Latest news with #Jorginho
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who are Kairat Almaty? Celtic foes with Chelsea bound wonderkid offer up gruelling Champions League journey into unknown
A gruelling trip to Kazakhstan is what stands between Celtic and the Champions League proper – and what a journey it promises to be for Brendan Rodgers and the brave band of Hoops diehards who make it. When the names came out of the hat, it looked a good draw for Celtic who learned it was either Kairat Almaty or last season's foes Slovan Bratislava waiting in the playoff round. Their third qualifying round encounter went all the way to penalties but eventually it was Kairat, courtesy of a penalty from Jorginho (not that one), who advanced to put them within one tie of a first ever Champions League appearance. READ MORE: Celtic fired bullish Champions League warning by confident Kairat boss as 12 year hex bodes well for Kazakhs READ MORE: Rangers sent Champions League warning over Club Brugge phenomenon that's 'almost impossible' to stop Celtic though will be out to deny them that, and the Hoops are heavy favourites against a team who have only once played European tournament football in their history. As they know from experience, though, trips to Kazakhstan aren't always as straightforward as they seem. So, who actually are Kairat Almaty? And what sort of challenge do they pose to Brendan Rodgers and his team? Record Sport takes a look at what lies in wait for Celtic. Who are Kairat Almaty? There are two major footballing forces in Kazakhstan. One of them is Astana, who Celtic faced back in 2017 – and lost the return leg 4-3 after dishing out a Parkhead hammering. The other is Kairat, the current reigning champions who are out to make history this season. A footballing force from the days of the Soviet League, which they won twice in 1976 and 1983, Kairat have risen back to prominence over the last decade and a half and won the Kazakhstan Premier League for the fourth time in their history last season. They've come through every round of Champions League qualifying to get here, and had to come back from a 2-0 first leg defeat to Finnish side Kuopion Palloseura to set up their thriller with Slovan. They are very much a modern day force of football in central Asia and have taken strides under former Kazakh international Rafael Urazbakhtin since he took over last year. Qualifying for the Champions League proper would be an historic accomplishment for them – though regulars in the qualifying phases, they have only once played European tournament football, and that was in the Conference League in 2021-22. They boast a largely homegrown squad, including talisman and wonderkid Dastan Satpaev who has already secured a move to Chelsea after he turns 18 (more on him later). But they also have a large Brazilian and Portuguese contingent, like striker Jorginho and left-back Luis Mata who they will be leaning on to provide the flare to damage Celtic. Where do Kairat Almaty play? The short answer? Miles away. This is the fun bit as far as Celtic fans are concerned. The country itself is further east than Afghanistan, but Almaty is on the very, very far side of Kazakhstan. 4,500 miles separates Glasgow from Almaty, and the quickest the trip can be done takes over 13 hours, with a stop in Frankfurt along the way. Once you reach Astana – where Celtic fans flocked in 2017 – it's a further 1,000 miles south east. It's a trip that separates the men from the boys. Once you get there, though, it all looks pretty nice. Much like the 30,000 seater stadium rivals Astana play at, Kairat boast an elite standard 23,800 capacity stadium simply named Central Stadium, which they have owned since 2015. The turf purists will be happy, because unlike their rivals, Kairat's home stadium has a grass pitch rather than a synthetic surface. How good are they? Celtic will be heavy favourites – early odds have Kairat at around 12/1 to cause an upset at Parkhead next week – but make no mistake, the Kazakhs are handy. In recent years, they've beaten sides like Red Star Belgrade and AZ Alkmaar in Europe so this stage is nothing new to them. They've also faced Scottish opposition in the not too distant past – in 2015, they dumped Aberdeen out in Europa League qualifying before losing to Bordeaux. Last year they tipped Astana to the title by a single point and lead them by three heading into final stretch of the 2025 campaign. The fact they already have 19 league games and three European ties under their belt also means they are likely to be sharper than Celtic who are still getting going for the season. Kairat Almaty's danger men Dastan Satpaev is the name on everyone's lips as far as Kazakh football is concerned. He only just turned 17 this week, and has already sealed a £2m move to Chelsea which he'll make official next year after he turns 18. Long established as a wonderkid to watch, he's already scored three times in Champions League qualifying this season including the winner in the first leg with Slovan. He's also been capped three times by his country. Again; he only turned 17 this week. Portuguese striker Jorginho is also a threat while midfielders Valery Gromkyo and Giorgi Zaria offer goals from deep. They tend to spread the goals around and are proficient from set pieces. Celtic face them at Parkhead on Wednesday, August 20 and will be aiming for a convincing victory that makes the gruelling trip east a week later that little bit less stressful. If they don't get that, there's always a chance it could get hairy over there.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Who are Kairat Almaty? Celtic foes with Chelsea bound wonderkid offer up gruelling Champions League journey into unknown
It's a hell of a tie for Celtic who face a gruelling Champions League trip to Kazakhstan A gruelling trip to Kazakhstan is what stands between Celtic and the Champions League proper – and what a journey it promises to be for Brendan Rodgers and the brave band of Hoops diehards who make it. When the names came out of the hat, it looked a good draw for Celtic who learned it was either Kairat Almaty or last season's foes Slovan Bratislava waiting in the playoff round. Their third qualifying round encounter went all the way to penalties but eventually it was Kairat, courtesy of a penalty from Jorginho (not that one), who advanced to put them within one tie of a first ever Champions League appearance. Celtic though will be out to deny them that, and the Hoops are heavy favourites against a team who have only once played European tournament football in their history. As they know from experience, though, trips to Kazakhstan aren't always as straightforward as they seem. So, who actually are Kairat Almaty? And what sort of challenge do they pose to Brendan Rodgers and his team? Record Sport takes a look at what lies in wait for Celtic. Who are Kairat Almaty? There are two major footballing forces in Kazakhstan. One of them is Astana, who Celtic faced back in 2017 – and lost the return leg 4-3 after dishing out a Parkhead hammering. The other is Kairat, the current reigning champions who are out to make history this season. A footballing force from the days of the Soviet League, which they won twice in 1976 and 1983, Kairat have risen back to prominence over the last decade and a half and won the Kazakhstan Premier League for the fourth time in their history last season. They've come through every round of Champions League qualifying to get here, and had to come back from a 2-0 first leg defeat to Finnish side Kuopion Palloseura to set up their thriller with Slovan. They are very much a modern day force of football in central Asia and have taken strides under former Kazakh international Rafael Urazbakhtin since he took over last year. Qualifying for the Champions League proper would be an historic accomplishment for them – though regulars in the qualifying phases, they have only once played European tournament football, and that was in the Conference League in 2021-22. They boast a largely homegrown squad, including talisman and wonderkid Dastan Satpaev who has already secured a move to Chelsea after he turns 18 (more on him later). But they also have a large Brazilian and Portuguese contingent, like striker Jorginho and left-back Luis Mata who they will be leaning on to provide the flare to damage Celtic. Where do Kairat Almaty play? The short answer? Miles away. This is the fun bit as far as Celtic fans are concerned. The country itself is further east than Afghanistan, but Almaty is on the very, very far side of Kazakhstan. 4,500 miles separates Glasgow from Almaty, and the quickest the trip can be done takes over 13 hours, with a stop in Frankfurt along the way. Once you reach Astana – where Celtic fans flocked in 2017 – it's a further 1,000 miles south east. It's a trip that separates the men from the boys. Once you get there, though, it all looks pretty nice. Much like the 30,000 seater stadium rivals Astana play at, Kairat boast an elite standard 23,800 capacity stadium simply named Central Stadium, which they have owned since 2015. The turf purists will be happy, because unlike their rivals, Kairat's home stadium has a grass pitch rather than a synthetic surface. How good are they? Celtic will be heavy favourites – early odds have Kairat at around 12/1 to cause an upset at Parkhead next week – but make no mistake, the Kazakhs are handy. In recent years, they've beaten sides like Red Star Belgrade and AZ Alkmaar in Europe so this stage is nothing new to them. They've also faced Scottish opposition in the not too distant past – in 2015, they dumped Aberdeen out in Europa League qualifying before losing to Bordeaux. Last year they tipped Astana to the title by a single point and lead them by three heading into final stretch of the 2025 campaign. The fact they already have 19 league games and three European ties under their belt also means they are likely to be sharper than Celtic who are still getting going for the season. Kairat Almaty's danger men Dastan Satpaev is the name on everyone's lips as far as Kazakh football is concerned. He only just turned 17 this week, and has already sealed a £2m move to Chelsea which he'll make official next year after he turns 18. Long established as a wonderkid to watch, he's already scored three times in Champions League qualifying this season including the winner in the first leg with Slovan. He's also been capped three times by his country. Again; he only turned 17 this week. Portuguese striker Jorginho is also a threat while midfielders Valery Gromkyo and Giorgi Zaria offer goals from deep. They tend to spread the goals around and are proficient from set pieces. Celtic face them at Parkhead on Wednesday, August 20 and will be aiming for a convincing victory that makes the gruelling trip east a week later that little bit less stressful. If they don't get that, there's always a chance it could get hairy over there.
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Beltran is not ready to accept Flamengo transfer
After more than a week of hesitation, Flamengo are prepared to give up on convincing Fiorentina striker Lucas Beltran to make the move. Although the Brazilians impressed at the FIFA Club World Cup and brought in the likes of Italy international Jorginho and ex-Milan full-back Emerson Royal, not everyone is enthusiastic at the idea of moving to South America. Beltran not convinced by Flamengo epa11687970 Fiorentina's foward Lucas Beltran celebrates after scoring a goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match ACF Fiorentina vs AS Roma at Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, 27 October 2024. EPA-EFE/CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI It has been known for at least 10 days that Flamengo made a proposal worth €15m plus add-ons to Fiorentina, which the Viola were happy to accept. There was also no secret that Beltran was not convinced by the idea of leaving Europe so soon after his transfer from River Plate in the summer of 2023, as he would see this as something of a personal defeat to return just two years into his Italian adventure. They even tried promising an improved salary, but it was not enough to sway him. Now it looks as if Flamengo have realised their pressure is just not going to pay off, as Beltran is showing no signs of opening the door to the Brazilians.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Kairat v Olimpija
Update: Date: 90'+6 Title: Post Content: Match ends, Kairat 2, Olimpija Ljubljana 0. Update: Date: 90'+6 Title: Full Time Content: Second Half ends, Kairat 2, Olimpija Ljubljana 0. Update: Date: 90'+1 Title: Post Content: Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time. Update: Date: 83' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Kairat. Ricardinho replaces Jorginho. Update: Date: 82' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Kairat. Adilet Sadybekov replaces Dan Glazer. Update: Date: 78' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Olimpija Ljubljana. Emmanuel Pedreño replaces Alex Tamm. Update: Date: 78' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Olimpija Ljubljana. Jost Urbancic replaces Álex Blanco. Update: Date: 76' Title: Booking Content: Dan Glazer (Kairat) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Update: Date: 72' Title: Booking Content: Giorgi Zaria (Kairat) is shown the yellow card. Update: Date: 70' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Kairat. Valeri Gromyko replaces Edmilson. Update: Date: 62' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Kairat. Jug Stanojev replaces Aleksandr Mrynskiy. Update: Date: 61' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Kairat. Giorgi Zaria replaces Dastan Satpaev. Update: Date: 60' Title: Booking Content: Egor Sorokin (Kairat) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Update: Date: 56' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Olimpija Ljubljana. Antonio Marin replaces Dino Kojic. Update: Date: 46' Title: Second Half Content: Second Half begins Kairat 2, Olimpija Ljubljana 0. Update: Date: 45'+3 Title: Half Time Content: First Half ends, Kairat 2, Olimpija Ljubljana 0. Update: Date: 45'+1 Title: Booking Content: Dino Kojic (Olimpija Ljubljana) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Update: Date: 45' Title: Post Content: Fourth official has announced 2 minutes of added time. Update: Date: 40' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Olimpija Ljubljana. Ivan Durdov replaces Diogo Pinto. Update: Date: 39' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Olimpija Ljubljana. Dimitar Mitrovski replaces Marko Brest.
Scottish Sun
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Arsenal signing Christian Norgaard is latest ‘duel monster' to join Mikel Arteta's team of giants
GAARD OF HONOUR Arsenal signing Christian Norgaard is latest 'duel monster' to join Mikel Arteta's team of giants Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IN Christian Norgaard, Arsenal have landed themselves yet another 'duel monster'. The Brentford midfielder, 31, has completed his summer switch to the Gunners for £15million, including add-ons, on a two-year deal with the option of a further 12 months. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Arsenal have signed their new 'duel monster' in Christian Norgaard 6 Mikel Merino joined Arsenal last season as another 'duel monster' 6 Norgaard is now part of Arsenal's group of titans, which also includes Gabriel Magalhaes 6 Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta now boasts a starting XI with nine players who are six feet or taller Among other areas, the midfield is one that boss Mikel Arteta was desperate to bolster following the free-agent departures of Thomas Partey and Jorginho. Arteta has done just that – complimenting the £51m signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad with the arrival of experienced anchor Norgaard from the Bees. Not only does Norgaard provide guaranteed Prem quality, the 6ft1 Dane also adds height, power and aerial supremacy to a squad of physical giants who have dominated set-pieces in the top flight over the past few seasons. When Arteta signed 6ft2 Mikel Merino from Sociedad last summer for £31.6m, the Spaniard came with the reputation of a 'duel monster' – winning more duels than any other player in Europe's top five leagues. In his first game in charge in December 2019, more than half of Arteta's starting XI were under six feet tall. Now, with Norgaard, they could boast an XI with NINE players who are six feet or taller. Upon signing, Merino joked that the Arsenal squad was more like a 'basketball team' because of their sheer size, going on to score 21 goals from set-pieces, excluding penalties, last term. Arteta said: '[Norgaard] Is a strong midfielder with excellent tactical awareness and versatility. He also has physical presence and intelligence which will give us added depth and balance.' CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS And the stats show just what Arsenal will be getting with another colossal in their midfield. For Brentford last season, Norgaard averaged 2.7 aerial duels per 90 minutes. In comparison, Partey – who is 6ft1 – averaged just 1.8, and Jorginho only 1. Arsenal signing Christian Norgaard is latest 'duel monster' to join Mikel Arteta's team of giants Norgaard averaged 1.6 successful tackles from 2.5 tackle attempts per game. Partey averaged 1.7 from 2.9 tackles per game, and Jorginho only 0.5 from 1.5 tackles. And despite picking up eight yellow cards from 34 Prem appearances last term – compared to Partey's four from 35 and Jorginho's five from 15 – Norgaard conceded less fouls per 90 [1.4] than Partey [1.5] and Jorginho [1.9]. Ironically, two of those yellow cards came against Arsenal home and away – the second for a nasty tackle on Gabriel Martinelli that many believed was worthy of a red. But it is in attack where Norgaard could prove to be a crucial weapon for Arteta and Arsenal, even if he is coming off the bench with the starting midfield three likely to be Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. In Brentford's first ever game in the top flight in August 2021, Norgaard scored a header against Arteta's side from a long throw in a 2-0 home win – a set-piece move that Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover has worked to improve over the past few years. And he will play a big role in Arsenal's set-piece antics going forward. Last term, Norgaard notched five Prem goals and four assists – his best return in England – with three of them being headed goals. One of the 'best defensive midfielders' Norgaard said: 'I started as a more offensive player and now I'm a bit more of a holding midfielder. 'It's important for me that a team has a good defensive structure and hopefully I can contribute to that. 'Then coming off a season where I've had a lot of goal involvements, it's something I really hope I can take into this season as well. 'I don't know what the gaffer's plans are with me, but hopefully I can also have some freedom to join the offensive play.' Ex-Brentford boss Thomas Frank coached Norgaard as a 15-year-old at Danish side Lyngby, and claimed last season he was one of the 'best defensive midfielders in the Prem', despite being a 'late bloomer'. Late bloomer or not, Arsenal now have a player at the peak of his powers. 6
