List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

The stars aren't just on the tennis court at the U.S. Open

Getafe FC has released a statement about the club’s recent signing of Mason Greenwood, claiming he has been "proven innocent". Only, it’s a false claim which has been criticised on social media. The 21-year-old joined the LaLiga side on loan from Manchester United, who suspended him in January 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online. Greenwood faced charges including attempted rape and assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February that the case had been discontinued. Following backlash to the new signing, Getafe released a statement to the Athletic, saying: “We do not want to enter the investigation. This guy has been declared innocent, judged, he is innocent like you or me. The moment we see that he is innocent we have no more to say.” Only, he has not been proven innocent. Instead, the charges against Greenwood were dropped. They were not heard in court, and thus he was not cleared by court, nor of the charges against him. Football writer Grace Robertson was one of the people to comment on the matter, writing on social media: “This is just factually incorrect. Charges dropped after key witnesses withdrew their involvement does not mean he was ‘declared innocent’. “If we're being very generous, the Getafe person is speaking a foreign language here. But still, it is incorrect.” It comes shortly after Greenwood himself posted an online statement after his Manchester United release, which was hauled in for a correction by X/Twitter's team of community notes users. "I want to start by saying I understand that people will judge me because of what they have seen and heard on social media, and I know people will think the worst. I was brought up to know that violence or abuse in any relationship is wrong, I did not do the things I was accused of, and in February I was cleared of all charges," said Greenwood to start his statement. "However, I fully accept I made mistakes in my relationship, and I take my share of responsibility for the situations that led to the social media post. I am learning to understand my responsibilities to set a good example as a professional footballer, and I’m focused on the big responsibility of being a father, as well as a good partner. "Today’s decision has been part of a collaborative process between Manchester United, my family and me. The best decision for us all, is for me to continue my football career away from Old Trafford, where my presence will not be a distraction for the club. I thank the club for their support since I joined aged seven. There will always be a part of me which is United. I am enormously grateful to my family and all my loved ones for their support, and it is now for me to repay the trust those around me have shown. I intend to be a better footballer, but most importantly a good father, a better person, and to use my talents in a positive way on and off the pitch." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

The Spanish Football Federation has sacked women’s manager Jorge Vilda only two weeks after winning the World Cup amid the ongoing Luis Rubiales crisis. Vilda’s entire playing and coaching staff resigned in protest against Rubiales, the Federation (RFEF) president who refused to step down over his conduct during the final in which he kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during Spain’s trophy presentation. He was also pictured handling other players, kissing them on the cheek and grabbing his own crotch in an aggressive celebration. Rubiales has been provisionally suspended by Fifa from all football-related activity and banned from contacting Hermoso or those close to her while an investigation is carried out. In a speech made to RFEF officials and the media, Rubiales refused to resign and hit out at a “witch hunt” against him – and Vilda was pictured in the audience applauding the man who appointed him as head coach of the women’s team in 2015. Vilda later issued a statement condemning Rubiales’ conduct but did not resign, and he has now been removed from his post, according to multiple reports in Spain. Vilda has long been a controversial and unpopular figure among the Spanish squad. His team looked to be on the brink of implosion 12 months ago when 15 players made themselves unavailable for selection, saying that the environment of the national team was having a negative impact on their mental health and emotional wellbeing. They complained about the oppressive nature of Vilda’s managerial regime and were unhappy about how outdated the international set-up seemed. Some of the arrangements, like travelling long distances by bus or not having staff in certain key roles, fell well below their standards at club level and they did not feel the Spanish FA was given them the best chance of fulfilling a unique generation of talent. Other complaints included the coach’s demands that their hotel room doors remain unlocked until midnight, and that their bags were routinely checked. Meanwhile, the current RFEF president, 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.” more to follow... Read More Luis Rubiales speaks out to ‘continue defending myself’ over kiss scandal Spain manager asks for ‘forgiveness’ after applauding Luis Rubiales speech Watch: Wiegman dedicates Women’s Coach of the Year award to Spain players

The United States is headed to the medal round of the Basketball World Cup after bouncing back from its first loss of the tournament in emphatic fashion

Israel Adesanya takes on Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 293 this weekend, defending the middleweight title in Sydney. Adesanya began his second reign as champion in April, knocking out Alex Pereira to finally earn a win over his old rival, who took the belt from Adesanya in November. Now, the Nigerian-New Zealander defends the gold against Strickland, with the controversial contender entering Australia on a two-fight win streak. American Strickland, ranked fifth, was Adesanya’s second choice for a challenger here; the champion had his eyes on Dricus Du Plessis, but the South African sustained an injury to delay that potential grudge match. Many fans, however, are excited to see Strickland (27-5) finally get his shot at Adesanya (24-2). Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is UFC 293? The event is set to take place on Saturday 9 September, at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The early prelims are due to begin at 11.30pm BST (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 10 September (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then scheduled for 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help: Get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Odds Adesanya – 2/13 Strickland – 9/2 Via Betway. • Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Main card Israel Adesanya (C) vs Sean Strickland (middleweight title) Tai Tuivasa vs Alexander Volkov (heavyweight) Manel Kape vs Felipe dos Santos (flyweight) Justin Tafa vs Austen Lane (heavyweight) Tyson Pedro vs Anton Turkalj (light-heavyweight) Prelims Carlos Ulberg vs Da Woon Jung (light-heavyweight) Jack Jenkins vs Chepe Mariscal (featherweight) Jamie Mullarkey vs John Makdessi (lightweight) Nasrat Haqparast vs Landon Quinones (lightweight) Early prelims Mike Diamond vs Charlie Radtke (welterweight) Shane Young vs Gabriel Miranda (featherweight) Kevin Jousset vs Kiefer Crosbie (welterweight) Read More Deja vu for Ciryl Gane as heavyweight scores statement win at UFC Paris UFC president Dana White hits out at ‘idiot’ who tried to break into his house UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Conor McGregor finally receives black belt in jiu-jitsu Mark Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions on speedboat Former Tyson Fury opponent backs Francis Ngannou to drop ‘Gypsy King’

The middleweight title is on the line in the main event of UFC 293 this weekend, as Israel Adesanya defends the belt against Sean Strickland. Adesanya became a two-time champion in April, knocking out Alex Pereira to take back the gold that he lost to his old rival in November. The Nigerian-New Zealander was eyeing a fight with Dricus Du Plessis as the first title defence of his second reign, but Du Plessis is recovering from an injury, opening the door for the controversial Strickland. Ranked fifth, Strickland (27-5) enters Australia on a two-fight win streak, with many fans interested to see and hear the American’s verbal exchanges with Adesanya (24-2) this week. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is UFC 293? The event is set to take place on Saturday 9 September, at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The early prelims are due to begin at 11.30pm BST (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 10 September (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then scheduled for 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help: Get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Odds Adesanya – 2/13 Strickland – 9/2 Via Betway. • Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Main card Israel Adesanya (C) vs Sean Strickland (middleweight title) Tai Tuivasa vs Alexander Volkov (heavyweight) Manel Kape vs Felipe dos Santos (flyweight) Justin Tafa vs Austen Lane (heavyweight) Tyson Pedro vs Anton Turkalj (light-heavyweight) Prelims Carlos Ulberg vs Da Woon Jung (light-heavyweight) Jack Jenkins vs Chepe Mariscal (featherweight) Jamie Mullarkey vs John Makdessi (lightweight) Nasrat Haqparast vs Landon Quinones (lightweight) Early prelims Mike Diamond vs Charlie Radtke (welterweight) Shane Young vs Gabriel Miranda (featherweight) Kevin Jousset vs Kiefer Crosbie (welterweight) Read More Deja vu for Ciryl Gane as heavyweight scores statement win at UFC Paris UFC president Dana White hits out at ‘idiot’ who tried to break into his house UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year

Rory McIlroy returns to action this week as Ryder Cup preparations begin

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

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

Several NFL players have momentarily traded their cleats for a recording studio microphone

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

Four-time NBA champion and perennial all-star Stephen Curry is among the new investors in Israeli cybersecurity startup Upwind