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The Australia captain day-night Test cricket needs to accepted as a key part of the game’s future

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide02-Dec-2019Australia’s captain Tim Paine has called for an end to demands for a pink Test match ball that behaves identically to a red one, arguing that the players and followers needed to accept floodlit long-form cricket for the high drawing entertainment product that it is.Paine’s team defeated Pakistan by an innings and 48 runs in front of 91,879 people at Adelaide Oval and healthy broadcast audiences around Australia, with the attendance more than double that of the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, despite far less favourable weather conditions.These facts have underlined the case for pink-ball cricket, something the Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts had magnified by quipping in Brisbane that he would personally like to see Australia’s Test series against India next summer played exclusively as day-night matches. But in the face of some scepticism still remaining among his players – Mitchell Starc stating that the pink ball behaves more like a white ball – Paine argued that the floodlit game’s challenges and subtleties needed to be seen on their own merit.”I think what we want is people watching Test match cricket and I think the pink-ball day-night Test certainly makes that happen,” Paine said. “It’s bringing new people to the game. I think what we need to stop doing is trying to compare the pink ball to the red ball. It’s not going to behave the same, it isn’t the same ball. And from a players’ point of view again, day-night Test cricket creates different challenges so the best players will again find way to succeed. And Mitchell Starc has done it. His record is unbelievably good with the pink ball.”David Warner has just got a triple century. Marnus got a 100. All the good players still score runs and take wickets regardless of the colour I think it’s just a slight shift in how we think about it. It’s not going to behave like a red ball, it’s not going to behave like a white ball. It’s going to behave like a pink ball. And at the moment it’s relatively new and we’re getting used to it. It can be challenging fielding at night and being in the slips but I don’t think that’s any different to a white ball sometimes either.David Warner calls loudly to his partner•Getty Images”It’s just something players will adapt to and get better at but in terms of the product I think it’s good to watch.”One of the changes wrought by the day-night conditions was Paine’s decision to enforce the follow-on well after he would usually have batted a second time, due to the fact the post-dinner session promised more movement and assistance for the pace bowlers. “If we had taken the wickets quickly we would’ve bowled as well,” Paine said. “We were hoping to get them a lot quicker than we did.”In the end it became a close one because had it been a red ball we probably would’ve batted again had it been a normal Test match, but it took us time to get those wickets so then the night session was coming again and we saw a few years ago against England that the game can change really quickly under the lights. A lead of close to 300, only a few hours to bowl, we knew if our bowlers could take a couple of early wickets and we get them home, get them asleep and rested that they’d come back and fire for us today.”It was getting closer to having a bat, but the conditions have certainly favoured bowling at night and a couple of our batters were pretty keen to keep bowling. I thought last night when the lights came on it was a pretty simple decision, although our bowlers had bowled a lot of overs, they had a decent rest for the first two days so we knew they had plenty in the tank.”CA is yet to enter into formal discussions with India about whether their series in Australia next summer will include one or more pink-ball Test matches, though both Roberts and the CA chairman Earl Eddings have commented positively about the fact the BCCI have at last scheduled a home pink-ball Test, the recent match against Bangladesh in Kolkata.

MatériaMais Notícias

Titular absoluto do CRB há três temporadas, o volante Claudinei pediu ritmo forte da equipe na sequência de 2021. Segundo o atleta, o elenco tem totais condições de evoluir nestas próximas partidas.

Caboclo ameaçado: veja os nomes que poderiam entrar na presidência da CBF

– Estamos trabalhando para que a equipe possa evoluir e melhorar o desempenho em campo nestas próximas semanas. Vamos procurar manter um ritmo forte agora para crescermos de produção em 2021 – disse.

VEJA TABELA E SIMULE O RESTANTE DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA

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Claudinei ainda destacou que o objetivo de todos é fazer um grande segundo semestre.

– Vamos trabalhar muito para que o segundo semestre do CRB seja de grandes partidas e conquistas importantes. Lutaremos muito para isso – afirmou.

No último sábado (15), o CRB empatou sem gols no jogo de ida da final do Campeonato Alagoano contra o CSA. O confronto decisivo acontece sábado (22), às 17h.

Manchester United are one of a number of clubs interested in signing an exciting young player with a £25.7m release clause, according to a fresh transfer update.

Who does Sir Jim Ratcliffe want at Man Utd?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's influence at Old Trafford is growing all the time, and he will be looking for the Red Devils to make some great signings in the summer transfer window in order for them to return to the top of English football in the future.

Girona left-back Miguel Gutierrez has emerged as a rumoured transfer target for United this summer as he continues to enjoy an impressive season for a team sitting second in La Liga, which has been one of the surprise stories of the season. He has apparently been tracked for "months" as Erik ten Hag potentially looks to sign a long-term replacement for Luke Shaw.

Highly rated Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva has also been backed to join United in the near future, with their defence needing fresh blood added to it considering Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans are all in their 30s, while Victor Lindelof reaches that milestone in July.

Ratcliffe is also thought to be weighing up the idea of sacking Ten Hag at the end of the season and bringing in an upgrade, with Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi one of the rumoured targets for United.

Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has also been linked with replacing the Dutchman in the Old Trafford hot seat, having won the Premier League title with the Blues back in 2016/17.

Man Utd want Rafael Venancio

According to Globo Esporte [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are keen on signing Rafael Venancio this summer, with the teenage Corinthians defender a wanted player who has a €30m (£25.7m) release clause in his current deal.

The Red Devils are believed to have been tracking the 17-year-old for "years" and could look to "accelerate his development" by signing him soon. Chelsea are in the same boat, however, also seeing him as a great long-term option.

Venancio may be a relative unknown to many considering his age and the fact that he isn't playing in Europe, but he looks like a player who could have a massive future in the game. Granted, he is yet to actually feature for Corinthians at first-team level, but he has clearly caught the eye of United considering the length of time they have been tracking him for.

The fact that he has a release clause means that the Red Devils could simply meet the amount and get the business done seamlessly should they believe he is worth the gamble. He is contracted to Corinthians until the summer of 2026, but it looks as though United could make a bid in the coming months.

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Signing exciting young players is refreshing to see, assuming this is part of Ratcliffe's approach to transfers, with United far too guilty of signing big names who are past their best in recent years, whether it be Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani, Casemiro or Varane, to name just a few.

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Principal nome do América-MG, o atacante Ademir é um dos alvos do Palmeiras para a sequência da temporada de 2021. Com o negócio estagnado nas últimas semanas, as chances do jogador reforçar o Verdão diminuíram. Em entrevista coletiva na última quarta-feira (28), o diretor de futebol do Coelho, Armando Desessards, afirmou que as tratativas pelo atleta estão “esgotadas”.

– As negociações se esgotaram. Não existe neste momento qualquer negociação com o clube. Ademir está focado e à disposição do Lisca – revelou o diretor de futebol do Coelho.

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Depois de algumas conversas entre Palmeiras e América, as diretorias dos dois clubes não chegaram em um acordo em relação ao valor e o negócio esfriou nas últimas semanas. O Verdão chegou a indicar que poderia fazer um aumento na proposta inicial, no valor de R$ 3 milhões, mas a equipe mineira recusou a oferta.

Ademir tem contrato com o Coelho até o final de 2021 e, caso não haja renovação, o atacante poderá assinar um pré-contrato com qualquer equipe em julho.

Since Nottingham Forest's play-off final victory against Huddersfield Town on 29th May 2022, they haven't been shy of splashing the cash.

After a 23-year absence from the Premier League, the East Midlanders have displayed their intent to retain their top-flight status by backing manager Steve Cooper in the transfer market.

They've spent in excess of £200m across 34 signings and Football FanCast has compiled a list which details all of those additions.

Serge Aurier – Free transfer

Former Tottenham Hotspur right-back Serge Aurier was brought into the City Ground on a free transfer in September 2022.

Considering Forest didn't have to outlay a single penny to land the 85-cap Ivory Coast international, other than his wages of course, this move was pretty risk-free.

Aurier made 24 Premier League appearances last term, and was a key member of their survival campaign.

A success by all accounts, then.

Loïc Badé – Loan

Quite a bizarre deal, this one.

Loïc Bade, a France Under-21 international, had just come off the back of his first season at Rennes, where he made 21 appearances across all competitions, helping his side achieve a fourth-placed finish.

Newly-promoted Forest signed the young centre-back on a season-long loan deal, with an option to buy, but he failed to make a single appearance at the East Midlands side, before being shunned back to his parent club in the January transfer window.

Now, the 23-year-old is at Sevilla, where he has already won the Europa League with the Spanish outfit, starting and playing all 120 minutes of the final in Budapest against Jose Mourinho's Roma.

Dean Henderson – Loan

Forest signed Dean Henderson on a season-long loan from Manchester United in the summer of 2022.

He appeared 18 times in the league before having his season cut short due to a thigh injury. Nevertheless, it will certainly go down as a solid signing.

If reports are to be believed, Forest appear eager to resign the United goalkeeper on a loan deal with an obligation to buy, but Crystal Palace are also in the race to land the 26-year-old.

Adnan Kanurić – Free transfer

Bosnian Goalkeeper Adnan Kanurić joined the club from FK Sarajevo last summer.

The young shot-stopper didn't make a senior appearance for Forest but he did appear twice for the Under-21s.

He was shipped out on loan in February to National League South side Oxford City, where he started 13 games, helping the club gain promotion to the National League.

He was released by Forest in July and is now without a club.

Wayne Hennessey – Free transfer

Veteran keeper Wayne Hennessey was signed, like Kanurić, to facilitate the number one, at the time, Henderson.

He's an experienced international and a safe pair of hands, a sensible addition to the ranks.

Hennessey still has one year remaining on his contract at the club, and is expected to predominantly feature in the cup competitions, barring any injuries.

Cheikhou Kouyaté – Free transfer

Like many of the transfers so far, they've all been pretty risk-free given no fee has been paid and Cheikhou Kouyaté's transfer is no different.

Kouyaté joined the club upon the expiry of his contract at Crystal Palace last summer and has been a valuable member of Cooper's side since.

A sensible signing.

Jesse Lingard – Free transfer

Jesse Lingard is in a slightly different boat from a lot of the other free transfers on the list. The former Manchester United forward joined the club on big wages, on a one-year deal.

His short stint in the East Midlands was underwhelming, particularly given the excitement around the deal when he first arrived.

Many fans had high expectations for the 32-cap England international, but he failed to live up to those. The 30-year-old didn't register a single-goal return in his 17 league outings.

A miss.

Brandon Aguilera – £812k

Forest signed the 2003-born attacking midfielder Brandon Aguilera last summer on a four-year contract from Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense.

He was immediately loaned back to his home nation with AD Guanacasteca, before joining Estoril Praia Under-23s setup in Portugal for the remainder of last season.

The Costa Rica international is now back at the City Ground and has made two appearances in the Premier League 2 (Reserve League), scoring one and providing as many assists in two outings.

Time will tell how successful this signing will be.

Josh Bowler – £2m

Josh Bowler became The Tricky Trees' 28th signing of the summer last year when he joined from Blackpool for a reported £2m.

Like Aguilera, he was immediately shipped out on loan. Firstly to sister club Olympiacos before rejoining Blackpool in January for the final four months of the campaign.

The winger was again sent out on loan this summer, this time joining Cardiff City.

Bowler doesn't appear to be in Forest's plans at all, so this transfer was another strange one.

Maybe they could profit on his sale further down the line should his spell at the Bluebirds be successful.

Harry Toffolo & Lewis O'Brien – £10m

Forest completed the signings of Huddersfield Town duo Harry Toffolo and Lewis O'Brien last summer in a reported £10m deal.

It's fair to say neither of the pair have really worked out. Toffolo was limited to just nine league starts last term whilst O'Brien made six before being loaned out to D.C. United in March.

They are both yet to feature in any of Forest's opening two games this season.

Offspinner’s 12-wicket haul sees Essex to an innings win and up to third in the table

David Hopps at Chelmsford17-Jun-2019

Simon Harmer continued his prolific wicket-taking form•Getty Images

The debate over whether Simon Harmer is the finest spin bowler in Essex’s history has sounded premature for a player contesting only his third Championship season, but the evidence is growing at a rapid rate. Twelve more wickets, at a cost of only 61 runs, dispensed of Hampshire before tea on the second day at Chelmsford. Harmer was irrepressible, but in considerable part that was because Hampshire were dire.No county can host a result within five sessions and feel entirely comfortable about the outcome and a post-match conversation between the Essex groundstaff and the ECB’s cricket liaison officer, Stuart Cummings, a former Rugby League referee, was inevitable, but there was no sense whatsoever that they saw anything too untoward about a surface that had also been used for a women’s ODI between England and the West Indies last Thursday.During that match, a West Indies player was reportedly sick on the pitch. Presumably on a length. For a spin bowler operating from the River End.Hampshire’s two innings spanned only 63.5 overs as Harmer rushed Essex towards victory as inexorably as a river flows to the sea. He is now the leading Championship wicket-taker with 42 and the Chelmsford pitches do encourage him, as did the rough created by Hampshire’s left-arm seamer Keith Barker.But as well as he bowled, Hampshire’s supposed Championship challenge – they began the round in second place – should surely be categorised under Fake News. They met Harmer with an air of defeatism disguised as counterattack. Even Harmer felt obliged to politely chastise them, saying: “There was turn and bounce with the new ball. They needed to be more patient before taking me on. When it flattened out it would have been easier.”Joe Weatherley, showing the circumspection Harmer advocated, batted through the second innings for 29 from 80 balls. The India international Ajinkya Rahane made a pair and lasted only three balls in the match, twice edging Jamie Porter to the wicketkeeper; decisive breakthroughs because he might have had the wherewithal to play Harmer with aplomb. As for Rilee Rossouw, he succumbed to two of the wildest slogs imaginable.Adi Birrell, Hampshire’s coach, summed things up fairly enough. “Harmer bowled fairly well but the ball wasn’t turning square, it wasn’t impossible to bat,” he said. “Joe Weatherley batted through. He applied himself and needed someone to bat through with him.”It is a painful and hurtful result. Hopefully it is a defeat in isolation. We can’t afford to let this affect us. It was a very bad two days.”Essex had begun the day on 147 for 3 but were themselves bowled out before lunch, as they lost seven wickets for 67 runs, seven to lbw decisions with Kyle Abbott the main recipient as he jagged the ball back sharply.Observe Harmer from behind the arm and he flows into the crease. Watch him from side-on, however, and he is a more unprepossessing sight. Dare it be suggested, his run is little more than a gentle waddle, but the snap of his fingers fills his action with energy.He was on by the fourth over, initially because pace bowler Sam Cook had limped from the field. In the time needed to sneak off for a cheap haircut close to the ground, Hampshire’s second innings had been snipped back. When Harmer is bowling, do not attempt this if you have a luxuriant head of hair.Facing a first-innings deficit of 96, Hampshire lost seven wickets for 32 in only 13.5 overs before finally coming to grief 15 minutes before tea. They were in danger of registering their lowest score against Essex – they made 54 at Southampton in 1931 – but at least that ignominy was avoided.Harmer began by having Sam Northeast stumped; advancing down the pitch he contrived to let the ball squeeze between bat and pad and his ponderous efforts to regain his ground allowed Adam Wheater enough time to stretch to his right to gather and complete the stumping.In the same over, Rossouw paddled his first ball for four then tried to slog over long-on and edged a simple catch into the off side. Aneurin Donald slog-swept a non-turning delivery to midwicket before Harmer took two wickets in his seventh over, having James Fuller lbw, leaving a ball that turned out of the footholds, and finding gentle turn as Barker, reaching forward, edged to first slip.Harmer rounded off the victory as Mason Crane was caught in circus-trick style with the edge running down Adam Wheater’s chest at which point he expertly volleyed it, left-footed, to forward short leg. Never criticise all those pre-match football kickabouts ever again.This was Harmer’s third 10-wicket haul for the county, and fourth of his first-class career. He has taken four five-wicket hauls in his six innings bowling at Chelmsford this year. Essex, who have comfortably won all three of their Specsavers County Championship at home, have moved within seven points of Hampshire, and boast a game in hand.If they beat the leaders Somerset at Chelmsford next week, they will begin to believe a repeat of their title triumph of 2017 is not beyond them. When Harmer has the ball in his hand, anything is possible, but surely Somerset will play him better than this.

West Ham United have not enjoyed an auspicious start to 2024 having crashed out of the FA Cup against Championship side Bristol City and drawn against Brighton & Hove Albion and Sheffield United in the Premier League.

That said, there is plenty for David Moyes' side to be optimistic about heading into the business end of the 2023/24 campaign, with the club having advanced to the knockout stage of the Europa League and currently perching in sixth place in the Premier League, above the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Moreover, Kalvin Phillips has recently been welcomed to the fold from Manchester City, joining on a six-month loan deal, to add some depth and mettle to the centre of the park.

That said though, offensive phenoms Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta are both currently nursing injuries and Moyes appears eager to secure an exciting finish to the transfer window.

West Ham eyeing late January swoop

With Phillips now in the bag, it's clear that the Irons' interest lies in landing a new attacking outlet, with Argentine playmaker Pablo Fornals a late target for Spanish side Real Betis.

As such, West Ham could use the funds from Fornal's sale to complete a swoop for teenage winger Ibrahim Osman, with the Guardian reporting that West Ham are considering returning for the Nordsjælland starlet before the end of the month. A bid has already been rejected but the Hammers may well return to the table with another ofer.

The Danish outfit are understood to be holding out for a €20m (£17m) package and the London club will now need to ensure they recuperate funds from player sales before sealing the deal.

Why West Ham want Ibrahim Osman

Osman, aged 19, has posted four goals and five assists across 29 appearances in all competitions this season and has caught the eye with his blistering pace and influence in attacking sequences.

Indeed, as per Sofascore, Osman has scored one goal and provided four assists from 16 games (14 starts) in the Danish Superliga this term and has averaged 1.2 key passes, 3.1 ball recoveries, 5.6 successful duels and 2.6 successful dribbles per game.

Osman does lack a certain incisiveness in his finishing ability but is of a lean, athletic build with pace and an innate weaving quality that could be shaped and harnessed in east London.

The likes of Arsenal and Brighton have reportedly been monitoring Osman and there's possibly a sense of urgency in wrapping up a deal from Moyes, with manager Johannes Thorup candid in admitting that the rising star will be hard to keep a hold of after such promising early endeavours on the major stage.

He said of the 5 foot 9 whiz: “He is a fast winger and striker, and I have huge expectations for him to be skilled. He has the pace which is important for us to have on at least one of our strikers. I don’t want to say that he has to take over for someone, but people can probably figure out that there is a player who is really good for us in the Super League, who might be really hard to keep.”

Given that West Ham star Mohammed Kudus bloomed from the same academy, it might be wise for Moyes to secure the next version of the Ghanaian machine, with the summer signing very much riding the crest of a wave since arriving at the London Stadium.

Ibrahim Osman could be Mohammed Kudus 2.0

The Hammers welcomed Kudus to the club from Ajax in a £38m deal in August to bolster the offensive fold after winning the Europa Conference League last season.

As per FBref, Kudus ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 13% for successful take-ons, the top 3% for tackles and the top 14% for blocks per 90.

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The 23-year-old was featured sporadically across the opening weeks of his Claret and Blue career but has excelled in plundering nine goals from 24 appearances in all competitions, starting just 17 times.

He's even been described as a "generational talent" by African journalist Gary Al-Smith and brings dynamism and deadliness in abundance, and if West Ham can secure the services of a similar player it would only improve the offensive efforts.

Given that Kudus (right wing) and Osman (who prefers the left) operate on alternate flanks, this could be a signing that would birth a fear-inducing partnership for opponents, with Osman absorbing the fruits of his fellow Nordsjælland academy graduate's labours.

While Osman is far less clinical than Kudus – though it would seen he has more of a natural creative flair – the Hammers star does share some exciting similarities, averaging 5.8 ball recoveries, 7.1 successful duels and 2.6 successful dribbles per fixture in the Premier League.

This blistering, breakneck pace is something that West Ham could certainly make good use of down the left flank, especially with Fornals ostensibly departing and Said Benrahma also touted with a move away after starting just five matches in the English top-flight this year, with French clubs lurking.

West Ham might have started the year off slow but there is much to look forward to over the coming months and the addition of a precocious talent in Osman would be the perfect finish to the window.

It would be hard to call Chelsea's season anything other than a disaster at present, as with over half of their Premier League games now played, they sit in tenth place and look a million miles off of Champions League qualification.

That said, Mauricio Pochettino has guided his side into the fourth round of the FA Cup and to a League Cup semi-final, although they'll head into the second leg of that tie 1-0 down to Championship outfit Middlesbrough.

There are plenty of problems with the Blues this year, but one of the main ones is their frontline's inability to put away the decent amount of chances they're given.

With this problem practically impossible not to notice, the club have been linked with a number of quality number nines this window, including Brentford's Ivan Toney, although they would be better served going after the latest name touted for a move to west London: Brighton & Hove Albion's Evan Ferguson.

Chelsea transfer news – Evan Ferguson

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are on the lookout for a new striker in 2024, and Brighton's Irish sensation Ferguson is one of their targets as they have been 'long-term admirers' of the teenager.

The report has revealed that while the interest from the Blues is genuine, so is the desire of the Seagulls to keep hold of their tremendously exciting talent.

This determination to keep their budding superstar for a bit longer, combined with his new contract that is set to run until summer 2029, means that if the Pensioners are to sign him this year, it'll cost at least £100m, and based on their business with the south coast side in the summer, there is every chance it could end up being more than that.

However, with the alternatives in Victor Osimhen and Toney set to cost just as much, if not more, it might be wiser for Chelsea to sign the much younger Ferguson with the expectation that he could lead the line for over a decade or be sold on for an even bigger fee down the line.

Chelsea can forget about Toney with Ferguson

Now, were Chelsea to end up with the Brentford ace instead of Ferguson, it really wouldn't be the end of the world, as the Englishman's fantastic finishing would practically guarantee that the Blues would climb up the table in the second half of the season – having scored 20 league goals last season.

However, aside from ability, two key factors make a move for the Brighton man, whom Chris Sutton described as being "as ruthless as they come", more appealing.

First, for as fantastic and game-changing as Toney can be, he hasn't played any football since he was banned for betting offences in May, and so to expect him to come in right away and play at his best is probably quite naive.

Second, at 27 years old, he is eight years the Irishman's senior, and while 27 is not old in modern football, he'll have significantly less time to make an impact at Stamford Bridge.

With that said, how do the pair's underlying numbers compare? Well, when comparing the pair's output last season – there is nothing to look at for Toney this year – there is not an awful lot to pick between the two.

While the former Newcastle United striker outdoes his competition in metrics such as goals scored, goals per shot on target, and aerial duels won per 90, he comes out second best in numerous other areas.

Stats per 90

Ferguson

Toney

Goals

0.57

0.61

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.57

0.56

Progressive Passes

1.32

2.41

Progressive Carries

1.04

0.43

Shots on Target

1.61

1.01

Goals per Shot on Target

0.35

0.42

Passing Accuracy

80.0%

59.55

Shot-Creating Actions

2.08

2.01

Goal-Creating Actions

0.19

0.24

Successful Take-Ons

0.75

0.49

Aerial Duels Won

0.85

3.32

All Stats via FBref for the 2022/23 Domestic Season

In comparison, the "complete" Seagulls prospect, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, comes out on top for non-penalty expected goals and assists, progressive carries, shots on target, passing accuracy, shot-creating actions and successful take-ons per 90.

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At the end of the day, their numbers demonstrate that Chelsea would be dramatically improved with the addition of either striker, but the rustiness that is sure to be there for Toney and the eight-year age gap just makes Ferguson look like the much better long-term bet.

Serie A giants have sacked manager Massimiliano Allegri with immediate effect and are expected to replace him with Thiago Motta.

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Juventus part ways with AllegriManager fired after Coppa Italia rampageMotta favourite to be appointedWHAT HAPPENED?

Allegri's time at Juventus has come to an end with two games of the season still left to play. The Juventus boss has been fired and will leave the club with immediate effect. Bologna boss Thiago Motta is the favourite to take over from Allegri after an impressive season with the Serie A side.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT JUVENTUS SAID

The club have confirmed the news after releasing a statement, which read: "Juventus announces that it has relieved Massimiliano Allegri of his position as head coach of the men's first team.

"The exoneration follows certain behaviours during and after the Coppa Italia final that the club deemed incompatible with the values of Juventus and the behaviour that those who represent it should have.

"It ends a period of collaboration, which began in 2014, restarted in 2021 and ended, after the previous three seasons together, with the Italian Cup final.

"The club wishes Massimiliano Allegri good luck in his future endeavours."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The statement referenced Allegri's behaviour in the Coppa Italia final against Atalanta on Wednesday. Juventus won the fixture 1-0 but Allegri was handed a two-match ban and a fine of $5400 (€5000/££4200) after losing his temper in stoppage time.

The now-former Juventus boss ripped off his jacket and was sent off by the referee, where he then sarcastically applauded the decision.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

Juventus still have two Serie A fixtures to play before the 2023/24 season comes to an end. The Old Lady will face Bologna on Monday (May 20) and Monza (May 26) in their final clash.

As GOAL's Romeo Agresti can confirm, Juventus will appoint U19 coach Paolo Montero as their caretaker coach for these fixtures.

Juventus currently occupies fourth in the league table after a disappointing campaign. A spot in the top four is not yet guaranteed, with Atalanta following closely just four points behind. They also have a game in hand on Juventus.

Controversial officiating sadly stole the show as European champions Barca qualified for the UWCL final, to play Paris Saint-Germain or Lyon

Emma Hayes will end her Chelsea reign without the Champions League title that she and her team so craved after Barcelona won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to progress to this year's final. Goals from Aitana Bonmati and Fridolina Rolfo helped the Catalans overturn a 1-0 deficit from last week's first leg, though the main talking point at full-time was the officiating.

Bonmati levelled the tie on aggregate with 25 minutes on the clock thanks to some magical footwork creating the space for a shot that deflected off Kadeisha Buchanan, leaving Hannah Hampton with no chance. But while Barca enjoyed a good spell off the back of that goal, Chelsea had their chances, Catarina Macario testing Cata Coll with a nice volley after Melanie Leupolz hit the bar with a glorious opportunity, albeit one that VAR would've come back to and disallowed as Lauren James was offside in the build-up.

It was a well-contested game all set-up for a wonderful second half that would decide the first of this year's finalists, and then the controversy began. Buchanan was booked for a clear foul on Salma Paralluelo which did not at all divide opinion – but her second yellow just four minutes later did. A tackle on Patri Guijarro was deemed a foul and, crucially, worth another card. The Canadian was in disbelief.

Barca struggled to create anything clear-cut despite the the player advantage, until Bonmati burst into the box and went down under contact from Ashley Lawrence. The defender was adamant it wasn't a foul, alas it stood after a VAR check and Rolfo was on hand to convert and put the visitors ahead.

Hayes went for it from there, throwing on forwards in search of a goal to take the game to extra-time, but it didn't come. There will be no fairy tale for Chelsea's iconic coach in the Champions League and Barca will instead head to Bilbao next month hoping to defend their European title, with Lyon or Paris Saint-Germain to be the opponent.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Hannah Hampton (6/10):

  Couldn't do anything about either goal but stood up to everything else thrown at her. Distribution could've been better.

  Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (7/10):

  Worked tirelessly up and down the right and was a real livewire when she got to run at the Barca defence.

  Jess Carter (7/10):

  Did her bit at the back to limit Barca's chances.

  Kadeisha Buchanan (6/10):

  Was caught out a couple of times because of some sloppiness but never should have been sent off.

  Niamh Charles (6/10):

  Stood up well under pressure but was often under too much and needed more help.

  Ashley Lawrence (6/10):

  Starred in the first leg and tried to be as effective in both boxes again, though found herself lacking options when she got into the final third. Penalty given against her was harsh.

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  Midfield

  Melanie Leupolz (5/10):

  Lost the ball too easily and will be breathing a sigh of relief that James was offside in the build-up to her missing a glorious chance.

  Erin Cuthbert (8/10):

  Came up big in her own box and sprayed the ball around brilliantly to kickstart attacks, too. Well-rounded display.

  Sjoeke Nusken (6/10):

  Made her fair share of big contributions at the back, most notably a perfect tackle on Bronze in the box. A better pass to James in the first half and Chelsea were ahead again, though.

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  Attack

  Lauren James (8/10):

  Everything bright came through her. Held onto the ball brilliantly and often created out of nothing.

  Catarina Macario (7/10):

  Could've kept the ball better at times but generally did well to be part of Chelsea's dangerous moments. Great volley to test Coll and she delivered good set-pieces, too.

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  Subs & Manager

  Guro Reiten (5/10):

  Came on after Buchanan's red card but struggled to get into a frantic, stop-start game.

  Aggie Beever-Jones (N/A):

  Didn't see much of the ball in her 15 minutes on the pitch.

  Eve Perisset (N/A):

  On for the final few minutes.

  Millie Bright (N/A):

  Sticking the centre-back up front was one of Hayes' final throws of the dice but it didn't pay dividends, as Chelsea struggled with the numerical disadvantage.

  Fran Kirby (N/A):

  Came on with Perisset and Bright and also couldn't impact the game.

  Emma Hayes (7/10):

  Stuck with the same plan as last week and got more joy out of James on this occasion, too, to make Chelsea more threatening going forward in general. But the red card changed everything and gave her side a mountain to climb. Not much more she could've done in the situation.