Man United In Contact To Sign £68k-p/w Player

Manchester United have reportedly been in contact with RB Leipzig's Dani Olmo over a potential summer swoop.

What’s the latest Man United news on Olmo?

Olmo, primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play on the wing, has been on the books with the Bundesliga side since 2020 after arriving from Dinamo Zagreb. He has gone on to make 115 appearances for his current employers, contributing to 44 goals in all competitions.

The 24-year-old is out of contract in just over 12 months' time and was linked with a move to Manchester earlier in the year, with journalist Bundesliga insider Christian Falk claiming that the Red Devils were watching the Spaniard.

Described as an 'outstanding footballer' by former coach Julian Nagelsmann and a player who 'can produce magic' by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Olmo has continued to feature heavily for Leipzig during the current campaign, but an exit could soon be on the cards going off a decent update.

Sport Witness relayed news from SportBild regarding Olmo, where the Red Devils were mentioned. They claimed that a contract renewal appears to be improbable with Leipzig and the report mentions talk of a possible exit worth around €40m (£35m).

The player himself along with his father, who is his agent, are considering a possible move to the Premier League, with Old Trafford a potential destination. The report adds that United have been in contact with the player to learn of his future plans.

Where would Olmo fit in at Old Trafford?

As mentioned, Olmo is an attacking midfielder, so he could provide competition to Bruno Fernandes, who is Erik ten Hag's only option in that area heading into his second season in charge.

Olmo, on £68,000 a week in Germany, has been a solid performer for Leipzig this season, and if he was to replicate his current form at Old Trafford, he would be United's sixth-best performer this season, as per WhoScored. Olmo has even averaged more dribbles per 90 than Fernandes and is fouled more than the Portugal international, so he could bring something different to Old Trafford in the final third while also providing cover out wide.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola also once described Olmo as having an 'incredible work ethic', so he could fit into Ten Hag's counter-pressing style, and it looks as if the midfielder could be keen on heading to England over the coming months, making this one to watch over the coming months after initial contact was made.

December deadline for USACA to confirm new constitution

ICC head of global development Tim Anderson has said the USA Cricket Association, which was suspended at last June’s ICC Annual Conference, has until December 15 to ratify a new constitution

Peter Della Penna09-Jun-2016ICC head of global development Tim Anderson has said the USA Cricket Association, which was suspended at last June’s ICC annual conference, has until December 15 to ratify a constitution that gives representation to the entire US cricket community and is compliant with US Olympic Committee statutory requirements.The December deadline is an indication that USACA has been given every opportunity to have its suspension lifted before the end of the year rather than facing expulsion at the ICC annual conference later this month in Edinburgh.A new constitution is one of 39 terms and conditions laid out by the ICC for USACA to satisfy in order to be reinstated. Establishing a revised governance structure was former USACA chief executive Darren Beazley’s primary task when he took over the role in February 2013, but he could not gain enough support at the USACA AGM that November and resigned in March 2014. USACA has failed to ratify a constitution at three subsequent AGMs, including the most recent one on April 9 in Florida.In an email sent to USA cricket’s stakeholders on Thursday, Anderson said there was progress in framing the new constitution during meetings with the a 10-person advisory group in Colorado Springs on June 4 and 5. ICC chief executive David Richardson and ICC chief counsel Iain Higgins were also in attendance along with Anderson and ICC Americas regional development manager Ben Kavenagh.”Many different governance structures were considered during the two-day workshop, and significant progress was made towards reaching agreement for a number of fundamental principles which will best serve the primary objective of unifying the USA cricket community,” Anderson wrote in the email. “Further work will be required in order to complete this exercise over the coming weeks/months, and further updates will be provided as the proposed model and supporting documents are prepared.”The ICC delegation was also given a welcome reception by local dignitaries in Colorado Springs to celebrate the relocation of the ICC Americas office from Toronto. Among those in attendance were current USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun and former USOC president Bill Hybl. The reception was held by the El Pomar Foundation at Penrose House.Interviews were also held for several staff positions at the new Colorado Springs office, which is set to open next month. According to Anderson, ten candidates were shortlisted for in-person interviews from over 100 applications received for the positions of USA project manager and USA project officer.

‘Final nail in the coffin’, ‘Relegation’ - Leeds fans fume at official news

A number of Leeds United supporters have been reacting to an injury update involving midfielder Tyler Adams.

The Lowdown: Hamstring injury

The Whites are gearing up for a crucial Premier League trip to Wolves this weekend but will be without Adams for just the third time during the current campaign.

The club officially confirmed on Wednesday that the USA midfielder has suffered a hamstring injury in training and will miss the match at Molineux and also won’t be available to represent his country during the international break.

Adams has been a regular since joining from RB Leipzig in the summer, making 26 appearances in all competitions, 24 of which have come in the Premier League.

The Latest: Fans fume

Leeds shared the news regarding Adams on their official Twitter page on Wednesday afternoon, and, as to be expected, a number of supporters were quick to react. These fans weren’t happy, with some even suggesting relegation could be on the cards as a result.

“That’s the final nail in the coffin that” – @Niall_LUFC

“Happy relegation season” – @bethgabriel_

“We are doomed aren’t we” – @ROI_LUFC

“That seals it then. Hello again Stoke away” – @FelixLUFC

“That’s us totally done now” – @lufc75kb

“relegation whites” – @georgeedgee

“Just end the season now” – @DannyAdams22

“Tyler Adams out is a big blow. We don’t need that and it would be a worry it’s going to be longer than simply the Wolves and USMNT games.” – @billywigwam13

“At this point I’m just numb to it all. We all know what’s coming at the end of the season.” – @L33dsLondoner

“Let’s be honest here we aren’t losing any creativity but defensively this leaves massive whole in an already leaky defensive setup” – @richnutting

The Verdict: Big miss

Adams has made a big impact since arriving at Elland Road, helping fill the void left by Kalvin Phillips following his move to Manchester City.

As per WhoScored, the 24-year-old ranks in the top five performers for Leeds this season, with a match average rating of 6.73/10. He has averaged an impressive 3.7 tackles per game while also ranking highly in the squad when it comes to interceptions and key passes made per 90. No player has averaged more passes per game than Adams either, so Javi Gracia may find it difficult to replace the midfielder this weekend, with the obvious solution being Marc Roca and Weston McKennie in a two-man midfield.

Adam Forshaw hasn’t been seen in a squad since New Year’s Eve either, so youngster Darko Gyabi could be the defensive midfield option from the bench this weekend.

Man Utd captain Harry Maguire up for sale

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire will be put up for sale by the club during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh rumour.

The Lowdown: Maguire down the pecking order

The 30-year-old has suffered a sobering campaign to date, with Erik ten Hag suggesting that Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez is his preferred centre-back pairing.

Maguire has only started five matches in the Premier League all season long, ahead of this afternoon’s trip to Liverpool.

The Englishman has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, and a new update does little to dampen the chances of an exit happening.

The Latest: Summer exit expected

According to Football Insider, United ‘have decided to’ allow Maguire to leave United this summer, as Ten Hag looks to raise some transfer funds.

The defender is thought to be ‘surplus to requirements’ at the club, with the manager not seeing him as an important part of his ‘long-term project’.

The Verdict: Right time to move on

Maguire has certainly had some good times at United, making 165 appearances and winning the EFL Cup last weekend, being called ‘magnificent’ by Ten Hag.

The 53-time capped England international has been heavily criticised for some of his recent performances however, and has subsequently lost his place in the starting line-up.

United could still be able to get good money for Maguire this summer, though, with lower-ranked Premier League sides sure to be eyeing him up, such as Aston Villa.

Under Ten Hag, the Red Devils are heading to heights without the skipper, so a summer move makes sense for all parties.

Tall, reticent, and extremely valuable

Anand Vasu says Wasim Jaffer hardly played a false shot during his unbeaten 192 on the first day of the Kolkata Test

Anand Vasu in Kolkata30-Nov-2007


Wasim Jaffer has always scored a high percentage of his runs in boundaries, looking exceptionally elegant when he strikes the ball through the leg side
© AFP

On January 28, 2003, Mumbai needed 127 to beat Himachal Pradesh in a Ranji Trophy match when Wasim Jaffer received news that his mother Zulekha had died. Jaffer was shattered and unsure of whether to play on the final day. Chandrakant Pandit, then coach of the Mumbai team who had suffered a similar fate, spoke to Jaffer of his experience to which Jaffer replied, “I’ll do it for my team”. He scored 47 off 51 balls as Mumbai won without losing a wicket. Only then did Jaffer leave to attend his mother’s funeral.Determination is one of Jaffer’s stronger suits and he prefers to make statements on the field rather than off it. Ask around for a tale of some sort from his past, and apart from descriptions of his long innings in domestic cricket, you draw a blank. Soon after scoring 192 on the first day of the Kolkata Test, Jaffer faced the media. When a journalist asked if he was distracted – or forced to concentrate harder – by the presence of his wife Ayesha in the stands, who was frequently on the giant screen, Jaffer only said, “I always know where my wife is,” displaying a sense of humour that isn’t always obvious.What is obvious, though, is Jaffer’s tremendous hunger to score. In Indian cricket, the role of an opening batsman is not to be envied. They don’t get too many chances, and once dumped, there isn’t a way back. Ask Sadagoppan Ramesh, Shiv Sunder Das, or even Aakash Chopra. But Jaffer has done it twice – he made his debut in the home series against South Africa in 2000-01 and was dumped, following which he was picked again for the 2001-02 tour of West Indies before being dropped once again.”I’ve gone through a lot of lean phases in my career,” Jaffer said. “I’ve been brought up like that. I’ve been dropped two or three times and gone back to Ranji Trophy, got big scores and come back. I’m used to scoring big. It’s just that I haven’t done that much in international cricket and I’ll try to do that from here on.”On the day, Jaffer faced 255 balls and was rarely beaten. Even Rahul Dravid was troubled early on, especially by Sohail Tanvir, but Jaffer hardly played a false stroke. He has always scored a high percentage of his runs in boundaries, looking exceptionally elegant when he strikes the ball through the leg side, and he hit 32 fours today.


Contrary to popular belief Wasim Jaffer isn’t bland or colourless, just quiet, and at the moment very valuable to this Indian team
© AFP

“I don’t think I’ve batted so fluently so far in my Test career,” Jaffer conceded at the end of the day, but refused to compare this knock with his double-century against West Indies in Antigua. “All hundreds have been special. I’ve got only few so I’ll count all of them as special. Scoring 192 runs in a day is something I haven’t done before. It feels good that we’re in a strong position and I’ve got runs.”Jaffer has five centuries in 23 Tests but you can break his career up into two phases. In the seven Tests he played before his latest comeback, and the 16 he has played since. In Phase I, Jaffer made 261 runs at just over 20, scoring three fifties and no hundreds. Since returning to the team against England at Nagpur, Jaffer has been a different batsman. He’s not so hampered by that half stride forward, is being trapped half-cocked much less, and has been far more assured outside the off stump. And it’s shown in his numbers; an average of 41.89 with five hundreds, one of them a double.”I was conscious that I have got a few starts in the England series [earlier this year] and did not convert them into hundreds,” Jaffer said. “The same happened in the Ranji Trophy so I was a bit conscious and tried to be focused once I was past 60-70.”And focus he did, past 100 and then 150 and to the doorstep of 200 while VVS Laxman, the man who owns an epochal 281 at this ground, sat padded-up and watched. In a team of stroke-makers Jaffer barely gets mentioned, and more talk is centred round players who aren’t even in the Test side. Almost without anyone noticing, Jaffer has become the third highest run-getter in the world this year behind Jacques Kallis (1125) and Kevin Pietersen (881), with 718 to his name so far. Contrary to popular belief Jaffer isn’t bland or colourless, just quiet, and at the moment very valuable to this Indian team.

Not Xhaka: This Sunderland star was their “standout player” vs Newcastle

Sunderland fans had waited a decade for this moment, as their beloved Black Cats finally faced off against their arch-rivals Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League.

The match didn’t disappoint, either, from a Sunderland perspective, as Regis Le Bris’ men secured the bragging rights when Nick Woltemade unexpectedly headed back Aaron Ramsdale, just as the second half got underway.

A real sickener for the Toon proved to be the fortuitous match-winner for the hosts, as the lofty German striker wanted the ground to swallow him up, after his connection from an inviting Sunderland delivery beat the ex-Arsenal goalkeeper.

While the ex-Stuttgart forward’s embarrassing lapse of judgment stole the headlines come the full-time whistle, many of Le Bris’ first teamers also stood out throughout, as Granit Xhaka cut an assured figure again, all across the 1-0 win.

Xhaka's performance in numbers

Come the end of the match, Sky Sports’ Micah Richards would rightly hail the Black Cats captain as an “absolute warrior”, as the ever-present midfield battler barely put a foot wrong again.

He did give away possession 16 times, but the Swiss would constantly recover and retrieve the ball, with all 100% of his tackles successfully won.

Le Bris would have known it was vital that Sunderland won the midfield battle to get the better of Eddie Howe’s visitors, as the likes of Sandro Tonali won no tackles, up against a far stronger Xhaka.

Moreover, the tenacious number 34 has the know-how of how to win these sorts of crunch affairs, having become well accustomed to the North London Derby at the Emirates, with Xhaka subsequently standing out from minute one. He would amass the most touches of any player in the first half at 50 touches, alongside calmly spraying the ball about at 43 passes.

Visibly cut at the full-time whistle, too, having given his all, it must be hard for Sunderland fans not to just constantly wax lyrical about their Swiss warrior. Yet, he wasn’t the only star showered with praise at the end.

Sunderland star was the "standout player"

Sunderland looked in control of the game from the minute Woltemade placed an effort past his own ‘keeper, as the rock-solid Black Cats defence stood firm once more this season, against a tired Magpies attack.

In particular, Reinildo shone down the left flank for Le Bris all match long, with Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley hailing him as Sunderland’s “standout player” in a lively first 45 minutes. Fellow journalist Andy Sixsmith also went out of his way to praise the ex-Atletico Madrid full-back by stating that he didn’t give a ropey Anthony Elanga a “sniff” when he was on the Stadium of Light turf.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

48

Accurate passes

27/32 (84%)

Successful dribbles

1/1

Tackles won

2/2

Interceptions

1

Clearances

4

Blocked shots

1

Ball recoveries

7

Total duels won

6/8

Away from completely nullifying the former Nottingham Forest attacker, Reinildo would also play with the same energy and determination that Xhaka displayed in spades, with the Brazilian even coming off at the end with the same amount of tackles won as the high-octane number 34.

He would even better Xhaka in terms of duels won, having won six compared to the ex-Arsenal man’s five, while also managing to complete all 100% of his dribbles as a force willing to push his side up the pitch, away from thwarting Newcastle forwards throughout.

Having arrived on a free transfer in the summer, Reinildo will surely now be seen as an unbelievable diamond that has been unearthed, with all 100% of his duels won against Liverpool, too, away at Anfield.

The celebrations at the end of the 1-0 victory will live long in the memory at Sunderland, as both Reinildo and Xhaka rightly jumped for joy, as their combined efforts ensured a tight three points were clinched.

Now sitting even prettier in seventh spot, five spots above their sworn enemy from Tyneside, it really was an all-round perfect day for Le Bris’ hosts, as Reinildo rubber-stamped why he should be the Frenchman’s starting left-back week in week out.

Not O’Nien: Sunderland have their new Kevin Ball in £110k-per-week star

Regis Le Bris now has Sunderland’s new Kevin Ball at his disposal ahead of the feisty Tyne-Wear Derby.

ByKelan Sarson 3 days ago

Reports: "Excellent" £45m player now open to joining West Ham in 2024

West Ham United could dip into the transfer market come January after a recent twist emerged surrounding one of their reported targets.

West Ham updates: Zouma contract, Paqueta exit, Soucek form

According to a contract update on Kurt Zouma from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing, talks are set to open between the club and the France international over a potential new deal at the London Stadium.

Romano wrote: "West Ham have contract talks scheduled with Kurt Zouma, so discussions will take place in the next weeks or months and we will see how it goes. He is the club captain and an important player for the Hammers, and guys at the moment honestly, there are no concrete negotiations with other clubs."

In other news, a transfer update on West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta claims that the Brazil international is keen to move to Manchester City amid rumours that he has a release clause worth £85 million that will activate in the summer of 2024, as per The Sun on Sunday (print edition October 15th, page 75), via Hammers News.

West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek meanwhile managed to get himself on the scoresheet on international duty as the Czechs defeated the Faroe Islands 1-0 at the Doosan Arena in Plzen on Sunday evening.

Edson Álvarez and Mohammed Kudus faced off as Mexico defeated Ghana 2-0 in the United States, while Michail Antonio played 88 minutes for Jamaica as they saw off Haiti in the CONCACAF Nations League.

West Ham United's upcoming fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Aston Villa (A)

Villa Park

Europa League

Olympiacos (A)

Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium

Premier League

Everton (H)

London Stadium

EFL Cup

Arsenal (H)

London Stadium

Premier League

Brentford (A)

Gtech Community Stadium

West Ham transfer update – Kalvin Phillips

According to a West Ham transfer update on Kalvin Phillips, the England international would be open to joining the Hammers – or their Premier League rivals Newcastle United – due to the fact both sides are involved in European competition.

The outlet claim that Manchester City would seek to accumulate around £45 million for Phillips' services, which is around the fee that he was brought to the Etihad Stadium for from Leeds United in the summer of 2022.

Since his arrival, Phillips has failed to establish himself as a regular contributor for the Blues and is behind the likes of Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic, Rodri in Pep Guardiola's pecking order.

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips, who was labelled "excellent" by Breaking The Lines in 2021, has featured just 26 times in all competitions for Manchester City over the course of his time at the Etihad Stadium and he is yet to register a single goal or assist (Phillips statistics – Transfermarkt).

Nevertheless, he is a regular pick in the England squad and featured as a substitute in their 1-0 victory over Australia last week, coming off the bench to replace Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on 62 minutes.

Moyes isn't shy about giving homegrown players an opportunity to play their part for West Ham and Phillips would add further composure and solidity to their already talented engine room.

Henriques puts New South Wales in command

Stumps
Scorecard
Moises Henriques whips one to the leg side•Getty Images

An unbeaten century from Moises Henriques helped New South Wales put Tasmania to the sword on day one at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Henriques punished a tired Tigers attack in the second half of the day, having entered in the 50th over after the top four had laid a strong platform. Nick Larkin and Ed Cowan put together a 115-run stand for the second wicket. Larkin made 85 and Cowan 68. The latter fell to 17-year-old off-spinner Jarrod Freeman who was on debut.Henriques then joined Kurtis Patterson and the pair made 156 runs in less than 35 overs before Patterson was bowled by Tom Rogers for 72. Rogers picked up his third scalp, Nic Maddinson, shortly after, to finish with three wickets. Henriques and Peter Nevill will look to continue the carnage on day two.

Sydney Sixers cruise to second straight WBBL title

Sydney Sixers dominated Perth Scorchers from the start to lift their second Women’s Big Bash League title in three seasons, drawing inspiration from the exemplary bowling of Sarah Coyte

The Report by Daniel Brettig in Adelaide04-Feb-2018Sydney Sixers won their second straight title•Getty ImagesSydney Sixers dominated Perth Scorchers from the start to lift their second Women’s Big Bash League title in three seasons, drawing inspiration from the exemplary bowling of Sarah Coyte after she returned to the team late in the tournament following a much-publicised departure from the game for mental health reasons.Electing to bat, the Scorchers found the early going hard on an Adelaide Oval pitch offering some moisture to the bowlers, and once Coyte struck to deceive and dismiss Elyse Villani, the West Australian side was never able to build the partnerships capable of building a defendable total. Left with a modest chase, the high-powered Sixers batting line-up was never likely to be tested, and galloped home to victory with five overs to spare.Pressure brings wicketsBoth captains had spoken about the need to cope with the pressure of the occasion on the eve of the final, with the memory of Adelaide Strikers’ horrid batting collapse – 6 for 3 – in the semi-final still fresh in everyone’s minds. To that end, the Scorchers started their innings intent on not losing early wickets after Villani won the toss, while at the same time the Sixers bowlers were intent on tight lines and the denial of runs. Runs duly came at a trickle, and only three boundaries were struck in the Powerplay.The longer this Mexican stand-off went on, of course, the more it favoured the Sixers, who created pressure of their own in the minds of Villani and Nicole Bolton through the knowledge of the power contained up the top of their batting line-up. Ultimately, it was this pressure that forced Villani into error, advancing to a change of pace from Coyte while failing to reading either the length or the subtle movement away from the bat. Alyssa Healy pounced on the stumping chance virtually before Villani had the chance to turn around, and clapped her gloves triumphantly in the prone Scorchers’ ears as she ran past to celebrate the vital first breakthrough.Coyte’s day in the sunThe Sixers’ grip on proceedings went from firm to vice-like in the first ball of the eighth over when Kim Garth seamed a ball back on the line of middle and leg to pin Bolton lbw, with Ellyse Perry following up by coaxing an edge from the bat of Natalie Sciver. When Megan Banting fell to Erin Burns, three wickets had fallen in as many overs, Scorchers’ innings well and truly in free-fall.Sarah Coyte celebrates a wicket with team-mates•Getty ImagesChief beneficiary of the game’s decisive turn towards the Sixers was to be Coyte, who followed up her first over deception of Villani by winning in lbw verdict against Thamsyn Newton and then bowling a driving Heather Graham five balls later. Coyte’s figures of 3 for 17 summed up the Sixers’ dominance, while at the same time capping a wonderful return to the game, following her decision to step away from the game in early 2017 to deal with personal health issues. In four matches, she has scooped 10 wickets at a meagre average of 8.10, providing the fresh impetus the Sixers needed towards the end of a lengthy campaign.A simple chaseDefending 99, the Scorchers needed early wickets but were unable to take them, thanks to Perry and Healy. The Sixers innings began in the manner that Villani had perhaps envisaged for the Scorchers, starting slowly then building steadily to a peak of shotmaking aggression – helped of course by the fact the modest target did not bring too much in the way of scoreboard pressure. As is customary, Healy went a little more eagerly for her shots – striking three fours in the fifth over – while Perry played within herself, and together they had taken the required runs down to a mere 36 from 59 balls when Healy was stumped for a 32-ball 41.The remaining runs were gobbled up without much fuss by Perry and Ashleigh Gardner, who reminded all of the powerful hitting that had made her such a key force in the tournament by depositing Katherine Brunt for a towering six over midwicket. Perry was left to hammer the winning runs with a pair of boundaries, meaning the Sixers had won with a yawning nine wickets and five overs to spare.’Relaxed but focused’Sciver summed up the Scorchers’ anguish at saving their most inept performance for the biggest of days, and agreed the slow going in the early overs had made a rush of wickets more likely. “In a situation like that, it’s always difficult not to lose wickets in clusters and unfortunately we managed to do that a couple of times and never really got a partnership going, which is what has been one of our strengths throughout the season, so not our best batting day,” she said. “It’s a bad day of cricket really from us and we had to play it on the biggest stage in this tournament. Previously, the girls have done brilliantly and throughout the season different people have stood up…we couldn’t have played any worse really.”As for Perry, there was relief at putting it all together in the final, a year after the Sixers had won far more narrowly over the Scorchers. “It was one of our best games of the season certainly, we started the tournament with a bit of a bang in Sydney when we put on 242 and to finish in the fashion we did today was absolutely awesome,” she said. “I thought our composure was absolutely outstanding today, we seemed quite relaxed but really focused in the field. In hindsight, it was probably not a bad toss to lose because there was just a bit of moisture in the wicket early and I think it just held up and gave our bowlers enough to bowl at Elyse and Nicole. We kept the pressure on them and it showed in the end.”Perry reserved special praise for Coyte, and also noted the initiative of the coach Ben Sawyer, who first saw the possibility of bringing Coyte back into the fold. “Firstly, it was an absolute masterstroke from Ben Sawyer, our head coach, he noticed she’d been playing some grade cricket and gave her a call and asked her if she’d be interested,” Perry said. “Secondly, and most importantly it’s been an inspiration not only for the girls in our team but for lots of young girls who’ve watched her play. Coytey’s got an extraordinary story and she’s so strong and such a fighter and been really brave in what she’s gone through and how she’s spoken about it as well. To see her perform on the biggest stage and slot back into the team is a true testament to the character of her and how brave she is.”

Marc Overmars given global ban for 'inappropriate messages to female colleagues' at Ajax after being reported to FIFA by the Dutch FA

Marc Overmars has been given a global ban by FIFA for "inappropriate messages" he sent to female colleagues during his time at Ajax.

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Overmars left Ajax in 2022Global ban now handed outHad been working for Royal AntwerpWHAT HAPPENED?

As per , Overmars has been given a global football ban by FIFA after being reported by the Dutch football association (KNVB), having previously been banned in the Netherlands for two years, with one year suspended, by an independent Dutch sports tribunal. He subsequently left Ajax in February of 2022 and had been working with Royal Antwerp, although it remains to be seen if he will be forced to resign.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT FIFA SAID

A statement from the governing body read: "FIFA can confirm that following a request by the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the sanction imposed by KNVB on Mr Marc Overmars to have worldwide effect."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The former Arsenal striker made his name with Ajax as a player, winning three league titles and the Champions League during his time with the Dutch club. He then moved to Arsenal, where he won the double, and finished his career with stints at Barcelona and the Go Ahead Eagles.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

A global ban being imposed is almost certain to affect Overmars' current employment status at Antwerp. He expressed remorse after leaving Ajax in 2022 and admitted to being "ashamed" as the messages he sent to his female colleagues were brought to light.

"Certainly for someone in my position this behaviour is unacceptable," Overmars added. "I now see that but it is too late. I see no other option but to leave Ajax."

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