تلقى نادي بيراميدز خطابا رسميا من الاتحاد البوركيني لكرة القدم، يخطره فيه باستدعاء النجم إيريك تراوري لمعسكر المنتخب في التجمع الدولي خلال شهر أكتوبر المقبل.

أوضح محمد صلاح مدير فريق بيراميدز، أن الخطاب تضمن سفر اللاعب بداية من يوم 4 أكتوبر على أن تكون العودة إلى القاهرة يوم 13 من نفس الشهر.

وشدد على أن المهاجم البوركيني الدولي سيشارك مع منتخب بلده في مباراتين وديتين دوليتين أمام الكونغو ومدغشقر يومي 9 و12 من شهر أكتوبر المقبل.

يذكر أن وكيل إيرك تراوري كان قد صرح في وقت سابق أن اللاعب يرغب في الانضمام إلى الأهلي حال رحيله عن بيراميدز. طالع التفاصيل

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It is the old adage in football of winning, but not playing too well, that defines a champion.

We witnessed Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United teams win Premier League titles by doing just that; playing the fine stuff when opportunities allowed, but still managing to pick up the three points on days where they looked unlikely to do so.

The bottom line was to win. Ferguson wanted to win at all costs, and was willing to sacrifice the aesthetic side of things when required.

Impressively, the 20-time Premier League winning boss would be able to strangle the life out of a game where his side had obtained the lead they needed, in an act of game management that was of the highest order.

Similarly, the same can be said of one of his students in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has bravely taken the reigns at Old Trafford after Jose Mourinho’s abysmal stint in the dugout – in that particular case, the team was certainly not playing well, and definitely not representative of champions as they also struggled to find a way to win.

Against one of Mourinho’s old clubs on Monday night, Solskjaer showed that he has learnt a lot from his 11 years under Ferguson at Old Trafford, leading his side to a professional 2-0 win over Chelsea in eye-catching fashion, but not for the reasons you’d think.

Admittedly, there were glimpses in the first half that did catch the eye, such as Paul Pogba’s one-man show in which he scored and got an assist, but the contrast in United’s play once they had raced into a 2-0 lead was evident and wholly impressive for an interim manager whose biggest job in football has been at Cardiff City.

The Red Devils went to Stamford Bridge and executed the game plan perfectly. Solskjaer set his team up to stay strong at the back, play safe in midfield, and work to Pogba and Marcus Rashford’s strengths – both men were involved in each of the goals, so it is safe to say it worked.

However, after Kevin Friend had blown his whistle to kick off the second half, it was a case of stifling the life out of the game and ensuring that the Blues had no chance of getting back into it. Yes, it was boring to watch, but football is a results game and boy is Solskjaer getting them right now – he has lost just once since stepping into the hot seat.

It wasn’t even a case of parking the bus, either. The manner in which United went about their play in the second period would have been a joy to watch for Ferguson, as the side in red simply set up to annoy Chelsea but also posed a threat by leaving the pacey Rashford and Romelu Lukaku on the shoulder to keep Maurizio Sarri’s men from piling pressure on.

There has been far too much talk of Mauricio Pochettino arriving at Old Trafford, but after appointing failures such as David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, maybe it is time for the second coming of Sir Alex Ferguson in one of his former pupils.

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Southampton host Spurs on Saturday when they will be hoping to reproduce the calibre of performance which so nearly saw them take at least a point from Old Trafford last weekend, although they will have to enter into battle without a key player – once again.

What’s the update?

Well, speaking in his Thursday press conference, Ralph Hasenhuttl said:

“Danny [Ings] is not in the group at the moment. We didn’t take any risks, we want to give him the time to come back during the three-week break after Tottenham. We will play a friendly against a Championship team and he can play for 45 minutes maybe in that time and build up his fitness.”

Is the international break a blessing in disguise?

It should come as a relief that the former Burnley striker could be back in contention after the international break, especially considering how marginal Charlie Austin was in the defeat to Manchester United.

The St Mary’s Stadium outfit have strung together some solid performances in recent weeks – although results rarely went in their favour – with the performance against United by far their best since the win over Arsenal in Hasenhuttl’s first game at the helm.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Some may say, then, that the international break couldn’t have come at a worse time for the resurgent south coast outfit – it could prove to be a blessing in disguise though.

Ings has scored eight goals in 17 appearances for the Saints and his predicted return against Brighton will be a massive boost – it is important that he is brought back into the team as soon as possible but, crucially, within a realistic time period.

The break ensures that Ings cannot be rushed back for any relegation six-pointers and that will be vital if he is to stay fit for the rest of the season – he is their best hope of Premier League survival.

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Christian Eriksen has refused to quash rumours linking him with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur this summer, per Ekstra Bladet.

The Denmark international has yet to sign a new contract at Spurs and has been linked with a number of clubs, including Real Madrid and Juventus.

What’s the word?

A report from Calciomercato earlier this week claimed that Juve had made contact with Eriksen’s entourage as they weigh up the possibility of a summer bid.

And Real have long been linked as suitors, with The Independent reporting in January that contact had been made between the two clubs ahead of a potential £100million transfer.

Eriksen, who has linked up with the Denmark squad ahead of an international friendly against Kosovo and a Euro 2020 qualifier versus Switzerland, was given the opportunity to play down any speculation on Tuesday.

However, per Ekstra Bladet, Eriksen refused, insisting that he would not be discussing his future.

He said: “I don’t want to talk about it. You write everything anyway, so there is no need to talk about it. I really just want to focus on the national team, when I am here.”

His manager, Age Hareide, also dismissed any questions, insisting that he has no concerns about Eriksen potentially leaving Spurs.

He added: “I’m not talking to him about it. I never interfere with it. Christian is so professional that he does his job in Tottenham, where he has a contract for a year yet. Now it’s about the national team.

“Christian can go anywhere. It’s not a problem.”

On his way?

Eriksen’s straight-batting of the question appears to suggest that there is more to this than meets the eye.

His refusal to be drawn into speculation could, of course, be interpreted in one of two ways: he is either happy at Spurs and set to stay or he will be on his way and wants to stop talking about it.

There is an obvious lean to the latter given his contract situation.

He has yet to commit to fresh terms and will be available on a free transfer at the end of next season.

Were he really set to stay, he would surely have signed on the dotted line. That he hasn’t suggests he is ready to call time on his Spurs career and make the move to a European powerhouse.

Fans, however, shouldn’t worry; there will be plenty of money to reinvest if he does go, enough to potentially fund a complete overhaul of the squad.

عقد محمود الخطيب رئيس النادي الأهلي جلسة مع الجنوب إفريقي بيتسو موسيماني، المدير الفني الجديد للفريق الأول لكرة القدم، عصر اليوم؛ في حضور لجنة التخطيط للكرة وسيد عبد الحفيظ مدير الكرة، للحديث عن المرحلة المقبلة بعد توليه قيادة الفريق لمدة موسمين.

وسيخلف موسيماني رينيه فايلر الذي قاد الفريق الأحمر للتتويج بلقب الدوري المصري والتأهل لنصف نهائي دوري أبطال أفريقيا، ووقع المدرب الجنوب إفريقي على عقد لمدة عامين.

شهدت الجلسة الحديث عن العديد من الأمور التي تخص الفريق في المرحلة الحالية، وتوفير كل سبل الدعم للجهاز الفني الجديد وتسهيل مهمته لتحقيق تطلعات الجميع في الفترة المقبلة.

وكان موسيماني وجهازه المعاون قد وصل إلى القاهرة صباح اليوم الجمعة؛ لتولي قيادة الأهلي، حيث يبدأ الجنوب إفريقي مهمته بقيادة مران الفريق مساء اليوم؛ استعدادا لمواجهة المقاولون العرب المقرر لها بعد غدٍ الأحد ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري الممتاز.‏

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EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey is to step down from his position at the end of the current league season, as reported by the BBC. The 48-year-old has been in the role since 2013, and has been in football for a quarter of a century. 

In November 2018, he oversaw the agreement of a new five-year TV deal with Sky for a figure of £595 million. The agreement was heavily criticised by a number of EFL clubs and his reputation has suffered ever since.

Harvey was also the man who made the controversial call for a selection of top flight under-21 teams to enter the Checkatrade Trophy.

Prior to taking over as chief executive of the EFL, he served for nine years as CEO of Leeds United. 

The Whites’ current relationship with the EFL is fractured, following the fallout from Marcelo Bielsa’s admission to spying on other teams’ training sessions. 

Harvey is not a popular figure at Elland Road these days. Following the announcement of his impending exit, loads of Leeds fans took to Twitter to give their verdicts…

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According to The Sun via HITC, Aston Villa are considering a move for Barnsley defender Liam Lindsay in this summer’s transfer window.

Lindsay joined Barnsley from Partick Thistle in 2017 and has made 79 appearances for his English club in all competitions.

The 23-year-old will see his current deal at Oakwell expire in June 2020, though, which suggests that he might be available this summer.

According to The Sun via HITC, Villa could swoop for the defender at the end of the season, with a transfer fee of £2.5m mentioned in the report.

Lindsay has been a regular for Barnsley in League One this season, whilst he made 42 Championship appearances for the club last term.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

The Villa fans have been on social media reacting to the suggestions of interest.

And it would be fair to say that they are split when it comes to whether the 6ft 3in powerhouse would be a good signing for the club.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Marcelo Bielsa has been some addition to the English game.

The 63-year-old took charge of Leeds United last summer and is in a good position to lead the club into the Premier League for the 2019-2020 campaign.

Bielsa signed a two-year contract upon his arrival last June, but the Argentine has given no guarantees over his future at Elland Road.

What has Bielsa said?

Bielsa told reporters, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post:

“The head coaches stay or leave depending on… when we draw the conclusion at the end of the season to see if we fulfilled the goals or not and we will take a decision from there.”

Bielsa’s words are fairly cryptic.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the head coach’s contract includes an option for Leeds to extend the agreement into a third season.

However, the South American has suggested that he might not be in charge of the club next season if they are not promoted to the Premier League.

It is always difficult to read into Bielsa’s words, but his quotes ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Queens Park Rangers appeared to suggest that his future largely depends on whether Leeds become a Premier League club.

The thought of Bielsa, who is Box Office, operating in the top flight is hugely exciting for the neutral, but his team still have a lot of work to do.

How are Leeds sitting in the table?

Nineteen wins, seven draws and seven defeats – that is how Leeds have performed this season. A total of 64 points has left them third in the Championship table, just two points off the leaders Norwich City.

The Whites have a game in hand over both Norwich and second-placed Sheffield United, who are ahead of Bielsa’s team on goal difference.

Leeds have won their last two league fixtures against Swansea City and Bolton Wanderers, but now face a very tough test away to QPR on Tuesday night.

The former Champions League semi-finalists will then host West Bromwich Albion and visit Bristol City in their first two matches of March.

It is a huge period of the season for Leeds and whilst they have been impressive this term, the future might not be so bright if they fail to earn promotion this season, potentially losing Bielsa in the process.

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Luke Freeman netted in the 49th minute as Queens Park Rangers beat Leeds United 1-0 in the Championship on Tuesday night.

It was a hugely frustrating evening for the Whites, who remain third in the table and now level on games with Sheffield United and Norwich City.

Leeds seriously lacked guile against the Rs and a number of the club’s fans have claimed that allowing Samu Saiz to leave last month is costing the team.

Saiz managed four assists in 19 Championship appearances for Leeds in the first half of the season before joining Getafe on loan.

The 27-year-old has since made six La Liga outings and is likely to join the Spanish club on a permanent deal at the end of the campaign.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

According to a number of Leeds fans, the QPR defeat on Tuesday night highlighted that the team are missing a player of Saiz’s ilk, which could cost them promotion.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter after the first goal was scored at the new stadium by 17-year-old J’Neil Bennett.

The Spurs Under-18 forward netted a fine curling effort into the bottom right corner from outside the box, marking a historic moment in the club’s history as he put his name in the record books with the strike against Southampton.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Tottenham were allowing their Under-18’s to play at the £1bn arena as part of a test event, in order to secure a safety certificate from the local council which will allow them to officially open the stadium for the Premier League match against Crystal Palace on April 3rd.

30,000 fans made their way to the new stadium, which is also eligible to host NFL fixtures, after having to watch their team at Wembley for almost two full seasons.

The second test event, which will need to have an attendance of 45,000, is set to go ahead next weekend when a Spurs legends side face an Inter Milan legends team of their own.

Let’s see how the Spurs fans on Twitter reacted to the new stadium’s first goal…