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Lionel Messi: From shy genius to ‘bad boy’ leader – his Qatar transformation

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Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy in Qatar
The closest Messi had come to winning the World Cup before 2022 was an extra-time defeat by Germany in the 2014 tournament in Brazil

When Lionel Messi won the World Cup at the fifth and, seemingly, final attempt in Qatar last December, it was the last jigsaw piece in arguably the greatest footballing CV of all time.

But victory was only part of the story.

Behind the scenes and then on the biggest stage, Messi’s transformation in the Middle East became evident.

The 35-year-old’s genius has long been beyond doubt and debate. But his character had changed. As a teenager, Messi was so painfully shy he would get changed in the corridor to avoid his team-mates in the Barcelona youth set-up.

“This World Cup he was different,” said Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

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“We are probably more aggressive than the players in the national teams he’s played with before. So he’s probably becoming a little more like us – that bad boy.”

Here, some of the stars from the recently-released BBC Sport documentary Lionel Messi: Destiny, unpack and dissect that final evolution of Messi – from shy teenage genius to talismanic “bad boy”.

Short presentational grey line

“He’s a great lad but he can’t even direct traffic. How can you give the national team to Scaloni?”

Diego Maradona’s typically colourful thoughts external-linkregarding Lionel Scaloni’s appointment to the Argentina manager job in 2018 captured the mood of the nation.

Putting it bluntly, Scaloni was a Lionel Messi appointment – a deliberate decision by the Argentine Football Association to keep a generational talent onside and in the side.

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In the years prior to Scaloni’s appointment, Messi had a troubled relationship with the national team and, at times, with the national boss.

After a talented Argentina team was comprehensively beaten by Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup, Maradona, then-Argentina coach, criticised Messi’s leadership qualities. external-link

A fiasco of a 2018 World Cup campaign brought an early exit for Argentina and another coach in Jorge Sampaoli.

Sandwiched in between was 2016, a year which saw Messi briefly retire from international football after missing a penalty in the Copa America final defeat by Chile.

Such set-backs ensured that the number one motivation for the Argentine FA in appointing Scaloni was to keep their number one star happy.

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“The FA had a single objective, to find a manager who could work with Messi and get the best out of him,” said Messi biographer Guillem Balague.

“When Scaloni took over he said to Messi, ‘what do you think, what would work for you?’.

“It was an equal conversation, and you have to do that when you have the best player in the world.”

Argentine journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo added: “He was appointed without massive press coverage or a presentation moment – there seemed to be little energy to go hunting for big names.

“Most people were furious. We didn’t know much about him. The thought was that the job should go to a football celebrity or influential character, and it just went to a guy who was sort of anonymous.”

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Lionel Messi talks with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni during the 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar
Messi and Scaloni, who were both players in the Argentina squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, were reunited for the 2022 campaign

However, it was that anonymity, small-town humility and lack of ego that endeared Scaloni to the Argentina squad – and crucially, to Messi.

“Scaloni’s very relaxed,” Argentina and Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez said. “Very honest, and he has that thing of coming from a small town. I also identify with that a lot because I also come from a small town, and you can see that human quality that he has.”

Martinez added: “You’re always going to have talented players, but it’s how you manage them. It’s like having a Ferrari – if you don’t know how to drive it, then you’re going to crash on every corner. That’s the only explanation I can give for Scaloni – he knows exactly how to drive a Ferrari.”

Creating a home from home in Qatar

Looking after what was under the bonnet was vital to keep Messi – and ultimately the Argentina squad – happy in Qatar.

Despite leaving Argentina as a teenager, Messi has held on to much of his Argentine roots and specifically his hometown Rosario.

“He speaks with an Argentinean accent, eats Argentinean food, watches Argentinean films and listens to Argentinean music,” said Jonathan Wilson, author of Angels With Dirty Faces – a footballing history of Argentina.

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Scaloni and the Argentine FA were fastidious about leaning into those home comforts for Messi and his team-mates, creating a “little Argentina” at their World Cup base at Qatar University.

Early in the Scaloni reign, some of the younger players bonded with Messi by knocking on his hotel door and asking him to play the Argentine card game of Truco.

That same game was ubiquitous in Qatar along with Argentine tea called mate, and, more importantly, asados (barbeques) with imported Argentine beef. It was reported the team brought in 900kg of the meat for their campaign.

“I think for all Argentina people, if you have mate and a beautiful barbeque you don’t need more in life,” said Messi’s former Argentina team-mate Pablo Zabaleta.

According to both Balague and Mora y Araujo, these techniques ensured Argentina got the best out of Messi, transporting the top player in the world back to a childhood left behind when he moved to Barcelona aged just 13.

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On the pitch, the echoes of that childhood were most clearly heard during the quarter-final win over the Netherlands.

Dutch manager Louis van Gaal had questioned Messi’s work-rate off the ballexternal-link before the match. It was a move that angered his team-mates and added fuel to a historic enmity between the pair.

“Attacking Leo… you shouldn’t do that to Argentines,” Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister said.

Messi’s feelings spilled out in the 73rd minute of the quarter-final. Messi celebrated Argentina’s second goal by standing in front of the dugout, cupping his ears to seemingly mock Van Gaal’s previous comments.

Messi and former Argentina international Juan Roman Riquelme are now close friends.

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Before though, during Riquelme’s solitary season at Barcelona in 2002, the relationship was more one of adulation.

Riquelme’s former agent once recalledexternal-link a teenage Messi “sitting looking at Riquelme as if he were Jesus Christ” at a barbeque arranged for Barca’s South American players.

Mora y Araujo suggested Messi’s celebration against the Netherlands – one which Riquelme has performed throughout his career – also reflected Messi’s historic frustration at his friend being played out of his usual position during his time under Van Gaal at Barcelona in the early 2000s.

“It was surprising coming from Messi,” she said. “The nod to Riquelme was unexpected.”

Whatever the motivation of the celebration, it was not the end of Messi’s combativity.

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After the match, the Argentine forward confronted Dutch assistant Edgar Davids on the sidelines and in the tunnel he interrupted his own live TV interview to insult the Holland “number 19”, as Messi called him, Wout Weghorst.

“In the tunnel on the way to the changing rooms – ‘the number 19’, as he calls him, walks by,” Mora y Araujo added. “Messi interrupts the interview to say, ‘go away silly, what are you looking at?’.

“Messi’s delivery was very spontaneous. It has Rosario intonations, it’s something someone’s grandmother might say.

“It’s clearly not mild anger he’s expressing.”

Balague suggested Messi “reacted in a way that, even he himself, did not recognise”.

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To understand the outburst it is necessary to go all the way back to Messi’s childhood in his hometown of Rosario, 185 miles (300km) north west of Buenos Aires.

“There is an edge to Messi at the World Cup, and that is to do with the people he has got around him and him feeling comfortable with that.

“Because when he was 12, he was probably like that in the streets.

“Then when he moves to Barcelona he has to be a different person, more Catalan, more distant, more quiet.

“But he had that in him.

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“It’s not that he became Maradona. It was the Rosario in him that appeared in the World Cup in front of our eyes.”

Both Mora y Araujo and Balague point out that the insult Messi chose for Weghorst – “bobo” – is a word that only “kids use”.

And Martinez agreed with Balague in suggesting the change was akin to a child falling in with the wrong crowd at school.

“We are probably more aggressive than the players in the national teams he’s played with before,” he said. “So he’s probably becoming a little more like us – that bad boy.”

Lionel Messi approaches a prostrate Emi Martinez after Argentina's penalty shoot-out win over the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup
Messi and Martinez (lying down) would finish the World Cup with individual awards for the best player and best goalkeeper respectively

For Wilson, Messi finding his voice was as much about the players that weren’t there.

The presence of big talkers such as Javier Mascherano in previous Argentine teams meant Messi wasn’t needed to perform that role.

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But in Qatar, there was a vacuum.

Journalist Christian Martin was embedded in the Argentine camp throughout the tournament.

Both he – and Messi biographer Balague – were struck by how Messi filled that vacuum, from as early as the first match.

A shock 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia left one of the pre-tournament favourites facing a potential early flight home.

Historically, after such a setback, Messi would spend the least time possible amid the gauntlet of microphones in the media ‘mixed zone’ players are obliged to walk through.

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“It took him an hour to go through the mixed zone after Saudi Arabia,” said Balague.

“He was saying ‘we’re better than this’.”

Martinez added: “He spoke to every single broadcaster and repeated the same sentence: ‘Believe in us, we won’t let you down. Stick with us.’

“It was a very strong sentence by Leo.”

Zabaleta said: “I think we really enjoyed Messi, being a proper leader, but in a good way.

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“In hard situations he was the only one talking, he didn’t want to send some of the inexperienced players out to the media and that was great to see.”

This willingness to front up, in the press and on the pitch such as in the Holland game led to articles galore on the notion that Messi had become “Maradonised” and had found his “inner Diego”.

But Mora y Araujo disagrees with the idea that Messi was channelling, or becoming, Maradona. Rather, he was, perhaps finally, comfortable in his own skin – a far cry from the teenager carrying the weight of his family’s fortunes at Barcelona or the superstar weighed down by a nation’s expectations at previous World Cups.

She said: “There was a lot of smiling on the pitch. His head was up. He was confident.

“He showed and transmitted an acceptance of himself. There was no awkwardness in delivering his awkwardness if that makes sense.

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“People were texting and writing, ‘has Messi been taken over by the spirit of Maradona…? Maradona speaks through Messi…’ No! He hasn’t turned into Maradona. He has grown into himself.

“For many years there was enormous pressure on Messi to perform, or to be, or to behave to some nebulous demand to be more Argentinean, to be more passionate, to be more like Maradona.

Lionel Messi stands, arms folded, in a training shirt at the 2006 World Cup in Germany
Messi, who turned 19 at the tournament, was an unused substitute in Argentina’s quarter-final defeat against hosts Germany at the 2006 World Cup

“I think for a long time he was uncomfortable with that.

“The main observable thing about Messi at this World Cup was a comfort in his own body. Less pressure to perform. More comfortable being himself.”

Comfortable in himself. And comfortable with the stakes.

“I think he must have felt the breath of history on his shoulder. He must have felt time closing in on him,” said Wilson.

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According to Mora y Araujo, dealing with the clock ticking down on his career was Messi’s greatest feat in Qatar. For a month he was able to kept calm, without dulling a ferocious desire to win.

“That’s a very interesting combination. At the 2006 World Cup, he famously sat on the bench and didn’t even get to play in the quarter-final defeat by Germany.

“There was a grouching, tantrum-y, child-like reaction so at odds with the Messi we saw in Qatar.

“It is a great progression to a point of emotional maturity.

“And I think it’s wonderful to see that growth over a career of almost two decades.”

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Did Messi come of age? Did he channel the late Maradona? Did he rediscover a personality left behind in the backstreet games of his hometown of Rosario?

Whatever was going on in Messi’s mind in the Middle East, it helped realise his sole focus – the winner’s medal.

“I think after this World Cup – he completed football,” Martinez said.

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Women’s League Cup final: Chelsea players ‘talk about’ historic quadruple, says Ashley Lawrence

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Ashley Lawrence
Ashley Lawrence (centre) is aiming to win her first trophy with Chelsea since joining from PSG last summer
Venue: Molineux Date: Sunday, 31 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Coverage: Watch on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website

Chelsea’s players are talking about doing the unprecedented quadruple this season – but their focus is always on the next game, insists Ashley Lawrence.

The Blues have won the Women’s Super League in each of the past four seasons and the FA Cup in the previous three – but could go even further this time.

They are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League after beating Ajax over two legs in their last-eight meeting, face Manchester United in the last four of the FA Cup, and the current WSL leaders could collect the first trophy of a potential four in the League Cup this weekend.

No English women’s side has ever won four major trophies in a season, while the last team to win a Treble were Arsenal when they lifted the league, FA Cup and Uefa Women’s Cup in 2007 – a year they also won the Community Shield.

It is Arsenal who will be aiming to spoil Chelsea’s quadruple dreams in the Continental League Cup on Easter Sunday – just as they ruined a potential treble for the Blues by winning the same finalexternal-link 3-1 last season.

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Chelsea defender Lawrence, 28, says the squad are taking nothing for granted in their quest for the quadruple.

“It’s always there, we talk about it,” she told BBC Sport. “But our focus is on day by day. We work towards the next game, but we are excited to be in this position.

“We are aware of the four trophies, Emma [Hayes] and the players who have been here a while know what it takes to win. It’s always there, but not the main focus.”

Chelsea are used to the strain of competing for multiple trophies at once.

They played in every match possible to be involved in last season, apart from the Champions League final as they were eliminated at the final-four stage. Hayes’ side also reached the FA and League Cup finals and won the WSL.

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It is new to Lawrence, who joined the club last summer from Paris St-Germain, but the Canadian said the team is ready to cope with a relentless run-in, even if it affects time on the training ground.

“We try to take the most important bits and pieces from a game and do better,” she added. “If those things are specific and apply to the next game then the staff will focus on those things.

“But all season it has been a quick turnaround, playing for four different trophies, and we have just been accustomed to it.”

‘Hayes has that ultimate belief’

Emma Hayes (left) and Guro Reiten
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes (left) is aiming to win her 16th trophy with the club in the 2024 League Cup final

Lawrence, who has 130 caps for Canada, was brought to Chelsea by manager Hayes last season and has played a utility role for the club amid an injury crisis, deployed wide both in defence and midfield.

She admitted working with Hayes was an enormous draw for her to come to the WSL – and has been even more impressed at close quarters.

“She was a big part of my decision [to sign for Chelsea],” said Lawrence. “Everyone in the football world is aware of Emma, and the impact she has had in England and globally.

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“It was an exciting opportunity to come to this club, for the players, the environment and for her.

“She exudes a lot of confidence, even before signing here I saw she has the ability to transform a team into a winning mentality. Now I am here I see she has that ultimate belief, that unwavering confidence. We need that going into finals.”

Chelsea go into the first of those finals at Molineux as favourites after an impressive 3-1 win over Arsenal in the WSL at Stamford Bridge – a result that all but ruled the Gunners out of the title race.

Arsenal, however, have a good recent record against Chelsea, beating them 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the WSL this season, as well as the 2023 League Cup final.

“Anything can happen, especially in the final,” warned Lawrence, who won gold with Canada at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. “We looked at that last game with confidence, but they are a top team and will come out for the next game different.

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“It’s going to be a level playing field, so we go in with the same conviction, as that was really good from the first whistle. We will not change much but we will be ready.”

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Brighton set a new Premier League record – but can rotating goalkeepers really work?

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Karen Bardsley column

Arsenal were meant to be the team who ripped up the rule book and rotated their goalkeepers this season, but it has ended up being Brighton who have kept on swapping who plays between the sticks.

Seagulls boss Roberto de Zerbi has broken a Premier League record by changing his keeper 17 times already in 2023-24, with Jason Steele playing 15 league games and Bart Verbruggen the other 13, and neither starting more than three times in a row in all competitions.

This is certainly a new idea – no top-flight team has done it before in the Premier League era, and when they have even come close it has been for different reasons. The most changes previously were down to injuries, form, or both.

It’s fascinating to see it happening, but I wanted to explore whether it has worked… and why Brighton are even doing it in the first place.

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Manchester United goalkeepers Andy Goram and Raimond van der Gouw trade places during a game in the 2000-01 season
The previous record for most goalkeeper changes in a Premier League season was 14 by Manchester United in 2000-01, but Fabian Barthez played in 25 of their first 28 league games and the other rotations took place when he and regular understudy Raimond van der Gouw were injured in March, and teenager Paul Rachubka and veteran Scotland international Andy Goram were used as cover.
Team Season Games GK changes Starts per keeper
1. Brighton 23-24 28 17 15: Jason Steele, 13: Bart Verbruggen
2. Man Utd 00-01 38 14 30: Fabian Barthez, 5: Raimond van der Gouw, 2: Andy Goram, 1: Paul Rachubka
=3. Man Utd 01-02 38 12 32: Fabian Barthez, 6: Roy Carroll
=3. Middlesbrough 05-06 38 12 27: Mark Schwarzer, 9: Brad Jones, 2: Ross Turnbull
=3. Man Utd 06-07 38 12 32: Edwin van der Sar, 6: Tomasz Kuszczak
=3. Portsmouth 09-10 38 12 25: David James, 8: Asmir Begovic, 5: Jamie Ashdown

What’s the difference between Steele and Verbruggen?

At 33, Steele clearly has a lot more experience than Verbruggen, who is 21 and looks like he has a lot of raw talent that needs to nurtured, but performance-wise it’s interesting to see how there is such little difference between both goalkeepers.

I’ve watched a lot of clips of both of them in the past few weeks and a few similar themes emerged.

Brighton goalkeepers Bart Verbruggen (l) and Jason Steele (r) with Seagulls boss Roberto de Zerbi (centre)
Brighton have played 40 games in all competitions this season, with Steele (right) starting 21 of them. So far, Verbruggen (left) is yet to play more than two games in a row, but that will change if Roberto de Zerbi (centre) picks him against Liverpool on Sunday.

Verbruggen seems more economical with his general movement in the box, while Steele’s positioning in goal when facing shots is sometimes more questionable – for example when he takes his position off the defender, and also with his decision making, which might be why his save percentage is the worst in the Premier League this season.

The younger keeper is more self-assured in those situations, although every once in a while he does maybe get drawn too much towards his near post, which is a trait of Steele’s too.

Bart Verbruggen & Jason Steele in the Premier League this season

Neither of them is having a particularly great season in terms of shot-stopping, though, even if Verbruggen’s save percentage is significantly higher.

Verbruggen is underperforming by 3% in terms of the saves he is making compared to the ones he is expected to make, while Steele is -7% in the same metric, meaning they are both lowly ranked there.

Verbruggen Steele
14.9 Expected goals on target conceded 23.6
16 Actual goals conceded* 26
-1.08 (16th) Goals prevented -2.38 (18th)
-0.08 (16th) Expected goals prevented per 90 -0.16 (18th)
*Excludes own goals

There is not much between them when it comes to using the ball either, as you can see from their respective pass-maps, but this is an area where they both excel.

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Jason Steele pass map

Steele is probably viewed as the more accomplished passer – even his manager has alluded to that being the case – and he plays a marginally higher percentage of longer balls forward.

But Brighton don’t change the way they play when Verbruggen is in the team, and his feet are clearly one of his strengths too.

Bart Verbruggen pass map

In fact, Verbruggen has completed more passes per game (33.5) and with a higher success rate (90.8%), than any other Premier League keeper this season and, like Steele, he is in the top five for passes completed under pressure per game too.

Graphic showing goalkeepers with the most passes completed and the highest passing accuracy in the Premier League this season. Verbruggen is top of both categories
Steele ranks sixth for passes completed per 90 minutes (29.8) and fourth for pass accuracy (82%)

He definitely contributes to his team’s attacking output as well, even if – so far – their end product with him has not been as successful as when Steele plays.

While Steele’s distribution has led to the Seagulls scoring five Premier League goals this season, Brighton have actually created more chances per game building play from the back with Verbruggen in the team.

Ederson (2.4) at Manchester City and Alisson (2.0) for Liverpool are the only top-flight keepers involved in more shot-ending open play sequences per game than Verbruggen this season, among those with a minimum of 270 minutes played.

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Premier League Steele Verbruggen
Minutes (season total) 1350 1170
Open play sequences involvements 31.7 34.5
Shot-ending open play sequences 1.1 1.8
xG from shot-ending sequences 0.19 0.12
Involvements ending in goal scored (season total) 5 0

The rest of the Brighton team is being rotated too

It’s not just in goal where De Zerbi has made a lot of changes – he has changed the rest of his team more than anyone else too, with 108 changes in the Premier League alone so far.

With 10 league games to go, that is already 29 more changes than he made in the whole of last season and 28 more than anyone else in the top division this term – Nottingham Forest have made 80, while Liverpool are next highest with 78.

Brighton have had European football to contend with this season, of course, and some injuries too – but compare their situation to Aston Villa, who have made only 40 changes, despite also having midweek European matches.

The shirts of Brighton goalkeepers Bart Verbruggen, Jason Steele and Tom McGill in the dressing room at the Amex Stadium before their Europa League tie against Marseille in December
Another change to come? Brighton’s third-choice keeper, Canada-born former England Under-17 international Tom McGill, has been on the bench for all their Europa League ties this season when two goalkeeper substitutes were named, but the 24-year-old Seagulls academy graduate is yet to make the squad for a Premier League game in 2023-24 or make a single appearance for them in any competition

Stability in personnel is particularly important at the back – we saw this with Manchester City last season when I looked into Ederson’s form – and it made me wonder if having a regular presence behind them could have helped Brighton.

However, my feeling from watching a lot of clips of their defending is that they seem to have bigger problems than just who is in goal.

A lot of the goals they have conceded this season have come from poor defending and marking, regardless of who their goalkeeper is – but because that has been constantly changing, you are left thinking what is the point?

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If there is a pattern, I am still trying to find it – which makes me think the real reason it is happening is for Verbruggen’s long-term benefit.

Which pathway is preferable for a young keeper?

Bart Verbruggen made his Netherlands debut in their 2-1 defeat to France in a Euro 2024 qualifier in October 2023
Verbruggen made his senior Netherlands debut in their 2-1 defeat by France in a Euro 2024 qualifier in October 2023, becoming the youngest Dutch keeper to start a game since Jan van Beveren in 1967

Adapting a new goalkeeper to the Premier League is frequently challenging – whether it’s a young player coming into the team, someone stepping up from a lower division in England, or a player moving here from a foreign league.

Two of those factors apply to Verbruggen, who joined from Belgian side Anderlecht in the summer and only turned 21 in August – he is the second youngest keeper in the Premier League behind Burnley’s James Trafford, and they are the only two currently under the age of 24.

Like Trafford, who was playing in League One for Bolton on loan from Manchester City last season, Verbruggen has rapidly changed levels too – he actually made another big step in the middle of last season, when he moved up from Anderlecht’s B team, so his progress has been very quick.

Neither he nor Trafford can be considered elite keepers yet – although Verbruggen made his senior debut for the Netherlands in October and now has four caps – but clearly the potential is there.

So, which pathway is the preferable one? Trafford is playing every week, but in a struggling team where there is no hiding place if he makes mistakes. Verbruggen is possibly being protected by coming in and out of the team, but is that slowing his progress?

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Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele catches the ball
Steele’s save percentage of 57.6% is the worst in the Premier League this season and down from 61.7% in 2022-23. His goals prevented (-1.33) and expected goals prevented per 90 minutes (-0.09) scores were also better last season.

While changing keepers hasn’t hindered Brighton, or at least not obviously, it hasn’t noticeably helped them either. For a player, in terms of individual development or even just form, it’s different. I always found playing a run of games helped me find my rhythm and made me feel more settled and confident during games.

Being in and out of the team has not made a massive difference to Steele’s form – his shot-saving stats are slightly down on last season, when he became first choice in the second half of the campaign and played 15 of their final 16 league games after Robert Sanchez fell out of favour, but would it make a positive difference to Verbruggen if he was given a longer run in the team?

It feels like it is time to find out, especially if the plan is actually for him to be number one more regularly next season.

What happens then will probably tell us whether this rotation has worked – and if it is an experiment that is worth repeating.

Karen Bardsley was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.

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Premier League top three quiz: How well do you know Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City’s seasons?

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Split picture of Erling Haaland, Declan Rice and Mohamed Salah

There are just 10 games to go in what could be a title race for the ages!

Arsenal lead the Premier League table, one point above Liverpool and two points ahead of champions Manchester City.

With the title possibly going down to the wire we thought we’d put your knowledge to the test.

How much attention have you been paying on the Premier League’s top three sides this season? It’s time to find out!

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Football Focus: Spurs’ Destiny Udogie talks London life, Ange Postecoglou and his chant

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Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie sits down with Football Focus to discuss London life, the race for the top four, playing for Ange Postecoglou and his Whitney Houston-inspired chant.

Watch Football Focus on Saturday, 30 March at 12:00 GMT on BBC One and iPlayer.

Available to UK users only.

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Chelsea: Raheem Sterling ‘understands’ boos – Mauricio Pochettino

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Raheem Sterling applauds Chelsea supporters
Raheem Sterling missed a first-half penalty against Leicester

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says it is important that the club’s fans and players “move on” after Raheem Sterling was booed by supporters.

Sterling faced criticism from sections of the Stamford Bridge crowd during Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Leicester City in the recent FA Cup quarter-final.

Pochettino was jeered for his decision to substitute Mykhailo Mudryk instead of Sterling in the 78th minute.

“We now need to move on. It will help if we do,” said Pochettino.

“What we cannot do is create bigger things from this now because we know fans love our players and I know they will support him and the rest of the team.

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“Raheem is a spirited player and he understands it all.”

Pochettino’s Chelsea will have home advantage against lowly Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday, when supporters will expect another victory.

Sterling missed a first-half penalty against Leicester and blazed a free-kick well over the crossbar in the second half, which prompted jeers among the home crowd.

Before the match, Chelsea Supporters’ Trust raised “significant concerns” about the club’s future in a lengthy letter to co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.

It said there was growing concern that Chelsea are becoming “a ‘laughing stock’, both on and off the pitch”.

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“We need to be careful in the way we talk and give our opinions because there needs to be a strong relationship between everyone,” said Pochettino.

“I just want our players to play really well. I was also suffering the anger of the fans and their disappointment; in fact, the whole team suffered in this situation.”

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Everton manager Sean Dyche says altercation with defender Nathan Patterson was ‘nothing’

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Nathan Patterson
Patterson’s last club appearance came as a substitute in a draw against Fulham on 30 January

Everton manager Sean Dyche says there was “nothing” in an altercation between himself and defender Nathan Patterson.

Reports suggestedexternal-link Dyche hit Patterson, 22, with a “playful slap” during a warm weather training camp earlier this month, resulting in a heated row.

“I tapped him on the head like an older brother would and he didn’t get the joke. It’s really that simple,” said Dyche, 52.

“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Nothing in it really.”

Scotland international Patterson has played 25 times for Everton this season but his last appearance came in January.

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The incident reportedly occurred during the Toffees’ trip to Portugal prior to the international break with defender James Tarkowski having to step in.

Patterson played twice for Scotland during the international break, first against the Netherlands and then Northern Ireland.

Dyche hoping for quick resolution to latest charge

Dyche says he is also hoping for a quick resolution to the club’s latest charge for allegedly breaching the Premier League’s financial rules – and that it “comes to nothing”.

Everton were docked 10 points in November, reduced to six on appeal, for breaking profit and sustainability rules in the three-year period to 2021-22 but received a second charge in January for the three years to 2022-23.

They are currently 16th in the Premier League, four points above Nottingham Forest who were themselves docked four points earlier this month.

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“We’re just waiting, really, like we did last time,” Dyche said. “I’m sure everyone’s hoping that it’s fast-tracked slightly, but we’ll have to wait and see.

“I don’t think anyone has concrete proof of how or which way these things will go, particularly after the first one.

“We can only give the information that’s appropriate. I wasn’t there, obviously, but I’m told we’ve given every bit of information that we can give.

“We hope that they see, accordingly, what the club has been trying to do to make sure we’re within the right areas that they need us to be in. So, therefore, we’ll hope that it comes to nothing.”

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Fans warned over German beer strength before Euros

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The Foreign Office warns football fans that “stronger” German beer could get them barred from stadiums.

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Man City: Kerstin Casparij charged over alleged offensive gesture to Man Utd fans

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Kerstin Casparij in action at the Etihad
Kerstin Casparij (right) has until 3 April to respond

Manchester City defender Kerstin Casparij has been charged by the Football Association with making an alleged offensive gesture during the Manchester derby on 23 March.

The Netherlands international’s charge relates to an incident in the 37th minute in City’s 3-1 win at the Etihad.

Jess Park gave City the lead eight minutes before half-time, when Casparij is alleged to have made a gesture towards Manchester United’s away support.

Casparij has until 3 April to respond.

City’s win took them top for 24 hours in the Women’s Super League, before Chelsea’s victory against West Ham restored the Blues’ lead at the top on goal difference.

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Flavio Briatore: Former Formula 1 boss and ex-Queens Park Rangers co-owner has heart surgery

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Flavio Briatore
Briatore was pictured at the Bahrain Grand Prix earlier this month

Ex-Renault Formula 1 boss and former Queens Park Rangers co-owner Flavio Briatore has undergone heart surgery to remove a benign tumour.

The Italian, 73, said he has been discharged from hospital in Milan following the operation.

Briatore said on Instagram the surgery had been “perfectly successful”.

“Following a routine check-up I underwent heart surgery because I had a benign mass which was removed with a minimal invasive procedure,” he said.

Businessman Briatore was managing director of Benetton when Michael Schumacher won the F1 drivers championship in 1994 and 1995.

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He was also in charge of Renault when Fernando Alonso also took the title in 2005 and 2006 but left amid the ‘Crashgate’ scandal.

He has not held an official position in F1 since but has been present at grands prix in recent years.

The Italian co-owned QPR between 2007 and 2010, having bought into the west-London club alongside Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal.

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Premier League apologises as Tottenham v Nottingham Forest is moved at short notice

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Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tottenham won the reverse fixture 2-0 in December

The Premier League has apologised after Nottingham Forest’s trip to Tottenham in less than two weeks’ time was brought forward by 24 hours.

The fixture, due to take place on Monday, 8 April, will now be at 18:00 GMT on Sunday, 7 April because of London Underground and train strikes.

The local authority’s Safety Advisory Group deemed the required level of safety for fans was not possible as a result of the action.

The league apologised “unreservedly”.

Tottenham said only one of the six stations that serve the stadium will run as normally on 8 April.

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“All tickets will remain valid for the new date – we shall shortly be contacting all ticket holders to outline options if they are no longer able to attend,” they said.

A Premier League statement said: “The change has been made due to matters beyond the League’s control, namely the decision to implement rail and tube strikes on Monday, 8 April and the subsequent reduction in available travel services.

“This has resulted in the local authority’s Safety Advisory Group determining that it is not possible to stage the match with the required levels of safety for attending fans.”

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