Author: Reuters

Posted on

European football: Ndoye’s backheel means Napoli miss chance to close gap

  • Second-placed side pegged back to 1-1 by stunning flick
  • Valladolid players sorry for Sunday’s altercation on bench

Napoli missed the chance to narrow the gap at the top of Serie A after a 1-1 draw at Bologna, with André-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s first-half goal cancelled out by a moment of magic from the hosts’ Dan Ndoye.

With leaders Inter only managing a draw at Parma on Saturday, Napoli had a chance to close on them, but they remain second with 65 points, three behind. Bologna are fourth on 57 points.

Continue reading...
Posted on

European football: Paris Saint-Germain seal Ligue 1 title with win over Angers

  • PSG confirmed as champions for fourth straight season
  • Real Madrid stunned 2-1 by Valencia but Barcelona held

Paris Saint-Germain sealed their fourth straight Ligue 1 title on Saturday after a 1-0 win over Angers gave Luis Enrique’s side an unassailable lead in the French top flight.

The victory, courtesy of a Désiré Doué goal, moved PSG to 74 points with six rounds left, 24 points ahead of second-placed Monaco, who can reach only 68 points if they win all their remaining games.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Miami Open winner Jakub Mensik tried to withdraw but referee was out for lunch

  • Czech won first title but nearly pulled out of opener
  • Physio visit led to him denying Novak Djokovic in final

Jakub Mensik claimed the first title of his career with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) win over Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s Miami Open final, but the Czech teenager revealed he had nearly pulled out of the tournament due to inflammation in his right knee.

Shortly before his opener against Roberto Bautista Agut, the 19-year-old was on his way to the referee’s room to announce his withdrawal, but found that the official was out for lunch and he visited the physio’s room instead.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Novak Djokovic falls short of 100th title as Jakub Mensik, 19, wins Miami Open final

  • Milestone remains out of Serb’s reach after upset
  • 54th-ranked Czech subdues veteran 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4)

Nineteen-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik beat his childhood idol Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) in an upset for the ages, claiming his first ATP title at the Miami Open as he denied the former world No 1 in his bid for a milestone 100th.

The 54th-ranked Mensik faced tough odds in only his second ATP final but harnessed his best weapon to subdue the 24-time major winner with 14 aces and collapsed onto the court, overcome with emotion, after sealing it with an unreturnable serve.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Francesco Bagnaia wins Americas Grand Prix after Marc Márquez crash

  • Marquez crashes while leading race
  • Álex Márquez tops riders’ championship

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia won a chaotic Americas Grand Prix ahead of Gresini Racing’s Álex Márquez on Sunday after Marc Márquez crashed halfway through the race while leading, losing for the first time this season.

Marc Márquez had clinched pole position in qualifying as well as a third straight sprint victory on Saturday, but after a first crash on the red Ducati, the six-times MotoGP champion opted to retire due to extensive damage on his bike.

Continue reading...
Posted on

European football: Loftus-Cheek has appendix surgery before Milan defeat

  • Milan midfielder hospitalised ahead of 2-1 loss to Napoli
  • Inter edge out Udinese 2-1; Barcelona defeat Girona 4-1

The Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has had successful appendectomy surgery after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis, the Serie A club said on Sunday. Local media reported that during Milan’s training camp in Napoli the England international experienced severe abdominal pain that necessitated hospitalisation for further investigation.

Tests confirmed the diagnosis, prompting the operation, which went well, the club said in a statement. Further details on Loftus-Cheek’s condition have not been provided.

Continue reading...
Posted on

European football: PSG smash six to all but secure fourth consecutive title

  • Ligue 1 leaders trounce Saint-Étienne 6-1
  • Harry Kane scores as Bayern battle past St Pauli

Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique wants the club to keep their focus on domestic and European titles despite all but securing a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 crown.

PSG thrashed relegation-threatened Saint-Étienne 6-1 to virtually assure themselves of a second straight title under the Spaniard. Only Monaco have a mathematical chance to overhaul them after their 2-1 win over Nice left them 21 points behind PSG with seven games to play.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood out of FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton

  • Striker sustained hip injury for New Zealand
  • Nuno Espírito Santo: ‘He has been to a specialist’

Chris Wood will miss Nottingham Forest’s FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton after sustaining an injury with New Zealand, Nuno Espírito Santo has said.

Wood has been in excellent form with 18 goals in the Premier League, where Forest sit third as they close in on Champions League qualification. He scored a hat-trick when Forest thrashed Brighton 7-0 in the league last month.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Iga Swiatek reportedly given extra security after harassment at Miami Open

  • World No 2 reportedly subject of abuse online and in-person
  • Pole to face Eala in Miami quarter-finals Wednesday

World No 2 Iga Swiatek has been given extra security after a spectator at the Miami Open verbally abused the five-times major champion during a practice session last weekend, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

The man shouted personal insults about Swiatek’s family and had previously sent abusive online messages to her through social media.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Juventus sack manager Thiago Motta and bring in Igor Tudor as replacement

  • Former Bologna coach leaves after just nine months
  • Axe follows heavy defeats by Atalanta and Fiorentina

Juventus have sacked Thiago Motta as manager and appointed Igor Tudor as his replacement. The decision comes after Motta guided the club to consecutive heavy defeats in Serie A, losing 4-0 at home to Atalanta and 3-0 at Fiorentina.

Those losses left Juve fifth in the table, 12 points behind the leaders, Inter. The 42-year-old’s side were also surprisingly knocked out of the Champions League in the playoff round by PSV Eindhoven in February. Less than a week later, they exited the Coppa Italia, knocked out by Empoli after a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Dutch double at Milan-Sanremo as Van der Poel and Wiebes sprint to victories

  • Van der Poel holds of Pogacar and Ganna in classic battle
  • Wiebes wins first women’s race since 2005

Mathieu van der Poel outsprinted Filippo Ganna and Tadej Pogacar to win his second Milan-Sanremo Classic on Saturday, claiming the first Monument race of the season, while the European champion Lorena Wiebes won the first staging of a women’s event since 2005.

Dutchman Van der Poel, winner in 2023, came out on top in a sprint finish after the leading trio were involved in a game of cat-and-mouse close to the line, with Ganna finishing second and Pogacar having to settle for third.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Lewis Hamilton lands first win for Ferrari in Chinese F1 Grand Prix sprint race

  • Seven-time world champion opens account with Formula One team
  • Oscar Piastri finishes second, Max Verstappen third in 100km race

Lewis Hamilton celebrated his first Formula One win for Ferrari after leading a Chinese Grand Prix sprint from start to finish in only his second race for the Italian team on Saturday.

The seven-time world champion, on pole position, managed his tyres superbly to take the chequered flag 6.889 seconds clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finishing third in the 100km race.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Rangers tell fans behind ‘shameful’ banner to stay away after Uefa charge

  • Banner appeared during victory over Fenerbahce
  • Club expecting ‘significant sanctions’ from Uefa

Rangers have described the behaviour of a minority of their fans as “embarrassing” after being charged by Uefa over incidents during last week’s Europa League last-16 victory over Fenerbahce at Ibrox.

Rangers confirmed on Wednesday that they faced significant sanctions after what Uefa described as a “racist and/or discriminatory banner” was unveiled by a group of fans. The banner read: “Keep woke foreign ideologies out. Defend Europe.”

Continue reading...
Posted on

Josh Cavallo reveals daily death threats and says football ‘toxic’ for gay players

  • Adelaide midfielder talks of multiple daily death threats
  • Coming out brings ‘mountain of downsides’ for players

Australia’s first out gay male professional footballer, Josh Cavallo, has said he receives death threats every day and would find it difficult to encourage other footballers to come out due to the sport’s “toxic” environment. The Adelaide United midfielder came out in 2021 and said that despite his club’s and coaches’ support his openness about his sexuality had brought him a lot of pressure and negativity.

“There’s multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily still,” Cavallo’s said on Fifpro’s Footballers Unfiltered podcast. “In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place. It’s something not everyone would be able to handle and go through.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Rory McIlroy defeats JJ Spaun in playoff to win The Players Championship

  • Northern Irishman wins ‘fifth major’ for second time
  • American opponent found water in three-hole decider

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrated St Patrick’s Day by winning a three-hole aggregate playoff against JJ Spaun to capture his second title at The Players Championship on Monday morning.

McIlroy took a one-shot lead when he birdied the par-five 16th hole, and the task of protecting that advantage became much easier when Spaun hit his tee shot over the famed island green at the par-three 17th and into the water.

Continue reading...