List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

The Toronto Blue Jays could undergo a multitude of changes by the trade deadline. These 3 players won't be on the roster by then.At 41-35, the Jays would be in a great spot in most divisions. Unfortunately, the AL East is not most divisions.Toronto has a lot of work to do if they are to...

It's more than just matching his jersey. Beyond his love for basketball and his support for the Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart has green hair for a reason.During the Boston Celtics' 2022 playoff run, Marcus Smart debuted a brand-new hairstyle. Right before the Celtics faced the Bucks in ...

Everton midfielder Tom Davies will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month after turning down a new deal, the club have announced. The 24-year-old former academy player, who made his debut aged 17 in April 2016, will exit Goodison Park in search of regular playing time after featuring only 19 times in the Premier League last season. Manager Sean Dyche was keen for Davies to stay and fight for a place in the team as Everton look to avoid a third straight top-flight relegation scrap next campaign. Instead, he will become the third first-team player to move on at the end of their deals, after it was confirmed earlier in June that Andros Townsend and Yerry Mina would not be offered new contracts. Everton director of football, Kevin Thelwell, said: “We offered Tom a new contract, but he feels he has reached the stage in his career where he needs regular first-team football and, as a result, he wants to look at alternative options away from Everton. “As a lifelong Evertonian and proud Scouser, Tom has always given everything for the club. We respect his decision and thank him for his service and commitment. Everyone at Everton wishes him the very best for the future.” One of Davies’ most memorable moments at Goodison Park came when he scored the third goal in a 4-0 win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in 2017. That season saw the team finish seventh and qualify for the Europa League, but the former England Under-21 captain’s time with the Toffees coincided with a steady slide down the table, culminating in 16th and 17th-place finishes that saw them only narrowly beat the drop. He leaves having made 179 appearances across seven seasons for the club in all competitions, scoring seven goals. Club captain Seamus Coleman and backup goalkeeper Andy Lonergan have both been offered new deals, but Asmir Begovic will leave the club after rejecting new terms. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Here are the dates for Sevilla and Real Betis matches during the 2023/24 La Liga season.

Newcastle have agreed a deal with AC Milan for the transfer of central midfielder Sandro Tonali. The 23-year-old will undergo a medical before completing the move to St James' Park.

Here are the first six fixtures of Real Madrid and Barcelona in the 2023/24 La Liga season following the fixture release.

MLB Rumors: Will the Los Angeles Angels trade Shohei Ohtani?Shohei Ohtani is the game's greatest asset, and he's set to become a free agent at the end of this season. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the presumed frontrunner for his services, as they've been in cost-cutting mode since la...

N’Golo Kante’s impending departure from Chelsea for Al-Ittihad and the prospect of several colleagues following him to the Middle East has thrust Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in football under the spotlight. The potential flow of players from the big-spending Stamford Bridge club to the Gulf state has raised eyebrows in recent days amid allegations that the move could be a ploy to help it meet Financial Fair Play requirements. Here, the PA news agency takes a look recent developments and how the Premier League could be affected. Why are Chelsea offloading players? The Blues have spent over £600million on players since American businessman Todd Boehly completed his takeover in May last year, including a £106.8million January swoop for World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez. They also splashed out £52million for RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku earlier this week. Sales of the likes of Timo Werner and Jorginho have offset that expenditure only minimally and with the club having reported a loss of £121million for the 2021-22 season, Financial Fair Play rules which dictate that clubs can only make losses of £105million over three seasons are an issue. Which players are reportedly involved? Kante’s departure to the Gulf state may not be the last from Chelsea. Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also been linked with switches to Saudi clubs. They are not alone either – Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is expected to complete a move to Al-Hilal with former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo’s switch to Al-Nassr in January having established a clear pathway. Why are so many players heading for Saudi Arabia? The money on offer may have something to do with it. The Middle East state’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, took controlling stakes in four Saudi Pro League clubs – Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr – earlier this month as part of the wider ‘Vision 2030’ plan to diversify the Saudi economy. The country’s rulers also believe a thriving professional sports scene will help drive up grassroots activity levels in the kingdom. The Saudis have signalled their intention to mount a bid to host the 2030 World Cup, and raising the standard and profile of the domestic league could prove crucial to that mission. PIF has the financial clout to recruit big names to the cause with Karim Benzema having already agreed to join Al-Ittihad. It is not the first time an emerging league has adopted similar tactics. Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Moore all played in the North American Soccer League at the end of their respective careers, while China has lured a host of top-flight stars to its Super League in recent years. Public Investment Fund – that name sounds familiar? It should. PIF holds an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle United, who have invested in excess of £250million in new signings since the Amanda Staveley-led consortium in which it is the major partner completed its buy-out at St James’ Park in October 2021. The Magpies surged to a fourth-place finish in last season’s Premier League and secured Champions League football for the first time in 20 years to the delight of a fanbase which has been reinvigorated despite concerted criticism over the source of the club’s new-found wealth. PIF, whose governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan is Newcastle’s chairman, is also a key player in the controversial merger between the LIV Golf series and the PGA and DP World Tours which has prompted fresh accusations of sportswashing. Why all the fuss about Chelsea? This is where it gets interesting. Private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group provided around 60 per cent of the funding for Boehly’s £2.5billion takeover and has underwritten much of the investment since; PIF is an investor with Clearlake. Financial experts have suggested such is the size of Clearlake’s portfolio that while some PIF money may form part of its holding in Chelsea, there is no direct link and therefore no risk of breaching Premier League rules which prohibit ownership of two clubs. However, the perception in some quarters is that any existing relationship between the Blues, the sovereign wealth fund and the four domestic clubs it now controls could allow them to sell on players for inflated fees and thereby reduce their FFP burden. What has been said about the situation? Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville, co-owner of League Two Salford, is unimpressed. Speaking to BBC Sport, Neville said: “The Premier League should put an instant embargo on transfers to Saudi Arabia to ensure the integrity of the game isn’t being damaged. Checks should be made on the appropriateness of the transactions.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Newcastle hoping to push through club-record deal for AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali Government and PFA want review of pitch perimeter safety after serious injury CAS: Impossible to put timescale on final decision in Kamila Valieva doping case

The Government and the Professional Footballers’ Association have called for a review of pitch perimeter safety after a non-league player suffered a serious injury last season. A letter has been sent by Sports Minister Stuart Andrew and PFA chief executive Maheta Molango to the chief executives of the Premier League, the EFL, the National League and the Football Association in a bid to avoid a repeat of what happened to Alex Fletcher. The 24-year-old required emergency brain surgery after he suffered a fractured skull colliding with an advertising board reinforced with concrete blocks in a match for Bath last November. The letter, seen by the PA news agency, calls on leagues and the FA to be more proactive in setting guidance and expectations for clubs in this area, and also to involve players in risk-assessing the pitch perimeter, given they have the best idea of what the dangers are. It asks the authorities to review whether lessons can be learned from the serious player collisions which have taken place and make improvements where necessary to ensure playing areas are as safe as possible. It is believed to be the first letter of its kind between the Government and the union, and the hope is that the timing of the letter – between seasons when stadium upgrades tend to take place – could be advantageous. PFA director of external affairs Ben Wright said: “After the incident where Alex Fletcher was so badly injured, we met with the Minister to highlight what we felt was a lack of clarity over the regulations that are in place to ensure player safety. “Although safety is ultimately the responsibility of the stadium owner, the PFA’s view is that the direction given to clubs in this area is not as strong as it could be. Collectively, football should do everything it can to make sure incidents like Alex Fletcher's don’t happen. This is a step in the right direction and we appreciate the Minister's support. PFA director of external affairs Ben Wright “We’re pleased that the Minister wants to see the leagues and the FA take a bigger role in ensuring player safety. “They are able to give guidance, share best practice and set an expectation that clubs will be proactive in their approach. “As part of that, we want clubs to work with players to identify potential risk factors that those who aren’t on the pitch every week might not necessarily see. “It’s the time of the year where clubs take the opportunity to do work on stadiums ahead of the new season, so it’s a good opportunity for them to think about this. “Collectively, football should do everything it can to make sure incidents like Alex Fletcher’s don’t happen. This is a step in the right direction and we appreciate the Minister’s support.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live CAS: Impossible to put timescale on final decision in Kamila Valieva doping case Ellyse Perry a thorn in England’s side as rain leads to early tea on opening day Wrexham to host former finalists Wigan on Carabao Cup return

Newcastle are hoping to push through a club record-breaking deal for AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali within days, the PA news agency understands. Sporting director Dan Ashworth has been pictured in the Italian city after he flew out to try to negotiate the terms of a move which it is understood would exceed the club’s £60million swoop for Sweden striker Alexander Isak last summer. Reports from Italy have suggested the 23-year-old, who is expected to captain his country in their opening Group D fixture against France at the European Under-21s Championships on Thursday evening, has agreed to the switch. A successful conclusion to the talks would take Newcastle’s transfer spending under their new owners past the £300million mark. Head coach Eddie Howe has identified Tonali as the holding midfielder he needs to allow Bruno Guimaraes in particular to thrive in an advanced role. Howe has vowed to strengthen his squad for the new campaign, during which the Magpies will play Champions League football for the first time since the 2002-03 season, as he attempts to challenge on both the domestic and European fronts. The 45-year-old guided the club to a fourth-place Premier League finish and the Carabao Cup final last season as they took a major step forward, but he is expecting a response from the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea this time around in the race for the top four. Howe has been at pains to point out the spending restrictions under which the club must operate, but at the same time has signalled his intention to recruit quality rather than quantity this summer. Tonali, who was a substitute in the senior Italy side’s 2-1 Euro 2024 qualifier defeat by England in March, made 48 appearances for Milan in all competitions last season and started both legs of their Champions League semi-final defeat by city rivals Inter. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Bournemouth close on the £11m signing of Justin Kluivert after seeing off competition from Fulham, Crystal Palace and Everton. The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at Valencia.

The Pittsburgh Pirates City Connect jersey schedule was revealed on Thursday, along with the threads themselves. Here's everything we know.Unfortunately, the Buccos hot start has fallen upon hard times, as the Pirates now find themselves under the .500 mark. But, it's a long season, an...