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Luis Enrique insisted that "PSG is above any individual" and claimed all is "normal" with the manager being bombed with Kylian Mbappe exit queries.

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Mbappe will put an end to his PSG stintLikely to realise his wish of joining Real MadridEnrique says it's business as usual at clubWHAT HAPPENED?

Mbappe's decision to depart Paris Saint-Germain has sparked intense speculation, with Real Madrid reportedly poised to secure the French forward's signature. However, Enrique remained tight-lipped about the superstar forward's potential exit despite repeated attempts by journalists to get a reaction from the manager.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID

Speaking to reporters, Luis Enrique said: "We will continue to work. The team is above everyone, that is our message. The club is above any individuality."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

When he was further pressed about the atmosphere in training, the coach added: "It's the atmosphere in every training session before a match. It's normal training. Do I have any fears? No. You have to have personality to sit here. There are rumours around the club all the time, criticism, praise, controversy… Anyone who doesn't like it can't be here."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

While Real Madrid officials patiently await Mbappe's response to their reported offer, Enrique did his best to maintain his composure in front of the press. However, the manager is well aware that he needs to lead the imminent restructuring at the Parc des Princes after the departure of Mbappe with the Parisians set to delve into the market for attacking reinforcements this summer.

Michael Hussey could make a return to Western Australia and first-class cricket after expressing a desire to play in the second half of the Sheffield Shield season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-2014Michael Hussey, the former Australia batsman, could make a return to Western Australia and first-class cricket after expressing a desire to play in the second half of the Sheffield Shield season.Hussey has only played T20 cricket since the end of the 2012-13 domestic season in Australia and raised eyebrows by moving across the country to represent Sydney Thunder, rather than Perth Scorchers, in the third Big Bash League. After retiring from Test cricket last summer, Hussey was not retained on Western Warriors’ list of contracted players for 2013-14 but he has since indicated his desire for a Shield return with his home state.Responding to Hussey’s comments, Justin Langer, a former Australia team-mate and current WA coach, said that any decision would have to wait until after the BBL. Regardless, Hussey will play in front of the Perth support again on Friday, when he leads the Thunder in pursuit of their first win.”We’re always happy to talk with Mike however we’re in the middle of a BBL campaign, so are focused on the Perth Scorchers and our match tomorrow night,” Langer said”Mike has expressed some interest in making himself available for selected Sheffield Shield matches at the end of the season. We will look at this with Mike after the BBL and with a view to what is in the best interests of the Western Warriors at the time.”Western Australia are currently third in the Shield table, with four games left to play. Speaking to the , the 38-year-old Hussey said that he could be available to play in WA’s next Shield fixture – against Tasmania beginning on February 12 – but that the final call would be Langer’s.”Well, it’s something I have been sort of chucking around with JL,” Hussey said. “It’s a bit in his court really. I have shown a bit of interest to play some games at the end of the year, but yeah we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”JL spoke to me early on in the summer and just said did I have any interest in playing Shield cricket and I said it was going to be too busy and too hectic before Christmas and obviously while the Big Bash was on. But afterwards I am definitely happy to look at it and we basically left it that we’ll talk closer to the date and we’ll see what happens.”

Left out of India’s Test squad, Suresh Raina nudged the national selectors with an attacking century on the opening day of Uttar Pradesh’s second-round match against Baroda at Moti Bagh

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo – Suresh Raina hit 12 fours and four sixes•Associated PressLeft out of India’s Test squad, Suresh Raina nudged the national selectors with an attacking century on the opening day of Uttar Pradesh’s second-round match against Baroda at Moti Bagh. Raina’s 123, off 154 balls, helped UP to 291 on an evenly-matched day. Baroda struck with quick wickets on the final session and had all but wrapped up the innings before stumps.The pitch at Moti Bagh wasn’t as tranquil as the surroundings, though. There was bounce and plenty of turn for the spinners as the day wore on and Raina did well to overcome those challenges, and in particular the left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt, who took 5 for 98.UP lost all nine wickets to the spin duo of Bhatt and the offspinner Utkarsh Patel. Bhatt had Mukul Dagar caught at backward short leg before Utkarsh got one to turn square to induce a thin edge off Tanmay Srivastava to the wicketkeeper Pinal Shah. It was the first of five dismissals for Pinal, who was impressive behind the stumps off the spinners.Mohammad Kaif and Raina settled in after lunch to add 85 for the third wicket before Kaif was caught behind trying to cut Bhatt. Raina and Parvinder Singh played aggressively in their stand of 110 for the fourth. Raina smashed four sixes and one of those, over long-on, brought up his century.Raina is among several possible contenders for a Test spot, one of which will be vacated by Sachin Tendulkar at the end of the West Indies Tests. Rohit Sharma was given a chance thanks to his splendid limited-overs form and he grabbed the opportunity with century on debut in Kolkata in a pressure scenario. Simultaneously, across the country, Raina scored a century to give the selectors something to think about before they pick the team to South Africa.Aggression, however, got the better of both Raina and Parvinder. Parvinder gave Bhatt the charge and was stumped, before Raina charged the same bowler and was caught at deep cover. UP lost their way after tea and Bhatt brought up his five-wicket haul with a swagger, taking a low return catch that rocketed towards him. As a send-off, Bhatt showed five fingers to the departing Praveen Gupta, as West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards does. UP collapsed from 249 for 3 to 291 for 9 at stumps.

Ryan ten Doeschate, the Netherlands allrounder, will play for Otago Volts in the HRV Cup this season

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2012Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate will play for Otago Volts in the HRV Cup, New Zealand’s T20 league, this season. Ten Doeschate was declared the Most Valuable Player the last time he played in the tournament – for Canterbury in the 2010-11 season – with 284 runs from nine games to be the second-highest run-getter in the league.”I am really excited about having another opportunity to play in New Zealand. I really enjoyed the HRV Cup and the conditions that I encountered when I was last there a couple of years ago and can’t wait to come back. Otago has a strong side for this season and I am looking forward to getting over there and making a contribution,” ten Doeschate was quoted as saying by .Doeschate has represented Essex in the English domestic season this year, for the Clydesdale Bank40, Friends Life t20 and the LV County Championship. He was Essex’s fourth-highest run-getter in the Friends Life t20. He has also played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Mashonaland Eagles in Zimbabwe, Impi and Western Province in South Africa and Tasmania in Australia.”We were looking for a player who can bat in the top order as well as being an option to us with the ball and Ryan fits that description perfectly. Ryan is an aggressive batsman which fits nicely with how our team wants to play this season,” Otago Volts coach Vaughn Johnson said.Ten Doeschate will arrive for the league in the middle of December and will be available for eight matches besides the finals.

A round-up of the second day of the fourth round of Pentangular Cup matches

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2012Baluchistan gained the upper hand in their contest against Federal Areas at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Starting the day on 223 for 8, Baluchistan were quickly bowled out for 229. Sadaf Hussain and Iftikhar Anjum picked up four wickets each, but their batsmen failed to respond strongly.A five-wicket haul from Rizwan Haider, who was supported by a three-for from Ahmed Raza, helped Baluchistan bowl out their opponents for 185 and gain a 44-run lead. In Baluchistan’s second innings, the captain Saeed Anwar jnr led the charge, making 79. Iftikhar, however, picked up three wickets, leaving Baluchistan at 138 for 4 at stumps, with a lead of 182. Taimur Ali remained unbeaten on 34 and was the key to extending Baluchistan’s lead to a potentially match-winning one.Punjab consolidated their advantage over Sind at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Nasir Jamshed led the charge at the top of the order, scoring his 14th first-class century. His 131 was supported by half-centuries from Mohammad Saad and Usman Salahuddin, who remained unbeaten on 57 at the close. These contributions helped Punjab gain a significant first-innings lead and they reached 341 for 6 at stumps, ahead by 116. Tanvir Ahmed picked up three wickets but his team has been left to play catch-up.

England must decide whether to accommodate Kevin Pietersen in their squad for the third Test despite a week of damaging headlines

George Dobell11-Aug-2012The stability that underpinned England’s ascent to No. 1 in the Test rankings is most noticeably absent as they select their side for, arguably, the most important Test they have played since the Ashes were decided at The Oval in 2009.For several years, the announcement of England’s Test squad has been a welcomingly predictable episode. Barring injury or prolonged loss of form, life contained few surprises.But not this time. This time, as England try to select a team that must beat South Africa at Lord’s in order to retain their No. 1 status, the selectors are faced with a major dilemma: do they drop their best player or retain him in the knowledge that his presence risks compromising team spirit. In short, do Kevin Pietersen’s positive qualities outweigh his negative ones?The news that he has exchanged texts with members of the South Africa team comes in the same week that his post-match press conference at Headingley revealed the extent of the tension between the two parties.There can be, at this stage, no doubt that Pietersen’s presence is a distraction in the dressing room. As if the speculation about his possible World Twenty20 inclusion was not enough, there is also doubt about his Test future and his relationship with other players. Whatever the content of text messages sent to players in the South Africa side, the episode has done nothing to diminish the growing division and suspicion building between Pietersen and his England colleagues. Some of them have been ambivalent about Pietersen for some time. This new episode – an episode viewed as a betrayal by some – means that ambivalence is now one of the warmer emotions expressed towards him.He is respected as a player, though. If there were any doubts over his unrivalled skills – in England, anyway – with the bat, they were dispelled in Leeds. Pietersen was magnificent. He played the sort of innings that would demand inclusion in any team.That should probably be the bottom line for the selectors. Rather than over-complicating the process with talk of principle or team spirit, the selectors should stick to picking the best 11 individuals and trust in the players’ professionalism. Just as Pietersen and Andy Flower managed to work together after the debacle that saw Pietersen sacked as captain – and he was sacked as captain whatever revisionist ECB spin may suggest – and Peter Moores sacked as coach, so the players should be mature enough to work with those with which they may not naturally socialise.In truth, recent stories amount to little more than playground tittle-tattle. Does it really matter if a few England team-mates laughed at a parody Twitter account or if Pietersen was mildly mocking of his team-mates in a private text message? It is surely more important that everyone within the England dressing room concentrates on winning the Test and does not use issues from the past week to further their own agendas against rival factions.There is little doubt that the selectors are torn, though. Their appetite for Pietersen-related baggage is more than sated. If they could afford to be rid of him, they would surely take that chance.There are faults on both sides. Pietersen has a legitimate gripe by complaining about leaks emanating from the ECB and it is hard not to wonder if, in a more sophisticated dressing room, he might not have been managed better. Surely Mike Brearley, for example, might have coaxed the best from him as he did such diverse characters as Sir Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott and Phil Edmonds. Perhaps a little more carrot and a little less stick might have worked wonders on Pietersen?England, it should be noted, have won without Pietersen before. He played little role in the Ashes success of 2009 and none in the recent ODI victories over Australia. He is no more irreplaceable than any other England player of the past and, just as West Indies managed without Sobers and Australia managed without Bradman, England will manage without Pietersen.Chris Woakes is an option should England want to include an allrounder in the side•Getty ImagesHe is not easy to replace, though. With Ravi Bopara still absent for personal reasons – an episode that may have damaged his own Test career irreversibly – there is no obvious replacement for Pietersen. Jonny Bairstow, fresh from his century against Australia A, might be considered, so might Eoin Morgan, who has the character if not the technique to flourish at this level.Chris Woakes is a more rounded solution. If Pietersen were dropped, Ian Bell, James Taylor and Matt Prior could shuffle up a position with Woakes coming in at No. 7. It is asking a great deal of anyone to come into such an important game against such high-quality opposition but Woakes has the ability, with bat and with ball, to shine. Just as importantly, he has a rock solid character that will not be flustered by the occasion. England will never have a moment of worry about the ego of Woakes.Graeme Swann is sure to be named in the team on Thursday – omitting him at Leeds was a huge error of judgement – with a late choice required over which of Steven Finn, Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan plays alongside Stuart Broad and James Anderson. All are likely to be named in the squad, with home ground advantage likely to favour Finn, despite a disappointing display at Leeds.Whatever is revealed in Sunday’s squad announcement, it seems we are coming to the end of the Pietersen story. In the long term, we may reflect on the episode as one of the great wasted opportunities in the history of England cricket. Talents like Pietersen appear rarely. That the ECB have failed to handle him – a man who must be considered one of their most precious resources – does not reflect well on them.Make no mistake, though. However much England cricket misses Pietersen over the coming weeks and months, he will miss it more. His premature departure, at this point seemingly inevitable, will leave him many years to reflect upon the mistakes that have led him so far along this path. He will surely come to regret that he has allowed his pride and a series of petty incidents to have built up into a career-threatening scenario.Pietersen might also reflect long and hard on his own role in his alienation. As Oscar Wilde almost said, to fall out with one team may be considered unfortunate, but to fall out with Natal, Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and England? You do not have to be a genius to work out the common denominator.

Fast bowler Pat Cummins has been named in the Australia squad for the one-day matches against Ireland and England scheduled for June this year

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2012Fast bowler Pat Cummins has been named in the Australia squad for the one-day matches against Ireland and England scheduled for June this year. Allrounder Steven Smith and quick Mitchell Johnson have also made a return.Cummins had been sidelined by a bone stress injury in his foot since Australia’s tour to South Africa in October-November 2011. He then missed the series against New Zealand, India and West Indies, and made a return to competitive cricket for Australia Under-19s in a quadrangular series in April. Johnson too has been out of action with an injured foot – he had done severe damage to his ligaments after being struck on the foot while batting in the Wanderers Test last November, resulting in a condition commonly referred to as ‘turf toe’.Smith, who had also last played for Australia during that tour to South Africa, is being rewarded for the fine form he showed late in the domestic season, according to national selector John Inverarity.”He [Smith] has come into strong contention for the Australian ICC World Twenty20 squad to be named in August and the national selection panel is keen to have him in the set-up in England as the reserve batsman, noting that his legspinners would provide good variation to our attack,” Inverarity said. “He [Johnson], also, is in strong contention for the ICC World Twenty20 and needs to be in the set-up and have some quality competitive cricket leading into this.Australia’s 15-man squad

Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner
In: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Johnson, Steven Smith
Out: Daniel Christian, Peter Forrest, Nathan Lyon, Peter Nevill

“We are also excited about the return of Pat Cummins and we are looking to ease him back into the team. He will not be expected to play in all of the eight scheduled games.” Australia are scheduled to play one one-dayer against Ireland, followed by five against England, interspersed with two tour games.The players to miss out from the squad that played the limited-overs games in the West Indies are Daniel Christian, Peter Forrest, Nathan Lyon and Peter Nevill. Mitchell Starc, who featured in the Commonwealth Bank Series against India and Sri Lanka, also missed out. However, Inverarity said, Christian remained in the mix for the World Twenty20.”Dan Christian has shown what a useful allrounder he is, and is making some strong contributions. He has been omitted to make way for Mitchell Johnson, but remains very much in our plans for the ICC World Twenty20, and a distinct possibility for the ODIs and Twenty20s against Pakistan in August-September.”Nathan Lyon and Peter Nevill have not been included as Xavier Doherty has been preferred as the only spinner and Matthew Wade is the only keeper. It is a great deal easier getting replacements to England than to the West Indies, and both Nathan and Peter will be on standby should they be required.”

The cricketing gods seem to have had enough of batsmen ravaging helpless bowlers, and have called up a friend: the weather gods

The Preview by Sidharth Monga25-Oct-2013Match factsSaturday, October 26, 2013
Start time 1330 local (0800 GMT)An Odisha Cricket Association press release wasn’t too optimistic about chances of play•Odisha Cricket AssociationBig PictureThe cricketing gods seem to have had enough of batsmen ravaging helpless bowlers, and have called up a friend. The weather gods have swooped in, washed out the Ranchi ODI – 312 in 54.1 overs before their intervention – and now pose an even bigger threat to the game in Cuttack.The organisers already sound resigned. An Odisha Cricket Association release said: “We deeply regret to mention that the sunny weather that we have been expecting has failed to come true. The ground is completely water-logged and the chances of its drying up are extremely remote.”It has rained in Cuttack for five continuous days in the lead-up to the match, and the forecast for Saturday is similar. More than two balls and new field restrictions, the words that have been uttered regularly in Cuttack has been: helicopters – to dry the ground should it stop raining; wells – being dug up around the ground to help drain the ground; and of course Duckworth-Lewis.The helicopter, too, didn’t prove effective. “The operators of the helicopters visited the ground and expressed that they could dry the pitch but were unable to remove the mud that has accumulated through the playing area.”Ravindra Jadeja – although he added his side was prepared to play whatever the duration of the match presented to them – was candid enough to say in his press conference, “It doesn’t look like there will be a match tomorrow.” Shane Watson was less optimistic about the game, and already seemed to be thankful the rain might have cut short the series significantly. “A five-match series is a bit more enjoyable anyway,” Watson said. “The rain has sort of made it that way.”For the Cuttack groundstaff and locals, this isn’t a matter of relief. They badly want the game to happen. The challenge for the groundstaff begins once it stops raining for a considerable period of time, signs of which have been scarce ever since Cyclone Phailin crossed Odisha earlier this month. The outfield isn’t quite submerged like the Indian roads in rain, but it gives the impression you will sink ankle deep once you step on it. The water level in the drain outside the stadium is pretty high too, which is why the wells are being dug.If the game indeed is abandoned India will be left with a more difficult task in the series. Down 1-2 after four games, they will need to win the remaining two matches to win the series.Form guideAustralia WLWWL (most recent games first, completed matches)
India LWLWWIn the spotlightRavindra Jadeja loves the Barabati Stadium. One of his fabled three first-class triples came here, he took four wickets in an ODI against Sri Lanka here, and is quick to remind that he even scored a quick fifty in an Deodhar Trophy match in Cuttack. Even in this series so far, Jadeja has bowled all his 40 overs at 4.85 an over, by some distance the best economy-rate among the specialist bowlers in this high-scoring series. And he says he doesn’t even care if you use one ball or two balls; if there is turn in the pitch, he will extract it.
Before the start of this series, we knew George Bailey as the nice Tassie bloke with a Paul Collingwood-like game who could fight it out and make crucial if not big contributions in tough conditions, but we didn’t expect him to be anywhere near the highest run-getter in a series played on flat pitches surrounded by quick outfields in India. After four matches, Bailey stands at the top, with more runs at a higher average and a higher strike-rate than even Virat Kohli. The lack of centuries, though, will irk the Australia captain, who could be getting close to an Ashes ticket with his performances.Team newsThe changes in the bowling combination seemed to work at the start of the Ranchi ODI. Mohammed Shami took the wickets, Jaydev Unadkat was tight, ad for the first time in the series India kept Australia to under 300. The two quicks could retain their places, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar possibly replacing the profligate R Vinay Kumar.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/ R Vinay Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Mohammed ShamiAustralia have played the same XI in the first four games, and are likely to do so again.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Shane Watson, 4 George Bailey (capt.), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier DohertyStats and trivia The last – and the only – time India and Australia decided to play in Cuttack, rain joined in, and the captains couldn’t even come out for the toss. If he scores another 196 runs in his next three innings, Virat Kohli will be the fastest man to 5,000 ODI runs. He has played 111 innings so far; Viv Richards reached 5,000 in his 114th innings.Quotes”We are 2-1 behind, so we want to win a match whenever we get an opportunity. It’s a home series, so obviously everyone wants the match to happen and for us to do well.”
“Doesn’t look good at the moment. That’s for sure. We will be very surprised if we get on tomorrow after seeing how wet the grounds were even when coming from the airport to this hotel.”

A century from Northamptonshire’s captain Stephen Peters helped them to a slim advantage at the halfway point of a keenly contested match against Kent

Alan Gardner at Canterbury02-May-2013
ScorecardStephen Peters registered Northamptonshire’s first hundred of the season•Getty ImagesNorthamptonshire may not be Division Two leaders straight out of left-field, to slip into baseball parlance, but their hot streak has caught plenty by surprise. A century from their captain, Stephen Peters, and a by-now-familiar flick of the tail helped them to a slim advantage at the halfway point of a keenly contested match against Kent, as they pursue a third win out of four that would only fuel promotion talk on the bleachers.Northants have been here before and, having missed out by a single point in 2009 and 2011, they might be forgiven for fearing what Yogi Berra, the marvellously muddled former Major League catcher, once called “déjà vu all over again”. David Ripley, who succeeded David Capel as coach last year, was involved with the club on those previous occasions but said “choking” was not a problem he is worried about this time around.”Promotion is a target we think is achievable, especially with the start we’ve made,” he said. “The belief is there that we can do it. I’m confident we can. It’s partly a relief to come out and play well, when you’ve put the work in. Having got those wins in the bank, got ourselves at the top of the table, that’s great – we didn’t envisage being where we are but we’ll take it because we’ve played well.”Ironically, Northamptonshire’s preparations for the season focused on improving a disappointing recent record in one-day cricket – an area in which Ripley felt they “had the most to gain” – and one of the signings who has done so much to help them top the table, Steven Crook, was brought in with that aim in mind. Here, Crook hit 63, his third half-century in four innings since returning from Middlesex, to go with three wickets on the first day, as Northamptonshire recovered from 150 for 6 to post 303.”It ain’t over, til it’s over,” is another Berra aphorism and one the Northamptonshire lower order appear to have taken to heart. In four first innings, their last four wickets have added 648 runs – more than doubling the score on two occasions – although the picture at Canterbury was distorted slightly by Rob Newton batting at No. 11 after suffering a groin strain while fielding on Wednesday. That meant they fielded a last man with an average of 38.95, rather than the usual 21.07 of Trent Copeland.Crook’s contribution was second only to Peters, who recorded his 30th first-class century and the first by any Northamptonshire player this season. While their bowling attack has regularly treated the opposition like skittles, top-order runs have been a little less forthcoming. In April in England, that is not altogether unsurprising but this was the third time Peters has passed fifty and his batting, as well as his leadership, is likely to be crucial if Northants are to stay the course.”He’s been outstanding, he really has,” Ripley said of Peters, who is in his first season as captain. “His example batting, you’ve only got to see how dearly he sells himself in games like we’ve seen today. He’s steely, competitive, loves it when it’s tough. He’s spoken very well with the team, tactically he’s been very good and a lot of the impetus we’ve built, he’s helped us get it going.”The engine required a little turning over at the start of the day and it would be inaccurate to say that the morning session took place under a blanket of cloud only in that a blanket suggests a degree of warmth. That didn’t stop Peters from batting in shirt sleeves and, if the goose pimples helped focus the mind, it certainly wasn’t a bad idea.Peters was involved in the two most substantial stands of the innings – putting on 63 with both David Sales and Crook – but it was his temperament and focus in the face of testing spells from Kent’s raggedy old stagers, Charlie Shreck and Mark Davies, that really set the tone.Ripley said Northants had expected a tough encounter and an important test of their credentials in this fixture and, by the time the sun finally came out in the late afternoon, they had stolen a few more bases. “We’ve always had good four-day skills,” he said. “We’ve been there and gone close before and there’s a feeling that we can be there again.”

There are plenty of coaches around the continent who deserve huge credit for what they've achieved over the past year – but who's the best of the lot?

As another gruelling European football season draws to a close, those managers who have guided their teams through successful campaigns can finally sit back and admire their work, while others will still have their eyes on the silverware that will come within their grasp in the coming weeks.

There have been storylines galore, with names written into club folklore and history made across the continent. But who are the outstanding coaches of the 2022-23 season who deserve to be singled out for special praise?

GOAL ranks the 21 managers around Europe who have done the very best job…

Getty Images21Marco Rose (RB Leipzig)

It was by no means an easy season for Marco Rose and RB Leipzig, but he has done very well to steady the ship and guide the Roten Bullen to a third-placed league finish, the DFB-Pokal final and the Champions League knockout stages having taken over in September with his hometown club in 11th place in the Bundesliga.

AdvertisementGetty Images20Raffaele Palladino (Monza)

Raffaele Palladino has been a revelation at newly-promoted Monza having only been promoted from youth team manager in September. At just 39, he has guided the newly-promoted club to a mid-table finish in Serie A, recording victories over the likes of Juventus, Inter and champions Napoli along the way, while enjoying two lengthy unbeaten streaks that gave them huge momentum.

Their success has been propelled – and indeed bankrolled – by owner Silvio Berlusconi.

Getty19Gary O'Neil (Bournemouth)

Bournemouth were pretty much every pundit and fan's favourites for relegation from the Premier League at the start of the season, and eyebrows were raised when the club sacked Scott Parker and appointed the inexperienced Gary O'Neil as caretaker just four games in

He earned the job full-time after a strong showing, but the Cherries began to slip back down the table and appeared doomed with 10 games to go. However, a late-season resurgence saw Bournemouth pull clear of the relegation zone with time to spare.

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Getty Images18Jagoba Arrasate (Osasuna)

It has already been a memorable campaign for Osasuna, who reached the Copa del Rey final with a squad made up of predominantly academy products. Now, European football is within their grasp.

Having guided the club to mid-table finishes each season since their promotion back to La Liga in 2019, Jagoba Arrasate has pushed on in 2022-23 and his side currently occupies a Europa Conference League place with one game to go.