"It's never the plan as a footballer to have played for as many clubs as I have." Esther Morgan cannot quite hide the smile on her face as she considers her recent transfer history. The Wales full-back joined Bristol City this summer, her seventh club since 2021 and she is still aged only 23. As a Tottenham Hotspur player she had loan spells at Leicester City, Coventry United and Sunderland before a move to Scottish side Hearts in 2023.
Physical fights between teammates are nothing new in football. Newcastle's Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer were famously sent off for trading blows on the pitch in 2005, before issuing grovelling apologies after the game. John Hartson kicked his West Ham teammate Eyal Berkovic in the face during a training-ground bust-up in 1998, with the midfielder claiming: If my head had been a ball, it would have been in the top corner of the net. Robinho once took a pop at Thomas Gravesen during a Real Madrid training session in 2006. The Dane responded, and was sold that summer to Celtic.
Ronald Koeman described the Premier League as "the best competition" in world football following his team selection for the Netherlands' upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The Netherlands take on Poland this Thursday before travelling to S. Dariaus ir S. Gireno stadionas to face Lithuania three days later in their two Group G clashes this month. Koeman's side are unbeaten so far from their two group games, thrashing Malta 8-0 before Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries sealed a 2-0 triumph over Finland in June.
Chelsea and Strasbourg are allowed to sell players to each other despite being in the same multi-club ownership portfolio. In June 2023, the Ligue 1 club was bought by BlueCo, a consortium headed by American businessman Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali for 65m. There are significant connections between Chelsea and Strasbourg, who are managed by Englishman Liam Rosenior, with goalkeeper Mike Penders, Kendry Paez and Mamadou Sarr all on loan from Stamford Bridge.
Posted up against a wall of the air-conditioned gym at Peach Jam in mid-July, Tulane coach Ron Hunter prepared to greet an approaching SEC colleague, expecting a handshake and pleasantries. But his powerhouse peer had other intentions for the interaction with Hunter, who has developed multiple players who have transferred to elite programs -- including former Duke star Sion James -- in recent years. "He came over to me and he said, 'Ron, you're doing a hell of a job ... getting kids ready for our level,'" Hunter told ESPN at the basketball camp in North Augusta, South Carolina. "And I didn't know whether to be mad or to say thank you."
What happened was extremely serious and extremely violent, something I've never encountered before. We had to take a decision because what happened went way beyond what is acceptable in a football club, as it would be in any organisation. I wasn't in the dressing room but the staff told me it was incredible, violent, aggressive and went beyond any limits.
Eddie Howe's diplomatic communication style and keen insight into player dynamics uniquely equip him to handle sensitive situations like the one with Alexander Isak. Despite this, he acknowledges losing control over the striker's situation as Isak pushes for a transfer to Liverpool, going so far as to train alone and face fines for missing team activities.
