sports
SportAFP NewsSolskjaer confirms Sanchez permanent Inter move
Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Wednesday Alexis Sanchez's move to Inter Milan had been made permanent. Chile midfielder Sanchez, 31, who joined Inter last August after a season and a half at Old Trafford, has scored four goals in 31 appearances for the Italian side. "I can confirm that Alexis will be confirmed as an Inter player on Thursday," Solskjaer told broadcaster BT Sport.
SportAFP News'Job done' as Solskjaer's United reach Europa League last eight
Manchester United coach Ole Gunner Solskjaer praised the performance of his second-string side in reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over LASK on Wednesday. Usual starters such as Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial were named on the bench while the likes of Jesse Lingard and Fred started at an almost empty Old Trafford. "It was a good excercise, job done, minutes under the belt and ready to travel," Solskjaer told broadcaster BT Sport.
SportAFP NewsUnited, Inter reach Europa League last eight
Manchester United edged LASK 2-1 and Inter Milan beat Getafe 2-0 on Wednesday in rescheduled ties due to the coronavirus pandemic to clinch places in the quarter finals of the Europa League. Antonio Conte's Inter Milan will face either Steven Gerrard's Rangers or Bayer Leverkusen with the Germans holding a 3-1 lead going into Thursday's match.
SportAFP NewsUS Open winners face $850,000 pay cut as virus bites
The winners of this year's US Open singles titles will receive an $850,000-dollar paycut as the tournament feels the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, organisers said Wednesday. In a statement, the US Open said this year's event, which is taking place without fans, would have a total compensation of $53.4 million compared with about $57 million in 2019. The winners of the mens's and women's singles would receive $3 million each compared to $3.85 million apiece in 2019.
SportAFP NewsManchester City land Bournemouth's Ake for £40 million
Manchester City on Wednesday announced the signing of Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake on a five-year deal -- the second new arrival at the Etihad in the summer transfer window. Pep Guardiola's dethroned Premier League champions agreed a £40 million ($52 million) fee for the Netherlands centre-back, rising to a potential £41 million. The signing comes a day after the club announced they had landed Spain Under-21s winger Ferran Torres from Valencia.
SportAFP NewsPSG coach pessimistic over Mbappe for Atalanta tie
Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel fears Kylian Mbappe will lose his battle to be fit for next week's Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta. The PSG star was left with a sprained right ankle after a crunching challenge in the French Cup final win over Saint Etienne on July 24. "I've seen Kylian every day at the training centre, he's almost working 24 hours a day with the physios, but it's really short," said Tuchel on Wednesday.
SportAFP NewsOctober 31 finale confirmed for Six Nations
Organisers announced on Wednesday the schedule for the remaining fixtures in this year's coronavirus-disrupted Six Nations. Ireland host Italy in Dublin on October 24 before the following Saturday includes all three round five games to decide the title winners. Table-toppping England, who are ahead of les Bleus on points difference, go to Italy and Wales face Scotland but a location for the meeting is yet to confirmed as Cardiff's Principality Stadium is a standby COVID-19 hospital.
SportAFP NewsBale left out by Zidane for Man City test
Gareth Bale has been left out of Real Madrid's squad for their Champions League last 16 second leg against Manchester City on Friday. Zinedine Zidane named 24 players on Wednesday for the trip to Manchester, where Madrid are aiming to overturn a 2-1 first-leg defeat to reach the quarter-finals. Sergio Ramos will travel with the squad, Madrid confirmed, despite being suspended for the fixture.
SportAFP NewsArsenal to cut jobs as coronavirus bites
FA Cup winners Arsenal announced on Wednesday they were planning to cut 55 jobs due to the damaging effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the club's finances. The Premier League outfit said their main sources of income had all been hit, including broadcast revenue, matchday takings and commercial activity. "Our aim has been to protect the jobs and base salaries of our people for as long as we possibly can," said a statement signed by head of football Raul Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham.
SportAFP NewsAhly set for glory as Egypt restart strongest African league
Club football returns on Thursday to Egypt, the home of African giants Al Ahly and Zamalek, after being suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ahly have won a record 19 and Zamalek 11 of the 34 Confederation of African Football (CAF) trophies lifted by Egyptian clubs, making the country the most successful in the continent. The Egypt Premier League is the third major African championship to restart after the Moroccan Botola Pro 1 on July 27 and the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 on August 1.
SportAFP NewsLarge sports crowds 'unrealistic' this year: WHO
The World Health Organization said Wednesday it was "unrealistic" to expect large crowds at sports events this year in countries suffering from community-level transmission of the new coronavirus. WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said it could be "disastrous" in such circumstances to allow the return of sports matches with tens of thousands of people attending. Asked in a live WHO social media chat when major sports events could come back, Ryan said it was impossible to predict.
SportAFP NewsNuno confident Premier League will grant Wolves delayed start
Premier League bosses will permit those clubs still involved in European competition to begin their domestic campaign later than the scheduled September 12 date, says Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo. The 46-year-old Portuguese followed Chelsea manager Frank Lampard -- whose side are in Champions League action at the weekend -- in calling for a delayed start to their season as the players are facing a shorter break than those not involved in European competition. Nuno's side host Greek outfit Olympiakos on Thursday in their Europa League last 16 second-leg clash, with Wolves holding the advantage having scored an away goal in the 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.
SportAFP NewsNadal still preparing to play Roland Garros despite US Open withdrawal
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said he still intends to play at the French Open next month and remains hopeful it will go ahead, despite withdrawing from the US Open due to coronavirus concerns. Nadal also insisted the US Open will not carry an asterisk without its defending men's champion, even if he admitted it will take place under "special circumstances", with several top players expected to sit out. The 34-year-old Spaniard's withdrawal was confirmed shortly after the Madrid Open was cancelled on Tuesday, with a rise in coronavirus cases in Europe raising doubts around other events, including the French Open, which is due to start in Paris on September 27.
BusinessVarietySports-Talent Powerhouse Nick Khan Jumps to WWE From CAA
Nick Khan, a behind-the-scenes power in the world of sports representation, is moving to professional-wrestling powerhouse WWE, where he will take on the role of president and chief revenue officer. Khan replaces George Barrios and Michelle Wilson, two longtime senior WWE executives who left Vince McMahon's entrepreneurial professional-wrestling operation abruptly in a shake-up of management […]
EntertainmentThe WrapWWE Hires CAA Co-Head of TV Nick Khan as President and Chief Revenue Officer
Nick Khan, CAA’s (Creative Artists Agency) co-head of television, is leaving the agency to become WWE’s president and chief revenue officer. Khan will report directly to Vince McMahon.“Nick is a seasoned media executive with a deep understanding of our business and a proven track record of generating significant value for sports and entertainment properties,” McMahon said in a statement on Wednesday. “While representing WWE at CAA, he was instrumental in transforming our business model by securing domestic media rights increases of 3.6x over our previous agreements. Nick’s management style and personal demeanor are perfect for WWE’s entrepreneurial culture, and he will fit right in with our exceptional management team.”Earlier this year, McMahon fired company co-presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson.Also Read: Mark 'Rollerball' Rocco, Former WWE Junior Heavyweight Champion, Dies at 69“I am very much looking forward to expanding my relationship with Vince McMahon and the entire team at WWE, and becoming a full-time member of the WWE family,” Khan said. “It’s rare to have an opportunity to work at a company that is not only legendary in what it has already accomplished, but also uniquely poised to enter into an unprecedented phase of growth and expansion across all lines of business. Our collective industry experience will enable us to extract maximum value across the portfolio globally while driving long-term shareholder value.”Khan paused practicing law to launch ICM Partners’ ( International Creative Management) sports media department in 2006. In 2012, he moved over to CAA.At CAA, Khan represented broadcast channels WWE, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Top Rank Boxing.Also Read: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital Partners Buy the XFL for $15 MillionFans of professional wrestling who may not be familiar with Khan’s work at the talent agencies may be wondering if he is related to Tony Khan, the founder, co-owner, president, and CEO of WWE competitor All Elite Wrestling (AEW). They are not.However, Nick Khan is the brother of TV writer and producer Nahnatchka Khan (“Fresh Off the Boat”). Her wrestling connection? She created “Young Rock,” the upcoming NBC series chronicling the formative years of WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.Tony Khan is the son of Jacksonville Jaguars billionaire owner Shahid Khan.Read original story WWE Hires CAA Co-Head of TV Nick Khan as President and Chief Revenue Officer At TheWrap
SportAFP NewsHistory will not repeat itself, vows Fulham boss Parker
Scott Parker says newly-promoted Fulham must avoid the mistakes they made when last in the Premier League two seasons ago after securing a return to the top-flight with victory over Brentford in the Championship play-off final. The 39-year-old former Fulham and England midfielder's pragmatic approach got the better of the more adventurous style of Brentford counterpart Thomas Frank as his side won 2-1 after extra time Tuesday at an empty Wembley. Parker was a first-hand witness to the debacle having replaced Claudio Ranieri in February 2019 when they were all but doomed.
SportMalay MailRM110,000 guard dog: Arsenal manager among EPL big names to splash on security
PETALING JAYA, August 5 — Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has become the latest big English Premier League name to spend thousands of pounds on a specially-trained guard dog. The former Everton...
SportAFP NewsRoles reversed as Guardiola seeks to follow trail blazed by Zidane
Zinedine Zidane may never have been hired as Real Madrid coach but for the success of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, but it is Guardiola who now must follow the Frenchman's example to complete his mission at Manchester City. Zidane's Madrid travel to Manchester on Friday looking to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit from February as the Champions League resumes after a five-month coronavirus shutdown. Then under pressure, Zidane, in his second spell in charge at the Bernabeu, has again interrupted Barca's dominance of La Liga with a run of 10 straight victories after Spanish football's return in June to take the title.
SportAFP NewsChampions League last-16 ties: How they stand
The UEFA Champions League returns on Friday with the remaining places at the final tournament in Lisbon up for grabs as Europe's top clubs look to go all the way and lift the trophy on August 23 after a suspension of five months because of the coronavirus. AFP Sport looks at the four outstanding last 16, second legs -- all being played behind closed doors -- for a reminder of where they stand: Juventus v Lyon (Friday 1900GMT; Lyon won first leg 1-0) It is nearly six months since officials in Lyon questioned the decision to allow the first leg to go ahead as coronavirus cases took off in northern Italy. Lucas Tousart's goal gave Lyon a surprise 1-0 win on the night, but much has changed since then -- for a start Tousart is no longer at Lyon having signed for Hertha Berlin.
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Fulham return to Premier League promised land after play-off glory
Fulham made an instant return to the Premier League on Tuesday, beating Brentford 2-1 at Wembley in what is regarded as the most lucrative game in world football. Defender Joe Bryan was the unlikely hero for Scott Parker's side in the Championship play-off final, scoring two goals in extra time after the London clubs were locked at 0-0 at the end of a cagey 90 minutes. Henrik Dalsgaard scored a late consolation for Brentford but it was too little too late for Thomas Frank's team, who have not played in the English top-flight for 73 years.
SportAFP NewsSolskjaer says Europa League trophy could be stepping stone to top
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says victory in the Europa League could be a stepping stone to a new era of success for Manchester United. United finished third in the Premier League after an impressive end to the coronavirus-interrupted season, meaning they will return to the Champions League next season. The Old Trafford club look certain to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Wednesday after winning the first leg of their last-16 tie against Austrian side LASK 5-0 in March Solskjaer said winning the first piece of silverware under his leadership would be "massive" in terms of forging a winning mentality.
SportAFP NewsManchester City sign winger Ferran Torres from Valencia
Manchester City have announced the signing of Valencia winger Ferran Torres on a five-year deal as Pep Guardiola looks to bolster his attacking options. The 20-year-old Spaniard, City's first signing of the summer transfer window, has penned a five-year contract for a reported initial fee of £20.9 million ($27 million). "I am so happy to be joining City," Torres told the Premier League club's website.
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Defending champion Nadal won't play US Open, slams schedule
Defending champion Rafael Nadal said Tuesday he will not play the US Open, citing concerns over the coronavirus and slamming tennis's "barbaric" schedule. "After many thoughts I have decided not to play this year's US Open," Nadal said on Twitter. The 34-year-old Spanish star also took aim at the international tennis schedule, which has been revised following disruptions sparked by COVID-19 shutdowns.
SportAFP NewsMarseille's Montpellier friendly cancelled due to suspected virus case
Marseille announced on Tuesday their pre-season friendly match with fellow Ligue 1 side Montpellier has been cancelled following a suspected coronavirus case in their opponent's squad, less than three weeks before the start of the French top-flight campaign. One unidentified Montpellier player has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be tested again on Friday. If the case is confirmed, it will be the fifth player in Michel Der Zakarian's squad to be affected by the disease since the start of the pandemic.
SportAFP NewsSpain and Real Madrid legend Casillas retires
Spain's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas announced his retirement on Tuesday, after being sidelined for more than a year with a heart problem. Casillas, 39, also won the European Championship twice with his country in a trophy-laden career which included more than 700 games for Real Madrid. "Today is both one of the most important and most difficult days of my sporting life, the time to say goodbye has arrived," he said on Twitter.
