List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani has agreed a deal to sell his controlling stake in the club to co-owners 49ers Enterprises. As a result the American investment group, owner of NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers and a minority shareholder in Leeds since 2018, will take full ownership. “Leeds United can confirm an agreement has been reached between Aser Ventures and 49ers Enterprises for the purchase of the club,” said a statement. “Both parties continue to work through the details, and further updates will be provided soon. “All of our focus remains on a quick return to the Premier League.” 49ers Enterprises increased its stake in Leeds to 44 per cent in 2021 with the option of buying Radrizzani’s remaining 56 per cent before January 2024. The Americans had been keen to push through a full takeover this summer, but that agreement, which had valued Leeds at around £400million, was contingent on the club remaining in the Premier League. Leeds’ relegation last month forced both parties back into intense negotiations and a valuation of close to £170m has been agreed. The deal marks the end of Radrizzani’s six-year ownership of Leeds. He completed a full takeover from fellow Italian Massimo Cellino in 2017 and initially proved hugely popular. Radrizzani bought back Elland Road stadium, which had been in private ownership since 2004, and brought in fresh investment when 49ers Enterprises purchased its first 10 per cent stake in 2018. The appointment of Marcelo Bielsa soon after proved a masterstroke as Leeds won promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years. 49ers Enterprises has steadily increased its stake, while Radrizzani’s relationship with the Leeds fanbase began to sour when Bielsa was sacked in February 2022. Leeds escaped relegation on the final day of the 2021-22 season under Bielsa’s successor Jesse Marsch and Radrizzani promised that the club would not be involved in another survival fight. But results this past season failed to improve and after Marsch was sacked in February, his replacement Javi Gracia and then Sam Allardyce, appointed with four games remaining, failed to halt the slide. When relegation was confirmed with a final-day defeat to Tottenham, Radrizzani was absent from Elland Road, opting instead to remain in Italy to finalise his takeover of Sampdoria. He later admitted Leeds’ board had made mistakes and apologised for the club’s relegation in a personal statement posted on social media. But after it emerged he had offered to use Elland Road as collateral when securing a £26m bank loan to buy Sampdoria – one of his companies and not Leeds owned the stadium – his legacy was further tainted. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Keely Hodgkinson sets new British record at Paris Diamond League Andy Murray targets the next step after reaching Surbiton semi-finals again French Open day 13: Djokovic reaches final as Alcaraz struggles with cramp

Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne admit winning the Champions League has become both a dream and an obsession for Manchester City. City stand on the brink of glory as they prepare to face Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on Saturday. Guardiola’s side are strong favourites for a game that could not only see them crowned European champions for the first time but complete the treble. The Premier League winners are hoping to put years of frustration behind them after several near misses in their pursuit of the prize they covet most. De Bruyne gave his feelings on the matter when he was asked if victory was a “dream” or an “obsession” as City held a pre-match press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Friday. “Maybe both, it depends who you ask,” said the Belgium playmaker. “Every professional player wants to win the Champions League and be on top. “If you can win the Champions League, you’ve reached one of the biggest things you can.” “To compete every year is amazing, and I’ve been able to compete against the best, but we’ve got a chance to close that if we are good enough.” City have reached the knockout stages of the tournament in each of Guardiola’s seven seasons as manager but they are yet to fulfil their ambition. Their runners-up finish two seasons ago, when they were beaten by Chelsea in the final, is the closest they have come. Guardiola, who won the competition twice as Barcelona boss, said: “It’s absolutely a dream, yes. “To achieve things you always have to have the correct proportion of obsession and desire. “It’s a positive word for the desire and will to win it. It is of course a dream for us.” City’s outstanding season has been fuelled by the goalscoring of Erling Haaland. The prolific Norwegian has netted 52 goals in an outstanding first campaign at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland admitted this week has was brought to City to win the Champions League and Guardiola – whose two previous successes came in tandem with Lionel Messi at Barcelona – hopes he proves the final piece of the jigsaw. Asked what he would advise managers hoping to emulate his achievements, Guardiola said: “Have good players – have Messi, have Haaland. This is my success. I’m not joking. “Every manager who has had success has had strong institutions and exceptional players. I’ve never scored a goal as a manager.” Haaland actually goes into the game having scored just once in his last seven outings but this is not a concern for Guardiola. “I don’t have doubts,” he said. “If you have doubts about Erling scoring you are a very lonely person. “Tomorrow he will be ready to help us win the Champions League.” Haaland has formed a potent attacking partnership with De Bruyne. De Bruyne was cheekily asked at the press conference if it had been “love at first sight” between the pair. De Bruyne said: “No. I’m happy with my wife!” Elaborating more, he added: “You have a feeling with a player and I understand what he wants. It clicked really well. He’s scored at an incredible rate and settled really easily.” De Bruyne has been chasing Champions League success with City since 2015. He said: “We have been consistent, we have been good enough, but we need to find a way to win the first one. It would be immense for the club and the fans, something amazing.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live We love the pressure – Ruben Dias confident Man City will thrive in final Republic of Ireland name 31-player training squad ahead of Women’s World Cup West Ham charged by UEFA over fan behaviour at Europa Conference League final

Ruben Dias is confident Manchester City will thrive on the pressure in the Champions League final. The City defender has no doubt his team-mates will step up to the challenge as they face Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday. City have already claimed the domestic double after an outstanding late-season charge and they now stand just one win away from becoming European champions for the first time. Dias said: “We love the pressure, we love it. The pressure will make you run faster, jump higher, be more focused. “That’s what these kind of games need and we need to embrace it. We enjoy the moment and we know what it means to our club, the fans, our families and we never forget to enjoy it.” After an inconsistent spell either side of the World Cup, City hit form in the spring to reel in Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and retain their title. We love the pressure, we love it. The pressure will make you run faster, jump higher, be more focused. Ruben Dias They then powered through to the Champions League final with stunning victories over Bayern Munich and holders Real Madrid. After beating rivals Manchester United to win the FA Cup last weekend, momentum seems very much to be on their side. Dias said: “I’ve been saying this for a long time – when we get to February and the decisions come up, that’s the sweet spot. “You can see the character of a team when you arrive on these stages, you can see whether a team wants to move forward or starts hiding. “Since that moment we’ve been showing up every time and tomorrow will be no different. It’s another time for all of us to step up to the occasion.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Republic of Ireland name 31-player training squad ahead of Women’s World Cup West Ham charged by UEFA over fan behaviour at Europa Conference League final Australia on course for world title despite fielding woes against India

Republic of Ireland boss Vera Pauw has named a 31-player pre-World Cup training camp squad again to be captained by Arsenal’s Katie McCabe. The Republic will face co-hosts Australia in their World Cup opener on July 20, a contest which proved so popular that in January it was relocated to the tournament’s largest venue, Sydney’s 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia. Pauw’s World Cup debutants have three scheduled warm-up games before that fixture, beginning with a sold-out June 22 encounter against Zambia at Dublin’s Tallaght Stadium. McCabe along with three US-based players – Denise O’Sullivan, Sinead Farrelly and Marissa Sheva – will link up with the squad after the Zambia game. Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion is a notable absence after tweaking her knee in training for her club last month, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) on Friday confirmed she will continue to be monitored ahead of the final squad selection of 23 players, to be whittled down by June 29. The training camp schedule will factor in when players finished their respective club seasons to determine workload and recovery time and ensure they will be in line with each other for the final stage of tournament preparation. Other Women’s Super League players to make the training squad include Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, Brighton shot-stopper Megan Walsh, and Liverpool defensive duo Niamh Fahey and Megan Campbell, with their Reds team-mate Leanne Kiernan among the forwards. Brighton’s Megan Connolly and Aston Villa’s Ruesha Littlejohn join McCabe in the pack of midfielders hoping to make Pauw’s final 23-player squad to travel to Australia, where they will also meet Canada and Nigeria in Group B. Grace Moloney and Diane Caldwell represent recently relegated Reading, while Chloe Mustaki plays for newly promoted Bristol City. Full Republic of Ireland pre-World Cup squad: Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton), Sophie Whitehouse (Lewes) Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham), Aine O’Gorman (Shamrock Rovers), Louise Quinn (Birmingham), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Claire O’Riordan (Celtic), Megan Campbell (Liverpool), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Tara O’Hanlon (Peamount United) Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Jamie Finn (Birmingham), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Sinead Farrelly (NY/NJ Gotham), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Erin McLaughlin (Peamount United) Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Abbie Larkin (Shamrock Rovers), Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses), Amber Barrett (Potsdam Turbine), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit), Saoirse Noonan (Durham WFC). Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live West Ham charged by UEFA over fan behaviour at Europa Conference League final Australia on course for world title despite fielding woes against India Andy Murray fights back from set down to reach Surbiton semi-finals

Tennessee travels to Hattiesburg to face Southern Mississippi in the Super Regionals round with Game 1 on Saturday.Both teams had wild runs to the Super Regionals with Tennessee needing extra innings to get past Clemson and Southern Mississippi using ace Tanner Hall for over 100 pitches in a los...

Matt Rhule is going back to the basics when it comes to what Nebraska football's fall camp will look like.While we all Remember the Titans, maybe one day soon we will Remember the Huskers?With Matt Rhule taking over in Lincoln, the Nebraska football head coach is having his players and ...

West Ham have been charged by UEFA following the behaviour of their fans at their midweek Europa Conference League final victory over Fiorentina. The Serie A side’s captain Cristiano Biraghi sustained a cut head after being hit by one of several plastic cups hurled at him from the end containing Hammers supporters as he went to take a first-half corner. West Ham have also been charged with an invasion of the field of play. The Italian club have landed two charges relating to the lighting of fireworks and throwing of objects. UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) will decide on the matter in due course. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Two SEC foes meet in the Super Regionals of the 2023 college baseball tournament with a spot in Omaha, Nebraska on the line.LSU took two of three from Kentucky at home during the regular season, and will look to do similar over the weekend in Baton Rouge against a Wildcats team that snuck into t...

The Big 12 will likely be expanding again soon, possibly adding the UConn Huskies for hoops.While conference realignment has more to do with the moneymaker that is college football than anything, it is also advantageous to kick the tires on major college basketball brands such as the UConn Huski...

Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is determined to seize the moment as he looks to follow up his World Cup triumph with Champions League success. The Italian side take on favourites Manchester City for Europe’s top prize in Istanbul on Saturday and Martinez is hoping to round off a memorable campaign that also saw him help Argentina to international success in December. Martinez said at a press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium: “These are the two major finals a footballer can play. “It has certainly been a very positive season for me. I am pleased with how it has gone and how I have done. Now we hope to finish off in the best possible way. “If you want to achieve your goal this is the very last step and we must be ready to take it. It will be a very important game for everyone at Inter and the club.” Saturday’s match will see Martinez come up against his Argentina team-mate Julian Alvarez, with whom he shared glory in Qatar. Martinez said: “I have not been in contact with Julian. I got married recently and invited him but he was unable to attend.” Inter, who finished third in Serie A, are rated as the underdogs against a City side bidding to complete a treble. Coach Simeone Inzaghi said: “After reaching the final we didn’t have time to think about it as we still had games to play. “Only now are we realising what we have achieved but we are not relaxed. We are concentrating very much and we will fight for every inch of the pitch against an excellent team. “We must be fully focused and make no mistakes.” Stopping the prolific Erling Haaland, who has scored 52 goals for City this season, will be key to Inter’s hopes. Inzaghi said: “We know who we have to play. We know Manchester City are probably the best in the world. They have proved that, they have been defeated very few times. “We know what a player Haaland is. Clearly we will have a special eye on him. “I have prepared something but it will be all of Inter that have to defend, trying to limit not only Haaland but all of City.” Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, the Turkey international, hopes to have the locals in the crowd on his side even though City captain Ilkay Gundogan also has a proud Turkish heritage. Calhanoglu said: “I think it will be a very special game for me. It is special for a Turk to play in Istanbul. “I want to enjoy this moment and I don’t know if I will play another final. We will give it our very best shot. “I know Turks will support me. Gundogan is on the other team but he plays for Germany, so for our people it is perhaps more important I win. That is my dream.” Former Manchester United forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan has returned to training for Inter after a thigh injury but remains a doubt. Inzaghi said: “We have a positive feeling but he is not 100 per cent. I will have to decide whether to field him from the beginning or send him on during the match.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live FA and PFA study finds increased dementia risk in ex-footballers Naby Keita joins Werder Bremen after leaving Liverpool Georgia Hall hopes Ryann O’Toole relationship helps others be true to themselves

Former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has returned to Germany to join Werder Bremen after the expiration of his contract at Anfield. The Guinea international’s £52million move to Merseyside from RB Leipzig in 2018 came with high expectations. However, he disappointed in his 129 appearances over five years as he struggled to get to grips with the physicality of the Premier League and missed large amounts of time with a series of injuries. The 28-year-old featured just 13 times last season, was left out of the Champions League squad due to injury, and started only three Premier League matches. Bremen will hope the midfielder’s return to the Bundesliga will bring a change of luck after scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists in 58 matches for Leipzig before his move to Liverpool. “A number of clubs are obviously going to be interested when a player like Naby Keita is available on a free transfer,” said Bremen head of scouting Clemens Fritz. “We’re therefore really pleased that Naby has decided to join Werder, despite several other offers. His qualities will massively strengthen our team. “We now want to get him back to his best.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Former professional footballers are almost three and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general population, according to a study commissioned by the Football Association and Professional Footballers’ Association. First findings of the FOCUS study, conducted by the University of Nottingham, support previous research that former footballers may be at higher risk of neurocognitive disease. The new report states that 2.8 per cent of retired professional footballers in their study reported medically diagnosed dementia and other neurodegenerative disease compared to 0.9 percent of controls. This means former pros in the study were found to be 3.46 times more likely to have neurodegenerative diseases compared to the control group. The study also showed retired footballers in the study were twice as likely to fall below established thresholds in some dementia testing than the general population. Dr Charlotte Cowie, the FA’s head of medicine, told the governing body’s website: “The FA and the PFA jointly commissioned the FOCUS study in order to gain additional insight into the findings of the FIELD study, and to further examine any potential link between neurodegenerative disorders in former professional footballers. “The FOCUS study worked with an established group of former professional footballers that were participating in research and was able to review their brain health, and it supports the previous findings in the FIELD study which suggest an increased risk for neurodegenerative disease in former professional footballers than in the general population. “This is an extremely complex area of our game, but we are committed to working collectively with our stakeholders to help grow our knowledge in this area through further medical and expert analysis.” The initial findings of the FOCUS study will be shared with both FIFA and UEFA, and the FA has reiterated its support for further research from across the wider game to help build a better understanding of players’ brain health and well-being. “This is an important new study which supports previous evidence suggesting that footballers are at greater risk of dementia and poorer cognitive functioning in later life,” said the PFA’s head of brain health Dr Adam White. “Studies such as this… ensure that targeted and evidence-led action can be identified and taken to support and protect players at all stages of their career. “Continued investment in this type of research will remain absolutely vital.” An FA statement read: “The FA has led the way in taking steps to help reduce potential risk factors within the game (including) establishing industry-leading concussion guidelines, introducing the world’s most comprehensive heading guidance at every level of the professional and amateur game in England, and implementing a new trial to remove deliberate heading in football matches across under-12 level and below. “Further findings from the FOCUS study will be published in due course.”