Latest news with #Vuskovic
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Reading 0-2 Tottenham: Perfect start for Thomas Frank era as Mohammed Kudus stars on debut
Thomas Frank's Tottenham tenure got off to the perfect start as his new side opened pre-season with a 2-0 win over Reading. Two teenagers were on target at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in Berkshire, with Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic both staking excellent claims for more minutes on their first-team audition. Frank, who arrived in north London from Premier League rivals Brentford last month, oversaw his first Spurs game, and he will have seen plenty that he will have liked, and plenty that he will want to improve. Spurs were in control in the first half, dealing with Reading's physicality and dogged determination well in the grey and muggy conditions, but they could not muster a goal to rubberstamp their dominance in the opening exchanges. Dominic Solanke went close with an improvised effort, while Pape Matar Sarr was denied from point-blank range by former Manchester United goalkeeper Joel Pereira on the stroke of half-time. Frank had hinted in his pre-match press conference that he would select two XIs for either half, and that is precisely what he did. Cristian Romero captained one team in the first half, and Heung-Min Son skippered the side in the second. Romero went close with a header in first-half stoppage time, but Spurs went in at the break goalless. Their fortunes would change almost instantaneously, with Lankshear powering home a Vuskovic flick-on from Kudus' corner inside 49 minutes, and the Frank reign was up and running. Vuskovic turned scorer just four minutes later as he swept home into the far corner beyond Pereira's clasp, and he was set up by new boy Mohammed Kudus, who dazzled at times on debut. The Ghanaian, who has just arrived from West Ham for £55million, showed terrific skill tight to the touchline in his right-wing berth, which could indicate where Frank sees him in his system this term. The Dane plumped for a 4-2-3-1 shape in both halves, and he gave youngsters Alfie Devine and Jamie Donley, both of who shone out on loan, a chance in the No10 position in the absence of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. Job done for Frank, but he will be going straight back to the drawing board to prepare for Luton next weekend, before the heat gets cranked up further against Arsenal and Bayern Munich. A promising start.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Reading 0-2 Tottenham: Perfect start for Thomas Frank era as Mohammed Kudus stars on debut
Thomas Frank's Tottenham tenure got off to the perfect start as his new side opened pre-season with a 2-0 win over Reading. Two teenagers were on target at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in Berkshire, with Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic both staking excellent claims for more minutes on their first-team audition. Frank, who arrived in north London from Premier League rivals Brentford last month, oversaw his first Spurs game, and he will have seen plenty that he will have liked, and plenty that he will want to improve. Spurs were in control in the first half, dealing with Reading's physicality and dogged determination well in the grey and muggy conditions, but they could not muster a goal to rubberstamp their dominance in the opening exchanges. Dominic Solanke went close with an improvised effort, while Pape Matar Sarr was denied from point-blank range by former Manchester United goalkeeper Joel Pereira on the stroke of half-time. Frank had hinted in his pre-match press conference that he would select two XIs for either half, and that is precisely what he did. Cristian Romero captained one team in the first half, and Heung-Min Son skippered the side in the second. Romero went close with a header in first-half stoppage time, but Spurs went in at the break goalless. Their fortunes would change almost instantaneously, with Lankshear powering home a Vuskovic flick-on from Kudus' corner inside 49 minutes, and the Frank reign was up and running. Vuskovic turned scorer just four minutes later as he swept home into the far corner beyond Pereira's clasp, and he was set up by new boy Mohammed Kudus, who dazzled at times on debut. The Ghanaian, who has just arrived from West Ham for £55million, showed terrific skill tight to the touchline in his right-wing berth, which could indicate where Frank sees him in his system this term. The Dane plumped for a 4-2-3-1 shape in both halves, and he gave youngsters Alfie Devine and Jamie Donley, both of who shone out on loan, a chance in the No10 position in the absence of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. Job done for Frank, but he will be going straight back to the drawing board to prepare for Luton next weekend, before the heat gets cranked up further against Arsenal and Bayern Munich. A promising start.
Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Thomas Frank to cast eye over £12m Spurs gem as early loan offers land on table
Luka Vuskovic is set to arrive at Tottenham this summer after they struck a deal to sign the Croatian wonderkid from Hajduk Split in September 2023 Thomas Frank is set to cast an eye over 18-year-old Tottenham centre-back Luka Vuskovic in pre-season despite widespread loan interest in the Croatian. Spurs agreed a reported £12million package deal with Hajduk Split for the teenager, then 16, in September 2023 and they're understood to have pipped Manchester City and PSG to his signature. The towering defender starred on loan in Belgium last season with KVC Westerlo, scoring an impressive seven goals from the back, having also previously flourished in Poland during a six-month spell with Radomiak Radom in 2024. Now a series of top-flight clubs from Germany, France and Belgium including Hamburg and Club Brugge have contacted his representatives to register an early interest in signing Vuskovic on loan for the 2025-26 season, should he become available. However, Tottenham are in no immediate rush to make a decision over his future and they're yet to rule out Vuskovic potentially staying put as part of their first-team squad for the forthcoming campaign. Earlier this week, he was handed his senior international debut by Croatia when he was a late substitute in a 5-1 World Cup qualification win over Czechia. Spurs believe they have a major talent on their hands but they intend to manage his development carefully in a bid to ensure he fulfils his potential in north London. Speaking earlier this month, Vuskovic was full of praise for the Europa League winners and shared his excitement about joining the club, stating: 'First of all, I'm looking forward to feeling that level and seeing where I am in relation to the players who just won the Europa League so that I know what I need to work on the most. 'After that, I'll see in agreement with the club which is the smartest next step. The club has proven to be careful and wise in making decisions so far. Belgium has proven to be an ideal league at this stage of my career, and I think it is otherwise a great development league because it gives a lot of opportunities to young players." Belgian side Westerlo have also made no secret of the fact they're keen to forge a partnership with Tottenham to sign more players on loan from Spurs in the future, though their chances of landing Vuskovic for another year look very slim. Alfie Devine also gained valuable senior experience with the Jupiler Pro League outfit, netting six goals in 30 top-flight appearances. In the past six weeks, even before the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Spurs held a series of meetings with the representatives or their loanees to review their progress. New boss Frank has a proven track record for utilising and developing talent both at Brentford and Brondby, having also previously coached Denmark at various youth levels. Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
New York Times
11-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Croatian footballer Mario Vuskovic loses final appeal against four-year doping ban
Hamburg defender Mario Vuskovic has lost his final appeal against a four-year doping ban. Vuskovic, 23, tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) in September 2022 and was initially banned by the German Football Association (DFB) for two years. The ruling was appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by Vuskovic, seeking to prove his innocence by demonstrating errors he claimed were made during the testing procedure, but also by WADA and NADA — the global and Germany's national anti-doping agency — in pursuit of the standard four-year ban that EPO use carries across other sport. Advertisement CAS ruled in their favour, extending Vuskovic's ban by a further two years, preventing him from returning to football until November 2026. Vuskovic's latest appeal, which likely represented his final legal avenue, was made to the Swiss Federal Court. A spokesperson for the court confirmed the rejection of the appeal to The Athletic. The chances of success were considered slim, as the appeal only considered whether procedural errors had been made during CAS's examination of the previous appeal, not the case itself. Theoretically, Vuskovic could now take his case to the European Court of Human Rights but that is considered unlikely. It leaves the player, who was capped up to under-21 level for Croatia and linked with a move to the Premier League before his ban, in stasis. Vuskovic is the first football player in the sport's history to be banned for EPO usage and a return to a top division after such a long absence would be unprecedented. Hamburg have been supportive and several club officials remain convinced of his innocence. In addition, his team-mates have consistently displayed his name and number on the back of a replica shirt after games — many of which he has been in attendance for. A popular football sticker around Hamburg also shows his name and shirt number, and the demand to 'Free Vuskovic'. None of which, though, has had any legal effect. And what happens next is uncertain. Vuskovic is allowed to resume team training in September 2026, with a theoretical return to first-team action two months later. When CAS issued its judgement in August 2024, extending the ban by a further two years, Vuskovic and Hamburg agreed to the termination of his then-contract. It was replaced by a future agreement, that would begin once his ban expires. In the meantime, Vuskovic must train by himself. There is a possibility of an off-field role with the club over the next 18 months, but Hamburg are yet to comment publicly on that. (Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images)
