The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the most active teams on the offseason trade market, and on Sunday, they were at it again. Mere days after trading LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Hornets turned around and flipped Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns in the following deal:

• Suns receive: Miles Bridges, 2029 first-round pick (least favorable of Jazz, Timberwolves and Cavaliers), 2027 second-round pick
• Hornets receive: Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, 2033 first-round pick (unprotected)

So how did everyone do in Charlotte’s second substantial trade of the offseason? Let’s dive right into grades.

Phoenix Suns: D

At the 2025 trade deadline, the Suns traded their unprotected 2031 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz for three lesser first-round picks. The idea at the time was seemingly that their 2031 pick was perceived as quite valuable, but could only be traded once. The Suns felt they needed multiple moves, so they split their one pick up into three lesser picks in order to give themselves the flexibility to make several smaller moves. 

They proceeded to use one of those picks to dump Jusuf Nurkić’s salary on the Hornets. They used another to acquire Mark Williams from, you guessed it, the Hornets. Williams just re-signed in Phoenix, but with Oso Ighodaro ascending and No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach developing in the background, it’s not clear he’s one of the two most important bigs that the Suns have. Those picks, in other words, haven’t yielded much to actually turn the Suns into a better basketball team. The Jazz, meanwhile, were thrilled with their acquisition.

“The way it makes sense for us is that we now have another shot at a pick that has a lot of variability. The three picks we traded have no chance to be the No. 1 pick, and this one does,” Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said at the time. “It balances out what we want, but we’ve always talked about bites at the apple or more swings in the draft, but it also is about the quality of the swings, and this is, in my opinion, the most valuable asset on the market right now.”

A year later, Zanik was ultimately proven correct. That 2031 Suns pick was the cornerstone asset in a trade for Jaren Jackson Jr., an All-Star. That’s how valuable those picks deep in the future can be. They are among the most coveted trade assets in the NBA, and are probably even more valuable now than they were at the 2025 trade deadline because the new lottery reforms expire after 2029. We literally do not know what the rules will be in 2033. Think of the two other teams that have traded picks in the 2030s this offseason. The Miami Heat got Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP. The Minnesota Timberwolves got LaMelo Ball, one of the most talented guards in the NBA. That should be the bar for parting with picks that valuable.

The Suns? They got Miles Bridges, who has always been better in theory than in practice. Despite great athletic tools, Bridges has never been a consistently high-level defender. He has shot above league-average from deep once in his career. He’s an unspectacular positional rebounder, and he really benefitted from playing in an up-tempo offense next to an elite playmaker in Ball. Case in point: his true shooting percentage over the past two seasons dropped from 60.8% with Ball on the court to 51.1% without Ball on the court, according to Databallr. The Suns don’t have LaMelo Ball at point guard.

The other motivation here for Phoenix was financial. The Suns shaved about $30 million off their luxury tax penalty by cutting around $6.2 million in team salary. That’s nice, but the Suns are still about $10.3 million above the tax line. There was some thought that the Suns would try to duck the line entirely this season, as doing so would reset their repeater tax clock. They have a long way to go if they plan to do so. That 2029 pick they acquired from the Hornets is a low-end trade asset. They could potentially use it to shave some salary, or they could also use it to improve, but based on what they got for those similar picks in the past, it probably won’t be all that helpful.

Think about the state of the Western Conference right now. Phoenix just saw firsthand in the first round that it isn’t in Oklahoma City’s universe. The San Antonio Spurs are a similarly unreachable juggernaut. The Timberwolves took a home run swing. The Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are all works in progress, but were meaningfully better than the Suns last season. The Portland Trail Blazers might get Jaylen Brown. The Jazz are taking a step forward with Jackson.

Realistically, the Suns went from being a Play-In Tournament team before this trade to being a Play-In Tournament team after this trade. The cost of doing so was another year at the back end of this mess in which they will not be able to rebuild properly. Remember, the only first-round pick of their own that the Suns control moving forward is in 2032… because that pick is frozen due to the Suns going over the second apron in the 2024-25 season. Devin Booker will be 37 in the 2032-33 season, and without picks to restock the team, Phoenix’s outlook at that point looks pretty bleak.

The Suns are coming off a feel-good season fueled by defense and effort. It’s easier to sustain those things in the first year following the misery of the 2024-25 campaign in which the team effectively imploded with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal headed for exits. With lottery reform killing tanking, Phoenix is not going to be able to try-hard their way into nearly as many regular-season wins, and this deal does nothing to raise their playoff ceiling against opponents like the Thunder team that decimated them in the first round. The reward here was minimal, and the risk was monumental.

Charlotte Hornets: A

The Hornets fundamentally altered the course of their franchise with the Ball trade. Whether or not doing so was wise, we’ll find out over time. But the decision was, essentially, rooted in the dual fears of capping their ceiling and getting stuck with a bad contract. Well, Bridges is on an expiring deal, so they were either going to lose him or they were going to have to give him a potentially regrettable contract. That’s now Phoenix’s problem. And for all of the reasons we covered above, they turned him into one of the highest-ceiling draft picks on the trade market.

Now the Hornets are among the most asset-rich teams in the entire NBA. They have two of those ultra-valuable unprotected picks in the 2030s between this one and the one they got from Minnesota, but they also have two very interesting picks in the nearer future: a top-2 protected 2027 choice from the Dallas Mavericks and a lottery-protected 2027 first-round choice from the Heat that becomes unprotected in 2028. They are effectively shorting four different teams. One or two of them is bound to collapse and hand the Hornets a pretty good pick. Throw in the two first-round picks they just made, Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson, and the Hornets are absolutely brimming with long-term upside to pair with franchise cornerstones Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.

The move doesn’t even hurt Charlotte at power forward. Naz Reid, acquired in the Ball trade, is the presumed starter in that slot. He’s better than Bridges, and his value isn’t tied as explicitly to a single teammate as Bridges’ was to Ball. With Steinbach coming in, Charlotte likely didn’t have minutes for Bridges anymore anyway.

The Hornets will presumably continue to use the financial flexibility gained in the Ball trade to take on bad money in exchange for draft capital. Getting such a valuable pick in exchange for only about $6 million in extra salary was a coup for the Hornets, who still have around $50 million in room below the luxury tax line with which to work. The rich are only going to get richer in the days and weeks to come.

Again, only time will tell if the Hornets were correct in getting out of the LaMelo Ball business. But once they made that trade, this one was an absolute no-brainer. This is a genuine home run, one of the best trades any team will make this offseason. Even if the Suns ultimately don’t collapse before 2033, perception can be reality when it comes to first-round picks. If the whole league thinks the Suns are going to collapse, the Hornets now have seven years to potentially capitalize on that pick in a trade. As valuable as Zanik thought that 2031 pick would be, this 2033 selection has a chance to be even better.

The captain of Cape Verde’s World Cup 2026 team has been accused of sexually assaulting the team’s translator during a team trip to New Zealand, according to a new report.

Ryan Mendes, 36, allegedly sexually assaulted a Brazilian woman who was hired to work as a translator during the team’s March trip to New Zealand, according to Brazil‘s Globo news outlet.

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The woman, who has not been identified, told Brazilian media that Mendes entered her hotel room and attacked her. She said she reported the incident to at least three officials from Cape Verde’s soccer authority and never received a response.

The translator said the alleged incident occurred at a hotel in Auckland where the Cape Verdean team was staying.

The woman’s allegations cast a shadow over what has become the feel-good story of the 2026 World Cup. Cape Verde managed to hold Spain to a 0-0 draw in its opening match and went on to become the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup’s knockout rounds.

The woman told Globo that she was hired by Cape Verde’s team to work during this year’s FIFA Series in New Zealand. She said she was invited to a meeting in a hotel room following a match against Chile on March 27, but realized upon arrival that it was a social gathering rather than an official team meeting.

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She said she returned to her room but was allegedly followed back by Mendes, who knocked at her door. The translator said she opened her door and Mendes allegedly forced his way into the room, choked her, punched her, bit her, and proceeded to rape her, according to a statement she gave to the New Zealand police, as reported by Globo.

The woman provided photos to the outlet showing bruising on her neck. She said that she sought treatment at a clinic for survivors of sexual violence and was given a forensic exam. The clinic reportedly found bruises on her neck, breasts, lips, and a genital exam found “two circular lesions, painful to the touch.”

The results were sent to the New Zealand Police on April 10.

On May 10, the woman and her husband sent complaints to the Cape Verdean Football Federation and FIFA with the medical report and evidence of the alleged rape and requested that Mendes be barred from participating in the World Cup as punishment.

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She told Globo that she never received a response from FIFA.

The New Zealand Herald reported last month that a sexual assault involving a member of the Cape Verde team was under investigation, but those reports did not name Mendes as the subject of the allegations.

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that it is “in contact with the New Zealand authorities,” but “cannot comment further at this stage.”

“FIFA takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously and has a clear process in place for anyone in football who wants to report an incident,” the spokesperson said.

The Independent has requested comment from the New Zealand Police and the Cape Verde Football Association.

Globo said it also requested comment from the Cape Verde Football Association and was told by officials that it would not offer comment on the complaint.

The Minnesota Vikings may not have signed as many players this offseason compared to 2024 and 2025, but that doesn’t mean the last few months have been boring. In fact, the Vikings’ offseason has been stuffed with surprises.

Here’s a look at those, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most surprising twist).

Vikings’ Wildest Moves Started at QB and GM

5. Jauan Jennings Wanted “WR2 Money” — Signs with Vikings on $8M Base Salary

In May, SI.com‘s Albert Breer wrote, “49ers WR Jauan Jennings is a good example of that, looking for No. 2 receiver money. Chargers G Mekhi Becton might be another one, who simply thought he had more value than the rest of the league did. Browns TE David Njoku is a little older, but I’d say he’s in this group, too.”

WR2 money can mean $25 million. When Breer’s announcement arrived, it felt like there was just no way that Minnesota could get Jennings. Fast-forward a couple of days, and Breer’s reporting was evidently off base just a bit. Jennings’s base salary in Minnesota is $8 million, expandable to $13 million.

And just like that — the Vikings secured their best WR3 on paper since Jake Reed 25 years ago.

4. No Official GM for Free Agency or Draft

Minnesota made a front-office change in late January and arguably had a couple of weeks to fill the vacant general manager role. Instead, they tapped Rob Brzezinski on the shoulder — the “money guy” — took take the job, and he said sure.

Brzezinski, with help from Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores, guided Minnesota through an entire free-agency period and the draft sans an official general manager. The situation was nearly unprecedented in Vikings history except for the “Triangle of Authority” era with Rick Spielman, the Wilfs, and Brad Childress.

3. Cardinals Drop Kyler Murray, and It Was Just Automatic That He’d Signed in MIN

Murray grew up as a Vikings fan. Like a genuine one. He claims to have cried when Minnesota lost the 2009 NFC Championship.

So when the Arizona Cardinals kicked him off their roster, he had plenty of options on the open market. Yet, after a round of Zoom calls, it was just a no-brainer that he would sign with the Vikings. Fans didn’t even have to sweat it. Murray was released, he touched base with a few teams via videoconference, and landed in Minnesota instantly.

At the very start of the offseason, it seemed like Minnesota might have to trade for Murray. Why would the Cardinals get rid of him for nothing? Nope — they cut him, and he seamlessly signed with the Vikings. No suspense, only formality.

2. Vikings Draft DT Caleb Banks — a Man with 2nd-Round Draft Stock and a Bad Foot

The Miami Dolphins and the Vikings are the worst drafting teams over the last few years. Surely, Minnesota would draft a safe prospect in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, correct? Incorrect. The Vikings drafted the monster defensive tackle from Florida, who came with two serious foot injuries in the previous seven months.

The franchise that desperately needed to connect on a draft pick, two, three, or ten, took a risk on a man with 2nd-Round draft stock and back-to-back foot injuries. To be fair, Banks was a 1st-Round talent in January and early February, but he broke his foot at the NFL Combine.

The Vikings did not play it safe; they swung for the fences with Banks. He’s boom or bust.

Zone Coverage‘s Nelson Thielen on Banks last month: “Did it feel crazy on draft night, especially if you were someone who’d presumed Dillon Thieneman as Minnesota’s pick for four months? Absolutely. It felt like a bad value you could’ve gotten later, a massive injury risk, and a strange fit for the Vikings’ defensive needs.”

“But if that’s not the case? If the injury risk is not nearly as severe, and the Vikings clearly define his role in a way that allows him to thrive, we could look back on it with far more fondness in time.”

1. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Fired 3.5 Weeks after the Regular Season

The fact that Adofo-Mensah would lose his job was not surprising: he crafted four mostly bad draft classes and bungled the Sam Darnold situation. This article does not suggest that his termination was unwarranted.

But the time was mind-bogglingly strange.

Minnesota could’ve fired Adofo-Mensah on the Monday after the regular season and conducted a full replacement search alongside other GM-needy teams in mid-January. Rather, the Vikings waited until the end of January, allowing the aforementioned Brzezinski to run the show for four months.

Everything might work out just fine, but the timing of Adofo-Mensah’s firing was truly stunning.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Manchester United star Manuel Ugarte has spoken out after the extent of his devastating injury was confirmed and his team-mates have reached out to support him following the news

Manchester United stars paid tribute to their team-mate Manuel Ugarte after the Uruguay star received devastating injury news. Ugarte suffered a knee ligament injury during the World Cup and has admitted he hit ‘rock bottom’.

The likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu, Ayden Heaven, and Tyler Fletcher have messaged the 25-year-old after he spoke out following the brutal news. Ugarte is set to be out for months, having been stretchered from the field against Spain.

The extent of the injury remains uncertain, with United saying in a statement: “Assessment of the injury is ongoing to determine the best course of treatment and the rehabilitation timescale”.

Ugarte has described his issue as the ‘most serious injury a footballer can face’, and said the moment will stay with him for the remainder of his life. “A few days have passed since everything happened,” he wrote on Instagram.

“Suffering the most serious injury a footballer can face in one of the most important matches in my country’s history, and seeing it end this way without being able to stay on the pitch and support my teammates until the final whistle, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“Hitting rock bottom will make me stronger in every sense, and I truly believe that’s the case here. Without a doubt, when life wants you to stop, it finds a way to let you know.

“It’s up to me to take the positives from this. Success in life is about starting again every time you fall.

“I’m incredibly grateful to @‌aufoficial and @‌manutd for being there for me from the moment it happened. A huge thank you as well to my family, my friends, and everyone who has sent me messages of support during this time. I’ll be back stronger.”

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Following that post, his team-mates reached out in response. “All here for you, brother,” said Mount.

Dalot said: “Together brother.” Shaw said: “We are with you, brother.”

De Ligt, Dorgu and others posted red hearts in response, while Tottenham star Pedro Porro offered: “I love you brother.”

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History will be on the line as South Africa take on Canada in the opening Round of 32 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday at Los Angeles Stadium, with both sides having progressed beyond the group stage for the first time in their World Cup history.

While co-hosts Canada arrived at the tournament with greater expectations and finished runners-up in Group B, South Africa defied the odds to secure second place in Group A.

Now, with a place in the Round of 16 at stake, Jesse Marsch’s attack-minded Canadians will face Hugo Broos’ disciplined Bafana Bafana in what promises to be a fascinating knockout contest.

South Africa eye another upset

South Africa exceeded expectations during the group stage by conceding just two goals and sealing qualification with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea. Hugo Broos receives a timely boost with Teboho Mokoena returning from suspension, although experienced midfielder Themba Zwane remains unavailable after his red card against Mexico.

Captain Ronwen Williams will once again marshal the defence, while Evidence Makgopa is expected to lead the line with support from Oswin Appollis and Thapelo Maseko. South Africa are likely to rely on their organised defensive shape and swift counter-attacks to frustrate the Canadians.

Canada seek to make home advantage count

Canada produced one of the standout performances of the group stage with a 6-0 thrashing of Qatar before narrowly losing 2-1 to Switzerland to finish second in Group B. However, Jesse Marsch’s side head into the knockout stage with injury concerns. Ismaël Koné has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament with a broken leg, while Alphonso Davies remains doubtful after missing the group stage with a hamstring injury.

South Africa’s run in FIFA World Cup 2026 so far:

Canada’s run in FIFA World Cup 2026 so far:

Who will the winner of the South Africa vs Canada match play in the Round of 16?

The winner of the South Africa and Canada Round of 32 match will take on the winner of the Netherlands vs Morocco match in the Round of 16 on July 4.

FIFA World Cup 2026: South Africa vs Canada predicted starting 11

South Africa starting 11 (probable): Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Khulumani Ndamane, Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, Jayden Adams, Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis, Lyle Foster, Relebohile Mofokeng

Canada starting 11 (probable): Maxime Crépeau, Alistair Johnston, Luc de Fougerolles, Derek Cornelius, Richie Laryea, Tajon Buchanan, Nathan Saliba, Mathieu Choinière, Ali Ahmed, Jonathan David, Cyle Larin

South Africa vs Canada: Head-to-head numbers

• 
  Total meetings: 1
• 
  South Africa wins: 1
• 
  Canada wins: 0
• 
  Draws: 0
• 
  Last meeting: South Africa 2-0 Canada (International Friendly, November 2007)

FIFA World Cup 2026: South Africa vs Canada full squads

South Africa full squad for FIFA WC 2026: Ronwen Williams, Thabang Matuludi, Khulumani Ndamane, Teboho Mokoena, Thalente Mbatha, Aubrey Modiba, Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi, Lyle Foster, Relebohile Mofokeng, Themba Zwane, Thapelo Maseko, Sphephelo Sithole, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Iqraam Rayners, Sipho Chaine, Evidence Makgopa, Samukele Kabini, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Khuliso Mudau, Ime Okon, Ricardo Goss, Jayden Adams, Olwethu Makhanya, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Bradley Cross

Canada full squad for FIFA WC 2026: Dayne St. Clair, Alistair Johnston, Alfie Jones, Luc de Fougerolles, Joel Waterman, Mathieu Choinière, Stephen Eustáquio, Ismaël Koné, Cyle Larin, Jonathan David, Liam Millar, Tani Oluwaseyi, Derek Cornelius, Jacob Shaffelburg, Moïse Bombito, Maxime Crépeau, Tajon Buchanan, Owen Goodman, Alphonso Davies, Ali Ahmed, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Niko Sigur, Promise David, Nathan Saliba, Jayden Nelson

FIFA World Cup 2026 South Africa vs Canada RO32: Live streaming and live telecast details

When will the South Africa vs Canada Round of 32 match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 take place?

The Round of 32 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between South Africa and Canada will take place on Monday, June 29.

What time will the South Africa vs Canada Round of 32 match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 begin?

The Round of 32 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between South Africa and Canada will begin at 12:30 am IST on June 29.

What will be the venue for the South Africa vs Canada Round of 32 match in the FIFA World Cup 2026?

Los Angeles Stadium will host the Round of 32 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between South Africa and Canada.

Where to watch the live broadcast of the South Africa vs Canada Round of 32 match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?

The broadcast of the Round of 32 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between South Africa and Canada will be available on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels for Indian fans.

Where to watch the live streaming of the South Africa vs Canada Round of 32 match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?

The live streaming of the Round of 32 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between South Africa and Canada will be available on the Zee5 app and website for Indian fans.

Sixteen of the 48 teams are heading home, but which of the sides left standing will survive all the way to the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium near New York City on 19 July?

The hopes of another 16 nations will bite the dust after the first knockout round, which includes England against DR Congo and holders Argentina against surprise package Cape Verde.

It was a different team who caused the biggest shock in the final set of group games, however.

While BBC Sport’s football expert Chris Sutton and AI still went for Cape Verde to lose against Saudi Arabia – from more than 50,000 users playing the BBC’s new predictor game – 39% of you correctly went for a draw and 43% even backed the African side to win.

Instead, it was Ecuador who caught almost everyone out this time.

From more than 56,000 users predictions for that game, only 597 of you correctly backed them to beat Germany.

Chris and AI were also wrong about that one but, overall, they both got 15/24 predictions right from that set of matches.

Again, the users did better, with 17/24, and they still lead the way with 72 of this World Cup’s 104 matches now completed.

Chris has been right 41 times (57%), AI has a score of 43 (60%), but you lot are doing even better with 48 (67%).

Before the tournament, Chris also picked the order he thought each of the 12 groups would finish in. He was right about seven of the winners, but only got all four teams in the correct order in three of the groups.

AI’s predictions have been generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat. We simply asked the tool to ‘predict the results of the World Cup last-32 ties’.

The new BBC predictor game allows readers to pick a winner from each knockout tie.

PLAY WORLD CUP PREDICTOR HERE

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has opened up on his experience managing Mohamed Salah, claiming he wanted the latter to try and take risks during games, even if he failed. Klopp also waxed lyrical about Salah’s impact at Anfield, admitting he witnessed ‘greatness’, despite the 34-year-old not being a perfect player all the time in his eyes.

Klopp’s Liverpool signed Salah from Roma in the summer of 2017 for a reported transfer fee of £36.5 million. This proved to be a bargain, as the Egyptian King established himself as one of the greatest players in Premier League history over the next nine years.

Salah recorded 257 goals and provided 123 assists in 442 appearances across all competitions, helping the Reds win nine trophies, including two Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League.

During a recent interview with ESPN, Klopp was asked about how he used to set his team up when Salah wasn’t performing well. The German replied:

“It’s easy to go and put a finger in each situation and say, ‘here he should do better, here should do better.’ But when you work on a daily basis with him, you’re used to things. I want him to try. I want him to fail. If you don’t fail, you don’t take risks. If you don’t take risks, where’s excitement? Where’s the outcome? How can you reach the next level if you don’t try things other people can’t do?”

“Did he perform every day? Probably not. But I can’t remember one player to be honest who did that … Of course, as a coach, you stand out there and you think, ‘Yeah, he could do this better, he could do that better.’ But looking back, we just witnessed greatness.”

He added:

“That’s the truth as well. That’s the truth as well because most of the time he delivered in an incredible way and most of the time he’s got incredible goals. Most of the time he decided games for us and most of the time he pushed us to the next level. He is until today an incredible professional. So that’s it. And none of us, nobody was perfect, not Messi or Ronaldo, not Mo Salah They are not perfect, but they are closer than us to that.”

Despite helping Liverpool win the 2024-25 Premier League title, Salah opted to depart Anfield as a free agent this summer. He is currently representing Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“It has to click” – Klopp reveals what Andoni Iraola will need to succeed at Liverpool

From the aforementioned interview, Jurgen Klopp also touched upon what Liverpool’s new head coach, Andoni Iraola, will need to succeed at Anfield. Klopp backed the Spaniard to be a success, but admitted that the latter will need some luck to have a long-term future at the club.

Klopp was asked about why Liverpool had a poor campaign last season, in which they finished trophyless and scraped a fifth-place finish, to which he said:

“No idea. I’m not close enough to judge that. I was super happy that they won a league a year before and I have no idea what was wrong that the year after. So I think nobody was very happy with the season. That was obvious, but they still qualified for the Champions League and that’s a great success.”

He continued:

“So now you can go again and have a new manager and Andoni Iraola who is a great coach as well, like Arne Slot is, but it has to click. It has to work together for a long time and for that and you need luck.”

Arne Slot was sacked as Liverpool manager at the end of last season. As a result, the Reds opted to replace him with Iraola earlier this month, following his impressive tenure at Bournemouth.