Archive March 26, 2025

Sweden’s Anthony Elanga said Northern Ireland are a “really good young team” and praised goalkeeper Pierce Charles, despite dominating Michael O’Neill’s young side in the Stockholm friendly.

Nottingham Forest striker Elanga was on the scoresheet in Sweden’s 5-1 win on Tuesday night, but thinks the beaten visitors are heading in the right direction under O’Neill.

“I’ve been watching Northern Ireland and I think they’re really good, they’ve got a really good manager.

“You’ve got a really good, young team that play football, play good football. I really enjoy watching you guys play.”

Elanga knows a number of O’Neill’s squad and believes 19-year-old goalkeeper Charles, who won his sixth cap at the Strawberry Arena, is an “amazing” prospect.

“I know a few of the players, Ethan Galbraith who I played with at [Manchester] United, the Charles brothers [who were products of the Manchester City youth system].

“He [Pierce] is an amazing goalkeeper by the way, he’s got a bright future.”

Sweden’s victory came without Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski and Sporting Lisbon striker Victor Gyokeres.

Elanga said he was “not at all” frustrated to start the game on the bench, especially with Nottingham Forest’s FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton on Saturday.

“Coming on, I wanted to make an impact and score and that’s what I did.

British super-bantamweight Ramla Ali has signed a promotional deal with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.

Ali’s remarkable journey has taken her from being a refugee who fled war-torn Somalia to a model, activist, Olympian and world-title challenging boxer.

The 35-year-old – who was previously signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing – has been out of the ring since losing to WBC champion Yamileth Mercado in June.

“This partnership goes beyond business; it’s about creating a legacy that will benefit every female fighter who comes after me,” Ali said.

YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul – who beat former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson in a controversial and much-publicised bout in November – is a divisive figure in the sport but has championed the female code through MVP, which he co-founded with Nakisa Bidarian.

Unified bantamweight world champion Dina Thorslund, flyweight Naomy Valle and American prospect Nat Dove have also signed with MVP.

Earlier this month, undisputed super-featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner joined the promotion, while American Paul also represents seven-division champion Amanda Serrano.

Serrano will earn the biggest fight purse for a woman boxer alongside long-time rival Katie Taylor when they fight again in July.

“I’ve observed how Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and the MVP team have revolutionized women’s boxing,” Ali said.

After months of speculation, Liverpool fans are trying to process the prospect of Trent Alexander-Arnold possibly joining Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old Liverpudlian has entered the final three months of his contract and can negotiate with potential suitors before he becomes a free agent this summer.

Though there is no agreement between the player and Real Madrid, BBC Sport reported on Tuesday that work towards completing a deal is reaching the closing stages.

If agreed, it would see local boy Alexander-Arnold, who joined Liverpool’s academy at six years old and has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup with the club, leave for the Spanish giants on a free transfer.

Reaction to the news on BBC Sport’s football pages, social media and fans’ forums has ranged from the comedic to the extreme.

Some social media accounts have been insulting, turning his famous “I’m just a normal lad” quote against him. Others have photoshopped the text on his mural round the corner from Anfield.

Not even his iconic quick corner that completed the famous Champions League comeback against Barcelona in 2019 has escaped the treatment. Multiple edits now have either Andy Robertson, James Milner or Wataru Endo setting up Divock Origi’s winning goal instead.

Another post, widely recirculated, simply says: “Corner wasn’t even taken that quickly.”

If parts of this online re-writing of history are presumably tongue in cheek, there is also a darker, more extreme backlash visible as well.

“It’s unfair,” Steve McManaman, who left Liverpool for Real Madrid in 1999, told BBC Sport. “If Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah leave then it’s Liverpool’s fault, if Trent were to leave then it’s Trent’s fault.

“His legacy, I hope, is one of an outstanding homegrown footballer who’s done incredibly well for this club.”

Some believe Alexander-Arnold simply wants to push himself to the next level.

“He wants to aim to win the Ballon d’Or,” says Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague.

“I think he has reached the conclusion that to reach his potential he has to move abroad and leave his comfort zone. He wants to conquer the world and I find that admirable.

Liverpool are cruising towards a Premier League title at the first attempt under Arne Slot, but off the pitch, this season has not been as straightforward.

The club have had four directors of football since the start of 2022, and now Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk have entered the final months of their contracts.

It has been a particularly unsettled year for Alexander-Arnold, who unlike his team-mates, has deliberately chosen not to speak on his future.

Though the right-back has started 26 of his side’s 29 league games under Slot and made eight goal contributions in the Premier League, his contract situation has cast him in a light previously unthinkable at Anfield.

It spilled over in January when home fans targeted Alexander Arnold during a below-par performance against rivals Manchester United.

Alexander-Arnold’s deep-rooted connection with the club and city has placed added scrutiny on his situation and a comment in an interview with Sky Sports that he would rather win the individual Ballon d’Or title than another Champions League with his boyhood club has been thrown back at him by some fans.

“As a Liverpool fan you’re just devastated… but he has won everything there is to win at Liverpool,” supporter Abigail Rudkin said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“We are all living vicariously through Trent and now [it looks like] he has decided Madrid is the new dream. That’s why we’re all gutted.”

The fact that Alexander-Arnold’s performances have not been as consistent as Salah’s and Van Dijk’s this term hasn’t helped either.

Two stark statistics neatly summarise the Alexander-Arnold conundrum.

For some, the emergence of right-back Conor Bradley has softened the blow of potentially losing Alexander-Arnold.

There have been few transfer sagas in recent history that have divided fan opinion quite like this.

“[I] can’t believe the negativity directed towards Trent Alexander-Arnold and his potential move away from Liverpool,” former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock wrote on X.

“I’ve seen comments like ‘he should be ashamed’ and he’s ‘not loyal to the club’. [They] are deluded.

“He’s entitled to make his own choices and challenge himself in a different league and different country. He’s won everything with LFC, been an incredible servant to the club and should be given a great send off by the fans.”

Part of the issue for Alexander-Arnold is the inevitable comparison to Steven Gerrard, a local lad who turned down opportunities to leave the club and improve his chances of winning team and individual honours.

“It completely tarnishes his image,” Liverpool fan Rory told BBC Sport.

“He was supposed to follow in Stevie’s [Gerrard] footsteps and become the captain, a Liverpool icon. Instead, he’s decided to pursue personal glory and made a mockery of his previous declarations of loyalty.”

Richard said: “What hurts the most is that he’s run down his contract to go for free. A player that not all that long ago wanted to become club captain and now doesn’t care that we won’t even get a fee to help replace him.”

Keith told BBC Sport: “I’m just wondering what colour we should paint the wall where his mural is painted. Any legacy as a Liverpool legend was tenuous in the first place, but he isn’t good enough as a defender to achieve that anyway.”

On the other side of the debate, Liverpool supporter Stew said: “I hold nothing against Trent leaving. He’s given his all and won everything with the club. The biggest crime is [the club] letting him go on a free.”

Jonathan told BBC Sport: “Real represents something unique for English players, as so few have had that opportunity.

“Trent has been a brilliant servant for Liverpool, and playing for Real Madrid could help him develop into an even more amazing player.”

Gary argued: “Surely Liverpool fans should be directing their ire at the owners and management who have allowed a homegrown player to get to the point where he can leave for nothing, rather than the player for accepting an offer from another club when Liverpool have done little to try to get him to stay?”

Alex said: “Football is a business and players rise and fall and new ones come. You can see why the club might be keen to cut a few big salaries to finance some up and coming talent.”

Other fans use the departures of Fernando Torres, Michael Owen and Luis Suarez to argue Liverpool will do just fine without Alexander-Arnold.

“No player is bigger than the club,” says Jed. “Liverpool have always managed to replace players without a lot of fuss.”

Liverpool return to action against Everton in the Merseyside derby on 2 April, though Alexander-Arnold is likely to miss out because of an ankle injury.

According to a significant report from the global players’ union, specific windows in the calendar for international games are among the improvements required for cricket to thrive globally.

With the rise of T20 leagues, the World Cricketers’ Association has released a six-month review of the elite level structure of the sport, claiming that the current state “puts the future of the international game in danger.”

The report recommends four short, annual international matches, with longer international matches or T20 leagues being available for the remainder of the year.

It also recommends divisions for each of the three international competitions, with promotion and relegation after the two-year cycles are over. This would also serve as the criteria for competing in major tournaments and competitions.

There are a number of positive cricket trends, but there is no denying that the world cricket is about to change, according to Paul Marsh, the committee’s chair.

The report was compiled after speaking with 64 industry stakeholders, including current and former administrators, media outlets, and prestigious players like Jos Buttler, Heather Knight, and Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain.

It criticizes the international leadership of the sport and calls for the ‘modernization’ of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The ICC appears to have been reluctant to discuss the initial findings and recommendations. One executive from an Indian Premier League franchise was also allowed to contribute, along with the other senior figures from the game’s global powerhouse.

The three biggest cricketing nations, England, India, and Australia, who according to the report claim to control 83% of global revenue, are at the forefront of the report’s emphasis.

The suggested changes, which also include a global growth and development fund and an equal share of revenue, “ensure the survival of international cricket,” “create an “easier to follow” calendar, and increase revenue by $ 240 million (£196 million), are claimed to increase revenue.

National boards are currently largely left to plan their own tours within the Future Tours Programme, while lucrative T20 franchise leagues dominate the remainder of the year.

Set windows, according to the report, would allow internationals to “coexist” with T20 leagues rather than compete against them, ensuring its future survival.

Additionally, it asserts that a structure overhaul that includes divisions with promotion and relegation across the board would give more context, risk, and interest.

As players, Knight, who was sacked as England captain last week, acknowledged that we have a responsibility to the game and that we are interested in seeing it succeed.

“A unified sport will produce better outcomes than a disjointed sport,” says the statement.

Rashid Khan, an Afghan leg-spinner, said: “I want to see it be strong and sustainable in more than just a few nations.

We urge the game’s leadership to take action based on the data and suggestions in this report.