Legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned whether some players are actively involved in the public amplification of certain narratives in order to raise their brand value. Labelling the growing phenomenon as a “disease”, Ashwin raised eyebrows regarding the narratives that are discussed on social media, particularly questioning the influence of fan armies on the internet. He hinted at this possibly even being a business model. Ashwin – the second-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket – also criticised the nature of star culture in Indian cricket.

“There’s something of a disease going around at this point. A lot of these opinions that show up on social media through fan armies – I’ve heard them before, first-hand,” Ashwin said, speaking at a RevSportz event.

“Sometimes, I’ve heard these same views at a breakfast table or a lunch table, and later they appear online under some other name. That’s when you wonder-how is this happening?” Ashwin added.

While Ashwin did not specifically accuse players of being involved in such campaigns, he speculated on the possibility of it.

“I’m not saying players themselves are planting these opinions, but it is scary. Is there some sort of espionage going on? I’m not saying that’s exactly what’s happening, but there is surely some business structure involved.

“Today, every player is an entrepreneur, and pushing opinions outside can increase brand value or improve PR. I’m all for that. But speaking ill of another cricketer is something I would never do,” he stated.

Ashwin also revealed his feelings on Indian cricket revolving around superstars.

“Where did all this begin? We started creating narratives around players. We started painting a superhero culture, a cinematic culture. Who even talks about cricket now? Nobody speaks about the game itself.

“Some time ago, I put out a Twitter thread about what Shubman was doing that was leading to his dismissals in a certain way. For me, it is always about the ‘what’ and the ‘why,’ never the ‘whom.’ But immediately it became about comparison-why only Shubman and not someone else? I was like, do you even follow what I do?” Ashwin said.

Pep Guardiola responds to a question about his failures in Europe with Manchester City after his side exited the Champions League following defeat to Real Madrid in the last 16.

MATCH REPORT: Man City 1-2 Real Madrid (1-5 Agg)

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Arsenal face competition for Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka, AC Milan look at Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott, while Brighton look to secure German international Said el Mala.

Arsenal will face competition from Juventus for the signature of Germany international Leon Goretzka with the 31-year-old midfielder set to leave Bayern Munich when his contract expires in the summer. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

AC Milan are looking at Republic of Ireland forward Troy Parrott with the 24-year-old available for around £25m from AZ Alkmaar in the summer. (Independent), external

Brighton are keen to wrap up a deal with Cologne for 19-year-old German winger Said el Mala after the player changed agents. (Bild – in German – subscription required), external

Manchester City could let Brazilian winger Savinho, 21, leave in the summer with Tottenham possible suitors if they retain their Premier League status. (Football Insider, external)

Juventus will target Manchester City‘s Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva, 31, after cooling their interest in Newcastle‘s Sandro Tonali, 25, because Manchester United and Arsenal are both keen on the Italy midfielder. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Fulham have reached a verbal agreement to sign 23-year-old United States forward Ricardo Pepi from PSV Eindhoven with personal terms also agreed. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Liverpool‘s Richard Hughes is on a three-strong shortlist to become the new sporting director at Saudi Pro-League club Al-Hilal. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Xabi Alonso would target the signings of Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni, 26, Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, 22, and Paris St-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, 23, if he were to replace Arne Slot at Anfield in the summer. (Teamtalk), external

Manchester United have made contact with Ajax to explore the potential terms of a deal for 20-year-old Belgium forward Mika Godts. (Sacha Tavolieri), external

Real Madrid and Barcelona are ahead of Premier League clubs in the race to sign AZ Alkmaar’s 20-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smit because he wants to move to Spain to live in sunnier weather. (AS – in Spanish), external

Manchester United and Liverpool are both stepping up their interest in Wolves and Portugal midfielder Joao Gomes, 25. (Teamtalk), external

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick will extend his contract until 2028 after Joan Laporta was re-elected as the club’s president. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Senegal were sensationally stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title on Tuesday night and tournament hosts Morocco crowned champions instead, two months after African football’s showpiece event concluded with a chaotic final in Rabat.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) declared that Senegal had “forfeited” the January 18 final by leaving the pitch in protest over a controversial late penalty awarded to Morocco — an incident that also prompted an attempted pitch invasion by furious Senegalese fans.

When the Senegalese players eventually returned to face the penalty 15 minutes later, Moroccan star Brahim Diaz inexplicably and controversially chipped the ball weakly into the goalkeeper’s hands, missing the chance to win the cup and sending the final to extra time — where Senegal went on to score the winning goal.

In the immediate aftermath, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes” and said: “It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right.”

At an initial disciplinary hearing, CAF imposed bans and fines totaling over $1 million on both Senegalese and Moroccan players for their roles in the farcical scenes — which also included on-field scuffles and attempts by Moroccan ball boys to steal the Senegal goalkeeper’s towel — but allowed the sporting result to stand.

AFCON: what did the CAF board say?

CAF’s Disciplinary Board rejected Morocco’s initial protest, but the appeals ​board has now ruled in their favor after finding that the conduct of the Senegal team fell “within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of ​the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.”

Those articles state that “if, for any reason whatsoever, a team refuses to ​play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered the loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition.”

With Senegal declared to have forfeited the match, their 1-0 win was annulled, and Morocco awarded a 3-0 victory by default, a result that sees the Atlas Lions crowned African champions for the first time in 50 years.

In a brief statement, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said it “acknowledges the decision” but insisted ​that its appeal was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams involved. It said it merely requested the proper application of regulations for the “clarity of the competitive framework” and the “stability of African competitions.” 

‘They are mad’: Senegal to appeal to CAS

Senegal quickly announced that they would seek to overturn the decision at the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Defender Moussa Niakhaté, who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais following spells with Bundesliga team Mainz 05 and Premier League side Nottingham Forest, posted a photo on Instagram of himself holding the trophy and the words “Pour l’éternité” (for eternity) and, presumably referring to CAF, “Ils sont fous” (they are mad).

The whole affair has cast a shadow over what had otherwise been considered a successful and well-organized tournament in Morocco, which will also co-host the World Cup in 2030.

The country has seen widespread protests against preparations for the World Cup, with demonstrators arguing that government funds should be invested in Morocco’s ailing healthcare system, rather than new stadiums and hotels.

Last week, the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scheduled to kick off in Morocco on March 17, was postponed until July, just 12 days before the opening match.

In a statement, CAF cited “unforeseen circumstances” but gave no details for the decision. “It is a combination of factors, and it is not a decision taken lightly,” Luxolo September, CAF’s head of communications, told DW.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar

Terence Crawford has offered his verdict on the emergence of Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.

After spending over two decades turning mixed martial arts giant UFC into a global powerhouse, White has entered the boxing world to more mixed reviews, as he attempts to take the formula he’s created in MMA and bring it into another combat sport.

Some of the established promoters in boxing don’t appear to have taken too kindly to his arrival, with Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn one of the more critical voices, hitting out at the level of shows that Zuffa have put on so far.

White has made some notable moves so far though, signing former long-term Matchroom fighter Conor Benn in a reported $15 million deal, with the promise of more big names in the future.

One big name that White did work with back in September was Crawford, as the UFC CEO acted as the promoter for the fight between ‘Bud’ and Canelo Alvarez at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Crawford won that fight to become undisputed super-middleweight champion before then retiring in December, but the 38-year-old remains an avid watcher of the sport.

With that in mind, he revealed on a live stream with Adin Ross that he thinks the arrival of Zuffa can have a positive impact.

“It’s good for boxing. Anything that draws more eyes to the sport is good for it. They’re putting on great competitive fights.”

Zuffa have staged four events so far this year, all of them at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, with their next show set for early April.

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr scored twice as Manchester City lost 2-1 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate in the Champions League last-16

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr insisted he was not attempting to disrespect the Manchester City supporters but was responding to them ‘making fun of him’ on his last trip to the Etihad Stadium. Back in 2024, City fans unveiled a banner that read: “Stop crying your heart out,” with a picture of Rodri winning the Ballon d’Or.

This was in reference to Real Madrid boycotting the awards ceremony after they discovered the City midfielder would win the prestigious prize. Los Blancos felt Vinicius Jr was more deserving of the award and on his first visit back to the Etihad Stadium since, the Brazilian won the game for his side.

After scoring his first of the night in front of the South Stand from the penalty spot, Vinicius Jr ran over to the away end to celebrate. Then, before making his way to the centre circle, the forward could be seen mimicking crying towards the City fans.

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When asked about the celebration on Prime Video, Vinicius Jr said: “The last time we came here, the Manchester City fans were making fun of me. I wasn’t disrespecting City fans but it was a way for me to prove myself to them.”

City were reduced to 10-men when the penalty was awarded after Bernardo Silva handled the ball on the line. However, the Blues put in a spirited performance and equalised just before the break through Erling Haaland. Jeremy Doku and Rayan Ait-Nouri had goals ruled out for offside before Vinicius Jr bundled in a second as he converted Aurelien Tchouameni’s cross.

Reflecting on the result, Vinicius Jr’s manager Alvaro Arbeloa said: “I’m so happy; we have beaten Man City at home, and everyone knows how difficult that is. We won 5-1 in the end, and that’s not easy against a squad like that, with a coach like Pep, so I’m really happy.

“We knew City would press us and try to score in the first 15 or 20 minutes. And maybe we needed the ball a little bit more. But after the penalty, it changed and made it a bit easier for us.”

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The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.

This particular run of seven games will define City’s season on all four fronts – losing twice against Real means their trophy prospects have been reduced to three.

That could be down to two on Sunday with a huge clash against the Gunners, who are hungry to rid their tags of ‘nearly men’ by ending a trophy drought which stretches back to 2020.

“On Monday [after Carabao Cup final] hopefully we will wake up and it is a sunny day,” said Guardiola. “It is not crucial, it is a football game, we are going to try to win with a good performance.

“We will challenge against the best team in England so far, the best team in Europe because look at their results in the group phase, they were first and have lost three or four games all season. We will challenge them and we have to see how we are competing against them.”

City were held to a surprise 1-1 draw at relegation strugglers West Ham, which has left them nine points off the pace in the Premier League with eight games to go – and a monumental effort is required to overturn that particular deficit.

And the FA Cup is no formality either, with City hosting rivals Liverpool in the quarter-final on Saturday 4 April after the international break, with league games immediately after against Chelsea and Arsenal.

Guardiola said: “After one or two weeks, we play against them in the Premier League and it is a good mirror to see what we have to do to achieve [like] them. I am old enough to see that one football game is not the big happiness or a loss is the end of the world, it’s just a game.

“In the end, the results have not been good except Newcastle but I have the feeling we are an extraordinary team with many, many, many good things that I love.

“We are still not complete, we are not aware in certain moments and departments, we have to be more clinical but my feeling is it is a question of time.”

Steve Smith will play in the Pakistan Super League© AFP