Author: Agence France-Presse - AFP
Paul Pogba’s time at Juventus has come to an end after the Serie A club announced Friday that it had terminated the France midfielder’s contract, despite his doping ban being reduced to 18 months on appeal. Pogba will be eligible to return to competitive football in March, following a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to reduce an initial four-year suspension handed down by the Italian anti-doping authority, NADO. However, Juventus has opted to part ways with the 31-year-old, whose return to Turin from Manchester United in 2022 was marred by a series of on- and off-field…
Nick Kyrgios will make his return to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International ahead of the Australian Open, saying Friday it was “going to be sick”. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist from Australia has played just one ATP Tour singles match in two years after knee, foot and wrist injuries. Brisbane kicks off the 2025 season on Dec. 29 in the lead-up to the first Grand Slam of the year in mid-January. “I am feeling fit and healthy, and I am excited for my return to tennis following some time out of the sport,” the 29-year-old said in a statement. “It…
Taylor Fritz edged closer to the ATP Finals semifinals Thursday, rallying from a set down to defeat Alex de Minaur 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. In a thrilling contest in Turin, Fritz eliminated Finals debutant de Minaur, whose set victory unexpectedly sealed Jannik Sinner’s spot in the semifinals. Sinner now heads into his final Ilie Nastase Group match against Daniil Medvedev, secure in the knowledge that he’s already through to the semifinals. A win will guarantee him the top spot in the group. Fritz, meanwhile, will join Sinner in the knockout stage as long as the world No. 1 wins at least…
For centuries, hammams were central to Ottoman society, and while they fell out of use in Türkiye with the advent of running water, many are being restored to revive an ancient ritual bathing tradition. Often featured in older Turkish films, hammam scenes are highly entertaining, with women bathing and enjoying these historical bathhouses as a place to socialize, eat, drink and even dance. Last year, the 500-year-old Zeyrek Cinili Hammam, which was built during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent by the celebrated Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan (Sinan the Architect), reopened to the public after a painstaking 13-year restoration. Alongside…
UEFA announced on Monday that the Europa League match between Turkish giants Beşiktaş and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv will be relocated from Istanbul to Debrecen, Hungary. “The match will be played behind closed doors, as per the decision of local Hungarian authorities,” UEFA said in a statement. The move comes after violence erupted last Thursday in Amsterdam as Maccabi Tel Aviv fans reportedly stormed the city, tearing down Palestinian flags on private property and chanting provocative slogans before and after their match against Ajax. The incidents sparked widespread outrage, with Israeli fans clashing with bystanders, vandalizing property and setting a…
Jayson Tatum’s 31 points and 12 rebounds led the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics to a 113-107 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, overcoming a powerful 43-point effort by Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Celtics improved to 9-2, two games behind unbeaten Cleveland in the Eastern Conference, while the host Bucks slid to 2-8. Payton Pritchard scored 18 points off the Boston bench while Derrick White and former Buck Jrue Holiday each scored 15 points and Jaylen Brown added 14 for the Celtics. “Team effort,” Holiday said. “It’s not easy doing it by yourself. We did it collectively.” Greek star Antetokounmpo…
British cycling legend Mark Cavendish sealed a triumphant win on Sunday at the Tour de France Singapore Criterium, delivering a trademark sprint to the line in his final race. “I really wanted that so bad,” the 39-year-old cycling great from Britain said after the 166th victory of his glorious career. “I’m terribly emotional.” “I realized in the last five laps that this was the last 15 kilometers of my career and I felt that, but I was so much on the limit.” Coming out of the last bend, Cavendish, who holds the record for most stage wins on the Tour…
Swimmer Florent Manaudou is feeling glum, French deputies despair over a plummeting sports budget and the Eiffel Tower has lost its Olympic rings. Two months after the flame went out on the glittering Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the French capital is in the grip of a bout of post-Games blues. Swimming superstar Leon Marchand, a four-time gold medallist, continues to impress in pools across the globe, but for his teammate Manaudou, the return to everyday life has proved difficult. Manaudou, 33, was the first torchbearer on French soil when the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille in April and won two…