Joan Laporta has said Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona this summer if anyone other than him is elected as the club's new president on Sunday.

Messi, 33, could walk away for nothing in June when his contract expires. He has not yet decided on his future beyond the end of the season, though, and will listen to the incoming president's proposal.

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However, Laporta, who was previously the president at Camp Nou between 2003 and 2010, warned Barca risk losing their star player if Victor Font or Toni Freixa, the other two candidates for the presidency, are voted in this weekend.

"I am sure that if someone else wins the election [other than me], Messi won't stay at the club," Laporta said in the latest debate between the three candidates. "I have a good relationship with him, there's a lot of respect.

"We'll make him an offer based on the club's situation. Maybe we can't compete financially, but Messi is not ruled by money. He wants to end his career at the highest level possible."

Laporta was the president when Messi first broke into the Barca team and he told ESPN earlier this year that his personal relationship with the forward gives him the edge over Font and Freixa.

His latest comments go one step further than that, although both Font and Freixa also remain optimistic they can convince Messi to sign a new deal despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.

"Messi has to continue at the club whatever," Font responded. "Messi is three-dimensional. For our sporting project, which will be led by Xavi [Hernandez], he's part of the solution financially. We will offer him a contract for life."

Freixa said Messi would also stay at the club if he's elected, prompting Laporta to interrupt and say that Messi "wasn't very satisfied" with Freixa's role as a director under the previous board.

"My relationship with the Messi family has always been excellent," Freixa replied.

The other big talking point was the role Xavi will have at the club. Font has said he will return under him as general manager before, in the future, replacing Ronald Koeman as the first-team coach.

Laporta pointed out that Xavi hasn't publicly supported Font's campaign and accused Font of "putting pressure" on the former midfielder, who is the coach of Al-Sadd in Qatar.

Freixa said Xavi sees himself "in the dugout, not in a general manager role" and in an interview with Catalunya Radio later said Xavi would be Barca B coach under him.

"The same as [Pep] Guardiola was the B team coach before being brilliant with the first team, Barca B is a good path for Xavi to start on at Barca," Freixa remarked.

In 1997, the Chicago White Sox famously made what is known as the "White Flag Trade." Pitchers Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin and Roberto Hernandez were dealt to the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline for a slew of prospects, effectively ending any chance the White Sox had at the postseason.

The deal was the kind of move that teams out of contention make every year leading up to July 31. But this one was particularly controversial because the White Sox weren't clearly out of the race. On the final day of July -- when the three pitchers were traded -- the team was just three games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians, however, the White Sox were in third place and just .500 at 53-53.

Owner Jerry Reinsdorf waved the white flag on the season. The White Sox had no winning vibe, they weren't drawing fans, and their chances at having a special season were extremely slim.

"I was always thinking about going for it, but unfortunately I had a boss," then-White Sox GM Ron Schueler said in a recent phone interview. "Jerry has a unique saying over the years I was with him. He doesn't like to spend money that he doesn't have. For the most part, I have to agree with him."

Reinsdorf summed it up more succinctly at the time, telling the Chicago Sun-Times, "Anyone who thinks we can catch Cleveland is crazy."

Fast forward to 2021.

We're five months from the trade deadline, but the team on the other side of Chicago could easily be facing the same dilemma. In fact, it'll be a surprise if the Cubs aren't in some kind of similar position.

On paper, they're too good, in a mediocre division, to be that far out of the race, but they're also not likely to be good enough to be World Series contenders.

Whoever does win the Central is likely to be heavy underdogs to come out of the National League, at least that's the vibe heading into the final weeks of spring training.

And there's one more thing about the 2021 Cubs that could make the decision even harder: Half of the likely Opening Day roster will be free agents come November. From Javier Baez to Zach Davies. From Kris Bryant to Craig Kimbrel. The list of players at the end of their contracts, or of team control, is long.

"That presents some challenges, dealing with guys and their anxieties about their future," new president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at the start of spring training. "The one that's unique to the Cubs is that we have so many guys in walk years."

How they got here

Winning a World Series has its costs. The cost for the Cubs was the ensuing years after their championship in 2016. They were filled with underachievement. First, it came under Joe Maddon, and then, once more, in David Ross' first mini-season at the helm in 2020.

Underachieving doesn't mean the Cubs were a bad team. There were successes. Their talent, character and camaraderie led them to playoff appearances -- but those accomplishments also don't wash away the idea that this group could have had more. Even they have admitted as much.

"If you go back 12, 13 months, it's just been marked by underachievement and uninspired play," Epstein said during one bad stretch in 2019, about 14 months before leaving the team.

It's a notion Epstein repeated several times the further the calendar got from 2016. And each time, the Cubs would bring back their core players only to have them disappoint in the end.

Why did they crumble at the most important times from 2018 to 2020? After all, these were the same players who won that World Series. They held it together in 2017, attempting to repeat, but fell short in the NLCS. Then things got worse. A quick October exit in 2018 was followed by a non-playoff season in '19, which was followed by a two-game sweep by the Marlins last year. The Cubs haven't won a playoff game since 2017.

The best explanation came recently from shortstop Javier Baez.

"I kind of got away from baseball, mentally," Báez said just last Friday. "Our hunger kind of slowed down."

Baez has spoken about himself and his teammates in a similar manner over the past few seasons. The Cubs had an air of "we got this" about them in the years after the World Series, but feeling it or saying it didn't translate to doing it.

Cubs brass isn't exempt. After breaking the longest championship drought in the history of North American professional sports, perhaps the message needed a tuneup. Instead, they fell into the trap of believing that because they did it once, they would do it again. Slowly, the people in charge realized this group wasn't going to achieve greatness again.

When the Cubs fell meekly to the Miami Marlins, it was the final straw. The team needed change. Epstein got out of the way to allow Hoyer room to make his own long-term decisions -- and to be accountable for the results. Epstein's early departure was the first sign the Cubs were beginning a transition. Does anyone really think he would have left if the team was on the verge of another long October run? Of course not.

One issue Hoyer will need to turn around is the club's recent history of not drafting well on the mound. Not one pitcher taken in any of Epstein's drafts from 2012 to 2020 has come close to being a regular starter on the team, and only a small handful have seen time in the bullpen. Draft picks Dylan Cease and Zack Godley were traded for veterans to help a team in win-now mode, but that's really it. As a result, the Cubs have been forced to spend a lot of money on pitching over the years.

The mounting cost of their pitching staff only added to the problem that comes with having a core of players who all came up around the same time: Their free-agent clocks are all ticking at once -- and only Kyle Hendricks has signed up for a long-term deal (so far). Even veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo's contract, signed in 2013, is -- you guessed it -- up at the end of 2021.

"We've said all along, we'd like to keep some of these players," Hoyer stated. "That would be great, but it would be unrealistic to keep all of the players that were part of 2016. That's just the reality."

Baez and Rizzo are the two stars most likely to return next season and beyond. Locking them up this spring would at least give Hoyer a foundation for his long-term plan. Some shedding of 2016 mainstays began when the team said goodbye to Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester and Albert Almora Jr. this winter.

His next chance to rework his team will come midsummer ... or will it?

The Big Decision

In 2019, then-general manager of the Boston Red Sox, Dave Dombrowski, had his own white flag moment -- except he didn't wave it. His Red Sox were the defending champions and on July 27, 2019, had a 59-47 record having just won three straight against the Yankees.

"We went into a two-week period, after the All-Star break and before the trade deadline, and I'm sitting there saying, 'What do we do?'" Dombrowski recalled recently. "How do you jump off at that point?"

The Red Sox were in second place but eight games behind the Yankees even after those three wins. So they were the opposite of the 1997 White Sox. A team with a good record but far from first place. Dombrowski decided to stand pat.

"Then we lost seven in a row, and afterward it was like, 'Son of a gun,'" he said.

Actually, it was eight in a row, and Boston missed a chance to retool. It's what the aforementioned Yankees did so well in 2016, when they traded Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran midseason. The players they got back have helped form the foundation of contending teams in the years since. Dombrowski, now in charge with the Philadelphia Phillies, might have learned something in '19.

"If we're close, but in my heart I know we can't do it, I would make that decision to sell," he said. "Luckily, I haven't been there too many times."

Neither has Hoyer. But it's coming. And he needs to do what Brian Cashman did with the Yankees: Hit a home run with a trade or two. As is, it would take a herculean effort by his manager to keep all those would-be free agents thinking about wins and losses over money and security.

"I'm definitely not an expert on getting the big contract," Ross joked about leading a team with so many free agents. "It's on my radar, but I really value the quality of the human being we have in that locker room."

Hoyer might have made it even tougher for himself when the team added quality outfielder Joc Pederson and veteran starter Jake Arrieta to the roster late in the offseason. The winter, prior to that point, had the organization flirting with a rebuild, especially after Yu Darvish was traded to San Diego for four prospects (and Davies).

But the Cubs were able to reach a higher payroll budget range later in the winter due to several factors, including the increased likelihood of fans at games to start the season along with corporate sponsorships. Now, Hoyer's team might be just good enough to keep him up at night come July.

Hoyer added: "We need to play well and be in a good position. Saying differently would be inaccurate, but I have every confidence we'll go out and play well."

"My hope is we're on the buy side of that, but those are the tough decisions you have to make in this job if we're not playing well."

One AL executive, asked to analyze the Cubs' situation, didn't admire Hoyer's position: "Threading that needle is really hard. He has to take emotion out of it and talk with everyone in his organization if the decision isn't obvious. Hearing the truth in that moment is important. 'Can we contend?'"

Hoyer can table all this for the moment. But he can't avoid what's coming. If he doesn't pull the trigger on some midseason deals, he could be setting the Cubs' future back even if the standings say his team can play in October. July 31, 2021, is what this Cubs season is all about.

"That's my job," Hoyer said. "I'll have to make that call. We have a bunch of guys on their last years, and I hope they play great and we're leading the division or right there in the race and looking to add in July. That's the best-case scenario.

"There's also a middle ground that makes it hard."

Euro 2020 is due to start in 100 days, on June 11, with Italy scheduled to face Turkey in Rome in the first game of a tournament that was postponed last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But with the vast majority of European countries under strict lockdown measures, UEFA has yet to decide precisely how, and where, the delayed Euro 2020 will take place.

The original plan of a 24-team competition in 12 different cities across the continent, from Dublin, Ireland in the west to Baku, Azerbaijan in the east, remains in place, but question marks loom large over many aspects of the 51-game European showpiece.

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A final decision on the format of Euro 2020 will be made at the UEFA Congress in Switzerland on Apr 20. Here's what we know, and what we still don't, about this summer's flagship competition.

With additional reporting from Stephan Uersfeld and Julien Laurens

Are the Euros certain to take place?

Yes. The worst-case scenario is a tournament played in a secure bubble with no fans allowed inside stadiums, mirroring the format used last August to conclude the Champions League and Europa League in Portugal and Germany, respectively.

From a financial perspective, many of UEFA's 55 member nations depend on the funds generated by the quadrennial championships. UEFA is committed to all 55 receiving the revenue agreed upon in 2018. As such, €371 million in prize money is at stake for the 24 nations that qualified, while another €775m will be distributed to all the member associations over the next four years. UEFA is using its reserves to pay the bill, so the money generated by broadcasting and sponsorship revenue (Editor's Note: ESPN is a rights holder for the Euros) will be crucial and a big reason why Euro 2020 will go ahead.

It's scheduled to start on June 11. What will it look like?

That's the big question. As reported by ESPN on Jan. 8, UEFA were considering three options: Plan A was the original blueprint with stadiums full of fans up to 70 percent capacity; Plan B focused on 30 percent capacity; Plan C was one nation hosting a tournament inside a bubble.

Two months on, the picture has changed. A mid-winter surge in COVID-19 infections throughout Europe has led to uncertainty over whether governments will allow games to take place in their cities come June and July.

It means that a Plan D is now in play, which revolves around the tournament being staged in fewer cities -- potentially those willing to allow some fans in stadiums. As yet, no city or country has pulled out, but sources have told ESPN that the appetite to host games is waning in Dublin and Bucharest.

Surely there are concerns about a pan-European event in 12 cities during a pandemic?

Within the game, executives, coaches, and players are planning for a 12-city tournament, but there's a sense of confusion and concern about the likelihood of it going ahead in the original format. In February, Champions League and Europa League matches were moved from their original "home" locations to neutral venues because of differing COVID-19 protocols -- Arsenal and Benfica played their last-32 fixtures in Rome and Athens, for example -- while travel between some nations is prohibited. For instance, the UK is not allowing any travel to or from Portugal at present.

In short, football is at the mercy of the pandemic and governments could veto games on their soil.

This isn't just about UEFA then?

No. Every major tournament requires the support of the host government. That's complicated enough, but UEFA are working with 12 different national administrations -- with differing infection and vaccination rates -- to make Euro 2020 happen.

Some host nations have started to relax their COVID-19 restrictions, while others have extended them. There are also political issues at play, with governments having to assess the public desire to stage Euro 2020 games in the absence of travelling fans. It's still unclear whether some governments will allow fans to cross borders.

When are UEFA going to make a final decision on the format of tournament?

Initially, UEFA had hoped to finalise details in early March in order to allow national associations, governments, broadcast partners, and fans enough time to adjust to any changes, but the second wave of COVID-19 has prompted a further delay. UEFA will confirm the Euro 2020 format at Congress on Apr. 20, seven weeks before the tournament is scheduled to begin.

Sources have told ESPN that although the situation across Europe will be unclear by then, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is determined to make a decision with as much up-to-date information as possible.

Is it possible that the tournament will be staged in one country?

It's unlikely, but yes, it remains a possibility. That said, finding a suitable host would prove problematic.

Which countries could be considered to be "in the running" for hosting?

According to sources, England, Germany, France and Russia are the realistic options because of the need to be able to accommodate and provide training bases for 24 teams.

England has the stadia, training grounds, and hotel network. Sources have said that the tournament could even be held solely in London at grounds like Wembley, the Emirates, Stamford Bridge, the London Stadium, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. UK prime minister Boris Johnson claimed Tuesday that England is willing to step in and host additional matches, but sources have also told ESPN that, in the wake of Brexit, UEFA would be under intense political pressure to avoid a scenario in which Europe's major football tournament is being rescued by the London government.

There is a similar political issue with Russia. With modern stadiums built for the 2018 World Cup, Russia could comfortably host. But with the country banned from all major sporting events for two years by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because of a doping scandal, UEFA would be unlikely to risk the negative publicity.

Germany has little appetite to take on the responsibility. In public, no one has spoken out against hosting the tournament, but there's little in the way of support. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), one of Germany's two governing parties, said in a statement earlier this month that the idea of Euro 2020 in its current format is "not convincing" and that "a tight territorial region, no fans and a good hygiene concept would be desirable [in order to allow] the tournament to go through."

Meanwhile Philipp Lahm, the former Bayern and Germany legend serving as the German FA's ambassador for their Euro 2024 hosting bid, ruled it out. "Currently, this is absolutely no scenario, I can clearly say that," he told Sportbuzzer. "No one can predict what will happen in the coming months, but right now it's open to debate that Germany will stage the tournament alone."

France has also made no moves to step in. A source told ESPN that even before the French Football Federation (FFF) could raise the possibility of hosting, the government said there was no chance of them approving it, not least after the logistics of organizing and hosting the 2019 Women's World Cup. The specter of presidential elections this year are a further obstacle.

Meanwhile, Gabriele Gravina, president of Italy's national football association (FIGC, or Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio) contradicted talk of a single nation hosting the tournament. "These are unfounded rumours, we have a lot of confidence in our government authorities and we are convinced that we will catch up with the vaccination policy. We are confident. We are ready for the kick-off of our first match in Rome."

What about the players? Are they going to be in bubbles throughout the tournament?

Unless the COVID-19 infection across Europe drops dramatically between now and June and allows for unrestricted movement, all competing squads are likely to have to adhere to the same regulations that have been in place in the club game since football returned last summer. Sources have said that it is highly likely that teams will be in bubbles for the duration of the tournament, with regular testing of players, coaches and officials.

Will UEFA push for players to be vaccinated?

Sources have said it is "very doubtful" that UEFA will insist on players being vaccinated, although the organisation is still to agree a confirmed position on this. A person familiar with the discussions told ESPN that UEFA will take a similar view to the Premier League, which has adopted a "wait our turn" position on vaccines. The UK government has been rolling out the vaccine to the population on the basis of age and vulnerability.

Any plans in place in the event of an outbreak / new wave of infections during the tournament?

UEFA has yet to draft a protocol that would cater for the impact of a potential COVID-19 outbreak in the summer, but sources have said it's likely to follow a similar format to the protocol used in the Champions League and Europa League. In those competitions, a suitable alternative venue is identified if a game cannot take place as originally planned. In the Champions League Round of 16, RB Leipzig's home game against Liverpool was moved to Budapest, while Atletico Madrid staged their home fixture against Chelsea in Bucharest.

UEFA are confident that any localised outbreak would not affect the whole tournament.

How about fans inside stadiums? Will that happen?

It's increasingly likely that fans will be able to watch games inside stadiums in some venues. Up to 10,000 fans will be allowed back into football stadiums in England starting May 17 and, according to government plans, all restrictions on numbers will be lifted on Jun. 21, which raises the prospect of Wembley hosting up to 90,000 fans for some games. However, sources tell ESPN that it's extremely unlikely.

While England is making progress towards fans returning, sources have told ESPN that fans won't be allowed to attend games in Ireland until September, suggesting that Dublin's four games at Euro 2020 will be played behind closed doors at the Aviva Stadium. Yet Jonathan Hill, CEO of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), said this weekend that they were briefed by UEFA over the weekend on the topic.

"UEFA wants to see fans in all 12 of the stadia and all 12 of the cities, and we are planning on the basis that we will have fans in the Aviva Stadium," said Hill. That is the current situation, and that is the plan. It's now a situation whereby all 12 of the cities are working with UEFA and their governments to work out how many fans they can get safely into their individual stadia. In reality, we're all learning from each other in terms of the approaches that are being taken."

In Germany, the goal is to further reopen once the country goes under 35 infections per 100,000 for a seven-day period. Protocols in France are still strict, with a national curfew in effect and strict closure rules for hotels and restaurants. There are also no plans to welcome fans back to sporting events until after the summer. (Some discussions of hosting test events in Lyon, among other cities, won't be happening with fans in stadiums for a "few weeks," according to Sports minister Roxana Maracineanu.)

Jonathan Hill, CEO of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), said over the weekend that they were briefed by UEFA on the topic of allowing fans at games. "UEFA wants to see fans in all 12 of the stadia and all 12 of the cities, and we are planning on the basis that we will have fans in the Aviva Stadium. That is the current situation, and that is the plan.

"It is now a situation whereby all 12 of the cities are working with UEFA and their governments to work out how many fans they can get safely into their individual stadia. In reality, we're all learning from each other in terms of the approaches that are being taken.

By mid-April, UEFA expects to know which countries will allow fans and which will not, and that could be a factor in deciding whether cities drop out or continue as hosts.

UEFA have already sold 90 percent of tickets for a tournament with fans. How will they resolve that?

This is a headache for UEFA, although cancellations and refunds are a strong possibility because of the likelihood of games being played in front of vastly reduced crowds. One option: UEFA could resell tickets to fans in local markets, but there's still no certainty as to how many fans will be able to attend in each city. The most likely scenario is for crowd limits to be set in April and tickets sold accordingly.

Will fans be able to travel?

Once again, this is dependent on the border policies of the current 12 host nations. Some may allow travel by June and July, others may not.

Sources have told ESPN that Euro 2020 will almost certainly be played out in front of domestic crowds, with no supporters able to travel from outside countries.

Even in the week leading up to a crucially important, and potentially career-defining, Madrid derby, with his team top of La Liga as they have been virtually all season, there are lessons for Atletico manager Diego Simeone to learn from former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. There's a lesson to avoid becoming "satisfied" and not being scared to reach for the biggest objectives. A lesson about not settling for "safe" instead of daring to dream. And a lesson about not letting financial success, and its associated personal rewards, blunt the "who dares wins" attitude without which true glory would be perpetually elusive.

If you set aside England's season-opening friendly of the Charity/Community Shield, Wenger won 10 major trophies in 22 years at Arsenal. In Simeone's nine full years in charge at Atleti, the Argentine has inspired Los Rojiblancos to seven -- including three in Europe -- arguably the best spell in the club's history.

Simeone is already the coach with the most trophy wins in Atleti's 118-year existence and now, as he and his troops chase a first league title since 2013-14, they have to go toe-to-toe with their nemesis, Real Madrid, yet again.

It's a derby that offers Atleti a golden chance to go eight points clear at the top of La Liga, with a game in hand and 13 games left. A massive opportunity, right? The kind of challenge which makes the blood in your veins surge with endorphins; the "fight" instinct warns its "flight" sibling to leave town as the warrior mentality takes over. Or is it "squeaky bum time," to borrow legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's infamous phrase? Is it the kind of threat/opportunity scenario which, these days, makes Simeone come over all conservative, risk-averse and fearful?

The fact is that Atleti, in recent seasons, have shrunk in the face of these tests -- they haven't been made of what NASA calls "the right stuff." It's beginning to feel as if they, and Simeone, may be suffering a Wenger-isation.

It's been five years since Atleti beat Madrid in La Liga; six years since they beat them at home. Horrible stats. Granted, Los Colchoneros beat Barcelona 1-0 earlier this season, but even that was badly overdue - it was Simeone's first win in 18 Liga matches against the Catalans, a spell spanning the reigns of eight different Barca managers! Another horrible stat.

But with the notable exceptions of a thrilling 4-2 win over Madrid in the 2018 European Super Cup final and the winning of the Europa League a few months earlier, Atleti's inability to produce big performances in big matches since losing the 2016 Champions League final is beginning to make them look like a team that fluffs its lines.

Is it because of their manager? Simeone's ex-international teammate, PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, told me recently that he yearns for his players to be "wolves, not domesticated pet dogs." Has Simeone, like Wenger, gone a bit tame?

In 2017, Atleti lost the Champions League semifinal first leg against Madrid 3-0. The tie was effectively over and the final out of reach after just 90 minutes and even a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture couldn't save them.

A year later, there was a brilliant 3-0 win over Marseille in the Europa League final, but it was an opportunity that only fell their way because they originally lost at home to Chelsea and dropped four points against lowly Azerbaijani side Qarabag to flop to third-place in Champions League Group C.

In 2019, Simeone's team were thrashed 4-0 at Signal Iduna Park by Borussia Dortmund meaning the two teams tied at the top of Group A, but Atleti lost the head-to-head record and drew Juventus in the round of 16 as a result of coming second. Winning 2-0 in the first leg, they went to Turin and were utterly smashed 3-0 to crash out - a deeply inglorious result from a team whose trademark has always been their unerring ability to defend a single-goal lead and win 1-0.

Last season, amid the enforced changes of the coronavirus pandemic, they were second-best against Liverpool over two legs in the round of 16 but thanks to a blunder by the Reds' stand-in keeper Adrian and a late matchwinning cameo by substitute Marcos Llorente, who scored two goals in extra-time, they went through 4-2 on aggregate. However, they then suffered a meek 2-1 defeat against RB Leipzig in the quarterfinals as Tyler Adams scored late on.

Atleti's two biggest games this season have added to their growing profile as a team that will grind out narrow wins against any lesser or off-form sides, but who are neither ruthless nor "survive at any cost." First they were dismantled 4-0 in Munich by the defending champions in Champions League Group A then, domestically, Madrid made them look naive like children and athletically like pensioners in a 2-0 victory at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano in December.

The worrying thing, above and beyond bloodless performances in matches that can be the gateway to trophies, is whether Simeone is following a Wenger-style decline by losing his edge and becoming "comfortable." Genuinely outstanding though the Frenchman's legacy at Arsenal will always be, Wenger's beginning to steer the team, the club and his own ambitions away from major trophy success had its roots in Arsenal building an ambitious and massively expensive new stadium. Ring any bells, Atleti fans?

Arsenal and their manager certainly had the responsibility to earn as much money as possible from every single opportunity but Wenger's watchword began to be "top four." Not winning the title; not winning the Champions League. No. Finishing fourth in the league to guarantee the money that comes with playing European football for another season.

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As early as 2012, Wenger, the manager who had conquered the fabled "Double" in 1998, had been brave enough to go toe-to-toe with Ferguson at his fieriest and for whom the 2003-04 "Invincibles" went the extra mile time and time again, began to say that "qualifying for the Champions League is like a trophy."

It's not. Not in the least. It's vital, it's lucrative and it may be the key to a coach keeping his job -- but it's not, and never will be, the same as actually winning a trophy. Confuse the brutal effort it requires to be "winners" with the managed, actuarial calculations needed to be financially successful and in sporting terms, you're already half-dead.

Wenger lasted six more years, during which Arsenal were uncompetitive for the English title; standards slipped and "second best" became good enough throughout the club until they inevitably failed to make the top four in 2017 and haven't played Champions League football since.

It was a slow and debilitating rot; sad to watch and still nowhere near fully cured. Of course, it must all be set against the fact that 20 consecutive qualifications for the Champions League, and multiple FA Cup wins, earned many millions for a club which had a sizeable wage bill, which tried to compete for decent signings and which built an impressive £390m (about £590m in today's terms) stadium.

By 2017, when Atleti opened their Wanda Metropolitano stadium it had cost €310m. Even given player transfers, the sale of their former Vicente Calderon stadium and loan facilities, this achievement wouldn't have been possible, certainly under the same building schedule, without the €530m-plus earned in UEFA revenue, from Simeone's exploits in European football, since he joined.

Both in financial and trophy terms, Simeone is Atletico Madrid's "Golden Child," but that big-game record I detailed above found it's absolute lowest point last week against Chelsea.

Not only were Atleti abject, the entire strategic concept was craven. Fresh off the disappointment of dropping five points in two games against Levante -- and seeing what was once a yawning lead at the top of La Liga cut to three points to feel the hot, angry breath of Real Madrid on their necks -- Simeone plotted the "home" leg against Chelsea as if Atleti were a small club. Their setup was listed as a 5-3-2, but Los Rojiblancos often defended with six!

Chelsea knew that the 34-year-old Luis Suarez couldn't sprint 30 metres into a gap, guessed that Simeone would be daft enough to keep Moussa Dembele on the bench and that Marcos Llorente, who thrives off space to run in behind defences and create goal scoring chances, would be relegated to right wing-back (which was a calamitous mistake.) So the Blues defended high, pressed Atleti back and won every single tactical bet that manager Thomas Tuchel made. They won 1-0 -- with an away goal -- too.

It was arguably the weakest, least acceptable and non-streetwise performance of the entire Simeone era. If a trainee coach trying to earn his UEFA licence displayed that kind of tactical, strategic maladroitness, he'd have failed before being told to come back next year after a torrent of remedial homework.

Last weekend, away to Villarreal, Atleti re-emerged: hard-nosed, recognisable, stubbornly committed to maintaining what little of their La Liga lead was left and they took away a three-point haul that just might prove to be the most important of their season.

After conceding in eight straight games, the worst record in Simeone's entire reign, suddenly a clean sheet arrived in a 2-0 win. Real Madrid subsequently dropped points at home to Real Sociedad and now, in the blink of an eye, redemption is hovering just within Simeone's reach.

When this once belligerent, hungry Argentinian first arrived to grab Atleti by the scruff of the neck and haul them back into contention he ended a 14-year run during which Atleti, by hook or by crook, simply couldn't beat Madrid in a derby match.

The 2013 Copa del Rey final ended that brutal stain on Atleti's history. Now, as previously stated, it's once again six long, sore years since they defeated Los Blancos on Atleti turf. When Simeone took over Los Rojiblancos hadn't won the title for 15 years -- he sorted that too.

Whether or not he and Atleti can put right the atrocious display against Chelsea when they travel to Stamford Bridge later this month isn't exactly irrelevant. But the key prize is becoming Spain's champions. Even in the absence of their extraordinary fans, Simeone has the playing resources and the points total, while there are sufficient difficulties in the opponents' camps, to haul Atleti to what would be only their third Spanish title in 44 years.

What's now in question is whether this once ferocious, voracious man still has the tactical shrewdness, the electric energy, the ambition, the drive, the confidence and admirable cheekiness which can force Atleti over the finishing line in May. Or has Simeone, for similar reasons, after similar success and with an almost identical degree of power at a club he's made great, turned into a latter day, "comfortable" Wenger? Sunday afternoon against Madrid will provide a partial answer.

Any changes to the domestic schedule in the 2021 English season are likely to be limited to a handful of high-value games, after the government revealed a roadmap out of lockdown last week.

While the government's roadmap does present some challenges for a county game desperate to maximise ticket revenues, various meetings between the counties and the ECB have concluded as much will be lost as is gained by widespread fixture changes.

The T20 Blast starts on June 9, nearly two weeks ahead of the government's anticipated date for the lifting of social-distancing measures on June 21. As a result, games played in that window will have attendances limited to a maximum 50% of ground capacity.

But while some counties hoped they might be able to swap the rounds of County Championship cricket scheduled for the weeks starting July 4 or July 11, they have now accepted this would not be practical. Several of the Championship games due to be played over that period are at 'festival' grounds such as Scarborough, Cheltenham and Chesterfield, with the counties involved confident of good attendances.

There would also be issues with TV schedules - Sky Sports have plans to show T20 games in the period before the lifting of social-distancing measures - and ground availability, with the Ageas Bowl likely to host the World Test Championship final from June 18. Plans to play the entire group stage of the Blast in the period after social distancing has been lifted were also abandoned as impractical as there were only 29 days available in which to play the tournament. As a result, it has been decided the published fixture list will not be changed.

There are a few exceptions. ESPNcricinfo understands that a handful of games which might be expected to sell heavily and disproportionately impact the finances of the host county could still be rearranged so they are played after all social-distancing measures are lifted. Among those games are the Middlesex vs Surrey fixture, scheduled for Lord's on June 10, and Durham vs Yorkshire, scheduled to be played at Chester-le-Street on June 11.

It is likely those matches will be swapped with T20 fixtures deemed less likely to attract full-house crowds currently scheduled to be played later in the tournament. Tickets for the majority of fixtures in the Blast were put on sale by counties on Monday.

While Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, originally said social distancing measures would be from June 21 at the earliest, there are some hopes the government may accelerate the end of lockdown. With the number of Covid-19 cases falling steadily at present and the number of those vaccinated rising sharply, there are those around the counties hopeful full houses may return in time for the entire Blast schedule. Wales' roadmap out of lockdown - which will affect Glamorgan's preparations for the season - is yet to be announced.

One alteration to the Championship schedule has been confirmed, with Surrey shifting their home fixture against Gloucestershire, which starts on May 27, from Guildford to The Oval in anticipation of being able to accommodate a limited number of members. Counties have begun to unveil their pre-season schedules, with fixtures starting from the end of March.

LOS ANGELES -- After beating the Lakers 114-104 on Tuesday without their leading scorer and All-Star, Devin Booker, down the stretch, the Phoenix Suns said they put a stamp of legitimacy on their season.

"I think Jae Crowder said it best: We got better tonight," said Suns coach Monty Williams after the game. "You gain confidence when a guy like Book doesn't play or gets tossed and you're able to pull a game out on the road at the end of a trip. That's a recipe for mailing it in, and this group has shown a lot of resiliency. But that was a big-time character win, and we got better.

"I think we played good tonight, but we probably got more confidence that we can pull a game out without Devin or Chris [Paul] saving the day.''

Booker was tossed for picking up two technical fouls with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter and Phoenix ahead 70-63. Booker had 17 points at the time to lead the Suns.

"Booker received his first technical foul for continuous complaining and then he received his second technical foul, and as per rule was ejected, for directing profane language at a game official," crew chief Marc Davis told ESPN as part of a pool report after the game.

The Lakers, playing without Anthony Davis for an eighth straight game because of right leg injuries and also missing starting center Marc Gasol (health and safety protocols) and Kyle Kuzma (bruised right heel), naturally saw the ejection as a chance to get back in the contest. But the Suns doubled their lead from seven to 14 by the three-minute mark of the fourth quarter without Booker.

"I don't know if it was a big effect, other than we felt like we had an opportunity to win a game that we were down in," said Lakers coach Frank Vogel. "It didn't play out that way."

The win capped a 3-0 trip for Phoenix and improved the Suns' record to 15-3 in their past 18 games. They also leapfrogged L.A. in the standings, moving up to No. 2 in the Western Conference with the victory.

"We're just trying to get better each and every game, but I felt honestly today we got better," said Crowder, who, with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, was one of five Suns to score in double digits. "I came in the locker room and told the guys that. Booker left in the third quarter and we just could have folded or could have stepped up to the challenge, and we decided to step up to the challenge."

Phoenix's bench outscored L.A.'s reserves 38-27, and the Suns shot 16-for-29 from the 3 line (55.2%) as compared to the Lakers' 11-for-31 mark from deep (35.5%).

"Can't get too happy on the farm, man," Suns forward Mikal Bridges said. "We know what we're doing; we know we're getting better. We just got to keep progressing and getting better.

"Any team can be beat, and if we relax, there's a lot of tough teams. Even teams with not great records, they're going to play hard, so we got to keep getting better, not relax and keep playing our way."

Phoenix has one more game before the All-Star break, at home against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

LeBron James will miss his first game of the season when the Los Angeles Lakers play a road game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday in their final outing before the NBA All-Star break, the Lakers said.

James did not accompany the team on its flight to Sacramento following a 114-104 home loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, according to a team spokesperson.

Heading into the Suns game, James was listed as probable with a left ankle sprain, which he suffered earlier in the season. He will receive treatment while he is in L.A., according to the team.

James, 36, had played in all 36 games for the defending champs this season, averaging 25.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists while leading L.A. to a 24-12 record -- third best in the Western Conference.

He will still report to Atlanta this weekend to participate in his 17th straight All-Star Game, according to The Athletic.

L.A. could be very short-handed for the second night of its back-to-back in Sacramento, as Anthony Davis (right leg) is also ruled out, while Marc Gasol (health and safety protocols), Kyle Kuzma (bruised right heel) and Alex Caruso (neck spasms) were all on the injury report after the Suns game.

Lunch Zimbabwe 237 for 8 (Williams 97*, Chakabva 44, Muzarabani 8*) lead Afghanistan 131 (Zazai 37, Muzarabani 4-48) by 106 runs

Zimbabwe took their lead past 100 runs on a productive second morning in Abu Dhabi. The advantage has been built by captain Sean Williams, who is a hit away from his third Test century - and second as skipper. His 75-run seventh-wicket stand with Regis Chakabva dominated the first session on the day, and could prove to be the difference between the two sides in the end analysis.

Afghanistan had success at the start and end of the session, and their spinners asked questions of Zimbabwe's batsmen, but did not tie them down as much as they would have liked to. Zimbabwe scored 104 runs in the session in 28 overs, with Chakabva leading their proactive approach.

He found himself at the crease in the second over of the day after Ibrahim Zadran had Ryan Burl lbw, without the batsman having added to his overnight 8. Zadran's over ended with back-to-back boundaries as Chakabva pulled a short ball and then inside-edged one past the wicketkeeper. Zadran only bowled one more over and Chakabva took a third boundary off it, before Afghanistan went to spin from both ends and then welcomed back Yamin Ahmadzai, who left the field late on the first day with what appeared to be an ankle injury.

By that point, Chakabva had also hit the only six of the innings so far, lofting Amir Hamza over long-on, and had scored 24 runs off the first 34 balls he had faced. Williams had been watchful throughout, before he had the opportunity to drive Ahmadzai through extra cover to start showing his intent. After demonstrating his back-foot play yesterday, Williams transitioned to shot-making off the front foot on the second morning, showing an ability to adapt and keep the runs coming. Ahmadzai thought he had Williams caught behind on 70, and though there seemed to be a sound, umpire Ahmed Shah Pakteen was unmoved.

The Williams-Chakabva partnership reached 50 when Chakabva hit Zahir Khan for two successive fours. The two of them looked comfortable at the crease and were navigating spin fairly well. But with less than 15 minutes to lunch, Khan drew Chakabva forward in an attempt to defend a ball that took the inside-edge on to the pad and to Abdul Malik at short leg.

With only the tail to come, and Williams 14 away from a hundred, he pulled Khan through midwicket to enter the 90s but, three balls later, saw Donald Tiripano depart in similar fashion to Chakabva. He also lunged at a ball he could not get to the pitch of and inside-edged to short leg. Williams was on 92 when he was joined by Blessing Muzarabani, who took the lead over 100 with a heave over square leg. Williams went to lunch on 97.

Nikola Jokic continues to build an MVP case by doing things that no center has done since Wilt Chamberlain.

On Tuesday, Jokic collected the 50th triple-double of his career with 37 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets rout the Bucks 128-97 at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum.

Jokic's latest milestone put him in rarefied company for big men. He became only the second center ever to reach 50 career triple-doubles, according to ESPN Stats and Info research, joining Chamberlain, who had 78. Jokic is also just the ninth player in history to record 50 triple-doubles, and only Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson did it faster than him, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

"It's nice, of course," Jokic said of doing something only Chamberlain has done among centers in the history of the game. "It is something that [for] my legacy to put behind me. It's cool just to be in that group of guys, especially with one of the best players to ever play the game. Just a nice accomplishment."

Jokic entered the game averaging career highs in points (27.1), rebounds (11.0), assists (8.5), 3-point field goal shooting rate (41.1%) and free throw shooting rate (88.2%) this season.

He has nine triple-doubles this campaign and has missed another six triple-doubles by either one assist or one rebound.

"He's only 25 years old, which is amazing," Denver coach Michael Malone said. "Nikola has 50 career triple-doubles, but he also has 20 games [in his career] where he missed a triple-double by either one rebound or one assist. It just speaks to his greatness. The guy doesn't get fatigued; he doesn't get tired."

Jokic made 15 of 23 shots to help snap Milwaukee's five-game winning streak. Besides reaching the triple-doubles milestone, Jokic's average of 8.5 assists is something no center has done in a season since Chamberlain, who is the only center to have ever led the league in total assists.

One area Jokic can't keep up with Chamberlain in is dunks, but he is on a personal-best pace. Jokic dunked three times against the Bucks and has 20 slams on the season. He has never dunked more than 23 times in a season, which happened during 2016-17, his second season in the league.

"He has been a dunking machine as of late," said Malone, who joked that Jokic should try to enter this weekend's All-Star dunk contest. "We joke about it, but it really does speak to his overall conditioning, staying in great shape and being disciplined.

"Most people are emotional eaters, right?" Malone said. "If you have any reason to overeat, it's this season. It's been crazy. Can't leave the hotel, get tested three times a day. But Nikola has laser focus and discipline. He has been just a machine for us. And for him to attack the basket, dunk and hang on the rim as much as he has this year is really fun to watch."

The Montreal Canadiens made another change to their coaching staff, appointing Sean Burke to take over as the director of goaltending, general manager Marc Bergevin announced after Tuesday night's 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Burke replaces Stephane Waite, who was let go after holding the position since 2013.

Burke will be required to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine before joining the team. Laval Rocket goaltending coach Marco Marciano will work with Montreal's goaltenders until Burke is cleared to join the squad.

Burke, 54, was originally hired by the Canadiens in 2016 as a professional scout for the Western region. He has also worked as a goaltending consultant for Montreal.

He had an 18-year NHL career, suiting up for eight organizations before moving into management post-retirement.

The three-time NHL All-Star represented Canada at the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics and served as Canada's general manager at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, where the team won bronze without NHL players.

Tuesday night marked rookie coach Dominique Ducharme's first NHL victory. Ducharme replaced the fired Claude Julien last week in the wake of consecutive shootout and overtime losses to the Senators in Ottawa.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.