Aston Villa's Europa League clash with Young Boys was disrupted by ugly scenes on Thursday night at Villa Park. Donyell Malen was hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd after scoring his side's opening goal of the match, while the game had to be halted for several minutes just before half-time after violence broke out in the stands among the away supporters.

Getty Images SportUgly scenes at Villa Park

Malen headed Aston Villa into the lead on 27 minutes but was pelted with missiles from the crowd as he celebrated his goal. One of objects hit Malen on the head and appeared to have caused a cut. The Dutch star bagged another goal just before half-time which brought more ugly scenes and caused the game to be stopped for several minutes as trouble broke out in the away end. Television footage showed seats being ripped up and fans clashing with police. Young Boys captain Loris Benito was seen running over to the stands to plead with fans to behave, with the game eventually restarting after a five-minute delay.

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Malen in great form for Villa

Malen's goals continue his fine form for Aston Villa. He now has six goals so far this season for Unai Emery's side, three of those have come in the Europa League and the other three in the Premier League. Emery had hailed Malen before the game, telling reporters: "Everything he's achieving now you can see it before in the training session. He is helping the team in the structure we have, tactically to do our tasks. He is very important for us."

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Getty Images SportAston Villa enjoying Europa League life

Aston Villa have certainly been enjoying life in the Europa League this season. Emery's side came into Thursday's game having won three of their four matches in the tournament so far. After taking on Young Boys, Villa wrap up their group phase with fixtures against Basel, Fenerbahce and RB Salzburg.

They meet United in Qualifier 1, while Qalandars and Kings face off in the Eliminator

Danyal Rasool20-May-2025PSL 2025 is nearing an end, having completed the group stages in Rawalpindi following a brief suspension two weeks ago. The game between Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi was an effective knockout – the most consequential of the four group games since the league’s resumption. The tournament now moves to Lahore, where it will stay till the final on May 25. Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United kickstart the playoffs with Qualifier 1, while arch-rivals Qalandars and Karachi Kings face off in the Eliminator. ESPNcricinfo looks at how each team’s campaign has unfolded, and what it tells us about the season’s denouement.

Quetta Gladiators

There was a sliding-doors moment for Gladiators two weeks into the tournament. They had played just three games due to a quirk of the scheduling, having lost two convincingly, and were on track to make it three losses in four against Kings. Kings needed 66 runs off the remaining 69 balls with nine wickets in hand when the Gladiators bowlers somehow found a second wind. Gladiators eventually pulled out a five-run win, which forced the Kings captain David Warner to remark that his side had handed the opposition the game.Catalysed, Gladiators have become an unstoppable behemoth since. They won all their remaining completed matches, finishing three points clear of the field at the top of the table. Abrar Ahmed has been arguably the best legspinner this season, second on the wickets charts with an economy rate under 7.50. Mohammad Amir and Khurram Shahzad have each made match-winning contributions, while Faheem Ashraf has rediscovered some of his better all-round form.At the top, captain Saud Shakeel opening the batting is arguably a point of weakness, but there is significant power hitting among Gladiators’ ranks elsewhere. Finn Allen and Rilee Rossouw will return for the playoffs, while local players Hasan Nawaz and Khawaja Nafay can inflict damage in their own right. With two bites at a spot in the final, Gladiators look well-poised for a first final since they won their only title six years ago.United’s Sahibzada Farhan and Alex Hales form arguably the best opening combination this PSL•PCB

Islamabad United

Maybe what separates United’s genius from their madness is just hindsight. The defending champions were heavily criticised for throwing away their momentum after they appeared to be running away with the league after winning their first five matches. They then rested five players for the sixth game, and duly got pounded by Qalandars. That lightning in a bottle they had captured suddenly gone, United lost four on the bounce, and were in slight danger of missing out on the playoffs altogether.The break, though, has done them good. The old United was back in its full pomp in a dismantling of Kings that saw them claim a place in the qualifier alongside Gladiators. In this kind of form, there is perhaps no side that can truly live with United.Alex Hales showed himself to be the perfect replacement with Colin Munro no longer available, and alongside Sahibzada Farhan, forms arguably the best opening combination in the league. Shadab Khan is having another excellent all-round season, while no bowler with as many wickets as Imad Wasim is nearly as economical as his 7.06. With Ben Dwarshuis, Tymal Mills and Salman Irshad as the frontline quicks, United’s weakness perhaps lies in the absence of a truly premium fast bowler, but they have plenty of cover elsewhere to compensate. United are a team that can blow hot and cold, though Monday, when they thumped 251 batting first against Kings, suggests, ominously for the league, that there will be more of the former than the latter.Kings captain David Warner has taken to the PSL with surprising enthusiasm, while James Vince is the second-highest run-scorer this season•PCB

Karachi Kings

Kings missed out on each of the last three playoffs, so there’s progress already. It has been something of a stop-start season as Kings alternated between wins and losses for the first six games, before doing just enough to secure passage to the playoffs ahead of the league’s temporary suspension. The hammering at United’s hands, though, was a reminder of the gap that exists between Kings’ average performances and the very best at the top of the league.Kings have never truly managed to build up a head of steam this season, and just as they strung three wins together, they found themselves railroaded into the Eliminator by United. Their top three is as imposing as any in the league, with Warner, who has taken to the PSL and this Kings project, with surprising enthusiasm. Tim Seifert and James Vince, the second-highest run-scorer this season, flank him. Mohammad Nabi is the most economical spinner, while Abbas Afridi is the highest wicket-taker, and Hasan Ali is not far behind, even if they have tended to be expensive.It is Kings’ domestic core in the middle order, though, that may expose a soft underbelly. Khushdil Shah has exploded into life from time to time, but there is an air of vulnerability beyond the top three which Kings haven’t quite shaken off. It is what led to that infamous collapse against Gladiators early in the season, and, on Monday against United, Kings lost seven wickets for 34 runs – they went from 80 for 1 to 114 for 8 – to seal their fate.Fakhar Zaman has a strike rate of 155.04 in PSL 2025

Lahore Qalandars

Qalandars came within one match of exiting in the first round for the seventh time in ten years, but produced a clutch performance in a rain-shortened game to ward off that fate. Much like Kings, Qalandars’ season has waxed and waned. Consistency has proved elusive, but enough individuals in their squad have come up with performances when points on the board were needed.Qalandars remain heavily dependent on the timeless Fakhar Zaman, the third-highest run-scorer in the league; he has a superior strike rate to the top two. After an uncertain start, his opening partner Mohammad Naeem’s flashes of brilliance give Qalandars firepower up top without needing to turn to overseas players. Rounding off the domestic top three is Abdullah Shafique, who also ranks among the top eight for runs. Throw in a strike rate of 147.15, and flying powerplay starts are almost guaranteed.Qalandars’ major worry lies at the other end. Their charge to successive PSL titles came courtesy of a world-class bowling attack in Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan and Rashid Khan. They still have three of those four, but none has proved remotely as effective. Haris’ economy is a staggering 10.66, the highest of all specialist bowlers in the tournament.Qalandars have also been most affected by player departures. Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings and Sikandar Raza, all key contributors at various stages, will not be available during the playoffs, and though the Qalandars have drafted in Kusal Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Shakib al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, it remains to be seen whether those shoes have been filled.

There were a number of records made in Headingley as England scripted another memorable win

Sampath Bandarupalli24-Jun-2025371 – The target England chased down at Headingley. It is the second-highest fourth-innings chase for England in Test cricket and the second-biggest by any team against India. The highest was when England chased down 378 against India in 2022 at Edgbaston.ESPNcricinfo Ltd350 – The runs England needed to score at the start of the fifth day’s play. Only one team has successfully chased a higher total on the last scheduled day of a Test match – 404 by Australia against England on day five of the 1948 Headingley Test.1 – India became the first team to lose a Test match after scoring five individual centuries. Only once before has a team lost a Test with four hundreds – Australia against England in Melbourne in 1928.835 – Runs that India aggregated in the Headingley Test, the fourth-highest to end up on the losing side. The previous highest for India in a losing cause was 759 against Australia in 2014 in Adelaide.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 – Number of Test matches with 350-plus totals in all four innings. The previous two such instances came in the Ashes – in 1921 in Adelaide and in 1948 in Headingley.1673 – Runs aggregated by England and India at Headingley, the highest for any Test match between the two sides. The previous highest was 1614 runs in Manchester in 1990, which ended in a draw. The 1673 runs are also the fifth-highest aggregate for any Test match not to end in a draw.5 – Number of successful 300-plus chases in the fourth innings at Headingley. The only other venue with more than two successful 300-plus chases is Durban’s Kingsmead with three.ESPNcricinfo Ltd149 – Ben Duckett’s score is the highest by any batter in the fourth innings of a Test match against India, bettering Joe Root’s 142* at Edgbaston in 2022.Duckett’s 149 is also the second-highest score by an England opener in the fourth innings, behind Mike Atherton’s 185* against South Africa in 1995.188 – The opening partnership between Duckett and Zak Crawley is the fifth-highest in the fourth innings of a Test match. It is also the second-highest for England, behind the 203 by Atherton and Graham Gooch against Australia in 1991.12 – Batters to have ended on the losing side despite scoring hundreds in both innings of a Test match, Rishabh Pant joining the list after the Headingley Test. The last of the previous eleven was Brendan Taylor against Bangladesh in 2018.

Arsenal have now reportedly joined Liverpool in the race to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace, as contract talks continue to drag on between the striker and the South London club.

The Gunners return from the international break looking to get back to winning ways after entering it off the back of a dramatic 2-2 draw against Sunderland and it doesn’t get much bigger than the North London derby. Up against rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Mikel Arteta’s side will be aiming to prove their title credentials once again and at least maintain their four-point lead at the top.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the derby, Arteta reiterated just how big a rivalry it is, saying: “It’s just different. it’s a big city, but it’s a big rivalry; it’s a part of London that we want to conquer, and they want to do the same.

“There’s been a lot of shifts as well over the years, we’ve been more dominant and it’s just beautiful, especially when we play at home in front of our people, we know what it means to them.

“The energy that they’re going to bring, the energy that the team is going to bring in every single action, it’s just a privilege to play those kind of games. We cannot wait to get to Sunday.”

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It marks the beginning of a crucial week for Arsenal, who have the small task of playing host to Bayern Munich just days after the Tottenham clash before then travelling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. Three points from three in such a run would highlight just how serious the Gunners are about winning major honours.

In their current run, it would also be difficult for many players to turn Arsenal down and that may even be the case for Palace star Mateta.

Arsenal join race to sign Mateta

According to Caught Offside, Arsenal have now joined the race to sign Mateta from Crystal Palace in what could be their second major signing from the Eagles following their recent move for Eberechi Eze.

The Frenchman is set to become a free agent in 2027 and with contract talks yet to reach a resolution, the South London club may be forced to cash in sooner or later – allowing the Gunners to make their move.

A player who’s already been on the scoresheet at the Emirates in the past, Mateta could yet get the chance to wheel away in celebration every week in North London. Such a move would certainly be well-earned, too. From initial struggles, the 28-year-old has become one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

PL stats 25/26

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Viktor Gyokeres

Minutes

959

800

Goals

6

4

Assists

0

0

Expected Goals

8.1

4.6

There’s a reason why Palace boss Oliver Glasner has dubbed his star striker “excellent” in the past and the comparison with Gyokeres shows the level that he’s operating at. If Arsenal want to ensure that their goalscoring problems are ended for good, then they should sign the Palace star.

Arsenal hold talks with £71m ex-Man Utd star after post-Old Trafford transformation

Gary Neville thought taking the Valencia job in December 2015 would begin his route to eventually becoming England manager; instead, his four-month stint in Spain drained his confidence, made him ill and put him off coaching for life. Neville's was a shock appointment as the former Manchester United defender took over one of the biggest clubs in La Liga despite having no club coaching experience, little knowledge of Spanish football and no grasp of the language.

It was widely accepted that the ex-England full-back had got the job due to his business relationship with Valencia owner Peter Lim, whose popularity at the Mestalla was already waning one year after buying the club.

Neville, who later admitted he accepted the offer as a favour to Lim after he invested in his businesses, including Salford City, had only retired from playing four years previously. He was at the height of his career as a star pundit on , famed for his no-holds-barred opinions. Thus him being parachuted in as coach of one of the top clubs in Europe, six-time La Liga winners and two-time Champions League finalists, felt like an experiment dreamed up by reality television producers – and it made for gripping, car-crash viewing.

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  'Not a club for apprentices'

  Many past coaches had earned the Valencia job through years of hard work on the touchlines, and so for Neville it was a first job that was too good to turn down. He said at his presentation, which was attended by scores of British journalists: "If I’d have turned down this job, I could have said goodbye to my credibility in football because it’s a massive club and I’m honoured and proud to be here. Sitting on television, talking about coaches for these last few years, the time had come for me to stand up."

  England’s then-director of football Dan Ashworth egged Neville on, telling him it was "the perfect move" to eventually succeed Roy Hodgson as Three Lions' boss, perhaps as soon as the following summer once Euro 2016 was out of the way.

  But before he had begun work, Neville was given a warning by club legend Santi Canizares, who said: "Being a good analyst is not the same as being a good coach. Valencia is not a team for experiments, it’s not a place for a coach to get his apprenticeship. It is one thing to give your opinion and another to get things working on the pitch."

  Canizares was soon proven right. Valencia were beaten 2-0 by Lyon in Neville’s first game in the dugout as they exited the Champions League group stage. Neville demonstrated his lack of experience when he turned his 4-3-3 formation into a 4-2-4 in search of an equaliser, but all he succeeded in doing was cede the midfield to Lyon, who soon scored again.

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• Getty
  

  Embarrassed by Barcelona

  Neville made a worrying start in La Liga too, taking just two points from his first three games. In his fourth, Valencia held Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw, a result which led to Los Blancos sacking Rafa Benitez, but no corner was turned as Los Che went more than two months without winning a league game. 

  There was some respite in the Copa del Rey, though their cup run ended in harrowing fashion as they were slaughtered 7-0 by Barcelona in their semi-final first leg at Camp Nou. Neville's television colleague Jamie Carragher watched that game from the press box, laughing his head off as each goal went in, while on the touchline, Luis Enrique showed no mercy, keeping Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar on the pitch until the end before snubbing Neville’s attempt at a handshake after the game.

  Neville felt the then Barca coach was "sending a message that I didn’t belong" before he then faced a firing squad made up of the Valencia media, several of whom urged Neville to resign during the post-match press conference.

  Fans did the same, chanting 'Gary go now' in the stands of Mestalla, while one individual waited for Neville as he got off the bus after one away game, urging him to go home.

  "I lost my confidence," Neville later recalled. "It got to the point where I didn’t even want to take training sessions – I was handing it over to my coaches. I felt embarrassed doing the sessions in broken English where everything was done through a translator."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Set on fire

  Neville ended a 10-match wait for his first victory in La Liga when his side overcame Espanyol, and they followed that up with victory at Granada and a 10-0 aggregate win over Rapid Vienna in the Europa League. Things were starting to look up, and Neville was feeling hopeful when he took a group of journalists out to lunch in early March.

  But it proved to be a false dawn. Valencia lost five of their next seven games in all competitions, including being knocked out of the Europe by Athletic Club on away goals. The final straw for Lim was a 2-0 defeat in mid-March at home to Celta Vigo, which left Valencia six points above the relegation zone. By contrast, when Neville took over, they were only five points off the Champions League positions. 

  The defeat to Celta came the day after the Las Fallas festivities, when Valencia locals set effigies on fire, and among them was one with Neville’s face attached to it along with the 7-0 scoreline against Barcelona. By the end of the game that followed, the chants of ‘Gary go now’ were deafening, and Neville was swiftly informed by Lim that he was going to be relieved of his duties, although the announcement did not come until 10 days later.

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• Getty
  

  Communication problems

  Neville had few allies during his short-lived spell in Spain. "I came out of many press conferences feeling like I’d been given a right grilling," he recalled. "There were no fellow managers putting their arm around me either."

  Athletic Club manager Ernesto Valverde changed his system three times in one game and Neville had no response: "He toyed with me like I was a little puppet. I could feel it on the touchline. That’s what inexperience feels like."

  Then there was Diego Simeone, whom Neville felt was "strangling me gently, he was almost torturing me in football terms over 90 minutes" as Atletico Madrid stormed to victory at Mestalla.

  Neville approved Valencia hiring the former Liverpool assistant Pako Ayesteran to help him communicate his ideas in February 2016 and insisted that when he left, so would Ayesteran. Goalkeeper Diego Alves did not understand the news when Neville first explained it, believing the coach was resigning and told him not to. As it turned out, Neville was gone a few weeks later, with Ayesteran replacing him.

  "The biggest problem Gary had was not being able to express himself," Ayesteran said later. "It is not the same through a translator: you can’t transmit the same passion, the same emotion." Indeed, Spanish television show poked fun at his communication problems almost weekly. Take his hilarious exchange with the Granada manager Jose Sandoval, who accused Neville of "protesting all game". Neville responded: "No protesta, no protesta. F*ck off."

Ahead of the January transfer window, Rangers have reportedly opened talks to sign Galymzhan Kenzhebek from Kazakhstan side Yelimay.

Danny Rohl is reportedly keen to mark his own stamp at Ibrox and that could yet see a number of fresh faces arrive. Sporting director Kevin Thelwell already confirmed during the international break that Rangers will be busy in the winter window and there’s no doubt that he’s got plenty of making up to do after a disastrous summer.

The former Everton chief also revealed that there could yet be more additions behind the scenes in Glasgow, saying: “It’s an exciting time because we’re starting to look at the way we’re organised from a sporting perspective and say ‘well, what does great look like?’, where we are against that standard, and who can help us reach that standard.

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“We have been talking about making some new appointments and we have made some new appointments. I’m really pleased with the appointment of Jaymes Monte, in particular, a guy from Dundee, previously worked with Hudl, and probably our first ever appointment in that data space.

“He’s going to provide us with a lot of insight in relation to data, not only from a recruitment perspective but also from analysis of opposition, our own game, and then medical, sports science and coaching.”

Organisation behind the scenes would certainly help Rohl’s side on the pitch, but the German also needs fresh faces. On that front, names such as David Watson are already being mentioned.

The Kilmarnock midfielder is one of the best young talents in Scotland and Rangers have already reportedly opened talks to secure his signature as early as the January transfer window. His arrival could be the start of a winter window to watch from all involved at Ibrox, too.

Rangers open talks to sign Kenzhebek

According to reports in Kazakhstan, as relayed by Glasgow Times, Rangers have now opened talks to sign Kenzhebek from Yelimay in the January transfer window. The 22-year-old winger will be out of contract at the start of January, allowing the Gers to swoop in and potentially land a free deal.

Whilst Kenzhebek has only ever played twice outside of his home country, 12 goals and six assists in 36 league games this season suggests that he’s ready to break away courtesy of a move to Scotland.

Praised for his “quality” ball carrying ability by scout Kai Watson, the prospect of signing Kazakhstan should excite Rangers fans. Whilst he’s not the finished product, the potential is certainly there for all to see.

The fact that the Gers can beat Aberdeen and Celtic to his signature should also give them added incentive to get the deal over the line in January.

Rangers can forget about Souttar and Cornelius by unleashing "left-footed Van Dijk"

MatériaMais Notícias

A Comissão de Arbitragem da CBF divulgou as análise do VAR em alguns lances que geraram discussão na vitória do Vasco sobre o Grêmio por 2 a 1, em São Januário, pela partida de estreia do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Aos 42 minutos da primeira etapa, a equipe comandada por Renato Gaúcho reclamou de um toque de mão do lateral Lucas Piton dentro da área. Os vascaínos, por sua vez, pediram a marcação de uma falta em Galdames, também dentro da grande área, cometida pelo zagueiro Rodrigo Ely.

POSSÍVEL PÊNALTI PARA O GRÊMIO

Nos minutos finais do primeiro tempo, o atacante Diego Costa recebeu cruzamento dentro da área, errou o domínio, e a bola bateu no braço do lateral-esquerdo Lucas Piton.

continua após a publicidade

Após rever o lance no VAR, o árbitro Flávio Rodrigues de Souza entendeu que o jogador estava em uma ação natural de disputa e manteve a decisão de não marcar a penalidade.

POSSÍVEL FALTA EM GALDAMES

O lance reclamado pelo Vasco aconteceu aos 4 minutos da segunda etapa. Na ocasião, Galdames reclamou de um contato do zagueiro Rodrigo Ely dentro da área. Em revisão, Daniane Muniz, responsável pelo VAR, inicialmente considerou que houve infração.

continua após a publicidade

– A bola está sob disputa, o zagueiro chuta o pé dele. Para mim, é uma ação imprudente – diz Daiane após revisão da disputa.

Porém, Fabricio Porfírio de Moura, assistente do arbitro de vídeo, discordou da decisão de Muniz, entendendo que a bola ainda estava em disputa.

Depois do contraponto do assistente, Daiane voltou atrás na decisão e seguiu com a marcação de campo, sem indicar a revisão.

⚽ O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

Na quarta-feira (17), o Vasco visita o Red Bull Bragantino, no Estádio Nabizão, às 19h (de Brasília), pela segunda rodada do Brasileirão. No mesmo dia e horário, o Grêmio recebe o Athletico, em sua Arena, pela mesma competição.

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National League Cy Young Award frontrunner Paul Skenes cruised through five scoreless innings, striking out eight batters in the Pirates' 2-1 loss on Wednesday. But, to the surprise of some, Skenes was removed from the game after throwing just 64 pitches, a season-low for the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year.

So, what gives? Why did Pirates manager Don Kelly take the ball from Skenes when he seemingly had gas left in the tank?

After the contest, Kelly told reporters that he had a specific workload in mind for Skenes entering the game, with an eye on preserving the righthander for the remainder of 2025 and beyond.

"Yeah. Like we’ve talked about with all the guys," Kelly said. "Just trying to make sure that we’re managing their workload, make sure that they’re going all the way through the end of the season healthy and ready to finish a full season and be ready for next year."

Skenes, to his credit, took it in stride.

"The main goal that I’ve had coming into the past two years is making every start," Skenes told . "There are opportunities to give and take throughout the season, and tonight was kind of one of those. I probably needed it, to be honest."

Limiting Skenes's workload this late in the season certainly makes sense, especially considering that the 82-loss Pirates will miss the postseason for a 10th consecutive season.

The Pirates ace now has 203 strikeouts in 2025, giving him 200-plus in a single campaign for the first time in his career. Skenes is also sporting an MLB-best 1.92 ERA in 178 innings pitched.

His 1.94 career ERA is the lowest through a pitcher's first 53 career starts dating back to 1920, according to Sarah Langs.

أثار الحوار التلفزيوني الذي أدلى به البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا عقب رحيله عن نادي الزمالك جدلًا واسعًا، بعد أن حمل انتقادات مباشرة لطريقة العمل داخل النادي وغياب بعض الإمكانيات التي قال إنها أثّرت على مهمته الفنية.

وتسببت تصريحات فيريرا في موجة من ردود الأفعال بين الجماهير والمتابعين، خاصة بعدما تناول المدرب عدة ملفات حساسة تتعلق بكواليس عمله داخل الفريق، منها أمور تخص المنشآت، وملف التحليل الفني، وطبيعة التعاون بينه وبين الإدارة.

وفي هذا السياق، خرج أيمن الرمادي، المدير الفني السابق للزمالك والحالي للبنك الأهلي، ببيان رسمي للرد على ما قاله فيريرا، مؤكدًا أن ما ورد في الحوار يتضمن مغالطات تمس النادي وتاريخه ولا تعبّر عن الواقع، على حد وصفه.

وأوضح الرمادي في بيانه عبر صفحته الشخصية بموقع “فيس بوك” أنه يرفض الخوض في تقييم المدربين بحكم أخلاقيات مهنة التدريب، لكنه رأى أن حديث فيريرا تجاوزه، ما استدعَى منه توضيح العديد من النقاط وكشف كواليس تتعلق بعمل الفريق خلال فترته داخل القلعة البيضاء.

طالع أيضًا | فيريرا: صفقة وحيدة جاءت بموافقتي في الزمالك.. ويرد على أنباء تدخل جون إدوارد في التشكيل بيان أيمن الرمادي

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، بسم الله نبدأ وبالله نستعين، وعليه نتوكل. اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين.

لقد أرسل لي صديق أجزاء من حوار السيد يانيك فيريرا مع الكابتن شوبير، والحقيقة أن أقل ما يقال عن هذا الحوار أنه يفتقد لاحترام أدبيات مهنة التدريب. وعلى مدار 30 سنة عمل، لم أتعرض يومًا لتقييم عمل مدرب أو طرح رأيي في مدرب آخر. وحتى عندما كنت أقوم بالتحليل في بطولات أو مناسبات عبر قناة أبوظبي الرياضية أو دبي الرياضية، لم أقيّم مدربًا أو أقلّل منه، بل كنت أشرح فقط حالات خططية في الملعب، سواء إيجابية أو سلبية، دون إبداء رأيي في المدربين، خصوصًا الذين يعملون معنا في نفس الدوري، لأنني أعتبر ذلك من أهم آداب احترام المهنة.

ولكن مع حديث السيد يانيك فيريرا، فإنني أقول له: عفوًا فيريرا، لقد تجاوزت حدود احترام المهنة بكلامك عن أمور لم يكن ينبغي أن تتحدث فيها، احترامًا لتاريخ نادٍ هو أحد أكبر قطبين في تاريخ كرة القدم المصرية والأفريقية والعربية. وأعتبر أن حجتك ضعيفة في بعض الأمور التي طرحتها وقللت بها من قيمة نادٍ كبير وعريق.

يا مستر فيريرا، تحدثت بإسهاب عن موضوع تحليل فريق الأهلي وأنك بسبب قلة إمكانيات النادي لم تستطع تحليل المنافس. هل يُعقل هذا الكلام؟ هل مباريات الأهلي مقتصرة على البرنامج التحليلي؟ الأهلي يلعب كل 3 أو 4 أيام، ومبارياته متاحة حتى على اليوتيوب. تستطيع—بدون عناء—مشاهدة كل مباريات الأهلي وتحليل كل كبيرة وصغيرة دون برامج. وقد مررنا بأصعب من ذلك، وبدون الدخول في تفاصيل، قبل مباراة بيراميدز في نهائي الكأس شاهد الفريق كل التفاصيل رغم الظروف. فهل عدم دفع اشتراك برنامج تحليل يعوقك عن تحليل المنافس ونحن على مشارف عام 2026؟ هل هذا يعقل؟

طالع أيضًا | يانيك فيريرا يكشف كواليس مثيرة بشأن رحيله عن الزمالك: عرضت أموالًا على اللاعبين.. وتم طردي

أما الأمر الآخر، فمن حقك أن تطالب بحقوقك المادية، لكن ليس بهذه الطريقة يا صديقي. أعلم جيدًا أن مجلس الإدارة أخطأ في طريقة إنهاء خدماتك، فالأمر يجب أن يكون بالوضوح والمواجهة، وليس بالتهرب، لكن أمامك طرق شرعية للحصول على حقوقك، وهي طرق—سواء اتفقت معها أو اختلفت—تبقى شرعية، ومنها اللجوء إلى الفيفا. ولكن ليس من حقك نشر ما كان يدور داخل غرف مغلقة، فهذا خطأ قد تُحاسب عليه حتى من قبل الفيفا.

يا عزيزي، من أدبيات مهنة التدريب أنك طالما رضيت بالعمل داخل النادي، فلا تأتي بعد الإقالة لتشتكي من الملعب والغرفة والكراسي. أين كنت وقتها؟ ولماذا لم تكن حاسمًا مع الإدارة وقلت لهم بوضوح إن الملعب غير مناسب؟

وسأروي لك شيئًا حدث معي شخصيًا—ولا أذيع سرًا—فعقب أسبوع من العمل مع الزمالك، وتحديدًا يوم 8 مايو، قبل 25 يومًا من نهائي الكأس، طلبت بعض الأدوات مثل 8 مرمى صغير للتدريبات وبعض الأشرطة الخاصة بتدريبات الـExplosive Action، وغيرها. وشعرت بالمماطلة لمدة أسبوع، فما كان مني إلا أن توقفت عن التدريب وجلست على كرسي ورفضت النزول إلى الملعب حتى تُحضر الأدوات، وبالفعل أحضروها في اليوم التالي، ولو لم تُحضر لكنت تقدمت باستقالتي فورًا، لأن هذا عملي وأنا مؤتمن عليه أمام جمهور كبير.

ونفس الأمر مع طلب إقامة معسكر مغلق لمدة 4 أيام في الإسماعيلية. لو لم تستجب الإدارة لكنت استقلت فورًا. صحيح أننا اكتفينا بثلاثة أيام بدلًا من أربعة، ولكن ما لا يُدرك كله لا يُترك كله. فلماذا لم تُصر أنت على أدواتك وملعب محترم وغرفة اجتماعات؟ هذا ليس بالكثير على نادٍ كبير مثل الزمالك. وإن لم يستجيبوا، فالاستقالة موقف محترم.

للأسف كنت لا أرغب في الخوض في هذا الموضوع احترامًا للمهنة، ولكن حديثك وطريقة العرض استفزتني كثيرًا، ولذلك ولأول مرة أتحدث لكي يعرف الجميع الحقيقة، وليس تلك المبررات التي سردتها. التزمت الصمت خمسة أشهر كاملة، ولكن بعد حديثك الذي قلل من النادي الكبير، كان لابد من التوضيح، لأن حديثك—مع كامل الاحترام—مليء بالمغالطات.

الحقيقة أن الفريق بعد نهائي الكأس أخذ راحة سلبية قاربت 35 يومًا، إذ كان النهائي يوم 5 يونيو 2025، وبدأ التجمع يوم 8 يوليو. وكانت المفاجأة أن البرنامج يتضمن مباراة ودية بعد 72 ساعة من التجمع! أين يحدث هذا؟ وهل تقر علوم الفسيولوجي بهذا؟ وكانت النتيجة إصابة المدافع أحمد حسام بالرباط الصليبي، وكم كبير من الإصابات والمشاكل البدنية التي لم يتخلص منها الفريق حتى الآن. وغيرها كثير مما حدث.

وأحمّل إدارة النادي المسؤولية لأنها لم تستعن بتقريري الخاص بضرورة وجود Technical Director يفهم في الأمور الفنية، وكان قادرًا على منع ذلك. وأحقاقًا للحق، هذا ما أوصى به أيضًا أحمد حسام ميدو. لكن الإدارة اعتقدت—خطأً—أن السيد جون أدوار مدير رياضي، وهذا ليس تخصصه. عمله الأساسي مسؤول تعاقدات فقط، يتفاوض مع اللاعبين، وهذا يجيده. لكنه ليس من اختصاصه اختيار اللاعبين أو تحديد أسلوب اللعب أو مراقبة البرنامج التدريبي. وهذه كارثة كبيرة.

وفي نهاية الحديث، ملاحظة هامة: احترامي لهذا الكيان وحبي لجمهوره هو ما دفعني لكتابة هذا البيان دفاعًا عن نادٍ كبير ضد أي تصغير أو إساءة. ولكن ما يجعلني أتردد في الحديث هو أن البعض قد يظن أن لي مطمعًا في منصب. وعلى الرغم من أن العمل في الزمالك شرف لأي شخص، ورغم حبي للجمهور الذي هتف باسمي في مباراة تنافسية—وهو ما لم يحدث مع أحد—إلا أن كل من يعرفني يعلم أنني لا أطمع في أي منصب داخل النادي. السبب الأول هو أن طريقة العمل داخل الزمالك لا تناسبني ولا أنا مناسب لها، والسبب الثاني والأهم أنني أشغل منصب المدير الفني للبنك الأهلي، وأعمل تحت إدارة محترمة، وأنا سعيد جدًا بالعمل مع هذه المجموعة الرائعة من اللاعبين والجهاز الفني والإدارة.

مع خالص أمنياتي القلبية بالتوفيق للجميع.

The two hottest National League teams over the past two months also happen to have been waiting the longest to win their first World Series. The Brewers (37–10 since June 20) and the Padres (29–20) have been around since 1969. The way they have been playing baseball gives their fans reasonable hope that this is finally the year.

Both teams are fun to watch. Both excel at traditional baseball values. The Brewers and Padres each rank among the three best pitching staffs in baseball, the four best defensive units as far as turning batted balls into outs and the five toughest teams to strike out. What’s not to like?

They don’t hit many home runs.

There is a difference between playing regular season baseball and tournament baseball. If the Brewers or Padres are going to win the World Series, they must defy a decade of data that suggests you need more power than those teams possess to win it all.

Milwaukee ranks 18th in home runs and 13th in slugging. San Diego is even more power starved. It ranks 29th in home runs and 25th in slugging.

Why does that matter? The past five World Series champions ranked among the four top home run hitting teams in baseball (in order from 2020: 1, 3, 4, 3, 3).

No team has won the World Series ranked in the bottom half of home runs or with fewer than 199 home runs since the 2015 Kansas City Royals, who ranked 24th with 139 homers. The Brewers are on pace to hit 174 homers. The Padres are on pace to hit 136 homers, which would be the lowest for a full-season world champion in 28 years.

We love to think that putting the ball in play and small ball wins in October. That may have been true once. Not now. The game is far different today than in 2015, when a team like the Royals could slash their way to a title. Compared to 2015, today’s game has 13% more homers, 10% more walks, 7% more strikeouts, 4% fewer hits and 52% fewer sacrifice hits.

Consider how baseball changed in the postseason last year as compared to the regular season. As you might expect, hitting and slugging decreased. The batting average dropped by 12 points. Counterintuitively, home runs went .

2024 MLB Hitting

AVG

SLG

H/G

HR/G

Regular Season

.243

.399

16.4

2.24

Postseason

.231

.378

15.3

2.28

You would think small ball tactics would play up in a more difficult hitting environment. But home runs became even more important. As hits become rarer, the quick strike of the home run swing becomes more necessary. Winning a game without a home run was harder to do in the postseason last year than in the regular season.

Team Games With No Home Runs, 2024

W–L

Pct.

Pct. of Wins

Regular Season

519–1,123

.316

21.4%

Postseason

9–20

.310

20.9%

The notion that teams who put the ball in play are best equipped for the postseason has not been true for years. The correlation between winning it all and home runs has become much stronger than the one between winning it all and avoiding strikeouts.

MLB Ranks by World Series Champions

Home Runs

Strikeouts

2024 Dodgers

3

12

2023 Rangers

3

17

2022 Astros

4

2

2021 Braves

3

20

2020 Dodgers

1

4

2019 Nationals

13

4

2018 Red Sox

9

5

2017 Astros

2

1

2016 Cubs

13

22

Average

5.7

9.7

Ideally, you want it all, like the championship Astros teams: power with the ability to make contact. But if you had to lean toward one, you would take the power.

Milwaukee is not power-starved. Though it ranks below average in home runs, its power is on the upswing, as the addition of Andrew Vaughn and the revival of Brice Turang lengthen the lineup. The Brewers have improved their slug for a third straight month. Their .532 slug this month threatens to set a franchise record, eclipsing the .510 mark from June 1982. If they keep this up, we will have to look at them differently.

MORE: SI:AM | The Brewers’ Streak by the Numbers

San Diego has a low power ceiling, though the deadline additions of Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn help. Three players—Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Gavin Sheets—have hit almost half of the team’s home runs (52 of 105). Only four teams in the wild card era ever made the playoffs with a slug worse than the Padres’ .382 mark (2014 Cardinals, Royals and Athletics and the '22 Rays).

The Padres have the potential for more power, especially if Jackson Merrill (six HR in 81 games since returning from a hamstring injury) recovers to his 2024 form and Tatis (no home runs in his past 79 at-bats) gets on a run, though expectations should be recalibrated. Since he returned from his PED suspension and shoulder surgery, Tatis has good power but not the elite power he showed in his first three seasons.

Tatis Jr. Splits by Age

G

SLG

EV

OPS+

20-22

273

.596

93.2

160

24-26

364

.456

92.7

120

The Brewers and Padres each have a well-defined identity and a clear path to the title. Milwaukee pressures teams with baserunning, bunting, putting the ball in play, catching the ball and clean baseball. Their pitching staff has wipeout stuff at the front of the rotation and back end of the bullpen. In a telling measurement of pure stuff—and a harbinger of what it takes to win in October—Brewers pitchers allow the fifth lowest slugging percentage on pitches

The toughest team to slug against on challenge stuff? The Padres. Their path to victory is built on putting the ball in play and shortening games with a deep bullpen.

Neither team relies heavily on power. If the usual rules of engagement apply to tournament baseball, the Yankees (first in home runs), Dodgers (second) and Mariners (third) are best equipped for the title, with the Cubs (seventh), Mets (eighth) and Tigers (ninth) in the next tier.

But past is not always prologue. Home runs may be the coin of the postseason realm in recent years, but at any point that can change in the small sample size theater of the postseason. The Brewers and Padres were not built to follow the unwritten rules of October, but to break them.