Fans aimed more taunts at Cristiano Ronaldo on his return from suspension during Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League clash with Al-Ain.

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Ronaldo frustrated by fan chantsTargeted by more Messi jibesOnly just back from suspensionWHAT HAPPENED?

Chants of 'Messi, Messi, Messi' were audible as players left the pitch at half-time of the 1-0 Al-Nassr defeat. Ronaldo himself appeared visibly frustrated and was seen shaking his head, either from how the game was going or the noise from the crowd.

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Ronaldo was banned for one Saudi Pro League game after appearing to react with an offensive gesture to fans to similar 'Messi' chanting when his team played Al-Shabab – he missed last week's costly 4-4 draw against Al-Hazm as a result. The 39-year-old was also fined 30,000 Saudi riyals (£6,300/$7,995).

DID YOU KNOW?

Al-Nassr have never won Asia's Champions League, finishing as runners-up in 1995. Al-Hilal, who are set to beat Al-Nassr to this season's Saudi Pro League title, have won two of the last four editions.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO & AL-NASSR?

A nine-point deficit on Al-Hilal is likely too much to make up over the remaining 12 games. But if Ronaldo wants to break Al-Nassr's Champions League duck and join a select group of players to win continental titles on two different continents, it will require overturning the 1-0 aggregate score-line when Al-Ain visit Saudi Arabia in the quarter-final return leg on March 11.

During his time at Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino's leadership and faith he put into the youth provided the perfect combination for stars to emerge.

He was responsible for developing Dele Alli and Harry Kane into two of the Premier League's finest talents, with the former being crowned as the most valuable U21 player in 2017, over the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Gabriel Jesus.

With the Argentine inheriting a youthful squad at Chelsea, he has the opportunity to replicate that success in west London and that is made easier by the exceptional level of talent being churned off the academy conveyor belt.

The emergence of Levi Colwill is a prime example of the gems waiting to be unearthed from the underage groups. The 20-year-old starred on loan at Brighton last season and is now an integral part of Pochettino's plans having played in every minute so far.

While Colwill is leading the way for the next generation of young talent, Chelsea are blessed with quality all over the pitch, including centre-backs Bashir Humphries and Alfie Gilchrist, creative midfielders Omari Hutchinson and Leo Castledine as well as striker Mason Burstow.

The Blues are well stocked when it comes to the volume of quality in their defensive and midfield ranks, but no one has grabbed the bull by the horns and stamped their authority on the striker position in the first-team, and that could open up the opportunity for teenage sharpshooter, Ronnie Stutter, to be given an opportunity.

Who is Ronnie Stutter?

Ronnie Stutter switched east London for west when he made the switch from West Ham United at U14 level, departing the club in 2019 with the 18-year-old since becoming the figurehead of their youth setup.

A constant threat who loves scoring goals, Stutter is a pacey and direct striker, who likes to lurk on the shoulder of the last defender, waiting patiently to latch onto a pass before bursting through on goal.

When in and around the box, the teenage sensation is lethal at finishing his chances, demonstrating this at the start of this campaign by scoring all types of goals, including thunderous strikes from outside the penalty area, showcasing a calmness in one vs one situations and predatory instincts to finish chances in the box.

During his last two years at Chelsea, the youngster has fought several battles with injury but has bounced back from those minor setbacks by becoming the U21s main source of goals and relishing that responsibility.

In six Premier League 2 matches, Stutter has chalked up six goals, including a strike in the EFL Trophy against Northampton Town as he aims to follow in the footsteps of fellow youngster Mason Burstow, who finished as the U21s top scorer last season and is now thriving on loan at Sunderland.

He commented: "It shows that it is possible and if you take your chance doors will open for you".

The youngster's competition for a chance in the first team comes in the shape of Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja, but the former of those two has struggled since making his £32m move from Villarreal this summer, leaving the door potentially ajar for Stutter after being named on the substitutes bench in the 0-0 draw against Bournemouth.

How has Nicolas Jackson performed this season?

When Jackson came off the bench to score his second of the season against Burnley, a huge weight would have been lifted off his shoulders after struggling in the early stages of his Chelsea career.

Jackson has been frustrated by squandering several opportunities to score, and those struggles were encapsulated by his open goal miss against Nottingham Forest as Chelsea sunk to a 1-0 defeat.

According to Sofascore, the 22-year-old has garnered an xG of 4.09, missed seven big chances, recorded a goal conversion of 10% and 2.9 shots per game, which emphasises that while he's being served golden chances to score, he's failing to put them away.

With the striker being thrust into the limelight for his wasteful finishing, the youngster has attracted both criticism from Chelsea fans while being mocked by rival supporters, but Paul Merson feels the criticism of the youngster is unjust.

He said: "I don’t think it’s fair on him, so I’d definitely give him more time. Though Pochettino would take him out of the firing line if he could."

Jackson was indeed removed from the firing line – but not by choice – after serving a suspension for accumulating five yellow cards.

The Senegalese international returned with a bang by scoring against the Clarets and if that proves to be the goal that kick-starts a purple patch in front of goal, opportunities for Stutter to impress will lessen.

However, if Jackson continues to be wasteful then Pochettino may have to unleash their "brilliant" sharpshooter – as dubbed by journalist Felix Johnston – into the first-team setup.

Burnley are already looking to sign a new defender but face competition from a number of Premier League rivals, according to a fresh report.

What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?

The Clarets once again had an extremely productive transfer window following their title-winning Championship campaign, bringing in 15 new players to Vincent Kompany’s side.

However, it has proven to be a tricky start to the new season, with defeats to Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United leaving them in the bottom three and winless in the top flight.

Time may well be needed for Kompany to get the best out of his current squad, but with the January transfer window fast approaching, it looks as if the club are already looking at potential additions for the second half of the campaign.

According to TEAMtalk, Burnley are one of five Premier League sides who are exploring a move to sign Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykola Matviyenko, with the player’s representatives looking at possible options.

Alongside those at Turf Moor, Crystal Palace, Everton, Sheffield United and West Ham are also keen on the defender.

Who is Mykola Matviyenko?

Matviyenko is primarily a centre-back but can also play as a left-back or right-back and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €20m Transfermarkt valuation.

The 27-year-old has progressed through the Shakhtar Donetsk academy and has gone on to make 175 senior appearances for the club, contributing to an impressive 22 goals.

The left-footed Ukraine international has impressed over the past 12 months, as per FBref, ranking highly for passes completed, clearances and passes blocked.

Journalist Andrew Todos recently claimed that Matviyenko is capable of operating in either a back four or a back three, describing him as a “composed and experienced centre-back”.

"Matviyenko is a composed and experienced centre-back, who comes across as very assured, especially when playing alongside younger teammates. As he started his career as a full-back, he's got more pace than an average centre-back and this aids him quite a lot in recovery challenges.

"In my opinion, he can be world-class when he plays in a formation with three defenders. If he plays in a back four, he should play alongside a tall defender who can help him. He is good as a centre-back but the best matches of his career were when he was in a back three and he played next to wing-backs."

Kompany currently has six centre-back options in Jordan Beyer, Hjalmar Ekdal, Ameen Al-Dakhil, Dara O'Shea, CJ Egan-Riley and Hannes Delcroix, so you could argue that Matviyenko may not be needed.

However, if Burnley view the player as an upgrade at the back after conceding 13 times in their opening five games, then they could well look to push through a move, making this one to keep an eye on ahead of 2024.

A popular French influencer claims Kylian Mbappe has launched a "legal complaint" for naming one of his kebabs after the Paris Saint-Germain star.

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Influencer hit with legal complaint over Mbappe kebabPSG star's lawyers want kebab name changeHenni says World Cup winner has 'lost it'Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

According to RMC Sport, Mohamed Henni, who owns a kebab shop and supports PSG's rivals Marseille, has received a letter from Mbappe's lawyer, Delphine Verheyden, and has been given a week to rename the takeaway dish to avoid legal trouble. Now the influencer has vented his fury at this turn of events.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MOHAMED HENNI SAID

The influencer shared the letter on social media, which reads: "Mr. Henni uses Kylian Mbappe's name for commercial and promotional ends, without having obtaining explicit prior consent."

In response, a "stunned" Henni wrote: "A player of this level has the time to think about me. He [Mbappe] is using his time and money to attack me. I am not hurting anyone, I am a humourist. Are you not embarrassed? Launching a legal complaint for absolutely nothing?”

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While the report adds on the menu the item is described as, 'Bakery bread, as round as Mbappe's head', Henni points out the French World Cup winner is not the only player mocked at his restaurant. There is a savoury pancake, 'As loaded as [Dimitri] Payet', dedicated to the former Marseille and West Ham star; with Henni claiming the veteran midfielder has not complained about this. He added: "He [Payet] is a player with values, Mbappe has completely lost it."

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WHAT NEXT?

It remains to be seen what will happen over the next week in regards to whether or not Henni will change the name of the Mbappe kebab. Despite the bizarre dispute, the 25-year-old forward will be fully focused on his duties at PSG, who are due back in action in a French Cup quarter-final tie against Nice on Wednesday.

Kim Barnett has stepped down from his role as a cricket advisor at Derbyshire with immediate effect.Barnett returned to his former club in 2016 as Head of Cricket following a coaching restructure, but the side are languishing at sixth in Division Two of the County Championship, and have won just once this season.John Wright, the former New Zealand opener, will lead the squad during the T20 Blast in his capacity as a specialist limited-overs coach.The Supervisory Board will begin the process for the recruitment of the role of Head of Cricket in due course.”Kim has provided invaluable support and guidance to the club and it is undoubted that we have a more competitive squad now in all formats of the game,” said Ian Morgan, the chairman.”The club would like to thank Kim for his contributions and wish him well for the future.”

Kuldeep, Pant to be named in squad for five-Test series in August and September

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jul-2018India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the first part of the five-match England Test series, starting on August 1. ESPNcricinfo understands that Bumrah has still not recovered from the thumb injury he suffered during India’s first match of the UK tour, their opening T20 against Ireland last month.Bumrah is likely to be left out of the Test squad, which will be released by the BCCI on Wednesday. It is is understood the selectors have opted to include the left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, who made such an impact in the T20 and ODIs against England, and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who gets a maiden Test call. Also making a comeback is Indian strike bowler Mohammed Shami, who had to sit out the majority of the IPL due to a hamstring injury.Shami was originally meant to be in the reckoning for the limited-overs squads in England, but he failed the mandatory yo-yo fitness test, which he eventually cleared recently. Shami is likely to be part of a fast-bowling contingent comprising Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. The allrounder Hardik Pandya is also included among the seam-bowling options.Kuldeep, who was India’s highest wicket-taker in the limited-overs leg of the England tour, will be part of a three-man spin pack comprising R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.But it is the inclusion of Pant which a significant move on the part of the selectors. With Wriddhiman Saha still recovering from a thumb injury picked up in the IPL, Dinesh Karthik is the first-choice wicketkeeper. Pant, who has played in four T20Is, might come as a surprise pick considering experts have pointed out his wicketkeeping skills aren’t yet of the highest quality.Pant is currently in the UK playing for India A against the Lions in Worcester. He has 15 dismissals on the A tour.Talking at the post-match presentation after losing the ODI series 2-1 in Leeds, India captain Virat Kohli said that he and the selectors did not need to take any hard decisions.”Our squad is pretty settled. We are really excited to be going into a lengthy Test series. It is going to be very challenging, but something that we are looking forward to as a side. We want to play hard cricket. We want to play tough cricket, which I’m sure the English team would provide us. It is going to be a hard-fought series between two quality sides.”The selectors are also understood to have overlooked Rohit Sharma, who scored two centuries in the limited-overs leg of the England series. Rohit was in contention for the middle-order role, but a patchy series in South Africa left the selectors and team management unsatisfied. Rohit was dropped from the one-off Afghanistan Test in June. Karun Nair is likely to be handed the extra batsman slot.

Leeds United could look to offload one member of their squad in January as Daniel Farke continues to shape his squad at Elland Road, according to reports.

Leeds updates: Elland Road verdict, Gruev criticism, Archie Gray prediction

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Frank McAvennie has signalled that he believes Leeds could enter into further decline if they fail to sort out issues with the ownership of Elland Road, in light of reports that former Whites owner Andrea Raddrizzani is charging the club hierarchy £1.7 million per year to use the stadium. McAvennie said:

"It is a bit weird. I really do not understand that part of the game. It is like renting a house you can’t do anything to it. If you are going to buy a football club buy it all. They could go further into decline if they do not get it sorted. Leeds are a huge club and their fans deserve better – if somebody wants to buy them and take them forward, I would hope they would be willing to get it sorted."

Summer signing Ilia Gruev is on international duty with his native Bulgaria and has received some bizarrely worded criticism from BTA journalist Atanas Vasilev via Leeds Live, who slated the midfielder's performance in their surprise 2-0 defeat at home to Lithuania in EURO 2024 qualifying. Vasilev wrote on the outlet's website: "Leeds United’s new signing Ilia Gruev also has no explanation as to why the series of ridiculous losses, poor results."

In other news, former Whites goalkeeper Paul Robinson has tipped Leeds United youngster Archie Gray to have an outside chance of being included in the England squad for EURO 2024. Speaking to Radio 5 Live via Leeds Live, Robinson revealed his shock revelation, explaining:

"My dark horse for the Euros squad, a real outsider from me, somebody I've watched regularly at Leeds United, Archie Gray. Hasn't played in the England under-21s yet, represented England at every level up to under-19s. He's a regular for Daniel Farke in the Leeds side this year, and I expect him to make great strides in the next 12/18 months."

Leeds United's next five Championship fixtures

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Sky Bet Championship

Norwich City (A)

Carrow Road

Sky Bet Championship

Stoke City (A)

bet365 Stadium

Sky Bet Championship

Huddersfield (H)

Elland Road

Sky Bet Championship

Leicester City (A)

King Power Stadium

Sky Bet Championship

Plymouth Argyle (H)

Elland Road

Leeds transfer update; Sean McGurk

According to a Leeds United transfer update on youngster Sean McGurk from reliable reporter Alan Nixon's Patreon, the Whites are keen on loaning the 20-year-old out on a temporary basis as he looks to build up his senior experience.

The former Wigan Athletic midfielder has made a positive start to proceedings in 2023/24, registering three goals and one assist in his opening six appearances in the Premier League 2 (McGurk's statistics – Transfermarkt).

Nevertheless, he doesn't look to have a place in Farke's plans this term and has yet to make his senior breakthrough at Elland Road since joining the Yorkshire giants. Back in 2020, McGurk was labelled "terrific" by former Wigan Athletic Under-23 boss Nick Chadwick, though it now seems that he may need to earn his stripes elsewhere before making the grade at Leeds United is a realistic possibility.

The case involving Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, Getafe loanee Mason Greenwood and an alleged slur has reportedly been dismissed by La Liga.

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• England internationals clashed in February
• Blancos star caught mouthing something on camera
• No disciplinary action will be taken by La Liga

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Two men with England caps to their name met in Spanish top-flight action back on February 1. Their paths crossed at various points during that encounter, with Bellingham putting in one particularly full-blooded challenge on Greenwood.

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  He was caught on camera mouthing something after making that tackle, with the incident reported by Getafe amid allegations of Bellingham calling Greenwood a “rapist”. As part of the subsequent investigation, La Liga drafted in a lip-reading expert.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to the case in question has been dropped – meaning that no disciplinary action will be taken – as it is impossible to determine with 100 per cent accuracy whether Bellingham said “rapist” or “rubbish”. Manchester United-owned Greenwood was arrested on suspicion of attempted rape, assault and coercive and controlling behaviour in January 2022, but saw those charges dropped in February 2023.

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• Jose Breton/AP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Bellingham and Greenwood are now free to focus on their football once more. Greenwood is expected to complete a permanent transfer away from Old Trafford this summer, while Bellingham – who has registered 20 goals during his debut campaign at Santiago Bernabeu – is about to serve a domestic ban for the red card that he collected after the final whistle had blown in a controversial clash with Valencia.

MatériaMais Notícias

O domingo foi intenso para o Bragantino. Após ficar o segundo tempo todo atrás do Santos, o Massa Bruta conseguiu o gol de empate nos acréscimos e escapou da zona de rebaixamento.

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Na coletiva de imprensa, o técnico Mauricio Barbieri e analisou o desempenho da equipe e prometeu muito trabalho para melhorar o sistema de criação do time.

‘A gente teve um domínio territorial quase que absoluto contra o Santos, tentamos criar dificuldades para a equipe do Santos, que é um time muito técnico, para que não conseguissem criar muita coisa. Acho que neste sentido, tivemos sucesso. Mas precisamos ser capazes de criar melhores oportunidades. Um ponto que precisamos melhorar sem dúvida. Ficamos a maior parte do tempo no campo adversário, tivemos bolas na trave, mas temos tido dificuldades de criar chances mais claras. Vamos aproveitar a semana cheia, ver a volta de alguns jogadores e tentar desenvolver melhor neste quesito’, afirmou o treinador.

Com o empate dentro de casa, o Bragantino chegou aos 20 pontos e encerrou a rodada na 16ª colocação, uma acima da zona de rebaixamento.

Nottingham Forest, perhaps more than there has been in recent times, are bringing a plethora of promising talent through their academy setup.

While the Reds have always been an institution that has taken pride in their ability to develop young talent and turn them into stars, several have emerged on their journey back to the Premier League.

Joe Worrall and Ryan Yates, in particular, formed the backbone of success in their promotion campaign and despite Forest splurging their war chest of funds on talent across Europe, that duo still remain an integral part of Steve Cooper's plans and are shining examples of the quality that can be nurtured.

Two even bigger examples of that increase in production quality are the emergence of stars Matty Cash and Brennan Johnson, who were sold for a combined £61.5m after shining at the City Ground and demonstrating how giving young talent a chance can save clubs millions.

The latter was sold to Tottenham this summer following his scintillating performances in the Premier League and his journey is being used as a tool of inspiration for youngsters setting their sights on becoming the next Brennan Johnson.

On the production line at Forest, there is a wealth of precocious quality waiting to impress among the seniors and make that jump into the first team like Johnson did.

Who is Nottingham Forest's biggest academy talent?

Now in their mid-twenties, Yates and Worrall have firmly established themselves as first-team regulars on Trentside, racking up a combined 366 appearances since their inclusion in the senior setup.

Alex Mighten, who is currently on loan at Belgian pro league side KV Kortrijk, featured regularly in the Championship – 67 times to be exact – but has fallen down the pecking order since their promotion, which is why the 21-year-old has been sent out on loan.

Lower down the line, promising defensive duo Aaron Donnelly and Zach Abbot, who impressed on their first-team debuts in the Carabao Cup last season, demonstrate that the future of their defence is in safe hands, as Abbot was listed among the Guardian's best talents in the Premier League ast year.

While Forest boast a wealth of talent in their defensive ranks, the Reds have a highly-rated striker who has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Johnson. He goes by the name of Dale Taylor.

Who is Dale Taylor?

When Forest signed Taylor from Linfield in the summer of 2020, they knew he was showing the early hallmarks of becoming a special talent.

After impressing for the club's U18s, he made his first-team debut for the Danske Bank Premiership side, at the age of just 15, when he came off the bench in a 5-1 victory over rivals East Belfast.

It took a while for the youngster to settle – as expected – but once he was accustomed to his new surroundings, his goal-scoring exploits exploded into life as he notched up eight goals in 14 appearances for the 18s before being moved up to the U23s.

A move up an age group allowed Taylor to flourish further as he chalked up six goal contributions in eight Premier League 2 appearances in the first half of last season as a whole host of EFL clubs came calling, with Burton Albion winning the race for his signature in January.

Similarly to when Johnson was loaned out to League One side Lincoln City to aid his development in the 2020/21 season, a move to Burton gave the 19-year-old a taste of senior football, and it was one he took to like a duck to water.

Described previously by fellow Northern Ireland striker Conor Washington as "quality", Taylor announced himself to the Pirelli Stadium in style with a goal on debut, as supporters instantly fell in love with the teenager.

After scoring a further four more goals, the number of clubs apparently interested in taking him on loan was said to run into double figures, but it was Wycombe Wanderers who won that particular race.

Having opened his account for the Chairboys in a 3-2 victory over Leyton Orient, a calf injury has since stopped him in his tracks, and now has to dislodge Brandon Hanlan or Sam Vokes for a place in the starting XI.

Despite that minor setback, the fact that Johnson's career truly took off in the lower echelons of the EFL gives Taylor hope that his journey to Forest stardom is only just beginning.