List of All Articles with Tag 'sp'

Army has extended the contract of Jeff Monken, who is the second-winningest football coach in school history

The season-opening road trip couldn’t have gone much better for the San Francisco 49ers

Eddie Howe has insisted the weather which delayed Newcastle’s arrival in Italy will not derail their Champions League adventure. The club’s latest European mission hardly got off to the most auspicious of starts when, having been given special dispensation to train on Tyneside on Monday morning rather than at the San Siro later in the day, they remained on the ground for more than two hours. However, speaking at a press conference which finally got under way at around 9pm local time when it had initially been scheduled for 7pm, Howe was adamant preparations for a tough opening encounter with AC Milan would not be hampered as a result. He said: “It’s just part and parcel of the job that we do. It’s not out of the normal that that can happen. This was a weather problem, but we’ve been in similar situations. “It’s something we’re used to, although it’s a slightly later arrival time than we would have liked for the players. It’s no big deal though.” Howe and his players were due to leave Tyneside at around 2.30pm, but eventually took off closer to 5pm and, as the media gathered at the stadium to await the 45-year-old and former Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, a plane-tracking app suggested they were still somewhere above France. They finally made it to the stadium at around 9pm, with article 73 of governing body UEFA’s regulations stating: “Press conferences must start between 1200 and 2000 local time. Exceptions to these timings must be agreed in advance with UEFA.” However, the PA news agency understands a first offence is likely to be met with a warning rather than more stringent punishment. Had Newcastle arrived on time, they would have done so in torrential rain as thunderclouds gathered over the Italian city as a sultry day drew to a close. It’s something we’re used to, although it’s a slightly later arrival time than we would have liked for the players. It’s no big deal though Eddie Howe Tuesday night’s game, which will be played 26 years and two days after the Magpies famously beat Barcelona 3-2 in the same tournament, comes more than two decades after their last appearance in Europe’s premier club competition. For Howe, it will be the first Champions League game he has attended, and one he is relishing against a side which suffered a 5-1 derby drubbing at the hands of neighbours Inter on Saturday. He said: “I’ve never attended one. I’ve always been too busy working to take one in. But it’s not something I’ve given any thought to. It’s a game of football. “Yes, it will be a very proud moment for me. I think it will be a very proud moment for everyone connected with Newcastle to be back in the Champions League after a long period away. “But it is a game of football and I think that’s just how we have to approach it. Yes, it’s a special game and we have to be at our best. There are slight differences in terms of where we’ve travelled, but the game will be the same and it will be a very difficult one. The club’s last fixture in the competition, a 2-0 home defeat by Barcelona in March 2003, saw the likes of Shay Given, Kieron Dyer and Alan Shearer go up against Frank de Boer, Xavi and Patrick Kluivert. This time around £53million summer signing Tonali, a semi-finalist with Milan last season, will be part of a new generation trying to write a new chapter in the club’s history. The Italy international said: “It will be the most thrilling feeling to come out into the stadium packed with people again. “They let me live my dream here at AC Milan, but now I come back as a rival. I will have a lot of feelings tomorrow. “Everything happened so fast with the transfer, I was overwhelmed at first, but I have come across a wonderful team, wonderful staff and play for people who love football. The people of Newcastle will help anyone.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live KP’s World Cup preview and Tyson Fury’s new arrival – Monday’s sporting social England netball star Chelsea Pitman announces international retirement Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino understands Thiago Silva’s frustration

The majority of Spain’s World Cup winning team – although with the notable exception of Jenni Hermoso – have been selected for upcoming fixtures against Sweden and Switzerland, but it remains unclear whether the players have ended their international boycott following the resignation of Luis Rubiales. Last week, a group of 39 players released an open letter demanding further changes at the Spanish Football Association before they would return to international duty, after their World Cup triumph in Sydney was overshadowed by the fallout that followed Rubiales’ unsolicited kiss on the lips of forward Hermoso. Spain’s World Cup-winning manager Jorge Vilda was replaced amid the furore, with newly-appointed coach Montse Tome announcing her first squad since taking charge. Her selection included 15 of the 23 players who were in their World Cup squad, as well as two star players, Barcelona’s Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, who had boycotted the tournament after previously voicing concerns over playing conditions. Tome would not reveal whether she had spoken to the players before she made her selection, which comes ahead of Spain’s match against Sweden on Friday. However, the coach explained that Hermoso had not been selected because it was the “best way to protect her” following the events that followed Spain’s 1-0 win against England in the World Cup final on 20 August. The core of Spain’s World Cup-winning team have been called up, which includes 21 of the 39 players who signed an open letter demanding further changes following the exits of Rubiales and Vilda. An original group of 81 players had initiated the boycott in response to Rubiales’ unwanted kiss of the lips of Hermoso in Sydney. Rubiales only resigned on 10 September, after Hermoso filed a criminal complaint against him for alleged sexual assault. Read More Spain’s World Cup players to continue boycott despite Luis Rubiales’ resignation Spain players demand FA overhaul and continue national team boycott Watch Luis Rubiales arrive at Spanish court over Women’s World Cup kiss

Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller has informed suspended football coach Mel Tucker he is being fired for cause without compensation for his conduct with activist and rape survivor Brenda Tracy

Top-ranked Georgia will be without starting right tackle Amarius Mims indefinitely as Kirby Smart says the Bulldogs carry the longest injury list in his eight years as coach

The Cincinnati Bengals dropped their first two games last season, and then made it all the way to the AFC championship game

Alabama is turning the offensive reins back over to Jalen Milroe, but the messy quarterback situation has been only part of the problem

A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday that the Chiefs and NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes had agreed to a restructured contract

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has long been a pointed critic of former President Donald Trump's conduct on a January 2021 phone call in which Trump pressured Raffensperger to somehow "find" enough votes to overturn his defeat in Georgia in the 2020 election.

A long-awaited retrial has been delayed for the man who fatally shot former NFL star Will Smith in a confrontation after a 2016 traffic crash

The Washington Commanders can thank their defense for getting off to a 2-0 start to the season