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Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez is having himself quite a year. Over 18 starts so far this season, Sanchez sports a 2.59 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 116 strikeouts. Most notably, Sanchez is tied for fourth in WAR amongst pitchers across the majors.

Few hurlers have helped their teams win as much as Sanchez has helped the Phillies this year.

When Sanchez was initially left off of the All-Star Game roster, it was something of a disappointment, but things boiled over when Sanchez was passed on as a replacement pitcher. When Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd opted out of playing in the Midsummer Classic, his spot went to Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski.

Misiorowski is a young, flamethrowing star, and it’s not shocking that the powers that be would be excited to see what he can do against the best batters in baseball. But while his fastball is mighty impressive, Misiorowski has started in just five games so far in his career—the fewest a player has ever appeared in before making their All-Star debut.

The Phillies were rightfully disappointed with the snub of their star pitcher, with Nick Castellanos comparing the move to something out of the Savannah Bananas. But while MLB might not have recognized Sanchez as an All-Star, the Phillies decided to treat him like one, awarding Sanchez the $50,000 bonus his contract assured him if he had made the All-Star Game.

Fans online loved the classy move by the organization.

The Phillies will enter the All-Star break in a tight battle with the Mets for first place in the NL East. Maybe the extra rest will help Sanchez as he looks to continue his dominant year on the mound.

Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim has been warned by Patrice Evra that missing out on Champions League football would be regarded as a failure. United failed to qualify for Europe's elite competition for successive seasons for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and Evra highlighted the importance of getting back into it, both financially and in terms of prestige.

United counting the cost of not being in Champions League

A record six English teams are participating in this season's Champions League although United are not among them, having lost the Europa League final to Tottenham and finishing in 15th in the Premier League. United missed out on an estimated £100m ($133m) in lost earnings by failing to reach the Champions League while the players also saw their salaries reduced due to not participating in the lucrative competition.

United have a massive advantage on their competitors as they have no European football to distract them while their early exit from the Carabao Cup has given them a week's rest between league matches. They have not made the most of that advantage, having won seven of their 15 matches this season. In the words of Amorim, they should have more points than the 25 they have picked up so far.

Despite their inconsistent results, United are sixth in the Premier League table, just one point behind fourth-placed Crystal Palace in fourth. And there is a strong possibility that finishing fifth in the English top flight will be enough to qualify for the Champions League again.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEvra: United 'losing a lot' by not being in UCL

"Under the previous manager, we won the FA Cup and EFL Cup, but you lose a lot by not being in the Champions League," Evra told GOAL via . "It’s going to be tough. You’ve got Arsenal, City, Chelsea and Aston Villa giving it a real go. If United do not finish in the top four then it'll be a massive disappointment – a failure. 

"When I played for United, the goal was winning four trophies per season and now we’re talking about qualifying for the Champions League. Our wages went down by 30 per cent if we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, but we never had that issue."

Evra still backing Amorim

Evra, a five-time Premier League and one-time Champions League winner during his nine-year spell at United, is still supportive of Amorim despite the team's unconvincing results. He believes the Portuguese has made personal sacrifices in the team's best interests and he thinks he should remain in charge.

The Frenchman said: "Even in the bad times, I trust him. He's someone right now who will die for the club. That's my feeling with Amorin. This is someone who really puts the club first before himself and compared to some previous managers, I feel like he is different, but he needs maybe more players.  

"Watching United, I have to be honest, it's like playing roulette. You never know what you're going to get. One moment you're going to win, the next time you're going to lose. So you can never predict a result when United play. I need more consistency from United. I want to see a more consistent starting 11. This is getting a little bit better and the players maybe understand his philosophy, his system more. I feel Amorim has the full support of the board and that’s really important. It could be a surprise end to the season with a top four finish."

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United will be hoping to follow up their win over Wolves with another victory when they welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford on Monday. The Red Devils have fared badly against the Cherries in recent years. They were thrashed 3-0 by Andoni Iraola's side at Old Trafford in December 2024 and 2023, while they have drawn their last two visits to the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth made a strong start to the season but are in the midst of a miserable patch of results, losing four and drawing two of their last six games to sink to 13th in the standings ahead of their trip to Manchester.

حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي بيراميدز، فوزًا هامًا على نظيره باور ديناموز، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بهدف نظيف.

وحل بيراميدز، ضيفًا على باور ديناموز في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعة بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعد الفوز على باور ديناموز

ويقع فريق بيراميدز في المجموعة الأولى رفقة أندية نهضة بركان المغربي وريفرز يونايتد النيجيري وباور ديناموز الزامبي.

ونجح محمد رضا بوبو لاعب فريق بيراميدز من تسجيل الهدف الأول لصالح السماوي في مرمى فريق باور ديناموز الزامبي، في الدقيقة 52 من عمر الشوط الثاني والمباراة.

ورفع بيراميدز رصيده إلى 6 نقاط، متساويًا مع نهضة بركان المغربي، في المركزين الأول والثاني. هدف بيراميدز اليوم أمام باور ديناموز

أشاد مساعد مدرب نادي برشلونة السابق، بقدرات الأسطورة رونالدينيو، موضحًا أنه أمضى مع النجم البرازيلي السابق أفضل فترات مسيرته كمدرب.

رونالدينيو وقع مع برشلونة خلال صيف عام 2003، قادمًا من صفوف باريس سان جيرمان مقابل حوالي 32 مليون يورو.

وصنع رونالدينيو التاريخ مع برشلونة وحقق العديد من الألقاب من بينها الحصول على لقب الدوري الإسباني مرتين، وكذلك دوري أبطال أوروبا مرة.

واعترف تين كاتي، مساعد مدرب برشلونة السابق، فرانك ريكارد، أنه استمتع بالعمل مع رونالدينيو، موضحًا أنه أقنع صانع الألعاب السابق بالحفاظ على لياقته البدنية.

وقال كاتي في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة موندو ديبورتيفو: “أستمتع حقًا بالحياة خارج الرياضة، لكن السنوات الثلاث التي قضيتها مع رونالدينيو كانت من أفضل السنوات التي قضيتها في مسيرتي”.

أقرأ أيضًا .. “فليك شعر بالخطر”.. لاعب برشلونة رفض المشاركة أمام إنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وأضاف: “تحدثت معه كثيرًا للتأكد من أنه في أفضل حالاته البدنية، كنت أقول له، حسنًا، تعال بعد الظهر، ثم كنت أذهب معه بمفردي، وكان يأتي للتدرب معي”.

كما تذكر كاتي فوز برشلونة على ريال مدريد عام 2005، 3-0 في ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”، حيث قامت جماهير الفريق الملكي بالتصفيق لرونالدينيو بعد عرضه الرائع في تلك الليلة.

واستطاع رونالدينيو تسجيل هدفين في تلك المواجهة وتقديم عرض لا ينسى، مما جعل جماهير ريال مدريد تصفق له في نهاية المطاف.

وأوضح: “كان الأمر مميزًا، فعندما تفوز في مدريد عادةً ما يهتفون عليك، لكن مع رونالدينيو صفقوا له، لأن الجماهير كانت ترى شيئًا ما في عيونه، لم أرى لاعبًا يلعب بمثل هذا السحر، كان يمتلك موهبة تمكنه من امتلاك الكرة والسيطرة عليها”.

وعن لامين يامال، نجم برشلونة الحالي، اختتم كاتي: ”لامين جيد للغاية الآن، تمامًا كما كان ميسي طوال المواسم العديدة التي كان فيها الأفضل”.

In a move that could see them skip out the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign an impressive South American wonderkid.

Van Dijk: It's "clear" Liverpool must improve

Returning from the international break looking to return to winning ways for the first time in three games, against rivals Manchester United no less, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted that the Reds must improve.

The Dutchman also praised the Red Devils, sending a warning to the rest of his teammates about the threat that they pose even after getting off to a difficult start to the campaign, themselves.

For Arne Slot, it’s an unfamiliar position.

The Dutchman only knows winning ways in Merseyside after securing the Premier League title in his debut campaign last time out. Now, for the first time, the pressure is on him to turn Liverpool’s £400m summer spending spree into a side capable of defending that title.

Slot can fix Konate & Leoni blow by unleashing Liverpool's 19-year-old star

Liverpool have something of a sore spot in defence this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 18, 2025

Anfield chiefs rarely panic on that front, however, and will instead have their sights set on further improvements.

After smashing their transfer record twice in the summer to welcome Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have reportedly shifted their focus towards a wonderkid.

Liverpool join Ian Subiabre race

As reported by The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Liverpool have now joined the race to sign Ian Subiabre alongside Arsenal, Manchester City and a number of other Premier League rivals.

The youngster is one of the most promising stars that South American football has to offer, and is reportedly ready to move on from River Plate in 2026.

Described as a “direct dribbler” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Subiabre would be an excellent coup for Liverpool, especially in January if a winter move does indeed become possible.

Whether it’s been those at Anfield in the case of Alexis Mac Allister or Chelsea with Moises Caicedo, a number of top Premier League sides have missed out on bargain deals for South American stars before paying a premium price to the likes of Brighton to secure those same players.

The Reds could now skip that step by landing a repeat of Man City’s Claudio Echeverri deal for Subiabre next year.

While Subiabre’s deal is due to expire at the end of 2026, reports from his homeland suggest the 18-year-old is actually ready to renew his deal until 2028 — giving River Plate the chance to recuperate a larger fee for him.

This proposed fresh contract, if officially announced, would include a whopping £74 million release clause.

Liverpool will be praying this isn’t the case, and Subiabre pulls a ‘Trent’ by running his current deal down.

If not, Slot’s side would have to fork out much more money for the Argentine, albeit maybe not as high as the clause.

KL Rahul headed to stumps unbeaten on 53 with India 242 runs behind England’s first innings 387

Alagappan Muthu11-Jul-20251:41

Manjrekar: ‘Bumrah did the hard work, played the waiting game’

Stumps Jasprit Bumrah was saved, or he had saved himself, for Lord’s. The temptation of the most famous honours board in the world might have had something to do with it, and if so, the plan worked. Bumrah claimed a five-for that helped bowl England out for 387 but he was far from the only fast bowler that set the pulse racing.Jofra Archer would have spent three years thinking about this moment, being told of the light at the end of the tunnel as he willed himself through the rehab his body needed to shoulder the burden that comes with Test cricket. Three balls into his first over back, the light wasn’t hypothetical anymore. His day in the sun had finally come and he was bathed in its glow as he celebrated a wicket. Yashasvi Jaiswal was sent back, wondering what he could have done against an 89mph rocket that had squared him up. Karun Nair was greeted by a 93mph missile.Related

The wait is Over: Six balls and a lifetime later, Jofra Archer returns with a bang

Gillnetting: Woakes and Smith make England's grand plan work

India unhappy with replacement ball as Dukes loses shape

Bumrah uses money in the bank for Lord's honours

Bumrah was carving out legacy. Archer was clearing away the cobwebs. Lord’s was spoiled rotten. KL Rahul went to stumps unbeaten on 53 and holds in his hands much of India’s hopes of getting close to England’s total. They are 242 behind.The fans stood up as one to salute Joe Root when he got the chance the vent the nerves of spending the night on 99, the first ball offering him width. An outside edge squirted away to the deep-third boundary to signal his 37th Test century – which puts him in the top five in all of Test cricket. He went past Rahul Dravid and Steven Smith. Late in the day, he stooped to conquer the world, a beautiful diving catch to his left securing an unprecedented 211th catch.It was a special occasion at Lord’s – Red for Ruth Day, where everyone is encouraged to wear their support for the charity run by former captain Andrew Strauss on their sleeves. It seemed to have moved inanimate objects as well because the pitch became a lot more generous to those willing to bend their backs. The quicker pace it offered made the sideways movement all the more deadly.3:04

Root: ‘Great to see Archer smiling, enjoying his cricket’

Set batters found themselves undone when they least expected it. Ben Stokes’ off stump was off to the races immediately after he hit a boundary. Root, on 104, turned lead-footed all of a sudden, which created a gap between bat and pad for Bumrah to hurtle through. Shubman Gill, who came into this game with 585 runs in four innings, was snapped up for just 16. Jamie Smith went to lunch having rescued England from 271 for 7 to 355 for 7 but as soon as he came back, Mohammed Siraj found his outside edge. He celebrated the wicket by signalling the number 20, like many footballers have done this week to pay tribute to Diogo Jota, the 28-year-old Liverpool forward who died in a car crash recently.There was one who proved adept, so much that the very concept of dismissal started to look remote. Rahul made 53 off 113 balls and went to stumps unbeaten. This innings was built on his discipline and his judgment outside the off stump and his alertness for scoring opportunities when England shifted their lines straighter. Equally, his focus stood out.Archer tested him with a 142kph bouncer. Rahul was surprised by it – his feet off the floor, his balance shot to hell and yet, even in that vulnerable state, he was able to get his hands over the ball and cushion its journey back into the ground. There was another example of his defensive skills in the next over, when Stokes went wide of the wicket to maximise the away movement that he gets. Rahul was aware of what the bowler was trying to do and he was very careful to present a straight bat instead of being sucked in by the angle and offering a closed one.2:19

Manjrekar: Day two a learning curve for Gill

Rishabh Pant batted through injury. Nair almost got his redemption but fell 10 short of a half-century. England overloaded Gill. Targeting him with a bouncer barrage armed with five men on the leg side. Coaxing him across his stumps to bring lbw into play. Filling up the front of the wicket with catchers and also blockers that prevented easy singles. The India captain lost his patience this time, attempted to find loopholes, like backing away to cut a short ball way down leg, and didn’t see his wicket coming. Chris Woakes, with the keeper up to the stumps, switched up the play and went for his outside edge. He got it. England went to stumps with a lead that looks stronger for this bit of enterprise.A great many things happened on Friday, even though only 72.3 of the scheduled 90 overs were possible, and the most memorable were the work of a fast bowler who has turned modern-day cricket into his own playground. Nobody really came up to Bumrah’s level – he was getting the ball to swing one way and seam the other and four different batters could do nothing more than just give up their stumps to him.1:41

Manjrekar: ‘Bumrah did the hard work, played the waiting game’

Bumrah rested at Edgbaston so that he could play at Lord’s. He wanted to play here to get a five-wicket haul and a place on the honours board. When he did, he was merely relieved. Siraj had to act as puppet master, grabbing his new-ball partner’s hand and raising it aloft while the Indians in the crowd cheered. Kapil Dev was calmly brushed aside. He is no longer the Indian with the most five-fors away from home.In the middle of all this, there was a small victory for the visitors when Gill secured his first successful review on tour to get rid of Woakes.India continued to challenge the umpires, their irritation sparked by a second new ball that needed to be changed – a mere 10.3 overs into its use – and the replacement looking much the worse for wear. Gill spent the entire morning drinks break with umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula voicing his dissatisfaction, which had to have played a role in the officials eventually switching out even the replacement ball, after eight overs.Away in the background, Smith, who was dropped by Rahul on 5, just kept his head down and did his thing. Once more, he led an England lower-order recovery mission, his skillset perfectly suited to the task. A 52-ball half-century was the result of a man concentrating on the job at hand while the opposition was too busy fretting about what could have been. India tried to forget about Smith and blow away the other end, but that didn’t work either. Brydon Carse was batting well enough to hit Akash Deep on the up through the covers and getting down on bent knee to slash Bumrah past point. He completed an entertaining maiden half-century in Tests as England’s last three wickets added 116 runs.

Newcastle United are good spenders. Never have the Magpies scattergunned their way through the transfer market since the PIF takeover and the arrival of Eddie Howe.

No one would deny Newcastle have been big spenders over the past four years, but then they are not the only Premier League side to have shown ambition, and they have demonstrated that desire to improve better, more effectively, than most.

This is why the Magpies have risen from relegation candidates to Champions League contenders, winning the Carabao Cup last season too after beating Liverpool in the final.

But their rise has been sustainable, with the nature of United’s development allowing them to hurdle over obstacles that spring up in their path.

Howe’s tactics and problem-solving skills are essential in this regard, but so too are the major signings on Tyneside, with Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali arguably the pick of the bunch.

Howe's best signings at Newcastle

Newcastle have welcomed a range of elite signings through the gates since the start of the PIF era, but midfielders Tonali and Guimaraes have combined – with the tough Joelinton – to create one of the meanest engine rooms across the continent.

Guimaraes was one of the first to join Howe’s Newcastle, arriving from Lyon in January 2022 for a £40m fee, while Tonali arrived from AC Milan in a £55m deal in July 2023, and he has established himself over the past year, having endured a difficult, disruptive maiden campaign in England.

Hailed for playing a “relentless” game by journalist Henry Winter, with “incredible stamina” and a completeness that suggests he is among the finest midfielders currently competing in Europe, Newcastle have hit the jackpot with Tonali.

Saying that, to say they have hit the jackpot is to say Newcastle’s success is down to chance. It is not. Here is an outfit with their wits about them, picking out an elite talent and then fashioning him into a superstar.

It was already achieved with Guimaraes, who captains the club and does so with such aplomb, ranked as he is among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe for progressive passes and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

And not only is Guimaraes among the most talented and commanding central midfielders in the Premier League, but his fitness level is of the highest class too.

Despite a tough summer transfer window, Newcastle have signed shrewdly, packaging Howe’s squad with more exciting talent. Indeed, there’s one signing made this year who has the potential to rival these stalwarts as he goes from strength to strength on Tyneside.

Newcastle's new jackpot signing

This summer, Newcastle signed a number of new first-team players. Under the radar was the £35m signing of Malick Thiaw from AC Milan, but the central defender has been proving his worth since entering the fray.

The 24-year-old, a product of Schalke’s youth academy, has joined a robust and varied backline at Newcastle, but he has started to stake a strong claim for a regular starting role alongside Sven Botman.

Already establishing himself as a fan favourite, Thiaw’s reading of the game is almost scholarly, so sharp is he when pitted against potential danger. Positionally and through sharp timing, he is already going from strength to strength, and that bodes well when considering where he could end up on the scale of importance at Newcastle.

Across three games in the Premier League so far this term, the 6 foot 1 talent has won 63% of his duels, averaging five clearances each match and playing with a degree of confidence and composure that eludes many signings when they arrive from overseas.

Hailed as a “monster in the air” by journalist Martino Puccio, the German is proving himself to be adept across the myriad duties of a modern defender competing for a top team. His is a wide-ranging skillset.

Against Union Saint-Gilloise, he was awarded an 8/10 match rating by the Shields Gazette, having controlled things at the back and having shown his class on the ball, completing 91% of his passes and winning all three aerial challenges, as recorded by Sofascore.

And this is a consistent thing, a promising pattern. He ranks among the top 7% of centre-halves across Europe for pass completion, and the top 19% for progressive passes per 90.

Thiaw has long been regarded as a top defensive talent, but injury issues have not been kind to him during his time in Italy. However, Newcastle boast plenty of depth in central defence, with Fabian Schar and Dan Burn both into their thirties but still among the most industrious centre-backs in the Premier League.

They will all earn starting berths across the campaign, and in this way, Thiaw can be allowed to bloom in the English game and grow into a world-class asset on Tyneside, taking this remarkable Newcastle team to an even higher level.

Reporter Jordan Cronin remarked after the win in Belgium that Woltemade and Thiaw might just go down as “the best signings of the summer”.

Given that the centre-back cost about half of the striker’s £69m fee, there’s a solid case to be made that his is the shrewder signature, and that, with more strong performances, he might not only go down as the signing of the summer, but one of Newcastle’s finest captures since Howe first took his seat in the St. James’ Park dugout.

Better than Gordon: Newcastle star is now one of the best in the world

Newcastle romped to a big win in the Champions League this week, with Anthony Gordon starring.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 2, 2025

With the teams for the playoffs decided, the top four are now competing to finish Nos. 1 and 2 in the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2025 • Updated on 24-May-20254:42

‘The zip has been missing in Rashid’s bowling’

The race to the IPL 2025 playoffs is over but the four teams that have made it – Gujarat Titans (GT), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians (MI) – are still competing to finish Nos. 1 and 2 in the points table. Only two points separate first and fourth place at the moment and all of them have one game to play.The teams that finish in the top two play each other in Qualifier 1 on May 29 and the winner of that match goes straight through to the final. The loser of Qualifier 1 gets a second chance to make the final by playing Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator, which is a knockout match between the teams that finish Nos. 3 and 4 in the points table.Gujarat Titans (Points: 18, net run rate: 0.602)GT remain on top of the points table despite their recent defeat to LSG and that’s because both RCB (17 points) and PBKS (17 points) against SRH and DC respectively.If they win their final league game against CSK on Sunday and move to 20 points, GT will finish right on top of the points table. If they lose, it will leave them vulnerable to being overtaken by two of the three other teams.But even if GT lose their last game and stay on 18 points, they could still finish in the top two if RCB lose their final league game to LSG on Tuesday and remain on 17 points. If GT lose to CSK, the winner of the game between PBKS and MI will finish higher than them in the points table.Punjab Kings (Points: 17, net run rate: 0.327)PBKS’ defeat to DC on Saturday has left them facing a must-win game against Mumbai to finish in the top two. If they lose, they will be either third or fourth.Even if they beat MI to get to 19 points it may not be enough for PBKS. They could remain behind GT if GT get to 20 points by beating CSK on Sunday, and they could also finish behind RCB if RCB beat LSG by a big enough margin to get ahead of PBKS on net run rate.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Points: 17, net run rate: 0.255)RCB have the advantage of playing the last game of the league phase, against LSG on Sunday, which means they will know exactly what they need to do to in terms of net run rate to finish in the top two.The best scenario for them is if GT (18 points) or PBKS (17 points) lose their final games, which means RCB just need to win against LSG to get into the top two on 19 points without worrying about net run rate. But if GT and PBKS win their final games, then RCB will have to beat LSG by a particular margin to climb into the top two.Mumbai Indians (Points: 16, net run rate: 1.292)MI’s chances of finishing in the top two have been out of their hands in the last few days, but three results have gone in their favour to leave the top two spots still open. And they have the best net run rate among the four contenders by some distance.If MI beat PBKS on Monday to move to 18 points, then they will finish in the top two if one of GT (18 points) or RCB (17 points) lose their final league matches to CSK and LSG respectively. GT would have already played CSK on Sunday by the time MI play PBKS on Monday, and RCB take on LSG on Tuesday

Real Oviedo captain Santi Cazorla has been forced to defend his reputation following the sacking of coach Veljko Paunovic. Amid social media accusations, the ex-Arsenal star strongly denies any involvement in the decision, revealing the squad was shocked by the news as the club struggles at the bottom of La Liga and turns to a controversial replacement.

• Cazorla denies involvement in Paunovic sacking

  The former Arsenal star responded to accusations on social media by defending his professional integrity, stating he could not allow his reputation to be damaged by such claims. Cazorla revealed the news of Paunovic's dismissal came as a complete shock to the squad, who only found out just before a training session on Thursday.

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  What Cazorla said about the dismissal and his reputation

  The 40-year-old midfielder was quick to defend his character and highlight his long, unblemished career record. 

  "I've been a professional for 22 years, and you can ask all the presidents, sporting directors, and coaches I've worked with. I've never had anything to do with a club's decisions to let go of a coach," Cazorla insisted at a press conference. "I can't allow my image to be tarnished, because I've always tried to contribute in every way." 

  He also expressed his gratitude to the departing manager, adding: "I'd like to thank Paunovic for his work, with whom I have a great relationship and was able to speak with him yesterday personally. I want to thank him and his coaching staff for everything we've achieved; they've become part of this club's history forever."

• Oviedo's poor start and controversial Carrion return

  The decision to dismiss Paunovic follows a difficult start to the La Liga season, which sees Real Oviedo sitting 17th in the table, level on six points with the relegation places after just two wins and six losses from their opening eight games. The club moved to reappoint Luis Carrion, a move that has been met with a mixed reception from the fanbase. Cazorla addressed the potential for division and issued a stark warning to the supporters. "There are two options: Kill each other or die together. I'm clear about that, and nothing is above Real Oviedo," he said.

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  What next for Real Oviedo?

  Under the returning management of Luis Carrion, Real Oviedo's immediate task is to prepare for a challenging home fixture against Espanyol on Friday evening. Their opponents currently sit ninth in La Liga on 12 points, making the match at the Carlos Tartiere a significant test for a struggling Oviedo side desperate to pull away from the relegation zone and find stability after a turbulent week.

Strong all-round performances from Suzie Bates and Brooke Halliday along with a breakout bowling display from Bree Illing helped New Zealand breeze to a seven wicket win against Sri Lanka in Christchurch to level the series at 1-1.New Zealand’s bowlers set the tone with a frugal display after winning the toss and electing to bowl, restricting Sri Lanka to 113 for 7 in their 20 overs before Bates and Halliday made 47 and 46 not out respectively as the hosts cruised home with seven wickets and nine balls to spare. Bates was named player of the match after also bowling four overs for just 16 runs while Halliday also took 1 for 12 with the ball in addition to posting her highest T20I score.Illing made use of the early morning start picking up a wicket in the opening over and a second in the seventh as she bowled straight with the new ball to finish with figures of 2 for 18 in just her second T20I after going wicketless in her debut in game one of the series on FridaySri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu was well held as Eden Carson, Jess Kerr and Bates were rotated at the other end with the latter bowling a maiden to Athapaththu in her first over. The scoreboard pressure told when Kerr castled her for 23 off 29 in the following over, the ninth of the innings, with Sri Lanka stalled at 3 for 46.That soon became 4 for 53 when debutant Flora Devonshire picked up a wicket in her first over in international cricket.Sri Lanka steadied thanks to a 54-run stand between Manudi Nanayakkara and Nilakshika Silva. Nanyakkara made 35 from 32 with four boundaries while Silva made 20 from 22. But neither player could break free as Bates bowled four overs for just 16 runs while Halliday also took a wicket in her two overs for 11 runs. Kerr took a wicket in the final over to finish with figures of 2 for 29.New Zealand’s chase started poorly with Georgia Plimmer caught behind in the second over for just 4. Emma McLeod followed suit in the seventh over for a sluggish 11 from 13 but Bates controlled the chase at the other. Safe in the knowledge she needed less than a run-a-ball, she struck just four boundaries and only faced consecutive dot balls once in her 46-ball innings before she was caught and bowled in 15th over with 29 still needed to win.Halliday ensured they were knocked off with ease striking multiple boundaries in both the 16th and 18th overs as she made 46 not out from 40 balls to steer her side home and go past her previous T20I best of 38.The series will be decided in the third T20I in Dunedin on Tuesday.