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He’s following in his father’s illustrious footballing footsteps, and making a big splash on the international football scene, but not in the position, or for the country, many would imagine. Louis Thomas Buffon, son of the legendary former Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi, scored two hat-tricks during the November break in Under-19 European Championship qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland.

Young talent, big hope

Louis Buffon is a forward who has carved his own path, currently on the books at Pisa and, surprisingly, representing the Czech Republic, rather than his father’s native Italy, at youth level. After starting in youth systems at Sisport and Juventus, he moved to Pisa in 2023, making his professional debut in 2025. Buffon chose his son's middle name as a tribute to his favourite goalkeeper growing up, Thomas N'Kono, the former Espanyol and Cameroon goalkeeper who famously played for his country at Italia '90, where they were knocked out by England 3-2 in the quarter-finals. At the tender age of 17, Louis has made big headlines with his scoring prowess during the latest international break. He scored three in Czechia's 6-1 win over Azerbaijan before taking on a substitute's role in a 2-2 draw against Malta. Louis then returned to the starting lineup against Northern Ireland and fired another hat-trick to help Czechia secure a 4-0 victory.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhy Buffon's son declined an Italian job

Buffon senior is one of the most-recognisable Italian football faces, but his wife Alena Seredova is from the Czech Republic. The pair married in 2011, but were divorced three years later. And in an interview given to the Czech FA, Louis Buffon explained that the decision to play for his mother's homeland was also supported by his dad. He said: "I talked with my family and decided that playing for the Czech Republic would be the best option for my career and my development as a player. My mother was obviously very happy, but my father was too, because it was my first call-up to the national team."

Big boots to fill

Buffon retired from professional football in 2023 at the age of 45 after an illustrious career as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. Following his retirement, he was appointed the head of delegation for the Italian national football team. His professional journey began with his boyhood club Parma, where he debuted in 1995 and won the UEFA Cup. In 2001, he made a world-record transfer for a goalkeeper at the time to Juventus, where would spend the vast majority of his career. During his two stints with Juventus, which were broken up by a brief spell at Paris Saint-Germain, he won an incredible 10 Serie A titles and remained with the club even after its 2006 relegation due to the Calciopoli scandal, helping them return to the top flight. On the international stage, Buffon famously captained Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He also holds the record for most international caps for Italy with 176 appearances. He concluded his playing career by returning to Parma for two final seasons.

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Getty/@louisbuffon9International options in coming years

Louis Buffon can still switch his allegiance from Czechia to Italy because he holds dual Italian citizenship and has not yet played a senior competitive international match for the Czech national team. Although he has represented Czechia at the youth level, including with the Under-18 and Under-19 squads, this does not tie him to the country permanently. FIFA rules allow players with dual nationality to switch their allegiance to another country they are eligible for, as long as they have not yet made a senior competitive appearance. Buffon is eligible for Italy through his father and was born in the country. This makes a future allegiance switch a viable option for the promising winger.

Enrique Hernández returned to the Dodgers lineup for the first time in nearly two months on Tuesday after five rehab appearances in Triple A. The Dodgers beat the Reds 6-3 in Hernández's first game back for their third straight win. Hernández went 2-for-3 at the plate, driving in a run and scoring another.

Hernández was also tested in the field as he handled a bouncing ball hit by Spencer Steer in the top of the eighth and had to hurry a throw to Freddie Freeman at first. Hernández's throw hit the grass in front of first and took a hard bounce towards Freeman who made a great play to snag it just before Steer hit the bag.

Hernández's face was a combination of amazement and agony. And probably some other complex emotions. It's actually hard to tell because it's just such a funny face to see a person make.

The Dodgers currently have a one-game lead over the Padres in the NL East.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has defended Lamine Yamal following a difficult Champions League performance against Chelsea, while also challenging the teenage forward to "step up" and prove his quality. Flick acknowledged the difficulty of facing Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella, whom he described as "one of the best in the world," but insisted that Yamal needs to lead the team's recovery from their 3-0 defeat.

AFPFlick challenges Yamal after difficult Chelsea outing

Yamal endured a difficult night against Cucurella as Barca were overpowered at Stamford Bridge and ended up being substituted with 10 minutes left. The winger's reaction to his withdrawal sparked caught attention in the media, but Flick moved to defend the 18-year-old and stressed he expects better against Deportivo Alaves on Saturday.

"Lamine is fine and feels good. Many players aren't happy when we substitute them," he said at a press conference. "I was a player myself, and many times I didn't react as I should have. Cucurella is one of the best full-backs in the world; he's a very good player. But, for me, now it's Lamine's turn to step up and show that we need to forget the Chelsea game. This is when he has to show how good he is."

AdvertisementBarcelona seek reaction after 'tough' Champions League loss

Barcelona's 3-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge was a significant setback, with an own goal from Jules Kounde and strikes from Estevao and Liam Delap condemning them to a heavy loss. The result left them in 18th place in the Champions League group stage table with seven points from five matches, placing them in the play-off positions rather than the automatic qualification spots.

Flick admitted the defeat was "tough" and that the team was "feeling down," but he refused to solely blame the defence for the result. "When we lose and when we concede three goals, it's easy to say it wasn't a good match or that it wasn't the Barca we'd like to see. Ultimately, some people don't understand what we need to play with that high defensive line," he explained. "It's our own style; it's not just about the defenders. The forwards and midfielders also initiate the press. That's what I need from the players. The blame seems to fall on the defense, but that's not fair. If we don't all press effectively, we'll have problems, I want to make that clear."

Injury updates and squad news ahead of Alaves clash

Ahead of the league fixture against Alaves, Flick provided updates on several key players. He confirmed that Ronald Araujo will miss the match due to a stomach virus, adding to the defensive concerns after his red card against Chelsea.

Midfielder Fermin Lopez is also out after feeling discomfort following the match at Stamford Bridge. "The tackle from Athletic Club affected him, but he wasn't seriously injured. It was after the Chelsea game that he felt discomfort. There's no other explanation. This is football, and things like this happen. Sometimes it's related to new boots. Now they have a new color every month," Flick stated.

However, there was positive news regarding Pedri, who is expected to feature as a substitute in the second half as he continues his return to full fitness. Flick also mentioned that Marc Bernal, returning from injury, will get playing time, and Andreas Christensen could be an option in midfield, where he has been trialled alongside Eric Garcia.

Raphinha, who Flick described as "one of the most focused players on the team," is also keen to make an impact after the coach admitted he had missed the Brazilian's influence.

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gettyWhat next for Barcelona?

Barcelona face Alaves at Camp Nou in La Liga on Saturday. Flick stressed the importance of securing three points to maintain their lead at the top of the table. "Our goal tomorrow is the three points. Anything else is secondary," he said. Following the domestic fixture, Barcelona will look to improve their Champions League standing in their remaining group matches to secure a more favourable position for the knockout stages.

Pakistan captain Salman Agha critical of India’s behaviour during the Asia Cup

Danyal Rasool28-Sep-20253:23

‘Clueless batting from Pakistan’

Pakistan captain Salman Agha has criticised India for what he called their “disappointing” behaviour during the Asia Cup.”What India have done this tournament is very disappointing,” Agha said at the press conference after the final. “They’re not disrespecting us by not shaking hands, they’re disrespecting cricket. Good teams don’t do what they did today [refusing to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi]. We went to pose with the trophy on our own because we wanted to fulfil our obligations. We stood there and took our medals. I don’t want to use harsh words but they’ve been very disrespectful.”After Pakistan lost the Asia Cup final to India in the last over in Dubai on Sunday, there was more than a 90-minute delay before the presentation ceremony began, but India refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is the ACC president and PCB chairman, and also the interior minister of Pakistan.Related

Different Sunday, same script: Pakistan's promising final gets inevitable ending

Stats – India 9-0 in chases against Pakistan

India refuse to accept Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

It was the culmination of a series of incidents where India have looked to limit any contact with Pakistan players or officials during the tournament.Agha said he did not have an issue with India captain Suryakumar Yadav. He claimed that if it had been up to Suryakumar, he would have shaken hands with Agha before the tosses at the three matches the teams have played against each other.”He shook hands with me in private at the start of the tournament,” Agha said. “Both at the pre-tournament press conference and when we met in the referee’s meeting. But when they’re out in the world in front of the cameras, they don’t shake our hands. I’m sure he’s following the instructions he’s been given, but if it was up to him, he’d shake hands with me.”Suryakumar Yadav pretends to carry the trophy he didn’t accept•AFP/Getty ImagesReiterating his position before the final, Agha said he did not believe there was a precedent in cricket for a team refusing handshakes, saying it was “detrimental” to the spirit of cricket. The manner in which the post-final presentation unfolded, with India holding up an imaginary trophy, was “a consequence of everything they had done before”.”This is the first time I’ve ever seen this happen,” Agha said. “Whatever happened in this tournament was very bad, and I hope it stops at some stage because it’s bad for cricket. Everything that happened today was a consequence of all that happened [before]. Of course, the ACC president will give the trophy to the winners – if you won’t take the trophy from him, how will you get it?”As with the previous two India-Pakistan matches in this tournament, there were no handshakes at the toss at the final or following the game, and the teams stood apart in their huddles while waiting for the presentation ceremony to begin. Agha said all that had taken place had not set a good example to those following the game in either India or Pakistan, but placed the blame squarely on the opposition.”I’m not just a Pakistan captain, I’m a cricket fan,” Agha said. “If a kid is watching in India or Pakistan, we’re not sending them a good message. People think of us as role models, but if we’re behaving like this, we’re not inspiring them. What happened shouldn’t have happened, but you should ask the people [India] responsible for this rather than me.”

Managing a football club, particularly one the size of Manchester United, is incredibly difficult because you need to make decisions that line up with the short, medium, and long-term goals that are in place.

For example, it would be hard for the Red Devils to heavily lean on a strategy of signing incredibly young players with potential, with the hope that they turn into a top team in the future, because supporters expect results in the short-term, and rightly so.

This means that INEOS and Ruben Amorim have to be very careful with their squad planning to ensure that there is a competitive team on the pitch in the present, whilst also having a group of players who are for the future as well.

So far this season, United have been competitive on the pitch. They are seventh in the Premier League after 11 matches, with five wins, and are currently unbeaten in five games after their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

One of the players who has been instrumental in the short-term success on the pitch, but is not one for the future, is the incredibly experienced Casemiro.

The Brazil international has been in fantastic form in the Premier League so far this season for the Red Devils, and they need to consider what they will do in the medium to long-term in his position.

Why Man Utd need to find a replacement for Casemiro

Manchester United need to identify their long-term successor to Casemiro because his current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and he turns 34 in February.

The Red Devils need to make sure that his replacement is a top-quality one, as the former Real Madrid star has been in impressive form for the club alongside Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park.

Casemiro is already one goal away from his Premier League career-high after netting three goals in ten starts in the division so far, with strikes against Nottingham Forest, Brighton, and Chelsea.

Along with his impressive output at the top end of the pitch, the 33-year-old star has been one of the best midfielders in the division in a host of key defensive metrics.

Non-penalty goals

0.44

Top 1%

Assists

0.15

Top 22%

Tackles

3.22

Top 9%

Tackles + interceptions

3.96

Top 18%

Dribblers tackled

1.46

Top 14%

Blocks

1.76

Top 9%

Aerial duels won

2.20

Top 11%

As you can see in the table above, Casemiro ranks highly among his positional peers in the Premier League for tackles, interceptions, blocks, and aerial duels won.

These statistics illustrate why it is important for the Red Devils to find the player who can play in that position in the mid-to-long term, as the Brazilian star may not be at Old Trafford next season.

The only other ‘natural’ defensive midfielder in the squad is Uruguay international Manuel Ugarte, but he has failed to prove his quality since a £42m move from PSG last year.

After the Manchester derby in September, Gary Neville said the midfield is a “massive problem” and that Ugarte is “not good enough”, which speaks to the feeling around his performances for the club over the past 18 months.

Chalkboard

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

With this in mind, Manchester United could save millions of pounds by unleashing one of their stars in a different position, so that they will not need to splash the cash on a replacement for Casemiro and an upgrade on Ugarte.

Central defender Lisandro Martinez has been back in full training in recent weeks after suffering an ACL injury in February, and he could be a wildcard replacement for Casemiro.

Why Lisandro Martinez could be Man Utd's Casemiro replacement

The Argentina international has been away from the action for nine months because of his long-term injury, but he could be the answer to the club’s mid-to-long-term issues in the defensive midfield position.

Per Transfermarkt, all 89 of his appearances for United have come at centre-back or left-back, with 85 in the heart of the defence, which shows that he has not played as a holding midfielder for the club yet.

However, the left-footed star did start 22 matches as a defensive midfielder during his time with Ajax, before his £48.3m move to Old Trafford, and this means that he does have experience in that role.

Even whilst playing as a centre-back, Martinez has shown qualities that suggest that he would excel in midfield. Take the clip above, for example, as he wins the ball back in the opposition half and holds a high position to break into the box to score a wonderful goal.

The Argentine star would have even more opportunities to pull off plays like that as a defensive midfielder, whilst it would also mean that his lack of aerial prowess would be less exposed, as he has won 55% of his aerial duels or lower in all three of his Premier League seasons, per Sofascore.

Shot-creating actions

1.34

Top 13%

Pass accuracy

89%

Top 35%

Progressive passes

6.01

Top 11%

Progressive carries

1.18

Top 16%

Key passes

0.46

Top 12%

Passes into the penalty area

0.93

Top 2%

xA

0.07

Top 6%

As you can see in the table above, Martinez excelled with the ball at his feet in the top-flight last term, ranking highly among centre-backs in a host of progressive metrics.

Como scout Ben Mattinson once claimed that the centre-back “could become a world class DM”, and it is easy to see why when you couple his natural defensive instincts with his technical quality in possession.

Ugarte, for example, has averaged only 3.08 progressive passes and 0.81 progressive carries per 90 in the last 365 days for United, per FBref, which suggests that Martinez would offer more than he has in possession in the middle of the park.

With his prior experience in the position, time left ahead of him to develop further at 27, and his relevant attributes for the role, Martinez could be the dream long-term successor to Casemiro at Old Trafford.

Their new McTominay: Man Utd in talks to sign £25m future "superstar"

Manchester United look set to make a move for a star who could emulate Scott McTominay.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 21, 2025

Every spring, all across the country, kids pick up a baseball bat or a glove for the first time and begin to dream.

Facing off against a pitching machine, they imagine themselves playing in Game 7 of the World Series, with the chance to hit the home run that decides a championship. Shagging fly balls in the outfield, they envision the feeling of securing an out that saves their season.

On Saturday, those dreams became real for about 20 members of the Dodgers and Blue Jays.

Toronto entered the ninth inning holding a 4–3 lead and needing just three outs to secure their first championship since 1993. Closer Jeff Hoffman, who had come in to secure the last out of the eighth inning, was back on the mound to finish things out.

It was Miguel Rojas that first got to live the dream. With the Dodgers down to their final two outs, Rojas worked the count full before smacking a home run to left field to tie the game and suck every ounce of air out of the Rogers Centre.

Hoffman got out of the inning from there, bringing the Blue Jays to the plate with a chance to walk things off for a title.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the inning batting against Blake Snell, and for a moment it felt like he might just finish things on his own. Instead, he hit a fly out to center. But after a Bo Bichette single was followed by a walk and a HBP, the bases were loaded with one out.

Bichette was pulled for pinch runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa, as he’s still somewhat hobbled coming back from injury. The Dodgers pulled Snell and put Game 6 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto back on the mound.

Yamamoto delivered to Daulton Varsho, who smacked a grounder to second base. The ball was fielded by Rojas, who briefly double-clutched before firing a bullet home to catcher Will Smith. Smith’s foot briefly came off of the bag, but he got it back down for the force out before Kiner-Falefa could slide in safe.

It was this close folks.

Two outs.

Next up it was Ernie Clement, who with his third hit of the day in his previous at-bat had set a record with 30 hits this postseason, more than any player in MLB history. Now he needed one more.

Clement gave the first pitch he saw a ride to left center. With the outfield in, left fielder Kiké Hernández was sprinting backwards to get under the ball, but center fielder Andy Pages, who had just been put into the game as a defensive sub for the Dodgers, would meet him in the space and ultimately came down with the catch after a heart-stopping collision to get out of the inning.

It was the first live ball he had touched all night.

And with that, Game 7 of the World Series was on to extras.

Both teams failed to get a run across in the 10th. Last time these sides went to extras, we played into the 18th inning. Now it’s happening with a championship on the line.

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

ZC cites Williams’ “history of disciplinary issues and repeated unavailability” for decision to not renew his contract beyond 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2025Sean Williams, the veteran Zimbabwe batter, will not be considered for national selection and his central contract will not be renewed after Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) said he disclosed to them that he has been struggling with drug addiction.In a statement, ZC referred to “a history of disciplinary issues and repeated unavailability, which has impacted team preparations and performance”.Williams, 39, has played 273 matches for Zimbabwe across all formats in an international career spanning more than 20 years, but ZC confirmed that his contract will not be renewed beyond the end of 2025.Related

Williams released from Zimbabwe squad for T20 WC Africa Qualifier

Sean Williams has been around the block and then some

Williams had most recently withdrawn from the Zimbabwe squad on the eve of the Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers, citing “personal reasons”. On Tuesday, ZC revealed that they had conducted an internal investigation to understand the reason for his unavailability, after which Williams had disclosed to the board that he has been struggling with drug addiction, and had voluntarily entered into rehab.”ZC expects all contracted players to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and compliance with team protocols and anti-doping regulations,” the board said in its statement. “While ZC commends him for seeking rehabilitation, withdrawal from team commitments under circumstances involving potential testing raises serious concerns regarding professional and ethical standards.”Since making his international debut in 2005, Williams has scored more than 8000 runs across all formats for Zimbabwe. He was most prolific in ODIs, making 5217 runs at an average of 37.53, with eight hundreds and 37 fifties. Earlier this year, he overtook James Anderson to become the longest-serving active international cricketer.Williams, however, was also never far from controversies or from a fractured relationship with ZC. Although he led the U-19 side in the World Cup in Sri Lanka in February 2006 – the highlight being a win over England – there were rumours both before and after the tournament that he was not happy with the board. Williams subsequently turned down a central contract the following month, opting to look for a more settled career overseas. However, he changed his mind three months later, thus returning to play for Zimbabwe. The on-off farrago resurfaced in 2008 when he again quit for a contract in South Africa, only to return weeks later.In late 2014, despite being one of Zimbabwe’s best players of spin, Williams was not considered for the tour of Bangladesh after interruptions in his involvement in a training camp, and an aborted disciplinary hearing.”ZC sincerely acknowledges and appreciates his immense contribution to Zimbabwean cricket over the past two decades,” the board said. “Williams has played a pivotal role in some of the most significant moments in our recent history, leaving a lasting legacy both on and off the field. ZC wishes him strength in his recovery, and every success in his future endeavours.”