The NHL this week completed an investigation into the sports wagering activities of unsigned Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto that led to the 22-year-old American being suspended for the first 41 games this season

A shooting that likely happened inside of Guaranteed Rate Field, followed by a scary moment for Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. in Colorado

Mikel Arteta believes Basque food is the secret behind the success of a string of managers from the region. The Arsenal manager is one of a number of coaches born in the area of northern Spain to make a name for himself on the touchline. He will come up against another on Saturday in the shape of Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, a former childhood team-mate of Arteta. Aston Villa’s Unai Emery was also born in the Basque Country – as were Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and former Wolves, Spain and Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui. Now Arteta has discussed why he feels such a small area is responsible for creating such success. “The food! We have the best food in the world. The best restaurants by square metre, the most beautiful city,” he said. “It has to be linked to that — what we eat, the way we live. The quality of life in our city is incredible. I think it is related to our roots. The education, the passion about the game. You breathe it within the city. You breathe it everywhere you go. “We played on the beach. You go there on a Saturday or Sunday and there are 300 kids playing on the beach. We have the best food in the world. The best restaurants by square metre, the most beautiful city Mikel Arteta “You sense that in the city. It is not just about now, because in the past they always produced coaches and good players. Somebody is doing the right thing. “When I said the food I was not joking. It is the way they look after the city. The education, the people. “Finding the quality and I am really really proud that I see a lot of people — not only in sport, in other industries as well — that manage to get out and promote our city in the right way. “I think it’s the education that we get. It’s the level of coaching that we get, they really take care of the academy. “You have seen Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao, Eibar all those teams do great work to raise talent and it’s not a coincidence that a lot of players have come through there.” While Arteta and Iraola go way back, the Arsenal boss insists there will be no room for niceties come 3pm on Saturday. “Very easy. You are in winning mode,” he replied when asked how easy it will be to put aside their friendship at the Vitality Stadium. “Get the best for your team and get in the battle. Before and after is a different story, especially after, but during there is nothing there. “He was really excited to come. He was really complimentary about the club and the support he was getting with players and staff. He was happy to be part of the league. “We know each other really well. We played together, we had fantastic times together. We played together in Antiguoko, which is a team in San Sebastian – that’s the beauty of football that 30 years later we are here together in the Premier League as managers. I’m really happy for that.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ange Postecoglou had a love of Liverpool as a youngster but says ‘things change’ Only action from players will prompt changes to brutal schedules – Pep Guardiola Ben Earl raised eyebrows when he first arrived at Saracens, says Maro Itoje

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Kevin De Bruyne does not believe Manchester City are favourites to beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final and secure the win they need to complete the treble. City are well fancied to beat the Serie A side on Saturday in Istanbul and become the first English club to win all three major trophies in a single season since Manchester United in 1999. They moved a step closer on Saturday by adding the FA Cup to the Premier League title already won, with Ilkay Gundogan’s goals helping Pep Guardiola’s side to a 2-1 victory against United at Wembley. Until now Guardiola and his players have largely sidestepped any talk of matching their city rivals’ feat of 24 years ago. But after the cup final victory, De Bruyne acknowledged how close he and his team-mates were to a remarkable achievement, yet stopped short of saying they were favourites to beat Inter. “There was belief anyway but there was no point talking about it before,” he said. “We know now. I want to win the Champions League and I want to win the treble but we were getting ready to win this game (against United). “We deserved to win. I am very happy and very proud. We should enjoy next week and hopefully we can perform the best we can. “Inter are a very good team. Finals are 50-50. We were favourites today. It is always difficult. You have to manage these moments. There will be moments when it is tough but in the big moments we try to do our job. “Inter have great players and we have respect for them. They haven’t got to the final by beating easy teams.” De Bruyne will be looking to exorcise personal demons from the last time he played in a Champions League final, fracturing an eye socket and breaking his nose as City went down 1-0 against Chelsea in an all-Premier League final in Porto. “That is football,” he said. “I have never broken anything in my life and I come out of the Champions League final with a broken nose, a broken eye socket and concussion. “It happens. There is nothing more I can do. I wished it was better but it wasn’t.” Guardiola’s team were knocked out in the last four by Real Madrid last season despite holding a two-goal aggregate lead going into the final moments of the second leg. I want to win the Champions League and I want to win the treble Kevin De Bruyne The Champions League is the only major honour that still eludes the club, with Guardiola not having lifted the trophy since his second triumph with Barcelona in 2011. Asked if he believed City were finally ready to take the next step in Europe, De Bruyne said: “I can answer that question next week. “I don’t see it that way. We have performed really well. We have been in so many quarter and semi-finals and two finals. We have been there most of the time. “Depends who you ask (whether City need to win in Europe to earn recognition). Most of the guys have been incredible anyway. Will it help, yes. “But one 90 minutes doesn’t define a career. I am on around 700 games. One 90 minutes out of 700 doesn’t define my career. But obviously it helps.”

Ryan Blaney made a race delayed to Monday by rain worth the wait, especially after going nearly 60 races without a victory

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bruce Brown scored 24 points and made a career-high six 3-pointers in his Pacers debut, leading revamped Indiana to a record-breaking 143-120 victory over Washington on Wednesday night.

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Gabri Veiga, tipped to be the next young star of Spanish football, has a long list of skills and abilities, but if one thing sticks out about this supremely confident 21-year-old then it’s his ability to strike a ball. The secret to his ball-striking abilities, however, may surprise you. “I began playing football because of pumpkins,” he has explained. Playing at his uncle’s house when he was a toddler, he discovered a pumpkin on the kitchen floor and started to kick it “out of curiosity”. From then on, all he wanted to do was kick balls and he joined his first football club aged four. Later, as a 12-year-old, he was enrolled in the famed A Madroa academy of local Galician club RC Celta and now, in 2022/23, the attacking midfielder has emerged as one of the team’s key players, working up a profitable partnership with Iago Aspas, the team’s most senior and exceptional player and another who also came through the club’s academy many years ago. Fast forward to this term and Veiga scored the two crucial goals on the final day of the season to see Celta Vigo beat champions Barcelona and secure their top-flight status. That could yet turn out to be his last action at Balaidos, with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United all being heavily linked with a move and the talented attacker sitting high on their list of priorities for this summer’s transfers. Veiga’s release clause is set at €40million (£34.4m) - though it’s perhaps worth noting that Celta have only sold one player for more than €15m since Nolito left for Man City in 2016. Eleven goals - top ten among Europe’s U21 players Between them, Aspas and Viega were responsible for scoring 23 of RC Celta’s 43 LaLiga Santander goals in 2022/23 and the veteran striker has done his part in making the youngster feel comfortable, personally setting up two of the midfielder’s 11 goals. Veiga’s goal count this campaign, his first full season in the first team, is nothing short of stunning. Nobody scored more goals from midfield in LaLiga this season. In his age category, Veiga is truly standing out. Of all the Under-21 players in Europe’s top five leagues, Veiga finished with the seventh-highest goal tally, only trailing the likes of Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka. Also, he is the Under-21 player with the second-most goals produced in LaLiga 22/23 (11 goals and four assists), only one behind Villarreal’s Nicolas Jackson (12 and four). Veiga is about much more than his goals, however. He has proved his versatility throughout his youth career, playing in every position aside from goalkeeper, centre-back and left-back. It is perhaps that rich variety of experience which has seen him to develop into the player he is today: a midfielder with remarkable vision and ability to make the final pass, with the courage and pace to take players on and the timing to run in behind defences and latch on to through balls. “In my career I’ve only seen one or two players who have the characteristics of Veiga,” said RC Celta coach Carlos Carvalhal, who has been in management for 25 years. “He is a very complete player. He has a different profile to all the other midfielders in Spain, who are usually about touch and possession. Gabri breaks games open.” A player who can score different types of goals As Carvalhal alluded to, Veiga’s qualities make him the ideal link between midfield and attack and his 11 goals this season showcased his various attributes. The two most eye-catching goals were his long-range rockets against Real Betis and UD Almería, with the former being his first goal in front of the home fans at Balaídos, when he rounded three defenders before pinging the ball into the far bottom corner, while the latter goal was a thumping drive from outside the area with hardly any back-lift, which cannoned in off the crossbar. His first goal had come against Atlético de Madrid, a first-time finish which crept in at the near post, while he produced an ice-cool shot to score against Sevilla FC after racing on to a through ball from Aspas. His best individual display yet, however, came in the thrilling 4-3 win at Real Betis earlier this month. He scored RC Celta’s second goal with a cheeky lob right in front of goalkeeper Rui Silva after creating the danger himself with two clever headers. He then gave his side the lead by appearing at just the right time to knock in Jorgen Strand Larsen’s cross from the byline. What next for Veiga? He was believed to be under consideration by Luis Enrique as a potentially surprise call-up for the World Cup and, even if he didn’t go to Qatar, his debut for Spain’s senior team cannot be far away. He is in the U21 squad for this month’s fixture against Mexico. An international debut is bound to further raise Veiga’s profile and confirm what everyone at RC Celta already knows: that he has what it takes to make it to the very top. Read More Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game Jude Bellingham uses pain of England’s near misses in bid for Euro 2024 glory Sheikh Jassim waiting to hear if final offer to buy Man Utd has been successful Joelinton: I received racist insults after Arsenal game