List of All Articles with Tag 'port'

Third-seeded Jessica Pegula lost to Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-3 in the third round of the French Open

The highlight of Game 1 for Jamal Murray came when he dribbled into the middle, planted his surgically repaired left knee in the paint, made a full clockwise turn, then faded away and swished a mid-range jumper

As birthday presents go, defeating the world No. 1 and five-time world champion must rank up there among the best for chess grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh.

Polish referee will keep his role in charge of the Champions League final after apologising for appearing at a far-right event in Poland. Marciniak spoke at a recent event organised by a Polish far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen. Uefa appointed Marciniak last month to referee the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan in Istanbul, which takes place next Saturday, 10 June. He said in a statement: “I want to express my deepest apologies for my involvement and any distress or harm it may have caused. “Upon reflection and further investigation, it has become evident that I was gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question. I had no knowledge that it was associated [with] a Polish extreme-right movement. Had I been aware of this fact, I would have categorically declined the invitation. “It is important to understand that the values promoted by this movement are entirely contrary to my personal beliefs and the principles I strive to uphold in my life. I am deeply remorseful for any perception that my participation may have contradicted them.” Mentzen, co-chairman of the Confederation party, launched the political slogan ‘We stand against Jews, gays, abortion, taxation and the European Union’. Anti-racism group Never Again had urged Uefa to drop Marciniak after claiming he had promoted and was one of the keynote speakers at an event held by Mentzen at the International Congress Centre in Katowice. But Marciniak has kept his role and Uefa said: “After conducting a thorough review, we have received a statement from Mr Marciniak expressing his deepest apologies and providing a clarification regarding his involvement in the event.” Marciniak, 42, became the first Polish referee to take charge of a World Cup final in Qatar last December when Argentina beat France on penalties. He refereed the second leg of City’s semi-final win against Real Madrid and has taken charge of seven other Champions League fixtures. Read More Erling Haaland: Winning treble with Manchester City would be my biggest dream Why Man City’s FFP case could be another Super League moment for football

UEFA has confirmed referee Szymon Marciniak will remain in charge of next week’s Champions League final after investigating his alleged links with a far-right movement. Marciniak was under review after speaking at a recent event organised by Polish far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen and his role as match official for Manchester City’s clash with Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10 was in doubt. But UEFA is satisfied that Marciniak had been “gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question” and will keep the 42-year-old Pole as referee. UEFA said: “Following Mr. Marciniak’s statement, UEFA acknowledges his profound apologies and clarification. “UEFA also reached out to “NEVERAGAIN,” an NGO affiliated with the FARE network, which raised the initial concerns about Mr. Marciniak’s involvement in the event. “They requested that Mr. Marciniak remain in his role as the referee for the upcoming UEFA Champions League final, firmly asserting that removing him would undermine the promotion of anti-discrimination. “Based on the information provided, UEFA confirms that Mr. Marciniak will fulfil his role as the referee for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.” It is important to understand that the values promoted by this movement are entirely contrary to my personal beliefs and the principles I strive to uphold in my life Champions League final referee Szymon Marciniak The organiser of the event at which Marciniak was a guest speaker, co-chairman of the Confederation party Mentzen, launched the political slogan ‘We stand against Jews, gays, abortion, taxation and the European Union’. Anti-racism group Never Again had urged UEFA to drop Marciniak after the event at the International Congress Centre in Katowice. Marciniak said in a statement: “I want to express my deepest apologies for my involvement and any distress or harm it may have caused. “Upon reflection and further investigation, it has become evident that I was gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question.

The Premier League has joined refereeing body PGMOL in condemning abuse directed at Anthony Taylor after video footage emerged of him being accosted by angry fans at Budapest Airport. Taylor and his family can be seen trying to evade a mob, who were shouting at him as he travelled home after refereeing Wednesday night’s Europa League final between Roma and Sevilla in the Hungarian capital. A Premier League spokesperson said it was “shocked and appalled by the abuse suffered by Taylor, whilst PGMOL described the incident as “unjustified and abhorrent”. The Premier League official was criticised for his performance in the final by Roma boss Jose Mourinho during his post-match press conference after the Italian side lost on penalties to Sevilla. And in video footage which later emerged on social media, the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is seen gesticulating at Taylor and officials in the stadium car park and heard saying “disgrace”. In the incident at the airport, clips on Twitter show a chair and drinks being thrown in the direction of Taylor and his group as they make their way through a gathering of Roma fans. A Premier League spokesperson said: “We are shocked and appalled by the unacceptable abuse directed at Anthony Taylor and his family as they travelled back from the UEFA Europa League Final. “No one should have to suffer the inexcusable behaviour they had to endure yesterday. “Anthony is one of our most experienced and accomplished match officials and we fully support him and his family.” The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said in a statement on Thursday evening: “PGMOL is aware of videos circulating on social media showing Anthony Taylor and his family being harassed and abused at Budapest Airport. “We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final. “We will continue to provide our full support to Anthony and his family.” UEFA is awaiting Taylor’s reports before deciding whether to take action against Mourinho for his rant. Taylor booked Mourinho during the game, which finished 1-1 after extra time before Sevilla sealed their seventh Europa League triumph by winning 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out. Tempers simmered on and off the pitch in a disappointing final, with 13 players shown yellow cards, seven of them to Roma players, while fourth official Michael Oliver had his work cut out to keep control of both dug-outs. The game was littered with delays, with a total of 25 minutes’ stoppage time added to the 120 minutes of playing time. West Ham boss David Moyes condemned the treatment of Taylor as he prepares his side for Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina in Prague. “I didn’t see the game so I can’t comment on the game itself or the officiating,” Moyes said. “All referees have a really difficult job and shouldn’t be put through any difficult situations, which I heard about this morning. That’s not correct.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Discipline is key for David Moyes as West Ham promise fair play in Prague final Champions League final referee could be removed over alleged far-right links Jude Bellingham determined to inspire the next generation of footballers

Polish soccer referee Szymon Marciniak has apologized for speaking at a business event tied to a far-right politician and was confirmed by UEFA to officiate next week's Champions League final

Tom Brady has shut down speculation and rumors of a potential return to football.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that the league has "uncovered a fair amount of additional information" in relation to Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant and a video which surfaced on social media in May appearing to show him flashing a gun while in a vehicle with others.

Champions League final referee Szymon Marciniak has support from Poland’s government as UEFA considers removing him from the match because he spoke at a business event run by a far-right politician

Fernando Alonso is riding a wave of enthusiasm that this Spanish Grand Prix can finally end his decade-long wait for a Formula One victory

Jude Bellingham says his career arc is evidence of the mindset that anything is possible as the England teenager looks to win it all. From homegrown hero with Birmingham to teenage star at German giants Borussia Dortmund, the 19-year-old midfielder’s inexorable rise shows few signs of abating. There are few more exciting prospects in world football than Bellingham, who has already established himself as a key component for trophy-hungry England and was named Bundesliga Player of the Year after just missing out on the league title. “The goal has always been winning,” Bellingham told the PA news agency. “When you ask me what my biggest ambitions are in the game, it’s to win everything. And I’m not afraid to say that. “You know, everyone should have that goal I feel like as professional footballers. “I’ll do my best to try and make it happen and if it doesn’t then it won’t be because I haven’t worked hard for it. “But, yeah, I’d say records and stuff and individual records don’t excite me like trophies do, so I think that’s the goal for me.” Bellingham, who was speaking before the Bundesliga finale, knows individual honours and records may well come along the years, with England team-mates often suggesting he could break Peter Shilton’s 125-cap record given he has made 24 appearances already. But accomplishments like that are at the back of his mind as he looks to maximise his ability and opportunities. “Football’s my life, really,” said Bellingham, who hopes to inspire the next generation in his role as ambassador for the McDonald’s Fun Football programme – a programme that provides free, inclusive football coaching for children aged five to 11 across more than 1,500 locations in the UK. “I think I’ve put too much into it so far just to stop and accept that I’m going to play at a certain level and only going to win so much. “So, I feel like the mentality that my parents and friends around me have always put into me is go after everything.” That mindset and his whirlwind journey to date means he has little chance to take stock on his career – something he hopes to do with family and friends this summer. “There are things I had to deal with as part of German life,” Bellingham said of the move to Dortmund in 2020. “I probably dealt with that more behind the scenes than in front of cameras and stuff like that, so I’m really grateful that I had such good people around me. “I had good club staff at the time, obviously I had Jadon (Sancho) who was here before me from England and he kind of showed me the ropes and made me feel comfortable. As soon as I was comfortable, really, I just let my football do the talking.” Bellingham has certainly done that, thriving in BVB’s famous black and yellow shirt with his leadership qualities helping him to become the youngest ever player to captain the side. “I think the key to that has been availability,” Bellingham said in a self-deprecating manner. “I think because I’m available a lot of the time it means that I’m on the pitch and I can show what I do every game. Whilst the team around me gets rotated, I’m more of a mainstay. “I think you gain respect from that, in all honesty, and obviously my performance has been good enough to warrant that. “The coach must have seen other things that he likes to give me that responsibility and whenever I’ve played, I don’t think the armband changes me. “So, yeah, you’re taking a little bit more responsibility, but I enjoy it. It’s a beautiful pressure that you want on you that I wanted since I started playing football. “Especially in the Champions League games – it’s the biggest stage, for me – and to have that pressure is really enjoyable.” Bellingham takes a lot of pride in his path from St Andrew’s to Signal Iduna Park. Life in Germany has been eye-opening and his success there has silenced those that attempted to dissuade him from fulfilling his lofty aspirations. When put to Bellingham that he seems to have the mentality that anything is possible, he said: “Well, I think that I am kind evidence of that, really. “I think if I didn’t have that mentality I wouldn’t have been able to get from the Championship to where I’m at now, thankfully, in the space of two or three years. “When you’re saying it three years ago everyone’s calling you naive and telling you that you need to slow down a little bit. “But when you put your mind to it and you work hard at it, it doesn’t seem so crazy when it actually happens. So that’s the goal for me to try and continue to chase my dreams.” :: Jude Bellingham was speaking at a McDonald’s Fun Football session to announce his role as an ambassador for the UK’s largest grassroots participation programme for 5-11 year-olds. Find your nearest free session at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/football Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jude Bellingham determined to inspire the next generation of footballers Leeds confirm Sam Allardyce will not be staying on as manager De Bruyne v Casemiro and Haaland v Varane – The key FA Cup final battles