Pitcher Gerrit Cole is remaining a New York Yankee after he opted to remain on his four-year deal with the team earlier this month through the 2028 season, but the two sides are still talking about a possible contract extension.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner opened up more about Cole's contract situation on Thursday, admitting he wasn't "comfortable" with adding a fifth year to the ace's contract. However, the owner said the Yankees still very much want the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner to remain in New York.

“But let me just say, that doesn’t reflect in any way, shape or form what we think of Gerrit," Steinbrenner said regarding not adding a fifth year, via MLB's Bryan Hoch. "We want Gerrit to be a Yankee for life. I believe he wants to be a Yankee for life. And adding one more year or not adding one more year should have no meaning when it comes to that.”

Because Cole is staying on his contract with the Yankees, the team is in no hurry necessarily to extend his contact since the 34-year-old pitcher won't become a free agent this offseason.

The 2024 season marked Cole's fifth with the Yankees. His season was limited to 17 games as he dealt with an elbow injury. He posted a 3.41 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 95 innings on the mound. In the Yankees' runner-up postseason, Cole pitched 29 innings, producing 22 strikeouts, 27 hits, 13 runs and one home run.

A surprise guest was introduced over the Oakland Coliseum loudspeakers on Thursday to sing the national anthem for the Oakland Athletics' final home game in the East Bay—former AL Cy Young winner Barry Zito.

Zito, who pitched for the A's from 2000 to '06 and rejoined the club for three appearances in '15, sang "The Star Spangled Banner" in front of a sold-out crowd of 46,889 fans.

After 57 years in the Oakland Coliseum, the A's will play their home games at Sutter Health Park, the home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, in California's capital city for the next three seasons as they attempt to relocate the franchise to Las Vegas by 2028.

"You can't prepare for something like this," Zito said of the final Coliseum game on the NBC Sports California broadcast. " … I had to be a part of this. This is just so special. I love seeing all the fans and all the green and gold, man."

Zito's singing talent didn't come out of nowhere. He has a long history as a musician, as he began playing guitar in the minor leagues and played with his sister Sally's band during each offseason from 2000 to '07. After he retired from baseball in 2015, Zito released his first EP in 2017 and appeared on season three of on Fox.

Although he has plenty of talent on the microphone, Zito was even better on the mound. Across 15 seasons, Zito was a three-time All-Star and logged a 165–143 record and 4.04 ERA. He was named the 2002 AL Cy Young winner after registering a 23–5 record, 2.75 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 35 starts, leading the "Moneyball A's" to an AL West division title.

Pete Alonso is returning to the New York Mets.

The free-agent first baseman has reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the Mets that includes an opt-out after the first season, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Alonso will reportedly make $30 million in 2025 and a total of $54 million over the two-year contract.

The 30-year-old has played his entire six-year MLB career in New York and will be back with the Mets for at least one more season, and possibly two.

Last year, Alonso featured in all 162 games for the franchise and launched 34 home runs and 88 RBIs while slashing .240/.329/.459. Excluding the shortened season in 2020, the slugging Alonso has hit 34 or more homers in every season of his career. Through six seasons, Alonso has 226 career home runs and owns an OPS of .854 throughout 846 games.

Alonso had been linked to other teams in free agency, including the Toronto Blue Jays, but ultimately opted to run it back with the Mets. New York has been busy in free agency, luring superstar outfielder Juan Soto away from their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees, while also adding the likes of Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas, among others.

Barcelona have confirmed the date for their long-awaited return to Spotify Camp Nou. The Blaugrana haven't played at the famous stadium since the end of the 2022/23 season as the La Liga giants' home underwent major renovation works. However, the project, which was due to be sufficiently completed to resume playing there by the end of 2024, has dragged on significantly longer than initially anticipated.

Getty Images SportSuccessful test event paved way for re-opening

Barcelona have played their home games at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium since the start of the 2023/24 season, which has a capacity of 55,926. The initial plan was to play the Olympic Stadium for the duration of that campaign and the first half of last season before returning to Spotify Camp Nou earlier this year.

However, a string of missed deadlines means Barcelona have been forced to continue to play away from Spotify Camp Nou for longer than they originally expected. The La Liga champions did receive a permit to re-open the stadium last month, but a limit was placed on the capacity to just 25,991, which the club felt didn't make sense financially.

Barcelona subsequently held a test event at the famous stadium as 23,000 fans attended a test event, which president Joan Laporta deemed a success. "The players and Hansi [Flick] did really well in front of the supporters. They want to come back, and today they've seen that we’re very close," Laporta said after the open training session, which was key as the Spanish giants sought to receive license 1B, which enables the club to open another stand and significantly increase the available capacity.

AdvertisementBarcelona confirm welcome of Athletic Club for re-opening

Earlier this month, Barcelona executive Joan Sentelles, who is overseeing renovations, said: "Our goal is to have it ready in time for the match against Athletic Club. "As soon as we obtain the 1B license, we'll open the Lateral Stand, which will already give us a capacity similar to the Olympic Stadium. At that point, it wouldn't make sense to continue playing there – all our matches will be here [at Camp Nou]."

"I haven't been informed of any problems so far," Laporta added. "We have the initial occupancy permit; it would hold 27,000 spectators, but we're waiting for the 1B license so that 45,000 can enter. That would mean the entire stadium except for the North Stand.

"We are working so that, when we get the 1B permit, we can play. If they give it to us next week, we could play [against Athletic Club]. But we will play as soon as possible, depending on the permit. We have an obligation to work with dates."

And on Monday, Barcelona confirmed in a post on X that Spotify Camp Nou would re-open for supporters. "We've dreamed about the return. Now, it's here. We’re back home. Back at Spotify Camp Nou," they posted on their official club account.

Renovation work will continue in the area and capacity is capped at 45,401 for Saturday's game as Barcelona look to return to domestic duties with victory over Basque powerhouse Athletic Club. A 4-2 win at Celta Vigo last weekend means Hansi Flick has overseen back-to-back league victories for the first time since September.

AFP'It's like going back to the future'

Laporta spoke glowingly of the stadium following the test event earlier this month and highlighted the emotional weight of the return to Spotify Camp Nou, stating: "When I entered the Spotify Camp Nou, I relived so many memories from the past. But I also see the present and the future. This is a legacy for future Barca supporters."

The Barcelona supremo added that the new stadium is "an architectural jewel that will be the best in the world" and that the new ground "retains the magic of its greatest moments, but with a new soul. It's like going back to the future."

Renovations are expected to continue until 2027, and when works are complete, Spotify Camp Nou will boast a capacity of 105,000.

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Will Barca be able to host Champions League games?

However, it remains to be seen whether Barcelona will be able to hold Champions League games at their home or whether these will be played at the Olympic Stadium. Barcelona's next home European match takes place on December 9, when they host German side Eintracht Frankfurt.

UEFA's rules differ to La Liga regarding stadium changes mid-season, though Tottenham Hotspur were permitted to do so during the 2018/19 season when they left Wembley for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs' second match at their new ground was the welcome of Manchester City, a game they won 1-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

Laporta, though, has expressed confidence that the new stadium will be up to scratch, stating that there are plans in place to meet all the governing body's requirements.

Martin O’Neill has now confirmed that he will “step aside” when Celtic find their next manager and revealed that there has not been any talks with the club about taking a permanent role.

O’Neill insists he has no idea whether he will remain at the helm for Celtic’s next match against St Mirren amid reports that the Hoops have stepped up their search for a new permanent manager.

The 73-year-old has been in caretaker charge of the Scottish champions for the last four games since Brendan Rodgers resigned two and a half weeks ago.

It has been reported this week that the Celtic board have been interviewing candidates, with Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy emerging as the new bookmakers’ favourite.

Other names mentioned includes Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town and Kjetil Knutsen. Whether the Hoops can lure either of those names away from their current positions at Portmand Road and Bodo/Glimt is the question that everyone’s asking.

Reports have claimed that Knutsen wants to at least complete his side’s Champions League campaign, which could end in January in the earliest scenario. Meanwhile, there have been no signs that McKenna will be leaving Ipswich anytime soon.

As Celtic’s search goes on, O’Neill has continued to roll back the years. In his four matches, the 73-year-old – assisted by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham – has overseen two Scottish Premiership victories, a Europa League defeat by Midtjylland and an extra-time win over 10-man Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.

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The final against St Mirren takes place on December 14 and there are some who would like to see the veteran remain in charge for the Hampden showdown in order to add to his trophy haul from his glittering first spell in charge in the early Noughties.

O'Neill insists no talks with Celtic board

To no surprise, O’Neill has been questioned a number of times about the Celtic job, but his answer remains the same. He will “step aside” as soon as the club no longer need him and, despite rumours, there have been no talks about the permanent job.

The 4-2-3-1 tactician has done a solid job so far and may yet get the chance to continue that job after the international break, but admitted that he’s not bothered whether he’s in charge for the Scottish Cup final in December, saying: “I am a romantic and have been a romantic all my life. I know the history of football and all of those particular things but that doesn’t bother me one jot.”

Celtic hold talks to sign "talented" manager who's like a young O'Neill

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O torcedor do Palmeiras recebeu uma notícia terrível na tarde desta sexta-feira (26). O atacante Bruno Rodrigues sofreu uma lesão no joelho direito no jogo contra a Inter de Limeira, terá que passar por artroscopia nos próximos dias e deve desfalcar o Verdão por quatro a cinco meses.

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Bruno Rodrigues foi um dos três reforços do Palmeiras para esta temporada e um dos maiores investimentos da diretoria para 2024, tendo jogado apenas duas partidas.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Com esta baixa, o setor ofensivo se torna a maior dor de cabeça para o técnico Abel Ferreira, e muito provavelmente o clube terá que ir ao mercado em busca de uma reposição.

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O Palmeiras volta a treinar neste sábado (27) e fecha a preparação para o clássico contra o Santos, a ser disputado no domingo (28), às 18h (de Brasília) no Allianz Parque, pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Paulista.

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Real Madrid have now set their sights on signing Dominik Szoboszlai in another blow for Liverpool, with the Reds working to set up obstacles to prevent the move.

It’s been a disastrous season for those at Anfield. After spending over £400m and breaking their transfer record twice to welcome Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, the Premier League champions have looked a shadow of their best. Sat as low as eighth as the November international break begins, the pressure is growing on Arne Slot for the first time in his Liverpool tenure.

Last Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at the Etihad against Manchester City was another game in which Liverpool were physically outmatched, and that’s a major concern. That’s the one thing that they could never be accused of under Jurgen Klopp, but Slot’s technical side simply haven’t been able to compete out of possession.

Club legend Jamie Carragher shared a similar view on the Overlap Fan Debate, claiming that Slot’s attempts to build a more entertaining side have come just when the tide is changing in the Premier League.

It’s difficult to pick out many players who have still thrived for the Reds in recent months, but Szoboszlai is certainly one of them. He has had no trouble adjusting to this so-called new version of the Premier League and his form has not gone unnoticed.

Real Madrid now targeting Dominik Szoboszlai

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid are now targeting Szoboszlai in a move that could cost them as much as €80m (£71m). Given that they’re already linked with a move for Ibrahima Konate, it would be a major blow for the Reds if they lost their star midfielder alongside the Frenchman in 2026.

After Isak: Liverpool's "next Michael Owen" is destined to be the club's #9

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Unlike in Konate’s case, however, Liverpool have handed Real Madrid an obstacle in the way of Szoboszlai’s signature in the form of his contract, which doesn’t expire until 2028, and have already opened talks over a new deal with the Hungary international.

Those at Anfield know more than most just how much the Spanish giants love a free deal, but it looks as though they’ll have no choice but to offer a premium fee if they want to sign the midfield star.

That said, after Slot dubbed Szoboszlai “unbelievable” back in August, it seems unlikely that he will be going anywhere anytime soon.

Liverpool star is quickly becoming their biggest "disaster" since Keita

Tottenham were denied a first Premier League win at home since the opening weekend this afternoon, as Man United defender Matthijs de Ligt broke Spurs hearts with a dramatic added-time equaliser, despite Thomas Frank’s side briefly snatching a late 2-1 lead.

Tottenham 2-2 Man United as poor Spurs home form continues

Bryan Mbeumo had put United ahead in the 32nd minute, with the October Premier League Player of the Month continuing his excellent form by nodding past a helpless Guglielmo Vicario at the far post.

The visitors dominated for large periods as Spurs looked disjointed and lacked overall creativity at home once again. Tottenham did have one chance before the interval, but striker Richarlison failed to capitalise — missing a golden opportunity when presented with a free header from 12 yards out.

He somehow completely missed the ball, leaving every Spurs fan in the stadium stunned, and those same supporters booed the home side off at half-time after a very disappointing first 45.

United looked on their way to three points, managing the game well after the restart, even if the brilliant Senne Lammens was forced into a couple of excellent saves to maintain their advantage.

However, the equaliser eventually did come, with substitute Mathys Tel’s shot in the 83rd minute deflecting off de Ligt and finding the back of the United net.

Wilson Odobert

7.4

Matthijs de Ligt

7.3

Amad Diallo

7.3

Mathys Tel

7.1

Patrick Dorgu

7.1

via WhoScored

Frank’s player introductions changed the game, with fellow sub Destiny Udogie setting up the Frenchman for his brilliantly taken equaliser inside the box. Yet another sub, Wilson Odobert, then chipped into the late drama.

Richarlison directed Odobert’s ball outside the box past Lammens and into the bottom corner on 91 minutes, sparking wild celebrations as the Brazilian removed his shirt in jubilation. Tottenham appeared to have completed a sensational comeback, yet there was one final twist.

A United corner to the back post was headed home by de Ligt, who was completely unmarked, in the 96th minute — silencing Spurs’ celebrations and rescuing a dramatic point for Ruben Amorim’s side.

The draw maintains United’s four-match unbeaten streak while Tottenham’s home woes continue. Spurs have now won just four of their last 20 home league games, with their excellent away record masking real struggles at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Peter Crouch takes aim at "lackadaisical" Djed Spence in Man United draw

For United’s first goal, so much went wrong.

Pape Sarr made the bizarre decision to play a very difficult pass to Micky van de Ven just outside Spurs’ penalty area, rather than just clearing the ball, and the Dutchman was then rushed into a botched clearance before United capitalised and opened the scoring.

Right-back Djed Spence also failed to close down the cross for Mbeumo’s header quick enough, with ex-Tottenham striker Peter Crouch telling TNT Sports at half-time that his defending simply wasn’t good enough.

Crouch said that Spence looked “too calm” when going to press Diallo, insisting that the defender was “lackadaisical” at that moment which cost Spurs the first goal of the game.

Overall, the north Londoners were arguably the weaker side and a victory for them would’ve been quite harsh on United, even if their brief comeback sparked real hope of a perfect last Premier League result before the November international break.

Their next two matches after the break are actually away from home, but they’re against very tough opposition in Premier League leaders Arsenal and European champions PSG.

Chris Lynn became the first man to score a hundred in the 22-year history of T20 Finals Day as his unbeaten 108 from 51 balls took Hampshire through their semi-final against Northamptonshire almost single-handedly.Lynn described his achievement as “not bad”, although he joked he was more interested in becoming one of a slightly less select club to have hit six sixes in an over. Having brought up his century, from 49 balls, with the fourth of five consecutive sixes off Lloyd Pope’s legspin, he duly struck the fifth over the ropes – only to be given out lbw to the last ball of the over, a decision that was overturned on DRS.The second semi-final at Edgbaston had appeared to be delicately balanced up until that point, with Hampshire needing 38 runs from 24 balls in a game that had shortened by rain. But after Lynn’s five sixes – taking his tally in the match to 11 – it was left to James Fuller to hit the winning runs with 2.2 overs to spare.Related

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• Six-smashing Lynn powers Hampshire to final with unbeaten 108

Former Australia international Lynn was one of a handful of overseas players still available to play on Finals Day, with his status as a T20 freelancer meaning he was not subject to being recalled for the start of the Australian domestic season, like many of his compatriots involved in the Blast.Lynn’s efforts eclipsed the previous best individual score on Finals Day, the 92 scored by Luke Wright for Sussex in their semi-final win over Somerset in 2018. In this case, it was a one-man demolition, with Lynn smashing 108 out of Hampshire’s total of 155; the next-highest score in the innings was James Vince’s 12.”It’s easy to sit here and say it’s a flat wicket now,” Lynn said at the post-match presentation. “[It was a case of] one ball at a time, we knew it had a bit in it up front, they’ve got some quality seam bowlers. For us, it was about partnerships. That’s the first domino down. Really happy, but still got one more job to do. Personally, it would top my day off if we can go again. I really like this shirt, I hope they’ll have me back next year.”Asked about becoming the first man to score a century on Finals Day, which was first held to cap off the inaugural season of the Twenty20 Cup in 2003, Lynn said: “Not bad, I probably wanted six sixes more. I wasn’t worried about the lbw, it was about trying to join Yuvraj [Singh] and Polly [Kieron Pollard].”The scoreboard shows Lynn’s five consecutive sixes off Lloyd Pope•Getty Images

Northamptonshire had battled back to make a game of it, having been 86 for 6 before the second of two heavy showers – the first having pushed back the start – led to a reduction in overs. The innings was resurrected by a partnership of 70 in 40 balls between Justin Broad and Luke Procter, although Hampshire’s target was revised down to 155 on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.They nevertheless made life difficult for Hampshire’s batters – Lynn aside – with four of the top five dismissed after going at less than a run a ball. Ravi Bopara, Northamptonshire’s veteran allrounder, said it took an “unbelievable” innings from Lynn to settle the outcome.”I thought we put a good total on the board,” Bopara said. “That was a decent total on that wicket, which was slowing up a bit. We though we had the game in the balance there, with about six overs to go – then obviously you have the one big over that loses you the game. I though Lynny played unbelievable, when someone had a day out like that it’s hard to stop them.””It is a tough wicket to get going, there’s not a lot of pace in it. You do need a bit of power, which Lynny has got and he showed it tonight. That’s why he’s been so successful in T20 cricket throughout his career, because he’s got the capability of clearing the ropes and taking the pitch out of the equation.”Hampshire, looking to secure a record fourth T20 title, advanced to contest the trophy against Somerset, the 2023 winners who have themselves reached four of the last five finals. Both teams share the record for Finals Day appearances with 11.Lynn was able to strap the pads back on straight away, after Somerset won the toss and chose to bowl. He could not repeat his semi-final heroics, despite hitting his fourth ball for six – his 12th of the day – as he holed out to cover for 12 off seven balls.

A win will take Afghanistan to the top of the Group B points table

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-20252:26

Abhinav Mukund impressed by Afghanistan’s on-field trial

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat against Afghanistan in their Asia Cup clash in Abu Dhabi.Bangladesh captain Litton Das said the pitch looked a bit on the slow side, despite the Abu Dhabi surface having been better for batting recently. Rashid Khan said Afghanistan would have liked to bat first as well.Bangladesh made four changes with Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Nasum Ahmed coming in. Mahedi Hasan, Pervez Hossain Emon, Shoriful Islam and Mahedi Hasan missed out. Afghanistan, meanwhile, named an unchanged XI.Related

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A win for Afghanistan On Tuesday will take them to the top of the Group B points table.Bangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan Tamim, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Nurul Hasan, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Shamim Hossain, 8 Nasum Ahmed, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin AhmedAfghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sediqullah Atal, 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Gulbadin Naib, 5 Karim Janat, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 AM Ghazanfar, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi