NFL trade roundup: Commanders sell; Vikings add QB Josh Dobbs
The Washington Commanders made the most noise at the NFL trade deadline, parting with starting defensive ends Montez Sweat and
1970-01-01 08:00
Fifa’s battle to regulate football agents gains momentum
Fifa have claimed a significant victory in their attempt to regulate the world’s top football agents, as the European Commission has backed the governing body’s move to bring in strict new rules including a cap on fees. Although it will be a hearing at the European Court of Justice that ultimately settles the issue, the Commission’s written submission to judges carry significant weight. It is seen by sources involved as a “huge development” and being hailed as a win for Fifa in what had been developing into a highly fractious conflict. Agents argue that the global body is attempting to unfairly affect their earning potential through a labour negotiation issue that actually has nothing to do with football, and goes against European Union antitrust laws. One strident position has been that setting a price cap would essentially represent a price-fixing cartel by the clubs, which top agents had been putting a lot of focus on. The European Commission have instead argued that a cap is entirely justified in order to protect players and contractual stability, as well as limiting conflicts of interest while protecting players who lack experience or information about the transfer system. An additional note was that agents’ fees are actually excessive and out of kilter with any normal fees for a service. The Commission’s observations also pointed to the “degree of discretion” which EU law generally affords sporting associations in order to fairly govern. Of the cap, it was stated “the defendant has plausibly pointed out that very high agency commissions, which are completely decoupled from the cost of the consideration, create a strong incentive to exert massive influence on players in particular in order to force an early transfer.” A further issue the new rules are set to tackle is on representing various parties on the same deal. The Commission has also backed restriction of this, arguing it “appears suitable” to mitigate against potential conflict of interest. A date for the hearing at the court in Luxembourg has not yet been set. Read More Fifa must secure Saudi promise over World Cup human rights, Amnesty warns Saudi Arabian World Cup in 2034 sparks ‘significant concern’ from major leagues Saudi Arabia set to host World Cup 2034 as Australia opts against bid
1970-01-01 08:00
Belgium vs England LIVE: Women’s Nations League team news and line-ups as Fran Kirby starts tonight
Sarina Wiegman’s England travel to Leuven for their second Women’s Nations League match against Belgium in just five days. At Leicester’s King Power Stadium on Friday night, the Lionesses secured all three points following an early strike from Lauren Hemp. The held on to their slender lead for the rest of the game to run out 1-0 winners but it was far from a convincing peformance from the World Cup runners-up. A 2-1 loss back in September to the Netherlands means England are second in Group A1 and they will be determined to back up last week’s win with another victory tonight. The group winners will move into the Nations League semi-finals and the Lionesses must remain in touch with their Dutch counterparts if they hope to reach the knockout stages. A place in the Olympics is also at stake as the four group winners in League A meet in the semi-finals before the two finalists join France as the 2024 Olympic Games’ European representatives. Follow all the action from Belgium vs England below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:
1970-01-01 08:00
Sheffield Wednesday owner asks fans for £2m
The Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has asked the struggling club’s fans to chip in with £2m to pay a tax bill and the wages of players and staff. The Thai businessman who said last month that he would stop putting more money into the Championship club while he was being “treated unfairly” by supporters, said he had cash-flow issues from his other companies. Wednesday, who were placed under a player registration embargo last week, owe money to HM Revenue and Customs and are at risk of being put under a transfer embargo. Chansiri urged fans to raise funds, telling the Sheffield Star: “If 20,000 people gave £100 then it’s £2m, and it’d be clear — so we can finish it. “That would cover everything, HMRC and the wages. That would need to be done before November 10 if they don’t want to pass the 30 days, but that means that there can be no next time — if we were to hit 30 days then we’ll get a ban for three windows. If you don’t want to save your club, then don’t call yourselves the owners and me the custodian.” If clubs go for 30 days between July 1 and June 30 either without paying players’ wages or a debt to HMRC, they incur a three-window transfer embargo. The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust said on X: “We are astounded by the request for fans to pay a £2m HMRC bill. A fit and proper owner would not ask fans to do this.” Wednesday, who recorded their first league win of the season by beating Rotherham on Sunday, are bottom of the Championship. They were promoted from League One last season but Chansiri then sacked manager Darren Moore before in turn sacking his replacement Xisco Munoz after a winless start to the campaign. Read More Newcastle boss Eddie Howe praises ‘ultimate professional’ Jacob Murphy Belgium vs England LIVE: Women’s Nations League latest updates Sir Bobby Charlton funeral announced for November 13
1970-01-01 08:00
Who is on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee in 2023?
Who are the members of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee?
1970-01-01 08:00
David Moyes feels Declan Rice should be welcomed back when West Ham host Arsenal
David Moyes expects Declan Rice to be “welcomed with open arms” when he returns to West Ham with Arsenal on Wednesday. England midfielder Rice will face his old club for the first time since joining the Gunners for £105million in the summer when the teams meet in the Carabao Cup. The 24-year-old made 245 appearances for West Ham and captained them to victory in the Europa Conference League, the club’s first silverware in 43 years. The Hammers fans are not exactly renowned for giving former players a warm welcome upon their return with another club, but boss Moyes believes Rice will get the recognition he deserves when he runs out at the London Stadium. “You’ve got to remember this is the man who lifted this club’s first European trophy in more than 50 years,” said Moyes. “He should be welcomed back with open arms. We’re all looking forward to seeing him again. “He was a brilliant member of the team. He led the team brilliantly well. He conducted himself impeccably as a West Ham captain and as a player. “The most important thing was that he gave 100 per cent in every game, even though we sort of knew he probably wasn’t going to stay at West Ham. So all credit to him. He conducted himself brilliantly well and for that alone he deserves to be cheered. “I’m really looking forward to seeing Dec again. I’ve not seen him since he left. I don’t know if I want him to play, but I hope he’s there.” Moyes is likely to include Lucas Paqueta and Edson Alvarez against Arsenal as both are suspended for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Brentford after collecting five bookings. Former Arsenal players Lukasz Fabianski and Konstantinos Mavropanos will also be involved along with Emerson Palmieri, who is back from a ban. Read More Mauricio Pochettino wants Chelsea fans to ‘believe and show trust’ in his side Dawid Malan shifts blame away from England head coach Matthew Mott Captain Siya Kolisi says Springboks’ World Cup win was ‘for every South African’ Warren Gatland backs Andy Farrell to be next British and Irish Lions head coach England wing Jonny May announces his retirement from Test rugby Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova joins in with criticism of WTA Finals
1970-01-01 08:00
How many teams are in the 2023 College Football Playoff?
How many teams will make the College Football Playoff for the 2023 season? Find out here!
1970-01-01 08:00
Mauricio Pochettino wants Chelsea fans to ‘believe and show trust’ in his side
Mauricio Pochettino called for Chelsea’s fans to believe and show trust in his side after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Brentford left them in the bottom half of the Premier League table. The Stamford Bridge crowd booed Chelsea off at full-time against the Bees after a third home defeat piled pressure on Pochettino. The Chelsea boss understands the supporters’ frustration and suggested other reasons behind their inconsistent performances. Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup last-16 clash against Blackburn on Wednesday, Pochettino said: “I think they need to be with us and I know it’s difficult to keep your feelings and it’s normal. “The fans want to win and are frustrated and they show emotion but the message is to believe and to show trust in us and for sure it’s about the process of trusting and believing. “There are so many details, what has happened (which contributed to Chelsea’s form) and you always need some luck. “One of the situations that happened is the injury of Christopher Nkunku – he is a player we signed with an objective to provide the team and to help put us in a different position. “In some games we created chances and did not score, we did not get what we deserved. I think we deserve more if we talk about our performance. We need to be more aggressive. “In the last game we created chances and we were better than Brentford who blocked very low. “It’s not enough and we need to criticise ourselves at the moment.” The message is to believe and to show trust in us Mauricio Pochettino A Carabao Cup trophy would soften the blow of Chelsea’s poor start to the 2023-24 campaign. Pochettino highlighted the importance of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and insisted that he will field a strong team in a bid to advance to the quarter-finals. He added: “It’s really important. The FA Cup and the Carabao Cup are really important for us and tomorrow (against Blackburn) we will play with our best team, some players need a rest after Saturday’s game so we cannot take risks.” Reece James has come off the bench in recent weeks as part of his recovery from a hamstring injury he sustained in August. And Pochettino confirmed the Blues skipper will start at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. He said: “I can confirm he is going to start. The captain is ready, which is good for the team and good for him to start from the beginning of the game and we will check on him and see how he’ll perform.” Read More Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior signs new contract until 2027 Dawid Malan shifts blame away from England head coach Matthew Mott Captain Siya Kolisi says Springboks’ World Cup win was ‘for every South African’ Warren Gatland backs Andy Farrell to be next British and Irish Lions head coach England wing Jonny May announces his retirement from Test rugby Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova joins in with criticism of WTA Finals
1970-01-01 08:00
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior signs new contract until 2027
Brazil forward Vinicius Junior has agreed a new contract extension with Real Madrid until the summer of 2027. Vinicius’ previous contract was set to expire in 2024, and it has been reported an updated deal – said to include a 1billion euro (£873,500m) release clause – had been agreed for some time before being made public. In a video clip on Real’s social media, Vinicius said: “Hello Madrid fans, I am very happy to renew my contract. It is a dream for me. “I hope I can continue here for many years, scoring many goals and winning many titles. Thank you very much for the love. Hala Madrid!” A short statement on the club’s official website read: “Real Madrid and Vini Jr have agreed to extend the player’s contract, which remains linked to the club until June 30, 2027.” After starting his career with Flamengo, Vinicius, 23, joined Real as an 18-year-old and has gone on to make 235 first-team appearances, scoring 63 goals. Vinicius has won the LaLiga title twice as well as the Champions League in 2022, with his goal securing a 1-0 win over Liverpool in Paris. At Monday night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, Vinicius was presented with the Socrates Award for his work to fight social inequality in Brazil and the ongoing battle against racism. Following defeat in El Clasico, reports emerged some Barcelona supporters had directed racist abuse towards the Real forward. Speaking about the ongoing issues when accepting his award, Vinicius said: “It’s boring to have to talk about racism all the time, but it’s an important thing and I will talk about it as often as I have to. “To have people abuse me at different stadiums is sad. I hope things can change, they are getting better. “(But) LaLiga, UEFA and FIFA can do more to make sure these people are not here among us.” Read More Dawid Malan shifts blame away from England head coach Matthew Mott Captain Siya Kolisi says Springboks’ World Cup win was ‘for every South African’ Warren Gatland backs Andy Farrell to be next British and Irish Lions head coach England wing Jonny May announces his retirement from Test rugby Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova joins in with criticism of WTA Finals On this day in 2011: Graham Henry steps down as New Zealand coach
1970-01-01 08:00
Fantasy Football Week 9: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
Breaking down the top start 'em, sit 'em options for Week 9 of the fantasy football season.
1970-01-01 08:00
Newcastle are not looking for revenge in Carabao Cup final rematch – Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe denied Newcastle are on a revenge mission against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup as the Magpies boss weighs up his diminishing options for the fourth-round clash. Newcastle’s long wait for a first domestic trophy since 1955 was extended by Erik ten Hag’s United, who claimed a 2-0 victory in last season’s final between the teams at Wembley in February. United have been in patchy form this season and come into Tuesday’s encounter at Old Trafford reeling from being outclassed in the Manchester derby at the weekend as City walked away with a 3-0 win. But Howe anticipates Premier League form can be parked to one side for now, with both sides set to ring the changes, and he was adamant vengeance for eight months ago is not a motivation ahead of the trip. Howe said: “That’s not our emotion as I sit here now. Our emotion is just to try to prepare and win the game. One win and we’re into the quarter-final of the competition. We loved our run in it last year. “Manchester United are a top team with top players. One of the key tests of any team is how you respond to setbacks. That’s always what you’re looking to do when you’re in the manager’s position. “They’ve got some very good results lately and have won some games late. Whenever you play Manchester City, as we know they’re very, very difficult games. “When you go into a cup tie, to a degree you leave that form behind. This is a one-off game and I’m sure both teams will be motivated to try and win.” Injuries to several first-team players – including Alexander Isak, Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy – have been exacerbated by Sandro Tonali being handed a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules. Joe Willock has made a couple of substitute appearances since a long injury lay-off and Callum Wilson and Joelinton have shrugged off issues of their own, but Howe is wary of overburdening some players. Howe admitted he is uncharted territory as the Champions League has increased Newcastle’s workload – they play Borussia Dortmund next week after welcoming Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday. He said: “You just have to roll with the punches, absorb the hits and that’s what we’re going to try to do. It’s not ideal for us, especially with the season to last year – it’s a totally different feel. “We’re not in that position now so we’re going to need everybody in the squad to step up. The key message is everyone has to give a bit more. To not use our squad (on Tuesday) would be really foolish. “(Last season) whet the appetite for us, we want this on a more regular basis, we’re determined to get back there. That’s the challenge for us – can we? Tomorrow will dictate what we do in this competition. “It’s going to be a bit of a juggling act for us, but we do have the players that can be flexible and can play different positions. It’s one of the strengths of our squad.” Anthony Gordon could be up front in place of Wilson while Lewis Hall may start, having struggled for minutes since moving to Tyneside, initially on loan with an obligation to buy, from Chelsea. Howe added: “He has a big role. He’s a talented player, he can play various positions for us which in our current position we’re going to need. The best is yet to come, without a doubt. “He’s been training well and adapting to quite a big change in his life so for such a young player to move from London and settle in here, I think he’s done it well.” Read More Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova joins in with criticism of WTA Finals On this day in 2011: Graham Henry steps down as New Zealand coach Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combine to keep Boston Celtics perfect Detroit Lions bounce back to beat Las Vegas Raiders Iga Swiatek recovers from slow start for opening win at WTA Finals Corey Seager fires Texas Rangers to win in World Series game three
1970-01-01 08:00
Saudi Arabia set to host Fifa World Cup 2034 after Australia opts against bid
Football Australia on Tuesday said it won’t bid for the World Cup 2034, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to host the men's marquee tournament. The chances of Australia hosting the 2034 event appeared unlikely after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) backed the Saudi bid on 5 October. Fifa paved the way for a Saudi victory given the 2034 event would only be open to countries from the Asian Football Confederation and Oceania Football Confederation after the three-continent, six-country bid for the 2030 World Cup. Indonesia’s football association initially showed interest in a joint bid with Australia, potentially alongside Malaysia and Singapore, but that faded when Indonesia instead backed Saudi Arabia. “We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the Fifa World Cup and — having taken all factors into consideration — we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” Football Australia said in a statement. Australia will instead attempt to secure hosting rights for the 2029 Club World Cup and the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup. “We believe we are in a strong position to host the oldest women’s international competition in the world, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup," the FA statement said. Australia and New Zealand successfully co-hosted the Women's World Cup in July and August. Brisbane, Queensland state, is due to become the third Australian city to host the Olympics when it stages the 2032 Summer Games. Read More Aryna Sabalenka ‘really disrespected by the WTA’ after poor organisation Francis Ngannou rematch or Oleksandr Usyk showdown? – Tyson Fury’s future plans Tyson Fury hints at next steps after Francis Ngannou victory
1970-01-01 08:00