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After taking over as interim manager following the Rockies firing Bud Black mid-season, Colorado is promoting Warren Schaeffer as the full-time manager for the 2026 season. The team announced the decision on Monday afternoon.

Schaeffer took over in May and posted a 36–86 record as interim manager with the Rockies this year. Despite the unfortunate outcome of the season, the Rockies are ready to give Schaeffer a fresh slate next year.

“We’re confident Warren is the right person to lead our club moving forward,” Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said in a statement. “He has established strong relationships with our players, understands the culture of this franchise and embodies the energy and work ethic we want on and off the field.”

A couple Rockies players endorsed Schaeffer after the season for him to return in the future, including outfielder Jordan Beck.

“I like what he’s changed; I like what he brings to the table,” Beck said in September, via CBS Sports. “There is real accountability and there is true conversation. He makes guys feel really comfortable and prepared, and that’s important for a young team.”

The 40-year-old Schaeffer was promoted to the major leagues for the 2023 season as he was hired as the Rockies’ third base and infield coach. Before coming to majors, Schaeffer worked 10 years coaching and managing in the minor leagues.

They haven’t won every game, but this season is shaping up to be a truly special one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta has got his side playing some sensational football at times while simultaneously ensuring they remain the best defensive team in the Premier League.

It seems like every player, new and old, is all pulling in the exact same direction and helping each other reach new levels.

One of the team’s best players in recent weeks has been summer signing Eberechi Eze, and so fans should be excited about recent reports linking Arsenal with someone who could be another version of the Englishman.

Arsenal target another Eze

There was tremendous excitement from the Arsenal fan base when it was announced that the club had signed Eze, and understandably so.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

After all, here was a player who many considered to be one of the most exciting in the Premier League, and had just spearheaded Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory.

Fortunately, while it took him a few games to get up to speed, the 27-year-old has more than delivered so far this season, racking up a tally of nine goal involvements in 19 games for the club and scoring that North London Derby hat-trick.

So, with all that in mind, it’s not all that surprising to hear that the Gunners may be after another player who has the potential to be another Eze in Kenan Yıldız.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Turkish wonderkid.

In fact, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are going all out to sign him and have been in contact with his representatives.

However, Juventus are understandably keen to keep hold of the incredible youngster and, according to other reports from earlier this month, would need a fee of at least £88m to consider selling him.

Therefore, it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s ability and potential, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he could be another Eze.

Why Yıldız would be another Eze

Now, there are obviously some key differences between Yıldız and Eze, such as their age, but there are also more than a few similarities between them.

For example, like the Englishman, the young Turkish superstar is an attacker who can and does play in a multitude of positions.

Since making his first team debut for Juventus, the 20-year-old monster has played as a second-striker, on the left and right wings, in attacking midfield and even up top a few times.

The second similarity is that, like the former Palace star, he is a dual threat, someone who is as happy scoring a goal as he is assisting one.

For example, in 52 appearances last season, totalling 3520 minutes, he scored 12 goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 2.47 games, or every 167.61 minutes.

Appearances

52

18

Minutes

3520′

1457′

Goals

12

5

Assists

9

5

Then this season, he has become even more dangerous, scoring five goals and providing five assists in 18 appearances, totalling 1457 minutes, which is a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 145.7 minutes.

Finally, and this is related to his output, the 26-capped international is, in the words of content creator Alex Moneypenny, “capable of the spectacular.”

He doesn’t just score tap-ins; he already has quite the impressive catalogue of goals, ranging from long-distance strikes to ones stemming from brilliant close control.

It is also this ability to create magic on the football pitch that likely led European football writer Danny Corcoran to describe the youngster as having “Mbappe-like ability.”

Ultimately, it won’t be an easy transfer to get done, but Arsenal should be going all out to sign Yıldız in 2026, as he could be another Eze.

A Saka & Olise hybrid: Arsenal in contact over signing £70m "superstar"

The incredible talent would be as game-changing for Arsenal as Bukayo Saka has been over the years.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 5, 2025

Manchester City have now moved into pole position in the race for an “incredible” star, with Pep Guardiola captivated by him.

Man City's January transfer plans taking shape

It is clear that Man City could do with bringing in some additional attacking firepower this January, given that Erling Haaland has scored more than half of their 27 Premier League goals this season, although Phil Foden is showing signs he could be getting back to his best.

City survived a scare to defeat Leeds United 3-2 on Saturday, with their academy graduate bagging a brace, scoring the all-important third goal in stoppage time.

However, with Haaland perhaps still in need of additional support in attack, the Blues are looking to sign a new forward, and they are now exploring a move for AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Semenyo is not the only target though, with Guardiola’s side setting their sights on a new midfielder, amid Rodri being unable to overcome his injury woes, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.

According to a report from Spain, Man City are now the clear favourites to sign Anderson, but they will have to shell out one of the highest transfer fees in their history to get a deal done, with a €100m (£88m) asking price being touted.

Guardiola has been left captivated by the midfielder, who has attracted interest from some of the world’s biggest clubs, including Manchester United and Liverpool, but City have now moved into pole position in the race for his signature.

The Blues’ financial resources should also give them the edge, and there is every indication he would be a fantastic addition to Guardiola’s squad…

"Incredible" Anderson has earned move to top club

The central midfielder has been nothing short of a revelation for both club and country this season, most recently putting in a top performance against Brighton & Hove Albion, despite Forest losing 2-0, winning more duels and completing more dribbles than any other player.

Elliot Anderson’s key statistics

Number completed

Dribbles

6

Duels (won)

17 (12)

Accurate passes

62/71 (87%)

Crosses (accurate)

13 (6)

Lauded as “incredible” by journalist Konstantinos Lianos, the Forest star has also received high praise from England manager Thomas Tuchel, who said: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

There has been a new update on City’s pursuit of a new forward, who Pep Guardiola has dubbed “extraordinary”.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

With Rodri still struggling on the injury front, it would be ideal to bring in a new midfielder who could help keep the pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race, and Anderson has proven himself as a top player this season.

The 2025 MLB season is fully underway but there's always an eye toward the future. To this end, MLB officials are reportedly already preparing for the next round of negotiations with the MLB Players Association for the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. The current CBA is set to expire in December 2026, so talks on a new CBA will likely begin following this season.

On Thursday, CNBC reported league officials have been looking into a significant change ahead of those negoations. Per Alex Sherman and Lillian Rizzo, those at MLB have considered introducing a salary cap and a salary floor into the next CBA.

"MLB owners as well as Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office have begun privately contemplating what a new league economic structure could look like as the league heads toward a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with players, according to people familiar with the matter," Sherman and Rizzo wrote. "MLB officials have discussed adding both a salary cap and a salary floor, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. The Major League Baseball Players Association, however, has long been against a salary cap, and the group says its position hasn’t changed."

It would be a huge change. The Los Angeles Dodgers have become one of the most dominant teams in baseball in part because there is no limit on how much money they can spend to sign the best players. This has frustrated other owners, presumably on the basis that they don't have as much cash to throw around; it's gotten to the point where they are "agitating" for a cap to limit the financial imbalance.

The MLBPA, understandably, is not interested in any machinations that put a cap on how much money is getting thrown around to its players— which is where the salary floor comes in, a minimum amount of money every MLB team must spend annually. Introducing both would shrink the gap between the highest-spending and lowest-spending teams around the league, which has grown to be quite dramatic in recent years. For 2025, the Dodgers lead the league in spending with a $331 million payroll. The lowest-spending team in the league? The Miami Marlins, with $68 million in payroll.

Potentially big changes are down the road for the game of baseball.

The Portugal U16 women’s national team experienced the surprise of a lifetime as they came face-to-face with Cristiano Ronaldo and the senior men’s squad during a special visit to training. The young players were left speechless as they stood only steps away from their idols, witnessing the global icons up close in a heart-warming moment that instantly went viral.

• Portugal U16 Women's team meet Ronaldo and Co.

  The Portugal U16 girls’ team were invited to watch the senior men’s national team train during the current international camp. The session quickly turned unforgettable when Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and the rest of the senior squad made their way over to greet the young players. The girls, visibly stunned as the stars approached, reacted with wide-eyed smiles, nervous laughter and complete disbelief as they met the players they had grown up admiring.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ronaldo closing in on his final year with Portugal

  For the U16 girls, meeting Ronaldo was particularly emotional, given the forward’s status as the country’s greatest sporting icon and the inspiration behind countless youth careers across Portugal. The entire event was captured on camera, showing the young team freezing in awe before gradually breaking into excitement as each senior player greeted them.

  The timing of the encounter also adds significance, as Ronaldo is nearing the final chapter of his legendary international journey. The 40-year-old has publicly stated he expects the 2026 World Cup to be his sixth and final tournament, marking an extraordinary milestone no other male footballer has reached. Despite his age, he remains a key figure in Portugal’s squad and continues to score at an elite level, proving he still has much to offer in the national colours.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ronaldo meeting to serve as motivation for the future

  Beyond his on-field achievements, Ronaldo has spoken openly in recent interviews about preparing for life after football. He admitted that retirement is “soon,” saying he expects to step away from the sport within one or two years and focus more on his family, hobbies, and business ventures. His perspective reflects how long he has lived in football’s spotlight and how meeting young players today represents passing the torch to the next generation.

  For the U16 girls’ team, the experience is likely to serve as long-lasting motivation as they continue their national-team development. They now return to their training camp with newfound inspiration and a firsthand glimpse of the professionalism, charisma and humility that define Portugal’s biggest stars.

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• Portugal prepare for WC26 qualifier with Ireland

  For Ronaldo and the senior squad, focus now shifts back to sealing qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Portugal need a win on Friday against Ireland to qualify, and the veteran icon is determined to make his final tournament one to remember. As retirement moves closer, Ronaldo’s influence off the pitch becomes just as meaningful, and interactions like this show the lasting legacy he hopes to leave behind.

USMNT and Club América winger Alejandro Zendejas has recovered from the muscle injury he sustained during the October international window while on duty with the United States. The setback sidelined him for three league matches, but after returning to full training this week, he’s ready to feature in Saturday’s season finale against Toluca.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  América get leading star back

  The 27-year-old winger, who missed several weeks with a muscle injury sustained on USMNT duty in October, has recovered fully and could feature as América fine-tune ahead of the playoffs. Head coach André Jardine is likely to manage his minutes carefully to prevent another setback after his earlier recurrence against Cruz Azul, when he was forced off just 18 minutes into his return.

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  Violante still not ready

  Meanwhile, Isaías Violante is almost certainly ruled out until the playoffs as he continues recovering from a muscle injury. The 21-year-old hasn’t featured since América’s 3–0 win over Santos on Matchday 12, and he’s still training separately from the group.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Henry and Zúñiga close to returning

  Captain Henry Martín remains sidelined, having not featured since Matchday 8 against Chivas. The striker has managed just three appearances this season in what’s been one of the most challenging stretches of his career due to injuries. José Zúñiga, meanwhile, returned to light training on Tuesday after missing four games with a similar issue, but he’s still unlikely to be available against Toluca.

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  What comes next?

  The matchup against Toluca at the Nemesio Diez this weekend will serve as a valuable test, as Jardine aims to have his squad in top form heading into the postseason.

In recent seasons, Manchester City’s academy has become one of the most prominent in Europe. They have produced many fantastic players, some of whom still ply their trade at the Etihad Stadium, and others who have moved on to pastures new.

One of the best academy graduates currently in the City squad would have to be Phil Foden. Their number 47 has cemented himself as one of the key players in Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

On the flip side, the Citizens let the likes of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers leave in the last few years, both of whom are now full England internationals.

Another City academy graduate, Nico O’Reilly, could be about to make his Three Lions debut.

Why O’Reilly is in the England squad

It has been an astronomical rise to the top for 20-year-old City starlet O’Reilly. After becoming an established player in their first-team fold last season, Thomas Tuchel has taken note of his performances and drafted him into his latest England squad.

The Manchester-born City star is a versatile player and has been something of a Swiss army knife for Guardiola. He’s played 30 first-team games for his boyhood club, which have come all over the pitch.

Most often, O’Reilly has played as a left-back, but he’s played as a centre-back, right across the midfield, and even as a centre-forward.

That versatility has been hugely beneficial for City’s Spanish boss. He can deploy O’Reilly almost anywhere and get a good performance in whichever role he plays. This season, the youngster has played nine games, with seven of those appearances coming at left-back.

He even set up Erling Haaland’s second goal away to Monaco from that position.

One person who O’Reilly has impressed this season is BBC Sport tactical analyst Umir Irfan. He said that the versatile star “has been brilliant for City and a big part of their solidity in recent weeks,” which is high praise indeed.

As well as O’Reilly has performed for City, he is arguably not even their biggest talent at full-back to come from the academy in recent years.

City’s ex-academy star who’s better than O’Reilly

O’Reilly isn’t the only top prospect City have produced at full-back in recent years. Rico Lewis has also broken into Guardiola’s squad, and, like his fellow academy graduate, can operate in midfield, as Guardiola likes his full-backs to do.

Yet, one player of a vastly different profile, who City may wish they had kept hold of, is Liverpool wing-back Jeremie Frimpong. The Dutchman was once in City’s academy himself, but was sold to Celtic for just £300k back in 2019.

In hindsight, this wasn’t the best decision City have made over the years. Now plying his trade at Anfield, Frimpong cost their Premier League rivals £29.5m, following some exceptional seasons at Bayer Leverkusen.

He’s already seven games into his Liverpool career and scored on his debut in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace.

He is also a different type of full-back to O’Reilly. Operating as a winger at times with the ball, Frimpong is rapid down the right flank and has a deadly cross in his arsenal.

That is why football scout Antonio Mango described him as a “cheat code.”

In Leverkusen’s remarkable invincible season of 2023/24, the Dutchman was one of their best players. Operating at wing-back, the 24-year-old scored 14 times and assisted 12 in 47 games.

His underlying stats were incredible, too. With less defensive responsibility, he ranked in the top 13% for key passes amongst Bundesliga full-backs in the top flight, with 1.8 per 90 minutes.

Goals and assists

0.64

97th

Key passes

1.8

13th

Crosses completed

0.6

67th

Take-ons completed

1.92

94th

Progressive carries

6.12

99th

O’Reilly has certainly made an excellent start to his career. Yet, with Frimpong’s contribution to a memorable Leverkusen season in 2023/24, and his major move to Liverpool this summer, it is easy to see how he could be considered a bigger talent.

Losing a player of this quality might sting City fans now. He was an academy star who was let go for a cheap price, and would have brought something unique to their current squad.

Sane 2.0: Man City star is now "one of the best dribblers in PL history"

Pep Guardiola has hit the jackpot with this Manchester City signing.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 4, 2025

West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales has been fined 15% of his match fee and given a demerit point for his send-off to Pat Cummins on the first day of the Barbados Test against Australia.Cummins was caught at mid-off for 28 off 18 balls in the 55th over of Australia’s first innings, after which the bowler Seales gestured in the direction of the dressing room.According to the ICC’s code of conduct, Seales was in breach of article 2.5: “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”Related

• However you get 'em – Head, Carey and Webster show the way to Australia top order

• Out or not out? TV in the spotlight during Barbados Test

• Fast bowlers, TV umpire headline a rollercoaster day with Test in the balance

• Sammy 'looking for some clarity' as contentious TV umpiring decisions pile up

Seales took 5 for 60 in Australia’s first innings and after the day’s play he said he “did not really mean anything” by the reaction and that “it was more a bit of frustration.””Pat hit a couple of good shots off me and I just showed him where the dressing room was and there wasn’t really anything in it.” It was Seales’ second offence and he now has two demerit points in a 24-month period.After dismissing Australia for 180, West Indies ended the first day on 57 for 4. They were dismissed for 190 on the second day at the Kensington Oval, where several contentious decisions made by the TV umpire Adrian Holdstock went against the home side. After they reduced Australia to 92-4 in the third innings, West Indies coach Daren Sammy was critical of Holdstock’s decision-making.

This is the third time since November 2024 that Ferguson has suffered an injury

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2025

Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowler Lockie Ferguson picked up an injury two balls into his spell in the IPL 2025 game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday.Ferguson pulled up after the second delivery of the sixth over and was seen holding the side of his left leg just below the hip. He had to leave the field after consultation with the physio and did not return to bowl again as SRH pulled off the second-highest successful chase in IPL history with eight wickets in hand.In Ferguson’s absence, Marcus Stoinis completed the sixth over but did not bowl again for the remainder of the SRH chase. PBKS used eight bowlers in total, including the medium pace of Shashank Singh, who was bowling for the first time this season.”He’s someone who can get you wickets… as he’s done in the previous matches, that was a big blow for us,” PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer said of Ferguson after the match. “But it happens. He’s someone who clicks 140-plus all the time. It’s part and parcel of a bowler’s life.”Ferguson had only just recovered from a hamstring injury that he picked up in the ILT20 in the UAE, which forced him to miss the Champions Trophy in February. This is the third time since November 2024 that Ferguson has been injured. Before his hamstring issue in the ILT20, he had also suffered a calf injury, which forced him to miss the ODIs against Sri Lanka late last year.With PBKS having made an Impact Player substitution already in the game – fast bowler Yash Thakur came in for batter Priyansh Arya – they were left a fast bowler short in their defence of 245. Ferguson is one of only two overseas fast bowlers in the PBKS squad this season, the other being Australia’s Xavier Bartlett. Before this game, Ferguson had taken five wickets in three innings while maintaining an economy of 9.36 and a strike rate of 13.20.