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Bowling allrounder Sean Abbott has been ruled out of the rest of the Sri Lanka tour after fracturing his finger in the nets, while Peter Handscomb has also left the Australia A squad to be with his pregnant partner in Melbourne.Abbott was part of Australia’s T20I squad that was preparing for the first T20I of a three-match series in Colombo on Tuesday, although he was not selected in Australia’s XI for game one. But he suffered a fracture to his left index finger while batting in the nets and has been ruled out of the remainder of the tour. He was supposed to link up with the Australia A squad following the T20I series, for the four-day matches, as he is not part of Australia’s ODI squad.Related

• Stoinis ruled out of SL ODIs; Head, Kuhnemann called up from A squad

• Richardsons, Maxwell, and Wade star in Australia's wobbly but series sealing win

• 'Told him not to walk out into the ball' – the Warner advice that might have helped Finch

• Peter Handscomb to leave Middlesex with immediate effect

• Australia keen to expose 'scarcity' of spin stocks in Sri Lanka

Handscomb, who had also announced he was not heading back to captain Middlesex in the county championship following the Australia A series in Sri Lanka, has decided to leave Sri Lanka to head home to be with his pregnant partner as the pair are expecting their first child.Test bowler Scott Boland has been called up to travel to Sri Lanka early to cover for Abbott in the Australia A four-day matches ahead of the two-match Test series. He was originally set to arrive later with the Test-only squad members not required to travel until later in the month.Queensland wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson has been called up to the A squad as cover for Handscomb. Peirson has been called up in the likely event Australia A needs a specialist wicketkeeper in the four-day games if Josh Inglis is required to play in the ODI series as a batter. Josh Philippe is in the A squad but appears likely to only play in the 50-over games.Australia’s selectors have named an Australia A XI for the first 50-over match in Colombo on Wednesday. Alex Carey is set to captain the side with Cameron Green also named. Carey and Green weren’t originally in the A squad but have been added for the two 50-over games as preparation for the ODI series starting next Tuesday.Australia A will feature three specialist spinners in the same XI, with Todd Murphy, Matthew Kuhnemann and Tanveer Sangha all named to play as Australia hope to expose their young spinners to Sri Lankan conditions.Australia A XI for Wednesday: Henry Hunt, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Nic Maddinson, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (capt, wk), Aaron Hardie, Mark Steketee, Todd Murphy, Matthew Kuhnemann, Tanveer Sangha

India face prospect of surrendering their highest-ever chase in a Test but another twist seems inevitable

Osman Samiuddin04-Jul-20221:17

Vikram Rathour – ‘Batters didn’t execute shots well enough’

An “ordinary” day with the bat has left India facing the prospect of conceding their highest-ever chase in a Test, as well as denying them a first series win in England since 2007. There is still some cricket to be played; England need 119 runs, India seven wickets; England have Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow at the crease, embedded into a 150-run stand and Ben Stokes to come; India have Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, refreshed after a night’s rest.Given how the day played out – India on top, then England, then India, then England again – another twist seems inevitable. But it ended with control in England’s hands, with India’s batting coach, Vikram Rathour, conceding that a poor session with the bat in the morning had been at the root of their opponents’ fightback.India began the day 257 runs ahead, with seven wickets in hand and Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant settled at the crease. Soon after lunch they were all out for 245, a collapse of 7 for 92. That meant the 378 target, while still substantial – England have never chased a total this size – should have been much more.”The plans didn’t work out,” Rathour said. “I’ll agree that we had a pretty ordinary day as far as batting is concerned. We were ahead in the game. We were in a position where we really could’ve batted them out of the game. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. A lot of people got starts but really couldn’t convert. We were expecting one of them to play a big knock and have a big partnership but unfortunately it didn’t happen like that.”A month ago, at Trent Bridge, New Zealand had faltered similarly in their third innings, though their lead was far less substantial. New Zealand’s wickets that day were more self-inflicted but it allowed England a shot at a target.Shreyas Iyer looked least in control against England’s short-ball plan but Shardul Thakur, Shami and Bumrah all perished in similar fashion. That compounded the early dismissal of Pujara, playing one of those back-foot punches, except straight to backward point.Related

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Root, Bairstow, Lees power England's dream

“Yes, they used a short-ball plan against us in the field,” Rathour said. “We had to show a little better, not intent, but strategy. We could’ve handled it slightly differently. People tried to play shots but didn’t really convert or execute them well enough. They got out to that. We will have to rethink how we handle that next time in a similar situation, against similar bowlers who keep similar fields. We will need to have a better strategy against them.”There has already been a precedent for India’s potential defeat in this match, as recently as January in Cape Town. In a low-scoring series decider, India eked out a small lead only to lose that advantage in their second innings. Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shami and Bumrah fell to the short ball, India lost by seven wickets.”Of course, at this level you expect people to bowl short against us, and especially against the Indian team, people have been using short ball for quite some time,” Rathour said.”People have their own ways of dealing with that. As a batsman you have your own way to deal with that. We don’t really say you have to do this or do that. As a batter you need to decide, according to your game, what suits you in that situation and in those conditions. Unfortunately, today we couldn’t really execute whatever plans we had.”Today was the day we were ahead. We should have actually batted better and put them out of the game with our batting. But unfortunately we didn’t do that.”Rathour still retains hope that things change on Tuesday morning. It is, he said, the kind of pitch where one breakthrough might bring a few more – as happened either side of tea today when England lost three for two.”Two wickets in the morning early and again the game will open up,” he said. “We know that, we understand the game, it is a big target still. It’s still more than 100 runs. We take two wickets early and the game can still open up.”The kind of bowling Shami and Bumrah are doing, it’s not beyond them that they get one wicket, then one, two, three can fall. And that can bring us back in the game.”

As was widely expected, Ramiz Raja’s proposal for a quadrangular T20 event got no further than a presentation to the ICC board meeting, the board deciding such a tournament could not fit into the next rights cycle.But Ramiz, whose own future at the board is now under a cloud, took some solace from the fact that it sparked discussion among Full Members over the weekend ICC meeting, at the chief executive level first and then at the board meeting itself on Sunday.Related

• PCB to challenge IPL's proposed extended window at next ICC meet

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• Twelve teams to get automatic entry into 2024 men's T20 World Cup

“Great discussion regarding 4 Nations series today at the ICC meet,” Ramiz tweeted. “As a concept it was welcomed and debated upon and seen as promoting the interest of the game. Fingers crossed. More when I am back at the office tomorrow.”The note of hope suggested in the “fingers crossed” sits at odds with the observations of officials at the meeting. Some members at the Chief Executives Committee (CEC) meeting earlier had signalled interest and approval of the generic idea of members hosting quadrangular events (which current regulations prohibit at the moment) but at the board level – although there was no vote – it was turned down.One official echoed Ramiz’s tweet that there were “plenty of good discussions around it and acknowledgement that from a cricketing perspective it’s a great idea.” But given that the ICC events schedule is now fixed for the next cycle and that the FTP is almost done, fitting something like this in was, in a practical sense, a non-starter in the short-to-medium term.A big driver behind that is the need for the ICC to sell its media rights for the next cycle with clarity in their schedule and no ambiguity about the number of events and new tournaments being added.There was also the small matter of the members who weren’t included in Ramiz’s proposal; that is, the eight members outside Pakistan, India, Australia and England. They were, predictably, not happy at not being considered.How much more will emerge once he s back in office, as Ramiz tweeted, is also not certain. With the dramatic removal of Imran Khan from the premiership of Pakistan in dramatic fashion on Saturday night and Sunday morning, Ramiz had lost the man who appointed him chairman as he went into the ICC meeting.Ramiz did not respond to questions on Sunday about his future but with a new prime minister to be appointed this week, logic would suggest – as has been the case with nearly every change in government in Pakistan – that he or she brings with them a new administration to head the cricket board.Greg Barclay to finish his term in November
The other significant development from the board meeting was that a new process on electing the next ICC chairman has been agreed upon in principle. That will take place in November once Greg Barclay, the current chair, comes to the end of his two-year term.Barclay became ICC chairman in November 2020, after a long and fractious process after Shashank Manohar stepped down in June that year. Barclay eventually beat Imran Khwaja after the second round of voting took place because he had been unable to secure enough votes in the first round.The nature of that win compelled the board to agree on the principles of a new voting requirement this weekend whereby a candidate with a simple majority of votes will win. When Barclay won, the process required him to win two-thirds of the board’s votes – or 11 of the board’s 16 directors.In the first round, he won 10 votes which, though comfortably more than Khwaja’s six, meant they would go through another vote. It was in that round, when CSA became his 11th vote, that he won.

The lawsuit, filed by Kirk Greaves, seeks a total of $2 million dollars in damages

Peter Della Penna13-May-2022

In the midst of a protracted legal battle regarding the delayed general elections from 2020, USA Cricket now has a second lawsuit on its hands after Kirk Greaves, who was terminated from an independent-contractor role early last month, filed legal action in the US Federal Court against the national governing body claiming “racial discrimination in employment”.The lawsuit, which was filed by Greaves on April 28 in the Northern District of California (USA Cricket is headquartered in San Francisco) is seeking a total of $2 million dollars in damages: $150,000 in economic damages owing to lost future wages; $350,000 in non-economic damages for “psychological stress and humiliation”; and $1.5 million in punitive damages.”USA Cricket is aware of various details of a lawsuit being brought by a former contractor against USA Cricket,” a USA Cricket spokesperson said to ESPNcricinfo in an emailed statement. “The individual is one of a number of contractors previously engaged by USA Cricket whose contracts were recently not renewed. All allegations in the lawsuit are entirely false and without merit, and USA Cricket denies and will aggressively defend against them. The matter is currently in the hands of USA Cricket’s lawyers. We look forward to the case being dismissed in due course and will not be making any further comment at this time.”Prior to working for USA Cricket, Greaves, a native of Barbados, worked as Team Operations Manager for Barbados Tridents for three seasons in the Caribbean Premier League from 2016 to 2018. He was also appointed as Tournament Operations Manager for the Global T20 Canada when it launched in 2018 and worked in an operations role for Rajasthan Royals during the 2019 IPL. According to the lawsuit, Greaves claims he was brought on board by USA Cricket as an independent contractor for a four-month probationary period as a Cricket Operations Manager beginning in March 2021 at an initial wage of $5,000 per month and tasked with executing four domestic cricket tournaments.Greaves claims a verbal agreement was in place with then board CEO Iain Higgins to give him an offer of full-time employment, contingent upon the successful completion of the four domestic tournaments. However, Greaves was never subsequently presented with a full-time job offer and claims that the budget which was allegedly allocated for the role was instead repackaged as an increased salary offer to a white employee.Among other allegations, Greaves states that he was subjected to a “toxic work environment, unfair employment practices, wage disparity and discrimination”. Greaves claims that he was the only black staff member and also the only American citizen on staff and, as such, he was “hired to diversify the management of USA Cricket. It would appear that only the Australians, Indians, New Zealanders and other non-Americans have benefitted from the USA Cricket brand”.Though their employment status is not considered full-time, USA Cricket currently has three other black men – who are all American citizens – serving in staff leadership roles affiliated with its national teams: John Aaron as USA Women’s national team manager, Kerk Higgins as USA men’s national team manager, and Kevin Darlington in the dual role of USA men’s assistant coach and USA U-19 men’s head coach.Greaves also claims in the suit that he suffered humiliation after having his role reclassified from “Cricket Operations Manager” to “Events Manager”, and that the renaming of his role resulted in “eliminating any element of black representation at the senior management level”, something he claims “was racially orchestrated and violated US law”. Greaves also writes that his job status was that of a permanent employee but claims that classifying him as an independent contractor “demonstrates bad faith and is a contravention of US labor laws”.On March 28, a letter was sent by USA Cricket Operations Director Richard Done to Greaves notifying him that his independent contractor agreement – which had been $6,500 for the final five months, an increase of $1,500 above his original – was being terminated as of April 8, “pursuant to the decision of the Cricket Committee”. However, Greaves claims that he received an email disputing this from USA Cricket board member Srini Salver. In the email, which is attached in an exhibit as part of the lawsuit filing, Salver writes to Greaves that “your termination was never recommended by the Cricket Committee” in any board meeting but was instead discussed during a conversation about budgets.”The budget isn’t approved, nor are the terminations,” Salver allegedly wrote to Greaves. Salver is one of the two board member plaintiffs, along with Venu Pisike, in the ongoing legal action filed against five other USA board members and then USA Cricket CEO Iain Higgins over the legality of new members being allowed voting status in the case about the delayed elections from 2020.A court hearing date for the Greaves lawsuit has been set for August 2.

Newcastle United’s transfer business after potentially signing defender Marc Guehi may still not be over.

The Magpies have been productive in this market but have had to do it in a patient way, as the club makes sure they abide by the financial fair play rules. Eddie Howe’s side will be looking to do as much business as they can between now and the end of the window, while also hoping to continue their good start to the Premier League campaign after beating Southampton last weekend.

He's like De Ligt: Newcastle target move for £26m Guehi alternative

Eddie Howe is desperate to bolster his defence during the current transfer window

By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 20, 2024

Newcastle United and Marc Guehi latest

Newcastle have made five additions to their squad so far in this transfer window, with those signings being a mix of youth and experience. They have added two new goalkeepers to their side, as well as signing Lewis Hall on a permanent basis and bringing in William Osula, who looks to be a promising player.

The Premier League side has turned their attention to signing a central defender now, and they have made Crystal Palace defender Guehi their top target for that position. Newcastle have been serious about their pursuit of the player, as the club has made four bids for the England international.

Their latest offer was said to be around the £65 million mark, but that evaluation is said to have fallen short of what Palace want for the player. However, it now appears as though the Magpies are edging closer to signing Guehi, with Sky Sports reporting that there is “cautious optimism” that a deal can be struck before the weekend.

Newcastle’s latest offer wasn’t said to have been rejected despite falling short of the club's valuation. Instead, talks have continued between the two clubs over the structure of the deal. Palace believes that it would be beneficial to sell Guehi, as he’s only got two years left on his contract. But as well as looking to sign Guehi, Newcastle could follow up on his signing by chasing a midfielder.

Newcastle are set to make a £17m bid for midfielder

According to journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos, Newcastle are set to make an offer for Olympiacos midfielder Santiago Hezze. The update states that the offer is said to be more than €20 million (£17 million) for the 22-year-old.

Hezze has been with the Greek side since August 2023, when he joined the club from Argentinian side Huracan. The midfielder played over 120 games for the Argentine side, scoring nine goals and chipping in with eight assists.

Hezze played 50 times for Olympiacos in his first season at the club, as he was a prominent figure for the club in all competitions. He played the majority of his minutes in the league, but he also played an important role in the club reaching the Europa League and then winning the Europa Conference League.

The versatile midfielder, who can feature in holding, central or attacking roles, has played in the club’s opening game of this season, meaning he has now played 51 times for the Greek side, during which time he has scored one goal and recorded three assists. Hezze is contracted to the club until the summer of 2028, meaning Newcastle will have to make a good enough offer for the club to consider selling him.

da betano casino： Chelsea Football Club have become known in the past for their ability to employ numerous top-level centre-forwards who have supplied the goods in front of goal.

da dobrowin： Didier Drogba, Diego Costa, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Nicolas Anelka are just a handful of players who captured the hearts of the supporters during their respective periods at Stamford Bridge.

Spaniard Costa was arguably the last striker who dominated during his time in West London, scoring 59 times in his 120 appearances for the Londoners during his three-year spell in the Premier League.

His all-round ability to score goals, whilst being able to pin a centre-back providing a focal point, or even play off the shoulder made him a real handful – playing a crucial in the club’s last league triumph back in 2016/17.

In 2024, Nicolas Jackson is the man tasked with leading the line for the Blues under new boss Enzo Maresca, scoring 16 goals in his last 39 league appearances after joining from Villarreal last summer.

Whilst the fanbase are still crying out for an upgrade on the Senegal international, he’s proven to be a solid talisman, undoubtedly better than one player who disappointed during his second spell at the Bridge.

Romelu Lukaku’s time at Chelsea

Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku first joined the Blues way back in 2011/12 from Anderlecht, arriving at the club as one for the future.

He enjoyed multiple successful spells at West Brom and Everton, before departing Chelsea in a £28m deal in the summer of 2014 – ending his three-year stay in the capital.

However, despite seeming a good fee at the time, it would be a deal the club would regret, re-signing the striker seven years later for a reported £97.5m as the club looked to build on their Champions League winning campaign the season prior under Thomas Tuchel.

Despite registering 15 goals in his first campaign back at Stamford Bridge, he would leave on loan to rejoin Inter Milan on loan after a fallout with the Chelsea boss.

His torrid second spell with the Blues would end this summer, joining Napoli in a £30m deal – reuniting him with former boss Antonio Conte, resulting in the club losing a staggering £67.5m in just a three-year period.

The transfer was a disaster all round, with his lack of goals coupled with his off-field antics tarnishing his time at the club despite the excitement around his return in 2021.

Lukaku’s big-money transfer would be made even more frustrating, especially considering the club were targeting another European talent before making the move for the Belgian that summer.

The man who Chelsea wanted alongside Lukaku

Chelsea’s hunt for a new striker in 2021 saw them land Lukaku, but they could’ve landed another top-level talent for around the same fee during the same transfer window.

A report from The Athletic states that the Blues were also interested in signing Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, with the Bundesliga side demanding £100m for his services that summer.

The Norwegian would eventually move to Manchester City the following summer for a reported £51m due to a release clause in his deal with the German side.

The 24-year-old, who’s now valued at £152m as per Transfermarkt, has taken his career to the next level after his Premier League move, scoring 99 times in 103 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, breaking the record for the most goals in a 38-game league season back in 2022/23.

Most valuable players in the Premier League (2024/25)

Player

Market value

Erling Haaland

£152m

Phil Foden

£126m

Bukayo Saka

£118m

Rodri

£110m

Declan Rice

£102m

Stats via Transfermarkt

He helped propel the club to their first-ever Champions League title in the same season, winning the treble in a truly remarkable campaign for City.

Haaland’s incredible goal record would have massively improved the Blues squad and aided their attempts to secure a first league title in eight years – but instead, they’re left looking down the barrel of their woeful investment in Lukaku.

Undoubtedly, the club must wish that they could turn back time and secure a deal for the prolific goalscorer, but now they have to sit back and watch the machine constantly find the back of the net for Guardiola’s side as they look to win a fifth league title in six years.

Related Chelsea flop sold in 2020 is now 'on par with Haaland' & outscoring Jackson

He fell by the wayside at Stamford Bridge…

Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 17, 2024

كانت لحظة إصابة صانع ألعاب منتخب الجزائر ونادي سيراميكا كليوباترا، أحمد قندوسي، صعبة على الجميع خاصة وانها كسر مضاعف في الساق.

وأعلن سيراميكا كليوباترا أن قندوسي سيخضع لعملية جراحية ثم برنامج علاجي من أجل العودة من جديد إلى الملاعب.

اقرأ أيضًا.. شوبير: انتظروا خناقة كبيرة بين زيزو والزمالك

وتواصل بطولات مع وكيل قندوسي، نصر يحيى، للحديث عن حالة اللاعب الجزائري الدولي وماذا قال بعد إصابته الصعبة، وأوضح: “أحمد متواجد في غرفة العمليات ونتمنى له الشفاء”.

وعن مدة الغياب المتوقعة: “4 أشهر ويعود قندوسي إلى التدريبات وبالتالي، سيكون متواجدًا في بداية فترة الإعداد للموسم المقبل مع سيراميكا كليوباترا”.

واستمر: “في الساعات الماضية، كانت هناك العديد من الاتصالات من زملاء قندوسي السابقين وكذلك من الجزائر من أجل الاطمئنان على حالته بعد الإصابة”.

وعن رد فعل قندوسي بعد الإصابة: “أحمد متقبل الأمر والحمد لله لأن الإصابات جزء من كرة القدم”.

Opening batter Mayank Agarwal has been added to India’s squad

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Feb-2022India have been dealt a severe blow four days ahead of their ODI series against West Indies with seven members of their camp, including four players, testing positive for Covid-19. The players are Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad and the reserve fast bowler Navdeep Saini.The other three are members of the support staff: fielding coach T Dilip, security liaison officer B Lokesh and sports massage therapist Rajeev Kumar.While announcing the development in a media release late on Wednesday, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said the selectors had added opening batter Mayank Agarwal to the ODI squad.Related

• Roach's return, spinners and other combination questions for West Indies

• Can Ishan Kishan be the maverick that India need at the top?

• Shahrukh Khan, Sai Kishore part of India's stand-bys for West Indies T20Is

• Kemar Roach handed ODI recall as Desmond Haynes picks first West Indies squad

• Fit-again Rohit to lead India for WI series; Kuldeep back for ODIs

The BCCI said that all positive results emerged after the India squad had undergone three RT-PCR tests upon landing in Ahmedabad on January 31. Dhawan and Saini returned positive tests after the first round of testing on January 31. Dilip and Lokesh also tested positive on the same day. Gaikwad, who had cleared the January 31 test, returned a positive test the next day, while Iyer and Rajeev returned positive tests on Wednesday during the third round of testing.The India squad started to arrive in Ahmedabad at the end of last week while West Indies landed early on February 2. Both teams are staying at the same hotel, but on separate floors. As per the BCCI’s guidelines both India and West Indies have to serve a minimum of three days’ quarantine in their hotel rooms before breaking out for training. India were scheduled to start training from Thursday while West Indies from second half on February 4.All members of the Indian contingent, the BCCI said, had been asked to take a PCR test before they travelled to Ahmedabad. All the seven members who tested positive will now isolate in Ahmedabad. As per the guidelines issued by Indian government, any person testing positive needs to isolate for minimum of seven days.The ODI series is set to be played behind closed doors, with India currently experiencing a third wave of the pandemic. India recorded over 160,000 fresh cases on Tuesday, with the state of Gujarat, where Ahmedabad is located, reporting over 8000 of them.Dhawan, Iyer and Gaikwad will now most likely miss the three-match ODI series, which will be played on February 6, 8 and 11. But the three batters will aim to be back for the T20I leg of the series. The T20Is will be played in Kolkata on February 16, 18 and 20.Vice-captain KL Rahul has not yet joined the India squad and is set to miss the first ODI in order to attend his sister’s wedding. This means India will have only five batters from the original squad to choose from for the first ODI: captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and allrounder Deepak Hooda. Agarwal is likely to arrive in Ahmedabad on Thursday, which means he could slot into the XI for the first ODI, immediately after completing his three-day quarantine.

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： O lateral-esquerdo Bruno Melosentiu o músculo posterior da coxa esquerdae, após exame, foi constatada uma lesão.A tendência portanto é que a comissão técnica doCorinthianspreserve o atleta no duelo de sábado contra a Ponte Preta, às 18h30, na Neo Química Arena, válido pela décima primeira rodada do Campeonato Paulista.

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da betsson： > GALERIA – Veja o retrospecto do Timão no Paulistão desde o novo formato

O polivalente defensor, que atua tanto como lateral-esquerdo quanto zagueiro, não participou do treino do Timão desta quinta-feira e iniciouo trabalho de recuperação com a equipe de fisioterapia do clube na parte interna do CT Joaquim Grava.

> TABELA – Confira e simule os próximos jogos do Corinthians no Paulistão

Anunciado pelo Corinthians no meio de janeiro, ele foi o segundo reforço do clube paulista para a temporada, contratado por empréstimo de um ano vindo do Fortaleza.

Sem ser utilizado nos dois primeiros jogos do Timão na temporada, Bruno foi liberado pelo clube no primeiro dia de fevereiro para tratar problemas pessoais, perdendo quatro jogos consecutivos do time do Parque São Jorge.

Sua primeira partida foi diante do Botafogo-SP, onde começou como titular e atuou por 90 minutos. Na derrota para o São Paulo no clássico Majestoso, entrou no decorrer do segundo para compor uma linha com três defensores.

Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur has been hit with a seven-game suspension and a hefty fine for his racist comments towards club-mate Song Heung-min.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Bentancur punished for racist comments
• Slapped with a hefty fine and suspension
• Spurs take on Man City on Sunday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Uruguay international has been slapped with a £100,000 fine and a seven-match ban by the FA for his discriminatory words about Son and Korean people. The FA had charged the Uruguay international in September over his comments on his colleague. During pre-season, Bentancur had joked that people from the Asian nation "all look the same” in a TV interview when asked for Son's shirt.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  WHAT THE FA SAID

  The official statement from the FA read: "An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview. It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.

  "It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin. Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing. Its written reasons for these decisions can be seen below."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Soon after his comments went viral, the midfielder apologised to the Spurs captain in a public social media post. Son later said his team-mate almost broke down in tears when they next met and that he had already forgiven him. The Uruguayan's absence will come as a significant blow to Tottenham as he has regularly featured in Ange Postecoglou's starting line-up in the 2024-25 campaign.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR SPURS?

  Postecoglou's side will be back in action after the international break as they take on reigning champions Manchester City in a Premier League clash on Saturday at Etihad Stadium.