Saudi Pro League chief claims Jordan Henderson 'damaged on a personal level' by Al-Ettifaq transfer fiasco after seeing Ajax midfielder dropped from England squad

A Saudi Pro League chief has claimed that Jordan Henderson's sudden Al-Ettifaq exit has damaged the England international more than the league.

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  • Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq last summer
  • Left for Ajax after cancelling contract
  • Veteran 'damaged' himself more than Saudi league
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Saudi Pro League chief football executive, Michael Emenalo, says Henderson had "no issues" with the division, despite its poor attendances, but decided to move to Ajax because he feared he would lose his place in the England squad – something that has subsequently happened anyway. Emenalo added that the 33-year-old's departure did not harm the league but suggested it may have hurt the former Liverpool and Sunderland man on a "personal level".

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    WHAT MICHAEL EMENALO SAID

    He told The Telegraph: “It wasn’t damaging at all for the league. It was damaging on a personal level because this is someone that we all admired and we tried our very best to help him adapt and to stay.

    “But sometimes these things are just beyond your own needs and just beyond professional. Jordan did a lot of good work here, did a lot of good work for Ettifaq and had inputs in ideas that have transformed that club and had an opportunity to know the country and the culture.

    “If you ask him privately now, he will tell you that he had no issues. But sometimes there is a confluence of things happening that makes individuals make a decision that I think is best for them.

    “I felt that is a guy who’s an ultra-professional and who had built a career, a magnificent, magnificent career through becoming Liverpool captain, England captain and maybe to, in his mind, he had an idea of how he wanted to finish.

    “And maybe at some point in the course of the season he just felt that he is not going to get that. That’s something that you have to respect and it’s not something that I agree with because I really admire him and I had a one-on-one with him to try to [persuade him to stay].”

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Things have not gone to plan for Henderson in the past year or so. After leaving Liverpool for the Saudi Pro League, a move that damaged his reputation among the LGBTQ+ community, the veteran midfielder's career has gone backwards. In addition to failing to shine at Ajax, he is not in the England squad for Euro 2024.

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    WHAT NEXT?

    Henderson, who initially joined Al-Ettifaq in 2023 in a deal worth £12 million ($15.4m) plus add-ons before cancelling his contract in January and joining Ajax, will not be involved in England's upcoming friendlies against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland on June 3 and 7 respectively. And, barring a shock call-up, he won't be going to this summer's European Championships in Germany either.

موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة المصري والهلال الليبي اليوم في الكونفدرالية.. والمعلق

يستعد المصري لمواجهة قوية وهامة اليوم الأحد، امام منافسه الهلال الليبي، بالمباراة التي ستجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

ويستضيف المصري نظيره الهلال الليبي، على استاد برج العرب بالإسكندرية، وذلك في إياب دور الـ 32 من بطولة الكونفدرالية.

المصري حل ضيفًا على الهلال، في ملعب “شهداء بنينا”، في إطار مواجهة الذهاب لدور الـ 32 من البطولة القارية، وخسر بثلاثية مقابل هدفين.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | بيراميدز يتاهل إلى مجموعات دوري أبطال أفريقيا بثلاثية أمام الجيش الرواندي

ويدخل المصري مباراة اليوم مستغلاً عاملي الأرض والجمهور، للفوز بالمواجهة وحسم تأهله إلى دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية. موعد مباراة المصري والهلال الليبي في الكونفدرالية

من المقرر أن تنطلق المباراة اليوم الأحد في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة المصري والهلال الليبي اليوم

من المنتظر أن تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة أون تايم سبورتس 1. معلق مباراة المصري والهلال الليبي

وأسندت شبكة قنوات أون تايم سبورتس مهمة التعليق إلى محمد عفيفي.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.

Fabrizio Romano: Aston Villa agree to sign another player in late transfer

Aston Villa have been busy in recent days and have actually now agreed another new signing late in the January window.

Aston Villa transfer news

NSWE and Unai Emery were active earlier in the month by securing the services of right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic. The Serbian joined from Red Star Belgrade but has actually headed back to the club on loan for the remainder of the season.

In terms of signings who look set to make an immediate mark on Emery’s squad, Morgan Rogers looks to be that man. The Middlesbrough winger has been Emery’s top target throughout the window, and in recent days, a deal has been agreed and the player completed a medical last night.

Morgan Rogers against Aston Villa.

Emery claimed after the defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday that there will be no further incomings after Rogers, but that doesn’t look to be the case.

There have also been rumours over a deal for Adelaide United goalkeeper Joe Gauci, and David Ornstein revealed on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached for the Australia international.

Villa aren’t stopping there either, with a new development in the past 24 hours over a Premier League youngster.

Aston Villa set to sign Lino Sousa

According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa are set to sign Arsenal teenager Lino Sousa on a permanent transfer.

“Aston Villa agree deal to sign Lino Sousa from Arsenal on permanent move, here we go! Agreement in place for 2005 born fullback who’s set to complete medical in the next hours. Rangers, Galatasaray and Juve were keen but Sousa set to join AVFC.”

Since then, Romano has added that Sousa has already signed a Villa contract until 2028 and will be sent out on loan to Championship side Plymouth Argyle for the remainder of the campaign.

This looks like a really exciting addition in the long run, with Villa beating sides from Scotland, Italy and Turkey to Sousa’s signature. The 19-year-old, who is an England U19 international, is primarily a left-back but can also play as a left-midfielder or as a centre-back.

His progress in the Championship with Plymouth will be one to watch, and if he can have a similar impact to former Villa player Finn Azaz in the south west, then Villa have made a shrewd decision by sending him to Home Park.

Reynolds and McElhenney "close" to last-gasp record signing at Wrexham

After a busy month of incomings, Wrexham could cap off the January transfer window in style by welcoming one more addition to push towards League Two promotion.

Wrexham transfer news

The Hollywood pull of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney always helps, but that doesn't take away from the business that Wrexham have completed in the January transfer window, welcoming Jake Marriott from Fleetwood Town, Luke Bolton from Salford and Luke McNicholas from Sligo Rovers.

After putting pen to paper on a deal to join Wrexham, Marriott told the club's official website: “I’m really pleased to be here and happy to get the deal over the line. The club’s performances, the way they play as a team is a real key factor for me signing and the trajectory that the Club is going in is something that I want to be involved in and I’m absolutely delighted to be here.”

Manager Phil Parkinson added: "We’re really pleased to bring Jack to the Club. He’s got proven experience at a higher level and comes to us looking to make a real contribution in our second half of the season."

The Welsh side may not be done there though, with one more addition reportedly lined up. According to Nathan Salt of The Daily Mail, Reynolds and McElhenney at Wrexham are "close" to signing Jamie Lindsay from Championship side Rotherham, and there is plenty of optimism over the completion of a club record deal.

It would be some coup for the League Two side to land the Championship midfielder in a deal that would once again prove the power of Reynolds and McElhenney, thought to be well above the previous record £300,000 for Ollie Pope during the 2023 winter window.

"Terrific" Lindsay needs Wrexham move

To say that it's been a frustrating season for Lindsay so far would be an understatement, as his stats show. The midfielder has made just 13 appearances in all competitions for Rotherham, which has included just eight Championship starts. And at 28-years-old, a Wrexham move could be coming at the perfect time, especially if it ends with automatic promotion or even the League Two title.

A player who was heavily praised when he left Ross County to join Rotherham, then co-managers Steven Ferguson and Stuart Kettlewell called the midfielder a "terrific servant", via BBC Sport. Now, it is Wrexham who could benefit if they manage to get a deal over the line in the forthcoming hours remaining in the window.

Currently sat second in League Two by one point and five points adrift of leaders Stockport with a game in hand, January could quickly become the month that Wrexham look back on as the turning point in the race to seal the title this season, especially if Lindsay arrives from Rotherham for the Red Dragons.

Rangers could make another deadline day signing after Cortes – Sky reporter

Rangers could make another deadline day signing for manager Philippe Clement, following the expected arrival of winger Oscar Cortes from Lens.

Rangers back Clement with multiple January deals

In their bid to wrestle back Scottish footballing dominance from Old Firm rivals Celtic, and potentially pip them to the Scottish Premiership crown this year, the Gers board have backed Clement with multiple new additions already.

Latest Rangers transfer news: Gers want PL teen; Saudi link to midfield ace

Who is Philippe Clement eyeing up in the transfer window ahead of his first full season at Ibrox?

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 9, 2024

Fabio Silva signed from Wolves on a loan deal to reinforce the Belgian's attacking options, with highly-rated defender Mohamed Diomande later following him through the door at Ibrox.

“Everybody is really pleased because he was one of the biggest prospects in Scandinavia and there were a lot of teams interested in him," said Clement on signing Diomande.

"He is still a young player, but he has a lot of experience also. He was really interested in the project here and we had a lot of talks about that. It is a long-term signing and that is not easy to do in January so I am delighted that the club could do that. He is really versatile, he is a good technical player with a lot of running capacity, he is still developing in strength, but I think we can make him stronger here.

“The club has made a good effort to make this transfer possible because it is a process not only from me, Nils [Koppen] and the scouts but it is from everybody in the club."

The Scottish Premiership giants, as widely reported, are also finalising their third signing of the January window as Cortes completes a move to Glasgow.

The 20-year-old, who found game time hard to come by in Ligue 1 before his pending Rangers arrival, did manage a goal and assist over four substitute league appearances for Lens this season.

The transfer will be a six-month loan initially with the option to make it permanent this summer, according to The Daily Record, but Cortes may not be their only last-minute signing.

Date of birth – December 3, 2003

Age – 20

Nationality – Colombia

Position – Right-winger

Height – 1.78m

Indeed, reports suggest that Rangers are trying their best to sign a new striker before deadline strikes at 11pm this evening, with Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge now sharing what he knows about the Gers' transfer plans.

Rangers could make another deadline day signing after Cortes

As per the journalist, speaking to GiveMeSport, Rangers could make another deadline day signing after Cortes, with his "source" explaining that it's a distinct possibility.

“A source also told me there might be one more, so we’ll have to wait and see. But I think if Clement got four in, he’d be delighted because I don’t think he inherited the best squad in the world, and he inherited players who came in in the summer who just haven't done enough," said Bridge.

They were in for left-back Jefte from APOEL to, but as per Fabrizio Romano, that deal has now collapsed.

ديلي ميل توضح حقيقة عقوبة هالاند بعد رمي الكرة في رأس جابرييل ماجاليس

كشفت تقارير صحفية بريطانية عن حقيقة تعرض الدولي النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند لعقوبة بشأن رمي الكرة على رأس جابرييل ماجاليس مدافع آرسنال خلال مواجهة أمس بينهما في الدوري الإنجليزي.

سجل ستونز هدفًا قاتلًا قاد به مانشستر سيتي للتعادل مع آرسنال، رغم أن الجانرز كان يلعب شوطًا كاملًا بـ10 لاعبين، وبعد تسجيل الهدف، ذهب هالاند وألقى الكرة على رأس جابرييل ماجاليس.

طالع أيضًا | وصف جيسوس بالمهرج.. 3 مشاهد مثيرة لـ هالاند في مباراة مانشستر سيتي وآرسنال

وكان البعض ينتظر قرار الرابطة الإنجليزية مع هالاند بشأن تلك الواقعة، لكن صحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية، أكدت بأن النرويجي لن يواجه أي عقوبة.

وأشارت الصحيفة، إلى أن تقنية الفيديو المساعد (VAR) راجعت الكرة حينها، وقررت أنه لم يكن هناك أي إجراء ضروري، مما يعني أيضًا أن النرويجي لن يواجه أي عقوبة بأثر رجعي.

وبعد استئناف اللعب مباشرة، ارتكب هالاند خطأً ضد توماس بارتي وأسقط لاعب الوسط الغاني على الأرض، مما تسبب في شجار مع جابرييل وزملائه في فريق آرسنال في نصف ملعب الجانرز.

Dobell: Trophies matter and this England side needs to win one

‘This semi-final didn’t need any more on it, but having Australia as opponents has provided it anyway’

George Dobell at Edgbaston10-Jul-2019It’s barely remembered now, but the England ODI side was ranked No.1 in the world for five months in 2012.They had beaten Pakistan in the UAE. They had beaten India and Australia at home. They had three men – Jonathan Trott, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen – who had, at one stage, been rated in the top three of the ODI rankings for batting and four men – Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn and James Anderson – who had been rated in the top four for bowling. They were a fine side.But you probably don’t remember. Because they didn’t win a trophy. And, harsh though it is, they are now remembered as playing an out-dated brand of cricket that the world has left behind.The point of all this? Trophies matter. Yes, bilateral series can be fun and significant. But it is global trophies that define reputations. And no global 50-over trophy defines reputations more than the World Cup.This England team has achieved just about everything it can – world records, No. 1 status and respect from opponents and spectators – without winning a trophy. But, if they are to be remembered as the game-changing side they deserve to be, if they are to leave some sort of legacy, if they really are going to gain some traction in a mainstream media that, in the UK, seems more interested in football transfers (at least one paper led with a story about a footballer’s dog on Wednesday) in the off-season than a cricket World Cup, they have to have some silverware to show for it.They may never have a better chance. It’s not just that this World Cup is played in their own conditions and, to some extent, in front of their own supporters. It’s that they have been preparing for it for years and the No. 2 ranked side – England are back at No. 1 – has been eliminated. England have won 10 of their last 11 ODIs against Australia in England, they are playing at a ground where they have won their last 10 international matches across formats and where Australia have not won an ODI since 1993. While Australia are beset with injuries, England have their first choice 15 available. Not since 1987 (or perhaps 1992) have they had a better chance to win the World Cup.You wonder for the future of 50-over cricket in England, too. Next year, the ECB will bring in The Hundred. It will be played at the same time as the domestic 50-over competition meaning the best 100 or so white-ball players will no longer be available to participate in it. Perhaps, if The Hundred inspires new followers to the game, we will look back and congratulate the ECB on their foresight and bravery, but it does seem bizarre to build towards a 50-over tournament for years and then undermine the format’s future. It also seems inevitable that England’s ODI future will be compromised. It would probably be a bit of an exaggeration to say ‘it’s now or never’ for England. But only a bit of one.There are further implications for England ahead of this match. Not least of them is that we now know, if England reach the final, the match will be broadcast free to air. That provides a tangible opportunity to reach the new audience the game’s authorities have been targeting for years; a tangible chance for this wonderfully entertaining side to inspire a new generation; a tangible chance for the sport in this country to grow. And if any of that sounds like hyperbole, remember it would be the first England ODI (part of one Test was shown free to some customers in 2013) broadcast free to air in the UK since 2005. It really could be the first time many English people have ever seen their team play.The team know all this, of course. In the last couple of days, two of them – Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett – have referred to this match as the biggest of their careers. So, much as they may talk about being relaxed and playing the aggressive brand of cricket which has earned them such success, it is hard to know how they will react for sure in the spotlight. The signs of recent days – the victories over India and New Zealand in what amounts to knock-out cricket – is encouraging. So is the relaxed air that has remained around the squad in training. But it is one thing to look relaxed in training; it’s another to do it when the first Mitchell Starc yorker hones in towards your toes.Of course it’s Australia standing in England’s path here. Australia, the old enemy. Australia, the reborn. Australia, the new-age, kid-loving, barefoot-walking wolf in sheep’s clothing (as far as England are concerned). Australia, who are playing pressure-free cricket having already done better than they could have hoped a year or so ago. Australia, with their apparently unquenchable confidence. Australia, who England haven’t beaten in a World Cup since 1992 and who have progressed in every semi-final they’ve contested. Australia, who are perfectly poised to exploit any diffidence and ruin the party. No team makes England more nervous. No team has caused them such misery. This game didn’t need more on it, but the identity of Australia as opponents has provided it anyway.Eoin Morgan at Edgbaston on the eve of the semi-final against Australia•Getty ImagesEoin Morgan, the captain who has instilled so much of the spirt in this England side, is not denying the magnitude of the occasion. But rather than shirking from it, he hopes his side relish it. Most of all, he is telling them not to worry about the result, but concentrate on the process. He didn’t quite say ‘it’s not whether we win or lose, it’s how we play the game,’ but he might as well have done.”The level of expectation in the team is to go and justify how we play,” Morgan said. “If that means getting knocked or winning the World Cup, I think the guys will be happy. If we don’t justify ourselves and give it everything we have done, I think the guys will be disappointed. Our strength is the way we play and sticking to that, no matter how long we have left in the tournament.”You know what he means. And, from his perspective, it’s the right mindset. But you suspect, if England do lose, this will be a match that keeps these players up at night decades into the future. These are career defining days – perhaps even life defining – for many of those involved. They need a trophy to show for their improvement. They need tangible reward.Maybe Jos Buttler put it more eloquently – certainly he put it more succinctly – when he wrote ‘F*** it’ on the top of his bat handle. Either way, England have to embrace the moment; enjoy the eyes upon them; revel in the consequences of the match in which they are involved and let their undoubted talent flow. Yes, they have to be able to adapt to conditions as required. But they also have to be bold and seize the day. They have to take the opportunity to show off their skills in front of a nation. These are the moments that every one of this team will have dreamed about being involved in as a child. They have to believe they are good enough to be here. And good enough to go a step further.This game is played a year to the day since England’s footballers were knocked out of the World Cup at the semi-final stage. Most onlookers agreed they had performed brilliantly to progress so far. But this England side wants more than that; needs more than that. They don’t want to be Henry Cooper rocking Muhammad Ali; they don’t want to be Tim Henman going a set-up on Goran Ivanisevic; they sure as hell don’t want to be congratulating Carlos Brathwaite on an incredible innings. They don’t want to be plucky losers. Sport is never really all about winning. But you could be forgiven for not knowing it at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Crystal Palace’s 2020 sale is now outperforming Edouard & Mateta

In January, Crystal Palace were extremely active in the transfer market, but they were still unable to fix the striker dilemma.

The lack of a true centre forward that brings reliability has haunted the Eagles over the years, and it has been one reason why the club has stayed midtable.

Christian Benteke, Odsonne Edouard, and Jean-Phillipe Mateta have all failed to nail down the spot on a full-time basis, with their lack of goals costing the team.

However, a player that Roy Hodgson let go of could have just been the fix if he had been given more time.

Edouard and Mateta's Palace record

The French duo both arrived at the club in the 2021/22 season for a combined fee of around £23m, but neither of them has impressed enough to become the main focal point of the team.

Edouard has played 88 games for Palace, scoring just 20 goals and contributing to five goals, whereas Mateta has played 91, scoring 16 and providing five assists, which is an even worse return.

Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta in action.

Usually, a side may put up with a striker’s lack of goals due to the influence they have on other aspects of the performance, but almost all of the positives in the Eagles' attack come from Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze.

This season, the former Mainz player has scored six goals across 24 matches, and he’s on course to have his best season yet. Edouard is actually Palace’s joint top scorer in the league this season with six goals, but four of those came in the first five games of the season.

Palace could then be left to rue the sale of a player who is outperforming both those two men of late…

Alexander Sorloth’s stats since leaving Palace

Alexander Sorloth’s time in London will not be remembered fondly by the individual himself, as he only started four of his 16 Premier League games and never scored in the top flight.

The 28-year-old joined Hodgson’s side for a fee of around £9m in 2018, and despite only scoring once in his 20 appearances for the club, the club were able to sell him to RB Leipzig in 2020 for double what they paid.

Since then, Sorloth has developed into a fairly reliable goal-scorer for all three of his next clubs: Leipzig, Real Sociedad, and now Villarreal, netting 40 goals since his departure from Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace

20

1

1

RB Leipzig

38

6

3

Real Sociedad

90

24

5

Villarreal

25

10

4

The 6 foot 5 number nine has played 25 games across all competitions this season, scoring ten goals and picking up four assists, which proves he has the ability to bring others into the game as well as score. He’s also proved that he can do it on big occasions, as just two weeks ago he scored and set up two goals in Villarreal’s 5-3 win away to Barcelona.

Furthermore, having a striker who can score from nothing is key in the Premier League, and based on the clip above he can certainly provide that.

In truth, Sorloth was never really given a real chance at Palace, despite thriving on loan at Trabzonspor, where he netted 33 goals and provided 11 assists in 49 games, and he is exactly what the side could do with right now to progress.

A frustrating case of what might have been…

Destaque do Confiança, Willians Santana foca em evolução da equipe na temporada

MatériaMais Notícias

Destaque do Confiança, o meia-atacante Willians Santana falou sobre o desejo da equipe em melhorar seu rendimento em campo nesta sequência da temporada. De acordo com o jogador, a meta é crescer de produção em 2021.

Veja jogadores com passagem pela Europa e Seleção que irão jogar no Brasil

– O grupo vem trabalhando muito para melhorar seu rendimento em campo nesta sequência da temporada. O elenco tem se dedicado muito para crescer de produção e para fazer bons jogos nas próximas semanas – disse.

VEJA CLASSIFICAÇÃO DA COPA DO NORDESTE

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Segundo Santana, seu desejo é fazer história no Confiança.

– Quero fazer uma história aqui no clube. Sei da grandeza do Confiança e da paixão do seu torcedor. Farei de tudo para ajudar muito até o fim da temporada – concluiu.

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