List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

Jorginho's agent admits talks over a new contract with Arsenal are at a standstill.

A group of Premier League clubs are lobbying for a private equity-style proposal to invest in the Women’s

Wales have been drawn to host Finland in the semi-finals of the qualification play-offs for Euro 2024. The match will take place on Thursday, March 21 at Cardiff City Stadium. Should Rob Page’s men win that single-leg tie, they would then host either Poland or Estonia five days later at the same venue to play for a spot at next summer’s tournament in Germany. Finland finished third in Northern Ireland’s qualifying group – four points behind both Denmark and Slovenia – after winning six of their 10 fixtures. They sit 62nd in the FIFA rankings, 34 places below Wales, and are aiming to qualify for the European Championship finals for only the second time following their debut at Euro 2020. Wales are seeking to secure a third successive appearance at the finals of the competition and reach a fourth major tournament out of the last five after last year ending their 64-year wait to play at the World Cup. They finished third in Group D of qualifying, behind pool winners Turkey and second-placed Croatia. Just three of the 24 places at Euro 2024 remain up for grabs, with Wales attempting to navigate Path A of the play-offs. In Path B, Israel face a semi-final against Iceland following Thursday’s draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, while Bosnia and Herzegovina will host Ukraine. Georgia take on fellow potential tournament debutants Luxembourg in Path C, while Kazakhstan travel to 2004 European champions Greece in the other semi-final of that route. Read More Who are the contenders to replace Stephen Kenny as Republic of Ireland boss? On This Day in 2008 – Ricky Hatton dominates Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas New sponsor to help 460 clubs in Women’s FA Cup market themselves with AI app

The Wembley arch is unlikely to be lit in support of campaigns and causes or to mark tragic events in the future. The Football Association faced criticism last month – including from the Cabinet minister responsible for sport – after a decision was taken not to light the arch in the colours of the Israeli flag following attacks on its citizens by Hamas militants. The Israeli government has said 1,200 people were killed in the attacks. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said on October 19 that his organisation would review its approach to lighting the arch, and the PA news agency understands it is now unlikely to be lit in future except for matters directly related to Wembley’s purpose as a sport and entertainment venue. It is understood this will also mean the arch is not lit in relation to inclusion and diversity matters, such as being lit up in rainbow colours to support the LGBTQ+ community. However, the FA still intends to use the power of the sport to support a range of campaigns and causes in other, meaningful ways. The arch could still be lit in other exceptional circumstances, such as the death of the monarch or an England footballer. Bullingham said last month: “This week has made us question whether we should light the arch and when, and we’ll be reviewing that in the coming weeks. “I recognise that our decision caused hurt to the Jewish community, who felt that we should have lit the arch and that we should have shown stronger support for them. “This was one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make and the last thing we ever wanted to do in this situation was to add to the hurt.” The FA was heavily criticised by a number of Jewish community groups, while Rabbi Alex Goldberg resigned from an FA faith in football group over its response. The governing body was also criticised by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Read More ECB releases county cricket schedule for packed 2024 summer Who are the contenders to replace Stephen Kenny as Republic of Ireland boss? On This Day in 2008 – Ricky Hatton dominates Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas New sponsor to help 460 clubs in Women’s FA Cup market themselves with AI app Stephen Kenny believes he leaves behind a ‘great job’ for Ireland successor Stephen Kenny leaves role as Ireland manager after contract is not renewed

Chelsea are tracking Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri as a potential replacement for Ian Maatsen.

Qualifying for Euro 2024 is almost complete with a final play-off tournament being held in March to determine which three of 12 nations secures a place at the tournament in Germany. Consecutive 1-1 draws against Armenia and Turkey during the most recent international break meant Wales slipped beneath Croatia in Group D and must now go through the play-offs to reach the tournament proper. Rob Page’s side are no strangers to using this route of qualification for major tournaments having reached the 2022 World Cup by beating Austria in a home semi-final before overcoming Ukraine in Cardiff. Ukraine themselves will be hoping for a better outcome this time around as they join Wales in the play-offs once more along with several of the best third place finishers from qualifying. With a minimum of four sides needed for each of the three play-off paths, teams from lower Nations League tiers make up the numbers. The play-off semi-finals will be held on Thursday 21 March before the finals take place five days later on Tuesday 26 March. Follow the Euro 2024 play-off draw live below:

Wales will learn their Euro 2024 play-off opponents as the draw is made to determine the bracket for the three remaining places at next summer’s finals. Rob Page’s side will need to navigate the play-offs if they are to reach a fourth major tournament in eight years after Wales finished behind Turkey and Croatia in qualifying from Group D. Follow all the live action from the Euro 2024 play-off draw here Wales are guaranteed a home semi-final after taking their place in play-off ‘Path A’ - but the draw will determine who they face in March’s play-off rounds, while Poland and Robert Lewandowski could be waiting in the final. They will hope to join England and Scotland in next summer’s tournament - and Wales will know what group they would be in if they win their semi-final and final ahead of the March play-offs. Here’s everything you need to know. When is the Euro 2024 play-off draw? The draw will take place from 11am GMT on Thursday 23 November. How can I watch It? The draw will be streamed live on Uefa.com and the official Euro 2024 app. How do the Euro 2024 play-offs work? There is still space for three teams to join the Euro 2024 draw, with three separate ‘paths’ offering those sides who qualified for the play-offs a way into the tournament finals. Wales will play one of Finland, Ukraine or Iceland in the semi-finals before either Poland or Estonia in the final. Who could still qualify? Semi-finals – Path A: Poland (1) vs Estonia (4) / Wales (2) vs TBC* Semi-finals – Path B: Israel (1) vs TBC* / Bosnia and Herzegovina (2) vs TBC* Semi-finals – Path C: Georgia (1) vs Luxembourg (4) / Greece (2) vs Kazakhstan (3) TBC* = one of Finland, Ukraine or Iceland How does the play-off draw work? According to Uefa, the main thing to draw is which side from Finland, Ukraine or Iceland goes into ‘Path A’ and which of the other two go into ‘Path B’. The draw will also determine which winner of the semi-final hosts the play-off final. According to Uefa, if Finland are allocated to Path B by the draw, as the higher-ranked team they would play Bosnia and Herzegovina, and whichever of Ukraine or Iceland are allocated to Path B would play top-ranked Israel. If Ukraine and Iceland are both allocated to Path B, the higher-ranked Ukraine would play Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Iceland would play Israel. When is the Euro 2024 group stage draw? The draw ceremony for the Euro 2024 group stage takes place on Saturday 2 December from 5pm GMT (6pm local time) in Hamburg. How to watch The Euro 2024 draw will be shown on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 5:15pm GMT. The draw will also be streamed live online on Uefa’s official website, YouTube channel and app. What are the pots? Pot 1: Germany (hosts), Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England Pot 2: Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Denmark, Albania, Austria Pot 3: Netherlands, Scotland, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic Pot 4: Italy, Serbia, Switzerland, Play-off winner A, Play-off winner B, Play-off winner C How does the draw work? As hosts, Germany are automatically assigned to Group A. The draw will then place the remaining teams from Pot 1 into Groups B-F. The process continues with the teams from Pot 2 able to be placed into Groups A-F, and the same produces applies with Pot 3 and Pot 4. Teams will also be given a position within their group, which will determine their fixture schedule. As hosts, Germany will occupy position A1. Read More What time is the Euro 2024 play-off draw and how can I watch it? Who has qualified for Euro 2024 - and which nations still could? Euro 2024 play-off draw LIVE: Wales and Ukraine discover fate When is the Euro 2024 draw and what are the pots? Life after Bale: Rob Page faces key problems trying to reinvent Wales Wales must take the long road to Euro 2024 after automatic hopes extinguished

The Republic of Ireland are looking for a new manager after Stephen Kenny’s ill-fated reign drew to a close on Wednesday. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the men who could come under consideration for the vacant post. Lee Carsley Former Derby and Everton midfielder Carsley has enjoyed significant success as England Under-21s boss, guiding his side to European Championship glory last summer. Birmingham-born, he won 40 senior caps for Ireland and, at 49, has a wealth of coaching experience with Coventry, Sheffield United, Brentford, Manchester City, Birmingham and England Under-20s. Roy Keane The former Republic skipper remains a divisive figure in his native country after his bust-up with McCarthy in Saipan ahead of the 2002 World Cup finals, and it is approaching 13 years since he last managed in his own right at Ipswich. The 52-year-old former Manchester United star served as Martin O’Neill’s number two during his five-year reign with Ireland and, while he still enjoys the kind of profile which makes him a major figure in football, his lack of recent work as a coach – he spent five months working under O’Neill at Nottingham Forest in 2019 – may not be in his favour. Chris Hughton Current Ghana boss Hughton, who won 53 caps for Ireland as a player, has vast experience as a manager, guiding Newcastle and Brighton into the Premier League either side of spells in charge at Birmingham and Norwich. The 64-year-old was less successful in his most recent domestic role at Nottingham Forest, but has been working on the international stage since February and would tick a lot of boxes. Sam Allardyce Allardyce, who began his managerial career in Ireland with Limerick, has track record reorganising and revitalising struggling teams and there is little doubt that he would make the Republic more difficult to beat as a first port of call. Now 69, he last worked at Leeds, where he was parachuted in for a brief, desperate and ultimately futile Premier League rescue mission at the end of last season. Neil Lennon Former Northern Ireland international Lennon has long been touted as a future Ireland manager after the success of his first spell at Celtic, during which he led the club to three successive Scottish Premiership successes, two Scottish Cup wins and the last 16 in the Champions League. However, his stock has fallen since his second incarnation at Celtic Park ended in disarray in February 2021 with the Bhoys trailing arch-rivals Rangers by 18 points. Mick McCarthy McCarthy’s disgruntlement at the succession plan which saw Kenny replace him ahead of a Euro 2020 play-off tie against Slovakia was only thinly disguised, and he was not alone at the time. The prospect of taking the job for a third time might prove attractive to the 64-year-old, who guided the nation to the 2002 World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan, who has worked at Cardiff and Blackpool since his second international exit. Read More Football rumours: Fulham at front of queue to sign Brazil midfielder Andre On This Day in 2008 – Ricky Hatton dominates Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia a slap in the face for Jake Daniels New sponsor to help 460 clubs in Women’s FA Cup market themselves with AI app Stephen Kenny believes he leaves behind a ‘great job’ for Ireland successor Stephen Kenny leaves role as Ireland manager after contract is not renewed

What the papers say The Evening Standard reports Fulham are ahead of Liverpool and Manchester United in the battle to sign Fluminense’s 22-year-old Brazil midfielder Andre. The same newspaper says Fulham have also showed interest in 24-year-old Denmark striker Jonas Wind, who has scored eight goals in 11 matches so far for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. The Daily Star reports there could be a cleanout at Manchester United next year with the possibility of 15 players leaving the Premier League club. The first player out the door is rumoured to be 23-year-old Jadon Sancho. Social media round-up Players to watch Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Newcastle are reportedly monitoring the 26-year-old Everton striker, TeamTalk reports. The England forward has scored three goals in nine games for the Toffees in the Premier League this season. Santiago Gimenez: Football Transfers reports Chelsea are interested in the 22-year-old Feyenoord striker, who has scored 13 goals in 12 games so far for the Dutch club this season. Read More Who are the contenders to replace Stephen Kenny as Republic of Ireland boss? On This Day in 2008 – Ricky Hatton dominates Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia a slap in the face for Jake Daniels

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been let down by his receiving corps of late. The stats back him up.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Kyle Wright hinted that Alex Anthopoulos had strict payroll instructions, but that's not why he got dumped.

Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer thinks there's a chance Jim Harbaugh won't return to Michigan next season.