The football club AS Monaco expects to terminate the contract with Paul Pogba after the French midfielder once again faced issues related to injuries.
The football club AS Monaco expects to terminate the contract with Paul Pogba after the French midfielder once again faced issues related to injuries.
Pogba joined AS Monaco last year as a free agent. This occurred after his contract with Juventus was terminated, as well as following an 18-month doping ban. The 32-year-old French midfielder signed a two-year deal that was set to run until the end of next season.
Pogba's first season in Monaco was disrupted by injuries, but this season there was hope that the French national team player could play regularly. However, according to a BBC report, discussions about an early departure are underway and are expected to conclude soon.
Pogba has not participated in official matches since September 2023, when he received a ban for failing a doping test after playing for Juventus in the first match of the 2023-24 season against Udinese on August 20.
He tested positive for DHEA—a banned substance that enhances endogenous testosterone. However, Pogba's management team appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which upheld a four-year suspension but reduced it to 18 months. This ban ended in March of last year, allowing him to resume his professional career.
In June 2025, he was signed by Monaco. But just a year after starting his time at Monaco, he may look for another club again. Pogba made his professional debut in 2011 for Manchester United.
It was at Juventus, where he moved in 2012, that Pogba truly flourished at the top level. With the Bianconeri, he won four consecutive Serie A titles (from 2013 to 2016). In 2016, he returned to Manchester United, where he spent six seasons.
For the Red Devils, he played 233 matches, scored 39 goals, and provided 51 assists. With Manchester United, he won the UEFA Europa League and the FA Cup in 2017.
The appearance of Hardik Pandya's photograph caused excitement among fans, especially against the backdrop of the upcoming IPL auction. Rumors suggest that many players might change teams before IPL 2027, and among these names, Hardik Pandya, the leader of 'Mumbai Indians', is at the top. Many teams are showing interest in him.
An unusual photograph of Hardik Pandya, published by the official account of 'Delhi Capitals' (DC) on social media, sparked a buzz among cricketers. In the picture, Hardik is with Minnu Mani, a player from the women's team of 'Delhi Capitals'. The franchise accompanied the post with a caption stating that the two Indian all-rounders were chatting, adding a heart emoji.
Following this social media post, a period of speculation began. Fans are wondering if Hardik Pandya will appear in the 'Delhi Capitals' jersey in IPL 2027. Several reasons fuel these discussions. For instance, 'Mumbai Indians'' performance in IPL 2026 was extremely mediocre: the team lost 10 out of 14 matches and finished ninth in the table.
Discussions about Pandya's future in 'Mumbai' are constant. There were reports that Hardik wanted to return to his former franchise, 'Gujarat Titans'. 'Gujarat' was ready to accept him, but a dispute arose regarding captaincy. According to available information, Hardik put forward a condition for regaining the captaincy, which 'Gujarat' rejected because they intended to continue working with Shubman Gill.
Against the backdrop of broken negotiations with 'Gujarat' and uncertainty in 'Mumbai', the 'Delhi Capitals' post is not seen as a coincidence. Although 'Delhi' already has a strong captain and an all-rounder in Akshar Patel, Hardik's potential transfer could create an interesting situation regarding the team's management.
JP Petersen acknowledged that the Sharks team received a harsh lesson from the All Blacks during a friendly match at Kings Park in Durban on Tuesday evening, but believes this experience will be valuable for his young squad as they prepare for the United Rugby Championship season.
The Sharks suffered a crushing 54-0 defeat to the New Zealand side. Although the home team managed to hold the All Blacks in the beginning of the first half, the visitors took complete control of the game after the break.
Nevertheless, Petersen did not want to focus on the final result, emphasizing the significance of his players having the opportunity to take the field alongside one of the world's leading teams in test matches. He noted: 'The result is not pleasing, but the lads fought until the eighty-minute mark.' He added that it was pleasant to observe the interaction between the young players and the opposition's props in the dressing room and after the game, as they discussed the event, saying they could never have imagined such a game against the All Blacks at Kings Park.
The Sharks were in the middle of pre-season training, and Petersen admitted that the difference in physical condition and team cohesion ultimately became apparent. After trailing 14-0 at halftime, the Sharks could not match the pace and intensity of the All Blacks, as fatigue, injuries, and muscle spasms complicated their attempts to stay in the game.
Petersen commented: 'We couldn't match their speed in the second half. We were simply behind in everything they did: every set piece, every tackle, every ball on the ground. They won every tackle.'
The match conditions also taught a valuable lesson, especially regarding kicking. Petersen highly praised the effectiveness of space utilization in the backline through the kicking game of Ruben Law, Jordie Barrett, and Damian McKenzie. However, he admitted that the Sharks' kicks were often too long and did not give them a chance to compete for possession. He stated: 'We struggled more with our kicking game. Our kicks were too long, but when we contested, we were rewarded.'
There were also positive aspects: Petersen noted the resilience of his young reserves and the defensive effort which prevented the All Blacks from scoring even more points. The match also provided an important opportunity for the new trio of defenders—Zeketelo Siyaya, Donovan Dunne, and Litelile 'Lilly' Bester—to play together for the first time.
Petersen expressed confidence in their development: 'They will learn. They will take it and get better. I hope everything is dialed in by the start of the URC season.'
Another memorable moment of the evening was the performance of Hana Ma'a Nonu's Haka in response to the All Blacks' Haka. The 44-year-old player, who has been with the Sharks for three months as a mentor, performed the Haka before his former team. Petersen reported that Nonu consulted with the All Blacks regarding this tradition before deciding to respond with a Haka. He said: 'He said that responding with a Haka is a sign of respect to the All Blacks, and it was great that he did it. I got goosebumps when I saw it.'
However, for the Sharks, the main takeaway will be absorbing the lessons learned from this rare opportunity to measure themselves against the All Blacks before returning to intense pre-season work.
The first match of the two-match test series between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled for August 15. The Indian team aims to strengthen its position in the World Test Championship through strong performances.
The young player Shubman Gill will lead the Indian team. In addition to leading the team, Gill has an excellent opportunity to set two major records in this series.
There is a possibility that Shubman Gill could achieve a feat unattainable even by masters like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Specifically, he could become the first Indian player to score 3000 points in the history of the World Test Championship. To achieve this significant goal, he needs to accumulate a total of 157 points in both test matches against Sri Lanka.
Currently, Shubman Gill is the player with the most points for India in the WTC. He has accumulated 2843 points in 40 matches. Rishabh Pant is second among Indian batsmen with 2780 points, and former Test player Rohit Sharma is third with 2716 points.
Globally, the record for the most points in WTC history belongs to former England captain Joe Root, who scored 6651 points. He is followed by Steve Smith from Australia, who scored 4564 points in the WTC.
Shubman Gill is capable not only of reaching the 3000-point mark but also of becoming the first Indian captain to score 1000 points within a single WTC cycle (2025-2027). In the current cycle, while captaining, Gill has already scored 950 points in 8 matches. He needs only 50 more points to reach this goal.
Indian players who have scored 1000 points or more in one WTC cycle include Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, none of them have achieved this as a captain. In world cricket, Gill could join the list of five world captains to achieve this result, following Joe Root, Babar Azam, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Ben Stokes.
According to statistics, Shubman Gill has 2843 points in 73 matches; Rishabh Pant has 2780 points in 71 matches; Rohit Sharma has 2716 points in 69 matches; Virat Kohli has 2617 points in 79 matches; and Ravindra Jadeja has 2610 points in 73 matches.
