Last season’s Champions League fairytale side Bodo/Glimt look set to qualify for this year’s edition of the competition after winning 3-1 away at NEC Nijmegen of the Netherlands.
READ MORE: UEFA Champions League on BBC Sport
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The Swede set Celtic on their way and Duran’s double did the rest, a gorgeous volley – on the back of hustling and harassing of the LASK defence – and then that sumptuous team goal that rounded it off.
O’Neill said the club has a bargain in Duran and the early signs are that he was an absolute steal at somewhere between £4.5m and £6m, depending on who’s talking.
The Colombian has intelligence and guile but he’s also got the work-ethic that means every bit as much as his other qualities.
In the 72nd minute, Celtic were 3-0 ahead, and yet there the 24-year-old was darting back into defence to help out, tracking LASK men until they were hounded out of possession.
As much as his goals, his lung-busting effort to put in a shift made him a hero of the night for Celtic people. Honesty counts for a lot.
It’s easy to say that Celtic learned their lesson from a year ago and splashed the cash. They spent close to £30m and now they’re getting their reward. It’s never that simple.
Spending is something that Celtic have done a lot of over the years. Spending wisely has been their problem. Splurging money on last-minute loans who, surprisingly, turn out to be duds.
Forking out multiple millions on recent and not so recent failures – from Balikwisha to Barkas – has been the problem. The decision-making has been awful too often.
Duran represents a return to form, a reminder of the days when they found value, mostly under Ange Postecoglou.
We’re too quick to write off players and we can also be too quick to brand them as stars in waiting. You should tread carefully at all times. With Duran we’ll take the plunge – this guy looks special.
Beyond offering a physical distraction, Kasper Hogh was quiet against LASK, but he will score plenty in the weeks and months ahead. At £11m, he, too, looks like money very well spent.
Everyone in the Premier League wants clarity and a speedy resolution in the case against Manchester City which features more than 100 alleged breaches of its financial rules, says Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick.
An independent commission is yet to publish a ruling, more than a year and a half after a disciplinary hearing concluded, and three and a half years since City were first charged.
City have always denied wrongdoing.
When asked if the length of time the process was taking was frustrating Arsenal, Garlick told BBC Sport: “It has gone on for a while.
“Everybody – the league and the teams – would want the clarity around what’s going to happen next.
“But it’s not something that I can control. It’s not something that I can speculate on.
“And I just hope that there is a solution very quickly.”
Garlick’s comments come on the eve of the new season and after Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “I do accept it’s taking longer than expected, and I understand that people want to find out as soon as possible what’s going on, but I simply can’t provide that.”
Describing the case as “hugely complex”, Masters added: “Our rules are very clear – we have to follow the process, and there’s only one real clear route through, which is to allow that process to reach its natural conclusion.”
Privately, officials at a host of other Premier League clubs BBC Sport has spoken to in the past 24 hours have also expressed their frustrations, while acknowledging that this is an independent process which is running on its own timetable.
One said the Premier League should be “actively seeking to put in place a better system” to ensure speedier resolutions.
Another made the point that given that the league spent £45m on legal bills during the 2023–24 season on disputes over its financial regulations, there are mounting concerns at the spiralling costs of such a long legal fight.
Betfred Super League
Hull KR (14) 28
Tries: Lewis, Lawton, Hadley, Pangai Jr Goals: Martin, Mourgue 5
Warrington Wolves (10) 34
Tries: Hopoate 2, Bentley, Sipley, Byrne, Williams Goals: Irwin 5
George Williams scored his first try since returning from neck surgery to help Warrington Wolves beat defending Super League champions Hull KR and close the gap on the competition’s top two.
England half-back Williams, who spent almost four months out after sustaining the injury against Catalans Dragons in April, went over for the match-defining try in their rearranged fixture against the Robins – having returned to action just five days earlier against York.
Williams’ score came before Mikey Lewis again found himself in trouble for Hull KR, with the influential half-back – who was making his first appearance after completing a four-game ban – sin-binned for a dangerous attempt to block a kick late on.
Earlier, quickfire Lewis and Karl Lawton tries just before the break put Hull KR 14-10 ahead, after well-worked scores from Albert Hopoate and James Bentley looked to have had Wolves heading into the break with a slender lead.
Toafofoa Sipley scored immediately after the interval to reclaim the advantage for the visitors and, while Arthur Mourgue landed a penalty to level things up, an Ewan Irwin kick, Liam Byrne’s try on his 27th birthday, Williams’ finish and stunning second score from Hopoate proved enough to seal a statement win for Sam Burgess’ side.
Late scores from Dean Hadley and Tevita Pangai Jr did little more than add respectability to the scoreline for the Robins after being outplayed at home.
More to follow.
Hull KR: Mourgue; Davies, Hiku, Broadbent, Burgess; Lewis, May; Sue, Litten, Hadley, Whitbread, Martin, Minchella.
Interchanges: Amone, Luckley, Lawton, Pangai Jr.
Warrington Wolves: J Thewlis; Hopoate, Lindop, King, Ashton; Williams, Irwin; Byrne, Walker, Harrison, Bentley, Stone, Currie.
Interchanges: Tanginoa, Sipley, Wood, Crowther.
Referee: Liam Moore.
Following the start of the US-Israel war on Iran,, the first match of the Iranian league was played last week.
Published On 18 Aug 202618 Aug 2026
Iranian clubs have been confirmed to play at neutral venues against their Qatari and United Arab Emirates opponents following the draw for the group stage of the Asian Champions League Elite.
Matches in the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) premier event, which was drawn on Tuesday, begin on September 14.
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Tehran’s Esteghlal and Tabriz-based Tractor will face UAE sides Al Ain, Al Wasl and Shabab Al-Ahli, and Qatari clubs Al Gharafa, Al Sadd and Al Shamal, despite the ongoing conflict in the region.
Esteghlal and Tractor avoided the heavily favoured Saudi Arabian contingent.
Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, Iran has struck targets in Qatar and the UAE, saying it is retaliating for allowing US bases to be used for strikes.
Iran’s neighbours have implored Tehran to stop firing at them. On Sunday, Iran claimed three of its pilots who went missing in March were being held in Qatar, though Doha denied the charge.
Iran’s domestic league was suspended in February as attacks began but returned last weekend with one match behind closed doors and others under capacity restrictions.
The AFC Elite features two 16-team regional zones. In the west, Saudi Arabia has five representatives, including Jeddah’s Al-Ahli, which is aiming to become the first club to win three straight Champions League titles. Coach Matthias Jaissle left this month to take over English Premier League side Newcastle.
Riyadh rival Al-Hilal is seeking a fifth title, while Cristiano Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr back into the competition after winning the Saudi Pro League in May.
In the east, Japan reached the final in the past two editions, with Kawasaki Frontale and Machida Zelvia losing to Al-Ahli, though neither has qualified this year.
Gamba Osaka won in 2008, and South Korea also supplies two former champions: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, aiming for a third crown, and Pohang Steelers, looking for a fourth.
The top eight from each group advance to the round of 16. From the quarterfinals onward, all matches will be played in Saudi Arabia, with the final set for May 1.
John Murray: Madjo is a teenage striker Aston Villa fans will know all about already after the goals he has scored for them in pre-season.
Born in London to parents from Cameroon, Madjo grew up in Luxembourg and made his senior international debut for them last year.
But he has now switched his international allegiance to England and played for the Under-17 team.
After a wrangle over that, he was finally cleared to play in competitive matches for Villa, making his competitive debut last week with a goal in the Super Cup against Paris St-Germain.
He looks like a big man with a big future.
Guy Mowbray: There’s been talk of a loan move for Madjo, but his flurry of pre-season goals and a massive impact against PSG should keep him around at least until the next transfer window.
If that’s the case – you won’t fail to notice him! He is a powerful striker who has most of the tools to be a success.
Steve Bower: I was going to choose Johan Manzambi, who I included when we did a similar article about new players to watch at the World Cup. Manzambi had an excellent tournament, and Villa pipped Newcastle to sign him.
But I didn’t want to include two players from one club, and I was told about Madjo when Villa signed him for just over £10m back in January, before they had well-documented issues registering him.
Obviously we know he has been available in pre-season, when he has made his mark with four goals against Walsall, Real Sociedad and Indonesia All-Stars. Then of course Unai Emery gave him his opportunity against PSG, when he scored again.
He has got a huge frame and figure for his age, bringing very early comparisons to Erling Haaland, which is a big tag to carry.
But, without putting too much pressure on a 17-year-old’s shoulders, with Villa being in the Champions League this season and the extra games that brings, Madjo is going to get some minutes.
It feels like the perfect scenario for Madjo, because with strikers like Ollie Watkins and Tammy Abraham at the club, Villa can introduce a young player like him to the first team without having to rely on him.
In Emery, Madjo has got the perfect manager to nurture his development too, and I think he could make his mark across all competitions this season.
Available for over a year
Joe Hart, Chris Sutton and Adam Crafton are with Mark Chapman to look ahead to the Premier League season, can they cover all 20 clubs in this episode of the Monday Night Club? That depends on whether you count Chris Sutton’s predicted Premier League table.
They reflect on Manchester City’s performance in their Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, what it takes to defend a Premier League title, and whether Xabi Alonso can repeat Antonio Conte’s feat of taking Chelsea from a club that finished tenth to title winners in the following season.
Plus, Hull City assistant head coach Dean Holden discusses their preparations for a return to the top flight.
01:39 – Takeaways from Manchester City’s Community Shield defeat
17:28 – What is so difficult about defending a Premier League title?
21:47 – Can Chelsea challenge for the title?
32:00 – Hull City assistant Dean Holden
38:50 – Coventry and Ipswich’s survival hopes
43:03 – Will Aston Villa start the season with two ‘starting’ goalkeepers?
45:13 – Which club has the most potential to under deliver this season?
Does Guimaraes complete the midfield? Can Arsenal finally win the Champions League? And who is set for a breakout season?
Arsenal begin their first Premier League title defence in 22 years on Friday with a home game against newly promoted Coventry.
The Gunners, who lost in the Champions League final on penalties last season, are also hoping this is the season they can finally be crowned champions of Europe.
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So the English champions face plenty of key talking points before the season – here are the five key ones.
With major rivals City and Liverpool rebuilding under Enzo Maresca and Andoni Iraola respectively, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s methods are tested and trusted after nearly seven years at the helm.
His well-established side will be confident they can defy history and win back-to-back titles for the first time since 1935.
They have also strengthened their squad with a few key signings – not least bringing in Bruno Guimaraes to bolster the midfield and replacing the outgoing Leandro Trossard with a likely upgrade in Greek winger Christos Tzolis.
But centre-back William Saliba’s long-term back injury will be a big blow for a side that won the league while conceding just 27 goals.
And the Gunners’ reliance on set-pieces may face more scrutiny from referees this season after some rule changes and some contentious flashpoints last season.
“Now, we have to show that we belong to this level and we want to increase and take this football club to a different dimension,” Arteta said.
His side were certainly impressive in their first competitive game of the season, sending a clear message of intent to their rivals as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday.
Arsenal are the club with the most European Cup/Champions League appearances in history without ever lifting the trophy – 226 games and counting – and last season’s final loss to PSG on penalties in Budapest will sting for a long time.
They had built the run to Budapest on defensive resilience, conceding only six goals in 14 European matches, and led through Kai Havertz inside six minutes. However, PSG equalised from the penalty spot and eventually won the shootout 4-3, with Gabriel Magalhaes missing the decisive kick.
PSG are now back-to-back champions chasing a three-peat, and Bayern Munich ran PSG very close in their semifinal. But Arteta’s side have shown they can compete with anyone in Europe – they just need to find that extra gear.
Arsenal’s marquee signing of the transfer window was Guimaraes from Newcastle for 75 million pounds ($101.5m). The versatile Brazilian captained his previous club and brings all-round quality and leadership to the Arsenal midfield, easing some of the pressure on Declan Rice, who struggled with injuries during the end of the season and at the World Cup.
Arteta seems to have little doubt that Guimaraes can adapt quickly to a title-defending side. He certainly slotted in well during the Community Shield win over City, impressing with some key tackles and spraying around some beautiful passes.
“He’s a warrior with a tremendous quality as well and intuition and leadership and charisma that is going to help us, that is going to really ignite something different in the team,” Arteta said.
“He’s going to push everybody inside the team as well and that’s the type of player that we need.”
Arsenal fans were hoping that Viktor Gyokeres would be the club’s first reliable number nine for many years.
But while his first season delivered 14 Premier League goals and 21 in all competitions, it was a solid if unspectacular return.
With Arsenal having strengthened around him rather than bringing in competition up front, the pressure is on Gyokeres to kick on from a decent debut year into a prolific one.
Dowman turned 16 in December, and the attacking midfielder scored a sensational stoppage-time winner against Everton in March to become the youngest scorer in Premier League history.
Arteta has been careful to strike a balance between exposure and protection, pointing to school commitments and workload management as much as footballing readiness in limiting Dowman’s appearances.
The youngster is likely to feature more in cup competitions this season, but if he performs to his apparent potential, Arteta may even feel compelled to play him in some of the biggest games of the season.
EXPLAINER
Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea all have new faces in the dugout as Arsenal attempt to defend title for first time in 90 years.
The 2026/27 Premier League season is set to kick off on August 21 as champions Arsenal host newly promoted Coventry.
It has been a busy preseason for many clubs, albeit truncated for some by the World Cup, and as always there are a number of tantalising questions as the new season begins in all its hope and anticipation.
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Al Jazeera outlines the five most compelling storylines ahead of the opening game.
The Gunners go into the campaign as Premier League champions for the first time since their Invincibles era, bringing a different kind of pressure for Mikel Arteta’s squad. The last time the Gunners retained a league title was in 1935.
They will also be looking to go one better in Europe after reaching the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years last season, only to lose to PSG.
While Leandro Trossard has left for Besiktas, Arsenal have generally kept their squad intact and added to it with some promising signings – buying Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, Illan Meslier on a free transfer, and making Piero Hincapie’s loan permanent. Guimaraes captained Newcastle and adds real leadership, steel and depth to the middle of the pitch.
Arsenal had the best defence in the league last year and the best record from set pieces – maintaining these attributes will be key.
Perhaps one area of uncertainty remains up front, where a convincing out-and-out striker remains elusive, despite the flashes of promise shown by Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus.
Manchester City have appointed Enzo Maresca to replace Pep Guardiola, ending a glittering decade under the Catalan. Maresca previously worked as Guardiola’s assistant during City’s treble-winning season and now inherits the job of reinventing a team built entirely around one man’s philosophy. His fortunes may depend significantly on whether City can hold on to key midfielder Rodri amid interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Maresca left Chelsea mid-season back in January, and the Blues have since turned to Xabi Alonso, a talented manager with a point to prove after he was sacked by Real Madrid last season. Whether Chelsea’s unpredictable owners give Alonso the freedom he needs to work could be a big factor in whether he succeeds at Stamford Bridge. He’s already made some interesting signings, such as bringing in Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa and the 35-year-old Danny Welbeck from Brighton.
Liverpool, meanwhile, go into the season under new boss Andoni Iraola after a wretched title defence under Arne Slot. The Spaniard will be tasked with making a coherent side out of the very talented but unsettled collection of individuals at Anfield, while also rebuilding after the departure of long-term stalwarts such as Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.
Newcastle have appointed 38-year-old German coach Matthias Jaissle following Eddie Howe’s departure after nearly five years in charge. He inherits a squad that’s lost much of its spine over the preseason, with Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Kieran Trippier all leaving.
Iraola’s move to Liverpool left a vacancy at Bournemouth, where the club has turned to Marco Rose, a former Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig coach.
With the Premier League season starting just 33 days after the World Cup final, several of the league’s biggest clubs face a rough turnaround from international duty straight into a title race.
Manchester City sent 19 players to the tournament across 12 nations – the heaviest World Cup workload in the league – while Arsenal had 16 involved, raising questions about squad freshness for two of the sides most likely to be challenging for the title.
The Premier League has confirmed a set of new rules for 2026-27, targeting time-wasting and improving consistency around some of last season’s biggest flashpoints.
Players receiving on-field treatment must now stay off the pitch for a full minute, double the previous 30 seconds, while referees will apply a five-second countdown on delayed throw-ins and goal kicks – time-wasting beyond that means possession or a corner will be awarded to the opposition.
Holding and grappling at corners will also draw closer scrutiny, with penalties now more likely for defenders who impede attackers.
There’s a notable softening on hair-pulling too after three straight red cards for it last season – now deliberate pulls without “excessive force or brutality” will only merit a yellow.
Three years after playing in English football’s third tier, Sunderland finished seventh in the Premier League last season – qualifying for the Europa League.
It is an astonishing achievement for a club that spent close to a decade outside the top flight, with most newly promoted clubs battling for survival at the other end of the table.
Manager Regis Le Bris has built a talented squad, but sustaining this level of performance alongside the demands of European football is going to be tough – indeed, Sunderland are again among the favourites to go down.
There is no uniform approach to youth development among Premier League clubs.
International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) figures for 2025-26 show club-trained players accounted for 16.2% of Manchester City‘s Premier League minutes, followed by Chelsea on 15.5% and Brighton on 12.5%.
CIES defines a club-trained player as someone registered with their current club for at least three full seasons, or 36 months, between the ages of 15 and 21. That means an 18-year-old recruited from an EFL academy can still go on to qualify as club-trained if he spends the next three seasons with his new Premier League club.
At the other end of the scale, Tottenham‘s club-trained players accounted for just 0.1% of league minutes, while Bournemouth, Brentford and Burnley were all at zero.
Recruiting from EFL and Scottish academies therefore offers another way of building that development pipeline.
Rather than relying solely on players who have been with a club since childhood, a Premier League side can identify somebody developed elsewhere, bring them into their under-21 structure at 17, 18 or 19 and take responsibility for the final stages of their development.
The numbers do not yet show a relentless increase. There were 18 such moves in 2023-24, meaning this summer’s 14 cannot be described as unprecedented.
But the concentration of 18-year-olds and League One players suggests clubs are becoming increasingly precise about the market they are targeting.
For EFL clubs, that raises questions over how long their best youngsters can realistically be retained.
For Premier League clubs, the calculation is different. The next Watkins, Eze, Wharton or Semenyo may already be somewhere further down the pyramid. The challenge is finding them before everybody else does.
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. will be suspended for the first eight games of the 2026 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, the league announced Friday.
Pearce was arrested in February following a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend and WNBA player, Rickea Jackson. The incident took place in Doral, Fla.
Pearce’s charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing police and resisting arrest, and misdemeanor stalking could be dropped if he cooperates in a pretrial intervention program requiring random drug tests, distance from Jackson and staying out of legal trouble for one year.
Pearce will be available to participate in preseason games and all team activities until the suspension takes effect on Sunday, Aug. 30.
The second-year defensive end can be reinstated on Monday, Nov. 2, following Atlanta’s Week 8 road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons are set to play the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain, the following week.
The Falcons’ pass rush has taken a hit recently following Jalon Walker’s season-ending ACL tear. The group is left with Christian Harris, JD Bertrand, Samson Ebukam, Kendal Daniels and Bralen Trice. The Falcons also added Cameron Sample after Walker’s injury.
Atlanta traded back to the No. 26 pick in the first round of the 2025 draft to select Pearce. The former Tennessee Volunteer has played a substantial role in transforming the Falcons’ pass rush, leading the team with 10½ sacks during his rookie season.
Pearce was one of four suspensions the NFL handed out on Friday.
The NFL also suspended Commanders edge rusher Dorance Armstrong, Tennessee Titans safety Nazeeh Johnson and Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis.
Armstrong was suspended one game for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He will miss the Commanders season-opening game against Philadelphia on Sept. 13.
Armstrong opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list, but has since been activated to resume practicing. He was limited to playing seven games last season before tearing a knee ligament.
He’s entering his ninth NFL season, and third with Washington.
Johnson was suspended six games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancers. Mathis was issued a three-game suspension for violating the league’s substances of abuse policy.
Under league rules, the players are allowed to practice and play with their respective teams through Aug. 30, when NFL teams are required to set their 53-player rosters.
Johnson is eligible to return for the Titans’ home game against Cleveland on Oct. 25. Mathis can return for Buffalo’s home game against New England on Oct. 4.
Johnson has three previous seasons of NFL experience, all with the Kansas City Chiefs, and signed with the Titans on July 27, just before the opening of training camp.
The 28-year-old had six starts in 29 NFL games with the Chiefs since being selected by Kansas City in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. A shoulder injury limited Johnson to appearing in just two games last season. He also missed the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL in his right knee.
The 28-year-old Mathis appeared in six games with the Bills last season. He spent his first three NFL seasons appearing in 23 games with Washington.
Carey writes for the Associated Press.
Welcome to our Who am I? game.
The rules are simple. Each day there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.
After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.
Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.
So take part and return for more tomorrow.
Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Flora Snelson.
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Super League have confirmed that they have received an investment offer from the Australian Rugby League Commission.
Discussions have been ongoing between the two parties since last year.
In a brief statement, Rugby League commercial said Super League’s 14 clubs had been informed of the offer on Thursday and that details “remain confidential”.
Chairman of National Rugby League (NRL) Peter V’landys told BBC Sport last October that Super League was in danger of “a crash” if it did not find new ways to grow revenue.
In April, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said concerns that a deal between the sport’s two leading competitions would lead to a talent drain from Super League were “completely unfounded”.
“What we’re trying to achieve is to make rugby league in the UK and Europe as strong as possible,” he told BBC Sport.
“That’s the exact opposite of it becoming a feeder pathway program.”
Abdo also said that the NRL were looking for a partnership with Super League rather than a takeover of it.
At the time head of RL Commercial Rodri Jones called the negotiations between Super League and the NRL “encouraging”.
“The sport is open minded to investment,” Jones told BBC Sport.
“The NRL is a natural fit. They are probably the front leaders in the negotiations that we are currently having with various parties.”
The Super League began in 1996 when rugby league’s premier European competition moved to being a summer competition.
Hull KR won the Grand Final last year to join St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls as the only teams to have claimed the title.
La Liga officials are set to carry out a pitch inspection at Celta Vigo’s Estadio de Balaidos following a suspected fungus outbreak.
Celta are due to host Osasuna on Sunday night in their opening match of the 2026-27 season, kicking off at 20:30 BST.
Following reports in Spain of the outbreak, sources close to La Liga have told BBC Sport that the league are due to visit the 24,870-capacity stadium in Vigo in the next 24 hours to assess if the match can be played as scheduled.
The pitch is said to have been hit by a fungus infection that has damaged the playing surface, with Celta Vigo believed to have requested that the match is postponed.
Meanwhile, opponents Osasuna are said to be open to playing the fixture as scheduled.
Spain’s national team played a friendly against Iraq at the Esadio de Balaidos in June ahead of their successful 2026 World Cup-winning campaign over the summer.
The stadium has been undergoing renovation works for more than a decade, with it planned to be among the 11 Spanish stadia used to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco.
Once renovation works are completed, the arena is set to increase its capacity to between 40,000 and 44,000.
Celta originally had the option to postpone the match due to striker Borja Iglesias reaching the World Cup final with Spain, but opted not too.
Three La Liga matches that were due to be played on the opening weekend, Valencia v Real Betis, Real Madrid v Real Sociedad and Barcelona v Athletic Club, have all been rescheduled for later in the month due to clubs having players involved in the World Cup final.
Since Brexit, and with the UK no longer part of the European Union, clubs now have to navigate a more complex work permit system to ensure players – especially those who are yet to establish themselves at the top level – are able to move to England.
Austria youth international Ndukwe doesn’t currently have enough points to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) to obtain a work visa.
There is another route into the squad, through taking up an Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) slot, which is awarded to foreign players who do not qualify for the standard GBE.
Premier League and Championship clubs have up to four ESC places available, based on the percentage of minutes clubs gave to their England Qualified Players (EQP) in the previous campaign.
But clubs are not entitled to all four spots automatically.
The magic number is 35% of minutes, which means clubs can use four ESC players. Dropping below that begins to reduce the number of ESC slots available.
Liverpool‘s percentage last season means they only get one ESC place, which has already been taken by Senegalese 18-year-old Mor Talla Ndiaye.
Last season, Freddie Woodman, Gomez, Rhys Williams, Curtis Jones, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha were the only English players in Liverpool‘s squad, playing a collective 83 times in the Premier League.
This comes after Liverpool lost the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Tyler Morton and loaned out Harvey Elliott.
How do you replace Pep Guardiola?
Enzo Maresca is just starting to find out this summer, having been chosen as the Spaniard’s successor at Manchester City – returning after being Guardiola’s assistant during the club’s Treble-winning 2022-23 campaign.
Guardiola, one of the greatest managers of his generation, stepped down at the end of last season after leading City to 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League victory.
Now, with his first pre-season as manager at the club nearing its end, Maresca sat down with the five travelling UK-based media in Seoul to discuss the challenges ahead.
“After 10 games, if we have got 10 points, 20 points, 30 points. People will be comparing it to Pep after 10 games, it doesn’t put pressure on me,” said Maresca.
“I have said many times while I was at Leicester or Chelsea, he is the best manager in the world over the last 15 or 20 years.
“When he started in Spain, everyone wanted to play like Barcelona, he moved to Germany everyone wanted to play like Bayern [Munich], he comes to England and everyone wants to play like City.
“Someone asked me if it’s the impossible job to follow him – maybe, but at the same time it’s a privilege.”
The ex-Chelsea boss says he met Guardiola in Barcelona a day before he officially signed as his replacement, as it was “useful” to pick his brains – having been at the club for a decade.
“We spent some hours together,” he said. “We had planned before the season finished here to spend some time in the summer holidays together.
“I like to go in empty sometimes to see things for myself – but he was here so long, he has his opinions. But also you have to arrive and see things for yourself, see all the picture.”
To signal a change for the players, Maresca has moved into the office of former assistant Pep Lijnders at City’s headquarters, next door to Guardiola’s old office – which has now been converted into a meeting room.
Shortly after his appointment as the City boss at the end of June, Maresca apologised to former club Chelsea for the “disruption” caused by his mid-season departure.
So what did he do during the intervening six months?
“I tried to enjoy a little bit more [time] with the family,” he says about his wife and four children.
“And everyone is talking about AI, so I want to understand how it works. So I did two masterclasses to understand it a little bit more and have more knowledge.”
Such has been the rise of artificial intelligence in everyday life, even Premier League managers are now beginning to dabble in it for those marginal gains.
But Maresca is going to need more than AI to make a success of his City career, having taken over from one of the greatest managers of his generation.
Welcome to our Who am I? game.
The rules are simple. Each day there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.
After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.
Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.
So take part and return for more tomorrow.
Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Flora Snelson.
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With the top three of Leeds, Wigan and Wakefield, getting plenty of attention, Warrington are travelling under the radar but that suits Burgess, with England captain George Williams set to make his comeback in one of the next two games and a home play-off within reach.
Williams’ return will boost Wire but 18-year-old Irwin and Leon Hayes, 22, proved an effective half back pairing, with the kicking both out of hand and off the tee superb.
Ethan Ryan had begun the scoring for the hosts with his 13th try of the Super League season on 14 minutes, Luke Hooley missing the extras – but that was as good as it got for the Bulls.
Ashton benefitted from slick hands by Josh Thewlis, Hopoate carried ball and Ryan over for a second before King and Irwin’s boot sent Wire in 18-4 to the good at half time.
Things might have been different had the home side’s Jamie Gill not had a try ruled out after Chris Atkin pulled back recovering defender Danny Walker, but within 60 seconds Wire were up at the other end with Philbin going over for a fourth.
It was a potential 12 points swing which sucked belief from the Bulls and from there, Warrington put their foot down.
Crowther scored six minutes later, Bradford dazzled by some dizzying angles, and Irwin’s twinkling feet added another before Ashton rounded things off with his second of the night.
Bradford: Aekins, Wynne, Holley, Fulton, Ryan, Dean, Atkin, Dean; Gardiner, Ackers, Gill, Sutton, Peposhi, Mellor.
Interchanges: Doyle, Scurr, Lewis, Leake
Warrington: Thewlis, Webster, Hopoate, King, Ashton, Irwin, Hayes, Byrne; Walker, Harrison, Holroyd, Bentley, Currie.
Interchanges: Sipley, Crowther, Philbin, Tanginda.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
Betfred Super League
Wigan (24) 48
Tries: Eckersley 2, French, Marshall 2, Hodkinson, Eseh, Field Goals: Smith 8
Toulouse (18) 18
Tries: Ulberg, Tropis, Rouge Goals: Rouge 3
Try machine Zach Eckersley and Liam Marshall both scored twice as Wigan Warriors overpowered Toulouse Olympique 48-18 to make it 11 wins in a row to climb to second in Super League.
Eckersley took his try tally for the season to 33 and Wigan have won 10 successive Super League games for the first time since 2023 when they were Grand Final winners.
Bevan French was magnificent and he scored the Warriors’ second try, while Noah Hodkinson, Sam Eseh and Jai Field also went over.
Toulouse had their moments and fought back to level 18-18 just before half-time as they scored through Paul Ulberg, Romeo Tropis and Cesar Rouge.
More follows
Wigan: Field; Hodkinson, Eckersley, O’Loughlin, Marshall; French, Smith; Havard, O’Neill, Thompson, Walters, Partington, Ellis.
Interchanges: Mago, McDermott, Eseh, Kerr.
Toulouse: Polselli; Laguerre, Tropis, Quai-Ward, Ulberg; Lacans, Rouge; Butler, Hands, Belmas, Stefani, Grossemy, Cator.
Interchanges: Marion, Roumanos, Wallace, Garrigues.
Referee: Tom Grant.
Welcome to our Who am I? game.
The rules are simple. Each day there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.
After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.
Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.
So take part and return for more tomorrow.
Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Huzaifah Khan.
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Betfred Super League
Wakefield (16) 22
Tries: Vagana, Hamlin-Uele, Myers, Sinfield Goals: Sinfield 3
Leeds (6) 24
Tries: Croft, McDonnell, Smith, Hankinson Goals: Connor 4
Leeds Rhinos edged a thrilling top-of-the-table clash against Wakefield Trinity with late drama to go four points clear in Super League.
A sell-out crowd at DIY Kitchens Stadium were royally entertained as the top two served up a match worthy of a Grand Final, but it was the Rhinos fans who were celebrating at the death.
Despite trailing for all but three minutes of the contest, Leeds held their nerve to land a sucker punch with two moments of skill from the boot of Jake Connor to snatch victory.
With 77 minutes on the clock, Connor’s grubber-kick was pounced on by Chris Hankinson to level the scores at 22-22. Connor then held his nerve to kick the extras from five yards inside the touchline as Leeds claimed a memorable success and remain on course to win the League Leaders’ Shield.
This was a match in which Leeds showed grit, discipline and character to hold on to Wakefield’s tail as the hosts withstood early pressure before stretching out into a 16-0 lead with three tries all converted by Jack Sinfield.
They came from Isaiah Vagana after a clever kick from Sinfield, a bullocking run from Caius Faatili, who broke two tackles and offloaded to Caleb Hamlin-Uele, while Jayden Myers went over in the corner as Wakefield delivered a commanding yet surprising advantage.
But Leeds have shown they rarely lie down so far this season and after Brodie Croft’s 25th Super League try of the campaign gave them hope, a stunning second-half comeback, in which Cam Smith was irresistible off the bench, helped them grab the win late on.
The second half began with Wakefield extending their advantage through Sinfield, who wrestled the ball over the line and then added the extras in an impressive overall display.
But in keeping with plenty of his team-mates, they faded as Leeds surged and after Cam Scott and Hamlin-Uele had rescued Wakefield with brilliant last-ditch tackles to deny two tries, the dam burst.
James McDonnell bullied his way through the home defence to make it 22-10 with Connor’s boot adding another two to put them within 10 points of Wakefield.
The excellent Smith – who will join Wakefield next season – was again aided by Connor as he powered through three minutes later as Leeds closed the gap to four points.
With the comeback definitely on, Wakefield were creaking under huge pressure, but to their credit they held on to their advantage until three minutes from time.
Connor’s kick to set up Hankinson out wide pulled the scores level, but last year’s Man of Steel is looking as shiny as ever and he produced a nerveless kick from the left flank to seal a remarkable turnaround.
Victory delivered a major step towards a top-two finish for Leeds, who are four points clear with five games remaining in the regular season and have a points difference of over 200 on Wakefield and Wigan Warriors, in second and third respectively.
Birmingham City have signed France youth international Chancelle Effa Effa from Le Havre.
It is understood the Blues, who won the WSL 2 title last season, paid just over £100,000 for the 19-year-old striker.
She progressed from Le Havre’s academy and made her debut for the senior team at the age of 15.
Effa Effa helped the club secure promotion back to the French top flight in her breakthrough season and signed a professional contract in December 2022.
The striker, who has represented France at every age group from the U16s through to the U23s, had a year remaining on her contract at Le Havre.
“I am very happy to be joining Birmingham City – such a historic club – and experience the Women’s Super League,” said Effa Effa.
“From my very first conversations with the club, I was won over by the project. I sensed a genuine desire to build something strong, with great ambition.
“I can’t wait to start this new adventure.”
Effa Effa helped France lift the Women’s U17s European title in 2023 before reaching the Women’s U19s European final two years later.
In total, she has scored 17 goals in 28 appearances for France’s age groups.
“Chancelle is a player we’ve been tracking for some time and we’re delighted to bring her to Birmingham City,” said manager Amy Merricks.
“She’s an exciting young forward with huge potential, who has already gained valuable experience in the French top flight and has consistently performed for France at youth international level.
“We’re looking forward to helping her continue her development and seeing the impact she can make in a Blues shirt.”