Sports
Manchester City: Real Valladolid accuse club of encouraging player to break contract
Real Valladolid have accused Manchester City of encouraging one of their players to break his contract to force through a move to the Premier League club.
Defender Juma Bah told the Spanish club on Tuesday that he intends to terminate his contract, allowing City to sign the player for a much lower fee.
City had sent a request to Valladolid earlier in the day asking to begin negotiations over a permanent deal for the 18-year-old, Valladolid said in a statement.
Bah then did not turn up for training on Wednesday, with the Spanish Football Association confirming he had deposited the necessary amount to terminate his contract.
Valladolid say the teenager’s decision was “supposedly supported and guided by Manchester City and his agent” and has “caused great disappointment and indignation”.
“The club considers that Manchester City is behind the player’s decision, and appears to have advised the player to take this route.”
The 18-year-old joined Valladolid on a season-long loan from AIK Freetong in his native Sierra Leone last summer and the club exercised a clause earlier this month to turn it into a permanent deal.
But Bah is still under a youth contract and has so far refused to sign a senior deal that would significantly increase his release clause.
Valladolid say they will take disciplinary action against Bah and will do whatever they can to “defend” the clubs’s interests.
BBC Sport has approached Manchester City for comment.
Tom Brady has firmly rejected rumours of his departure from Fox Sports, despite facing mounting criticism over his dual role as Las Vegas Raiders minority owner and network commentator.
The NFL legend has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks for his perceived conflict of interest, particularly due to his active involvement in the Raiders’ head coach search whilst maintaining his position as a Fox analyst under his 10-year, $375million (£300m) contract.
During an appearance on FS1’s ‘The Herd’, Brady addressed the speculation head-on after host Colin Cowherd joked about his rumoured departure.
“I don’t know where it comes from,” Brady said. “I’ve had the best time at Fox and I’ve loved every time going into the booth and working with such great people.”
Tom Brady has insisted he is going nowhere at Fox Sports
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The former quarterback emphasised his enthusiasm for his broadcasting role, noting: “I’ve loved the whole process in diving into all these different teams. It’s been a lot of growth for me in one year.”
Brady has been heavily involved in the Raiders’ recruitment process following the firing of Antonio Pierce, conducting interviews with multiple head coach candidates.
The list of interviewees includes Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and ex-Jets coach Robert Saleh.
Brady was reportedly ‘enamoured’ with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, but Johnson ultimately accepted the head coach position with the Chicago Bears.
Raiders owner Mark Davis has confirmed Brady will have a ‘huge voice’ in the franchise’s future.
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However, former MLB executive Davis Samson has strongly criticised Brady’s dual role, claiming it cannot continue.
“Tom Brady is running that team right now – the NFL knows it and Fox knows it and something has got to give,” Samson told the Dan Le Batard Show.
“You cannot be this involved in the operation of a team and be the No 1 analyst,” he added. “It’s an absolute insult to analysts what he’s doing.”
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Tom Brady still has nine years left on his 10-year contract with Fox Sports
The Herd
Samson predicted Brady would ultimately choose the Raiders over his broadcasting career.
Despite the criticism, Brady remains adamant about his long-term commitment to Fox Sports.
“I’ve got nine years left on my deal and maybe longer, you never know,” Brady stated during his appearance on ‘The Herd’.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner expressed enthusiasm about his broadcasting future, adding: “If Fox wants me and I want to go [on], we’ll just keep going, cause it’s been really fun thus far.”
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Manager Philippe Clement will not “park the bus” at Old Trafford as he urges Rangers to “write history” with a first win against Manchester United.
Both sides are well placed to progress in the Europa League, with the hosts on 12 points from six matches and Rangers one point behind in eighth place.
The teams met on Champions League duty in 2003 and 2010, with United winning three of those group games and the other ending 0-0 when Walter Smith’s side frustrated Sir Alex Ferguson with a masterclass of defensive football.
Clement is not minded to deploy the same tactics against a side that has lost four of their past five home matches in the Premier League, where they occupy 13th place.
“I’m not somebody who believes in parking a bus in front of goal and hoping that nothing happens, hoping to come one time on the other side to score a goal,” said Clement.
“So we’ll play to our qualities. Of course, we also need to consider the qualities of Manchester United.
“It’s a really, really big challenge. The spotlight is on the players and it’s a massive opportunity.
“I know my team and my squad will embrace those moments. You dream of being in stadiums like this.”
Luke Littler will begin his Premier League Darts title defence against Michael van Gerwen in Belfast on February 6, setting up an immediate rematch of their World Championship final.
The 18-year-old, who defeated Van Gerwen 7-3 at Alexandra Palace earlier this month to claim the world title, enters as the 11-8 favourite to retain his Premier League crown.
The opening night showdown at the SSE Arena will see the reigning champion face the Dutchman in what promises to be a blockbuster start to the 2025 campaign.
The opening night in Belfast will also feature world number one Luke Humphries taking on Nathan Aspinall.
Luke Littler won the Premier League last year in his maiden campaign
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Chris Dobey faces Gerwyn Price in the first quarter-final of the evening.
Stephen Bunting and Rob Cross complete the Night One line-up in what will be a knockout format to determine the evening’s winner.
Luke Littler beat Michael van Gerwen earlier this month to become world champion
Reuters
The tournament then visits Dublin, where Littler meets Gerwyn Price in another headline clash.
Price will have home support when the Premier League visits Cardiff on night seven.
Rotterdam Ahoy hosts night 11, with Van Gerwen playing in front of his home crowd.
Leeds fan Luke Humphries gets his homecoming on night 14 at the First Direct Arena, before the regular season concludes in Sheffield on May 22.
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Michael van Gerwen was also reigning Premier League champion before Luke Littler took that off him too
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The play-offs at London’s O2 Arena on May 29 will feature the top four players from the league table battling for the title.
The winner of the Premier League will claim a £275,000 prize.
Notable absentees from this year’s competition include top-ten ranked players Johnny Clayton, Damon Heta and Dave Chisnall.
Former champions Peter Wright, Michael Smith and two-time winner Gary Anderson have also missed out on selection for the 2025 campaign.
Women’s Super League side Aston Villa have appointed Natalia Arroyo as their new head coach.
The 38-year-old Spaniard, who left Real Sociedad at the end of the 2023-24 season, has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal, pending visa approval.
Villa sacked Robert de Pauw in December and Shaun Goater, who had said he wanted the role on a permanent basis, has been in interim charge of the team.
Arroyo’s first game will be against Chelsea in the WSL on Sunday, 2 February and she will be “supported by the existing coaching staff”.
“Natalia impressed us with her passion for football and approach to coaching,” said Villa president of football operations Monchi.
“We believe Natalia has all the necessary tools to succeed at Aston Villa.”
During her stint at Spain’s Real Sociedad, Arroyo achieved qualification for the Women’s Champions League and an appearance in the Copa de la Reina final.
“We are familiar with Natalia’s playing style and admire her philosophy,” said Aston Villa head of women’s football Lee Billiard.
“After an in-depth search, Natalia has consistently stood out in meeting our requirements.”
Erling Haaland’s new Manchester City contract will see him contribute more than £16 million annually to the UK treasury through tax payments.
The Norwegian striker’s £26 million annual salary, equivalent to £500,000 per week, makes him one of the highest taxpayers in British football.
The total tax implications of his new deal will amount to £152 million over the course of his nine-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League champions.
The figures, revealed by audit and consulting firm Forvis Mazars, demonstrate the substantial tax revenue generated from Premier League footballers’ salaries.
Erling Haaland penned a nine-and-a-half-year contract at City worth £26million a year
Reuters
HMRC stands to receive £12.2 million annually from Haaland’s income tax and National Insurance contributions alone.
Manchester City will contribute an additional £3.8 million in employer National Insurance payments.
The tax breakdown was analysed by Forvis Mazars, highlighting the significant contribution to public finances from Premier League salaries.
From April 2025, changes to National Insurance contributions will further impact such payments, with employer NIC costs set to increase substantially for high earners.
Ian Goodwin of Forvis Mazars said: “Even by the Premier League’s standards Erling Haaland’s reported new contract is significant at a reported £500,000 per week.
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Erling Haaland is the best-paid footballer in the Premier League
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The tax implications of such high earnings are substantial for both player and club.
“Businesses need to think carefully and in a timely manner put plans in place to afford the increases coming in wage bills,” Goodwin added.
Haaland’s commitment to Manchester City spans an unprecedented nine-and-a-half years, making it one of the longest contracts in Premier League history.
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Man City have forked out huge wages to Erling Haaland
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Over the full term of his contract, the striker’s tax contributions will total £152 million to HMRC.
The deal represents a significant long-term investment by Manchester City in the Norwegian forward.
The contract extension comes as Manchester City face 115 charges from the Premier League relating to financial transactions and blocking justice.
This substantial tax contribution underscores the significant financial impact top-flight footballers have on the UK’s public finances.
Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt speaks with Dion Dublin for Football Focus to discuss the pressure of playing for “the biggest club in the country” and finding solutions to bad form.
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England’s new era under head coach Brendon McCullum began with a crushing defeat as India dominated the first T20 international in Kolkata, winning by seven wickets with 43 balls to spare.
The visitors were bowled out for just 132, with captain Jos Buttler’s 68 from 44 balls the only significant contribution in a batting display that crumbled against India’s spinners.
India’s response was swift and decisive, as Abhishek Sharma smashed 79 from just 34 balls to guide the world champions to a comfortable victory.
The defeat, England’s heaviest in T20 cricket in terms of balls remaining, highlighted familiar weaknesses against spin as McCullum’s multi-format coaching tenure got off to a nightmare start at Eden Gardens.
England suffered a thrashing at the hands of India in Kolkata
Reuters
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, India struck early through seamer Arshdeep Singh, who removed Phil Salt for a three-ball duck and Ben Duckett in his first two overs.
England’s middle order then collapsed against India’s spinners, falling from 65-2 in the eighth over as wickets tumbled regularly.
Buttler stood alone in the wreckage, striking eight fours and two sixes in his classy 68, while Harry Brook’s 17 was the next highest score.
The lower order offered little resistance, with Jacob Bethell struggling to seven from 14 balls, Jamie Overton making just two, and Gus Atkinson managing only two from 12 deliveries.
India’s three spinners – Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi – combined for impressive figures of 12-1-67-5 on a decent batting pitch.
Chakravarthy proved particularly devastating for England, finishing with figures of 3-23 in a masterful display of mystery spin.
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The Indian spinner struck a crucial double blow in the eighth over, first bowling Brook with a googly that came via inside edge and pad.
Two balls later, Livingstone was bowled through the gate by another googly, leaving England’s inexperienced lower order exposed.
Chakravarthy saved his final blow for England’s captain, returning in the 17th over to have Buttler caught at deep square leg just as the visitors harboured hopes of a strong finish.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel provided excellent support with 2-22, including the wickets of Overton and Atkinson, as England’s batsmen struggled to pick India’s varied spin attack.
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India’s use of spin bamboozled England
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In contrast to India’s spin-heavy attack, England opted for pace, with Jofra Archer providing early hope through figures of 2-21.
Archer struck twice in his third over, removing Sanju Samson and India captain Suryakumar Yadav to briefly silence the Kolkata crowd.
However, Abhishek Sharma, the 24-year-old left-handed opener, dominated proceedings with a blistering innings that included eight sixes.
Sharma was particularly severe on England’s quicks, pulling them over fine leg and peppering the off side with powerful strokes.
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England were all out for 132 before India surpassed their score with 43 balls to go
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He was dropped by Adil Rashid on 29 and immediately punished the error by hitting the next three balls for four, six and six.
Atkinson bore the brunt of the assault, conceding 38 runs from just two overs as India raced towards their target.
The second match of the five-game series takes place on Saturday in Chennai at 13:30 GMT, with England seeking to level the series.
England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged the difficult start, saying: “There was a little bit in the wicket early on and we probably didn’t expect that. We wanted to enforce the game we want to play.
England had heralded a ‘new era’ – but issues remain largely the same
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“We were not quite capable of doing that against good bowlers but we are better for the run out and look forward to the next one.”
India’s dominance continues their impressive run since winning last year’s T20 World Cup, with this victory marking their 15th win from their last 18 matches under Yadav’s leadership.
The result emphasised India’s fearsome depth following the T20 retirements of several stars including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.
Ian Evatt out at Bolton and Tony Mowbray returns to the Hawthorns
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Man City threatened with legal action after allegedly ‘encouraging transfer target to break contract’
Real Valladolid have accused Manchester City of encouraging 18-year-old defender Juma Bah to break his contract after the player failed to attend training and deposited money to terminate his deal.
The Spanish club claim City requested transfer negotiations on Tuesday before Bah informed them of his intention to unilaterally break his contract.
Valladolid say they have been left in a “defenceless position” and are threatening legal action over the Premier League champions’ alleged involvement in the situation.
The situation unfolded when Manchester City sent a request to Valladolid on Tuesday afternoon seeking to open negotiations for a permanent transfer.
Juma Bah did not turn up to training on Wednesday after telling the Real Valladolid he wants to leave
Later that same day, Bah and his agent informed Valladolid of their intention to terminate the player’s contract.
The Sierra Leonean defender then failed to report for Wednesday morning training.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation has since confirmed that Bah has deposited the required funds to trigger the unilateral termination of his contract.
Bah had initially joined Valladolid last summer on loan from Sierra Leone club AIK Freetown.
The Spanish club exercised their purchase option on January 1 to make the move permanent with an improved contract.
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Man City chiefs Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Ferran Soriano have been busy in the transfer window
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In a strongly-worded statement, Valladolid said: “The club considers that Manchester City is behind the player’s decision, and appears to have advised the player to take this route.”
The Spanish club expressed “great disappointment and indignation” over the situation, stating they had “welcomed Juma Bah with open arms and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Valladolid confirmed they have instructed their legal department to initiate disciplinary action.
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