O Corinthians foi condenado pela Fifa a pagar US$ 3,45 milhões de dólares (R$ 17 milhões na cotação atual) ao Argentinos Juniors por atraso no pagamento de uma das parcelas na contratação envolvendo Fausto Vera. O valor incluí juros de 18% ao ano, desde julho de 2023. A informação foi divulgada pelo ge.
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O Argentinos Juniors acionou o Corinthians para a Fifa no dia 18 de outubro de 2023, e a entidade estipulou a punição no dia 6 novembro, mas só a tornou pública nesta sexta-feira (2). O Timão tem 45 dias para quitar a dívida, e corre o risco de sofrer um transfer ban e ficar impedido de registrar novos jogadores.
O Corinthians adquiriu Fausto Vera em julho de 2022, por 8 milhões de dólares (cerca de R$ 40 milhões à época), de forma parcelada. Em novembro de 2023, Wesley Melo, ex-diretor financeiro do Timão, revelou que o clube ainda não pagou 40% da quantia ao Argentinos Juniors.
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Em julho, o clube argentino já havia acionado tanto a Fifa quanto o Corinthians referente ao atraso na primeira parcela do negócio envolvendo o meia. O Timão quitou a parcela, no valor de 750 mil dólares (R$ 3,6 milhões), no dia 30 de junho. O atraso no pagamento estremeceu a relação entre Corinthians e Argentinos Juniors.
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Ashes hopefuls Weatherald, Harris, Bancroft, Renshaw not included as the squad is a look towards the 2027 Test tour of India, with Connolly, Murphy and Rocchiccioli included as spinners
Alex Malcolm07-Aug-2025
Sam Konstas has played five Tests so far•Getty Images
Sam Konstas’ bid to retain his Test place this summer will begin in India as he was named in the 14-man Australia A squad that will play India A in two red-ball four-day matches in Lucknow in September, albeit the squad has been selected with an eye towards Australia’s 2027 Test tour rather than the upcoming Ashes.Konstas was named alongside fellow Test opening candidate Nathan McSweeney and fellow teenager Oliver Peake in the squad. Promising Victoria opener Campbell Kellaway was also included among the batting group. Jake Weatherald, Jason Sangha and Kurtis Patterson, who all featured and performed well in the recent Australia A series against Sri Lanka A, were not included.Australian openers with previous Test experience, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw, were also not included in the squad. Renshaw has been on two Test tours to India previously while Bancroft has previously toured India with Australia A including making 150 in an unofficial Test in Chennai in 2015 against an India A team that featured nine Indian Test players.Related
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It is highly unlikely that performances in India against India A in September will have any bearing on Ashes selection with the national selectors already on record saying that the first three Sheffield Shield rounds will be of most relevance. The squad has clearly been selected with a longer-term view of giving younger players experience in Indian conditions with Australia due to tour there for a five-match Test series in January-February of 2027, when the composition of Australia’s top six may look slightly different with Usman Khawaja very unlikely to still be playing by that point while Steven Smith turns 38 in June 2027.”The subcontinent provides many unique challenges and the opportunity to utilise different skills with bat and ball,” chairman of selectors George Bailey said.”We hope repeated experiences in these conditions will assist players in developing an effective method and understanding of their game for future sub-continent tours.”Test offspinner Todd Murphy was included in the squad having taken 14 wickets in four Tests in India in 2023, including a seven on Test debut in Nagpur. Fellow offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli will also get a chance to impress having been to the MRF Academy last year and played for Australia A previously. Both men missed the recent series against Sri Lanka A due to short-term stints in county cricket in England.Left-arm-spinning allrounder Cooper Connolly, who made his Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year, will get the chance to gain some valuable subcontinent experience. Seam-bowling allrounders Aaron Hardie, Liam Scott and Jack Edwards were all included with the latter set to play for Australia A for the first time.Cooper Connolly will gain further red-ball exposure on the subcontinent•Getty Images
CA contracted fast bowlers Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett were picked as was the Shield’s leading wicket-taker in Fergus O’Neill. Josh Philippe was included as the sole wicketkeeper in the four-day squad.Connolly, Murphy, Hardie, Edwards and Scott will stay on for the three 50-over matches but Bartlett, Kellaway, Konstas, McSweeney, Morris, O’Neill, Peake, Philippe and Rocchiccioli will play in the four-day matches in Lucknow only before returning to Australia for the first Shield round that starts on October 4.”For many of these players we remain interested in the development of their short-form cricket as well, but balancing out priorities meant we wanted them back and available for the start of the Sheffield Shield season,” Bailey said.”This provides opportunities for Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Tanveer Sangha, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland and Callum Vidler who will play the one-day matches in Kanpur.”Fraser-McGurk was included after losing his place in Australia’s ODI squad and he could well get the chance to keep wicket for the first time in his List A career with Shaw the only other wicketkeeper named in the white-ball squad. Fraser-McGurk is being developed as a back-up wicketkeeper for the T20I team having worked on his keeping with Australia’s fielding/keeping coach Andre Borovec on recent tours.Captains have yet to be named but there are a host of options given three state captains in McSweeney, Edwards and Sutherland will tour while Hardie has also previously led Australia A in a first-class game in New Zealand and captained Perth Scorchers.Australia A four-day squadXavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Aaron Hardie, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam ScottAustralia A one-day squadCooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Callum Vidler
وجه ويسلي شنايدر نجم الكرة الهولندية السابق، كلمات واضحة إلى أحد نجوم ليفربول، قبل مواجهة مانشستر سيتي والريدز في الدوري الإنجليزي.
وتحدث شنايدر عن نجم ليفربول فلوريان فيرتز في تصريحات نشرتها “TRIBUNA”: “يستطيع اللاعب أن يلعب بشكل جيد في بلده”.
وأضاف: “لكن في بلدان أخرى قد يواجه صعوبة في التأقلم، اللاعبون الهولنديون والألمان كذلك، وأرى الأمر نفسه مع فلوريان فيرتز”.
اقرأ أيضاً.. ماكويست: محمد صلاح الوحيد الذي يحق له تراجع مستواه… وليفربول دفع الثمن
وكان ليفربول قد أنفق 125 مليون يورو لصالح باير ليفركوزن في الصيف الماضي، لكن صانع الألعاب الألماني لم يحقق الانطلاقة المأمولة بعد.
وصنع فيرتز ثلاث تمريرات حاسمة في 15 مباراة لكنه لم يسجل أي هدف، وواصل شنايدر: “عندما تنضم إلى ناد كنجم كبير، عليك أن توضح لهم فوراً سبب تعاقدهم معك”.
وأكمل: “إذا لم تظهر لهم ذلك فلن يهتموا بك، في ناد مثل ليفربول، لا وقت للتأقلم ببطء، عليك أن تكون جاهزاً ويجب أن يحدث ذلك بسرعة الآن، وإلا فقد انتهى أمرك”.
O Corinthians perdeu por 2 a 0 para o São Paulo no Morumbi e não avançou à final da Copa do Brasil. Rato e Cássio (contra) marcaram os gols são-paulinos, e o Timão não conseguiu segurar a vantagem construída na Neo Química Arena. Após o resultado, o técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo concede entrevista coletiva. Acompanhe!.
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+ COMO FOI O JOGO
+ Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Timão no Brasileirão
PRÓXIMOS JOGOS DO CORINTHIANS
> Cruzeiro x Corinthians – 19/08, às 21h (de Brasília) – Arena Independência – Campeonato Brasileiro
> Corinthians x Estudiantes – 22/08, às 21h30 (de Brasília) – Neo Química Arena – Quartas de final Copa Sul-Americana – Ida
> Corinthians x Goiás – 26/08, às 21h (de Brasília) – Neo Química Arena – Campeonato Brasileiro
> Estudiantes x Corinthians – 29/08, às 21h30 (de Brasília) – La Plata – Quartas de final Copa Sul-Americana – Volta
> Corinthians x Palmeiras – 03/09, às 16h (de Brasília) – Neo Química Arena – Campeonato Brasileiro
Chelsea chiefs are already making recruitment plans ahead of 2026, and they have their eyes on a former player to bolster Enzo Maresca’s ranks after failing to fulfill some of their transfer goals in the summer.
While the Blues recorded England’s second-highest expenditure during the last window, second only behind Premier League champions Liverpool, Chelsea also wanted a new goalkeeper and centre-back.
The Premier League’s biggest summer spenders
Team
Spent
Received
Net Spend
Liverpool
£415,000,000
£187,000,000
£228,000,000
Chelsea
£285,000,000
£288,000,000
-£3,000,000
Arsenal
£255,000,000
£9,000,000
£246,000,000
Newcastle
£250,000,000
£152,000,000
£98,000,000
Man Utd
£216,000,000
£68,000,000
£148,000,000
Nottm Forest
£205,000,000
£107,000,000
£98,000,000
Tottenham
£181,000,000
£36,000,000
£145,000,000
Sunderland
£162,000,000
£44,000,000
£118,000,000
Man City
£152,000,000
£53,000,000
£99,000,000
West Ham
£124,000,000
£55,000,000
£69,000,000
via BBC
Doubts have surrounded Robert Sanchez and his long-term capability as Chelsea’s number one shot-stopper, prompting the west Londoners to try their hand at a move for France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
AC Milan and BlueCo couldn’t agree on a price for the 30-year-old, as Chelsea were only prepared to pay around £12 million and the Rossoneri wanted closer to £25 million (Ben Jacobs).
Reports suggest Chelsea are still planning to sign Maignan, this time on a pre-contract in 2026 as his contract ticks down towards expiry this season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea also failed with a move for centre-back Dean Huijsen in the summer, as per reliable media sources, with the Spain international starlet eventually joining Real Madrid in a £50 million deal.
Maresca’s side remained in the market for a keeper and defender until the latter weeks of the window (Simon Phillips), but it appears as if Chelsea couldn’t secure targets of the desired quality to reinforce their squad.
Rest assured, their aim to bring in defensive options for between the sticks and outfield hasn’t waned, with Chelsea believed to be among the many contenders to sign Crystal Palace stalwart Marc Guehi on a free transfer next year.
Guehi was on the verge of joining Liverpool in a deadline day move and was given permission to undergo a Merseyside medical. The Reds submitted a deal sheet so they could secure a deal past the 7pm cut-off point too, but Palace U-turned on a deal at the final moment, which forced the England international to remain at Selhurst Park (Sky Sports).
Now, a host of elite sides are lining up to sign Guehi as a free agent next summer, including Liverpool, Man City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Chelsea "determined" to re-sign Marc Guehi
According to TUTTOmercatoWEB, via Juve FC, Chelsea are also “determined” to re-sign Guehi after he departed Stamford Bridge for Palace in 2021.
However, they face stiff competition from Juventus, who want to open talks for the 25-year-old at the earliest possible opportunity.
The Old Lady could offer an intriguing opportunity to contend for the Serie A title as they look to reestablish their dominance of Italy after a disappointing last few years, but there is reason to believe Guehi would thrive alongside the likes of Levi Colwill (injured), Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana back at his former home.
Why Chelsea should go all out for Marc Guehi
The defender has established himself as a firm England international regular and an undroppable for Thomas Tuchel, with Guehi looking like a shoo-in for the 2026 World Cup squad after an impressive Euro 2024 replacing Harry Maguire.
Calm on the ball, strong in the air and quick across the ground, he offers the all-round skillset modern centre-backs need. Chelsea have been crying out for a consistent presence at the back after repeated defensive injuries over the last few years. Guehi’s blend of composure and leadership could instantly raise the level.
At zero cost, it’s practically a no-brainer, with the only concern being Chelsea’s serious competition for his signature.
Steve Parish branded Guehi a “superstar”, and Chelsea signing him for free would undoubtedly be a major coup.
Vital 81 leaves Warwickshire with stiff target going into final day
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Apr-2025
Michael Booth routed Durham’s top-order before Ben Raine hit back•Getty Images
Ben Raine’s vital knock led a Durham fightback with the bat after a four-wicket blitz from Warwickshire’s Michael Booth had given his side the upper hand on day three of their Rothesay County Championship encounter.After frustrating Durham in the morning, the Bears were bowled out for 325, 62 runs behind the hosts’ total. Durham’s second innings started in a serene manner, but a fabulous four-wicket spell from Booth either side of lunch saw momentum swing the way of the visitors.However, Raine had other ideas and picked up his 20th First Class half-century at the Banks Homes Riverside and combined well with David Bedingham for a partnership worth 88 to help the hosts set a target of 339 after finishing their second innings on 276 for eight. Warwickshire began their chase late on and finished on 12 without loss, 327 behind the target.Warwickshire kicked off the day on 287 for eight, with Booth unbeaten on 50 and he resumed alongside Ethan Bamber. The pair frustrated Durham in the early stages of play, taking Warwickshire past 300 and to a second batting bonus point.The resistance of Warwickshire was broken as Potts finally got a first innings wicket when Bamber departed for 21 after he edged one to Colin Ackermann at second slip. The final wicket fell soon after as Doggett bowled Vishwa Fernando for one, to hand Warwickshire a first innings total of 325.Alex Lees and first innings centurion Ben McKinney began Durham’s pursuit of building their lead of 62, but Bears bowlers Bamber and Fernando kept things tight.Lees started to look good as he whipped an Ed Barnard delivery to the legside boundary for four and he followed that up in the same over with a lovely straight drive. However, Booth broke the Durham opening partnership as he got skipper Lees LBW for 32 and the Bears bowler struck again as he got Emilio Gay LBW.Booth then had another shortly after lunch as he produced a pearler of a delivery which knocked out two of Ackermann’sstumps and in the same over Ollie Robinson edged a delivery from the 24-year-old to Rob Yates at second slip to leave the hosts in trouble.Bamber joined in on the action as he got Will Rhodes LBW for18. Despite the difficult situation he found himself in, Raine looked to be positive when he arrived at the crease, while McKinney remained solid as he did in the first innings.Raine continued to attack as he pulled a short ball from Fernando to the boundary, but the Bears picked up the vital wicket of McKinney for 33 as he feathered a Barnard ball through to Kai Smith.That brought Bedingham to the crease, who was assisted by runner Ackermann due to a toe injury sustained in the first innings. Despite the injury, the South African played some delightful shots and had no problems finding the boundary.Raine then reached his 50 from 88 balls, and he produced an inventive ramp shot which went past third man for four just a few balls later. The wounded Bedingham showed no signs of his injury as he smashed back-to-back fours to the legside boundary off the bowling of Booth.Raine was then dropped by Alex Davies at slip on 55, after he nicked a delivery from Taz Ali. However, there was no mistake made in the field for David Bedingham as Bamber got his second of the innings when the Durham man picked out Dan Mousley at deep square and he had to depart for a well made 45.Raine continued to build the lead along with Potts and they took it over 300, with the latter playing a glorious straight drive for four.But Raine departed for 81 shorty after as Yates got him LBW after he was hit on the pads while attempting a sweep.Potts and Daniel Hogg continued to add vital runs for the hosts, with both hitting maximums as they set up a declaration, which came with four overs left in the day. Openers Yates and Davies saw the visitors through to close, with a big job ahead of them on day four.
Simmons’ extension was one of several topics discussed during a board meeting in Dhaka
Mohammad Isam03-Mar-2025Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, the BCB director, wants Phil Simmons to continue in his role as Bangladesh head coach till the 2027 ODI World Cup. Fahim said the board would have official discussions with Simmons soon, and is hoping to get him for the role on a long-term basis.The contract extension was one of several topics discussed during a board meeting in Dhaka on Monday.Simmons was appointed in October last year on an interim role. During his four-month stint, Bangladesh won just one series, a 3-0 win against West Indies in T20Is. The team made an early exit from the Champions Trophy, too, after losing to India and New Zealand. Their last game, against Pakistan, was washed out.Related
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Simmons wants top order 'to put things together' in the powerplay
Despite that, Simmons has won the approval of both the BCB president Faruque Ahmed and director Fahim, the two most influential figures in the current board.”The contracts of our head coach and senior assistant coach was till mid-March,” Fahim said. “We are satisfied with them, so we will get in touch with them for renegotiation. If we can’t get into an understanding with them, we have to think about other options. We are hopeful of reaching a mutual understanding with them. We are thinking of extending their contracts till the 2027 World Cup.”We will speak to him formally very soon. I have seen him from up close. I am convinced he will do well with the Bangladesh team. I have also seen the interpersonal relationships he has with the local coaches and the players. I think he will do well here.”The BCB is also set to renew the contract of senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin, who was also appointed on a short-term basis last November. One of the reasons that the board has felt encouraged to renew the contracts of both Simmons and Salahuddin is their willingness to work with each other. ESPNcricinfo understands that one of Simmons’ mandates was to give freedom to local coaches.In addition, the board has decided to renew the contract of spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed, while also accepting Hannan Sarkar’s resignation as a selector. Fahim said that the BCB is also keen on improving the fielding in the senior team. To achieve that, the board is talking to multiple fielding coaches to join the set-up.
West Ham United “could move” for an “incredible” England international as a replacement for Nayef Aguerd, who may be set for an exit before the transfer deadline.
West Ham eyeing new defender after Aguerd refuses to travel
After spending the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Real Sociedad, Aguerd has come back into the fold this season, starting the opening two Premier League games, during which West Ham conceded a combined eight goals.
However, it is clear the Moroccan has little intention of remaining at the London Stadium for much longer, with the 29-year-old pushing to leave before the deadline, amid interest from the likes of Sunderland, AC Milan and AS Roma.
In fact, the Keinitra-born defender is well-known to have refused to travel to Nottingham Forest for yesterday’s Premier League clash, with the centre-back taking drastic action to try and force through an exit.
However, ExWHUEmployee has now revealed that the club could be hesitant to sanction a departure, should they be unable to find an adequate replacement in time, with Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis among the potential options.
Southampton's TaylorHarwood-Bellislooks dejected as he applauds fans after the match
The West Ham insider said: “The club have yet to confirm any bid as yet from Marseille or Sunderland and even if they did would have to make a decision as to whether it is worth accepting and whether a replacement could be lined up in time.
“The club have looked at other defenders and one we exclusively revealed at the start of the window and we still have interest in us Charlie Cresswell, ironically he plays in France for Toulouse.
Aguerd upgrade: West Ham plotting late move to sign "excellent" £18m star
Following the signings of Soungoutou Magassa and Mateus Fernandes, West Ham are targeting an “excellent” £18m defender…
1 ByBen Gray Aug 30, 2025 "Incredible" Harwood-Bellis could be solid Aguerd replacement
Although the Saints were relegated without putting up much of a fight last season, the 23-year-old clearly enjoyed a decent campaign on a personal level, having picked up his first cap for England, scoring on his debut against Ireland.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola also singled out his former player for high praise last season, saying: “He’s an incredible threat for Southampton from set pieces and a composer when they have the ball because the manager insists the way they have to play, they have to be close, to move differently.”
With Aguerd clearly eager to leave, West Ham shouldn’t stand in his way, should a deal for Harwood-Bellis be possible, and a move wouldn’t break the bank, with a £20m price tag being touted earlier this summer.
Many of the best footballers in North America's confederation play for clubs in Italy's top flight – and that's no coincidence
Jesse Marsch has a house in Italy. And he has spent months talking up Jonathan David. It became clear late in the spring that Canada's starting striker – who had starred for Lille for three seasons – had no plans to sign a contract with the club. He was going to be a free agent, but no one quite knew where he would end up.
The market was part of the problem – No. 9s are a weird breed, and there were a fair few on the collective pecking list ahead of David, even though he had 109 goals for the French side. Alexander Isak, Victor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko would all go to Premier League clubs. Victor Osimhen was also, supposedly, available.
Marsch, the U.S. native and Canada national team coach, insisted that David would be better than most of them. The only striker more effective, in his mind, was Erling Haaland. So Marsch had countless conversations.
"As soon as I show up for a coffee or some dinner, they're like 'Tell us about Jonathan David?' But he won't disappoint. He's going to do great," Marsch said last month.
And it worked. After delaying his move until after the Gold Cup, David signed a five-year contract with Juventus. He figured to start for the . David could've had his pick of clubs. Serie A was the league he chose.
And that's no coincidence. It represents something of a trend in North American soccer. More players from CONCACAF's big three nations – the United States, Mexico and Canada – play in Serie A than any other top five European league, including the likes of David, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Santi Gimenez.
What began in the mid 1990s with Alexi Lalas has expanded over the years, and with a bulk of the U.S. and Canada's best players now featuring for Italian clubs, only seems set to continue.
Getty Images
The appeal of Italian football
There is a simple answer behind this trend: the influx of American ownership into Serie A. There are now eight owners with strong American ties in the league, and Serie A has been unabashed in its desire to play a fixture overseas.
"Holding a game abroad also requires authorization by the local league so we need to make an agreement in that regard. But we are considering timeframes that would work for this. We want to be the first league to set up an event like this in the United States," Charlie Stillitano, managing director of Serie A USA, said.
More broadly, the league has noticed the power of the American market. AC Milan and Juventus – club homes to Pulisic and McKennie, respectively – have, in particular, gone big in their marketing strategies in America. They have poured money into activations in New York, collaborated with American brands and pushed the idea that "calcio" is the ideal format of football for American fans. The campaign has been effective on both sides of the Atlantic.
CBS Sports and Paramount+ struck a long-term rights deal to carry Serie A matches in the U.S., and have fleshed out programming – including popular studio shows – around the league.
"For us Italian football fans. I think we want to see it move in the right direction. And America's obviously huge market for Serie A also. So I'm hoping it sticks, and it gains more popularity," Mike Grella, CBS analyst and former New York Red Bulls forward, told GOAL.
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Reasons for skepticism
Ironically, this started in full in the 1990s with Lalas. The USMNT centerback was one of the first Americans to capitalize off the momentum of the 1994 World Cup, and took his talents to Padova – then a struggling Serie A side – right after the tournament.
At first, he was widely viewed as a marketing signing. Serie A was struggling financially, while the Premier League was starting to spend big after the immense TV investment of the early 1990s. The best players in the world, meanwhile, operated in La Liga.
Lalas alone wasn't the answer, but there was a widespread perception that he was there for viewership and ticket sales. But he had a solid career, tallying 40 appearances and scoring a few important goals for the club. And that bias has now changed. Recent signings such as Pulisic, McKennie and Musah have helped build up a body of evidence: Americans can play.
"American players now in Italy are not seen as American players," Stillitano told . "They're seen as professional soccer players. I think they're seen in the same vein as any other guy that gets [to Italy] from Belgium or from Holland."
Getty Images Sport
Christian Pulisic makes the difference
Of course, Pulisic is the poster child of this all. It is, admittedly, something of a shame that the rhetoric around the USMNT attacking midfielder over recent months has been about his decision to skip the Gold Cup and the ensuing fireworks. The reality is, this is a very good footballer starring for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
And context is everything here.
Pulisic's quality could never be doubted at Chelsea, but it seemed to be something of a misguided move in the end. Thomas Tuchel never figured out the right way to use him, while Pulisic didn't take advantage of opportunities. But the Premier League just looked too quick for him at the time. Pulisic was excellent on the ball – and tactically adept. Yet the frantic, back-and-forth soccer simply didn't suit the game of a 23-year-old still trying to find his footing in professional football.
Milan, though, has changed things wholesale. It felt like a tricky move at the time, Pulisic's last shot at the big time. The had kept their eye on him for 12 months, but Chelsea rebuffed initial attempts. Eventually, they agreed on a deal worth just $22M – which looks like a bargain now.
The following day, Gazzetta ran a front page story with the headline "Arriva Captain America." Thousands of fans met him at the airport. Manager Stefano Pioli hailed his tactical adaptability.
"Pulisic can play very well everywhere,” Pioli said. "Left, right, through the middle. When everyone’s fit and ready, we can play him off the striker."
Of course, things have turned out well. There have been knocks here and there, but since moving to Milan in 2023, Pulisic is the only Serie A player with 30 goals and 20 assists in all competitions. He hit the double-digit mark in both of his two seasons. Pulisic has been as reliable as he has been prolific for a Milan team that, in truth, has been neither. Expectations are higher this year.
And he's cognizant that his club career in Europe is nearly as important to his legacy as his USMNT exploits.
"I don't think about legacy in the way of how other people will view me," he said in his docuseries "PULISIC." "I'm lucky to be doing what I'm doing. I also try to change the way that I think about things, especially in the last couple of years. I have to deal with all this media pressure, I have to deal with being American and playing in Europe. But instead of thinking of it like that, it's completely changed.
"And it's like, no, I get to do this. I get to do this because I'm good, I get to do this because I've shown over and over that I'm good enough that people criticize me often. I get to have that attention because I'm good, and I hope people can see that and hopefully just see the work that I put in as well."
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Tactical adaptibility
Adaptability has come to be a hallmark of American influence in Serie A.
This is an immensely tactically versatile league. Once hailed as the birthplace of Catenaccio – the rigid 4-4-2 that developed managers such as Carlo Ancelotti – Italian football has since become far more varied. German football is married to a 4-2-3-1. Spain and England tend to favor 4-3-3. Italy lacks a blueprint.
That's a good thing. It's what has helped Pulisic – who is able to play in four attacking positions – earn regular minutes. The same goes for McKennie, who played in nine different roles over the course of the season last year, and still amassed 3,300 minutes.
Criticism is possible – McKennie is a center midfielder and should be treated as such. But his utilityman vibe has proved invaluable for Juve, who have holes to fill.
"I'm kinda just the guy that gets told where I need to be. And I'm there," McKennie said in January.
The same was true for fellow U.S. international Tim Weah, who operated as a full-back, winger and striker for Juventus before his transfer this summer to Marseille.
أكد حازم إمام، لاعب الزمالك الأسبق، أن الغيابات التي يعاني منها الفريق الأبيض سيكون لها تأثير واضح خلال مباراة الجونة، مشيرًا بشكل خاص إلى غياب بيزيرا.
ويلتقي الزمالك مع الجونة، على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إطار الجولة الثامنة من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
وقال حازم إمام، في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “الغيابات ستؤثر على الزمالك في مباراة اليوم، خاصة غياب بيزيرا، المباراة اليوم صعبة لأن الزمالك عندما يواجه الفرق التي تدافع لا يجد حلولًا”.
طالع | تشكيل الزمالك أمام الجونة في الدوري المصري.. الدباغ يقود الهجوم
وأضاف: “الجونة لعب 6 مباريات حتى الآن، تعادل في 4 وخسر مباراة واحدة وفاز بأخرى، وهو فريق دفاعي لا يخسر بسهولة، وهذه النوعية من المواجهات تمثل صعوبة خاصة للزمالك”.
واختتم: “الزمالك عندما يلعب أمام فرق تدافع يظهر فيريرا وكأنه يفتقر للحلول، لذلك لا بد أن يكون هناك سرعة أكبر في التحولات الهجومية لتجاوز صعوبة المباراة”.