Browsing: Sports

An image rights dispute between Kylian Mbappe and the French soccer federation resurfaced Monday as the team prepared for Nations League matches. A months-long disagreement and an ongoing extortion scandal involving Paul Pogba threaten to disrupt France’s preparations for the World Cup in Qatar, AP reports. According to a statement released by Mbappe to France’s national news agency, the star of Paris Saint-Germain will not participate in the photo session with his teammates due to the fact that the French federation did not amend the collective agreement that governs the team’s rights before the World Cup. The lawyer for Mbappe…

Arthur Melo, a 26-year-old midfielder from Brazil, has officially been loaned to Liverpool by Juventus. Melo will join the club during an injury crisis which forced them to search for a player in his position. After moving from Barcelona to Juventus in 2020, Melo has played 63 times for the Italian club. In the early hours of Thursday, Liverpool approached the Brazil international about a medical on Merseyside. Despite Jurgen Klopp’s claims after Wednesday’s win over Newcastle that a midfielder would not be arriving, Henderson’s hamstring injury prompted the late move for Arthur. On Friday, Henderson will undergo a scan.…

Mathias Flueckiger, the Swiss Olympic silver medalist, was provisionally suspended in a doping case ahead of a mountain bike race he was scheduled to compete in. This was at the European Championships on Friday. According to Swiss Cycling, Flueckiger tested positive for Zeranol at the national championships in June. In some countries, zeranol is approved for use in cattle farming to promote growth. A silver medalist at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Flueckiger was in Munich for his event on Thursday when his provisional ban was announced. His Olympic medal is unaffected by the case. The Swiss Cycling Association said earlier…

Police cautioned Christiano Ronaldo after footage showed him knocking a phone from an Everton fan’s hand during a Premier League match in April. Merseyside Police reported Wednesday that the investigation is now closed. The 37-year-old soccer player was interviewed by police officers following the incident at Goodison Park on April 9, where he was accused of assault and criminal damage, according to the Associated Press. According to a clip circulated online of Ronaldo knocking a supporter’s phone to the ground as he walked toward the tunnel after Manchester United’s 1-0 loss, Merseyside Police launched an investigation. As per British law,…

LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers’ forward, recently signed a two-year extension deal worth $97.1 million with the team, according to ESPN. It is understood that his agent, Rich Paul, said that his contract contained an option to extend for another year until the 2024-25 season. Reuters reported that James, who was entering the final year of his current $40 million contract, will be 38 in December, so he can only sign a two-year extension as he will be 38 or older when the contract expires. With $532 million in career guaranteed money, the four-time NBA champion and MVP surpasses…

Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, will announce the African Super League on Wednesday with $100 million in prize money. The project has been in the pipeline since it was first proposed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino in early 2020. However, it has not met with the same derision and outrage as a similar attempt in Europe last year. Only the players’ union in South Africa, in a statement this week, has criticized the plan, stating: “Professional football in South Africa and Africa could be at risk if the resolution is implemented. There may be no return…

Egypt’s U20 football national team defeated Algeria 3-1 in their semi-final match held in Saudi Arabia to qualify for the 2022 U-20 Arab Cup Finals. The Egyptian team led 2-0 after the first half before Algeria scored in the 69th minute of the second half to reduce the score to 2-1. However, the Egyptians succeeded in adding a decisive third goal in the 79th minute to ensure that they would qualify for the final match of the 2022 U-20 Arab Cup against their Saudi counterparts, who beat Palestine 5-0 in the semi-final, on August 6th at the Prince Sultan bin…

Spanish league La Liga title sponsorship will move to EA Sports in 2023-24, according to media reports. According to the league, the video gaming company will replace Spain-based bank Santander, which is entering its final season as the league’s main sponsor. EA Sports signed a multi-year contract with the league, but further details were not immediately available. Marca, a Spanish sports daily, reported that EA Sports will pay 30 million euros ($30.7 million) a season to the Spanish league for rebranding, which includes the first and second divisions, as well as initiatives related to youth squads and e-sports. The new…

Alpine has promoted Oscar Piastri into the Formula One seat. This was opened by Fernando Alonso’s surprise announcement that he is leaving the team at the end of the season. After Alonso signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin, Alpine said it would promote its 21-year-old young talent to race alongside Esteban Ocon in 2023. Piastri did not comment on the Alpine news release or on his social media platforms about the promotion. Although Piastri’s contract is with Alpine, there is speculation he is working on a better deal with another team. After Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement last week,…

As Novak Djokovic began a new campaign two weeks ago, he struggled to regain the mental edge that had eluded him this season. There is no doubt that it has returned. Djokovic recovered from a set down to defeat Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in one of the most eagerly anticipated grand slam finals for neutrals, as he did to win Wimbledon four times in a row. Wimbledon is Djokovic’s second most successful grand slam, and he has now won seven singles titles, equaling Pete Sampras’ record. He is tied with Roger Federer for second on the all-time…