Sports

Asia football fans sweat on broadcast rights as World Cup nears

BY PETER STEBBINGS WITH FAISAL KAMAL IN NEW DELHI

  • Thailand have never reached the World Cup but football is wildly popular there -- and there is no confirmed deal.
  • Swathes of football-mad Asia from China to India and Thailand are yet to confirm broadcast rights for the biggest-ever World Cup with kick-off barely one month away.
  • Thailand have never reached the World Cup but football is wildly popular there -- and there is no confirmed deal.
Swathes of football-mad Asia from China to India and Thailand are yet to confirm broadcast rights for the biggest-ever World Cup with kick-off barely one month away.
Unsociable match times in the region is one reason why hundreds of millions of fans have been left sweating about whether they can watch from their sofas.
Football's showpiece is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and begins on June 11 when the Mexicans face South Africa.
For fans in Beijing and Shanghai the opening match will start at 3:00 am, as will the final.
In New Delhi that is 12:30 am, although some games will be better timing in Asia.
Sandeep Goyal, chairman at advertising agency Rediffusion, told AFP that he was "privy to some discussions" between football's governing body FIFA and Indian broadcasters.
"The first problem is of match timings," said Goyal.
"The bigger, better matches are at 12:30 am or 3:30 am. A few at 6:30 am. Except die-hard soccer fans, match viewership is likely to be low in India.
"Therefore monetisation opportunities for the channels come down massively."
Goyal said that JioStar, India's largest media conglomerate, had offered $20 million for the rights. Sony did not make an offer, he said.
FIFA originally wanted $100 million for the 2026 and 2030 World Cup rights, Indian media has said.
"The final deal is likely to close at much lower than what FIFA is looking for," Goyal added.

PM gets involved

Like India, China has also not announced a deal for a tournament that has a most-ever 48 teams and 104 matches.
Neither country -- which combined have a population of nearly three billion -- is playing at the World Cup but interest is intense, particularly in China.
The country accounted for 49.8 percent of all hours of viewing on digital and social platforms globally during the Qatar 2022 World Cup, according to FIFA.
State media weighed in this week, with the Global Times citing a 2015 regulatory notice saying that national broadcasting behemoth CCTV has the exclusive right to negotiate and buy World Cup broadcasting rights in China.
"Historically, CCTV has secured World Cup rights well in advance," the Global Times said.
"For previous editions, agreements were typically concluded early enough to allow for extensive promotion and advertising campaigns."
Thailand have never reached the World Cup but football is wildly popular there -- and there is no confirmed deal.
Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) removed the World Cup from a "must-have" list last June, meaning the tournament no longer has to be shown on free-to-air television.
Thailand's prime minister was moved to assure fans on Tuesday that they would not miss out.
"Previous governments ensured free access to the World Cup, and my administration should not be an exception," Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters.
Thailand struggled to secure live rights for the previous tournament in 2022, before the Sports Authority of Thailand finalised a last-minute reported $33 million deal with FIFA, funded by the NBTC and private partners including telecom giant True Corp.
Malaysia's communications ministry announced Wednesday that the national broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia and Unifi TV will show the tournament there, after reports in local media said there was haggling behind the scenes. 

 'Deals will be reached'

James Walton, sports business leader at Deloitte Asia Pacific, said that headlines screaming of millions of fans missing out in Asia were wide of the mark.
"This happens every cycle in some countries," he told AFP via email.
"The country broadcasters want the best deal as they have to balance this cost against potential revenues from advertising (for commercial broadcasters) or social benefit (for public/government-owned broadcasters).
"Meanwhile, the rights holders know that this is a one-off opportunity to sell a time-sensitive rights package.
"The reality is that it's almost unthinkable for most countries to not show the World Cup," he said.
"So one way or another, a deal will be reached."
"Realistically, fans in all these countries will definitely get to watch as their governments will realise the potential for unrest," Walton added.
"And FIFA will want to ensure their flagship event gets maximum coverage to fulfil sponsor commitments, raise the profile of the sport and to avoid encouraging piracy."
Asked by AFP if it was worried about the rights issue with the World Cup coming up fast, FIFA said that it had sealed agreements with broadcasters in more than 175 countries.
"Discussions in a few remaining markets regarding the sale of media rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026 are ongoing and must remain confidential at this stage," it said.
pst/mtp

Global Edition

Strasbourg on verge of European final amid fan displeasure at owners BlueCo

BY ANDY SCOTT

  • Even if they might be heading for a European final, with the chance of lifting a trophy won last season by none other than Chelsea. as/bc
  • Strasbourg could this week reach the first European final in their history, at the end of a turbulent season for the club which belongs to the same BlueCo consortium that owns Chelsea.
  • Even if they might be heading for a European final, with the chance of lifting a trophy won last season by none other than Chelsea. as/bc
Strasbourg could this week reach the first European final in their history, at the end of a turbulent season for the club which belongs to the same BlueCo consortium that owns Chelsea.
The team coached by Englishman Gary O'Neil host Rayo Vallecano at their Stade de la Meinau on Thursday in the second leg of their Conference League semi-final, looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first meeting.
Neither team has made it to the last four of a European competition before, and the winner will progress to the final in the German city of Leipzig on May 27 against Crystal Palace or Shakhtar Donetsk.
Not so long ago, the prospect of lifting a European trophy would have felt like a pipe dream for Strasbourg fans.
The club from a city which sits on France's border with Germany and is the seat of the European Parliament, have been French champions just once, in 1979.
Before this campaign, their best run in Europe came in 1980, when they lost to Ajax in the European Cup quarter-finals, although there was a memorable win against Liverpool in the UEFA Cup in 1997.
But the involvement of BlueCo in all of this is a point of tension for Strasbourg's supporters.
"We needed someone to accompany us to get to this step," the club's president Marc Keller, an ex-Strasbourg player, told RMC radio after the team beat German side Mainz in the last round.
He pointed out that Strasbourg were languishing in the regional, amateur fourth and fifth tiers of French football 15 years ago, after running into financial difficulties and going into liquidation.
They returned to Ligue 1 in 2017 after almost a decade away, and had managed to establish themselves again in the top flight.
However, Strasbourg hardly looked like becoming competitors in Europe before BlueCo took over in June 2023, a year after buying Chelsea.
"We were conscious that we had gone as far as we could with our existing model," insisted Keller.

Silent protests

Significant money has since been invested in new players, and Strasbourg qualified for this edition of the Conference League after an exciting last campaign under English coach Liam Rosenior.
Some talented players have come to Strasbourg from Chelsea, albeit mostly on loan, but what fans have noticed above all is something else: if a player or coach does really well in Alsace, the chances are they will soon be off to Stamford Bridge.
In September, Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha, Strasbourg's captain, announced he would join Chelsea next season, upsetting many fans.
In January, Chelsea decided to poach Rosenior, whose own comments did little to calm the anger among supporters.
"I hope the fans are proud in a way that somebody who's worked here has been identified to be the manager of a Champions League-winning club and current club world champions," he suggested.
He was replaced by O'Neil, under whom Strasbourg have already lost in the French Cup semi-finals.
"Thursday's game is the biggest in the club's history. We will need the same support and energy that we got against Mainz," said O'Neil.
The problem is that the club's most vociferous supporters have, since last season, chosen to express their displeasure at the ownership by staging a silent protest in the first 15 minutes of matches.
What is happening at Strasbourg is "what the future could look like for the vast majority of clubs," said Ultra Boys 90, a leading supporters group, in an open letter earlier this year.
"They will be relegated to the role of feeder teams, without their own resources, with no soul and no link to where they come from."
The silent protest is expected to take place as usual on Thursday, even if Ultra Boys 90 are calling on fans to gather ahead of kick-off to welcome the team bus to the ground.
The stadium has been recently renovated, with a huge new main stand having taken capacity to around 32,000.
It is almost always sold out now, but many of the fans who fill it are unhappy, or at least conflicted, about the direction in which the club is heading.
Even if they might be heading for a European final, with the chance of lifting a trophy won last season by none other than Chelsea.
as/bc

Sports

Thunder overpower Lakers, Pistons down Cavs

  • James, who had defied his 41 years to lead the Lakers to a surprise 4-2 upset of the Houston Rockets in the first round, led Los Angeles with 27 points in a losing effort.
  • The Oklahoma City Thunder overpowered LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 on Tuesday to grab a 1-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference semi-final series.
  • James, who had defied his 41 years to lead the Lakers to a surprise 4-2 upset of the Houston Rockets in the first round, led Los Angeles with 27 points in a losing effort.
The Oklahoma City Thunder overpowered LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 on Tuesday to grab a 1-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference semi-final series.
A balanced offensive performance and steely defensive display from the reigning NBA champions was enough to seal victory over the depleted Lakers, who started brightly but trailed for the final three quarters.
Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds while reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points apiece.
"We were a little choppy, a little rusty, but offensively we just stuck with it," Gilgeous-Alexander said, saluting a Thunder defense that restricted the Lakers to their lowest score in a playoff game since 2021.
"We just try to make people play outside their comfort zone, as simple as that," Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Thunder defense. "Whatever guys like to do, we like to take away from them."
The commanding Thunder victory underscored the size of the task facing the fourth-seeded Lakers if they are to defy the odds and upset the champions in the best-of-seven series.
Oklahoma City completed a 4-0 regular-season sweep over the Lakers, winning each game by an average margin of 29.3 points.
Tuesday's series-opener at Oklahoma City's Paycom Center echoed the Thunder's regular-season dominance, with the champions pulling away down the stretch to score an emphatic win.
James, who had defied his 41 years to lead the Lakers to a surprise 4-2 upset of the Houston Rockets in the first round, led Los Angeles with 27 points in a losing effort.
Rui Hachimura added 18 points with Marcus Smart bagging 12 and Deandre Ayton 10.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick blamed unforced errors for his team's problems.
"The mistakes hurt us," Redick said. "You're playing the world champs, your margin for error in terms of mistakes is not that high... just too many tonight. We've got to clean that up.
"The guys played hard. We just got to do a better job with execution. It comes down to attention to detail.
"I know we'll clean things up and be better."

Pistons hold off Cavs

In Tuesday's other playoff game, Cade Cunningham scored 23 points as the Detroit Pistons held off a second-half rally to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 in their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series opener.
The top-seeded Pistons looked to be cruising to a comfortable win after dominating in the first half and taking a 17-point lead in the third period.
But a spirited Cleveland rally saw the Cavaliers close to within four points before Detroit finally pulled clear again in the fourth quarter.
Cunningham was one of six Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Tobias Harris adding 20 points while Duncan Robinson bagged five three-pointers on his way to a 19-point haul at the Pistons' Little Caesars Arena.
Daniss Jenkins added 12 points from the bench with Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren scoring 11 points apiece.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, including four three-pointers, while James Harden scored 22 points with eight rebounds and seven assists.
"It was a great team win -- defending the ball, rebounding the ball," Cunningham told NBC television.
"We've got a great system in place. You've got somebody that will come in behind you whenever you get tired. 
"But it's one win, we've got to come back and do it again."
Detroit had battled into the conference semi-finals after coming back from 3-1 down to defeat Orlando 4-3 in the first round.
Cunningham said the Pistons are anxious to avoid a repeat.
"At home you've got to protect home court. We didn't do that in the last series so we want do that this series," Cunningham said.
"They want to come in and steal one, so we've got to do this again the day after tomorrow."
rcw/pst

Global Edition

Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices

  • Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Infantino said the eye-watering prices reflected demand to watch the World Cup.
  • FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Tuesday defended World Cup ticket prices, insisting that football's global governing body was obliged to take advantage of US laws that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value.
  • Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Infantino said the eye-watering prices reflected demand to watch the World Cup.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Tuesday defended World Cup ticket prices, insisting that football's global governing body was obliged to take advantage of US laws that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value.
FIFA has faced searing criticism over the cost of World Cup tickets, with fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) branding the pricing structure "extortionate" and a "monumental betrayal".
FSE filed a lawsuit with the European Commission in March targeting FIFA over "excessive ticket prices" for the tournament.
FIFA's own World Cup resale website, FIFA Marketplace, last week advertised four tickets to the July 19 final in New York at a cost of more than $2 million each.
Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Infantino said the eye-watering prices reflected demand to watch the World Cup.
"If some people put on the resale market, some tickets for the final at $2 million, number one it doesn't mean that the tickets cost $2 million," Infantino said. 
"And number two it doesn't mean that somebody will buy these tickets," Infantino said. "And if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience."
Fan groups have contrasted the difference in price of tickets for this summer with the Qatar World Cup in 2022. 
The most expensive ticket for the final in 2022 was around $1,600 at face value, while in 2026 the most expensive ticket for the final is about $11,000 at its original price. 
Infantino was adamant that the steep increase in face-value prices were justified.
"We have to look at the market -- we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates," Infantino said.
"In the US it is permitted to resell tickets as well. So if you were to sell tickets at the price which is too low, these tickets will be resold at a much higher price.
"And as a matter of fact, even though some people are saying that the ticket prices we have are high, they still end up on the resale market at an even higher price, more than double of our price."
Infantino said that FIFA received in excess of 500 million ticket requests for 2026, compared with fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The FIFA leader added that 25 percent of tickets for the group phase were priced at under $300.
"You cannot go to watch in the US a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300," Infantino said. "And this is the World Cup."
rcw/pst

Global Edition

Arsenal on cusp of history after reaching Champions League final

BY STEVEN GRIFFITHS

  • Everybody can feel a shift in energy, in belief, in everything," he said.
  • Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to use the "energy and belief" generated by reaching the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years as fuel to complete an historic double.
  • Everybody can feel a shift in energy, in belief, in everything," he said.
Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to use the "energy and belief" generated by reaching the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years as fuel to complete an historic double.
Even by his frenetic standards, Arteta was a blur of energy as the Gunners boss embarked on a jubilant lap of honour with his players after Tuesday's 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the semi-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Bukayo Saka's close-range finish in the first half sealed a 2-1 aggregate victory that sent Arsenal back into the Champions League final for the first time since their only previous appearance ended in defeat against Barcelona in 2006.
The north London club are now four games from immortality, with three wins from their remaining Premier League matches against West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace guaranteeing a first English title since 2004.
After the title fight with Manchester City is decided, Arteta's side will travel to Budapest to face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich on May 30 as they chase a maiden Champions League crown.
Holders PSG, who beat Arsenal in the semi-finals last year, head into Wednesday's second leg in Munich with a 5-4 lead.
Whoever they face in Hungary will encounter an Arsenal team riding a tidal wave of emotion after the outpouring of joy from Arteta, his players and 60,000 fans on Tuesday.
From the moment, thousands of Arsenal fans massed outside the stadium to greet the team bus with red flares, flags and defiant roars of encouragement, it was clear this was a day unlike any other for the Gunners.
Arteta was ecstatic during the wild post-match celebrations and, on the cusp of history, he challenged his players to use the feeling to carry them to the finish line in both competitions.
"It's great. Everybody can feel a shift in energy, in belief, in everything," he said.
"Let's use it in the right way and understand that the margins and the difficulty of what we are trying to achieve are huge, but that we have the ability and the conviction to do it.
"I'm really going to enjoy it tonight, everybody is enjoying this moment now. But the high is not too high and the low is not too low. My job is to be quite stable.
"We have an incredible game against West Ham, a really tough one, and we're going to have four days to do that."

'An incredible night'

Over two decades have passed since Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles' reigned supreme with their unbeaten title-winning campaign in 2004.
Wenger gradually lost his way after losing to Barca in the Champions League final, but Arteta finally appears to have recaptured the spirit of that iconic team.
The Spaniard has laboured for over six years to create the perfect alchemy between players and fans, a bond that has come dangerously close to breaking during a trophy drought dating back to the 2020 FA Cup victory.
Arteta has hit on the perfect ingredients this season, leaving Arsenal on the brink of erasing the pain of three successive runners-up finishes in the Premier League.
"It was an incredible night. We made history again together and I cannot be happier and prouder for everybody that's involved in this football club," Arteta said.
"The supporters were with us for every ball. They made it special and unique, and I have never felt it like that in this stadium.
"We knew how much it meant to everybody, we put everything on the line, the boys did an incredible job."
Winning the Champions League and Premier League in a single season would be greatest campaign in the club's 140-year history.
Arteta is happy to give the credit to his players, admitting he could never have imagined being so close to such glory when he arrived to start his first managerial job in 2019.
"They are the ones that have to make these kind of performances. I didn't really imagine it because we weren't in Europe at the beginning. This is a big achievement," he said. 
"We have been building little by little. We believed in what we wanted to do. Now we have to maintain it."
smg/rcw

USA

LIV Golf boss sees hope for new sponsors beyond 2026

  • The days of players golfing less and making more money than PGA Tour talent figure to be at an end since the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) has said it will pull the plug on backing LIV once the season concludes in August.
  • LIV Golf sees hope in finding new financial sponsors to carry the series beyond this season, when its vast Saudi funding will end, even though chief executive officer Scott O'Neil was short on details in comments Tuesday.
  • The days of players golfing less and making more money than PGA Tour talent figure to be at an end since the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) has said it will pull the plug on backing LIV once the season concludes in August.
LIV Golf sees hope in finding new financial sponsors to carry the series beyond this season, when its vast Saudi funding will end, even though chief executive officer Scott O'Neil was short on details in comments Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of this week's LIV Golf Virginia event at Trump National Washington, O'Neil said he has spoken with potential investors as he works on a business plan he can pitch to players and sponsors alike.
"I definitely will not be talking through specifics of the plan,' O'Neil said. "But it's a playbook that won't surprise too many people once you see it.
"It's for next year that we're going to be making some pretty significant, substantive changes."
The days of players golfing less and making more money than PGA Tour talent figure to be at an end since the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) has said it will pull the plug on backing LIV once the season concludes in August.
O'Neil believes that even with changes, LIV players will want to remain with the series.
"Do I believe that when we have a business plan and we raise money, that this is the place the players will choose? I do," he said.
"I have a lot of confidence this is a place players want to be."
O'Neil said he was "very confident" of support from new sponsors.
"I had about a dozen inbound calls this weekend from potential investors," O'Neil said. "It was a split between private equity, family office, and then your traditional high net worth guys who invest in sports and sports teams. So that has been really positive."
He has also spoken with broadcast and marketing partners about staying with LIV, saying, "We have a good sense at this point. We know where we're going."
O'Neil wants to keep a 14-week season but have other tours allow LIV players into events to produce showdowns with all the world's top talent.
"If you want to see the best players in the world playing together more often, no problem, let's do it on the other 38 weeks," he said.
The PGA Tour has banned LIV players from its events, opening a brief return path that allowed Brooks Koepka back this year.

'Urgency here'

O'Neil had no timetable for when LIV might have a plan to offer players and investors.
"I won't speak to specific timing other than to say that you'll find urgency here," he said.
When it came to return value on investment, O'Neil pointed to LIV teams, some of which have changed in recent months to reflect more national lineups.
"If you're looking for direction, we believe teams will have extraordinary value," he said. "Once we set the business in the right direction with the right trajectory, with the right revenue base and cost base, these teams will have extraordinary value."
O'Neil said players have offered to make visits to private equity firms in hopes of deals to sustain LIV, which has made a splash with events in such places as Adelaide.
"To see the impact it's having in markets like Australia, where we had 115,000 people, and South Africa we had 100,000 people and the UK, where we had 60,000 people last year... You start to feel that movement that the teams are catching on.
"I'm feeling good. I'm feeling an appropriate amount of pressure. I'm feeling inspired and I feel like we have a clear path to a win."
js/amz

Spurs

Wembanyama accused of 'obvious' illegal blocking

  • The Timberwolves won the game 104-102, but the Spurs remain favorites to win the series, having finished the regular season five places higher than Minnesota, and with 13 more wins.
  • San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama was accused Tuesday by the Minnesota Timberwolves of repeated illegal goaltending violations during their first NBA playoff clash.
  • The Timberwolves won the game 104-102, but the Spurs remain favorites to win the series, having finished the regular season five places higher than Minnesota, and with 13 more wins.
San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama was accused Tuesday by the Minnesota Timberwolves of repeated illegal goaltending violations during their first NBA playoff clash.
French 7-foot-4 (2.24m) phenom Wembanyama had put in a historic defensive performance in the Spurs' Western semi-final game-one loss to Minnesota, making an all-time postseason record 12 blocks.
But Timberwolves coach Chris Finch on Tuesday told reporters that "at least four" of Wembanyama's blocks should have been ruled fouls by match officials.
"Obviously he had a historic night, but when we looked at them, at least four of them were goaltending, maybe even a fifth," said Finch.
"To me, it's a little alarming that none of them were called. Here's a generational shot blocker who's seven-foot-six, who goes after everything, and there's no heightened awareness that these blocks could be goal tends?"
While basketball players can block shots in most circumstances, it is illegal to touch the ball if it is already on a downward trajectory and it is either directly above the net rim, or has already touched the backboard.
"I mean, the third possession of the game was a goaltend, and it was a clean, obvious one," said Finch.
"So let's just say there were four. That's eight points. You know the value of eight points in an NBA game? It is massive."
The Timberwolves won the game 104-102, but the Spurs remain favorites to win the series, having finished the regular season five places higher than Minnesota, and with 13 more wins.
Wembanyama is one of three finalists for this year's NBA Most Valuable Player award, and has already been unanimously named this year's Defensive Player of the Year.
At just 22, "Wemby" is already positioned to be one of the NBA's biggest superstars for years to come.
Finch said his team had not complained directly to the league as "it's kind of a bit of a waste of time because it doesn't really change the outcomes."
"Again, it's just alarming that not a single one of them was called...  I think they're pretty obvious when you look at them," he added. 
amz/rcw

Sports

Fans 'set the standards' at rocking Emirates: Arteta

  • The Gunners have four games left this season as they chase a historic double of Champions League and Premier League.
  • Mikel Arteta said that Arsenal fans "set the standards" after the Gunners reached the Champions League final with a 2-1 aggregate win against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
  • The Gunners have four games left this season as they chase a historic double of Champions League and Premier League.
Mikel Arteta said that Arsenal fans "set the standards" after the Gunners reached the Champions League final with a 2-1 aggregate win against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Arsenal won the second leg at the Emirates 1-0, courtesy of a first-half goal from Bukayo Saka.
The Gunners, who have never been European champions, will face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in Budapest later this month -- 20 years after their only other appearance in the final.
"It's an amazing night. To live these kind of moments with our people, our players, everybody at the club, it's just an incredible feeling," Arsenal boss Arteta told Amazon Prime.
"It makes sense, a lot of the things that we do and we go through, when you just see so many happy faces and so many people proud of what we are doing. 
"It was unbelievable right from the beginning -- the manner that our supporters waited for us at the stadium, the energy, the passion that they put in, it was just great to witness."
Arteta said that his players fed off the fizzing atmosphere at the Emirates.
"I think they set the standards and we tried to catch up with them immediately. It's so good after so many years to give that joy back to them and see that pride in their eyes. It's beautiful to watch."

Arsenal unity

The Spaniard said that what pleased him most was the togetherness of his men.
"It was very difficult to make certain decisions and I feel a lot for the boys, because I know generally how good people they are and some of them, I talked to them this afternoon and I said, 'I apologise, I'm going to play the same team'.
"And their reaction immediately was, 'I'm here when you need me, I'm going to be right with the team' and gave me a hug, so what else do I want?"
Arteta said that Saka, who featured in his first Arsenal team in December 2019, was a fitting match winner.
"It had to be someone very special and he's certainly someone very special with me and for the boys and for everybody attached to this club, so if he had to be someone scoring that goal, probably it had to be him."
The Gunners have four games left this season as they chase a historic double of Champions League and Premier League.
They are in the driving seat to win their first English league for 22 years, five points clear of Manchester City having played one game more than Pep Guardiola's men.
Long-serving Atletico boss Diego Simeone said that he did not want to make excuses after his team's defeat.
"If we got knocked out it's because our opponents deserved to go through, they took their big chance in the first half and they deserved to go through. I feel calm, I feel peaceful," he told UEFA.
"We weren't clinical enough with the situations we were in. We improved in the second half. There were things that could've gone our way but they didn't. 
"We gave it our all and now we have to accept the place that we are in. Thanks to our supporters and players I feel proud to be where we are right now."
jw/bc

Diggs

NFL star Diggs cleared of assaulting personal chef

  • Personal chef Jamila Adams reported the incident, which she said stemmed from a pay dispute, to police in December.
  • Former New England Patriots star Stefon Diggs was acquitted Tuesday of charges that he assaulted his live-in personal chef.
  • Personal chef Jamila Adams reported the incident, which she said stemmed from a pay dispute, to police in December.
Former New England Patriots star Stefon Diggs was acquitted Tuesday of charges that he assaulted his live-in personal chef.
A jury in Massachusetts cleared the veteran NFL wide receiver of felony strangulation or suffocation, and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge.
Appearing in court in a grey suit and tie, Diggs calmly nodded as the verdict was read out.
Personal chef Jamila Adams reported the incident, which she said stemmed from a pay dispute, to police in December.
She said Diggs struck her in the face and tried to choke her "using the crook of his elbow around her neck," according to the police report.
Adams said she and Diggs had previously been in a sexual relationship.
Diggs, 32, appeared in court in February to plead not guilty, less than a week after playing for the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
His lawyers denied any assault ever happened, and pointed to financial demands that Adams's representatives allegedly made on the eve of the trial.
Following a two-day trial, the jury deliberated for roughly 90 minutes before exonerating Diggs on both counts, according to local media.
Diggs is currently a free agent, having been released by the Patriots. He dated rapper Cardi B, with whom he had a child last November, though the celebrity couple have reportedly split since. 
amz/rcw

USA

Rahm doesn't see 'many ways out' of multi-year LIV deal

  • Rahm did however settle one long-running issue on Tuesday as the DP World Tour announced they reached a deal with the Spaniard that allows him to play on the European circuit this year while paying all outstanding fines since his 2024 jump to LIV. "There's no longer a standoff.
  • Two-time major champion Jon Rahm revealed he has several years remaining on his LIV Golf contract and doesn't "see many ways out" after agreeing to a new deal that allows him to play on the DP World Tour.
  • Rahm did however settle one long-running issue on Tuesday as the DP World Tour announced they reached a deal with the Spaniard that allows him to play on the European circuit this year while paying all outstanding fines since his 2024 jump to LIV. "There's no longer a standoff.
Two-time major champion Jon Rahm revealed he has several years remaining on his LIV Golf contract and doesn't "see many ways out" after agreeing to a new deal that allows him to play on the DP World Tour.
The 31-year-old Spaniard, a former world number one, spoke Tuesday ahead of this week's LIV Golf Virginia event at Trump National Washington.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which had promised long-term support for the series, said last week it will pull funding after the 2026 campaign concludes, plunging the upstart circuit into uncertainty over his future beyond this year.
But while the vexed question of how LIV players may return to the PGA Tour has dominated golf in recent weeks, Rahm said Tuesday he remained locked into his lucrative contract.
"I have several years on my contract left and I'm pretty sure they did a pretty good job when they drafted that, so I don't see many ways out," Rahm said.
"As of right now, I'm not really thinking about it since we still have a season to play and majors to compete for. So it's not something I want to think about just yet."
Rahm did however settle one long-running issue on Tuesday as the DP World Tour announced they reached a deal with the Spaniard that allows him to play on the European circuit this year while paying all outstanding fines since his 2024 jump to LIV.
"There's no longer a standoff. We were able to reach an agreement," Rahm said. "There was some concessions on both sides. I offered some, they extended an olive branch. That will not be a stress anymore."
Rahm will no longer have to worry about his place on the Europe side for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland or future stops.
"The Ryder Cup is still really far away, but I'm happy that hopefully I won't have to think about any worries or any predicaments (ahead of) Adare Manor then or hopefully ever," Rahm said.
"I want to support the DP World Tour. There's a lot of events I want to play."
Rahm meanwhile admitted to shock at PIF's decision to pull the plug on LIV Golf, saying players had been assured financing from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund was in place for years to come.
While LIV Golf chief executive officer Scott O'Neil seeks new backers, two-time defending LIV season champion Rahm says players will likely face compromises if the series is to continue.
"I do believe that for the business plan to change, whatever they're coming up with, there will need to be some concessions on our part," Rahm said.
"It's a team effort. It's not about one person agreeing or not. We all, as captains and team owners and players involved in the league, need to in essence have a large majority to agree on for it to work."

'Only time will tell'

Several big names jumped to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour, which banned those players from its events. Some players have made the move back, such as five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, but a return path for others remains uncertain.
Rahm, for his part, said he likes where he is at with LIV.
"We want to be here. It has been a lot of fun. I want to keep competing. I want to keep sharing some time with them," Rahm said.
"But only time will tell. Scott and his team have a lot of hard work to do, but obviously they're experienced in the area, and that's why they've been chosen to take this role."
Rahm, the 2021 US Open and 2023 Masters champion, jumped in 2024 and won the past two season crowns.
This year, in his final tuneup for next week's PGA Championship, Rahm has won LIV titles at Hong Kong in March and Mexico City in April.
js/rcw

Sports

Saka ends Arsenal's 20-year wait to reach Champions League final

BY STEVEN GRIFFITHS

  • It was a cathartic night for Arsenal, who are back in the Champions League final for the first time since losing 2-1 to Barcelona in their only previous appearance in the showpiece in 2006.
  • Arsenal reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years as Bukayo Saka sealed a 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
  • It was a cathartic night for Arsenal, who are back in the Champions League final for the first time since losing 2-1 to Barcelona in their only previous appearance in the showpiece in 2006.
Arsenal reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years as Bukayo Saka sealed a 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta's side settled the semi-final second leg with Saka's strike late in the first half at an ecstatic Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners, who drew 1-1 in the first leg in Madrid last week, held firm after Saka's goal to go through 2-1 on aggregate.
Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final in Budapest on May 30.
Holders PSG, who beat Arsenal in the semi-finals last year, have a 5-4 lead ahead of the second leg in Munich on Wednesday.
It was a cathartic night for Arsenal, who are back in the Champions League final for the first time since losing 2-1 to Barcelona in their only previous appearance in the showpiece in 2006.
Arsenal have never won the Champions League, with their two major European trophies coming in the 1994 Cup Winners' Cup and the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
Their last continental final ended in a 4-1 defeat against Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League.
It is shaping up to be Arsenal's greatest ever season as they chase a Premier League and Champions League double.
Even Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles' -- who won the club's last English title in an unbeaten top-flight campaign in 2004 -- might have to bow to the current generation if they finish the job.
Fittingly, it was Saka -- the homegrown symbol of the Arteta era -- who proved Arsenal's match-winner.
Now just four games from immortality, Premier League leaders Arsenal were given a huge boost in the title race when second-placed Manchester City drew at Everton on Monday.
The Gunners will be crowned champions if they win their last three games against West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace.
Once the title is decided, Arsenal will head to Hungary with a maiden Champions League crown in their sights.
Arsenal endured jibes about their perceived lack of mental strength after a run of four defeats in six games in all competitions sparked painful memories of previous failures to end their six-year wait for silverware.
But the 'nearly-men' and 'serial choker' labels applied only weeks ago are on the verge of being banished forever.

Jubilant Arteta

Thousands of Arsenal supporters massed outside the stadium before kick-off to greet their team with flares and flags, a vociferous display of affection underlining Arsenal's desperation to make history.
It was the kind of evening in north London, when nothing was beyond the realm of possibility as Arsenal moved closer to casting off the shackles of two decades of underachievement.
After some tense performances during the Premier League run-in, Saturday's 3-0 rout of Fulham had showed Arsenal at their flowing best in a riposte to the critics who claim they only win ugly.
This was a more prosaic display but no-one with an affinity to Arsenal was bothered in the slightest.
Arsenal were nearly caught on the counter in a frenetic start when Julian Alvarez shot just wide before Giuliano Simeone's close-range effort deflected past the post.
But Arsenal recovered from those anxious moments to deliver a dominant spell that brought their 44th minute goal.
Viktor Gyokeres' clever run unhinged the Atletico defence and his cross reached Leandro Trossard inside the area.
Trossard wriggled into just enough space for a low drive that Jan Oblak weakly pushed out to Saka, who reacted quicker than his flat-footed markers to slot home from four yards.
Arteta jubilantly punched the air as all around him the Emirates erupted into a roiling red sea of celebration.
Atletico tried to ruin the party in the second half, but Gabriel Magalhaes made a last-ditch tackle on Simeone to avert a certain goal before David Raya repelled Antoine Griezmann's blast.
Arteta recently revealed he visualised Arsenal conquering the Champions League even in the difficult early days of his reign.
The Spaniard now is just one win away from seeing that daydream become a glorious reality.
smg/pb

Mickelson

Mickelson pulls out of PGA Championship for family issues

  • Mickelson also missed last month's Masters over a personal family health matter.
  • Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from next week's PGA Championship at Aronimink, citing a personal health matter within his family, the tournament announced on Tuesday.
  • Mickelson also missed last month's Masters over a personal family health matter.
Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from next week's PGA Championship at Aronimink, citing a personal health matter within his family, the tournament announced on Tuesday.
The 55-year-old left-hander will be replaced in the field by fellow American Max Homa, who had been the first alternate in line for the year's second major tournament.
Mickelson also missed last month's Masters over a personal family health matter. He also had missed the first two events of the LIV Golf season.
Mickelson won the Masters in 2004, 2006 and 2010 as well as capturing the 2013 British Open and taking the PGA Championship in 2005 and 2021, becoming the oldest men's major winner at age 50 when he took the title at Kiawah Island five years ago.
He has been unable to win the US Open to complete a career Grand Slam, finishing as runner-up in the event a record six times, most recently in 2013.
js/amz

Cardiff

Wales rugby great Halfpenny to retire

  • Halfpenny, who will end his career at Cardiff, said playing for Wales had been his "childhood dream".
  • Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny announced on Tuesday he will retire at the end of the season, bringing down the curtain on a career spanning nearly two decades.
  • Halfpenny, who will end his career at Cardiff, said playing for Wales had been his "childhood dream".
Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny announced on Tuesday he will retire at the end of the season, bringing down the curtain on a career spanning nearly two decades.
The 37-year-old won the last of his 101 caps in 2023. He also made four Test appearances across three British and Irish Lions tours, winning player-of-the-series in the 2013 triumph over Australia.
Halfpenny has had two spells at Cardiff and also played for Toulon, Scarlets, Crusaders and Harlequins.
"It's always going to be difficult to walk away from a game that's been part of my life for so long but when you know, you know and now I know the time is right for me and my family," he said on social media.
Halfpenny, who will end his career at Cardiff, said playing for Wales had been his "childhood dream".
"Putting on the Welsh jersey meant absolutely everything to me. To have been able to do for 101 times is an absolute honour and privileged."
Cardiff Rugby life president Gareth Edwards said Halfpenny would go down as one of rugby's greatest players.
"He is someone I have admired, respected and enjoying watching over the years, and even more so as a player from Cardiff," he said.
"Off the pitch, his personality also makes him such a likeable young man. He is so humble and always has time for people, even in the chaos sometimes brought by his stature in the game."
jw/pb

IPL

Bowlers, Samson keep Chennai afloat in IPL playoff race

BY FAISAL KAMAL

  • "So obviously he's backbone now, but bowling is something which wins you tournaments."
  • Disciplined bowling and an unbeaten 87 by opener Sanju Samson helped Chennai Super Kings stay in the hunt for the IPL playoffs with an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals on Tuesday.
  • "So obviously he's backbone now, but bowling is something which wins you tournaments."
Disciplined bowling and an unbeaten 87 by opener Sanju Samson helped Chennai Super Kings stay in the hunt for the IPL playoffs with an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals on Tuesday.
Batting first on a tough pitch backfired for hosts Delhi, who slipped to 69-5 before posting 155-7 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Five-time champions Chennai lost two early wickets in the chase, but Samson paced his 52-ball knock to perfection as his team chased down the target with 15 balls to spare.
Samson, a wicketkeeper-batter, put on an unbeaten 114-run stand with Kartik Sharma, who made 41, as the two ensured a fifth win for Chennai in 10 matches to be sixth in the 10-team table.
"More than grateful to have Sanju in the side," said Chennai skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. "So obviously he's backbone now, but bowling is something which wins you tournaments."
Delhi's chances of making the playoffs took a hit as they went down to their sixth defeat.
The top four teams at the end of the league stage will qualify for the playoffs.
"We cannot afford any mistakes now," said Delhi captain Axar Patel. "So we have to go in with a clear mindset that whatever time or chances we get, we must win."
In-form Samson, who has hit two centuries in the season, reached his fifty in 32 balls and finished with seven fours and six sixes.
He has scored 402 runs in 10 matches this edition  and is fifth in the batting chart led by Delhi's KL Rahul (445).
Samson came into this edition of the IPL on the back of three half-centuries in the last three matches of India's T20 World Cup triumph on home soil in March.
Delhi's South Africa pace bowler Lungi Ngidi returned after missing the previous two matches with concussion.
Ngidi claimed 1-30, dismissing Gaikwad, for six, with a pacy delivery.
But it was the Chennai bowlers who exploited the surface. Afghanistan's Noor Ahmad stood out with figures of 2-22 and was ably supported by fellow spinner Akeal Hosein (1-19).
Fast bowlers Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh and England's Jamie Overton claimed one wicket each as they bowled good lengths to restrict the opposition.
South Africa's Tristan Stubbs made 38 and impact substitute Sameer Rizvi struck an unbeaten 40 off 24 balls to hit back after Delhi lost half their side in the 11th over.
Stubbs and Rizvi, who struck four sixes, put on 65 runs for the sixth wicket but the effort was not enough to test Chennai's batting.
One of the most successful franchises in the T20 tournament, Chennai are still waiting for the return of veteran M.S. Dhoni, who is recovering from an injury and is yet to play a game in this edition.
fk/pb

Sports

PSG 'not here to defend' against Bayern, says Luis Enrique

  • The match was the highest scoring Champions League semi-final in history and Luis Enrique expected more of the same on Wednesday.  
  • Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said his side's one-goal first leg lead meant "nothing" ahead of Wednesday's second Champions League semi-final at Bayern Munich. 
  • The match was the highest scoring Champions League semi-final in history and Luis Enrique expected more of the same on Wednesday.  
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said his side's one-goal first leg lead meant "nothing" ahead of Wednesday's second Champions League semi-final at Bayern Munich. 
Defending champions PSG won 5-4 in an astonishing opening leg, having conceded first and at one point held a 5-2 advantage. 
The match was the highest scoring Champions League semi-final in history and Luis Enrique expected more of the same on Wednesday.  
"It's nothing," the Spaniard said of PSG's narrow lead. 
"It's just one goal. We are ready. We know Bayern Munich can get back into the match and we can also score goals. 
"And we are certainly not here to defend. We're trying to win the game."
PSG are competing in their fifth semi-final in the past seven seasons -- and the third straight under Luis Enrique. 
The coach said Bayern were the "strongest team we have faced" this season, but promised the French giants would be "loyal to who we are". 
"I can't say Wednesday will be different based on what we saw in the first leg. I don't think either team will just accept that the other is better," said the Spaniard. 
"Our mentality is to win every game. We don't need to play for a particular result because we have to win."
Luis Enrique called the opening match the best he had been involved in as a coach, but admitted he had little fun on the sidelines. 
"As a top-level coach, it was very difficult to enjoy," he added. 
PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery said the players had as much fun as the supporters in the opening leg in Paris and expected "the same thing" in Munich.
"It was a crazy game for us. We play football to be involved in these sorts of games. It was one of the best matches the Champions League has seen," the French player said. 
"The intensity, the commitment, the goals, it was simply exceptional. And we’re expecting the same thing on Wednesday."
PSG return to Munich's Allianz Arena, where they won last year's final, for the first time. 
Luis Enrique, who has fond memories of the stadium after eliminating Bayern on the way to winning the 2015 Champions League title with Barcelona, said returning to Munich reminded him of what PSG had achieved. 
"Coming back here will always be a real pleasure because we remember what we achieved last year."
dwi/ea

Ryder

Rahm eligible for Ryder Cup after deal with European Tour

  • The 31-year-old, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 2018, was a captain's pick for the 2025 tournament at Bethpage Black, won by the European team.
  • Jon Rahm has reached a deal with the European Tour that will allow him retain his membership and remain eligible for next year's Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland.
  • The 31-year-old, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 2018, was a captain's pick for the 2025 tournament at Bethpage Black, won by the European team.
Jon Rahm has reached a deal with the European Tour that will allow him retain his membership and remain eligible for next year's Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland.
In an agreement similar to that signed by eight other LIV golfers in February, the Spaniard will pay all outstanding fines for playing in events that clashed with European Tour tournaments.
The tour is now known as the DP World Tour.
Two-time major winner Rahm has been punished for three conflicting events this season, and has around £2 million ($2.7 million) in fines outstanding since he joined the Saudi breakaway circuit in 2023.
In exchange for securing conditional releases for 2026, Rahm has also said he will  play in agreed European Tour events for the remainder of this year.
"The DP World Tour and Jon Rahm have come to an agreement on conditional releases to play in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf during the remainder of its 2026 season," said a DP World Tour spokesman.
"This involves payment of all outstanding fines accrued from 2024 to date, along with participation in agreed DP World Tour tournaments (outside the majors) in the remainder of the 2026 season."
The 31-year-old, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 2018, was a captain's pick for the 2025 tournament at Bethpage Black, won by the European team.
Rahm in March accused the DP World Tour of "extorting players" as he explained why he had not signed a deal to settle his fines for playing.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund said last week it was withdrawing its multi-billion dollar backing of LIV Golf at the end of the season, plunging the future of the tour into doubt.
jw/jdg/pb

Sports

Bayern's Kompany channels 'inner tranquility' before PSG showdown

  • "It's actually a state of total calm -- an inner tranquility," Kompany said in Munich.
  • Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said he was in a state of "total calm" before Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg against holders Paris Saint-Germain. 
  • "It's actually a state of total calm -- an inner tranquility," Kompany said in Munich.
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said he was in a state of "total calm" before Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg against holders Paris Saint-Germain. 
Bayern lost 5-4 in last week's wild first leg in Paris in one of the greatest games in recent memory. 
A day ahead of the biggest match of his managerial career, Kompany told reporters on Tuesday he was not overawed. 
"It's actually a state of total calm -- an inner tranquility," Kompany said in Munich.
"I try not to let the emotions and atmosphere of the game come into play too early," he added.
The 40-year-old said he was fully focused on preparation for the match and deciding what to tell his players before the encounter.
"The time leading up to it is largely about preparation and routine -- perhaps quietly searching for just the right words or phrases to use tomorrow," he said. 
"I am still searching, even now; I have a rough idea of what that 'right phrase' might be for the team - the one that can influence that crucial one percent, helping us find that little extra edge," he added.
Despite a spectacular game in the French capital, the former Belgium and Manchester City central defender faced criticism because his team let in five goals. 
Kompany was asked whether he would emulate his former City manager Pep Guardiola who with Bayern was accused by German media of tinkering with his defence before a big European loss in 2014.
"The players need to be reinforced in what they've already been doing well all season long. And that, in terms of the details, they perhaps need to be given something that could prove decisive in these kinds of matches," he said.
"I also played under Pep. It's simply not true that he changes everything in big games. 
"That's just media nonsense. When you lose, you always have something to explain.
"When you win, you're always right," he added.
Kompany said he felt a different kind of atmosphere in Munich in the lead-up to the match after his side were crowned Bundesliga champions last month.
"Here we stand, having already experienced so many incredible moments and I believe that is precisely why the fans, too, believe that this team can pull it off," he said.
"Together, we simply want to make this moment truly unforgettable."
Bayern defender Jonathan Tah said the first leg may not have seemed like a defensive masterclass, but he enjoyed it as much as the fans. 
"It was definitely a bit of a weird feeling," Tah said.
"You obviously have that feeling: 'crap, we conceded five goals'.
"I think the most important thing for me in moments like this is never to forget why I started playing football in the first place. And that was for the fun of it, and out of passion. 
"That's why I'm looking forward to this game."
dwi/iwd/pb

women

Matthews latest England World Cup-winner out of Women's Six Nations

  • Sadia Kabeya went off in the victory over Wales in the previous round, meaning eight of the 13 forwards from last year's 33-13 World Cup final victory over Canada at Twickenham -- a match where Matthews scored two tries -- will be absent from the Italy game.
  • Alex Matthews has become the latest World Cup-winning England forward to be ruled out of this season's Women's Six Nations.
  • Sadia Kabeya went off in the victory over Wales in the previous round, meaning eight of the 13 forwards from last year's 33-13 World Cup final victory over Canada at Twickenham -- a match where Matthews scored two tries -- will be absent from the Italy game.
Alex Matthews has become the latest World Cup-winning England forward to be ruled out of this season's Women's Six Nations.
In a statement issued Tuesday announcing the team to play Italy in Parma this weekend, England confirmed No 8 Matthews would miss the last two rounds because of a shoulder problem. She is due to have surgery later this week.
Sadia Kabeya went off in the victory over Wales in the previous round, meaning eight of the 13 forwards from last year's 33-13 World Cup final victory over Canada at Twickenham -- a match where Matthews scored two tries -- will be absent from the Italy game.
Lark Atkin-Davies, Rosie Galligan, Zoe Stratford and Abbie Ward were ruled out of the Championship because of pregnancy, and Hannah Botterman has been injured. 
Morwenna Talling and Matthews both suffered tournament-ending injuries in the opening round, but Matthews initially stayed with the squad.
Haidee Head, named on the bench for Saturday's match against Italy, could become England's fourth debutant this Championship.
The 22-year-old back-row, born in Australia, qualifies for England through her mother and joined London club Trailfinders at the start of this season. 
England star Ellie Kildunne will start on the wing for the second time this tournament rather than in her more familiar role of full-back -- the position she occupied in a 62-24 thrashing of Wales.
Emma Sing returns at full-back while Megan Jones, the captain, continues in the centres alongside Helena Rowland, who will win her 50th cap in Parma.
Despite all their injury woes, England are on a record run of 36 games unbeaten in all competitions.
And with two rounds to go, a Red Roses team coached by former men's All Blacks boss John Mitchell, are on course to win an eighth straight Six Nations title and fifth consecutive Grand Slam. 
England will be huge favourites to defeat Italy, for all the hosts hammered Scotland 41-14 in the previous round.
"We've built momentum throughout this tournament by stacking strong moments together and that will be crucial again this weekend," said Mitchell.
"Italy will be full of confidence after their result against Scotland and they'll challenge us in different ways."
England (15-1) 
Emma Sing; Mia Venner, Megan Jones (capt), Helena Rowland , Ellie  Kildunne; Zoe Harrison, Lucy Packer; Maddie Feaunati, Marlie Packer, Demelza Short; Delaney Burns, Abi Burton; Maud Muir, Amy Cokayne, Kelsey Clifford
Replacements: Connie Powell, Mackenzie Carson , Sarah Bern, Haineala  Lutui, Haidee Head, Flo Robinson, Holly Aitchison, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald
Coach: John Mitchell (NZL)
jdg/lp

Pr

Celtic's O'Neill says Hearts' rise good for Scottish football

  • Speaking on talkSPORT radio on Tuesday, Celtic manager O'Neill was asked whether Hearts — who last won the Scottish title 66 years ago — were now equipped to become regular contenders.
  • Martin O'Neill reckons Hearts putting in a sustained challenge for the Premiership can only benefit Scottish football even if it threatens Celtic's hopes of a successful title defence.
  • Speaking on talkSPORT radio on Tuesday, Celtic manager O'Neill was asked whether Hearts — who last won the Scottish title 66 years ago — were now equipped to become regular contenders.
Martin O'Neill reckons Hearts putting in a sustained challenge for the Premiership can only benefit Scottish football even if it threatens Celtic's hopes of a successful title defence.
Edinburgh club Hearts are three points ahead of O'Neill's men after a dramatic 2-1 win at home to Rangers on Monday.
Rangers' defeat at Tynecastle all but ended their title bid, leaving them seven points behind Hearts and four adrift of second-placed Celtic with just three games remaining.  
The Jambos, buoyed by investment from Tony Bloom, the owner of English Premier League club Brighton, and a link-up with Jamestown Analytics, are aiming to become the first team outside of Celtic and Rangers to be crowned champions of Scotland since Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in 1985.
Speaking on talkSPORT radio on Tuesday, Celtic manager O'Neill was asked whether Hearts — who last won the Scottish title 66 years ago — were now equipped to become regular contenders.
"Why not? Absolutely," he replied. "Tony Bloom has invested in Brighton and he has also done the same at Hearts."
"If you're looking at it from a neutral viewpoint, which I certainly am not, but if you were, then there's been excitement this season because Hearts have come up, thrown down the gauntlet to the two big teams and I think that can only be good for (the league)," said O'Neill.
The veteran Northern Irish boss added that Hearts deserved "great credit" for "going strongly at it and being able to stay there", with Sunday's Old Firm clash between Celtic and Rangers no longer a title showdown.
"Rangers now are quite a number of points behind Hearts," said O'Neill. "We're talking about three games left, so that would be difficult to overcome at this particular stage.
"It's not impossible, it can happen. The games are very difficult matches still for all of us to come through. From our own position, we have to try and win the three games.
"Even that, strangely enough at this minute, mathematically, might not be enough but I still think there's a couple of twists left."
jdg/mw

Liga

Injured Mbappe faces backlash over Sardinia trip before Clasico

BY ARNO TARRINI

  • According to Spanish media, Mbappe - frustrated by a second season at Madrid without a major trophy - is becoming increasingly isolated in the dressing room, despite having established himself as a leader earlier in the campaign.
  • Sidelined with a hamstring injury, Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has sparked anger among a section of the club's supporters after a holiday in Sardinia, triggering a fresh media storm ahead of Sunday's Clasico against Barcelona.
  • According to Spanish media, Mbappe - frustrated by a second season at Madrid without a major trophy - is becoming increasingly isolated in the dressing room, despite having established himself as a leader earlier in the campaign.
Sidelined with a hamstring injury, Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has sparked anger among a section of the club's supporters after a holiday in Sardinia, triggering a fresh media storm ahead of Sunday's Clasico against Barcelona.
For many Madrid fans, the striker's Italian getaway - during rest days granted by Real Madrid to injured players, including Mbappe, Thibaut Courtois and Arda Guler - was the final straw.
United behind a shared image showing Mbappe with a "Fuera (out)" stamp over his face - originally posted by a satirical account and reposted in the comments section of Real Madrid's official posts - some fans are openly calling for the French superstar to leave.
An online petition has also been circulating on social networks, urging Madrid fans to "make their voices heard". "If you believe change is necessary, do not remain silent: sign this petition and defend what you believe is best for the future of the club," it reads.
Fuel was added to the fire by widely shared photos of Mbappe alongside actress Ester Exposito, posted on social media as Real Madrid were preparing for a crucial La Liga match against Espanyol last weekend in an effort to delay Barcelona's title celebrations.
Real Madrid won that match 2–0, and coach Alvaro Arbeloa later insisted that "each player does what they consider appropriate in their free time" and that it was "none of my business". However, several of his comments were perceived as indirect criticism of his leading scorer.

Sweat and mud, not tuxedos

"We didn't build Real Madrid with players who play in tuxedos, but with players who finish matches with shirts full of sweat and mud, through effort and sacrifice," he said.
Madrid is "a club where, fortunately, no player has ever been, is, or ever will be bigger than Real Madrid," added Arbeloa.
Contacted by AFP, Mbappe's entourage said "part of the criticism is based on an over-interpretation of elements linked to a recovery period that is strictly supervised by the club", and bears no relation to "the reality of the commitment and daily work Kylian puts in for the team".
The France captain, accustomed to sometimes excessive scrutiny, addressed his mindset earlier this season on The Bridge, a podcast hosted by his Real Madrid and France teammate Aurelien Tchouameni. 
"I've reached a point where you're going to get criticised whatever you do, so you might as well do what you want - at least then you stay true to yourself," Mbappe said.

Isolated in dressing room?

With 41 goals in 41 matches in all competitions this season, Mbappe remains by far Real Madrid's leading scorer. He has nonetheless come under heavy criticism since returning from injury in mid-March, with some observers accusing him of an overly individualistic approach.
According to Spanish media, Mbappe - frustrated by a second season at Madrid without a major trophy - is becoming increasingly isolated in the dressing room, despite having established himself as a leader earlier in the campaign.
Some fans and pundits have pointed to post-match comments from fellow stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham after Sunday's win as signs of a growing rift with the France captain.
"We fought and we played together. When we play like that, we are better and stronger," Vinicius told Real Madrid TV, while Bellingham urged his teammates on Instagram to stay "together" and fully committed "until the very last whistle" of the season.
Friendly exchanges between Vinicius and Bellingham on social media - the pair won the Champions League together before Mbappe's arrival - have further fuelled speculation of a new clash of egos within the Madrid squad.
ati-ali/mw/iwd