List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

Sandro Tonali is being investigated by the Italian Prosecutor’s Office and the Italian Football Federation after being accused of illegal betting on football. The Newcastle midfielder, who is cooperating fully with the police and the Italian football authorities, faces the prospect of a lengthy ban if found guilty. The 23-year-old, who was withdrawn from the Italy squad to face Malta and England after it became known he was the subject of an inquiry, reportedly pleaded guilty to betting on AC Milan matches at a hearing with the Italian Football Federation in Turin on Tuesday. Tonali’s agent said the Italy international is battling a gambling addiction and revealed the player is shocked. Guiseppe Riso said: “Sandro is playing an important game against gambling addiction. He will win this one too. I’d like to thank Newcastle who have always stood by Sandro. He is in shock, shaken and sad. I hope that this experience saves his life and that of many others, that it helps those who fall into the same habit as him.” This week, Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagiolo was banned for 12 months, with five of them suspended, after he admitted breaching betting regulations while Aston Villa winger Nicolo Zaniolo is also being investigated and was also removed from the Italy squad as a result. Illegal betting on matches in Italy carries a maximum penalty of a three-year ban. Newcastle are yet to confirm if Tonali remains available for selection. They face Crystal Palace on Saturday and then Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. Tonali became the most expensive Italian footballer in history when Newcastle bought him from AC Milan for £55m in the summer. He scored on his debut against Aston Villa and has made 10 appearances for Eddie Howe’s team. Newcastle said in a club statement: “Newcastle United can confirm that Sandro Tonali is subject to investigation by the Italian Prosecutor’s Office and Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in relation to illegal betting activity. “Sandro is fully engaging with the investigation and will continue to cooperate with all relevant authorities. He and his family will continue to receive the club’s full support. “Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time.” Read More Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali being investigated for alleged betting activity Saudi Arabian state-linked group targets two European clubs ‘similar in size’ to Newcastle Gary Neville gambling ad banned because footballer ‘too popular with under 18s’

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has received his long-anticipated contract extension

Newcastle have confirmed midfielder Sandro Tonali is being investigated by the Italian Prosecutor’s Office and Italian Football Federation for breaching betting rules. The 23-year-old Italy international was withdrawn from his country’s squad prior to the Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to England at Wembley on Tuesday night and his club have released a statement to say he is co-operating with the enquiry. The Premier League club said: “Newcastle United can confirm that Sandro Tonali is subject to investigation by the Italian Prosecutor’s Office and Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in relation to illegal betting activity. “Sandro is fully engaging with the investigation and will continue to cooperate with all relevant authorities. “He and his family will continue to receive the club’s full support. “Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time.” Tonali was one of several players named in an Italian football betting probe last week and it has been reported that he admitted at a hearing on Tuesday to betting on matches involving his former club AC Milan. Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli has already been handed a seven-month suspension by the FIGC for breaching betting rules. Fagioli had five months of a one-year ban suspended and was fined 12,500 euros (£10,848), while he agreed to a therapy plan of at least six months to tackle his gambling problem, the FIGC announced. Tonali, who has 15 senior caps for Italy, was signed by Newcastle from Milan for £55million in July and has made seven Premier League appearances. Read More Who will make Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024? No easing off now Euros qualification assured, Gareth Southgate warns England Revenge no motivation for England’s semi-final with South Africa – Ollie Chessum

American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates are still without the Olympic medal they earned at the Beijing Games

Bundesliga soccer club Mainz has suspended Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi for what it called an “unacceptable” social media post about the Israel-Hamas war

French soccer club Nice has suspended defender Youcef Atal until further notice after he shared an antisemitic message on social media

It’s South Africa once again for England at the Rugby World Cup

Neymar was in tears after being taken off the field on a stretcher with an apparent left knee injury during Brazil’s 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in World Cup qualifying. Brazil were trailing to a Darwin Nunez opener when Neymar landed awkwardly after colliding with Nicolas de la Cruz just before half-time. The 31-year-old former Barcelona forward, who joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal from Paris St Germain in the summer, was carried off in some distress as he cupped his hands to his face. After De la Cruz made sure of Uruguay’s win, Neymar was reportedly seen leaving the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo on crutches. “Let’s hope it’s nothing serious,” Brazil captain and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro said on Globo television. “He’s an important player for us, we’re very fond of him. He’s been suffering a lot from injuries and when he starts to pick up the pace he gets injured again.” Elsewhere, Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in South American World Cup qualifying as he bagged a brace in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Peru. Messi’s 31 goals take him clear of former Barcelona team-mate and Uruguay forward Luis Suarez, who has 29. Argentina top the qualifying table having won all four fixtures. Read More Big-spending Saudis contribute £700million to record £6billion transfer total Only Premier League clubs spent more on transfers than Saudi Pro League sides

Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli has apologized for a “naïve error” but also hit out at newspapers for writing what he called was “rubbish” over his part in a betting scandal

Gareth Southgate has eight months to mull over his European Championship selection after England sealed their place at next summer’s finals with two games to spare. Tuesday’s 3-1 win against Italy underlined their place among the favourites in Germany and the PA news agency has analysed how Southgate likely sees his options for the squad right now. Goalkeepers On the plane: Jordan Pickford (Everton) and Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal) In the departure lounge: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace) Hoping for a late ticket: Nick Pope (Newcastle) Pickford established himself as England’s number one ahead of the 2018 World Cup and is all but certain to go into his fourth major tournament as the man between the sticks. Ramsdale is his closest contender but David Raya’s arrival at Arsenal is impacting his playing time and could well damage his international ambitions. Johnstone has supplanted Pope as third choice for the time being. Defenders On the plane: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle) and Kyle Walker (Manchester City) In the departure lounge: Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Reece James (Chelsea) and Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan) Hoping for a late ticket: Conor Coady (Leicester), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) and Ben White (Arsenal) Trippier, Stones, Walker and Maguire have been to every previous major tournament under Southgate and will do so again if fit and playing – not something that is a given with the latter. James undoubtedly has the quality to be on the plane but needs to prove his fitness. The Chelsea skipper missed the World Cup through injury and has struggled for an issue-free run since – not ideal given the competition at right-back. Injured team-mate Chilwell is in a similar position but there is a dearth of options at left-back beyond him and Shaw. Colwill can fill in there as he did on his England debut against Australia, which will boost the central defender’s hopes. Guehi has established himself as third-choice centre-back. Dunk and Tomori furthered their case for inclusion in recent camps in the absence of injured Mings, whose Aston Villa team-mate Konsa cannot be far from a call-up. Coady and White have not been selected since Qatar, while fellow World Cup squad selection Dier’s lack of club action has seen him fall out of consideration. Midfielders On the plane: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City) and Declan Rice (Arsenal) In the departure lounge: Conor Gallagher (Chelsea) and Mason Mount (Manchester United) Hoping for a late ticket: Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) and James Ward-Prowse (West Ham) Bellingham would be in any squad in the world, as would Rice. There are questions over Phillips and Henderson given their club situations, but Southgate has so far seen enough to stick with two players he trusts implicitly. The Football Association now lists Alexander-Arnold as a midfielder, with his versatility and qualities surely enough to see him involved in a midfield that Gallagher is now a regular part of. Mount’s difficult end to last season and injury-impacted start to life at Old Trafford has seen him miss out on recent squads, but Southgate is a long-term admirer of the Euro 2020 final starter. In-form Ward-Prowse has not been called up despite his fine start to life at West Ham. Forwards On the plane: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) In the departure lounge: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), James Maddison (Tottenham), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) and Callum Wilson (Newcastle) Hoping for a late ticket: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) and Ivan Toney (Brentford) England are blessed with an abundance of attacking options. Skipper Kane is a certainty, as is fleet-footed Saka. Foden, Grealish and Rashford are established performers under Southgate, while Maddison is now a regular squad member. There are decisions to make beyond them. Sterling has won 82 caps for his country but has not featured since December’s World Cup quarter-final loss to France. Bowen is another fighting for a sport after his October recall, while Eze will hope to earning back the spot he got before injury. Under-21 Euros winner Gibbs-White is another knocking on the door. As for Kane’s back-up, Watkins scored on his return to the set-up and Nketiah made his debut this month. But Wilson will be hoping to head into another tournament in that role. Toney is the most interesting alternative but his betting ban does not end until January. Read More No easing off now Euros qualification assured, Gareth Southgate warns England Revenge no motivation for England’s semi-final with South Africa – Ollie Chessum Euro 2024 qualifying – who has reached Germany and who still has work to do? Paula Dunn named interim head coach of UK Athletics after Stephen Maguire exit Goalkeeper Liam Kelly says Scotland debut was “the best moment” of his life South Africa’s Handre Pollard expecting to face ‘ruthless’ England in semi-final

Now that she’s stepped back from the sport she dominated like few others, Serena Williams is ready to reflect

Gareth Southgate says there can be no let-up after sealing early qualification for Euro 2024, telling England’s players to grab next month’s chance to impress and ensure their place as top seeds. Having set out their stall with an impressive victory over Italy in March’s Group C opener, three further wins and an away draw against Ukraine put them within touching distance of progress. England took their chance to qualify for an eighth straight major tournament with two games to spare on Tuesday night, coming from behind to beat holders Italy 3-1 at a sold-out Wembley. Southgate’s Euro 2020 runners-up have silverware in their sights next summer and are waiting to find out how things will shape up in Germany at the draw in Hamburg on December 2. But before that comes the end of qualification at home to Malta and away to North Macedonia, with the England boss calling on his players to end an unbeaten 2023 on a high. “We can now plan,” England boss Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live after their place at Euro 2024 was mathematically secured. “We have been planning anyway for base camps and things because I think the days are gone where we didn’t do that in case it brought bad luck. “We decided a long time ago that you have to plan as if you’re going to be there. We now can really start to look forward with enthusiasm for next summer, but we want to finish the year well Gareth Southgate “We still need to win the matches next month because I think it won’t be enough to win the group to be one of the top seeds, so we’ll need a high points tally as well. “But also I want to see all the players again next month. “We’re not going to flog them physically. We didn’t do that this month. We’ve looked after them. We’re dealing well with the clubs on that. “I have to say Manchester City were brilliant with this with John Stones. We’ve managed his return to play really well and I think that’s worked for both of us. “So we now can really start to look forward with enthusiasm for next summer, but we want to finish the year, the calendar year, well as well next month.” Southgate pledged to again give players the chance to stake their claims for a Euros spot in November’s fixtures. “Similar to this month, we want to give people opportunities,” Southgate said at the post-match press conference. “We need to win two matches firstly, but there’s a chance to look at look at players again, which we need to do.” Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen returned to the set-up in October and will be hoping to get another chance to impress, having started against Australia, with the former scoring in the 1-0 friendly win. Levi Colwill and Eddie Nketiah are also in that boat, having made their debuts on Friday before Southgate reverted to the tried and tested against Luciano Spalletti’s revitalised Azzurri. The England boss made a full 11 changes from the Socceroos encounter, with eight of Tuesday’s line-up having started the Euro 2020 final against Italy 27 months ago. Skipper Harry Kane was, unsurprisingly, among them and took his record national team goal haul to 61 with his brace in the comeback triumph. “There’s a risk we take the goals for granted,” Southgate said of the Bayern Munich sharpshooter. “But his all-round play, his hold up play, the way physically dealt with the centre-backs, his vision, his passing – because we have had him for a while it’s easy to underestimate, but he’s a top-level player. “He’s also now got a new experience at a different club, where he’s looking to win trophies all the time, and he’s got to win every week. (There is a) different sort of focus and pressure as the big signing there, so all of that’s good. “I think he’s enjoying also coming back to England and mixing with the lads because he’s very close with all of the group. “I’ve said before, our senior players set a brilliant example for the young ones. “They provide that spirit. They’ve been through so much together and they provide us with such a brilliant platform.” Read More Revenge no motivation for England’s semi-final with South Africa – Ollie Chessum Euro 2024 qualifying – who has reached Germany and who still has work to do? Paula Dunn named interim head coach of UK Athletics after Stephen Maguire exit Goalkeeper Liam Kelly says Scotland debut was “the best moment” of his life South Africa’s Handre Pollard expecting to face ‘ruthless’ England in semi-final Four out of five players want more done to keep them safe on the pitch