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Alabama youth baseball fight gets intense.

Xabi Alonso has confirmed he will still be in charge of Bayer Leverkusen next season. The former Liverpool midfielder had been linked to the vacant head coach role at Tottenham during the past month. Alonso has impressed in his first senior managerial position after he guided Leverkusen out of relegation trouble in the Bundesliga and into the Europa League semi-finals since his appointment in October. With Julian Nagelsmann no longer a contender for the role at Spurs and Burnley boss Vincent Kompany signing a new deal earlier this month, Alonso remained one of the bookkeepers’ favourites to replace Antonio Conte. But speaking at a press conference ahead of Thursday’s Europa League last-four second leg with Roma, Alonso said: “I’m happy here with the team and the club. “I’m not worried about my future.” Asked by a Bild reporter if that meant he would still be in charge of Leverkusen next season, Alonso replied: “That’s correct.”

After seven weeks of nonstop action, the NWSL is finally down to just one undefeated team, along with more chaotic shifts in the NWSL Power Rankings.About a third of the way through the season, some teams are finally finding their groove while others are sealing their doom. The Washington Spirit...

Marcus Rashford has boosted Manchester United’s top-four Premier League hopes by returning to training. England striker Rashford, who has scored 29 goals this season, missed Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Wolves with a leg injury. “There is good news regarding Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay, who have both returned to training,” a United statement read after Erik ten Hag’s first-team squad trained at Carrington on Wednesday. “Our leading scorer took part in the session after missing the win over Wolves due to injury.” Scotland midfielder McTominay is also closing in on a return, having not played since scoring in a 2-0 win over Everton on April 8. France defender Raphael Varane, who Ten Hag said was replaced late on against Wolves as a precaution, also trained on Wednesday. Marcel Sabitzer this week joined Lisandro Martinez and Donny van de Beek on the sidelines for the rest of the season. Fourth-placed United continue their bid for Champions League football at Bournemouth on Saturday. After their trip to the south coast, United conclude their league campaign with home games against Chelsea and Fulham. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is hoping the security breach which left him in danger at Elland Road could help prevent a future “tragedy” on a football pitch. The 45-year-old was confronted in his technical area by an angry spectator during Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Leeds, and a man has since been banned from the stadium for life and charge with assault. Howe, who revealed he had been contacted by League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan in the wake of the incident, said: “The concern for me is the future. “That incident has gone, it’s done as far as I’m concerned, but the only part of that incident that’s left is the ‘What ifs?’ for the future. “I just hope that that incident itself can then help the authorities and whoever is concerned with the security and safety of the players and staff, that if it does make a little change or (encourage) someone to think how we can improve things, then it will have been a really worthwhile episode because I’d hate to see a tragedy on a football pitch that could have been avoided.” If Saturday’s events highlighted matters off the pitch, Howe swiftly shifted his attention to what happens on it as he prepared for Thursday night’s hugely significant showdown with in-form Brighton at St James’ Park. I don't feel like we're being hunted. I don't feel that emotion Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe The Seagulls will arrive on Tyneside still basking in the acclaim they received in the wake of their dismantling of title hopefuls Arsenal on Sunday, with both they and Liverpool chasing hard in a bid to deny the Magpies and Manchester United a top-four finish. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said ahead of Monday night’s 3-0 win at Leicester that the clubs currently sitting behind top two Manchester City and the Gunners would be happier if they were not being hunted down, although Howe is not feeling any pressure. He said: “I don’t feel like we’re being hunted. I don’t feel that emotion. It’s us against ourselves, really. That’s how I see it. It’s us trying to be the best we can be. “I’ve not focused on any other team all season. In my experience, I knew Liverpool were never far away because they are a top team and they are capable of going on runs of wins. They are very similar to Manchester City where they can win a group of games without blinking. They have got that experience. “For us, we can’t look at it or compare ourselves to Liverpool. We just have to look at us.” Liverpool, who have two games remaining, are still a point behind Newcastle and United, who have three left to play, while Brighton are eight points adrift with four to go, and the Magpies know victory in their last two home games – against the Seagulls and then Leicester on Monday evening – would secure Champions League qualification. Asked if he would have taken that back in August, Howe, who has a doubt over wide man Jacob Murphy and will once again be without midfielder Sean Longstaff, replied: “’Snapped your arm off’ is the phrase that I’d use.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Saracens and Sale to wear away kits to avoid clash for colour-blind supporters Leon Edwards says challenger Colby Covington is motivated by ‘jealousy’ Leonardo Bonucci says next season will be his last

The Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has raised his bid for Manchester United by making a fourth and last-ditch offer for the club, which is understood to be closer to £5 billion. The businessman has made a late intervention after the lifelong United fan, and petrochemicals billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe had submitted his third bid which valued United at a higher figure. As with all of Sheikh Jassim’s previous proposals, he is trying to buy 100 percent of the club, where the Glazer family are current majority shareholders. The Qatari has also pledged to clear United’s debt of £536 million and has promised a separate fund directed at the club and the community. Ratcliffe’s most recent bid allowed Joel and Avram Glazer, two of the six siblings whose father, Malcolm, bought the club in 2005, to retain a stake while aiming to complete a takeover in the next few years. The American merchant bank the Raine Group are overseeing the process for the Glazers. There have been three previous rounds of bids, without seeming to meet the Glazers’ valuation, though Ratcliffe had emerged as the favourite to complete a deal. Read More Eddie Howe: Football must learn from my confrontation with fan Dimitar Berbatov warns Harry Kane not to ‘tarnish’ Tottenham legacy by leaving You’re asking the wrong person – Emma Hayes not interested in title permutations

A German football club famed for its progressive politics and social activism has become the first to speak

Long after the final whistle blew at San Siro, that welcome sound gave way to a more wondrous noise as the old ground shook and the celebrations showed no sign of abating. The curva nord was still full with ultras, belting out club anthems. That was all to serenade the extended squad, club hierarchy and their families, who were all still on the pitch. In classic celebration scenes, the children of the players were at the other end having a game among themselves. You could have been forgiven for thinking they’d won the final itself. A cynical view would be that was precisely what this was, since they eliminated their greatest rivals, and the expectation is that either Manchester City or Real Madrid will just cruise to victory in Istanbul. The defiant nature of Inter’s performance might indicate such complacency would be a mistake, but it’s still hard to deny that as much of this was just about getting there again: a victory in itself. Inter have had far longer waits to get back to the European Cup final, going 38 years between 1972 and the treble of 2010, but those periods never felt like they would be endless. Not when you could parade some of the best stars in the world, among them Ronaldo. They were always close. That hasn't been the case since 2010, especially as the elite end of the Champions League has got so much narrower. There have been times in the last few years - and never more than right now - where it has felt like the list of realistic potential champions gets smaller every season. In this campaign, it is as if that group consists of only the English clubs, as well as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and maybe Paris Saint-Germain due to Kylian Mbappe and Qatari wealth. Internazionale just wouldn’t have been included, not least because their financial scope has got smaller. It isn’t exactly a fairytale, mind. The ownership has changed twice since 2010, with ongoing questions over the current situation under Suning. That period has also seen the club overspend in a manner that now requires significant sales in the summer, not to mention European qualification itself, and has echoes of the club’s recent past. It's all been to keep up with a financial arms race constantly getting further away. As if to sum up so much, the Inter shirt doesn’t currently have a sponsor because the club say the cryptocurrency brand that previously adorned the black and white stripes did not pay them. And yet that situation, a little like this whole campaign, offered a throwback that almost came about by accident and adaptation rather than design. It’s an old-fashioned look for an old-fashioned sort of victory. The sense of history to all of that was also unmistakable. You can feel it right around the stadium and in all those celebrations. By winning this tie, Inter have reached their sixth European Cup final. That puts them just above Manchester United again. It leaves them well ahead of Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain, all of whom would see themselves as prospective challengers for this historic competition going forward. The trophy tends to follow the money, after all. That is also why, for all these complications, there is something compellingly thrilling about this. It is not to say that the truest value in sporting triumph comes when the grand old institutions win. It is more that something has gone wrong if a club like Inter - let alone 99% of the continent - can be locked out of the top level. Their previous glory does restore a prestige, though, that could be felt around the city in the hours after the game and well into the early morning. When the ultras and families finally left San Siro, it just ensured the sound of deafening firecrackers nearby. Raucous singing could now be heard all around the stadium and the city. Only a half of Milan was celebrating, but it oddly made European football feel that bit bigger again. Read More Inter Milan have already made it clear how they’ll aim to win Champions League final Budget building and back to the future tactics have Inter Milan among the elite once more Inter vs AC Milan player ratings: Lautaro Martinez and Francesco Acerbi star for Nerazzurri Dimitar Berbatov warns Harry Kane not to ‘tarnish’ Tottenham legacy by leaving Back to the future tactics have Inter Milan among the elite once more Inter Milan have already made it clear how they can win the Champions League

Italy captain Leonardo Bonucci has announced that he will retire at the end of next season. Defender Bonucci has just turned 36 with one year left on his Juventus contract. “When I stop playing next year, it will be the end of a defensive era – a way of defending Italian style,” Bonucci said on Juventus’ YouTube channel. The 120-times capped Bonucci was part of Italy’s Euro 2020-winning team and is a nine-time Serie A champion – claiming eight titles at Juventus and one at AC Milan, where he spent the 2017-18 season. He made his 500th Juventus appearance against Sevilla in the Europa League last week. Bonucci, recognised as one of football’s great defenders, was part of the famous Juventus backline that included Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon as the Bianconeri won eight titles between the 2011-12 and 2019-20 seasons. “It’s a source of pride to be up there with the greatest,” Bonucci said. “I hope lots of future defenders – just as we had with (Franco) Baresi, (Alessandro) Nesta, (Paolo) Maldini, (Fabio) Cannavaro will see us four as idols. “It would mean we have achieved a lot and given the game a lot.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

New Burnley investor and ex-NFL player JJ Watt is determined to win over doubters still sceptical of Americans who buy into English football. The one-time Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year and his footballer wife Kealia Watt were unveiled as the Premier League-bound club’s latest backers earlier this month, but the retired defensive end is no stranger to the game. Watt watched his first Premier League match over a decade ago, soon finding himself fully drawn in thanks to an affinity for Didier Drogba, and completely appreciates why some may be wary of an upswing in US interest. “I don’t blame them for having cynicism,” he told the PA news agency. “I would if I was in their shoes. Think about it. You’ve had the best league in the world, and it’s been around for over 100 years, and it’s kind of your national treasure. “I absolutely understand why you’d be sceptical of Americans coming in and wanting to be part of it, but having said that our experience has been unbelievable. We haven’t met one single person who hasn’t been incredibly welcoming, so we’re very thankful. “But we understand the situation and we want to continue to earn that trust and show that we are going to honour and respect that tradition and history.” Burnley’s majority shareholder and chairman Alan Pace, Watt’s compatriot, took over in December 2020 and has previously spoken about his own integration challenges. American businessman Todd Boehly and his consortium acquired Chelsea last May, while Creed actor Michael B Jordan became part-owner of Bournemouth after Bill Foley’s December 2022 takeover. The most immediate comparison to the Watts, however, might be with Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who are currently celebrating their own club’s promotion. The Welsh side’s rise under the Hollywood duo has largely been seen as an overwhelming success, though they too have detractors. Watt has already sought out the advice of dual Canadian-American citizen Reynolds. He said: “We talked a lot about the tribalism over here with the clubs and how much it means. Over in America we have the ability to watch every single match and it’s a little easier to have multiple teams. “You don’t do that here (in England). You’re born somewhere, you support that club and that is your club, ride or die forever. That’s very, very, important. “(Reynolds) talked a lot about honouring and respecting that coming in and knowing that this club has been here long, long before we got here and it’s going to be here long after we’re gone, so it’s just a matter of doing right by the supporters and doing what you can to help shepherd it into the next chapter in a better place than you found it.” If it was possible, I wanted to make sure I could speak properly about it. JJ Watt Watt has fully immersed himself into a self-taught Clarets curriculum to “learn what is important to these people so we can relate”. Most recently, that meant catching up with clips from May 1987’s ‘great escape’ encounter with Leyton Orient. Though Watt’s Wisconsin accent will always betray his nationality, he is also conscious of the nuances in vocabulary that might be perceived as shudderingly Yankee on these shores, like “locker room” instead of “dressing room”. Watt’s authentic appreciation of English football – he also speaks eloquently about the women’s game – was initially motivated by his ambition to one day invest in a club, “because someday, if it was possible, I wanted to make sure I could speak properly about it”. As a true student of the game, Watt “loves” listening to meetings about player business and says “just talking to Vince (Vincent Kompany), watching film with him and breaking down our strengths and weaknesses, where we can enhance even further, that’s been fascinating. That’s my favourite stuff.” He hopes to use his own background as an elite athlete to get involved in conversations around training, nutrition and players’ buy-in to the Burnley mission, but he is quite content to leave certain things to the experts. He added: “I’m never going to give my input on a player. I’m never going to be at the knowledge level to tell Vincent Kompany what I think.”

Harry Kane would not want to risk tarnishing his Tottenham legacy by leaving the club in the summer, according to former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov. After another turbulent campaign at Tottenham which will end without silverware, England captain Kane has been strongly linked with a big-money move to Manchester United. Berbatov helped Spurs lift the League Cup in February 2008, which remains the club’s last trophy, before making the switch from White Hart Lane to Old Trafford just over six months later. Kane is set to enter the final year of his Spurs contract during the summer, but recently spoke of his determination to restore a strong culture at the club, which is now on a third manager of the season. Berbatov, who went on to win the Premier League twice with United, can empathise with Kane’s dilemma, but believes the 29-year-old’s heart remains very much at Tottenham where he is now the record goalscorer. “I can understand and can relate to his situation. I feel for him, but at the same time I think he is going to stay at Spurs,” Berbatov told the PA news agency. “His legacy now is so great that he cannot force himself to tarnish it – when you say Spurs, it is Harry Kane and when you say Harry Kane, it is Spurs. “They are connected forever because he is the leading goalscorer of the team, of the country (England national team) and probably is going to break Alan Shearer’s record for most goals in the Premier League as well. “So it is down to him to know what is important for him – (for) his legacy with Spurs, which is unbelievable now. “(As for) personal records, it is important also to win something before he is finished playing football. It is up to him to decide.” Former Bulgaria striker Berbatov, speaking on behalf of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, added: “At one point, Spurs are probably going to win something and produce more consistency. “Every season they have that intent, that this is going to be the defining season, but so far, it didn’t work. “At one point, I am sure it is going to work, but when is that going to be? I don’t know.” Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has also come in for criticism in the wake of a campaign which saw the departures of head coach Antonio Conte and then Cristian Stellini, with Ryan Mason eventually stepping in until the end of the season. Every season Spurs start with a big expectation based on everything they have in their disposal Dimitar Berbatov Berbatov believes there has to be a sense of collective responsibility from the training ground to the board room. “Again they are not at the place that they wanted to be in the start of the season. It is nothing new and everybody connected with Spurs knows it,” said Berbatov, who scored 46 goals over a two-year spell with Tottenham. “Every season Spurs start with a big expectation based on everything they have in their disposal – a great stadium, the great facility to train, great players as well. “But while the season is progressing, even if they start strong, then they are declining and that inconsistency kicks in and they start to suffer from it.” Berbatov added: “It is a shared responsibility – probably 40 per cent the manager, 40 per cent the players and 20 per cent goes to the owners, the people running the club, because it has been a long time since winning a trophy like when I was there. “At one point Spurs reached the Champions League final and they had a great run with (Mauricio) Pochettino. “But most of the time that disappointment is there because (after) starting on a strong foot, then slowly and surely they continue to drop down (the table) and don’t achieve what they have wanted to achieve at the end of the season.” While Tottenham may be well out of the running for a top-four finish, they could yet still qualify for Europe again via one of the other UEFA competitions. Berbatov, 42, hopes another of his old clubs Bayer Leverkusen can go on to reach this season’s Europa League final – if they can get past Roma, now managed by former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho. “They have another leg, another obstacle in the case of (Jose) Mourinho and his (Roma) team, but I think they can manage to do it,” said Berbatov. “With me being at the final to watch in person, I would like to see them there.” :: Dimitar Berbatov featured in Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign content, Mission Masterclass. You can view episode two in full on UEFA’s official YouTube channel

Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney say they will not get bored at Wrexham as they build a “sustainable business” at the newly-promoted club. Wrexham ended a 15-year absence from the English Football League last month as the two actors’ investment in the Welsh club paid handsome dividends. The pair took over the club from the Wrexham Supporters Trust in February 2021 and have invested heavily on infrastructure and strengthening manager Phil Parkinson’s squad since, with some reports suggesting an outlay of over £10million. “I find it fascinating there are people who assume this could ever be boring in any stretch of the imagination,” said McElhenney, speaking on the Fearless in Devotion podcast. “The things we have done and felt in the last two-and-a-half years just don’t exist in our worlds – or any world that I can think of. “So getting bored would never be on the list of things that would happen.” “But I also think about any cynicism or criticism that we might get, that is simply by nature just not creative in any way or helpful in any way, is generally just a reflection of how someone is feeling about themselves or something they may have gone through in their life.” Reynolds has made it clear that he wants to take Wrexham to the Premier League and admitted that his involvement in football has become an “addiction”. Getting bored would never be on the list of things that would happen Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney He said: “We don’t pretend it’s just salad days ahead. It’s a journey. “It’s making sure that no matter what we do as stewards of this club we are avoiding stasis or backtracking at all cost. “That can sometimes happen, at least from when I’ve observed other clubs, you can get in this cycle where you’re just keeping your head above water. “So we always want to be on that inexorable march forward, not just as a club but as a community, and Rob and I love Wrexham about as much as two human beings could love anything on this planet.” Wrexham are expected to strengthen again this summer in order to make a League Two promotion challenge next season. Reynolds and McElhenney insist they were serious over their failed bid to lure former Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale out of retirement to play for Wrexham, but are adamant they will not be “writing cheques to keep the business of the club afloat”. McElhenney said: “From the beginning we’ve been talking about what our short-term strategy is and what our long-term strategy is because we’ve always said we want to build a sustainable business. “We look at the entire club as a massive investment – an investment in the club, town and future. “And neither one of us wants to put ourselves or the club in a position where any one of us are just writing cheques to keep the business of the club afloat. “Everything we’ve done since we’ve come in is to ensure no matter who comes in – and hopefully it’s us for the rest of our lives – we are building a sustainable business. Whatever that might mean in the future, who’s to say?” Deadpool star Reynolds said he was contemplating Wrexham’s future within hours of them capturing the National League title. Reynolds said: “Almost the next day I was so excited to dig in to what’s next for the club, which I’m proud to say and deeply regretful to say because I should have enjoyed that moment, which I did. “But I’m so excited to repeat that feeling as much as possible and just grow, grow, grow as big as we can possibly get and continue to deliver. “The great moments we’ve had so far do not exist without the bad. That’s football. “It’s a heart-breaking sport and I’m addicted to it now and you have to have both.” Read More Ben Foster set for talks on Wrexham future as retirement decision looms Wrexham’s Phil Parkinson named National League manager of the season Why Wrexham? How Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came to buy a club they’d never heard of Wrexham to play US women in seven-a-side tournament Ben Foster set for talks on Wrexham future as retirement decision looms Notts County back in EFL with sub goalkeeper Archie Mair the shoot-out hero Notts County boss Luke Williams looking to end emotional season with Wembley win