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Middlesbrough missed out on a Championship playoff place this campaign, but could now raid rival top six chasers Blackburn Rovers for one of their star assets if reports are to be believed.

Championship playoff battle ends in despair for Boro and Blackburn

The race for a shot at Premier League promotion is now over in terms of the regular season, and supporters of concerned clubs will now look forward to a heated battle to claim a place in the top-flight. Sheffield United, Sunderland, Coventry City and Bristol City secured a chance to reach the big time and the glamour that comes with it. However, for every success story, there are always hard-luck tales to offer some balance.

Michael Carrick will be feeling a sense of frustration after Middlesbrough missed out by a four-point margin following a run of one victory in their final six fixtures. Ultimately, the club’s decision to cash in on Emmanuel Latte Lath in January may have come back to bite officials at the Riverside Stadium.

The Ivorian striker scored 11 times before moving to Atlanta United, leaving a shortage of goals present in Carrick’s line-up barring Finn Azaz and Tommy Conway.

Middlesbrough’s unfateful run of results during Championship run-in

Middlesbrough 0-1 Leeds United

Millwall 1-0 Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough 2-1 Plymouth Argyle

Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough 0-0 Norwich City

Coventry City 2-0 Middlesbrough

Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence could be an early arrival at Middlesbrough on a free transfer to add an offensive threat from midfield, and the Wales international is likely to be one of a number of targets under Boro’s watch over the coming weeks.

In similar fashion, Carrick’s men are now said to have another bargain deal up their sleeve that may come at the expense of rivals Blackburn.

Middlesbrough in pole position to sign Tyrhys Dolan

According to EFL Analysis, Middlesbrough could sign Tyrhys Dolan on a free transfer from Blackburn, and they are leading the race for his signature as his contract veers closer to expiring at Ewood Park.

Set to become available as a free agent, talks have taken place between his camp and Boro representatives. It has been made clear that he is primed to seek a new challenge away from the Lancashire outfit.

Carrick loves him: Middlesbrough keen to seal deal for "fantastic" PL ace

He’s been in solid form as of late.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 26, 2025

Labelled “outstanding” by John Eustace, Dolan has registered seven goals and six assists across 47 appearances in all competitions this season, playing a major role in Rovers’ own close shave with earning a playoff place. Despite competition from a number of sides, Boro are at the front of the queue and are taking a proactive approach to atone for missing out on a shot at promotion to the top-flight.

Completing an average of 1.3 dribbles per match on Championship duty, Dolan has emerged as a rising talent and reportedly fits the bill as Middlesbrough seek depth to put the building blocks in place for a better season next time out.

Crossing paths to join another club in the same league may sour relations with his current employers, but it would also be a mark of Carrick’s ambition heading into pre-season.

It would probably be fair to say that the last period of sustained positivity at Tottenham Hotspur came under Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine spent just over five years in the Lilywhites’ dugout, during which he turned them into one of the best teams in the country and led them to their first Champions League final.

However, while the former boss got plenty right during his time at the club, he also made his fair share of mistakes, especially in the transfer market.

He may have been responsible for some brilliant signings like Son Heung-min, Toby Alderweireld and Dele Alli, but he was also responsible for some howlers, including one flop who cost the club a fortune and earned more than Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence.

Pochettino's worst signings

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of Pochettino’s other dismal signings from his time in the Spurs hot seat, starting with what has to be considered his worst: Tanguy Ndombele.

The North Londoners opted to spend a then-club-record £63m on the Lyon midfielder in the summer of 2019, and while it is easy to lambast the deal now, there was a lot of excitement at the time, with the Guardian’s David Hytner even comparing the Frenchman to Mousa Dembélé.

Unfortunately, that comparison never came close to being justified.

Ndombele’s Spurs career

Appearances

91

Goals

10

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.20

Loan Moves

3

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Over the next five years, the former Lyon ace would make just 91 first-team appearances, in which he scored ten goals and provided nine assists, before eventually seeing his contract terminated last summer, after costing the North Londoners around £104m in wages and fees.

A far cheaper, but still disappointing, signing was that of Vincent Janssen, who joined the club in the summer of 2016 for around £19m from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.

Now, while the Dutchman still cost the club a significant amount of money, he falls into the category of ‘most disappointing’ signings under Pochettino because of the expectations of what he’d do and the reality of what he managed.

For example, in the season before his move, the Heesch-born marksman won the Eredivisie Golden Boot and amassed a sensational haul of 31 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

However, in his one and only full season in North London, he could only muster up a tally of six goals and four assists in 38 games, and after a loan to Fenerbahçe for the 17/18 season, he was sold to Mexican outfit Monterrey a year after that for just £6.3m.

In all, Janssen was a flop for Spurs and Poch, but he did not cost the club as much money as another signing from the Netherlands did.

The Poch flop who cost Spurs millions

In the summer of 2017, Tottenham set the record for the most expensive defender in football history when they agreed to the £50m sale of Kyle Walker to Manchester City.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

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This meant they were now light at the back and had a hefty wad of cash burning a hole in their pocket.

So, Pochettino and Daniel Levy looked to the continent and decided to sign the up-and-coming Davinson Sanchez from Ajax for a massive £42m.

In addition to breaking their transfer record to sign the then-21-year-old, the club also decided to hand him a rather lucrative £65k-per-week contract, which, if he were still earning today, would see him make more than Van de Ven and Spence, who both make £50k-per-week despite being far better players.

With that said, the Colombian international’s first season in North London wasn’t a total bust, and he ended up making 41 appearances across all competitions for the club, but as things started to go wrong for the team in the following years, he began to pick up plenty of stick.

For example, in his final season in North London, the team conceded a whopping 63 goals in the Premier League alone, and he was labelled “deadwood” and “one of the worst players I’ve ever seen” by pundit and former professional Jamie O’Hara.

In all, the Caloto-born defender made 207 appearances for the club, in which he scored five goals and provided one assist before being sold to Galatasaray in Septbember 2023.

The finances of Davinson Sánchez’s Tottenham Deal

Transfer Fee

£42m

Wages (Total)

£65k (£20.4m)

Appearances

207

Cost per Appearance

£301k

Goals

5

Cost per Goal

£12.4m

Assists

1

Cost per Assist

£62.4m

Goal Involvements

6

Cost per Goal Involvement

£10.4m

All Stats via Transfermarkt & All Wages via Capology

So, when you add his transfer fee to his overall salary at Spurs, which would have been about £20.4m, the former Ajax star cost the Lilywhites about £62.4m, which breaks down to £301k-per-appaearance, £12.4m-per-goal, £62.4m-per-assist or £10.4m-per-goal-involvement.

Ultimately, while Sanchez wasn’t Pochettino’s worst signing at Spurs, he wasn’t far off, and the fact Van de Ven and Spence currently earn less than he did is an indication that the club have learned from their mistakes.

Related Spurs' award-winning CF was ahead of Kane, then Poch sold him for £208k

The promising forward wasn’t able to reach his potential at Spurs.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 28, 2025

An overwhelmingly large crowd queued up at the Adelaide Oval to watch the visitors play some foot-volleyball, engage in friendly banter, and also work on their shot-making

Alagappan Muthu03-Dec-20242:54

Pujara: Rahul should bat at No. 3, Gill at No. 5

Cricket with the pink ball might be worth it just for the colours. There is a picture from the very first day-night Test. The players in white, the turf in green, the Adelaide Oval in grey. And then there was the sky, just erupting with red.That game, between Australia and New Zealand in 2015, drew crowds that totaled up to 123,768 and a TV audience of 3.19 million in the closing stages. An Ashes day-night Test holds the record for the highest first-day attendance, this is since this ground was redeveloped in 2013 – 55, 317 people came through the gates seven years ago. There is a strong chance that number would be beaten when Australia host India for the second match of the Border-Gavaskar series.Both teams’ practice sessions on Tuesday was open to the public, and while there was a smattering of people who did enjoy seeing Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne bat in the morning, India’s training in the evening attracted an audience that filled not just the area next to the nets but three tiers of walkways in the stands overlooking them. Which is the home team again at Adelaide?Related

• Pink-ball-ready Rahul will 'try and face up to whatever comes my way'

• Marsh 'hopefully right and ready to go' but questions around bowling remain

• Australia's Bumrah problem: how to prep for a one-of-a-kind genius?

• Rohit's turn to lead from the… middle

• Was India's 295-run win in Perth their biggest away in Tests?

India do not play this format very often. They’ve competed in four day-night Tests so far and their last one was nearly three years ago. By contrast, Australia play one of these things every season and they’ve been beaten only once. So the work that Rohit Sharma and his men do over these three days, the cues they can pick up about the way the pink ball behaves, is crucial. It’s just that they had to do that against a whole lot more noise than they might have perhaps anticipated, which may not have been ideal for them, but the families that came by with their kids, some of them carrying bats and jerseys to have autographed, they’ll have gone home with a story to tell over and over and over again and stories like these often get better (and wilder) with each retelling. Amit Mishra (not that one), who is part of the fan engagement arm of Cricket Australia, helped arrange all of this.India had a rousing three to four hours getting acquainted with the challenges they will face over the coming week, under both watchful eyes, with the head coach Gautam Gambhir rejoining the team, and awestruck ones, as the fans made their presence felt with every big shot that came off. There was a moment when Rohit played his swivel pull, connecting so sweetly that it soared away in front of square, that moved the crowd into instinctive cheers, which maybe, just maybe brought a shadow of a smile to his face. A distraction they might have been, but the fans certainly added to the occasion.Rohit and Rishabh Pant were the first to have a hit on Tuesday. This happened about half an hour ahead of schedule; a quick little drill where India’s captain seemed to be working on his front-foot play against balls in the off-stump corridor. He had repeated chats with batting coach Abhishek Nayar who spurred Rohit on, asking him to trust his method, pushing him on with feedback like “that last over was class,” and it was. He was picking length well and his balance at the crease – going both forward and back – was there for all to see.Then the entire team assembled at the main ground and played foot-volleyball with a row of chairs acting as the net, and it led to adorable little fights that you see in every playground, about line calls. Being a sportsperson must be the closest thing to being Peter Pan. There are times you can just be a kid. A kid with benefits. Because now you can curse like KL Rahul did when he was nicked off by Akash Deep, whose speed and sideways movement off the pitch made him a proper menace.The Indian team had an eventful nets session in Adelaide•Getty ImagesThese nets were intense. It featured a lot of shot-making, which in a way was just high-class batters reacting to what was coming at them. In Perth, with so many unknowns to deal with, and a desperation not to go 1-0 down, there was a lot of drilling down on defence.The best of the session was Virat Kohli vs Jasprit Bumrah. It started with a few easy leaves and then there was a tight one, the batter covering his stumps and then watching the ball fly just outside off stump. There was a knowing exchange of looks. The crispest shot Kohli hit was a back-foot punch against Bumrah and you could see, both how switched on he needed to be and how satisfied he was with his connection, in the way he just scampered across towards the other end, almost as if he was so wired that he needed to get rid of some of the excess energy.Bumrah was getting a substantial amount of movement off the pitch with the pink ball. He had Pant playing the angle into him from around the wicket and beat his leading edge so soundly that he had to offer up a wry smile. Non-verbal for “sorry bro. Didn’t mean to do you like that.” Bumrah had Jaiswal caught behind the first time they came head-to-head and he even hurried Rohit, the one batter in this team that never looks hurried against fast bowling. With every passing day, the feeling grows that the outcome of this series rests on his shoulders.India still have a question about the make-up of their top-order and the only clue, if any, came from who paired with whom in the net sessions. Jaiswal was with Rahul. No. 1 and 2. Kohli was with Shubman Gill. No. 4 and 3. And Rohit was with Pant. No. 5 and 6. That eventually changed – Kohli and Rahul faced spin together, Jaiswal and Washington Sundar faced throwdowns together – and sometimes they played without anybody waiting at the other end. It is likely that until the team sheets are presented at the toss on Friday, India will not be looking to offer any clarity on the subject. It’s useful to keep people – particularly the Australians – guessing.

The defending champions play conservative T20 cricket because of their high-quality bowling, but sometimes it can backfire

Sidharth Monga16-Apr-20234:51

Moody: Only someone like Samson can take down Rashid the way he did

When Shimron Hetmyer hit Alzarri Joseph for a six at the end of the 16th over, Rajasthan Royals had reached only 134 of the 178 required. It was a landmark moment in the match: in scoring 75% of the runs in 80% of the overs, Rajasthan Royals had scored the same number of runs in boundaries as Gujarat Titans did in their entire innings. In the end, Royals outscored Titans by 130 to 94 in boundaries, which is a huge margin for a match of such narrow margins.In the end, Hardik Pandya said they were short by only ten or so runs, which is a fair comment despite their falling behind by 36 on boundaries. That is the nature of Titans’ blueprint, and also their rivalry with Royals. Since coming into existence, Titans have scored the second-highest number of runs in the IPL but only the fourth-highest in boundaries.In many ways, Titans are a side hard to figure out. At their genesis itself, for inexplicable reasons, one team released its best player and another its second-best only for Titans to draft them in. Then they went on to put together a squad that plays conservatively with the bat: Shubman Gill likes to drop anchor, Hardik has been going at 130s as against 170 and above when at Mumbai Indians, David Miller has become a slower starter. They score only 55.15% of their runs in boundaries. Royals, on the other hand, have scored 61.99% of their runs in boundaries over the same period.Related

• Shimron Hetmyer 'programs mind' to tackle tough chases

• Hetmyer counter-attacks to take Royals clear at No. 1

Royals are more like Kolkata Knight Riders (63.15% in boundaries over the same period). They rely more on unorthodox methods: pinch-hitters, pinch-anchors, maximising match-ups, taking higher risks when batting. Incidentally, they are the two sides that have beaten Titans so far this year.Normally, you would say Titans’ is a sub-optimal way of playing T20, but they are the defending champions. They are a smoother side with experienced players who have largely fixed roles. Their strength is a bowling attack that has seam movement through Mohammed Shami, swing and bounce in Hardik, middle-overs heat and hard lengths in Joseph, and wrist-spin wizardry in Rashid Khan. Because they have that attack, they don’t need to risk getting bowled out early to put up a total that is dew-proof or miracle-proof.Sometimes then you come up against a side that plays high-risk cricket, and those risks come off as they did with Sanju Samson and Hetmyer. On such days, you look back at the period when you respected the high-quality spin attack of Royals a little too much and didn’t try to hit enough boundaries.However, it would be unfair to question their tactics based on one defeat to a side that they beat three times last year. They won the title playing similar cricket last season. In fact, in two of their three wins over Royals last year, Titans scored fewer in boundaries than the opposition, which is a rare event in T20 cricket.In Titans’ approach is the answer to the question about whether T20 cricket has room for anchors. It all depends on the quality of your bowling. Titans believe they have the bowling to afford them anchors. It involved a few games that could have gone either way last year, but they did win the title playing similar cricket. This year too, both their defeats have been nothing short of miraculous: Rinku Singh hit five consecutive sixes in the last over in one, and Royals’ win probability was down to 2.01% after 12 overs of the chase.So don’t expect a big change in their batting approach, but Hardik’s comments might suggest a bit of tweaking is in order. Whatever happens, this result sets up a fascinating clash of T20 philosophies in the return game on May 5 in Jaipur. If they do live up to their billing, that may not be the last time they face each other this year.

Packed schedules, bio-bubbles, pandemic uncertainty, but a lot more cricket and substantially better rewards – do current players have it better or worse?

Ian Chappell23-May-2021The modern cricketer is substantially better rewarded than players of the previous century. However, like with all such things in life, there is a downside involved. This comes in the form of the numerous adjustments to be made because of the extra formats that are now played and the resultant crowding of the schedule.As if that wasn’t a big enough challenge, there are now the vagaries of the pandemic. There’s no better example than the chaos created by the postponement of the opulent IPL, resulting in a last-minute appeal to the ECB to rejig India’s tour dates in England to accommodate the completion of the tournament.Whoever said life wasn’t meant to be easy perfectly summed up the career of the modern international cricketer.The Covid-ravaged world has meant cricketers spend extended periods in bubbles, which challenges their skills and their mental health. It has also resulted in scheduling that has Test matches crammed together, which is physically and mentally demanding, especially for the fast bowlers.While the 20th-century cricketer had the occasional back-to-back Test over the Boxing Day-New Year period, now it’s more likely the schedule will include back-to-back-to-back Test matches than not, which is a real grind for all concerned.This was highlighted in the last Australia-India series, where the home side used the same fast-bowling trio in all four Tests. As the Australian pace bowlers wore down in the final stages of the series, their Indian counterparts may have caught a break as injuries meant they had to constantly change personnel.Related

• Do you remember these cricket cancellations and disruptions?

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• Could India become mighty like West Indies and Australia of old?

India is one of the few teams who have enough skilled quick bowlers in reserve to meet the challenges of the schedule and still remain competitive.Modern fast bowlers do a lot of varied training in order to prepare for the demands of constant cricket, but still the injuries continue to pile up. Fast bowlers in the past concentrated more on running and bowling a lot in the nets to gain their match fitness.Australian fast bowler Frank Misson, who toured England in 1961, was one who believed in running to build up stamina. The 1961 Australian team travelled to England by boat, but Misson was not to be denied his training regime. As he ran laps of the deck, some of the less physically minded players sitting in the bar saw Misson flash past the window. Perhaps embarrassed by Misson’s zealous workouts, they decided to complicate his exercise regime by placing deck chairs in his path. When Misson hurdled the first set of obstacles and did the same to yet another layer of chairs, the bar rats relented and left him to train in peace.The preparation a player goes through today in the build-up to a Test is extensive when compared to the past. Teams now arrive at a venue anywhere up to four days prior to the game, which is a far cry from what happened in 1921, when England were in disarray following their country’s involvement in a brutal war. The selections ranged from the haphazard to the bizarre, with ten England players who appeared in that series only being involved in a solitary Ashes Test.Lord Tennyson’s build-up to the Lord’s Test was extraordinary by any measure. Relaxing at his club in London at 1 o’clock on the morning of the game, smoking a cigar and imbibing, Tennyson received a phone call requesting him to report to Lord’s later that day to take part in the match. Not surprisingly he failed in the first innings – like the bulk of his team-mates, though he atoned in the second innings by remaining 74 not out.It would be interesting to discover if retired cricketers envied the rewards paid their modern counterparts or whether current players would swap today’s whirling merry-go-round for the casual approach of the past. I suspect most international cricketers are just happy to have played.

Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted Sunday on various charges related to a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in-game, federal authorities announced.

Clase and Ortiz were placed on administrative leave during the 2025 MLB season as the league investigated the two pitchers. Ortiz was the first to be pulled from Cleveland’s lineup on July 13; Clase followed two weeks later. MLB was investigating specific pitches thrown by Clase and Ortiz in potential connection with sports betting.

Ortiz was arrested in Boston as part of the indictment. At the time of the announcement, Clase had not yet been taken into custody.

Per the indictment, Clase and Ortiz allegedly participated in a scheme to intentionally throw balls where bettors in the know could wager whether the pitch will be a ball or a strike. The scheme is said to have begun as far back as May 2023, with Clase, and Ortiz becoming involved later. Prosecutors allege Ortiz was paid $5,000 to throw a ball when on the mound on June 15th against the Mariners, and Clase was paid $5,000 as well to facilitate the scheme. On June 27, against the Cardinals, it happened again and the pair received $7,000 each for their participation. The Guardians lost both games in question.

Clase and Ortiz are facing fraud, conspiracy, and bribery charges. The indictment reads that, if convicted, they could face a maximum of 65 years in prison.

“MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process,” the league said in a statement to ESPN. “We are aware of the indictment and today's arrest, and our investigation is ongoing.”

As it currently stands, Clase and Ortiz are both on non-disciplinary paid leave from the Guardians.

Before being put on leave, Ortiz posted a 4.36 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 2025. Clase, as a closer for Cleveland, posted a 3.23 ERA in 48 games with 23 saves.

Luis Ortiz’s attorney gives statement on betting scheme charges

A few hours after Ortiz was arrested, the pitcher’s attorney gave a statement denying any wrongdoing in regard to the two pitches cited by the indictment.

MatériaMais NotíciasVer Resumo da matéria por IAJoão Paulo, conhecido como "Papinha da Vila", foi um dos grandes jogadores do Santos nos anos 1970 e 1980, se destacando como artilheiro da Libertadores de 2001.Ele participou ativamente das conquistas do Santos, com 412 partidas e 103 gols, sendo o 4º maior artilheiro da era pós-Pelé.Após sua carreira como jogador, João Paulo trabalhou como supervisor nas categorias de base do Santos até 2018 e continua ligado ao clube.Resumo supervisionado pelo jornalista!

João Paulo de Lima Filho, o “Papinha da Vila”, é um dos nomes mais reverenciados da história santista. Ponta-esquerda habilidoso, veloz e inteligente, brilhou intensamente entre o fim da década de 1970 e o início dos anos 1980, tornando-se um dos maiores jogadores do clube na era pós-Pelé. Sua trajetória, marcada por dribles rápidos, cruzamentos precisos e gols decisivos, ainda desperta saudade em gerações de torcedores do Santos. O Lance! te conta por onde anda João Paulo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasLancepédiaPor onde anda Lopes Tigrão, ex-meia do Palmeiras?Lancepédia12/12/2025LancepédiaPor onde anda Sonny Anderson, ex-atacante do Vasco e do Barcelona?Lancepédia11/12/2025

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Nascido em São João de Meriti, no Rio de Janeiro, João Paulo passou pela infância humilde trabalhando no cais do porto, enquanto alimentava o sonho de ser jogador. O talento chamava atenção nos campos da cidade e o levou ao Pavunense, antes de surgir para o futebol nacional no São Cristóvão em 1976. Foi ali que representantes do Santos identificaram a joia que se tornaria protagonista nos anos seguintes.

Em 1977, já como uma aposta promissora, João Paulo desembarcou na Vila Belmiro e rapidamente encantou pelo estilo agressivo, pelo corte curto para o fundo e pela velocidade impressionante — chegava a percorrer 25 metros em apenas três segundos. A partir de outubro daquele ano, tornou-se titular absoluto de Otto Glória, assumindo a camisa 11 e nunca mais deixando de ser referência ofensiva do Peixe.

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O auge veio entre 1978 e 1983, período em que integrou o marcante ataque formado por Juary, Nilton Batata, Pita e Aílton Lira. Foi um dos líderes do título paulista de 1978, guiou o time nas competições nacionais e internacionais e recebeu convocações para a Seleção Brasileira. Ao todo, disputou 412 partidas e fez 103 gols pelo Santos, sendo o 4º maior artilheiro da era pós-Pelé.

A consolidação de João Paulo no Santos e o protagonismo no fim dos anos 70

João Paulo cresceu rapidamente no elenco santista. Após breve período como reserva, firmou-se em 1977 e viveu grande fase no Estadual de 1978, conquistando o título e tornando-se peça-chave do ataque mais promissor da geração. Sua capacidade de acelerar, driblar curto e cruzar com precisão fez dele um dos pontas mais perigosos do país.

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Nos anos seguintes, participou de campanhas marcantes, como o vice-campeonato brasileiro de 1983, além de levantar o Torneio Vencedores da América e o Torneio Cidade de Pamplona, ambos em 1983. Seu futebol sólido e inteligente o levou à Seleção Brasileira, incluindo amistosos e participação em excursões pela Europa.

Passagem pelo Flamengo e os longos anos no Corinthians

Em 1984, João Paulo deixou o Santos e se transferiu para o Flamengo. Foram poucos meses no clube carioca, com 40 jogos e quatro gols, antes de outra mudança marcante: a ida para o Corinthians, em setembro daquele mesmo ano.

No Parque São Jorge, contrariando a desconfiança inicial, tornou-se regular e importante, permanecendo mais de cinco temporadas. Disputou 259 partidas e marcou 36 gols, sendo parte ativa do elenco no período de reconstrução corintiana. A consistência transformou o ponta em um dos jogadores mais duradouros do Corinthians nos anos 80.

O ciclo final da carreira e o retorno à Vila Belmiro

Após a passagem no Corinthians, João Paulo ainda atuou pelo Palmeiras em 1990, mas já não apresentava o mesmo vigor físico. Em seguida, viveu sua experiência internacional no Japão, pelo Yamaha, antes de retornar ao Brasil para defender São José e Grêmio Maringá.

Em 1992, voltou ao Santos para uma última passagem. Mas o retorno foi curto: disputou poucos jogos e se despediu do clube e do futebol profissional naquele mesmo ano, encerrando uma carreira de 16 temporadas e quase 500 partidas, somando todos os clubes.

História de João Paulo com a Seleção Brasileira

João Paulo foi convocado diversas vezes entre 1979 e 1983, participando de amistosos e excursões internacionais. Fez quatro jogos oficiais com a camisa da Seleção e um não-oficial, destacando-se especialmente em duelos contra Chile, Suécia e a seleção mineira. Embora não tenha marcado gols, deixou boa impressão em parte da imprensa esportiva.

Legado no Santos

A relevância de João Paulo para o Santos é incontestável. Além de 412 jogos e 103 gols, conquistou títulos importantes, participou de gerações marcantes e tornou-se símbolo de técnica, velocidade e inteligência. É até hoje lembrado pelos torcedores e ocupa posição de destaque em listas históricas produzidas pelo clube.

Por onde anda João Paulo?

Após pendurar as chuteiras em 1992, João Paulo permaneceu ligado ao Santos. Trabalhou por anos como supervisor das categorias de base, função que exerceu até 2018, tornando-se uma figura importante na formação de novas gerações do clube.

Hoje, vive na cidade de Santos com a família, próximo da Vila Belmiro que marcou sua carreira. Continua participando de eventos esportivos, ações comemorativas e entrevistas relacionadas à história do Peixe. Mantém rotina discreta, mas sempre aparece em atividades ligadas ao clube e é presença frequente em homenagens a ex-jogadores.

Clubes da carreira de João PauloPavunense (amador)São CristóvãoSantos (1977–1984)Flamengo (1984)Corinthians (1984–1989)Palmeiras (1990)Yamaha (1990)São José (1991)Grêmio Maringá (1991)Santos (1992)Náutico (1992–1993)

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Futebol NacionalLancepediaSantos FC

CA said the incident occurred when the players were walking to a cafe on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2025

Australia are playing their last two league matches in Indore•ICC via Getty Images

Two Australian players were “touched inappropriately” by a motorcyclist in Indore, where they played South Africa in their final league game of the Women’s World Cup on Saturday. The incident occurred while the players were walking to a cafe on Thursday, the morning after Australia’s victory against England in Indore.”CA can confirm two members of the Australian Women’s team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a cafe in Indore,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. “The matter was reported by team security to police, who are handling the matter.”Rajesh Dandotiya, the additional district commissioner of police, Indore crime branch, said they had made an arrest. “The security in-charge manager of the Australian team registered a complaint about inappropriate behaviour against two players. We carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit, Aqeel. He belongs to Khajrana but now lives in Azad Nagar. He has an old criminal record.”The Indore Police Commissionerate held a meeting with the stakeholders, BCCI and MPCA, after which security protocols were put in place. We are examining where the security protocol was breached. The incident happened on October 23 around 11am and within the next six hours, we carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit. The incident happened when they were headed to a cafe from hotel Radisson.”Devajit Saikia, BCCI secretary, described the incident as “very condemnable” and assured to “revisit our safety protocols if required.”The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) said in a statement that it was “deeply pained and shocked by the disturbing incident of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour with two players from the Australian Women’s Cricket Team in Indore. No woman should ever have to endure such trauma, and our thoughts and support are with those impacted by this distressing incident. This unfortunate event has deeply affected everyone from MPCA who cherishes the values of respect, safety, and dignity of women. It is truly inspiring to see the players rise above this painful experience and continue to compete with courage and determination, carrying the pride of their nation on their shoulders in the match against South Africa.”Over the years, Indore has earned a proud reputation as a safe venue for the visiting teams and dignitaries from other fields. It is deeply painful that the disorderly action of one individual has caused such harm and cast a shadow over the city’s image. As the host, MPCA extends sincere apologies to the Australian Women’s team for this deeply distressing and unfortunate incident while in our city known for safety, grace, and hospitality.”Australia ended the league stage on top of the World Cup points table and will play India in the second semi-final on October 30 in Navi Mumbai. South Africa will travel to Guwahati to play England in the first semi-final on October 29.

Arsenal have now reportedly joined Liverpool in the race to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace, as contract talks continue to drag on between the striker and the South London club.

The Gunners return from the international break looking to get back to winning ways after entering it off the back of a dramatic 2-2 draw against Sunderland and it doesn’t get much bigger than the North London derby. Up against rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Mikel Arteta’s side will be aiming to prove their title credentials once again and at least maintain their four-point lead at the top.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the derby, Arteta reiterated just how big a rivalry it is, saying: “It’s just different. it’s a big city, but it’s a big rivalry; it’s a part of London that we want to conquer, and they want to do the same.

“There’s been a lot of shifts as well over the years, we’ve been more dominant and it’s just beautiful, especially when we play at home in front of our people, we know what it means to them.

“The energy that they’re going to bring, the energy that the team is going to bring in every single action, it’s just a privilege to play those kind of games. We cannot wait to get to Sunday.”

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It marks the beginning of a crucial week for Arsenal, who have the small task of playing host to Bayern Munich just days after the Tottenham clash before then travelling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. Three points from three in such a run would highlight just how serious the Gunners are about winning major honours.

In their current run, it would also be difficult for many players to turn Arsenal down and that may even be the case for Palace star Mateta.

Arsenal join race to sign Mateta

According to Caught Offside, Arsenal have now joined the race to sign Mateta from Crystal Palace in what could be their second major signing from the Eagles following their recent move for Eberechi Eze.

The Frenchman is set to become a free agent in 2027 and with contract talks yet to reach a resolution, the South London club may be forced to cash in sooner or later – allowing the Gunners to make their move.

A player who’s already been on the scoresheet at the Emirates in the past, Mateta could yet get the chance to wheel away in celebration every week in North London. Such a move would certainly be well-earned, too. From initial struggles, the 28-year-old has become one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

PL stats 25/26

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Viktor Gyokeres

Minutes

959

800

Goals

6

4

Assists

0

0

Expected Goals

8.1

4.6

There’s a reason why Palace boss Oliver Glasner has dubbed his star striker “excellent” in the past and the comparison with Gyokeres shows the level that he’s operating at. If Arsenal want to ensure that their goalscoring problems are ended for good, then they should sign the Palace star.

Arsenal hold talks with £71m ex-Man Utd star after post-Old Trafford transformation

Hall of Fame infielder Ryne Sandberg's prostate cancer has returned and spread, he announced Tuesday in a statement on Instagram.

"Unfortunately we recently learned the cancer has relapsed, and it has spread to other organs. This means that I’m back to more intensive treatment. We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me and my family," Sandberg wrote.

Sandberg initially announced his prostate cancer diagnosis on Jan. 22—later announcing he was cancer-free in August. In that span, he was honored with a statue in Gallagher Way near Wrigley Field.

"Ryne is an inspiration to cancer survivors everywhere," Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. "I know all Cubs fans join my family and me in sending positive thoughts to Ryne and keeping him and his family in our prayers as he faces this next round of treatments to defeat cancer."

Sandberg played 16 years in MLB—one with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981 and 15 with the Cubs from 1982 to '94 and 1996 to '97. With Chicago, he made 10 All-Star teams and won seven Silver Sluggers.