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Leeds United secured their return to the Premier League on Monday and Daniel Farke and 49ers Enterprises are already looking at the summer transfer window.

Leeds back in Premier League after 6-0 win over Stoke City

The Whites enjoyed a dream Easter weekend, beating Oxford United on Good Friday and Stoke City 6-0 on Easter Monday to set up a promotion party at Elland Road.

Farke’s side raced into a 5-0 lead at half time after a record-breaking 20 minute hat-trick from Joel Piroe – the fastest in Leeds United’s history.

Burney’s win at Sheffield United later in the day ensured that Leeds and the Clarets would both be promoted, resulting in wild scenes at Elland Road.

Talking after winning promotion, Farke said: “Don’t scare me with the Premier League right now. All the clubs who were promoted are already relegated before we were promoted. It’s important to enjoy it. This club has had tough times in the last years, it’s important that our supporters celebrate it and embrace it.

“We’re back where we belong. The next step is to make this club an established Premier League club. You can be sure I will work with all my skills to make sure we do this. But this is something for in a few weeks. Right now we celebrate the first step, the most important one, to take this club where it belongs. Let’s see what we can do.”

Points

94

Wins

27

Goals scored

89

Clean sheets

24

Goals conceded

29

Players used

28

Farke and Leeds still have two Championship fixtures remaining as they now look to beat Burnley to the title, but with the summer transfer window just around the corner, the club are already looking at transfer targets.

Leeds looking at transfer targets with Premier League experience

Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke shared an exciting Leeds transfer update just hours after the Whites officially won promotion, sharing the club’s plans ahead of the summer market.

He revealed that Leeds ‘are targeting Premier League experience’ ahead of the 2025/26 season, with the Whites specifically looking at a new goalkeeper and striker.

A number of names who tick those boxes have been linked with moves to Yorkshire, including Wolves ‘keeper Sam Johnstone and Brighton & Hove Albion forward Evan Ferguson, who is currently on loan at West Ham.

Shades of Ian Harte: 10/10 Leeds star was just as breathtaking as Piroe

Leeds United put in a promotion-worthy performance as Daniel Farke’s rampant Whites hammered Stoke City 6-0.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 21, 2025

Ferguson in particular would excite Leeds fans and already has top-flight experience at just 20 years of age. By the looks of things, it could be a busy summer at Elland Road in regards to new signings, and securing the services of players who know the Premier League will only help the club as they look to remain in the division long term.

Stats highlights from DC’s first win against CSK at Chepauk since 2010

Sampath Bandarupalli05-Apr-20252:46

Jaffer: ‘If top order doesn’t fire, CSK shut shop early’

2010 – Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk for the first time since their six-wicket win in 2010. The Delhi franchise won the first two matches against CSK at this venue in 2008 and 2010 but had lost seven in a row before Saturday.The seven-match winning streak for CSK against this opponent in Chennai is the joint-second-longest for any team against an opponent at a particular venue in the IPL. CSK’s eight-match winning streak against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Chepauk is the longest, which also came to a halt earlier this season.10 – CSK have failed to chase a target of 180-plus in their last ten attempts, dating back to 2020. Three teams have had a longer streak of failing to chase 180-plus targets in the IPL – 15 by Punjab Kings (2015 to 2021), 12 by RCB (2019 to 2023) and 11 by Sunrisers Hyderabad (2020 to 2023).Related

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Jaffer: CSK look 'rattled', their batters are not even 'trying'

KL Rahul shines as DC outclass CSK in Chennai

25 – The run margin of CSK’s defeat on Saturday. Only four teams have suffered a heavier loss despite losing only five or fewer wickets in 20 overs while chasing a target of 200 or less in the IPL.2018 – Previous instance of CSK chasing down a target of 180 or more runs in the IPL – against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Pune, where they hunted down 180 with eight wickets in hand. CSK had a win-loss record of 9-9 while chasing 180-plus targets until that point.ESPNcricinfo Ltd9.2 – Overs batted by Vijay Shankar and MS Dhoni during their sixth-wicket stand. It is the second-longest unbeaten partnership to end up on the losing side in an IPL chase, behind the 9.4 overs of partnership by Kedar Jadhav and Saurabh Tiwary in 2015. The duo added 91 runs for Delhi Daredevils’ fifth wicket against SRH but fell seven runs short of the 164-run chase.84* – The 84-run unbroken stand between Vijay and Dhoni is the highest for CSK in the IPL for the sixth wicket or lower.120.74 – Strike rate of the CSK’s top three batters in 180-plus chases since 2020. It is by far the lowest among all ten teams, with the next worst being 139.09 by SRH. CSK’s top order averages 17.86 in the 180-plus chases since 2020, also the lowest.20.23 – Percentage of Dhoni’s runs in CSK’s wins since the start of IPL 2023. In this period, Dhoni has batted 13 times in the wins and scored 69 runs at an average of 13.80, but in defeats, he has 272 runs in 14 innings, at an average of 90.66.

They did things differently from the beginning, but it all came together beautifully in the end, with the big-ticket stars taking centre stage

Zenia D'cunha27-Mar-20236:55

Mumbai outclass slightly unlucky Capitals

Shafali Verma or Issy Wong – who is the average cricket fan in Mumbai more familiar with? It’s fair to assume the answer is Shafali.So, when Shafali smashed Wong for a six and four in the second over of the WPL final at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium, the cheer was loud. As expected.But next ball, when Wong dismissed Shafali, the noise turned deafening. Not quite as expected.Later in the evening, the same crowd was chanting Shafali’s name when she fielded at the boundary. But cheering is different from choosing a side, and for the Mumbai Indians faithful, it was club over country throughout the WPL. And the loyal supporters were rewarded with Harmanpreet Kaur lifting the trophy, beating Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals in a well-contested final.Since the WPL was played in only one city, Mumbai, the already formidable team got an edge: a readymade, vocal, engaged fanbase that has spilt over from the IPL. And the Mumbai Indians team basked in it right from the start.A lesser team could well have drowned in that ocean of blue, especially after seemingly losing steam at the business end of the league. They had to play an extra match – the Eliminator – against UP Warriorz, the team that had snapped their winning streak. But when it came down to it, Mumbai proved to be the clutch team that lifted themselves at the right time with the big guns firing.Most wickets in WPL 2023•ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the final, it was the four overseas players who led the way: Wong (3 for 42), Hayley Matthews (3 for 5) and Amelia Kerr (2 for 18) with the ball, and Nat Sciver-Brunt (60 not out in 55 balls) with the bat, with Harmanpreet (37 in 39) and Kerr (14 not out in eight) for support.Overall, three Mumbai players – Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet and Matthews – finished among the WPL’s top five run-getters, with one more, Yastika Bhatia, among the 13 to cross the 200-run mark. With the ball, four of the top five wicket-takers were Mumbai bowlers: Matthews, Wong, Kerr and Saika Ishaque. Sciver-Brunt was just outside the top five.Big guns, big results. Mumbai’s men have known how it works for long. Now the women know too.

****

That final, in a way, was a summary of Mumbai’s season: a dominant start, then a dip in intensity, and then a big comeback.Wong got three wickets with three full-tosses to reduce Delhi to 38 for 3 in the powerplay. Matthews, the winner of the purple cap, and Kerr dusted off the rest on a track aiding spin. Amanjot Kaur, who has barely got a chance to bat or bowl but has shone on the field, chipped in with the crucial run-out of orange-cap-holder Lanning. That was the domination at the beginning.Related

'Keep calm and no need to do anything special' – How Saika Ishaque bossed the WPL last year

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Ishaque, Chopra, Patil – New faces make a mark in WPL team of the tournament

What has the WPL changed for women's cricket in India?

WPL opens a whole new world for women's cricket in India

At 79 for 9 with four overs to go, it looked like Capitals were down for the count. Till Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav clobbered 52 runs off just 24 balls to put up a decent total. There was Mumbai’s dip.The dip continued as Mumbai had a slow start to their chase, with just 27 runs coming for the loss of both openers in the powerplay.But then came the comeback, and a big one it was too.Sciver-Brunt, the joint-most-expensive overseas player at the auction, had already justified her price tag before the final. Here, she finished the job. “I knew if I was there at the end, we’d be able to get over the line,” she said afterwards – the confidence of a champion.She ended the knockouts unbeaten, with 132 runs in two innings. She failed twice with the bat in the entir tournament. Mumbai lost both games.In the final, Sciver-Brunt alternated between aggressive and restrained. She later credited Harmanpreet – they added 72 for the third wicket – for taking the pressure off her in the initial stages of their stand. It was true the other way too.Harmanpreet, who lit up the opening night with a 30-ball 65, played slow and steady till she was run-out. In another setting, it might have been the one wicket the team wouldn’t have wanted to lose. But this was Mumbai Indians. Sciver-Brunt was still there. Kerr was to follow. Harmanpreet now has her first major win over Lanning.As Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt added 72 – they took their time, it was tough going – the noise from the stands dipped and rose. It was relatively quiet as the two batters took their time to get going. But the crowd found its voice nevertheless, with five rounds of an unprompted Mexican wave and cheers for Capitals’ Shafali and Jemimah Rodrigues, who acknowledged the ovation.Most runs in WPL 2023•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhen Harmanpreet fell in the 17th over, there was an actual cheer from some fans. Her 37 had consumed 39 balls, and it was getting tight. Plus, there was Kerr to come in. Kerr’s cameo was crucial in the end, the back-to-back boundaries in the 19th over off Jess Jonassen crucial to the end result. It was just a matter of eight runs, but it added up in the end.

****

It all came together nicely for Mumbai in the end.From splurging on Sciver-Brunt to getting Matthews at her base price after she initially went unsold. From going for domestic players who have been around for a while, like Ishaque, to being the only team to not have an Australian in their playing XI, Mumbai did things differently from the start. Perhaps the only thing that didn’t work for them was the toss. Harmanpreet won only one out of ten – but that, too, points to Mumbai’s class; they took the toss out of the equation.”We were waiting for this moment for so many years… it feels like a dream, I think not only for me but for everyone here, even for the crowd,” Harmanpreet said afterwards.The dream has finally come true. And in good style, with the captain of the India team lifting a trophy in front of a packed stadium, full of enthusiastic and engaged people, in a match worthy of being a big-tournament final.

Hazlewood needed only 25 balls to pick up a five-for

Gaurav Sundararaman19-Dec-2020ESPNcricinfo Ltd 36 India’s lowest ever score in Test history. The previous lowest was 42 against England way back in 1974. That was also in the third innings of the match but India were following on.1 The very first instance in all of Test cricket that all 11 batsmen, and extras, couldn’t cross single-figures in an innings. The highest scorer was Mayank Agarwal, who made 9. In the only other instance when all 11 batsmen made single-digit scores – South Africa against England at Edgbaston in 1924 – extras contributed 11 to the total of 30. 19 Lowest score for India at the loss of six wickets in Tests. Their previous was 25 . There have only been seven lower scores at the loss of the sixth wicket in Test history across all teams. 25 Deliveries taken by Josh Hazlewood to complete his five-wicket haul.The fastest five-for from the start of a bowling spell in a Test is 19 balls, set by Australia’s Ernie Toshack against India in Brisbane in 1947-48, and equalled by Stuart Broad for England against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2015.8 – Runs conceded by Hazlewood. Only twice has an Australian bowler conceded fewer runs in an innings in which he has taken five for more wickets. 1.6 Third most-economical five-wicket haul for Australia in Tests and the best since 1947 when Toshak took 5 for 2. 31 Matches for Pat Cummins to take 150 Test wickets, the joint Second-fastest for Australia. He shares this feat with Dennis Lillee, Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill. Clarrie Grimett was the quickest though getting to 150 Test wickets in 28 Tests. 19 Innings for Agarwal to reach 1000 Test runs. He is the third-quickest from India to this feat. Vinod Kambli and Cheteshwar Pujara are the two players who achieved it quicker in 14 and 18 innings respectively. 1 Loss for India when Virat Kohli has won the toss. Under these conditions, previously, he had played 25 matches and won 21 with four draws.8 This was the eighth win for Australia in day-night Tests. They are yet to lose one of these.

The Savannah Bananas brought their traveling baseball party to legendary Fenway Park in Boston this past Saturday and brought back some special Boston athletes and former Red Sox players to join in on the fun.

One of those guys was Brock Holt, a former infielder who spent seven seasons in Boston and won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018.

Holt made a dramatic entrance for his at-bat, walking through the stands before making his way to home plate while the sold-out crowd gave him a huge ovation. Then a few moments later, he suffered the unluckiest of outs as a fan caught his foul ball, which per Savannah Bananas rules counts as an out.

Here's the fan robbing Holt of a chance to get a hit in front of a crowd that wanted to see the best for one of their former players. And yes, this guy was immediately booed for doing what he did:

Not cool, dude!

Bournemouth are next on the agenda for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United, with intrigue mounting over just who the Portuguese will have at his disposal on Monday night, not least in the forward areas.

Indeed, it has yet to be confirmed whether Bryan Mbeumo and Amad – alongside Noussair Mazraoui – will be in line to feature for the final time before heading off to AFCON, albeit with the trio pictured in first-team training on Thursday.

Among those not involved by all accounts, however, was £74m man, Benjamin Sesko, with it yet to be seen whether the Slovenian will make his return after sustaining a knee injury against Tottenham Hotspur last month.

The 22-year-old – who has scored just twice following his summer arrival from RB Leipzig – limped off in that 2-2 draw in north London, having squandered two potential openings following his introduction off the bench.

Regardless of his early “struggles”, as noted by Amorim, the loss of United’s number 30 remains a blow considering the lack of genuine alternatives, with Joshua Zirkzee a self-described ‘nine-and-a-half’.

That burden and reliance on Sesko could be aided in 2026, however, with a new centre-forward perhaps on the agenda.

Man Utd's search for a striker

There was talk of moving for another Premier League proven figure like Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha, in the form of Ollie Watkins over the summer, before Jason Wilcox and co ultimately settled on a long-term gamble, in the form of Sesko.

That decision, while still perhaps too soon to judge, has potentially backfired as far as INEOS are concerned, with Sesko yet to prove that he can be the man to end United’s long-standing number nine woes.

Not since the days of Robin van Persie has any Red Devil hit 20 Premier League goals in a season, with Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund notably scoring just seven top-flight goals between them in 2024/25.

Transfer Focus

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With that in mind, Caught Offside are reporting that United could be in the mix for further reinforcement at the top end of the pitch, having joined Chelsea in the race for Strasbourg striker, Joaquin Panichelli.

As per the report, it is the west Londoners who are leading the race for the Argentine’s signature, due to their BlueCo connections, although the Old Trafford side – alongside Aston Villa – are believed to have indirectly expressed their interest via intermediaries.

Enzo Maresca’s side, clearly, hold the advantage, yet if INEOS can lodge a suitable bid, they could provide Amorim with a wildcard Sesko upgrade.

How Panichelli compares to Sesko

There’s no suggestion that Sesko should be written off already, with United’s £74m investment highlighting their plan to back the young striker to be the main man later down the line, if not necessarily this season.

As was felt by Hojlund before him, however, he can’t shoulder the goalscoring responsibility on his own, having yet to prove he is a truly clinical and consistent striker.

The one-time Red Bull Salzburg starlet’s tally of two goals makes for grim reading with the New Year approaching, with Panichelli, meanwhile, regarded as “one of the most in-form strikers in Europe right now”, in the view of scout Antonio Mango.

The 23-year-old forward has enjoyed a real breakout season under the watchful eye of Liam Rosenior, having already scored nine goals in just 15 Ligue 1 outings in 2025/26.

It must be noted that he hasn’t scored in any of his last four, although, as seen below, only five strikers across Europe’s top five leagues have bettered his tally to date, further supporting Mango’s standout claim.

A true, old-fashioned centre-forward, where Panichelli also catches the eye due to his work ethic when leading the line, ranking in the top 2% of European forwards for interceptions and the top 7% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

For comparison, Sesko ranks in the just the bottom 35% and the bottom 12% for those same two metrics, respectively, albeit while unsurprisingly ranking in the top 22% for aerial duels won.

It’s not as if the Strasbourg man’s form is a flash in the pan either, having netted 20 league goals in Spain last season for CD Mirandes, while on loan from Alaves.

Having been in red-hot form in front of goal over the last 18 months, the 6 foot 3 marksman could represent a left-field solution to Amorim’s centre-forward woes, provided United can see off Chelsea in the tussle for his signature.

Sesko might require patience, but if the Red Devils are after someone to make an immediate impact, Panichelli might just be that.

Bruno 2.0: Man Utd accelerate talks to sign "best CM prospect in the world"

A successor to Bruno Fernandes could be on the cards in 2026 for Manchester United.

By
Robbie Walls

4 days ago

Things got a bit testy between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels ahead of their clash on Wednesday, after a verbal altercation escalated and both benches were cleared.

The incident occurred during practice prior to first pitch, and involved players and coaches from both teams.

At the center of it all was Red Sox first base coach Jose Flores, who could be seen face-to-face in a heated exchange with Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson. As Anderson began to walk away, Flores continued to shout in his direction while making gestures with his arms. Anaheim pitching coach Barry Enright then arrived in support of Anderson, before he and Flores began barking at one another.

As that conversation continued to heat up, players and coaches began making their way onto the field to see what the commotion was about.

It's not immediately clear what set off the altercation, but it was eventually deescalated without too much of an issue.

Perhaps the pregame fracas got players fired up, as hitters from both teams came out swinging in the first inning. The Angels racked up four runs on Lucas Giolito in the top of the frame before Boston's bats responded with five runs of their own.

A wild start at Fenway Park.

Newcastle United are in an unusual position at the moment, as Eddie Howe’s long-standing position as manager is now under threat.

Howe has been in the Magpies’ hot seat since October 2021, when the hugely unpopular Steve Bruce was ditched, and it’s fair to say the 47-year-old has been a resounding success, for the most part, finished twice inside the Champions League places and securing an EFL Cup triumph.

Still, with just three wins from 11 in Premier League action this season in isolation, it’s right that the beloved Toon boss is facing scrutiny currently.

Nick Woltemade could well be the man to guide Newcastle up the league in the coming weeks to keep Howe situated on Tyneside, though, with the 6-foot-6 goal machine continuing on his fine run of goalscoring form in England on the international stage for Germany during the break.

How Woltemade can save Howe's job

Off the back of bagging three goals for Germany during the recent stage of World Cup qualifying, the £69m summer recruit is now up to a stunning ten goals this season for both club and country.

If he keeps up this blistering form, the results will turn in the Toon’s favour in time, with Woltemade’s 12 goals for Stuttgart last season pushing them far away from the lower reaches of the Bundesliga and into European conversations.

On top of being clearly potent, which will hopefully stand the underachieving Newcastle in good stead during tense matches to come, Woltemade was also purchased this summer for that high amount for how he stylishly links up with teammates around him.

That was seen in him cleverly flicking a ball through to Harvey Barnes to score in the Champions League in October.

Journalist Adam Clery would even go out of his way to state that the much-loved German “made this entire goal” with this ingenious bit of skill, with this unselfish approach perhaps getting the best out of the likes of Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga down the line to rise the league standings.

Of course, he isn’t superhuman, with Woltemade frustratingly amassing no shots on goal against Brentford and West Ham United in back-to-back defeats when managing just 45 touches of the ball.

So, perhaps a different manager could get even more out of the clinical marksman if Newcastle were to replace Howe. After all, Toon reporter Craig Hope has already noted that ‘a 6ft 6in striker who plays with his back to goal & drops so deep was never the plan.’

Why a new manager can get more from Woltemade at Newcastle

The Mirror has speculated who could come in for Howe if he is to be relieved of his long-standing duties very soon, with the likes of Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner named.

But, if Newcastle want a manager in the same mould as the 47-year-old, they could look to hire Kieran McKenna, with the Ipswich Town boss making a name for himself from a very young age in the main management game, much like Howe did when managing AFC Bournemouth.

McKenna would transform the Tractor Boys’ faltering fortunes when taking them up all the way from League One to the Premier League via back-to-back promotions, leading to former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt lauding the ex-Red Devils coach as “one of the best coaches” in England.

Woltemade would surely love to work alongside the 4-2-3-1-focused manager if he were to swap Suffolk for St James’ Park, with his Ipswich sides over the years centring on some explosive, yet team-oriented attackers, much like the German has already shown in spades at his new home.

McKenna’s numbers as Ipswich manager

Stat

McKenna

Games managed

188

Wins

88

Draws

50

Losses

50

Goals scored

340

Goals conceded

239

Points accumulated

314

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Indeed, from 188 games in charge of the Tractor Boys, McKenna has overseen 88 wins with a mighty 348 goals scored along the way.

Up in the Premier League last season, the Northern Irishman would turn Liam Delap into a Chelsea-bound centre-forward, having got 12 top-flight strikes out of the ex-Manchester City striker from 40 games, even as his side languished near the drop zone all campaign long.

Therefore, with Delap also coming in a slick, yet imposing presence like Woltemade at a 6-foot-2 frame, it’s intriguing to see what McKenna could do to Woltemade if he were handed the Newcastle reins, having further got an impressive haul of 73 goals out of Conor Chaplin and George Hirst in the EFL and above.

The worry here would be that McKenna’s only Premier League season to date as a manager resulted in relegation, but having been previously tipped to go to “the very top” by podcaster Dave Hendrick, this could be the 39-year-old’s chance of becoming an established boss in the big time.

With his glittering track record with strikers, Woltemade could come even more into his own under his fresh set of ideas if he does surprisingly succeed Howe, as the powers that be at Newcastle continue to ponder whether a change is the correct call right now.

Related Better deal than Woltemade: Newcastle among favourites to sign £100m star

Newcastle need to add some more quality to Eddie Howe’s side in 2026.

Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 18, 2025

Following a court decision in his favour, Anwar El Ghazi issued a brutal statement denouncing Mainz, who have been ordered to pay his full salary after the unlawful termination of his contract in 2023 over pro-Palestinian comments on social media. El Ghazi described the Bundesliga club’s stance as “baseless” and “nonsensical,” further branding them “serial losers” and “deluded.”

• Mainz lose court appeal against El Ghazi

  Bundesliga outfit Mainz have lost their legal battle against former player El Ghazi, after the Rhineland-Palatinate State Labour Court rejected the club's latest appeal. The court ruled that El Ghazi, whose contract was terminated at the end of 2023 due to controversial pro-Palestine posts on social media, is obliged to receive his salary in full, upholding an earlier ruling from July 2024. The court also determined that El Ghazi’s right to freedom of expression outweighed Mainz’s grounds for terminating his contract.

  The former Netherlands international received the €1.5 million compensation – his wages from November 2023 to July 2024 – ordered by the court in August 2024. Mainz appealed in an attempt to reclaim that money, but the appeal has been swiftly rejected.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Why did Mainz terminate El Ghazi's contract?

  It all started in October 2023, when El Ghazi posted about the Israel-Gaza conflict on Instagram. "This isn't a conflict and it's not war. This is genocide and mass destruction and we're witnessing it happen live. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," El Ghazi wrote in one of his social media posts immediate after the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Mainz suspended him after his post and released a statement claiming that El Ghazi had expressed remorse and apologised for his comment. However, the player swiftly refuted this in a subsequent post, claiming that he did not "regret" or "distance himself" from his initial words. Following the dispute, Mainz terminated El Ghazi’s contract unilaterally, prompting the 30-year-old to file a lawsuit in a Palatinate district labor court.

• El Ghazi makes a mockery of Mainz after winning legal battle

  Taking to Instagram on Thursday, El Ghazi wrote: "Another day, another hearing, another appeal but still the same old outcome; a loss for FSV Mainz 05. Regular defeats on the football pitch clearly aren’t enough for the board of the club so they keep coming back for more losses in the German courts!

  "I am grateful to the German courts for serving justice and seeing through the baseless and nonsensical claims of the club.

  "Let me be clear, the statement from the serial losers FSV Mainz 05 following their latest defeat is as deluded as their entire dealings and proceedings against me. I have never had, nor will I ever have, any consensus with any person or organisation which seeks to silence those standing for justice and humanity. My values can never align with any organisation whose values and convictions are to blindly stand with those accused of flagrantly breaching International law and perpetrating genocide.

  "No one is above the law. Let this latest victory send a loud and clear to message to the warmongers, their accomplices and the deluded board members of FSV Mainz 05; you cannot, and will not, silence the voices of the Palestinians and their advocates. Viva Palestina!!!"

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Mainz do not regret their actions

  Following the verdict of the court, Mainz chairman and CEO Stefan Hofmann issued a statement accepting the ruling. He did, however, add that they will take the same actions with "individuals whose statements and actions fundamentally contradict" the values and beliefs of the club.

  “We have to accept the court’s decision that the conduct of our employee following the heinous Hamas attack in 2023 did not constitute sufficient grounds for immediate termination," said Hofmann. “However, we stand firmly by our position: based on the values and principles that define Mainz 05, there can be no future employment for individuals whose statements or actions fundamentally contradict them.”

  As for El Ghazi, he spent the 2024-25 season at Championship side Cardiff City, making 27 appearances and scoring three goals after signing a one-year deal with the English outfit. Over the summer, he joined Al-Sailiya in the Qatar Stars League. The former Ajax, Lille, Aston Villa, Everton, and PSV winger is tied to the club until June 2027.

West Indies coach Daren Sammy says there will be a serious discussion around Kraigg Brathwaite’s position ahead of the Jamaica Test, while remaining hopeful that his struggling batting group can find a way to back up the performances of the fast bowlers following a series-conceding defeat to Australia in Grenada.West Indies were bundled for 143 in the fourth innings, chasing 277 to win, on the fourth day with the margin of victory flattered slightly by Shamar Joseph’s late-innings hitting in the same manner it was in the first Test in Barbados.The hosts’ top order was against steamrolled by Australia’s relentless fast-bowling cartel, slumping to 33 for 4 at lunch on the fourth day. But while West Indies’ top-order struggles have mirrored Australia’s, the middle and lower-order were unable to rescue them as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood ripped the game away in a six-over burst in the middle session to leave West Indies 99 for 7 and without a recognised batter left.Related

• Starc, Hazlewood make quick work of West Indies to help Australia retain Frank Worrell Trophy

• Lights for Sabina Park day-night Test need final approval

Sammy acknowledged that there was pressure on former captain Brathwaite, who is the only West Indies batter not to reach double-figures in the series to date. His 100th Test was a forgettable one, with scores of just 0 and 7 following 4 and 4 in Barbados. Brathwaite averages 18.68 in his last 35 Test innings with just three half-centuries.”He hasn’t looked good this series, and in a team where you are searching for performances, you get very close to say ‘okay, do we give somebody else a chance?'” Sammy said after the loss in Grenada. “But we will really have a good discussion, myself, the selection group, and the captain himself, about that particular situation.”Sammy conceded that it was a tough ask for his batting line-up to handle Australia’s attack on the two pitches that have been presented in the series so far and noted that most of the new-look line-up were at the start of a journey to becoming a more reliable Test batting unit. But he cited the example of Steven Smith in terms of how to make technical adaptations on a difficult surface to have success.1:08

Starc stars from around the wicket

“But I do understand the journey that I took on, and Rome is not going to be built in a day. So a little bit of patience, a little bit of reality as to where we are at is something that we are aware of, and then continue to put in the work.”The way the guys have bought into what we’re trying to do, yes, the results have not shown, but some of the attitudes that are changing and understanding what we’re trying to do, it gives me hope.”Sammy said there was a need for first-class pitches in the Caribbean to be better so that West Indies could produce some stronger batting stocks for Test cricket.”It’s hard to produce the quality of batters that we want to compete,” Sammy said. “When you look at the surfaces that we play on, it’s hard. If you look at all the averages, we barely have guys averaging 40-plus in [first-class] cricket. Those type of pitches, it doesn’t allow you to come up technically sound, because you’re really unsure. There’s always doubt. And in an ideal world, you want to see our guys perform because of, not in spite of.”It’s something myself, the director of cricket, the franchise system, we’ve looked at very, very closely in trying to change that, trying to send the head groundsmen all over, trying to get the sort of wickets that allow batters to trust their techniques and stuff like that. And we also have some probably technical deficiencies that carry on from the Under-19, the youth level up to the national team.”In spite of all of that, we still find ourselves in positions to win and compete, and that’s where you will need more of the mental toughness of the game to restrict you from getting too ahead of your stroke-play and show a little bit more fight and understand that we are playing against the No. 1 team, and be a little tighter, and when opportunities present to score then we do that.”1:36

Cummins heaps praise on ‘warrior’ Starc and ‘prolific’ Carey

Sammy was delighted with his team’s bowling performance overall after they bowled Australia out for 286 and 243 in Grenada to give themselves a chance at victory, although he was hopeful they could tighten the screws against the visitors’ middle order, having twice let Australia off the hook following early breakthroughs.”For some reason, after lunch, that session, whether we bat or bowl, we’ve been really poor,” Sammy said. “If you put our bowling between yesterday’s last 12 overs and this morning’s session, however many we bowled, this is a level of consistency we look at.”Our bowling, we can’t fault them, they’ve gotten 40 wickets. I don’t know when last we got 40 wickets against a top-three team in two Test matches. So the bowlers are doing the job.”Like Australia, Sammy said his side had yet to procure any pink Dukes balls ahead of the day-night pink-ball Test in Jamaica. But despite some concerns surrounding the preparation of the ground at Sabina Park, Sammy said it would be a historic event and was confident the match would be played under lights as planned.