Month: March 2023

L’Équipe report this morning that Paris Saint-Germain are looking to make another two to three signings this summer, although the Ligue 1 champions will need to sell first.

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One of the profiles being targeted is a physical midfielder, with Christophe Galtier and Luís Campos considering that the squad’s midfield options were lacking an imposing presence barring that of Danilo. The name of their priority signing has yet to transpire, although it does not appear to be Séko Fofana of Lens – instead, the target is a player who is currently abroad but has Ligue 1 experience. 

However, any signing moving forward would be subject to the club moving players on. Antero Henrique is looking to streamline the squad to a group of 24 to 25 players, as asked for by Galtier. Although some on the club’s transfer list look close to leaving – Georginio Wijnaldum to Roma, Leandro Paredes to Juventus, Idrissa Gueye to Everton – others are no closer to a move. The likes of Mauro Icardi, Layvin Kurzawa, Julian Draxler, Rafinha, Thilo Kehrer, Ander Herrera look no closer to going out the exit door. PSG, who have an €80m budget this summer, are looking to sign players on loans with options to buy or permanent transfer to be paid in instalments, as Campos expects the window to heat up in terms of departures in late August.

On arriving as sporting advisor, Campos had set out to complete the signing of a right-back, one to two central defenders, three midfielders and a forward. He missed out on Robert Lewandowski, who opted to join Barcelona, while Milan Škriniar looks closer to renewing with Inter than moving across the Alps. The club is nevertheless remaining hopeful of siging the Slovakian international as well as a forward with a similar profile to that of the former Bayern Munich man.

The Wallabies failed to capture the type of win that can launch a World Cup campaign, falling 30-29 to France in heartbreaking scenes in the city of love.Make no mistake, they showed when they are on their game they can match it with the best in the World.But once again, a lack of execution late in both halves came back to haunt them as France struck, leaving fans to wonder what could’ve been.So what did we learn from the match?1.What could have beenThe Wallabies will be frustrated they couldn’t close that game out, missing the perfect opportunity to produce the statement victory that was so needed.It’s just another case of a close game going against the visitors, unable to tighten up as Damian Penaud exposed some weak defence down the short side to send the Paris crowd rapid.There was plenty to like from the performance as they played with flair and produced great maul defence to shut down the French pack.They also remained composed and didn't look outmatched when France produced an aerial assault.But it’s those clutch moments that continue to haunt the side as they once again fail to produce back-to-back wins. 2. Try of the YearYou will struggle to find a better try than Lalakai Foketi’s in the 18th minute.It was a perfect display of running Rugby as Tom Wright showcased his pace to get outside of his man.This combined with perfect placement from Jock Campbell and Foketi left the host crowd stunned as the Wallabies flipped momentum to put themselves on the front foot.It's the type of Rugby that will delight any fan, providing plenty of confidence for the rest of the tour and beyond.3. No Jo(c)keJock Campbell proved he can match it with the best at the International level.He was reliable in attack, showing the underrated pace to get on the outside of Romain Ntameck to put the Wallabies in front late.Not only that, he was calm under the high ball and made little mistakes, a point of difference after the Wallabies' early struggles in 2022.He was kicking himself after missing the tackle on Penaud but that doesn’t take away from a shining starting debut.4. Shooting themselves in the footThe Wallabies remain their own worse enemy at times, particularly before and after half-time.It’s been a common theme for Dave Rennie’s men and it once again hurt them after a strong first half. Instead of keeping the ball in close and playing for the siren, Bernard Foley’s pass found no one and gifted France one last chance to attack.There’s a reason Les Blues are considered the best team in the world by several pundits, including Wallabies coach Dave Rennie, striking to flip momentum and take a 19-13 lead into the break after some easy penalties allowed Thomas Ramos to boot penalty after penaltyIt’s the second week in a row loose passing has gifted opposition easy points after Kinghorn’s grubber and try, ultimately proving the difference.5. Instant impactWill Skelton justified his selection on the bench, producing some much-needed impact when the Wallabies needed itHis first injection was to force a mistake from the French rolling maul whilst he put his hand up countless times for key hit-ups.It was the type of form that has made him a superstar in the Top 14, delivering on the potential he mentioned during the week.He will get the chance to further his case next week against Italy, pencilled in to start in FlorenceClick Here: cheap adidas men shoes

This article is taken from GFFN’s FREE 63-page 2022/23 Ligue 1 Season Preview Guide, download yours in full right here.

Key Man: Florent Ogier – Aside from 33-year-old veteran defender Florent Ogier, Clermont start the season with a completely reconstituted defence. Last season’s flying full-backs, the now departed Vital N’Simba (Bordeaux) and Akim Zedadka (Lille) became a low-key yet impressive success story last season, but this area of the team is now largely under construction and something of an unknown. Ogier, a streetwise, solid if one-dimensional defender by Ligue 1 standards will have to direct three newcomers. New right-back Mehdi Zeffane at least has Ligue 1 know-how but he’s meandered his way around Russia and Turkey since leaving his fringe role at Rennes in 2019. New goalkeeper Mory Diaw, a PSG youth graduate, was relegated with Lausanne in Switzerland last season, as was new left-back Neto Borges with Tondela in Portugal. Ogier’s new centre-back partner, Mateusz Wieteska, at least has handy European experience with Legia Warsaw and a Poland cap. Ogier, meanwhile, will be tasked with finding cohesion within this eclectic new group despite various language barriers. Although a wiley campaigner, as with many of the team’s senior players, coach Pascal Gastien is likely asking far too much of Ogier. If Clermont stay up, it’ll be because Ogier succeeded.

Signing To Watch: Maxime Gonalons – Having lost top scorer Mohamed Bayo’s 14 goals to Lille, Clermont will need to improve defensively if Gastien’s side are to stand any chance of survival. Now 33, after a tour of Europe via Roma, Sevilla and Granada, former Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons will be crucial to the effort. With the coach’s son Yohan an able partner at the base of midfield, the expansive Clermont of last season will likely have to be reigned in significantly due to decreasingly quality and Gonalons’ calming influence and technical ability will be needed to tighten and pacify a previously porous back line that conceded 69 goals last term. His is Clermont’s sole major signing this summer, a concern for a team that only mustered 36 points last year, and his 242 Ligue 1 appearances represent a sizeable chunk of Les Lanciers’ top-flight experience. It’s a tall order for the Frenchman, however, as, despite his quality, he’s noticeably slowed in recent times and he’ll need more support to arrive before the end of the window if his club are to have a realistic chance of staying up.

Squad Analysis: Despite keeping largely the same squad that won promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in the club’s history two seasons ago, Clermont enter this season even weaker than they started the last. After a strong start, they narrowly avoided relegation – although their 17th place finish would mean automatic demotion this time around – as they were quickly found and picked part. In a completely overhauled, and increasingly questionable-looking, defence, they lack depth and experience. Although their midfield has been strengthened by Gonalons, replacing the assured Salis Abdel Hamid who left for Lens, many of his partners like Saif-Eddine Khaoui and Yohan Magnin lack Ligue 1 quality. There are pacey, skilful if flaky options in the wider forward areas via Jim Allevinah, Jodel Dossou and Elbasan Rashani, all of whom had their moments last season, but such a weak team behind them will make it difficult to provide the same consistent stream of openings. Despite a handful of highlights, Gastien’s group resembles a Ligue 2 squad, and an average one at that.

Strengths: Gastien was credited with sticking to his guns last season, continuing with the same style that carried Clermont to promotion to Ligue 1. His side were usually bold and always unfazed by the league’s more illustrious actors, imposing themselves in midfield and using the ball neatly, progressively and precisely, especially out wide. The main components of that move construction remain and the intelligence and technical wherewithal of Gastien (the player), Allevinah, Dossou, attacking midfielder Jason Berthomier and Rashani suggests that Clermont are capable of creating chances and keeping possession better than their direct rivals, despite losing their base from which to build. Meanwhile, taking any chances that arrival is another matter.

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Weaknesses: Without Bayo, who was responsible for many of the club’s more memorable moments last term, Gastien’s attacking options are thinning. Although Allevinah and friends are capable of creating moments, replacing the 14 goals Bayo managed last season – the most in the bottom half of the table – seems impossible as things stand. Andric Komnen joined from Dinamo Zagreb as a replacement but his 12 goals in 42 games there doesn’t inspire confidence.

Verdict: Clermont were fortunate to stay up last season. If the season had been a couple of games longer they likely would have continued their inexorable slide down the table and through the Ligue 2 trapdoor. A smash and grab start of two wins and two draws from their opening four games effectively kept them up. This year, however, the element of surprise has gone and four automatic relegation spots seems to make an even weaker squad’s task close to impossible. First up: Lionel Messi, Neymar and PSG.

Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Napoli midfielder Fabián Ruiz (26) is nearing a move to Ligue 1 champions PSG with the two clubs still negotiating the final fee. 

According to Romano, Ruiz will not extend his current deal with the Serie A side, which expires next summer, whilst the player has also already agreed to join the Parisian club. 

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There have been renewed, direct contracts between the two clubs in order to finalise the deal with discussions being held over the final fee. A deal is now “considered a matter of time.” 

In addition, Keylor Navas (35) is also “a part of the negotiation,” and could therefore be included in the deal that takes Ruiz to the Parc des Princes. Manager Christophe Galtier earlier revealed Navas’ desire to leave the club as he had no desire to play the role of the number two goalkeeper for the upcoming season. 

England and New Zealand will go head-to-head in the "greatest women's rugby event ever", capping a World Cup which has boosted the profile of women's rugby and is book-ended by sell-out crowds at Eden Park.Almost 40,000 fans filled the iconic Auckland stadium for matches on the opening day and more will be present on Saturday for the final, which kicks-off at 5.30pm AEDT. The pace of ticket sales increased markedly when New Zealand held on to beat France 25-24 in last weekend's semi-final, and extra seating has been added to meet demand.Around 2.6 million fans worldwide watched live coverage of the 2017 final in which New Zealand beat England 41-32 – the audience for Saturday's final is expected to eclipse that number.Final figures are not yet available but the expected world-record crowd on Saturday should take overall attendance for the tournament close to 200,000."Rugby World Cup 2021 has proven to be a triumph for rugby, women's sport and New Zealand," World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said. "On and off the field, records have tumbled, personalities have been projected and barriers smashed as the stars of women's rugby have shone brightly, underscored by two incredible semi-finals."Beaumont, a former England men's captain, said the tournament had been "the greatest women's rugby event ever and an inspiration for girls and boys".Tournament director Michelle Hooper said the event had unfolded as if perfectly scripted, with tight semi-finals leading to a dream final between world No.1 England and defending champions New Zealand."What we saw during the semi-finals was arguably the greatest spectacle of international rugby this country has seen in a very long time," Hooper said. "Those two matches have had an immeasurable impact on the game that we may not see the true results of until generations to come when young girls and boys will talk about those moments."England are attempting to add to a world-record winning streak of 30 Tests that began with a win over New Zealand in 2019. The Kiwis hope to add to their five world titles with a first achieved on home turf.The final offers a classic contrast in styles between England's hard-nosed forwards and their daunting rolling maul, and New Zealand's always-joyous back play made sharper by a number of world sevens series stars.England captain Sarah Hunter will play her 140th test on Saturday, extending her record as rugby's most-capped female player. She said there was a sense of calm in the England camp."We're just going to go in and play without fear because there's many things you'll never experience in life and for some that's to play in a Rugby World Cup final," she said.New Zealand winger Ruby Tui has become one of the stars of the tournament for her exuberance on and off the field. She sees Saturday's final as a milestone on the long road towards recognition for women's rugby, recalling the start of that journey 12 years ago."Imagine this," Tui said. "Nobody knows who the Black Ferns are. Nobody knows what they look like. Nobody follows women's rugby."We were told, 'You will never be paid'. We were told, 'We're not going to give you Eden Park for the World Cup. We'll give you somewhere that holds 5000 because you're not going to sell it out. Women's rugby doesn't matter'."Here we are 12 years later. Eden Park's sold out, bro."Click Here: NRL Telstra Premiership

According to L’Équipe AS Monaco’s new loan signing from Chelsea Malang Sarr is included in Monaco’s match day squad with Benoît Badiashile also returning to the side. Both will be vying for spot in the starting line-up later today. 

AS Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell revealed  yesterday that Malang Sarr (23) hasn’t been signed on loan from Chelsea with a view to allowing Benoît Badiashile (21) to leave the club. 

Speaking during Sarr’s unveiling at the club’s training complex in La Turbie, Mitchell was questioned as to whether the Chelsea defender’s arrival opens the door for a departure for Badiashile. Mitchell replied, “That’s definitely not our idea. That’s not the reason we bought in Malang. The reasoning is very transparent for me. We want a competitive squad and real competition running throughout the team.”

The Chelsea defender returns to France two years after leaving his formative club and hometown Nice, where he had made his debut at 17 and went on to make more than a century of appearances. He signed a 5-year deal and leaves Chelsea having struggled for playing time, making just eight appearances last year in the league in the face of tough competition in the Blues’ backline.

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Sevens vice-captain Henry Hutchison believes there's never been a more competitive HSBC World Series circuit as they prepare to back up their Hong Kong heroics in Dubai.The Aussies' started their title defence in perfect fashion, claiming the historic opener after a last-minute winner against Fiji.VOTE FOR EMILY CHANCELLOR AND LALAKAI FOKETI FOR WORLD RUGBY TRY OF THE YEARIt leaves John Manenti's side heading into back-to-back legs in Dubai and Cape Town in an unfamiliar position as the 'hunted.'Whilst their brand and culture has been built off the 'misfits' tag, it's a target Hutchison welcomes as the team embraces the pressure.“There’s definitely a target on our back, a lot of teams will be coming for us after Hong Kong but we relish and welcome that,” he said to Rugby.com.au.“We’re going to have to be disciplined to keep it up because Sevens is such a difficult game, a different team turns up every event so you can’t be switched off for any game.“We need to just keep consistent, back ourselves and love each other because there’s a lot of love in this team and that’s probably what’s getting us over the line.“I think we always laugh to Johnny at training  ‘don’t put our backs to the wall, we’ll perform, don’t do it.’ We love that pressure and when the chips are down.“It brings the best out of us and that was evident over the weekend and it makes for a good story.”Australia have been drawn in Pool A for Dubai on December 2-3, slated to face powerhouses South Africa, Great Britain and Kenya.In most other seasons, those combinations of teams would be considered the 'Pool of Death', however, the nature of the Series is essentially every pool carries that moniker.Following their early exit last round, New Zealand slots into Pool B alongside World Cup winners Fiji and Vancouver champions Argentina, ensuring one of those three won't qualify for the knock-out stages.This stresses the importance of consistency, the key trait that guided them to last year's title, with no game an easy one as they hunt for back-to-back event victories for the first time since 2001.“It’s amazing,” Hutchison said. “I think there’s ten teams that can win it at any tournament. If you don’t make the quarter-finals and you end up playing New Zealand in the ninth-place final, it seems pretty ridiculous “One of us, NZ or Samoa weren’t making the top eight and that’s going to happen in Dubai. “The teams are stacked and it’s a great product for World Rugby, look at Uruguay, it was their first tournament and they were knocking off teams like Great Britain, they got three wins and were fantastic. It’s those minnow teams that are pushing the bigger nations to stay on their game and it’s making for a really competitive sport.“It’s unbelievable. I can’t remember a team when you had so many teams that could win,” coach John Manenti added.“It’s hard and tough, every tournament is going to be hard-fought and no gimmes. There’s no time in-between as well, it’s less than two weeks before we head to Dubai and Cape Town and then we get a couple weeks before Sydney and Hamilton.“You just have to be in the fight every time.”Manenti remains hopeful Matt Gonzalez will be fit for the final two legs of 2022, missing Hong Kong due to a hamstring injury, with James Turner (ankle), Nathan Lawson (shoulder) and Darby Lancaster (face/shin) managing knocks. Click Here: nrl jerseys

Bordeaux striker M’Baye Niang (27) is set to sign for Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre. The Senegalese forward could complete his move as early as tomorrow, according to RMC. 

There remain “some details to be sorted” before Niang becomes an Auxerre player, but the transfer should be quickly concluded. He could arrive at the club tomorrow in order to sign his contract with the side who have picked up one point from their opening two Ligue 1 matches. 

Last season, Niang scored three goals in 22 Ligue 1 matches for Bordeaux as the side dropped down into Ligue 2. It is unclear what fee Bordeaux will achieve for the transfer, but the Senegalese international only has one-year remaining on his current deal. 

The nomadic striker has previously had spells at AC Milan, Watford, Stade Rennais, Montpellier and Torino. Niang only spent one season at Bordeaux having joined on a free from Rennes last summer. 

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Former Toulouse scrum-half Samuel Marques nailed a last minute penalty to secure a 16-16 draw with the USA on Friday which handed Portugal the 20th and last place in the 2023 Rugby World Cup.The draw in Dubai was enough for the Portuguese to win the final qualifying tournament at the expense of the much-fancied Americans who will sit out the tournament in France next year. VOTE FOR EMILY CHANCELLOR AND LALAKAI FOKETI FOR WORLD RUGBY TRY OF THE YEARThe Portuguese, who had already hammered Hong Kong (42-14) and Kenya (85-0), qualified with a far superior points difference.They will make their second appearance at the finals – and their second in France, having also qualified in 2007.Portugal will play in Pool C with Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia. "It's hard to explain, it's one of the best feelings in the world," said Portugal captain Tomas Appleton. "For the rugby community this is amazing. We've been missing for quite some time and we need a new generation to inspire the kids."Portugal, who are coached by former France flyer Patrice Lagisquet, were fortunate even to be in the final repechage tournament, benefitting from Spain's disqualification for fielding an ineligible player.It is a major disappointment for the United States who had already missed a chance to qualify this summer by failing in the play-off against Chile, who are through to their first World Cup. It is only the second edition they will have missed, having also failed to qualify for the 1995 event in South Africa.Boosted by the presence of a number of France-based players, many of whom play in the second division, Portugal scored the first try through Beziers wing Raffaele Storti.The boot of Bristol Bears outside-half AJ MacGinty kept the Eagles in touch and a try by hooker Kapeli Pifeleti on the hour gave them the lead.Cometh the moment, however, cometh Marques. The 33-year-old, who played 88 Top 14 matches for Pau, Toulouse and Brive before moving to second division Carcassonne last season, hit the post with an attempted drop goal as Os Lobos pressed for the draw. He kept his cool, however, and moments later he had a second chance. Using all his experience, he leathered the late penalty, the last kick of the game, between the posts to tie it up at 16-16 and send Portugal to the World Cup. Click Here: southern kings rugby jersey

Whilst Houssem Aouar (24) has a “total agreement” in place to join newly-promoted Nottingham Forest, the Premier League club haven’t met Lyon’s asking price, and Crystal Palace are now set to join the hunt for the player, according to L’Équipe. 

Earlier in the week, sources contacted by Get French Football News revealed that the agents of Aouar had a provisional contract in place with Nottingham Forest. That then turned into a “total agreement” on Tuesday, according to RMC.

However, Nottingham Forest have yet to agree a fee with Lyon. The Ligue 1 club want €15m for the midfielder, but Nottingham Forest’s last offer was only €10m, which also included sell-on bonuses. L’Équipe report that the €15m fee isn’t “inaccessible” to Nottingham Forest, even though they have already signed 14 players this summer. 

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Nottingham Forest could soon face competition for Aouar’s signature. Crystal Palace have now also shown an interest.