O Santos FC se posicionou oficialmente a respeito de denúncias de racismo e assédio moral entre funcionários do clube. Os casos foram levadas a público por meio de uma reportagem no site da “ESPN”, veiculada nesta quarta-feira (23).
No comunicado, o Peixe diz que quando a direção teve conhecimento dos fatos, o Departamento Judiciário e a Divisão de Inquérito e Sindicância do clube foram acionados.
Em relação à denúncia de assédio moral feita por uma ex-funcionária do setor de Recursos Humanos contra o superintendente de administração finanças, Luiz Eduardo Silveira, o clube afirma não ter constatado os indícios, sendo que a denunciante, cuja identidade foi preservada, acabou dispensada do clube por insatisfação no seu aproveitamento em três setores diferentes.
Já a vitima do caso de racismo teve o seu nome revelado. O advogado Cléber Pinto gravou um vídeo dizendo que recebeu pedido de desculpas formal pelo ocorrido e o aceitou. Na matéria, a ESPN revelou um áudio em que ele denuncia diretamente ao presidente Orlando Rollo uma injúria racial cometida pelo gerente de controladoria, Roberto Rabelato.
– Vim tratar de uma questão de injúria racial que ocorreu comigo, levei ao conhecimento do presidente e ao Comitê Gestor, no qual fui prontamente acolhido. Tive pedido de desculpas formal pelo ofensor, no qual eu aceitei esse pedido. A partir desse momento, dei o caso como encerrado, Nunca autorizei a gravação da minha fala em uma reunião que ocorreu. Houve uma deturpação daqueles fatos. Todavia, quero deixar bem claro que o Santos Futebol Clube tem como principio a igualdade entre as pessoas, seus funcionários, Não há, nesse sentido, da minha parte, nenhuma ressalva – disse Cleber, em trecho da gravação publicada pelo Santos.
A nota oficial aponta que Roberto pediu desligamento do Santos para melhor apuração dos fatos. O comunicado, inclusive, diz que na mesma reunião onde as falas do advogado foi gravada, o presidente Orlando Rollo acenou com a possibilidade de prisão em flagrante de Rabelato, mas o próprio ofendido optou por não levar o caso adiante.
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Confira na íntegra a nota do Santos FC
“O Santos FC esclarece fatos sobre matéria veiculada pelo portal ESPN:
Quanto aos fatos narrados, cabe explicar que todas as providências foram imediatamente adotadas quando os fatos foram narrados à direção do clube, quer seja em acionar o Departamento Jurídico, instaurar procedimento na Divisão de Inquérito e Sindicância e que fossem adotadas as devidas questões relativas à Polícia Judiciária.
Quanto à questão do assédio moral, foram ouvidos todos os funcionários e não foi constatado qualquer indício nesse sentido. A citada funcionária foi realocada e testada em três setores diferentes sem conseguir aproveitamento satisfatório em suas atividades laborais, motivo pelo qual foi devidamente desligada.
Salienta-se que o áudio captado se deu de maneira ilegal e sem o conhecimento dos presentes, porém a veiculação na mídia se deu de maneira deturpada e sem outros trechos importantes.
Sobre a questão da injúria racial, a vítima – o colaborador Dr. Cléber Pinto – destaca que recebeu todo o apoio da direção do clube e no vídeo aqui postado afirmou ter aceitado o pedido de desculpas e explicações do colaborador acusado, dando o caso por encerrado.
O Presidente Orlando Rollo, ainda na citada reunião, após ouvir atentamente ambas as versões, acenou por efetuar a prisão em flagrante e foi obstado pelo próprio Advogado “vítima”, o qual foi enfático em não desejar dar qualquer tipo de prosseguimento no caso.
Reitera-se, por fim, que o crime de injúria racial tem natureza de ação penal condicionada à vontade da vítima.
O SFC informa que o colaborador acusado se desligou do clube para que a apuração interna prossiga de maneira independente e livre de qualquer interferência na apuração dos fatos”.
A key figure in Tottenham Hotspur's resurgence this season under Ange Postecoglou has been promising defender, Destiny Udogie, with the 20-year-old having slotted in smoothly at N17 after spending last season back on loan at Udinese.
Having originally been signed on a £15m deal from the Serie A side in 2022, it had been a frustrating wait for Spurs supporters to see the Italian in action, although that patience has paid off with the left-back now flourishing for the Premier League high-flyers.
Described as "sickeningly good" by footballJOE's Hunter Godson, the Verona native has already recorded two assists from nine league games so far this term, while also averaging an impressive 2.8 tackles per game – third in the squad behind only Pedro Porro and Yves Bissouma for that latter metric.
Destiny Udogie
Seemingly a player who "has it all", in the words of national team boss, Luciano Spalletti, the two-cap international is rightly earning hefty praise at present, hence the potential concern over his relatively early withdrawal against Fulham on Monday night.
As Postecoglou subsequently stated, Udogie was only substituted due to possible fatigue and "tightness", yet it does expose the need for a reliable understudy to the youngster in that left-sided berth.
The possible replacements for Destiny Udogie at left-back
In that 2-0 win earlier this week, the 6 foot 2 maestro was replaced by Emerson Royal for the final half hour or so, albeit with the Brazilian hardly the most natural solution in that role as the right-footer typically lines up on the opposite side.
The Lilywhites do have the versatile Micky van de Ven who can slot into that full-back berth if required, although it would seemingly make little sense to shift the towering Dutchman across, particularly with senior alternatives at centre-back so limited.
The standout replacement for Udogie would seemingly be long-serving stalwart, Ben Davies, with the experienced Welshman comfortable operating at full-back, wing-back or on the left of a back three, having proven a useful squad option over the years with over 300 appearances for the club to date.
Ben Davies for Spurs
That being said, the 30-year-old did struggle in a rare outing against the Cottagers in the Carabao Cup back in August, with 90min's Tom Gott writing that his 'limited technical ability clearly hamstrung Tottenham', while talkSPORT's Gabby Agbonlahor stated post-match that he is simply "not good enough any more".
With that in mind, Postecoglou may wish to consider a player who is currently thriving in the academy set-up in the form of Charlie Sayers, with the 19-year-old certainly one to keep an eye on.
A look at Tottenham's academy sensation, Charlie Sayers
While also comfortable at centre-back, the teenager has largely operated in a left-back berth so far this season both at Premier League 2 level and in the EFL Trophy, notably starting in the 5-0 thrashing of Colchester United in the latter competition.
That outing saw the young Englishman showcase his impressive quality on the ball after enjoying a solid 89% pass accuracy rate from his 92 touches, while also completing four of his eight attempted long balls and creating one big chance.
The youngster has also enjoyed prior experience at senior level during his time at former club Southend United – for whom he made six first-team appearances – having been lavished with praise by manager Phil Brown at the time:
"I think Charlie Sayers has been outstanding and you have to say he has a career ahead of him, there’s no doubt about it."
Having been pushing to be the "first choice left-back" at Roots Hall, Sayers has since gone on to impress after joining Spurs in 2021, with respected insider John Wenham describing him as arguably the "best academy defender at the club".
The next step now will be for the high-potential talent to live up to the billing by making his mark at first-team level, with any potential absence for Udogie in the coming weeks or months potentially set to be his route into Postecoglou's plans, ahead of Davies.
Arsenal's youth production over the last few decades has been arguably some of the most proficient in England, having seemingly ramped up their levels across recent years to increase the quality and quantity of academy emergence.
Bukayo Saka stands as glittering proof of their hard work, but there are many more stars waiting in the shadows to earn a similar chance, and develop into the club's next big thing.
Per Mertesacker, who formerly starred for the Gunners but now oversees the academy, has waxed lyrical about the work they do: "Here at London Colney, U18s, U21s, first team, women's, men's, is more directed into performance, the success, the winning. Hale End is the development environment that we feel is needed more centrally to recruit the right players and people for us to mould them until they arrive onto the full-time programme scholarship and make their transition here."
As such, the likes of Charles Sagoe Jr, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Reuell Walters and more are all seemingly ready for that first-team chance, through the development afforded to them.
They will see Saka as the man to emulate, alongside the star-studded list of previous academy graduates. The likes of Jack Wilshere, Ashley Cole and Paul Merson have all earned varied success at the top level, but few have matched what Cesc Fabregas managed.
How good was Cesc Fabregas?
Although technically a product of Barcelona's infamous La Masia academy, it was not a signing expected to instantly impact the starting XI for Arsene Wenger, given the young Spaniard was just 16.
He was regarded as one for the future, but often if a player is good enough, age marks no barrier.
The midfield maestro proved to be one such example, who slowly worked his way into that senior side with technical brilliance and a tireless work rate that allowed him to stand out in English football.
A string of first-team appearances gave way to his true standout year, as during the 2007/08 season he would score seven and assist 20 in the Premier League alone, finishing the term on 35 goal contributions across all competitions.
Such form would earn praise, with Wenger noting: "Cesc is very like Paul Scholes of Manchester United. He uses his brain and is intelligent in the game. "He has exceptional passing ability and he knows how to time his runs to get into the box, and he's only 20!"
Then, as the Euro 2008 final approached, Spain coach Luis Aragones praised him: "A player like Cesc, who is 21, has acquired the experience of someone who is 28 or 29." So, to showcase such maturity despite being so young arguably made him even greater when he would eventually reach that age, given he would finish his career having won two European Championships, one World Cup, two Premier League titles and a host of domestic honours in Spain and England.
Adapting throughout a sparkling career, the 110-cap magician went from box-to-box dynamo to midfield metronome, starring throughout.
Cesc Fabregas' PL seasons at AFC
Games
Goals
Assists
2010/11
25
3
13
2009/10
27
15
15
2008/09
22
3
10
2007/08
32
7
20
2006/07
38
2
11
2005/06
35
3
5
2004/05
33
2
2
Whilst there are many top midfielders within the Gunners' academy at the moment, the recent performances of Jack Henry-Francis will certainly have caught the eye as someone capable of emulating the Spanish superstar.
Who is Jack Henry-Francis?
Described by Arsenal's official website as 'a box-to-box, energetic midfielder', already the comparisons between the teenage magician and Fabregas begin to form.
Having joined the club aged 12, it has been a steady journey up through the youth ranks for the 19-year-old, who made himself a mainstay for the U21s last season despite his youth.
Such fine form at a level way above his age group even earned him opportunities to train with the first team, as if to emphasise just how close he is to breaking into Mikel Arteta's side.
Recording just two goal contributions across 14 Premier League 2 appearances last campaign was an admirable if slightly disappointing return, but one he is poised to demolish given the blistering start to the new term. He already has one goal after three games at the same level, and shone on Tuesday night in their EFL Trophy demolition of Exeter City.
This year could be the one that truly puts Henry-Francis on the map, although former U21s head coach Kevin Betsy had already sought to do so with his comments back in 2022: "His 360(-degree) awareness is very good. He receives the ball in different positions, is really reliable on the football and he goes unnoticed out of possession.
"Defensively, he picks up good positions and you can see he’s got very good passing range over 10-15 yards but also over 40-50 yards. He’s a very good player, we love working with him".
How did Jack Henry-Francis play vs Exeter City?
Starting in central midfield against a senior outfit, it was a truly comprehensive performance from the visiting youngsters, who brushed aside the Grecians in a 5-0 rout.
Whilst the likes of Sebastien Ferdinand and Sagoe Jr understandably stood out for their fine goalscoring performances, Henry-Francis not only got in on the action, but he did so whilst also dominating every other aspect of the clash too.
He was defensively solid but a creative threat throughout, hugely reminiscent of a young Fabregas who too boasted such a work rate.
As such, the U19s Republic of Ireland international would both score and assist, emphasising his influence with an impressive 74 touches and 84% pass accuracy.
However, perhaps more importantly, his underlying numbers paint the picture of a truly outstanding footballer capable of doing it all. On top of such starring earlier figures, he would also record three key passes whilst making four tackles, winning seven of the 13 duels he competed in too, via Sofascore.
His ability to stand out against seasoned professionals suggests his development at youth level is nearly complete, with the next natural step being into Arteta's first team or out on loan. Whichever is chosen, should he continue his frighteningly sharp upward trajectory, the sky is the limit for the teenage maestro already dominating games.
Should he earn half as much success as Fabregas did across his fine career, this will be another success attributed to Hale End, which continues to prove its worth.
The Quadrangular series between the A teams of India, Australia and South Africa has been shifted out of Vijayawada due to incessant rains. The change was confirmed by an Andhra Cricket Association official soon after four games were washed out without a ball bowled. ESPNcricinfo understands Bengaluru will now host the rescheduled tournament with the league fixtures slated for August 23, 25 and 27. The final will be played on August 29.Matches to be televised will likely be held at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, while the others are expected to take place at KSCA’s Alur facility on the outskirts of the city. Alur hosted the recently concluded second four-day Test between India A and South Africa A earlier this month.The ACA ground in Mulapadu, which was to host the fixtures, does not have a state-of-the-art drainage facility. Vijayawada has received intermittent rain over the past week. This forced the first set of matches to be abandoned on Friday despite there not being any rain for more than 24 hours in the build-up to the start.The ACA was confident of preparing the surface and outfield for Sunday, provided there was no rain, but there was a thunderstorm on Saturday evening. This resulted in water seepage that caused significant damage to the pitch and outfield. Sunday dawned with continuous drizzle, and although both teams made it out to the ground, they had to return to their hotel not long after making the hour-long trip.That the one indoor facility in Mangalagiri is an hour’s drive from Vijayawada has added to the players’ frustration, leaving them with little or no opportunities for match practice in the five days they’ve been in the city. They have been forced to remain indoors or undertake fitness sessions at a private gym.
Glasgow Rangers could be nearing the end of their new manager search as James Bisgrove aims to find a replacement for Michael Beale by the return of domestic football next weekend.
Who will be the next Rangers manager?
Since Beale was sacked at the start of October, there have been several names who have been linked with the vacant role.
The two clear front-runners however are Kevin Muscat and Philippe Clement and journalist Chris Jack has provided a recent update on the position.
He said: “Rangers will continue discussions with Philippe Clement and Kevin Muscat into the weekend."
It looked as though the new man would be unveiled by the end of the week, yet the board are clearly taking their time over such an important decision.
The Ibrox side have gone through three permanent managers in just under two years and this cycle needs to stop if sustained success is to be achieved.
Yokohama F. Marinos manager Kevin Muscat.
Whoever does secure the job, they will have to get a tune out of a squad which has disappointed thus far. The summer signings have failed to hit the ground running, most notably Jose Cifuentes.
Will Jose Cifuentes improve?
Appointing Muscat could bring the best out of the squad, especially with his fiery reputation and no-nonsense approach, similar to his playing career.
Hailed as “perfect” by analyst Petar Petrov, the 50-year-old likes to play with an attacking intent while also being aggressive across the pitch and these qualities could suit a player like Cifuentes, who suffered in Beale’s system.
Before arriving at the Gers in the summer, Cifuentes had impressed at Los Angeles FC in MLS, creating five big chances, averaging 1.7 key passes per game and succeeding with 1.4 successful dribbles per game, clearly showcasing his attacking abilities.
Ecuador international Jose Cifuentes.
He even led the club to the MLS title during the 2022 season and having featured for Ecuador at the World Cup, he was looked upon as a shrewd signing by Beale, especially as he cost only £1.2m.
It hasn’t exactly turned out well so far however, with the midfielder failing to really carry the form he showed at LAFC into Glasgow as he has managed to register just one assist across 12 games.
Across the Gers squad, Cifuentes ranks seventh for accurate passes per game (51.3) while also ranking 11th for key passes per game (0.8), third for big chances created (two) and a lowly 16th for successful dribbles per game (0.3), clearly suggesting he isn’t getting forward as often as he did during his spell in America.
Muscat will surely use the 24-year-old as the focal point of his midfield given his respective talents, yet improvements will need to be made if he hopes to shine at the Light Blues.
There is no questioning his talent and perhaps Beale’s tactical system, or lack of, didn’t really help him settle in at the Gers, but if Muscat is appointed as the new manager, he could help him thrive.
The Ecuadorian has the potential to be one of the finest players at the club, he just needs to be deployed in the correct position in a system that suits his strengths.
Everton are hoping to offer one of their first-team squad members a new contract, according to what one reliable journalist has heard from Goodison Park.
What's the latest transfer news at Everton?
According to TEAMtalk, Sean Dyche has set his sights on signing Shakhtar Donetsk defender Mykola Matviyenko in January, but he is set to face stiff competition when it comes to securing his services from Premier League rivals West Ham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sheffield United who are also interested in a swoop.
Alongside him, Sevilla forward Adnan Januzaj and Manchester United’s Harry Maguire have also been linked with moves at the start of the new year, and whilst there is plenty of work going on to bring fresh faces in, it appears that Goodison chiefs are also keen to focus on the contract situations of players who are already on Merseyside.
One of those that they have turned their attention towards is Jarrad Branthwaite who, after returning to the club following two loans at Blackburn Rovers and most recently PSV Eindhoven, has established himself as the boss’ overall second best-performing player so far this season with a WhoScored match rating of 6.98.
Over the summer, England’s youth international was the subject of a surprise enquiry from Erik ten Hag’s side at Old Trafford, but a deal failed to come to fruition before the deadline, likely as a result of his £25m price tag, so following the previous attention, the centre-back is wanted to commit his future in L4.
Is Jarrad Branthwaite signing a new contract at Everton?
Taking to X, The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland revealed that Everton are set to table Branthwaite an improved contract which would see him extend his stay at Goodison Park. He wrote:
“'He’s got everything to go to the very top'. Jarrad Branthwaite is starting to fulfil his vast potential. Yet to be dribbled past this season & fifth in PL for both interceptions + recoveries. 2 years + 1 left but Everton keen to tie him to [a] new deal.”
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
How tall is Jarrad Branthwaite?
Standing at a staggering 6 foot 5, Branthwaite provides an excellent physical presence at the heart of the backline, and he’s been a rock so far this season having averaged 4.3 clearances and three aerial wins per top-flight game for Everton, via WhoScored, which Dyche will love to see.
The Carlisle-born talent, who pockets £15k-per-week, is also capable of making a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch having posted nine involvements (seven goals and two assists) in 88 appearances since the start of his career, which has seen him hailed a “terrific” footballer by his former manager Steven Pressley.
Furthermore, whilst the 21-year-old’s natural role is at centre-back, he even has the versatility to play out wide at left-back, so this is another attribute that will no doubt be attractive to the boss and one that makes him a fantastic option to keep in the building, therefore, the hierarchy need to do everything they can to fend off interest and get him to put pen to paper.
Liverpool had to dig deep to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers and restore their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
If you want to be a champion, you have to win in different ways; teams will not get steamrolled each week. Arne Slot’s side showed resilience against a relegation-threatened team that took all ten of the shots in the second half, with Matheus Cunha scoring a brilliant curved shot from outside the area after the hour mark.
Already two goals to the good following Luis Diaz’s strike and Mohamed Salah’s penalty, Anfield turned to some of its fringe players to succeed, with the club’s academy proving its new-found worth once again.
Liverpool's thriving academy
Through Trent Alexander-Arnold, Steven Gerrard before him and Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler too, Liverpool have long enjoyed a strong-bonded connection with their homegrown talent.
Liverpool'sTrentAlexander-Arnoldapplauds fans after the match
But there’s been a shift in recent years, the scale of Kirkby’s talent pool stretching. Last season, ‘Klopp’s Kids’ proved instrumental in winning the Carabao Cup, and are showing plenty of promise under Slot’s wing.
Against Wolves, Jarell Quansah returned to form with a stunning second-half performance, so important in rebuffing the visitors’ threat.
After the game, journalist Bence Bocsak said that “so many people” wrote Quansah off after his slow start to the season, but that he “didn’t put a foot wrong” as Anfield breathed a sigh of relief upon claiming a fourth win in five top-flight fixtures.
With Conor Bradley also impressing, replacing Alexander-Arnold after the hour mark, and Harvey Elliott waiting in the wings, it feels like FSG have got the balance just right, suffusing an ambitious first team with the perfect amount of homegrown potential.
Liverpool managerArneSlotbefore the match
Who will be next? Already, the likes of Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni have earned senior minutes this term and look to be top talents, but Liverpool might find that they have another young forward who could be Slot’s own version of Cunha.
Slot may already have his own Cunha
You may think of Diaz when it comes to Liverpool having their own version of Wolves’ talisman. But in actuality, the Brazilian’s style could be followed by a much younger member of the Reds family.
Wataru Endo against Matheus Cunha
The man in question is Trent Kone-Doherty. Aged 18, the forward has been a potent threat in Liverpool’s academy over the past several years.
A Republic of Ireland youth international, Liverpool signed him from Derry City back in 2022 and he quickly made his presence known, with skills and speed at the centre of his game plan.
He was handed his senior debut last month too, entering the fray in the second half as Liverpool not so much bowed as tumbled out of the FA Cup, slain by giant killers Plymouth Argyle.
It was a substitution that illustrated the bareness of Liverpool’s bench, but this rising star showed application and got into the thick of the action, taking 11 touches, completing his one attempted dribble and winning his only duel, as per Sofascore. That kind of combativeness speaks toward his future, and it’s a glowing endorsement.
With 30 goals and seven assists across 67 youth fixtures for the Merseysiders, Kone-Doherty has showcased his star quality in goalscoring. More importantly, he’s able to juggle his output across the frontline, something that Cunha has found much success with at Molineux, less of a striker and more of a goalscoring winger or number ten, thrusting forward and into space.
Left winger
30
21
4
Right winger
14
5
2
Centre-forward
2
1
0
Centre-back
1
0
0
This isn’t to say that Diaz doesn’t mirror some of these interesting attributes, but the Colombian is 28 years old and nearing the penultimate year of his Liverpool contract.
Whether Liverpool retain his services by offering a new bumper package leading into his 30s (which goes against FSG’s typical position) remains to be seen, but Kone-Doherty’s potential to star for many, many years suggests that he is the one who could become Liverpool’s next dynamic and positionally versatile attacking threat.
Kone-Doherty has also described himself as a “fearless” forward, owing to his sharp pace and willingness to engage with opponents. This is something that provides further similarities to Cunha, who has averaged 1.3 tackles and 5.6 successful duels per Premier League match this season, as per Sofascore.
In the past, U18s coach Marc Bridge-Wilkinson has commented on the teenager’s skill set, saying:
Plucking a thread from such comments, it’s curious to note that he has received praise for his ability against bigger players, something that Cunha does so well himself through balance and raw energy and technical quality.
Despite plying his art within a club that teeters on outside of the relegation zone, Cunha has proved that he has enough quality to perform for the best of them, ranking among the top 3% of Premier League forwards this season for non-penalty goals per 90, as per FBref.
That, surely, is the profile that Kone-Doherty should work toward emulating, for he boasts the right physical strengths and natural-born striking instinct to do so.
In The Pipeline
Indeed, Liverpool academy reporter Lewis Bower has hailed Kone-Doherty for his “exceptional” finishing, and with such an exciting and balanced style of play, it may well be that Slot unleashes Liverpool’s own version of Cunha down the line, potentially saving the club millions.
Now worth £15m more: Liverpool have struck gold on their answer to Cunha
Liverpool have struck gold with their own answer to Matheus Cunha.
Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League earlier this year and went through a mass summer of change during the transfer window.
Who left Leeds United this summer?
Alongside manager Sam Allardyce, who was replaced by Daniel Farke, the Whites allowed a staggering 15 players to depart the club either on loan or permanently.
Rodrigo
Permanent
Joel Robles
Permanent
Adam Forshaw
Permanent
Tyler Adams
Permanent
Tyler Roberts
Permanent
Robin Koch
Loan
Max Wober
Loan
Rasmus Kristensen
Loan
Marc Roca
Loan
Luis Sinisterra
Loan
Brenden Aaronson
Loan
Sam Greenwood
Loan
Cody Drameh
Loan
Sonny Perkins
Loan
Jack Harrison
Loan
The Yorkshire-based outfit moved on a number of first-team stars, alongside a few of their younger players to gain experience, to shift the mood amongst the group in preparation to attack the Championship with a positive mindset under the German head coach.
One of the players who moved on was right-back Rasmus Kristensen and, as it stands, the decision to sign him in 2022 was a huge howler by then-manager Jesse Marsch, before his departure later that season.
How much did Leeds pay to sign Rasmus Kristensen?
In June of last year, the American head coach snapped the defender up from his former club RB Salzburg for a reported fee of £10m, whilst Sky Sports claimed that he was also a target for German giants Borussia Dortmund and Premier League side Brentford.
He was also on a reported wage of £40k-per-week throughout the 2022/23 campaign, which added an extra £2m to the amount of money they paid for his services last term.
It was a significant fee to pay for a player who had yet to prove himself in a major European league, albeit he had played 27 matches for Ajax earlier in his career, and the gamble did not come off for the Whites.
Why did Leeds sign Rasmus Kristensen?
Marsch snapped him up after a campaign of sublime performances for Salzburg during the 2021/22 campaign that suggested that he had the potential to be a superb signing for the club.
Kristensen averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.31 across 29 Bundesliga matches as he caught the eye with his displays at both ends of the pitch, whilst no outfield player for Leeds managed a score higher than 6.99 that season.
The marauding full-back chipped in with seven goals and seven 'big chances' created, to go along with an impressive haul of 1.2 key passes per match, for the Austrian side.
Former Salzburg defender Rasmus Kristensen.
He also won 72% of his aerial duels, which highlighted his dominance in the air against opposition forwards, and was only dribbled past 0.4 times per game as players found it difficult to get past him on a regular basis, as per Sofascore.
What happened to Rasmus Kristensen?
Kristensen was, unfortunately, unable to make the step up to Premier League football after his impressive year with Salzburg in Austria.
The 24-year-old warrior averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.70 across 26 top-flight outings for Leeds as they were relegated to the Championship.
This was the 11th-highest average score within the squad and that suggests that he was far away from being one of the team's top performers, which does not shine well on the right-back given how poorly the side performed on the road to finishing within the bottom three.
Leeds defender Rasmus Kristensen.
The Denmark international was dribbled past 1.3 times per game throughout the season. Luke Ayling (1.5) was the only defender who was dribbled past more times per match than him, which shows that opposition forwards found it far too easy to take the ball past him week-in-week-out to create chances for their respective sides.
Kristensen did not make up for his sloppy defensive work with quality attacking play from right-back as he rarely created opportunities for his teammates going forward either.
The £10m signing averaged 0.3 key passes per outing for Leeds and created just two 'big chances' in total, which led to one assist for the Dane.
To put that in context, 18 players within the Leeds squad averaged more key passes per game than Kristensen, showing that he was one of the worst attacking players on the team as he struggled to make things happen at the top end of the pitch with regularity.
Where is Rasmus Kristensen now?
The 24-year-old, who was rather harshly described as like a "League One defender" by Leeds YouTuber Conor McGilligan last season, was sent out on loan to Italian giants AS Roma to work with Jose Mourinho this summer.
It appeared to be a fantastic move for the Danish defender on paper, given his poor performances for Leeds, but it has not gone to plan for him so far.
Leeds defender Rasmus Kristensen.
He averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.44 and scored one own goal across his five pre-season friendly appearances with the Serie A outfit and carried that form into the opening match of the league season with a rating of 6.4 against Salernitana.
Mourinho gave him another chance from the start against Verona in their next Serie A clash but embarrassingly substituted him at half-time, which led to the Whites flop being an unused substitute for their most recent game against AC Milan.
Kristensen has been dealt another blow this week as the Portuguese head coach has opted to exclude him from the club's squad for the Europa League group stages this season.
This does not bode well for his chances of being a regular starter in the Serie A for the remainder of the campaign as the former Chelsea manager seemingly has other options that he would prefer to use.
A lack of time on the pitch this season with Roma could be more bad news for Leeds as it is likely to lower his possible resell value even further. Indeed, any onlooking clubs are currently seeing him struggle at a second club for a successive year and may be wary of spending money to sign him.
This could affect their chances of being able to cash in on the Danish defender next summer, or in January if Roma opt to cut the loan deal short.
Overall, this transfer has certainly turned out to be a huge howler by Marsch and one that has been an expensive failure for Leeds, barring a miraculous turnaround in fortunes and performances before his time at Elland Road comes to an end.
India have opted for training sessions instead of a warm-up fixture in South Africa, in the lead-up to the first Test between the two teams from January 5 in Cape Town. A press release from Cricket South Africa on Monday announced India’s decision.Although the BCCI did not give any reason officially for dropping the warm-up match, it is understood the request was made by the team management well in advance. The board was told that the team management preferred to focus on training on their own as soon as it landed in South Africa on December 28. A team official confirmed the development, but declined to elaborating further, saying it was an “internal matter”.The Indian team management’s preoccupation with acclimatising the players to South African conditions even before they set foot in the country has been such that “lively greentops” were deemed the need of the hour through the Sri Lanka Test series at home.There had been some confusion over the schedule for India’s tour of South Africa, with both boards holding discussions since the beginning of the year. In August, the BCCI had made it clear to CSA that India would not arrive until at least the last week of 2017, because their home series against Sri Lanka ends on December 24.The BCCI wanted its players to take a short break before they departed for South Africa, ruling India out of the traditional Boxing Day Test, which South Africa will now play over four days against Zimbabwe. Eventually, even the New Year’s Test which is traditionally played from January 2 in Cape Town was pushed back to January 5. Incidentally, in September, an official involved in the discussions told ESPNcricinfo that India would “definitely play one practice match before the first Test”.Following the Cape Town Test, two more will be played in Centurion and Johannesburg, followed by six ODIs and three T20Is.