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Aryna Sabalenka looked unbeatable when the clay-court season got underway last month, but now as the world number one arrives in Paris for her latest tilt at winning Roland Garros, her dominance of the women's
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Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen led in a “frustrating” 24-hour racing debut at the famed Nürburgring track before his hopes were ended by a mechanical issue with his car on Sunday.Verstappen had been leading
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The competitions of the UAE Open Muay Thai Championship concluded with remarkable success.The event was organized by the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation over three days at Mubadala Dome, Al Jazira Club in Abu
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Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan played a brilliant knock of 70 while Heinrich Klaasen scored 47 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by five wickets and qualified for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs
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UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, together with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), announces its highly anticipated return to the region with UFC Fight Night Abu
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In a historic achievement that further cements its status as a dominant force in the UAE’s combat sports scene, Fujairah Martial Arts Club successfully retained the Overall Judo Excellence Shield for the fourth consecutive season
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The inclusion of Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances, was the biggest surprise in the 26-man squad named by coach Carlo Ancelotti. Brazil superstar Neymar was handed a dramatic recall to the country's World Cup squad on Monday, returning to the national team after a near three-year absence. The inclusion of Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances, was the biggest surprise in the 26-man squad named by coach Carlo Ancelotti.Ancelotti announced Neymar's selection at a gala ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, with loud cheers ringing out as the veteran attacker's call-up was confirmed. Neymar is picture is displayed on the
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Southampton were on Tuesday expelled from the Championship play-off final after admitting to spying on a training session of semi-final opponents Middlesbrough. Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoffs after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton in the two-legged semi-final, have been re-instated and will now face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world's richest football match.Promotion to the Premier League is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons. Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season. They have also been deducted four points for the start of next season in England's second tier."An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs' training," the EFL said."Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club's training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match. The effect of today's order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kickoff time to be confirmed."The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that "parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on May 20. "Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday's fixture," the statement said.Middlesbrough had called for Southampton's expulsion after having a training session filmed ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.The club said it welcomed the decision. "We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct," Middlesbrough said in a statement. "As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday."Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs. Related Story
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During his 10 years at the Etihad, Pep Guardiola has turned Manchester City into a ruthless winning machine in the world's richest league, backed by the bottomless pockets of the club's Abu Dhabi ownership.(Reuters) Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City with an unparalleled legacy as a manager who has reshaped English football during a decade of relentless success.The Catalan is reportedly in the final days of his Etihad reign, though there has been no official comment from the club, who still have an outside chance of sealing a domestic treble. Guardiola, who has a year left on his contract, has wearily fended off questions over his future for months but it is widely reported that Sunday's match against Aston Villa will be his last.The 55-year-old arrived in Manchester in 2016 as the most sought-after coach in world football following golden stints at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. During his 10 years at the Etihad he has turned City into a ruthless winning machine in the world's richest league, backed by the bottomless pockets of the club's Abu Dhabi ownership.Guardiola has collected 20 trophies including six Premier League titles, bagging an unprecedented four in a row from 2021 to 2024. In 2023 he won the first Champions League trophy in City's history – the third of his career – in addition to the Premier League and FA Cup, matching the treble he won at Barcelona. In doing so City became just the second team in English football history to complete the feat after Manchester United in 1999, ruthlessly underlining the power shift in their own city.Guardiola's rivalry with Jurgen Klopp, whose Liverpool side pushed City to even greater heights with their own swashbuckling brand of "heavy-metal football", was one of the high points of the Premier League era. On Saturday he lifted a third FA Cup at Wembley and is still clinging to the hope that Arsenal will slip up in the Premier League title race. LegacyBut Guardiola's legacy is about so much more than silverware. His brand of slick, possession-based football and insistence on building from the back, even under pressure, is now a core part of the English game from grassroots through to the elite level. And he has been a ceaseless innovator, famously winning the Premier League in 2022 without a recognised centre-forward and using players in unfamiliar and hybrid roles.Guardiola has also imparted his philosophy to a new generation of coaches. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was given his first senior coaching post as the Catalan's assistant at City and Enzo Maresca, tipped to be his successor, was previously a member of his coaching staff. Former City captain Vincent Kompany is flourishing in charge of Bayern Munich while newly appointed Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso worked under him at Bayern.Such has been Guardiola's influence on the English game that he was even linked briefly with taking over as manager of the national team. The City boss remains a hyperactive figure on the touchline, living every moment of every match. Off the pitch he is passionately outspoken on political issues, backing Catalan independence and voicing his support for Palestinian children. He says he wants to use his position to "speak up to be a better society".Guardiola's great mentor and inspiration is late Dutch great Johan Cruyff, who built Barcelona's "Dream Team", which featured locally raised defensive midfielder Guardiola. The City boss himself shies away from the comparison. "Nobody is like Johan," he said. "It's a big compliment you say that, but nobody is like him, the charisma, personality. He changed the mentality of two clubs – Ajax and Barcelona – as a player and as a manager with a charisma that's impossible to replicate."Guardiola may not want to compare himself to Cruyff but the former midfielder is already among a select group of all-time coaching greats. City's season-ending open-top bus parade on Monday may turn into a farewell celebration for the greatest manager of his generation.
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After finishing second for the past three seasons, Mikel Arteta's Gunners have finally made it over the line to end a six-year trophy drought. (Reuters) Arsenal ended their 22-year wait to be crowned Premier League champions on Tuesday after Manchester City were held 1-1 by Bournemouth.City had to win to take the title fight to the final day, but the Cherries extended their unbeaten streak to 17 league games, a run which has secured European football for the first time in the club's history. After finishing second for the past three seasons, Mikel Arteta's Gunners have finally made it over the line to end a six-year trophy drought.Arsenal edged to the brink of the title with an unconvincing 1-0 win over already relegated Burnley on Monday, which took them five points clear of City. The Gunners, who have set the pace for most of the season, have bounced back impressively since losing to City last month, winning four straight league matches without conceding a goal. On Monday, just 48 hours after completing a domestic cup double with victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final, City were rocked by widespread reports that manager Pep Guardiola will depart after a decade in charge at the end of the season. Victory at Wembley on Saturday secured a 20th trophy of Guardiola's glorious reign. But he cannot add to his six Premier League titles when Aston Villa visit the Etihad on Sunday for what is expected to be his final match in charge. Guardiola had warned that fatigue could cost City against a highly motivated Bournemouth, who still have Champions League qualification in their sights for next season. As it stands, Bournemouth will be in the Europa League after ensuring they will finish no lower than seventh. Sixth could be good enough for a place in the Champions League if Aston Villa finish fifth and win Wednesday's Europa League final. City fans forlornly chanted "One more year, Guardiola" in the early stages at the Vitality Stadium in a bid to convince their decorated coach to see out the final season of his contract. But if the travelling fans hoped City's players would be inspired to give Guardiola a glorious goodbye, they were left sorely disappointed. Antoine Semenyo had the ball in the net on his return to Bournemouth but was flagged offside in City's best moment of a flat first half. The home side suddenly sprang to life to open the scoring in the 39th minute. Eli Junior Kroupi curled a brilliant strike into the top corner to set a new record of 13 goals in a debut Premier League season for a teenager. Nico O'Reilly wasted City's best chance of a lifeline when he was denied by Djordje Petrovic just seconds into the second half. Guardiola watched on pensively as his side's title challenge fizzled out with a whimper. After winning what was billed a title decider against Arsenal last month, City put the destiny of the title back in their rivals' hands by drawing 3-3 at Everton. Guardiola looks set to depart having failed to win the league for two consecutive seasons for the first time in his coaching career. Rayan and David Brooks hit the post as Bournemouth should have secured victory in Andoni Iraola's final home game in charge. Erling Haaland's equaliser deep into stoppage time came too little, too late to save City's title challenge. But it was a big goal for Liverpool, who now have a three-point cushion over Bournemouth and a goal difference advantage of six heading into the final day battle to secure a top-five finish and Champions League football. Related Story
