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A fan watches the Delhi Test and comes away entertained and with insights into human behaviour

Abhijato Sensarma21-Feb-2023When watching cricket on television, you hear two or three commentators deliver their opinions about the game. When watching cricket in a stadium, it often seems like you hear a few thousand.The first thing you notice while walking into the Arun Jaitley Stadium is the long line of hawkers selling India jerseys. These knock-offs are as democratic as the sport can get – most sellers have just one size, which doesn’t fit all but is made to. If you arrive early enough, you’ll find plenty of people struggling to get their newly purchased apparel on before rejoining the crowd at the gates to have the edges of their single-entry tickets torn off.In the East Stand, the lower tiers of seats are exposed to the sun, and the back half are in shade. If you’ve decided to not pay an exorbitant amount of money for the drinking water sold inside the stadium, you’ll probably sit in the shade, foregoing some of the visibility in the poor Delhi air for a less dehydrated body.Ice-cream sellers walk about, each holding up two cones, usually a pair of butterscotches or chocolates. Most people ask the price – Rs 100 – and return to watching the match without further comment. A few bring out their weary wallets.As the end of play approaches, the fans try harder to haggle the sellers down to the actual marked price of the items being hawked, as the sellers wipe the sweat from their brows and do their best to get rid of their stock.From the seats in the shade, a flood of India jerseys are on display: trios of Kohli shirts sitting together, a few Rohits, and a healthy number of Dhonis in the mix too. These names are rendered in fonts as diverse as the body types they clothe. There’s a stray Surya in the distance: does the wearer know Shreyas Iyer has replaced Suryakumar Yadav in the XI for this Test?But when Suryakumar jogs around the edge of the boundary before the day’s play starts, everyone in the crowd forgets the fact too. You cannot help but applaud someone you’ve seen and adored on television for so long. Being as close as you’re likely to ever get to the players in the world’s most famous cricket team makes the infectious nature of hero-worship real for everyone.When the players finally stroll out to the middle to begin play, the cheering adds to the delight of being in a collective. If you look close enough, you spot uncensored joy on the faces of people you know would probably hold themselves back otherwise. A man with a salt-and-pepper beard sits in one corner of the stand, wearing a white floppy hat from the days when he probably played the sport himself. He points towards the middle, his other hand paternally across the shoulders of his little kid.Among the most diligent members of staff at the ground are two who are probably invisible on the televised broadcast. As soon as an over finishes and the players and umpires change ends, one of these two hard-working souls climbs up to the top of the digital advertising board at the end the next over is going to be bowled from, throwing a white sheet over it to make it blend into the sightscreen behind it. Meanwhile, the other board is unclothed for it to project its ads to everyone in the other half of the stadium.

With each ball, the anticipation grows – and each time, Pujara presents the full face of his bat in defence. At one point he has a smile on his face, and most people in the crowd are convinced he is trolling them

At one point these two begin their routine after the fifth ball of an over in India’s first innings, believing the over to have concluded, and face the animated wrath of R Ashwin, who gestures for them to put the sheet back on again. Everyone makes mistakes. Including Rohit Sharma, who could be forgiven for thinking his dismissals are being cheered for by the home side’s supporters – but the fans are buzzing with anticipation for the entry of the home favourite, Virat Kohli, instead.Everyone in the stands comes together to chant for Kohli. They egg on his edges and singles with as much enthusiasm as they do his boundaries and quick-run twos (a bit like with tennis, the speed of his running can only be appreciated when witnessed live). A small number of fans, many in Kohli T-shirts, walks out when he is dismissed in the first innings.Then, there are the trolls. Australia burn through all of their reviews quite quickly in the first innings. Each time they make an unsuccessful appeal after it, the crowd chants, “DRS, DRS, DRS”, while making the T-shape in the Australians’ direction.The crowd’s opinions are varied in quality and relevance too. Some begin to chant Kohli’s name after Ashwin stops in his run-up at one point to warn the non-striker for straying out of their crease. When someone asks why they’re shouting Kohli’s name, the response comes: “Because he’s the one who’ll entertain us with fights!”Kohli doesn’t pick any fights. Most of the match passes by without controversy. The biggest point of contention in the stands is when someone gets in other spectators’ line of sight. Each time there is a close call for an Australia batter’s wicket, or a boundary is hit by an Indian, most people rise from their seats – to spot the ball and to celebrate the occasion on their feet.There is a window of a few seconds within which one can get up, hug their friends, record shaky celebrations on their phones, and sit back down again without complaints from neighbouring fans – who usually indulge in the same routine themselves at various points. Inevitably, by the time most people have taken their seats again, a few haven’t. They are duly shouted at to sit down, with furious gestures, and sometimes a choice word or two that are as local in their flavour as they are effective in getting the point across.The only exception is during the final over of the game, on day three. With just one run required for victory and Cheteshwar Pujara on strike, almost everyone in the stadium is standing – the shorter ones on their seats. With each ball, the anticipation grows – and each time, Pujara presents the full face of his bat in defence. This happens repeatedly. At one point he has a smile on his face, and most people in the crowd are convinced he is trolling them rather than sticking to his method of solidity over flair.The crowd trolls him back, chanting, “We want six, we want six.”Pujara pushes the fourth ball over midwicket to collect a boundary instead. As he shakes hands with Srikar Bharat at the other end, then with the Australians, and finally, waves at his family in the stands with the same smile on his face, the fans hug and dance with the people they have spent the match bantering with and saving seats for.In that moment of festivity, with a dozen different chants breaking off and blending into each other, as the phone cameras record the moment in all their amateur glory, you ask yourself: where would you rather be?

Daniel Farke, manager of Leeds United, has been questioned for his side’s performance against Nottingham Forest.

Morgan Gibbs-White produced the perfect response to his England omission by helping Forest to their first Premier League win since the opening day of the season.

Gibbs-White was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for next week’s World Cup qualifiers, but reminded the German of his talent with a decisive goal in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Leeds.

The midfielder’s second-half header helped end Forest’s nine-game winless streak in the league as they secured three points for the first time under head coach Sean Dyche.

It was far from pretty as they had to come from behind, Ibrahim Sangare cancelling out Lukas Nmecha’s opener for Leeds.

Elliot Anderson’s late penalty sealed a vital triumph for Forest, who have now taken four points from their last two games and look to be heading in the right direction.

They are just two points behind Leeds, who have lost four out of their last five matches. Following their latest defeat, manager Farke has been called into question.

Farke should have made earlier changes against Forest

Since arriving at Leeds in 2023, Farke has sometimes been questioned for his decisions surrounding substitutes. Often, the German seems to bring new bodies into the game only after the majority of minutes have been played.

Against Nottingham, Leeds made no changes until the 74th minute. This is despite having lost their one-goal advantage, finding themselves 2-1 down and offering little threat to their hosts. Such a decision was noted by commentator Jon Newsome who at the time of United’s substitutions, as per BBC Sport West Yorkshire.

England midfielder Anderson killed the game from the spot in the 90th minute after the lively Hutchinson, introduced from the bench, was fouled by Jack Harrison, a natural wide midfielder who replaced left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson.

In attack, Leeds were bereft of inspiration. They had just four shots before the 70th minute and of the 10 they had across the game, as per SofaScore, only three were on target. Beren Cross of The Athletic commented on the fact that, despite Farke saying he had been in team training for a fortnight, Italian forward Willy Gnonto, who would offer a much-needed creative spark, was not in the squad against Forest.

With an international break ahead of them, Leeds will face a number of tough fixtures as they look for what will be a needed improvement in form. With four defeats within their past five Premier League games, questions may soon be asked of Farke’s future at Elland Road if such a run continues.

Leeds must unleash their "best finisher"

Juan Soto went 0-for-5 on Wednesday night as the New York Mets lost to the Minnesota Twins. Considering Soto signed the biggest deal in the history of baseball to come to play for the Mets, the team and fans expected more and at least one fan—Sal Licata of New York's WFAN—is already furious with the lack of results.

Licata went off on Soto on his radio show on Thursday, saying he has failed in every "big spot" that the month of April has produced. Then WFAN put together a social media clip with a graphic showing Soto at the bottom with FAILURE in blue and orange all-caps between him and Licata.

"Juan Soto has stunk to start his Mets career," Licata said. "I never thought I would be at this point with Juan Soto. A guy who I begged and pleaded the Mets to go get. A guy I wanted more than any player ever in my fandom. I wanted Juan Soto. The Mets delivered and every single time this guy has come up in a big spot this year—and there have been plenty—He. Has. Failed. And yesterday a despicable oh for five with three strikeouts, leaving a small village on the base paths as the Mets lose a series.

"You don't pay $765 million to a guy who gets on base 40% of the time," Licata continued. "Bullcrap! Every single time he has come up in a big spot he has failed this year. He did not do that with the Yankees! I don't want to hear the excuses from Soto. I don't want to hear people tell me that the walks are good. I want to start seeing some production. Now!"

Keep in mind Soto is less than one whole month into a 15- deal. The big spots that Licata is upset about are in April games and despite Soto's struggles, the Mets are still fighting with the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East.

Following Licata's rant, Soto went 0 for 3 with a walk in a Mets win over the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday.

Curacao have become the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica in their final qualifying game. Curacao finished the third round qualifying stage at the top of Group B with 12 points from six games, one more than Jamaica. Ex-England boss Steve McClaren resigned from his post with Jamaica immediately after the final whistle. The other teams that sealed direct qualification from CONCACAF are Haiti and Panama.

• Curacao break Iceland's record

  With a goalless draw against Jamaica in their final qualifying match, Curacao became the smallest nation ever to book a berth in the World Cup finals. The record was previously held by Iceland, who made it to the World Cup in Russia in 2018. However, in terms of size and population, the European nation is much bigger than the Central American country, who have a population of just over 150,000 and a land area of 171 square miles. 

  Curacao will be the fourth country to make their debut at the 2026 World Cup alongside Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan. It is an incredible achievement for a nation that only became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010, following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. Only 10 years ago, their FIFA ranking was 150th, but they now sit at 82nd. 

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  McClaren resigns after draw against Curacao

  Former Manchester United assistant coach McClaren, who initially took charge of the Jamaica national team in 2024, has resigned from his post following the draw against Curacao.

  McClaren said: "Over the last 18 months, I have given everything I have to this job. Leading this team has been one of the greatest honours of my career. But football is a results business and tonight we have fallen short of our goal, which was to qualify from this group. It is the responsibility of the leader to step forward, take accountability and make decisions in the best interests of the team. 

  "After deep reflection and an honest assessment of where we are and where we need to go, I have decided to step down as head coach of the Jamaican national team. Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is to recognise when a fresh voice, new energy and a different perspective is required to move this team forward."

• 'It's incredible and amazing'

  Curacao midfielder Juninho Bacuna, formerly of Rangers and Birmingham, was excited ahead of the clash as he told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's crazy and would be one of the biggest things that will happen to Curacao. It's incredible and amazing. Even a few years ago, you would not have even thought about it. To be personally part of it and to make that dream come true would be incredible."

  Curacao boss Dick Advocaat, who has previously coached the Netherlands and Belgium, will become the oldest manager at the World Cup at 78. This record was previously held by Otto Rehhagel when he managed Greece in 2010 at 71. 

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  Can Jamaica still qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

  Despite the disappointing draw, Jamaica still have a shot at qualification. They will take part in a six-team mini-tournament in Mexico next March, where they will have to win two games. It will end in a final against DR Congo or Iraq. It remains to be seen who will succeed McClaren in the Reggae Boyz hot seat as preparations for the playoffs get underway.

The Cincinnati Reds will have a new look this year as they're adding a patch to their uniforms honoring one of the franchise's greatest players.

For the 2025 season, Cincinnati will wear a No. 14 patch on the sleeve of their jerseys to honor MLB career hits leader Pete Rose.

What does the 14 patch on Reds uniforms stand for?

The No. 14 patch honors Rose, who died on September 30, 2024. He was one of the greatest players in franchise history and is a member of the team's Hall of Fame.

A 17-time All-Star, Rose spent much of his career in Cincinnati. He played 19 seasons with the Reds across too stints. The first coming from 1963 to '78, the second from 1984 to '86. He helped lead the Reds to back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and '76, and was named World Series MVP in '75.

Rose is the Reds' all-time leader in games played (2,722), hits (3,358), singles (2,490), doubles (601), runs scored (1,741), total bases (4,645) and walks (1,210).

Pete Rose career summary

During his 24-year career, Rose set several MLB records as well. He is the league's all-time leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles (3,215), most times on base (5,929), plate appearances (15,890) and most seasons with 200-plus hits (10). He was a 17-time All-Star, won three World Series and three batting titles, was named NL MVP in 1973, earned two Gold Gloves (1969, '70) and a Silver Slugger in 1981,

Despite his incredible career, Rose is not a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame after accepting a permanent ban from baseball due to a gambling scandal. The sport's hall of fame voted to exclude members on MLB's permanently ineligible list.

It’s still early on in Thomas Frank’s tenure, but there are a lot of problems at Tottenham Hotspur at the moment.

Now, they are certainly harder to break down under the Dane and sit much higher in the Premier League than they did under Ange Postecoglou.

However, the North Londoners are one of the worst teams to watch in the league and were utterly hopeless in the derby against Chelsea, a game in which they amassed an expected goals figure of just 0.05.

One of Frank’s most significant issues at the moment is that summer signing Xavi Simons isn’t firing, so it’s fans should be excited about reports linking them to an attacker who could help get the Dutchman back to his mercurial best.

Spurs target attacking reinforcements

In stark contrast to last season, Spurs are simply not scoring enough goals this year, with their return of 17 being the same as Manchester United, who not long ago were in yet another crisis.

Transfer Focus

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Moreover, across all competitions, their top goalscorer is Micky Van de Ven, with five.

However, while scoring has been a problem for the North Londoners, there is a massive caveat: the number of players out injured, including Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski.

Fortunately, it appears as if the club are looking to address this lack of available firepower in the January window.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Spurs are interested in Porto striker Samu Omorodion.

The report has revealed that, alongside Chelsea, the North Londoners are leading the race for the Spanish striker and could make a move for him as soon as January.

However, with a release clause of €100m, which is approximately £88m, it could be a complicated deal to get over the line.

With that said, given his record, it would be a deal worth working on, especially as he could help Simons rediscover his form.

Why Samu would be a dream for Simons

While it sounds simplistic, the most significant reason Samu would not only be an excellent signing for Simons but also for Spurs is his goalscoring ability.

For example, despite being his first year with a new club, the Spanish marksman managed to rack up a brilliant haul of 27 goals and three assists in 45 appearances, which translates to an average of a goal or assist every 1.50 games.

This season has seen the 21-year-old score nine goals and provide one assist in just 12 appearances, two of which have come in the Europa League.

In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.20 games, which would be impressive for a seasoned professional, let alone someone so young.

Now, were Simons to play alongside, or just behind someone, talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed “one of Europe’s most prolific players,” then there it would be reasonable to expect his assist tally to soar.

However, it’s not just the output that would make Samu a perfect teammate for the Dutchman, but also his physicality.

Standing at 6 feet 4, the Melilla-born poacher is also incredibly strong and could help compensate for the lack of physicality that the former RB Leipzig ace has.

Moreover, this strength could help him hold up the ball for the North Londoners, in turn allowing the likes of Simons and Kudus to run beyond and cause chaos.

Ultimately, while it wouldn’t be cheap, Spurs should do all they can to sign Samu, as not only could he get Simons firing, but he could also rejuvenate the entire front line.

Spurs can fix Simons problem by unleashing "one of England's best talents"

The young talent could one day be an even bigger star for Thomas Frank and Spurs than Simons.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 4, 2025

Manchester United made it three wins from three in their first-ever Champions League campaign, courtesy of a thrilling 2-1 victory over Paris St-Germain in the inaugural women’s European match at Old Trafford. Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps was booed throughout in the PSG goal as the French giants conversely suffered a third defeat in the competition this season.

Man Utd opened the scoring courtesy of a wonderful strike from Melvine Malard, who showed great strength to hold off her defender and fired an unstoppable shot past Earps and into the far corner of the net. Earps was targeted by home fans throughout, despite spending five years with United, seemingly in response to the revelations about life in the Lionesses squad she made in her recent autobiography. 

The hosts looked on course to reach half-time in the lead, but they were pegged back in added time thanks to an incredible long-range strike from Spain international Olga Carmona from fully 25 yards out into the top left-hand corner, beating Safia Middleton-Patel’s despairing dive – the first goal United have conceded in Europe this season.

But the hosts were back in front in the second period after a wonderful team goal, as a quick interchange of passes through midfield involving Jess Park led to Anna Sandberg’s cross being met by Fridolino Rolfo’s header at the far post to seal the three points. The win puts United third in the Women’s Champions League league phase table, while winless PSG are 16th – only off the bottom due to goal difference.

GOAL rates Manchester United's players from Old Trafford…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Safia Middleton-Patel (7/10):

  Making her Champions League debut for United and there was nothing she could do for PSG's stunning goal in the first half. Made a superb save at the start of the second period which kept her team level. 

  Jayde Riviere (7/10):

  Cool, calm and confident for most of the match and had to be at her best during periods of heavy pressure from the visitors. Barely put a foot wrong.

  Maya Le Tissier (8/10):

  A commanding performance at the heart of United's defence, remained vigilant to threats and made some telling blocks. 

  Gabby George (7/10):

  An excellent evening, shown by the way she helped cover her full-backs as well as in the more central positions.

  Anna Sandberg (8/10):

  A fully committed evening, plenty of running and covered both defence and provided support in attack. Also credited with an assist for her brilliant cross for United's second goal. 

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  Midfield

  Hinata Miyazawa (7/10):

  Wasted a good opportunity to open the scoring on the half-hour mark, her only chance in the match, but will be pleased with her performance. Had her work cut out it a busy midfield and played an important role in breaking up play. Taken off with 15 minutes remaining. 

  Simi Awujo (7/10):

  A constant threat for United and had a number of half-chances, but failed to remain cool at the crucial moment, snatching at a brilliant opening in the 67th minute, which would have sealed the points. Taken off in the 69th minute, replaced by Ella Toone.

  Julia Zigiotti Olme (6/10):

  A confident performance and covered huge amounts of ground, will be happy with her efforts against stern opposition.

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  Attack

  Jess Park (8/10):

  A busy evening with a performance packed with creative spark, and did tonnes of work for the team. Was solid throughout and played a key role in the winner. Taken off in the the last minute.

  Melvine Malard (8/10):

  Showed exceptional strength to beat her defender and thrashed a brilliant shot past Earps into the far corner. Picked up a yellow card in the 17th minute, leading with her elbow into he marker's face. Had to be subbed off in the 76th minute after receiving a hefty knock.

  Fridolina Rolfo (7/10):

  Played a brilliant role in supporting Malard up front, covering acres of ground for United's cause and nodding in the winner. Will be pleased with her performance – subbed off in the 75th minute.

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  Subs & Manager

  Ella Toone (6/10):

  Brought on with 20 minutes to go, to provide a creative spark as United pushed for the third goal. Given a huge ovation as she entered the pitch, but wasn't able to create a big chance.

  Elisabeth Terland (5/10):

  Brought on after injury to Malard and was full of running, but too little time to make a significant impact. 

  Leah Galton (5/10):

  Clearly delighted to come on, but not enough time to make an impact. 

  Rachel Williams (N/A):

  Huge cheers as she came on in the last minute.

  Marc Skinner (7/10):

  Will be delighted with the performance and with his team's excellent progress in the Europe. His big players performed on the night and made the right changes to add fresh legs to close out the game. Good job.

Gerardo “Tata” Martino has returned to Atlanta United as manager on a two-year contract, the club announced Thursday. The 62-year-old reunites with the team where he enjoyed his greatest success, winning the 2018 MLS Cup and being named Coach of the Year. Martino aims to restore Atlanta’s status as a contender after inconsistency since his 2018 departure.

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  A familiar face returns

  The 62-year-old coach replaces Ronny Deila, whose tenure ended after a 14th-place finish in the Eastern Conference this season with just 28 points – despite having MLS's third-highest payroll at $28.5 million. Martino will also reconnect with one of his former stars in Miguel Almiron, who also rejoined the team last year after a stint with Newcastle United. 

  “I want to thank Arthur and Chris for the opportunity to return to the club and a city where we hold wonderful memories and maintain great relationships,” Martino said in a statement. “This is a different project than my first stint with the club, however, with great ownership and the collaboration of the players, coaching staff and everyone at the club, our objective will always be to form a winning team that makes our fans feel proud and well-represented every time that they go to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”

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  A proven winner

  Team owner Arthur Blank stressed the move to bring back Martino wasn't about trying to recreate the past and stressed the Argentine manager was hired to build a new foundation with the club. 

  “Tata is an exceptional coach who set the standard for excellence within our club,” Blank said. “This is not about recreating the past, but about building a new foundation.” Martino’s career spans over 25 years and includes 11 trophies with clubs and national teams – from Barcelona and Newell’s Old Boys to Argentina, Paraguay, and Mexico.

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  Recent success in Miami

  Before returning to Atlanta, Martino managed Inter Miami during the early Lionel Messi era, capturing the 2023 Leagues Cup and 2024 Supporters’ Shield. His deep understanding of MLS and tactical identity made him the top choice for Atlanta’s front office.

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  Rebuilding the five stripes

  During Martino’s first stint, Atlanta compiled a record of 42 wins, 20 losses, and 16 draws, setting club marks for points (124), goals (140), and goal difference (+56). Now, with a Designated Player core of Emmanuel Latte Lath, Alexey Miranchuk, and Miguel Almirón, Martino faces the challenge of reviving the Five Stripes’ competitive edge ahead of 2026.

Chelsea are making transfer plans behind-the-scenes despite a hectic summer window, and a rumour has now emerged involving Real Madrid.

Chelsea edge past Benfica after José Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge

Enzo Maresca’s side grabbed a much-needed 1-0 win over José Mourinho’s Benfica earlier this week after a difficult last month.

An 18th-minute own goal from Richard Ríos proved decisive as the Blues bounced back from their opening Champions League game defeat to Bayern Munich, not to mention their dismal loss against Brighton last weekend, with all three points against the ‘special one’ and a clean sheet.

The evening carried significant sentiment as Mourinho made his first return to Stamford Bridge since November 2020.

The Portuguese tactician, who won three Premier League titles over his two spells with Chelsea, received warm chants from the home support before Maresca’s young side eventually saw out the contest.

Chelsea fielded their most youthful starting eleven in Champions League history with an average age of just 24, but they did just about enough to overcome the Primeira Liga side ahead of another vital game this weekend.

Their win provides crucial momentum ahead of this weekend’s challenging Premier League clash with Liverpool on Saturday evening, and it comes in the aftermath of reports suggesting tension between Maresca and Chelsea’s board.

Maresca isn’t entirely happy with the squad at his disposal right now (Simon Phillips), coming amid their serious centre-back shortage, with Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah all set to miss their face-off against Arne Slot’s side.

Chelsea’s boss publicly stated that he wanted a new centre-back in the summer window.

However, despite internally discussing options after Colwill’s ACL injury, and holding talks with Dean Huijsen’s camp, BlueCo couldn’t get one through the door (Simon Phillips).

It has left them desperately short, and reports suggest that Chelsea are now prioritising the signing of a new defender in January as they respond to Maresca’s central defensive crisis.

Amid Maresca and the hierarchy’s rumoured differences, one decision that threatens to escalate the Italian’s dissatisfaction would be star midfielder Enzo Fernández’s sale to Real Madrid.

Chelsea prepared to let Enzo Fernández leave in Real Madrid swap deal for Fede Valverde

Indeed, Chelsea are now reportedly willing to facilitate a swap deal that would see Fernández move to Real in exchange for Federico Valverde, according to Spanish outlet Defensa Central.

The Argentine, who’s become a figurehead of Chelsea’s midfield after an initially difficult start to life, has been called one of the club’s only two “world-class” players alongside Cole Palmer by former defender David Luiz.

Xabi Alonso’s side have been monitoring Fernández ever since his Benfica days, with the player himself apparently “delighted” by the prospect of a move to the Spanish capital.

However, while Chelsea would entertain a proposed swap which would see Valverde head in the opposite direction, Real have no plans to consider letting their star midfielder leave despite a bad start to 2025/2026.

Valverde was forced to release a statement after widespread criticism from the media, with the 27-year-old also having a nightmare during Real’s 5-2 derby defeat to Atlético Madrid last weekend.

Real’s vice-captain started in nearly every one of his 65 appearances in all competitions last season, and has been favoured by their new manager as well.

Alonso handed Valverde the armband in all of their Club World Cup games, with the 71-cap Uruguay international also playing in all but one match this season — their 5-0 win over Kairat Almaty in the Champions League.

Given Alonso’s faith in Valverde, not to mention his clear statement, it doesn’t look like the versatile ace has plans to leave any time soon.

Vinicius Junior's savage on-field jibe at Lamine Yamal has been revealed. Yamal put in a disappointing El Clasico showing as Barcelona fell to a 2-1 loss at Real Madrid on Sunday afternoon, a result that leaves the defending La Liga champions five points off Los Blancos. And to add salt to the wounds, Vinicius' comments to the teenager have now been made public.

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  Yamal disappoints in El Clasico

  Yamal struggled to impact El Clasico as Barcelona fell to a 2-1 loss at the Bernabeu. Kylian Mbappe's 22nd-minute opener was cancelled out by Fermin Lopez in the 38th minute. However, Los Blancos went back ahead shortly before the break through Jude Bellingham.

  Mbappe saw a second-half penalty saved by Wojciech Szczesny, with the Pole stepping in for the injured Joan Garcia between the sticks, but it needn't have mattered as Real Madrid went five points clear at the top of the table.

  Yamal managed two shots and created two goalscoring chances but was largely kept in check by the Real Madrid backline. And it's now been revealed that Vinicius Junior launched a disrespectful jibe at the 18-year-old as Barcelona struggled at the Bernabeu.

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• Vinicius mocks Yamal to his face

  During the match, Vinicius and the rest of the Real squad appeared riled at Yamal for some of the teenager's pre-match comments. The Barcelona star said: "Yes, of course, they steal, they complain…" when talking about Real Madrid on Twitch. Vinicius didn't pass up the chance to launch his own jibe at the Barcelona winger. "Nothing but back passes, huh? Just passing it back to the defenders," the Real Madrid star reportedly said to the teenager when they were in close proximity.

  The pair also had to be separated at full-time as tempers flared between both sides. Pedri received his marching orders shortly before Cesar Soto Grado called time on El Clasico, with the Barcelona midfielder pulled up for a late foul on Aurelien Tchouameni after being carded for a foul on Vinicius in the first half.

  Vinicius was at the heart of the post-match confrontation as the Brazilian targeted Barcelona trio Alejandro Balde, Yamal and Raphinha. However, the forward wasn't the only Real Madrid star to have been caught dishing out comments to Yamal in a fiery El Clasico encounter at the Bernabeu, with Thibaut Courtois and Dani Carvajal also involved.

  Further bookings were dished out to Vinicius, Eder Militao and Rodrygo for their roles in the melee. Backup Real Madrid goalkeeper Andrii Lunin, meanwhile, also saw red in a feisty end to the clash.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'You speak too much'

  Carvajal was caught exchanging words with Spain teammate Yamal in the centre-circle at full time and the experienced defender reportedly said: "You speak too much. Speak now." Yamal tried to confront Carvajal, but was ushered away by Barcelona team-mates.

  Frenkie de Jong, meanwhile, said of the post-match scenes at the Bernabeu: "I didn't see what happened. I was on the bench and saw a lot of people. When the referee blew his whistle, Real Madrid players went after Lamine. It's a bit exaggerated. You'd have to ask them.

  "In the first half, we weren't sharp with the ball. Madrid hurt with their players up front. In the second half, we lacked the ability to create danger and clear chances. If Carvajal wanted to speak with Lamine, call him or text him. You're team-mates, you know each other. Why do you have to make a scene on the pitch?"

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• Xabi Alonso speaks out about Vinicius strop

  Vinicius was withdrawn in the 72nd minute and was furious when he saw his number go up as Xabi Alonso looked to bring Rodrygo on. Rather than sit on the bench, Vinicius instead headed straight down the tunnel and ignored the Real Madrid boss on his way off the pitch.

  Alonso has admitted he'll have a "conversation" with Vinicius following his sub strop, stating after the game: "Vini’s character? There are different personalities in any dressing room. Right now we will enjoy the win, then we’ll have a conversation, for sure."

  Real Madrid are expected to maintain their lead at the top of the La Liga table when they welcome winless Valencia to the Bernabeu next weekend.