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MatériaMais Notícias

De olho no Fortaleza, o Figueirense realizou o último treino antes da partids pela 25ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro contra o Fortaleza, líder da competição, às 21h30, no Castelão. Na tarde desta segunda-feira, Milton Cruz comandou uma atividade fechada à imprensa.

A equipe que será montada pelo técnico será um mistério nesta terça. A única certeza é a ausência do volante Zé Antônio, suspenso pelo terceiro cartão amarelo.

O Figueira entra em campo motivado pela vitória no clássico contra o arquirrival Avaí. Com o triunfo na Ressacada, chegou aos 37 pontos e está a dois do G-4.

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Sussex were prepared to risk a financial loss in return for greater exposure to Twenty20 cricket in the Caribbean t20 tournament. In the absence of top England stars such as Matt Prior and Monty Panesar, Sussex’s cricket manager Mark Robinson will use the

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2012

Sussex were prepared to risk a financial loss in return for greater exposure to Twenty20 cricket in the Caribbean t20 tournament. In the absence of top England stars such as Matt Prior and Monty Panesar, Sussex’s cricket manager Mark Robinson will use the trip to develop a young squad in the belief it will prepare them for a powerful challenge in the Friends Life t20 tournament in England next season.”Part of the bill will be covered by West Indies and our chief executive was prepared to gamble that we’d be able to get a sponsor to cover our costs,” Robinson told ESPNcricinfo. Sussex secured sponsorship from a communications company linked to the West Indies and received a further financial boost when two local businesses stepped in at the last minute to subsidise the trip.Sussex, whose campaign begins against Netherlands in Antigua on Tuesday, are one of three overseas teams in the televised tournament. Netherlands and Sussex are in Group B with Combined Campuses and Colleges, Jamaica and Barbados. Canada join Windward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago in Group A, along with Guyana, whose involvement was in doubt because of a Government stand-off with the cricket board.A mere US$62,500 (£40,000) is on offer for the winners of the tournament, a far cry from the US$2.5 million (£1.6m) available to the winners of the Champions League but Sussex were keen to take up the West Indies’ invitation to provide exposure to their inexperienced players.”We thought the competition was a good idea because we’d be able to take a young team,” said Robinson. “It will be a learning experience for guys that haven’t had a big role in the first team. Guys like Joe Gatting are looking to bat in a prominent spot usually taken by the Luke Wrights or Murray Goodwins. He’ll have the chance to dictate a game. People like that will have a chance to show what they can do.”Wright is playing in Australia’s Big Bash while Panesar and Prior are touring with England. Ed Joyce and Murray Goodwin are also absent from the Sussex squad, giving opportunities for players like batsmen Gatting and Will Adkin.”With t20 becoming such a staple diet of the county scene it’s a good chance to give exposure to some younger guys,” said Robinson. “I expect it to be quite intense. There is a Champions League spot available so the West Indian teams will be taking it very seriously.”In the absence of Panesar, Sussex have flown Will Beer back from Australia for the tournament. Beer was a feature in one-day cricket for Sussex in 2009 and 2010 but made just three appearances last season and he was playing grade cricket for Port Adelaide, and spending time at Darren Lehmann’s cricket academy, to work on the longer form of his game.”We felt the exposure to one-day cricket was doing him more harm than good,” said Robinson. “His longer form of the game had stood still. He could get away with it in T20 because you have all the fielders on the boundary. That was holding him back. In the latter part of the county season he really made big strides and if it wasn’t for a side injury at the back end of the summer he may well have played some first team games.”Michael Yardy will captain Sussex and Robinson is confident he will be able to manage the depression-related illness that caused him to fly home from England’s World Cup campaign in March. “He’s fine at the moment. The condition he has never goes away; it’s about managing it, not beating it. He’s been on pre-season tours to Dubai before and it’s been absolutely fine. He’s had time with the family and he can’t wait to captain Sussex again.”With Yardy in charge, Sussex will look to find riches within their young squad and return from the Caribbean T20 not with bulging wallets but confidence that it will be the springboard for bringing more silverware to Hove.

كشف مصدر باتحاد الكرة المصري، عن حقيقة عقد جلسة بين جمال علام رئيس الجبلاية مع وزير الرياضة أشرف صبحي ومرتضى منصور رئيس الزمالك بشأن أزمة القيد في الفارس الأبيض.

وكانت الأيام الماضية، وتحديداً في اليوم الأخير من فترة القيد، شهدت أزمة بين الزمالك واتحاد الكرة، بسبب رفض مسؤولي الجبلاية تسجيل صفقات الفارس الأبيض لعدم سداد مديونيته للاتحاد.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات لـ”بطولات”: “لم يجتمع جمال علام رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم مع رئيس الزمالك مرتضى منصور وأشرف صبحي وزير الشباب والرياضة كما كان يتردد”.

طالع | اتحاد الكرة يحسم عبر “بطولات” موقف صفقات الزمالك من القيد

وأشار إلى أن علام قام اليوم بعدة أمور متعلقة بجدول أعماله في اتحاد الكرة دون التطرق لأزمة القيد الخاصة بنادي الزمالك ولم يتم عقد أي اجتماعات بشأنها.

وكان رئيس الزمالك صرح مساء أمس بأن هناك جلسة ستجمعه اليوم مع أشرف صبحي وجمال علام من أجل أزمة القيد.

الزمالك كان قد تعاقد مع الثنائي ناصر منسي مهاجم البنك الأهلي وأحمد بلحاج صانع ألعاب أسوان بالإضافة إلى عودة محمود شبانة من الإعارة.

Yuvraj Singh is expected to travel to London tomorrow to show his injured left hand to a specialist

Nagraj Gollapudi at Trent Bridge02-Aug-2011

Yuvraj Singh is expected to travel to London tomorrow to show his injured left hand to a specialist. Yuvraj was hit on his left hand, trying to defend a short-pitched delivery from Tim Bresnan in the second session of play on Monday. Yuvraj was at the receiving end of quite a few short balls from the pair of Bresnan and Stuart Broad and he never could thwart them convincingly.After India lost the second Test by a demoralising 319 runs yesterday, Yuvraj went to a hospital in neighbouring Derby. Based on the scans a decision was taken to show him to a hand specialist in London. Meanwhile Harbhajan Singh, who was suffering from stomach injury also went to the same hospital on Tuesday morning and is reportedly fit.Yuvraj, who scored a resolute 62 in the first innings in the heavy defeat in the second Test, was never allowed to settle down on Monday as Andrew Strauss set attacking fields to supplement the fiery pace and lengths of his fast bowlers. India were an abysmal 37 for 4 when Yuvraj came to the crease. With only MS Dhoni left among the specialists, India needed stability from the Sachin Tendulkar-Yuvraj combination. The accuracy and the fierceness of the England fast bowlers, however, nipped such aspirations in the bud.Bresnan banged in Yuvraj’s eleventh delivery short of a length, and it climbed fast towards the batsman’s neck but he skipped and tried to tap the ball safely towards the leg side. The ball hit him on the index finger of the left hand and Yuvraj threw the bat away, immediately wincing in pain.A few overs later Strauss placed Alastair Cook in an area that could best be described as silly slip, yards away from Yuvraj’s off stump. Bresnan this time came up with a spitting bouncer which Yuvraj tried fending in an awkward fashion only to loop a catch to Cook.It is unclear if Yuvraj will be back to join the rest of the team in Northampton where the Indians play a two-day tour match starting this Friday. India would be hoping Yuvraj is fit for selection ahead of the third Test that begins at Edgbaston on August 10.

ScorecardRory Hamilton-Brown top-scored for Surrey with 57•PA Photos

Rory Hamilton-Brown and Tom Maynard both hit half-centuries as Surrey made it three wins in three games as they claimed a 17-win over Leicestershire in the Clydesdale Bank 40.While Hamilton-Brown and Maynard shone for the hosts at The Oval, Josh Cobb produced a fine all-round contribution for Leicestershire. Cobb, primarily a batsman, took two good wickets with his leg spin, held two stunning catches, one off his own bowling, and hit a rapid 45 but Leicestershire subsided to 189 all out in pursuit of a target of 207.Surrey had made a poor start on an Oval pitch lacking its usual pace, slumping to 45 for 3 before Hamilton-Brown and Maynard gave them some momentum in a fourth-wicket stand of 63 in 13 overs.Steve Davies gave Nathan Buck a simple return catch, Jason Roy skied Buck to midwicket and Zander de Bruyn miscued his third ball from Nadeem Malik to mid on and was caught by a leaping Wayne White at mid on.Even Hamilton-Brown and Maynard, both powerful strokemakers, struggled with their timing but Hamilton-Brown had made 57 off 61 balls with seven fours when he drove fiercely back down the pitch and Cobb held a stinging return catch.Matt Spriegel helped Maynard add 49 in 10 overs before Cobb had him caught at long off for 28 and Maynard had reached 55 off 71 balls with only two fours but 40 singles when he was bowled by Buck. Cobb took his third and best catch of the innings – a running, diving effort at long off to remove Yasir Arafat – but a brisk, unbeaten 26 from Chris Schofield lifted Surrey to 206 for eight.It did not seem to be enough when Cobb was launching Leicestershire’s reply with 45 off 36 balls, including seven fours, three of them off successive balls from Jade Dernbach, and a six, driven back over Arafat’s head. Then he pulled Gareth Batty’s third ball into the hands of midwicket and Leicestershire lost four wickets for 14 runs in seven overs.James Taylor was well caught by Davies, standing up, when he tried to cut De Bruyn, Will Jones, an Australia-born batsman making his debut, was leg before to Batty and Matt Boyce was caught at slip off Stuart Meaker.It was 111 for 6 when Jacques du Toit was brilliantly run out by Maynard’s direct hit and White was caught behind off Arafat but Paul Dixey kept Leicestershire’s hopes alive and they even had a chance of winning when Matthew Hoggard joined him in a ninth-wicket stand of 29 in three overs.Then Hoggard, who had hit three fours and a six, holed out at long on, Dixey was bowled by Meaker for a gallant 42 off 38 balls with six fours and Surrey won with nine balls to spare.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Remo derrotou a equipe do Globo FC, por 1 a 0, na tarde deste sábado, no estádio do Mangueirão. Com gol de pênalti marcado pelo atacante Isac o Leão Azul, venceu a primeira na competição e recuperou-se da derrota na estreia fora de casa para o Atlético-AC.

Com a vitória o time paraense somou os primeiros pontos e subiu para a quarta colocação na tabela momentaneamente, já a equipe do Globo, se manteve na quinta colocação, também com três pontos conquistados.No próximo sábado, o Leão Azul, visita o Juazeirense, às 19h, na Bahia. Já a Águia Potiguar recebe o Salgueiro-PE, às 17h, no domingo, em Ceará-Mirim.

Tombense e Joinville
O JEC foi derrotado, por 3 a 0, pela equipe da Tombense, na tarde deste sábado, no estádio de Tombos. A equipe catarinense foi dominada pela equipe mineira e conheceu sua primeira derrota na competição.Com a vitória, o Tombense soma os três primeiros pontos e sobe na tabela. O Joinville, estaciona, também nos três pontos.

As duas equipes voltam a campo no próximo domingo. O Joinville joga recebe o Bragantino, às 16h, na Arena Joinville. O Tombense visita o Luverdense, às 17h, no Passo das Emas.

Botafogo-PB e Náutico
​O Alvinegro da Estrela Vermelha não tomou conhecimento do Timbu e venceu, por 4 a 0, na noite deste sábado, no Estádio Almeidão. Com direito a golaçodo atacante Mário Sérgio, de bicicleta, a equipe paraibana, chegou à liderança do
grupo A, com quatro pontos somados. Já a equipe pernambucana, que estreou com empate diante do Santa Cruz, soma apenas um ponto e está na oitava colocação do grupo.

O Náutico volta a campo no próximo sábado, e visita o Atlético-AC, às 19h, no Estádio da Arena da Floresta. Já o Botafogo-PB, volta a campo no próximo domingo e enfrenta o Confiança, às 16h, no Estádio Almeidão.

Veja outros resultados da Série C
Bragantino 1 x 0 Tupi-MG
​Luverdense 1 x 2 Botafogo-SP
​Volta Redonda 3 x 0 Cuiabá

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Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is keen on bringing PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare to the Premier League.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from The Sun, who claimed that Palace are keen to strengthen their midfield options this summer.

The outlet states that the Eagles will face competition from Leicester City for the 24-year-old’s signature, with the Ivory Coast international rated at around £30m.

Sangare is viewed as an option who can bring stability to the midfield and serves as a more than adequate replacement for Cheikhou Kouyate, who is out of contract next month.

Kouyate upgrade

The signing of Sangare, who has been described by African journalist Alpha Balde as a “passionate” player, would provide Eagles boss Vieira with an immediate upgrade over Kouyate, whose future is uncertain.

As a holding midfielder who boasts experience in the Europa League, it is no surprise that Sangare betters the 32-year-old’s participations in both attack and defence.

The Ivorian’s game is much more well-rounded than his Senegalese equivalent, and a switch to Selhurst Park would see the 24-year-old rank first in the Eagles’ squad for certain metrics.

With an average of 65.6 accurate passes per 90, he ranks higher than Palace’s most accurate passer in Joachim Andersen, who has registered a match average of 59 passes per 90. It’s the same case for successful tackles per 90, with Sangare beating Kouyate’s match average of 1.7 with his return of 2.2 tackles won per game.

Having registered four goal contributions this season in the form of three goals and one assist in 26 Eredivisie appearances for PSV, he equals Kouyate’s scoring record from the last three seasons combined.

Sangare’s average of 1.5 shots and 1.7 dribbles per 90 make him a more stable and rounded option in the centre of the pitch for Palace, but it’s his average of 3.3 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game which will have Vieira licking his lips at the prospect of signing him.

The 24-year-old could elevate Palace to that next level, so the Eagles boss is right to be looking at the PSV colossus as an upgrade on Kouyate.

In other news: CPFC could find their new Ian Wright by signing “goal machine”, imagine him and Zaha 

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan in Hamilton

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya06-Jan-2011Match factsFriday, January 7
Start time 11.00 (2200 GMT)Misbah-ul-Haq has helped his side punch above its weight since taking over as captain•Getty ImagesBig PictureJust as two exciting Test series conclude on two different continents, New Zealand and Pakistan begin one of their own in Hamilton. But unlike the Ashes or the South Africa-India Tests which had massive build-ups, drew large audiences and captivated fans, this one is destined to be a sideshow. And that’s because the eyes and ears of the cricketing world would be transfixed on an event in Doha, where the three players suspected of being involved in the spot-fixing controversy will know their fate.As the ICC’s three-man tribunal examines the charges against Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, who won Pakistan a Test on their previous tour here, the former team-mates of the tainted trio will do well to retain their focus on the action at the ground. Instability, indiscipline and allegations of corruption have done enough in recent months to deflect attention from the efforts of a Pakistan team trying to rebuild.Under a new captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, and with a set of youngsters who’ve made an encouraging transition to international cricket, Pakistan punched above their weight when they held South Africa to a 0-0 draw, albeit in placid conditions, in the UAE in November. Conditions in New Zealand, traditionally favouring more swing and less palatable for batsmen, present Pakistan with a fresh challenge and an incentive, despite starting underdogs, to motivate themselves and repair some of the reputation sullied by events off the field.New Zealand, too, come in to the series on the back of a better-than-expected performance in their Test series in India, where they were beaten 0-1 in a three-match series. Though their woeful ODI form has prompted changes at the top, with John Wright replacing Mark Greatbatch as coach, their past performance in Tests, with Brendon McCullum’s success at the top of the order, the emergence of Kane Williamson and the reliability of Chris Martin, would give them plenty of hope in home conditions.Form guide(Most recent first)
Pakistan: DDLWL
New Zealand: LDDLL
Watch out for…Brendon McCullum’s promotion to the opening slot yielded a double-century against India and he warmed up for this series in ideal fashion, smashing Pakistan around in the tour game to make 206. Pakistan don’t have the services of Asif and Amir but Umar Gul, with his pace and ability to swing the ball, can be just as aggressive as McCullum. Who will win the battle?Misbah-ul-Haq took over the reins of the Test side in a time of turmoil but led by example in the series against South Africa in the UAE, scoring three half-centuries in four innings to save both Tests. He led the way again with an unbeaten century in the tour match. Much will depend on him and Younis Khan, the senior members in the side, to preserve the focus on the performance on the field. They did that well in the UAE, they’ll need to do it again.Pitch and conditionsThere is rain forecast for Friday, though the past few days in Hamilton have been quite warm. The possibility of overcast conditions on the opening day does provide the temptation of fielding first, but Hamilton, traditionally, has been among the better tracks for batting in the country.”I’d like to have a little bit in it but also in the back of my mind is that if it gets really humid, the ball can swing a lot, and it has been really humid here,” Karl Johnson, the curator at Seddon Park, was quoted as saying to . “I don’t want the wicket to swing and have a lot of zip and movement off the track, but obviously the bowlers would like that,”Team newsSaeed Ajmal, the offspinner, had to return home to attend his father’s funeral and is likely to miss the first Test. That leaves Abdur Rehman, the left-arm spinner, as the only slow-bowling option. Sohail Tanvir, the left-arm seamer who was a late addition to the squad and picked up four wickets in the tour game, could share the new ball with Gul.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Sohail Tanvir, 11 Wahab Riaz.Andy McKay, the left-arm seamer, is out due to a side strain and Daryl Tuffey has been called in to the 13-man squad. Wicketkeeper Reece Young, picked in place of Gareth Hopkins, will make his Test debut. Jesse Ryder, who didn’t feature in the warm-up match, is expected to return.New Zealand (possible): 1 Tim McIntosh, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jesse Ryder, 6 Kane Williamson, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Reece Young (wk), 9 Tim Southee, 10 Brent Arnel/ Daryl Tuffey, 11 Chris Martin.Stats and triviaNew Zealand’s batting average over the last two years of 31.47 is much higher than Pakistan’s 26.40, but their bowling average of 44.34 is only marginally better than that of West Indies and Bangladesh.For a comprehensive statistical preview to the Test and the series, click here.Quotes”I think with Tim we’ve either done really well or we’ve not done well at all, so we’ve got to try and gain some more consistency between us.”
McCullum on his opening partnership with Tim McIntosh.”We are not thinking about what has happened in the last 12 months, we are just thinking about today and tomorrow and what is coming next. We are ready for that. We just have to forget everything else and focus on what is coming now.”
Misbah-ul-Haq insists his team his focused.

Ten seasons ago, with cricket still smarting from the match-fixing blows, India and Australia created magic over three unforgettable Tests. Along with the 2005 Ashes, that series has without doubt been the best Test series in a long, long time. Since then, every arrival of the Australians in India gives Indians an excuse to reminisce about that heady series. It is an indulgence, but the memories of that series alone are enough to create anticipation every time Australia come calling.Ten seasons later, not much has changed. Match-fixing has changed its name to spot-fixing. Hardly any high-profile series goes by without controversy – look no further than the IPL, India in Sri Lanka, Pakistan in England, or even the ICC Test rankings. Cricket can definitely do with a high-quality Test series free of controversy. The controversies have so far stayed away, but the buzz that an India-Australia series should bring is building only slowly. Having been in Chandigarh for the last week or so, it just doesn’t feel like an India-Australia series is around the corner.The reasons are various. Perhaps what has happened in England has disillusioned some. Perhaps the Champions League Twenty20 kept some involved – not least four first-choice players who landed two days before the start of the series. There is, of course, the small matter of the mess masquerading as the Commonwealth Games that is hogging all sorts of headlines in India. The Ashes are an obvious distraction back in Australia.For some, India and Australia are playing each other too often – Australia have been here for some series or other for each of the last three years. The cricketing world is already limited, and these two powerful boards’ manipulation of schedules to exploit the financial opportunities in the two countries doesn’t help much either. More importantly, two Tests hardly a series make. Even earlier this year, the two-Test series against South Africa ended as soon as we had started to smack our lips with India’s rousing comeback after South Africa’s dominant start.Most importantly, perhaps, India loves it when a team comes here looking to complete its world supremacy, a sort of final frontier. The phrase rings a bell, doesn’t it? Australia are no longer that team, team to beat. This is the first time since that 2000-01 tour that they have come here as one of the pack. Nathan Hauritz is almost in awe when he talks of the Indian batting. Michael Clarke is talking up Harbhajan Singh, even his batting. Mitchell Johnson ruins the effect of the short-ball threat when, in the same sentence, he says Virender Sehwag can reach 50 by the time you look up at the scoreboard.Earlier this year, when Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel arrived as arguably the best new-ball pair in the world (well, that was before Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif came together), there was so much anticipation that you wanted India to bat first and get on with the contest between them and Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. That kind of excitement has so far been missing in the build-up to this series.Like India’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, this one promises to be a contest between two heavy-scoring batting line-ups. Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting alone have more than 25,000 Test runs between them, and 87 centuries. Two of India’s main bowlers are coming out of injuries, two of Australia’s main ones have never played a Test in India before. India’s lead spinner has averaged 46 over the last 12 months; Australia’s is not expected to run through sides either. A lot about this series is pointing to a battle of attrition.Perhaps it’s not such a bad thing to let the actual cricket benefit from low expectations. Australia may not be the best Test team in the world, but they are still a really good one. Good enough to challenge any team anywhere. They have the advantage of having gathered here early, and having put in more than a week of training. India arrived disjointedly, and have only now started functioning as a unit. If Australia feel their preparations have been disrupted by the Champions League, India’s captain was in South Africa too.Perhaps once the first Test starts on Friday morning, the cynicism will go away. When Johnson bowls the bouncers to Sehwag. When Harbhajan goes at Ponting again. When Doug Bollinger shouts at his captain from the boundary, asking for another spell. When VVS Laxman comes out to face his favourite opponents. When Gambhir and Shane Watson come face to face again. Who knows a new star might be on the horizon? Even in 2000-01, Harbhajan and Matthew Hayden were largely unknowns. Here’s to the new rivalries, the new Harbhajans and Haydens.

Having won four successive league titles in his time at Celtic, it’s fair to say Dedryck Boyata enjoyed a rather fruitful time at Parkhead.

The Belgium international would end up playing 135 times for the club, and even chipped in with an impressive 15 goals and nine assists as he consolidated a place at the back under former boss Brendan Rodgers.

But amid speculation linking him with a move away, it was clear that there were just a little bit of friction.

Indeed, Rodgers didn’t seem to be all impressed with some of the work going on behind-the-scenes, revealing back in August 2018: “Dedryck’s agent turned up yesterday at the training ground, which is closed the day before the game.

“He wanted to speak to me at 10 o’clock. I have a meeting with players at 10.30 and I said I couldn’t meet him before but I would after I had done my work. Obviously when I came back after training he wasn’t there. That’s where it is at. But he is a player we don’t want to lose.”

In the end, Boyata would leave Celtic on a free transfer back in the summer of 2019, arriving at Bundesliga outfit Hertha BSC.

After joining the German side on a four-year deal, the centre-back said: “I am pleased that the deal has worked out. It is an ambitious club and we have similar goals. Also, I was very impressed with Michael Preetz’ efforts to bring me here.

“I am looking forward to the new season and want to achieve something with the club.”

Well, whatever Boyata may have envisaged would happen at Hertha, certainly hasn’t done so.

The Bundesliga side are currently staring at the very real prospect of relegation to the second-tier of German football, lying just one point and one place above the play-off spot – to make matters worse, they remain just two points ahead of Arminia, who occupy the last automatic relegation spot.

Boyata, who has been handed the captain’s armband at the Olympiastadion, was sent off earlier this season against Hoffenheim following a challenge that was upgraded to a red card after a VAR check.

The Belgian has been part of a shocking defence that has conceded a whopping 66 goals in just 30 Bundesliga games this season, the second-worst record in the entire division, with only bottom side Greuther Furth having let in more (72).

When you think of how Celtic have found a real leader in defence in Cameron Carter-Vickers, and how the side have performed superbly in stopping the opposition – they have the meanest back-line in the Scottish Premiership with just 19 goals conceded (eight fewer than second-best Rangers) – the Hoops must feel they have landed a real upgrade on Boyata.

Slammed as being “stupid” for the way he picked up a red card against St Johnstone back in September 2018, it’s clear Boyata hasn’t really found the grass is greener elsewhere, and instead looks set for a really big step down unless he can help turn things around at Hertha.

AND in other news – £4.7m down the drain: £12k-p/w Celtic liability rinsed Peter Lawwell for 140 weeks