According to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Totti also recently said: “Given the current level of Serie A, I could easily make an impact on the field.”
However, he would not entertain a move to Roma‘s rivals, Lazio.
Inside stunning future stadium of football giants that includes impressive feature that will be the largest in Europe
The Italian continued: “Lazio? I wouldn’t have even considered it.
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“I’d be ready in two to three months. I’m still playing at 48. Half an hour, twenty minutes. If I had to do something crazy, I’d do it in Italy, not abroad, but it’s crazy.
“When you turn the page you never know what awaits you. It wasn’t my choice, but in that moment it has to be experienced differently from the context.
“Maybe that’s also why I’ve had that thing inside me. It’s true that there’s a beginning and an end to everything.”
Latest scores – Zhang Anda pulls back another frame
Zhang Anda has won the 5th frame against Martin O’Donnell who is now under pressure after dropping from a comfortable 3-0 lead earlier.
Xiao Guodong 2-2 Jimmy Robertson
Neil Robertson 2-2 Graeme Dott
Zhang Anda 2-3 Martin O’Donnell
A reminder …
Ronnie O’Sullivan pulled out of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for medical reasons.
O’Sullivan, pictured below during a visit to his snooker academy at Boulevard City Arena in Riyadh earlier this month, was due to face Long Zehuang in the last 64 in Belfast this afternoon, but he withdrew from the event on Sunday evening. China’s Long receives a bye to the last 32.
The tournament at the Waterfront Hall runs until October 27.
Follow us here for all the latest updates.
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Latest scores – Xiao Guodong wins 4th frame
Xiao Guodong has won the 4th frame to level the score with Jimmy Robertson.
Xiao Guodong 2-2 Jimmy Robertson
Neil Robertson 2-2 Graeme Dott
Zhang Anda 1-3 Martin O’Donnell
Latest scores – Neil Robertson back in the frame
Neil Robertson has won the 4th frame to level the score with Graeme Dott.
Francis Ngannou reminded the MMA world he’s still a dangerous man.
After more than two years away from the sport, the former UFC heavyweight champion returned to the cage this past Saturday in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants, where he stopped Renan Ferreira in the first round of their contest. Remember, although out of the UFC, Ngannou left as champion. His successful comeback certainly makes things interesting, not only for the PFL, but for the heavyweight landscape in general.
So, is it safe to say that Ngannou is still the beat heavyweight in MMA today? What should be next for him?
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MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Dan Tom, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura, and host “Gorgeous” George react to Ngannou’s big win in his PFL debut.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Neil Robertson has welcomed the recent announcement that this season’s World Grand Prix will be held in Hong Kong, external, the first ranking event to be held there for 35 years.
The news continues the ongoing globalisation of the sport, with increased prize money and host venues with large capacities adding to the impression that the sport is heading in a positive direction.
The tournament will be staged in the 4,000-capacity Grand Hall at the Kai Tak Arena from 4-9 March 2025.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will be the defending champion at the competition, which will host the top 32 players qualified by virtue of the sport’s one-year ranking list with a first prize of £180,000.
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A potential sell-out crowd at the venue would represent a record attendance for a ranking event.
An invitation event featuring eight players was staged in Hong Kong two years ago, with O’Sullivan winning the final in front of 9,000 enthusiastic fans.
“I played Ronnie in the semi-final there, had three centuries in a row and the crowd was going crazy,” reflected Robertson after beating Graeme Dott 4-3 in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
“I was wondering why we weren’t going back as for me the tournament was a huge success.
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“Everyone’s been working hard behind the scenes to make it happen, they’ve increased the prize money and the ranking points available, which is really a step in the right direction. Hong Kong should always have an event.”
Samuel attempted to play through his illness but left the game in the second quarter due to the breathing issues.
Shanahan told reporters on Monday he was not sure how long the 28-year-old will be out.
Samuel is just the latest in a string of injury woes plaguing the Niners.
Tight end George Kittle has a sprained foot and is considered day to day, while wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL and MCL. Reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey has yet to play this season due to Achilles tendinitis, though he should return soon:
JUST because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they’re not after you. As Wolves boss Gary O’Neil continues to realise.
Wolves were the club who raged against the machines and forced a vote among Premier League clubs on whether VAR should be scrapped — only to lose 19-1 because none of their rivals shared their originality of thought.
Believing that technology doesn’t always improve things is becoming one of society’s great taboos.
My own digital season ticket has vanished from my so-called smartphone. I never once lost an actual season ticket.
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Yet profess a hatred of apps and QPR codes, or whatever they’re called, and suddenly you’re Captain f***ing Caveman.
Still, rant over and back to Wolves. Of course, football being football, the Molineux club acted largely out of self-interest by bringing that vote.
Last season, Wolves were top of the VAR “hard-done-by league” with a staggering seven overturns going against them.
But they ended up a lone voice of common sense, speaking out against a system which beats the joyous spontaneity out of the game and leaves match-going fans frequently baffled.
The on-field ref Chris Kavanagh — on the scene for a remarkably large percentage of high-profile gaffes — deemed Silva to have been interfering with play, yet VAR Stuart Attwell disagreed.
Then came Kavanagh’s trip to the VAR monitor — an entirely performative process to give the impression that the referee is still allowed a mind of his own and won’t just automatically do whatever Stockley Park recommends.
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Did officials cheat Arsenal with dramatic Man City winner and Saliba red card?
Pretty much every great old-school manager from Bill Shankly to Brian Clough is credited with quoting the phrase, “If he’s not interfering with play, what’s he doing on the pitch?”
While that view is too simplistic, we’ve gone too far in the opposite direction.
A set-piece coach will tell you that pretty much every player in the box following a corner is interfering with play — or should be.
This season began with refs’ chief Howard Webb promising a “light-touch” approach to VAR, claiming that only on-field decisions which were genuine clangers would be overturned.
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Even those of us firmly opposed to VAR recognised this as an improvement.
This lasted a couple of weeks before being conveniently forgotten — as pre-season refereeing edicts always seem to be.
Now VARs have again started re-refereeing the huge number of subjective decisions which football always throws up.
Because VARs will always be keen to stick their oar in to justify their existence. The system has become a labour-intensive jobs-for-the-boys scheme for match officials. Next, though, to O’Neil’s suggestion of a subconscious bias towards bigger clubs.
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This is barely borne out by stats — Fulham and those great “world’s-against-us” conspiracy theorists Nottingham Forest were actually the biggest beneficiaries from VAR overturns last season with five more decisions going for them rather than against them.
O’Neil, though, is right to be paranoid. Just in the wrong way. VAR simply seems to have it in for Wolves rather than “smaller” clubs in general.
At least this all seems to disprove the age-old idea that refs try to “even things up” if they know they have made a bad error.
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Webb has issued so many apologies to Wolves that he must have racked up a serious number of loyalty points with Interflora.
But if any official on VAR duty is acting with a conscious or subconscious knowledge that Wolves have been continually shafted then they do a pretty good job of ignoring this and carrying on regardless.
O’Neil’s job is under threat because Wolves have one point from eight games.
While their fixture list has been extremely tough — and a couple of poor VAR decisions have again gone against them — that’s clearly not good enough.
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Should O’Neil get the sack his next job will probably be in the EFL, where clubs admirably refuse to follow the Premier League into mechanised mayhem.
Or perhaps his next gig should be in Sweden — the only western European nation to keep VAR out of its top flight.
Or in Norway, who may scrap it due to widespread fan opposition — with matches having been delayed by irate supporters throwing pastries, fishcakes and tennis balls on to pitches in protests against VAR.
By common consent, the Scandinavians are beautiful and enlightened people.
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As O’Neil would doubtless agree.
VILL TO WIN
HOW would Aston Villa deal with the twin demands of the Premier League and Champions League, we all asked?
By scoring impressive wins in their first two fixtures back in the European elite and achieving their best start to a top-flight campaign this century.
And, with Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings returning from long-term injuries and skipper John McGinn back from a month on the sidelines, things promise to get better still.
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Unai Emery is, pound for pound, the best manager in the top flight.
HOWE ABOUT THAT
HAD Eddie Howe left Newcastle in the summer, he would almost certainly have been Gareth Southgate’s successor — ending debate about whether the England boss should be English.
Now with the Toon in midtable — and Chelsea and Arsenal next up — might Howe become available before Thomas Tuchel even starts work?
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England outperformed Germany in four tournaments under Southgate.
But when it comes to coaching and management, the Germans still hold sway. See, for example, Brighton’s child genius Fabian Hurzeler getting the better of Howe on Saturday.
SQUAD DEPTH
HOW is the five-sub rule affecting Premier League football? It is leading to far more comeback wins and, as predicted, giving more advantage to bigger clubs with deeper squads.
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Last season provided an all-time high of 63 comeback wins in the top flight (16.5 per cent).
This year we’re at more than 21 per cent.
Of the weekend’s nine top-flight fixtures, five were won by the team conceding first, including both Manchester clubs, Tottenham and Aston Villa.
NO WAY, JOSE
AS Erik ten Hag limps grimly on as Manchester United manager, a party of Mancunian old-boys lie in wait in Istanbul for Thursday’s Europa League visit to Fenerbahce.
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Not just boss Jose Mourinho but also ex-United players Sofyan Amrabat and Fred as well as former City title-winning striker Edin Dzeko, 38.
Lose to that little lot and it really will be “welcome to hell”.
STOP GUNS
WILL Sir Keir Starmer’s beloved Arsenal miss out on the league title due to “indiscipline”, after already dropping seven points when reduced to ten men?
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We all know the best cure for indiscipline: mandatory National Service. As advocated by Rishi Sunak at the election. That would have taught ’em.
BUNDLE OF JOY
WHY are baby-related goal celebrations, like Liverpool’s Curtis Jones sucking his thumb and Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert sticking a ball up his shirt, so irritating?
Because they remind us Premier League stars are the only men in the country who can afford to have kids in their 20s.
LAS VEGAS – Asu Almabayev beat Matheus Nicolau with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 245 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Almabayev, who won for the 17th straight time.
Asu Almabayev def. Matheus Nicolau
Asu Almabayev
Result:Asu Almabayev def. Matheus Nicolau via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Updated records: Almabayev (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Nicolau (19-6-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC) Key stats: Almabayev has had more than 26 minutes of total control time over the 45 minutes of his past three decision wins. But after landing 15 combined takedowns his past two fights, he had just one against Nicolau.
“I’m happy. It’s not easy to win the fight. Every opponent’s doing hard work and coming here to fight and to win, so I’m very happy that I won. (The game plan) was just to win. I wanted to wrestle, but (Nicolau) is tough – he’s No. 7 in the rankings. During the fight, I changed the game plan a little.”
Almabayev on Nicoalu’s takedown defense
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (L-R) Matheus Nicolau of Brazil punches Asu Almabayev of Kazakstan in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 19, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
“I was not surprised (at his takedown defense) because every fighter knows that I’ll try to take them down. After the first and second, I saw that (he was good at stopping me). What can I do? So I tried to improve the positions all the time.”
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Almabayev on what he wants next
May 4, 2024; Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL; Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) fights against Steve Erceg (blue gloves) during UFC 301 at Rio Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports
“I will come back home and we’ll watch the fight again. We need to learn all the time. Give me one chance for the belt (against champion Alexandre Pantoja).”
To hear more from Almabayev, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
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