Author: Associated Press
Kylian Mbappe conceded he is facing a challenging period after missing another penalty as Real Madrid stumbled in the La Liga title race with a 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala saved Mbappe’s 68th-minute penalty, adding to Madrid’s frustrations. The night worsened when Federico Valverde’s defensive misstep allowed Gorka Guruzeta to score the decisive goal in the 80th minute. “Bad result,” Mbappe wrote on Instagram. “A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take full responsibility for it. A difficult moment, but it’s the best time to change this situation and show…
Kylian Mbappe conceded he is facing a challenging period after missing another penalty as Real Madrid stumbled in the La Liga title race with a 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala saved Mbappe’s 68th-minute penalty, adding to Madrid’s frustrations. The night worsened when Federico Valverde’s defensive misstep allowed Gorka Guruzeta to score the decisive goal in the 80th minute. “Bad result,” Mbappe wrote on Instagram. “A big mistake in a match where every detail counts. I take full responsibility for it. A difficult moment, but it’s the best time to change this situation and show…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola denied any “personal problem” with Kevin De Bruyne and explained Tuesday that the playmaker’s recent absence from the team is due to fitness concerns. City is enduring its worst run under Guardiola, failing to win in seven games across all competitions, with De Bruyne featuring only as a substitute in the last five after recovering from a pelvic injury. The Belgium midfielder sustained the injury during City’s Champions League match against Inter Milan on Sept. 18 and has not started a game since. Several prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards,…
Javier Mascherano’s introduction as Inter Miami’s head coach on Tuesday got off to a shaky start. Battling a cough and pausing for sips of water, he took a few moments to settle in. “Air conditioning in Miami,” he quipped. “It causes me problems.” Fortunately, Inter Miami plays its matches outdoors. Mascherano, Lionel Messi’s former teammate, is now his coach. Hired last week to succeed Gerardo “Tata” Martino, the Argentine legend has already settled into his new role, gearing up for the team’s training camp set to kick off next month. “I am convinced I can do it,” Mascherano said. “I…
Javier Mascherano’s introduction as Inter Miami’s head coach on Tuesday got off to a shaky start. Battling a cough and pausing for sips of water, he took a few moments to settle in. “Air conditioning in Miami,” he quipped. “It causes me problems.” Fortunately, Inter Miami plays its matches outdoors. Mascherano, Lionel Messi’s former teammate, is now his coach. Hired last week to succeed Gerardo “Tata” Martino, the Argentine legend has already settled into his new role, gearing up for the team’s training camp set to kick off next month. “I am convinced I can do it,” Mascherano said. “I…
Syria’s armed anti-regime groups captured four new towns early Tuesday, coming closer to the central city of Hama, opposition activists said, as regime forces retook some territory they lost last week. The capture of the towns is the latest in the push by fighters led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Türkiye-backed opposition groups. For Ankara, HTS is a terrorist group. Anti-regime fighters are now about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Hama, the country’s fourth-largest city. The latest push is part of a broad offensive by forces opposed to Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad that, over the past days, has…
Saudi Arabia’s expanding influence and massive investments in global sports ahead of being confirmed as the 2034 World Cup host were outlined in a report Monday, which highlighted concerns about governance challenges off the field. The report, from Play The Game, a sports ethics institute based in Denmark, pointed to more than 900 sponsor deals – more than one-third linked to the $925 billion Saudi sovereign wealth fund – and a network of officials with dual roles in state, business, and sports. The oil-rich kingdom’s multi-billion-dollar investments in football, golf, boxing, tennis, esports, and an upcoming ski resort will culminate…
Four fans accused of racially abusing star forward Lamine Yamal and other Barcelona players during last month’s ” El Clasico” at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium are facing one-year stadium bans. On Monday, the Spanish football federation’s anti-violence committee recommended the bans, along with fines of up to 5,000 euros ($5,200) each, for the fans involved in the incidents during Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Madrid on Oct. 26. The commission in charge of combating violence, racism, and other hate crimes in sports also proposed a one-year ban and a fine for a fan accused of attacking two visiting supporters outside…
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to command respect and admiration from their peers, despite no longer playing for European clubs. At 37 and 39 years old, respectively, Messi and Ronaldo were the only players not based in Europe to be named to the 26-man shortlist for FIFPRO’s World Team of the Year, announced Monday. The other 24 nominees played for clubs in England, Germany, Spain, or France, with Kylian Mbappe being the sole French representative after spending last season at Paris Saint-Germain. No player from any Italian club was selected nor from any club in South America or Africa.…
James Harden has become just the second NBA player, alongside Golden State’s Stephen Curry, to reach 3,000 career 3-pointers. Harden hit the milestone during the first half of the Los Angeles Clippers’ 126-122 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, sinking three 3-pointers in each half and finishing with 39 points to lead the Clippers. “Another one of those accomplishments you never take for granted,” Harden said. “The amount of work I’ve put in – countless days and nights that most people don’t see – has paid off, so I’m just thankful.” Harden also came up just short of a…