List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

Even with the 2023 season approaching, Nick Saban takes exception to the fact that the Alabama Crimson Tide weren't put in the College Football Playoff.The Alabama Crimson Tide are preparing for the 2023 season, in which they won't have quarterback Bryce Young or linebacker Will Anders...

In the Longhorns' final season in the Big 12, Texas football could rely on freshmen to step into prominent roles in the last chance for a conference title.The future of the Texas Longhorns athletic department is looking toward greener pastures. Just eight months from now, they will be geari...

Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan is poised to join Barcelona, the PA news agency understands. The Germany international, who is out of contract this summer, now seems unlikely to renew terms with the treble winners. City had offered the 32-year-old a new one-year contract with the option of a further 12 months but Barca are understood to have presented a more tempting three-year, and more financially-rewarding, package. City are comfortable with the situation and the player would leave with their blessing. The development comes on the same day City are understood to have agreed a £30million deal with Chelsea to sign Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic. The champions are set to pay an initial £25million for the 29-year-old with a further £5m to follow in potential add-ons. Kovacic, who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2018, is entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge. City now expect to complete formalities with the player and an official announcement will follow in due course. Kovacic’s versatility and experience would go some way to compensating for the loss of Gundogan. The influential former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the Champions League in his seven years at City. This year Gundogan lifted three trophies as City became only the second English side to win the treble. The club had been keen to retain his services but, given his age, did not want to match Barcelona’s offer and have taken a pragmatic decision. Kovacic would arrive at City as a four-time Champions League winner having been a member of Chelsea’s victorious side in 2021 and triumphed on three occasions with Madrid. He also had a spell with Inter Milan earlier in his career. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leading figures summoned to Senate hearing over shock PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger Southampton choose Russell Martin as their new manager The greatest show and spotlight on bowlers – Women’s Ashes talking points

Russell Martin has been confirmed as Southampton’s new head coach. The former Scotland international joins on a three-year deal after leaving Swansea. Martin verbally agreed to take over at St Mary’s last month, while the clubs remained in discussions over compensation. “It’s a privilege to accept this opportunity at Southampton, a club with such a long and rich history,” he said. “My aim is to get this club back where it belongs – in the top flight of English football. I am ready for this challenge and will give everything to achieve this aim and to give the supporters a team that makes them proud. I’m thrilled to be here and cannot wait for the work to begin.” Leicester were also interested in the 37-year-old but Southampton moved quickly following their relegation from the Premier League. Several of his backroom staff, including assistant Mat Gil, are expected to join Martin. Southampton and Swansea disagreed over the amount of compensation which should be paid, which has seen the move dragged out. They had been haggling over £700,000 with Martin’s release clause for Championship clubs and Premier League sides different. The Saints felt they should pay the smaller amount, around £1.25million, after their relegation from the top flight while the Swans were believed to be holding out for £2million. Martin guided Swansea to 10th in the Championship last season despite having a bottom-four budget and the youngest squad in the division. He has been praised for his style and Southampton will be hoping the ex-Norwich defender can guide them back to the Premier League at the first attempt. They finished bottom after a disastrous season which has seen them use three managers. Nathan Jones replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl in November but lasted just 14 games, winning one, and was sacked in February. Ruben Selles took charge for the final months of the campaign but was unable to keep Saints up. Last month chief executive Martin Semmens stepped down from his role following relegation having been in the post since 2019. Jason Wilcox was announced as Southampton’s director of football in January, joining from Manchester City, and will officially start work next week. He is a fantastic fit for what we are trying to achieve Jason Wilcox, Southampton director of football Wilcox added: “Russell has shown fantastic qualities in his managerial career so far and is someone who we believe will thrive in the great environment we have here at Southampton. “He is a fantastic fit for what we are trying to achieve, with a strong record of developing and nurturing young, talented players to fulfil their potential and deliver results on the pitch. We can’t wait for Russell to get started working with the team at Staplewood as we get ready for the new season.” Swansea are in talks with Barnsley boss Michael Duff, as revealed by the PA news agency on Sunday, with the former Burnley midfielder expected to be Martin’s replacement. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live The greatest show and spotlight on bowlers – Women’s Ashes talking points England approach ‘validated’ despite defeat in opening Ashes Test Harriet Dart beats Anhelina Kalinina again to book quarter-final spot

Success breeds success and England legend Rachel Yankey believes that the momentum from the Lionesses’ Euros crown can carry them at the World Cup despite a host of big-name absentees. Skipper Leah Williamson will miss the showpiece Down Under through injury, as will Beth Mead and Fran Kirby. It is the biggest concern for Sarina Wiegman’s squad as they look to add the global success to the European title they memorably claimed on home soil. But Yankey, who won 129 caps in a 16-year international career, has backed the team to use their experience of going all the way in 2022 to make up for the losses of established leaders. “Obviously they are missing players, which is disappointing for those individuals, but you want them to come back the fittest and strongest so you don’t want to rush them back for a massive tournament,” said Yankey, who has been assigned as a ‘Confidence Coach’, a move by Gatorade which comes in response to new data revealing that over four in ten (41%) parents believe that a lack of confidence and self-esteem are barriers which prevent teens from taking up sport. “What it is, is an opportunity for other players to really be involved in a key tournament, whether that is to gain experience or be a big part of it. “I think the squad would have learned so much from the Euros, there are different ranges of age within the squad, there are a lot of experienced players, so I think that they will be fine. “They can draw on their experiences, there is a lot of resilience within the players in that squad and I think there is good leadership and good youth. Fingers crossed they can go far. “For the players that weren’t there last year, they can look around that changing room and see so many different faces that were involved and played big parts in moments within the squad. Anybody that has been there and done it, and obviously the manager has done it twice, I think you can believe and have trust, you can settle people’s nerves by looking around and sharing experiences. “I don’t think there is just one leader in that England team. Collectively, that is their strong point. I think it will come down to how well they gel off the pitch and I’m sure they are going to do a fantastic job because they can look back on their previous experiences.” One noticeable aspect of the England squad named by Wiegman was the inclusion of just two Black players, Jess Carter and Lauren James. That is a continuation of a theme that was evident at the Euros, when Carter and Nikita Parris were the only Black players to get onto the pitch for England. The FA are aware of the issue, with Wiegman stressing that work is being done to change the make-up of the squad, while admitting it will not happen overnight. For Yankey, at one point England’s most capped footballer of either gender, and a trailblazer for Black women’s footballers, part of that trend may be due to the increased organisation of football. “There’s many different barriers that are leading to why young girls from all different backgrounds are not taking up the sport or not staying in the sport, or not getting the same opportunities to play the sport,” added Yankey, who delivered a moving Team Talk at the Gatorade’s 5v5 all-female tournament in Eindhoven, an annual five-a-side competition for 14- to 16-year-olds that featured nine female teams from across the Netherlands who all fought hard to qualify for the final and represent their local communities on a global stage. “One of the things that relates straightaway, when I think back to when I played football as a kid, I used to go out of my front door and with two boys across the road, we would go to the bottom of the street and play football. You don’t see people do that anymore. We used to go to the park and play football, you don’t really see people do that anymore. “We used to play unorganised football where we would create our games and make up our own skills. Everything is very organised at the moment and everything has a cost. “In the final years of my playing and even after retiring, I think more and more people have told me how important I was to them. Things that I didn’t necessarily think about, the way I used to have my hair braided, the colour of my skin. For some people, just the fact that I was a woman playing football. “At an early age, I understood that there was a role to play when you are playing for Arsenal and playing for England, you don’t want to let people down. But I didn’t really understand how deeply it could go into my gender and obviously my race. They weren’t things I thought about, that was really helping other people. We need more people to be going out and playing football, we need more people from different backgrounds. We need to be highlighting the game and to get more players.” Read More ‘Go get them’: William visits Lionesses to wish them good luck ahead of World Cup England World Cup goalkeeper set to leave WSL side this summer Ella Toone ‘ready and prepared’ for World Cup summer with England Qatar World Cup workers suffered ‘human rights abuses’, new Amnesty report finds Fifa accused of lying about environmental impact of Qatar World Cup Why Fifa is right about stand-off with Women’s World Cup broadcasters

President Joe Biden, Taylor Swift and Megan Thee Stallion were among a star-studded cast of names to announce the United States’ Women’s World Cup squad as the defending champions revealed the 23 players who will look to win a third tournament in a row this summer. Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe will be making their fourth appearance at the World Cup after being included in head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s squad, while key players such as Crystal Dunn, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle also return from their group that won the US’s fourth World Cup in France four years ago. But the US saved their biggest surprise for their announcement video, with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden featuring alongside some of the biggest names from sports and entertainment, including Blake Lively, Shaquille O’Neal and Lil Wayne. “From lifting trophies to fighting for gender equity, these women have been a source of inspiration for Americans of all ages,” President Biden said in the opening of the eight-minute video. While Morgan, 33, and Rapinoe, 37, bring plenty of tournament-winning experience to the US side, Andonovski’s squad features 14 players who will be appearing at the World Cup for the first time. Among them are 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson and 22-year-old Trinity Rodman, while the uncapped Savannah DeMelo is also included in the squad. The US will be without the experienced captain Becky Sauerbrunn due to injury, as well as star forward Mallory Swanson. The United States are four-time winners of the World Cup and remain favourites ahead of this summer’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand. The defending champions face the Netherlands, who they defeated in the 2019 final, Portugal and Vietnam in Group E. United States Women’s World Cup squad Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign) Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Angel City FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais, FRA), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit) Forwards: Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC) Read More N’Golo Kante, the midfield miracle worker who changed football Jose Mourinho hit by Uefa punishment for abusing referee Anthony Taylor Man Utd see £50m bid rejected for Mason Mount as Chelsea set asking price N’Golo Kante, the midfield miracle worker who changed football Jose Mourinho hit by Uefa punishment for abusing referee Anthony Taylor Man Utd see £50m bid rejected for Mason Mount as Chelsea set asking price

Roma coach Jose Mourinho has been given a four-match suspension by UEFA for his behaviour at last month’s Europa League final. The Portuguese faced widespread criticism after he directed abuse at English referee Anthony Taylor following his side’s defeat to Sevilla. UEFA also announced West Ham fans would be banned from their next away match in European competition, with a further match suspended for two years. That related to Hammers fans throwing missiles on to the pitch during their Europa Conference League final win over Fiorentina in Prague earlier this month. The Italian club’s defender Cristiano Biraghi suffered a cut to the head from an object thrown from the crowd. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The nation's No. 1 high school football recruit, Dylan Raiola, is doubling down on his commitment to Georgia football.Dylan Raiola, the No. 1 high school football recruit in the 2024 high school class, is committed to the University of Georgia. While the Dawgs had to feel good about his ann...

First the romance, then the new reality. N’Golo Kante’s eight years in England were bookended by two phenomena, two dramatic shifts in the footballing world. In his debut season, came Leicester’s improbable Premier League win, powered by Kante, destined to be a one-off. As he goes, it is to Saudi Arabia, to Al Ittihad, to a project that has greater funds and may have more longevity. Kante, the footballer who famously drove a Mini, will get a supersized salary, reportedly £86m. Selfless running has proved to be a profitable business. That it came in the same summer Leicester were relegated is a coincidence. Yet an era has ended: the three catalysts for English football’s greatest fairytale may not play in the Premier League again, with Jamie Vardy going down with the Foxes and Riyad Mahrez perhaps destined to join Kante in Saudi Arabia. A new force in the global game now is in the Middle East, not the East Midlands. Kante goes as Leicester and Chelsea’s likeable legend, the unassuming and perhaps inimitable – though maybe Moises Caicedo will be charged with emulating him at Stamford Bridge – architect of unexpected triumphs. If xG has been a factor in football in recent years, so has ‘NG’; the latter was a way of confounding predictions. It says something that winning the World Cup may not rank in Kante’s top three achievements; not given the context, anyway, because France were at least among the favourites in 2018. Their prowess, however, relied upon a recurring theme in Kante’s career: his ability to do the work of two men, which in turn released Paul Pogba to adopt a more attacking brief. But the Kante hat-trick consisted of his back-to-back Premier Leagues, with Leicester and Chelsea, who had finished 14th and 10th respectively the previous seasons, and then the 2021 Champions League. Arguably, he was the outstanding player in each competition. In 2015-16, the individual honours went to Vardy and Mahrez, before Kante was named both PFA Player of the Year and Footballer of the Year the following season. Aided by Italy’s triumph at Euro 2020, Jorginho won Uefa’s Player of the Year for 2020-21; it is no slight on the regista to say he was not even the best player in Chelsea’s midfield. Kante, man of the match in the final and both legs of the semi-final, was the small man who doubled up as a big-game player, and not merely because a disproportionate share of his few goals came against Chelsea’s peers. Chelsea won the Champions League by conceding two goals in seven knockout games. Thomas Tuchel branded Kante “our Salah, our Van Dijk, our De Bruyne”. He was right: Chelsea’s x-factor footballer was a runner who was playing in France’s third tier when he turned 22. Kante’s defining attributes seemed prosaic: running – he could cover 13km in a game – tackling and intercepting, which he did more than virtually anyone else. But he felt flawless: the king of tackles was never sent off for either Chelsea or Leicester. And his brilliance was illustrated by his uniqueness: as others sought their own Kante, players who had similar statistics for regaining possession, such as Idrissa Gueye and Wilfred Ndidi, were acquired, but no one else had the full package. Instructive as Tuchel’s tribute was, it was not the most pertinent praise of Kante. That came from the man who brought him to England, Steve Walsh, who took to whispering “Kante” to a sceptical Claudio Ranieri when their paths crossed in corridors and in ultimately successful attempts to persuade the manager to sign him. A year later, with Leicester champions, Walsh reflected that City played three in the heart of midfield in their seemingly anachronistic 4-4-2 formation: “[Danny] Drinkwater in the middle with Kante either side”. And Kante, with his extraordinary energy, held back trends in tactics. There was a sense that teams with him had 12 men. A central-midfield trio tends to be a prerequisite at elite level these days: unless, that is, one of a duo is Kante, covering the ground of two men, compensating for the times he was actually outnumbered. The last two teams to win the Premier League with a central-midfield duo are Leicester and Chelsea; the first as a low-possession team, the second sometimes with the immobile Cesc Fabregas alongside the all-action Kante. In the last decade, only one team has won the Champions League with just two out-and-out central midfielders: Chelsea in 2021. Factor in France in 2018 and Kante made tactics and teams work. Al Ittihad will have to confront the question if such feats are consigned to the past, if a man whose physicality – along with his reading of the game – made him so good is now in decline. He only made nine appearances for Chelsea last season. Graham Potter is entitled to feel himself luckless in at least one respect: Kante was only able to play 33 minutes in his ill-fated tenure. Frank Lampard rather strangely used him as a No 10 against Real Madrid and Brentford. It was a glamour position but Kante was the man who long excelled at the unglamorous. He became a miracle worker by being the greatest worker of his generation. Read More Man Utd see £50m bid rejected for Mason Mount as Chelsea set asking price Ryan Porteous not too envious of Scotland team-mates as he heads back to Watford Almost two thirds of football fans oppose VAR, survey finds

Ryan Porteous watched his Scotland team-mates gearing up for their summer holidays after Tuesday’s win over Georgia while preparing to start his next campaign the following day. The defender was due back at Watford for a team meeting and day three of pre-season training hours after helping Scotland to victory in difficult conditions. The former Hibernian player is happy to get back to England, though, and get to work under new head coach Valerien Ismael, who was appointed on May 10. “All the boys are jetting off on holiday but I’m back in,” Porteous said. “There will be a big rebuild probably at Watford so I’m looking forward to getting started there. “I had a holiday before. We finished up on the 10th (of May) so I got away for a couple of weeks. “Listen, I will be in good shape going back. That’s what you want as a player. Pre-season is hard enough but if you are in good physical state, as you need to be in this day and age, then it will be of benefit to me.” The defender’s return to club duty might have been delayed at one point as the Euro 2024 qualifier looked in severe doubt because of a waterlogged pitch, with rules stating any abandoned game continues the next day. Porteous got away from Hampden after midnight but the fans were not far in front of him after a near two-hour delay while water was swept off the pitch following a torrential downpour. Speaking after a 2-0 win for the Group A leaders, the 24-year-old said: “We wanted the game to go on because there were 50,000 fans there. For them to come to the game, spend all that money on travel and tickets and then go home very disappointed that the game was the next day, wasn’t what we wanted. “We wanted to play the game. We understand why they (Georgia) wouldn’t because they were 1-0 down, that’s completely understandable, but most of the fans stayed to the end. “The fans were brilliant, because it was a late night for a lot of kids and working people as well.” The victory made it four wins from four in Group A, Scotland’s best start to any qualifying campaign, and sent them eight points clear halfway through their schedule. Porteous said: “It’s exactly where we want to be, but the manager keeps reiterating to us and the press that we have done nothing yet. “We have put ourselves in a fantastic position but it’s one game at a time that will get us there. We need to stay grounded. “Four wins probably doesn’t get you there, you have to keep going.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Almost two thirds of football fans oppose VAR, survey finds Leicester and Sale to face holders La Rochelle in Heineken Champions Cup pool Range of armband options for Women’s World Cup as FIFA aims to avoid repeat row

Manchester United have had a second offer of £50 million rejected by Chelsea for midfielder Mason Mount. Erik ten Hag’s second bid, of an initial £45m plus a further £5m in add-ons, followed a first proposal of £40m. Chelsea are holding out for nearer £70m for their double Player of the Year but run the risk of losing Mount on a free transfer when his contract expires in 2024 if they cannot agree a deal with United. The 24-year-old wants to move to Old Trafford but United are reluctant to repeatedly increase their offers for the England international. Chelsea have already accepted an offer of an initial £25m, which could rise to £30m from Manchester City for Mateo Kovacic, who is five years older than Mount but, like him, is about to enter the last year of his current deal and was unlikely to agree a new one. Chelsea also paid City £47m for Raheem Sterling last season when the former Footballer of the Year was in the same situation at City. Ten Hag has targeted Mount as United have made midfield a priority in the transfer window, along with a new striker. Either Scott McTominay or Fred could leave if a new midfielder arrives. Mount came through the ranks at Chelsea, scoring 27 goals and providing 22 assists in 129 Premier League appearances. The 24-year-old – a Champions League winner with the Blues – has won 36 England caps and started the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy. Read More Man City agree fee with Chelsea for Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic Marcus Rashford’s complicated England relationship could be at turning point Bellingham gone but who’s next? Midfield merry-go-round will define summer

Players have been shown a range of armbands highlighting social issues which could be worn at this summer’s Women’s World Cup. FIFA is consulting with players and national associations over the bands in a bid to avoid a repeat of the row over the rainbow-coloured ‘OneLove’ armbands which dominated the early stages of the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year. The PA news agency understands there are different bands highlighting a range of issues and causes, including support for the rights of indigenous peoples, inclusion, gender equality, education for all and ending violence against women. Other bands carry the slogan ‘Unite For Peace’ and ‘Football Is Joy, Peace, Hope, Love, Passion’. The only bands set to feature something resembling a rainbow design are those supporting inclusion. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in March that everyone had learned lessons from the ‘OneLove’ armband row, and that a “solution” would be in place for the start of the Women’s World Cup. FIFA has asked players to provide feedback on its proposal. One option could be that different bands are worn as the tournament progresses, similar to an initial plan FIFA unveiled on the eve of the Qatar World Cup. England and Wales’ men’s teams were threatened with unlimited sporting sanctions on the day of their opening matches in Qatar last year if their respective captains Harry Kane and Gareth Bale wore the ‘OneLove’ armbands, starting at a yellow card for the skippers. The bands were part of a wider season-long campaign which began last September, but would have sent out a particularly strong message in Qatar where same-sex relationships are criminalised. Leah Williamson, who had been due to captain England at the finals prior to her suffering a season-ending injury in April, had been hoping to wear the ‘OneLove’ armband this summer. The Football Association, for its part, is understood to be in regular contact with FIFA over the issue in a bid to avoid any repeat of what happened in Qatar. FIFA has been approached for comment. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leicester and Sale to face holders La Rochelle in Heineken Champions Cup pool Manchester United make improved bid of up to £50m for Chelsea’s Mason Mount Arsenal agree fee with Chelsea to sign Germany forward Kai Havertz