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Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta is reportedly being investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office in Peru for fraud. A lawsuit has been filed which alleges the World Cup winner defrauded local entrepreneurs to the tune of approximately €518,000 ($600,000/£450,000). Companies owned by Iniesta are accused of organising entertainment projects which did not take place and then failed to offer refunds.

Iniesta accused of fraud

Iniesta is known throughout the world as one of the greatest midfielders to ever grace the game. The former star won the World Cup with Spain and countless domestic trophies during his incredible career with Barcelona. Now it's claimed that his glowing reputation was used to help attract investment in Peru for a series of entertainment events run by Iniesta's companies, Never Say Never (NSN) Barcelona and its subsidiary NSN Sudamérica, that simply did not take place, according to . 

An international soccer friendly and a K-pop festival were among the events promised that never happened, while prosecutors allege the Upa Upa Fest did go ahead but generated significant losses. These losses subsequently led to the cancellation of a legends match and a planned friendly between Cienciano and Nacional de Quito.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBarcelona legend 'led by the wrong people'

Iniesta has yet to respond publicly to the allegations but reports the former Barcelona star has been "affected" by the events. Sources close to the former player claim he was "led by the wrong people, which harmed him and third parties". The accusations have been denied, although it has been claimed one of the companies involved "is being liquidated in order to pay for everything they left behind".

One of those affected, Emilio Lozano, has claimed thousands were invested into planned football matches and concerts due to be organised by Iniesta's companies. Lozano told the program 'Y ahora Sonsoles': [There was] no notification whatsoever. We found out that the company was in liquidation. They never took responsibility for anything, even though they supposedly were going to."

According to Peruvian media, the Public Prosecutor's Office is now investigating whether "the money raised in Peru was transferred to accounts abroad" and if Iniesta's image was used to tempt investors. It has been alleged "that prestige was only used to attract capital from Peruvian businessmen under the deception that it would be invested in major events, but these events never took place". 

AFPCould Iniesta face charges?

The investigation into the fraud allegations are continuing, meaning Iniesta could potentially face criminal charges. Prosecutors are reportedly planning to request further documentation from all parties involved, with Iniesta yet to comment publicly on the matter.

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AFPWhat next for Iniesta?

Iniesta has spoken about his future after hanging up his illustrious boots last year at the age of 40. The former midfielder has admitted he would like to head into coaching but is in no rush. He told : "For now, I plan to stay in Dubai for 2025. There are family logistics to consider, like our children’s education, so we’ll try to manage it all. I’m also working on projects that allow me to keep learning. I don’t have time to get bored, everything is different. I still have the passion and enthusiasm to do what I do with dedication.

"I’m doing a bit of everything – this is a new chapter of my life where I want to grow and explore different things. I have several businesses, such as my agency Never Say Never (NSN) or Mikakus Barcelona, a trainer company. I’m pursuing new interests with my team and we’ve invested in an exciting project at the Danish club Helsingor. I’ll try to absorb as much knowledge as possible over the coming months. I’m also enthusiastic about studying for my coaching licence in the future.

"I know many people expect me to coach Barca one day, but right now I’m not thinking about that. That’s a huge responsibility, especially since I’m just starting out. Of course, it’s my home, and hopefully one day I’ll return – we’ll see in what capacity and when. It would be beautiful. [Pep] Guardiola, Xavi and then Iniesta? Yeah, sounds good…"

Allrounder Matthew Spoors could become an option for Scorchers after reviving his career with Canada

Tristan Lavalette14-Dec-2024In the last BBL game played at Optus Stadium, a low-scoring knockout final back in January, Adelaide Strikers successfully deployed a spin-heavy attack that flummoxed Perth Scorchers and ended their dreams of a hat-trick of titles.It was a stunning turn, pardon the pun, of events and underlined that spin can have a major impact on a surface renowned for being fast and bouncy much like the nearby WACA.Scorchers, the competition’s most successful franchise, will be determined to bounce back but they could face challenges with their spin depth.Related

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Left-arm spinners Ashton Agar and Cooper Connolly have been in a race to be fit for Sunday’s season-opener against Melbourne Stars at Optus Stadium. While skipper Ashton Turner, a handy offspinner, has been managing a ribs issue since a recent hit-out for local team Fremantle. But all three have been named in Scorchers’ 14-player squad.Left-arm wrist spinner Hamish McKenzie departed in the off-season after taking up a two-year deal with Stars having struggled to regularly crack into a Scorchers attack usually featuring Agar as their sole frontline spinner.Agar has been a mainstay of Scorchers’ attack for years, relied upon to dry the scoring in the middle overs although he was expensive late last season. He has not played since suffering a shoulder injury during the Sheffield Shield last month.Having been blooded into Australia’s white-ball teams, there was a lot of excitement heading into this season over Connolly whose x-factor allround ability has seen him likened to Travis Head.But he’s been on the sidelines for the past month with a fractured hand after being whacked by a short delivery from Pakistan quick Mohammad Hasnain in the third ODI at Optus Stadium.Australia’s selectors are excited about Cooper Connolly’s potential with the ball as well as bat•Getty ImagesIt was a premature end to Connolly’s first innings in international cricket, but he appears a chance to take his place against Stars after playing in Scorchers’ intra-squad match on Thursday at the WACA.”I’m going to try and put my best foot forward to play on Sunday. But it’s up to the coaches to decide if I’m ready or not,” Connolly told ESPNcricinfo on Thursday. “It’s obviously frustrating [the injury], it wasn’t great timing. But it’s a small bump in the road and I’m just looking to keep a positive mindset.”Connolly is still developing his left-arm orthodox bowling, but does boast a three-wicket haul among his 15 BBL games. The 21-year-old Connolly is set to assume more responsibility if Agar is absent, while his cavalier batting makes him a potential match-winner.Connolly offers flexibility with the bat but failed to make an impact as an opener early last season. At this stage of his career, No. 6 is his preferred position and appears the best use of his ability to finish an innings as he memorably showed in the unforgettable final of BBL12 when he helped lift Scorchers to the title and became an instant cult hero.”I like to be very versatile and I’m happy to bat anywhere from one to seven,” Connolly said. “But at this point in time, I probably see myself at six and want to try to knuckle down in that role and finish off the innings.”With limited spare spin options, Scorchers could at some stage this season turn to new signing Matthew Spoors, a legspinning allrounder who like his friend and former team-mate Tim David has emerged off the canvas and ignited his career through Associate cricket. He isn’t part of the squad to face Stars but has already provided an impressive comeback story.Spoors, 25, was a highly touted top-order batter as a junior and received his first Western Australia contract while he was in high school. But he never played a senior game and was discarded in 2020 after three years on the list.”I probably didn’t know my game too well and chopped and changed my technique a lot,” Spoors told ESPNcricinfo. “I listened to too many people when I was younger and probably couldn’t say no to the advice.”With his cricket career in ruins, he tried his hand at Australian Rules Football, his other sporting passion, but the rough and tumble sport proved demanding for the diminutive Spoors.He decided to give cricket another serious crack, with a particular focus on the T20 format amid the sport’s shifting landscape to franchise leagues. But a reinvention was required if he was going to make a professional career out of it.Having always been able to bowl a “quick leggie”, Spoors focused on the craft of legspin and used Afghanistan talisman Rashid Khan as a blueprint.Matthew Spoors has revived his career•Getty Images”I could never really slow it up, that wasn’t really my game,” Spoors said about his legspin. “I’ve always been able to bowl a wrong’un and leggie, so being able to to do that fast…I’ve tried to utilise that and it’s the type of bowling that suits T20 cricket.”He’s also worked on his power-hitting in a bid to turn himself into a specialist finisher.Inspired by David, who rose from WA cricket discard to in-demand T20 player via a stint with Singapore, Spoors made use of holding a Canadian passport – the country his mother was born – and represented them in the uncompromising world of Associate cricket. He smashed 108 not out from 66 balls on T20I debut against the Philippines in Oman and played 10 T20Is and five ODIs in a 14-month period.”Playing Associate cricket helped my confidence,” he said. “I played on so many different pitches in different environments that it holds you in good stead. And meeting new people and being part of different cultures really expanded my horizons.”Spoors took that form into last season’s local cricket competition in Perth where he shared the Olly Cooley Medal with Renegades batter Jono Wells for the top player in WA Premier Cricket.He then impressed in August’s Top End T20 Series in Darwin to seal a contract with Scorchers before making his List A debut for WA against Victoria at the MCG last month. He didn’t get a chance to bowl and made just 4 off 12 balls at No. 6 in the rain-interrupted match, but more opportunities under brighter lights may be imminent.Spoors already has an enthusiastic supporter in the Scorchers ranks with Connolly, his Scarborough team-mate in local cricket, a firm believer in his skill-set.”I’m very close to him and we’ve had some good conversations about the game and being a spin allrounder,” Connolly said about Spoors. “I think if he gets an opportunity, he’ll be ready.”

Old Firm derbies are always occasions to savour, but this Sunday’s meeting could hardly be more jam-packed with narrative.

Prior to this year, both Rangers and Celtic had never previously changed managers in the same season, only for Glasgow’s big two to do so in the same month during a bonkers October.

Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation on Monday means, 20 years after departing, Martin O’Neill will be in charge of the Hoops while, in the opposition dugout at Hampden, this will be only Danny Röhl’s fourth game as Rangers boss.

The German has overseen back-to-back Premiership wins this week, beating Kilmarnock at Ibrox and then Hibs at Easter Road on Wednesday, and would truly get supporters onside with victory in this weekend’s semi-final, thereby facing either St Mirren or Motherwell in the final on 14 December.

If Röhl is going to lead the Gers to victory, he must make changes to his team victorious in Leith in mid-week, leaving out an underwhelming summer signing once compared to Neymar.

Youssef Chermiti's start to life at Rangers

Fair to say, when Rangers signed Youssef Chermiti from Everton for £8m on deadline day, potentially rising to £10m with add-ons, a few eyebrows were raised.

This makes the Portuguese under-21 international the second-most expensive signing in the club’s history, behind Tore André Flo, surpassing Ryan Kent’s post-liquidation record of £7.5m.

This is despite the fact that, during two seasons at Everton, Chermiti failed to score a single goal, making 24 appearances for the Toffees, albeit these did total a miserly 295 minutes.

The 21-year-old then scored his first senior goal for anyone since May 2023 by bagging the clinching third against Kilmarnock at Ibrox last Sunday.

This earned him the start in Edinburgh on Wednesday, but he did not impress, touching the ball only 33 times, losing possession on 13 occasions and mustering only one shot, as per Sofascore, even if his good work to set up Danilo’s goal, substituted with 13 minutes to go and replaced by Bojan Miovski.

Nevertheless, Chermiti has simply not shown enough to suggest he can cause Celtic’s back-line problems atop Mount Florida, meaning he should begin Sunday’s game among the substitutes.

He isn’t the only member of the Rangers forward line who needs to be replaced, however…

Rangers' Neymar-esque star yet to shine

When Mikey Moore arrived at Rangers this summer, he did so with a massive reputation.

Then-manager Russell Martin praised an “outstanding young player”, sporting director Kevin Thelwell asserted that he will “enhance our attacking unit”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled the “absolute top talent” as “the English Neymar”.

However, he is yet to live up to these sky-high expectations, as the table below documents.

Minutes

603

17th

Goals

Zero

15th

Assists

2

6th

Shots

10

6th

Shots on target

2

10th

Accurate passes per 90

10.5

15th

Key passes per 90

0.4

11th

Successful dribbles per 90

0.5

8th

Big chances created

Zero

9th

Average rating

6.55

15th

As the table documents, Moore is yet to make much of an impact in Glasgow, still awaiting his first goal for the club, while his two assists came against Alloa in the League Cup and Dundee United when Steven Smith was in caretaker charge a fortnight ago.

The Englishman is renowned for his creativity, dribbling and flair by those who follow Tottenham’s youth teams, but he hasn’t showcased much of that north of the border to date.

Having been introduced at half time last weekend, Moore started for the first time under Röhl in mid-week, but did not grasp this opportunity.

He registered just 39 touches in 65 minutes, completing two out of two dribbles and forcing Hibs goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger into a save, but creating no chances for others, failing to link up very much with Danilo or Chermiti, thereby replaced by Thelo Aasgaard shortly after the hour mark in Edinburgh.

As a result, former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday asserted “Moore hasn’t shown me anything that tells me that Rangers should be developing a young Spurs player rather than developing their own”.

Thus, given the importance of Sunday’s Glasgow derby, Röhl surely has better options at his disposal.

Djeidi Gassama’s five goals for the club to date will surely earn him a spot in the starting line-up, while both Oliver Antman, who has missed the last two matches due to illness, and the aforementioned Aasgaard have shown more promise since arriving.

Chalkboard

Thus, it would frankly be a surprise if either Chermiti or Moore were lining up to take on Celtic come 2 o’clock on Sunday afternoon, given that Rangers stand a better chance of victory with alternatives spearheading their attack.

Chermiti upgrade: Rohl readying Rangers approach for "dangerous" £1m gem

As Danny Röhl seeks to strengthen his Rangers attacking options, should they sign a £1m rated gem who’s better than Youssef Chermiti?

ByBen Gray Oct 31, 2025