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Santos FC have opened an internal investigation following reports of a heated altercation between Neymar and Robinho Jr during a training session at the club’s facilities on Sunday.

According to club officials, the incident took place at the Rei Pelé Training Centre, prompting immediate disciplinary action as the situation escalated between the two players during practice.

International media reports suggest tensions rose after the 18-year-old Robinho Jr reportedly dribbled past Neymar during a drill, an action that is said to have triggered a strong reaction from the senior forward, who allegedly felt disrespected.

The exchange is claimed to have intensified quickly, with reports stating that Neymar tripped the youngster, leading to a confrontation between the pair before teammates intervened to separate them and restore order.

In an official statement, Santos confirmed they had initiated formal proceedings to examine the matter.

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“Santos Futebol Clube has become aware of an alleged physical assault committed by a player affiliated with Santos Futebol Clube against another player at the club,” and confirmed that disciplinary procedures had been initiated,” the club stated.

“Santos FC announces that, following a decision by the club’s board, an internal investigation was launched immediately after the incident to examine the episode involving the players Neymar Jr. and Robson de Souza Jr. [Robinho] during training on Sunday at the Rei Pelé Training Centre.”

Brazilian outlet GloboEsporte reported that Robinho Jr has raised several allegations, including claims of offensive language, being tripped, and even receiving what he described as a “violent slap to the face.”

The report also claims the young forward has requested a meeting with the club to discuss a possible termination of his contract, citing concerns over a “lack of minimum safety standards” within the training environment.

Representatives of Neymar have so far declined to comment on the incident. However, sources close to the player suggest he attempted to defuse the situation afterwards by reaching out to Robinho Jr and offering apologies to his family.

READ: David Warner flags Karachi Kings snub in PSL 11 Team of the Tournament

David Warner has raised concerns over the absence of Karachi Kings players in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Team of the Tournament, following the official announcement by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The governing body unveiled a 12-player lineup on Monday, with Babar Azam named captain after leading Peshawar Zalmi to the title with a standout season both as a batter and leader.

The selected squad included three players each from Zalmi and runners-up Hyderabad Kingsmen, while Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United had two representatives each.

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Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators secured one spot apiece.

However, the complete omission of players from Karachi Kings and Rawalpindiz drew attention, particularly from the Kings’ captain, David Warner, who reacted to the announcement on social media.

Commenting on the league’s official post, the former Australian opener questioned the selection, writing: “Where is Karachi players.”

Notably, Warner himself enjoyed a productive campaign, finishing as Karachi’s leading run-scorer with 256 runs in seven matches at an impressive strike-rate of 147.97, including three half-centuries.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Hasan Ali was among the standout performers with the ball, claiming 15 wickets in nine appearances and featuring among the tournament’s leading wicket-takers.

The Team of the Tournament was finalised by a five-member panel comprising members of the commentary group, who also selected an Emerging Team to recognise rising talent from the competition.

READ: Sophie Devine calls for New Zealand women’s return to Test cricket

New Zealand women’s great Sophie Devine told AFP she wishes she had experienced Test cricket during her illustrious career and hopes the White Ferns will play the format again soon because it’s “the ultimate”.

Devine will end her 20-year international career at the Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales in June-July, alongside retiring long-standing team-mates Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu.

The 36-year-old is one of the world’s best all-rounders, scoring almost 8,000 runs and taking 239 wickets across ODIs and T20 internationals.

New Zealand’s women’s team, the White Ferns, last played a Test in August 2004, a drawn match against England at Scarborough.

Devine said it’s a format she “would have loved to have played”.

“It just hasn’t been a priority for New Zealand cricket,” Devine told AFP. “I’ll walk away from the game having not played one, but it’s really cool to see more countries are taking up that opportunity to play Test cricket.”

Between 2010 and 2020, just eight women’s Tests were played featuring either England, Australia, India or South Africa.

In the past five years, there have been 12 women’s Tests played between those nations, and the West Indies are to play a one-off Test against England in August 2027, their first in more than 20 years.

Devine said New Zealand would first need to prioritise longer-form cricket domestically.

“You can’t just rock up and play a four-day or five-day women’s Test, there’s obviously a lot of work that has to go into that,” Devine said.

“None of us have played multi-day cricket. Well, I have, but that was when I was in high school or playing club cricket 20 or 25 years ago. For me, it’s probably the ultimate form of the game.”

In recent years, Sophie Devine has taken time off from the game to focus on her mental health, having talked of feeling “numb” even during some of her greatest achievements.

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In speaking out, other cricketers have followed, the likes of New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr often opening up about her darkest moments.

“There certainly does seem to be a bit more acceptance with athletes sharing their stories and the mental health battles that people face,” Devine said.

“Sometimes there’s a stigma attached to mental health, especially with athletes, but hopefully I’ve been part of that acceptance and willingness to talk and share.

“Would I have liked to have not gone through it? Absolutely. But I think it’s part of who I am, and it’s helped me grow and learn and become who I am today.”

She said her personal struggles had set the tone for how she sought to lead the White Ferns at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

New Zealand turned around a run of 11 straight losses leading into the tournament to win the title.

It’s an approach continued and perhaps improved upon by the 25-year-old Kerr, who has averaged more than 70 with the bat and under 18 with the ball since taking on the captaincy.

“Maybe I should have handed over the captaincy much sooner, had I known what it would do for her game,” Devine said.

“We’re in a better place than we were in ’24. That playing XI is going to be tough to pick.”

As she heads towards her final matches wearing the white fern, Devine said she is “fortunate and grateful” to have played at the time she has.

In her early days, Devine said she would earn as little as NZ$30 (now US$18) for playing in a match, whereas in March she was bought for £210,000 (US$285,000) to play for the Welsh Fire in the women’s Hundred.

“It’s really exciting,” said Devine, who will still play franchise cricket after international retirement.

“And it’s only going to get bigger and better.”

READ: Pakistan seal comfortable win over Zimbabwe in ODI series opener

Jeremy Doku’s stoppage-time strike salvaged Manchester City a 3-3 draw at Everton, but a second-half collapse handed the destiny of the Premier League title back to Arsenal on Monday.

The Gunners now just need to win their final three games to end a 22-year wait to become the champions of England.

City remain five points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s team, with a game in hand, and will struggle to recover from the manner of their implosion at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s side appeared to be cruising to victory when Doku opened the scoring at the end of a dominant first half.

However, an error-strewn second period was punished as Thierno Barry scored twice for the Toffees, either side of Jake O’Brien’s header.

Erling Haaland and then a sensational effort from Doku in the 97th minute did, however, rescue a point which could ultimately keep City in the race.

“It’s better than losing, it shows what type of team they are,” said Guardiola on City’s fightback. “It’s not in our hands. Before it was, now it’s not. We have games left. We will see what happens.”

Arsenal visit relegation-threatened West Ham on Sunday before hosting Burnley and visiting Crystal Palace on the final day of the campaign.

Two Arsenal victories since Manchester City last played in the league had ramped up the pressure on Guardiola’s side.

City’s first team had gone the best part of two weeks without a proper outing after Guardiola heavily rotated for last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final win over Southampton.

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The visitors looked fresh rather than rusty as Everton were penned back inside their own box for practically the entire first half.

City’s pressure finally found its reward two minutes before half-time when Rayan Cherki found Doku, who curled a shot into Jordan Pickford’s top right-hand corner.

Things could have been even worse for the Toffees before the break as Michael Keane escaped with just a yellow card for a wild lunge on Doku. That decision proved to be vital as City paid a heavy price for a series of basic defensive errors.

Twice, Guardiola’s men did not heed a warning that an Everton equaliser was coming. Gianluigi Donnarumma parried Iliman Ndiaye’s effort back into the danger area, but Merlin Rohl was not alive to the rebound.

Ndiaye then had a glorious chance after an error from Matheus Nunes, but again could not beat the giant Italian in the City goal.

When the equaliser finally arrived, Manchester City were again architects of their own downfall. Marc Guehi’s underhit passback handed Barry the simple task of slotting past the stranded Donnarumma. Another casual City mistake moments later led to Everton’s second.

This time, Abdukodir Khusanov was caught in possession by Ndiaye and bailed out by a last-ditch challenge from Guehi. But from the resulting corner, O’Brien rose highest to power home a header.

Barry prodded home a third for Everton from Rohl’s deflected cross with City all at sea from a rapid counter-attack.

Within seconds, they had a lifeline, though, as straight from kick-off, Mateo Kovacic played in Haaland to halve the arrears.

Doku delivered a dagger to Everton’s hopes of European football next season right at the death. But it may have come too little, too late to rescue City’s chances of a seventh title in nine years.

READ: Alexis Sanchez guides Sevilla out of La Liga relegation zone

SEVILLE: Alexis Sanchez made a decisive impact off the bench as Sevilla FC secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad in their La Liga encounter at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium on Monday.

With both teams chasing very different objectives, the contest carried significant weight, particularly for Sevilla, who entered the match under pressure following a difficult run of results.

Real Sociedad started the brighter of the two sides, enjoying more of the ball early on, but struggled to convert possession into meaningful chances.

Sevilla, meanwhile, looked more threatening in attacking phases before the break, although their efforts from distance failed to trouble goalkeeper Alex Remiro.

The visitors came close shortly after the restart when Orri Oskarsson delivered a dangerous ball into the box, only for Mikel Oyarzabal to narrowly miss connecting. That missed opportunity proved costly.

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Sevilla capitalised on their first clear opening soon after, with Alexis Sanchez breaking the deadlock just five minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute. The experienced forward showed composure to finish clinically and hand the hosts a vital lead.

Sevilla nearly doubled their advantage late in the game through Lucien Agoume, but the effort was ruled out following a VAR review.

The result lifts Sevilla to 17th place in the standings, moving them just above Deportivo Alaves and out of the relegation zone, with Levante UD and Real Oviedo trailing further behind.

Despite the win, the relegation battle remains tight, with only a handful of points separating teams in the lower half of the table.

The victory also marks Sevilla’s second consecutive home win, their first such run since October 2024, offering a timely boost in their survival bid.

For Real Sociedad, the defeat represents a setback in their push for European qualification. A win would have seen them climb into the top six, but instead they remain ninth, still chasing sides like Celta Vigo, Getafe and Athletic Club.

READ: Roma hammer Fiorentina to remain in Champions League hunt

ROME: A dominant performance helped Roma ease past Fiorentina 4-0 at Stadio Olimpico on Monday to move within a point of the final Champions League spot in Serie A.

Gianluca Mancini, Wesley and Mario Hermoso made all but sure of victory in a clinical opening 34 minutes in the Italian capital before Niccolo Pisilli added a fourth goal in the second half to keep up the pressure on Juventus in fourth.

Fifth-placed Roma head to Parma in 12th on Sunday, with Como in sixth travelling to relegated Hellas Verona earlier in the day and Juve on 65 points heading to Lecce on Saturday.

Napoli are second on 70 points, and AC Milan, on 67, are the other contenders for the four Champions League berths with three rounds of the season to play.

The battle for the Scudetto ended on Sunday after Inter Milan beat Parma 2-0 to claim their third league crown in six seasons.

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Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma were without Morocco midfielder Neil El Aynaoui due to suspension, with Frenchman Manu Kone taking his place from the victory over Bologna on April 25.

After just 13 minutes, the hosts led as club captain Mancini opened the scoring from a Pisilli header. Brazil winger Wesley doubled the Romans’ lead four minutes later with a first-time shot.

The game was then over as a contest nine minutes before the break as Kone set up Spain left-back Hermoso.

Just before the hour mark, Italy midfielder Pisilli scored his first goal since February, rubbing salt into La Viola’s wounds.

Earlier, Dutch attacker Tijjani Noslin scored a 92nd-minute winner as Lazio edged Cremonese 2-1, as Jamie Vardy’s side remain four points from safety.

READ: IPL 2026: Vintage Rohit Sharma keeps Mumbai Indians hopes alive

Openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton hit attacking knocks as Mumbai Indians beat Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets to keep their slim playoff hopes alive in the IPL 2026 on Monday.

Rohit, who hit 84, and the left-handed Rickelton (83) put on 143 runs to lay the foundations for Mumbai’s chase of 229 with eight balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium.

Five-time champions Mumbai, who were without unwell captain Hardik Pandya, stay in the 10-team table with three wins in 10 matches.

Lucknow, led by Rishabh Pant, languish at the bottom and are nearly out of the race for the playoffs.

The top two teams at the end of the league stage will qualify for the playoffs.

The 39-year-old Rohit returned from an injury after missing five matches to hit his second fifty of the season as he struck six fours and seven sixes in his 44-ball knock.

South Africa’s Rickelton kept up his blazing form in his 32-ball blitz to pummel the opposition attack before his departure in the 11th over.

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Rohit, who came in as an impact substitute after Lucknow’s batting innings of 228-5, kept up the momentum with his trademark pull shot and wristy flicks to entertain the home crowd.

He finally fell to Manimaran Siddharth’s left-arm spin and Tilak Varma soon fell for 11 to raise Lucknow’s hopes.

Stand-in-skipper Suryakumar Yadav departed for 12 before Naman Dhir, who made 23, and Will Jacks, who hit the winning six in his 10, steered the team home.

Earlier Lucknow’s West Indies star Nicholas Pooran struck form with a 21-ball 63 to put Lucknow on course to a big total.

Australian opener Mitchell Marsh provided the early impetus with his 44 off 25 balls and put on 94 runs for the second wicket with the left-handed Pooran.

Pace bowler Corbin Bosch dismissed Pooran and Marsh in the ninth over to hit back for Mumbai, but Lucknow kept pace with unbeaten knocks from Aiden Markram and Himmat Singh.

Markram, who hit 31, and Himmat, who top-scored with 40, put on 68 runs for the sixth wicket to boost Lucknow’s score, which ultimately proved insufficient.

READ: Pakistan seal comfortable win over Zimbabwe in ODI series opener

KARACHI: Sadaf Shams’ 98 and a resounding bowling performance sealed a 168-run victory for the Pakistan women’s team over Zimbabwe at the National Bank Stadium on Monday.

Chasing a massive 331 run target, Zimbabwe fell way short and were bowled out for 162 in 36.4 overs.

The 168-run victory was Pakistan women’s second-biggest winning margin.

Fatima Sana started the proceedings for Pakistan, removing Christine Mutasa for one in the second over.  After an early wicket, Kelly Ndiraya and Kelis Ndhlovu added a brief 28-run partnership to put the chase back on track.

However, Sana struck again, removing Ndirya (11), sparking a collapse that Zimbabwe never recovered from. Beloved Biza showed some resistance with 53 off 53 deliveries with the aid of eight fours.

 

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For Pakistan, Fatima Sana, Syeda Aroob Shah, and Tasmia Rubab picked up two wickets each.

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Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Pakistan racked up 330 for five in 50 overs, thanks to a solid opening partnership between Gull Feroza and Sadaf Shams. The duo shared a 162-run stand in 28.2 overs, laying a strong foundation for a big total.

Gull Feroza hit five fours in her half-century from 60 balls. Meanwhile, Shams continued on, putting on a brief 33-run partnership with Sidra Amin. She was eventually caught on 98 from 130 balls, peppered with 17 fours.

Zimbabwe made a comeback in the middle phase of the innings, taking quick wickets to leave Pakistan four down for 219 in 39.1 overs.

But it was Sidra Amin and Najiha Alvi’s brisk 96-run stand from just 58 balls that took them past the 300-run mark. Sidra struck nine fours in her 67, whereas Najiha Alvi remained unbeaten on 56 off 30, hitting a six and eight fours.

For Zimbabwe, Precious Marange picked up three wickets.

The second ODI of the three-match series will be played at the same venue on May 6.

READ: WATCH: Pakistan training session in Dhaka ahead of Bangladesh series

Nottingham Forest took a huge step towards Premier League survival with a 3-1 win at Chelsea on Monday that dealt a major blow to the Blues’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Taiwo Awoniyi marked his 100th Forest appearance with the early opener at Stamford Bridge and Igor Jesus’s penalty doubled their advantage soon afterwards.

Cole Palmer compounded Chelsea’s misery when he missed a penalty late in the first half.

Awoniyi struck again after the interval and Joao Pedro’s eye-catching bicycle kick in the closing stages was no consolation for lacklustre Chelsea.

Languishing in ninth place, Chelsea’s wretched run has left them on the verge of failing to reach next season’s Champions League.

Chelsea have lost six consecutive league games for the first time since 1993.

Scoring for the first time in six league matches was the only positive in a shambolic display.

Calum McFarlane’s team are 10 points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa, with only nine points available in the race for the top-five finish that secures Champions League qualification.

However, sixth will also earn a Champions League berth if Villa finish fifth and win the Europa League, leaving Chelsea — currently four points adrift of sixth-placed Bournemouth — still with a slender chance.

Forest’s third successive league victory moved them six points clear of the relegation zone, with four more points needed to guarantee survival.

There are just three games left for each club in Forest’s scrap with fourth-bottom Tottenham and third-bottom West Ham.

Pereira made eight changes from Forest’s previous league game as he prioritised holding onto their 1-0 lead in Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg at Aston Villa.

The gamble paid off and Pereira’s side, unbeaten in their last 10 games in all competitions, can now focus on finishing off Villa to reach their first European final since 1980.

McFarlane last week insisted Chelsea remain an attractive club for prospective managers despite their latest turbulent campaign.

Liam Rosenior was sacked in April, just 106 days after arriving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca, whose 18-month reign ended in January following hints of a lack of support from Chelsea’s hierarchy.

Potential replacements for Rosenior might disagree with McFarlane’s spin after such a moribund performance.

Even Forest’s understudies were too strong for lethargic Chelsea.

They took the lead after just 97 seconds when Dilane Bakwa evaded Marc Cucurella for a cross that reached Awoniyi, who punished Chelsea’s sloppy marking with a powerful header from six yards.

Chelsea were inches away from a quick-fire equaliser as Enzo Fernandez’s low curler cannoned off the far post from the edge of the penalty area.

But the Blues lost their composure again when Gusto needlessly conceded a 15th minute penalty.

Awoniyi’s shirt was tugged by the Chelsea defender as they contested Bakwa’s cross and although Anthony Taylor ignored Forest’s initial appeals, the referee changed his decision after consulting the pitch-side monitor.

Jesus stepped up to fire the penalty straight down the middle for his 16th goal in all competitions this season.

Chelsea earned a penalty in first-half stoppage time after teenager Jesse Derry was felled by Forest’s Zach Abbott in a nasty collision that forced the Blues youngster to be stretchered off with a head injury.

But adding insult to injury, Palmer’s spot-kick was superbly saved by Matz Sels as jeers rained down from the stands.

Back from a serious knee injury, Chelsea defender Levi Colwill came on at half-time for his first appearance since July.

But Forest still bagged their third in the 52nd minute when Morgan Gibbs-White picked out Awoniyi and he tapped in as Chelsea appealed in vain for offside.

By the time Joao Pedro scored with a spectacular overhead strike from 10 yards in added time, the Bridge was virtually empty in a fitting backdrop to another calamitous afternoon.

READ: WATCH: Pakistan training session in Dhaka ahead of Bangladesh series

DHAKA: Pakistan Test squad held a training session at the Shere-Bangla National Stadium ahead of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, set to begin on May 8.

The first of the two matches – part of the ICC World Test Championship will be played at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka from 8 to 12 May, while Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will host the second Test, which will be played from 16 to 20 May.

Players took part in net sessions that emphasized both batting and bowling under the guidance of the coaching staff. Additionally, the team performed physical drills and fielding exercises to enhance their fitness and improve their on-field skills.

 

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Meanwhile, ace batter Babar Azam and fast bowler Khurram Shehzad are set to join the national team after the conclusion of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11. Both players left for Bangladesh earlier today.

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Prior to departing for Bangladesh, Pakistan organized a five-day training camp at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, during which players refined their skills ahead of the series.

For the unversed, Pakistan currently sit fifth in the WTC standings with 12 points, having played only two matches in the current cycle against South Africa at home in 2025.

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh Test series:

Shan Masood (c), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi named in PSL 11 Team of the Tournament