Em pleno estádio Nabib Abi Chedid, em partida válida pela 26ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A, o Athletico Paranaense venceu o Red Bull Bragantino pelo placar de 1 a 0. Com a derrota, o Massa Bruta permanece com 31 pontos e cai para o 13º lugar. Com a vitória, o Furacão sobe para a 12ª colocação, com 31 pontos.
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Na próxima rodada, o Red Bull Bragantino visita o Palmeiras, no Allianz Parque. Já o Athletico-PR recebe o Vasco, na Arena da Baixada. Ambas as partidas serão disputadas no dia 27 de novembro.
O jogo
O primeiro tempo de Red Bull Bragantino e Athletico Paranaense foi bem morno. Ambas as equipes tinham bastante dificuldade em construir oportunidades de perigo.
O Massa Bruta até conseguiu finalizar mais ao longo da etapa inicial, mas foi o Furacão quem acertou o alvo e abriu o marcador. Thiago Heleno fez ótimo lançamento, Léo Ortiz bobeou e Renato Kayzer aproveitou a chance e fez, 1 a 0 Athletico-PR, aos 25 minutos.
O segundo tempo começou com o Red Bull Bragantino melhor, mas sem conseguir transformar sua superioridade em chances perigosas. O Athletico-PR se segurava bem na defesa e esperava uma brecha para marcar no contra-ataque.
Aos 10 minutos, Mauricio Barbieri resolveu mexer no seu time e fez três alterações de uma só vez em busca de fazer ainda mais pressão na equipe do Athletico-PR. Após as alterações, o Massa Bruta, que já era melhor, cresceu ainda mais na partida e passou a massacrar o Furacão em busca do gol de empate.
O Red Bull Bragantino teve mais posse de bola (74%), criou muitas oportunidades, mas não conseguiu furar a retranca do Furacão. Já o Athletico só teve uma chance ao longo de toda a etapa final e até conseguiu carimbar a trave do goleiro Cleiton, em cabeçada de Renato Kayzer. Mas sua grande virtude na partida foi segurar o ataque do Massa Bruta e garantir mais três pontos na tabela.
RED BULL BRAGANTINO x ATHLETICO-PR Local: Nabi Abi Chedid, Bragança Paulista (SP) Data-Hora: 20/12/2020 – 16h00 Árbitro: Bráulio da Silva Machado (SC) Auxiliares: Kleber Lúcio Gil (SC) e Johnny Barros de Oliveira (SC) VAR: Rodrigo Dalonso Ferreira (SC) Público/renda: pagantes:; total: / R$ Cartões amarelos: Ligger e Raul (BRA); Zé Ivaldo, Christian, Alvarado, Walter e Richard(ATH) Cartões vermelhos: – Gol: Renato Kayzer (25’/1ºT)
RED BULL BRAGANTINO: Cleiton; Aderlan, Léo Ortiz, Ligger e Edimar (Hurtado, aos 39’/2ºT); Raul, Ramires (Matheus Jesus, aos 11’/2ºT) e Claudinho; Artur (Thonny Anderson, aos 30’/2ºT), Ytalo (Alerrandro, aos 11’/2ºT) e Bruno Tubarão (Morato, aos 11’/2ºT). Técnico: Maurício Barbieri. ATHLETICO-PR: Santos; Khellven (Lucas Halter, aos 25’/2ºT), Zé Ivaldo, Thiago Heleno e Abner Vinícius; Richard (Lucho González, aos 39’/2ºT), Christian (Alvarado, aos 20’/2ºT), Léo Cittadini e Carlos Eduardo (Reinaldo, aos 25’/2ºT); Nikão e Renato Kayzer (Walter, aos 39’/2ºT). Técnico: Paulo Autuori.
West Ham United insider ExWHUemployee has shared an important update on David Moyes' future from "top sources" at the club.
Moyes position under threat
The Scotsman led West Ham to their first major trophy since 1980 earlier this year, watching on from the dugout as his side sealed a 2-1 win over Fiorentina in Prague to clinch the 2023 Europa Conference League title. The Irons are continuing their fine form in cup competitions this season too, as they gear up for an EFL Cup quarter-final clash with Liverpool at Anfield next month.
However, much like last season, West Ham's league form leaves a lot to be desired. The east Londoners have lost three Premier League matches on the bounce, with recent reports suggesting that Moyes could be sacked if their poor form continues. Other media sources have claimed that Moyes is "unlikely" stay beyond 2024, as his current West Ham contract expires at the end of this season won't be extended. Either way, it looks as if Moyes' future could be far away from east London.
ExWHUemployee shares Moyes update from "top sources"
Reliable club insider Ex, via the West Ham Way, has shared his own update on the 60-year-old this week. According to information collected from "top sources" at Rush Green, the Irons board are concerned with recent results, but are much more likely to make a judgement call in the summer after having a full season to weigh Moyes' credentials moving forward.
“The Board are concerned,” said ExWHUemployee on Moyes.
"They recognise that the results of late have not been good enough. However, they do still back Moyes, and will continue to do so unless something drastic happens. Our Board typically like managers to honour their contracts, and therefore they tend to stick. After talking to top sources, at this stage they want to judge things at the end of the season. Also, they feel regarding any potential replacement, it’s better to appoint in the summer rather than in mid-season.”
The former Everton manager arguably deserves a full campaign, as there were calls for him to be sacked by West Ham last season before he went on to win the Conference League. It is very difficult to predict what will happen from now until the end of 2023/2024, with pundits like Simon Jordan rightfully praising just how "integral" Moyes has been in recent years.
“You look at the three or four seasons that he’s been back he took them out of a nose dive, then he puts them six, then he puts them seventh, then he wins a European competition after being in a European Cup semi-final the previous year," said Jordan on Moyes to talkSPORT last month.
“They’ve learned their lessons with David in terms of players that they’ve bought, the clubs making money. There’s a lot about West Ham now that you have to look at and say that’s a pretty decent football club now, it’s punching quite hard.
“I think all things lead to the stability and solidity and achievements of West Ham, not on his own but David has been integral to that so why would you want to change that?"
Franchise owners keen to allow newly appointed head coach Mike Hesson to build his own support staff and strategy
Nagraj Gollapudi03-Nov-2018
Virender Sehwag will no longer be associated with Kings XI Punjab•BCCI
Virender Sehwag’s innings at Kings XI Punjab has come to an end. Having played for the franchise for two seasons, Sehwag served initially as Kings XI mentor in 2016 before taking up the additional role of head of cricket operations and strategy last January. However, having roped in former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson as the head coach, the Kings XI owners felt that retaining Sehwag could lead to complications at a later stage.The parting seems to have been cordial as Sehwag himself made the decision public on his Twitter feed, saying: “All good things must come to an end and I’ve had a wonderful time at Kings 11 Punjab, for 2 seasons as a player and 3 as a mentor. My association with Kings 11 comes to an end and I am thankful for the time I have had here and wish the team all the very best for the times ahead.”Incidentally, Sehwag’s contract was up for renewal, but ESPNcricinfo understands the owners were keen to allow Hesson the freedom to take decisions and build his own strategy and support staff. Retaining Sehwag would have meant there would be two people in charge of the team, which could have created confusion among both players and team management.During Sehwag’s tenure, Kings XI won 17 matches and lost 23. In 2017, when he was just the mentor, they came within one match of qualifying for the playoffs, but lost to Rising Pune Supergiants in a key game. They would end up fifth on the points table that season, their best under Sehwag.Hesson, who replaced Brad Hodge as the Kings XI coach, met the franchise’s leadership group this week to start planning which players will need to be released and to formulate the strategy for the IPL auction in December. In IPL 2018, Kings XI were led by R Ashwin, and finished second from bottom, having been joint leaders on the points table at the halfway stage.
Manchester United are reportedly plotting a move to sign a new attacker, with those at Old Trafford seeing him as a “potential star in the making”.
Man Utd looking to sign new attacker
The Red Devils splashed the cash over the summer, with their biggest deal signing Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta in a transfer worth £72m. (Rasmus Hojlund transfer fee – Sky Sports)
However, the 20-year-old has struggled in the Premier League, failing to score in eight appearances, with all three of his goals so far coming in the Champions League. (Rasmus Hojlund stats – Transfermarkt)
Meanwhile, out wide, Jadon Sancho has been frozen out at Old Trafford and Antony has come in for criticism during the current campaign. Some have also hit out at attacking midfielder and club captain Bruno Fernandes, and by the looks of it, the Red Devils want to add to their attacking ranks.
According to Football Insider, Man United and Newcastle United are both plotting moves for Lyon’s Rayan Cherki. Both clubs are long-term admirers of the 20-year-old, with Man United officials seemingly excited as they see the player as a “potential star in the making”.
Lyon star Rayan Cherki
Rayan Cherki profiled
Cherki is a product of Lyon’s academy and has been on the books with the Ligue 1 side for a number of years. The Frenchman, who doesn’t have a weak foot, can play as an attacking midfielder or on either wing and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €30m market valuation. (Rayan Cherki profile – Transfermarkt)
The youngster has been a regular in Lyon’s first-team setup for a number of years now and is into three figures for appearances in all competitions.
Rayan Cherki stats at Lyon
Appearances
112
Goals
14
Assists
17
Former Lyon manager Laurent Blanc also praised Cherki earlier this year, describing him as a player with “exceptional qualities”.
"He is still a young player, very talented. I think we are on the right path. We have come a long way. We always want more because he has exceptional qualities. We are very demanding with him, I was very demanding with him at half-time. He responded well, but I hope that next time he will be decisive as soon as he can. And if he can, from the first minute of the game, I hope he will be focused on doing that."
Therefore, a move for Cherki could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks and months, and who knows, he could be the next exciting youngster to make the move to Manchester, providing competition for the likes of Fernandes, Antony, Marcus Rashford and co.
Sunderland are on the hunt for a new manager after the sacking of Tony Mowbray, and they are reportedly eyeing a 43-year-old as their next boss.
Sunderland sack Mowbray
On Monday evening, the Black Cats made the huge decision to relieve the 60-year-old of his duties, following a slight dip in form of late – one that has seen Sunderland drop to ninth place in the Championship. Some from outside of Sunderland may see it as a harsh decision, with Mowbray guiding his side into the Championship playoffs only last season, and still being in the hunt to go up once again at the time of his dismissal.
Those high up at the club have made their decision, however, not seeing the Englishman as the right man to take the team forward, and there is now a search to find the ideal appointment at the Stadium of Light. The hope will be that a new manager is in place in time for Sunderland's Championship clash at home to West Brom on Saturday lunchtime, but a rushed decision also has to be avoided.
Sunderland linked with Julien Sable
According to the i's Mark Douglas, Sunderland could be interested in making Julien Sable their next manager, who is currently the assistant to Francesco Farioli at Nice, with the 43-year-old seen as an alternative to more experienced options such as Neil Warnock and Mick McCarthy.
Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray.
"Short-term, experienced options like Neil Warnock and former boss Mick McCarthy would be interested but aren’t likely to get a look in. Julien Sable, assistant to Farioli at Nice, has been linked and may be a contender."
Sable, who plays an attacking 4-3-3 formation, could be an interesting appointment by Sunderland, coming in as more of a left-field choice than someone who has been there and done it in the English game time and time again, such as Warnock and McCarthy.
Granted, the Frenchman doesn't yet have any experience as an out-and-out manager at senior level, instead often being an assistant, but Danny Rohl's promising start to life at Sheffield Wednesday shows that a young, inexperienced individual can still come in and make a positive impression.
Sunderland are tempted to sell in-demand player to make profit
This could be a real blow for the Black Cats.
ByHenry Jackson Dec 4, 2023
Sable has at least managed Nice B, prior to joining up with Farioli and his backroom team, as well as enjoying spells in charge of Saint-Etienne B and Under-19 teams, so he has shown that he can manage in the past.
Tony Mowbray
2022-2023
Alex Neil
2022-2022
Lee Johnson
2020-2022
Phil Parkinson
2019-2020
Jack Ross
2018-2019
Chris Coleman
2017-2018
Simon Grayson
2017-2017
David Moyes
2016-2017
Sam Allardyce
2015-2016
Dick Advocaat
2015-2015
Granted, the step up to Sunderland could be great, and act as more of a risk, but it may be nice to see the Black Cats make a bold decision. It remains to be seen who the club's choice of manager will be, but it will be fascinating to see who they end up going with in the coming days.
Speculation has been rife on the topic, and the Bangladesh captain kept his cards close to his chest
Mohammad Isam in Sylhet14-Dec-2018At the end of the 49th over of West Indies’ innings, Mashrafe Mortaza walked towards the bowling crease, teasing keen observers into believing he might hand over his cap to the umpire to bowl the last over – perhaps his last over for Bangladesh at home.Speculation about the Bangladesh-West Indies ODI series being Mashrafe’s last at home has been rife, and here’s why. Mashrafe, who has decided to step into politics, had said that he hoped to finish his career with the 2019 World Cup after Bangladesh’s participation was confirmed last year. If the 2019 World Cup is expected to be his swansong, then this is the last ODI series Bangladesh play at home before that.ALSO READ: Mashrafe to contest parliamentary electionGiven his age and fitness – and impending political career – Mashrafe is unlikely to stretch his career beyond the World Cup. Even if he does, given as of now Bangladesh have little lined up at home post the showpiece event – series against Sri Lanka in December 2019 and against Ireland in June 2020 – he has scant opportunity for even a farewell ODI at home. So, did he, at any point on Friday, feel that this would be his last home game?”Since 2011, I have always felt this way before a game, that what if I get another knee injury, then this will be my last game,” Mashrafe said. “I used to get knee injuries from nowhere in my early days. To be honest, I have never deeply thought about [this being my last game]. I want to be more prepared to face the challenges ahead.”He would reveal no more, instead telling us to wait and watch. “What I want to do after the World Cup, I will decide after the last match in the World Cup. I will come home and tell you if I am no longer playing, and if I want to review my situation, I will still let you know. So don’t be puzzled. Just relax.”Mashrafe had announced his T20I retirement during the toss of the first T20I against Sri Lanka last year, when the presenter asked him if the rumours were true. He had informed the team’s senior players first, and then the rest of the team. However, it came as a surprise for a few BCB officials who were present at the R Premadasa Stadium.He was asked about his ODI plans after the second game of this series in Mirpur, too. “If I don’t feel like playing any longer, I will leave the game,” he had said then. “I am a person who runs on my gut feeling, which makes it hard for me to answer your question.”
Arsenal could already be looking towards the January transfer window, with additional attacking reinforcements linked with a move to the Emirates this winter.
While Mikel Arteta’s side have started the season in encouraging fashion, sitting one point from the summit after 12 games played, the recurring issue of squad depth is looming over north London as key players to the XI suffer injury.
January could be the opportunity for the manager to not only bolster his numbers, but also welcome added star quality to keep his side pushing in the title race, with one of the top-performers in Europe said to be admired by Arsenal.
Arsenal transfer targets – Florian Wirtz
Last month, a report from TEAMtalk claimed that the Gunners had ‘made checks’ on Bayer Leverkusen phenomenon, Florian Wirtz.
With a market value of €100m (£87m), the German will likely be out of Arsenal’s budget for the January window, unless the club can generate profit from sales, however it’s clear to see just why the north Londoners have eyed the playmaker.
At the age of 20, the attacking midfielder has already secured 120 career appearances and has more astonishingly recorded 69 goal contributions in that time, showcasing his prominence in the final third.
What Florian Wirtz could offer to Arsenal
Lauded as an “elite talent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Wirtz could offer Arteta another world-class option in the number ten role, currently occupied by club captain Martin Odegaard.
In signing a player of the calibre of the Germany international, the manager could reintroduce a creative flame at the Emirates that was extinguished when Mesut Ozil departed in 2021.
Aside from being a top creator, ranking in the top 1% of those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues for his rate of 0.53 assists per 90, and in the top 2% for his average of 3.28 key passes per 90, the 20-year-old’s playing style is similar to the former Arsenal magician.
Earlier this year, journalist Stefan Bienkowski commented on how Wirtz’s approach to play reminded him of Ozil’s creative mastery, suggesting that Arteta could capture Arsenal’s true heir to the World Cup winner by signing the Leverkusen ace.
Mesut Ozil 15/16 Premier League vs Florian Wirtz 23/24 Bundesliga
Statistic
Mesut Ozil
Florian Wirtz
Key passes per game
4.2
2.7
Pass completion %
86.3%
84.2%
Shots per game
1.4
2.1
Dribbles per game
1.3
2.6
Average passes per game
65.1
51.2
Through balls per game
0.5
0.2
Figures via WhoScored
As highlighted in the table above, the 12-cap German international has identifiable traits identical to those of Ozil during arguably his best season at Arsenal, in which he claimed 19 Premier League assists during the Gunners’ second-place finish under Arsene Wenger in 2015/16.
Florian Wirtz.
What’s notable is that Wirtz is just 20, reinforcing just how prominent his talents are currently, and could grow to become, similar to those of the former north London hero who made his name at Real Madrid.
From goals, to assists, to an innate reading of the game, Arteta could significantly bolster his options in the final third by signing the highly-rated Leverkusen dynamo, whose talents will only get better in time.
We all love the beautiful game, whether it’s the mazy runs, the crunching tackles or the 30-yard screamers, there really is something for everyone in this sport.
Even the negative side to the game can provide us with great entertainment, as a red card at the right moment can turn a match on its head; it can even impact a title race or major tournament surge too.
While a dismissal can sometimes kill a game, it can just as often give it an exciting twist.
With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of the ten craziest red cards of all time.
10 Rivaldo's play-acting gets Hakan Unsal sent off
Brazil vs Turkey, 2002
Kicking things off, we have one of the most famous incidents of all time: Rivaldo’s supposed head injury at the 2002 World Cup.
The Selecao were playing Turkey in the group stage, and while they had far more talent in their team, they were struggling somewhat and ended up playing quite dull football, just trying to see out the game, which understandably frustrated the Turkish.
At one point, Rivaldo was taking an age to collect the ball for a corner, so in frustration, Hakan Unsal fired the ball at him.
Now, to be fair to the Brazilian, the ball did hit him quite hard in the legs, but instead of signalling this to the officials, he decided to drop to the floor like a dead weight, clinging to his face as if he had just been walloped.
The referee – who was already having a dreadful game – saw this, marched over to Unsal and gave him a straight red.
Was it a bookable offence? Probably, but a red for one of the worst examples of play-acting in football history has got to sting a little.
9 Edinson Cavani's threatening celebration
RC Lens vs Paris Saint-Germain, 2014
We’ve all seen players get a yellow card for taking their shirts off in celebration, and it’s not even that unusual to see a player sent off for that.
For example, Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar received a second yellow at the World Cup last year for his topless celebration after scoring against Brazil, but have you ever seen a player sent off for their signature celebration?
Well, back in 2014, when Edinson Cavani was tearing it up for Paris Saint-Germain, he got in trouble for his marksman celebration.
The Uruguayan scored a penalty against RC Lens to give his side a 3-1 lead and, in the aftermath, performed this celebration, but the referee wasn’t a fan.
Perhaps it was the mimicking of a gun that he deemed unacceptable, or maybe he thought it was too boastful; whatever it was, he gave the former Napoli striker a yellow card, and when he protested, he was given a second and given his marching orders.
We wonder what the referee would have made of Harvey Barnes’ archery celebration.
8 Running through walls
Riolo Terme vs Ponticelli, 2014
From the French top flight to Italian Sunday league, the level of football doesn’t matter; there is always the possibility of a bizarre red card.
That is precisely what happened in the game between Riolo Terme and Ponticelli when the latter’s keeper failed to deal with a cross which was gratefully tucked away by the former’s number nine.
Now, you’ve just scored a goal, how would you celebrate? Hugging your teammates? High-fives? How about thanking the crowd? No, all of that’s too predictable, too mundane for our hero.
Instead, the striker runs to the dugout and dives head-first through the cover over the bench.
The forward was, of course, sent off for this, but we just can’t work out what the thought process was here.
It has provided us with a hilarious video, though.
7 Esteban Alvarado sees red for defending himself
Ajax vs AZ Alkmaar, 2011
Dutch football has become infamous for its hooliganism issue, and while it seems to have gotten worse in recent years, it has been present for a long time.
In a tense cup game between Ajax and AZ Alkmaar in December 2011, AZ shot-stopper Esteban Alvarado was given a straight red card after kicking an Ajax fan who was clearly charging at him.
This decision understandably infuriated his teammates, so AZ’s manager called his players off the pitch and refused to play the game.
The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) later rescinded his card, although we reckon it was the very least they could do at that point.
6 Gabriel Martinelli gets two yellow cards in five seconds
Wolves vs Arsenal, 2022
A lot of the examples on this list are straight reds, but this one is technically a second yellow, although you’d have missed that had you blinked.
Arsenal travelled to Molineux for a Premier League game in February 2022 off the back of having a player sent off in three of their five matches so far that calendar year, so when Gabriel Martinelli made that four in the second half, fans must’ve thought they were cursed.
What makes the Brazilian’s sending-off so bizarre, though, is the fact that he was given two yellow cards in the space of a few seconds; the first for pushing Daniel Podence as he was taking a throw-in and the second for barging over Chiquinho as he collected the ball.
Both fouls were yellow cards, so we can understand Michael Oliver’s decision, but it was still a very strange string of events and not something we have seen since.
5 Josip Simunic handed three yellow cards
Croatia vs Australia, 2006
Okay, so Martinelli getting two yellow cards in the space of five seconds was pretty unusual, but have you ever seen a player receive three yellow cards in a game of football before?
There has, in fact, been at least one game of professional football in which a player has been shown three yellows before finally seeing red, and what makes it worse is that it was at the 2006 World Cup, no less.
The game was a group-stage match between Croatia and Australia, and while the Europeans were the clear favourites, the Aussies put up a good fight. The match was fairly physical, with defender Josip Simunic in particular really getting involved.
What makes the whole thing even funnier is that all three yellows came in the second half, and his second yellow card almost warrants a straight red on its own for being so rough.
Graham Poll, the referee, resigned after the game and apologised for his mistake.
You’ve got to feel a bit sorry for him, right?
4 Javier Mascherano sent off while being taken off
Ecuador vs Argentina, 2013
Have you ever seen a player sent off for what he did while being helped off by the medics? No, us neither.
Well, that is precisely what happened to former Barcelona man Javier Mascherano when Argentina faced off against Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier in 2013.
In the last ten minutes of the game, the former West Ham man was taken off the pitch on a buggy for treatment following a knock.
However, as he was leaving the field, someone threw water at him and instead of ignoring it – it’s just water – he kicked off, literally.
For some reason, the hot-headed defender decided to vent his frustration on the poor medic helping him off the pitch and kicking him. Now, he might’ve been able to claim it was a mistake had he not immediately kicked him again even harder.
He pleaded ignorance when shown the red card, but it was about as obvious as possible.
3 Kieran Gibbs is sent off in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's place
Chelsea vs Arsenal, 2014
Arsène Wenger’s 1,000th game in charge of the Gunners was supposed to be a day of celebration for all the Frenchman had done for Arsenal, but Chelsea made sure it turned into one of the worst days in his managerial career.
The Blues put six past the men in red, and yet the most embarrassing performance on the pitch that day came from the referee, Andre Marriner.
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In the 17th minute, with the Blues already two goals to the good, Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade Chamberlain blocked Eden Hazard’s shot with his hand, resulting in a deserved penalty.
However, with the penalty awarded, Marriner also decided to send the Arsenal man off for his actions, although instead of showing the Ox a red, he turned to defender Kieran Gibbs.
This chain of events understandably confused the Arsenal team as none of them could quite believe what was happening, and even when Chamberlain confessed to Marriner that he handled the ball, the referee had none of it.
In the game’s aftermath, Gibbs had the card wiped from his record, and Marriner issued an apology.
Have you ever seen another example of mistaken identity like that before?
2 Eden Hazard kicks a ballboy
Swansea City vs Chelsea, 2013
Football is a fantastic game. It can give you the highest of highs, make grown men cry like babies, and give you memories that last a lifetime, but it can also be incredibly frustrating.
Whether it’s the opposition wasting time, a poor refereeing – or VAR – decision or a calamitous own goal, the beautiful game can turn sour in plenty of ways.
That said, you’ve got to take the bad with the good, and generally speaking, modern footballers are pretty good at rolling with the punches and getting over things. Unless, of course, you’re Eden Hazard circa 2013.
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The Belgian superstar was a genuinely world-class footballer and will always be remembered as such. Still, something else will forever be remembered alongside his talent, at least in the UK, anyway: his sending-off against Swansea City in the 2012/13 League Cup semi-final.
The score was 2-0 on aggregate to the Swans, and with ten minutes remaining in the tie, the ball went out for a Chelsea throw.
With his side in desperate need of a goal, Hazard ran off to collect the ball, but a Swansea ballboy had beaten him to it, and he wasn’t in any hurry to give the Blues star the ball.
So, instead of waiting a few seconds, the Chelsea star had the bright idea of kicking the ball through the teenager to get the ball. Obviously, the crowd went apoplectic at the sight, and after a quick replay on the big screen, the referee gave the player his marching orders.
In the spirit of fairness, Hazard apologised after the fact and claimed he didn’t mean to kick the youngster, but come on now, you can be the judge.
1 Dzeko pulls down Sokratis' shorts
Greece vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2016
Now, when a player receives his marching orders, it is usually for one of several reasons. Maybe they made a rash tackle, gobbed off to the referee, or started a fight. Any of these would be pretty standard reasons for a sending-off.
What isn’t usual, however, is a player being sent off for pulling an opponent’s shorts down – yes, pantsing someone.
Well, during a World Cup qualifying match in 2016, that is precisely why Edin Dzeko was shown a straight red.
The Bosnian striker was in a tussle with Greek defender Sokratis, and upon being pushed to the ground, he decided the best course of action would be to pull the centre-back’s shorts down.
Usually, the player could plead that it was an accident, they were merely reaching out, and their hand missed or something silly like that, but in this case, there was no mistaking the forward’s intentions.
For us, this has to be the most bizarre red card we have ever seen.
Set to play for his sixth IPL franchise, the 37-year hopes the upcoming season will be his best ever
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2018
BCCI
Yuvraj Singh still has “fire in the belly” and is “keen to be competitive” after being signed by Mumbai Indians for IPL 2019.Released by Kings XI Punjab after managing only 65 runs in six innings in 2018, Yuvraj found no takers in the first round. However, he found himself in the shortlist during the accelerated round that featured those who went unsold earlier on auction day.”The hunger is there, I’m not playing for the sake of playing,” he told . “I am playing because I want to play and I’m passionate about playing. Hopefully in this season I will be able to deliver.”At a base price of INR 1 crore, the general perception was that Yuvraj may have pegged himself at a price too steep for someone at 37. Yuvraj, though, insisted he “had an idea” that teams wouldn’t pick him immediately.”There was no disappointment as such,” he said. “The reason is obvious. When you are putting together an IPL team, you will be looking at the youngsters. I am at the stage of my career where it could be presumed that I may be in the last stages. I had hoped that there would be buyers for me in the last round.”Somewhere within me there was a feeling that I might go to Mumbai. Frankly, I am looking at an opportunity to play this year and it has come. Akash (Ambani, co-owner) had some nice things to say about me and it feels good to have such confidence.”It will also be a familiar environment for me because Zak (Zaheer Khan, director of cricket), Sachin (Tendulkar, the mentor) and Rohit (Sharma, the captain) are there. I have played a lot of cricket with them. I’m looking forward to playing with them again. When you have support, it motivates you to do well, it brings out the best in you.”Looking back at the 2018 season, Yuvraj felt his modest returns may have been due to an unsettled batting positon. “Agreed, that the last season was not great. But the point was I played at different positions in four-five games. I was not given one position to bat. This year I am very keen to make the best of the opportunities that come my way.”Mumbai is Yuvraj’s sixth IPL team. He’s previously played for Kings XI Punjab, Pune Warriors, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad.Jayant Yadav celebrates the wicket of Eoin Morgan•BCCI
Jayant Yadav traded to Mumbai IndiansDelhi Capitals have traded the offspin-bowling allrounder Jayant Yadav to Mumbai Indians. The 28-year old had been part of the Delhi franchise since 2015, and has four wickets from 10 matches in the tournament. With this trade, Mumbai have filled their quota of 25 players, while Delhi now have one place left.Jayant recently captained the India Emerging Team in Sri Lanka, where he picked up 10 wickets in five games. He was instrumental in taking the side to the final, where he made an 85-ball 71 in a losing cause.According to a BCCI release, the trading window remains open until 30 days before the start of the tournament.Mumbai Indians (updated squad): Evin Lewis, Quinton de Kock, Anmolpreet Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhesh Lad, Ishan Kishan, Aditya Tare, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Yuvraj Singh, Pankaj Jaiswal, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Jasprit Bumrah, Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jason Behrendorff, Rasikh Salam, Lasith Malinga, Barinder Sran, Jayant Yadav