List of All Articles with Tag 'f'

Terry Venables was remembered as “the inspiration of a generation” as tributes flooded in for the former England, Barcelona and Tottenham manager following his death at the age of 80. Venables made more than 500 appearances for Chelsea, Tottenham, QPR and Crystal Palace, but would go on to make his real mark as a coach, also taking charge at Palace and QPR. The nation rallied behind Venables’ England team at Euro 96 in the summer football came home as the team brilliantly blew away the Netherlands 4-1 – Venables himself described the performance as “perfection: my most thrilling experience in football” – only to lose to Germany on penalties in the semi-final at Wembley. The Football Association marked the passing of “a true football icon” and said: “Our modern game mourns the loss of not only a great character but an innovative, forward-thinking manager who was an inspiration to a generation of English players and coaches.” Current England boss Gareth Southgate missed the crucial spot-kick in that game against Germany and led the tributes to his former manager, who made famous the ‘Christmas Tree’ formation. “Any player will have great affinity with the manager that gave them their opportunity, but it was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager,” he said in a statement. “Tactically excellent, he had a wonderful manner, capable of handling everyone from the youngest player to the biggest star. “He was open-minded, forward-thinking, enjoyed life to the full and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history. “A brilliant man, who made people feel special, I’m very sad to hear of his passing and my thoughts are with Yvette and all of his family.” Venables’ death on Saturday was announced by his family in a short statement. “We are totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father who passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness,” they said. “We would ask that privacy be given at this incredibly sad time to allow us to mourn the loss of this lovely man who we were so lucky to have had in our lives.” In Spain, Venables, who became known as ‘El Tel’, won LaLiga in 1984-85 and the Spanish league cup and also led Barcelona to the 1986 European Cup final where they lost to Steaua Bucharest on penalties after a goalless draw. On his return to England he lifted the FA Cup with Spurs in 1991, but it was his spell as England boss at Euro 96 for which he is most fondly remembered. Gary Lineker, whom Venables signed for Barcelona from Everton in 1986 and then brought to Tottenham in 1989 after he took the job at White Hart Lane, paid his own tribute. “Devastated to hear that Terry Venables has died. The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for,” he wrote on social media. “He was much more, though, than just a great manager, he was vibrant, he was charming, he was witty, he was a friend. “He’ll be hugely missed. Sending love and condolences to Yvette and the family. RIP Terry.” Another former England striker Alan Shearer, who was the spearhead of Venables’ Euro 96 side, posted on X: “Extremely sad news the great Terry Venables has passed away. RIP Boss. I owe you so much. You were amazing.” Paul Gascoigne played under Venables for Spurs and England. The former midfielder wrote a brief message on social media. “Such a sad day, cheers boss xxxx,” Gascoigne posted on X, with a picture of his former manager smiling and raising a tea cup. Venables followed through with his decision to quit after his Euro 96 disappointment to focus on a number of court cases related to his business dealings after the FA’s decision to refuse him a contract extension the previous winter. Gary Neville was given his international debut by Venables. The former Manchester United defender wrote on X: “He was someone who the players trusted and had great faith in. “He was someone who was a players’ man, looked after his players, stood up for his players in big situations like the pre-96 trip to Hong Kong and the dentist chair incident. “I sit here today thinking back to my special times with Terry and can say he is without doubt the most technically gifted British coach we’ve ever produced.” Venables went on to coach Australia to within an away goals loss of World Cup qualification before moving on to Palace, Middlesbrough, where he was appointed to mentor a struggling Bryan Robson and successfully escaped relegation, and Leeds. Tottenham’s current Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou, a former Socceroos boss, paid tribute, telling Sky Sports: “If you are asking about a person who embodies everything this football club has always wanted to be, it is Terry. “He was the manager for the (Australia) national team and almost got us to the World Cup, but the biggest testament is that anyone who I have ever come across that has worked with him will say he is by far the best coach, manager and tactician they have come across.” Read More Ollie Watkins hails a ‘massive three points’ for Aston Villa at Tottenham Top two maintain momentum with convincing victories Sheffield United probe alleged racist incident during home loss to Bournemouth Gareth Southgate pays tribute to ‘outstanding coach’ Terry Venables How Terry Venables brought football home in England’s greatest summer since 1966 Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw

Player ratings and match report from Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa.

Everton face Manchester United on Super Sunday in what is their first match since losing 10 points for breaching the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability rules. Sean Dyche says the decision from an independent commission to dock Everton points was “disproportionate” and that he was shocked when he heard the news. The Toffees are now down to 19th in the table and have work to do to get themselves out of the relegation zone. That may not be the hardest task. There are struggling teams in the league this season and Dyche has shaped Everton into a tough team to beat as well as unlocking their attacking threat. They have only lost once, to Liverpool, in their last five league matches but face a Manchester United side in fine form. However, that doesn’t feel like the case. United have won four of their last five matches in the league but each by just one goal. They’re sixth in the table yet have a negative goal difference of -3. If things go wrong for Erik ten Hag’s side they seem to go very wrong. With the boost of Andre Onana and Luke Shaw in the squad can the Red Devils triumph at Goodison Park? Follow all the action below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

Ollie Watkins fired Aston Villa into the Premier League’s top four with the winner at Tottenham to inflict a third consecutive defeat on the hosts. Unai Emery’s side came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory and leapfrog Spurs after a thrilling end-to-end contest, with Pau Torres scoring a first-half header and Watkins scoring a second after 61 minutes. Giovani Lo Celso had drilled Tottenham in front after 22 minutes with Ange Postecoglou’s selection gamble paying dividends at this point, but the hosts’ profligacy in front of goal cost them and Villa secured an eighth win from their last 10 matches. Hours before the match it was revealed former Spurs player and manager Terry Venables had died and a minute’s applause occurred before kick-off in his memory. Postecoglou’s team selection could have been out of Venables’ playbook, with the Australian going even more attacking than usual despite 11 first-team players being out, with Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg dropped. Rodrigo Bentancur, Lo Celso and Bryan Gil all earned first league starts of the season and it could have been 2-2 after five minutes. First, Villa captain John McGinn’s cutback was too powerful for the unmarked Matty Cash during the opening 60 seconds, then, down the other end, Destiny Udogie was sent clear but he sliced over with his weaker right foot. Dejan Kulusevski struck a post immediately after from Son Heung-min’s clever through ball and Brennan Johnson’s follow-up was blocked by Torres. Torres then should have broken the deadlock but he directed his free header wide from McGinn’s free-kick. The breathless start showed no sign of slowing with a Gil effort saved by Emi Martinez before Son hooked over, although the offside flag was subsequently raised. Another chance went begging when Pedro Porro’s cutback for Son was intercepted, but Tottenham did finally open the scoring in the 22nd minute. A Porro corner was cleared out to Lo Celso and his sweet half-volley from the edge of the area took a deflection to leave compatriot Martinez with no chance. It was Lo Celso’s first Spurs goal in more than two years, but Villa initially produced the perfect response. Straight from kick-off, Lucas Digne got away down the left and crossed for Watkins to head home. Villa’s joy was cut short when a three-minute VAR check eventually ruled the England forward had been offside. The end-to-end nature was abandoned not long after when Bentancur injured his ankle after a poor challenge by Cash. While Son found the net before half-time it was disallowed for offside and Villa’s growing dominance turned into an equaliser in the 52nd minute of the half. Douglas Luiz’s free-kick from the touchline picked out Torres and he made no mistake with his header this time to make it 1-1 at the break. Emery celebrated enthusiastically with his backroom staff but also made a double substitution, with Youri Tielemans and Leon Bailey introduced for the second period. Bailey almost made an instant impact when his curled effort slipped through Guglielmo Vicario’s grasp but hit a post. The frantic nature of the contest had returned now, with Johnson inches away from Kulusevski’s cross before Son had another effort ruled out for offside. Villa remained a threat and not long after McGinn’s long-range lob sailed harmlessly over, they made it 2-1. Substitute Tielemans was at the heart of it with a quick one-two giving Watkins a sight at goal and the England forward arrowed the ball into the bottom corner with 61 minutes played. Postecoglou’s side responded strongly, with Porro testing Martinez and Ben Davies heading over from the resulting corner. Vicario did keep Tottenham in the game with a finger-tip stop to thwart Digne’s free-kick before Martinez was required again, but produced superb saves to deny Johnson and Hojbjerg’s long-range curler. There was still time for Son to have another goal disallowed after Porro’s initial effort hit a post, but Postecoglou’s side failed to find a late leveller and suffered a third straight loss. Read More Top two maintain momentum with convincing victories Sheffield United probe alleged racist incident during home loss to Bournemouth Gareth Southgate pays tribute to ‘outstanding coach’ Terry Venables How Terry Venables brought football home in England’s greatest summer since 1966 Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw On This Day in 2020: Gunners have a good night against Rapid Vienna

In a bit of a shocker, Indiana is moving on from its longtime head coach Tom Allen. Despite a 3-9 record, his teams played hard, but a loss to in-state rival Purdue may have been his undoing. Here is who could replace him.

Today's MLS rumors include Alejandro Bedoya being set to stay with the Philadelphia Union. Lorenzo Insigne has been linked with Lazio and Wayne Rooney has won his first game as Birmingham City manager.

Sheffield United have launched an investigation into an alleged racist incident in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth at Bramall Lane. United will now work with South Yorkshire Police to identify the culprit and are threatening “the strongest possible action”. Details of the incident have not yet been released but a statement from the Blades read: “Sheffield United is disappointed to learn of an alleged racist incident in Saturday’s Premier League fixture against AFC Bournemouth. “The Club take a zero-tolerance approach to racism and stands firmly against all forms of discrimination. “An investigation is now underway, in conjunction with South Yorkshire Police, and officials at Sheffield United will continue to liaise with the Premier League and AFC Bournemouth. “Sheffield United will take the strongest possible action, which includes a club ban, against any so-called fan found responsible.” United slumped to their 10th defeat of the season, with a Marcus Tavernier brace sandwiching Justin Kluivert’s goal, before substitute Oli McBurnie replied for the hosts late on. Read More Gareth Southgate pays tribute to ‘outstanding coach’ Terry Venables How Terry Venables brought football home and gave England its greatest summer Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw

With the 2023/24 season about a month old, let's take a look at the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery picture.

Rodrigo Bentancur was forced off following a poorly timed tackle from Aston Villa’s Matty Cash, in a fresh blow to Tottenham’s mounting injury concerns. The Uruguayan sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage in February and was making his first start for Tottenham for nine months when he had to leave the field after just half an hour. Cash caught Bentancur on the ankle with a miss-judged sliding challenge, creating a new problem for Tottenham to contend with amid an ongoing injury crisis. It was an unnecessary challenge, but there was nothing in the impact to suggest it would be worth more than a yellow card or any immediate evidence of the damage caused to Bentancur. Ahead of the match against Aston Villa, Spurs were without at least nine first-team players ruled out, not including Bentancur’s issue. Bentancur had made his first competitive start in nine months for Uruguay against Bolivia on Tuesday, but two matches within a week might have been too much for the midfielder. Last season, Bentancur was one of the best players before the injury, but when he left the field hobbling he was replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Yves Bissouma was also suspended for the Villa clash after sustaining his fifth yellow card of the campaign at Wolves, and manager Ange Postecoglou had been hopeful of Bentancur filling the gap. Tottenham will already be without James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until the new year, with Christian Romero serving a suspension. Pape Matar Sarr was not fit enough to be included in the matchday squad, while Ashley Phillips is also out for a month with an issue. Read More Rodrigo Bentancur return eases Tottenham’s injury crisis Everton vs Manchester United LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Tottenham vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates

Real Madrid have made a decision on the fitness of Rodrygo for the La Liga clash with Cadiz on Sunday.

England manager Gareth Southgate has lauded Terry Venables as a “brilliant man who made people feel special” after his death at the age of 80. Southgate famously missed the crucial penalty in the semi-final shoot-out against Germany as Venables’ side came up just short in Euro 96 on home soil. “Any player will have great affinity with the manager that gave them their opportunity, but it was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager,” he said in a statement. “Tactically excellent, he had a wonderful manner, capable of handling everyone from the youngest player to the biggest star. It was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager Gareth Southgate on Terry Venables “He was open-minded, forward-thinking, enjoyed life to the full and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history. “A brilliant man, who made people feel special, I’m very sad to hear of his passing and my thoughts are with Yvette and all of his family.” Venables managed Barcelona and Tottenham before he took over England and Gary Lineker followed El Tel to Catalunya and White Hart Lane. “Devastated to hear that Terry Venables has died. The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for,” Lineker wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “He was much more, though, than just a great manager, he was vibrant, he was charming, he was witty, he was a friend. “He’ll be hugely missed. Sending love and condolences to Yvette and the family. RIP Terry.” Former England striker Alan Shearer, who was the spearhead of Venables’ Euro 96 side, posted: “Extremely sad news the great Terry Venables has passed away. RIP Boss. I owe you so much. You were amazing.” Gary Neville, who was given his international debut by Venables, paid tribute to his character and approach to management – particularly in relation to the infamous dentist’s chair incident in the build-up to Euro 96. “He was an unbelievable personality and character, larger than life,” Neville wrote on X. “He was someone who was a players’ man, looked after his players, stood up for his players in big situations like the pre-96 trip to Hong Kong and the dentist chair incident. “He was someone who the players trusted and had great faith in and he always spoke openly and he was a personality that was far too big for the then rigid and stiff FA and that’s why they got rid of him after Euro 96 and why the relationship ended. “I sit here today thinking back to my special times with Terry and can say he is without doubt the most technically gifted British coach we’ve ever produced.” Current Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou paid tribute to Venables ahead of their home match with Aston Villa, at which players will wear black armbands and there will be a minute’s applause. “If you are asking about a person who embodies everything this football club has always wanted to be, it is Terry,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports. “It wasn’t just about the way he managed or coached, it was the person he was.” Venables coached Postecoglou’s home nation between 1997 and 1998 and the Spurs boss added: “he influenced Australia as well. “He was the manager for the national team and almost got us to the World Cup, but the biggest testament is that anyone who I have ever come across that has worked with him will say he is by far the best coach, manager and tactician they have come across.” Read More How Terry Venables brought football home and gave England its greatest summer Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw On This Day in 2020: Gunners have a good night against Rapid Vienna Erik ten Hag: Schedule has already crossed limits of what players can handle Mikel Arteta hails Aaron Ramsdale despite errors in Arsenal’s win over Brentford Novak Djokovic handed ‘bitter’ end to season as Jannik Sinner stuns Serbia

Barcelona sporting director Deco reveals the club's plan for Vitor Roque during the January transfer window.