Author: Associated Press

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was met with a chorus of boos, as anticipated, when he stepped onto the pitch for his side’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. As the Argentina goalkeeper began his pre-match warm-up, the Auteuil section of Parc des Princes erupted with jeers, whistles and a flurry of insults directed his way. Martinez did not respond and calmly began stretching. Martinez was the goalkeeper for Argentina when they defeated France in a penalty shootout in the 2022 World Cup final. He stood out for his shot-stopping ability but garnered even more attention…

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s stunning wonder goal overshadowed a brilliant curling shot from teammate Desire Doue as Paris Saint-Germain triumphed 3-1 over Aston Villa in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday. After Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead in the 35th minute, Doue quickly leveled the score just four minutes later with his 12th goal of the season. Kvaratskhelia put PSG ahead just after the break, and Nuno Mendes sealed the win in stoppage time with a clinical finish, leaving Villa fans, including Britain’s Prince William, dejected at the Parc des Princes. “I think the result reflects the…

Luka Doncic didn’t wait for his Dallas homecoming to stir up drama. On the eve of facing his former team, the Slovenian star was ejected during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-120 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. Doncic had 23 points before picking up his second technical foul and getting tossed with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter. He claimed he was jawing with a fan, but the officials saw it differently. The Thunder closed strong, outscoring the Lakers 29-12 after Doncic’s exit. “I mean, it was tough,” Doncic said. “I mean, we were right there. I…

Diego Maradona’s ex-wife and a doctor took the stand Tuesday in the trial of seven medical professionals accused of negligence in the football legend’s death, questioning why he was sent home after surgery in 2020 instead of being placed in a rehabilitation facility. Maradona, who famously led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, died on Nov. 25, 2020, while under home care near Buenos Aires. He was 60. “He should have gone to a rehabilitation clinic … a more protected place for him,” Mario Alejandro Schiter, who treated Maradona for two decades, told the court. “Knowing the patient, I…

Billie Jean King made history Monday as the first woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the newly established sports entertainment category. She was accompanied by friends Magic Johnson and Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis. “The important thing is, I don’t want to be the last one,” the tennis Hall of Famer told the cheering crowd. King’s star, the 2,807th on the Walk of Fame, is located near the iconic intersection of Hollywood and Vine, across from the historic Pantages Theatre. The electronic marquee proudly read, “A star for a star. Congratulations Billie Jean King.”…

Lionel Messi netted his third goal in four MLS matches this season, rifling a left-footed volley into the net to earn Inter Miami a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC on Sunday night. The strike marked Messi’s 40th goal across all competitions for Inter Miami, extending his franchise record in style during first-half stoppage time. The result keeps unbeaten Miami (4-0-2) just one point behind Eastern Conference leaders Columbus, with a game in hand. Messi’s goal tied the match three minutes after Federico Bernardeschi opened the scoring for Toronto (0-4-3). Messi had what appeared to be a goal wiped out earlier…

Vinicius Junior squandered a penalty, and Real Madrid conceded a dramatic injury-time goal in a stunning 2-1 home defeat to Valencia, denting their La Liga title hopes on Saturday. Hugo Duro, coming off the bench, scored a header that silenced Santiago Bernabéu, netting the winner deep into stoppage time. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili denied Vinicius’ early penalty, and just minutes later, Mouctar Diakhaby’s header in the 17th minute put Valencia ahead. Vinicius equalized in the 50th minute with a close-range strike, but Mamardashvili and Valencia’s defense held firm until Duro’s late goal secured the team’s first away win of the season.…

Fenerbahçe has accused Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk of theatrically throwing himself to the ground as if “shot” after an incident in which Jose Mourinho appeared to pinch his nose, sparking fresh controversy in Turkish football. Following Galatasaray’s 2-1 victory over Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Cup on Wednesday, Mourinho, Fenerbahçe’s legendary coach, reached out from behind Buruk and made contact with his nose. Buruk collapsed to the ground, clutching his face, before Mourinho was escorted away. In a lengthy statement posted on the social media platform X, Fenerbahçe accused Buruk of provoking Mourinho by making “disrespectful hand gestures” toward him after…

Stephen Curry poured in 37 points, Brandin Podziemski added a career-high 28, and the Golden State Warriors held off the Los Angeles Lakers 123-116 on Thursday night, extending their win streak to four in what could be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup. Podziemski nailed eight 3-pointers, while Curry connected on four of 11 attempts from beyond the arc, fresh off a 52-point performance, including 12 3-pointers, in Memphis on Tuesday. LeBron James led the Lakers with 33 points and nine assists, while Austin Reaves contributed 31 points, including nine 3-pointers. Rui Hachimura added 24 points, and Luka Doncic…

Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are among 20 top tennis players who signed a letter urging Grand Slam leaders to increase prize money and give athletes a stronger voice in decisions that “directly impact us.” A copy of the letter, dated March 21 and obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, requests an in-person meeting at this month’s Madrid Open with representatives of the four majors: Craig Tiley (Australian Open), Stephane Morel (French Open), Sally Bolton (Wimbledon) and Lew Sherr (U.S. Open). Handwritten signatures include 10 of the top 11 women from the March 3 rankings –…