Luis Rubiales conduct has caused ‘enormous damage’, says Spanish FA
The Spanish football federation has apologised for the “enormous damage” caused by the actions of its suspended president Luis Rubiales. The 46-year-old has been provisionally barred from all football activity for an initial 90 days by FIFA while it investigates his conduct at last month’s Women’s World Cup final in Sydney. Rubiales kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation, something Hermoso has said she did not consent to. However, Rubiales has refused to resign over the matter. Now, the current president of the Spanish federation (RFEF), Pedro Rocha, has written a letter distancing the organisation from Rubiales’ actions, saying he is “ashamed” by them. “The damage caused to Spanish football, to Spanish sport, to Spanish society and the values ​​of football and sport as a whole have been enormous,” Rocha’s letter said. “Mr Rubiales’ actions do not represent the values ​​defended by the Spanish federation, nor the values ​​of Spanish society as a whole. “His actions must be attributed solely and exclusively to him, since he is the one solely responsible for those actions before society, before the sports governing bodies and, if applicable, before justice. “To be clear, this position was that of Mr Rubiales, not that of the RFEF. We feel especially sorry and ashamed for the pain and additional distress this has caused.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-09-05 21:52
3 possible closing lineup ideas for Warriors next season
Following the Golden State Warriors' productive offseason, here's a preview of what other teams can expect to go up against in clutch situations.
2023-09-05 21:48
Ranking the top 5 NL Cy Young contenders following Justin Steele's latest masterpiece
Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs has planted himself right in the thick of the NL Cy Young race after another dominant outing.
2023-09-05 21:47
Missing swimmer Richard Boateng's body found after thorough overnight search on Delaware Beach
'Think twice before you go in the water this weekend, whether surfing, kiteboarding or boating,' warned the commander of Coast Guard Sector Virginia
2023-09-05 21:25
Conor McGregor finally receives black belt in jiu-jitsu
Conor McGregor finally received his black belt in jiu-jitsu this week, with his coach John Kavanagh presenting it to the former UFC champion at the SBG Ireland gym. McGregor has begun training ahead of a planned fight with Michael Chandler in late 2023 or early 2024, and he was filmed sparring with Irish UFC prospect Ian Garry in Dublin on Sunday. While in his native Ireland, McGregor also took part in a jiu-jitsu class with his longtime coach, who ended the session by awarding the 35-year-old his black belt. “It’s not normal to give out a belt during the no-gi class,” said Kavanagh, “but nothing about this man’s career or life has been normal. An incredible exponent of martial arts his whole life, he obviously excelled in the professional area. But for me, it’s his interest and his passion about it day to day, whether it’s working with the new guys or training with pros. “It’s a huge pleasure for me to give [this to] a longtime student but also one of my best friends, Conor McGregor.” An emotional McGregor then said: “I appreciate this, guys. Thank you, John, for so much over the years. It’s just great to be home, great to be around UFC talent and see all the talent here around the gym. I’m with SBG for life, and I appreciate this. It means the world to me, thank you so much. “I’ve been doing this a long time, you know? It’s my life. To get it off John, it’s not even about... It’s deeper when you get a black belt off John. There’s not many black belts off Coach Kavanagh. It means the world. “I’ve been here, what, 20 years? So, that’s how long it takes to get a black belt off that man!” McGregor also re-posted a tweet that he first shared in November 2013, which read: “I just want two gold belts, a jiu-jitsu blackbelt, a hall of fame plaque and 25 million in the bank. Is that too much to ask? Gym time!!” McGregor would go on to become the first dual-weight champion in the UFC, after achieving the same status in Cage Warriors, and his net worth was estimated by Forbes to be $180 million in 2021. The Irishman is also a surefire UFC Hall of Famer. He last fought in July 2021, however, suffering a broken leg in his second straight loss to Dustin Poirier, who knocked him out six months earlier. Read More Mark Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions Adesanya and Volkanovski on speedboat Adesanya vs Strickland live stream: How to watch UFC 293 online and on TV this weekend Derek Chisora backs Francis Ngannou to drop Tyson Fury UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year Conor McGregor makes sudden U-turn over UFC comeback Mark Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions on speedboat
2023-09-05 21:24
NFL players follow musical passion to create songs featured on Madden 24 video game
Several NFL players have momentarily traded their cleats for a recording studio microphone
2023-09-05 21:23
Jim Curtin hails 'great performance' in Philadelphia Union win over Red Bulls
Philadelphia Union defeated New York Red Bulls 4-1, and head coach Jim Curtin was impressed with his team's showing.
2023-09-05 21:21
Lucas Giolito First Person to Give Up 8 ER For Three Teams in One Season Since the 1800's
Lucas Giolito has a bad season in a historical context.
2023-09-05 21:16
Liverpool's summer transfer window - graded
An assessment of every permanent Liverpool signing and sale, including grades for the arrivals of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister
2023-09-05 20:59
Lewis Hall among three England Under-20 players to train with senior squad
England were joined for training by three members of the Under-20 set-up as preparations continued for the matches in Ukraine and Scotland. Gareth Southgate’s side men head to Poland to take on Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Saturday, before heading to Glasgow for a friendly three days later. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish withdrew from the initial 26-man selection on Monday through injury, with 21 of the remaining players taking part in the full session at St George’s Park the following day. Callum Wilson, Bukayo Saka and uncapped Levil Colwill were not involved in training due to load management, with Lewis Hall among the three prospects brought up from the England Under-20s squad to help make up the numbers. The talented 18-year-old left-back joined Newcastle on a season-long loan from Chelsea last month, with an obligation to buy depending on performance-related criteria. Fellow Chelsea product Bashir Humphreys was another involved. The 20-year-old defender is on loan at Sky Bet Championship outfit Swansea. Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine was the other to link up with the senior squad for training. The 19-year-old is currently on loan at League One side Port Vale. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-09-05 20:59
Steph Curry Invests in Israeli Cyber Startup’s $50 Million Round
Four-time NBA champion and perennial all-star Stephen Curry is among the new investors in Israeli cybersecurity startup Upwind
2023-09-05 20:54
Declan Rice shows what Arsenal have and what Chelsea don’t after creating £100m midfielder
A few years ago, Declan Rice said he would have passed. Now, however, the £105m man assumed responsibility, shot and, via a deflection off Jonny Evans, gave Arsenal a 96th-minute lead against Manchester United. As Gabriel Jesus scored an even later goal, it was not technically the winner. But Rice was the scorer of the de facto decider in the sort of match that can define seasons and establish reputations. Perhaps particularly for central midfielders, given that it is a fixture that evokes memories of Patrick Vieira against Roy Keane. Vieira scored the winning penalty in an FA Cup final shootout against United; Keane scored a disproportionate number of his United goals – five, almost 10 percent – against Arsenal. Rice’s first in Arsenal colours came at United’s expense. The most expensive Englishman ever can appear something of a throwback player: called a defensive midfielder, but often an all-rounder, in the way the Frenchman and the Irishman were. His post-match interview was conducted next to Keane who, like Graeme Souness, a similarly dominant and brilliant midfielder and another whose punditry could focus more on personalities than tactics, subscribes to the great man theory of history: as a footballing great himself, he tends to argue that matches are determined by the determination of individuals, by a willingness to seize the moment, by winning a personal battle. It suits him to argue games are won by warriors, not formations involving inverted full-backs or box midfielders. Football has grown more complex, the tactical intricacies of managers such as Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola reducing the significance of going mano a mano with the opposition’s alpha male. And yet, in the age of the £100m midfielder, perhaps Rice has a responsibility to be more than just another cog in the wheel, to be the match-winner at least sometimes. If it is simplistic to demand a tangible impact that always equates with his price tag for a player whose contribution stretches far beyond goals and assists, he is nevertheless charged with improving Arsenal. Turning one point into three and winning a game against rivals is a way of doing that. And if philosophies and systems seemed to have reduced the reliance on the individual, there is evidence in the midfields of Arteta and Guardiola that football can still come down to big players producing big deeds at big moments. Ilkay Gundogan spent the first half of his Manchester City career as a neat passer. In the second half, he was transformed into the man for the big occasion, the scorer supreme who could use his footballing intelligence to find space and his technique to finish. It was, in part, why he became captain; by the time of his FA Cup final brace, he felt more Roy of the Rovers than Sergio Busquets. As the defensive midfielder, Rodri’s primary responsibilities were to engineer perpetual possession and to cut off counter-attacks. Yet as the Spaniard grew in stature, he has tended to deliver crucial contributions: most obviously the Champions League final winner and most recently the superb late decider at Sheffield United but a pre-Rice Arsenal can probably still remember and regret his injury-time winner at the Emirates Stadium on New Year’s Day in 2022: if the sense is that managers like Guardiola and Arteta want their midfielders to be elegantly robotic, executing a strategy with practised excellence, the importance of individual interventions is still apparent. Rice need only gaze across the Arsenal midfield to see. Martin Odegaard joined with certain similarities to Gundogan: obviously an assured passer, he has turned himself into an accomplished scorer as well as a regular skipper. The Norwegian’s two goals this season, a nerveless penalty at Crystal Palace and a swift equaliser against United, were signs of his substance, of a capacity to deliver when it matters. That Rice did likewise feels auspicious. He has cost the sort of sum that used to be reserved for attackers. Chelsea created the £100m midfielder and now have two of them, a £222m double act. That can seem the product of a shift in thinking, recognising the significance of dictating a game. But there is still the need to decide it. Enzo Fernandez has shown his incisive passing as he has become increasingly creative: that he only has two assists in their colours is in part a reflection of others’ poor finishing. But the Argentinian has a lone goal himself, and that was against AFC Wimbledon of League Two, while he missed a penalty at West Ham. Moises Caicedo’s Chelsea career has only spanned 205 minutes on the pitch and, while Fernandez has been used as a No 10 of late, the Ecuadorian’s deeper role means he is likely to score fewer goals than the World Cup winner or Rice. Nevertheless, at such a colossal cost, each was bought to make a difference. And when, deep into added time, it seemed Arsenal would drop two points, Rice did. Read More Arrest after Roy Keane allegedly headbutted at Emirates Stadium Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus hopes he has seen the last of knee niggles Declan Rice rises to the moment as Arsenal avoid disastrous slip-up
2023-09-05 20:52
