Bayer Leverkusen and NK Celje clash this Wednesday at the BayArena of the UEFA Europa League. Bayer Leverkusen, who have already won this tournament, mark their 21st participation in the competition, whilst NK Celje go into their 2nd.
In their last game, Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 with FC Augsburg (1. Bundesliga 2026/27). Last time out, NK Celje slipped to a 2-1 defeat against NK Bravo (Slovenian League 2026/27).
Montrell Culbreath - Foot Injury
Bayer Leverkusen ( vs FC Augsburg 2026-09-12): Mark Flekken, Jarell Quansah, Edmond Tapsoba, Facundo Medina, Miguel Gutiérrez, Aleix García, Equi Fernández, Moussa Diaby, Ibrahim Maza, Afonso Moreira, Christian Kofane
NK Celje ( vs NK Bravo 2026-09-12): Zan Luk Leban, Pijus Sirvys, Leonardo Koutris, Artemijus Tutyskinas, Papa Mustapha, Mark Zabukovnik, Darko Hrka, Mario Kvesić, Benjamin Verbic, Matic Ivansek, Blaz Kramer

#bayer #bayarena

Sturm Graz and Rennes face off this Wednesday at the Stadion Graz-Liebenau in UEFA Europa League. Sturm Graz mark their 16th participation in the competition, whilst Rennes go into their 9th.
Last time out, Sturm Graz triumphed 2-1 against LASK Linz (Austrian Bundesliga Grunddurchgang 2026/27). In their last game, Rennes won 1-0 against Marseille (Ligue 1 2026/27).
Emran Soglo - Hamstring Injury
Axel Kayombo - No Eligibility
Szymon Wlodarczyk - No Eligibility

#last #wednesday

Anderlecht host Lyon this Wednesday at the Lotto Park of the UEFA Europa League. Anderlecht, who have already won this tournament, mark their 23rd participation in the competition, whilst Lyon go into their 17th.
Last time out, Anderlecht triumphed 0-1 against KV Mechelen (Jupiler Pro League 2026/27). In their last game, Lyon drew 0-0 with Paris FC (Ligue 1 2026/27).
The last meeting between the two teams ended with Lyon winning 3-1.
Ilay Camara - Broken Foot
Lucas Hey - Fracture

#park

Due to some sporadic runs of form and a very big helping hand from the footballing Gods, Liverpool found themselves qualifying for this season's Champions League and so the dream of more European nights at Anfield again became reality. For all of us Reds supporters and club it's the bare minimum requirement, and this writer has been luckily enough to have watched all six finals that Liverpool won, the first in 1977 when I was eight years old.
More importantly in the present moment, Wednesday evening is going to be the very first European game for head coach Andoni Iraola as head coach of any club, and let's hope that it will be even more than he could ever imagine because it's at Anfield and against one of the most difficult opponents in the Champions League in recent years in Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.
Everyone involved in European football probably knows about those Famous European Nights at Anfield under the lights, but it's not all up to the supporters—the players will need to start in the right mood as they did against Ipswich, with intensity from the first whistle but unlike in that game the players won't be allowed to ease up until the final whistle is blown.
There is history between Liverpool and Atleti, with the Reds winning three of the seven times the clubs have faced off in the Champions League whilst Atletico have won two and then two draws between them. More than the match ups being fairly even there are the tough tactics of Simeone, who has a knack of getting under the skin of opposing managers as well his players being very physical in their play. It's going to be an interesting test for Iraola and the players but especially Liverpool's head coach as this will be his first experience of the Champions league and a congested fixture list.
"Big game, the first Champions League for me as a coach," Iraola noted during the post-Ipswich match interviews when he was asked about the approaching match against Atletico. "At Anfield, under the lights. I love to play at night."

#first

Kate Middleton and Prince William spent a low-key summer, which reportedly sparked a "lazy" debate among royal watchers. The Prince and Princess of Wales typically use the children's school holidays as an opportunity to step away from their busy royal schedules and spend quality time with them. However, their relatively quiet summer reportedly drew criticism, with some people labeling William and Middleton "lazy" for keeping a low public profile. However, a royal author defended the Waleses, saying that they need a break because their duties can be "relentless."
Robert Jobson, a renowned royal author, reportedly defended Kate Middleton and Prince William over their low-key summer. Now that the summer holidays in the UK are coming to an end, the royals are getting back to their official duties. However, the Prince and Princess of Wales have a tradition of spending their children's school holidays away from the spotlight. This allows them to focus on their family and spend quality time with their kids.
The last time William and Kate were seen at a public engagement was when they attended the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. After that, they were photographed only once, when they were spotted driving around Balmoral to stay with King Charles and Queen Camilla. Some royal watchers labeled them "lazy" for spending so much time away from the public eye.
However, Jobson hit back at the critics. He argued that the Waleses need time to recharge because their jobs are "relentless." He told ******* o! Magazine, "A lot of people might think that it's lazy or whatever [taking the school holidays off], but I don't think it is." Jobson added, "They've got a long time in the top job, and after this it becomes even more relentless so I think they're trying to manage their time as best they can whilst they've got an element of freedom."
According to the royal author, William and Kate manage to balance their professional responsibilities with their personal lives very well. They continue to carry out their royal duties while making sure they spend enough time with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. This has helped them remain a strong family unit, according to the author.

#prince #however #princess

Juventus pick Nico Gonzalez, Randal Kolo Muani and Kerim Alajbegovic amid an injury crisis, while Adrien Rabiot has his first Milan start of the season with Diego Moreira, Luka Modric and Goncalo Ramos.
It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today's four Serie A games on the Liveblog.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 26: Francisco Conceicao of Juventus controls the ball whilst under pressure from Strahinja Pavlovic of AC Milan during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Juventus FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 26, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
This is an early Scudetto showdown, as both teams started the season with back-to-back victories, even if the performances weren't always convincing.

#italy #april #season #gonzalez

A member of the attacking ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona on Sunday took over sole ownership of the **** le of the top scorer in Europe's top-5 leagues this season.
This comes owing to developments in the Blaugrana's meeting with Valencia.
Hansi Flick's troops are fresh off another absolutely dominant victory this evening, keeping alive a flawless start to the new campaign with a five-goal romp at Mestalla.
Lamine Yamal was on target to the tune of a brace, whilst Fermín López also shone bright yet again with a trio of direct goal contributions.
It was captain and new centre-forward Raphinha, though, whose strike proved the significant one when it comes to the early race for the European Golden Boot.

#liga #sunday #hansi #lamine

Marco Palestra was noticeably once again absent from Chelsea's squad as they prepare to face off against London rivals ****** nal at the Emirates Stadium
Palestra was not present in the visitors' starting lineup, whilst Riccardo Calafiori starts at left-back for the hosts.
It follows comments from the Italian at the Gran Gala del Calcio last week, where Palestra spoke to Sky Sport, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.
Palestra was named in the Serie A team of the year for the 25/26 campaign, for his performances during a loan spell with Cagliari. He impressed greatly with the Sardinian side and parent club Atalanta faced interest from Inter and then Chelsea for the Italy international.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JULY 28: Marco Palestra of Chelsea FC heads the ball during the Sydney Super Cup match between Western Sydney Wanderers and Chelsea FC at Accor Stadium on July 28, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

#australia

A versatile and highley rated performer, on paper it seemed to some as if Calvin Palmer's big money move in February 1968 was exactly what Sunderland's struggling squad needed, and yet when he departed two years the later his release felt inevitable – and the man that had brought him was certainly happy to see him go.
Bought by the recently reinstalled Alan Brown, Palmer's issues rarely came down to ability. Although fans felt they never got to see the same all action displays he produced at previous club Stoke City they still recognised his versatility and commitment to winning, particularly during one early appearance when against Stoke he took over from the injured Jimmy Montgomery in goal. It was an example of the type of self-sacrifice Brown would usually appreciate and yet the pair were unable to ever strike up a working relationship, a clash of personalities meaning that the notoriously formidable manager and his unconventional recruit often ***** ed heads.
Palmer would invariably take his football seriously but as a character struggled to acquiesce to Brown's rigid structure and expectations. A squad trip to a cinema the month after signing, during which Palmer decided to leave early, led to Brown disciplining him for a breach of club rules for instance, and once the tone was set a number of other battles followed. By January 1970 Palmer was on the transfer list at his own request, and there was clearly no way back for him.
A court case and subsequent driving ban that month served to emphasise the differences between the player and manager; Palmer had found himself on the wrong side of the law whilst Brown had previously served as a police officer and maintained a strict zero tolerance attitude towards any sort of infringements thereafter. In more modern times it might be sensed that Palmer's nature simply warranted a different approach, but the 'Bomber's' management style never relied on subtlety and in the May he confirmed his decision to cut his losses on the £70,000 fee that had been paid and gave his player a free transfer.
It was presumed that this would be the end of the matter, but Palmer, often accused of being 'outspoken' in those more deferential times, did still intend of having the final word. In August he joined Cape Town City and the following month there was to be a rude awakening for Brown when on this day a national Sunday paper launched a 'warts and all' series detailing from South Africa the views and stories of the now ex Rokerman. Whereas Palmer's seemingly divergent traits would be better understood now it was easy then to tag him as a controversial figure, but even still the new column was quite the exposé, with the account being labelled as an 'explosive' chat with 'football's stormiest rebel'.

#palmer #paper #squad

Ligue 1 McDonald's, Matchday 3, 05/09/26
OGC Nice secured their second point of the season against a battling Le Mans FC side (1-1). Olivier Pantaloni remains winless, however, after taking over in the summer.
Patrick Videira is credited with creating something special from very little. His side weren't even in the conversation for promotion at the start of last season, having only earned promotion from the National 1 the previous season. There is a clear upward direction of travel; the opposite can be said of Nice. Olivier Pantaloni's arrival was meant to bring fresh momentum, but that isn't easy when the ownership situation remains unchanged.
Club legend Dante was back at the Allianz Riviera, whilst the fans also returned for the first time this season. There was a feeling of yester-season that translated onto the pitch as Le Gym struggled to find any kind of fluency on the ball. Errors were too frequent and punished. There was a let-off when Jean Vercruysse found himself free inside the box. Youssouf Ndayishimiye made himself big and made the block. But it was the Burundi international who was left scrambling following a turnover of possession deep in the Nice half. Ndayishimiye didn't lose it, but he couldn't win it back. Adil Bourabaa danced past him and unleashed an absolute thunderbolt into the far corner of Yehvann Diouf's goal.
The game-state ensured that Nice had much of the ball but Pantaloni's men lacked penetration. Their best chance within the opening 30 minutes came from a set-piece quickly taken by Niels Nkounkou. Jonathan Clauss had all the time to pick out the unmarked Axel Witsel, who couldn't direct his header on target. A let-off for Videira's side.

#remains #PROMOTION #back #time

AS Monaco have announced the squad for their upcoming UEFA Europa Conference League campaign. Folarin Balogun has been notably omitted from the squad. It comes following the breakdown of his move to Everton on transfer deadline day.
Monaco announced their UECL squad on Thursday. Balogun was not in it. Whilst Nice-Matin have reported that the USMNT international is likely to remain at Monaco, at least until the winter, there is still the possibility for him to depart. The transfer windows in Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, notably, remain open.
Balogun returned to training for Monaco on Thursday, ahead of Friday night's game against Paris Saint-Germain. He has not been included in the matchday squad for that game, however. A fitness issue had been evoked by Filipe Luís pre-match. The Brazilian manager could not give a timeline for the striker's return. This, as well as the uncertainty over his future, could explain Balogun's surprise absence from the Europa Conference League list.
Matthis Abline, Paris Brunner, and Mika Biereth are the recognised senior options at Luís' disposal.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

#thursday #notably

Hibernian and Hearts will meet at Easter Road this evening for the first Edinburgh Derby of the season.
Both sides have enjoyed a solid start to the league season, winning two of their first three matches despite losing the other. Hearts have bounced back from their opening day defeat to Aberdeen by beating Dundee United and St. Johnstone, as well as reaching the league phase of the Europa Conference League. Meanwhile, Hibs have beaten Rangers and Dundee following their home defeat to Motherwell on opening day. They fell at the final hurdle for European qualification, losing 3-2 on aggregate to Gent.
Last season, as we all know, Hearts came incredibly close to lifting their first league ***** le since 1960, but a controversial defeat at Celtic Park on the final day of the season saw them lose out to the Hoops. Hibs enjoyed a strong season themselves, finishing fifth with 57 points, securing back-to-back top-half finishes for the first time this decade.
There were four Edinburgh Derbies last season; Hearts won three whilst Hibs won one, that being a 3-2 victory at Easter Road shortly before the turn of the year. In fact, Hearts' win in the final derby of last season was the point at which many thought they were finally going to topple the Old Firm and go on to lift the ***** le, but of course, it wasn't to be in the end.
That Hearts team has since been largely dismantled, with manager Derek McInnes and top scorer Lawrence Shankland departing for Rangers. However, Claudio Braga remains at the club and has looked just as impressive so far this term as he did last, registering a goal and two ***** ists in his first three league outings.

#hearts #season #league

A subtle smile played across Vincent Kompany's face as the final whistle blew at Bremer Brücke late on Wednesday evening. Joshua Kimmich gave a thumbs-up to the travelling fans, whilst Harry Kane glanced down briefly and seemed content in the moment. Then the FC Bayern players high-fived one another and headed towards the away supporters' block.
Job done at VfL Osnabrück. Through to the second round of the DFB Cup. That was exactly what was at stake in FC Bayern's 4–1 win against the newly promoted Bundesliga 2 side. The record cup winners showed composure and poise at a venue where even favourites can sometimes stumble.
Going behind early on due to a wonder goal from Robin Meißner proved to be the perfect stress test (5th minute). A shot that thundered into the top corner sent the stadium into a frenzy, and briefly gave the underdogs hope that they could perhaps cause an upset. But the Munich side remained calm and didn't let that moment unsettle them.
"It flew right into the top corner – congratulations to Robin Meißner on that goal," said Jonas Urbig after the game. The FCB goalkeeper had been given a vote of confidence by coach Kompany and immediately found himself in for a cup night that demanded more than just taking care of business. "The first goal was a stunner. You know, of course, that it can be tricky here, and then a goal like that goes in within the first ten minutes. It was absolutely incredible. But we kept our cool, played a solid second half and are ultimately very happy," concluded Kompany.
The response was crucial. Bayern needed a moment to regroup, but quickly found their way back to their strengths. Their passing and positional play looked composed, they kept up the pressure, and Kimmich's well-thought-out passes consistently added structure to the game. Up front, Kane provided a swift response with his equaliser (18'), before Tom Bischof turned the game around before the break (24').

#gave #briefly

U.S.-Iran strikes reignite fears of a prolonged Middle East conflict as Hormuz tensions push regional oil benchmarks above $100.
Rising Bond Yields Turn Oil's Rally Into a Demand Risk
- Global bond yields have surged to their highest since 2008, as rising oil prices perpetuate fears of longer-than-assumed inflation, in turn creating a cycle of lower demand further down the road.
- The rally in bond yields started in earnest after new Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Walsh vowed to finally tame US inflation, currently at 3.4%, sending yields on the 10-Year Treasury bonds to 4.76%.
- The bond spiral extended into other developed economies, with rates on 10-year ***** anese bonds touching a 30-year high and moved above 3%, whilst 10-year UK bonds surged to 5.2%.

#yields

Disjointed software is eroding billable hours, as accountancy practices lose time managing platform friction instead of focusing on client deliverables, according to Haiilo's State of the Employee Experience 2026 report.
The research shows that 38% of professional services employees spend at least 11% of their working week – representing upwards of four hours for standard full-time staff – handling complications caused by fragmented systems.
Around 23% dedicate more than a fifth of their working hours to troubleshooting difficulties created by disconnected applications and processes.
Application switching represents a primary driver of these workflow disruptions.
More than half (51%) of respondents frequently toggle across several separate tools to complete an individual task, whilst 49% rely on between four and seven workplace platforms during a standard week.

#working #employee

Bristol City will travel to Deepdale this evening to take on Preston, as they look to pick up back-to-back wins in the Championship.
The Robins got their first three points on the board on Saturday, beating Portsmouth 2-1 in front of a packed Ashton Gate. Lorent Tolaj opened the scoring by netting his first Championship goal, before Jason Knight headed home a second on the hour mark. A late penalty for Pompey made for a nervy final few minutes in the South West, but Michael Skubala's side ultimately got over the line.
Preston, meanwhile, have lost their opening three matches to Bolton, Wolves and most recently Charlton Athletic, giving cause for concern amongst fans ahead of taking on a side that will be aiming for a play-off spot come May, whilst the Lilywhites are more worried about securing their spot in this division for next season.
Preston have underperformed their xG so far this season, creating enough chances to have scored three goals, but only netting two so far. They have also only registered an average of two shots on target per match, the lowest in the league. By contrast, the Robins have netted four goals in their last two outings, against Birmingham City and Portsmouth, with both Tolaj and Dom Ballard opening their accounts in the process.
Bristol City have picked up four points from their last two trips to Deepdale; it arguably should be six, but Anis Mehmeti failed to make his chances count last year, meaning the game finished 0-0. Max Bird, Yu Hirakawa and Nahki Wells were on the scoresheet the year before, as Liam Manning's side picked up a 3-1 win. Preston won the last meeting between these sides 2-0, back in January, when Lewis Dobbin and Alfie Devine found the net.

#preston #side #bristol #deepdale

MOSCOW, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the war in Ukraine needed ‌to end for humanity's sake and that New Delhi would support ‌every peace effort to stop the fighting.
Modi, who made his comments at the start of talks with Putin in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, called Putin "my friend" and hailed growing economic ties between the two countries which he said were guided by the need to put the interests of both nations above all else.
India, along with ‌China, is one of ⁠the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which has helped Moscow replenish its budget since it sent tens of thousands of ⁠troops into Ukraine in 2022 and was hit with sweeping Western sanctions.
"As you are aware, India supports all peace efforts in this regard, and we shall continue to do so in the future," Modi told Putin on the sidelines of the ‌Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, according to a Kremlin transcript of their exchange.
"Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from endless war to an end to the ‌war, to a cessation of hostilities. And we will need to move precisely in this direction," said Modi who has said before that he wants a peace settlement for Ukraine.

#modi #moscow #russian

Celtic have reportedly missed out on a defensive transfer target. The Hoops are in the market for cover in the fullback areas but it appears that OGC Nice are on the verge of securing the services of Eintracht Frankfurt's Niels Nkounkou. The 25-year-old was wanted by Celtic but, according to L'Équipe, he has opted to move to the Cote D'Azur.
The article states that the Frenchman has decided to make the switch from the Bundesliga to the Ligue 1 side on a loan deal with the French side holding an option to buy.
The Scottish Champions appear to have swiftly moved onto Jordan Lotomba as they look to add to their backline. The 27-year-old has one year remaining on his deal at Feyenoord and Celtic are reportedly in talks over a loan deal for the Swiss fullback.
It appears that Celtic are scrambling for transfers in the closing phases of the window. Whilst it is always possible for quality to be found, given the amount of time to replace players, often quality is at a premium and a number of deals are already in progress, making it harder to interfere and hijack proceedings.

#celtic #side #loan #hoops

It's not often that you find yourself crossing paths with royalty while going about your morning routine. But when it does happen, it's bound to come as a shock. That was certainly the case for digital creator Finlay Jacobs, who did a double take after an unexpected encounter with Princess Anne while running in Scotland earlier this month.
Sharing the moment with his social media followers, the Scottish influencer recounted the incredible story, explaining how the late Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter pulled up alongside him in her Land Rover.
"I just went past this house, and this Land Rover pulls up as I'm running by, and this lady gets out. She goes, 'Hello', and I was like 'Hi,'" Finlay recalled.
Finlay Jacobs unexpectedly **** ped into Princess Anne whilst on a run in Scotland (@ Finlay Jacobs / Instagram)
"I look again, and I'm like, it's Princess Anne, Princess Anne of Scotland, it's like, 'What the heck!'."

#finlay #anne

Despite strong links with a move to Chelsea, Lamine Camara is expected to start for AS Monaco against Olympique de Marseille on Sunday night.
The Senegal international may not be a Monaco player come Tuesday, but he is expected to start alongside Denis Zakaria. Meanwhile, another player linked with an exit, Folarin Balogun, is out. He has yet to return to fitness since his return from the FIFA World Cup. Ansu Fati is also out injured, whilst Takumi Minamino and Mohamed Salisu are building up their fitness after suffering ACL injuries last season.
Up front, Filipe Luís has a decision to make. The Brazilian may opt for the in-form Paris Brunner over Mika Biereth. Eric Dier, who had looked like one of those most likely to leave earlier in the summer, is once again expected to start in defence.
Lukas Hradecky; **** nho, Eric Dier, Sadibou Sané, Vanderson; Denis Zakaria, Lamine Camara; Stanis Idumbo, Aleksandr Golovin, Mamadou Coulibaly; Paris Brunner. (L'Éq)
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

#expected #monaco #zakaria #brunner

Olympique Lyonnais forward Malick Fofana (21) has rejected the chance to join newly promoted Premier League side Hull City, as per a report from Foot Mercato.
Following their failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League last week, Lyon are now in a position where they are forced to sell. Fofana is the most obvious candidate to leave, whilst Ruben Kluivert is also being linked with an exit from the Groupama Stadium.
Fofana was the subject of a bid from Hull City. However, the Belgium international has rejected the chance to join the newly promoted club. OL's forward has his sights set on joining a 'bigger' club, Foot Mercato understands.
There are several other clubs interested in the winger, including Sunderland. He is a potential alternative to Olympique de Marseille's Igor Paixao. Fofana's agents have also offered him to several clubs, including **** nal. The player is expected to leave OL before the transfer deadline on Tuesday.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

#olympique #foot #Mercato #forward

Crystal Palace are reported to have stepped up talks with Olympique Lyonnais in their bid to sign Ruben Kluivert (25), according to information from L'Équipe.
Still on the lookout for defensive reinforcements following the failure of Club Brugge's Joel Ordóñez (22) to pass his medical, the Eagles' management are said to have made the Dutchman their prime target. Their Lyon counterparts, forced to sell to balance their books, are reportedly open to Kluivert's departure, valuing him at around €20m.
This is a sum that Crystal Palace could soon be willing to offer, whilst another Premier League club, as well as a European club, are said to have already sounded out the 25-year-old's entourage. If an agreement were to be reached, the centre-back would fly to London as early as this weekend.
Signed by Lyon from Casa Pia for €3.78m last summer, Kluivert has had a mixed season, during which he has made 24 appearances in all competitions (two goals, two ***** ists) and suffered several fitness setbacks.
GFFN | Léo Aschi

#crystal #palace #lyonnais

The Bhoys are back at home tomorrow with Falkirk the visitors to Celtic Park for the return to league action.
Join us for the match tomorrow (Saturday, August 29) which kicks off at 3pm (Celtic Park Time) and catch all the action, on the new home for live football – CelticPlayer.
Subscribers overseas can watch all the action live from 2:30pm, whilst subscribers in the UK & Ireland can listen to live audio commentary from Celtic Park. A full match replay will be available for all subscribers later the same day.
Subscribe
Your CelticPlayer subscription isn't just about matchdays though, there's so much more included when you sign up to CelticPlayer –

#park #action #live #bhoys

Tokio Marine is nearing what would be its largest-ever acquisition, with Suncorp now the preferred target after months spent weighing rival prospects in Australia and Canada, the Financial Times reported.
The push for an overseas takeover by the Berkshire Hathaway-backed ****** anese insurer is part of a broader strategy under CEO Masahiro Koike to expand the group's footprint beyond its domestic market.
Tokio Marine had reportedly been weighing several options including Australia's Insurance Australia Group (IAG) and Suncorp, alongside Canada's Intact Financial Corporation.
Suncorp and IAG are valued at approximately $14bn (A$19.55bn) and $13bn, respectively, whilst Intact carries a market value of around $34bn (C$47.08bn).
According to sources cited in the report, Intact was dropped from consideration on account of its size, leaving Suncorp as the frontrunner.

#intact #marine #financial #market

As Ollie Watkins continues to be linked to Saudi Pro League side, Al-Hilal, many Aston Villa fans will wonder why this could turn their centre forward's head.
Saudi football expert Mohamed Qutob told Radio WM that the Saudi side are in the market to replace five-time Champions League winner, Karim Benzema.
"They're a little disappointed with their main man. They want a replacement and Ollie Watkins is top of the list," said Qutob.
"What we also know is the Saudis have plenty of money. If they really, really need Ollie, they might be able to match the valuation after all."
One English forward who was tempted to join the Saudi Pro League was Ivan Toney, who has gone on to win back-to-back Asian Champions League ****** les with Al-Ahli, whilst also still being called up to Thomas Tuchel's England squad.

#qutob #hilal

Donatella Versace is part of perhaps the most influential fashion family in the world. Alongside her siblings Gianni and Santo, Donatella built the Versace fashion house from the ground up. As the youngest sibling in the Versace family, Donatella was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy, in 1955. Like her brother Gianni, Donatella learned the art of design from their mother, who was a talented dressmaker. After leaving university, Donatella supported Gianni during the launch of his fashion house Versace in the late 1970s — acting as his "muse and critic" before being given control of Versace's "Versus" line. Over the years, Donatella took on a more active role in the business; she especially led Versace whilst Gianni was battling cancer in the mid-1990s.
However, shortly after Gianni's recovery, the legendary designer was murdered outside of his home in Miami, Florida, in 1997. In the wake of his tragic passing, Donatella took charge of the family's business. As chief creative officer, Donatella expanded the brand to include fragrance, accessories, home decor, and even hotels — not to mention reimagining both the Versus and haute couture line Atelier Versace. Though Donatella stepped down from her role as Versace's creative director in 2025, she remains at the forefront of her family's brand as Chief Brand Ambassador. Donatella's steadfast commitment to preserving her brother's legacy, solidifying her own, and influencing the fashion industry at large makes her quote of the day more relevant than ever.
Read more: Taylor Swift Lives An Outrageously Lavish Life
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Donatella Versace understands firsthand how the way you dress can impact how you are perceived — both by other people and internally. During an interview with Vogue Australia in 2012, Donatella said, "Fashion is a weapon that you can use when you need it. I think my own look makes people think I'm tough but when they get to know me I'm very different. It's like armour that was useful to me in the first years after Gianni's death." Donatella utilized her style to navigate the public eye after her brother's passing, keeping up appearances even when she was at her lowest.

#fashion #versus

An unnamed Premier League club are preparing a concrete offer in a bid to secure the services of OGC Nice's Melvin Bard (25), according to information from Foot Mercato.
A key figure in Les Aiglons' dressing room, the left-back – who can also play as a wing-back – was notably targeted by AFC Sunderland last summer. And whilst his contract runs until 2028, Nice's management are reportedly unwilling to let him go for less than €10m.
Having come through the ranks at Olympique Lyonnais' academy, Bard joined the Côte d'Azur side in the summer of 2021 for a fee of €3m. Since then, the Écully-born player has established himself as a regular starter for the red and black side, and has now made nearly 192 appearances for OGCN.
Having been named captain on several occasions in recent months, Bard rounded off his 2025-26 season with 44 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing one ****** ist.
GFFN | Léo Aschi

#bard #melvin #Mercato

Liverpool 'remain hopeful' of signing at least one winger in the final few days of the summer transfer window, according to a prominent Reds journalist.
The Merseyside giants have reportedly agreed personal terms with Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola but have yet to settle a fee with the European champions, who could want as much as £145m for the player after add-ons (CaughtOffside).
Andoni Iraola's side are also pursing a move for Yankuba Minteh, for whom Brighton have already rejected two bids, the most recent of which amounted to £60m (Sky Sports).
In an article for the Daily Mail published in the early hours of the morning, Lewis Steele provided an update on Liverpool's pursuit of those two wingers, whilst also imploring them to sign a defensive midfielder after some familiar frailties were punished in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle on Sunday.
He wrote: 'Liverpool remain hopeful of signing Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola this week and are weighing up whether to make a third bid for Brighton's Yankuba Minteh. Those will be crucial additions, given the wide options are limited at present, but signing a deep-lying midfielder is just as important.

#Liverpool #yankuba

Manchester City rescued a late win at the Etihad this afternoon, coming from behind to score an 85th-minute equaliser and a 92nd-minute winner to ****** all three points.
Marcus Tavernier opened the scoring for Bournemouth before the half-hour mark, when he found himself in plenty of ****** e in the area before firing home.
Marc Guéhi headed home the leveller for City late in the day, making up for a guilt-edged miss earlier in the match. However, the real headlines were written by Josko Gvardiol, who broke free in the box in injury time and slotted into the bottom corner to win the match for City.
Enzo Maresca made two changes to his starting XI this afternoon, following his side's 3-0 defeat to ****** nal in the Community Shield last weekend. Those changes saw Rico Lewis and Guéhi replace Jérémy Doku and Mateo Kovacic, whilst a new-look Erling Haaland made a landmark 200th appearance for The Citizens.
Meanwhile, Marco Rose's first Bournemouth side featured plenty of familiar faces, with António Silva the only Summer arrival in from the off.

#bournemouth #late #minute #made

Inter started their Serie A season in style with a 4-1 statement victory over newly-promoted Monza at the Giuseppe Meazza on Saturday evening, and whilst Pio Esposito and Andy Diouf earned plaudits for their performances on the pitch, new signing Djed Spence is also making headlines in Italy before even making his first appearance for the Nerazzurri.
Inter set the pace for the rest of the division to match with their 4-1 victory over Monza on Saturday night, which has sent them straight to the top of the league table after the first four matches of the opening weekend: Hakan Calhanoglu, Piotr Zielinski, Esposito and Yann Bisseck provided the goals on the night.
MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 22: Francesco Pio Esposito of Internazionale celebrates scoring his team's third goal with teammates during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Monza at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Encouragingly for Cristian Chivu, he still has several of his new summer signings to add into the mix: John Stones was only introduced as a late substitute and fellow Premier League recruits Spence and Curtis Jones were not even in the matchday squad.
Spence was in attendance to watch his new teammates earn victory on Saturday evening, and has caught the eye of fans across social media for his striking touchline attire.

#spence #victory #giuseppe #meazza