Aston Villa hijack Newcastle’s pursuit of £49m Johan Manzambi from Fr…

• Midfielder faced Villa in Europa League final in May

• U-turn another summer transfer blow for Newcastle

Aston Villa have hijacked Newcastle’s pursuit of Johan Manzambi, and are close to completing a £49m deal with Freiburg for the Switzerland midfielder. afsport.lat

Manzambi’s arrival will boost Villa before a season in which they return to the Champions League, and his move represents a considerable blow for Newcastle.

BlogTom Felton: Actor, Not Professional Soccer PlayerTom Felton’s relationship with soccer Tom Felton never signed a professional soccer contract, never appeared on a league roster, and never earned a wage as a footballer.Open →

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Andy Burnham, potential future prime minister, has been a key figure in football's behind-the-scenes overhauls, including helping create the Hillsborough Independent Panel. His most significant intervention came in 2007 when England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 after losing 3-2 to Croatia at Wembley.

As culture, media and sport minister at the time, Burnham attended that fateful match with James Purnell, now poised to become his chief of staff in No 10, as guests of Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore. If England win the World Cup, expect the prime-minister-in-waiting to take at least a slice of the credit.

Era la única cara nueva esperada en la primera sesión de entrenamiento del Atlético y fue la gran ausencia. Hjulmand, que vivirá su presentación como jugador rojiblanco a las 13.00 horas en el estadio Metropolitano, fue el principal ausente de la jornada de estreno. Junto a él, también fue baja Johnny Cardoso que sigue el proceso de recuperación de su operación de tobillo. El resto, lo esperado. Pocos jugadores del primer equipo y mucho canterano.

Blog10 Challenging Cricket Quiz Titles That Even Die Hard Fans Will Struggle to AnswerWhy Titles Matter for Cricket Quizzes When a cricket fan scrolls through a blog, the first thing that catches the eye is the headline. A well‑crafted title canOpen →

The Spain captain on his team’s chances in the World Cup semi-final, analysing every game so far and how to get the best out of Lamine Yamal

“I’m not that bad,” Rodri Hernández says. It’s the morning after the World Cup’s 100th game and in a conference room at the Cotton Bowl where old posters line the walls and Spain are about to start their penultimate training session before the 101st, their captain is doing the calculations. Even with the six he’s played in and all the travel, from Atlanta to Guadalajara and Dallas to Los Angeles and back, 9,000 miles so far, he reckons he’s watched the “immense majority”. More than anyone else here, anyway. “Some as a fan, teams we can’t face; others I analyse. But it’s not like I’m there with pen and paper,” he says. Then he cracks up and concedes: “But, yeah, I probably am the worst.”

They wouldn’t have it another way; he couldn’t have it any other way. This is who Rodri is: Ballon d’Or winner and business graduate from Castellón University. The kid who was on camp in the Connecticut woods, aged 14, when Spain last won the World Cup and the captain who aspires to lift the trophy again, back in the USA 16 years on. The midfielder who sometimes seems like a de facto coach, analysing everything. The adult in the room, a leader aware of his responsibility. When Rodri talks, they listen. Sometimes they have to. And, oh, Rodri talks, a calm authority about him.