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BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Sancho's fall from grace - £73m fee to Chelsea paying not to sign him
In the summer of 2020, Jadon Sancho had his pick of Europe's top England winger had not long turned 20 and, after registering 17 goals and 16 assists for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, he was considered one of the game's most exciting young chose Manchester United but they had to wait until the following year to complete the deal after wrongly taking Dortmund's deadline to complete a deal as a negotiating though, United got their man for a fee of £73m in July 2021 with Sancho calling it "a dream come true" and there was an expectation that the former Manchester City academy player would take the Premier League by years and two loan spells later, Sancho's career is at a crossroads with Chelsea willing to pay United £5m not to sign him Sport looks at how he got to this point... Sancho's timekeeping issue That Sancho's United career did not get off to the best of starts was not helped by the side's struggles under manager Ole Gunnar Norwegian was sacked in November 2021 and, as things failed to improve under interim boss Ralf Ragnick, Sancho ended his first season with just five goals and three assists in all ten Hag was appointed in the summer of 2022 and while the hope was that things would get better for the Old Trafford club and Sancho, there was a recurring issue that did not help the player endear himself to the new timekeeping had been a problem during his time in Germany but his performances on the pitch meant Dortmund were was more willing to allow a little same was not true with England and, despite an excellent first pre-season under Ten Hag, neither was it at United once Sancho's form nosedived in the autumn, after it became obvious he would miss out on selection for the World Cup in problem of lateness is one that had caused Sancho issues for a number of years and he - along with team-mate Phil Foden - was dropped from an England Under-19 match against Latvia as a disciplinary measure having been late for training. Accusations and dispute with Ten Hag Entering his third season back in England, expectations for Sancho had already dropped had signed him to play on the right wing, despite his preference being to play on the left - a position that was locked down by Marcus Rashford at that point - and his underwhelming performances meant he was no longer a guaranteed when the London-born forward was left out of the squad for a loss at Arsenal in September 2023, Ten Hag was asked about his absence after the game."Because of his performance in training, we didn't select him," the Dutchman said bluntly. "You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United."Sancho did not accept the reasoning and in a now-deleted social media post, hit back almost immediately."I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue," he posted. "I have conducted myself very well in training this week."I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into. I've been a scapegoat for a long time, which isn't fair."A stand-off ensued with Ten Hag - who had previously questioned Sancho's "fitness state" - demanding an apology and, despite numerous pleas from team-mates and United officials, Sancho refusing to provide one. Re-finding form back at Dortmund Sancho's steadfast refusal to apologise to Ten Hag led to him being frozen out at United and it was little surprise when he left the club, albeit only on loan, in January 2024.A return to Dortmund for the second half gave the winger the chance to rediscover his best form - and rehabilitate his reputation - in a familiar environment."It felt like coming home," he said of being back in the Dortmund dressing ever reaching the levels of his first stint, Sancho certainly looked more comfortable as he helped the Bundesliga side reach the Champions League final - where they were beaten by Real goals and three assists in 21 games might not be the most eye-catching of statistics but given he had not played for a number of months prior to the switch, it was no surprise that it took him a bit of time to get back up to Tottenham and Germany striker Jurgen Klinsmann said he "had a rough time finding his rhythm again and settling back again" but by the final games of the season was "looking good and looking sharp".But the finances involved meant a permanent return to Signal Iduna Park was always highly unlikely so back to Manchester he went. Chelsea pay £5m not to take Sancho With Ten Hag still in charge at Old Trafford last summer, there was little prospect of Sancho sticking around and he joined Chelsea on loan on 31 part of the deal, the Blues agreed to an obligation to buy Sancho for a fee of around £25m - if they were to finish higher than 14th in the Premier League - or pay a £5m clause to get out of the did not pay a loan fee for the player and covered just half of his reported £300,000-a-week finished the season well and scored in the final as Chelsea beat Real Betis to win the Uefa Conference it was a mixed campaign overall and he ended it with five goals and 10 assists in 42 such, the Stamford Bridge side have chosen to £5m to avoid signing him - his wages rather than the £25m fee believed to be the primary reason - and Sancho is on his way back to United comes next remains to be seen but should the 25-year-old find himself on the move again, his options are likely to be rather different to five years ago.
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Manchester United's head of performance analysis Paul Brand to leave after 12 years
Manchester United's head of performance analysis, Paul Brand, is to leave the club. The 37-year-old has decided to depart after 12 years at United, feeling it is the right time to seek a new challenge. The Scot is well regarded within the club, who will be sad to see him go. He helped United win one Europa League, two FA Cups, and two EFL Cups during his time at Old Trafford. Advertisement Brand joined the club from Blackburn Rovers in 2013 and worked with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, Ruud van Nistelrooy, David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal, Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick and Ruben Amorim. Brand successfully grew and developed United's team of analysts into one of the best in the Premier League. He will help with the recruitment of his replacement and perform a handover before leaving.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footballers behind bars: From George Best's three-month stint to Ronaldinho's fake passport saga… the game's biggest stars to be jailed after Brandon Williams avoids prison
Former Manchester United star Brandon Williams cut a relieved figure at Chester crown court, having had plenty of time to process the grim reality of what could have lied ahead. Williams was handed a 14-month suspended sentence on Thursday for dangerous driving after ploughing into a central reservation, just moments after he was filmed 'with a balloon in his mouth' in August 2023. Less than a year after he was released by United following the expiry of his £65,000 a week contract, a verdict that Judge Eric Lamb described as 'deliberate disregard' completes an extraordinary fall from grace for Williams. Once lauded by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for his leonine courage, the former England Under-21 international will now reflect on the punishment sent his way. Whether he returns to football remains to be seen. It will be of scant consolation to Williams that he is by no means the most high-profile former United player to tread the ignominious path from pitch to penitentiary. That dubious distinction belonged to the late George Best, whose status as arguably the finest player of his generation offered no protection from a three-month prison sentence for a drink-driving offence in 1984. 'I see no reason to distinguish your case from others because you happen to have a well-known name,' stipendiary magistrate William Robins told Best, whose punishment was upheld on appeal a fortnight later. 'You don't have much time to adjust to the idea of going to prison because as soon as the judge has passed sentence, you're hurried down the steps from the dock to the holding cells and put in with all the other criminals waiting to be transported to jail,' Best wrote in his 2001 autobiography Blessed. 'No one who hasn't been inside can have any real idea what prison is like... The stench of the place hit me as soon as I stepped down from the van, the smell of excrement, rotting food and body odour.' Like Williams, who had twice previously been banned from driving, Best did not help himself. On the night that led to his downfall, he had been drinking heavily in Chelsea and was en route to the legendary London nightspot Tramp when he was stopped by police outside Buckingham Palace. He was breathalysed, carted off to Canon Row police station and bailed to appear at Bow Street magistrates' court the following morning. What Best did not know, however, was that he was due to appear at 9am - just three hours after police released him. He awoke that afternoon and remained blissfully unaware he had broken bail until returning to the same watering hole where the previous evening had begun. Unperturbed when regulars informed him he was all over the news for breaking his bail conditions, Best simply picked up from where he had left off. But when he returned to his Chelsea home at 7am the following day, it was surrounded by reporters - and, before long, a bevy of police officers. Ignoring their demands to come out, Best eventually decided to make a run for it, sprinting across the road to the nearby home of Diana Janney, a former girlfriend. 'It was like something out of the Keystone Cops,' Best recalled, 'even to the point where they all careered into the front door of Diana's flat just as I slammed it in their faces.' Best eventually gave himself up, although not before headbutting a police officer; 'I suppose that's the knighhood f***ed,' he quipped. But like so much of the off-field behaviour that drove his dazzling career off the rails, it was no laughing matter. 'I regard assault on the police as an extremely grave matter,' Best, who served 53 days in prison for his troubles, was informed by the judge during sentencing. It was a sterner verdict than he had hoped for, yet Best knew it was high time someone in his life got tough with him. Perhaps Williams will come to a similar conclusion, given his past transgressions. Certainly greater talents have fallen only to rise again. The former Arsenal captain Tony Adams infamously spent eight weeks in Chelmsford prison in 1990 for a drink driving offence. Jermaine Pennant was playing for Birmingham City when he was sent down for three months for drink-driving while disqualified in 2005. Both went on to bigger and better things. There is not always a happy ending, of course, for football is littered with players who have spent time behind bars, often for the most unlikely of reasons. Such was the case with Ronaldinho, the former Barcelona and Brazil legend who was detained for 32 days in a Paraguay prison in 2020 after he was accused, along with his brother and business manager Roberto de Assis, of attempting to enter the country with falsified documents. True to his irrepressible character, the former World Cup winner made the most of the experience. Unlike Best, who declined to turn out for HMP Ford because he didn't want press photographers to capture images of him playing in jail wear, Ronaldinho participated in a prison futsal tournament, reportedly scoring six goals in an 11-2 victory to secure his side the winner's prize of a 16kg suckling pig. The 2005 Ballon d'Or winner, who marked his 40th birthday in incarceration, subsequently spent a further four months under house arrest at the luxurious Palmaroga hotel in Asunción before returning home. Yet the irony was that he didn't need a passport to enter Paraguay in the first place; a Brazilian national identity card would have been sufficient. If there was an element of the surreal about Ronaldinho's travails, he had nothing on Omar Ortiz, a former Mexico international goalkeeper nicknamed the Cat. It would be an understatement to say that Ortiz did not fill his time wisely while serving a two-year ban from football that began in 2010, after he tested positive for the illegal substances oxymetholone and masteron. The Monterrey stopper was found guilty of participating in the kidnap of at least three people, one of whom was a minor. Tasked with identifying potential targets on behalf of a notorious organised crime group, Ortiz's victims included Armando Gomez, the husband of popular Mexican singer Gloria Trevi. To widespread dismay, Ortiz was arrested in 2012 and held for seven years until a criminal judge in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon sentenced him to 75 years in prison. Barely less unusual was the fate of another South American goalkeeper, Colombia's Rene Higuita. The maverick stopper, whose forward forays and set-piece goals earned him the nickname El Loco, is best remembered for his spectacular scorpion kick in a friendly against England at Wembley in 1995. But two years earlier, Higuita made headlines of a rather different nature when he helped secure the release of the kidnapped daughter of Carlos Molina, a Colombian drug lord. The 15-year-old had been abducted at the behest of Pablo Escobar, the notorious leader of the Medellín cartel, and Higuita was approached by Molina to help secure her release. Not in a position to decline, Higuita agreed to meet the kidnappers, handing over a briefcase full of money with which he had been supplied to pay the ransom. In short space, Claudia Molina materialised among a nearby group of street children, and the goalkeeper was lauded as a saviour - an image he was quick to embrace. 'It was a mission from God,' he told the press. 'It was a very beautiful thing. I did it as a blessing, because God gave me the chance to make a family happy. It is not often in life that you get such a chance.' Higuita's role in the affair earned deep gratitude from Molina, who insisted he accept a $64,000 gift. But that led the authorities to view him as an accessory to kidnap and, though he was neither charged with nor convicted of a crime, a seven-month prison stay ensued. 'I acted for humanitarian reasons,' said Higuita. 'If I was ever needed again to help free someone, I'd do it without hesitating. I'm a footballer, I didn't know anything about kidnapping laws.' Williams too has been a footballer; in time, he may be again. He is still only 24 and, in a sport where redemption is never further away than the next match, his family's hopes that he can reignite his career may yet be fulfilled. History teaches us as much. Adams was 24 when he was sentenced, but retired 12 years later as an Arsenal legend with the trophies to prove it. Pennant, a convict at 22, was later signed by Liverpool and made the starting line-up for the 2007 Champions League final. But no two players follow the same journey, and Williams now finds himself at a very different juncture in his career to others who have fallen foul of the law. Unlike Best and Ronaldinho, both of whom strayed off the straight and narrow after their playing days were done, Williams is not an established star. Without a club, and with the verdict behind him, he is not even a rising one. How he responds to this nadir will determine everything.
Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
From next Gary Neville to brush with jail: the fall of Brandon Williams
A little over six years ago, Brandon Williams was being lauded as the latest talent off the Manchester United production line. The 19-year-old was earning plaudits from coaching staff, pundits, team-mates and supporters as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made him the 228th academy graduate to break into the first team. He didn't waste time in establishing himself as the first-choice left back at the club he had supported his whole life. Now 24, Williams is without a club and has not played a game of professional football for more than 18 months. On Friday, he was sentenced at Chester Crown Court to 14 months in prison, suspended for two years, after admitting dangerous driving. Williams was also ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid community service and has been banned from driving for three years. It is the latest chapter in the rapid rise and fall of a Manchester boy destined for the top until off-the-pitch issues and poor advice led to his career trajectory taking a very different turn. In at the Anfield deep end It was a few weeks after his 19th birthday in September 2019 that Solskjaer handed Williams his first senior start in a League Cup game against Rochdale. His mum Lisa, who runs a cafe in the Harpurhey suburb of Manchester, proudly stuck Manchester Evening News cuttings from the match and the team sheet on the kitchen walls of her business. It was a proud moment for the family and the area. After joining United at seven, he started as a right back but switched flanks when he broke into the under-18s. Ethan Laird, now at Birmingham City, had nailed down the right-back position so Williams showed his determination and character by getting his head down and making the left back shirt his own. By January 2020, injury to Luke Shaw and the form of Ashley Young meant Williams was the club's first-choice left back. Solskjaer privately spoke to staff about how impressed he was with the player's mentality and maturity. He had no qualms about throwing him in at the deep end at Anfield, knowing he would thrive in the hostile atmosphere and drawing comparisons with Gary Neville. Speaking about him in that breakthrough year, Nicky Butt, then the head of United's academy, said: 'A lot of it was through ability, but a lot through his character and drive. At this club we're big believers that it's not just talent, it's that character that keeps you at the club for a long time. 'I always say it: talent gets you through the door but it doesn't keep you here, determination and the will to train hard and learn — that's massive. And Brandon has amazing character.' By the end of his breakthrough season he had made 36 first-team appearances as United finished third. He had also played in the Europa League semi-final and earned a call up for England Under-21. 'Brandon's never ever let us down and another excellent performance by him. [He's] definitely a lesson for everyone who wants to be a professional footballer; the attitude he's showing,' Solskjaer said in June 2020. Bumper contract, Heaton clash and hangers on Solskjaer liked his confidence but was also wary. The Norwegian had been considering taking Williams on pre-season tour in 2019 only to hear him tell one of his team-mates in a youth team game that he was 'f***ing shit' after failing to control a through-ball. In later years he would clash with the veteran goalkeeper, Tom Heaton, during a pre-season friendly and was known to occasionally lose his head on the training pitch. Williams's rapid progress meant he was rewarded with a bumper contract to reflect his status and standing within the squad. It was a four-year deal with a significant wage increase and those who worked closely with Williams noticed a change in demeanour. But outside of the walls of Carrington, United's training ground, there was a feeling that some around him were trying to use him. His confidence was bordering on brashness and it was felt he had a group of hangers-on around him who weren't helping him make the best decisions to benefit his career. Financially he had people relying on him and he was generous with his cash; he bought his dad a brand new Mercedes with his first paycheck. That money allowed him to have a lifestyle and a status but he struggled with the pressure of being a United regular. He found the limelight difficult and couldn't get his head around not being able to do everyday tasks, such as going to the supermarket or having dinner with friends, without fans wanting to take his picture. 'It went from 0-100 real quick and that's what people will never understand,' Williams said in March. He spoke about family members he had never heard of getting in touch with him, and how he felt people he was barely friends with were latching on to him and then stabbing him in the back. Those who work in the game doubted that some of the people he had around him had his best interests at heart. The road to redemption just got longer During the 2020-21 season, which was played behind closed doors because of the Covid pandemic, Williams struggled to have anywhere near the same impact and played only four times in the Premier League. His performance levels dropped and the defender partially blamed the empty stadiums and not being able to thrive off the atmosphere of the fans for his decline. He also struggled with the at-home training players had to do during lockdown, because he did not have the space in his bedroom at his mum's house. The fact his fitness levels dropped meant lost his place to Luke Shaw. A loan spell at Norwich City the following season helped Williams mature and there was a feeling that leaving Manchester and certain negative influences would help him. He spoke about the benefits of training, recovering and eating well with no distractions. Yet he continued to be poorly advised. Take an Instagram post while he was at Carrow Road where he posted a picture of himself raising his middle finger after he was abused by fans following a 4-0 defeat by West Ham United in May 2022. 'He posted that in an emotional moment. He did the right thing and took it down,' the Norwich manager at the time, Dean Smith, said. A year later, Williams made an ill-judged post about Manchester City when they had won the Treble which United sources were quick to distance themselves from. That summer United were willing to listen to offers to let Williams leave permanently. He was left out of the pre-season tour squad with a 'small issue' but it was clear Erik ten Hag did not want him and he made only one appearance. In March 2023 he was pictured in a car near the training ground by The Sun, allegedly inhaling nitrous oxide. In August of that year, he was arrested after being involved in a high speed crash where prosecutors allege he had a balloon in his mouth, which he denied in court as he was sentenced for the crime. That was not the first driving-related incident he had been involved in, having twice been banned from driving after amassing 30 points on his licence. Off the pitch the situation, in Williams' words, was 'bad' but Solskjaer's former assistant Kieran McKenna, with whom Williams had a close bond, offered him a lifeline on loan at Ipswich Town. He signed four days after his arrest. The move started well enough as he was a regular starter, scoring key goals against Huddersfield Town and Preston North End in their ultimately successful bid for promotion from the Championship, but injury and illness affected his time there and he played his last game for the club on December 29. His decision to turn up to training in expensive sports cars was said to have irritated players and staff at the club and off-the-pitch matters and issues with his family and friends were felt to be affecting his focus, so McKenna sent him back to Manchester to sort out his problems. Sources who recall seeing him at Carrington remarked he looked gaunt and not like himself, potentially embarrassed at how the season had ended up playing out. 'Things were starting to go crazy off the pitch, with friends and stuff like that,' Williams said on the More than a Match podcast. 'I ended up coming back to Manchester, sorted a lot of things out. Things got worse, so then the process didn't really get me back down there.' Instead he ended up training at The Cliff, United's former training ground, on his own with a coach before being released. It is understood United have since tried to offer support and Williams has a close bond with one of the first-team staff who has regularly checked in.
Free Malaysia Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
It's a Red Devil life for Man Utd superfan Sid
Superfan Sid with his collection of Manchester United memorabilia, some of them signed. (Andrea Rhiannon Edwards @ FMT Lifestyle) PETALING JAYA : For some people, the name 'Manchester United' simply refers to a football club. For Ahmad Sidqi Razali, however, it is much more than that. Popularly known as Sid, the Terengganu-born engineer remembers having first watched the English club play on TV during his schooldays. This ended up sparking a passion that has lasted over two decades. 'It was the '99 Champion League final. That's when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored the winning goal against Bayern Munich. I watched that game and became a supporter,' Sid recalled fondly. 'I like Manchester United because they have a lot of great traditions and have signed a lot of great players,' the 37-year-old added. Asked his favourites, Sid named some of the club's most well-known current and former players: David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, Bruno Fernandes and David De Gea. He is certainly a United superfan: Sid's treasured memorabilia collection includes scarves, books, boots and figurines. He also has close to 200 jerseys, some of them signed! 'When I was young, I wanted jerseys but could never afford them. Now that I have my own money, I can finally own them. I have had the complete collection of club jerseys since 1990,' Sid shared. Sid owns about 200 Manchester United jerseys, the pride of his collection. (Andrea Rhiannon Edwards @ FMT Lifestyle) Over the years, he has had the opportunity to meet some of his favourite players, including Cantona, Beckham, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Dwight Yorke and David May. Many of them are friendly to fans, he noted. Sid is currently an administrator of the Malaysia Man United Fan Club (MyManUnited), which he said is a great way to get to know other supporters. He even met his wife, lecturer Hasanah Abdullah, during one of the club's events in 2018! Additionally, he has travelled to Old Trafford – hallowed ground for any United supporter – about 15 times. He tries to visit at least once a year. In fact, in 2017, he managed to stop by four times! 'It felt amazing to go there. It was like a dream came true,' Sid expressed. 'The first match I saw there was against West Brom in 2013. Unfortunately, we lost that game! Luckily we won the next one, against Wigan.' Sid and his wife Hasanah Abdullah outside Old Trafford. (Ahmad Sidqi Razali pic) As for his all-time favourite memory thus far? Watching United beat Liverpool 2-1 during the 2018 English Premier League (EPL). Sid will be planning another trip to Old Trafford soon: he hopes his club will get stronger and win the upcoming EPL. But whatever happens, he will undoubtedly stay loyal to his beloved Red Devils until the very end. 'As a fan, of course you are frustrated if things don't go well. But you have to keep the faith. I think the club is still trying to get its mojo back after Sir Alex Ferguson left (as manager). 'I think next year we will come back stronger and win again,' Sid said. Sid with one of his favourite players, United legend Eric Cantona. (Ahmad Sidqi Razali pic) Indeed, he believes United's tenacious attitude has inspired him through much of his life. 'I always think of Manchester United. They never give up, even against overwhelming odds. 'So, whenever I have problems at work or in my life, I know I can't give up – I need to try and try and fight until I succeed.' Witness football history in Malaysia as Manchester United take on the Asean All-Stars – it's the clash you can't afford to miss. Book your seat now by clicking here before they're gone!
