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Even in the age of T20 cricket, India’s U-19 captain likes to take his time and take the game deep without worrying much about the strike rate

Raunak Kapoor11-Feb-20240:58

Saharan: Good to have a close semi-final before the final

Sri Ganganagar, the northern-most city in the state of Rajasthan, no more than 225 square km in area and, with a population of around 200,000, is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of the legendary Indian ghazal singer and musician, Jagjit Singh.By Sunday evening, the city might well have given India their sixth Under-19 Men’s World Cup-winning captain.Uday Saharan made the move from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan to play age-group cricket in Punjab when his father Sanjeev, who is also his coach, decided it was time to take cricket seriously.Singh’s music and Saharan’s batting both share an element of timelessness.Related

• Bumrah's tips on yorker have helped a lot, says Naman Tiwari

• India vs Australia in a title clash yet again as U-19 World Cup reaches climax

• Sachin Dhas is playing his father's dream – live in Benoni

• Saharan: 'I knew it was a matter of one partnership'

Going into the final against Australia, Saharan has batted for 644 minutes in this tournament, facing 493 balls and scoring 389 runs, the third highest for an India batter in a single edition. Shikhar Dhawan’s 505 in 2004 remains the record. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 88 in the final in 2020 took him to 400. A hundred for Saharan may well put him at the top.But it isn’t as much about his own runs as what, and more importantly how much, has happened for India while Saharan has been at the crease. Nearly 53% of India’s runs have come with Saharan in the middle.He has forged a partnership of more than 50 in every game, including four in excess of 100 and three over 150. His stand of 215 with Sachin Dhas against Nepal is a record for India in the Under-19 World Cup.In India’s two most important games this tournament, against Bangladesh and the semi-final against South Africa, Saharan walked in at 31 for 2 and 8 for 2, respectively. While Adarsh Singh (against Bangladesh) and Dhas (against South Africa) played the match-defining innings, Saharan is what kept the team from falling apart.The earliest any team has been able to dismiss India’s captain is the 37th over of the innings.Saharan is a throwback to the old school of batting. Take your time to get in, eliminate risk almost entirely, and don’t worry about the strike rate. Something he learned and inherited from his father.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”My father told me from the beginning to always take the game deep, as deep as possible,” Saharan told Star Sports ahead of the final. “These days, batters like to play shots and try to finish things off early, but my father’s thought process, which I know is old school, has always been to keep wickets in hand and take the game deep, because if you get to such a situation, then you can chase down anything, given the kind of batters you have today.”Saharan’s style of batting is often one that stirs up the intent debate at the senior level, particularly in white-ball cricket. But in a World Cup where surfaces have generally been challenging for batting, with just three scores in excess of 300 in 40 matches, two of those by India, his methods have worked wonders for his team.”If I’m completely honest, of course I want to go out there and play big shots,” he says. “Play shots in the air, try to hit sixes, because that’s what people like to watch today. But in reality, I want my team to win, I want my country to win, that’s what makes me proud. So if my game needs to be different, where I need to play a secondary role to keep the team in the game, I’m more than happy to.”Saharan’s team values his contributions. While his 81 off 124 winning him the Player-of-the-Match award ahead of Dhas’ 96 off 95 in the semi-final might seem debatable, the emotions of the Indian team right after, roaring and applauding their captain receiving the award, was perhaps an indication they might not have got to the final without him.

“I’ve played a lot of pressure games already… Those games taught me how to react to different situations, how the opposition is likely to react to what has happened, how the bowlers are going to bowl”Uday Saharan

Adarsh, Musheer Khan and Dhas, who had won Player-of-the-Match awards in previous games, have all credited Saharan for his game awareness and communication throughout the partnerships, on what to expect from different bowlers at different phases of the innings, something that even at 19, he feels comes naturally to him.”I’ve played a lot of pressure games already,” Saharan says. “I’m only 19, but from my cricket at the club, district and state level, I’ve played these innings before. Those games taught me how to react to different situations, how the opposition is likely to react to what has happened, how the bowlers are going to bowl. I feel I picked up a lot of knowledge from the cricket I have already played, so I just want to share that with the rest of my team. If my information helps my partner and makes him think about the situation of the game better, then that helps my team.”Ahead of the final, Saharan has become the leading run-scorer in the tournament. He wasn’t on the top at any point before the semi-final. He has also predominantly run his way to the top with just 29 boundaries (27 fours and 2 sixes) in his tally of 389, the least among the top six, which is also a testament to his fitness, inspired by his role model Virat Kohli.”Virat Kohli set the benchmark for fitness in the Indian team,” Saharan says. “That is something I’ve always admired. The benefit of fitness on your game is immense, and that inspired me. Also, the way he aces chases by taking the innings deep, that and his passion is something I try to emulate.”Sachin Dhas and Uday Saharan struck up a record 215-run partnership against Nepal•ICC/Getty ImagesSaharan has already outscored his role model, and any other India Under-19 World Cup captain. But Kohli’s 235 runs in 2008 came at a strike rate of 94.75, which caught the attention of Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the inaugural IPL season and paved the way for Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw and Yash Dhull to follow suit.Saharan may well be different despite the demands of the modern white-ball game. It is unlikely his runs at a strike rate of 78.90 would have impressed the IPL scouts who have been in attendance throughout the World Cup.Saharan is only 19 and may still evolve his game with time. But his ability to withstand pressure and exercise restraint in a tournament where every player grew up in the age of T20 cricket is what has brought India within one game of their sixth title.At a time where conversations linger on about the future of the ODI format, India winning 50-over World Cups, senior or junior, can only help with reviving its popularity.Jagjit Singh was widely credited for the revival and popularity of ghazals, a form of Indian semi-classical singing, by choosing poetry that was relevant to the masses. His work was regarded as genre-defining. Uday Saharan is one innings away from beating Australia, poetically, in an ICC final in the 50-over genre. Nothing is more relevant to India’s masses than World Cup wins.

In the 2000s, the fall of Australia’s fifth wicket would mean the fun was just beginning. It looks like those days might be back again

Alex Malcolm22-Mar-2022There was once a time in Australia’s golden age at the start of the new millennium when their fifth wicket fell, the fun would begin.No matter how many or how few the much-vaunted top order had compiled, Adam Gilchrist waltzed out to join Damien Martyn, as Australia’s Nos. 6 and 7 produced either a fearsome counterattack, or mercilessly piled on the pain. Four times they piled up century sixth-wicket stands, including a double and a triple.But it has been a while since a lower-order pairing has been so prolific. Leading into Lahore, Australia had produced just two century stands for the sixth wicket since the 2019 Ashes, and just two away from home in the last decade.Related

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The last time Australia had a century stand for the sixth wicket in Asia was in Chennai in 2013 between Michael Clarke and Moises Henriques, when Cameron Green was barely in high school and Alex Carey was making his first-class debut for South Australia.All that changed on Tuesday, and this Australia side looks far stronger for it. Green and Carey combined for an eye-catching 135-run stand that not only dug the visitors out of a precarious position at 206 for 5 prior to stumps on day one, but also pushed the game forward at a pace that has rarely been seen in this series to date.Australia’s first foray into Asia in four years is not only a fact-finding mission, but also a sink-or-swim exercise for the likes of Green and Carey, who had each never played a red-ball game in Asia prior to the first Test of this series against Pakistan. But both have proven themselves as fast learners, and are swimming proficiently by the third Test, albeit on surfaces that have not been technically demanding for batters.”Over in the subcontinent you don’t get caught behind as much,” Green said. “The main learning curve I’ve had to do was to bat on leg stump – and learn to feel comfortable with that. Obviously, if you do that in Australia, you probably can nick off a lot more and you’re not too worried about getting lbw because it’s probably going over.”But over here, everything goes underground. So the main learning curve is trying to get used to batting on leg stump – and then obviously with the spin bowlers, how you play them with the ball keeping a bit lower and turning a bit more.”The pair looked every bit as assured as Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith had on day one. They took advantage of the second new ball’s hardness and prospered.Alex Carey played a mix of slog sweeps, reverse sweeps and cover drives against the turn•AFP/Getty ImagesGreen’s patented early nerves were nowhere to be seen. He sent hearts fluttering with one of the shots of the series off Shaheen Shah Afridi. Standing tall, using all of his 200cm, he crunched the left-armer off the back foot through cover-point. It was a shot his batting coach Beau Casson had been encouraging him to play on slower pitches, and he unfurled it in a statement of intent.Carey, meanwhile, produced some stunning cover drives on the up to continue with the form he showed in Karachi.The pair was not bogged down against spin too. Green was light on his feet and more decisive than he had been in the previous two Tests, while Carey took to Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan with a mix of slog sweeps, reverse sweeps and cover drives against the turn, as they raced to fifty apiece and a century stand inside the first session. Green gave a unique insight as to why the pair had worked so well together.”It’s something I’ve found recently that I look at the partnership score instead of my own score,” he said. “Firstly, it takes a bit of pressure off myself when I look up the scoreboard and I’m only on 12 – let’s say – but if the partnership is on 30, you feel a lot calmer.”So that’s kind of what I’ve been trying to do recently to focus on the partnerships and then your own score will obviously gradually increase. So that’s kind of what me and Alex did. Obviously, at the time we needed a big partnership. Kez batted awesome.”

“Unfortunately, just lack of concentration… I thought I saw the ball go away from me, but it came back in”Green on how reverse swing made him miss out on a century

But the game changed after lunch. Carey had a lapse in concentration and was trapped lbw to Nauman for 67, leaving Green with the tail as the ball was starting to reverse. Green had negotiated Hasan Ali well with the ball tailing in, striking two boundaries in one over. But Babar Azam turned back to Naseem Shah, who made the ball talk at 140kph.”He bowled really well all day, Naseem,” Green said. “He was getting the ball to reverse pretty largely both ways. Basically what I’ve been doing is obviously a bit different to what Smudge [Steven Smith] does. Smudge tries to get really far across and negate lbw, where I’m trying to get my legs out of the way and just play with my hands basically.”It worked for four balls against Naseem in the 125th over, but not for the fifth, as a 140.9kph length ball veered back through the gate to clatter into Green’s middle stump.”Unfortunately, just lack of concentration when you’ve been batting out there for a while,” Green said. “I thought I saw the ball go away from me, but it came back in.”It is a steep learning curve for Green, as he fell between 74 and a coveted Test century for the fourth time in his short career.”Unfortunately, I keep having thoughts go through my head when I’m out in the middle,” Green said. “It’s starting to get a bit of an issue now because it keeps popping in so I’ve got to keep working on that, feeling comfortable when you get close to it and hopefully it comes one day.”If he and Carey keep their minds on the partnership, their day will come.

San Francisco Giants reporter Justice delos Santos of the in San Francisco certainly got his steps in to pay off a bet with Chicago Cubs reporter Jordan Bastian.

During Wednesday night's game, Santos told Bastian that he would run a mile for every run scored in the matchup between the Giants and the Cubs. The two teams picked a good night to score 15 combined runs in a contest the Giants won 12-3.

Here's the hilarious clip of Santos discussing the bet that he would have to pay off.

By the way, he did it.

Safe to say he might think twice before making that bet next time!

Kuldeep, Jadeja, Axar and Varun don’t so much spin a web as represent a 4D threat to India’s opponents

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Mar-20251:31

Kumble: ‘Kuldeep doesn’t look for the surface to help him’

There is no relent. With two you could maybe manage. With three it was already a minefield (ask Bangladesh, or Pakistan). Four? Hah! On this worn square? Yah, good luck.Eke out your little singles here, squeeze out an edged four there, you can hit out and maybe nail one to the boundary, but you know you’ve taken a risk, and how long are you really going to be that brave for? And anyway, there are bowling changes that can be rung, new fields that can be employed, a whole new set of problems for you to solve next over.Two of India’s spinners have stock balls that turn away from the right-hand batter. Two of them are difficult to pick. Two of them can bowl in the powerplay. Two are effective at the death. In each of those four considerations, a different combination is represented.Related

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Try to graphically represent the cricketing skills of Ravindra Jadeja (turns ball away from right-hand batter), Axar Patel (can bowl in powerplay/turns the ball away from right-hand batter), Kuldeep Yadav (difficult to pick/effective at the death), and Varun Chakravarthy (difficult to pick/can bowl in powerplay/effective at the death), try to chart their synergies, permutations, and versatility, and what you end up with is less Venn diagram, more three-dimensional quadruple-helix. Like intertwined DNA strands as imagined by a surrealist (MC Escher more than Picasso).It’s often said of spinners that they string up batting orders in their webs. This is like a web, intersecting with another web, layered on to two more webs.Against New Zealand, Jadeja, the most conventional of India’s spinners, delivered the most conventional overs, almost by rote – a factory worker on a production line. He punched in at the start of the 19th, bowled nine unchanged through the middle period, trapped a batter sweeping, rushed through his deliveries to get India’s over rate up, fired in some rocket throws from the outfield in between that New Zealand’s batters dared not take on, and finished with figures of 1 for 30. In the break room of this factory, beneath rows of framed photographs of Jadeja, the little metal straps read “Employee of the Month”. It was he who hit the winning runs, his presence all the way down at No. 8 empowering the batters above him to play more aggressively right through the tournament.ESPNcricinfo LtdBut others had laid the groundwork for Jadeja’s middle-overs shift. Kuldeep, a bamboozler at the top of the innings, a pragmatist at the tail, had ripped a googly first ball to end Rachin Ravindra’s little rampage. Next over, he beat Kane Williamson in the air, which few spinners can ever claim to have done, and took a simple return catch – the ball also perhaps having stopped on the pitch. In his first seven balls, Kuldeep had removed New Zealand’s semi-final centurions. There is arguably no more definitive phase of the match than this.That India have barely missed Jasprit Bumrah in this tournament at the death is also partly down to Kuldeep. In this match, he bowled four overs between the 39th and 47th of the innings. Those cost him only 15 runs – one boundary conceded across 24 balls.Varun was once an aspiring architect, but now in his own telling, bowls one delivery that “goes left” one that “goes right” and another that “goes straight”. The difficulty for a batter is figuring out which is which. Like a Bangalore tech start-up that has devised a hugely profitable algorithm, Varun guards his USP hawkishly, Rohit Sharma stating at the start of this tournament that he rarely ever bowls his variations to the India batters in the nets (there’s an IPL to think about). In this match, Rohit used him in bursts, three overs in the powerplay, four overs in the middle, three overs in the late middle/early death.A legbreak in the powerplay got Will Young, but the crucial strike was against Glenn Phillips in the 38th over, when Phillips was threatening to give serious energy to New Zealand’s final burst. That googly was 92kph. Phillips rolled the dice on which direction it would turn, and picked wrong. It turned in to him, and took out his stumps.Varun Chakravarthy kept New Zealand guessing with his variations•Associated PressAxar, long-legged, wingspan of an albatross, has sniped around the edges of the other three this tournament, picking up five wickets. Crucially, he has also presented the challenge of extra bounce to batters, given his high release point. He and Jadeja were the co-squeezers, his economy rate of 3.62 in the final substantially better even than his tournament economy rate of 4.35 on a track which, in the first innings, took only mild turn. For Axar alone of the quartet, bowling is increasingly secondary. Against New Zealand, India’s only worthy opposition, he produced a 42 in the group match, and an important 29 off 40 in the final.No portion of India’s campaign has wriggled with as much life as Varun’s nine wickets, from just three matches. Of India’s 47 total Champions Trophy wickets, 26 have belonged to their spinners. In the final, they took five of the seven to go down, and had a combined economy rate of 3.79 across their 38 overs. Their total effect has been extraordinary.There is an obvious comparison to make here, to that legendary 1960s and 1970s quartet of Bishan Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, BS Chandrasekar and S Venkataraghavan. As with most legends, some of the history is imagined – those four spinners only played a single Test together.These four now have three entries on the ODI ledger, and have written their names across a major tournament, imbuing India’s knockouts performances with dynamism, high skill, consistency, and barely relenting control. Virat Kohli may have led chases, Shreyas Iyer might have brought heft to the middle order, and Rohit’s scintillating start was vital in the title match. But if you’re looking for India’s Champions Trophy engine room, it is their two left-arm spinners, their left-arm wristspinner, and their mystery bowler. Cricket has never seen anything like them.

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has issued a defiant rallying cry ahead of his side’s crunch Champions League clash with Manchester City, insisting that the mood in the camp has shifted from anger to determination following the chaotic weekend defeat to Celta Vigo. The coach insists his side are "eager" to recover their form amid reports he could be sacked if they fail to win.

Madrid struggling ahead of Champions League tie

The atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu has been feverish since Sunday evening. What should have been a routine La Liga fixture descended into a nightmare for Los Blancos, ending in a 2-0 defeat, a serious injury to defensive leader Eder Militao, and three red cards. The result has left the Spanish champions trailing in the title race and placed immense scrutiny on the shoulders of their young coach.

However, facing the media at Valdebebas on Tuesday, Alonso refused to buckle under the pressure. Instead, the Basque tactician presented a figure of calm authority, dismissing suggestions of internal division and framing the visit of Guardiola’s side not as a daunting obstacle, but as the perfect opportunity for immediate redemption.

AdvertisementAFPAlonso insists Madrid remain unified

The disciplinary meltdown against Celta Vigo, where Fran Garcia, Alvaro Carreras, and Endrick were all dismissed, raised immediate questions about the discipline and cohesion within the squad. Facing the press ahead of the European tie, Alonso was pressed on whether he was disappointed with the players' conduct or if the result had caused fractures within the group.

"We're all in this together," the manager stated. "Without any cracks. With the conviction that this is an opportunity. We need to have the energy to connect with the Bernabeu."

The manager's comments come at a critical juncture for the club. With Eder Militao having joined Dani Carvajal and David Alaba on the sidelines after sustaining an injury in the first half on Sunday, the need for collective unity has never been higher. Alonso is looking to the famous European atmosphere to help bridge the gap caused by the current personnel crisis, especially amid reports that he may be dismissed if they crumble on home soil on Wednesday.

Madrid prepared to turn situation around

Addressing the erratic nature of the sport, Alonso offered a philosophical perspective on the current crisis. He acknowledged the difficult emotions following the weekend's result but reminded the press that the narrative of a football season is never static and can pivot on a single result.

"This is a team, we're all in this together. When you're the Real Madrid coach, you're prepared for anything. We're really eager to turn things around, which is understandable. Our only focus is on City. In football, for better or for worse, things can turn around quickly," he added. 

"We're mentally prepared to face what lies ahead. Everyone is convinced we can win tomorrow. It's a big day. It will have a Champions League night atmosphere. The fans know what kind of match we're in for, against a team that recently won the Champions League."

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Finally, looking ahead to the match itself, Alonso acknowledged the magnitude of the occasion. With the group stage entering a pivotal phase, a positive result is essential to keep Madrid's European ambitions on track.

The squad will now complete their final preparations before facing Erling Haaland and company on Wednesday night. With Militao out, Alonso will be forced to reshuffle his backline once again, but his message to the public is clear: the conviction remains, and the team is ready to fight.

"We're playing against a great team. Haaland is incredible, but if we play to our level we can win that game," Aurelien Tchouameni added. "If we don't play with maximum intensity, it will be very difficult to win matches. We have to understand that to win these matches we have to give our all. We didn't do it against Celta and we must do it tomorrow."

كشفت صحيفة سبورت المقربة من برشلونة، عن مدى جاهزية نجم الفريق بيدري من اللعب خلال مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد في الدوري الإسباني.

برشلونة سوف يستضيف على أرضه ووسط جماهيره أتلتيكو مدريد في ملعب “كامب نو” يوم الثلاثاء المقبل، وذلك في قمة منافسات الجولة الخامسة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

ولا يوجد بديل بالنسبة لبرشلونة سوى الفوز في لقاء أتلتيكو مدريد، وذلك في ظل المنافسة الشرسة على لقب الدوري الإسباني هذا الموسم بين البلوجرانا وريال مدريد.

وعاد بيدري مجددًا للعب مع برشلونة ، وذلك عقب إصابة عانى منها اللاعب وأبعدته عن صفوف البارسا لمدة تجاوزت الشهر.

وشارك بيدري في شوط المباراة الثاني بين برشلونة وديبورتيفو ألافيس، والذي نجح فيه برشلونة في الفوز بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف بالدوري الإسباني.

وأكدت سبورت، أن بيدري سوف يشارك بشكل طبيعي في التشكيلة الأساسية لبرشلونة ضد أتلتيكو مدريد، لكن اللاعب جاهزيته تتيح له في الوقت الحالي اللعب لمدة 45 دقيقة.

أقرأ أيضًا .. موقف دي يونج وأراوخو من مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد

وأضافت أنه في ظل صعوبة المباراة فقد ترتفع دقائق مشاركة بيدري أمام أتلتيكو مدريد إلى مدة تتراوح بين 60 و70 دقيقة، ومن غير المرجح أن يلعب أكثر من ذلك.

وأوضحت أن مدرب برشلونة، هانز فليك، يعرف جيدًا مدى أهمية بيدري في مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد، حيث سبق وأن عانى البارسا ضد نادي العاصمة الإسبانية في ذهاب نصف نهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا بعدما خرج بيدري من الملعب.

واستبدل فليك بيدري في الدقيقة 85 ضد أتلتيكو مدريد في ذهاب نصف نهائي كأس الملك، حيث كانت النتيجة 4-2 لصالح برشلونة، قبل أن تنقلب الأمور على الفريق الكتالوني ويسجل الأتليتي هدفين لتنتهي المباراة بالتعادل 4-4.

واختتمت الصحيفة قولها، أن فليك سوف يدفع ببيدري بشكل أساسي ضد أتلتيكو مدريد، لكن اللاعب الشاب سوف تتم إدارة دقائقه في المباريات خلال الفترة المقبلة بعناية من أجل الحفاظ على جاهزيته البدنية ولتجنبه الإصابات.

Florentino Perez has moved to reshape Real Madrid’s financial future, preparing to sell a 10% stake through a newly created commercial company after already securing €360 million from Bernabeu-related profits. The president outlined the plan to club members, insisting it will “protect us as an institution” and allow Madrid to raise funds without becoming a public limited sports company.

• Perez prepares second ‘lever’ to raise €500m-€1bn

  According to , Madrid president Perez has initiated one of the massive corporate changes in club’s modern history, laying out plans to sell approximately 10% of a newly formed commercial entity in order to generate fresh investment. The move follows the club’s earlier deal in which they sold 20% of future Santiago Bernabeu profits to Sixth Street and Legends for €360 million (£317m/$417m), a financial manoeuvre widely framed as Madrid’s first “lever”.

  Perez detailed the new proposal to Real Madrid’s members, stressing the need to modernise the club’s organisational structure while maintaining the traditional member-owned model. As he told members directly: "Our club must have an organisational structure that protects us as an institution and also protects all of us as owners of Real Madrid. To this end, I confirm that we will bring to this Assembly a proposal for the club's corporate reorganisation that secures our future, protects us from the threats we face, and, above all, guarantees that the members are true owners of our club and its financial assets.”

  Those words underline the president’s attempt to balance the necessity of new investment with the fiercely guarded identity of the club as a non-SAD (Sociedad Anonima Deportiva, a special type of public limited company related to sports) sporting entity. Perez has long admired versions of Germany’s 50+1 structure, but Spanish law presents stiff barriers to adopting that model. With no legal path to transform Real Madrid into a Bayern Munich-style hybrid, the club is instead exploring a framework of subsidiaries that would enable investment without relinquishing sporting control.

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• Perez leans on advisors

  Los Blancos' financial advisors, including Anas Laghrari, Key Capital Partners and Clifford Chance, have reportedly pushed towards a strategy that mirrors what Madrid previously set up with Real Madrid Estadio SL in 2021, the company that currently manages several stadium-related operations. Perez is now expected to replicate this model through the creation of an instrumental commercial entity that investors can buy into, without any influence over the club’s governing bodies.

  This approach protects Real Madrid from ever becoming a public limited sports company, a transformation that would dilute the members’ historic power. Instead of a direct sale of the club, shareholders would be purchasing equity in a business that manages commercial activities such as sponsorships, stadium operations, events and marketing rights. The sporting side, first team, academy, coaching structure, sporting decisions, would remain 100% owned by the members.

  Perez’s insistence on the club’s member-driven identity was underlined again in his internal assembly message. With expenses on the revamped Bernabeu now reaching €1.347 billion, up from the original €575m plan, the club requires a new injection of liquidity simply to stabilise its financial trajectory, as per the report.

• Rising stadium debt pushes Madrid toward controlled investment

  Madrid’s financial situation has become more demanding with each construction revision. As of June 30, 2025, the outstanding loan debt for the stadium stood at €1.132bn. Inflation, the war in Ukraine, the retractable pitch (€225m) and improved acoustic systems for concerts have all contributed to the ballooning cost, which now totals €1.347bn. Despite the immense commercial potential of the modernised Bernabeu, the short-term strain is massive.

  This new model also mirrors, in a more controlled way, the “levers” used by Barcelona to avoid bankruptcy. Barca created entities such as Barca Studios, Barca Licensing Merchandising, and the Barca Innovation Hub. Perez will follow a similar path but with stronger safeguards, any shares created in the new company will be distributed automatically and free of charge to existing club members, functioning more as membership rights than tradeable financial instruments.

  Crucially, the commercial company created under this model is expected to stay fully majority-owned by Real Madrid, ensuring that members remain the ultimate decision-makers.

  Reports earlier also indicate that the club is also studying a partial demerger between its sporting and commercial operations, an approach that could serve as a precursor to a more structured hybrid governance model. Investors would hold minority stakes in the commercial arm, but the sporting entity would remain untouched, safeguarding the philosophy Perez has championed for over two decades.

  This structure is intended not only to raise capital but also to protect Real Madrid from political, legal, or market-driven vulnerabilities in the future.

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  Legal checks & long-term investment roadmap

  The immediate next step is the extraordinary assembly, where socios will vote on Perez’s restructuring proposal. Advisors are currently preparing the legal and tax framework to ensure compliance with Spanish sports law, which requires that all commercial income be reinvested for sporting use and prohibits the distribution of profits.

  If approved, Bernebeu will establish the new subsidiary, define which commercial assets it controls, and begin negotiations with investors already expressing willingness to inject capital. The club is expected to prioritise strategic partners with long-term interest in global sports ventures, rather than short-term financial firms.

  In the wider picture, this move represents Madrid’s attempt to future-proof its financial model as football’s economic landscape becomes increasingly dominated by state-backed clubs and global investment groups.

Over the last couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur haven’t been afraid to splash the cash in attacking areas, as seen by their deal to land Roberto Soldado back in 2013.

The Spaniard cost the hierarchy a whopping £26m from LaLiga side Valencia, a deal that was a then club record during the tenure of former chairman Daniel Levy.

However, such a move was a disaster for all parties involved with the deal, with the forward only scoring 16 times in his 76 appearances for the Lilywhites across all competitions.

As a result of his dismal stint in North London, he would depart after just two years, subsequently leaving at a loss of £16m and moving back to his homeland to join Villarreal.

Despite the failure of the deal to land Soldado, it hasn’t stopped the hierarchy from making numerous other big-money moves to help improve their Premier League standing.

The failures of Richarlison at Tottenham

Back in the summer of 2022, Spurs once again spent big on a new centre forward, with Brazilian international Richarlison joining in a deal worth £50m from Everton.

Given the amount spent on his signature, the move generates huge excitement amongst the fanbase, but it’s safe to say the transfer hasn’t lived up to expectations.

The 28-year-old has racked up 101 appearances for the Lilywhites since his move, but he’s only scored on 23 occasions – averaging a goal every five games at present.

He’s also been given the nod by new boss Thomas Frank in recent months, but has failed to repay the faith shown in him by Dane with his recent performances.

Throughout his last two outings against Bodo Glimt and Wolves, he only managed 30 combined touches, subsequently registering the fewest amount of touches of any player on the pitch in both contests.

He was strongly linked with a summer transfer to join Galatasaray during the recent window, but stayed put in North London, but such a decision could be one they regret.

However, despite his lack of impact in recent times, one other player has also struggled to live up to the huge expectations that he arrived in North London with.

The Spurs star who was compared to Kane

Harry Kane is a player who massively captured the hearts of the fanbase at Spurs, and understandably s,o given his tremendous goalscoring exploits in North London.

The Englishman netted a staggering 280 goals during his decade in the Lilywhites first-team, with such a record making him the highest goalscorer in the club’s history.

However, his goalscoring exploits were unable to catapult the club to any tangible success, with the hierarchy subsequently allowing him to depart and join Bayern Munich to further his career.

The club would recoup a fee in the region of £82m for his signature, but wouldn’t spend such funds in the same window, with Richarlison often leading the line in 2023/24.

Money would be invested in a new talisman the year after, as Dominic Solanke joined Spurs in a club-record £65m deal from fellow top-flight outfit Bournemouth in the summer of 2024.

Like Richarlison, such a move generated huge buzz around the club, especially after he netted 16 times across all competitions during his first season in North London.

Such form led to John Wenham comparing his skillset and assets to those of Kane, but it’s safe to say his career at the club has massively stagnated over the last few months.

Wenham stated during the infancy of Solanke’s Spurs career: “He was holding up the ball, pressing from the front and winning free kicks in a way we haven’t seen a Tottenham striker do since Kane.”

Games played

27

Goals scored

9

Pass accuracy

71%

Shots on target

0.9

Chances created

0.5

Dribble success

35%

Aerials won

42%

Fouls committed

1.5

Solanke has been restricted to just 31 minutes of Premier League action this campaign, with injuries plaguing his progress at the club over the first few weeks of Frank’s tenure.

It’s led to him arguably suffering the same fate as previous big-money addition Soldado, with the Spaniard also scoring frequently in his first year before he struggled to replicate such form the year after.

There is still bags of time for him to get his career with the Lilywhites back on track, but it’s safe to say his time at the club is yet to live up to the expectations many had upon his arrival.

Replacing Kane in the final third was always going to be a near-impossible task, but the gap between the pair is rapidly becoming apparent given their respective spells in recent times.

He will need to rapidly get back to fitness to prove his worth; otherwise, he could certainly suffer the same fate and go down as another big-money flop in North London.

Frank may have found Spurs' new Kane-type player in "incredible" star

Tottenham Hotspur are brewing their next Harry Kane-type player in this England star.

ByDan Emery Oct 15, 2025

Alice Davidson-Richards produced a game-changing fifty as Surrey ended Hampshire’s winning streak in a rain-curtailed Metrobank Women’s One Day Cup clash in Guildford.Freya Kemp’s 58 and Maia Bouchier’s 51 gave Hampshire a platform for a big score, but wickets at regular intervals, including three for Phoebe Franklin, restricted the visitors to 278.Surrey initially struggled to build regular partnerships but Davidson-Richards capitalised on a lengthy rain delay and smashed 62 to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for Surrey.Having been sent in to bat, Hampshire got off to a positive start as openers Bouchier and Rhianna Southby capitalised on some erratic bowling from the Surrey quicks before Southby chopped on for 27.Bouchier anchored Hampshire’s innings well as she marshalled her side past 100 but then mistimed a flick straight to midwicket to fall for 51 as the run rate slowed.Surrey were sharp in the field throughout, as Ryana MacDonald-Gay produced two diving stops before substitute fielder Alexa Stonehouse took a reflex catch at midwicket to dismiss Georgia Adams as Hampshire slumped to 131 for 4.Abi Norgrove joined Kemp to bring about a revival and the two increased the tempo, cruising beyond 200 with a blend of big hitting and well-placed strokes before Norgrove was dismissed for 40.Kemp breezed past 50 and rotated the strike effectively with Nancy Harman until she was run out by Alice Monaghan for 58 attempting to take two on the boundary rider’s throw. But a flurry of wickets prevented Hampshire from fully attacking during the death overs and Surrey restricted the visitors to 278 all out.As dark clouds loomed over Guildford, Hampshire used the conditions to dismiss Kira Chathli early on for a duck but Bryony Smith and Alice Capsey counterattacked to make the most of the powerplay.The pair raced to 46 for 1 after seven overs before a brief shower forced the players off. Immediately after the resumption, Smith was dismissed for 24, having driven Perry straight to cover.Surrey began to settle once more but Freya Davies returned to the Hampshire attack and took the crucial wicket of Capsey for 47 thanks to Bouchier’s juggling take at midwicket.Hampshire continued to turn the screw as Ava Lee and Perry dismissed Paige Scholfield and Grace Harris, leaving the hosts 123 for 5 after 21 overs.Davidson-Richards and Danni Wyatt-Hodge kept the run rate manageable as they put together a meaningful partnership to steer Surrey to the drinks break.The rain showers that had persisted throughout the innings finally got too heavy, forcing the players off with Surrey 19 runs behind the DLS par score.After a lengthy delay, Surrey were set a revised target of 63 off 29 balls and their hopes looked over when Wyatt-Hodge holed out to cover. But Davidson-Richards and Monaghan took up the mantle, smashing a barrage of boundaries to chase down the target with two balls to spare.

Nottingham Forest are suffering a mini-crisis right now and under-fire new boss Ange Postecoglou is under significant pressure, despite being just six games into his tenure.

Ange Postecoglou already facing calls for Nottingham Forest sack

Appointed just under one month ago after Forest parted ways with Nuno Espírito Santo, Postecoglou was brought in on the promise of a new attacking direction and a more positive, high-pressing brand of football.

So far, though, results have been extremely disappointing and dissatisfaction is mounting in the stands.

Chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ rang around the City Ground when Danish minnows FC Midtjylland secured a surprise 3-2 Europa League win in Nottingham on Thursday – a match which best summed up Forest’s serious fragility since Postecoglou took charge.

Forest remain winless under Postecoglou after six matches in all competitions, a stretch that has seen them lose four and draw two.

It’s the worst start by any Forest manager in 100 years, and frustration has spilled over into disdain among supporters.

Postecoglou’s trademark ‘Angeball’ — a philosophy built on possession, quick transitions, and aggressive pressing — has struggled to translate into needed results.

Forest’s squad, accustomed to a more pragmatic, counter-attacking style under Nuno, have looked pretty uncomfortable adjusting to the new approach so far — despite some flashes of brilliant play against the likes of Real Betis — where they really deserved to win that game.

Defensive frailties have been majorly exposed, with the team conceding crucial goals from set pieces and counter-attacks.

A trip to Newcastle awaits Postecoglou next, but while Forest are remaining patient with the 60-year-old (Fabrizio Romano), this could now change pretty quickly.

A loss at St. James’ Park could even spell the end for Tottenham’s former boss, who ended the Lilywhites’ 17-year wait for major silverware at the end of last season.

Fabrizio Romano reported this week that Ange will be given time at Forest, but according to TEAMtalk, ruthless Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis is already considering a bold replacement.

Oliver Glasner emerging as "prime candidate" to replace Ange at Forest

According to their information, as sourced by journalist Fraser Fletcher, Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is now among the top contenders to succeed Postecoglou if he is sacked.

Glasner helped to end Palace’s history-long wait for a major trophy last term, guiding them to a 1-0 win over Man City in the FA Cup final, and the South Londoners are currently on an unprecedented 19-game unbeaten run.

The Austrian has also worked wonders on a limited budget despite losing the likes of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, which has prompted links to the Man United job as pressure also mounts on Ruben Amorim.

It is believed that Glasner is emerging as a “prime candidate” for the Forest job now too, but it remains to be seen whether the Europa League-winning tactician would swap high-flying Palace for Forest given their contrasting fortunes.

That being said, Glasner’s proven track record of consistently overachieving with less-fancied squads in the Bundesliga, Austrian Bundesliga and, now, the Premier League, makes him a pretty exceptional option.

The 51-year-old’s flexible tactical approach has earned serious plaudits, and he’s known for building compact, organized teams that defend as a unit, which could address Forest’s vulnerabilities under Postecoglou.

Glasner was named as a managerial target for Tottenham at one point as well, with pundit John Wenham calling him a potentially “exciting” appointment.

While Glasner is currently employed and Palace will likely fight to keep him, reliable reports claim that he is hesitating on signing a new deal after being offered one in the summer, with his current contract due to expire in 2026 (BBC).