Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Here we go again. And, no, we are not talking about the start of the new Scottish Premiership season or the preliminary round of the Carabao Cup – although that Tranmere v Rochdale shootout was a cracker. Yes, after a week of talk about money, greed and Donald Trump’s son-in-law’s brother, the hot topic around the water cooler on Monday was again Gianni Infantino and, more specifically, the English and Welsh FAs’ decisions to row back on their support of a stalling ship. Along with Finland, they’re the first of Uefa’s 55 members to withdraw their letters of support for next year’s Fifa overlord elections.I write to you with my deep regret on hearing about the death of the heroic and granite-made Franco Baresi. Two moments stand out to me, both off the pitch, and show what a great man he was. The first was when Arrigo Sacchi, the Milan manager, dropped his intensity in training, fearing he was overworking the players; Baresi convinced Sacchi to up it instead for the sake of the team, with spectacular results. The second was an older Baresi reflecting on his 1994 World Cup final loss to Brazil, which he appeared in 25 days after knee surgery. Rather than lamenting his lot, having missed a penalty and lost the final, Baresi instead recalled watching the 1970 final between Italy and Brazil, only the second game he had seen on TV. The first game was the West Germany v Italy semi-final, where he recalled watching the players who ‘to me, they were Martians’. He said: ‘I would never have thought 24 years later, at 34 years old, I would have the possibility to play in that same game, the final, against Brazil, the same team. It was a dream that came true.’ Rest in peace” – Nick Kinsella.I was wondering if Gianni Infantino might revist his Big Sale Opportunity by allowing smaller, club-level contestants from less lucrative leagues to participate in a seriously revamped World Cup, replacing their boycotting national sides. For instance, from the lower leagues of Scottish competitions. Mainly to render possible the wonderful hypothetical headline result of the last match of the (?) 2038 edition: Fifa Forward Final fiasco … East Fife 4, Forfar 5” – Russell Richardson.Steve Bennett’s comment on Newcastle United’s new kit (Friday’s Football Daily letters) made me think of West Bromwich Albion’s similarly ‘bar-coded’ Premier League strip from the 2020-21 season, at the end of which they were relegated. Newcastle may have to hope that isn’t an omen” – Derrick Cameron.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...
Having been linked with a move to the Premier League, Zion Suzuki is set for a switch to European champions Paris Saint-German instead. It marks the completion of the 23-year-old Japanese goalkeeper's rise to the game's summit after a stellar World Cup.
Ahead of the 2026-27 season, Al Hilal are already looking to strengthen the squad to compete for every title. However, Karim Benzema could lose a teammate, as Darwin Núñez is reportedly close to leaving on loan to Portugal. After failing to win the Saudi Pro League title last season, Al Hilal have already decided to strengthen their roster, signing Crysencio Summerville for the wing. However, they remain open to bringing in more players, looking to reinforce Karim Benzema in attack. To do so, the Saudi side is preparing key departures, opening up foreign-player slots. With this in mind, Darwin Núñez is reportedly close to leaving on loan to Portugal. According to Arriyadiyah, a well-known Saudi media outlet, Darwin Núñez is very close to leaving Al Hilal on loan, heading to the Portuguese league. Both FC Porto and Benfica are closely monitoring his arrival, with negotiations already underway. Despite having played in LaLiga and the Premier League, the Uruguayan striker produced his best version in the Primeira Liga, so a return there would be key. With Benzema’s arrival, Darwin was left out of Al Hilal’s Saudi Pro League squad, leaving him available only for the AFC Champions League Elite. With the veteran Frenchman and Marcos Leonardo, the Uruguayan striker appears to have no place in the team, making his departure almost mandatory. With this, Núñez seems set to end his spell in the Saudi Pro League without playing a single minute alongside Karim. Darwin Núñez has gone from being one of the best strikers in the Premier League to becoming a marginal player in the Saudi Pro League. In the 24 matches he has played, he has scored only nine goals and provided five assists, disappointing many. Because of this, a return to the Primeira Liga would be key to rediscovering his best form, as he is only 27 years old and is looking to relaunch his professional career. Darwin Nunez of Al Hilal controls the ball during the Saudi Pro League match. Jader Duran’s arrival to Benfica could shut door to Darwin Núñez Recognizing Darwin Núñez as a great talent, SL Benfica are looking to bring the Uruguayan striker back for the 2026-27 season. Head coach Marco Silva faced him on numerous occasions in the Premier League and could look to relaunch his career. However, the 27-year-old striker will not have an easy path to earning a place, as they have just signed Jhon Jader Durán on loan, which would leave him out of the rotation. Head coach Marco Silva not only has Durán, but also Vangelis Pavlidis, Franjo Ivanović, and Anísio Cabral. Therefore, Darwin Núñez would be the fifth option or adapt to the left wing. In his spell at Benfica, the Uruguayan striker scored 48 goals and provided 16 assists in 85 games, but he is not coming in his best version and needs continuity. With this in mind, FC Porto seem to be his best option to have continuity.
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