List of All Articles with Tag 'tb'

Chelsea have announced the appointment of Chris Jurasek as their new chief executive while president of business Tom Glick is set to leave after less than a year in his role. The Blues’ 12th-place Premier League finish in owners’ the Clearlake group’s first season has led to Mauricio Pochettino being named head coach and tasked with improving their on-field fortunes. Further upheaval off the pitch came with the announcement that Jurasek will oversee all business areas at Chelsea and report to the board alongside co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. “I’m delighted to be joining Chelsea, a club which is loved and followed all over the world,” Jurasek said. “I’m enormously proud to be leading it into the next chapter in its rich history. “We have huge opportunities to grow on and off the pitch and to engage our exceptional fans both in London and wherever they are supporting us from.” Behdad Eghbali and Jose E Feliciano, co-controlling owners, said: “Chris’ skill and expertise will help us to drive the club forward in all areas, particularly in supporting our long-term plans for Chelsea. “Our focus will continue to be on ensuring the club is competitive and sustainable both from a sporting and business perspective, with a talented and ambitious leadership team.” Former Manchester City executive Glick will be exiting the club, having only been appointed last July – although no departure date was announced by the club, who said the former president of NFL franchise the Carolina Panthers wanted “to pursue other opportunities”. Glick will work closely with Jurasek in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition before leaving. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Edwin van der Sar has resigned from his position as chief executive at Ajax. The 52-year-old former Manchester United, Fulham and Netherlands goalkeeper, who started his playing career at Ajax, has been on the Eredivisie club’s board of directors since 2012. He was initially director of marketing, then became chief executive in 2016, and had been on a contract running to 2025. Van der Sar told the club’s official website: “After almost 11 years on the board, I am done. “We have experienced wonderful things together, but it has also been an incredibly tough period. I am very grateful for the people I have met and worked with during my second career at Ajax, and what we have achieved and been through together. “I feel the need to take some distance, to get some rest, and to do other things. It doesn’t feel good to take decisions about the future of this wonderful club in the coming period. That is why I have decided to resign.” Van der Sar will transfer his duties to the board from June 1, and it has been requested that he formally remains in his position until August 1. After almost 11 years on the board, I am done. I feel the need to take some distance, to get some rest, and to do other things Edwin van der Sar The announcement comes after a trophyless 2022-23 campaign for Ajax that saw them finish third in the Eredivisie. Prior to that, Van der Sar’s time as chief executive had included the club winning three league titles and two Dutch cups under now Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, as well as reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2018-19. Supervisory board chair Pier Eringa said: “We wanted Edwin to stay, but he had made his decision. We have to respect that. “The last season does not reflect the entire period that he has been in charge of Ajax. The club has seen a lot of success, has seen a lot of growth, and gained international exposure. “His tasks will be transferred to the remaining members of the board. Edwin will be available for the transfer and advise until August. We expect to announce a new board of directors after August 1. It’s our ambition to add someone to the board with an Ajax background.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Chelsea appoint Chris Jurasek as chief exec with Tom Glick also leaving his role A look at the numbers behind England’s opening partnerships Football rumours: Spurs aim to keep reported Manchester United target Harry Kane

Erik ten Hag said it is up to Harry Maguire if he leaves Manchester United this summer after admitting that the dropped captain is unhappy with his situation. Maguire started only eight league games after losing his place following August’s 4-0 thrashing at Brentford and is Ten Hag’s third-choice right-sided centre-back, after Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof. England manager Gareth Southgate has described Maguire’s situation as “concerning” and suggested it will be hard to continue to pick him if he does not get regular first-team football. Ten Hag said he is keen to keep the £80m defender, who has two years left on his contract, and it will be Maguire’s choice if he moves now. “No one would be happy with this situation,” Ten Hag told the Times. “He is not as well. He trains always on best levels, so with 100 per cent effort. So he handles that situation well and he’s in that manner and in his captaincy he’s important for the squad. Let’s say I’m happy he’s here and when we needed him he did his job. But it’s also a decision he has to make.” Ten Hag also said that David de Gea may be on the bench at times if he stays at Old Trafford. The goalkeeper’s contract expires in the summer and the Dutchman reiterated that both club and player are keen for him to re-sign – but warned he may omit the Spaniard at times. The manager said: “I will not say he’ll always be my No. 1 because in a club like Man United there must be competition in all positions.” Ten Hag insisted he is not satisfied with United’s season, despite finishing third in the Premier League, winning the Carabao Cup and reaching the FA Cup final. He explained at United’s annual awards ceremony: “After the start of the season, and then where we came from – we are happy, we are [going] in the right direction, but satisfied? No, we are not. We have to do better, that’s always the case. We have a foundation, we have a good base but we have to do better. “We want to go higher up, we want to increase our levels and we want to compete for the top two. So we have to demand more and increase our levels.” Marcus Rashford won the Sir Matt Busby award as United’s player of the year after scoring a career-best 30 goals this season. The forward was also named players’ player of the year while Antony won the prize for best goal for his spectacular winner against Barcelona in the Europa League. Read More Gareth Southgate sends Harry Maguire warning over Manchester United ‘situation’ How Erik ten Hag survived stunning lows to lead Manchester United’s unconventional revival Erik ten Hag finally within sight of matching a past Manchester United great... no, not that one Gareth Southgate knows Euro 2024 must go ‘very, very well’ to keep England job Gareth Southgate sends Harry Maguire warning over Manchester United ‘situation’ Football rumours: Spurs aim to keep reported Manchester United target Harry Kane

What the papers say Tottenham will try to resist offers from Manchester United for striker Harry Kane. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy reportedly declared he is against letting Kane go to a Premier League rival, according to the Mirror. Bayern Munich are looking to challenge Arsenal for the signature of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, with the German club reportedly prepared to pay £95million for the England international’s services, the Mirror said. To accommodate the gap left by Rice, the Sun reports West Ham are favourites to sign Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse for around £40million. The Telegraph said Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is confident he can sway Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount to join the club. Social media round-up Players to watch James Maddison: The Leicester midfielder has attracted interest from Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle after his club were relegated, the Mirror says his signing fee will be around £40million. Martin Odegaard: The Arsenal midfielder is being scoped by Paris St Germain. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The Miami Heat earned a resounding 103-84 away win over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the

Jim Nagy expects big things out of Dillon Gabriel in what will be his final season at Oklahoma.After a few good years at UCF, Dillon Gabriel had a rough first season with the Oklahoma Sooners.To be quite frank, everyone on Oklahoma had a rough year. It was the worst season OU has had since t...

With Oklahoma and Texas joining the league in 2024, the SEC football schedule will have to be adjusted accordingly.A 16-team league with Oklahoma and Texas coming aboard in 2024 will massively shake up the SEC football schedule.Where things stand now, the SEC plays an eight-game conference s...

Newcastle will look all over the world to find the players that will give them the depth they need to compete next season, according to manager Eddie Howe. A first season in the Champions League in 20 years means an increased workload for Howe’s squad next term, and conversations have already taken place between the manager and club officials over resources during the transfer window. Injuries have stretched Newcastle thin at times this season despite recording their highest Premier League finish since 2003. Howe felt his side lacked the quality in reserve to win the game in the second half of Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea that brought the curtain down on a memorable first full season in charge for the manager. With the restrictions put in place by Financial Fair Play rules, he cited qualification for Europe’s top competition as the critical factor in freeing up the ownership to invest in recruitment. Still, Howe warned the market may not be kind as the club seek to build a side capable of competing on all fronts. “Yeah we’ve had discussions (on Saturday),” said the manager. “I don’t think (the budget) is ever outlined because there are so many variables to it, but certainly we know where we stand. “When you’re sat in my shoes, it’s never as big as you want it to be. You’re one injury away from a very difficult situation so I think we need a little bit more depth Eddie Howe “It’s a difficult one because we go into a lot of competitions next year, so we need the depth. I think this year we’ve been light, certainly in certain areas of the pitch. We’ve carried – in the second half of the season – four midfielders. “You’re one injury away from a very difficult situation so I think we need a little bit more depth. “We’re not there yet, you could see that (against Chelsea), but we are suffering from injuries. Certainly that’s a concern for us in that we do need to bolster our resources. We can’t be looking at one or two injuries and we’re in a difficult position. “In the second half we were stretched and maybe lacking the bench that could have changed the game to win it.” Newcastle won eight of their 10 league games in March and April to take control of their destiny in the race for the top four, but enjoyed just one more victory in their final five, securing their Champions League objective with a game to spare. Howe pointed to disruption caused by injuries – key players Joelinton, Joe Willock and Nick Pope were unavailable for the game at Stamford Bridge, whilst Alexander Isak and Matt Targett have also missed significant chunks of the season – as something that must not be allowed to derail the team next term. The visitors struggled after the break against Chelsea despite having had the better of a first half in which Anthony Gordon gave them the lead, later wiped out by a Kieran Trippier own goal. “We’ve done it all season, we’ve been hugely competitive,” said Howe. “I don’t think we’ve been an easy game for anybody. “The challenge for us next year is to maintain our standards and mentality, because when you come to these tough grounds, if you’re not robust enough to deal with the challenge, these can be really difficult games. “The players that we currently have have to be fit and ready to go (next season). They have to be ready to prove how good we are all over again. We start at zero next season. I think that’s a healthy way to look at it. “If we can add one or two players that make the difference in the transfer market, that would be good news. “We’ll have our eyes and ears hopefully all over everything, whether that’s teams getting promoted, relegated; all over the world. As I’ve said many times, the market’s going to be difficult.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Liverpool and Juventus remember Heysel – Monday’s sporting social Fans celebrate Luton’s fairytale promotion to Premier League at civic parade Roberto De Zerbi says Brighton must build stronger squad for European challenge

Josh Windass soars through the air and, in the most spectacular manner, Sheffield Wednesday keep going up. That may just be to the EFL Championship but the new Wembley has scarcely had moments as sensational as this. With a diving header to rival Keith Houchen’s famous FA Cup winner at the old Wembley, Darren Moore’s irrepressible team beat a young but spirited Barnsley in the very last moment of an epic match. This was maybe the only way to possibly top that sensational comeback against Peterborough, and the only way to do it justice. It was also, in the moment as much as much as the match itself, the only way to finish the game. It was certainly the most impressive and instinctive piece of improvisation, that has almost been the story of this rise through the play-offs for Moore’s side. They maybe shouldn’t have been here. They arguably shouldn’t have got this far, even on the day. Barnsley were the better side for most of the actual 90 from a contentious red card, but - as has been the case throughout this run - Moore has instilled this team with an incredible spirit. It has also imbued this historic club with something greater, and the sense of some grander for the future. They had to come through quite a battle here, as well as a fight, even if they initially made it like that. As the historically bigger club, with almost double the fans there and a far older team, it was symbolically fitting that Wednesday were inevitably seeking to physically dominate Barnsley. Moore’s side were launching balls wide and in behind, and such an aerial approach led to the only chance of the first half. Dominic Iorfa forced the first of some brilliant saves from Harry Isted. It was ironically as Barnsley attempted to match them for physicality, and initially suffered, that it brought out much more sharpness to their superior football. Duff’s side could feel aggrieved at how that went, though, and could certainly argue that two borderline VAR decisions went against them. For the first, Wednesday’s Lee Gregory visibly caught Liam Kitching on the calf. Referee Tim Robinson didn’t give a penalty and the VAR deemed that he didn’t make a clear and obvious error. It certainly wouldn’t have been controversial if the decision went the other way. Gregory then found himself at the centre of the next call, if this time on the receiving end. With the Wednesday striker running onto a ball in midfield, Adam Phillips went in rashly if not quite strongly. Robinson immediately sent him off. It again went to VAR, and VAR again stuck by the referee’s decision. Barnsley were not going to just dig in and stick 10 back, though. It was almost like they were more intent on beating Wednesday through pure football. What followed was their best spell of the game They began to batter the Wednesday goal, Nicky Cadden and James Norwood peppering shots at Cameron Dawson. The goalkeeper, undeniably Wednesday’s best player on the day, was nevertheless equal to them. He often surpassed himself, especially with two strong-handed stops that pushed driven efforts wide. Dawson could only look on with gratitude, though, as Cadden’s deflected volley bounced off the bar. He deserved it. And yet the save of the game still came from Isted. You could see one other reason Barnsley upped it after the red, since they evidently didn’t want to go into extra-time with 10 men. That inevitably brought fatigue, and Wednesday finally enjoyed a concerted spell of pressure. From that, though, nobody could surely have seen what Isted did next. Michael Smith was presented with the ball just yards out, but the goalkeeper somehow got a hand to it to palm it away. The atmosphere was by that point something else. It was an occasion that had that purity of exertion, both in terms of what the players were putting in and what it was taking out of the supporters. There was an audible gasp as Liam Kitching strode forward, Barnsley enjoying a rare burst of extra-time energy, to exploit a break in the Wednesday half. He fed it to Luke Thomas who displayed superb presence of mind to play it across for Luca Connell… only for the midfielder to blaze it wide. It was one of those efforts that was clearly an effect of tired legs. There was then a vintage piece of theatre, from a vintage piece of technique. Wednesday substitute Will Vaulks had smashed the ball into the top corner with the cleanest of strikes, to bring an explosion of emotion - but from both ends. As Vaulks careered around the pitch trailed by teammates and even fans, Barnsley supporters cheered the offside flag going up. The game seemed to be heading for penalties, something all the more enthralling given the goalkeepers had such superb performances. It was into the third minute of the three minutes of allotted stoppage time. There was somehow more to come, though. The comeback against Peterborough was about to have a further crescendo. Gregory, the player who might have given away a penalty, played a cross in. There was Windass flying through the air, to send the ball past Isted, and Wednesday back to the Championship. Read More Former England physiotherapist Alan Smith dies aged 74 Michael Duff urges his Barnsley players to keep calm on their big day at Wembley Michael Duff feels ‘good fella’ Darren Moore ‘deserves loads of credit’ Lee Gregory’s face mask returned following Sheffield Wednesday appeal The masked striker – Sheffield Wednesday searching for Lee Gregory face shield Barnsley beat Bolton to set up League One play-off final against Sheffield Wednesday

Manchester United have fought for success all year and David De Gea says they are ready for one more “special” battle against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge has been one of progress and, for the most part, positivity, with the side finishing third in the Premier League and sealing a Champions League return. The Dutchman is only the second manager in United’s history to win a major trophy in his first season and has the chance to add to February’s Carabao Cup triumph this weekend. Ten Hag’s Red Devils head to Wembley for the first all-Manchester FA Cup final, when they will attempt to add to their cabinet and stop rivals City’s attempts to win the treble. “We have to recover well and start to prepare for the game,” De Gea said. “Of course, we know it’s a big final, a special game. “We’ve been the whole year fighting to be in that position to win titles and we will try absolutely everything to try to win.” De Gea and his team-mates were all in at Carrington on Monday morning, with Sunday’s starters focused on recovery from the 2-1 comeback win against Fulham at a bouncing Old Trafford. Kenny Tete had put the visitors ahead in the Premier League season finale and Marco Silva’s men would have extended their lead had Golden Glove winner De Gea not stopped Aleksandar Mitrovic’s spot-kick. United kicked on after that, with Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes completing a victory that saw them beat Newcastle to third spot. “We concede the first goal from a corner and then I think five minutes after we concede a penalty,” De Gea, whose contract has yet to be extended beyond the summer, said. “I was very positive. I was feeling like ‘come on, you have to save this penalty, we have to finish properly the season at home, we have to win’. “Then I make the save, everyone was happy, enjoying and I helped the team to win the three points today. “The manager wants us to be focused every game, winning every game. Before the game he was shouting before ‘come on guys, we have to finish properly, winning mentality’. “So, yeah, we showed it again. 1-0 down, suffering a bit, but then we create chances and could have scored even more than two. “But, like I say, a big way to finish the season with a victory and (it) gives a bit of enjoyment to the fans.” The result saw United equal the club’s record of 27 home wins in all competitions in a single campaign, while also meaning they finished 17 points better off than last season. “100 per cent, for sure, the improvement is there,” De Gea told MUTV. “Of course we still have a gap to improve but, yeah, a massive improvement from last season. “Winning a cup, finish third – it’s never easy to finish in the Champions League places in England. “And then we have another final, a big final, so I think at the moment it is a great year.” As for Fulham, the defeat at Old Trafford was frustrating but this was a season to cherish having finished 10th on their return to the top-flight. Goalscoring right-back Tete said: “Unbelievable season, every single player. “If you saw how we fought all season for every single point. Not even one game was easy for us. “I am just proud of the boys. We said it as well to each other and this is something we have to build on. “We know now what our standard is, we know now what we can bring. I can’t wait for next season.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fans celebrate Luton’s fairytale promotion to Premier League at civic parade Roberto De Zerbi says Brighton must build stronger squad for European challenge ‘We will be back’ says Leicester chairman following relegation

Thousands of Luton fans have celebrated the Hatters’ fairytale rise into the Premier League at a civic parade in the town. Luton won promotion to the top flight of English football on Saturday by beating Coventry in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final, just nine years after playing in the National League. Rob Edwards’ side – who won 6-5 on penalties at Wembley after the game had been drawn 1-1 – will next season welcome champions Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United to their modest 10,356-capacity Kenilworth Road home. “It means everything,” said head coach Rob Edwards before launching into a rendition of Bon Jovi’s ‘Always’ and holding aloft the play-off trophy on the Luton Town Hall balcony. “It’s for you (the fans), the Luton Town people, for the town, these players who deserve it, for the backroom staff who work so hard, the board. We’ve got to enjoy this moment.” Some Luton fans had waited nearly four hours to see players and staff make their way on to a specially-constructed stage in the town’s St George’s Square. Highlights of the season and the play-off final were shown on a big screen before two open top buses arrived following a short ride from Kenilworth Road. Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet told fans: “The impact of being in the Premier League will be massive for this town. “This could be a life-changing opportunity for us, but from a character point of view, don’t change. “Let’s still be us, still grounded. Let’s keep humble.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has dismissed calls from some supporters to sell the relegated club and promised the Foxes will soon return to the Premier League. Despite beating West Ham 2-1 on Sunday, Leicester dropped into the Sky Bet Championship seven years after being crowned champions of England and two seasons since winning the FA Cup. It is a remarkable fall from grace and one that Leicester chairman Srivaddhanaprabha says has led to him receiving offensive messages, some of which have been “outright abusive”. “I have received a massive number of messages from our fans – both positive and negative,” Srivaddhanaprabha said in a statement published on the Leicester website. “Some want me to sell the club, some using offensive and thoughtless words, and some have been outright abusive. “But for every hurtful message I have received, I have also received messages of support, of appreciation, of unity – both remotely and from people I have met anonymously in public, who always come to say hello to me and to my family. It means a lot to us.” Srivaddhanaprabha’s father Vichai and his family bought the club in 2010 and took Leicester into the Premier League four years later. Leicester produced possibly English football’s greatest underdog story by winning the title in 2016. Club chairman Khun Vichai was killed in a helicopter accident at Leicester’s King Power Stadium in October 2018. For every hurtful message I have received, I have also received messages of support, of appreciation, of unity Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha “It was the most painful experience for me and for my family, but the support and love we received from our Leicester City family made our bond even stronger,” Srivaddhanaprabha said of the accident. “I made a commitment, as chairman, to continuing to pursue the ambition my father and I shared for the club, to ensure that the realisation of his vision for Leicester City would ultimately become his legacy. “We want to thank you and let you know that we still have the same ambition for Leicester City that we had 13 years ago. “The incredible support we had in our stadium yesterday, the positive messages we have received from our fans and the constructive comments we must take on-board – we will gather all this support and use it to power our recovery. “Power to justify our fans’ belief in their club. Power to take us back to the Premier League. “Next season is going to be tough, but it will be a year for collaboration and unity. We will come together and fight to return to the Premier League.” Leicester finished fifth twice as well as eighth during manager Brendan Rodgers’ three full seasons in charge. But Srivaddhanaprabha acknowledged the impact of Covid had a serious effect on the club’s finances, with summer cutbacks meaning that Rodgers was unable to significantly strengthen his squad. The departures of long-serving goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to Nice and defender Wesley Fofana to Chelsea also had a detrimental effect on the squad. Rodgers left at the end of April with Leicester in the bottom three, and his replacement Dean Smith was unable to prevent relegation after taking charge for the final eight games. Srivaddhanaprabha said: “Relegation is a consequence of 38 games and over that period, we haven’t been good enough. “Over the coming days and weeks, we need to reflect on the processes and decisions that have brought us to this point. “What we learn from this experience must convert into action that makes us stronger and prevents this happening to us again in the future. “We took Leicester City into the UEFA Champions League, giving our supporters those amazing Wednesday nights, under the lights in Porto, Brugge, Copenhagen, Seville and Madrid. “We used the fruits of that success to keep reinvesting in the club, strengthening our squad, improving the experience for our fans and starting plans for major projects like Seagrave and a stadium expansion that would give us long-term strength and growth. “Of course, these milestones place our situation today into quite stark context, but I reference them to highlight the progress we have made as a club in the last 13 years, which gives me confidence that we will build again. “Relegation is undeniably a significant setback, but it will not define us. Today we share the loss and the pain together. But we will be back. “This responsibility that I continue to live is one of the greatest responsibilities in my life and I will continue to put everything into it – my passion, that of my family and the entire King Power community.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Roberto De Zerbi says Brighton must build stronger squad for European challenge James McArthur hails Roy Hodgson’s impact at Crystal Palace Coaching trio follow Gregor Townsend’s lead and extend Scotland deals until 2026