SerieA

Struggling Roma sack De Rossi after poor start to campaign

BY TERRY DALEY

  • De Rossi had been a shock interim replacement for Mourinho as his only previous managerial experience had been four months at lower league outfit SPAL. He was sacked in February last year in a season which finished with SPAL being relegated to the third-tier Serie C. However he got off to a stunning start to life as Roma boss, revitalising what had become a moribund team under Mourinho and taking them to the semi-finals of the Europa League where they were beaten 4-2 on aggregate by German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
  • Roma sacked coach and club icon Daniele De Rossi on Wednesday after a poor start to the season which has left the Serie A team without a win and languishing near the relegation zone.
  • De Rossi had been a shock interim replacement for Mourinho as his only previous managerial experience had been four months at lower league outfit SPAL. He was sacked in February last year in a season which finished with SPAL being relegated to the third-tier Serie C. However he got off to a stunning start to life as Roma boss, revitalising what had become a moribund team under Mourinho and taking them to the semi-finals of the Europa League where they were beaten 4-2 on aggregate by German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Roma sacked coach and club icon Daniele De Rossi on Wednesday after a poor start to the season which has left the Serie A team without a win and languishing near the relegation zone.
In a statement, Roma said that former Italy midfielder De Rossi "has been relieved of his duties" after just eight months in charge following the sacking in January of Jose Mourinho.
"The club's decision is made in the best interests of the team, to get back on the desired path as soon as possible at a time when the season is still in its early stages," said Roma in a statement.
Roma said that "communication regarding the team's technical guidance will follow" after firing De Rossi, who was filmed smiling with and signing autographs with fans as he left the club's Trigoria training centre on Wednesday morning.
A World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, De Rossi was dismissed as his boyhood club, with whom he signed a contract until 2027 in June, sit 16th in Serie A with three points after four matches.
The sudden sacking comes after Roma drew 1-1 at Genoa on Sunday, throwing away what would have been a first win of the campaign in the final seconds of the match.
Italian media report that Ivan Juric, who most recently managed Torino, and Massimiliano Allegri are among the coaches in with a chance to take over from De Rossi. 
De Rossi is an idol for Roma fans as a local boy done good who played in some of the club's best teams of the last two decades, alongside fellow icon Francesco Totti.

Local hero

The 41-year-old, who grew up in a rough and ready beachside suburb of Rome, won over fans who saw in his passionate style of play one of their own on the pitch, despite a lack of silverware.
He won two Italian Cups and the 2007 Italian Super Cup, before finishing his career at Boca Juniors in early 2020 after less than a season in Argentina.
De Rossi had been a shock interim replacement for Mourinho as his only previous managerial experience had been four months at lower league outfit SPAL.
He was sacked in February last year in a season which finished with SPAL being relegated to the third-tier Serie C.
However he got off to a stunning start to life as Roma boss, revitalising what had become a moribund team under Mourinho and taking them to the semi-finals of the Europa League where they were beaten 4-2 on aggregate by German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
De Rossi had led Roma to two brilliant wins over Brighton and AC Milan in the previous two rounds and briefly looked like guiding them to qualification for the Champions League for the first time since 2019.
But Roma's form tailed off at the end of the last campaign and they missed out on Europe's top club competition despite Serie A having five places for direct qualification.
That, and just three draws and a defeat collected from their four opening league fixtures of the season against largely modest opposition, cost De Rossi his job less than three months after committing his future to Roma.
Roma host Udinese on Sunday before taking on Athletic Bilbao in their Europa League opener next week.
td/pi

LaverCup

Retirement can make you feel 'like an alien' in tennis, says Federer

BY DANIEL WIGHTON

  • Federer who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador.
  • Tennis great Roger Federer said on Wednesday staying involved with the sport in retirement helped him avoid feeling "like an alien" ahead of this week's Laver Cup tournament in Berlin.
  • Federer who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador.
Tennis great Roger Federer said on Wednesday staying involved with the sport in retirement helped him avoid feeling "like an alien" ahead of this week's Laver Cup tournament in Berlin.
Federer who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador.
"I'm happy I went back right away to some tournaments," the 43-year-old told reporters. 
"I feel I ripped the bandaid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there. 
"I don't feel like an alien, which is a good thing because you can feel like that very quickly. 
"People (and) players ask you 'what are you doing here?' and you're like 'exactly -- if you keep talking like this, I will never come back'."
"I'm happy I'm still able to feel comfortable in a setting like this because it would be so much easier just to stay home, get comfortable at home and realise you don't need to be on tour anymore."
The 20-time Grand Slam winner praised up-and-coming stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz looking ahead to next year's Australian Open.
Federer held out hope for his remaining contemporaries Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who will both be absent from the Laver Cup.
"With Rafa we don't know -- it remains to be seen. It's hard for me to make a prediction on Rafa because of the little tennis he has played this year. 
"Novak, winning the Olympics and playing somewhat let's say a full season -- he didn't bow out because of injuries, he chose to play less which is normal when you get a bit older. 
"I feel like he has chances moving forward. 
"I look forward to Australia which is the next Slam. I think he's definitely going to be one of the favourites along with Sinner and Alvarez. 
"I think the Australian Open story will be a very cool one to follow."
Nadal pulled out of the Laver Cup with injury but his compatriot Alcaraz will take part as a member of Team Europe against Team World.
German Alexander Zverev will also play for Team Europe and Federer said he was "so close" to winning a maiden Grand Slam, but needed to attack more in crucial moments. 
"I see someone who's playing much too passively, much too defensively when it matters the most.
"I think (Zverev) has to remind himself to try to not be too passive and then I think honestly something really great can happen for him."
Team Europe won the first four events, starting in 2017, but Team World have won the past two. 
dwi/iwd

death

Italy's 1990 World Cup icon Schillaci dies aged 59

  • Schillaci, who was capped 16 times for his country, only scored one other goal for Italy in his career and four years after the 1990 World Cup left Inter for Jubilo Iwata in Japan, where he ended his career. td/pi
  • Former Italy striker Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci, most famous for being top scorer at the 1990 World Cup, died on Wednesday at the age of 59.
  • Schillaci, who was capped 16 times for his country, only scored one other goal for Italy in his career and four years after the 1990 World Cup left Inter for Jubilo Iwata in Japan, where he ended his career. td/pi
Former Italy striker Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci, most famous for being top scorer at the 1990 World Cup, died on Wednesday at the age of 59.
Juventus were among Italy's football clubs to pay tribute to Schillaci, who became an icon for his unexpected goalscoring exploits at his country's home World Cup, simply saying "Ciao Toto" on social media with a picture of him in a Juve shirt.
Italian media report that Schillaci died at Palermo's "Civico" hospital after suffering from bowel cancer.
The country's football federation (FIGC) said that all matches played in Italy between now and the end of the coming weekend would have a "minute of reflection" before kick-off.
"His goal celebrations, in which his face became the symbol of a collective joy, will remain forever part of Italian football heritage," FIGC chief Gabriele Gravina said in a statement.
Schillaci played for Juventus and Inter Milan after beginning his career in the early 1980s at Messina and had modest success in the club game.
His best club season came just before the 1990 World Cup, when he scored 21 times in all competitions as Juventus won the UEFA Cup and the Italian Cup. 
But he went from hot club striker to national hero that summer by scoring six times as Italy reached the semi-finals of Italia 90.
"At Juve we were lucky to be excited by him before he did the same to the whole of Italy during that incredible summer of 1990," said Juventus.
"Goodbye, Toto. Thank you."
Schillaci won the Golden Boot for being top scorer and won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament ahead of the likes of Lothar Matthaus and Diego Maradona, the former of whom won the tournament with the then West Germany.
Italy were knocked out on penalties by Argentina in the last four, as Napoli legend Maradona helped dump out the host nation in front of his own fans in Naples.
Schillaci, who was capped 16 times for his country, only scored one other goal for Italy in his career and four years after the 1990 World Cup left Inter for Jubilo Iwata in Japan, where he ended his career.
td/pi

SerieA

Struggling Roma sack De Rossi after poor start to campaign

  • De Rossi, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, was dismissed as his boyhood club sit 16th in Serie A with three points after four matches.
  • Roma sacked coach and club icon Daniele De Rossi on Wednesday after a poor start to the season which has left the Serie A club without a win and languishing near the relegation zone.
  • De Rossi, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, was dismissed as his boyhood club sit 16th in Serie A with three points after four matches.
Roma sacked coach and club icon Daniele De Rossi on Wednesday after a poor start to the season which has left the Serie A club without a win and languishing near the relegation zone.
In a statement, Roma said that former Italy midfielder De Rossi "has been relieved of his duties" after just eight months in charge following the sacking in January of Jose Mourinho.
"The club's decision is made in the best interests of the team, to get back on the desired path as soon as possible at a time when the season is still in its early stages," said Roma in a statement.
Roma said that "communication regarding the team's technical guidance will follow".
De Rossi, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, was dismissed as his boyhood club sit 16th in Serie A with three points after four matches.
The sudden sacking comes after Roma drew 1-1 at Genoa on Sunday, throwing away what would have been a first win of the campaign in the final seconds of the match.
De Rossi is an idol for Roma fans as a local boy done good who played in some of the club's best teams of the last two decades, alongside fellow icon Francesco Totti.
The 41-year-old, who grew up in a rough and ready beachside suburb of Rome, won over fans who saw in his passionate style of play one of their own on the pitch, despite a lack of silverware.
He won two Italian Cups and the 2007 Italian Super Cup, before finishing his career at Boca Juniors in early 2020 after less than a season in Argentina.
Roma host Udinese on Sunday before taking on Athletic Bilbao in their Europa League opener next week.
td/pi

Sports

Goorjian steps down as coach of Australian basketball team

  • California-born Goorjian, 71, who led the Australians to the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics, has left to coach national league side the Sydney Kings, Basketball Australia said. 
  • Brian Goorjian has stepped down as head coach of the Australian men's basketball team, the national body said Wednesday, after two stints in charge of the Boomers.
  • California-born Goorjian, 71, who led the Australians to the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics, has left to coach national league side the Sydney Kings, Basketball Australia said. 
Brian Goorjian has stepped down as head coach of the Australian men's basketball team, the national body said Wednesday, after two stints in charge of the Boomers.
California-born Goorjian, 71, who led the Australians to the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics, has left to coach national league side the Sydney Kings, Basketball Australia said. 
In his first stint from 2001 to 2008, Australia won gold under Goorjian at the 2006 home Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. He returned as head coach in 2020 as Australia went on to claim bronze -- the Boomers' first Olympic medal -- at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Peter Lonergan, general manager of Basketball Australia's centre of excellence in Canberra, said Goorjian's influence was widespread. 
"Brian's impact on basketball in this country is profound and will continue to be so post his time with the Boomers," Lonergan said in a statement.
"His generosity of spirit has impacted generations of athletes and coaches and his legacy will continue to build."
Former Boomers team captain Andrew Gaze, who won the NBA title with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, said Goorjian's impact on basketball in Australia went beyond his role as national team coach.
"Brian's legacy extends to players that have represented Australia even when he wasn't coaching the national team -- his legacy includes the development of the game as a player, a coach and an advocate," Gaze added.
ryj/sco

SIN

Verstappen vows Red Bull fightback as McLaren head to Singapore on top

  • "We are going to work together as a team and the fight is not over," declared Verstappen after coming fifth.
  • Max Verstappen declared "the fight is not over" as Red Bull head to Singapore this week having been knocked off the top of the constructors' world championship for the first time in two-and-a-half years.
  • "We are going to work together as a team and the fight is not over," declared Verstappen after coming fifth.
Max Verstappen declared "the fight is not over" as Red Bull head to Singapore this week having been knocked off the top of the constructors' world championship for the first time in two-and-a-half years.
McLaren leapt into a 20-point lead after Oscar Piastri's masterful victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was compounded by Sergio Perez's late tangle with Carlos Sainz that ended with both in the wall.
McLaren's Lando Norris, who carved his way to fourth place after starting 15th on the grid, is hunting down the Dutchman Verstappen at the top of the drivers' standings.
The triple world champion's lead has been reduced to 59 points with seven grands prix and three sprints to go, leaving a maximum of 207 points up for grabs.
Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races this season but he has not triumphed in the last seven as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes have all taken race wins.
Red Bull's influential adviser Helmut Marko said after Baku that they have no chance of retaining the constructors' championship, but Verstappen has not conceded yet.
"We are going to work together as a team and the fight is not over," declared Verstappen after coming fifth.
"You win or lose as a team and we won't give up. It is as simple as that."
But history suggests that Verstappen's fortunes are unlikely to see an uptick around the unpredictable Marina Bay Circuit this weekend.
Red Bull have consistently struggled under the lights in Singapore. 
It was the only race Red Bull failed to win last year, Ferrari's Sainz taking the chequered flag to deny Verstappen a record-extending 11th consecutive GP victory. Norris was second.
Verstappen has never won on the tight city-centre street circuit where tropical storms, intense humidity, concrete barriers, safety cars and red flags all add to the uncertainty.
Street circuit specialist Perez did win in Singapore in 2022, but that was Red Bull's only victory there since Sebastian Vettel in 2013.

McLaren milestone

After a strong start to the campaign, Red Bull are on the back foot.
"We have lost out on some significant points in the championship," team principal Christian Horner said after their messy Azerbaijan outing.
"However, we will brush ourselves down and fight back hard."
McLaren, by contrast, are in buoyant mood as they target a first team world title since 1998.
"First in the constructors' championship is an important milestone in our journey," said team principal Andrea Stella.
"However, the team remain clearly focused on the task ahead. We quickly turn our attention to Singapore."
The high downforce track in Singapore has traditionally been of benefit to Mercedes. 
"We've also got lots of data to work through ahead of Singapore," said Lewis Hamilton, trying to take some positives from a ninth-place finish in Baku after an engine change forced him to start from the pit lane.
"We've got some upgrades coming before the end of the year so hopefully we can make a step closer to those at the front soon."
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won at Monza but he could not make it two in a row after starting from pole position for the fourth year in a row at Baku and, as on the three previous occasions, failing to convert into a victory. 
"For sure we have a bit of frustration because we had the space and pace to win this weekend," lamented Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur.
In the end Leclerc did well to hang on to second after his hard tyres degraded badly behind Piastri in the second half of the race and then saw teammate Sainz's late crash in his mirrors.
"It wasn't the best day for our team," said Leclerc, who is only 19 points behind Norris and still firmly in the hunt for the drivers' title.
"But we now head to Singapore and will come back stronger."
dh/pst

Sports

Yamal's Barca hopeful of Champions League revival

BY RIK SHARMA

  • - 'Confidence' game - Barcelona welcome Bayern Munich to their temporary Olympic Stadium home and travel to face last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund in the pick of their group stage fixtures.
  • Approaching a decade since Barcelona last won the Champions League, the Catalan giants face Monaco in this season's European opener on Thursday aiming to make a statement.
  • - 'Confidence' game - Barcelona welcome Bayern Munich to their temporary Olympic Stadium home and travel to face last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund in the pick of their group stage fixtures.
Approaching a decade since Barcelona last won the Champions League, the Catalan giants face Monaco in this season's European opener on Thursday aiming to make a statement.
The club are desperate to battle their way back into the European elite after years in the wilderness and after a strong start under new coach Hansi Flick, their hopes are rising.
There were some signs they were on the right track in Europe last season when they reached the quarter-finals for the first time in four years.
After a 3-2 win at Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg they collapsed at home after Ronald Araujo was sent off in the first half with Barca leading by a goal.
PSG netted three times to oust Xavi Hernandez's side 6-4 on aggregate and the coach was sacked at the end of a disappointing trophyless season.
Flick's Barcelona have five wins from five in La Liga and have Spain's teenage Euro 2024 star Lamine Yamal playing a decisive role in their attack.
The winger has developed at an alarming rate since making his Barcelona debut aged just 15 in April 2023.
Now 17, Yamal struck twice as Barcelona thrashed Girona 4-1 in the league on Sunday, avenging two heavy defeats by their fellow Catalans last season and demonstrating the team's early progress.
"Lamine is a difference-maker... for me, he is already one of the best players in the world at 17 years of age," said admiring Girona coach Michel Sanchez.
"It is difficult to imagine that after (Lionel) Messi another one would come along, but I hope that Lamine keeps improving because he's a player than can reach that level."
Even though comparisons to eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, Barcelona's best ever player, pile pressure on Yamal, they keep flooding in.
Yamal's emergence is yet another feather in the cap of the club's feted La Masia youth academy and as shown on the way to glory with Spain in Germany this summer, he can make the difference for his team in any match.
The winger already has three goals and four assists this season, well on the way of matching his tally of 12 goal contributions last term.
Barcelona are still stricken by economic difficulties, signing only Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig this summer and struggling for a few weeks to register him with La Liga, but they have an immediate superstar in Yamal.
Defender Pau Cubarsi, also 17, is another from La Masia playing at a high level, along with other homegrown squad members like Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado and Gavi, who is on the comeback trail after a long-term injury.
The emergence of these players can help Barca battle with the continent's best on a more even footing despite their financial handcuffs.

'Confidence' game

Barcelona welcome Bayern Munich to their temporary Olympic Stadium home and travel to face last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund in the pick of their group stage fixtures.
Hosts Monaco were Barca's guests for their pre-season curtain raiser and scored a shock 3-0 victory in Catalonia.
That is long forgotten now with the Catalans raising their game several levels in the weeks since and showing the sort of swagger that helped them win La Liga in 2023.
"I think you can see the confidence we have, and when we have the ball, we have the quality to play and to create chances," said Flick after the destruction of Girona.
The game brought one piece of bad news as Olmo suffered a hamstring injury which rules him out for around a month.
Flick may be forced to move winger Raphinha back into a central role against Monaco, the position in which he started the season before Olmo was registered.
Despite the injury, with veteran striker Robert Lewandowski in strong form and Yamal's star continuing to rise, Barcelona are ready to show they have recovered European powerhouse status. 
rbs/bsp

Sports

Arsenal focus on Atalanta ahead of Man City showdown

BY STEVEN GRIFFITHS

  • - 'Thick skin' - Already two points behind leaders City, Arteta's men cannot afford a defeat in Manchester and will not want to open the revamped Champions League with a loss.
  • Jorginho has challenged Arsenal to use their Champions League opener against Atalanta on Thursday as a springboard to success in their crucial clash with Manchester City this weekend.
  • - 'Thick skin' - Already two points behind leaders City, Arteta's men cannot afford a defeat in Manchester and will not want to open the revamped Champions League with a loss.
Jorginho has challenged Arsenal to use their Champions League opener against Atalanta on Thursday as a springboard to success in their crucial clash with Manchester City this weekend.
Mikel Arteta's side are in the midst of a demanding seven days that started with a 1-0 victory at Tottenham in the north London derby last Sunday.
The Gunners now head to Atalanta to kick off their European campaign before Sunday's vital trip to Premier League champions City.
Arsenal's daunting schedule was made trickier by the absence against Tottenham of key midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard due to suspension and injury, respectively.
But, with Jorginho filling in admirably for Rice, Arsenal ground out their third win in four league games this term thanks to Gabriel Magalhaes' second-half header.
Rice should be back in the starting line-up against Atalanta, but Arteta is still waiting to discover when skipper Odegaard will be able to return from the ankle problem he suffered on Norway duty.
The fixture list has not been kind to Arsenal, with City having an extra 24 hours rest before the seismic showdown at the Etihad Stadium.
City face Inter Milan at home on Wednesday, with Arsenal having to travel to Italy for their game a day later.
However, Italian veteran Jorginho believes a positive performance and result at Atalanta will pave the way for more of the same against City.
"If you want to achieve big things you need to have the mentality of trying to win every single game," he said.
"That is what we need to do and that is what we want to do. You have to keep believing in what you are doing. 
"We are doing that and we keep working hard to improve and doing right the things. We are on the right path and we need to keep it going."

'Thick skin'

Already two points behind leaders City, Arteta's men cannot afford a defeat in Manchester and will not want to open the revamped Champions League with a loss.
Arsenal can take heart from an impressive record on the road in 2024.
The triumph at Tottenham was Arsenal's 10th win in 11 away league games, with their only draw coming at City in March.
Eliminated from the Champions League quarter-finals by Bayern Munich last season, Arsenal hope to go even deeper in the tournament this term.
The north Londoners have never won the Champions League and, while a first English crown since 2004 remains their priority, success in Europe would be further evidence of Arteta's remarkable transformation of a club in turmoil when he arrived in 2019.
Arteta, who recently signed a long-term contract extension, has only the 2020 FA Cup to show for his Arsenal overhaul, but the Spaniard is convinced his side have the character to win more major honours.
"We have people that are hard and have thick skin. They love the game and we love winning," he said.
"In order to love the game and win you have to do things that people call ugly. Enjoying those ugly things is a big compliment to this team right now."
Atalanta will pose an intriguing first hurdle for Arsenal after their unexpected Europa League triumph last season.
Gian Piero Gasperini's side bounced back from successive Serie A defeats against Torino and Inter Milan with a 3-2 win against Fiorentina on Sunday.
"It will be a really tough and physical game," Jorginho said.
"They are a very physical team. It is not going to be easy, and it will be a hot atmosphere in Italy. We need to be ready for another battle."
smg/nf

LCup

Man Utd hit Barnsley for seven in League Cup rout

BY STEVEN GRIFFITHS

  • The Dutchman had described Rashford as being like a bottle of tomato ketchup after he scored his first goal of the season at Southampton last weekend.
  • Manchester United crushed Barnsley 7-0 as troubled winger Antony scored his first goal this season and Marcus Rashford struck twice to extend his revival in the League Cup third round on Tuesday.
  • The Dutchman had described Rashford as being like a bottle of tomato ketchup after he scored his first goal of the season at Southampton last weekend.
Manchester United crushed Barnsley 7-0 as troubled winger Antony scored his first goal this season and Marcus Rashford struck twice to extend his revival in the League Cup third round on Tuesday.
While United ran riot, Fulham made unwanted history as the Premier League club were beaten by second-tier Preston 16-15 on penalties after the tournament's longest ever shoot-out.
Languishing in 10th place in the Premier League after two defeats in their first four games, United were never in danger of an upset against their third-tier opponents at Old Trafford.
Rashford, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho all netted before half-time to effectively seal United's second successive victory after Saturday's Premier League win at Southampton.
Rashford and Garnacho each scored again after the interval and Christian Eriksen's double wrapped up United's biggest win since boss Erik ten Hag arrived from Ajax in 2022.
"It is the first time this team is playing together. Once we found our patterns we scored some great goals," Ten Hag said.
"We played with a lot of speed and were ruthless. The key was the right attitude and to be 100 percent concentrated.
"Last season was for everyone difficult, but we ended with the FA Cup. We hit our target and that is what we aim for this season, we want to progress."
Despite promising to take the League Cup "very seriously", Ten Hag made eight changes, with Manuel Ugarte handed his first start after the midfielder's arrival from Paris Saint-Germain.
Ten Hag's raft of switches were no hindrance for United as they made a flying start to their bid to win the tournament for the second time in three seasons.
The Dutchman had described Rashford as being like a bottle of tomato ketchup after he scored his first goal of the season at Southampton last weekend.
Having rarely scored during a difficult campaign last season, Ten Hag claimed Rashford would enjoy a spurt of success after breaking his duck.
His prediction looked spot on in the 16th minute as Garnacho's raking pass picked out Rashford and he cut inside Marc Roberts before firing high past Barnsley keeper Gaga Slonina into the top corner.
It was the first time the 26-year-old had scored in successive games since March.
Antony was making his first start this season and the out-of-favour Brazilian international converted a 35th-minute penalty after being fouled by Slonina as he ran through on goal.

Everton crash again

Garnacho stabbed in United's third goal from close range in first-half stoppage time.
Garnacho netted again in the 49th minute, sprinting onto Eriksen's pass and slotting home.
Rashford bagged his brace in the 58th minute, taking Garnacho's pass and finishing with aplomb.
With Barnsley utterly outclassed, Eriksen steered in two clinical finishes in the 81st and 85th minutes.
At Deepdale, it took 34 penalties in total before Preston beat Fulham after their 1-1 draw.
At 15-15 in the shootout after a miss from each team, Fulham's Timothy Castagne blazed over and Preston's Ryan Ledson calmly netted the winner.
The previous League Cup shoot-out record was set in 2016 when Derby beat Carlisle 14-13.
Everton's wretched start to the season showed no signs of abating after Southampton won 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
Sean Dyche's side, bottom of the Premier League after four consecutive defeats, took the lead through Abdoulaye Doucoure's 20th-minute header.
But Taylor Harwood-Bellis equalised before half-time and Alex McCarthy saved Ashley Young's penalty in the shoot-out to win it for Southampton, who have also lost all four league games this term.
Crystal Palace's England winger Eberechi Eze scored in a 2-1 victory at his former club QPR.
Brentford survived an early scare against third-tier Leyton Orient before Fabio Carvalho's first goal for the club inspired a 3-1 win at the Gtech Community Stadium.
smg/nf

Sports

Bayern hit nine, Real Madrid and Liverpool win as new Champions League kicks off

BY ANDY SCOTT

  • Kylian Mbappe marked his first game in the competition with Real by scoring the opening goal just after half-time.
  • Bayern Munich became the first team to score nine goals in a game in the modern Champions League as the new format of Europe's elite club competition kicked off on Tuesday, with title holders Real Madrid and Liverpool also among the winners.
  • Kylian Mbappe marked his first game in the competition with Real by scoring the opening goal just after half-time.
Bayern Munich became the first team to score nine goals in a game in the modern Champions League as the new format of Europe's elite club competition kicked off on Tuesday, with title holders Real Madrid and Liverpool also among the winners.
Harry Kane scored four goals, including three penalties, as Vincent Kompany's Bayern hammered Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 at the Allianz Arena.
Michael Olise scored twice on his Champions League debut, while Raphael Guerreiro, Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka were also on target for the home team in Germany.
Dinamo were 3-0 down at the break but scored twice in two minutes just after half-time to give the hosts a scare, with Bruno Petkovic and Takuya Ogiwara on target. But Bayern then scored six times from the 57th minute onwards.
"An amazing game, a bit of a crazy game," Kane told broadcaster DAZN. 
"It's the first time I've scored three (penalties) in a game. That doesn't happen at all really."
Bayern had been the last team to score eight in a Champions League match, when they beat Barcelona 8-2 in the quarter-finals in 2020.
It was a remarkable way to mark the opening night of the brand-new Champions League, with the competition now featuring 36 teams all pooled together in one giant league instead of the old group stage.
Every participant now plays eight games against eight different opponents, with the top eight teams at the end of the league phase advancing automatically to the last 16.
Those finishing from ninth to 24th will go through to a play-off round to decide the remaining sides in the last 16, while the bottom 12 will be eliminated.
UEFA, European football's governing body, introduced the new format to ward off the threat of a breakaway Super League by the biggest clubs, but it also hopes the changes will breathe new life into the competition.

Mbappe on target for Real

There was plenty of excitement around the continent on Tuesday, with reigning champions Madrid made to work hard before beating VfB Stuttgart 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Kylian Mbappe marked his first game in the competition with Real by scoring the opening goal just after half-time.
However, Deniz Undav equalised midway through the second half for a Stuttgart side appearing in the Champions League for the first time since 2010.
Real nevertheless emerged victorious as Antonio Rudiger headed them back in front against his old side seven minutes from time, and Brazilian youngster Endrick got the third goal in stoppage time.
"I know I can do more, each game I feel better and now I'm scoring goals, and I'm happy here," new signing Mbappe told broadcaster Movistar.
"What we know is that the Champions League has changed and it's important to win quickly to see if we can qualify quickly or not."
Liverpool marked their return to Europe's top table by coming from behind to win 3-1 away to seven-time champions AC Milan in Italy.
Christian Pulisic gave Milan an early lead, but Ibrahima Konate equalised and Virgil van Dijk headed the away side in front before the interval. Dominik Szoboszlai then wrapped up the victory for Liverpool at San Siro.

Villa back in the big time

Aston Villa enjoyed a 3-0 win away to Swiss champions Young Boys in Bern in their first ever match in the modern Champions League, 41 years after they last appeared in the old European Cup.
Youri Tielemans and Jacob Ramsey scored in the first half for the 1982 European champions, and Amadou Onana completed their victory late on.
Villa boss Unai Emery wanted his team to take three points as a tribute to the club's former striker Gary Shaw, a member of their European Cup-winning side who died on Monday aged 63 after being injured in a fall.
"Forty-two years (ago) they achieved winning the Champions League. We want to try and follow what that team achieved," Emery said.
Elsewhere Juventus beat PSV Eindhoven 3-1 in Turin, with Kenan Yildiz opening the scoring in some style and Weston McKennie and Nicolas Gonzalez also netting. Ismael Saibari pulled one back.
Portuguese champions Sporting beat Lille 2-0 at home, with impressive Swedish striker Viktor Gyoekeres on target before a Zeno Debast piledriver. The French side had Angel Gomes sent off.
The action continues on Wednesday, including a rematch of the 2023 final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.
as/mw

Sports

'Happy' Mbappe strikes on Madrid Champions League debut win over Stuttgart

  • Mbappe reached five goals for the season in seven appearances across all competitions by opening the scoring when he raced into space at the start of the second half.
  • Kylian Mbappe scored on his first Champions League appearance for Real Madrid as the holders started their trophy defence with a 3-1 win over Stuttgart on Tuesday.
  • Mbappe reached five goals for the season in seven appearances across all competitions by opening the scoring when he raced into space at the start of the second half.
Kylian Mbappe scored on his first Champions League appearance for Real Madrid as the holders started their trophy defence with a 3-1 win over Stuttgart on Tuesday.
Antonio Rudiger headed home in the 83rd minute for the record 15-time champions after Deniz Undav had levelled Mbappe's opener just seconds into the second half.
Endrick, another Champions League debutant, wrapped up Madrid's win with a low drive in stoppage time.
Stuttgart had the better of an entertaining opening period but Carlo Ancelotti's team have a habit of grinding out victories when up against the wall and they took the three points despite the visitors' impressive efforts.
"We suffered at the start because we lost a lot of duels... the important thing was to win and we won, so everything's good," said Madrid coach Ancelotti.
"You always have to fight at the start of the season, when you aren't at your best."
Mbappe reached five goals for the season in seven appearances across all competitions by opening the scoring when he raced into space at the start of the second half.
"I know I can do more, each game I feel better and now I'm scoring goals, and I'm happy here," Mbappe told Movistar.
"(The game was) hard, but it's the Champions League -- it's always difficult, but we won at home, we won the first game," he continued.
"What we know is that the Champions League has changed and it's important to win quickly to see if we can qualify quickly or not."
Ancelotti selected full-back Dani Carvajal in central defence with Eder Militao not fit enough to start, while Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni returned from injury to play in midfield.
Madrid have lacked a certain balance after stalwart Toni Kroos retired in the summer and the game lurched from end to end under the Santiago Bernabeu lights.
Bundesliga side Stuttgart had more of the ball and the most dangerous chances in the first half, with Enzo Millot heavily involved.
The French midfielder dragged an early shot wide and forced Thibaut Courtois to tip over his dangerous effort from range, the best of a handful of saves by the Belgian.
At the other end Mbappe had two shots saved by Alexander Nubel as he sought his first Champions League goal for Madrid.
Rodrygo had a shot narrowly deflected over while Madrid were awarded a penalty when Maximilian Mittelstadt appeared to catch Rudiger with a clumsy swipe, but the referee cancelled the decision after a VAR referral showed no contact was made.
Courtois thwarted Angelo Stiller and Undav hit the crossbar for Stuttgart, but they were brought crashing down to earth at the start of the second half.

Mbappe opener

Just 21 seconds after the interval Mbappe found the net, teed up unselfishly by Rodrygo. It was blink-and-you'll-miss-it and many did, still on their way back to their seats from the Bernabeu bars.
The former Paris Saint-Germain striker was not able to win the club game's biggest prize while playing in France and his desire to lift the trophy matches Madrid's obsession with it.
Stuttgart did not get the memo and after Vinicius crashed an effort against the crossbar, the German side levelled.
Jamie Leweling came close himself with a flurry of attempts before hooking a corner back into the danger area for Undav to head past Courtois.
Ancelotti sent 18-year-old Brazil striker Endrick on for the final 10 minutes, hunting a winner to get the holders' trophy defence off to the perfect start.
The goal arrived swiftly but not from Madrid's galaxy of attacking stars, but instead centre-back Rudiger, who nodded home from Luka Modric's corner in the 83rd minute.
Vinicius missed a golden chance to seal Madrid's win but his compatriot Endrick made no mistake with his only opportunity, drilling home from the edge of the box at the death.
The forward opted not to pass to his more experienced team-mates and took his shot early, catching out goalkeeper Nubel.
"He's a kid with a lot of quality and he showed it," added Courtois.
"Obviously he showed personality by not passing to Vini or Kylian and shooting there himself."
rbs/mw/bsp/nf

Sports

Stylish Liverpool strut past Milan in confident Champions league opener

BY TERRY DALEY

  • Liverpool and Milan have been crowned continental kings 13 times and have beaten each other in Champions League finals but the Reds were a class above and would have won by more had the woodwork not twice denied Mohamed Salah in the first half.
  • Liverpool strutted to a 3-1 win at AC Milan on Tuesday as the Reds got their campaign in the revamped Champions League off to a stylish start.
  • Liverpool and Milan have been crowned continental kings 13 times and have beaten each other in Champions League finals but the Reds were a class above and would have won by more had the woodwork not twice denied Mohamed Salah in the first half.
Liverpool strutted to a 3-1 win at AC Milan on Tuesday as the Reds got their campaign in the revamped Champions League off to a stylish start.
Arne Slot's team reacted superbly to going behind in the third minute to a Christian Pulisic goal and ended up cruising to the three points thanks to strikes from Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Fashion Week got underway in Milan on Tuesday and it was the away team who made all of the slick moves at the San Siro in a clash of European football royalty.
Liverpool and Milan have been crowned continental kings 13 times and have beaten each other in Champions League finals but the Reds were a class above and would have won by more had the woodwork not twice denied Mohamed Salah in the first half.
"It was a great day to celebrate your birthday at a stadium like this, and then to win," said Slot, who turned 46 on Tuesday, to Prime Video. 
"I wouldn't have said this after five minutes but it went quite well."
For Liverpool it was a return to perfect form after falling to a shock home defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend while Milan again struggled under new coach Paulo Fonseca ahead of Sunday's Milan derby.
Fonseca has failed to convince Milan supporters, a large number of whom stayed away on Tuesday night with fewer than 60,000 turning up for their team's highest profile fixture of the new league phase of Europe's top club competition.
And Milan will likely have to face Italian champions Inter Milan, who take on Manchester City on Wednesday, without France goalkeeper Mike Maignan who limped off with a knee injury early in the second half.
"It's a difficult start for us and we have to change things," Pulisic told Sky in Italy before looking for an immediate response against Inter at the weekend.
"Of course it (the derby) is a big match for us," he said. "We need to turn things around. We have a big opportunity to do that."

Liverpool hit back

Milan fans put up a giant display which read "fearless" before kick-off and the hosts tore straight into Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk desperately clearing Tijjani Reijnders low cross.
And Pulisic quickly had Milan ahead with his super low finish, punishing Liverpool's dawdling defence after being brilliantly sent scurrying towards goal by Alvaro Morata at the end of a move which was started by Maignan. 
Liverpool quickly responded however and were unlucky in the 16th minute when Salah smashed an effort with his weaker right foot off the crossbar.
And the away side, whose pressing had started to force Milan into giving the ball away cheaply, were level when Konate nodded home Trent Alexander-Arnold's floated free-kick.
With the Reds taking control, Milan should have been behind before Van Dijk nodded Liverpool ahead, as Diogo Jota wasted a great chance seconds after Konate's leveller and Salah smacked another shot off the bar on the half-hour mark.
Things got even worse for the home team in the 51st minute when Maignan, who had already dropped to the ground in pain twice during the first half, limped off after being clattered by Fikayo Tomori as the England defender desperately tried to stop Jota from extending Liverpool's lead.
Maignan was replaced by teenager Lorenzo Torriani and the rookie could only look on in the 67th minute as Szoboszlai bundled home Cody Gakpo's teasing cross after the Netherlands forward eased past sluggish Strahinja Pavlovic.
Disappointed Milan fans began streaming towards the exit long before the final whistle, after which a deluge of whistles and boos, and loud chants for their team to "show some balls", met a thoroughly deserved defeat.
td/bsp

Sports

Kane scores four as Bayern put nine past Zagreb in the Champions League

  • The comfortable scoreline masked a difficult period after the break when Bayern lost goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to injury and Zagreb rallied, scoring two goals in two minutes to cut the gap to 3-2 after five second-half minutes. 
  • Harry Kane scored four goals, including three penalties, as Bayern Munich beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 at home on Tuesday -- becoming the first team to score nine goals in a Champions League match. 
  • The comfortable scoreline masked a difficult period after the break when Bayern lost goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to injury and Zagreb rallied, scoring two goals in two minutes to cut the gap to 3-2 after five second-half minutes. 
Harry Kane scored four goals, including three penalties, as Bayern Munich beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 at home on Tuesday -- becoming the first team to score nine goals in a Champions League match. 
Kane opened the scoring from the spot after 19 minutes and a second-half hat trick took him to 33 Champions League goals, the most of any Englishman as he overtook Wayne Rooney's mark of 30. 
The comfortable scoreline masked a difficult period after the break when Bayern lost goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to injury and Zagreb rallied, scoring two goals in two minutes to cut the gap to 3-2 after five second-half minutes. 
Former Crystal Palace forward Michael Olise scored a brace on his Champions League debut while Raphael Guerreiro, Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka also grabbed goals for Bayern. 
"An amazing game -- a bit of a crazy game," Kane told DAZN. 
"It's the first time I've scored three (penalties) in a game. That doesn't happen at all really.  
"I practice my penalties, I have a good routine but to be honest I didn't really know what to do for the third one, but thankfully I was able to put it away."
Kane said Bayern "got away with" their second-half lapse but "against the top opposition we can get punished for that, so we need to sort that out".
Bayern boss Vincent Kompany toasted a record-breaking win on his debut as a Champions League coach. 
"I'm just happy for the lads. They scored the goals, I didn't score any," a smiling Kompany told DAZN.
The former Manchester City captain praised his side's mentality, saying: "We conceded two goals but we stayed calm. It's not ideal -- I know already what happened and how we need to work on it. 
"We need to have more control but that will come."
The six-time Champions League winners had won every one of their past 20 opening matches in the competition dating back to 2002-03.
The score is one goal better than Bayern's record 8-2 win over Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the competition in 2020. 
The big win brought more than bragging rights for the German giants, with goal difference likely to be even more important under the new Champions League single league format. 

Goals galore

Bayern were dominant early but it went unrewarded, with strikes by Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry struck off for narrow offsides, until VAR found a foul on Aleksandar Pavlovic, bringing Kane to the spot. 
The England captain converted the penalty, sending Ivan Nevistic the wrong way. Bayern then grabbed hold of the match with two goals in a five-minute period late in the first half. 
Guerreiro slammed in an excellent chested assist from Musiala on 33 minutes, before Olise headed in a Joshua Kimmich corner for a goal on his Champions League debut.
Neuer, who had ventured close to the halfway line to snuff out a Zagreb counter in the opening minutes, was substituted at half-time and the change seemed to spook the home side. 
Bruno Petkovic's 48th-minute goal came out of nothing, the captain turning in Ronael Pierre-Gabriel's pass. 
When Takuya Ogiwara scored on the counter just two minutes later, the home fans began to wonder if last season's wobbles -- when Bayern went trophyless for the first time in 11 seasons -- were back. 
Kane was however next to score and his three strikes in 22 second-half minutes brought his total with Bayern to 53 goals in 50 games, while a second for Olise and goals from Sane and Goretzka secured a dominant win for the home side. 
Two-time Champions League winner Thomas Mueller was subbed on in the second half for his 152nd appearance in the competition, the most for any one club, overtaking Barcelona's Xavi.
dwi/nf

Dolphins

Dolphins quarterback Tagovailoa facing concussion layoff

  • With the Dolphins having a bye in week six next month, it means the earliest Tagovailoa can return to play will come on October 27, when Miami faces the Arizona Cardinals.
  • Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering the latest in a series of concussions which prompted calls for him to retire.
  • With the Dolphins having a bye in week six next month, it means the earliest Tagovailoa can return to play will come on October 27, when Miami faces the Arizona Cardinals.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering the latest in a series of concussions which prompted calls for him to retire.
The Dolphins said Tuesday Tagovailoa is being placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss Miami's next four games before he is eligible to return.
With the Dolphins having a bye in week six next month, it means the earliest Tagovailoa can return to play will come on October 27, when Miami faces the Arizona Cardinals.
Tagovailoa, 26, suffered the third documented concussion of his career last week during a heavy collision in the Dolphins' 31-10 defeat to the Buffalo Bills.
The quarterback was on the ground for several minutes before being removed from the game in an incident which echoed alarming incidents in 2022, when he suffered two head injuries within days of each other.
He also suffered a concussion in a 2022 Christmas Day game against the Green Bay Packers which forced him to miss three games.
Although Tagovailoa played most of last season without incident, last week's scare sparked renewed calls for him to reconsider his future.
"That's it... NFL, go ahead and do the right thing," retired former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant said.
"Tua has had entirely way too many concussions. He needs to retire for his longevity health concerns," he added.
Former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe agreed that Tagovailoa should call it a day.
"Really hope Tua is ok, but he's gotta seriously think about shutting it down," said Sharpe on X. 
"I hate saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse, and he's a young man with his entire life ahead of him," he said.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel on Monday batted away questions about Tagovailoa's future.
"I think as far as Tua's career is concerned, I think it's of utmost priority of mind for Tua to speak on Tua's career," McDaniel said.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm just worried about the human being and where that's at day to day. I think I'll let Tua be the champion of his own career and speak on that."
rcw/mw

Sports

Villa make perfect start on Champions League return after 41-year absence

  • "Forty-two years (ago) they achieved winning the Champions League.
  • Aston Villa made a stylish return to the Champions League with a 3-0 win at Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday in their first game in the tournament for 41 years.
  • "Forty-two years (ago) they achieved winning the Champions League.
Aston Villa made a stylish return to the Champions League with a 3-0 win at Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday in their first game in the tournament for 41 years.
Villa boss Unai Emery had urged his team to take three points in Bern as a tribute to the club's former striker Gary Shaw, who died on Monday aged 63 after being injured in a fall.
Shaw's tragic death carried extra poignancy as he was a key member of the Villa side that shocked Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final.
A picture of Shaw celebrating Peter Withe's winner against Bayern adorns Villa's training ground and the players wore black armbands during their Champions League opener in memory of the local hero.
Clad in the number eight shirt that Shaw made his own at Villa, it was fitting that Youri Tielemans opened the scoring against Young Boys and celebrated by pointing to his jersey.
Jacob Ramsey bagged Villa's second goal before the interval and Amadou Onana added the third in the closing stages as Emery's men eased to a victory four decades in the making.
"Of course we want to dedicate this victory to Gary Shaw, his family and all of the Aston Villa family," Emery said.
"Forty-two years (ago) they achieved winning the Champions League. We want to try and follow what that team achieved."
Villa are back in the Champions League after surprisingly finishing fourth in the Premier League last term.
Clashes with Bayern Munich and Juventus await among their remaining seven fixtures in the revamped league stage of the competition.
But this cathartic victory will forever hold a special place for Villa fans given their remarkable return to relevance since Emery was hired to replace the sacked Steven Gerrard in 2022.
Just five years ago, Villa were stuck in English football's second tier, with dreams of facing Europe's elite reserved for only the most optimistic supporters.
Anticipation over their first Champions League tie since 1983 had been building for months and the Villa fans crammed into a corner of the Wankdorf Stadium let out a jubilant roar when the tournament anthem was played before kick-off.

A night to remember

Prince William, a noted Villa fan, sent Emery's team a good luck message ahead of their "European adventure" and his team responded with a well-drilled display on the Wankdorf's treacherous artificial pitch.
"We were adapting at the beginning to the plastic pitch, it's very different," Emery said.
"It's very important how we got the win, by respecting the opponent and being responsible. We were mature, organised and imposing throughout the game."
The meticulous Emery changed Villa's preparations by flying to Bern early to train at the stadium on Monday, a move that paid dividends.
Villa took the lead in the 27th minute with a clever short corner routine.
Lucas Digne passed to John McGinn who lofted his cross towards the unmarked Tielemans on the far side of the area.
The Belgian midfielder took a composed touch and drilled a low shot through a crowd of players into the bottom corner from 12 yards.
Austin MacPhee, Villa's set-piece coach, punched the air in delight at his successful scheme, while Tielemans celebrated the club's first Champions League goal since their 1983 quarter-final exit against Juventus.
Villa doubled their advantage in the 38th minute thanks to an unexpected gift from the hosts.
Deep inside his own area, Mohamed Ali Camara bizarrely passed back to David von Ballmoos even though the Young Boys keeper was instantly under pressure from Watkins.
Von Ballmoos' panicked challenge up-ended Watkins, who lay prone on the turf as Ramsey pounced on the loose ball and slotted home from close-range.
Villa were largely able to cruise through the second half, with Onana capping a night to remember when the Belgian midfielder smashed a 20-yard drive past Von Ballmoos in the 86th minute.
smg/nf

Sports

Sommer vows Inter will 'defend with all we have' to stop Haaland

  • "But we don't just have to stop Erling Haaland -- we have to stop Manchester City.
  • Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer is adamant his side can stop the prolific Erling Haaland from scoring even if they remain wary of Manchester City's other attacking threats.
  • "But we don't just have to stop Erling Haaland -- we have to stop Manchester City.
Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer is adamant his side can stop the prolific Erling Haaland from scoring even if they remain wary of Manchester City's other attacking threats.
Italian title-holders Inter will face the in-form Haaland when they begin their latest Champions League campaign away to City, the team that beat them in the 2023 final, on Wednesday.
Haaland has already scored nine goals, including two hat-tricks, in City's first four Premier League games of the season, with the 24-year-old Norway forward's overall tally for the English champions now standing at a staggering 99 goals in just 103 appearances.
But former Switzerland number one Sommer believes Inter can prevent Haaland making it 100 goals for City on Wednesday.
"Everyone is asking about Erling Haaland," Sommer told a pre-match press conference at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. "He is one of the best strikers in the business. 
"He is strong, fast with a good shot. I have played against him several times and I know how he plays. I know his style and I will try to give him a big challenge.
"But we don't just have to stop Erling Haaland -- we have to stop Manchester City. He gets the ball from the players around him. They have a lot of quality."
Sommer added: "But we have a lot of quality on our side, we defend our goal with everything we have and we are hard in the duels.
"We prepare well for all the strikers. We want to try to put our ideas on the pitch and then it will be a good game."
Sommer was not at Inter when the clubs last met in that 2023 Champions League final in Istanbul where Rodri scored the only goal of the game as City were crowned kings of Europe for the first time in their history.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi is expecting another tough encounter but insists this match -- the two sides' first of the competition's new league phase -- has nothing to do with settling old scores.
"This is not about revenge," said Inzaghi. "It is not a final. I have no regrets about that final because I know the team gave everything.
"We all know about City. They are extremely well-organised, strong and playing at home.
"We know what we need to do -- we have to pull out all the stops. All the guys know we are playing a really top team."
jdg/mw

AUS

Smith grateful to McCullum for launching his England career

  • Smith added: "He's sort of what I look to be as a cricketer, I guess: that nice attacking wicketkeeper-batsman.
  • England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith aims to emulate Brendon McCullum's playing style after the New Zealander gave him his chance in both Test and one-day international (ODI) cricket this season.
  • Smith added: "He's sort of what I look to be as a cricketer, I guess: that nice attacking wicketkeeper-batsman.
England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith aims to emulate Brendon McCullum's playing style after the New Zealander gave him his chance in both Test and one-day international (ODI) cricket this season.
It was McCullum, the head coach of England's red-ball side, who took the bold decision to install Smith as the Test team's wicketkeeper at the start of the home summer, with the 24-year-old leapfrogging the far more experienced duo of Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow into the role.
Smith's fine form in his first six Tests has already seen him compared to celebrated Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist.
And now he has been given the chance to impress in a limited-overs format, where the retired Australia great was a star performer with both bat and gloves, by being selected for this month's five-match ODI series at home to England's arch-rivals.
McCullum does not officially take charge of England's white-ball set-up until January, but there is no doubting the former New Zealand captain's influence ahead of Thursday's opener against 50-over world champions Australia at Trent Bridge.
It was McCullum, a dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman for much of his playing career, who told Smith following the end of the recent Test series against Sri Lanka that he had been chosen to take over from Jos Buttler, currently injured but ready to give up the gloves in a bid to refresh his captaincy.

'Vote of confidence'

"To be told I'm keeping wicket for England in a couple of formats now is nice," Smith said during a pre-match press conference at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. 
"I found out just after the last Test finished at the Oval... Baz (McCullum) told me I was going to be keeping.
Smith added: "He's sort of what I look to be as a cricketer, I guess: that nice attacking wicketkeeper-batsman. It gives you confidence to have someone there that's had that sort of experience.
"You don't tend to get too many wicketkeepers that are coaches and have an important role in the side, to help you along the way, so it's great to have him."
Smith has often found himself deployed as a specialist batsman by Surrey, with Foakes the reigning county champions' first-choice wicketkeeper.
"I'd say up to this point in my career it's been about batting first and I've been keeping on the side," said Smith.
"But that's about your role in the side. When you've got Ben Foakes in your team, you're not going to be the wicketkeeper. I was happy just to bat because it's something I love doing, so it's a new tag for me but an exciting one. To keep in the Test series was a fantastic vote of confidence."
England have added Saqib Mahmood to their ODI squad for the series, after he played in both T20s against Australia last week, with the Lancashire seamer bolstering an already well-stocked pace attack featuring Jofra Archer, Matthew Potts, Gus Atkinson, Reece Topley and John Turner.
jdg/nf

Sports

Rodgers backs Celtic to be 'really competitive' in Champions League

  • "There's absolutely no doubt, this feels like the most ready I've been as a Celtic manager coming into a Champions League campaign," Rodgers said Tuesday.
  • Brendan Rodgers believes he has never been better prepared to lead Celtic into a Champions League campaign as the Glasgow giants bid to put years of misery in Europe's elite club competition behind them this season.
  • "There's absolutely no doubt, this feels like the most ready I've been as a Celtic manager coming into a Champions League campaign," Rodgers said Tuesday.
Brendan Rodgers believes he has never been better prepared to lead Celtic into a Champions League campaign as the Glasgow giants bid to put years of misery in Europe's elite club competition behind them this season.
Celtic were the first British club to win what was then the European Cup back in 1967, defeating Inter Milan 2-1 in the final in Portugal.
But their recent European campaigns have been far removed from those heady days of the 'Lisbon Lions'.
Rodgers, now in his second spell as Celtic manager, has presided over just two wins in 18 Champions League group games in charge -- against Belgian club Anderlecht and Dutch side Feyenoord.
Nevertheless, the 51-year-old will lead Celtic into their Champions League opener at home to Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday buoyed by the Scottish title-holders having started the domestic league campaign with five wins from five matches, 14 goals scored and none conceded.
"There's absolutely no doubt, this feels like the most ready I've been as a Celtic manager coming into a Champions League campaign," Rodgers said Tuesday.
The former Liverpool boss added: "It's a real challenging level and for teams like ourselves we have to be at our absolute maximum to benefit, especially with how the game has developed in the financial side.
"But what I always believe in here as a club is that if we can get our squad to a really competitive level, what we can do here at home can make it a really special place to be and still we can be really competitive at this level.
"There have been a lot of occasions where, and no fault of the players, because the players in all my times here gave me absolutely everything, but we just weren't at that level. That's the reality of it.
"But I look at us now as a club, progressing, looking forward, you see the club has supported us fantastic in the summer (with Belgium midfielder Arne Engels arriving for a reported club record fee)". 
Celtic have long been the dominant force in Scottish football, but Rodgers insisted: "We don't want just the benchmark to be domestic. We want to improve and do well in Europe. 
"It's an amazing level to be involved in. I love the challenge, I relish the challenge. The players love playing in it. That's why you work all year, to win your league, to win your title, to get to nights like this which will be amazing for them."
jdg/nf

AUS

Australia's Zampa accepts Ashes chances remote as 100th ODI looms

  • Despite his white-ball success, the 32-year-old Zampa has yet to make his Test debut and now appears resigned to never featuring against arch-rivals England in the Ashes. 
  • Australia's Adam Zampa insists he has come to terms with the idea he will never play in an Ashes Test as he prepares for his 100th one-day international appearance.
  • Despite his white-ball success, the 32-year-old Zampa has yet to make his Test debut and now appears resigned to never featuring against arch-rivals England in the Ashes. 
Australia's Adam Zampa insists he has come to terms with the idea he will never play in an Ashes Test as he prepares for his 100th one-day international appearance.
The leg-spinner has been a central pillar of Australia's white-ball teams and starred as they won last year's 50-over World Cup with a six-wicket triumph over tournament hosts India in a lopsided Ahmedabad final.
He is now set for another landmark moment in his ODI career, with Zampa poised to win his 100th cap in the first of a five-game series against England at Nottingham's Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Despite his white-ball success, the 32-year-old Zampa has yet to make his Test debut and now appears resigned to never featuring against arch-rivals England in the Ashes. 
Nathan Lyon has been the team's first-choice spinner in red-ball cricket for over a decade and the likes of Todd Murphy and Mitchell Swepson appear next in line.
"Realistically, I'm probably not going to play in an Ashes in my career," Zampa told reporters at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. "I'm OK with that.
"We have lots of Test cricket and there's still a bit of drive to play that but, in terms of playing in England or playing in Australia against England, I don't think it's a possibility (for me).
"I think rivalry in any sport gives depth to the games, you can see that with the Ashes. It's a little bit different to this series in particular, but rivalry is important and the one against England is always great."
Zampa stressed he was happy with what he had achieved in his career thus far, saying: "When you look back as a young guy, playing for your country for the first time, it's not something you really think about...I never thought I'd play this much for Australia. 
"So yeah, it's great to be playing that 100th ODI. I have my family here (in England) -- my wife, my son, my parents -- it's going to be a nice occasion."
Australia will defend their 50-over crown in southern Africa in 2027, but Zampa refused to put a time frame on his international career. 
"While I'm enjoying playing for Australia, I feel like I'm bowling good enough and want to improve," he said. "I'll just continue to roll through.
"I really love playing for this group, under this coaching staff. While I'm enjoying it, there's no reason to think about an end date."
jdg/mw

Sports

Marseille complete signing of French international Rabiot

  • "Marseille are delighted to announce the signing of Adrien Rabiot.
  • Marseille announced on Tuesday the signing of French international midfielder Adrien Rabiot, with whom they had already reached an "agreement in principle". 
  • "Marseille are delighted to announce the signing of Adrien Rabiot.
Marseille announced on Tuesday the signing of French international midfielder Adrien Rabiot, with whom they had already reached an "agreement in principle". 
Rabiot was a free agent since leaving Juventus in July after five years in which he won the 2020 Serie A title and two Italian Cups.
"Marseille are delighted to announce the signing of Adrien Rabiot. The 29-year-old midfielder has signed a new contract... after passing his medical," said the Ligue 1 club in a statement.
The length of the former Paris Saint-Germain player's contract has not been specified but a source with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Sunday that he was expected to sign for two years. 
Rabiot has played 48 times for France and was a runner-up at the last World Cup in Qatar.
He also played five times at Euro 2024, where France were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winners Spain.
On Monday evening, Rabiot, who won six league titles with PSG before a rancourous exit, was welcomed at Marignane airport by several hundred Marseille supporters, who chanted his name and lit flares. 
"I wasn't expecting that. Seeing all these people here is heart-warming. I know my family are happy too. It makes you want to play and win," he told the cameras. 
"It's really incredible. I didn't expect such a good mood, such warmth," he added. 
Marseille are off to a good start in the French top flight this season under new coach Roberto De Zerbi and Saturday's win over Nice was watched by 65,000 at their iconic Velodrome stadium.
De Zerbi brought in the 22-year-old Mason Greenwood in the close season, a controversial signing due to sex assault charges that were eventually dropped, but the striker has scored five goals in their four league games so far.
Rabiot could feature against Lyon on Sunday, even though he has not played since the Euro. 
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