Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United expect forward to stay despite Chelsea links

Manchester United expect Cristiano Ronaldo to be part of their squad next season despite reports linking him with Chelsea, BBC reported.

The Portuguese forward's agent Jorge Mendes met new Blues chairman Todd Boehly last week and Ronaldo was said to have been part of the discussions.

United sources feel there was nothing untoward in the meeting as Mendes advises a huge number of top players.

They are adamant that the 37-year-old is not for sale.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner still has a year left on his Old Trafford contract and is expected to be a central figure in new manager Erik ten Hag's squad for the coming season.

Ronaldo was one of few players to escape severe criticism at United last term, according to BBC.

However, although he finished third in the Premier League's Golden Boot standings with 18 goals, there were claims that his presence prevented United from adopting a high-pressing game, which contributed to their dismal form.

 

Nepal out from ACC Women's T20 Championship as rain intervenes

Nepal have been eliminated from the 2022 ACC Women's T20 Championship underway in Malaysia after its semi-final against the United Arab Emirates was cancelled during the second innings due to rain.

Following this, Nepal's opportunity to play in the Women's Asia Cup has ended.

After winning the toss, Nepal invited UAE to bat first. With the intent to book a place in the Asia Cup, Nepal bowled it in a style with much vigour.

Nepal restricted UAE to 81 runs in 19.5 overs at the loss of all wickets. But rain intervened before it came out to bat, resulting in the cancellation of the match. So as per the rule of tournament, UAE, the group stage winner with good scores makes it to the final. So it has booked a place in the Asia Cup.

Nepal could take an advantage of the impressive bowling of Ashimina Karmacharya, who took five wickets single handedly. Similarly, Indu Barma picked up three wickets and Sita Rana two.

Categorised into Group 'B', during the group stage, Nepal won three matches against Bhutan, Kuwait and Bahrain and conceded a defeat against Hong Kong.

World Cup 2022: Fifa approves 26-man squads for Qatar tournament

Fifa has approved 26-man squads for this year's World Cup in Qatar, BBC reported.

The move is in line with recent national competitions and is an expansion on the 23-man squads that had been used before the coronavirus pandemic.

Fifa also said up to 15 substitutes can be named for a game, meaning no player misses out - something England head coach Gareth Southgate had called for.

"I think everybody has to be available for all the games," he said in April.

Southgate added: "If the squads are going to be bigger then it needs to be a situation where everybody is able to change on a matchday."

The deadline for all 32 countries competing to submit their final squads is 20 October - 30 days before the first game between Senegal and the Netherlands at the Al Thumama Stadium, according to BBC.

Fifa also said that no more than 26 people - up to 15 substitutes and 11 team officials, of which one must be the team doctor - will be allowed to sit on the bench. 

England begin their campaign against Iran on the opening day, 21 November, at 13:00 GMT, while Wales - who are drawn in the same group - face the USA later at 19:00 GMT, BBC reported.

 

Maradona: Medical staff to be tried for football legend's death

Eight medical personnel are to stand trial accused of criminal negligence in the death of legendary Argentinian footballer Diego Maradona, BBC reported.

A judge has ordered a culpable homicide trial after a medical panel found Maradona's treatment was rife with "deficiencies and irregularities".

Maradona died in November 2020 of a heart attack in Buenos Aires, aged 60.

He had been recovering at home from surgery on a brain blood clot earlier that month.

A few days after his death Argentine prosecutors launched an investigation into the doctors and nurses involved in his care.

Last year, the panel of 20 experts appointed to examine his death found Maradona's medical team acted in an "inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner".

It also concluded that the footballer "would have had a better chance of survival" with adequate treatment in an appropriate medical facility, according to the court ruling, according to BBC.

Among those facing charges are Maradona's neurosurgeon and personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque, a psychiatrist and psychologist, two doctors, two nurses and their boss. They have all denied responsibility for his death.

All eight will be tried on a legal definition of homicide based on negligence committed in the knowledge that it may lead to a person's death.

The crime can hold a sentence of eight to 25 years in prison, according to Argentina's penal code. A date for the trial is yet to be set.

Mario Baudry, a lawyer for one of Maradona's sons, told Reuters that the football legend was "in a situation of helplessness" by the time of his death.

"As soon as I saw the cause, I said it was homicide. I fought for a long time and here we are, with this stage completed," he said.

The legal proceedings were prompted by a complaint filed by two of Maradona's daughters. They raised concerns about their father's treatment after the brain operation.

In an emotional press conference in November 2020, Dr Luque cried, saying he had done all he could to save the life of a friend, BBC reported.

At one point, the doctor shot back at reporters: "You want to know what I am responsible for? For having loved him, for having taken care of him, for having extended his life, for having improved it to the end."

The doctor said he had done "everything he could, up to the impossible".

Diego Maradona is largely considered to be one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game. He was captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, scoring the famous 'Hand of God' goal against England in the quarter-finals. 

During the second half of his career, Maradona struggled with cocaine addiction and was banned for 15 months after testing positive for the drug in 1991.

The news of his death threw the football world - and his home country of Argentina - into deep mourning, with many thousands of people queuing for hours to walk by his coffin at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires, according to BBC.