Tag Futebol

The Detroit Tigers have had a rough go of it the last two nights in Sacramento against the Athletics and the consecutive losses have dropped them out of the top spot in the American League playoff picture. On Tuesday night they found themselves in an early 3-0 hole, which Riley Greene helpfully erased with a titanic grand slam to center field that cameras weren't able to see land as it cleared the gigantic batter's eye.

Detroit would go on to lose on a walk-off walk in the 10th inning to have Greene's efforts be for naught. But the homer will live on as it set a franchise record for distance in the Statcast era.

That method of tracking began in 2015 so it's unclear where Greene's bomb ranks all-time for the venerable franchise. Back in 1990 Cecil Fielder became the only person to ever clear the left-field roof at old Tiger Stadium and the estimated distance on that one remains a great point of speculation as the technology required to know for sure was still a quarter-century away.

Now we can even sort home runs by denomination and know that Greene's grand slam was the second-longest of all four-run jobs this season, trailing only Kyle Schwarber's 473-foot tank.

Iconic former England allrounder set for first professional coaching job with Northern Superchargers

Matt Roller25-Jul-2024There was no smoke on the water, but Andrew Flintoff’s emergence from Headingley’s home dressing room in deep purple training kit on Thursday marked the start of a new chapter in his career. On Friday night, Flintoff will sit in the dugout as a head coach for the first time in his new role with Northern Superchargers, the Leeds-based Hundred team.It is not a natural fit: Flintoff’s name has been associated with Lancashire since he was nine years old, and continues to be through his sons Rocky and Corey, who have played for their 2nd XI this summer. As PCA president, he criticised plans for a franchise-style competition like the Hundred, citing his “real pride” representing his county; he used to joke that the best thing about Yorkshire was “the M62, back to Lancashire”.His new team, Superchargers, lost their final five games last year to finished bottom in the men’s Hundred. The team’s board – along with Marcus North, their head of cricket – announced in mid-November that James Foster would not have his contract as head coach renewed. Five days later, Flintoff was announced as his successor, with his old Lancashire team-mate Kyle Hogg acting as his assistant.Related

• Flintoff 'even more excited than the players' ahead of coaching debut

• Andrew Flintoff makes first appearance since Top Gear crash after joining England back-room staff

• Rob Key: 'Andrew Flintoff would make an excellent England head coach'

• Ben Stokes to link up with Andrew Flintoff in Northern Superchargers comeback

• Morgan denies England white-ball coach link with Mott under pressure

There is one huge reason why the details of his appointment might seem trivial. Flintoff’s return to the professional game comes after he was involved in a horrific car crash in December 2022 while filming an episode of . He spent nine months out of public life after suffering terrible injuries: he said last year that these had been among “the hardest times” of his life, but cricket has helped him through them.He had already started to come back to the sport, not least through the BBC series . The show saw him return home to Preston, assemble an unlikely team of teenagers and introduce them to cricket. It changed lives, most obviously of Adnan Miakhel, an Afghan refugee who now studies at Rossall School on a sports scholarship and plays for Lancashire’s Under-18s.But Flintoff’s appointment to a plum job in the Hundred still came as a surprise. At the time, his only senior coaching experience was a month in an informal role with England’s white-ball teams. He has since worked as a consultant coach on a tour to the Caribbean, a home series against Pakistan and at the T20 World Cup, and with the Lions on a camp in the UAE.And his fast-tracking raises awkward questions about recruitment processes: the Superchargers role was not publicly advertised, and Flintoff was the only candidate. It is common in sport for teams to make direct appointments, but even the English FA published a job advert for Gareth Southgate’s successor as England football manager last week.For the last four years, the ECB’s inclusion and diversity strategy has recommended the adoption of the Rooney Rule to ensure that non-white candidates are interviewed for major roles. It is a recommendation rather than a regulation but one that the Superchargers did not follow, opting against an open process and approaching Flintoff directly.

Flintoff is the only English head coach in the men’s competition and perhaps it is no surprise that he has been fast-tracked. He is an icon to most current players, who grew up watching him star in the 2005 Ashes

Flintoff also has close relationships with two of the most influential men at the ECB: men’s managing director Rob Key, a friend and former team-mate, and chairman Richard Thompson, who is also chair of M&C Saatchi Merlin, the talent agency who have represented Flintoff for more than a decade. It was Key who helped him back to public life and to the game last summer, though there is no indication that either was involved in the process.Naturally, there are compelling reasons that Flintoff might be seen as an exception to most rules. There is a huge sense of empathy towards him after his near-death experience, which resulted in broken ribs and severe facial injuries which he spent months covering up when in public. His legal team described them as “life-altering”, and agreed a reported multi-million pound settlement with the BBC.And Flintoff remains one of very few cricketers who could legitimately be described as a household name in the UK. At a time when it is struggling to stay relevant – not least in a low-key Test summer, which is competing with Euro 2024 and the Olympics – the sport is understandably desperate for him to turn his early forays as a coach into a long-term career.”After a review of last year, it was identified that we wanted to appoint a new men’s head coach,” a spokesperson for the Superchargers board told ESPNcricinfo on Thursday. “It was identified by the Northern Superchargers board that we wanted an inspirational figure with leadership qualities who would be able to excite fans, players, staff and media.”Andrew Flintoff was our first choice to become the new men’s head coach, and when it became clear that it was an opportunity he wanted to pursue, we moved to contracting. We are very excited to have appointed a young English coach with the pedigree and stature of Andrew Flintoff, and we’re excited about what he can bring to Northern Superchargers this season.”The ECB declined to comment, and indicated that Hundred team boards are fully responsible for recruitment. A spokesperson emphasised that the process for hiring Flintoff was not unique. Since the Hundred’s first season, there have been four changes of men’s head coach across the eight teams: two were publicly advertised and two were direct appointments.And the Hundred may prove a good place to start. Flintoff is managing a squad who will earn £1 million between them over the next month, but the competition is low-stakes and low-scrutiny: there will hardly be Superchargers fans demanding he is sacked if it goes badly. There are minimal media expectations compared to most jobs, to the extent he has declined to speak to any independent outlets.Superchargers finished bottom of the men’s Hundred in 2023•Getty ImagesHe is the only English head coach in the men’s competition and perhaps it is no surprise that he has been fast-tracked. Flintoff is an icon to most current players, who grew up watching him star in the 2005 Ashes: if anyone can succeed as a coach relying on vibes alone, it might well be him. Regardless, it is surely a frustration to other young coaches that they did not even have the chance to interview.”If you could design the perfect head coach development programme… Flintoff is going on a brilliant journey,” Key told the earlier this year. “[He is getting] relevant experience, much more than sitting on a Zoom call listening to someone tell you what to do.” That is undeniably true – but those opportunities do not present themselves to everyone.The early indications are that Flintoff intends to be a hands-off coach. Harry Brook, who will take over from Matthew Short as captain after England’s Test against West Indies, said this week that they would try to create a “fairly chilled” atmosphere: “I think we’ve said that all training will be optional… just be chilled, relaxed, go out there and express yourself and play.”Superchargers will be light on resources this week, with Brook and Ben Stokes with England’s Test squad, Mitchell Santner at Major League Cricket, and Reece Topley at least a week away from selection with a finger injury. They should get stronger soon, but Friday’s opener against Trent Rockets could be a challenging start with a threadbare squad.There has been speculation swirling around Matthew Mott’s future as England’s white-ball coach and Flintoff has been mentioned prominently as a potential successor. At this stage, it seems too early for a man who has never coached a professional team – but the next four weeks should give an indication as to just how much that matters.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu had quite the unique game Monday night, hitting both an inside-the-park home run and a grand slam in the team's 13–6 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park.

He made it all the way around the bases and home safely in the fifth inning after he striped a ball to center field that took an awkward, unplayable bounce off the triangle wall at Fenway. Reds center fielder TJ Friedl slipped trying to redirect and track down the ball, allowing Abreu to make it home without a play at the plate. Then, in the eighth inning, he cleared the shallow wall at Fenway with the bases juiced to open up Boston's lead to eight runs.

He joined a small club of players who have hit an inside-the-park homer and a grand slam separately in the same game—a feat which hasn't been seen since Roger Maris in 1958 according to MLB reporter Sarah Langs.

Abreu's big day marked the sixth time in history a player has had an inside-the-parker plus a grand slam. Other than Maris, he joined Jim Tabor (1939), Charlie Gehringer (1930), Everett Scott (1923) and Jocko Fields (1890).

What a game for Abreu, which helped spark Boston's struggling offense to give the team just their second win over the past nine games. It's not every day you see a first for this century, let alone in the past 67 years. Keep this one in the back of your mind for a trivia question down the road.

Wayne Rooney has compared Harry Kane’s “incredible evolution” into England’s GOAT with the development that Cristiano Ronaldo once enjoyed at Manchester United. Kane is already his country’s all-time leading goalscorer and appears set to smash records on the appearance front as well. If he could win an international trophy, then it would be difficult to argue against him being the greatest.

• England's GOAT: Will Kane pass Moore, Charlton & Beckham?

  At 32 years of age, the former Tottenham striker is showing no sign of slowing down. Remarkable numbers are being posted at Bayern Munich, with the target being found there on 108 occasions through 113 appearances. He has also broken his trophy duck by becoming a Bundesliga title winner.

  On the international stage, Kane remains the talismanic captain of England. He is rarely rested, with few alternative No.9 options breathing down his neck, and has helped the Three Lions secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

  He has reached 78 goals for his nation and boasts 112 caps. Kane needs to reach 126 in order to pass legendary former goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Another shot at major glory will be taken in next summer – having suffered defeat in back-to-back European Championship finals – with the plan being to emulate Bobby Moore when it comes to claiming the most prestigious of prizes.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Rooney explains why Kane is England's greatest

  Explaining why Kane will pass Moore, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, Bryan Robson, Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on the GOAT front, ex-England captain Rooney told : “Just the goals he has scored and his performances. He will go on and get the caps record as well, you would imagine – the caps he is on.

  “I just think how he has evolved as a player is incredible. He reminds me of Cristiano when we were at United and he was younger. Sometimes he’s at a mad angle and he’s shooting and you’re like ‘what are you doing shooting?’ You might say ‘pass it’ but it doesn’t bother him, he’ll try it again and keep going – right and left foot. I think he’s, for me, the best England player. The numbers he is getting are incredible.”

• Kane or Shearer? Carragher sees only one winner

  Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher agreed with that assessment, suggesting that Kane still does not get the recognition that his stunning exploits deserve. The former England defender said: “I absolutely love him. I think he is a little bit underrated. There was always that thing about trophies.

  “Shearer was always the centre-forward of the Premier League when it started – for six or seven years, Shearer was the guy and he was England’s guy, most goals in the Premier League. I think if you asked most people up and down the country: Shearer of Kane? I think the majority would go with Shearer.

  “I’ve always been Kane. Shearer was amazing but I don’t know what you can say against Kane. He has gone to Bayern Munich and he is like Ronaldo and Messi level. He’s going to get more goals and caps than Lineker, Shearer, Jimmy Greaves, Rooney. What hasn’t the lad done? What can you throw at him?”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  World Cup win: Kane looking to lead England to glory

  One-time England striker Jermain Defoe, who also graced the books at Spurs, has previously told GOAL when asked if Kane will go down as England’s greatest: “I think if he wins something, you have to put him in the conversation. Of course there have been others that are iconic figures and legends in terms of caps – Beckham, Ashley Cole, all the great players. But to be England’s leading goalscorer, that’s a special achievement. If you go on to win a major tournament and have the most caps, of course you have to put him in the conversation.”

  Kane has spoken of his admiration for Rooney, with inspiration being taken from the Manchester United great and fellow frontman that he took England’s all-time goal record from. Rooney was unable to win anything during the Three Lions’ so-called ‘Golden Generation’, but Kane has an opportunity to grab himself a gold medal before hanging up his boots.

Being a referee in the Premier League is arguably one of the toughest jobs in football, with a select group of officials regularly entrusted to take charge of top flight fixtures.

Even though VAR is still causing plenty of controversy week in, week out, decisions on the field are now more important than ever, with technology doing its best to try and not get involved unless it is ‘clear and obvious’.

The game is also arguably faster than it’s ever been, so referees need to be extremely fit and quick to react. But who is the best referee in the Premier League right now?

Premier League referees ranked (min. 3 games)

Rank

Ref

1

Anthony Taylor

2

Michael Oliver

3

Stuart Attwell

4

Craig Pawson

5

Jarred Gillett

6

Darren England

7

Chris Kavanagh

8

Simon Hooper

9

Andy Madley

10

Peter Bankes

11

Robert Jones

12

Michael Salisbury

13

Tony Harrington

14

Samuel Barrott

15

Thomas Bramall

15 Thomas Bramall

One of the least experienced referees in the Premier League, Thomas Bramall was the man in the middle that made a huge mistake by disallowing Aston Vila’s goal against Man Utd on the final day of the 2024/25 season.

That arguably cost Villa a place in the Champions League, but the PGMOL have stuck with Bramall, who, at 35 years of age, appears to be a referee in the early stages of his top flight career.

14 Samuel Barrott

One of the card happiest referees in the Premier League, Samuel Barrott is one of the most inexperienced officials in the top flight after making his debut in 2023/24.

He took charge of 23 games in 2024/25, apologising for one mistake he made in Crystal Palace’s defeat to Brentford after wrongly ruling out Eberechi Eze’s free-kick.

13 Tony Harrington

Tony Harrington is among the referees to average the least amount of fouls awarded per 90, but that doesn’t make him a bad official.

He made his Premier League debut in 2021/22 but just hasn’t been given a regular run of games in the top flight. Harrington’s best tally of games came in the 2024/25 season where he officiated 18 fixtures.

12 Michael Salisbury

Michael Salisbury has never been a regular in the Premier League after taking charge of his first game in the 2021/22 season.

He was on VAR duty and instructed referee Robert Jones to look at Josh King’s goal against Chelsea which was incorrectly ruled out. Salisbury was dropped by the PGMOL shortly after.

11 Robert Jones

Nottingham Forest aren’t the biggest fans of Robert Jones, with Evangelos Marinakis’ side lodging an official complaint against the 38-year-old after a series of decisions against the Reds.

He was the first Premier League referee to ever perform a red-card rejection, however, some of Jones’ decisions are controversial and he averages awarding a penalty every three games.

10 Peter Bankes

Peter Bankes has now reffed more than 100 games in the Premier League since 2019, however, the Merseyside-born official has regularly come in for criticism from fans.

Former referee Keith Hackett even said Bankes looked “out of his depth” in 2025 after a decision he made in Man Utd’s clash with Bournemouth.

9 Andy Madley

A FIFA licensed referee who has taken charge of the FA Cup final, Andy Madley has taken charge of more than 100 Premier League games since 2017/18.

More recently, he has made some controversial decisions, including one between Everton and Man Utd which resulted in Toffees fan Tony Bellew calling him a “cheat”.

8 Simon Hooper

Often blowing early instead of allowing advantage, Simon Hooper has enraged Premier League players and managers in recent years.

An experienced top flight official after making his debut in 2015, Hooper has often come in for criticism and was actually injured at the end of October in Liverpool’s defeat to Brentford, while he was also the man in the middle during the Reds’ controversial defeat at Tottenham in 2023.

7 Chris Kavanagh

Chris Kavanagh has been a hot topic of conversation in recent years, whether it be for sending off Declan Rice for kicking the ball away or leaving Bruno Fernandes upset after he missed his penalty.

The Greater Manchester official has been on FIFA’s books since 2019 and is closing in on 200 Premier League matches at the age of 40.

6 Darren England

Another FIFA referee, Darren England caught the eye of the international governing body after two years as a Premier League official.

He was a part of the VAR team that somehow incorrectly ruled out Luis Diaz’s goal for offside in Liverpool’s defeat to Tottenham, but in recent years on the pitch, has been consistent.

The New York Mets quickly bounced back from their Game 1 beatdown at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 7-3 win in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday afternoon.

The Mets jumped out to a 6-0 lead early in the game, in part thanks to Mark Vientos’s grand slam in the second inning. Before the grand slam, the Dodgers had chosen to intentionally walk Francisco Lindor with men on second and third and two outs to face Vientos, but it didn’t exactly work out in their favor.

Facing righty Landon Knack, Vientos proceeded to hit a line drive over Dodger Stadium’s right-center-field fence for a grand slam.

Vientos was asked about the memorable moment in a postgame interview with Tom Verducci and said he took the intentional walk “personal.”

“To be honest, I took it personal,” Vientos said. “I was like, ‘Ok, I mean, you want me up to the plate? I’m going to try to drive in a run.’ I was trying to simplify the game. I wasn’t trying to do too much. But I did take it personal that they walked Lindor to load the bases for me.”

At 24 years and 308 days old, Vientos is the youngest player to hit a grand slam in LCS history. Vientos now has six multi-hit games, which is tied for the most in a single postseason in Mets history with Todd Zeile in 2000 and John Olerud in 1999, per MLB’s Sarah Langs.

Despite a nervy ending to the game, the Mets ultimately forced a split at Dodgers Stadium. Game 3 will take place at Citi Field on Wednesday.

Chelsea are now frontrunners in the race for an “incredible” new defender, with a January move on the cards, should they be willing to shell out at least €30m (£26m).

Blues looking to strengthen defence amid Richards criticism

The Blues rose to fifth in the Premier League table courtesy of a 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, but Micah Richards wasn’t overly impressed with the overall performance.

During the second half, the pundit told BBC Sport: “Chelsea have been terrible at the back, they haven’t had a clean sheet in the Premier League since August. You can tell something isn’t right there, they’ve been making too many mistakes.

“Forest look better than they have been and they’ve had the clearest chances. But I worry for them that missing those chances could come back to bite them as Chelsea take the lead.”

Ultimately, the three points are the most important thing, but Enzo Maresca may be slightly concerned about his side allowing Forest to create so many opportunities, with the hosts squandering four big chances and hitting the woodwork.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have now joined the race for a new defender, with it being revealed they are frontrunners to sign Strasbourg’s Guela Doue, who could be in line to join as soon as the January transfer window.

The French side are planning to cash-in for a fee north of €30m (£26m), given his importance to the side, which would be affordable for the Blues, and the fact both clubs are under BlueCo ownership could feasibly make everything easier to orchestrate.

Chelsea open talks to sign "powerful" £35m forward with 15 goals in 2025

The Blues have entered discussions with the agents of a new forward, who is enjoying an impressive campaign.

ByDominic Lund Oct 19, 2025

Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford are also keen on Doue, who is currently contracted until 2029, but the west Londoners are now in the strongest position to get a deal done.

"Incredible" Doue would be versatile option for Maresca

The 23-year-old, who is the brother of Paris Saint-Germain star Desire Doue, is capable of playing at both right-back and centre-back, meaning he would be a versatile option for Maresca, and the defender has displayed his ability to contribute on the front foot this season.

Indeed, the Angers-born ace has one goal and two assists to his name in four Ligue 1 outings, while also showcasing his passing ability and defensive talent on a regular basis over the course of the past year, placing in a high percentile on several metrics, compared to other full-backs.

Statistic

Average per 90

Clearances

4.95 (99th percentile)

Aerials won

1.97 (97th percentile)

Passes attempted

66.67 (90th percentile)

Progressive passes

6.32 (93rd percentile)

Having been lauded for his “incredible character” by Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, Doue could be a solid addition for Chelsea, who definitely need to improve their defensive depth, having been left light on options following injuries to Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) proved to be the banana peel they were feared to be for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who still remained one point behind the table-leaders Gujarat Titans with Punjab Kings (PBKS) now breathing down their necks with one game in hand.Ishan Kishan, who had fizzled out after his century in the first match with just 125 runs off 117 in ten innings since then, anchored a hyper-aggressive SRH to 231. He was as efficient an anchor could be: scoring an unbeaten 94 off 48, including 54 out of the last 86 runs SRH made as he ran out of hitting partners.Led by Phil Salt, RCB stayed abreast with the asking rate for 14 overs, but then endured a collapse of 7 for 16 to lose by 42 runs, a net-run-rate blow that could dent their chances of ending in the top two. They have fallen below PBKS’ net run rate, who are level with them on points.Related

• Kishan's 'continued braveness to take the game on' impresses Moody

• Moody, Kumble want RCB to shake off loss and not second-guess themselves

• RCB need their share of luck now to find lost momentum

SRH hitters hit but not for long

The pitch looked tricky to everyone, but within one over of batting there, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma decided this was perhaps the best pitch they had batted on all year. They decided they needed 230-240 and went looking accordingly. Abhishek started the charge with 34 off 17, hitting three sixes and perishing trying to hit a fourth. Head was slightly slower in his 17 off ten, and was outdone by a Bhuvneshwar Kumar knuckle ball.Two wickets down in the powerplay, SRH saw no reason to slow down. Heinrich Klaasen got a couple of gifts from Suyash Sharma and smacked 24 off 13 before mis-hitting a third gift. Aniket Verma made all this look pedestrian as he hit sixes off even good balls in his nine-ball 26.The only problem was, none of them could carry on, leaving SRH at 145 for 4 in the 12th over.0:58

Moody: RCB need to move on from this loss quickly

Kishan takes over

He looked sedentary in comparison but Kishan was 40 off 22 when Aniket got out. Especially with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Abhinav Manohar falling in quick succession to Romario Shepherd, it was on Kishan to make sure SRH had a finishing kick.Kishan took charge, faced 12 balls out of 18 in his seventh-wicket stand of 43 with Pat Cummins, and ended up one hit short of another century. The hitting was clean but he had to dial down the risk a little. He did play a ramp in between.

RCB flex muscle in chase

Aware of the behaviour of the pitch, SRH looked to go into the pitch and run their fingers on the ball often. RCB, though, showed why they were so close to the top of the table. Each of the first 14 overs featured at least one boundary. Virat Kohli started the charge with 43 off 25, Salt took over spectacularly with 62 off 32, and SRH were just hanging in.

The spectacular turnaround

Reddy hasn’t had the best season with the bat, was untidy in the field, but then started the turnaround with the wicket of Mayank Agarwal in the 11th over. Cummins came back with the wicket of Salt, but RCB stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma hit a six first ball, and Rajat Patidar looked in decent touch. Even with those two wickets falling, RCB kept the asking rate under two runs a ball.Reddy came back to bowl the first over without a boundary in the 15th, and then Eshan Malinga delivered the big blows. Banging the ball in in the first half had probably aided a bit of reverse. He kept nailing the yorkers, changing up with the odd slower ball. He ran out Patidar, drew a return catch from Shepherd, and handcuffed the injured Tim David, who seemed to have done his hamstring when fielding.The dramatic slide continued to the end of the innings.

Vinicius Junior has publicly apologised to Brazilian presenter and influencer Virginia Fonseca, who disclosed that the duo stopped seeing each other after she found intimate conversations between the Real Madrid superstar and other women. Vinicius admitted that he was "careless and let her down", although he did add that they weren't officially a couple yet.

• Brazilian influencer breaks connection with Vinicius

  Virginia Fonseca, a Brazilian-American TV host, entrepreneur and influencer, was smitten with the Real Madrid superstar, as the duo had started talking and meeting each other following her split with ex-husband Ze Felipe. Fonseca was present at the Santiago Bernabeu during Madrid's 3-1 win over Villarreal last weekend, putting on a Vini Jr. jersey. The 26-year-old influencer, however, confirmed to Brazilian outlet that their romance was over after Vini's conversations with other women were leaked.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Vinicius wants to 'restart' relationship with Virginia Fonseca

  The former Flamengo prodigy took to Instagram stories to post a lengthy apology. "We all go through moments that make us reflect and grow," he wrote. "I recently experienced a situation that made me reflect and recognise attitudes that didn't represent who I want to be or the kind of relationships I want to build.

  "Virginia is an incredible woman, an admirable mother, and someone for whom I feel enormous affection and respect. Since we met, she has come to Madrid three times to see me, leaving behind her routine, her commitments, and her life just to be with me. I have met an admirable mother and an incredible partner.

  "Although we weren't officially a couple yet, there was a sincere connection. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was careless, that I didn't respond in the best way I could have, and that I disappointed her.

  "For this reason, I want to apologise publicly, with an open heart, because I understand that a true relationship only exists when there is respect, trust, and transparency. The idea now is to restart everything. Without lies, without fights, without masks. With lots of love, affection, and respect."

• Things improving for Vinicius on the field

  New head coach Xabi Alonso rotated Vini Jr. with Rodrygo in the first few weeks of the season. However, the Brazil international seems to have nailed down his spot on the left flank in attack for now, having scored five goals and registered four assists in eight La Liga games. His chemistry with Kylian Mbappe is getting better with every passing game, too.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  When does Vinicius play again?

  The dashing attacker was recalled to the national team by Brazil boss and ex-Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti for the ongoing international break. He will be expected to feature against both South Korea and Japan, with the games set to take place on October 10 and October 14, respectively.