth all joining Everton in the battle to secure his signature.

It’s no real surprise that interest is rising in the 25-year-old, who has been one of few bright sparks in Maurizio Sarri’s struggling Lazio side.

Former Lazio sporting director Igli Tare was also full of praise for the Spanish defender after signing him from Real Madrid, saying: “He is fast, intelligent and never puts a foot wrong. He can become one of the top 3-4 defenders in the world and it wouldn’t surprise me if Real wanted him back.”

Considering concerns that Jarrad Branthwaite could still leave Everton, Gila wouldn’t exactly be a bad signing to welcome in 2026. The Spaniard is at the peak of his powers and already has impressive experience under his belt.

It would be yet another ambitious move from The Friedkin Group, who’d be signing a former Real Madrid gem ahead of their rivals.

Manchester City are reportedly interested in completing the signing of a player who could possibly star at next summer’s World Cup.

Guardiola wants exciting Man City transfer

Pep Guardiola’s side are back in Premier League action after the international break this weekend, welcoming Everton to the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.

While there have been improvements in City’s form of late, due in part to the stunning performances of Erling Haaland, new signings need to be looked at, including in midfield, where Rodri continues to be an injury-plagued figure.

Crystal Palace and England star Adam Wharton has emerged as a rumoured target for Guardiola, with City’s boss looking to snap him up ahead of La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown has also emerged as a potential signing for them, with the German an impressive young player, and now another hugely promising ace has been mentioned, too.

Man City eyeing £75m England international

According to The Express, Manchester City are interested in signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, but they face “stiff competition” from Chelsea.

The 22-year-old England international could cost as much £75m, having enjoyed a meteoric rise at both club and international level over the past 12 months or so, with Guardiola becoming a big fan of Anderson and making him a top target.

Anderson’s stock is sky-high currently, with the Forest man developing into a key man for England, excelling in front of the defence and enjoying a strong understanding with Declan Rice.

On current form, he will surely start for the Three Lions at the World Cup, with England manager Thomas Tuchel heaping praise on him recently.

“He’s just a very, very good football player. He has the physicality, he’s very mobile at No 6. He has the body, he loves to defend, he loves to put his body inside to duels. He loves passing, he loves to break the lines, he’s very mobile in this game. It was a pleasure to see. I think the team around him made it as easy as possible for him and he had a very strong performance.”

Rodri’s aforementioned injury problems are arguably becoming a concern, and at 29, he isn’t getting younger, so signing a top-quality successor has to be considered key business for City.

In Anderson, they could have a perfect option, with the Englishman already such a mature performer at the age of just 22, and still having so much time to improve further.

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1 ByJoe Nuttall Oct 16, 2025

Whether he has the ability to get close to Rodri’s level remains to be seen – very few do, in fairness – but everything points towards him having a superb career, and if Guardiola believes he can get the best out of him, City should make their move in 2026.

Alishan Sharafu’s composed half-century under pressure and Haider Ali’s splendid spell of 3 for 7 led UAE to a historic series win against Bangladesh in Sharjah. The hosts chased down 163 with seven wickets in hand to clinch the series 2-1, having already beaten the visitors by two wickets on Monday. It is UAE’s second T20I series win against a Full Member team, having beaten Ireland by the same margin in 2021.Left-arm spinner Haider led the charge to reduce Bangladesh to 84 for 8, before they recovered to reach 162 for 9. Bangladesh, however, couldn’t quite use the momentum with the ball, as Sharafu, only 22, struck his eighth half-century in T20Is to anchor the chase. He struck five fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 47-ball 68 as the chase went down to the last over. He added 87 runs for the unbroken fourth-wicket stand with Asif Khan, who damaged Bangladesh with five sixes in his unbeaten 26-ball 41.

Zohaib steps up on Waseem’s off day

UAE didn’t quite get their chase off to the best of starts, though. After consecutive fifties in the first two games, captain Muhammad Waseem fell early in for 9 this time. Shoriful Islam got him to drive at a slightly wide one, edging to Tanzid Hasan at slip. Muhammad Zohaib then struck Hasan Mahmud for consecutive sixes in the fifth over, both times hitting through the line, one over long-on, and the other through extra cover.Sharafu got his big-hitting going with a top-edged six off Tanzim Hasan in the seventh over, before Rishad Hossain cleaned up Zohaib for 29 with one that spun back into the left-hand batter. Rahul Chopra was the next to go just after the halfway mark, heaving at a slower bouncer from Tanzim to midwicket for 13.

Sharafu aces the chase

Sharafu didn’t get bothered by UAE being three down and the equation reading 84 required off 56. He ramped Tanzim for a six over deep third two balls after Chopra’s wicket. He pinged the same bowler in his next over for a four through point, but then UAE were kept quiet for about 16 deliveries that left UAE to get 53 to win from 30.Alishan Sharafu led UAE’s chase under pressure•Emirates Cricket Board

Sharafu then hammered Rishad down the ground at the start of the 16th over, with Tanzid parrying the catch at long-off for a six. Asif, always on the prowl for big hits, also smacked Rishad for consecutive sixes in the same over to make it a 19-run over. It brought the required run rate down from 10.60 to 8.50 and 34 to get from the last four.Sharafu finished the next over with a cracking four through the covers and Asif smashed Mahmud over midwicket next ball to bring it close to a run-a-ball equation. With 14 to win from 12, Asif clubbed two more sixes in the penultimate over off Tanzim on the off side before Sharafu aptly struck the winning runs next over, a blistering cover drive off Mahmud.

Haider weaves his magic

Waseem used four different bowlers to bowl the first four overs after winning the toss, and the fourth of those did the trick. Haider struck with his first ball, trapping the Bangladesh captain Litton Das lbw for 14. Litton missed his sweep after going across too far that exposed his middle and leg stumps, but he was disappointed on being given out.Towhid Hridoy was also given out lbw two balls later, as he charged down and missed the ball, which struck the front pad. The raised finger caused pandemonium in the UAE side, with Haider jumping all over the place.Haider finished with a double-wicket maiden, before removing Mahedi Hasan, who was trying to cut against a delivery that came back to hit the top of leg stump. Haider remained accurate in his next two overs too, giving him magical figures in just his third T20I.Asif Khan does the snake gesture as Alishan Sharafu looks on after hitting the winning runs•Emirates Cricket Board

UAE hunt for more wickets

Tanzid batted exactly the opposite to how his team-mates had been going about it. He started with a couple of big hits in the first over, he lofted Matiullah Khan for his second six in the third over, before hammering Dhruv Parashar for consecutive sixes in the fifth over after Bangladesh had lost three wickets. Tanzid sweetly timed two more fours off Akif Raja before the seamer bowled him with the around-the-wicket angle in the seventh over.Both Parashar and Raja supported Haider, as did Matiullah after the halfway mark. Matiullah, who was expensive in the first two games, removed Shamim Hossain and Rishad in the space of four balls. Saghir Khan then had Tanzim caught at long-on, as Bangladesh were in risk of getting bowled out for less than 100.

Jaker scrapes a recovery

Jaker struck a couple of sixes to get Bangladesh past the 100-run mark, all the while needing the physio’s attention due to exhaustion. Mahmud struck Matiullah for his first six in the 18th over, before Jaker struck his third six, a blast down the ground in the penultimate over. Jaker, however, fell next ball, slicing Saghir to deep backward point for an easy catch. No. 11 Shoriful then deposited Saghir over the midwicket fence and Bangladesh had started to put up a respectable total.Waseem’s decision to bowl the last over backfired, as he went for 23 runs in five balls. He was taken off the attack for bowling too many high full-tosses. Sharafu had to complete the over, as his only delivery went for three runs.

كشف أحمد حسن، نجم الأهلي والزمالك السابق، عن تفاصيل جلسة الجهاز الفني لمنتخب مصر الثاني بقيادة حلمي طولان مع كرونسلاف يورتشيتش المدير الفني لبيراميدز.

وقال أحمد حسن عبر برنامج الكابتن على “DMC”: “كانت هناك جلسة بين الجهاز الفني لمنتخب مصر المشارك في بطولة العرب، مع إدارة بيراميدز والمدير الفني يوريتشيتش، وأريد أن أشكر إدارة بيراميدز على التعاون الكبير جدًا”.

وأضاف: “أشكر يوريتشيتش رغم إنه مدير فني غير مصري، إلا أنه متعاون جدًا، فالراجل رحّب واستقبلنا بشكل جيد وكنت موجودًا أنا والكابتن حلمي طولان، وجلسنا وتحدثنا معه لضم بعض اللاعبين”.

طالع.. قطة يكشف المسؤول عن رحيله من الأهلي.. ويصرح: هذا ما سأفعله إذا واجهنا باريس سان جيرمان

وأكمل: “هو عليه ضعوطات ويقول: (هناك مباراة الرابطة يوم 3 ويوم 6 ومباراة يوم 13) وأجرينا اتصالات لتأجيل مباراتين لأن المنتخب سيشارك في البطولة العربية ويحتاج للدعم”.

وواصل: “تحدثنا مع يوريتشيتش والكابتن هاني سعيد، لضم لاعبين يعلمون قيمة منتخب متجه لتمثيل بلد، وإن شاء الله، اللاعبين سيكونون معنا في الفترة الأولى لأن لديهم مباراة في كأس الإنتركونتيننتال يوم 13”.

واستطرد:”لا أعلم بصراحة كيف يسمح الفيفا بإقامة بطولتين في التوقيت نفسه، بطولة كأس العرب وقبلها الإنتركونتيننتال، على أن يكون النهائي أمام باريس سان جيرمان، إنه أمر غريب بالفعل”.

وأتم: “توصلنا بحمد الله إلى بعض الحلول، ونتمنى أن يتعاون الجميع، سواء رابطة الأندية أو اتحاد الكرة، كما رأينا التعاون من إدارة نادي بيراميدز والمدير الفني للفريق”.

Allrounder adds 4 for 45 to his first-innings 6 for 52 as Caleb Jewell’s second fifty guides hosts home

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay06-Apr-2025Derbyshire 391 (Madsen 118, Came 83, Jewell 61) and 93 for 1 (Jewell 51*) beat Gloucestershire 222 (van Buuren 67, Reece 6-52, Dal 4-43) and 259 (Charlesworth 110, Reece 4-45) by nine wicketsLuis Reece celebrated a personal milestone to set up a Derbyshire victory over Gloucestershire by nine wickets on day three of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Derby.The allrounder took 10 wickets in a match for the first time, finishing with 4 for 45 to add to his 6 for 52 in the first innings.Ben Charlesworth made 110, his third first-class century, but no one else could play a significant innings as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 259.That left the home side a victory target of 91 and Caleb Jewell’s unbeaten 51 , his second half-century of the game, guided them home inside 20 overs to give Derbyshire a 22-point haul and a victory from the opening match of the season for the first time in six years.Gloucestershire needed a big partnership from Charlesworth and James Bracey to have any realistic chance but they added only 10 more runs before Zak Chappell broke through.Chappell found some late inswing in the seventh over of the morning to beat Bracey’s defensive push and give Derbyshire just the start they wanted.Gloucestershire’s hopes of setting Derbyshire any kind of challenging target rested with Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren, who was the only batter to pass 50 in the first innings.He started positively, driving Chappell down the ground for four and cutting Anuj Dal for two more boundaries but Derbyshire soon took another step closer to victory.Martin Andersson tempted van Buuren into an expansive drive which he edged into the hands of Wayne Madsen at second slip.Gloucestershire were only seven ahead and now it was a question of how long they could delay the inevitable.Charlesworth completed a fine hundred which came off 171 balls when he turned Jack Morley behind square for a couple but the opener’s timing seemed to desert him before he became the next wicket to fall.He miscued advancing down the pitch to Morley and only just cleared mid off but when he tried to pull Reece he picked out Pat Brown at midwicket.Tom Price and Zaman Akhter prevented further setbacks before lunch but the stand was broken six overs into the afternoon session when Akhtar was lbw playing back to the spin of David Lloyd.Lloyd then had Price lbw for 26 leaving Reece to run in from the City End and polish off the tail with the second new ball.Matt Taylor edged to second slip as he pushed forward and in his next over Reece beat Ajeet Singh Dale’s swing across the line to leave Derbyshire with a modest victory target.They lost Lloyd in the fourth over to Tom Price but the main concern for Gloucestershire was improving their over rate to avoid a points deduction.Spinners Ollie Price and van Buuren operated in tandem which allowed Jewell and Harry Came to ease to the finishing line in the late afternoon sunshine.The only note of concern for Derbyshire was a worrying injury to substitute fielder Aneurin Donald who appeared to damage his shoulder diving to try and save a boundary.

Afghanistan allrounder had said in November last year that he would not play ODIs after the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2025

Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi may not retire from ODIs after the upcoming Champions Trophy as previously planned and harbours hopes of playing international cricket along with his son Hassan Eisakhil.In November last year Nabi, 40, said he would quit ODIs at the end of the Champions Trophy but is now “still thinking” about his future.”These might not be my last ODIs, I will probably play less ODIs and give chances to the youngsters to build experience,” Nabi told the ICC. “I’ve discussed with the senior players and in the high-level games, maybe or maybe not, we’ll see. It will depend on my fitness.”Nabi’s 18-year old son, Eisakhil, is a batter who represented Afghanistan at the Under-19 World Cup in 2024 and his father hopes they will play together for the country soon. “It’s my dream. Hopefully we can do it. He is doing very well … he is a hard worker and I’m also pushing him to do work.”I want him to make his own goals, if you want to get to be a high-level cricketer, you have to work hard. It’s not enough to make 50 or 60, you have to score 100-plus. He’s listening and pushing all the time. When he can talk to me, I try to give him advice to give him confidence for the game.”Related

Shahidi: 'We're not here to just participate, we want to win the title'

Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi to retire from ODIs after Champions Trophy 2025

Giant-slayers Afghanistan are serious contenders for semi-finals

Afghanistan are in Group B in the Champions Trophy along with England, Australia and South Africa. It is their first appearance in the tournament after finishing among the top-eight teams (sixth place) at the 2023 ODI World Cup. They were semi-finalists at the 2024 T20 World Cup too.”The preparations for the Champions Trophy have been good,” Nabi said. “I’ve been busy playing in the Bangladesh Premier League, was a champion over there. I did three sessions with the national team in Abu Dhabi so I’m in good shape.”Winning the BPL gave me more confidence, from a tough position in the final. In the whole tournament, we did really well and my performances were good as well, bowling and also batting, I helped finish the job in four or five matches.”Afghanistan had to make one change to their 15-man squad for the tournament, replacing the injured AM Ghazanfar with left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote. “He’s a youngster, who has been doing really well over the last two years,” Nabi said. “He’s a very good spinner but he’s a good fielder as well. He bowled really well against South Africa and Ireland in Sharjah.”Afghanistan begin their Champions Trophy campaign against South Africa in Karachi on February 21 before travelling to Lahore to play England and Australia on February 26 and 28.

Chelsea have raised £239 million in player sales after Carney Chukwuemeka’s £24m move to Borussia Dortmund, but another could soon be following him.

Thanks to their plethora of exit deals, Enzo Maresca’s side possess an excellent summer net spend of just £3 million heading into deadline day, so they’re under no pressure from the Premier League’s PSR rules to balance their books.

However, due to their pact with UEFA, Chelsea still need to sell certain members of the squad.

They reached a settlement with the governing body last month after Chelsea breached FFP laws, and a condition of this pact is that they must produce a positive transfer balance by the end of the window.

Failure to do so will result in them being unable to register new signings for Maresca’s Champions League squad, and only players who were involved in their Conference League squad last season will count towards viable outgoings.

This is why the sales of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson are viewed as crucial to Chelsea’s remaining transfer plans for the window.

BlueCo have been in talks over signing Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons for weeks, and reports now claim that Chelsea are also eyeing Barcelona star Fermin Lopez as an alternative to the latter.

A sell-to-buy policy appears very much in effect at Stamford Bridge, but a potentially imminent exit for Jackson could be on the cards to allow Maresca’s side to make room.

Bayern Munich are in negotiations over the Senegal international, valued at £80 million, who has also attracted rumoured interest from Aston Villa and Newcastle United.

Now, the player’s own agent has shared an intriguing update on his future.

Nicolas Jackson tipped to leave Chelsea within 24 hours

Speaking to Wiw Sports on Tuesday morning, Jackson’s representative, Diomansy Kramara, claimed that the striker is expected to leave Chelsea in the next 48 hours, so at the time of writing now, this is now 24 hours.

The former Villarreal star was a key member of Maresca’s first team last season, bagging 13 goals and six assists in all competitions, including a strike in the Conference League final.

However, the additions of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro have pushed Jackson down the pecking order, and he’s not been involved in any of Chelsea’s opening Premier League games as Maresca confirms he can leave.

MatériaMais Notícias

Cuca não é mais técnico do Corinthians. O treinador pediu demissão mesmo após a classificação da equipe alvinegra às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil, nos pênaltis, contra o Remo, nesta quarta-feira (27).

A decisão foi motivada por um pedido da família e pela pressão sofrida principalmente através das redes sociais por conta da condenação por atentado ao pudor com uso de violência contra uma garota de 13 anos que aconteceu na década de 80, quando o profissional ainda era jogador e defendia o Grêmio.

+ Corinthians busca novo técnico: veja treinadores estrangeiros livres no mercado

+ Confira também os técnicos brasileiros que estão sem clube atualmente

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+Róger Guedes brilha, Cássio pega pênalti e vira herói na classificação do Corinthians

A direção corintiana e os jogadores tentaram convencer Cuca a mudar de ideia, mas ele estava decidido. Segundo o treinador, mesmo com o presidente Duílio Monteiro Alves ‘comprando’ a sua permanência, ele sentia que estava prejudicando o mandatário corintiano.

– Quem fala coisas indevidas também, quem julga também pode ser julgado, mas o mais importante é agradecer o presidente. É uma pessoa maravilhosa. Eu conversei com ele, já tinha tomado essa decisão ontem. Ele vive ali dentro, como se fosse mais um, humilde, e eu estava prejudicando ele. A pressão que ele está sofrendo é enorme. Então não é justo deixar eles sofrendo por um problema que é meu. É nisso que foi baseado essa minha saída. Agradecer aos jogadores nesses sete dias que estive aí, me abraçaram, compraram o meu barulho, minhas ideias. Se Deus quiser, volto um dia para poder fazer um trabalho do começo ao fim – disse em pronunciamento à imprensa após a partida.

+Assine o Star+ por apenas R$32,90 por mês e acompanhe o Timão na Libertadores quando e onde quiser!

Cuca disse que realizou um sonho em dirigir o Timão, mas os dias que antecederam foram de pesadelo. Ele reforçou que entregará as acusações aos seus advogados e agradeceu ao carinho dos jogadores. Após a confirmação da classificação corintiana, todos os jogadores foram até o banco de reservas comemorar com o técnico.

– Venho aqui na emoção do jogo, um jogo que foi demais, pela primeira vez eu pude sentir o pulsar da Arena, o pulsar do Fiel a favor, foi maravilhoso, com a conquista dessa vaga. Foi um dia vivido com um sonho, foi maravilhoso. E antes desse sonho se realizar tiveram três, quatro dias de pesadelo. Foi quase que um massacre, o que acabou acontecendo. E eu estava muito concentrado nessa decisão e não queria tirar o foco. E isso acaba levando para os jogadores, hoje eles me emocionaram, estou aqui há quatro, cinco dias, e me ofertaram com algo que eu não pedi. Mas os jogadores sentem – destacou Cuca em outro período.

Cuca deixou o clube deixando em aberto a possibilidade de voltar um dia, mas concentrará as suas energias em permanecer com a família.