Jose Mourinho has morphed from the Special One into the “Foreign One”, with the Portuguese calling for Fenerbahce to start playing “anti-football”.

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• Ex-Chelsea & Real Madrid boss now in Turkey
• Has taken in six games at the helm
• Learning quickly about demands of new division

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter and Manchester United boss Mourinho is back in club management after heading to Turkey. He admits to experiencing a period of “cultural” adaptation at the start of his reign in Istanbul.

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  Mourinho has taken in six games at the helm, but four of those have been Champions League qualifiers and only two in the Turkish Super Lig. He is learning quickly that dark arts are embraced in that division, with Fener throwing away two points in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Goztepe last time out.

• WHAT MOURINHO SAID

  Mourinho admits that he still has much to learn about football in Turkey, telling reporters: “The passion, the love, the enthusiasm matches with my passion with football, totally. Then there are other things that are out of my control, [they] are cultural. It looks like it's for me to adapt and not vice versa. I am the one that arrived, I am the foreign one. I'm not going to change the state of things. I need to adapt… I am not a magician, I am experienced.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  He went on to say of Fener needing to adopt a similar approach to their rivals when it comes to wasting time and frustrating opponents: “Too naive or too poetic, in a league that is not poetic. I always say when we are winning at half-time, ambition and kill the game… The anti-football in some other countries they call it being clever, I think they [Fener players] have to be clever too. My players have to do what other teams do to us. They need to take time. They need to go on the floor. They need to stop the game. They need to simulate injuries. They need to do what every team does.”

‘We’re having a lot of fun together up the top,’ says opener about her partnership with Beth Mooney

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2020

Alyssa Healy brought out the big hits•ICC via Getty

India had come into the final having already beaten Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup opener. Additionally, in the tri-series that preceded the T20 World Cup, India and Australia had faced off thrice, each side winning a group game but Australia clinching the final. With the teams having evenly split their last four games, the T20 World Cup final was expected to be a tight contest. But, on Sunday, at the MCG, Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney took the game away from India in a flash: the powerplay ended with 49 runs on the board, and Healy, especially, stepped it up a notch after that, getting to a 30-ball half-century and then hitting Shikha Pandey for three sixes the 11th over of the innings, which went for 23 runs. The carnage ended with Healy’s dismissal in the 12th over, but the game had slipped from India by then.For Healy, it was a remarkable turnaround, after a poor tri-series. She started the World Cup with 51 against India, then hit 83 against Bangladesh, and topped it with her best innings of the tournament in the final.ALSO READ: Stats – The Healy and Mooney show in Australia’s march to the title”You cannot wipe the smile off my face. I think even if we had lost the game tonight I still would have been smiling. I never thought that we would get an opportunity like this in my whole career,” she told the host broadcaster after the game. “I thought maybe in 20 years’ time [playing in front of a 85,000-plus crowd]… but to have the opportunity tonight to play as well as we did in front of all you guys. Thank you so much for coming out. It was something really special.”First of all, I was not worried one bit [about her pre-tournament form] everyone, so calm down. It’s the nature of the way that I play my game. I go out there and I take the game on and I just need a little bit of luck to go my way and felt like that happened in the first game against India and I just needed to ride the wave after that. And I think just feeding off the crowd tonight was a little bit something different for us. I just went out and enjoyed myself and enjoyed the atmosphere and we played really well.”If Healy was the aggressor, Mooney was the perfect foil, keeping things steady at the start, hitting the odd boundary when the opportunity presented itself, and batting through the innings to end on 78* off 54 balls, to Healy’s 39-ball 75.”Moons was sensational tonight,” Healy said. “I think she just got off strike and let me do my thing and then once I got out and let her have the limelight she just took on after and struck really nicely. We’re having a lot of fun together up the top and hopefully, we can stay together for a little bit longer.”Mooney, who won the Player of the Tournament award – Healy was the Player of the Match – for her consistent run-scoring at the top for Australia, was “a bit lost for words” after the win.Beth Mooney played a good supporting role at the top•Getty Images

“Like Midge [Healy] said, just riding the wave, sticking to your processes, knowing that it’s going to come off or it’s not,” she said. “But we’ve got a pretty elite line-up so you know if it’s not your day someone else will do it. Fortunately, Midge makes my life pretty easy at the top by hitting it as clean as she does and I don’t have to do a whole lot at the other end.”Mooney also said that the loss in the opening game to India, which briefly threatened Australia’s chances of qualifying for the knockouts, was not a big bother before the final because the team knew what they had to fix to get the job done.”We sort of knew what went wrong in that first game against India. I think we had some really good plans and processes against them in that first game. We probably just didn’t execute them,” she said. “To come out tonight and for Midge to play the way she did and for everyone to contribute the way they did with bat and ball and in the field was pretty outstanding, and to have the support of 87,000 people behind us is pretty outrageous too.”

Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-German for £51 million ($60m).

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Man Utd set to complete Ugarte transferSet to undergo medical on TuesdayPSG to receive £51m including add-onsWHAT HAPPENED?

Per The Times journalist Duncan Castles, the Red Devils and PSG have reached an agreement over the transfer of Ugarte. Under the agreed terms, United will pay an initial sum of €50 million (£42.3m/$55m) upfront with an additional €10m (£8.5m/$11m) in variables.

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The Uruguay international is scheduled to fly to Manchester on Tuesday to undergo his medical before formally putting pen to paper on a long-term contract. It has been more than a month since Ugarte was first reported to have agreed personal terms with United.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to , the 23-year-old was involved in 98 tackles across the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season for PSG, winning 57 of them. Luis Enrique did not give Ugarte a regular starting role, however, as he only appeared in 25 league matches.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANUEL UGARTE?

Ugarte could become Erik ten Hag's final signing before the summer transfer window closes on Friday. United opened their new Premier League season with a win over Fulham before suffering a disappointing away defeat against Brighton last Saturday. They will next face arch-rivals Liverpool on Saturday.

Tom Harrison said an entire home summer without cricket was “not an outlandish scenario”

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2020Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, has estimated that an entire season without cricket will cost the game in England and Wales “well in excess of £300 million”.In a letter to PCA chief executive Tony Irish, seen by ESPNcricinfo, Harrison admitted that the ECB is “having to reset our future plans across the whole game in order to ensure its long-term survival” in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatens to wipe out much of the English summer.The ECB unveiled an initial £61m support package on Tuesday night, aimed at ensuring both professional and recreational cricket can withstand the impact of the ongoing crisis. But with its reserves worth £11m in 2018-19 – down from £73m in 2015-16 – the potential cost of a season without cricket is a major concern.ALSO READ: PCA stall on ECB’s request for players’ 20% pay cutAs things stand, the season’s start has been pushed back to May 28 at the earliest, though that is little more than a holding date. The ECB is currently modelling what the season might look like with possible start dates in June, July and August, as well as planning for games to be played behind closed doors.In his letter, dated March 29, Harrison described the ongoing pandemic as “the biggest challenge the sport has faced in the modern era” and admitted that “although the full extent and impact of the pandemic on cricket is as yet unknown, it is already clear that it will be extremely significant”.

“Losing an entire cricket season – which is not an outlandish scenario – will cost cricket in England and Wales well in excess of £300m”Tom Harrison letter to Tony Irish

“At the start of 2020, cricket in England and Wales was in a very strong financial position,” Harrison wrote. “Our recent renewals of media rights contracts and commercial partnerships all but guarantee our revenues and provide a high level of relative security for the next five years. With this relative security, we have been able to build a strategy for growth, based on strong investment in our core, to grow cricket and thus secure our long-term future.”This strategy has seen hugely increased investment and commitment to our players across our international and domestic game, with substantial improvements both to the pay and the conditions under which professional cricketers are employed across first-class county clubs (including raised salary collar and caps).”We have also been clear that investment into grassroots cricket is critical to creating a sustainable sport, hence our commitment to recreational programmes, to reinvigorating cricket in schools, to the women’s and girls’ game and creating the next generation of volunteers.”The investment, however, is fundamentally based on the proviso that cricket is played and thus the value proposition delivered to our broadcast and commercial partners. Whilst a range of scenarios is contemplated to account for lost matches or series across the term, a situation like the one we are facing is beyond the scope of any risk assessment and therefore has extremely serious consequences for the game’s revenues. With this public health crisis, and its likely impact on this coming season, we are thus forced to review every investment and every line of cost.”The English season has been delayed until May 28 at the earliest•Getty ImagesHarrison went on to state that “everyone is feeling the pain”, listing broadcasters, commercial partners, county stakeholders, and “ordinary and loyal cricket fans” among the groups affected.”As I have said, we can only estimate the total financial impact on the game, which will not be clear for some time, but by way of offering an indication of the potential scale of the loss to the game, losing an entire cricket season – which is not an outlandish scenario – will cost cricket in England and Wales well in excess of £300m,” Harrison wrote.”Our absolute priority in the face of this challenge is firstly, to ensure the public safety of our people – our staff, players and colleagues around the game, but secondly, that the cricket network remains intact, and emerges from this crisis in a state to resume our trajectory towards a bright future.”An excerpt from Tom Harrison’s letter to Tony Irish•ESPNcricinfo LtdHarrison himself has taken a 25% salary cut for at least the next three months – he was paid £719,175 in 2019 – while ESPNcricinfo understands that other executives have volunteered a 20% cut. Some ECB staff were informed on Wednesday morning of a decision to furlough them.On Tuesday, Harrison dismissed criticism of the ECB’s forward planning. “You can normally make business models and forecasts where you might get a 15-20% fall in revenue,” he said. “[But] there are very few businesses that would put a complete drop in revenues to zero on a risk register.”I don’t think there is a big enough reserves pot to anticipate this sort of challenge. And it is important to base any judgement on our reserves policy against the money that has gone into the network: we have a thriving network, a high-performing sport and well-paid players.”Eoin Morgan, England’s white-ball captain, said that “the serious nature of the situation economically and financially for the game is something that we have never come across”.”Certainly I’ve never experienced anything like it and don’t think anyone else has,” Morgan said. “Times are still uncertain at the moment, there’s information coming out daily, weekly, and the most important information is probably yet to come given the last week or 10 days we have had in isolation.”People are waiting to see what sort of impact that has had on the virus and if it has slowed things down or stopped the increase in infection. Realistically we can’t think about playing, when our first game will be, or how many we will play until the situation is downgraded from a pandemic.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Na noite do último domingo, o Red Bull Bragantino segurou a liderança do Campeonato Brasileiro em clara demonstração de força e qualidade técnica ao bater o São Paulo por 2 a 1, no Morumbi.

+ Messi, CR7, Romário… Veja 20 astros do futebol mundial que jogaram Olimpíadas

O resultado foi construído na etapa final, quando o Massa Bruta perdia por 1 a 0. Com gols de Alejandro e Artur, a vitória veio e o time de Barbieri segurou a ponta do campeonato.

Time da Virada

Ao longo da temporada 2021, o Red Bull Bragantino tem se notabilizado por conseguir virar os placares adversos e sair com a vitória. Até o momento, foram sete viradas que resultaram em placares importantes.

Somente no Campeonato Brasileiro, Mauricio Barbieri e seus comandados viraram três partidas (Corinthians, Flamengo e São Paulo).

Confira abaixo as viradas do Bragantino:

Mirassol 2 x 3 Bragantino
São Bento 1 x 2 Bragantino
Tolima 1 x 2 Bragantino
Bragantino 2 x 1 Fluminense
Corinthians 1 x 2 Bragantino
Flamengo 2 x 3 Bragantino
São Paulo 1 x 2 Bragantino

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Imagine falling asleep after Australia’s defeat in the T20 World Cup opener against India on Friday and then waking up no sooner than the third over of their 123-chase against Sri Lanka three days later, only to find the four-time winners and defending champions are staring at another potential league stage defeat.Australia have never lost to Sri Lanka across limited-across formats; at 3 for 10 in 3.2 overs, it seemed like they were heading for a historic defeat at WACA. The swing of left-arm pacer Udeshika Prabodhani and turn from offspinner Shashikala Siriwardene had suddenly left the vulnerability of a seemingly impenetrable line-up exposed even further after Poonam Yadav spun them into a tangle in Sydney.Against Yadav’s wristpin, their batters didn’t have any answers. On Monday, Prabodhani’s inswingers felt like jumbled alphabets to this world-beating side. A 4.5-degree swing from the left-arm pacer’s second ball of the innings would get the better of one of the world’s bests. Alyssa Healy, coming off a blazing 51 in the T20 World Cup opener, was sent packing by a 98kph incoming delivery.At 34, Prabodhani is one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced players, their most economical bowler on Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia across limited-overs formats, and senior-most among the rare few left-arm pacers on the women’s international circuit. “She’s the best bowler in Sri Lanka and she has a lot of experience,” the captain Chamari Atapattu had said about Prabodhani at the pre-match press conference on Sunday. “We call her ‘the silent killer'”.Prabodhani’s first four balls in the second over denied No. 3 Ashleigh Gardner any runs. The fifth, a carbon-copy of the ball that dismissed Healy, hooped back down the line to crash into the top of middle and leg. With just eight on the scoreboard, the urgency among the Sri Lankans fielding inside the circle lent a degree of imminence to a third wicket that was only three balls away.In the recent past, the left-hand opener Beth Mooney has been peerless at the top within the Australian set-up, playing starring roles in the title triumphs of her WBBL side Brisbane Heat and, more recently, Australia in the tri-series. Her last two 20-over outings, though, were worth a combined 16 runs. At the WACA, she would add only another six runs, her seven-ball stay cut short with a flighted away-going delivery from Siriwardene.For the second time in four nights, the focus of an Australia chase fell squarely on the side’s highly-regarded batting depth. The chastening defeat against India had left questions to be asked of this purported strength, but unlike Friday night where the entire line-up seemed wanting in resilience after Healy’s dismissal, resistance against Sri Lanka came in the form of a 95-run stand between the Australia captain Meg Lanning and her deputy Rachael Haynes.”I thought today we showed a little bit of our character,” Haynes said after her 47-ball 60. “World Cup tournaments aren’t easy. Playing at home, you’re really enjoying the opportunity to do it but you kind of escape from the fact that it’s different from a normal series where perhaps you can drop a game here and there and get back in the contest whereas World Cup cricket you have to keep winning. That’s the nature of the beast.”I’m sure there was a couple of nerves today, but I hope we showed today the character that has been there in the group. To be able to get over the line right at the end there will hopefully correct some of the momentum heading into the rest of the tournament.”At least four dropped chances when the pair were batting and a botched use of DRS left Sri Lanka no room to review a Lanning caught-behind.”It didn’t feel easy to bat out there, to be honest,” Haynes said. “I felt like I cloffed nearly every shot that I played today, perhaps with the exception of one. We knew, more than anything, that the partnership was really valuable. So it was nice to be able to come together and get us back in a position where we could attack.”I think we talk a lot about having match-winning contributions, and sometimes it requires beginnings, and sometimes it requires impactful innings in T20 cricket. Today I think Meg and I came together and we did that job. We won the game of cricket for our team. It was obviously an important moment because we needed to win today to stay in the contest.”But, yeah, from my point of view, it was just really nice to share in that with Meg. Today is also her 100th match. So it was really nice to not only win but obviously win a big game for her too.”

West Ham United could make a sensational move for a high-profile David Moyes replacement, according to the latest reports.

Moyes on the brink

It seems to be one of the worst-kept secrets in football that David Moyes will leave West Ham after the conclusion of the Premier League season.

The Scot, whose football has become increasingly unpalatable for the West Ham faithful, is out of contract this summer as things stand. Though there had previously been talk of a new deal, the Guardian now reports that "there is an acceptance within West Ham that a change is needed" at the London Stadium.

As a result, Moyes is likely taking charge of his final games as Hammers boss in the coming weeks, with a place in Europe still a possibility, though they will be reliant on slip-ups from plenty around them.

Meanwhile, West Ham search for his replacement.

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The Hammers have been linked with a huge number of managers in recent weeks, despite that news of Moyes' departure is yet to officially break. Julen Lopetegui, Ruben Amorim and Hansi Flick are all among those who have been mentioned in contention with the seemingly soon-to-be-vacant technical area at the London Stadium.

But a new name has now come to the fore.

Tuchel linked with move to east London

Now, in a sensational turn of events, former Chelsea and current Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel is wanted at the London Stadium.

The German will depart Bayern at the end of the current campaign, it has already been confirmed, after losing the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen, though he has reached the Champions League semi-final, where his side battled to a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in midweek.

He is expected to be replaced in Bavaria by Ralf Rangnick, with the Bundesliga outfit "discussing final details" over a move to take charge this summer.

That could spell good news for the Premier League side. As per Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, although Amorim remains "top of the list" for West Ham, they are also "keeping an eye on Tuchel's situation" should the opportunity arise to take the German to east London.

Thomas Tuchel's Premier League record

Games

63

Wins

35

Points per game

1.94

Goals scored per game

1.73

Goals conceded per game

1.15

That is largely thanks to Sporting Director Tim Steidten, who "holds him in very high regard" and would be keen to have him leading the Hammers for the new season.

For his part, Tuchel is also "ready to return to the Premier League this summer", though it remains to be seen whether he will accept a move from a club of the size of Bayern Munich to West Ham, who look unlikely to be able to offer European football of any kind next season.

His appointment would certainly be a statement of intent from the Hammers, and it could be just what is needed to prevent their key players from looking over at the exit door this summer.

Manchester United’s season has been nothing short of a mess, which can be highlighted by the fact that Erik ten Hag’s future is now uncertain.

However, that’s also the case for plenty of the Red Devils players, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now looking to recruit young, value-for-money talents.

A new midfielder is at the top of the new owner's priority list, with that particular position being highlighted as a problem in recent weeks.

That's notably been the case when former Real Madrid star Casemiro has taken to the field.

Casemiro’s 23/24 campaign

Last season, Casemiro filled the defensive midfield void that had been holding Man United back for years, playing 51 matches across all competitions.

But the £70m fee spent on the Brazilian is now looking like a rather huge blunder, with the veteran's performances ringing alarm bells this season, especially since he’s returned from injury in January.

The midfielder has two major flaws to his game that simply can’t be looked past, with the first being the lack of control he brings to the side, as shown by his pass accuracy of 82% in the league this season.

Yet the biggest problem is his pure lack of athleticism and the fact he can’t cover ground, with pundit Jamie Redknapp even stating that “Casemiro looks like he’s playing in Soccer Aid.”

Man Utd line up £60m transfer who's an "enormous" upgrade on Antony

The Manchester United target has six more goals than Antony in the league this season.

By
Tom Lever

Apr 17, 2024

Angel Gomes could’ve fixed Man Utd’s midfield

In 2020, Man United academy graduate Angel Gomes left his boyhood club in search of minutes, which has certainly worked out for the player but not the club.

The Englishman joined French side Lille having left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer behind, signing on a free transfer after rejecting a new contract offer at Old Trafford. He was then loaned out to Boavista in Portugal.

Fast forward to today, and the former United “wonderkid,” as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, is a key player at the heart of the Ligue 1 team's midfield, performing to an extremely high standard.

The 23-year-old is a versatile player who can play as an attacking midfielder, a box-to-box player, or even a defensive-minded midfielder in a double pivot, which is the exact profile that United need right now.

Gomes' 23/24 Ligue 1 Stats
Stats (per game)	Gomes	League Percentile
Assists	0.26	Top 1%
Key passes	1.49	Top 18%
Progressive passes	7.19	Top 17%
Shot-creating actions	3.73	Top 12%
Passes completed	53.86	Top 17%
Touches	67.11	Top 32%
Via FBref

However, as you can see by the table above, he’s the type of player to bring security to the side in terms of possession retention rather than defensive actions, unlike Casemiro, whose style of play is the complete opposite.

Despite being just 5 foot 6, Gomes uses his small stature to his advantage, wriggling out of tight spaces and resisting the press with ease, which allows his side to be strong in the buildup phase.

That said, the number 8’s biggest strength is his ability to use his excellent vision to showcase his vast passing range, which also enables him to flourish creatively.

Gomes ranks in the top 1% for assists compared to midfielders in Ligue 1, registering six assists across 25 matches, but that tally could’ve been higher considering he’s created ten big chances.

Today, Gomes is estimated to be worth £26m by CIES Football Observatory, which just further highlights the massive mistake United made by not giving Gomes an opportunity to thrive.

Funnily enough, the Lille star ticks every single box that Ratcliffe would look for in a new midfield signing, in terms of cost, age, and potential.

What the Man Utd team could look like once Shea Lacey becomes a regular

A look at how the Red Devils could line up once teen sensation Shea Lacey breaks into the side…

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Robbie Walls

Apr 16, 2024

Still the most expensive deal in the game's history, the Brazilian's switch to the French capital did not go to plan for anyone involved

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On July 23, 2017, Gerard Pique tweeted a photo of himself alongside then-Barcelona team-mate Neymar. The Spaniard accompanied the tweet with just two words: "Se queda", translated to "he stays". Less than two weeks later, however, Neymar was announced as a Paris Saint-Germain player. The €222 million (£200m/$242m) fee that PSG paid to snare their man from Catalunya hasn't been surpassed since.

Financial Fair Play? What Financial Fair Play? For PSG and their Qatari owners, the opportunity to sign one of football's most marketable players was one that they couldn't turn down.

But it's not just the price that makes Neymar's move one of the craziest in football history. This is a story of secret discussions, lucrative commercial opportunities, ambition, and ultimately, one man's desire to step out of the shadows and become the centre of the football universe.

GettyThe move

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's switch to Manchester United in 2016 left PSG with something of a hole to fill. Paris is a city of grandeur, but without the swashbuckling Swede, who was going to draw the crowds to Parc des Princes? Cue the arrival of a Brazilian who had developed into a world-class performer in Spain but could be tempted by the spotlight and heaps of money. Neymar became the target and PSG thought they had convinced him to join that year, but for a late change of mind.

Frustrated, PSG tried to forget about him. But they couldn't. Neymar made sure of that when the sides met in the Champions League last 16 in early 2017. The night that would become known as 'La Remontada'' (The Comeback') and remains Neymar's magnum opus to this day. Two goals and a late assist to seal a dramatic 6-5 aggregate victory from 4-0 down… salt in the wounds for PSG, for sure.

That summer, the French club drew up a list of transfer targets and Neymar wasn't on it. Instead, they shortlisted Kylian Mbappe, Alexis Sanchez, Philippe Coutinho or Sergio Aguero. That was until PSG chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi received a call from Neymar's team. After four seasons, the Brazilian was ready to leave Barcelona.

AdvertisementGettyThe fee

PSG knew that Neymar wouldn't come cheap. His release clause had been upped to €222m in November 2016, and his camp would only demand wages that reflected his status as his new club's most valuable player. Indeed, multiple meetings were required before PSG chiefs gave the green light to pursue the forward, with the commercial impact of his arrival being a persuasive factor in the decision.

Manchester United had just set a new world-record transfer fee when they paid €105m for Paul Pogba, so for that figure to be doubled just one year later reflects the seismic scale of Neymar's move, and it was another reminder that football operates in a completely different stratosphere. Yet it was the result of multiple elements combining at the perfect time; the ultra-rich PSG, desperately craving a new superstar, and Neymar, the uber-talented footballer approaching the peak of his powers, desperately craving centre stage.

The two parties thought they were an ideal match for one another and, after PSG offered him a €36.8m yearly salary, an agreement was quickly reached to complete the biggest transfer in football history.

GettyThe motive

The emergence of the Saudi Pro League, and the Chinese Super League before it, has given rise to a number of transfers that are entirely fuelled not by the pursuit of bigger trophies, but by a desire to fill one's pockets. But it's not right to suggest that was the case for Neymar. Sure, the money played a part, as the Brazilian more than doubled his wages when he moved to France, while the commercial opportunities that came with being in Paris, and the face of its football team, were unprecedented.

But PSG offered more than just stacks of cash. This was a club that didn't know how to win the Champions League, the trophy that their Qatari owners yearned for. Neymar had done so with Barcelona in 2015, and had won everything else there is to win in Spain. The task of propelling PSG to their maiden European triumph represented a new challenge that he was excited for.

There were individual motivations as well. Neymar had been widely tipped to become the player to break Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's stranglehold on the Ballon d'Or, but he needed to be Messi's adversary, not his team-mate, to do so. Supporting Messi's yearly campaign jeopardised his own chances of winning the Golden Ball; only by leaving Camp Nou, and in turn, Messi's shadow, could Neymar become a Ballon d'Or winner.

Javier Pastore relinquished the No.10 shirt at PSG, paving the way for Neymar to take centre stage. There were several esteemed players alongside him in the dressing room, including Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani and good friend and compatriot Dani Alves, but only one player had superstar status. Or so he thought.

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GettyThe fallout

Neymar's move was confirmed on August 3, 2017, and Pique was mocked (his tweet stands at nearly 180,000 retweets). Messi said farewell with a video that has been viewed more than 16 million times on Instagram. And roughly 45,000 PSG fans flocked to Parc des Princes for Neymar's unveiling.

This was not a straightforward parting of ways, though. A dispute would quickly emerge over the finances involved in Neymar's move; PSG were eventually cleared of breaking FFP rules after a UEFA investigation, which came after the club agreed a €180m deal with Monaco for Kylian Mbappe just weeks after signing Neymar.

While UEFA were investigating PSG's finances, a nastier battle over money was ensuing between Neymar and his old team. Shortly after leaving, Neymar filed a lawsuit against Barcelona claiming he was owed a €43.6m renewal bonus that was agreed when he signed a contract extension with the Blaugrana in 2016. The Brazil international had received around €14m of the bonus by the time he left, and he wanted the remaining amount. Barcelona responded by suing Neymar for breach of contract and wanted the €14m back, as well as €8.5m in damages, plus interest. A judge sided with Barca and Neymar was ordered to return €6.7m to his former employers.

For Barcelona fans, Neymar's exit was tough to stomach. Less than 10 months after his departure, he had committed the next five years of his future to the club. "I decided to stay at Barca because I feel at home here," he said about his contract extension. "I'm happy with my team-mates and I'm a Barca man."

His departure, then, felt like a betrayal to a wave of supporters who set about burning their Neymar jerseys and chanting 'Neymar muerete' – 'Neymar die' in English – during a pre-season friendly against Chapecoense.

Tottenham Hotspur have displayed some classic shirts over the years, of which many became timeless, sought-after retros collected by football fanatics.

Football FanCast has decided to rank the top 10 best Spurs kits during the Premier League era. Here are our selections…

Best Tottenham kits in the Premier League era

Rank

Kit

Manufacturer

1

94/95 Away

Umbro

2

99-01 Home

Adidas

3

91-94 Third

Umbro

4

91-95 Away

Umbro

5

95-97 Third

Pony

6

16/17 Home

Under Armour

7

04/05 Away

Kappa

8

02-04 Home

Kappa

9

01/02 Away

Adidas

10

07/08 Anniversary

Puma

10 2007/08 Anniversary Puma

A unique but fabulous ‘split-shirt’ kicks this list off at 10. The white and baby-blue colour combination made by Puma celebrated Tottenham’s 125th anniversary.

Modelled by former striker Darren Bent in the image above, the kit sports a small collar, adding a distinctive quirk. It was actually only worn once during a thrilling encounter against Aston Villa at White Hart Lane in 2007.

The game finished 4-4 after Spurs overturned a three-goal deficit, thanks to goals from Dimitar Berbatov, Pascal Chimbonda, Robbie Keane and Younes Kaboul.

A fitting game for a memorable shirt.

9 2001/02 Away Adidas

A pale blue Adidas classic joins the list in ninth. The aesthetic sponsor, the v-neck collar and the retro feel of three stripes on the sleeves all make for a timeless beauty of a kit.

It was worn during Glenn Hoddle’s first full season in the dugout following his spell as Southampton boss. Hoddle led his side to a League Cup final that year, before suffering a heartbreaking defeat at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium against Blackburn Rovers.

8 2002-04 Home Kappa

The first home kit of the list. Tottenham were battling relegation during the 2003/04 campaign, but managed to avoid the drop, ultimately finishing 14th in what was a disappointing season.

Not only that, but they had to watch their bitter rivals Arsenal win the league title unbeaten that year.

It was a period to forget for Spurs fans, but certainly not the kit. The traditional colour combination of white and navy made for a clean look. Manufactured by Kappa, the strip exhibited holiday-makers Thomson on the front, whilst the coloured crew-neck collar broke up the all-white shirt pleasantly.

7 2004/05 Away Kappa

Another Kappa-made kit enters the rankings. After a troubling season prior, Martin Jol guided Spurs to a top-half finish after taking over from Jacques Santini in November 2004.

The solid navy-toned away strip, paired with white shorts, created a classy look. Michael Carrick (pictured above) embodied the smart shirt, personifying a cool, assured and elegant midfielder.

6 2016/17 Home Under Armour

This home jersey was worn during Spurs’ final season at White Hart Lane before moving to their new stadium which lies a five-minute walk away.

Under Armour did a fantastic job on this strip, coordinating the white and navy so seamlessly, yet keeping a minimalistic feel. The shades of gold throughout added a touch of class and mirrored the success on the pitch that year for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Tottenham remained unbeaten at home in the league and achieved their highest finish of the Premier League era, placing second on 86 points, and also finishing above Arsenal for the first time since 1995.

5 1995-97 Third Pony

Certainly not for everybody, but there’s something about a yellow kit. Spurs finished a respectable 8th and 10th in this collared shirt under the stewardship of manager Gerry Francis.

The shield-like crest is a marvellous detail. It’s starting to become rather rare on modern football shirts, which is a real shame.

Its only let-down is the predominant Hewlett Packard sponsor, which feels a little in-your-face, for lack of a better phrase. But the manufacturers of the shirt Pony did a splendid job, with the collar a particular highlight.

4 1991-95 Away Umbro

Following on with the yellow theme, this kit notches just above the previous number due to its iconic and familiar sponsor, Holsten.

Pictured above, Teddy Sheringham models the gorgeous jersey made by Umbro and strikes a left-footed shot past the Lazio goalkeeper in the 1993 Makita tournament.

Spurs sported yellow for nearly all of the ’90s, either as an away or third shirt.

3 1991-94 Third Umbro

This eye-catching blue strip places third on the podium. Modelled by England international Darren Anderton above, the Umbro-made jersey displays a subtle outline on the upper chest spelling ‘Spurs’, which adds an unusual, but quirky detail to the collared classic.

The thin lines running down the shirt, coupled with the faint patterns in between, make this third kit a fun collectable for football fanatics.

2 1999-2001 Home Adidas

Another Holsten-sponsored kit enters the rankings. What is it about Spurs and Holsten? This home jersey has everything.

Adidas created a timeless classic that even today, could be worn as a casual fashionable top. The iconic three stripes running down the sleeves and shorts, paired with the bold, but aesthetically pleasing sponsor, make this one of Spurs’ best shirts of all time.

In this strip, George Graham’s side beat Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool at White Hart Lane during the 1999/00 campaign, finishing the season in 10th.

1 1994/95 Away Umbro

At number one is this navy and purple number worn by Jürgen Klinsmann in the image above. Made by Umbro, the stunning strip has become a trendy modern-day jersey, shelved at major outlets such as JD Sports.

Those available at the aforementioned retailer will be replicas, because you’ll be doing well if you’re lucky enough to own the authentic version. It’s become a very limited item.

A big well-done to Umbro and once again the shirt sponsor Holsten, which has featured predominantly on our list.