List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

Pep Guardiola paid tribute to Terry Venables ahead of Manchester City’s Champions League fixture against RB Leipzig, describing the late England manager as “a true gentleman”. Venables, who also managed Spurs and Barcelona, has passed away aged 80. “He’s a big loss for English football, for his family, for his wife,” Guardiola said. “I’ve read a lot in these last 24 hours, how many players talked about him... big condolences to all of his family.” Guardiola also described the “incredible” impact Venables had on La Liga as Barca’s coach. Read More David Seaman recalls amusing Gazza story as he pays tribute to Terry Venables Terry Venables gives important advice to Southgate after Euro 96 in resurfaced clip Ten Hag makes Garnacho claim after stunning bicycle kick goal against Everton

Pep Guardiola has hailed Terry Venables as an inspirational and visionary leader following the former England manager’s death at the age of 80. Guardiola, the Manchester City boss, remembers well the impact Venables had at his boyhood club Barcelona in the 1980s. Guardiola was both a ballboy and a youth player at the Nou Camp when Venables coached the Spanish giants, guiding them to the domestic title in 1985 and the European Cup final the following year. A photograph has emerged on social media of a young Guardiola looking on from pitchside as Venables celebrated one particular triumph. “As a Barcelona fan, he gave us La Liga after 11 or 12 years,” said Guardiola, who went on to captain and manage Barcelona himself. “His impact there was incredible. “In that era I was 13 or 14 years old. It was the first time I saw us win La Liga. For many years it was not possible because of other teams. “He introduced something that had never been (done there) before, especially a certain type of pressing and the set-pieces. He introduced many, many things. “A true gentleman for the people. Unfortunately, he could not win the Champions League in that time, with the final against Steaua Bucharest, but it’s a big loss for English football. “I was a ballboy so I wasn’t in contact with him, I just gave the ball to his players, but I remember talking to friends of mine, who did play with him, and their words for him were not just as a manager but as a person – so funny, appearing on programmes, singing Frank Sinatra. “He was a proper, proper man. I am so sorry for his family.” Former England goalkeeper David Seaman has also paid tribute to Venables. Seaman was England’s number one when they reached the semi-finals of Euro 96. The 60-year-old told Good Morning Britain: “First of all it was a really sad day yesterday and when I started seeing the clips and all the tributes coming in, all I could remember was the smile on his face. He always had a smile on his face even when he was angry, if I’m honest. “He was just a great guy, he was brilliant at man-to-man management. “He was just brilliant and with Euro 96 everything just got better and better and I’ll never forget the day before Euro 96 and he came up to me when he just got the job, looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘You’re my England number one’ and the confidence I gained from that was just brilliant and something I’ll never forget.” Gareth Southgate missed the all-important penalty in the Euro 96 semi-final shoot-out loss to Germany. He was just a great guy, he was brilliant at man to man management David Seaman Seaman recalled memories during his time under Venables and drew comparisons with the current England boss, insisting Southgate has learned a lot from ‘El Tel’. He continued: “You didn’t feel that disappointed because he actually told us that we had achieved something special here. “I know we had gone out in the semi-final but he wanted us to know we had really achieved something. We got England to the semi-final at Wembley and the most important thing he’d done was that the England fans started loving the England team again because of the way we played. He was just a really nice guy. “Gareth will have learned a lot from Terry because Gareth very rarely loses it and that’s what Terry was like. He was always calm and confident and that’s what he’s learned from him that you don’t have to be really loud on the sidelines. You’d just watch and learn. “The way Terry treated Gareth, it just shows you the class of the manager and he was just a really special guy.” Read More They were there like animals – Pep Guardiola wants City team and fans together Bruno Fernandes talks up Alejandro Garnacho after stunning goal at Everton Son Heung-min hurt by defeats but ‘very pleased’ with way Tottenham are playing David Seaman pays tribute to ‘great guy’ Terry Venables Football rumours: Victor Osimhen keen on making Chelsea move On this day in 2007: Christine Ohuruogu wins appeal against Olympic ban

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes it is crucial the team and the fans continue to feed off each other’s energy. Guardiola feels that after his players provided the initial spark last season, it was the power of supporters that propelled City towards their treble success. “The stadium is all the time full and we have to play as best as possible and create as much as possible to energise and make our people with us,” said Guardiola at a press conference. “I have the feeling the team is playing really good and these guys – what they have done for many, many years, we love doing it together. “The games last season – semi-finals, quarter-finals, important games like against Arsenal when we played for the Premier League, they were there like animals and we need that. “In my humble opinion, to be successful we need our fans, all the time, being here. Thank you for coming, because without that it is impossible. Together we are stronger. “It is much better for ourselves to feel that they are there. We play better but we have to do the first steps, the first gesture. We have to do it.” City host German side RB Leipzig on Tuesday needing just a draw to wrap up top spot in Champions League Group G. The games last season – semi-finals, quarter-finals, important games like against Arsenal when we played for the Premier League, they were there like animals and we need that Pep Guardiola The holders have won the first four matches of their title defence and have already secured a place in the knockout stages, as have Leipzig – a side they thrashed 7-0 at home last season. Guardiola said: “Of course the first step is done for both sides – so congratulations to Leipzig – to qualify for the next round in February. “But it is important to finish first for prestige, for everything. We believe that when we play the last 16, having the second leg at home is not decisive but is a little bit of an advantage and we have to take it.” Midfielder Jack Grealish is unlikely to return after illness while Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes are nursing knocks. Guardiola said: “I’m not much optimistic about good news about some people coming back but we will see. I think it will be the same people who played against Liverpool.” Defender John Stones was an unused substitute at the weekend but while Guardiola said he was “really, really close” he was “not ready for playing”. Kevin De Bruyne, who has been out since undergoing hamstring surgery in August, said over the weekend he hopes to return to action early in the new year. Guardiola said: “If he said January, it will be January. I would have loved to have him all season but now he has had a tough injury and surgery. He has to recover well. “He’s said end of December, new year, so it will be a happy new year for everyone.” Read More Bruno Fernandes talks up Alejandro Garnacho after stunning goal at Everton Son Heung-min hurt by defeats but ‘very pleased’ with way Tottenham are playing David Seaman pays tribute to ‘great guy’ Terry Venables Football rumours: Victor Osimhen keen on making Chelsea move On this day in 2007: Christine Ohuruogu wins appeal against Olympic ban The sporting weekend in pictures

Pep Guardiola has been in reminiscent mood as he looked back with fondness at Terry Venables' time at Barcelona in the wake of the English coach's death at the age of 80

The controversial president of the Bulgarian soccer federation has resigned

Katie Taylor won a truly remarkable and savage fight in Dublin late on Saturday night. The record books will show that Taylor beat Chantelle Cameron in their rematch, and that all four world title belts at super-lightweight were the prize. The record books will only tell a tiny piece of the story; this fight was about redemption, pride, desire, it was personal and forced both of the women to fight to a bloody standstill. It was unforgettable and there was controversy. Taylor simply refused to lose and from the opening bell until the final seconds, when she looked close to exhausted collapse, she was still throwing desperate punches. Cameron matched her in a fight where there was never a wasted second. “I have had sleepless nights since the first fight,” admitted Taylor. It was the motivation she needed to match her desire. Two scores were tight, one a draw, but a third was far too wide; the two scores in Taylor’s favour only confirmed the sense that she had done enough. It was the emotional homecoming that Cameron denied Taylor back in May. The first fight was exceptional, the rematch was better. In the opening round, Cameron connected with a clean, jolting jab and Taylor was over. The referee, Roberto Ramirez, ruled the legitimate knockdown a slip; if it had been ruled a knockdown, the scores would have been different, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they would have shifted the final result in Cameron’s favour. It was a talking point, part of the post-fight discussion. Taylor stood her ground, trying at all times to control the centre of the ring and not be bullied back to the ropes. In the first fight, Cameron had pushed Taylor all over the ring, easily controlling the flow of the fight. In the rematch, Taylor adjusted, she moved her feet and, more importantly and controversially, she hit, moved and held. Taylor gripped at times, Cameron tried to shake her off; it was physical. The referee was amazingly lenient with Taylor’s holding, but he also ignored Cameron’s shoulder work and use of the forearm. It was hard, the prizes were high and the blood flowed. A clash of heads in round three left Cameron with a gash high above her left eye; she was also bleeding from a cut on her nose and a nick by the side of her right eye. The deep cut to the forehead was caused by Taylor’s head, but both their heads were smashing together. The doctor officially inspected the cut at the start of the fourth and continually interfered with the furious attempts by Cameron’s cutsman, Kerry Kayes, to seal the wound between rounds. After five rounds, I had Taylor 3-2 in front, but she knew she was in the fight of her life; the capacity crowd at the 3Arena of just over 9,000 were with her every single second of the way. I’m not sure I have ever seen a crowd get so emotionally involved. It was a wild night by the Liffey. Cameron had a good sixth, the blood had stopped, but Taylor had a good seventh, holding, denying Cameron the chance to work inside, and letting her fists go. Every single second was contested, every inch of that canvas was their personal battlefield. “It is just six minutes of your life,” Taylor’s coach, Ross Enamait, told her before the eighth round started. It was more than that, it was six minutes to change her life forever; Taylor has walked in greatness for a long time, a win in this fight would take her to a new level. It was totally absorbing, breathless. The last three rounds went in a blur, Cameron was smeared in her own blood from the gash and she stayed relentless, Taylor looked exhausted and drained; the last round was fought over a tiny space, the blood and sweat flying in all directions. And then the bell finished the classic. Nobody sat, people cried and hugged. The fans knew their idol had done enough. Just, by the way. Cameron seemed to sense defeat, her first, and Taylor summoned the last of her energy to roar at the delirious crowd. It was a heartbreaking contrast in the ring; two teams, just one winner and that sickening pause before the inevitable moment of confirmation. The joy was overwhelming, Taylor gripped her mother, Bridget, when the verdict was announced. The entire crowd had remained and the place was bedlam. Cameron left the ring after one final embrace with Taylor. There was respect, there were tears, there were bold plans for the trilogy fight at Croke Park. Nobody wanted to leave the ring or the arena. It was unforgettable and everyone wanted it to last as long as possible; it was a moment to savour for a very long time. “She is everything that you want your children to stand for,” said Eddie Hearn, the amazement and awe in his voice easy to hear. Under the soaring hum of celebration, Cameron, her family and her team slipped away. They were beaten but not bowed. They were angry at the referee for allowing so much holding and not scoring a knockdown in the opener. Emotions were certainly high. Taylor, meanwhile, can sleep again. They came in hope, their tricolour flags draped across their shoulders, and in their thousands, they howled at her every punch; she was their boxing queen and they were not ready to let her go. They knew she was in the fight of her very long life in boxing and they backed her until the end. They backed her until she could barely walk and they got what they wanted. It was some night. Now for the trilogy at Croke Park. Read More Eddie Hearn hits out at reporter over Conor McGregor question The sporting weekend in pictures Katie Taylor outlines future plans after avenging loss to Cameron Katie Taylor creates harmony by making history in Dublin Taylor vs Cameron punch stats reveal narrow nature of epic rematch Ed Sheeran congratulates Katie Taylor after attending fight in Dublin

A win against Porto will be enough to put Barcelona back in the knockout rounds of the Champions League after two consecutive group-stage eliminations

Erik ten Hag tried to talk about the build-up. There was the switch of play from Victor Lindelof to Marcus Rashford, the underlapping run of Diogo Dalot, the deep cross. And yet, whatever the involvement of others beforehand, strikes of extraordinary, spectacular individual virtuosity don’t tend to be remembered as team goals. “The finish was incredible, fantastic,” Ten Hag said after the 3-0 victory at Everton. “Maybe already the goal of the season.” Perhaps Alejandro Garnacho was still dumbstruck himself, the best part of two hours later, when he described it as “one of the best I have scored”. Maybe it was a teenager trying to express himself in a different language in front of the television cameras. Or maybe he genuinely has scored others of a similar calibre at lower level. If so, the search should be for any footage. But it was astonishing. Facing away from the Everton goal, some 15 yards out, Garnacho connected with such power and precision that there was a temptation to anoint it Manchester United’s finest overhead kick. That mantle may have rested with Wayne Rooney’s 2011 effort against Manchester City, not least because it was a winner in a Manchester derby. The more pedantic could point out the current Birmingham manager actually shinned it. Other comparisons could involve goals United greats scored in other shirts: Mark Hughes’ bicycle kick for Wales against Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo’s overhead kick for Real Madrid against Juventus. And overhead kicks are sufficiently difficult that they can denote a rare talent. They are not solely the domain of the greats, but some of the best have been scored by Gareth Bale, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marco van Basten, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Admittedly, others came courtesy of Emre Can, Trevor Sinclair, Rory Delap, Christian Benteke and Andy Carroll, who are rarely placed in the same bracket. Nor, at the moment, is Garnacho. But the ability that has been most evident as a high-speed dribbler gives the impression he could end up among the elite. Bruno Fernandes, the captain who was an almost paternalistic presence by his side in a post-match interview, drew an important distinction. “I have big expectations for him,” said the Portuguese. “He is not a great player yet but he has a great future ahead and we expect a lot from him. I am always going to be behind him asking for more but an amazing goal.” The lineage can prompt the question of how good Garnacho could be. United’s teenage wingers over the years have included Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, George Best and Bobby Charlton. There are cautionary tales, too, such as Adnan Januzaj, the revelation of Giggs’ final season but who, at 28, has only played 69 minutes for Sevilla this season. Then there is Garnacho: often an impact substitute, usually strangely ineffectual when he starts, a third-minute goal had a surprise in the timing as well as the execution. Many a young winger is embroiled in a search for consistency and productivity. He is not alone, but he arrived at Goodison Park with one goal in 21 games and departed having scored what the battle-hardened home captain James Tarkowski called one of the best goals he had ever seen and which Sean Dyche, a manager with a similar aversion to getting carried away, branded “an absolute worldie”. Ten Hag has overseen the emergence of young talent at Ajax. He has taken a hardline approach with Garnacho at times, dropping him on the pre-season tour in 2022 for being late. He sees what the Argentinian could achieve, contrasts it with what he has done so far and opted not to liken United’s latest prodigy to Rooney or Ronaldo. “Don’t compare, I don’t think it is right,” he said. “They all have their own identity but for Garnacho to go that way he has a lot to come, he has to work very hard. You have to do it on a consistent basis and so far he has not. But he definitely has high potential to do some amazing things. It's not the first time we saw this, we have already often seen glimpses but if you want to be a player like Rooney or Ronaldo you have to score 20 [or] 25 goals in the Premier League each season. That's not easy to get, you have to work hard, you have to go in areas where it hurts. So [there is] a lot to come. But potential, he has.” Potential can be exciting, tantalising, a promise that produces brilliance or something that goes unfulfilled. Over the last 18 months, it has been clear that Garnacho possesses plenty, but his goal at Everton was still stunning. It was a great goal. The challenge for him is to turn into a great. Read More Ten Hag makes Garnacho claim after stunning bicycle kick goal against Everton Alejandro Garnacho’s astonishing moment of magic inspires Manchester United’s result of the season Gary Neville hails ‘magical’ Alejandro Garnacho bicycle kick for Manchester United against Everton Roy Keane derides ‘absolute rubbish’ from Erik ten Hag after Man United win Bruno Fernandes talks up Alejandro Garnacho after stunning goal at Everton Ten Hag makes Garnacho claim after stunning bicycle kick goal against Everton

Bayern Munich has indicated that defender Mattijs de Ligt is nearing a comeback from the right knee injury which ruled him out for most of the last month

Roy Keane has described at Erik ten Hag’s comments praising Bruno Fernandes after Manchester United’s win over Everton as “absolute rubbish”. Fernandes was praised by his manager for allowing Marcus Rashford to take a second-half penalty in the victory at Goodison Park. Rashford, who has been short of form and goals this season, duly converted from 12 yards to put Manchester United 2-0 up, with Anthony Martial later adding a third. The gesture from Fernandes, the regular taker of spot-kicks at the club, was hailed by Ten Hag afterwards. “You see also how great a captain Bruno is to sense that his team-mate needed that goal,” the Dutch manager explained. The win continued a good recent run for the Old Trafford club, who sit sixth in the Prmeier League and are just four points behind the Champions League places. Former Manchester United midfielder Keane believes, though, that Ten Hag’s comments betray the fact that the mentality at his old club has changed, with the Irishman suggesting they are “happy with sixth”. “He’s giving toffee out there to Bruno for passing on the ball for the penalty. Absolute bloody rubbish,” Keane said on Sky Sports. “[That’s] absolute rubbish coming out with that. “Manchester United are sixth now – if you went back a few years, if you were sixth you’d be embarrassed. But obviously they seem happy with sixth. “They have a long way to go. Manchester United have to be competing with the best teams. That’s including Liverpool, [Manchester] City, Arsenal. It’s not been good enough with the talent they’ve got. Look, they’ve got themselves in a nice position but the reason you’re playing for Manchester United is to compete against the top teams.” The win over Everton was the third in a row in the league for Ten Hag’s side. The goal should boost the confidence of Rashford, who has been below his best so far in this campaign but remains a key figure. Fernandes believes his teammate will soon be back to a “world-class” level. “I felt that Marcus needed a bit of confidence, needed goals,” the Portuguese creator told Sky Sports. “Marcus is an excellent penalty-taker too. I’m 100 per cent sure that he could score the penalty. It’s not about who takes it, it’s about scoring the penalty and Marcus did it perfectly. “Obviously strikers, wingers, they want to score goals, they need to score goals, that’s part of their game and it gives you a boost. After the penalty, Marcus was unstoppable – he could take on everyone. I think sometimes you need this chance, this opportunity to get confidence back. “But Marcus has been great for us. Obviously last season he was amazing, so everyone’s expectations for this season were higher. It’s just about getting his goals back and everyone will stay say that he is world-class again.” Read More Bruno Fernandes talks up Alejandro Garnacho after stunning goal at Everton Kai Havertz gives Arsenal the perfect ‘example’ to follow in title race Why Aston Villa should be on Unai Emery’s list of top-four contenders Kai Havertz gives Arsenal the perfect ‘example’ to follow in title race Why Aston Villa should be on Unai Emery’s list of top-four contenders What Alejandro Garnacho needs to achieve Man Utd greatness

Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars took control of their division

The time for upsets have come and gone with little chaos in college football and not much movement in the AP Top 25 for much of the season