By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
Sports
Saracens’ Venter Brands Premiership Rugby ‘Autocratic’ Over £5,000 Media Fine
Brendan Venter finally faced the media on Wednesday, and when he did, he had plenty to say about why he’d rather not. The Saracens technical director and head of culture used a rain-soaked press conference at the club’s St Albans base to accuse Premiership Rugby of behaving like an “autocratic land” after the league fined the club £5,000 for his refusal to perform interview duties.
It was a strange, meandering audience that moved from one-word answers to meditations on Ukraine, Gaza, winemaking and a recent motivational talk at a school — vintage Brendan Venter, in other words, for anyone who remembers his combustible first spell in charge of Saracens fifteen years ago.
Brendan Venter’s return and the media standoff
Venter came back to Saracens full-time this summer, initially presented as the heir apparent to Mark McCall as director of rugby. That framing didn’t last: the club clarified last week that Venter’s actual title was technical director and head of culture — briefly, bizarrely, “wine consultant” — with head coach Joe Shaw handling the bulk of pre- and post-match media work.
The friction with Premiership Rugby stems from Venter’s absence at a pre-season media day at Twickenham, where Shaw, Maro Itoje and Noah Caluori all showed up without him. The league responded with a £5,000 fine, a decision Venter clearly still resents even after giving a pre-match interview to TNT Sports ahead of Saracens’ defeat to Sale.
“I have the desire as a human being not to want to talk, because it’s not supposed to be about me, it’s about a team, and I expressed that desire before I came,” Venter said. “I’m not the director of rugby of this club. This club does not have a director of rugby. This club has an unbelievably competent head coach in Joe.”
Why Brendan Venter says the fine makes no sense
Venter was unambiguous about where he thinks the blame lies. “If we get obsessed and we get into an argument and we fine a club, that for me does not make sense,” he said. “It sounds like something we do in an autocratic land, in a country, not in a democracy where people have got the right to say: ‘This is not what I want to do.’”
He insisted his reluctance has nothing to do with arrogance or a belief he’s above the press pack. “To be put over as an arrogant person that thinks he’s better than interviews, it’s not at all that. My motivation is completely different. It’s how do I just get on with my job and help coaching this rugby team.”
This isn’t the first time Venter has clashed with rugby’s disciplinary machinery. His original stint in charge at Saracens was marked by run-ins over his outspokenness, including the infamous “biscuit-gate” episode and an interview in which he deadpanned “three cheers for Sireli Bobo” rather than engage with a question seriously. That history, he says, is precisely why he wanted to keep a low profile this time around.
“It stole my joy the previous time,” he said. “I wanted to have a low profile. That was my desire. I want to coach or help coach the rugby team. I do not want to be doing interviews. And it’s not because of you or anybody else.”
He framed his outlook in blunt, almost clinical terms: “At my age, we actually look at life and go — I call them joy givers and joy stealers. There are things that give me joy and I do more of them. There are things that steal my joy and I cut them out of my life. And that was one of the things that took my joy.”
A reluctant return built on love of the game
So why come back at all? Venter, a qualified doctor who has practised as a GP in Cape Town, said it was the pull of coaching and the sheer complexity of rugby that brought him back when Saracens owner Dominic Silvester asked. “Rugby is very much like wine making,” he said. “When you get arrogant or too confident, you’ll not make a great wine. It’s exactly the same with rugby. It keeps you humble.”
He also put the stakes of his profession in perspective, invoking global conflicts to argue that sport’s pressures, however real, pale against genuine hardship. “Nobody has died,” he said. “That’s an unbelievable privilege. That happens in far more high stake environments like Ukraine and the Gaza Strip where people are actually dying because of their challenges.”
Whether Premiership Rugby will soften its stance remains to be seen. For now, Venter says he’s resigned to facing further sanction rather than compromising on his principles. “I am going to be authentic,” he said. “And then I am going to have to go to Dublin and sit in some hearing and get a €10,000 fine. So I just want to prevent that.”
For a figure who insists he wants nothing more than a quiet return to coaching, Brendan Venter has once again found himself at the centre of rugby’s conversation — not through results on the pitch, but through a standoff over who gets to speak for Saracens, and on what terms.
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The fallout between Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo and head coach Jorge Jesus took a new turn after Ronaldo accused the manager of breaking his word and presenting a false version of events in a 1,740-word statement issued to Portuguese media.
Ronaldo, 41, apologised to his teammates and supporters for leaving the Portugal camp midway through the Nations League fixtures but provided a detailed account of the events that led to his decision.
He claimed Jesus had promised him 30 minutes against Norway on September 27, only to leave him on the bench for the entire match. Ronaldo also alleged that, after the game, he and Jesus agreed on how the incident would be explained publicly, but that the coach later failed to honour that understanding.
Despite the bitter dispute, Ronaldo said he would not retire from international football and remained available for Portugal after serving any punishment imposed by the federation.
How the Ronaldo-Jesus row began
Ronaldo said he had supported the decision to appoint Jesus as Portugal coach after Roberto Martinez’s departure, describing it as the right choice.
According to Ronaldo, he later met Jesus and Simao Coutinho, the sporting director at his Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, to discuss his role in Portugal’s four Nations League matches against Wales, Norway, Denmark and Norway.
Ronaldo claimed Jesus initially proposed that he would play in the first and fourth matches while not travelling to Norway and Denmark for the second and third fixtures.
The Portugal captain said he rejected the proposal because he did not believe it would set the right example for him to miss a national team trip even if he was not expected to play.
On the day of the Norway match, however, Ronaldo said Jesus changed his plans and told him that he would play for 30 minutes. Ronaldo said he accepted the decision despite it being outside his physical recovery and training plan.
Ronaldo left on the bench against Norway
Despite the alleged agreement, Ronaldo remained an unused substitute as Portugal beat Norway 2-1. Ronaldo said Jesus had failed to keep his word and admitted that he was frustrated after the match.
He also acknowledged that he made a mistake by not going over to greet the supporters, apologising to Portuguese fans and those who had travelled specifically to watch him.
Jesus later explained that he had decided against bringing Ronaldo on because the circumstances of the match had changed and he no longer believed it was the right moment to introduce him. The explanation did little to settle the situation.
Ronaldo claims second meeting was held
Ronaldo said he, Jesus and Coutinho held another meeting 48 hours after the Norway game. He described the conversation as frank and said the three men agreed that Jesus would address the controversy at a press conference and explain what had happened.
According to Ronaldo, the agreed version was that he had never demanded playing time, that his schedule had been decided by Jesus and that it had been a mistake to make him warm up without eventually bringing him onto the pitch.
Ronaldo said a short document summarising what Jesus was expected to say was prepared, approved by him and handed to the coach. He also claimed Jesus ended the meeting by hugging him and promising to give that version of events to the media.
Ronaldo accuses Jesus of breaking his word
Ronaldo said he was subsequently disappointed by the way Jesus addressed the matter publicly. He described the coach’s approach as aggressive and said he did not deserve the tone adopted by Jesus.
The forward said the situation convinced him to leave the Portugal camp rather than wait for what he considered another breach of trust. Ronaldo stressed that his dispute was not about interfering in the coach’s tactical or technical decisions.
He said he had never attempted to influence such decisions during his international career and had always accepted what Portugal managers asked him to do.
However, he added that when a coach broke his word to him, he felt that his place was no longer there.
Ronaldo apologises for leaving Portugal camp
While making strong accusations against Jesus, Ronaldo accepted responsibility for his own actions.
He apologised to his teammates and Portugal supporters for leaving the camp after the Norway match.
Ronaldo said his behaviour should be assessed by the Portuguese Football Federation and that he would accept whatever punishment was imposed.
He also claimed that he had previously given Jesus and the federation an opportunity to tell him that his services were no longer required. According to Ronaldo, both responded that his place remained with the national team.
Ronaldo to not retire from international football
The dispute also raised questions over whether Ronaldo’s departure from the camp could mark the end of his Portugal career.
Ronaldo made clear that he was not retiring from international football. He said he hoped to have one or more farewell matches for Portugal in the future, while insisting that his immediate focus remained on competing for the national team.
Ronaldo revealed that he had actually drafted a letter announcing his international retirement but was persuaded to abandon the idea by Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca during a flight back from the United States.
He said that, provided he remained physically fit and continued playing for his club, he would be available for Portugal after serving any suspension that may be imposed.
What Pedro Proenca said
The Portuguese federation has attempted to frame the dispute as a misunderstanding. Proenca said the disagreement between Ronaldo and Jesus was a “misunderstanding” and indicated that the forward could return to the national team.
He said the federation, coach and player would need to sit down and calmly find the best solution after the completion of the Nations League fixtures.
Proenca also reiterated that Ronaldo remained part of Portugal’s plans and would be available to the manager when required.
What happens next
Ronaldo’s statement has now put his version of the dispute firmly into the public domain. The forward has apologised for leaving the camp, accepted the possibility of punishment and denied that he intends to end his international career.
At the same time, his accusations against Jesus have added another layer to an already tense relationship between the Portugal captain and his coach.
The next step will depend on how Jesus and the Portuguese Football Federation respond to Ronaldo’s claims and whether the three sides can resolve the dispute before Portugal’s next international assignment.
Sports
‘Nobody can stop Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar’: Ashwin’s bold prediction as pacer makes India return after four years | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to international cricket could open the door for a remarkable comeback to India’s ODI squad and potentially take the veteran pacer to next year’s 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Bhuvneshwar, who returned to India colours after nearly four years when he was picked for the upcoming five-match T20I series in New Zealand, last played an ODI against South Africa at Paarl in 2022.Ashwin feels the selectors will be watching Bhuvneshwar closely in New Zealand and that a successful series could immediately put him in contention for the ODI side ahead of the World Cup.“He is going to New Zealand now. I am telling you, if he does well, everyone will immediately say, just take him for the ODI team as well. The selectors will be watching very closely,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
‘Nobody can stop’ Bumrah-Bhuvneshwar combination
Ashwin went a step further, saying Bhuvneshwar’s ability to swing the ball and maintain decent pace could make him a valuable option in conditions in South Africa and Australia.“If he swings the ball and shows decent fitness, nobody can stop Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from sitting together on that flight to the World Cup, with Bhuvneshwar bowling the first ball of the World Cup,” said Ashwin.The 36-year-old seamer has played 121 ODIs and taken 141 wickets. His ability to move the ball both ways, particularly with the new ball, is a skill Ashwin believes could be particularly useful in conditions where seam and swing can play a major role.“Do you want swing? He has swing. If you want it to move one way, he can do that. If you want it to move both ways, he can do that too. And then he has decent pace,” he added.Bhuvneshwar’s recent performances in the IPL have also strengthened his case for an international comeback. He played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s back-to-back IPL titles, taking 17 wickets in the 2025 season and 28 in 2026.
Ashwin highlights one major concern
While Ashwin remains bullish about Bhuvneshwar’s skill set, he stressed that fitness could be crucial if the pacer is to extend his international career and push for a place at the World Cup.“I am once again putting my neck on the line to say this: if he had worked a little harder, if the timing had been right and if he had avoided those injuries, with the skill set he possesses, he could have been a king for India across all formats,” he said.Apart from 21 Tests and 121 ODIs, Bhuvneshwar has played 87 T20Is and taken 90 wickets. His return also gives India another experienced seamer alongside the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, while potentially offering guidance to younger pacers such as Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav.India will play five T20Is against New Zealand later this month before the tour moves into the ODI and Test phases, giving Bhuvneshwar an immediate opportunity to make a case for a longer international comeback.
Sports
Rivals Demand Man City Face Both Retrospective and Future Punishments Over Financial Breaches
The debate over Manchester City punishment has escalated, with a growing number of Premier League clubs demanding that any sanctions go far beyond a simple points deduction, sources have told the BBC. An independent commission recently found City guilty on all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations spanning the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons, and rival executives are now pushing for a reckoning that covers both the past and the future.
City have lodged an appeal against the verdict, but behind the scenes a consensus is forming among at least four top-flight boardrooms that the eventual punishment, should the appeal fail, must do two things simultaneously: make reparations for the years City broke the rules, and meaningfully restrict the club’s operations going forward.
Why a one-off Man City punishment won’t satisfy rivals
Central to the frustration among clubs is the fear that a single, one-season points deduction resulting in relegation would amount to little more than an inconvenience for a club of City’s resources. Given their financial muscle, many executives believe City would simply bounce back to the Premier League at the first opportunity, treating relegation as a “bump in the road” rather than genuine consequence.
As a result, several club figures are advocating for any Man City punishment to be spread across multiple seasons rather than delivered in one hit. Suggestions include points deductions staggered over several campaigns, as well as transfer bans extending across multiple windows, which would do more to blunt City’s ability to rebuild quickly and reassert their dominance.
One club source went further, telling the BBC it would be “bizarre, almost obtuse” if City were allowed to trade freely in the January transfer window while the sanctions process remains unresolved.
Calls to strip titles, not redistribute them
Perhaps the most striking demand circulating among rival clubs concerns City’s trophy haul. One senior club source argued that City should lose the honours won during the period covered by the guilty verdict, including eight Premier League titles, warning that the competition’s credibility would suffer if City were permitted to keep silverware earned while breaking financial rules.
Notably, there appears to be little enthusiasm for redistributing those trophies to other clubs. Instead, the preference voiced by at least one executive was to vacate the titles altogether rather than hand them to whichever side finished second. That said, BBC Sport has also been told that appetite for stripping titles is not universal, and opinions across the league remain divided on this particular element of any Man City punishment.
A “tariff-based” approach to compensation
Among the more technical proposals gaining traction is a so-called tariff-based system, under which City’s historic league finishes would be recalculated as if points deductions had applied at the time. Rival clubs could then seek financial compensation based on the difference between where they actually finished and where they would have finished had City been correctly sanctioned during those seasons.
One club source said they found “merit” in this approach, suggesting it could offer a more precise mechanism for reparations than a blanket penalty, and could help address complaints from clubs who feel they lost out on prize money, European qualification or other financial benefits because of City’s rule-breaking.
Frustration over timing and transparency
Beyond the substance of the punishment itself, several clubs expressed frustration at being kept “in the dark” about the Premier League’s handling of the process, particularly around the chronology of City’s appeal and the eventual sanctions hearing. Even so, sources indicated there was “empathy” and “understanding” for the difficult position the Premier League finds itself in, given both the scale of the case and the ongoing legal complexities.
The debate over the appropriate scale of Man City punishment comes against a backdrop of continuing football matters for the club itself. Manager Enzo Maresca is expected to address his squad collectively once players return from international duty, ahead of City’s Premier League trip to Liverpool, their first match since the verdict was announced. Merseyside Police confirmed it has received queries about the fixture and said an “appropriate policing operation” would be in place, while sources at Liverpool described preparations as “business as usual,” with no extra measures planned beyond the usual pre-match arrangements between clubs, supporters and authorities.
For now, City’s guilt has been established, but the shape of their punishment remains unresolved. With clubs pushing for a combination of retrospective reparations and forward-looking restrictions, the final outcome could reshape not just City’s immediate future but the Premier League’s approach to financial discipline for years to come.
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The Group of Six finally got a win over a Power Four team, even if it took until October to get it done.
The conference that made it happen was the Mountain West, with UNLV’s win over Cal last week.
We have a five-game slate in the MW this week, including four conference affairs and Hawaii stepping out to travel to Arizona State.
It gives the league another shot at a big win, but the Warriors-Sun Devils matchup could prove more difficult than previous P4 tilts.
New Mexico has the bye this week.
Here is a look at the Mountain West games this week.
Wyoming Cowboys at San Jose State Spartans
Friday, October 9
6:00 PM PT, CBSSN
The Cowboys are coming off a loss to North Dakota State, their first shutout since a 30-0 loss at Fresno State in 2022.
Wyoming had nothing offensively, limited to just eight first downs and 162 yards of offense.
The Spartans opened conference play last week with a win over Hawaii, pitching a first-half shutout; it was the first time since 2024 that SJSU went into halftime with no points allowed.
Luke Weaver is coming off a strong performance, completing 68% of his passes and not turning it over. The QB struggled with interceptions in the loss to Fresno but has been sharp every other timeout.
If you take out the outing vs. the Bulldogs, he has just one interception across 133 pass attempts this season.
One of the issues that led Wyoming to struggle in the loss to Fresno State was pressure, which the Spartans allowed on 22.75 of their dropbacks. Not a huge number, but more than Weaver has seen in most games.
If SJSU can give Weaver time to operate, he could pick the Cowboys apart. If Wyoming can shrink the pocket, they could force some miscues.
The Pokes have gotten pressure on just 16% of passing plays this season, only getting to the QB on 5.6% of the time. Esaia Bogar has had at least one sack in each Wyoming win while being contained in the losses.
The Cowboys need Bogar and Jack Dunkley to create off the edge.
San Jose State has allowed some yardage this season, but most of it has been through the air. The Spartans have done pretty well in containing rushing attacks, which is bad news for Wyoming.
The Cowboys offense has been pretty ineffective all around, but the passing game has really struggled.
To get the road win, the Pokes need some production from Tyler Hughes, and he’ll need to do it without giving the ball away.
The Wyoming signal caller has already thrown six interceptions this season, and the Spartans rank 11th nationally in interceptions per game at 1.2.
North Dakota State Bison at UNLV Rebels
Saturday, October 10
4:00 PM PT, CW
North Dakota State looks every bit the part of a conference contender. Getting a road win in Vegas would go a long way toward solidifying that perception.
The Bison are currently fourth nationally with a turnover margin of +1.6 per game. Defensively, they rank third in the nation, allowing just 236.2 total yards per game, and are running the ball for over 170 per game.
All of that adds up to winning football and a reason NDSU could crash the playoff party right away. Those things could be tested in this one.
The Rebels have run the ball well, without many turnovers, and have limited opponents on the ground. They have done all of those things most of the time this season.
When they haven’t, they’ve been trounced—by North Texas, turning it over four times, not mounting a ground attack, and allowing the Mean Green to run all over them.
They also gave up 195 yards rushing in the loss to Memphis.
So, there is the key in this matchup. If UNLV can limit the Bison rushing attack and hang on to the ball, they should be in decent shape. But again, that is much easier said than done.
Jackson Arnold will need a repeat performance from last week. In the win over Cal, he ran for 110 and threw three TD passes.
The Rebel QB has yet to throw a pick this season, and his decision-making will need to be good again in this one.
DJ Scott and Myles Mitchell might just prove too much for UNLV.
When the Rebels have gone up against good rushing attacks this season, they have wilted, and the Bison should be able to pound things out on the ground.
The Rebels will stay in this one because they will not turn it over; if they do, it will get away from them. This could be similar to NDSU’s win over Air Force.
UNLV will move the ball, but North Dakota will score more points in the end.
Nevada Wolf Pack at UTEP Miners
Saturday, October 10
4:00 PM PT, FS1
The Wolf Pack opened conference play with a double overtime loss to Air Force. The Pack had no answer for the Falcons’ rushing attack but were able to match them score for score.
UTEP ran into the buzzsaw that is New Mexico and got demolished in every way possible. The Miners mounted no offense at all in the blowout loss until getting an 86-yard TD run in garbage time.
On the other side of things, the Miners allowed the Lobos to score at will.
For the Miners to be successful this season, the up-tempo offense needs to string together drives. Last game, eight of their drives were five plays or less; five of them were three-and-outs—and they turned it over five times.
The three-and-outs are killers for UTEP, as their own defense just wears down. Four of UTEP’s drives last week, not counting the two ended by each half, lasted under two minutes.
This week, the offense should be able to offer more production against a Nevada defense that has been pushed around this season, allowing over five yards per play on the season.
The schedule has been daunting for the Miners, but the offense has been really bad. It needs to produce this week. Nevada has been able to move the ball, especially on the ground.
UTEP has allowed FBS opponents to run for 184 yards per game. The Wolf Pack are 39th nationally rushing the football this season, and they should find room to run this week.
Herschel Turner went over 100 yards on 11 carries last week; The one-two punch of Dominic Kelley and Turner should gobble up yardage.
I think UTEP will be able to move the ball some in this one, but the first MW win will still elude the Miners.
Air Force Falcons at NIU Huskies
Saturday, October 10
4:30 PM PT, CBSSN
The Mountain West makes its way to DeKalb, Illinois, as Northern Illinois officially kicks off its MW era playing host to Air Force.
The Huskies will need to find a way to contain the Air Force rushing attack if they hope to have any success in the conference opener. Teams that have wanted to run the ball on NIU this season have had no trouble doing so at all.
That is good news for the Falcons.
The bad news for the Air Force is they will have to move the ball without Liam Szarka, as the QB’s season is now over after a leg injury in the win over Navy last week.
Szarka currently leads the MW with 98 rushing yards per game and seven TDs. His production will be hard to replicate.
NIU will offer a good chance for Evan Medders to step in and get comfortable in a starting role. The Falcons should be able to run the ball however they see fit.
The passing attack may not be quite as good without Szarka, but the shots will still be there when the run lulls in the Huskies too much.
The real difference in this one could be the Falcons on defense. Quite simply, NIU has been one of the worst offenses in the nation.
On third downs, the Huskies have only converted 30.5%, ranking 126th in the nation. Last week, the Falcons got Navy off the field on 10 of their 11 third downs, and they rank 12th nationally in that department.
Air Force will run away from the Huskies in a hurry.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Arizona State Sun Devils
Saturday, October 10
6:30 PM PT, FS1
Hawaii has been a disappointment this season; there is no way to sugarcoat it. The Rainbow Warriors seemed poised for a big jump, and they have not looked good at all.
If it is any consolation, Arizona State has not looked the part of world beaters, either.
The Sun Devils offense looked flat-out bad against Baylor last week, and the defense that allowed 55 did not look real good either. The UH offense, however, is not on par with Baylor’s unit.
This one should be a get right-game for the Sun Devils.
A big issue in ASU’s losses has been turning the football over; the Sun Devils have given it away seven times in the two defeats while their eight total turnovers rank 100th in the nation.
The Rainbow Warriors have only created three takeaways this season; only nine teams nationally have created less. And of those nine, four have played one less game than the Warriors.
If Hawaii is to pull the upset, they will need a big day from Micah Alejado and the passing game. The Sun Devils have been far better defensively against the pass than the run.
No part of this matchup looks good for Hawaii; there will be no upset in this one.
writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).
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TITLE: Harry Kane Ties Peter Shilton’s 125-Cap England Record in Wembley Win Over Czech Republic
KEYWORD: Harry Kane England caps
DESCRIPTION: Harry Kane equalled Peter Shilton’s 36-year-old England caps record at Wembley as the Three Lions beat the Czech Republic in the Nations League.
Harry Kane walked onto the Wembley turf on Tuesday night and, in doing so, quietly rewrote a piece of English football history that had stood untouched for 36 years. His 125th appearance for the national side, against the Czech Republic in the Nations League, drew him level with Peter Shilton’s long-standing record for most Harry Kane England caps, a tally many assumed would never be matched.
It is a landmark that fits a career built on relentless accumulation rather than fireworks. Kane is already England’s all-time top scorer with 89 goals from 124 appearances, having opened his account just 79 seconds into his debut. Now 33 but still first-choice for club and country, the Bayern Munich striker has become the kind of fixture in Thomas Tuchel’s team that younger players are urged to model themselves on as the manager rebuilds his squad with an eye on Euro 2028.
Harry Kane England caps milestone comes amid a dominant run
The timing could hardly have been better. England arrived at Wembley full of confidence after thrashing Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka at the weekend, a result that followed a tidy 2-0 win over the Czechs in Prague earlier in the window. Tuchel has used this extended international break to blood exciting young talent alongside senior figures, and Kane’s Harry Kane England caps achievement arrived in a side that also featured Trent Alexander-Arnold, back in the squad and nearly announcing his return with a curling free-kick that Czech goalkeeper Antonín Horníček was forced to tip away in the opening minutes.
The match itself followed a familiar pattern for a dominant England side against opponents already eliminated from contention in the group. The Czech Republic, pointless heading into the fixture, started with intent and had moments of promise through Václav Král and Ladislav Krejčí’s teammates down the flanks, but England controlled the bulk of possession. Morgan Rogers combined well with Alexander-Arnold early on, Jude Bellingham probed for openings through the middle, and Kane, playing his part as the focal point of the attack, took on dead-ball duties that repeatedly tested Horníček.
From a trial as a goalkeeper to the record books
The journey to this point began far from Wembley’s bright lights. As a six-year-old turning up for trials at Ridgeway Rovers, the same youth club that once produced David Beckham, Kane was initially pegged as a goalkeeper after a shooting drill in which he pulled off a string of athletic saves. It was only when a parent on the sidelines pointed out he was “better on the pitch” that coaches discovered the boy could finish as well as he could save.
That knack for scoring followed him through Waltham Forest district football and brief, unsuccessful academy spells at both Arsenal and Watford, neither of whom kept faith with the young striker. Arsenal let him go at 11 despite him reportedly finishing as the academy’s second-highest scorer. It was Tottenham Hotspur who eventually gave Kane his platform, signing him to scholarship terms on his 16th birthday, though even there his old youth coach Alex Inglethorpe admits Kane was far from the standout prospect in his age group at the time.
What set him apart, according to those who coached him, was not raw talent but an unshakeable work ethic. Teachers at Chingford Foundation School remembered a “model student” who never acted the prima donna despite being his team’s best player, while former teammates recall a boy who lived and breathed football above all else, Beckham Mohican haircut included.
A record set in a different footballing era
Shilton’s mark had endured since English football’s pre-Premier League days, set across a goalkeeping career so durable he was still playing senior football into his late 40s, eventually making his 1,000th league appearance for Leyton Orient. That longevity now finds an echo in Kane’s own career arc, a striker who has sustained peak performance levels into his thirties while continuing to add to his England ledger.
Speaking before kickoff, Kane reflected on what it takes to sustain a career at the top. “To be consistent at the elite level you have to have discipline both on and off the pitch and be ready to dedicate pretty much your whole life to the cause,” he said, crediting his family’s support. He added that he felt the team, and himself, were “in a good place,” with bigger tests still to come before Euro 2028.
With Kane expected to continue featuring regularly for Tuchel’s side, breaking Shilton’s record outright now looks a matter of when, not if. For a player once discarded by two academies as a boy too small to make the grade, matching the most hallowed appearance record in English football is a fitting milestone in a career defined by persistence rewarded.
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Tom Pidcock wanted to “stop racing” after saying that two of his team-mates were hit by a police vehicle travelling the wrong way down the course at the Tre Valli Varesine in Italy.
Pidcock finished second at the one-day race in Varese but was left “mad” after Pinarello-Q36.5 team-mates Marcel Camprubi and Thomas Gloag were knocked off their bikes with six laps of the finishing circuit to go.
Spain’s Camprubi was able to continue in the race but Pidcock’s fellow Briton Gloag stopped and required stitches on his knee.
“First of all, I wanted to stop the race, stop racing myself,” Pidcock told Eurosport after the race, which was won by Belgium’s Jarno Widar in a sprint finish.
“I was mad. I had guys all riding in front of me, for me, and then two of them are on the floor.
“This shouldn’t happen. But we continued and got back into the race and I’m happy that I could be on the podium.”
BBC Sport has contacted race organisers and local police for comment.
In August, two-time Olympic mountain bike champion Pidcock won his second cross-country world title at the Mountain Bike World Championships.
He dedicated that win to British cyclist Finlay Tarling, 19, who died on 14 August during the Volta a Portugal following a high-speed collision with a van that had strayed on to the closed road.
Camprubi posted a picture of a broken bike on Instagram Stories, with a caption that read: “Sad that you have to risk your life to race, one month after a tragic accident.”
Mikel Merino was the hero for Spain as La Roja came from behind to defeat Croatia 2-1 in the UEFA Nations League.
Croatia took the lead in the first half, but Merino turned the game around after coming on at the break. The Arsenal midfielder scored twice to complete Spain’s comeback and secure another important victory.
The brace means Merino has now scored three goals in his last two games for Spain, continuing his impressive run of form on the international stage.
His latest performance once again highlighted his importance to Luis de la Fuente’s side, with the midfielder proving decisive when Spain needed him most.
The four-time MVP will hit fifth against the Atlanta Braves and Chris Sale as he looks to break out of a slump. Ohtani has two singles and two strikeouts in eight at-bats through the first two games of the series, and also struggled in September while spending time on the injured list with left knee and right biceps issues that are also preventing him from pitching.
According to The Athletic, Ohtani hasn’t hit this low in any lineup since the 2020 season when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels. Mookie Betts will take Ohtani’s place in the lead-off position, followed by Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and Will Smith.
The Dodgers are also making other changes, with Miguel Rojas starting at third base over Max Muncy and Kiké Hernández taking over from Tommy Edman at second.
The Dodgers and Braves are tied 1-1 as the series shifts to Atlanta Tuesday night. Watch Game 3 on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.
Sports
Nations League Window Exposes Football’s Fault Lines: Politics, Pressure and a Packed Schedule
The Nations League has always promised meaningful football between international breaks, but this October window delivered something far messier: a tangle of political tension, competitive anxiety and logistical strain that left several associations questioning whether the format is fit for purpose.
Across the continent on Monday night, three fixtures captured the night’s drama in microcosm. France, bristling with attacking talent under new management, pushed hard against Belgium, with Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki probing a well-organised Belgian defence marshalled by Zion Suzuki’s deputy in goal, Vandevoordt. In Belfast, Northern Ireland asserted control over Georgia at Windsor Park, Shea Charles driving forward alongside the impressive Ethan Galbraith. Meanwhile in Romania, Sweden’s Viktor Gyokeres struck early to put his side ahead, continuing his habit of delivering when it matters. These were the games broadcasters wanted — tight, competitive, full of stars doing what stars do.
But not every Nations League story this window was about goals and tactics.
Wales left searching for answers in Nations League scrap
For Wales, the return to League A has been a brutal education. Craig Bellamy’s side lost three of their four matches in this window, beaten in Portugal and twice by Denmark, sandwiched around a surprise win over Norway that now looks like a false dawn rather than a turning point. Wales have not kept a clean sheet in nine consecutive matches, and their survival in the top tier — along with the seeding boost that would bring for Euro 2028 qualifying — now hinges entirely on next month’s final two fixtures.
Bellamy didn’t mince his words afterward, calling the new four-game international window format “no sense,” arguing it disproportionately benefits bigger nations with the strength in depth to rotate squads, something Germany did by effectively naming two different groups across the international period. Wales had no such luxury. Injuries to Harry Wilson and Joe Rodon before a ball was kicked, followed by a mid-camp withdrawal from David Brooks, exposed just how thin Wales’s resources have become. Former international Iwan Roberts didn’t sugarcoat it: with the bench featuring League One regulars, Bellamy is increasingly forced into selections that reflect scarcity rather than strategy.
The frustration wasn’t confined to the pitch. Attendances dipped amid the toll of travel costs and fixture congestion on fans following the team across multiple countries in a fortnight, a warning sign for the Football Association of Wales given that the same four-game structure will govern Euro 2028 qualifying next autumn — stakes raised further by Wales’s involvement in hosting that tournament.
Ireland and Israel: a Nations League draw nobody wanted
If Wales’s troubles were primarily sporting, the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League campaign became something else entirely: a flashpoint for one of football’s most sensitive geopolitical disputes. Drawn against Israel back in February, Ireland faced mounting pressure at home to boycott the fixtures altogether given Israel’s conduct in Gaza. The Football Association of Ireland resisted that pressure, wary of the severe sanctions Uefa could impose, but the compromise solution satisfied no one. Israel’s home matches were already being played in Hungary due to the war, and Ireland’s own “home” fixture was shifted to Serbia for what the FAI described as operational reasons, with no supporters permitted inside the stadium.
The two matches that followed were as fraught as expected. Ireland won the first meeting 3-0 in Debrecen, but the build-up was overshadowed by Irish players wearing black armbands and bowing their heads during the Israeli anthem — a gesture repeated in the return fixture, a tense 1-1 draw in Backa Topola, where Israeli players wore their own armbands in memory of the October 7, 2023 attacks. On the pitch, things grew uglier still: Ireland’s fitness coach Damien Doyle alleged he was spat at by an Israeli player before half-time, while a pre-match press conference descended into acrimony after an Israeli journalist accused Irish players of racially abusing opponents in the first match, a claim Ireland’s communications officer dismissed as “a lie” before ending the briefing outright. Striker Adam Idah, who is Black, had already reported racial abuse from a section of Israeli supporters during the opening game.
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson, visibly weary after the second match, called on Uefa to ensure the two nations are not drawn together again. “I wouldn’t wish any national team to go through what we have gone through these two weeks,” he said, adding that Uefa “needs to step in and do something.” It was a rare public plea from a manager for his governing body to intervene not on a sporting matter, but on the human toll of fixture scheduling in a geopolitical minefield.
A format under strain
Taken together, these stories suggest a competition straining under its own structure. The Nations League was conceived to replace meaningless friendlies with fixtures that mattered, and on the pitch — as Monday’s slate of France, Italy, Sweden and Northern Ireland matches showed — it still largely delivers that. But the expanded four-game window has magnified problems that smaller nations and sensitive geopolitical pairings were always going to struggle with: squad depth, fan fatigue, and now, the question of whether football administrators can insulate competition from world events at all.
With Euro 2028 qualifying set to adopt the same four-game structure, associations from Cardiff to Dublin will be watching closely to see whether Uefa adjusts course — or whether this October’s chaos becomes the new normal for the Nations League era.
Sources:
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