“Again? Come on!” Mikel Merino says, with a look that gets across the “Seriously guys” sense of it. But there is laughter, too, from the Arsenal midfielder-cum-emergency-centre-forward because he knows this is how it goes, how it has been for some time, pretty much every time he stops to speak to the media after a … Read more
The start of the run-up to a World Cup is traditionally an upbeat affair. New stadium launches, inclusion-friendly marketing and merch campaigns, the unveiling of a tournament song or quirky mascot: these are the traditional signals by which host nations announce that the big show is approaching. This time, pre-tournament preparations are taking shape a … Read more
The Rugby Football League has reimposed salary cap restrictions on Salford Red Devils and summoned their new owners to a meeting on Wednesday to explain why players and staff still have not been paid February wages. Salford faced significant financial difficulty over the winter that led to the club securing a £500,000 advance on their … Read more
The Philadelphia Eagles have reportedly made Saquon Barkley the highest-paid running back in NFL history after a dominant season in which he helped the team win the Super Bowl. According to ESPN, the Eagles have given Barkley a two-year contract extension worth $41.2m. The deal includes $36m in guaranteed money and Barkley could earn another … Read more
This will be decided 14km east in eight days’ time when Madrid’s rivals are sent back into battle once more. On a night that lacked a little thunder but had three superb goals – Rodrygo Goes, Julián Alvarez and Brahim Díaz all stepping inside to bend the ball beyond outstretched fingers and into the far … Read more
“I’ve just moved house to a nice little village,” Andy Ward says. “Ideally I’d just get a few mowing jobs. That’s all I really need now. I don’t want to go back into cricket. After 40 years, that’s enough for me. I just want to have a bit of time. I want to enjoy summer.” … Read more
The Newcastle and England left-back Lewis Hall has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a foot injury. The 20-year-old consulted a specialist for a problem sustained during the Premier League defeat by Liverpool last month and it has been decided that he needs surgery. The news is another blow to Eddie … Read more
You can still see the moment online, 42 years later: The Philadelphia 76ers’ Julius Erving pulling off his January 1983 “rock the cradle” dunk against the Los Angeles Lakers. Yes, Dr. J cradles the ball in his arm as he goes airborne and slams it home over the Lakers’ Michael Cooper. “It’s the greatest dunk … Read more
The forwards start caterpillaring at the back of the ruck. Alex Mitchell scrapes the ball to the back while the referee shouts, “Use it!” The fans know what comes next … It goes without saying that a successful sports team needs a clear gameplan; tactics agreed before kick-off and refined on the training ground to … Read more
Arne Slot has said Liverpool must present the best possible version of themselves to advance beyond Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, although Luis Enrique fears “the three fighter jets” in the Premier League leaders’ attack. The Liverpool head coach admitted he would have preferred to have avoided the French champions in the draw for … Read more