تحدث عصام الجبالي لاعب منتخب تونس، عن مواجهة الدنمارك في بطولة كأس العالم قطر 2022.

ويلتقي منتخب تونس مع نظيره الدنمارك غدًا الثلاثاء في الجولة الأولى دور المجموعات في مونديال قطر.

ويتواجد منتخبا تونس والدنمارك في المجموعة الرابعة رفقة كل من فرنسا وأستراليا.

وقال عصام الجبالي في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالمباراة: “أشكر قطر على هذا التنظيم، فخر لنا كعرب أن يكون التنظيم هكذا، وسعداء بتواجدنا في كأس العالم”.

وتابع: “نحن كلاعبين شرف لنا تمثيل منتخب تونس، وإن شاء الله سنشرف بلادنا ونعمل على إسعاد الشعب التونسي، في جميع المباريات”.

وأكمل: “أنا جاهز بنسبة 100% للمباراة، وإن شاء الله أكون متواجدًا في اللقاء، شرف لي أن ألعب أول مباراة لي في كأس العالم مع منتخب تونس، وإن شاء الله نكون عند حسن ظن الجماهير”.

وواصل: “أنا أعيش في الدنمارك، وأعتقد أن الدنماركيين يحترمون تونس والكرة التونسية، ستكون مباراة قوية بين المنتخبين، وأمامنا 90 دقيقة وسنرى من سيفوز”.

طالع أيضًا.. يملك كل الحلول.. فيفا يتغزل في علي معلول قبل مشاركته مع تونس في كأس العالم

وأضاف: “أنا متأكد أن كل الدول العربية تشجع المنتخب التونسي، وشرف كبير لنا أن الجالية المصرية تشجع تونس، إن شاء الله نشرف كل جماهير البلدان العربية، ونحن جميعًا أخوة”.

وأختتم: “أرى أن الحظوظ متوفرة للمنتخب التونسي عن الدنمارك، ولدينا ثقة في الفريق، وإن شاء الله نترشح للدور الثاني من البطولة”.

Leeds United players have taken extremely well to Jesse Marsch, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: 10 points from 12

Marsch began his tenure as Whites boss with back-to-back defeats against Leicester City and Aston Villa.

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However, Leeds have now picked up ten points over their last four games, with the 3-0 win at Watford the latest league victory.

The Whites now find themselves nine points clear of the drop with six games remaining, and it looks as if the decision to bring in Marsch for Marcelo Bielsa is paying off.

The Latest: Source reveal

The Daily Mail shared a story on Sunday evening, looking at Leeds’ recent transformation under Marsch.

A source close to the Leeds dressing room had this to say on the American and the overall feeling they’ve heard from whispers around Thorp Arch.

“It’s just a much better atmosphere at the club.

“Jesse has a more holistic approach. So everyone feels happier.”

The Verdict: Looking up

It was certainly a gamble bringing in Marsch for such a beloved figure in Bielsa, but it looks as if it has paid off following a crucial victory at the weekend.

Plenty of credit has to go to the American, especially after starting his time in charge with two defeats, worrying results which could have badly hit a coach with less confidence. He appears to be a more approachable manager to the players too, with a 20-minute discussion on the pitch with Adam Forshaw at Watford highlighting that.

It appears to be a much happier camp following some woeful form at the beginning of 2022, and hopefully, the club can build on the foundations set ahead of the summer window.

In other news: ‘Outstanding…’ – Sky Sports man stunned at confirmed Leeds news regarding Radrizzani and 49ers 

Shaun Udal, the former England offspinner, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket, three years after he had originally decided to quit the game

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2010Shaun Udal, the former England offspinner, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket, three years after he had originally decided to quit the game. Udal, 41, had called time in 2007 after nearly 20 seasons with Hampshire but was lured out of retirement soon after by Middlesex, who he has represented since.Udal helped Middlesex to the t20 Cup in the 2008 season, towards the end of which he took over as the club’s captain. He resigned from the role earlier this year. He led Middlesex in the Stanford 20/20 in 2008 and Twenty20 nearly provided him an unlikely international comeback at the age of 40, when he was named in England’s preliminary squad for the World Twenty20 in 2009.Udal played the last of his four Tests for England in 2006 and his final ODI in December 2005. The highlight of his international career was his 4 for 14 on the final day of the Mumbai Test in 2006 which helped England to a famous series-levelling victory against India.In a first-class career spanning 22 seasons, Udal collected 822 wickets at 32.47, including 37 five-wicket hauls, and scored nearly 8000 runs at 22.59. He also played 410 List A matches, taking 458 wickets at 30.19 and making 2966 runs.”I am extremely lucky to have played the game I love for such a long period of time,” Udal said. “It is obviously a sad day – waving goodbye to something very special is always difficult – but I look forward to getting stuck in to the next chapter of my life.”Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, hailed Udal’s contribution to the club. “When Shaun took over as Middlesex captain, he inherited a fractured dressing room and morale was low,” Fraser said. “During the two years he captained Middlesex Shaun successfully pulled the team closer together and the dressing room is now a far happier and united place. He has handed over to Neil Dexter a club in far better shape than the one he inherited.”

ScorecardEssex beat Netherlands by eight wickets under the Duckworth/Lewis method having been set 74 from 16 overs to win the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B match at Chelmsford. The victory keeps alive the county’s hopes of reaching the semi-final stages of the competition after Ravi Bopara hit an unbeaten 43 including 28 off one over from Mohammed Kashif as Essex reached 77 for 2 from eight overs to complete the win.Bopara and Mark Pettini had posted 47 for the first wicket before Brad Kruger struck twice in one over to gain some consolation for the Dutch side. Pettini was caught by Bas Zuiderent at midwicket for 31 and three balls later, Ryan ten Doeschate, playing against his international colleagues, was bowled for 2.However, Bopara decided to make his positive move and plundered the hapless Kashif for two sixes and four other boundaries to wrap up an effortless win for his side. Having chosen to bat first, the visitors had reached 29 for 3 from just over 13 overs after an hour’s play when rain swept across the County Ground in earnest and continued for 30 minutes before abating.Although the pitch was covered immediately, the intensity of the downpour soon left the surrounds and bowlers run-ups saturated with play ultimately delayed for three and a half hours. Umpires Jeremy Lloyds and Michael Gough made the first of four inspections at 4.00pm but were concerned that areas of the playing square were unsafe. Three further inspections in bright sunshine followed with the crowd growing increasingly restless.Finally the officials decided at 6.00pm conditions had improved sufficiently to allow Netherlands to continue their innings for a further 2.3 overs with the match reduced to 16 overs per side. Wilf Diepeveen and Zuiderent than added a further 22 runs from their remaining 15 deliveries with the CB40 debutant on 14 and Zuiderent 15 not out as the Netherlands innings closed on 51 for 3.

Leeds United still have a significant number of players in their squad who were part of the team that won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

One of those players that has proved to have been a particularly good bit of business from the Yorkshire club is Pascal Struijk.

Signed back in the 2018 January transfer window from Ajax’s U19 side, the defender has gone on to make 60 senior appearances for the Whites across all competitions.

With 24 league appearances to his name in this latest campaign, the Dutchman has been a rather prominent figure in the team at the back.

In terms of what he offers the Whites, the 22-year-old has racked up the joint-third highest number of tackles won (31), the third-highest number of blocks (49) and the second-highest number of interceptions (58) in the Premier League out of anyone in the Leeds squad.

The £29k-per-week figure also has the third-highest number of clearances (76) in the league from Jesse Marsch’s outfit, behind only Liam Cooper (96) and Diego Llorente (84).

To further highlight his defensive attributes, only Cooper and Junior Firpo have a higher average for aerial duels won than the former Ajax youth star – out of players that have been involved in more than 10 duels.

Even though the Elland Road outfit have conceded more goals (68) in the league than any other top-flight side this season, it’s safe to say that things would have been a lot worse had Struijk not been around.

Back in October 2020, Transfermarkt had the defender’s market value listed as £675k, whereas it now stands at £13.5m – a whopping 1900% increase – highlighting the significant rise it has taken as a result of his actions on the pitch.

Having been touted to become a “supreme centre-back” for the club in the future by Leeds journalist Beren Cross, it seems as though Struijk has the tools to do just that.

Even though the colossus hasn’t started in Leeds’ previous two league games against Southampton and Watford, he will surely be an important squad option for Marsch heading into next season and beyond – something that leads us to believe Victor Orta hit the jackpot when landing Struijk back in 2018.

AND in other news: Leeds heading for disaster on “wonderful” £38k-p/w “talent”, Marsch would be fuming

Ricky Ponting finds himself in the sort of situation that once confronted Allan Border in the late 1980s

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2010Having gotten so used to singing to celebrate Test victories for most of his career, Ricky Ponting now finds himself in the sort of situation that once confronted Allan Border in the late 1980s. A 2-0 defeat in India, especially after coming within a ball of winning the first Test, is hardly ideal preparation to try and win back the Ashes, but the man entrusted with restoring Australian cricket to the top asserted that it wasn’t all doom and gloom after the latest Indian misadventure.”There have been a few positives,” Ponting said. “[Mitchell] Johnson and [Ben] Hilfenhaus have been very good. Shane Watson at the top of the order. Tim Paine has looked every bit a world-class keeper-batsman. The rest of us have been a bit inconsistent. We haven’t played the five days that we need to to win games. They deserve to have won both games, but even if you ask them, they’re a bit flattered by that result.”Some of the squad now face limited-overs games against India and Sri Lanka, while others will return to a diet of Shield cricket before the first Test against England. “We’ve got to move on pretty quickly now. Our next Test match is at the Gabba, the start of the Ashes series. We have to make sure that we play five long tough days of Test cricket.”While bitterly disappointed at another loss in India, Ponting suggested that it would have little bearing on the contest for the urn. “They’re totally different conditions,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how the group bounces back now. That’s three Tests in a row we’ve lost as well. We can’t forget the last one against Pakistan. I’m not sure that’s happened in my time of playing for Australia. It’s certainly not happened since I’ve been captain.”There are some issues there that we need to deal with, and we have to get over them quickly. We’ve managed to match it with the No.1 team for nine of the 10 days, but we haven’t been good enough when it’s mattered.”When it was pointed out that Australia hadn’t lost three in a row since West Indies defeated them at Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne in 1988, he said: “I wasn’t playing in 1988, though it feels like it (grins). We have to get off that train for sure, and start winning some Tests pretty soon.”Having come to India with a Test average of 20 in 12 Tests here, Ponting the batsman certainly went some way towards correcting that anomaly in his career stats. But when asked whether he felt he had done his part, he disagreed. “When a No.3 batsman gets in and makes 60 or 70, you expect him to go on and make big scores. Tendulkar did it; he made 200. If I’d made 200 in the first innings, the result might have been different. We’ve got to be harsh on ourselves. Three scores in the 70s is not good enough.”His deputy, Michael Clarke, managed just 35 runs in the series, a far cry from 2004 when he made a scintillating century on debut in Bangalore. Clarke has moved up the order to No.4, but Ponting was adamant that the switch had nothing to do with the downturn in his batting fortunes. “We’ve all had those series in India.” he said. “I had about four of them [laughs], where I came here and worked hard without getting the results I wanted.There’s no need to worry about Michael Clarke. He knows his own game very well. The fact that he’s moved up one spot in the order hasn’t got anything to do with the runs he has or hasn’t scored. He’s a world-class player and I’m sure that when the Ashes come round, you’ll see him in good touch.”Apart from Ben Hilfenhaus, who toiled away diligently while enhancing his claim to keep the new ball, there was little consistency on the bowling front. But in Ponting’s eyes, it was the batsmen who cost the side the series. “I think our bowlers have done a terrific job here,” he said. “We were one ball away from winning the first Test. I don’t think they were disappointing. If anything, the reason we’ve lost both games is our second-innings batting. If we had batted an hour longer in both Tests, we certainly wouldn’t have lost.”Nathan Haurtiz failed to make an impact with his bowling in either Test•AFPWhile the match was in progress, Shane Warne, his former team-mate, weighed in with some scathing criticism of the field Ponting set for Hauritz. When asked about it, Ponting put down his old mate in polite fashion. “Every field that Nathan’s bowled to since he’s been here has been at his request,” he said. “Those are the fields he wants to bowl to. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that Shane would take the time to ask anyone about that. He’s got his opinion out in public at the moment.”Different people say different things. We don’t always agree with all of them. There’s no doubt we’ll all face a bit of criticism having lost two Tests, but it would be nice if they were a bit more informed before they made some of their comments.”There was no unequivocal backing for Hauritz though, when asked what lay ahead for the beleaguered offie. “That’s up to him to work out,” said Ponting. “As you know, I’ve given him what I feel is the right advice, on the little things he can work on. That’s what captains and coaches are in place for.Hopefully he plays well in the one-day series here and gets a bit of confidence under his belt before he gets back to Australia. He can play a couple of Shield games there and start working things out for himself.”He also brushed off suggestions that there might be major changes in personnel ahead of the Ashes. “We all have to be disappointed with the results,” he said. “But all any of us can do when we go back home is play the best cricket that we can. Me, I’ve got to make as many runs as I can. Anyone that’s out of the squad at the moment … if they keep scoring runs and putting their hands up, we’ll wait and see what happens when the selection comes round for Brisbane. I don’t think there are too many gaping holes in our team. We just have to make sure we don’t let opportunities slip.”They did in Mohali, and after being outplayed for the final five sessions in Bangalore, it will be interesting to see what this team are made of. Do some of the old warhorses have one big series left in them? And how many of the inexperienced hands are capable of the game-changing performance? Ponting and Hilfenhaus aside, there’s an ordinariness and inconsistency there that England will certainly have noted as the clock ticks down to the Gabba.

Yuvraj Singh has reacted to being dropped for the Australia series with “disappointment”, pointing to his most recent performances for India when he scored a century and a fifty in a tour game and a Test in Sri Lanka.He was in Patiala, playing in an invitational tournament, when news of his being dropped reached him. “I am disappointed. Disappointments are a part of my life these days… “Asked whether it was a lack of form that had led to him being omitted from the Test team, Yuvraj referred to the Sri Lanka tour. “If that’s not good enough for selection, I can’t say. Selection is not in my hands.” He showed a flash of humour, though, when asked what he would do if he couldn’t regain his place in the team. “If I keep getting dropped, maybe I’ll have to do something different,”. he said.Yuvraj’s exclusion comes after a period in which he has grappled with injury and loss of form. It has been more than year since he scored his last century for India in a full international, a fact which, he told ESPNcricinfo, bothers him. “It has been the toughest year, in terms of managing my body and my performances,” he said in a wide-ranging conversation with this reporter a few days before Monday’s squad selection. “I’ve been injured a lot, which is mentally very hard.”Three fractures of his hand, a cartilage tear in the wrist, neck strains and dengue fever have made his tenth season in international cricket most forgettable. In the past year he averaged 33 in six Tests and 23 in 15 ODIs, “It’s just very sad because it’s all come at a time when batsmen peak – you’re supposed to hit your best form at 28 or 29,” he said.Following a disappointing World Twenty20 in the West Indies, where he scored 74 runs in five matches, Yuvraj was dropped for the Asia Cup but returned to the side for the tour of Sri Lanka with three Tests and an ODI tri-series. The tour included what Yuvraj calls the “hardest part” of his year.In the first Test, he scored 52 and 5 in Galle, before missing the second with fever. He was declared fit to play in the third but was passed over from the final Xi in favour of Suresh Raina, the debut centurion of the second Test. “The roughest part (this year) was in Sri Lanka,” he said. “I scored a century in the tour game and fifty in the first Test before I fell sick and then didn’t get picked for the third Test.”Was his omission from the third Test, and the decision to pick Raina, explained to him? “If somebody wants to give me an explanation, they can come and give me an explanation. Neither was I given one, nor did I seek an explanation. It’s not in my hands to be picked or not to be picked. If the team wants me, I’m there. If they don’t want me, I’m happy to serve the drinks.”Despite the setbacks, he sounded bullish on the future. “I have managed to be strong.. I’m sure things are going to come good soon It’s time to really push the pedal and hit peak performance.” His time starts on October 1 – not in Mohali, where India and Australia play the first Test, but in Jaipur, leading the Rest of India against Mumbai in the Irani Cup.

West Ham United’s top-six hopes were dealt a blow this afternoon as the Hammers were held to a 1-1 draw against relegation-battling Burnley.

The managerless Clarets, who parted company with Sean Dyche on Friday after ten years in charge, took the lead through Wout Weghorst in the 33rd minute and could’ve had a two-goal lead at half-time when awarded a penalty. However, the spot-kick was missed by Maxwell Cornet.

Irons midfielder Tomas Soucek was able to equalise with 16 minutes to go for the hosts to ensure they took something from the match, although after Thursday’s 3-0 win in Lyon, the result will certainly be a disappointment.

Of course, the afternoon could’ve gone worse for David Moyes’ side, especially if Cornet had converted from the spot. However, the Scotsman will be assessing some of the below-par performances in his side, particularly that of goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who conceded the penalty.

The 36-year-old came back into the side for league duties with deputy Alphonse Areola entrusted with European and domestic cup commitments and struggled to help his side.

According to SofaScore, alongside the penalty incident, Fabianski failed to make a single save all afternoon whilst making just one punch and catching zero high claims in a nervy performance from the ‘keeper.

Moreover, despite a 79% passing accuracy, the Polish Hammer attempted just 14 passes all afternoon and completed half of his six attempted long balls.

There was little action for the long-term West Ham servant in East London with Fabianski making just 21 touches all afternoon, the fewest of his teammates and the joint-fewest of the 22 players who started the match, with Burnley’s Ashley Westwood also touching the ball just 21 times.

Fabianski was also deemed the Hammers’ worst player with a 6.0/10 rating, with winger Nikola Vlasic the next worst with a 6.6 score. The 36-year-old certainly let his manager down.

The goalkeeping situation has been a debate all season amongst the West Ham faithful, particularly given the decent performances of PSG loanee Areola.

In the Premier League, Fabianski has averaged a 6.83/10 rating, according to SofaScore, whilst Areola has averaged a 7.19 rating in the Europa League and 7.97 in the EFL Cup.

The East London outfit do have an option to buy the French goalkeeper this summer upon the expiration of his loan whilst Fabianski’s current deal at the London Stadium expires in June.

Therefore, we may be starting to see the beginning of the end of the Polish goalkeeper’s four-season spell as the Hammers’ first choice in between the sticks.

AND in other news: West Ham plot bid for £21.6m-rated “leader”, Moyes can now axe “shocking” £61k-p/w dud

أكد فرناندو سانتوس، المدير الفني لمنتخب البرتغال، أن مسألة مستقبل كريستيانو رونالدو خاصة بعد فسخ عقده من مانشستر يونايتد، لم تمثل موضوعًا بالنسبة لهم في معسكر كأس العالم قطر 2022.

ويلتقي منتخب البرتغال، مساء غدًا الخميس، مع خصمه غانا في الجولة الأولى من دور مجموعات كأس العالم.

تأتي تلك المباراة بعد وقت قصير من إعلان مانشستر يونايتد لفسخ عقد كريستيانو رونالدو، وهو الأمر الذي كان مسيطرًا على أسئلة الصحفيين خلال مؤتمر فرناندو سانتوس وبرونو فرنانديز اليوم.

وقال سانتوس: “إنه شيء لم نتحدث عنه حتى على أرض الملعب أو عندما نرتاح، الشيء المهم هو أن اللاعبين يركزون تمامًا على ما نريد القيام به هنا”.

وأضاف: “لدينا هدف، نحن نستعد لتوفير الفرح والمرح للشعب البرتغالي، لإسعادهم، المحادثة لم تأت في أي لحظة، ولا حتى منه (رونالدو)”.

وعن مباراة الغد، قال سانتوس: “الفوز في مثل هذه البطولة صعب للغاية لأي فريق، لأي بلد، ما عليك سوى إلقاء نظرة على المباريات القليلة الأولى لترى ذلك بوضوح، كنت أشاهد مباراة كرواتيا والمغرب، يمكنك أن ترى منافسة متكافئة للغاية”.

وأردف: “هذا لأن معظم اللاعبين في نفس الدوريات، ضد غانا، على سبيل المثال، اثنان أو ثلاثة من لاعبيهم هم خصوم برونو فرنانديز في نفس الدوري، يلعبون لفرق كبيرة وهم معتادون على القضايا التكتيكية في اللعب، في الماضي كنت ستلاحظ فرقًا، لكنك لا ترى في الوقت الحاضر، خاصة وأن جميع المدربين على مستوى عال للغاية”.

وأكد: “نحن مستعدون لمواجهة خصوم سيسببون لنا الكثير من المشاكل، غانا فريق منظم بشكل جيد للغاية، أظهرت مباراتهم ضد سويسرا ذلك، تتمتع المنتخبات الإفريقية بالكثير من المواهب، ولا يمكن التنبؤ بها، وتتحسن دائمًا من الناحية التكتيكية، اليوم هم فرق أكثر اكتمالا”.

وأوضح: “لعبت البرتغال مع منتخبات إفريقية في آخر ثلاث نسخ لكأس العالم وكانت دائمًا مباريات صعبة للغاية”، 0-0 ضد ساحل العاج عام 2010، 2-1 الفوز على غانا في 2014، الفوز 1-0 على المغرب في 2018.

واستطرد: “الفوز بالمباراة الأولى في أي منافسة مهم دائمًا، لأنه يجلب طاقة إيجابية، لكنني لعبت بطولة عندما تعادلنا في أول ثلاث مباريات وفزنا – بطولة أوروبا – وإذا تم منحنا هذا الخيار مرة أخرى، فسنتقبله جميعًا، لكننا ندرك أن هذه مخاطرة كبيرة، ونحن نعلم ذلك”.

Taking to Twitter, reliable German journalist Christian Falk has confirmed that West Ham are interested in signing Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi. 

The lowdown: Unconventional path

Signed by Liverpool for £990,000 from Imperial Academy based in Nigeria in 2015 (Transfermarkt), Awoniyi appeared to have made a dream move to the Premier League.

However, some seven loan spells and multiple failed work permit attempts later and the powerful frontman was no nearer to making a debut for the Merseyside club.

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Now eligible to play in the United Kingdom, having joined Bundesliga side Union Berlin in 2021, the 24 year old seems to be a target for several top flight teams.

The latest: Falk confirms Hammers’ interest

According to Falk, the Head of Football at SportBILD, West Ham, Newcastle United and Southampton are all keen on acquiring Awoniyi’s services.

“TRUE. WestHam, NUFC and SouthamptonFC are interested in Taiwo Awoniyi. The striker has a release clause of 20m€.”

That suggested €20m (£16.7million) would see Berlin make slightly over £10million in profit on the nomadic centre-forward once praised for his ‘selfless’ hard work by compatriot and Bolton Wanderers legend Jay-Jay Okocha.

The verdict: Get it done

Despite enduring a difficult start to a professional career due to circumstances beyond his control, the three-cap Nigerian striker has now amassed 52 goals from 178 appearances across stints in Germany, Holland and Belgium.

This season Awoniyi has netted 18 times and provided another four assists in 39 outings across all competitions, successfully completing 1.2 (55%) of dribble attempts, winning 1.7 (35%) of his aerial duels and taking 2.1 shots per game (Sofascore), all evidence of a well-rounded forward.

He also shouldn’t struggle whatsoever in transitioning back to England, given his immense physical stature.

As Irons’ boss David Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman prioritise a striker to support Michail Antonio next term, those in charge at the London Stadium would be wise to make an attempt to sign the Nigeria ace at the mooted fee.

In other news: ‘That’s for sure’ – Sky Sports reporter backs big transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.