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Becoming a rudeboy
Hatem Ben Arfa's missing 90k
š¬ Quote of the day
āWhen you've got nothing, you've got to have some focus. That focus for me is getting better at the guitar.ā - Ousted QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth.
FOOTBALL
š£ļø Changed your Toon
āItās a proud moment for meā, said Swedish striker Alexander Isak as he gave his post-match interview in the precise tones of a Scandinavian MBA student whoās just won a yearās internship at Credit Suisse.
Nothing wrong with that, but itās a little different to the roadman accent he uses when heās with his Newcastle teammates.
In a recent behind the scenes video at the training ground, the 24-year-old sounded like a year 8 schoolboy flogging Haribo in a Hackney playground, telling Jacob Murphy: āNaaaah man, I see him on the roadā.
He joins other international members of the Premier League mandem such as Arsenalās former Catalan defender Hector Bellerin, whose landlady in academy digs once phoned his parents to warn them he was ābecoming a rudeboyā.
FOOTBALL
š Had my Wycked way
Hell of a 92nd minute winner for Barnsleyās Sam Cosgrove against Wycombe on Tuesday night.
š A rare chance to own a piece of sporting history
From Bobby Charltonās shirt to the boots from Beckhamās 100th England game, Graham Budd Auctions are giving you the chance to own some iconic items from the world of sport.
The fascinating collection includes:
Over 400 football shirts, including match-worn shirts from most Premier League clubs.
Items from legends like Ronaldo, Messi and George Best.
Rare gems like F1 legend Martin Brundleās helmet and a World Cup final ball.
There are 1100 items in the catalogue, and thereās something for every budget size.
The auction takes place on 5th and 6th December.
FOOTBALL
šø How the other Arf lives
By all rights Hatem Ben Arfa should be terrorising Saudi defences in front of 537 fans right now, but things never quite worked out for the unhinged winger.
The 36-year-old still hasnāt officially retired, but heās now focusing his energies on padel, climbing to the top 3% in the world.
Hopefully heās getting on better with the local league secretary than he did with his old bosses in French football.
When Lyon sold him for assaulting a teammate, Ben Arfa accused the club of ālacking classā and failing to pay his wages on time.
This barb was slightly undermined when the club emptied his training ground locker and discovered heād left behind a cheque for ā¬90,000.
Lyonās finance director told the press: "To accuse us of being financially disorganised is a bit much coming from himā.
FOOTBALL
āļø Your Mo-ve
Speaking of dribbling wizards pursuing extra curricular activities, Mo Salah admitted this week that he is āaddicted to chessā and plays āevery day, literally every dayā.
According to Chess.com, the Liverpool star has an impressive online rating of 1400, but Mo isnāt the only one trumpeting his abilities on the board.
Last summer, Atletico Madrid gaffer Diego Simeone posted a photo of him and his son playing chess, describing it as "a duel that requires a lot of concentration."
There was just one sliiight problem - Simeone was playing without a king, which is kind of an important piece.
He deleted the post soon after.
FOOTBALL
š§āāļø Youāve made a clear and obvious error, your honour
When youāre thrown in a fearsome Brazilian slammer for āimmersing yourself in cocaineā and dabbling in violent robbery, there are two ways you can go.
You can ingratiate yourself with the terrifying gangs who prowl the exercise yard, smuggle spice in your prison pocket and sip on hand sanitiser cocktails to unwind.
Or, like referee Rhamon Da Silva, you knuckle down, take the odd stabbing on the chin, and prepare for life on the outside.
After keeping his nose clean for 18 months, Rhamon is a free man, and has become to first ref to officiate a game while wearing an ankle tag.
UPSHOT PODCAST
šļø Benders with Beckham
The year is 1999 - Real Madrid are at war.
Legendary striker Raul brands the dressing room āa cesspit of lies, treachery and whispersā.
Something has to change...
From murderous hitmen to pigsā heads on the pitch, this is the story of the Galacticos...
š Quick hits
š A Newcastle fan told Talksport he was so sad about PSGās late penalty that he had turn off all the Christmas lights on his house.
š§ Defending world snooker champ Luca Brecel says he deliberately spunked all his winnings on Ferraris to put pressure on himself to win again.
šļø Man Unitedās Alejandro Garnacho has the cast of Prison Break tattooed on his arm.
š«š· Hatem Ben Arfa was a regular at Zaman Cafe, the Parisian coffee shop/brothel we discuss in our pod on French footballās sordid decade.
AND FINALLY
š”ļø Blades of glory
The Korean baseball champions win a giant sword.
That's it for today. Thanks to Clara and Joz.
Donāt forget to check out the incredible sporting memorabilia at Graham Budd Auctions. Sign up and view the auction here.
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