Anil Kumble, one of the most prominent and influential voices in world cricket, is “very clear” that a Test match has to be five days long and he does not endorse the proposal to make four-day Test cricket mandatory.Kumble, who is the chairman of the ICC’s Cricket Committee, has also countered the view expressed by many, including the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, that Test cricket is dying. Test cricket, Kumble said, is very much alive, but he feels the viewing habits of the fans have changed, with many following it through the television and digital mediums.Although the ICC Board itself is split on the subject, some of the key Full Member boards want the ICC to consider making four-day Test cricket mandatory from the 2023 cycle of the World Test Championships. Trimming that one day, these administrators believe, would free up space in the cricket calendar, which has been stretched to the limits.ALSO READ: Samiuddin – Let’s talk about the cricket calendar firstThe player fraternity, however, is split with most favouring five-day Tests. That includes India captain Virat Kohli, who said he is “not a fan of” four-day Test cricket, and former England captain Andrew Strauss. The latter, who also sits on the ICC Cricket Committee, said it should either be “an easy sell or we shouldn’t be doing it.”Kumble is in the same group as Kohli and Strauss when it comes to four-day Tests. “The sense of what I think about it is the players have given that. I mean, they don’t want a four-day Test,” Kumble said during ‘s annual thought conclave, The Huddle, which was held in Bengaluru on February 23.”Five-day Test is what it is. And a Test it is because it is five days. If it was four days, it wouldn’t be a Test. I am very clear on that.”Kumble’s views carry significance considering he chairs one of the most important committees in the ICC, one which recommends all things cricket, with the recommendations then ratified by the ICC Board.Although ESPNcricinfo understands the four-day Test is not likely to feature formally on the agenda for the March round of ICC meetings in Dubai, administrators would be keen to have a discussion at some point going into the annual conference in July, scheduled in Cape Town.ALSO READ: Monga – Don’t dismiss the idea of four-day Test cricketAccording to Kumble, the ICC Cricket Committee had an initial discussion on four-day Tests two years ago but it had never thought about making it mandatory for all countries. Kumble said he was open to four-day Tests being played in bilateral tournaments against smaller countries like Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, but nothing beyond that.”It was discussed a couple of years ago, but I don’t think there’s any progress made on taking a decision of a mandatory four-day Test. I don’t think it has ever been done. There was an experiment done with South Africa and Zimbabwe, where they played a four-day Test match. England played Ireland. I mean when you play Afghanistan, Ireland, Zimbabwe, maybe the boards have the wherewithal to go ahead and play a four-day Test.But the [ICC Cricket] Committee and even within the ICC, I don’t think there’s any, at least in the immediate, thinking of having a four-day Test competition, which is mandatory. I don’t think there’s anything of that (nature), but I am really glad that the players believe that it is a five-day competition that they want.”Test cricket is “still healthy”According to Kumble, one challenge for Test cricket was the quality of the contests, which have not always been competitive. Kumble agreed this was something the players needed to ensure to keep the fans’ interest alive. “One thing that all of us as fans would want is better competition in a Test match. You want more teams to compete harder against each other. Not just last for five days, but the ability of a spinner coming in…and the match-up between a batsman playing a spinner on a fourth-day pitch, on a fifth-day pitch is something you want to see, the battle between that.”One major reason Kumble remained positive that Test cricket was safe was the balance between bat and ball was nearly equal, unlike in the past where batsmen dominated contests on most occasions. “If you see in the last 18 months or two years, results in Test cricket have been phenomenal. The runs per wicket has come down drastically from what it used to be, which means there is better balance between bat and ball. So in that sense Test cricket is certainly giving you the right feelers, of saying, yes, it is still healthy.”Kumble also disagreed that empty grounds across the world during a Test series, outside of marquee contests like the Ashes, were a clear indicator that the long-format cricket was dead due to lack of interest. Even as Kumble was speaking at the event, Kohli’s India were fighting to survive in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington.Kumble inquired about the score and got several responses with some of those in the audience checking the scores via digital media. The responses proved his point that the fans were following the game differently, compared to when he was growing up when watching Test cricket at the venue was a habit.”It is just that you want more people to come and watch Test cricket from the stadium. That isn’t happening. But people who’re sitting in this room are following what is happening in New Zealand – either through phones or messages coming through notifications. When people talk about Test cricket is dying, I don’t think so. I think everybody who is sitting in this room probably [will] know the score.”So, if we’re following Test cricket why are we talking about it dying. Yes, people going to stadiums, spending five days, watching Test cricket – that may have come down. That experience needs to get better.”Kumble said getting fans to the stadium was the big challenge and administrators would have to work hard to market Test cricket. Kumble provided from his stint as president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), when he and other administrators worked to attract crowds to M Chinnawamy Stadium in Bengaluru during a Test.”To draw people into the stadium is a challenge. Even when we were (KSCA) administrators, when India played New Zealand in Bangalore, we threw open half the stadium to students. We brought them from their schools, we organised buses, we gave them meals during the entire day and there were 12,000 people watching Test-match cricket. That’s really good.”Kumble encouraged parents to take their children to the ground, saying it was the best place to watch the sport and for some, could also prove to be the starting point of a dream. “We all got inspired of becoming a cricketer, wanting to pursue this as a career because we went to a stadium, watched Ranji Trophy – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu. It was a packed house at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.”I still remember, I had to push and nudge through where cops were asking us to stop and show our tickets. And I was only eight or ten at that time and then my cousin said ‘He’s a ten-year old, let him in’ and we watched the match between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and the stadium was packed for a Ranji Trophy game. So there is still interest, it is just a matter of harnessing that interest and making [it] accessible to people who want to come in, and that’s something we need to look at.”

Tottenham are said to have their eyes on a "big-name" forward wanted by a number of their Premier League rivals, with his club now prepared to gift a potential £30 million discount.

Spurs linked with signing striker despite fine Richarlison form

There have been many success stories at Spurs in recent weeks, from their brilliant January transfer window to usurping Chelsea as London's richest club, but one perhaps all supporters have been crying out for is the resurgence of Richarlison.

"Quality" player who Ange loves is now preparing to leave Tottenham

Another club is attempting to sign the player, and he’s very keen.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 8, 2024

The Brazilian, signed by Spurs in the summer of 2022, endured a regrettable debut campaign under former Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte and was subject to widespread criticism throughout his first year at N17.

Richarlison even sought "psychological help" in a bid to get his north London career up and running, but fast-forward to now, and the 26-year-old is fresh off the back of nine goals in his last eight league games.

The ex-Watford ace has now taken club-record goalscorer Harry Kane's mantle with real aplomb, coming after the latter sealed a multi-million-pound move to Bayern Munich last summer.

Tottenham 4-1 Newcastle

8.85

Everton 2-2 Tottenham

8.22

Tottenham 3-1 Bournemouth

7.91

Man United 2-2 Tottenham

7.80

Nottingham Forest 0-2 Tottenham

7.67

However, despite Richarlison's phenomenal transformation, there are still rumours that Tottenham want to sign a new striker as Kane's long-term replacement.

Indeed, the likes of Feyenoord forward Santiago Gimenez, Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke and even Brentford star Ivan Toney have been linked in the last few months.

The latter man will most likely be central to one of the summer transfer window's most gripping sagas, with Fabrizio Romano claiming he is one of the "big names" to watch out for.

"Ivan Toney will be one of the big names to follow during the summer transfer window," wrote Romano for 888sport.

"The England striker is expected to leave Brentford as manager Thomas Frank also confirmed in the last hours, the plan is clear: after difficult months with recent ban, Toney was open to stay at Brentford until the end of the season to return in good conditions, back to business with goals and excellent performances. But then, in the summer it will be time to look for new opportunity."

Despite facing stiff competition, Spurs have not been entirely ruled out of the race for Toney just yet, with HITC and journalist Graeme Bailey sharing an update on their interest.

Tottenham want Toney as Brentford gift hefty discount

According to their information, Tottenham are interested in signing Toney and Brentford have slashed his asking price from £80 million to £50-60 million.

The in-form number nine, though, is also wanted by a host of other top-flight sides – including Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle.

Toney, who's back scoring goals after his ban for gambling breaches, has been called a "playmaker" striker by Arsenal star Declan Rice.

"He's kind of like Harry Kane in a way where he's not only an out-and-out striker, he's a playmaker as well – his left and right-footed passing, the way he picks out his teammates is a special technique to have." said Rice to talkSPORT.

da cassino online： Liverpool are interested in appointing a "remarkable" individual as the club's new sporting director after Jorg Schmadtke, according to an exciting new update.

Liverpool eyeing backroom additions

da dobrowin： It's going to be all change at Anfield come the end of the season, with Jurgen Klopp's shock decision to leave as manager set to create a gaping void. His entire backroom team will also move on, including assistant manager Pep Lijnders.

It remains to be seen who will replace the legendary German as Reds boss this summer, but Xabi Alonso has arguably emerged as the favourite to take charge, as he continues to work wonders with Bayer Leverkusen this season.

Others are also believed to be in the mix, including Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, but nothing too concrete has emerged yet regarding the decision.

Away from the managerial situation, Liverpool also need to find a new sporting director, with Schmadtke leaving at the end of January, following a short stint in the role after replacing Julian Ward.

Liverpool identify new sporting director

According to Football Insider, Liverpool want to bring Bayer Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes to the club this summer, along with Alonso, after the pair have "stunned" onlookers in Germany.

"Liverpool are plotting to bring Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso and sporting director Simon Rolfes to the club in a sensational double swoop, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed that the duo are at the top of the Merseysiders’ list as they shortlist replacements for manager Jurgen Klopp and sporting director Jorg Schmadtke.

"Well-placed sources have told Football Insider that Liverpool are keen to snap up the pair key to the stunning transformation of the Bundesliga side."

This is such exciting news for Liverpool, considering how brilliantly Alonso and Rolfes are working together currently, inspiring Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga table. When Klopp leaves, the importance of nailing not only the managerial appointment but also other backroom additions cannot be downplayed, with wrong choices potentially setting the club back years.

Rolfes looks to be an ideal candidate to be the next sporting director at Anfield, not only because of his relationship with Alonso, but due to his own expertise in his own role. He has been hailed by Leverkusen chairman Fernando Carro, who has said of him recently:

"Simon Rolfes has demonstrated a remarkable ability to blend his experience and qualities as a player with the challenges of modern professional football management."

Replacing Klopp is ultimately going to be incredibly difficult, considering he is one of the most influential figures in the history of Liverpool Football Club, but it does feel as though Alonso is the standout choice, especially given his ties to the Reds as a player.

Related Liverpool's "special" star must step up beside Salah after Jota blow

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If they can snap him up and bring Rolfes with him, it should stand Liverpool in good stead to enjoy as seamless a transition as possible without Klopp around, ensuring that the club don't go backwards.

The allrounder has been ruled out for up to six weeks after breaking his hand punching a wall

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2019Mitchell Marsh received a succinct response from Australia coach Justin Langer after he suffered a broken right hand from punching the dressing room wall at the WACA on Sunday.”He just told me I’m an idiot basically. He was disappointed for me,” Marsh said as he spoke to reporters with his right hand in a cast. “It certainly will be an isolated incident, that’s for sure, and it won’t be happening again.”Marsh faces up to six weeks on the sidelines which is likely to rule him out of both Tests against Pakistan and he may just get one more Sheffield Shield match before it breaks for the BBL in mid-December.”It’s pretty uncharacteristic of me to want to punch a wall. I’m a pretty easy-going sort of bloke,” he said. “I’m just disappointed really, gutted. The feeling of letting your team-mates down and not being able to be a part of the journey for the next four to six weeks, that was the point I wanted to stress to the lads, that I was really sorry and it’s not an example I wanted to be setting. They got around me. They still love me, so it’s all good.”Marsh was an incumbent in the Test side following his recall for the final match of the Ashes although there was no guarantee that he would have been retained for the Pakistan series.Australia’s second Test assignment of the season is a three-match series against New Zealand which begins in Perth on December 12.Western Australia could now be without their captain for half of the Sheffield Shield campaign. Following the BBL, the competition resumes in mid-February for the final four rounds.

The Professional Footballers' Association is reportedly in talks with Chelsea over how they are treating exiled duo Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi. Both the Blues winger and defender tried to secure deadline day exits but in the end they stayed put in the club's 'Bomb Squad'. Now, it is understood the PFA have intervened over how they are being looked after.

PFA concerned about Chelsea duo

According to BBC Sport, the PFA have contacted Chelsea as they want to ensure that Sterling and Disasi have the 'platform to train to an optimum level' despite not being involved with the first team. The union has sought to ensure clubs are aware of FIFA's strict regulations over players who are isolated from squads in circumstances that could fall under 'abusive conduct' by the club. If so, this may entitle an individual to terminate his contract, citing 'just cause'.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALUncertain future for Sterling and Disasi

Sterling's contract, which earns him £325,000 per week, runs until 2027, while Disasi's terms expire in 2029. The former nearly joined Fulham on loan, and the latter turned down a switch to West Ham earlier this month. Both are unlikely to have a future at Chelsea, with the pair unlikely to play first-team football for months.

Sterling and Disasi had summer offers

The report adds that Chelsea, who are closely working with the PFA, presented former Manchester City star Sterling with potential moves to Bayern Munich and Napoli over the summer. Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray were also interested, and Disasi decided against joining West Ham and Bournemouth.

Getty ImagesWhat next for the Chelsea outcasts?

Both Sterling and Disasi are said to have been assigned specific training times and a designated Chelsea coach to work with at the club's training ground. Meanwhile, the first team travel to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.

‘X-factor’ quick could hardly have done more in training to show he’s ready to return from injury as Jofra Archer remains in doubt

George Dobell in Port Elizabeth13-Jan-2020Mark Wood would appear to have given himself an excellent chance of playing in the third Test with a blistering bowling performance in the nets on Monday.Wood, who has not played a match since the World Cup final on July 14, bowled with outstanding pace as he attempted to prove his fitness for selection. Required to demonstrate that he could back up Sunday’s equally impressive display for a second successive day, Wood bowled a long, hostile spell without any obvious difficulty. He could hardly have done more to convince the England team management of his readiness to return.His performance came in contrast to that of Jofra Archer. Also required to bowl at full speed as he recovers from an elbow injury, Archer looked considerably slower than Wood in the nets. As a result, Archer looks unlikely to be considered ready for selection in the third Test starting on Thursday.ALSO READ: Harris backs Maharaj to rise to the occasion if Port Elizabeth spinsAhead of the session, it appeared England may opt for Chris Woakes to replace James Anderson in the side. For while the team management are understandably keen to include a bowler of Wood or Archer’s pace, they are even more keen not to recall them too quickly and risk further lay-offs. They seem particularly cautious over the recall of Wood, who has not played a first-class game since February, when he bowled England to victory over West Indies in St Lucia.Woakes remains very much in contention. A final decision will not be made until Wednesday, or perhaps even Thursday morning. The squad are not due to train on Tuesday – they have been given a rest day – and will have a light session ahead of the Test on Wednesday at which it will be clear if Wood has suffered any reaction to his recent exertions. Archer now looks the least likely of the three to play.With the Port Elizabeth pitch expected to be fairly slow and dry, England are keen to include a point-of-difference bowler within their line-up. And as Wood showed in St Lucia – or at various times during the World Cup, when he delivered the fastest ball of the tournament – he can generate the sort of pace that can unlock even international quality batting line-ups on decent batting surfaces. Woakes, for all his all-round qualities, cannot necessarily do the same thing.Selecting a man with no recent match action is not ideal. The England management had attempted to find some sort of competitive game for Wood to play over the last week or two, but nothing appropriate was available. Certainly unleashing Wood in Monday’s form on club batsmen may have proved unwise.”I’ve got no qualms he could come in this week and be successful because of what he’s done in the past and what he can draw upon,” Paul Collingwood, one of England’s assistance coaches, said. “He’s got the skills to go out there and make an impact.”Here at Port Elizabeth it’s generally a slower pitch so sometimes having that kind of X-factor bowler would be great. We have enough bowlers in and around the county circuit who can bowl at 82 to 85 mph and try to nip it around. You want the likes of Wood and Archer to give you that X-factor.”Ideally we would have loved Woody to go out and get some competitive games in. We had a look around but it’s not as easy as it sounds. So we’ve tried to replicate the amount of hours on his feet with running and walking. All you can do is get the overs under their belt and make sure they can come back for second and third spells and get the miles in the legs.”England also received encouraging news in a swift return from sickness for Joe Root. The England captain missed training on Sunday due to illness, but took a full part on Monday. The team management insist his absence on Sunday was mainly precautionary with a view to preventing further contamination.While a first look at the pitch on Monday may have seduced England into thinking they could field an all-seam attack, they seem intent of retaining Dom Bess, who made a favourable impression in Cape Town. The last Test on the ground, in January, lasted three days with Sri Lankan off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva claiming five wickets in the match.”If you look at the data, spin tends to play a bit more of a part here than the other grounds,” Collingwood said. “But we’ll gauge it. There’s no point looking today. These pitches change so quickly over 24 hours. We’ll have a good look on Wednesday and see which combination is best to take 20 wickets.”On the evidence of the last two days, it’s hard to leave Wood out of that combination.

Tottenham Hotspur came from behind twice to secure a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou had the likes of James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, and Manor Solomon, among others, unavailable for selection but still mustered up an impressive performance.

Goals from Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur after Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford put the hosts 1-0 and 2-1 up helped the side to avoid defeat in Manchester.

Current Premier League top six (14/01/2024)
Team	Position	Matches played	Points
Liverpool	1	20	45
Man City	2	20	43
Aston Villa	3	21	43
Arsenal	4	20	40
Tottenham	5	21	40
West Ham	6	20	34

However, it could have been better for Spurs if they had taken advantage of the situations that their excellent build-up play allowed them to create.

There was plenty of space in the wide area but Brennan Johnson, in particular, struggled and was worse than Timo Werner, who made his debut on the left.

Timo Werner's key contribution against Manchester United

The Germany international joined on loan from RB Leipzig earlier this month and was thrown straight in at the deep end with 80 minutes of action at Old Trafford.

It was far from a perfect debut for the former Chelsea man, however, as he wasted two good opportunities to work Andre Onana in the United goal during the first half.

He blazed the ball well over the bar from the edge of the box under no pressure and, minutes later, dragged a low shot wide of the goalkeeper's left post after working his way into the penalty area.

Werner, who completed 91% of his attempted passes, did provide a crucial contribution shortly after the half-time break, though. The forward intelligently cut inside from the left wing and slipped a sharp pass through to Bentancur, who was then able to rifle the ball in to make it 2-2.

Brennan Johnson's lightweight showing at Old Trafford

Meanwhile, Johnson lined up on the opposite flank and failed to grasp his opportunity to catch the eye in a huge game, despite being on the pitch for 96 minutes.

The former Nottingham Forest attacker was ineffective in his actions in and out of possession for Spurs and looked reluctant to get forward and attack Aaron Wan-Bissaka at times.

23/24 Premier League	Brennan Johnson (via Sofascore)
Appearances	18
Expected Goals	3.46
Goals	1
Expected Assists	1.86
Assists	4

Johnson failed in all three of his attempted dribbles throughout the match and lost 60% (6/10) of his duels in total, which shows that United's players found it too easy to get the better of the Spurs lightweight in physical contests.

The £70k-per-week Wales international, who lost possession of the ball 14 times, only created one chance for his teammates in 96 minutes, which was worth 0.05 xG. Essentially, the shooter would be expected to score one in 20 attempts from that opportunity.

During the first half, he was released down the right channel and had an opening to slide the ball across the box for Richarlison, who got ahead of his marker, but blazed a cross well over the Brazil international's head. What made matters even worse was that he had fewer touches (43) than even goalkeeper Vicario.

Gary Neville, who was the co-commentator on the game for Sky Sports, described it as "disappointing" from the 22-year-old forward, which summed up his performance in general.

Therefore, Johnson was worse than Werner, who was on his debut and played for the first time since the 13th of December, as did not have an influential impact on the match, on or off the ball.

MatériaMais Notícias

da realbet： Revelado nas categorias de base de Bragantino e SEV Hortolândia e com passagem pelo Grêmio Osasco, o volante Lucas Silva hoje vive o melhor momento de sua curta carreira na Caldense. Titular e capitão da equipe semifinalista do Campeonato Mineiro na última edição, o jovem de 21 anos tornou-se uma referência no elenco da Veterana por seu perfil de liderança dentro e fora de campo.

– Fico muito feliz, todo atleta trabalha para ser importante para a equipe, e quando você é jovem e consegue ter essa importância na equipe é com certeza muito gratificante. A postura dentro de campo é fundamental, o jeito de ser impor dentro de campo acredito que seja um diferencial. Sempre tive todo o suporte desde a base até os dias atuais, principalmente na minha formação como homem e profissional. Carrego todos os ensinamentos comigo e tenho certeza que tem influenciado positivamente na minha vida – disse o jogador.

>> Confira a tabela do Campeonato Mineiro e simule os próximos jogos

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da stake casino： Se hoje Lucas Silva colhe os frutos e é reconhecido e valorizado pela Caldense, nem sempre foi assim. O jovem teve sua primeira passagem pelo clube mineiro em 2018, logo em sua primeira oportunidade como atleta profissional, mas a experiência durou pouco e ele seguiu outro caminho. Após a reestruturação do clube, o volante retornou à Veterana e deu início à sua trajetória de sucesso até aqui. Se em 2020 bateu na trave, em 2021 Lucas Silva e a Caldense buscam a vaga para a final do Estadual.

– Minha primeira passagem pela Caldense foi em 2018, meu primeiro time profissional e acabei ficando menos de dois meses aqui após ficar sabendo que não iria ser utilizado no grupo. Voltei em 2019 para a Série D após nova parceria e joguei todos os jogos, inclusive com a classificação em primeiro lugar entre os 64 times. Em 2020 chegamos à semifinal do Campeonato Mineiro, ganhando de grandes equipes. E esse ano começamos bem o campeonato, espero consolidar mais um grande ano aqui na Caldense. Nós sabemos que não vai ser fácil, mas com certeza a equipe desde o começo almeja fazer um grande campeonato, e se Deus quiser chegar à grande final – projetou.

Lucas Silva tem 21 anos e 35 jogos com a camisa do clube mineiro, sendo seis nesta temporada.

Victoria batsman one of three players with Australia domestic cricket experience in 15-member squad

Alex Malcolm13-Dec-2019

Matthew Short congratulates Jake Fraser-McGurk on his debut half-century•Getty Images

Victoria batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk is one of three players with domestic experience to be named in Australia’s 15-member Under-19 World Cup squad.Squad

Cooper Connolly, Oliver Davies, Sam Fanning, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Lachlan Hearne, Corey Kelly, Liam Marshall, Todd Murphy, Patrick Rowe, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Bradley Simpson, Connor Sully, Matthew Willans

Fraser-McGurk, 17, made half-centuries on Sheffield Shield and List A debut for Victoria earlier this season, and has been named alongside fellow Victorian batsman Mackenzie Harvey, who played in the Melbourne Renegades’ BBL triumph last season, and allrounder Liam Scott, who made his Shield debut for South Australia against Western Australia recently.The squad also features New South Wales batsman Oliver Davies, who made headlines last summer after hitting six sixes in an over while scoring the first double-century in the history of Australia’s boys’ Under-19 championships.Australia’s squad will be coached by former Test opener Chris Rogers, with former Australia fast bowler Ryan Harris as his assistant.Australia face West Indies, Nigeria, and England in their pool at the World Cup in South Africa. Australia have not won the Under-19 World Cup since 2010, which was their third triumph after the inaugural edition in 1988 and 2002.

Adrien Rabiot has issued a lengthy farewell message to Marseille fans after his controversial summer exit in the wake of a dressing room altercation.

• Rabiot released statement to Marseille fans
• Speaks of his love for the club
• Joined AC Milan in the summer

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The France international has penned a lengthy message to the OM supporters, thanking them for their warm welcome to the city and spoke of the passion and love he felt at the club. Rabiot has since left France and joined AC Milan in controversial circumstances.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This move follows a turbulent spell at Marseille, where he had returned to France after five seasons with Juventus. Rabiot's time at Orange Velodrome ended after he and team-mate Jonathan Rowe were placed on the transfer list due to an altercation following a match against Rennes in August.

• WHAT RABIOT SAID

  Rabiot said on Instagram: "Dear Marseille supporters, before I start my new adventure in Milan I wanted to send you a message. Since the first day I arrived in Marignane, you did not attach importance to my Parisian past, and immediately adopted me as a Marseillais, until I left. Throughout the season you've encouraged, accompanied, carried, applauded. You have been of steadfast support. I felt this fervour, this passion, this love of football that encourages you and makes Marseille a unique city and club in France. I will never forget the atmosphere of the Velodrome. The chants, the cheering and the badge. The joys of celebrations and especially the indescribable feeling of scoring in this stadium. It was an immense pleasure to defend your colours, those of the Olympique Marseille."

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RABIOT?

  Rabiot would be forgiven for wanting a quieter life after the drama at Marseille. He's just signed a three-year contract at AC Milan and will be battling for a place in Didier Deschamps' France World Cup squad.