Eight Young Boys fans have been arrested for their part in crowd trouble during the Swiss side's 2-1 Europa League defeat at Aston Villa on Thrusday. West Midlands Police released a statement on Friday morning, saying that two of the supporters had been arrested "on suspicion of affray and assaulting a police officer", a further six men were detained at Birmingham airport on suspicion of the same offence.

Ugly scenes at Villa Park

The Dutchman opened the scoring with a headed finish in the 27th minute. As he celebrated in front of the visiting support, he was struck on the head amid a volley of missiles hurled towards the Villa Park pitch. Morgan Rogers was also hit, but not injured during the initial unrest. Police formed a barrier in front of the travelling fans, with more numbers joining the line as the first half continued. 

Malen's second goal in the 42nd minute prompted sustained clashes between the travelling support and the police. The game was halted for five-and-a-half minutes, as Young Boys captain Loris Benito pleaded with his supporters to behave themselves. 

Two men were arrested on suspicion of affray and assaulting a police officer earlier this morning, with a further six Young Boys supporters detained on the same charge as they attempted to leave the country. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWest Midlands Police's statement

WMP Superintendent Paul Minor said: “We won’t tolerate violence of any kind at football matches.

“The majority of the crowd was in good spirit but unfortunately a small minority of away fans caused violence and disrupted the game. An investigation has been launched, and officers are reviewing body worn video and CCTV from the stadium of the disorder.”

Managers reactions to violence

Young Boys manager Gerardo Seaone apologised for the fans behaviour, however, he did also suggest Malen contributed to the ugly scenes by choosing to celebrate in front of the febrile atmosphere in the away end. 

"It's normal when you score a goal that you want to be with your team-mates. Maybe it was a small provocation, I don't know," he said.

"Our fans could have taken this as a provocation. "This is part of football but our fans should not react so angrily.

"The referee asked our captain to go calm our supporters. Some fans came down to talk to the players and the police reacted like they were jumping on the pitch, but that was not their intention.

"It's a pity for everybody throwing the objects. The result is not nice for anybody.

"We apologise, we don't feel good and not the way our supporters are normally, or how we want to act when we are guests somewhere and no one wins at the end, everybody loses in this situation.

"Football is with emotions. There is a rule to not provoke, nobody does it on purpose, it was more the joy of scoring."

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery briefly spoke on the events in the first hal, saying they were "not necessary". 

He added: "We need respect for both sides. It is not necessary to get a moment like we had today. Respect for both sides. I think [Malen is] OK."

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AFPFurther punishment due for Young Boys fans?

The Swiss club have regularly run foul of UEFA for their fans' behaviour. Just last week, the threat of a ban on travelling fans was lifted at the end of a two-year probationary period. 

The spectre of a ban has hung over the team since their last visit to England, a November 2023 Champions League tie against Manchester City. The club was given a one-match suspended punishment for crowd disturbances and fined for the throwing of objects and acts of damage to the stadium. Their fans conduct will almost certainly result in harsher punishment from UEFA this time round.

With news of Newcastle fans facing violence from the French police in their Champions LEague defeat to Marseille, the policing of high-profile European ties looks to be an unwelcome subplot for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. 

Was the pitch a bit too much in favour of Bangladesh’s spinners? Possibly, but that’s to be expected with ODI World Cup qualification on the line

Mohammad Isam19-Oct-2025Home conditions typically translate to home advantage in cricket. And teams sometimes take different, even extreme, measures to ensure their strength gets support from the pitches. There is often a tacit association between the home team’s decision-makers and the curators too. But the relationship cannot be too obvious. Visiting teams are aware of what awaits them.Bangladesh are no different as hosts. On Saturday, they beat West Indies in the first ODI by 74 runs. It is a bit of a turnaround after their 3-0 bashing at the hands of Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi last week. The win also came on the back of abuse and harassment when the team returned from the UAE on Wednesday.The first ODI was played on a rather dark-looking pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Usually, a dark surface in this part of the world suggests the ball is most likely to stick on the surface, which allows spinners to get the ball to break more. It has been a few years since this colour has been seen here – a layer of cut grass usually gives it a grey-green look.Related

Rage against the pitch – it's Bangladesh vs West Indies vs the surface in series decider

Bangladesh target 2-0 while West Indies look for batting lift

Rishad's six-for wrecks WI as Bangladesh take 1-0 lead

Bangladesh nowadays have a strong pace-bowling unit, but the team management often resorts to spin-favouring pitches. In this case, not unusual if you have just lost 3-0 to Afghanistan. It has been Bangladesh’s go-to home strategy particularly since 2016. It is a bit of a shortcut to success, though visiting spinners like Rashid Khan, Nathan Lyon, Sajid Khan and Rahkeem Cornwall have also been match-winners here.On Saturday, spin accounted for 11 of the 20 wickets to fall. Rishad Hossain picked up career-best figures of 6 for 35, becoming only the second legspinner to take the opposition’s first five wickets in an ODI. The fast bowlers took eight wickets.But what does winning with this sort of tailored home advantage mean?Among the plethora of pitch-related questions at the post-match press conference, one seemed to bother Rishad, the Player of the Match. He was asked if he preferred a six-for on a pitch that helped him, or fewer wickets on a “sporting track”. In this case, only 340 runs were scored across two innings.

“I stuck to my process. I had to adjust in the first couple of overs, but then I could make up quickly. I always try to contribute in all three departments. I believe that Allah will always find me a way to do always something for the team”Rishad Hossain

Rishad referred to “a Guyana pitch”, which he said was worse than the one in Dhaka on Saturday. He was probably referreing to the surfaces used during the West Indies-Bangladesh ODI series in 2022. “The [Dhaka] wicket was same for both teams,” he said, meaning it didn’t change character during the course of the match. “We have encountered an even worse pitch in Guyana. We adjusted to those conditions. It was the same condition for both sides.”To an earlier query on the pitch, Rishad had said the Bangladesh batters had had a better plan to tackle the conditions than their West Indian counterparts. “Our batters could read the wicket better. They figured out that if they start slowly, they can finish well with wickets in hand,” he said. “I think they were just carrying out their plans to the best of their ability.”The pitch debate overshadowed Rishad’s impressive all-round show. He struck a breezy 13-ball 26 with two sixes, which took Bangladesh close to the 200-run mark before he fell in the 49th over. Those were two of only three sixes in the innings. Then, with the ball, he sparked a collapse from 79 for 1 to 133 all out.Rishad Hossain finished with career-best figures of 6 for 35•AFP/Getty Images”I stuck to my process. I had to adjust in the first couple of overs, but then I could make up quickly,” he said. “I always try to contribute in all three departments. I believe that Allah will always find me a way to do always something for the team.”I always try to contribute something extra with the bat for the team. I think if my contribution takes the team from 180 to 210 or 215, that’s great. I am aware of what the team is looking from me as a batter.”Bangladesh are trying to get back on track in ODIs after an impressive recovery in T20Is in 2025. Good results in ODIs are necessary to ensure automatic qualification to the 2027 ODI World Cup. For that, on this evidence, home pitches in bilateral series will be prepared according to their strengths.True, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers are also match-winners. Truer surfaces will also help the batters stay in touch with playing on livelier pitches for series elsewhere. For now, though, this is an ODI series at the Shere Bangla National Stadium that Bangladesh need to win. The batters have to rein themselves in, and the fast bowlers may feel redundant. The spinners will be licking their lips.

As talks continue with Swansea City, former Liverpool coach Vitor Matos could reportedly be about to face an instant problem if he takes the job in Wales courtesy of the January transfer window.

It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks for Swansea, who are still without a manager after sacking Alan Sheehan before the international break. There’s no escaping the fact that they missed out on their top target, either. It looked as though they were destined to appoint Hammarby’s Kim Hellberg, before Middlesbrough came swooping in to hijack their deal.

Since then, those in Wales have been back to square one in their search and have reportedly held talks with Matos. The former Liverpool coach is currently the manager of Maritime in Portugal’s second division, but could now have the chance to take his first managerial job in England courtesy of Swansea.

It’s undoubtedly a gamble, given the 37-year-old’s inexperience in the dugout, but it’s one that Swansea may still take. And to Matos’ credit, Maritime have only lost four of the 12 games that he’s had in charge, highlighting exactly why he could be on his way to the Championship.

It’s no easy job in England’s second tier, however. Swansea currently sit as low as 18th and seven points clear of the dropzone. If Matos, or whoever it is in charge for the foreseeable future, does not get off to a good start then the Swans will be at risk of dropping down even further.

It’s a relegation battle that they could certainly do without if they want to keep their top players too, with one of their key men receiving interest from the Premier League.

Premier League clubs interested in Ronald

As reported by ESPN Brazil’s Felipe Silva, Premier League clubs are now interested in signing Ronald from Swansea in the January transfer window, sparking an instant problem for Matos. The winger is considered “one of Swansea City’s key players” and there’s no doubt that his exit would deal their survival chances a major blow.

Reporting the news, Silva said on X: “Brazilian winger Ronald, one of Swansea City’s key players, could leave the team that competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, in the next transfer window. The forward’s strong performances have sparked interest from some Premier League teams and clubs in the Middle East.”

With three goals and one assist to his name in a Swansea side which has struggled for goals in the Championship this season, the Brazilian winger could become his side’s most influential player under Matos.

At just 24 years old, there’s also every chance that the next Swansea manager could take Ronald to new heights in what would provide those in Wales with a much-needed, consistent outlet.

Swansea hold talks to appoint 4-3-3 manager who's worked with Klopp

He replaced Edward Moore for Western Province in South Africa’s first-class competition

Firdose Moonda04-Oct-2025

Western Province opening batter Joshua van Heerden has become the first like-for-like injury replacement under a new trial for substitutes in cricket. Van Heerden replaced Edward Moore in a provincial four-day game against Lions at Newlands in the second round of the CSA’s first-class competition. Moore suffered a tear to his left adductor (inner thigh muscle) while fielding on the second day.The trial, which is also being conducted in Australia’s Sheffield Shield and India’s Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy, is part of an ICC initiative seeking a solution for teams that lose players to serious injury during a match.Like Australia, South Africa will consider both internal and external injuries (India are only looking at external injuries for now) and have a strict protocol for determining when a player can be replaced. If the injury is internal, such as a muscle tear, which was the case with Moore, the player is required to go for an Ultrasound and/or an MRI scan. The report is then sent to CSA’s chief medical officer Dr Hashendra Ramjee and CSA’s cricket operations manager Obakeng Sepeng who study the results and determine if the injury is serious enough to allow for replacement. They then contact the match referee to confirm the decision. If the injury is external, such as a visible dislocation or broken bone, the match referee can make the decision on a substitute in consultation with Dr Ramjee and Sepeng.Related

BCCI introduces 'serious injury replacement substitute' rule

CA to trial injury subs with tactical twist in Sheffield Shield

The injured player can only be replaced provided he has been ruled out of the match in its entirety. He will then be required to satisfy a “stand-down period of seven days”, as stated in CSA’s updated playing conditions before returning to play. In Australia’s case, substitutions are only allowed until stumps on the second day and the injured player is mandated a 12-day non-playing period. Like Australia and India, South Africa are only trialling the system in multi-day cricket for now.The differences in protocol stem from the ways in which different countries want to trial the system. They will all report back to the ICC, which could then come up with regulations for like-for-like substitutions in the international game. Currently, substitutions in international cricket are only allowed for concussion.

انتقد الفرنسي تيير هنري، نجم آرسنال السابق لاعبو الدوري الألماني بعدما سُئل عن تدني مستوى لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول.

وتعاقد ليفربول مع الألماني فلوريان فيرتز، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية قادمًا من نادي باير ليفركوزن في صفقة قُدرت بحوالي 116 مليون يورو.

وخاض فيرتز، 197 مباراة بقميص باير ليفركوزن واستطاع أن يسجل 57 هدفًا كما قدم 65 تمريرة حاسمة بواقع 122 مساهمة تهديفية.

وقال هنري، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”: “لاعبو الدوري الألماني يُثيرون قلقي دائمًا لأن أسلوب لعب الدوري هناك يُتيح لك خلق العديد من الفرص، وتسجيل العديد من الأهداف، وتقديم العديد من التمريرات الحاسمة بمجرد الجري”.

اقرأ أيضًا | الصحافة الإسبانية عن أرنولد: جنى ثمار صبره مع ريال مدريد

وأكمل: “أما في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز الوضع مختلف لأنه يُمكن للاعبين محاصرتك لذلك فإن اللاعب من الدوري الألماني يواجه صعوبة بالغة”.

وأضاف: “في هذه الأيام، تُخلق فرصا أقل بكثير مما كانت عليه في أيامنا، الفرق تركز بشكل كبير على الدفاع والمساحات محدودة”.

وأتم: “الأشياء الجيدة تأتي بعد المخاطرة، إذا لم يسمح المدربون للشباب بالمراوغة وارتكاب الأخطاء فماذا يُفترض بهم أن يفعلوا؟”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Durante a partida entre Grêmio e Estudiantes, em que o Imortal venceu por 1 a 0 fora de casa, torcedores do time argentino fizeram gestos racistas para a torcida gaúcha. O jogo de terça-feira (23) aconteceu no Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi, na Argentina, pela terceira rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. Confira o momento no vídeo acima.

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CONFIRA A NOTA OFICIAL DO ESTUDIANTES APÓS CASO DE RACISMO CONTRA TORCIDA DO GRÊMIO

“O Estudiantes de La Plata iniciou esta manhã uma investigação e um procedimento administrativo interno para identificar os indivíduos que cometeram crimes raciais no jogo da noite da última terça-feira contra o Grêmio.

Além da ação que resultará em sanção exemplar para as pessoas envolvidas, denunciaremos esse comportamento na justiça criminal, que viola leis e acordos internacionais. Disponibilizaremos todas as provas obtidas para a investigação. Ao mesmo tempo, será avaliada a possibilidade de iniciar uma ação cível para que os envolvidos sejam responsáveis ​​pelos danos que possam ser causados ​​à nossa instituição.

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Do clube apoiamos a campanha da Conmebol “Basta de Racismo!” e estamos empenhados em rejeitar veementemente qualquer acto de racismo como o que ocorreu ontem à noite. Continuaremos com nosso trabalho permanente de conscientização de nossos associados e apoiadores, e também de sanção a quem se desviar do caminho de respeito e bom comportamento que nos identifica.”

Tudo sobre

Grêmio

Liverpool's misfiring squad held forthright talks in a bid to end the dreadful run of form following the shock 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest last weekend. The Premier League champions are floundering in the league and face a mountain of worrying injuries, while high-profile summer signings have failed to integrate into the team, and Reds forward Cody Gakpo has revealed details of the players' candid conversation.

• Reds' season fails to launch

  The English champions' defence of their title has imploded so far this term, undone by defensive vulnerabilities and difficulties in adapting to Arne Slot's system, particularly following key player departures and injuries. Gakpo's form has mirrored the team's inconsistency, bagging three goals and two assists in 12 appearances. While his goal contributions per 90 minutes are respectable, he has faced scrutiny, along with the club's new signings, as the team has lost eight of their first eleven games in all competitions. Gakpo himself has acknowledged a feeling of "embarrassment" after some losses and participated in "honest" team discussions, highlighting the collective responsibility to improve. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Gakpo: 'We have to stick together'

  Gakpo said: "After the game on Saturday it was a kind of embarrassment as we lost 3-0 at home in front of our own fans. We know they are here to help us in every tough situation but we have to give them something back as well. In the days after that, I don't want to say angry, but we tried to speak together and be honest with each other about what we have to do to perform better on the pitch."

  He added: "We also know we have to stick together to put in good performances and get wins. Everybody is aware we have to take responsibility on and off the pitch. This was a conversation you have with a team-mate, it wasn't really a meeting, but we are aware we have to take responsibility. That's what we spoke about, we are honest because otherwise there's no point in speaking.

  "There were games we got back level and then lost the games in the last minutes – Palace and Chelsea and United. We've shown we can fight back but not been able to maintain that. We have to not go behind and then score more goals. I wouldn't really want to say it plays on your mind, but when it happens a couple of times then yes. That's why we train – to change that."

• Staying in touch with PSV players

  Gakpo enjoyed a prolific and successful career at boyhood club PSV, emerging as a star academy graduate. He made his first-team debut in February 2018 and became a central figure, primarily as a left-winger or forward. Gakpo made 159 appearances, scoring 55 goals across all competitions for the senior team. His standout season was 2021-22, where he bagged 21 goals in 47 games and was named Dutch footballer of the year. He won several trophies, including the Eredivisie title in 2017-18 and two KNVB Cups. 

  And ahead  of the Champions League clash at Anfield, he revealed he stays in touch with some of his former team-mates. Gakpo said: "From time to time I speak to someone. All the lads who were there when I was there. Not about the match (against Liverpool), I don't talk about this. More about how it's going and how they are."

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  Trip to London after PSV clash for Liverpool

  Liverpool head south to West Ham on Sunday in a crucial Premier League match at the London Stadium as both teams are struggling with poor form and mounting injuries. The Hammers, currently 17th in the table, are hoping to capitalise on the Reds' recent slump, leaving them in 12th position. But Slot's side have history on their side against West Ham, winning 86 of their 153 total meetings, and are heavily backed as favourites despite their current form.

Darwish Rasooli will once again lead Afghanistan A team at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars Asia Cup, previously the Emerging Teams tournament, to be played in Doha from November 14 to 23. The squad includes 10 players from last year’s tournament, which Afghanistan won, including Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar and Qais Ahmad.Atal will have fond memories of the tournament, having scored a half-century in the final to beat Sri Lanka A last year. He is a regular presence in the Afghanistan senior team as well, with 22 T20Is, 12 ODIs and one Test to his name.Abdollah Ahmadzai, who made his T20I debut in September and was part of all three games in the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe, will lead the Afghanistan A fast bowling attack.

ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

Mystery spinner Ghazanfar, 19, came through as a bright prospect and has played all formats for Afghanistan since his debut last year. But he was left out of the T20I squad against Bangladesh in September after average returns. Qais, meanwhile, last played for the Afghanistan national side in 2024. The likes of Bilal Sami, Zubaid Akbari, Mohammad Ishaq and Nangeyalia Kharote, who have all played for the senior side, also feature in this squad.Afghanistan A have been placed in Pool B, alongside Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A and Hong Kong. Their campaign will begin on November 15 against Sri Lanka A, followed by matches against Bangladesh A on November 17 and Hong Kong on November 19.

Afghanistan A squad

:Darwish Rasooli (capt), Sediqullah Atal (vice-capt), Noor Rahman (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Zubaid Akbari, Imran Mir, Rahmanullah Zadran, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Nangeyalia Kharote, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Abdollah Ahmadzai and Faridoon Dawoodzai.
Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Sediqullah Pacha, Yama Arab

The Boston Red Sox shocked Major League Baseball by trading star third baseman Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Since that move, several stories have surfaced about the dysfunction in the Red Sox organization. An MLB insider detailed another on Monday.

In a piece for Yahoo! Sports, Joon Lee reported on a firing that exemplified the chaos behind the scenes in Boston. Per Lee’s report, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has become insulated as his front office has lost cohesion. Longtime staffers have felt shut out by him and the "collaborative spirit that once defind Red Sox baseball operations has frayed."

Things only got worse when Breslow brought in a consulting firm in 2024 to help streamline the organization. Firings ensued and things frayed further. That led to an incident that saw the developing tension boil over.

From Lee's piece:

There's a few lessons here. First, always mute yourself during a team Zoom call. Second, maybe Boston should have a tighter hand with Breslow, who had never been in this position before October of 2023.

Whatever is going on with the Red Sox isn't good, and an organizational reset might be in the cards.

Kevin Millar doesn't seem too broken up about the Boston Red Sox moving on from Rafael Devers.

On Sunday, Boston shocked the rest of Major League Baseball when it shipped Devers to the San Francisco Giants for what seems to be a light return.

Millar, a former World Series champion with the Red Sox who is part of NESN's broadcasts, doesn't seem upset the team got rid of its best hitter.

During an event Sunday night, Millar was on a microphone and took a shot at the now-departed designated hitter.

"You have to have guys that'll do anything for the W," Millar said. "And unfortunately for [Devers], something, there's a roadblock that he didn't want to go. He didn't want to go to first base… Whatever it is."

It would appear Devers wore out his welcome with the Red Sox. Getting rid of the $250 million left on his contract appears to have become a priority, especially after he refused to play first base after his switch to designated hitter in spring training.