Player X is having a hard time. "I never thought I would be doing an interview like this," he says. "But yeah, this season hasn't been easy."

Player X is still on his entry-level NHL contract. He plays for a United States-based team but is from another country and is unsure when he can see his family again. He is renting a condo and admits the decorations are a little sparse. During training camp, he began struggling to fall asleep and noticed himself getting irritated on FaceTime calls with his parents or girlfriend -- sometimes even letting calls go unanswered, which is unusual for him.

Going to the rink and being able to skate always felt awesome, he explains.

"But I started dreading going home, all that time alone," he says. He figured once the season got going, it would get better. It didn't. He thought his team's first road trip would be a distraction. It wasn't.

But Player X isn't the only NHL player dealing with mental health issues during this highly isolating 2020-21 NHL season. His agent first put us in touch with him, saying, "You should really talk to one of my guys. I think his experience is similar to what a lot of guys in the league are going through." Indeed, more than a dozen players interviewed by ESPN over the past six weeks describe experiencing more anxiety than usual and expressed an overwhelming sentiment of loneliness.

"I was never someone who experienced mental health issues," Player X says. "But this season ... I have a hard time describing it, I don't really know how to explain it. I just don't feel like myself."

'The same problems and cares as everyone else'

In order to play through the pandemic, nearly every member of every NHL organization has made sacrifices. They've also agreed to a stringent set of rules that have already been enhanced twice after several teams experienced COVID-19 outbreaks last month. Besides arriving early for daily coronavirus testing, shifting to all-virtual meetings and staying socially distant even in the locker room, players, coaches and their family members have been asked to limit all social interactions away from home.

"The one thing that should be credited is the NHL and the players' union's education to the players," Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake said. "Making them aware, saying, 'Look, everything is going to be different. Things are going to change, routines are going to change.' And nobody really questions it because they know they're doing it to keep everyone safe."

Another reason players are generally compliant? Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom summed it up well: "It's hard, it's different, but we are happy we get to play hockey. It would be so much harder for everyone if we didn't have hockey."

It's still an adjustment. "The energy on the team is just different this year," a veteran player said. One player said he typically brings CBD tinctures on road trips, "for when I'm stressed." He went through two bottles all of last season; in 2021, he already is on his fourth. Another player said he knows several teammates who have sought meetings with the team's mental skills coach, likely for the first time.

Some also describe anxiety and shame associated with ending up on the COVID-19 protocol list, whether they have a positive test or not. "It's a guilty feeling, which is weird because you shouldn't feel guilty," Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno told The Athletic. "But that's just how it is, and when you're the first one, everyone kind of sees your name pop up first and then the domino effect throughout the team after that."

Border restrictions have presented more challenges, keeping some families apart. "My son lives back in Penticton [British Columbia], and I haven't seen him in a while," Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "We've been talking all the time on FaceTime, but it's not fun not seeing him." He joined the Blackhawks for training camp in Chicago in early January and hasn't seen his son since arriving.

Playing in empty arenas has felt unnatural too. For the first month of the season, only five teams allowed fans -- and all at significantly reduced capacities. By the end of March, more than half of the teams have plans to open their doors. Though regulations vary from market to market, crowds are still a fraction of what players are used to. For instance, the Dallas Stars typically welcome 20,000 for games but have been limited to 4,200.

"The other thing that has come up too is the guys' ability to really focus in on the game without fans," Anaheim Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. "They can stream that fan noise in there, and I think it does help, but it's not remotely close to having fans out there, and to ride the wave of emotion of the building. Players have brought it up to me; it's a challenge."

And while road trips now have teams in one city for four or more days -- a big change after usually jetting in and out -- players are mostly confined to their hotel rooms when they're not on the ice. "You're lucky to share a meal in the meal room, six feet apart," Vancouver Canucks forward Tyler Motte said. "The rest of the time you're stuck in your room." The only permissible reason to leave the hotel is for an emergency or a walk.

One night, Player X said he sat alone in his hotel room, staring at his TV screen for nearly two hours, unable to choose a streaming service, find a game to watch or rev up yet another video game.

"If some guys are struggling, it's adjusting to being so locked in indoors, either at home or at the rink." Motte said. "They don't have outlets they're used to having."

Though the stigma in hockey is eroding -- thanks, in part, to players like Motte who have been open about their mental health disorders -- many players still showed reticence talking about their experiences, wary of sounding insensitive. They know how many have suffered in the pandemic. And there's always the perception that professional athletes are paid handsomely to play a sport for a living and therefore should simply feel grateful.

"I always hate that excuse: 'Those guys are millionaires,'" Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. "If we're actually being serious about treating everybody alike, then that excuse is part of the problem too. For the most part, I can say hockey guys are down-to-earth human beings and have the same problems and cares as everyone else. So it's no surprise a lot of guys have struggled this year, because of what everyone in this world has been facing."

'I miss the prison yard'

When the NHL returned to play over the summer, it operated out of two bubbles. Eastern Conference teams began in Toronto, while Western Conference teams were in Edmonton. Teams were all housed in the same hotels, which were within walking distance to the rink and included some limited restaurant and entertainment options. The Stanley Cup finalists ended up staying for two months, and though players were initially told their family members would be able to join them for the conference final rounds, border and governmental restrictions made it difficult. Only a handful of significant others ended up making it. The setup wasn't ideal.

"I don't think a lot of fans realize what an emotional toll the bubble took on some guys -- the isolation, the grind, being away from our families and loved ones during a really stressful time to begin with," one player told ESPN in September. "To be honest, after the first few days, I noticed a lot of guys were more down than they usually are."

The NHLPA heard the complaints and knew it was important to reestablish more normalcy.

"There were a lot of challenges, and that is probably the biggest reason we weren't seriously considering a bubble," NHLPA executive Mathieu Schneider said. "It would have been the last, last thing we wanted to do coming back for this season."

But two months into the 2021 season, many have realized that some aspects of bubble life weren't so bad. "We got our hands held pretty well in the bubble," Nick Foligno said. "Then the hardest part was you go from the bubble to now, where you can't even enjoy some of the stuff you enjoyed in the bubble. We could hang out with each other, go to dinner together at a restaurant. You realize how many freedoms we had."

In the Edmonton bubble, the players' hangout space was a pavement lot between the hotel and rink. Organizers installed some picnic tables and basketball hoops, and they brought in a Tim Hortons food truck. The area was fenced in and at night was illuminated with harsh lighting. Players began calling it "the prison yard."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," one Western Conference player texted. "But I miss the prison yard."

Marc Crawford, an assistant coach with the Blackhawks, said he was regularly having conversations with coaches and GMs from all 12 teams in Edmonton. It felt good to connect. Fast-forward to this season.

"I've probably had two interactions with coaches all year," Crawford said. "After our game [against the Detroit Red Wings last week], I caught up with Jeff Blashill in the hallway. We probably talked for two minutes, we both had our masks on, but it still felt like ... 'Am I doing something wrong?'"

The NHL has asked all players and coaches not to socialize outside their house. Weeks into the season, the NHL and the players' association clamped down either further, asking players' families interactions to be limited, as well. All meetings have been held virtually. Locker rooms and eating areas are socially distant. As Eakins explained, "We still get on the ice together as a team, but nearly every other element of team has been stripped away."

The Blue Jackets' Foligno said there's "so much self-policing, even on the little things. Like, I want to get a coffee. Then I have to ask, 'Should I go get a coffee?' Now you're second-guessing going and getting a coffee.

"But I think the thing that's bothered me the most, especially as the captain of this team, I can't get to know guys, especially with so many new faces," he said. "I've been self-conscious to some degree for how I'm able to bring them to the team, because I haven't been able to take them out to dinner, spend time with them away from the rink. It's wild how different it is to try to connect with people. Like, thank God for Zoom, but do you really get to know someone over Zoom?"

'Hey, we're here'

The NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program was founded in 1996. It is designed to be confidential, supporting players and their families struggling with drug and alcohol dependency or mental health issues. The program has produced some tremendous success stories in helping players get back on track, but Schneider knows it also had a fundamental flaw.

"There's certainly a stigma attached to the SABH program," Schneider said. "The program was put into place for when the wheels come off, when something really bad happens."

Over the past season or so, the NHLPA has internally stopped calling it the SABH altogether, generally referring to it just as the players' assistance program because it better reflects the nature of it. But Schneider knew he needed to work on that messaging with players and help them understand there are resources available to them before reaching rock bottom. After all, mental health falls on a spectrum.

"Society often associates getting help with having major problems," said Eric Kussin, the founder of the Same Here Global Health Movement. "But it shouldn't be that way."

At the January 2020 All-Star Game in St. Louis, Schneider called a meeting with Dr. Joel Gold, a Brooklyn, New York-based psychiatrist who consults for the NHLPA; Dr. Brian Shaw, who co-founded and still oversees the SABH; and Jay Harrison, a former NHL defenseman with a psychology degree who now works with the NHLPA as a consultant.

"We started to have the discussions: How do we prevent guys from going there ... getting to that place?" Schneider said. "How do we get guys resources to deal with things they're going through?"

Then the pandemic hit, and it was all hands on deck.

"We knew it was a challenging time, whether it's anxiety about the virus itself or about the uncertainty of the season, contract status, whatever the case may be," Schneider said. "It's really that initial contact, that initial outreach, I think, is sometimes the most difficult for a player. We try to make that as easy as possible, and then have the experts point them in the right direction to go."

After each round in the bubble, Harrison would send texts to every player. Hey, we're here, available if you have some time and want to chat. Harrison would simply ask guys to send back a thumbs-up or thumbs-down emoji regarding whether they wanted to talk.

"We're still trying to learn and come up with what we think is the best model," Schneider said. "But the first step is, we just want to make sure these guys know and understand these resources are available to them; it's all at their fingertips."

In 2019, the NBA required that every team have at least one mental health professional on their staff. The NHL and many other major professional sports leagues do not have a similar mandate, but a quick survey found that nearly every NHL team had someone who fits the bill (although their job titles can sometimes be disguised). And the NHLPA is hopeful that its constituents know they can always come to them and that they can help a player find the right resources in their city, whether it's a therapist, psychiatrist or something else.

"Everybody thinks that being a professional athlete is this glamorous life," Schneider said. "And everybody's making $6 million a year and everybody's going to play for 15 years, so how can you complain? The truth is, it's much different from that.

"Living on the road, out of a suitcase, for days and weeks. The ups and downs of a season. Uncertainty about contracts. Our average, career length is less than five years. Guys are fortunate, no question, to make the kind of money that they do and to be public figures. But there is an awful lot that comes along with that."

'You have to start somewhere'

Players are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines are rolling out across North America, and some qualifying players have even received their first doses in the U.S. By the end of this month, 15 of the 31 NHL franchises will have welcomed fans back into the buildings, albeit at much reduced capacities. At its peak, there were 59 players on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list, but now there are only two.

And as attitudes around mental health are shifting societally, players have felt more comfortable opening up.

"The one thing that has been incredible this season," Eakins said, "is I bet you I've had more one-on-one meetings with players than I had in the last two or three years, together."

Eakins said the conversation usually starts about their game. "And it always gets to what is really on their mind," he said. "And a lot of it is what they're going through."

The coach has tried to help his players put their experiences into context. It's not necessarily saying, a lot of people have it worse than us or forcing positivity. However, isolation sometimes heightens anxiety and can make issues feel a lot worse.

"We've been able to come back somewhat together; we're able to follow our passion," Eakins said. "I think you've just got to wrap your head around what we are being given and what has been taken away. We have been given a lot here by our league and our owners to be able to come back and play."

And there's one point Eakins tries to drill home: agency.

"I'm a big believer in choice," Eakins said. "There's no magic potion to this. It takes what it takes. You just have to do what's required, and it certainly takes a much different mindset. But you have to choose to be focused. You have to choose to be engaged. You have to choose to fight through being alone or being isolated or whatever that is. And that's basically how we've been going about it."

Which brings us back to Player X, whom we checked in with three weeks after our first conversation.

"I wouldn't say I'm feeling a lot better," he said. "But I have started to talk to more people about what I'm going through."

One of those people was a friend from home, who suggested a meditation app. Player X downloaded it, and he likes it a lot. He is falling asleep easier.

"One step at a time, right?" he said. "You have to start somewhere."

The previous announced merger between Callaway Golf and Topgolf has been approved by shareholders of both companies.

The agreement included 90 million shares of Callaway common stock that were issued to Topgolf shareholders and creates what officials are calling a “tech-enabled golf company delivering leading golf equipment, apparel and entertainment.”

“Callaway and Topgolf are just better together,” said Chip Brewer, Callaway Golf’s president and CEO. “This transformational merger has already created and will continue to create meaningful shareholder value. We are very excited to begin this next chapter and I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish together.”

In October when the merger was first announced, Brewer told GolfChannel.com that the combined companies will give Callaway a “competitive advantage” to reach players through the popularity of Topgolf.

For the second consecutive year, the RBC Canadian Open has been canceled because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The event was scheduled to be played June 10-13 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Ontario and PGA Tour officials said in a statement they plan to “fill the week left open on the calendar” with an event on an “alternative venue” in the United States.

“Even with an extensive health and safety plan in place, we faced a number of significant logistical challenges that led us to this decision,” said Tyler Dennis, the Tour’s chief of operations. “We look forward to the RBC Canadian Open returning to our schedule next year.”

Tournament officials had been working with local, provincial and federal organizations to “navigate the impact of the travel restrictions and quarantine measures currently in effect,” but because of the timeline needed to create a replacement event the tournament was canceled.

The Canadian Open was scheduled to be played the week before the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Earlier this month, European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said the circuit was considering holding its own Florida swing later this spring, but according to Rory McIlroy that’s no longer an option.

“Pretty sure it's not going to happen, which is a good thing because I think it means things are starting to get a little better back in Europe,” McIlroy said when asked about the potential swing.

Pelley told the Daily Telegraph that the circuit was considering playing three events in the Sunshine State in April after the Masters, ones that had been scheduled to be played in Spain and Portugal. Because of travel restrictions from the United Kingdom and South Africa to those counties, related to COVID-19, the European Tour began to look for alternative venues.

If McIlroy’s response to the potential swing is any indication, the shift across the Atlantic is no longer an option or needed. McIlroy, who was recently elected to serve as chairman of the Player Advisory Council, referenced the PGA Tour’s strategic alliance with the European Tour and how that could potentially impact co-sanctioned events in either the United States or Europe.

“I think with the new strategic partnership between the PGA Tour and the European Tour, I think that is the beginning of something that could become quite significant,” McIlroy said Tuesday at The Players.

The body of former Villarreal and Racing Santander striker Franco Acosta has been found in a creek two days following his disappearance.

On Saturday afternoon, Acosta tried to swim across the Arroyo Pando creek in the Uruguay region of Canelones, with his brother.

His brother raised the alarm when the 25-year-old did not turn up and the Uruguayan navy confirmed Acosta's body was recovered on Monday.

Acosta, 25, began his playing career at Fenix and represented Uruguay at youth level. He played for the Under-20 squad at the 2015 World Cup, which proved to be a launchpad for him signing for Villarreal in Spain that year.

Profundamente consternados y abatidos por tu pérdida. Siempre te recordaremos, Franco. DEP pic.twitter.com/vpnYUBrv2D

— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) March 8, 2021

He spent six months on loan at Racing Santander before returning to Uruguay in 2018 to play for Boston River and then Plaza Colonia. Acosta played for Uruguay second division club Atenas San Carlos last season.

The Uruguay Football Federation (AUF) said in a statement: "With profound sadness we lament the death of Franco Acosta, who played for Uruguay's national team. Our condolences to his family, friends and teammates."

Villarreal posted a tribute to Acosta and wrote on social media: "Deeply shocked and dejected by your loss. We will always remember you, Franco."

Pep Guardiola has dismissed a suggestion that Manchester City could hand Southampton another 9-0 thrashing and joked: "The score will be 18-0." (edited)

Southampton have lost by nine goals in each of the last two seasons -- to Leicester City in 2019 and to Manchester United in February -- but ahead of their visit to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, Guardiola reacted angrily to a suggestion it could happen again.

"The score will be 18-0 -- what a question," Guardiola said on Tuesday at a news conference when asked if Southampton's two 9-0 defeats would be in his mind ahead of the game.

"They [Manchester United] scored nine because it was 89 minutes 10 vs. 11 -- you think it's a joke? Come on, we'll try to win the game, that's all and get the three points.

"I'm a big fan of this team and the way they play. I see the quality of what they do and it's another test to play good and try to win."

City are looking to bounce back after their 21-game winning run ended with a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.

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Despite the setback, City are still 11 points clear at the top of the table with 10 games to play but Guardiola still believes they can be caught.

"When the option is open everything can happen," Guardiola said. "For the people like United they can do it. There are 10 games left and we have to win six or seven [to win the title] and we'll try to win the first one [against Southampton].

"In the Premier League it's so complicated, so difficult. It's so difficult to realise what we've done. We've a lot of work to do to arrive in the last games in contention to win the Premier League."

Guardiola, who hinted he could recall Sergio Aguero and Phil Foden to the starting XI after both were named as substitutes against United, did not watch a tape of the derby defeat, instead preferring to prepare for Southampton.

The City boss said after the "sadness" of losing to United, his players were "on fire" in training on Tuesday morning as they warmed up for Southampton.

"It was a mix of disappointment and sadness," he said. "The second day [Monday] was better and today [Tuesday] completely on fire.

"It's a normal process when you lose the games. The reaction is common. We lost the game but everyone realises how difficult to win games and do good runs. Just think of the next one."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has ruled himself out of the running to replace Germany boss Joachim Low, who will leave his position after this summer's European Championship.

Low announced on Tuesday that he will be stepping down from the role he has held since 2006, and Klopp was mentioned as one of the front-runners to replace him.

- Stream LIVE games and replays on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

But ahead of their Champions League round-of-16 second-leg tie against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, Klopp has said he is not in the running to become Germany's next coach.

When asked whether he'd be available to talk to the DFB (German Football Association), Klopp answered: "If I'm available for the job? No. After the summer, no.

"Jogi Low did an incredible job -- he's the longest servant we've ever had in Germany. He did an incredible job.

"I understand he wants to have this highlight with the European Championship and squeeze everything out he can in the tournament, then someone else will do the job, I'm sure. I'm sure the German FA will find a solution."

Klopp signed a new contract as Liverpool boss in December 2019 that runs until 2024, and the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager said he plans to honour that agreement.

"Well, I have three years left [on my contract] at Liverpool this summer, don't I?" he said. "That's a simple statement.

"It's a simple situation. You sign a contract and you try and stick to that contract, don't you? I had contracts in Mainz where I stuck with them even though there was interest from other Bundesliga teams with more money.

"It's just timing and money. If it doesn't work out, then there's no need to lose any sleep over it. I don't have a problem with it."

However, Klopp would not be drawn on who he felt should succeed Low, who led Germany to World Cup glory in 2014,

"I don't know; I'm the wrong person to ask," he said. "I was just as surprised as everyone else when I heard the news today.

"There's enough time to find a successor, and I'm sure everybody will do the job thoroughly.

Liverpool travel to Budapest for their second leg against Leipzig, having won the first leg 2-0 at the same Puskas Stadium against Julian Nagelsmann's side.

While Liverpool are progressing nicely in the Champions League, their Premier League form is still suffering, having won just one of their past eight top-flight matches.

Klopp said Liverpool's predicament is worse than in his final season at Dortmund when, having reached the Champions League final just two years earlier, their form dipped to such an extent that they finished the campaign in seventh place.

"It's more challenging here now," Klopp said. "I don't want to look back now.

"We're in this situation now, we're trying to come out of it, and though we didn't have the performance we needed in the Premier League, we have momentum in the Champions League."

Lionel Messi is scoring goals for fun, Ronald Koeman is successfully reconstructing FC Barcelona's first team, the Blaugrana dramatically overturned a 2-0 deficit against Sevilla in early March to reach this season's Copa del Rey final and so, as Joan Laporta starts his first week as Camp Nou president since he vacated the role in 2010, there's little wonder he's surrounded by a temporary state of heady euphoria.

But during that first full week (back) in the job, Messi, Koeman & Co. will be eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16 for the first time since 2007; the Dutchman still doesn't know whether he'll be asked to fulfill the second year of his coaching contract; Messi may not declare whether he's leaving or staying until the season is over; the club's previous president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, appeared in court last week after a night in prison, pending corruption charges, and the club is suffering under the crushing weight of massive short-, mid- and long-term debt.

Therefore, that euphoria is likely to be as durable as friendships quickly made when you win a few thousand euros on the lottery -- effervescent and fun in the moment, but evaporating the moment that reality bites.

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So what lies ahead of Joan Laporta Estruch, a 58-year-old lawyer who, in his first spell as president, brought a phoenix-like resuscitation of his club from the ashes of what he inherited in 2003, is a period of the most intense, threatening, demanding and no doubt entertaining, dealing, statesmanship, corporate aggression, debt renegotiation and football empire rebuilding imaginable. And simply because the Catalan is a messianic character whose every breath exudes a heady tonic of confidence and bravado, the words "potential failure" shouldn't automatically be excluded from that list of what's in store for the new Caesar of Camp Nou.

To assess what the 30,000+ Barca socio/members who voted for him (out of 55,000 total votes cast) will get from their new "Presi" when the euphoria dies down, plus what's in store for the coach, the superstar the books and Laporta, let's break it down.

Who is Laporta, and how did he get here?

If you let Laporta tell it his way, he's the kid who fell in love with Johan Cruyff when the Dutchman moved to Camp Nou from Ajax in 1973, an era in history where Spain was still a dictatorship and Catalunya (where Barcelona exist) felt like an unloved, oppressed north-eastern province. Laporta will talk about how Cruyff choosing Barca over Madrid instilled pride and brought international attention to the Catalan capital; it felt, Laporta once told me, like the city had genuinely claimed a significant win over the hated Dictator General, Francisco Franco, who had oppressed and banned Catalan language and culture since the 1930s.

Laporta will talk about kids in the playground, him included, combing their hair the "Johan way," trying to mimic every flick and turn his aesthetic majesty produced for club or country. From that day to the present, Cruyff gave Laporta purpose.

That this rumbustious, colourful and voracious Catalan somehow transformed himself from an adoring kid, gazing in awe at a foreign superstar, into Cruyff's friend, lawyer and someone who successfully restored the great man's importance to FC Barcelona during the final 12 years of his life, before he succumbed to cancer in 2016, is already a warning to Laporta's enemies and opponents. Of which there are many.

Things seem to happen around Laporta -- special, unusual things. Educated in a priests' college, he originally intended to become a missionary. Abandoning that position, he was expelled from the college because he rebelled against a physics teacher who'd suspended his entire class during the first part of an academic year. Laporta's "Robin Hood" retort was to acquire some test answers and share them with all his classmates.

Nor did Spain's compulsory military service, back when Laporta was young, manage to squeeze the rebel out of this man with a cause. Posted 2,600 km (1,600 miles) south of Barcelona in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, instead of near his home city, he complained that the army was serving its recruits camel meat and he was punished with two weeks' solitary confinement.

The best story from his larger-than-life youth is that with a couple of months still to serve in the army, Laporta decided to go AWOL with a girlfriend on holiday to Egypt. Returning refreshed and ever further from his missionary fervour, he expected harsh punishment, only to find that his pals in military service had, somehow, conned their senior officers regarding Laporta's absence by roaring 'Present!' in various voices whenever his name was announced at the morning roll-call.

For all those of you who support a club owned by some billionaire foreigner, or by someone who feels that listening to or caring about the club's life-long fans is unnecessary, what Laporta managed to do with the dominating passion of his life must make you bilious with anger.

When, in 1996, President Josep Nunez and Vice President Joan Gaspart combined to let imbecility reign, summarily sacking Cruyff as Barcelona coach (with one match remaining that season), Laporta, then 33 years old, was so furious and so energised by the injustice, that he formed an active protest group ("Elefant Blau," or "Blue Elephant").

But consider this for "fan power." Within seven years, his activist opposition had earned him the Camp Nou Presidency and precisely nine years, 364 days after Cruyff was sacked, Laporta, as president, sat in the Stade de France watching the team he and his board had assembled, with Cruyff acting as their unpaid "Professor of Football," win only the club's second Champions League trophy via a 2-1 defeat of Arsenal. He went from zero to hero, quite literally, in unbelievably rapid time.

What followed after 2006 was a constant, compressed, explosion of boom and bust, the pendulum swinging crazily from one extreme to another.

Ronaldinho and Frank Rijkaard, the principle architects of the first Laporta "boom" era, lost their way, both professionally and privately. Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi flowered and began to mark out their places in the club's all-time pantheon as, under the influence of Txiki Begiristain, Pep Guardiola was appointed and Barcelona's first 'Treble' was won.

Meanwhile, former friends and allies deserted Laporta's board in droves, a motion of no-confidence went against him and was ignored so that the "golden era" from 2003 to 2010 ended with a feeling of greatness on grass, but division and debauchery in the boardroom. So much so that Laporta's sworn enemy, anti-Cruyff fanatic Sandro Rosell, immediately won a landslide victory to replace Laporta as president. Laporta had given "the people" a historic measure of glory in a magnificent seven-year era, but once his mandate was up, the voters screeched disapproval at him by electing an outright enemy who stood on diametrically opposed principles. It was a truly remarkable turn.

Why is this election win significant for Laporta, and why should we care?

Notwithstanding all that aforementioned euphoria, reality will bite soon enough. Even though the club's finances were a mess when Laporta first came to the presidency 18 years ago, it's still true that FC Barcelona's financial situation has never been worse than it is now. And irrespective of the fact that Koeman has discovered that the cupboard marked "talented players" is not in fact bare, the first team still requires some serious restorative surgery.

Koeman has discovered true greatness in the shape of young Pedri and has galvanised by far the best Barcelona have seen of France forward Ousmane Dembele (signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2017) and Dutch midfielder Frenkie De Jong (signed from Ajax in 2019). He has restored Antoine Griezmann's glow after endless speculation as to his future at the club. Koeman's also teased impactful performances out of Trincao, a speculative long-term signing, and showed that Ronald Araujo, Ilaix Moriba and Oscar Mingueza -- all products of the club's once-revered "La Masia" youth academy -- are ready for action.

Yet the aggregate 10-2 home thrashings by Real Madrid, Juventus and PSG in the Champions League this season, on top of the brutal humiliation by Bayern Munich in last year's Champions League quarterfinal, indicate that astute, highly specific purchases of established quality, experience, athleticism and power are paramount. They need direct reinforcements in defence, at centre-forward, at the tricky "pivote" role in midfield (the deep-lying playmaker) and left-back at bare minimum -- perhaps also at centre-half, too.

Laporta is now the man charged with steering Barcelona away from their calamitous €1.1bn ($1.3bn) global debt, paying or delaying the short-term debts of some €750m ($890m), and doing it while simultaneously renewing the (expensive) contracts of Dembele, Ilaix Moriba and Mingueza, buying a clutch of four or five top talents - including his dream ticket of Erling Braut Haaland -- and also both convincing and paying Messi to stay.

On paper, it's an impossible, Herculean task, but impossible isn't a word in Laporta's vocabulary. If you don't want to see one of the few fan-owned, non Petro-dollar clubs on its knees for a generation, you need to care about whether Laporta does or doesn't prove to be the right president amid a profound crisis.

What does Laporta's win mean for Messi and the squad?

For the squad, there will be improvements no matter what. However he manages it -- and I'd not be at all surprised if Laporta has a pre-arranged, nine-figure credit line aimed at staunching immediate existing debt repayments, renewing crucial contracts and making star signings -- Laporta will treat it as a primary task to make Barcelona competitive in Europe again. And, based on the green shoots this season, Spanish champions by 2022 at latest.

Messi's future, however, is a different ball game. Sunday's jigsaw of media images and soundbites -- Barcelona's captain taking his son to the Camp Nou to vote in the presidential elections, Laporta's pre-election promise that a vote for anyone else was likely to reduce the chances of Messi staying, and the new president's claim that Barcelona's superstar then called to congratulate him on Sunday night -- all hint that it's not going to be "adios, then" to their magical Number 10.

But, of course, it's not that simple. There's no question that both Manchester City and PSG still want to acquire Messi, and they'll produce persuasive, lucrative offers. If you've been watching the greatest player in Barcelona's history over the past few months, certainly since December/January, you can't fail to have noticed that he's energised, happy, involved and scampering around again. His interplay with Griezmann, Dembele, Martin Braithwaite, De Jong, Jordi Alba and, most particularly, Pedri, whom he treats somewhere between a little brother and a winning lottery ticket, has been superb.

Perhaps most startling of all is the fact that Koeman, not a man known for his diplomacy or love of "star player" culture, has unquestionably won respect and a good training attitude from the best player he's ever coached or played with. Which is quite a list. If Koeman's staying with Laporta as president, there are well-selected new talents on the way and a decent financial offer available (thanks to new credit) that Laporta has brokered, then almost all the criteria needed to make Messi happy and ambitious will be fulfilled. Draw your own conclusions.

What is the biggest issue Laporta faces in the job?

The list is long. But whether you, personally, think the biggest issue is Barcelona's debt, Messi's future, rebuilding a tired team, choosing whether it's time to retain Koeman as manager or bring Xavi back to the club from Qatar, rebuilding or renovating the slightly crumbling Camp Nou... here's my take.

Laporta is the man who put the hutz In chutzpah and the "swag" in swagger. Even when he stripped to his underpants in Barcelona airport to protest at the security guards insisting on him going through the scanners over and over again (something he now admits to regretting), Laporta is Mr. Charisma. He's bright, persuasive, connected and handsome, and his resume reads well. He's enormously ambitious, too.

But, in 2003, when he laid the foundations for his fame (and for this current lust by the FC Barcelona "members" to return to the good times), Laporta was a conduit. He played the part of leader but, above all, he was a lightning conductor.

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He did not, under any circumstances, achieve the successes of 2003-2010 on his own. From start to finish, Laporta had the guidance of a true genius: Johan Cruyff. He had Begiristain (now at Manchester City) navigating the club through a largely stellar time in the transfer market. He had "Mr. Fixer," Sandro Rosell, on one side of the throne, plus two extreme heavyweights of modern European commerce and footballing intelligence in Ferran Soriano and Marc Ingla on the other.

Both Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola hit excelsior form as part of Team Laporta, too. But right now, none of those resources are available to Team Laporta 2.0.

Above all Cruyff, the genesis genius to whom Laporta owes everything, is lost forever. Thus for all the vast range of challenges now facing President Laporta, the biggest one is him ensuring that autocracy doesn't surface, that second-class minds aren't introduced into the problem-solving groups, and that his judgement about when to delegate, and to whom, is either as brilliant or as lucky as it was during most of his first reign.

Be you friend or foe, buckle up for the ride; this won't be a dull journey.

Big picture

Afghanistan and Zimbabwe have had nearly five days to plan for the second Test after the opener in Abu Dhabi ended inside two days.

Zimbabwe are on the brink of a series win, and not just a one-off triumph, for the first time since beating Bangladesh in 2004. For Afghanistan, who've only so far featured in standalone Tests, it's a chance to prove they're no pushovers.

The break has brought good news for them, too. Legspinning allrounder Rashid Khan has recovered from the finger injury he sustained in the PSL and is expected to slot back into the XI. Therein lies Zimbabwe's biggest challenge.

They struggled against the left-arm spin of Amir Hamza, who took a career-best six for 75 in the first Test. Rashid, who will take the ball away from the right-handers, will pose more questions. Zimbabwe will need to get used to the pace at which he bowls, which is a shade quicker than traditional spinners, and familiarise themselves with his ripping googlies.

Considering two key batsmen Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine are missing, Zimbabwe acquainted themselves superbly to tough conditions. They will want to use the second Test as an opportunity to further strengthen their positions.

Afghanistan, too, have to focus on batting if they are to put up a fight to save the series. Their lack of experience in long-format cricket was apparent in the first Test and they will want to show more application.

Although there is no shame in matches ending in fewer than five days - look no further than India and England two-day and three-day encounters - both Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will be eager to display their credentials in going the distance as this series is decided.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Afghanistan LLWW
Zimbabwe WLDLL

In the spotlight

Ibrahim Zadran was far and away Afghanistan's best batsman in the first Test. He stood out for his ability to leave the ball in the opening stages of his innings. He scored 40% of Afghanistan's total runs to take his Test average above 42. He needs support from the other end, but the early indications are that his technical game and temperament bode well for Afghanistan's Test future.

The much anticipated debut of Wesley Madhevere in the first Test turned out to be a first-ball duck after he was out lbw to Hamza. With no DRS, Madhevere could not challenge the decision even though it looked like the impact could have been outside the line. There was no second innings for Madhevere to make a better first impression and he'll be hoping to spend more time in the middle in his second match.

Team news

Rashid Khan should slot straight back into the XI while Afghanistan may also look to add to their fast bowling stocks if conditions are similar to the first Test. Left-armers Fazalhaq Farooqi or Sayed Shirzad may be considered.

Afghanistan (possible): 1 Ibrahim Zadran, 2 Abdul Malik, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Munir Ahmad 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi 6 Afsar Zazai (wk) 7 Asghar Afghan (capt), 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Amir Hamza, 10 Yamin Ahmadzai, 11 Zahir Khan/Fazalhaq Farooqi

After their dominant performance in the first Test, Zimbabwe have few reasons to make changes. They may consider swapping out one of their seamers for a specialist spinner if conditions necessitate it, and have left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza or legspinner Brandon Mavuta to choose from.

Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Prince Masvaure, 2 Kevin Kasuza, 3 Tarisai Musakanda, 4 Sean Williams (capt), 5 Wesley Madhevere, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Regis Chakabva (wk), 9 Donald Tiripano, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Victor Nyauchi

Pitch and conditions

The Abu Dhabi surface proved surprisingly seamer friendly in the first Test with a green grass covering and good bounce, but also took turn early on. Sean Williams described it as being a "carpet on one side and a dustbowl on the other." Blessing Muzarabani's observations of the second Test strip is that it has less grass on it but he still expects good bounce. It's heating up in the Emirates with temperatures into the 30s and Friday set to be a scorcher at 36 degrees.

Stats and trivia

Zimbabwe have only won four Tests away from home, one in Pakistan, two in Bangladesh in separate series, and the previous one in Abu Dhabi.

This is the first Test series in the UAE that does not feature Pakistan, who played home Tests in the Middle East since 2010.

Quotes

"There's no pressure. We did well in the first game and we are looking forward to the second one. It's the most important game because we have to want the series. We have to be patient, it's not going to be easy like the last game. We really hope to win the series. It will give us confidence."

Zimbabwean quick Blessing Muzarabani on chasing history

Saif Hassan played a captain's innings to power Bangladesh Emerging Team to a six-wicket win against Ireland Wolves in the third one-dayer in Chattogram.

Hassan struck 120 off 125 balls, hitting eleven fours and five sixes, as he first played the enforcer and then anchored the 261-run chase.

Saif added 52 for the second wicket with Mahmudul Hasan, before putting on 68 for the fourth wicket with Towhid Hridoy.

Hridoy later added 69 for the unbroken fifth wicket stand with Shamim Hossain. Hridoy was unbeaten on 43 off 44 balls while Shamim, hero for the home side in the second game, blasted 44 off 25 balls, with seven fours and a six.

Gareth Delany took two wickets while Peter Chase and Ruhan Pretorius took one each.

Earlier, Ireland posted 260 for 7 in 50 overs with Lorcan Tucker making an unbeaten 82 off 52 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes. Meanwhile, Curtis Campher and James McCollum got out in their forties.

Paceman Mukidul Islam took 3 for 53 while Sumon Khan and Hridoy took one wicket each.

The match started at 11:00am, two hours after the schedule start, after a covid test on one of the local members of the visiting team's support staff, tested positive for covid-19.

According to the BCB, the support staff had tested positive on Monday, after which further tests were conducted on the suspected person and close contacts.

However, the test results of all those individuals returned negative on Tuesday morning. Both teams had agreed to delay the match based on the results of those tests.