
Philipsen denies Cavendish Tour stage record in dramatic sprint
Jasper Philipsen won his third stage of the Tour de France in Bordeaux on Friday, overtaking a bitterly disappointed Mark Cavendish in a last-gasp effort after...
2023-07-08 00:53

Tovar hits 3-run homer, Gomber wins third straight start as the Rockies beat the Giants 5-2
Ezequiel Tovar hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh to help Austin Gomber win his third straight start, and the Colorado Rockies ended an 11-game losing streak San Francisco Giants by beating the Giants 5-2
2023-07-08 12:50

Pep Guardiola admits Kyle Walker exit would have given him a ‘big, big problem’
Pep Guardiola admits he would have had a “big, big problem” if Kyle Walker had left Manchester City in the summer. The England right-back came close to leaving the treble winners for Bayern Munich but ultimately opted to stay and this week extended his contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2026. The 33-year-old had a spell out of favour last season but has started the new campaign strongly and Guardiola is pleased to have retained his services after losing experienced pair Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez. The City manager said: “After Gundo and Riyad, losing Bernardo (Silva) and Kyle would have have been a big, big problem. “It’s not about the quality – the skills you can find quite similar, or different players can help you – but there are some things in the locker room that are so difficult to replace. “These guys have a lot of experience in the important moments of important games. You know exactly how he’s going to respond in the bad moments. “It would have been a big loss. That’s why as a club of course we fought for him to stay with us.” Walker joined City from Tottenham in 2017 and has since won 15 trophies, including the Champions League and five Premier League titles. Guardiola believes he has matured into a far better player than when he arrived and recently underlined his qualities with his response to a calamitous error last month. Walker was at fault as Sheffield United claimed a late equaliser against City in their Premier League clash at Bramall Lane but then recovered to tee up Rodri’s dramatic winner. Everyone makes mistakes but he has an incredible heart. Pep Guardiola on Kyle Walker Guardiola said: “He made a wrong decision when they equalised but, right after the equaliser, the next two actions came from Kyle in the byline. It was a goal. What a top, top player. “He forgets what happened, says, ‘OK I’m going to win the game’. That defines the big, big players. “No doubt he’s a much, much better player than seven years ago when he arrived. That is clear. “Everyone makes mistakes but he has an incredible heart. And he’s a really nice guy, really nice, always tries to help. “When a player is injured, he always calls him. I was at home (after back surgery) and he called me twice. ‘How you feel, Pep?’ This counts a lot in the group of people. “The reason why we have a lot of success? The quality of human beings that we have.” Walker has captained City so far this season and, with Kevin De Bruyne currently sidelined, could be the favoured choice to succeed Gundogan in the role full-time. A vote among the squad and backroom staff – in which Guardiola will not participate – is due to be held in the coming days. Guardiola said: “The vote will be taken the next days and the players will decide. It belongs to the players, not to me. What they decide, I’m fine (with).” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Mauricio Pochettino feels Chelsea’s young squad must be given time Erik ten Hag unsure whether Jadon Sancho will play for Manchester United again Early stages of life at Spurs ‘nothing like my honeymoon’ says Ange Postecoglou
2023-09-16 05:58

Chelsea appoint new manager after two months of speculation
Chelsea have appointed former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s new manager. Pochettino has signed a two-year deal at Chelsea with the option of a third able to be taken up by the club, and takes charge at Stamford Bridge from 1 July now the season has come to an end, following Frank Lampard having stayed on as caretaker for the remainder of a disastrous 2022/23 campaign. Chelsea conducted a thorough managerial search after sacking Graham Potter in early April and held talks with Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann, who withdrew his interest in the job, but it was Pochettino who stood out over several rounds of discussions with the co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. Sources insist Pochettino was the only candidate Chelsea got into serious conversations with over taking the job. The Independent reported that Pochettino impressed the Chelsea hierarchy with his vision for the club, while the Argentine’s top-level experience and proven record of developing young players under a clear tactical system made him the outstanding candidate in the search led by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. While the discussions were protracted and slower than anticipated, Pochettino has already discussed summer transfers as Chelsea look to trim down a bloated squad. The Independent reported that Chelsea will target a new striker, central midfielder and goalkeeper, with Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Alexis Mac Allister and Emiliano Martinez among those discussed. Pochettino will also seek talks with Romelu Lukaku when the striker returns from his loan at Inter Milan. “Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward. He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate,” read a statement by Steward and Winstanley. Pochettino will be joined by long-time coaches Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino, Sebastiano Pochettino and Toni Jimenez at Stamford Bridge. That the most notable example of Pochettino’s managerial success came across London at rivals Tottenham has not been an obstacle in the 51-year-old returning to the Premier League. Pochettino forged a young, hungry squad at Tottenham and took the club to four consecutive top-four campaigns as well as second place in 2017, their highest finish since the 1960s. Under a bold and exciting style of play, Pochettino’s place as a Tottenham’s greatest manager of the modern era was sealed as he led the club to the 2019 Champions League final, but he was sacked just months after the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in Madrid. At Chelsea, Pochettino will take over a club whose heavy investment in the transfer market under the new ownership has been followed by one of their worst seasons in recent history. Thomas Tuchel was sacked at the start of the campaign while Potter was relieved of his duties just months into signing a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge. Lampard then failed to turn the tide and won just once in 11 matches after returning to the club, resulting in a 12th-place finish. But Pochettino will also have a point to prove after being dismissed from his previous two positions. As well as Tottenham, Pochettino was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season with the club’s Ligue 1 title unable to make amends for the failure of not winning the Champions League. The Argentinian has been out of work since, although he had been linked with a return to Tottenham - especially given the vacancy created by the departure of Antonio Conte. Read More Football rumours: Barcelona set sights on Bruno Guimaraes Frank Lampard believes Chelsea standards have slipped as cheerless campaign ends Easy in the end for Manchester City – same again next season?
2023-05-29 20:23

Aaron Rodgers took unrealistic injury timeline more seriously than you did
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodger was spotted without crutches and throwing a football just weeks after undergoing surgery for a torn Achilles tendon.
2023-10-16 04:50

The Big Lead Quarterly: NBA Finals Ratings, Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe All on the Move
The Big Lead Quarterly: NBA Finals Ratings, Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe All on the Move
2023-06-29 21:50

Cristiano Ronaldo snatches last-gasp winner for Portugal on landmark appearance
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated becoming the first male player to reach 200 international appearances with a last-minute winner for Portugal against Iceland. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was honoured ahead of his country’s European Championship Group J qualifier in Reykjavik with a Guinness World Records certificate. And Ronaldo, 38, who broke Kuwait forward Bader Al-Mutawa’s 196-cap record in March, scored the only goal of the game in the closing stages with his 123rd for Portugal. Iceland were reduced to 10 men after 80 minutes when Willum Willumsson was sent off. After four matches played, Portugal sit two points clear of Slovakia, who won 1-0 at Liechtenstein thanks to Denis Vavro’s first-half strike. In the group’s other fixture, Luxembourg secured a 2-0 win at Bosnia. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland continued his incredible scoring run with a double in Norway’s 3-1 victory against Cyprus. After Ola Solbakken netted Norway’s opener in the Group A clash, Haaland scored two goals – one from the penalty spot – in four second-half minutes to end the season with a remarkable 56 strikes for club and country, and contribute to Norway’s first win of their qualifying campaign. Romelu Lukaku put his Champions League final disappointment behind him with a brace in Belgium’s 3-0 win at Estonia. Lukaku, who made a second-half appearance for Inter Milan in their defeat against City earlier this month, scored twice in the first half to put the visitors in control. Johan Bakayoko completed a comfortable Group F win for the Red Devils with a third in the closing minutes. Belgium remain three points adrift of Austria, who stay top of the group following a late victory against Sweden. The fixture looked to be heading for a goalless draw before Christoph Baumgartner netted a brace for the home side. Austria have played one game more than Belgium. In Group G, Hungary took top spot after winning 2-0 against Lithuania, while Serbia secured a 1-1 draw in Bulgaria following Darko Lazovic’s stoppage-time equaliser. Meanwhile, in Group E, Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski scored for Poland but could not stop his side from slipping to a 3-2 defeat in Moldova as Albania claimed a 3-1 win in the Faroe Islands. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Isaac Price targets improvements after Northern Ireland suffer Kazakhstan defeat Tommy Doyle inspired by Man City treble ahead of England Under-21s’ Euros bid Pat Cummins elated to lead Australia over the line in Ashes thriller
2023-06-21 05:52

Louisville to honor Denny Crum with moment of silence, seat dedication among tributes before opener
Louisville will honor Denny Crum with a moment of silence before Monday night’s opener against the University of Maryland Baltimore County as part of several tributes to its late Hall of Fame coach
2023-11-02 09:15

Japan trounces Spain 4-0 to top Group C at the Women's World Cup
Japan scored three times from lightning breaks in the first half and trounced Spain 4-0 to top Group C at the Women’s World Cup
2023-07-31 17:17

Cincinnati looks to snap seven-game skid, get 1st Big 12 win in visit to Houston
This meeting of Big 12 Conference newcomers has Cincinnati searching for its first league win after the team dropped its first six Big 12 games and seven games overall
2023-11-10 04:50

Man City finalise world-record agreement with RB Leipzig for Josko Gvardiol
Manchester City agree deal worth €100m to make RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol the most expensive defender ever.
2023-08-02 22:53

Chicago Fire sign directors Georg Heitz & Sebastian Pelzer to contract extensions
Chicago Fire have extended the stay of two of their executives.
2023-11-15 05:22
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