Marseille's historic 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week came at a cost, as head coach Roberto De Zerbi was sent off towards the end of the game. His actions have been swiftly punished by France's Disciplinary Committee. Reflecting on the red card shown to him, which has resulted in his ban for the game against Strasbourg, De Zerbi expressed his unhappiness while apologising for his mistakes.

• De Zerbi red overshadows Marseille's historic win over PSG

  On Monday, while Ousmane Dembele lifted the Ballon d'Or in a ceremony in Paris, Marseille recorded a historic win over Paris Saint-Germain in a Ligue 1 encounter that was rescheduled due to adverse weather conditions. But while Marseille weathered the storm and registered their first home win over PSG in 14 years, De Zerbi was sent off by the referee in the 90th minute.

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  Disciplinary Committee show no mercy to De Zerbi

  In the aftermath of the game, France's LFP Disciplinary Committee reprimanded De Zerbi with a one-game ban as well as a one-game suspension. The statement read: "One match suspension and one match suspended from the bench, referees' locker room and all official duties." 

  He will miss Friday's clash against Strasbourg, as well as next weekend's meeting with Metz. The ex-Brighton coach will, however, be present on the sidelines during midweek's Champions League clash against Ajax.

• De Zerbi's mea culpa after red card against PSG

  When questioned about the red card, De Zerbi admitted to making a mistake in a press conference on Thursday. "I'm very unhappy about it. I made a mistake, not in what I said because I didn't offend anyone. But in my body language," an apologetic De Zerbi acknowledged. 

  "I still had [Real] Madrid on my mind. I saw [Achraf] Hakimi's foul and even though he got the ball, I still think it was a foul. I made a mistake because I always tell the players to behave properly and not get booked. It's my first red card, I've lowered my average in France compared to abroad. Tomorrow, no one will replace me, I have complete confidence in my assistant. The players will be more relaxed, they won't have me in their ears."

  The Italian therefore admits personal responsibility but refutes any insults towards the referee.

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  Objective: first place in Ligue 1

  De Zerbi is well aware of what is at stake, as a win on Friday over Strasbourg could see his team go top of the Ligue 1 table, even if only temporarily.

  Tomorrow will be more important than the Ajax match. I don't think Ajax is easier or less important, but Strasbourg is a really difficult match, and if we win, we'll be top of the table. It's always nice to see yourself so high in the standings. There's no better way to prepare for Ajax than to focus on tomorrow's match," said the coach.

Manchester United’s need for added attacking reinforcements this summer was evident after only managing to find the net on 44 occasions in the Premier League last season.

Anthony, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford have all departed the Red Devils, freeing up funds for Ruben Amorim to make the additions he wanted this summer.

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are two signings who have joined the club, with the latter already opening his account after netting against Burnley last Saturday.

Whilst the duo may have cost the hierarchy around £130m, they do have the Premier League experience needed to help the club avoid a bottom-half finish – just like they did in the 2024/25 campaign.

However, other additions have been made within the final third throughout the off-season, leading to Amorim and the board taking a gamble on one young European talisman.

Benjamin Sesko’s move to join United this summer

A new striker was a huge priority for United this summer, with Benjamin Sesko the man chosen to lead the line for the Red Devils in 2025/26 and beyond.

The hierarchy forked out a deal totalling £73.7m, including add-ons – a figure that is a huge gamble on a player who’s only featured in Europe’s top-five leagues for two seasons.

The Slovenian has only made one start for United to date – coming in the Carabao Cup against Grimsby Town – but has been named as a substitute in all three league outings.

As a result of his limited action, the 22-year-old is yet to open his account for the club, but judgement will need to be held on his addition, given his lack of action in recent weeks.

Hopefully, Sesko will get the chance to showcase his talents after the current international break, but he could’ve been aided at the club had the hierarchy kept hold of one talent.

The former United star who would’ve got Sesko firing

As previously mentioned, Cunha and Mbeumo have also been added to the United attacking department – injecting needed goals and assists to the club’s frontline.

The pair combined for 48 combined goal contributions throughout 2024/25, with such a record higher than the Red Devils squad managed as a whole last season.

If they can replicate such numbers, they will make themselves fan-favourites, whilst also providing Sesko with the opportunities he will need to thrive within the final third.

Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system relies upon two attacking midfielders – the positions Cunha and Mbeumo have featured in – but also two wing-backs, who are tasked with having an impact in forward areas.

Patrick Dorgu currently occupies the role down the left-hand side, but former United star Alvaro Carreras is a player whom the hierarchy may regret selling too prematurely.

The 22-year-old spent four years at Old Trafford – but failed to make a single senior appearance – being sent on loan spells at the likes of Preston, Granada and Benfica.

It was the Spaniard’s spell at the latter that catapulted him to stardom, with the Portuguese outfit triggering the £5m option in his contract at the end of his loan spell in 2023/24.

His numbers from last season are nothing short of mind-boggling, registering eight combined goals and assists across all competitions – numbers which could’ve handed Sesko the ammunition he’ll need for success in Manchester.

Carreras, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, also created 1.2 chances per 90 last campaign – completing 23% of the crosses attempted, with the latter aiding the Slovenian’s aerial abilities had the hierarchy kept hold of him.

Games played

52

Goals & assists

8

Chances created

1.2

Cross accuracy

23%

Pass accuracy

83%

Dribble success

53%

Tackles won

61%

Recoveries made

5.5

However, despite only joining Benfica a year ago, he secured another transfer in the recent window, this time moving to LaLiga giants Real Madrid in a reported £43m transfer.

Such a transfer has just compounded the Red Devils’ misery over recent years, further highlighting how many mistakes they’ve made in the transfer market, whether that be incomings or outgoings.

The prospect of the Spaniard linking up with Sesko in forward areas is something the supporters would’ve loved to see under Amorim – but unfortunately, it’ll always be a case of what could’ve been with their loss, now Madrid’s gain.

Man Utd may regret selling perfect Mainoo replacement for just £500k

Manchester United may have made a mistake in allowing a young star to depart Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 4, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians foi punido na Câmara Nacional de Resolução de Disputas da CBF e está impedido de registrar novas contratações por seis meses.

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A punição é referente ao não pagamento das intermediações para a EBDX Consultoria Desportiva LTDA, empresa que pertence ao empresário Eduardo Bou Daye, nas contratações do zagueiro Bruno Méndez e do centroavante Mauro Boselli, ambas em 2019. A informação foi publicada pelo portal R7.

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Ambas intermediações, somadas, chegam no valor de R$ 7.374.053,20, e a diretoria alvinegra tinha alinhado pagar em 15 parcelas. Bou Daye alega não ter recebido a sétima e a última parcelas do acordo, avaliadas em R$ 491.603,54 cada. Juros e correções monetárias já estão inclusos nas parcelas.

Para encerrar este “transfer ban”, a diretoria alvinegra precisa quitar as pendências ou entrar em um novo acordo com o empresário. O Lance! procurou o clube, que desconhece o caso, mas confia que estará apto para inscrever novos reforços a partir do dia 3 de julho, data de abertura da janela nacional de transferências.

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No início de junho, a diretoria viu o prazo de 45 dias para acertar a dívida de 1,1 milhão de dólares (R$ 5,4 milhões, na cotação atual) que possui referente a salários atrasados com Mauro Boselli. A diretoria alvinegra está em contato com os advogados e demais representantes do atacante para acertar um acordo e evitar um novo “transfer ban”.

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BoselliCorinthians

Leeds United submitted a near club-record bid to sign a “revelation”, and the 49ers quickly received a response, according to a report.

Leeds stepping up striker pursuit

The Whites and the 49ers Enterprises are still yet to bring in a proven Premier League striker ahead of the new campaign, and given that failing to do so could have a major impact on their survival chances next season, they have now stepped up their pursuit.

Talks have recently been held over a deal for former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has 89 career goals to his name, and the Whites now appear to be closing in on the centre-forward, subject to a medical, as revealed by David Ornstein on X.

However, Calvert-Lewin was not the top target for Daniel Farke’s side, with journalist Ben Jacobs stating Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz was at the top of their shortlist.

The ex-Everton man was regarded as a back-up option for Rodrigo Muniz, and a recent update on Leeds’ pursuit of the Fulham striker suggests they made a proposal prior to sealing an agreement for Calvert-Lewin, following on from an intial £32m bid back in June.

According to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Whites submitted a new offer of around €40m (£34.5m) for Muniz, which was subsequently knocked back.

Leeds’ record signing is Georginio Rutter, who cost £35.5m, and they were prepared to spend a similar amount on the Fulham centre-forward, but it now appears as though he could be on his way to Atalanta.

Leeds at risk of missing out on Muniz

Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano has since revealed that Atalanta are making progress in their pursuit of the Brazilian, who is keen on joining the Serie A side.

“Atalanta are confident to get Rodrigo Muniz deal done with Fulham as talks are advancing. Muniz, keen on move to Serie A with negotiations underway.”

Leeds officials sent as major club want rid of their Ballon d'Or nominee striker

The Whites could step up their move for his services…

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As such, Leeds now look set to miss out on a deal, which is likely to be disappointing, as there are plenty of signs the Fulham star could’ve been a better signing than Calvert-Lewin.

Not only is the former Flamengo man much younger than the Englishman at 24-years-old, but he has also outscored him over the past two Premier League campaigns, scoring a combined 17 goals, while Calvert-Lewin has just ten to his name.

Once described as a “revelation” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Muniz has the ability to fire Leeds to safety, so it is a gamble to have pursued the ex-Everton man instead, given his patchy injury record.

After nearly three months of stories, rumours and moves, the transfer window is finally closed, and it’s been a good summer for Arsenal.

While it could be argued that the team are still in need of a new left-winger, Andrea Berta and Co did an excellent job adding eight talented players to Mikel Arteta’s squad, including a few who have the potential to be game-changing.

However, for all the good work done by the Gunners, the talk of the window, and the biggest headline grabber over the last few weeks has been Alexander Isak.

The former Newcastle United goal machine finally got his move to Liverpool, and while it was a record-breaking one, Arsenal can be happy in the knowledge that one of their stars remains more valuable.

Isak's transfer and Arsenal's deals

While he had a reasonably slow start to life in the Premier League, Isak slowly transformed into one of the very best strikers in world football by the time Liverpool came calling for him.

Throughout his Newcastle career, the Swedish star managed to rack up a sensational tally of 62 goals and 11 assists in 109 appearances, totalling 7,977 minutes.

In other words, the 25-year-old game-changer was able to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.49 games or every 109.27 minutes across a three-season spell.

With numbers like that and the fact he’s such a pleasing player to watch, it’s not hard to understand why the Reds think he’s worthy of a £125m price tag and of being the most expensive signing in the league’s history.

Yet, while his move to Anfield has made the defending champions overwhelming favourites in the minds of many fans and pundits alike, Arsenal have made several top-quality additions to Arteta’s squad as well.

Viktor Gyokeres, for example, may have struggled on Sunday, but during his time with Sporting CP, he scored 97 goals and provided 28 assists in 102 appearances.

Likewise, Martin Zubimendi hasn’t necessarily hit the ground running in red and white, but he’s been one of the most sought-after midfielders in European football over the last few years and will undoubtedly come good in time.

Finally, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera looked reasonably impressive against the Reds, and, from what we’ve seen of him for Crystal Palace over the last few years, Eberechi Eze could be the man to help unlock the Gunners’ attack.

In all, the North Londoners have spent around £255m on signings this summer, and while they’ve not brought in anyone as valuable as Isak, Arteta already has a player worth millions more than him in the squad.

The Arsenal star who is worth millions more than Isak

While the club haven’t won anything with this current squad, Arsenal are blessed with an abundance of talent.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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The likes of William Saliba, Declan Rice and David Raya, for example, would get into most teams around the world and have valuations to match their level of talent.

Yet, when we are talking about the most valuable player in the Gunners’ squad, the player who is worth millions more than Isak, there is one name that stands out above all others.

We are, of course, talking about the face of the club, the talisman on and off the pitch, Bukayo Saka.

The Ealing-born game-changer has transformed from promising academy product to world-class superstar in front of the adoring Emirates over the last five years or so, and his price tag more than reflects his status in the game.

According to Transfermarkt, the Gunners’ “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is worth a staggering €150m, which is about £130.1m, or £5.1m more than Liverpool just paid for their new striker.

Now, there is no denying that it is an extraordinary amount of money for a still relatively young player to be worth, but based on his performances over the last few years and his importance to the North Londoners, it’s hard to argue that it’s undeserved.

Saka’s Arsenal Career

Appearances

265

Starts

231

Minutes

20163′

Goals

71

Assists

72

Goal Involvements per Match

0.53

Minutes per Goal Involvement

141′

Points per Game

1.93

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, despite still being just 23 years old, and therefore three years away from his expected peak, according to research from The Athletic, the dynamic winger has made 265 appearances for Arsenal, in which he has scored 71 goals and provided 72 assists.

Moreover, despite missing almost four months with a hamstring injury and having to work his way back up to full match fitness, his numbers from last season aren’t too far off Isak’s.

In his 37 appearances for the Gunners, totalling 2619 minutes, the Englishman scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games, or every 100.73 minutes.

Saka vs Isak in 24/25

Players

Saka

Isak

Appearances

37

42

Starts

30

41

Minutes

2619′

3324′

Goals

12

27

Assists

14

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

0.78

Minutes per Goal Involvement

100.73′

100.72′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In contrast, the former Toon star scored 27 goals and provided six assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3324 minutes.

That comes out to a marginally better average of a goal involvement every 1.27 games, or every 100.72 minutes.

Moreover, when you take into account that the Swede was playing down the middle and expected to be his side’s primary goal threat, it’s even more impressive that, in an injury-riddled campaign, the Hale End icon put up comparable numbers.

Ultimately, Isak is an extraordinary player and looks set to make Arsenal’s hunt for a Premier League title far tougher this season.

However, in Saka, they have someone more valuable, and so long as he gets fit and remains so, someone who could be the difference come May.

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سجل منتخب فرنسا هدف التعادل أمام نظيره المغرب في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للشباب.

ويسعى منتخب المغرب إلى تحقيق إنجاز تاريخي بالفوز والتأهل إلى نهائي بطولة كأس العالم للشباب تحت 20 عامًا والمنافسة على لقب المونديال.

وتأهل منتخب المغرب إلى دور قبل النهائي من بطولة كأس العالم للشباب المقامة في تشيلي، بعد الفوز على أمريكا 3-1 في دور ربع النهائي.

منتخب المغرب كان قد تأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي، بعد تصدر مجموعته برصيد 6 نقاط، متفوقًا على البرازيل وإسبانيا والمكسيك، وفي مباراة دور الـ16 استطاع الفوز على كوريا الجنوبية 2-1.

طالع.. خاص | هل تنقل كأس أمم إفريقيا من المغرب؟.. وموقف مصر

ومن المقرر أن يلاقي الفائز من مباراة المغرب وفرنسا المتأهل من نصف النهائي الآخر الذي يجمع بين الأرجنتين وكولومبيا.

وجاء هدف تعادل فرنسا في الدقيقة 59 بعد عرضية من الجهة اليمنى وصلت إلى لوكاس ميشال الذي وضعها في الشباك.

وسجل ياسر الصبيري الهدف الأول لصالح المغرب في الدقيقة 32، من ضربة جزاء احتسبها الحكم بعد العودة لتنقنية الفار. هدف تعادل فرنسا أمام المغرب

⚽️ المنتخب الفرنسي يدرك التعادل#كأس_العالم_تحت_20_سنة | #المغرب | #فرنسا pic.twitter.com/KqjlRJSbt4 — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) October 15, 2025

Bowlers struggle to build pressure on Virat Kohli in ODI cricket, and one key reason for that is his ability to rotate the strike, Ashton Agar said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day show after the batter’s match-winning 84 in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai.Agar also said Kohli’s ability to manage the pressure from one end by finding the gaps makes him among the most difficult batters to bowl to in ODI cricket, and that combined with the other batters’ big shots makes it very difficult for teams to defend totals against India. Terming his innings as a “masterclass”, Agar said bowlers rarely feel like they’re on top of a batter of Kohli’s quality.”That’s the frustrating part about bowling to him,” Agar said in the post-match show on ESPNcricinfo. “It is not the damage that he can do to the fence, it’s just the fact that you cannot build pressure on him. So it’s really hard to get him out in a sense. You never really feel like you’re on top of him unless the ball is really spinning. And you don’t get a lot of pitches in one-day cricket like that.Related

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“He has this fantastic ability to hit your best ball, the top of middle stump, slightly spinning away, he holds the bat’s face slightly longer than other batters do, opens it in the last second, and hits it in the cover point gap. He’s probably the best in the world at doing that and he’s very difficult to build pressure on.”India batted around Virat beautifully. The guys who came in kept pushing the rate and allowed Virat to do his thing, hit the odd boundary and just keep ticking over. I saw a stat that Virat has scored the most singles since the year 2000, which is phenomenal. It was a bit of a masterclass from him and all the batters contributed nicely.”1:55

Kumble: Kohli always in control during chases

Kohli scored 64 of his 84 runs on Tuesday with ones and twos to slowly take the game away from Australia. Although he has been dismissed six times to legspinners since the start of 2024 for an average of only 12, he dominated Tanveer Sangha and Adam Zampa to score 35 in 33 balls against the leg-spinning pair before falling to the latter. Sanjay Manjrekar observed that Kohli was back to playing shots off the back foot.”Now you have five fielders inside the circle, so it’s not easy as it used to be – like during our times – when you had four fielders,” Manjrekar said. “Very rarely has he hit the ball straight to the fielder and hasn’t got a run.”So that one issue against spin that he had where he couldn’t rotate strike, hopefully that’s out of his system now. Because today was an affirmation that he is back to that very nice footwork, off the back foot playing late, finding gaps all the time. He was the best batter to find gaps from both sides [on Tuesday].Anil Kumble said he continued to be impressed by Kohli’s propensity to make tricky targets look easy.”He rarely makes a mistake,” Kumble said. “He’s totally in control. Especially in run chases. In a chase of around 265, he’s in total control except for the one chance to Maxwell. It’s not just this innings but every time he bats in a run chase, there’s hardly any loss in control. He’s always in control of this situation.”Kohli’s latest half-century marked his third 50-plus score in Champions Trophy semi-finals and his fifth in ICC knockout games. He is only one half-century away from Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six fifty-plus scores in ICC knockout games, while India are one more win away from making it two ICC titles in a row.

“It was a brain fade moment,” he said as he rued Kerala’s missed chance of winning their maiden Ranji title

Shashank Kishore02-Mar-2025

Sachin Baby celebrates a half-century in his hundredth first-class match•KCA

Thirty youngsters, part of the state under-14s and under-16s, had been flown into Nagpur by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) in anticipation of Sachin Baby’s team creating history by winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title. While they didn’t see their illustrious seniors win Indian domestic cricket’s biggest prize, some of them clicked pictures with the replica of the Ranji Trophy, perhaps dreaming of laying their hands on the main one in the years to come.Several members of the Kerala team, heartbroken and lost for words, recognised the presence of these young kids in the stands, posing for pictures even as Baby momentarily brought some comic relief at the presentation. “You guys have beaten us in all three knockout stages. Next time, guys, we’ll beat you. We’ll give you a tougher time,” Baby told the Vidarbha team in jest.In 2017-18, Kerala were beaten by Vidarbha in the quarter-final. In the following season, Kerala were ousted in the semi-final. In 2024-25, Kerala were vanquished in their maiden final. Baby was part of all the heartbreaks. This one may have been the toughest to take, because Baby was at the front and centre of their march. A lead was in touching distance when Baby let the temptation of a hundred in his 100th first-class game get to him.”Brain fade,” he said at the post-match press conference, of the slog he dragged to Karun Nair at deep midwicket on 98. The occasion couldn’t have been bigger; a century in his 100th first-class game may have well killed the game. But it wasn’t to be; it was as if they’d run out of luck in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, which they scraped through courtesy leads of one and two runs respectively.The Kerala side with the runners-up trophy•KCA

“As the leader, I’ll take the blame,” he said. “My shot changed the momentum of the game. I wanted to be there for the team, and we were six down. I wanted to be there till the end to get the lead. I wanted to have a lead of 100-plus if at all we got a lead. That would have made a difference.”Baby couldn’t quite explain why he played the slog – it was instinct more than a calculated risk, one that he will perhaps replay in his mind over and over again. “I was playing all along the ground till that moment, but then I don’t know what happened and why I played that shot. But that and the dropped catch of Karun [Nair] were important moments of the game.”And then he continued. “If I take credit for the success, I will take the blame for failure, too. Nobody plays a shot to get out. That shot was not on my mind, actually. Maybe, it was a brain fade moment. But on this wicket, you had to play shots. If I had played too defensively, there would have been pressure on the team and myself.”At 36, Baby is the oldest member of this side. He hates the use of the word ‘veteran’ to describe ageing stars. He says he’s never felt fitter – all possible signs of him wanting to continue. But without wanting to make it about him, he continued: “We have to improve still. I was telling the team about how Vidarbha came back from the defeat in last year’s final to win the trophy this year.”

Liverpool have done it. When all is said and done at the end of the transfer window, which closes at 7pm this evening, Arne Slot’s side will have welcomed Alexander Isak to their ranks.

Isak, 25, has fought to leave Newcastle United and sign for the Premier League champions for many weeks, and after weeks of interminable waiting, now has his wish. Isak will sign for Liverpool.

27 goals for Eddie Howe’s Magpies last season, the Sweden striker is an unstoppable force, so many ways to hurt his opponents. However, FSG don’t seem content with merely the record-breaking man, and plan for more before the window slams shut.

Liverpool planning D-day business

When Marc Guehi scored a looping strike at Villa Park on Sunday evening, he celebrated with the passion and weight of a player set to jump ship.

Liverpool want the centre-back, but they are also ready to move for a new winger to complement Isak, with transfer insider Matt Thielen revealing Richard Hughes has received an offer from AC Milan for Liverpool to sign Rafael Leao as a part of the deal that could see Joe Gomez sign for the Italians.

Valued at £86m and also targeted by Arsenal this summer, the Portuguese winger, 26, would truly be the icing on the cake for the Redmen, adding with Isak quality of the highest class to Slot’s frontline.

What Rafael Leao would bring to Liverpool

Leao has been remarked to be “one of the best left wingers in the world” by analyst Ben Mattinson, and while Milan struggled throughout the 2024/25 campaign, he stood proud as a shining light, scoring 12 goals and supplying 13 assists across the campaign, 50 matches all told.

A consistently menacing forward season upon season, Leao is electric-paced and utterly terrifying when on the ball and hurtling down the flank. FBref data records that he ranks among the top 4% of wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90.

His world-class credentials and staggering price tag suggest that Liverpool could make an instant repeat of the deal that saw them land Isak by getting it done on D-day.

25/26

1

1

0

24/25

50

12

13

23/24

47

15

14

22/23

48

16

15

21/22

42

14

12

20/21

40

7

6

19/20

33

6

2

In fact, Leao has actually been described by Milan coach Stefano Pioli as looking like “the early Thierry Henry”, and that’s something that has been attributed to Isak over the past several years too, having been likened to the Arsenal and Les Bleus legend last season, bringing such flair and destructive quality to the final third.

While Leao has yet to unearth and maintain truly jaw-dropping levels in front of goal, he has the talent, all right, and might just reach that giddy level of his game with a move to Merseyside.

Rangy and robust, he’s the real deal and would provide Liverpool with the perfect contrasting skill set to Cody Gakpo on the left flank.

Similar to Isak in some ways, he would work wonders alongside the Scandinavian star, supplying and interchanging in seamless synergy.

In Isak, Liverpool have signed one of the finest centre-forwards in the business, but if they manage to wrap up a move for Leao too, there’s surely going to be no stopping the Anfield side, chock-full with world-class quality.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Coritiba e Santos se enfrentam neste sábado (10) pela 10ª rodada do Brasileirão, em jogo que marca o reencontro de Antônio Carlos Zago, técnico do Coxa, com o último clube da carreira. Sua despedida, em dezembro de 2007, ocorreu em grande estilo, com direito a queima de fogos e aplausos na Vila Belmiro.

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E não foi só isso: à época com 38 anos, o ex-zagueiro chegou a vestir a camisa 10 do Rei Pelé como parte das homenagens. O Lance! resgatou mais essa história curiosa do futebol brasileiro.

+ Coritiba x Santos: onde assistir, escalações e desfalques do jogo pelo Brasileirão

+ Sem lesão, Deivid Washington será poupado de jogo do Santos; entenda

SEGUNDA PASSAGEM
Antônio Carlos já tinha jogado pelo Santos entre 2004 e 2005, quando foi campeão brasileiro, mas inúmeras contusões no joelho fizeram com que o então zagueiro atuasse pouco com a camisa alvinegra – apenas nove jogos, para ser mais exato.

Para apagar a má impressão da primeira passagem, Zago voltou ao Peixe ainda em dezembro de 2006, para a disputa da temporada 2007. No comando do time, um velho conhecido: Vanderlei Luxemburgo, com quem trabalhara em 1993 e 1994 no Palmeiras. Foi Luxa quem pediu sua contratação no Santos em 2004.

O objetivo da dupla era muito claro: vencer a Libertadores daquele ano. E o time até passou perto, chegando nas semifinais, quando foi eliminado para o Grêmio, comandado por Mano Menezes. No entanto, a perda do título não foi a única decepção para o defensor, que voltou a sofrer com as lesões e teve um rompimento no ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) do joelho.

Antônio Carlos ficou sete meses em recuperação, retornando apenas em novembro. Mas o período longe dos gramados fez com que o atual comandante do Coxa se acostumasse com a ideia da aposentadoria, fato que se consumou em dezembro daquele ano, na última rodada do Brasileirão.

A DESPEDIDA
Na tarde do dia 2 de dezembro, Antônio Carlos subia ao gramado da Vila Belmiro pela última vez, vestindo a camisa 10 eternizada por Pelé. O adversário era o Fluminense de Renato Gaúcho, equipe vencedora da Copa do Brasil naquela temporada – e que viria a ser vice-campeã da Libertadores em 2008.

Aos 40 do primeiro tempo, o Santos já perdia a partida por 2 a 1, quando Antônio Carlos deixou o campo para a entrada de Pedrinho, ex-meia e atual comentarista esportivo. Aplaudido pela torcida e pelos colegas em campo, o então zagueiro se ajoelhou, beijou o gramado da Vila Belmiro e chorou enquanto fogos eram queimados.

– Jogar com a camisa do maior do mundo e ser capitão num dia desses é muito emocionante. Quero agradecer a todos por essa carreira maravilhosa – declarou Zago na ocasião.

A partida terminou com derrota santista por 4 a 2. Ainda assim, o Peixe encerrou o Brasileirão com o vice-campeonato. E mesmo com todas as homenagens, Zago anda deixou o Peixe cercado por uma polêmica: três dias depois da despedida, foi anunciado como diretor-técnico do Corinthians, e revelou em sua apresentação que chegou a trabalhar pelo rival enquanto ainda defendia o Santos.

De volta ao presente, Coritiba e Santos se enfrentam neste sábado (10), às 16 horas (de Brasília), no estádio Couto Pereira.

SANTOS 2 X 4 FLUMINENSE
Campeonato Brasileiro de 2007 – 38ª rodada

Data e horário: 2 de dezembro de 2007, domingo, às 16h (de Brasília)
​Local: Vila Belmiro, em Santos (SP)
Árbitro: Edson Esperidião (ES)
Assistentes: Cleidy Mary Santos Nunes Ribeiro (SC) e Flávio Gilberto Kanitz (GO)
Público e renda: 14.377 pessoas e R$ 98.754
Cartões amarelos: Domingos, Rodrigo Tabata e Alessandro (Santos)
Cartões vermelhos: –

Gols: Rodrigo Souto (31’/1T), Adriano Magrão (32’/1T) e Luiz Alberto (40’/1T); Thiago Neves (2’/2T), Alessandro (17′ 2T), e Arouca (25′ 2T)

SANTOS
Felipe; Domingos (Petkovic), Adaílton e Antônio Carlos (Pedrinho); Alessandro, Maldonado, Rodrigo Souto, Rodrigo Tabata e Kléber; Marcos Aurélio (Renatinho) e Kléber Pereira. Técnico: Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

FLUMINENSE 
Fernando Henrique; Luiz Alberto, Thiago Silva e Roger; Gabriel, Maurício, Arouca (David), Thiago Neves (Rodrigo Tiuí) e Júnior César; Cícero e Adriano Magrão (Romeu). Técnico: Renato Gaúcho.