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Barcola – the ‘grasshopper’ who has overcome setbacks
Bradley Barcola, whose move to Liverpool for a reported £123m fee has been agreed, is a French winger whose career nearly stalled before a dramatic turnaround took him to the top of the game. Nicknamed the “grasshopper” for his speed and agility, the 23-year-old was out of favour at Lyon under coach Laurent Blanc in…
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Antonio helps young Ghanaians chase Premier League dreams
Samba Stars Academy, a Ghanaian youth football academy backed by former West Ham and Nottingham Forest striker Michail Antonio, has brought a squad of teenage players to England for two and a half months in a bid to earn them professional contracts. The trip is unusual, as scouts typically travel to west Africa rather than…
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‘I’ve had a very hectic career’: Mario Balotelli on Italian football’s troubles and his future
Mario Balotelli, now 36 and playing for Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, reflects with unusual candour and maturity on his turbulent career, Italian football’s decline, and his reasons for moving to the Middle East. The interview matters as a rare moment of self-aware reflection from a player often remembered for unfulfilled potential, offering insight into both…
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Flex your football brain with our daily quizzes
BBC Sport is promoting its regular set of daily interactive football quizzes, inviting readers to test their football knowledge across three separate formats. This is a recurring feature rather than a news story, designed to engage fans with trivia set by BBC Sport staff and contributors. The offering includes a “guess the footballer” game that…
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A French mum, ‘no good player’ dad and Welsh tears
Wales prop Stella Orrin has spoken about her emotional rise to senior international rugby, having made her debut off the bench against the Barbarians in June. The 20-year-old tight-head, whose mother is French, said the occasion was “the best day of my life so far” and that she was overcome with tears both when told…
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‘Unbelievable’ – Stephenson & Bellow react to Hrgovic’s stoppage of Itauma
Moses Itauma’s bid to win the vacant IBF heavyweight title fell short as he was stopped in the ninth round by Filip Hrgovic at London’s O2 Arena, despite dominating much of the fight. The 21-year-old Briton, unbeaten in 14 professional bouts, tired after passing the sixth-round mark for the first time in his career, allowing…
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Sabalenka bids to rediscover form at intriguing US Open
Aryna Sabalenka arrives at the US Open, which starts on Sunday, seeking to defend her title and steady a run of poor form after a stunning start to the season. The 28-year-old Belarusian completed a rare Indian Wells-Miami “Sunshine Double” in the spring and built a 3,000-point lead atop the world rankings, but has since…
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Russia-Nato jitters, OpenAI-Cursor split, GTA6 stream smashes records
Putin met Lukashenko in Moscow amid fears Russia could test Nato’s resolve near Poland, while OpenAI pulled its models from Cursor over Musk’s SpaceXAI takeover; GTA6’s gameplay reveal drew nearly four million viewers, and Mourinho backed Mbappé for the Ballon d’Or.
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Return of historic Bayeux Travesty descended into farce when French police barred British museum bosses from train taking it through Channel Tunnel
The return of the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain reportedly turned into a diplomatic muddle when French police at Calais banned British Museum officials, French politicians and journalists from travelling on the freight train carrying the tapestry through the Channel Tunnel, despite two prior rehearsal border crossings. The 11th-century embroidery, on loan to the British Museum…
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Hovland leads Tour Championship as Scheffler and McIlroy impress
Viktor Hovland holds a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the PGA Tour’s $40m Tour Championship in Atlanta, where he is also chasing a second FedEx Cup title having won it in 2023. The Norwegian carded a five-under 65, birdieing the last two holes, to move to 15 under, while American Ryan Gerard…