United News of Bangladesh

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has ligament damage in his right knee, the club said Wednesday without giving a time frame for his potential absence. The Spain international, who is among the favorites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world, limped off after 20 minutes of the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. The 28-year-old Rodri traveled to Spain on Monday to seek specialist consultation on the problem and City has confirmed he “suffered a ligament injury.” “Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis,” the English champions said. City manager Pep Guardiola said Tuesday he expects to be without Rodri for "a long time" but revealed there were "some opinions that it will be less than we expect.” “We’re waiting for the last phone calls from the doctors to know exactly what definitely he has and the type of surgery he has to get,” Guardiola said after City's 2-1 win over Watford in the English League Cup. Rodri’s absence is a major blow to City’s ambitions of winning a record-extending fifth straight Premier League title this season as he is arguably the team’s most important player because of how he protects the defense and conducts its passing game. His importance to Guardiola’s team was underlined last season when City lost four of nine games without the inspirational midfielder in all competitions. By comparison, City lost just one of 50 games with him in the team. Guardiola said Tuesday that Rodri is the “best midfielder in the world” and described him as “irreplaceable.” Rodri fell to the ground in pain after jostling with Arsenal’s Thomas Partey in the box at a corner and immediately called for help. He was starting a game for the second time this season after being granted an extended break by City following the European Championship, which Rodri won with Spain in July. He was also voted player of the tournament at Euro 2024. Just last week, Rodri said top players could soon go on strike because of the number of games they are being asked to play as new competitions are introduced to an already-packed soccer calendar and matches are added to existing tournaments. The Champions League has been expanded this season with two more games for each club in a new-look league stage in the first round. Next year’s expanded Club World Cup will be a 32-team event for the first time and is slated to take place during the offseason for many major leagues, in June-July. The new Club World Cup format has prompted a legal challenge from players’ unions. On Tuesday, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said the risk of more injuries to top players was “almost unavoidable” because of the increased demands on players.

Former France and Real Madrid center back Raphael Varane announced his retirement on Wednesday, ending a career that included a World Cup title and a big haul of club trophies. The 31-year-old Varane signed with promoted Serie A club Como in July but injured his knee during his only appearance with the club — an Italian Cup match against Sampdoria last month. “In my career I have taken on many challenges, rose to occasion after occasion, almost all of it was supposed to be impossible,” Varane wrote on Instagram. “Reflecting on these moments, it is with immense pride and a feeling of fulfillment that I am announcing my retirement from the game that we all love.” Varane was arguably the tournament’s standout defender when France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he scored the most important of his five international goals with a header against Uruguay in the quarterfinals. An elegant, ball-playing defender with excellent positional sense thanks to his quick reading of the game, Varane formed a solid center back pairing with Samuel Umtiti in that tournament. He also helped Madrid to four Champions League titles and three Spanish league trophies. He moved to Manchester United in 2021 but was restricted to 95 appearances in his three seasons in England — mainly because of injuries. Varane began his career at Lens. “From Lens to Madrid to Manchester, and playing for our national team. I have defended every badge with everything I have, and loved every minute of the journey,” Varane said. “I have no regrets, I wouldn’t change a thing. I have won more than I could have even dreamed of." Varane had already retired from France's national team, a few months after the World Cup final defeat to Argentina in 2022. During that match, his 93rd for Les Bleus after making his debut in 2013, he fell to the ground exhausted deep into extra time. Over the years he became one of the main leaders in the France team under coach Didier Deschamps, along with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, midfielder Paul Pogba and forward Antoine Griezmann. “Knowing him, I know that this decision, which is always difficult to take, came after mature reflection,” Deschamps said. “It's therefore the right decision, which we must respect. Speed, vision, technique, mental strength, Raphaël had all the right qualities to achieve the magnificent career that was his.” Varane played a total of 22 matches in major tournaments. “I will remember a player who was focused on others and on the team. He had a perfect rapport with captain Hugo Lloris,” Deschamps said. “In the national team, and wherever he went, he always left the impression of being a great professional.” Varane said he would remain at Como: “Just without using my boots and shin pads. Something I am looking forward to sharing more about soon.” Como got its first Serie A victory in more than 21 years when coach Cesc Fabregas’ team won 3-2 at Atalanta on Tuesday.

Neymar is not ready for an imminent return to play for Al-Hilal, the head coach of the Saudi Arabian club has announced. The Brazilian star signed for the Riyadh team in August 2023 but played just five games when he underwent surgery after rupturing his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee while on international duty in October. After Neymar, 32, returned to training in July, speculation grew that he was close to a return but coach Jorge Jesus dampened expectations in a post-match media conference. “Neymar is an important player for Al-Hilal and the league in general,” Jesus, who led Al-Hilal to a 19th league title in May, said on Tuesday. “I can’t, however, specify a date as to when he will return but we will look at the situation in January.” Neymar will be able to be registered by Al-Hilal in January for the second half of the Saudi Pro League (SPL ) season. With SPL teams allowed to register a maximum of eight foreign players over the age of 21, Neymar’s place in the roster for the first half of the league campaign was taken by Marcos Leonardo, signed from Benfica earlier in September. Upon return to fitness Neymar, whose two-year contract ends next August, is eligible, however, to appear in Al-Hilal’s ongoing AFC Champions League Elite campaign as the continental competition has no restrictions on the number of foreign players allowed.

Bangladesh reached the semifinal Group A of the seven- nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-17 Championship as India crushed the Maldives by 3-0 goals in their last group match at the Changlimithang Stadium in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu on Tuesday. With the day's well merited victory, defending champions India not only stormed into the semifinal of the meet with an all-win record securing full six points but also made a passage for Bangladesh to the semifinal at the cost of the Maldives. Before the day's match, the semifinal berth of Bangladesh under huge threat as they played 1-1 draw with Islanders Maldives after conceding 0-1 goal defeat against India in the injury time. Winless Bangladesh, which bagged only a point from both the group matches, waiting for India's 2-0 win over the Maldives to assure their semifinal berth and finally achieved their target as the Group A runners up at the coffin of the Islanders. Maldives was eliminated from the meet due to poor goal differences despite collecting one point from two matches like Bangladesh. In Group B, both Pakistan and hosts Bhutan secured the semifinal berth securing four points each, but the group champions and runners-up will be finalized after their last group matches on Wednesday. Pakistan will play Sri Lanka at 1:30 pm while hosts Bhutan will face Nepal at 5:30 pm on the day to decide the group fate. In the semifinals on Sept 28, Group A champions India will play Group B runners up at 2pm while Group B champions will face Group A runners Bangladesh at 6pm both at the same venue. The final match will be held on Sept 30 at 6pm.  

The Bangladesh- origin English footballer Hamza Dewan Choudhury finally got" no objection" from England Football Association to play for the Bangladesh team. Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) sought no objection from England FA to play Hamza for Bangladesh team in the 4th week of last month and finally got it recently after waiting for about three weeks. BFF general secretary Emran Hossain Tushar confirmed it on Tuesday. Hamza, an English professional footballer cum defensive midfielder of English premier league club Leicester City FC, needed clearance from England FA to play for Bangladesh team as he had played for England Youth U-21 team earlier  The 26-year-old footballer from Leicester City had expressed his desire to represent Bangladesh at the international level and got his Bangladeshi passport from Bangladesh High Commission in London earlier. Soon after having no objection from the England Football Association, the BFF applied to  FIFA players status committee with necessary documents for the permission to let Hamza into the Bangladesh team. After getting the green signal from FIFA committee, Hamza have no other restriction to play for Bangladesh national  team, likely in November window.    

Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has been fined Tk 50 lakh for manipulating share prices, as confirmed by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC). Currently in India representing the Bangladesh national team, Shakib was found guilty of the allegations during a meeting held on Tuesday, presided over by BSEC President Khondoker Rashed Maqsood. According to a BSEC press release, the fine was imposed for breaching the Securities Act by manipulating the share price of Paramount Insurance Company Ltd. Other individuals were also fined in connection with the matter. This incident marks another setback for Shakib, who previously served in parliament under the government led by Sheikh Hasina, which was ousted by a student-led uprising in July-August of this year. Additionally, Shakib has recently been implicated in a murder case. Case documents alleged that he was involved in ordering the killings of protesters during the student-led movement. However, he has not been convicted in court, nor has any arrest warrant been issued against him.

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is facing a long spell on the sidelines after his club said Monday that he sustained a “complete rupture” of a tendon in his right knee that requires surgery. Ter Stegen left the field on a stretcher after getting injured in a 5-1 win over Villarreal in the Spanish league on Sunday. Ter Stegen’s right knee buckled when he fell awkwardly after going for a high cross into the area just before halftime. Barcelona said that surgery on Ter Stegen's knee was planned Monday after tests confirmed “that he has a complete rupture in the patella tendon in his right knee.” The injury comes just as Ter Stegen had been confirmed as the German national team’s No. 1 goalkeeper after years as Manuel Neuer’s backup. Neuer retired from international soccer after Euro 2024 and coach Julian Nagelsmann said Ter Stegen — who has played 42 games for Germany but none at a major tournament — would be first choice in the future. However, he only played two Nations League games before his injury. “The news of Marc’s injury was a big shock for us," Nagelsmann said Monday. "We in the national team are going to miss him on and off the field. We wish Marc all the best for the operation and a quick recovery. We’ll always be there for him on his way back.” Germany’s most recent squad included backup goalkeepers Alexander Nübel from Stuttgart and Oliver Baumann from Hoffenheim. Neither has played a game for Germany. The 32-year-old Ter Stegen is one of Barcelona's captains and had started all seven of the team's games this season. His appearance against Villarreal was his 289th with the club, and took him past legendary Antoni Ramallets into third place on the club's all-time list of appearances for goalkeepers. Ter Stegen's immediate backup at Barcelona is Iñaki Peña. The club is expected to add another goalkeeper to its squad. Barcelona is off to a perfect start in the Spanish league by winning all six games so far. Coach Hansi Flick is already without several regular starters because of injury, including Dani Olmo, Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo. “We have to accept it," Flick said of Ter Stegen's injury. "It’s not easy. It was an accident.” Barcelona's next match is against Getafe in the Spanish league on Wednesday.

Bangladesh U-20 Football team made another frustrating 2-2 draw with lowly Guam in their 2nd Group A match of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup' 2025 Qualifiers played at the Lach Tray Stadium in the Vietnamese city of Hai Phong Monday afternoon. In their first group engagement last uuSaturday, the SAFF U-20 champions Bangladesh, suffered a huge 0-4 goals defeat against FIFA ranked 92nd Arabian nation Syria after trailing by 0-2 goals in the first half. In the day's match, the FIFA ranked 186th Bangladesh miserably deprived of a win against FIFA 204th ranked Guam despite of dominating the match twice. The SAFF U-20's best player Mirajul Islam put Bangladesh ahead in the very 6th minute (1-0) while Shuntaro Suzuki leveled the margin for Guam in the 75th minute(1-1). Moinul Islam again put Bangladesh ahead in the 87th minute (2-1) while Curtis Harmon of Guam neutralized match in the injury time (90+1 minute). Earlier, Bangladesh team was placed in five- team Group A of the U-20 Asian Cup with Syria, hosts Vietnam, Bhutan and Guam. In the remaining group matches, Bangladesh will play hosts Vietnam on Friday (Sept 27) and Bhutan on Sunday (Sept 29). Ten Asian group champions along with five best group runners up will qualify for the next round of the AFC U-2O Asian Cup.

Former vice-president of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), renowned politician and businessman Tabith Awal will contest for the hot seat of BFF president in the upcoming election scheduled for October 26. Tabith Awal made this announcement officially at a press conference at a local hotel Monday afternoon. This time Tabith Awal is keen to contest for the presidential post as the former president Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin recently announced that he is not going to contest in the upcoming BFF election after completing his four terms. Tabith was elected as BFF vice-president for two terms in 2012 and 2016 as an independent candidate during the Kazi Salahuddin regime, but lost to Mohiuddin Mohi in the same post in the 2020 election. Tabith is now vying for the presidency in his fourth consecutive election in a comparatively favourable situation. “I’ve competed in the last three elections, and I’m running again—this time for the position of president. I’m confident of my chances,” Tabith said. Tabith, a member of the BNP’s national committee and two-time mayor candidate of Dhaka North City Corporation, expressed his belief in his ability to elevate football in Bangladesh. "I will present my election promises soon. But for now, I can assure you that if I become president, I will bring surprises to the field. I am determined to take football to the next level," he further said. Replying to a question on his previous tenure, Tabith said that he had not faced any major obstacles while serving as vice president. He also highlighted his role as chairman of the BFF’s technical committee, during which many local football coaches were developed under his leadership. However, Another sports organizer-businessman Tarafder Md Ruhul Amin also expressed his intention to contest for BFF president at a press conference last week.

Having won against Pakistan in two consecutive Tests, Bangladesh were expected to challenge India in Chennai in a stronger way. But they failed, losing the first match of the two-match series by a big margin of 280 runs. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the batters needed to step up for good results, but they couldn't. He hopes the batters will play their merit in the next match in Kanpur. Bangladesh's first surprising move was deciding to bowl first after winning the toss, an act not seen in Chennai since 1982. Najmul said they were hoping to use the wicket's moisture early in the morning. Bangladesh fielded three pacers in their side, a decision that yielded a good result in Pakistan. This surely prompted them to do the same in India, expecting the same result. However, in the end, the decision did not work well. Sanjay Manjrekar, an Indian cricket expert and former cricketer, feels a three-pacer attack is not ideal against India. He suggests that Bangladesh would have benefited from including another spinner instead, given India's discomfort against spin when the pitch has a bit of turn. “When you play in India, you don’t want to play three seamers,” Sanjay said as an expert for ESPNcricinfo. “Even if you get a green pitch on day one, by day three or four, the pitch is more conducive to spin, encouraging spin more. So I think two (seamers) are enough.” Sanjay also said he sees Taijul Islam making a place in the next Text which will kick off on September 27th in Kanpur. The former Indian cricketer also said the lean show of Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das is something that he would like to see improvement. “Shakib, Mushfqiur Rahim… I know they are not young as they have been around for a long time, but when a marquee series comes along, they must be mentally tougher, especially Mushfiqur and Litton Das too,” Sanjay said. Before this series, Mushfiqur batted at an average of over 50 against India. But in the last Test in Chennai, he failed to respond when the team required him most. In the first innings of the Chennai Test, India posted 376 thanks to the sixth Test ton by Ravichandran Ashwin. Despite India scoring a big total, Hasan Mahmud of Bangladesh managed to grab some part of the spotlight for his second five-for, which was also the first five-for by a Bangladeshi bowler against India. The pacers have been sparking over the last few series for Bangladesh, but the batters were inconsistent. They replied with a small total of 149 in their first innings, but pushed them to the back seat, from where they never recovered. A 227-run lead in the first innings, handed the steering wheel of the match to India. So for a good result in the second Test in Kanpur, Bangladeshi batters must perform according to plan. If they fail again to do so, they will have little to carry forward from this series.