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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has seen all the chatter online about him being “asleep on the job” this offseason since New York hasn’t made a big move yet. At least not the moves fans are really hoping for—like bringing back Cody Bellinger or signing Kyle Tucker, for example.

Cashman poked fun at himself by creating the “meme”—a word he hilariously pronounced incorrectly—when he participated in the Covenant House Sleep Out in New York on Thursday night. As he cuddled up on the ground in a sleeping bag, this is what he told reporters:

“You know this is a meme about how Brian Cashman’s asleep on the job and not doing his job, ‘cause I’ve seen that all over social media.”

Don’t worry, Yankees fans. Cashman also shared with reporters on Thursday that he’s making strides to figure out the moves the team wants to make this offseason. He’s already started conversations about Bellinger and Tucker, and he’s spoken with other teams about other moves. Apart from Tucker, he’s also started talks about bringing back Paul Goldschmidt and potentially acquiring Michael King and Kyle Schwarber this offseason. He’s not totally sleeping on the job.

Tottenham’s first transfer window with their new-look, reshuffled boardroom will be a very intriguing one, and a striker is believed to be at the very top of their priority list.

Ever since replacing Ange Postecoglou in the summer, new manager Thomas Frank has been starved of a reliable focal point up front.

Dominic Solanke, who Spurs signed for a club-record £65 million fee last year, has struggled with injury problems that have limited his involvement to just 49 minutes so far this campaign. The Englishman suffered a ‘minor’ ankle problem at the beginning of 25/26, which eventually required surgery, and he’s still on the comeback trail.

Solanke is set to miss this weekend’s pivotal North London derby against Arsenal and won’t be available for their crunch Champions League tie against PSG either, with Frank forced to rely on the out-of-form Richarlison, who’s attracted criticism for his inconsistency.

The Brazilian is a shoo-in to start against PSG next week given Mathys Tel wasn’t named in Frank’s 22-man Champions League squad. Tel, according to some reports, is said to be ‘unhappy’ in London and keen to leave Spurs in January, with Roma taking a serious interest in the Frenchman (La Gazzetta dello Sport).

Solanke’s fitness woes, Tel’s dissatisfaction and Richarlison’s form have fueled speculation that a new striker could arrive at the turn of the year, and Spurs are being linked with a few interesting names.

Chief among them is Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who scored 20 Premier League goals in his best campaign at Brentford whilst working under Frank.

The tactician has apparently held ‘direct’ talks with Toney about a January move to Spurs, according to some reports, while others believe that the Lilywhites are in pole position to sign him at the turn of the year after ‘preliminary’ negotiations (TEAMtalk).

While links to the 29-year-old are rife given his obvious connection to Tottenham’s manager, co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange are considering other options.

Tottenham eye 'dream' move for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa

As per TEAMtalk, FC Porto talisman Samu Aghehowa is a ‘dream’ target for the club.

Sources believe the 21-year-old, who’s bagged nine goals in 14 appearances already this season, fits perfectly into Frank’s long-term vision. Spurs’ boss is also said to have ‘repeatedly’ emphasised his desire for a physically imposing, mobile striker capable of pressing aggressively and connecting play.

Insiders within Tottenham’s recruitment structure apparently think of Aghehowa as the “younger, longer-term” striker successor they genuinely desire, despite ongoing interest in Toney as a potential 2026 alternative.

Standing at a lofty 6 foot 4 with surprising pace for his height, the Spaniard has even been compared to former Chelsea star Diego Costa during his prime years, thankfully not the version we saw at Wolves.

However, this all being said, a January move appears very unlikely.

Portuguese sources state that Porto are refusing to entertain winter offers, especially as they pursue a first Primeira Liga title in six years. President Andre Villas-Boas has reportedly informed intermediaries that Samu is not for sale “at any price in the winter”, casting major doubt on Spurs’ ability to prise him away mid-season.

Porto have also set an £71 million asking price for Aghehowa, meaning the north Londoners may have to fork out a new club-record fee. With that in mind, Frank and Lange will apparently continue to monitor Aghehowa’s development whilst maintaining Toney as a backup option.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Chelsea once came ‘very close’ to signing the forward, and he’s a player with ‘huge potential’.

Liverpool are reportedly considering making a £65 million move for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in January. It emerged over the October international break that the 25-year-old has a £65m ($85m) release clause in the five-year contract he signed this summer. Now, the Reds are deciding whether or not to move for he winger in early 2026 or risk competition next summer from their Premier League rivals.

• Bournemouth bat away Semenyo transfer question

  When Semenyo signed a new Bournemouth deal until 2030 this summer, potential suitors may have felt their hopes of signing him had shrunk a great deal. However, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham were given a boost after this release clause news emerged in October. With the January transfer window just over a month away, speculation is ramping up again that the Ghana international could be on the move in 2026. However, Cherries boss Andoni Iraola was in no mood to entertain such matters last week. 

  He told reporters: "We are in November. Antoine is our player, he will continue being our player. In January, you can ask me about the market in January, but right now I'm not worried about the next markets. It's something that especially you know that I hate to talk about in August, January, the moments when the market is open, but it is not one of those moments. It's November. I'm more worried about the situation of the players to play tomorrow, the short-term, the things that really matter and in January, we will talk about whatever happens, the players we need. But it is not something that I'm worried about today."

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  Liverpool's Semenyo dilemma

  According to The I Paper, Liverpool have made enquiries about Semenyo, they know of the clause that allows buying clubs the 'first week or so' of the January window to sign him for £65m, and they see the ex-Bristol City man as potential competition for Mohamed Salah. The Egypt international is a Reds legend, but this season he has scored five goals in 17 games, which is underwhelming by his lofty standards, with Semenyo bagging six in 11 Premier League appearances. Liverpool are understood to be the front runners to sign the wideman but City also hold a genuine interest in him. Pep Guardiola's side are likely to move for him in the summer when his clause is reduced to below £60m ($79m). That would be Bournemouth's 'preference', with the Dorset outfit desperate to retain him for as long as possible. Semenyo is said to be happy on the south coast and is not actively looking for a move but concrete interest from City and Liverpool 'would change that'. 

• Liverpool's form may dictate Semenyo move

  Liverpool romped to the Premier League title in May but this season, they are a shadow of their former selves. The Reds have slumped to 12th in the Premier League, have lost six of their seven English top-flight games and tasted defeat in nine of their last 12 matches in all competitions  – a 71-year low. Manager Arne Slot is under increasing pressure to keep his job, with talk of a short-term return for Jurgen Klopp in the offing if the Dutchman is sacked. Incidentally, Liverpool's form between now and January could dictate whether or not the Merseyside outfit move for Semenyo in January.

  "Recruitment is data-driven and scientific these days but football clubs are also emotion-led in some ways. When Semenyo’s stats were so good at the start of the season, £65m looked a snip for the best attainable attacker. It may be that if there is a slight drop-off now, they change those plans and January isn’t the right time for it," a source told The I Paper.

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  What comes next for Semenyo?

  Aside from transfer talk, Ghana star Semenyo will be focusing on securing Bournemouth all three points on Saturday when they travel to Sunderland in a battle between eighth and seventh respectively. Both sides are locked on 19 points from 12 matches, and a win could potentially see the victor rise into the top four at the end of the weekend.

The legspinner played seven T20Is in 2023, including taking four wickets on debut, but hasn’t played since

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2025Legspinner Tanveer Sangha has been called into Australia’s squad for the T20Is against India with Adam Zampa unavailable for the start of the series due to personal reasons.Zampa’s wife Harriet is expecting their second child. He missed the first ODI in Perth due to travel distances involved before featuring in Adelaide, where he was Player of the Match, and Sydney. He is Australia’s leading wicket-taker in men’s T20Is.Sangha, 23, who plays for Sydney Thunder in the BBL, has seven T20I caps but has not played since 2023. He took 4 for 31 on his debut against South Africa.He took seven wickets in the three one-day matches for Australia A against India A on the recent tour and is currently the leading wicket-taker in the One-Day Cup with 10 wickets in four matches for New South Wales.If conditions warrant, Sangha could form a twin spin attack with left-armer Matt Kuhnemann.Australia have various moving parts in their T20I squad with multi-format players at various stages of their Ashes preparation. Josh Hazlewood will drop out after the first two matches in Canberra and Sydney while Sean Abbott will exit after the third game in Hobart.Mahli Beardman, the 20-year Western Australia and Perth Scorchers quick, who has yet to play a first-class match could make his T20I debut later in the series when he joins the squad from the third game onwards.

Slip catching is increasingly a specialist’s job – and made more so because white-ball cricket doesn’t have much of a place for it

Greg Chappell30-Jun-2025The old adage about catches winning matches remains as true today as it ever was. Yet few aspects of cricket are as underappreciated – and as challenging – as the craft of fielding in the slips and the gully. In recent Tests, we’ve seen teams drop chances that proved costly. But rather than pointing fingers, it’s worth understanding why these positions are among the most technically demanding and mentally exacting roles in the game.To be an effective slip fielder, desire is as important as technique. You have to want the ball to come your way. The mindset of a slip fielder isn’t passive; it’s anticipatory, alert, and hungry. As I have often said, if you’re in the cordon hoping the ball doesn’t come to you, you’re already in the wrong place.When fielding at first slip I found that I could watch the ball from the bowler’s hand. When positioned wider, I found it helpful to read the length from the bowler’s hand and then shift focus to the edge of the bat, where the catches would come from. The length of the ball tells you what type of catch you’re likely to receive. A fuller ball usually brings catches from the waist down; a shorter one, waist up. Forewarned is forearmed.Related

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• Stats – India first team to lose a Test despite five centurions

• Gill rues missed chances: 'We were looking at a target of around 435'

• Gill must lay down the law after India lose the unlosable Test

The position of the hands is critical. For low catches, the fingers should point down. For anything chest height or higher, fingers up. Catches to either side? Then the fingers go sideways. But the toughest of all are those in the grey zone around the midriff, where indecision between fingers-up and fingers-down can undo even the best.For catches coming straight at the body, some excellent catchers, like Ricky Ponting, preferred to lower the body and take the ball fingers up, while Mark Waugh, one of the best ever, preferred to swivel slightly off-centre. If you let the ball hit you with the body square-on, there’s a risk of getting cramped – the hands end up too close to the torso, the arms can’t give, and the ball jolts out. By turning the body, you create space and softness, giving the hands a better chance.Footwork is just as important in the slips as it is with the bat. I liked to turn the foot outward on the side of the catch and always moved with the intention of taking it with two hands. That helped shift the weight over to the catching side, extending the reach. From that base, you can go one-handed if the ball demands it – but starting one-handed limits your mobility and often, your success rate.Slip fielding demands extreme concentration but not all the time. Like batting, it’s about rhythm: switch on for the ball, switch off between deliveries. I liked to keep things light with a bit of banter. It was a mental reset. I recall a new keeper once asked Allan Border to tell me to stop talking between balls. I explained to the keeper that if he tried to focus non-stop, he’d be mentally spent by lunch. Far better to join the conversation and refresh the mind.Physically, I stood with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms hanging and relaxed. My hands were lower in the stance because it’s easier to move up than to rush downward. Whether fielding to pace or spin, the set-up was the same: balanced, athletic, and ready to move in any direction.Among all positions in the cordon, gully might be the hardest. The ball often arrives faster, with less predictable angles, especially from cut shots and thick edges. It demands excellent reflexes and sharp anticipation. Unlike slips, who face a more vertical trajectory off the edge, gully fielders must read both width and depth – often in a split second. Catches in the gully are often pure reflex catches. The gully fielder may be the most important person in the cordon. Interestingly, two of the tallest men that I have seen on the cricket field, Joel Garner from the West Indies and Cameron Green from Australia, are among the the best I have seen in that position. Athleticism and wingspan are a compelling combination!Slip catching is notoriously difficult to replicate in training. Long drills with hard throws from 30 yards, as I saw India do in Leeds, don’t mimic match conditions. Very few edges in games come off the middle of the bat. Training should mirror reality. Reflexes, rhythm and confidence need nurturing, not battering.Left-armer Arshdeep Singh (right) will add variety to an India attack where the quick bowlers other than Bumrah are largely similar to each other•Bipin PatelIn my experience, the most effective practice came from short, sharp reflex drills. On match days I would have half a dozen sharp catches and walk away. I didn’t need reminding of how to catch, I just needed to switch my mind on to the task.India dropped several catches in Leeds, and while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja were among those involved, both are usually safe hands. The drops I saw didn’t look technical – they just didn’t stick. It can happen to the best. That said, Jaiswal gives the impression of being low on confidence, or that he is suffering a hand injury. He seems to be hoping to catch them rather than expecting to. One of his missed chances came with him running in from the boundary – a low, skimming catch. For my money, that’s one of the hardest in cricket.With the advent of more white-ball cricket, the specialist slip fielder is not getting as many opportunities as was once the case. All the more reason why catching practice, in particular, has to be as game-like as possible.As disappointing as the fielding in Headingley was, it was not the main reason India lost the Test. Most of India’s problems were self-inflicted. Perhaps the most expensive error was the no-ball that gave Harry Brook an early life in the second innings. More concerning to me, though, is the lack of variety in the bowling attack. Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, India’s seamers are too similar – all right-arm, medium-fast, operating at comparable angles.There is a reason why wickets often fall after a change of bowling. It forces the batter to recalibrate. That variability isn’t available to Shubman Gill with his current crop. Without Bumrah, I’d like to see left-armer Arshdeep Singh added to the mix and Kuldeep Yadav, possibly the best wristspinner since Shane Warne, included in the attack.Even with Bumrah in the mix, the rest of the attack has to be more disciplined. I didn’t see two consecutive balls land in a dangerous place. They were either too full, too short or too wide. Bowlers have to work in partnerships as much as batters. All England have to do at present is to see off Bumrah and they know the pressure will go with him.Jadeja is not a front-line spinner in English conditions. If his batting is considered good enough, he can be a support spinner; otherwise a rethink is necessary. If India are to reverse their fortunes in this series then a better balanced team is required.I don’t agree that an extra batter who bowls should be selected as insurance against top-order collapses. The top six must be trusted to deliver the runs and that the best combination to secure the requisite 20 wickets is available to the captain.The selectors are the ones under pressure now. If batters and bowlers have to be prepared to take risks to score runs and take wickets, they too have to have the courage to take bold decisions.

BCCI secretary says India did not want to receive the trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-20252:03

Chopra: Tilak understood the need of the hour

India refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy at the presentation ceremony, which was delayed by more than an hour after they beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final on Sunday in Dubai. They refused because the trophy was to be presented by Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the PCB and the interior minister of Pakistan.”We have decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main [political] leaders of Pakistan,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told ANI. “So we decided not to take it from him. But that does not mean that the gentleman will take away the trophy with him along with the medals. So it is very unfortunate and we hope that the trophy and the medals will be returned to India as soon as possible.”There is an ICC conference in November in Dubai. In the next conference, we are going to launch a very serious and very strong protest against the act of the ACC chairperson.”Related

• 'Ice has been broken now' – BCCI secretary hopeful of Asia Cup trophy resolution with Naqvi

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

• 'I wouldn't have learned some things' – Abhishek happy with gradual rise to the top

• Agha: India are 'disrespecting cricket' with their conduct

• The night Tilak and Dube went from promise to performance

While the match ended at around 10.30pm Dubai time in a thrilling final-over finish, the wait for the presentation went on until close to midnight. It was not initially clear what the delay was down to, though speculation was that India did not want to receive the trophy from Naqvi. A statement on the organisation’s website on Saturday had said that Naqvi intended to hand over the trophy to the winners.Once the presentation ceremony began, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma received their individual awards from other dignitaries on stage, and Pakistan captain Salman Agha accepted the runners-up cheque, after which the ceremony came to an end.”I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight,” Simon Doull, the presenter for the host broadcaster, said at the ceremony. “So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”ACC president Mohsin Naqvi was there for the final•Associated Press

At the press conference after the ceremony, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said, “I think this is one thing which I have never seen since I started playing cricket, started following cricket, that a champion team is denied a trophy, that too a hard-earned one. I feel we deserved it. I can’t say anything more, I’ve summed it up really well. If you tell me about trophies, my trophies are sitting in the dressing room, all the 14 guys with me, the support staff, those are the real trophies throughout this journey in the Asia Cup.”Suryakumar said the team had taken the decision not to receive the trophy and that “no one told us to do it”.Once the game concluded, the Pakistan players walked off the ground into the dressing room while the Indian players stayed on the field. The stage for the presentation ceremony was not set for an extended period of time. In due course, Naqvi appeared, and spent a significant amount of time in animated discussions with officials on the ground while the crowd thinned out, though a large number of Indian spectators remained.After nearly an hour, the stage was set up and Naqvi and other dignitaries took their place. An official then removed the Asia Cup trophy from its place on a raised dais, and walked off the ground with it without explanation. The Pakistan team then emerged before the ceremony, conducted by Doull, commenced.A dejected Pakistan side after the loss in the final•AFP/Getty Images

The India players who received their individual awards did walk up to the stage where Naqvi stood, but did not acknowledge him, and received their awards from other officials. Naqvi did not applaud the India players who came up to receive their individual awards.The Pakistan players came up to receive their medals, with captain Agha accepting the cheque, which he posed with too. After the post-match interviews with Doull were concluded, the dignitaries left the stage. The India team and officials then took their place on the podium, where they celebrated their victory. With no actual trophy in sight, Suryakumar and the rest of the side held up an imaginary trophy as part of their celebrations.India’s stance to not accept a trophy from Naqvi was expected. They had refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team members in any of the three games they played this tournament, either at the toss or after the matches. While Pakistan coach Mike Hesson and captain Agha both criticised India for it, India’s position did not change.Things became heated, especially during the second game in the Super Fours stage, with several verbal spats between the sides. Suryakumar was fined for remarks he made following the first game, and Haris Rauf for his actions in the second.

Liverpool find themselves in a rut and under pressure to get results, something Arne Slot could help alleviate by making a club-record signing at Anfield.

Despite VAR controversy surrounding Nottingham Forest’s open goal, the Reds were well and truly second best in a 3-0 defeat to the Tricky Trees that has plunged the reigning champions into the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Another abject display has left Slot’s side with six losses from their last seven top-flight matches, and the Dutchman delivered an honest reaction to a damaging defeat that may be the final nail in the coffin regarding their slim hopes of retaining the title.

He said: “Another big disappointment. We started off quite well for the first half an hour. We conceded the 1-0, and we weren’t able to play the way we did in the first half hour. I don’t know. I heard it wasn’t offside, so if it’s not offside, there’s nothing to debate. We created and were waiting for us to score a goal. The set piece changed everything, and they scored two.

“If things go well or things go bad, it’s my responsibility. We weren’t able to create enough. I tried to adjust a few things, but it didn’t work out. We were unable to score a goal. You never know in this stadium, if you score a goal, then things can work out.”

Another ineffective outing for record signing Alexander Isak have only added fuel to the fire regarding their poor campaign, signalling that arrivals are needed in January to steady the ship. Come January, the Reds and FSG may now be willing to do just that in record fashion with a new midfielder.

Liverpool preparing record Joao Neves bid

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are preparing a record £140 million bid for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves, someone they believe could be a pivotal piece of their engine room jigsaw as they look to catch the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City in the race for silverware.

While there is belief that he may be attainable at some point down the line, Luis Enrique has insisted that the Portugal international is not for sale at any price and that he won’t be sold unless there is a drastic change in plans from the standpoint of player and club.

Labelled “excellent” by Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Liverpool view Neves as a potential era-defining acquisition, and it is easy to see why after his exploits in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League-winning campaign last term.

Nevertheless, managing to bring him to Merseyside will be no easy feat, and the financial muscle involved would likely create headlines around the world should Slot and company be able to snap him up.

Worse than Konate: Slot must drop 2/10 Liverpool flop who lost 100% duels

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is planning to hand an exciting young player his first team debut at the London Stadium this season, according to a new report.

This comes in the aftermath of their 3-2 comeback win over Burnley at the London Stadium last Saturday – a clash which gifted Nuno two straight wins and the perfect sign-off before this November international break.

The Hammers have now won consecutive Premier League games despite conceding the first goal each time, having also beaten Newcastle 3-1 the weekend prior. It also marks West Ham’s first back-to-back home wins since October 2024, suggesting the dark clouds could be starting to lift after a torrid opening to the campaign.

With six goals in their last two games – having scored just seven in their previous nine – West Ham’s attack is finally clicking into gear. Crucially, Nuno has settled on a midfield he can trust, naming an unchanged lineup in his last two after criticism for questionable tinkering during his opening four matches.

Academy graduate Freddie Potts has become a fan favourite, if he wasn’t already, and could be working his way into becoming an undroppable after convincing performances alongside Lucas Paqueta in the engine room.

The partnership is providing much-needed stability, with striker Callum Wilson also repaying Nuno’s faith after two straight starts, despite credible reports the Englishman wasn’t fancied by Nuno at first (ExWHUemployee).

Nuno reserved special praise for Tomas Soucek as well, who scored West Ham’s third and ultimately decisive goal of the game on his 250th appearance for the east Londoners.

The 30-year-old won’t be around forever, though, and with his contract expiring in 2027, West Ham could already have an heir apparent in the form of youngster Mohamadou Kante.

Nuno plans senior debut for Mohamadou Kante at West Ham

West Ham agreed a deal to sign Kante from Paris FC last year and the 20-year-old gem spent the rest of 2024/2025 back out on loan in the French capital, with Kante since returning to Rush Green and plying his trade in the club’s academy for the Under-21s.

Kante is yet to make his first-team debut for West Ham, but according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, this is about to change.

The French ‘rising star’ is wanted by multiple sides in January, with numerous Championship clubs already enquiring about Kante and prepared to sign him either on loan or permanently.

Writing for Football Insider, O’Rourke states that Kante is “expected” to get minutes in the West Ham senior team soon and is “close to a first-team breakthrough” after impressing in the academy lately — so it remains to be seen whether the club will green-light a mid-season exit for him.

The midfielder, who’s notched three goals and two assists in 10 academy appearances this term, scored a cracker most recently against Liverpool’s Under-21s — rounding off a superb 3-0 win for West Ham as Kante looks to turn Nuno’s head.

West Ham could have yet another Potts situation on their hands with Kante, and he’s been given chances to impress in first-team training by Nuno lately.

A renovated Santiago Bernabeu has played host to the first-ever NFL match played at the stadium, helping to elevate its status to a multi-purpose stadium and, Impressed with the revamped stadium, UEFA are reportedly planning to host a Champions League final at the Bernabeu in the near future.

• First NFL game in Spain

  A revamped Santiago Bernabeu hosted an NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The game, which the Dolphins won 16-13, saw a huge turnout from locals as well as from fans abroad. As per a report from Defensa Central, the governing body of European football, UEFA, were surprised by the stadium's transformation. Despite having a not-so-healthy relationship with the club in recent times, UEFA did not shy away from admiring Real Madrid's innovative new-look stadium. They have also indicated a potential Champions League final taking place at the iconic stadium; however, nothing has been made official yet. 

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  Perez's plan is successful

  Back in 2023, Florentino Perez had pointed out how the renovation would pan out, explaining: "The investment in technology has been increased in all the areas of the Bernabéu Tour. The Museum will be much bigger and the spaces have been modified to make them more attractive. The traditional Tour has been extended with 2 new routes. The turf maintenance lighting has also been changed from fixed to variable spectrum, which allows the full range of natural light colours to be used, and this is the first time it has been used anywhere in the world with spectacular results. The increase in investment has also been allocated to improving the gastronomic services of the bars, which will represent a qualitative leap in the offer to members and fans. All this involves an enormous effort in the development of infrastructures, which, in addition to providing a better gastronomic experience, will serve to optimise the generation of income through this activity. In order to address all these additional investments and expenses, we have decided to finance ourselves on a long-term basis to avoid having to impact the activity and the club's outstanding balance sheet in the short term. The budget for these new investments is €370 million. Thanks to the financial solvency that Real Madrid enjoys, this will allow us to obtain financing under very favourable conditions, as we have obtained an A-rating, equivalent to that of the Kingdom of Spain."

• Barriers which can prevent a Champions League final at the stadium

  There is only one barrier that might prevent the stadium from hosting a Champions League final, and that is the club's will. In order to get hosting rights, the club will need to submit a bid, and as per the report, Los Blancos are in no mood to do so. Moreover, they are looking at this project to be one that generates a huge revenue. As per Defensa Central, this NFL game generated more than €80 million once ticket sales apart from other commercial activities and hospitality in the city. 

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  When do Real Madrid again play at the Bernabeu?

  Real Madrid have taken a major step in the reformation of the stadium, and that is to remove the name of Santiago from it. From now on, the iconic venue will be known as only Bernabeu and necessary changes will also be made to the logo, as per Diario AS. The stadium was named after legendary Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid player Santiago Bernabeu de Yeste in 1955. Notably, Bernabeu also performed the duties of a club president for Los Blancos. With the change in name, the legacy is not expected to diminish. But Madrid are currently not playing any home fixtures, with a return scheduled for December 7, when they take on Celta Vigo in the Spanish top flight. 

Very little went New Zealand’s way on the opening day of the second Test and chancy Sri Lanka cashed in

Madushka Balasuriya26-Sep-2024Welcome to the multiverse of madness fine margins. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as the Marvel one, but don’t for a second think New Zealand wouldn’t consider making all sorts of morally ambiguous choices to slip right into any other universe right now. See, if you’re slow on the uptake (read: only clicked on this article and nothing else), that intro is not quite right.Yes, Sri Lanka won the toss and, yes, Nissanka edged behind off the final ball of the first over, but that’s about it. New Zealand thereafter embodied their slightly less competent self from seemingly another reality.Karunaratne was grassed by Daryl Mitchell at first slip, before later being let off as Tom Blundell fumbled a stumping. Chandimal, meanwhile, was fortunate to edge between third slip and gully when he was only on four, but then it happened again in the 13th over – this time as New Zealand had opted to go without a second slip.Related

• Chandimal, Mathews punish sloppy New Zealand to make it Sri Lanka's day

The end result of these costly errors (and some just regulation bad luck) was a 122-run second-wicket stand, which was precisely what skipper de Silva would have been hoping for when he won his sixth toss in a row in Tests (yeah, he definitely doesn’t want to inhabit a different universe).Even the breakthrough came against the run of play. Karunaratne’s call on a quick run to midwicket was turned down by Chandimal, leading to a mix-up which saw the former nowhere near returning to his crease. That he even made the frame was down to a throw from Glenn Phillips that found Tom Latham at short leg instead of Blundell closer to the stumps.But if New Zealand thought that this would prove to be a watershed in terms of their fortunes, the universe was only just getting started.You know that whole bit about Mathews being strangled down leg after a no-ball, well in this reality that ball too was a no-ball. Couldn’t script it, really, but then again there are supposedly an infinite number of realities. Mathews also wound up edging one behind shortly after, but as the fates would have it, the ball fell short of first slip.Chandimal’s chanced innings then continued with a leading edge dying on Tim Southee at short cover, four runs short of his 16th Test ton. And as if to really punctuate the milestone, once reaching it, he edged yet another drive past first slip.Tim Southee and Co found it hard to break the second-wicket stand•AFP/Getty ImagesWith New Zealand uncharacteristically unreliable in the field, Chandimal eventually fell after playing all around a sharp-turning off break from Phillips. By then Sri Lanka had 221 on the board, but if the first Test had shown anything, it is that wickets breed more wickets. Still, when you’re running bad even quads aren’t safe.See the scale of New Zealand’s misfortune by this point had already reached rotten levels, so much so that new units of measurement were being expediently crafted following the close of play.How else would you choose to surmise the series of events that followed: Kamindu edging twice through a vacant second slip region, before getting a full-blooded edge that Mitchell was only able to parry away for four. Disastrophy? That could work, potentially. Especially after Mathews became the third Sri Lankan batter to be dropped, as he fenced away a sharp bouncer from the luckless O’Rourke that Latham at second slip could only get fingertips on.Mercifully for the visitors, that was to be the last of their close calls, as Sri Lanka ended the day having piled on 306 runs for the loss of three wickets at stumps. But things can change quickly in Test cricket, particularly in Galle, and especially on a new day.”A lot of days are like that in Test cricket actually,” stated Glenn Phillips reflecting on the day’s play. “A lot of the time at home, especially on the greener wickets, they get edged quite often either just before or just over the slips fielders.”That’s part and parcel of the game, but it really makes you feel like you’re in it. And if you can create some pressure for a long period of time, then you definitely feel like you’re not that far away from a couple of quick ones. We could come out tomorrow and they could potentially be bowled out for 330, as simple as that.”But until then, New Zealand would, as a collective perhaps, do well to keep an eye out for any stray banana peels or rakes lying around.