Focue Provides the Latest and Most Up-to-Date News, What You Focus On is What You Get.
⎯ 《 Focue • Com 》

List of All Articles with Tag 'sp'

EA Sports FC 24 Ratings Leak: Highest Rated Players 30-21
EA Sports FC 24 Ratings Leak: Highest Rated Players 30-21
EA Sports FC 24 ratings leaks for the top 50 detailing players ranked 30-21 including Vinicius Junior, Mohamed Salah, Bruno Fernandes, Antoine Griezmann and more.
1970-01-01 08:00
EA Sports FC 24 Ratings Leak Reveals Real Madrid Superstar
EA Sports FC 24 Ratings Leak Reveals Real Madrid Superstar
EA Sports FC 24 ratings leaks for the top 50 detailing players ranked 30-21 including Vinicius Junior, Mohamed Salah, Bruno Fernandes, Antoine Griezmann and more.
1970-01-01 08:00
ACC coaches are hoping an offseason of reps has new kicking units ready for what's ahead
ACC coaches are hoping an offseason of reps has new kicking units ready for what's ahead
Atlantic Coast Conference coaches are hoping an offseason of work and reps have prepared kicking units to manage changes from last year
1970-01-01 08:00
Man City reach verbal agreement with Wolves on Matheus Nunes fee
Man City reach verbal agreement with Wolves on Matheus Nunes fee
Manchester City have reached a verbal agreement with Wolves on a fee for Portugal midfielder Matheus Nunes. The PA news agency understands City have agreed to pay Wolves 55million euros (£47million) without add ons, but the deal has not yet been finalised. In a separate deal, City’s 21-year-old midfielder Tommy Doyle will join Wolves on loan with a £5million option to buy, and City retaining a significant sell-on clause if the move becomes permanent. City last week saw a bid for Nunes rejected, with the 25-year-old subsequently choosing not to train with Wolves in a bid to force through a move in the final days of the transfer window. Speaking after Tuesday night’s 5-0 Carabao Cup win over Blackpool, Wolves boss Gary O’Neil said he was unaware of any improved bid from City and expected the player to remain at the club beyond Friday’s deadline, but that situation has quickly changed. Nunes became Wolves’ record signing when he joined from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £38million last summer, signing a five-year contract with the option of a further 12 months. He made 34 appearances last term, scoring one goal and proving one assist. England under-21 international Doyle, grandson of Manchester City greats Mike Doyle and Glyn Pardoe, impressed on loan at Sheffield United last season, scoring four goals and seven assists in 38 appearances as he helped the Blades earn promotion to the Premier League. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
1970-01-01 08:00
Luis Rubiales is just the latest crisis in Spanish FA’s dark history
Luis Rubiales is just the latest crisis in Spanish FA’s dark history
As of Wednesday afternoon, Luis Rubiales was completely isolated and yet still officially the singular head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (Rfef). It is an absurd situation that symbolises so much about a story that is at once so serious and also utterly farcical, not least regarding the organisation itself. The regional chiefs that form the Rfef’s assembly finally turned on Rubiales by requesting his resignation on Monday, but they don’t actually have the power to force it. The 46-year-old still has to take the decision, which would come just days after he repeatedly announced: “I am not resigning!”. In the meantime, he is suspended from all football-related activities by Fifa, which could take it even further once its investigation concludes. So much of this story has developed from Rubiales’ distinctive personality, to put it generously. And yet the very fact such a personality is so difficult to remove from the role is a reflection of something much bigger that has also provoked even more discussions about what Spanish football has been and where it is going. A common sentiment is that this shouldn’t stop at Rubiales’ resignation – whenever that may come. The vociferous applause he received for that speech at the federation base was an illustration of why, even as so many of those pictured clapping his words have now turned on him too, right up to the controversial Spain manager Jorge Vilda. “The whole incident has proven how weak the federation’s government and oversight structures are,” one involved source stated. It is why the word “structural” has now been used so many times in the days since. “We want to state this is a structural problem,” said Amanda Gutierrez, president of the FutPro organisation that represents Jenni Hermoso. “It is something football players suffer every day of their career, they have to face these discriminations.” Joan Soteras, president of the Catalan Football Federation which is one of the regional organisations that make up the Spanish federation, echoed those words. “We need structural change in women’s football. Maybe Vilda leaving should be part of that change.” It is why this is about so much more than “a peck”, as Rubiales so provocatively put it. Rubiales’ unwanted kiss on Hermoso was initially explained away as “euphoria” amid the World Cup victory but it came out of a strikingly triumphalist attitude, that had already seen him grab his crotch. That attitude actually preceded the final and went back to Spain’s semi-final win over Sweden, when Rubiales became the first person from the team camp to break an uneasy truce and mention the player rebellion (when a number of Spanish stars boycotted the teamn in September 2022) for the first time. Even the language there was provocative, as he spoke of “people with resentments”. Those so-called “resentments” were actually profound concern about how the Spanish squad were managed and how sub-standard preparations were, right up to complaints about how they were made to leave their hotel doors open at night. The federation did listen to some complaints during the World Cup itself, moving the team’s base, but Rubiales made it stridently clear where he stood by fully backing Vilda. It was impossible not to put his triumphalism from the semi-final into that context, as if this was personal vindication for him and Vilda. It may yet bring the downfall of Rubiales and the departure of Vilda. The calls are already growing for the latter to be forced out too. Other related controversies have followed Rubiales, such as they way he speaks to people. That included a development from 2016 when Tamara Ramos – a staff member for the Spanish Players’ Association, where Rubiales had previously been president – commented on her underwear and joked: “You’ve come here to put on your kneepads.” This has all framed the frequent commentary now that the triumph of a women’s team has been completely dominated by a man, who had sought to put himself and his manager at the centre almost immediately. But there’s a wider context to that, too. One reason that Vilda even got the job is because his predecessor as Spain women’s manager, Ignacio Quereda, was finally forced out in 2015 after 27 years. The details that led to that have echoes with now, but are of an even more concerning nature. It is no coincidence that a 2021 documentary that covers Quereda’s time titled Breaking the Silence has been widely shared on social media in the last few days. The former manager had complete authority over an underfunded team, and was accused of bullying his players and reducing them to tears in a “culture of fear”. He would stand in a circle at training and tell one player “you’re fat” and another that “you need an alpha male” as a partner. The documentary cites homophobic language as well as a racist attitude towards Catalans, calling them “polacas”. Players would seek to avoid him off the pitch, although that was difficult when he demanded total control in camp. Quereda would demand to see what was in shopping bags, according to former player Mar Prieto, and go around each hotel room every night before shutting the door. Such apparent attention to detail in this area was not matched with football preparation, as there was negligible video analysis or tactical preparation. These were not the circumstances to even get the players performing to par, and they were duly knocked out in the first round of their first World Cup in 2015. Players had complained to the federation before, but then president Angel Maria Villar never seemed to heed their concerns. The squad instead saw him as enabling Quereda, and eventually wrote a joint letter demanding change. Villar is reported as dismissing this, describing it as “nonsense from the girls”, which forced them to go public. Vilda, whose father is a prominent federation employee, eventually replaced Quereda. Villar himself was replaced by Rubiales in 2018, after a suspension that followed a detention on allegations of collusion, embezzlement and falsifying documents. It was in December 2017, coincidentally, that there were echoes of the Spanish federation’s absurd request to Uefa that the organisation get expelled for state interference. Villar warned that Fifa could ban Spain from the 2018 World Cup, as he said the move by the sports council (CSD) to suspend him was “arbitrary” and an “injustice” without giving him the “possibility of presumption of innocence”. “The only ones responsible for the possibility that the national team could miss out on the World Cup is the current government,” Villar said. It is the CSD which received the four official complaints against Rubiales. Prominent sources within football politics say the Spanish federation was always seen as a “basket case” for years, that was all the more surprising given how its coaching infrastructure genuinely revolutionised world football. The top level beyond that was seen as made up of conservative white men, though, with little influence from women or minority groups. That was interpreted as crucial to some of the most jaw-dropping developments of the past few days, where the federation seemed completely in thrall to Rubiales, with a series of statements that defied belief. The reality of public opinion eventually intervened. All of this has informed the current situation, and particularly the Se Acabo slogan – “it’s over” – which is really saying enough is enough. Victor Francos, the president of the CSD, has already described this as a MeToo moment for Spanish football. It has been so profound, leading all bulletins, that the hope, is now that it brings deep change. That might be a legacy from these players as valuable as the World Cup itself. "Our generation wants to make a legacy for the future,” star player Alexia Putellas said. “We need executives and institutions to fight for our fight so players have what they deserve.” “A change is taking place,” Irene Paredes said on the eve of the final in Sydney. Little did she know the potential extent of it.
1970-01-01 08:00
Los Angeles Sparks Lose Important Game After Missing Three Shots in Final Ten Seconds
Los Angeles Sparks Lose Important Game After Missing Three Shots in Final Ten Seconds
VIDEO: The LA Sparks
1970-01-01 08:00
Rob Page backs Brennan Johnson to fill void left by Harry Kane at Tottenham
Rob Page backs Brennan Johnson to fill void left by Harry Kane at Tottenham
Wales boss Rob Page has backed Brennan Johnson to fill the striker void at Tottenham left by Harry Kane’s departure. Record Spurs goal-scorer Kane moved to Bayern Munich in a £100million deal earlier this month and Tottenham have yet to replace him ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline. But Tottenham are leading the chase for Wales forward Johnson with Nottingham Forest ready to listen to offers around the £50m mark. “I wouldn’t even talk about the Harry Kane situation and going in to fill that,” Page said after naming a 25-man squad for the September 7 friendly with South Korea and the crunch Euro 2024 qualifier in Latvia four days later. “He’s his own person and player, a different type of player. I think he’s just got to go.” Page saw Johnson play for Forest on Saturday in their 3-2 defeat at Manchester United. Johnson came off 20 minutes from time, but Page said the 22-year-old was “fully fit” for international duty. “Young players today – and Brennan falls into this category – are a confident breed and he’s more than capable of playing at that level (for Tottenham),” said Page. “I think Brennan has a good support network around him. I know his dad (David), who used to play so he’s been through all this himself. “You need that network as a young lad. I don’t believe he will get carried with it. He will stay grounded and won’t change. “You don’t go into a club expecting to fill somebody’s else’s boots. “He’s a very different player to Harry and, if he goes there, it is on his own ability and what he can offer to the team.” Leeds winger Daniel James is sidelined by an adductor injury while Joe Morrell and Kieffer Moore – who are available for the Cardiff friendly with South Korea – are suspended for the trip to Riga after receiving respective red cards against Armenia and Turkey in June. Tom Lockyer is in the squad for the first time since collapsing in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley in May. Lockyer underwent an operation to address an irregular heartbeat but has since returned to action to lead Luton in their first Premier League campaign. Page said: “It’s a great story. We all watched the events unfold in the play-off final. We were all concerned, but there has been nothing but positivity since that day. “He has had some great news, he is back to normal and is now playing in the Premier League, which is unbelievable for him as well. “It is always going to be a challenge when you get promoted to the Premier League, Luton have done really well to be where they are at with the resources they have available to them. We all watched the events unfold in the play-off final. We were all concerned, but there has been nothing but positivity since that day Rob Page on Tom Lockyer “But for him personally he should be very proud of how he has recovered after it. A dream for him was to play in the Premier League and he has achieved that.” Josh Sheehan and Wes Burns earn recalls as Ollie Cooper and Luke Harris drop out of the squad. Fulham midfielder Harris, 18, has been in and around the squad for the past 12 months but has yet to be capped. “It’s ironic, isn’t it?,” said Page. “Luke’s not been involved for Fulham and the day I announce the squad the night before he’s on the bench and comes on. “The plan might be that Luke still goes out on loan to play games at a lower level. “We see potential in him, but it hasn’t quite gone how I anticipated if I’m being honest. “But like with Rubin (Colwill) and JJ (Jordan James) we’ve wanted to see them play more games. “It’s about managing Luke and he’ll drop back down to the Under-21s now. “It benefited Harry Wilson when Ryan (Giggs) was manager and, although it’s good we can expose him to this environment, there’s nothing like playing games and getting caps.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live The key questions behind Vera Pauw’s Republic of Ireland departure Savannah Marshall would relish rematch with rival Claressa Shields in MMA cage England Women to get same match fees as men after Ashes summer boosts profile
1970-01-01 08:00
Serbia, Georgia and Brazil advance to second round in basketball's World Cup
Serbia, Georgia and Brazil advance to second round in basketball's World Cup
Serbia, Georgia, and Brazil have advanced to the second round of basketball’s World Cup
1970-01-01 08:00
What to watch? Coach Prime's debut with Colorado takes center stage, but LSU-FSU is best matchup
What to watch? Coach Prime's debut with Colorado takes center stage, but LSU-FSU is best matchup
The Deion Sanders coaching era at Colorado begins Saturday when the Buffaloes visit No. 17 TCU
1970-01-01 08:00
Springboks aim to go back-to-back at Rugby World Cup for golden end to Erasmus-Nienaber era
Springboks aim to go back-to-back at Rugby World Cup for golden end to Erasmus-Nienaber era
This Rugby World Cup was always the ultimate goal for the Springboks coaching combination of Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber
1970-01-01 08:00
The key questions behind Vera Pauw’s Republic of Ireland departure
The key questions behind Vera Pauw’s Republic of Ireland departure
The Republic of Ireland are looking for a new manager after opting not to renew Vera Pauw’s contract despite seeing her guide her team to the World Cup finals for the first time. Pauw’s departure brings an end to a four-year reign which has seen the nation’s women scale new heights, but the Dutchwoman’s tenure has not been without controversy. Here, the PA news agency takes a look Pauw’s time at the Irish helm. What is Pauw’s background? A former defender who was capped 89 times by the Netherlands, Pauw’s coaching career includes spells with Scotland, the Dutch, who she led to the semi-finals of the 2009 European Championships, Russia and South Africa, as well as National Women’s Soccer League side Houston Dash in the United States. The 60-year-old was appointed to succeed Colin Bell as Ireland boss in September 2019. How did Ireland fare under her charge? Having finished third in Group I after a 3-1 home defeat by Germany, Ireland missed out on qualification for the Euro 2022 finals. Defeat by eventual Group A winners Sweden in their opening World Cup qualifier did not deter the Republic, who went on to finish second and then, courtesy of Amber Barrett’s lone strike, beat Scotland in a play-off to book their ticket to Australia and New Zealand. Ultimately they did not progress after narrow defeats by co-hosts Australia and Olympic champions Canada, as well as a draw with Nigeria. What place does she hold in Irish football history? Pauw is one of only three coaches, along with Jack Charlton and Mick McCarthy, to lead Ireland to the finals of a senior World Cup. Along with Giovanni Trapattoni and Martin O’Neill, who took the men’s team to Euro 2012 and 2016 respectively, they are the only five people to send out a senior Irish team at the finals of any major tournament. Where did it go wrong? Rumours of disquiet within the camp have grown in recent months and several players notably declined to support their manager when asked during World Cup press conferences amid speculation that a conservative approach on the pitch was unpopular in the dressing room. Suspicions of a fracture grew amid a public spat between Pauw and skipper Katie McCabe after the Arsenal winger appeared to call for a substitution during the Nigeria game. The manager later offered a “she’s not the coach” riposte; McCabe responded on social media with a zipped mouth emoji. Pauw had gone into the tournament against the backdrop of a renewed focus on allegations – which she strongly denies – of bullying and belittling behaviour during her time in Houston, for which she was sanctioned by the NSWL earlier this year. How have supporters reacted to the news? Not well. Many fans have taken to social media to claim Pauw has been treated poorly after what she has achieved with Ireland, many pointing out that the men’s team has not reached the World Cup finals since 2002. Who could replace her? The FAI’s head of women and girls’ football Eileen Gleeson has been placed in interim charge for next month’s Nations League openers against Northern Ireland and Hungary and could be considered for a longer-term role. Like Gleeson, Tom Elmes is highly regarded in the women’s game in Ireland, but as a member of Pauw’s coaching team, may suffer if the FAI decide to make a clean break. Liverpool boss Matt Beard has been touted as a potential replacement, as has former England captain and Manchester United manager Casey Stoney, currently in charge at San Diego Wave. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Savannah Marshall would relish rematch with rival Claressa Shields in MMA cage England Women to get same match fees as men after Ashes summer boosts profile Daniel James injury blow for Wales ahead of Euro 2024 qualifier against Latvia
1970-01-01 08:00
Benjamin Pavard is on the verge of joining Inter Milan, Bayern Munich's CEO says
Benjamin Pavard is on the verge of joining Inter Milan, Bayern Munich's CEO says
Bayern Munich chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen says defender Benjamin Pavard will undergo medical tests at Inter Milan ahead of an expected transfer to the Italian club
1970-01-01 08:00
«949950951952»