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Mason Greenwood says he is “happy to be here” at Getafe as he was unveiled in front of the home crowd for the first time following his loan move from Manchester United. The 21-year-old made the switch to Spain on deadline day after it was announced last month that he would continue his career away from Old Trafford. Greenwood was suspended by United back in January 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online and faced charges including attempted rape and assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February this year that the case had been discontinued. Greenwood had the opportunity to train in front of the Getafe fans in an open training session on Tuesday and was later unveiled in front of the home supporters alongside fellow new signings Diego Rico and Oscar Rodriguez. The one-cap England international was the last of the three to be unveiled and entered the Coliseum Alfonso Perez to cheers from the Getafe faithful before he waved back and kicked a signed ball into the stand. Greenwood said: “I am very happy to be here. “I have been training for four or five months, I am getting up to speed and have been training with my team-mates and feel quite good. “We take it one game at a time and the next home game is coming in a few weeks and we will try to win and do our best.” Greenwood’s last appearance came for United in a 1-0 win over West Ham in January 2022 and he could make his debut after the international break when Getafe come up against Osasuna on September 17. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Wales boss Warren Gatland has reported a clean bill of health among his World Cup squad heading into the crunch tournament opener against Fiji. Co-captain Dewi Lake and number eight Taulupe Faletau were among a handful of players who nursed injuries during Wales’ World Cup warm-up Tests. Number eight Faletau played no part in those fixtures due to a calf muscle problem, while hooker Lake went off after suffering a knee injury during Wales’ defeat against England at Twickenham. Ryan Elias, Dafydd Jenkins and Gareth Anscombe have also recovered to be available for Sunday’s Pool C clash in Bordeaux. “The last couple of weeks we’ve had a few niggles – we had eight or 10 players not taking a full part in training,” Gatland said. “Nothing serious, but just a few bumps. They’ve all been rehabbed and everyone is now fit, which is a positive place for us to be in. “He (Faletau) has been taking a full part in training for the past three weeks. “There is no doubt in the first week he was blowing pretty hard in terms of some of the set-piece stuff the boys have been doing for a number of weeks. “That has taken a little bit of time, but we’ve kept a close eye on his GPS figures and they have been excellent for him. “Even though he hasn’t been running around, he has done a lot of off-feet conditioning. Some of the work on the side of the pitch is harder than being on the pitch, and he is definitely in contention for the weekend.” Lake departed during the first half at Twickenham, and the hooker added: “It always plays on your mind when you come off injured 20 minutes into a game. “I am very grateful to be sat here, to the medical staff who got me through the three weeks at home and the coaching staff for selecting me post-injury. “A lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to get me ready for this weekend.” Wales trained amid temperatures of more than 30 degrees on Tuesday, while the forecast for Sunday’s encounter is for 28 degrees at kick-off, even though the game does not start until 9pm local time. It is understood that World Cup organisers are considering water breaks during the opening round of pool fixtures. “We would like the ball on the park as often as we could. We think we’re in pretty good shape physically,” Gatland said. “In terms of that, we are not going to push back on water breaks if that’s what is decided. We won’t be arguing with World Rugby on that decision.” It will be a fifth successive World Cup for Wales and Fiji to meet in the pool stage, and Sunday’s victors will take a significant step towards the quarter-finals. Fiji are fresh from an outstanding away victory over England, and they are fancied by many to defeat a Wales side with just three wins from 13 Tests. “I thought they were excellent at Twickenham,” Gatland added. “They have got some great athletes, we are aware of that. “They are a lot more structured now as a team than they would traditionally have been in the past. “We’ve got to impose our game on them as well. We know they are a good side at the moment, and a lot of their side play in Super Rugby and in France as well. It’s going to be an exciting challenge. “They have always had incredibly world-class individual athletes who could open up a game. But bringing that organisation and structure makes them more dangerous. “I think from a coaching perspective, the ultimate pinnacle is the World Cup. It’s the one time in international windows that you get full preparation. “It feels like you’re working with a club side in having a pre-season. We’ve been able to work on a lot of things in the last few months in terms of the detail and putting together a strategy.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Clubs send out wrong message playing footballers accused of abuse – Women’s Aid Shane Lowry defends Ryder Cup selection and says Europe have ‘best 12 players’ Ireland trio Jack Conan, Dan Sheehan and Dave Kilcoyne out of World Cup opener

Paul Finebaum didn't hold back on the TCU Horned Frogs after they were upset in Week 1.

The Spanish Football Federation has sacked women’s manager Jorge Vilda only two weeks after winning the World Cup amid the ongoing Luis Rubiales crisis. Vilda’s entire playing and coaching staff resigned in protest against Rubiales, the Federation (RFEF) president who refused to step down over his conduct during the final in which he kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during Spain’s trophy presentation. He was also pictured handling other players, kissing them on the cheek and grabbing his own crotch in an aggressive celebration. Rubiales has been provisionally suspended by Fifa from all football-related activity and banned from contacting Hermoso or those close to her while an investigation is carried out. In a speech made to RFEF officials and the media, Rubiales refused to resign and hit out at a “witch hunt” against him – and Vilda was pictured in the audience applauding the man who appointed him as head coach of the women’s team in 2015. Vilda later issued a statement condemning Rubiales’ conduct but did not resign, and he has now been removed from his post, according to multiple reports in Spain. Vilda has long been a controversial and unpopular figure among the Spanish squad. His team looked to be on the brink of implosion 12 months ago when 15 players made themselves unavailable for selection, saying that the environment of the national team was having a negative impact on their mental health and emotional wellbeing. They complained about the oppressive nature of Vilda’s managerial regime and were unhappy about how outdated the international set-up seemed. Some of the arrangements, like travelling long distances by bus or not having staff in certain key roles, fell well below their standards at club level and they did not feel the Spanish FA was given them the best chance of fulfilling a unique generation of talent. Other complaints included the coach’s demands that their hotel room doors remain unlocked until midnight, and that their bags were routinely checked. Meanwhile, the current RFEF president, Pedro Rocha, has written a letter distancing the organisation from Rubiales’ actions, saying he is “ashamed” by them. “The damage caused to Spanish football, to Spanish sport, to Spanish society and the values ​​of football and sport as a whole have been enormous,” Rocha’s letter said. “Mr Rubiales’ actions do not represent the values ​​defended by the Spanish federation, nor the values ​​of Spanish society as a whole. “His actions must be attributed solely and exclusively to him, since he is the one solely responsible for those actions before society, before the sports governing bodies and, if applicable, before justice. To be clear, this position was that of Mr Rubiales, not that of the RFEF. We feel especially sorry and ashamed for the pain and additional distress this has caused.” more to follow... Read More Luis Rubiales speaks out to ‘continue defending myself’ over kiss scandal Spain manager asks for ‘forgiveness’ after applauding Luis Rubiales speech Watch: Wiegman dedicates Women’s Coach of the Year award to Spain players

Jordan Henderson has apologised to the LGBTQ+ community after the former Liverpool captain’s move to Saudi Arabia. The England international, who joined Steve Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq this summer in a £12m move, has been a vocal supporter of the community and campaigns to support its inclusion in the sport. Henderson, who has been a leading voice in the Rainbow Laces campaign and has worn a rainbow armband when captaining Liverpool, caused controversy this summer with his move to Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal. “I can understand the frustration [from the LGBTQ+ community],” Henderson told The Athletic. “I can understand the anger. I get it. All I can say around that is that I’m sorry that they feel like that. My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone. My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they have asked for my help. Henderson was one of three Liverpool players to move to the Saudi Pro League, with Fabinho signing for Al-Ittihad and Roberto Firmino linking up with Al-Ahli as a free agent. The 33-year-old, who is yet to score for Al-Ettifaq, has helped Gerrard’s side to a positive start. They are currently sitting fifth in the table after five games. Henderson was cautious when pushed about future involvement in the Rainbow Laces campaign, highlighting the prospect that it could “disrespect the religion and culture in Saudi Arabia”. Henderson also insisted his move to the Saudi Pro League will have a positive impact, but stopped short of predicting any meaningful change. “I think people know what my views and values were before I left and still do now. And I think having someone with those views and values in Saudi Arabia is only a positive thing. I can’t promise anything, but what I can do is sit here and say I have my values and beliefs,” Henderson added. “I’m comfortable knowing exactly what I am and exactly what I stand for. But I get and I can accept not everyone’s going to get that. So that’s why I can only apologise to those people if they feel like that.” Read More Football rumours: Al-Ittihad set to make record £215m bid for Mohamed Salah What Mohamed Salah’s dressing room speech says about Liverpool future Liverpool reinvented as midfield shuffle hints at Jurgen Klopp’s past

England were joined for training by three members of the Under-20 set-up as preparations continued for the matches in Ukraine and Scotland. Gareth Southgate’s side men head to Poland to take on Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Saturday, before heading to Glasgow for a friendly three days later. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish withdrew from the initial 26-man selection on Monday through injury, with 21 of the remaining players taking part in the full session at St George’s Park the following day. Callum Wilson, Bukayo Saka and uncapped Levil Colwill were not involved in training due to load management, with Lewis Hall among the three prospects brought up from the England Under-20s squad to help make up the numbers. The talented 18-year-old left-back joined Newcastle on a season-long loan from Chelsea last month, with an obligation to buy depending on performance-related criteria. Fellow Chelsea product Bashir Humphreys was another involved. The 20-year-old defender is on loan at Sky Bet Championship outfit Swansea. Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine was the other to link up with the senior squad for training. The 19-year-old is currently on loan at League One side Port Vale. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

A few years ago, Declan Rice said he would have passed. Now, however, the £105m man assumed responsibility, shot and, via a deflection off Jonny Evans, gave Arsenal a 96th-minute lead against Manchester United. As Gabriel Jesus scored an even later goal, it was not technically the winner. But Rice was the scorer of the de facto decider in the sort of match that can define seasons and establish reputations. Perhaps particularly for central midfielders, given that it is a fixture that evokes memories of Patrick Vieira against Roy Keane. Vieira scored the winning penalty in an FA Cup final shootout against United; Keane scored a disproportionate number of his United goals – five, almost 10 percent – against Arsenal. Rice’s first in Arsenal colours came at United’s expense. The most expensive Englishman ever can appear something of a throwback player: called a defensive midfielder, but often an all-rounder, in the way the Frenchman and the Irishman were. His post-match interview was conducted next to Keane who, like Graeme Souness, a similarly dominant and brilliant midfielder and another whose punditry could focus more on personalities than tactics, subscribes to the great man theory of history: as a footballing great himself, he tends to argue that matches are determined by the determination of individuals, by a willingness to seize the moment, by winning a personal battle. It suits him to argue games are won by warriors, not formations involving inverted full-backs or box midfielders. Football has grown more complex, the tactical intricacies of managers such as Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola reducing the significance of going mano a mano with the opposition’s alpha male. And yet, in the age of the £100m midfielder, perhaps Rice has a responsibility to be more than just another cog in the wheel, to be the match-winner at least sometimes. If it is simplistic to demand a tangible impact that always equates with his price tag for a player whose contribution stretches far beyond goals and assists, he is nevertheless charged with improving Arsenal. Turning one point into three and winning a game against rivals is a way of doing that. And if philosophies and systems seemed to have reduced the reliance on the individual, there is evidence in the midfields of Arteta and Guardiola that football can still come down to big players producing big deeds at big moments. Ilkay Gundogan spent the first half of his Manchester City career as a neat passer. In the second half, he was transformed into the man for the big occasion, the scorer supreme who could use his footballing intelligence to find space and his technique to finish. It was, in part, why he became captain; by the time of his FA Cup final brace, he felt more Roy of the Rovers than Sergio Busquets. As the defensive midfielder, Rodri’s primary responsibilities were to engineer perpetual possession and to cut off counter-attacks. Yet as the Spaniard grew in stature, he has tended to deliver crucial contributions: most obviously the Champions League final winner and most recently the superb late decider at Sheffield United but a pre-Rice Arsenal can probably still remember and regret his injury-time winner at the Emirates Stadium on New Year’s Day in 2022: if the sense is that managers like Guardiola and Arteta want their midfielders to be elegantly robotic, executing a strategy with practised excellence, the importance of individual interventions is still apparent. Rice need only gaze across the Arsenal midfield to see. Martin Odegaard joined with certain similarities to Gundogan: obviously an assured passer, he has turned himself into an accomplished scorer as well as a regular skipper. The Norwegian’s two goals this season, a nerveless penalty at Crystal Palace and a swift equaliser against United, were signs of his substance, of a capacity to deliver when it matters. That Rice did likewise feels auspicious. He has cost the sort of sum that used to be reserved for attackers. Chelsea created the £100m midfielder and now have two of them, a £222m double act. That can seem the product of a shift in thinking, recognising the significance of dictating a game. But there is still the need to decide it. Enzo Fernandez has shown his incisive passing as he has become increasingly creative: that he only has two assists in their colours is in part a reflection of others’ poor finishing. But the Argentinian has a lone goal himself, and that was against AFC Wimbledon of League Two, while he missed a penalty at West Ham. Moises Caicedo’s Chelsea career has only spanned 205 minutes on the pitch and, while Fernandez has been used as a No 10 of late, the Ecuadorian’s deeper role means he is likely to score fewer goals than the World Cup winner or Rice. Nevertheless, at such a colossal cost, each was bought to make a difference. And when, deep into added time, it seemed Arsenal would drop two points, Rice did. Read More Arrest after Roy Keane allegedly headbutted at Emirates Stadium Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus hopes he has seen the last of knee niggles Declan Rice rises to the moment as Arsenal avoid disastrous slip-up

Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United appears uncertain after a public falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag. It is the latest instalment in what has been a frustrating spell at Old Trafford for the England international. Here, the PA news agency looks at where it has gone wrong. What has happened? Ten Hag did not include Sancho in his squad for Sunday’s game at Arsenal, saying the player had not reached the required “level” in training. This was quickly disputed by Sancho in a strong statement on social media. The 23-year-old claimed he had been made a “scapegoat” for a long time and that claims about his conduct in training were “completely untrue”. Coming after two difficult years at the club, it raised questions over his future. What were the previous issues? Sancho’s United career does not seem to have ignited. Considered one of England’s brightest young prospects, he arrived amid much fanfare in the summer of 2021, but illness initially restricted his involvement. Then there was the turbulence of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being replaced by Ralf Rangnick before Ten Hag’s arrival last summer. Confidence clearly suffered and Sancho was unable to find any consistent form. What has happened under Ten Hag? Sancho’s performances did not significantly improve after Ten Hag’s arrival last summer and he was consequently overlooked for England’s World Cup squad. Ten Hag went on to criticise his “fitness state” and revealed he spent time training away from the squad on an “individual programme”. Since then opportunities have been restricted by the form of Marcus Rashford and further competition from Antony and Alejandro Garnacho. Is wasn’t meant to be this way was it? Absolutely not. Sancho was highly rated in Manchester City’s academy and the club were disappointed to lose him when he opted to join Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Some questioned whether that move was wise and suggested he should have stayed to work under Pep Guardiola, as Phil Foden did, but it seemed to pay off. Sancho had four highly fruitful years in Germany and became an established international. He seemed ready for the move in 2021, but it has simply not gone to plan. What happens next? After going public with his grievances in the way he did, it seems unlikely he will be back in the United side any time soon. He would need to settle his differences with the manager and then convince him he is playing well enough to be selected. That could take time. There have been suggestions a Saudi Arabian club could offer an immediate way out, but there has been no firm interest reported. It could be a quiet few months ahead. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leeds release prop Zane Tetevano to return to New Zealand after heart surgery Chris Dobey keen to bring major darts trophy to St James’ Park Artificial intelligence could replace referees within 30 years – expert

The 45-year-old Japanese is claiming mental incompetence for the Kyoto Animation blaze that killed 36.

Referees could be replaced by robots within the next 30 years, an expert in the field believes. Artificial intelligence is already prominent in officiating, with the use of VAR and goalline technology, but it is expected to heavily increase in the future. With more high-quality data available, it could be possible for matches to be officiated by an AI-powered machine, taking away the need for an on-field human referee. “Computer vision will be more and more effective in the next few years and the number of cameras on the pitch will only increase,” Aldo Comi, chief executive of leading global football analytics provider Soccerment, told the PA news agency. “The amount of data that is tagged and the quality of the models that are trained with that data will increase exponentially and thanks to that you will have AI models that can make refereeing decisions on the back of what they see on the pitch. “So we might get to the point where we don’t need a referee at all. “Before that, you will maybe have a referee but not linesmen, maybe they will be the first to disappear from the game. And you will have the referee connected to the virtual assistant, guiding them to make better decisions. “Ultimately in a matter of 20 or 30 years probably the referee will be just an AI. I am not saying this is positive, I’m just saying it is likely to happen.” The increase of AI and machine learning in football will not be restricted to officiating and it is already present in the game. The use of data analytics have helped the likes of Brighton and Brentford disrupt the established Premier League hierarchy as they have unearthed high-quality signings which they have sold on for significant profits. But the improvement in the integration of data could see managers using a virtual coach to help them with team selection and tactics. “AI can become a source of new ways of thinking about the game in the next few years,” Comi added. “If you give AI enough high-quality data, you will have the possibility to have a virtual assistant, which will have a better understanding of what is going on the pitch. Ultimately in a matter of 20 or 30 years probably the referee will be just an AI Aldo Comi, CEO of data analtyics company Soccerment “By having the data analysed by AI you can train models to better understand what will happen in the future, for example understanding the probabilities of what is happening in the next five or 10 minutes. “By having this predictive analytics, the AI can give you a so-called prescriptive analytics. It says, ‘Things are expected to go this way, in order to improve your chances I have 10 ideas’. “That could be swapping two players or changing the structure of the team. “The things that the AI suggests will be filtered by the assistant coach and then pass on the information to the manager and it will be up to him to accept. “There will be AI, but not replacing professionals, but it is more of a high-quality support. The clubs that can get this sport will outperform the ones that refrain from having it.” Comi, whose company serve several Serie A and Serie B clubs, says that people will need to learn to trust AI but the evidence of it working is already out there. He added: “It will take time to trust, but in the same way with data analytics, there are enough positive cases to say that you can out-perform the others, we have seen it with Brentford and Brighton. “The advantage that AI can give you is X times more important than data analytics.” :: Soccerment has launched a new platform, xvalue.ai, which has introduced never seen before metrics such as Gegenpressing Intensity (GPI), Expected Offensive Value Added (xOVA), Gegenpressing Efficiency (GPE) and BuildUp Disruption Percentage (BDP%), providing users with more data insights than ever before. For more details visit www.soccerment.com Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football rumours: Al-Ittihad set to make record £215m bid for Mohamed Salah Joe McCarthy delighted after wrestling his way into Ireland’s World Cup squad On This Day in 2020: Ian Bell announces intention to retire from cricket

The No. 9 Clemson Tigers started off the 2023 season in the worst way possible, losing 28-7 to the Duke Blue Devils.

Duke quarterback Riley Leonard gave the Blue Devils a third-quarter lead over the No. 9 Clemson Tigers with an incredible touchdown run.