List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

Kenyan marathon specialist Eliud Kipchoge has won the Princess of Asturias Award for sports for 2023

Women’s boxing has been achieving a lot of “firsts” in recent years and will add to the list when Katie Taylor fights Chantelle Cameron in Dublin on Saturday

Manuel Akanji has his sights firmly set on the treble after Manchester City took a huge stride towards becoming only the second English side to achieve that feat. City ruthlessly swept aside 14-time European kings Real Madrid 4-0 on Wednesday to power into next month’s Champions League final. With the team also on the brink of securing their fifth Premier League title in six seasons and through to the FA Cup final, a glorious end to the season is on the cards. Claiming all three trophies would see them emulate the achievement of rivals Manchester United – coincidentally their FA Cup opponents at Wembley – in 1999. City defender Akanji, who joined the club from Borussia Dortmund in September, said: “First we have got to win the Premier League. That’s what we can do on the weekend and I hope we are going to do it. “Then it’s two finals and we want to win both of them. “It would be unbelievable. It is my first season here. It is the best team I have ever played in and we have been really confident in the second part of the season. “I think we’ve done a really good job but we’ve got to keep it up until the end.” Victory over Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday would see City clinch the Premier League with two games to spare. Manager Pep Guardiola would then have the luxury of being able to rest or rotate players ahead of their finals, against United on June 3 and Inter Milan in Istanbul a week later. Their stunning performance against Real, when they trampled all over the most successful club in European competition history to complete a 5-1 aggregate win, puts them at short odds to complete all three. “It’s a great feeling,” said Switzerland defender Akanji, who was responsible for City’s third goal after his glancing header was deflected in by Eder Militao. “From the first minute we stepped on the court we were confident. “I think at home, in all the knockout games, we have had pretty impressive wins. It shows how good we are here and now we have got to do this at the weekend as well to bring home the Premier League and then two other titles too.” Bernardo Silva set up City’s victory with two first-half goals and Julian Alvarez completed the rout late on. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Domingo Miotti given the nod to start at 10 for Glasgow in showdown with Toulon Sam Hain at peace with his game and keen to get wins for Warwickshire Ben Kavanagh hoping for hometown glory with Halifax when Saints come marching in

Ireland’s favorite athlete has the homecoming she’s always wanted

Kenyan marathon specialist Eliud Kipchoge has won the Princess of Asturias Award for sports for 2023

Bernardo Silva is determined to right a wrong after firing Manchester City back to the Champions League final. The Portugal playmaker struck twice as City overpowered Real Madrid 4-0 in the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday to set up a clash with Inter Milan in next month’s Istanbul showpiece. It marks a return to the final for City two years on from their disappointing loss to Chelsea on European club football’s top night and Silva wants to ensure the result is different this time. The 28-year-old said: “The final of the Champions League is always an unbelievable occasion. “I’ve only played it once and the outcome was wasn’t very happy for me. Let’s try and change that. “We know that we play against a very tough team. I watched their game on Tuesday and they are very organised collectively. “We’re going to study them, follow the manager’s plan once again and try to, individually and collectively, put out the best possible performance, like this one, to be as close as possible to winning that game.” City produced one of the greatest performances in the club’s history to move a step closer to winning the competition for the first time. Real Madrid, the holders and 14-time winners of the trophy, had no answer to City’s dizzying combination of movement, speed, strength and cutting edge. City made a blistering start and maintained the intensity throughout. Silva put them into a thoroughly deserved lead after 23 minutes and added a second before the interval. An Eder Militao own goal and late Julian Alvarez strike made the scoreline 5-1 on aggregate and truly reflective of their superiority. Victory could have been even more emphatic with Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois making three fine saves to deny Erling Haaland. City’s display ensured sweet revenge for their loss to the same opponents in the semi-finals last year. “I’m very happy because the performance was amazing,” Silva said. “From minute one, the pressure that we put on Real Madrid’s defence – we pushed them back and we created lots of chances. “And with our people – the energy – we felt the momentum that we created. It helped a lot. “The second half started in a weird way where they put us under a bit of pressure but I think the team was very resilient, very organised, and the difference from this year to last year was the chances – we created most of them. We took them and we scored the goals.” The Champions League final could be the crowning moment of a glorious treble for Pep Guardiola’s City this season. They will claim the first of the three trophies they are chasing if they beat Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday. Silva said: “Yes, with our people again. Hopefully we can give them another happy day and give them the special moment of winning five (Premier Leagues) in six years, which is not easy in this country. “We’re going to rest, sleep well, eat well and prepare well to be at our best and give that happiness to them because they deserve it.” Read More Rumours: Man Utd ‘agree terms’ with Napoli defender, PSG target Silva Man City reach perfection with Real Madrid humiliation that raises complex questions Man City crush holders to book Champions League final return Bernardo Silva’s unique talents lead Man City’s evisceration of Real Madrid Man City vs Real Madrid LIVE: Result and reaction as City make Champions League final Can Pep get the better of Carlo? – 5 talking points ahead of City’s semi-final

Manchester City delivered a masterpiece nearly seven years in the making in a destruction of Real Madrid that marked the high point in Pep Guardiola's reign at the English club

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has named seven uncapped players in a 22-man squad for a training camp in Bristol ahead of next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers with Greece and Gibraltar. Bristol City goalkeeper Max O’Leary, Hull defender Sean McLoughlin, Millwall full-back Danny McNamara and Everton striker Tom Cannon, who spent the season on loan at Preston, are among those called up by Kenny. Goalkeepers James Talbot and Brian Maher, from Bohemians and Derry City respectively, and Shamrock Rovers winger Neil Farrugia have also been included. Ireland take on Greece on Friday, June 16 in Athens before hosting Gibraltar three days later at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, having begun their qualifying campaign with a 1-0 defeat against France in March. Selected players, who compete either in the EFL or the League of Ireland, will gather at Bristol City’s training ground next week. Ireland internationals involved at Premier League clubs will be absent as the top-flight season does not finish until May 28, in addition to Dundee United’s Jamie McGrath and overseas-based players Mikey Johnston (Vitoria de Guimaraes) and Matt Doherty (Atletico Madrid). Middlesbrough defender Darragh Lenihan and Peterborough midfielder Jack Taylor will not be involved in the camp because of their clubs’ participation in the EFL play-offs. Newcastle’s Jeff Hendrick and Preston’s Alan Browne miss out due to injuries but are expected to be in contention for the qualifiers. Rotherham winger Chiedozie Ogbene will report to continue his recovery from a hamstring problem, while Andrew Omobamidele, Callum Robinson and Seamus Coleman are sidelined. “The six-week break between the end of the Championship and our qualifier in Greece is something we have to navigate and make sure our preparations are planned well,” Kenny told the Football Association of Ireland. “This training camp in Bristol for four days is essential before we travel to Turkey on June 5 for nine days ahead of our visit to Athens and we’re looking forward to a good four days training and some sharp sessions.” Squad: Max O’Leary (Bristol City), James Talbot (Bohemians), Brian Maher (Derry City); Danny McNamara (Millwall), Callum O’Dowda (Cardiff), James McClean (Wigan), Ryan Manning (Swansea), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O’Shea (West Brom), Sean McLaughlin (Hull); Jayson Molumby (West Brom), Josh Cullen (Burnley), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Mark Sykes (Bristol City), Neil Farrugia (Shamrock Rovers), Jason Knight (Derby); Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham), Tom Cannon (Everton), Troy Parrott (Tottenham), Michael Obafemi (Burnley), Adam Idah (Norwich), Will Keane (Wigan). Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Frost delays start of US PGA Championship Man Utd rise has helped make WSL the best in the world – Man City’s Laura Coombs On this day 2016 – Liverpool lose to Sevilla in Europa League final

It's cold out here in western New York

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat have continued their playoff hot streak with an impressive 123-116 road win against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday.

Rio Ferdinand has been playing into his ongoing 'rivalry' with Jamie Carragher, after snubbing him when they ran into each other at Manchester City and Real Madrid's second game. It comes after Carragher labelled the former centre-back a 'clown' last week for disagreeing on a penalty decision. As Ferdinand greeted the other pundits, he took one look at Carragher and walked straight past, capturing the entire thing on camera, sending his rival bright red. 'Why the red face??', he later joked alongside the clip on social media. Click here to sign up for our newsletters

Manchester City midfielder Laura Coombs sees the rise of Manchester United as a major force in the Women’s Super League as something to be welcomed. After being relaunched in 2018, winning the Championship and then coming fourth in the WSL for three successive years, United this term have had their best top-flight campaign to date. Marc Skinner’s side had been top of the table and are close to securing Women’s Champions League qualification for the first time. City, who United face in Sunday evening’s derby at Leigh Sports Village, are in danger of missing out on Europe. But on the topic of United’s rise, Coombs told the PA news agency: “I think every player prefers the league more competitive. “I think it now puts our league as probably the best in the world, because it’s the most competitive. So the more teams that can rise up, the better in my opinion.” With two rounds of games to go, United are second in the table, two points behind Chelsea. Arsenal, Chelsea’s opponents at Kingsmeadow on Sunday, are three points further back in third, with fourth-placed City another two points behind in the battle for the three Champions League berths. Asked about the fact that if Chelsea win, City could then end their derby rivals’ title push, Coombs said: “We want to beat United. If that result then stops them, I wouldn’t say that’s why exactly. The more teams that can rise up, the better in my opinion. Laura Coombs “We just want to go in and get the result to give us every chance to get top-three, that’s really our main motivation.” City are looking to avoid what would be a first finish outside the European places since 2014, their inaugural WSL campaign. Yet to be beaten by United in six WSL meetings, winning three of those, City take them on a week after Skinner’s side lost 1-0 to Chelsea in their debut Women’s FA Cup final appearance. Coombs – scorer of an equaliser in December’s 1-1 Manchester derby draw at the Etihad Stadium, a moment she describes as a “highlight of my career” – has no doubt United will “come all guns blazing”. And the 32-year-old added: “Like us, they lost their last game so they want to put that right straight away. They always give us a good game, and I think every year the games between us are getting more and more competitive. It’s really exciting to be a part of.” After a notable turnover of players last summer, City started their WSL campaign with back-to-back losses before going unbeaten across the next 14 games, winning 12. That momentum has slowed with two defeats in the last four for Gareth Taylor’s side, 2-1 at Arsenal and then Liverpool last time out. Coombs, whose season has included signing a new deal with the club running to 2025 as well as returning to the England squad, said: “I think it has been a bit of a rebuilding year. “We bounced back pretty quickly after the first two games of the season and we’ve got ourselves in a place now where we’re a solid group, and there won’t be a big turnover at the end of the year. “So I think going into next year that puts us in a really strong position. We have had large periods of the year where we’ve played some really great stuff and we’ve got back to a competitive place in the league. So I think if we look at it as a building year, it makes next year really exciting for us.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On this day 2016 – Liverpool lose to Sevilla in Europa League final Man City crush holders to book Champions League final return Recent history not on Rory McIlroy’s side as he aims to win US PGA Championship