Category: Sports

City were charged and referred to an independent commission in February 2023 following a four-year investigation. It is alleged City breached the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018. City strongly deny all charges. The private hearing took place between September and December. Norway striker Haaland has scored 112 goals in 127 games for City since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. It is understood clauses that existed in Haaland’s initial contract, which had been set to expire in 2027, have now been removed. There have been reports of a break clause being inserted that takes effect in 2029, although that has not been confirmed by City or the player’s representatives. Haaland’s deal is the longest in the Premier League, eclipsing the nine-year deal Cole Palmer signed with Chelsea last August. “It is a really good sign,” added Haaland. “Of course it is a bit unusual, it is not normal and that is also something I like. “It felt good for both parties and in the end it was an easy choice.” Manchester City face Paris St-Germain in a crucial Champions League group stage match at Parc des Princes on Wednesday. Source link

Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo has signed a new four-and-a-half year contract that would keep him at the City Ground until summer 2029. The 22-year-old joined Forest from Brazilian club Corinthians in August 2023 on a five-year deal for a reported fee of about £15m. He has become a key figure for Forest and was named their player of the season last year. “I’m very thankful and very happy that there are four more years to come,” said Murillo. “I’m sure that we’ve got a big future in front of us.” Forest are third in the Premier League, level on points with second-placed Arsenal, and six points behind leaders Liverpool. Liverpool have been linked with a move for Murillo, with Real Madrid also reportedly interested., external Murillo received his first call-up to the Brazil squad for their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in November, but was an unused substitute in draws against Venezuela and Uruguay. Source link

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of “malicious communications” following the online abuse of Arsenal striker Kai Havertz and his wife. The boy, who is 17 years old and from St Albans, has been bailed while enquiries continue, Hertfordshire Police said. Havertz’s wife Sophia posted to her Instagram story two direct messages she had received after Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat by Manchester United earlier this month, one which included threats to the couple’s unborn child. The German forward, 25, missed a chance to win the game in normal time and then had his penalty saved by United keeper Altay Bayindir in the shootout as United won 5-3 on penalties following the 1-1 draw. The couple have been together since 2018 and got married last year, with Sophia announcing in November that she was pregnant. In response to the messages, Sophia wrote the culprit should be “ashamed” of themselves, while Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said online abuse of players has “terrible consequences” and needs to be “eradicated from the game”. Source link

Succeeding Emma Hayes was supposed to be difficult, yet under Sonia Bompastor Chelsea are flying. When the Frenchwoman joined Chelsea from Lyon, she said she “hopes to live up to Emma’s legacy”. Eight months on and the 44-year-old has more than made the job her own. Chelsea have enjoyed a near-perfect campaign under Bompastor so far, taking 16 wins and one draw from 17 games in all competitions. With such an impressive unbeaten start, Bompastor could be forgiven for basking in the glory and taking plaudits, but she only ever praises the team., external On the touchline she keeps her emotions in check. She is the epitome of cool, calm and collected. And in her own words, she is at times “vulnerable”. “If a manager steps into an interview saying, ‘I’m always 100% confident’ I won’t believe it because that’s not true,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Women’s Football Weekly podcast. “As a manager of course you are the leader, you have all the pressure on yourself and that’s fine. That is my fuel and my energy every day. Sometimes it is good to make people understand that I am also vulnerable. “As part of a family, sometimes you need to set the standard, sometimes you need to drive the high expectations. Sometimes it’s also fine to say, ‘I need your support, I’m vulnerable, and it’s good to feel you are holding my back’.” Source link

Watch Novak Djokovic win a brilliant point during his quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open. Source link

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy will compete in this year’s Irish Open at the K-Club in County Kildare. The Holywood player’s only success in his home tournament came at the same venue in 2016. McIlroy produced a superb birdie-par-eagle finish in the final round to secure victory by three shots. In September last year, the world number three finished second in the Irish Open at Royal County Down, one shot behind winner Rasmus Hoejgaard. McIlroy will aim to double his tally of wins at the tournament from 3-7 September. Source link

Novak Djokovic produced yet another scarcely-believable comeback to stun Carlos Alcaraz in a thriller and reach the Australian Open semi-finals. The 37-year-old Serb defied injury, age and ranking to win 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 against his 21-year-old opponent in Melbourne. Djokovic, going for a record-extending 11th men’s singles title, limped around Rod Laver Arena at the end of the first set after suffering what appeared to be a groin problem. But, after going off court for treatment, he recovered impressively to continue his bid for a 25th Grand Slam triumph – which would be an all-time record. Djokovic played aggressively until the pain wore off, allowing him to move more freely and take control of the match. Spanish third seed Alcaraz became increasingly animated as he struggled to figure out how to turn an engrossing contest back in his favour. When seventh seed Djokovic sealed victory – at 00:57 local time after a battle lasting three hours and 38 minutes – he roared towards coach Andy Murray. Djokovic and Alcaraz shared a warm embrace at the net after a highly-anticipated match which lived up to the expectation. The defeat ends Alcaraz’s hopes – for now, at least – of becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam. Instead it is Djokovic who advances to the semi-finals, where he will face German second seed Alexander Zverev on Friday. Source link

BBC Sport NI will show five Allianz League games in 2025, starting with a big Division One football clash on Saturday as champions Derry travel to face Ulster rivals Tyrone. Joining Thomas Niblock and Mark Sidebottom for the Healy Park contest (18:00 GMT) will be former Tyrone and Derry manager Mickey Harte, who masterminded the Oak Leafers’ league triumph last year. It will be Derry and Tyrone’s first competitive outing with Gaelic football’s new rules as envisaged by Jim Gavin’s Football Review Committee, which are set to be introduced after being passed at a Special Congress in November. Saturday’s game will also mark the start of Malachy O’Rourke and Paddy Tally’s managerial reigns with Tyrone and Derry. Recently retired Derry defender Chrissy McKaigue, who won two Ulster titles with the county, will also be part of the BBC’s coverage this year, joining the returning Philly McMahon and Jamesie O’Connor. The BBC’s second game is Davy Fitzgerald’s first home match as Antrim hurling boss with the Saffrons taking on Westmeath at Corrigan Park in Division One B on 2 February (14:00). On 15 February, Tailteann Cup champions Down host Meath in football’s Division Two with Conor Laverty’s Mournemen targeting another move up the ladder after earning promotion from the third-tier in 2024. There is a double-header of action on the weekend of 22/23 February. First, Derry travel to Croke Park to face Dublin in a repeat of last year’s Division One final, which the Ulster side won on penalties. The following day, the Antrim hurlers are back in the spotlight when they host Fitzgerald’s former side Waterford. All five games will be shown live on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website. Source link

With the greatest of respect, it perhaps sums up where Young Boys are right now when you learn their top scorer is Cedric Itten, whose Rangers career never really took off, with just eight goals in his 48 appearances, though he can point to two victories over Celtic in the pair of brief appearances he made against them in Rangers’ title-winning campaign of 2020-21. One of the issues for Itten and his team-mates looks to be the lack of a settled team as each manager has searched for a winning formula. Injuries have also not helped their cause. So for Saturday’s game, Contini opted to play 22-year-old Marvin Keller in goal instead of stalwart David von Ballmoos, young French defender Tanguy Zoukrou returned from three months out injured to partner captain Loris Benito, who himself is not long back from a lengthy spell out while neither fullback – Jaouen Hadjam or Lewin Blum – has been a mainstay in the team. To be fair, Filip Ugrinic in central midfield has started all but one this season and Lukasz Lakomy alongside him has been a regular since recovering from injury at the end of October. Behind Itten, Darian Males and Joel Monteiro do offer a scoring threat as well as creativity while Ebrima Colley, who also got the nod at the weekend, is still to find a first goal since making last season’s loan move from Atalanta permanent. As Contini tries to mould a team to stop the rot, a trip to Celtic Park where the hosts are unbeaten in five in the Champions League and 29 in all competitions is probably not top of his wish list. Source link

Mark Chapman, Rory Smith and Chris Sutton on the Monday Night Club discuss potential consequences of Ruben Amorim’s comments. This comes after the manager claimed his side could be “the worst team, maybe, in the history of Manchester United” during a news conference. Listen to the best bits of the Monday Night Club on the Football Daily podcast. WATCH MORE: We are maybe worst team in Man Utd history – Amorim Source link