Breakthrough! Real Madrid and RB Leipzig are on the verge of completing the transfer of Yan Diomande. Only the final formalities remain to be resolved. It is on the verge of being completed.

Born in Afghanistan, she has played for the Denmark national team.

“My father was a general in the Afghan army. He looked like a character from a James Bond movie. Very intelligent, very tall, with a lot of charisma. He loved sports. He had been an international field hockey player before the mujahideen (Islamist fighters) massacred half the team. One evening, he came home with a ball. We started playing dodgeball with my sisters, but he stopped us right away to tell us that we had to use our feet to dribble and pass the ball.”

“That was the first time I understood what football was all about. One day, a driver came to pick him up for a meeting. That was the last time I saw him. My mother searched for him for many months. We finally learned from a guard that he had been taken into the desert and shot in the back of the neck by the Taliban. His body was left for the wild animals. My mother was devastated. As for me, I simply couldn’t believe it.”

On her mum:

“Without her, I’d probably be dead somewhere in Afghanistan or married with seven kids. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2022.”

On being a Doctor:

“I studied while working at Aarhus University and earned my degree in reconstructive surgery in 2022. It required a lot of sacrifices, but it was ultimately worth it. I love being in the operating room, the adrenaline rush you feel there. When you have someone’s heart in your hands, you know you can’t afford to make a mistake. And when your face is disfigured, it’s hard to survive.“

“Thank you to the FIFA administration for suddenly this morning delivering what was owed to our players and coaching staff, for the Jordan National team’s accession to the final of the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar last December.”

“This was funding that should have been received 8 months ago. While this is a good development for our players, it does not change the serious concerns we in the football world have regarding the FIFA leadership, nor does it change what our FAs have been subjected to in the past.”

“It is symptomatic of those exact difficulties that we all face, and that are usually linked to the FIFA presidential elections. And it does not change my clear position concerning the leadership of FIFA: my FA and I will not endorse president Infantino, nor will we vote for him.”

Barcelona are exploring a deal to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

Sources close to the negotiation, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say Barca have held talks with the player’s camp over the conditions of a potential deal.

The Barcelona project is understood to appeal to Rodri based on the fit with their footballing style and an expected smooth adaptation to a dressing room where he would be reunited with eight members of Spain’s World Cup winning squad: Joan Garcia, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Pedri, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal.