Portugal’s Portimão Circuit has secured a surprise return to Formula 1’s calendar on a two-year deal in 2027.

Portimão previously featured in 2020-21, as a stand-in circuit during the pandemic-hit years, with Lewis Hamilton victorious on both occasions.

It was dropped from 2022 as Formula 1 returned to a more conventional schedule, but on Tuesday officials announced that it will return on a two-year deal for 2027 and 2028.

Portugal will effectively replace the Dutch Grand Prix on the schedule, which will be discontinued after 2026, following a six-year stretch.

“I’m delighted to see Portimão return to the Formula 1 calendar and for the sport to continue to ignite the passion of our incredible Portuguese fanbase,” said Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali.

“The circuit delivers on-track excitement from the first corner to the chequered flag, and its energy lifts fans out of their seats.”

The permanent 15-turn circuit, which features substantial elevation change across its flowing 2.9-mile layout, was well-received among drivers during its prior two-year appearance.

“We are thrilled to welcome Formula 1 back to Portugal,” said Portimão CEO Jaime Costa. “Portimão’s unique ‘rollercoaster’ layout will challenge the best drivers in the world and create a spectacle that fans will love. We look forward to creating unforgettable moments and setting new standards of excellence on and off the track.”

What of other events?

Portugal’s short-term deal is effectively a like-for-like replacement for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Organizers at Zandvoort opted to call time on the event after a highly successful return, with the 2026 running—which will feature a Sprint race—to be the sixth and final grand prix of its existing iteration.

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Formula 1 will move the Spanish Grand Prix to the new semi-permanent Madring circuit from 2026, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya remaining under the clumsy Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix name for one year.

Barcelona is out of contract after 2026, meaning there is ostensibly one remaining vacancy on any 24-event 2027 calendar, and officials in the Catalan capital have been keen to stay in the mix.

Belgium’s quirky four events in six years deal means that there is also a free calendar slot in 2028 and 2030.

Formula 1 has been involved in discussions with authorities in Thailand for a few years over bringing the championship to the streets of capital Bangkok. Proposals have been at an advanced stage but no deal has yet been signed, with 2028 understood to be the earliest year in which a prospective grand prix would debut.

The championship still remains keen to return to Africa, for the first time since 1993, but these remain long-term plans.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which was held five times in six years at Imola, was discontinued after 2025.

Scottish middle-distance runner Josh Kerr is among the biggest creditors owed by Grand Slam Track after the league filed for bankruptcy last week, with the Briton owed $218,750.

Documents filed to the bankruptcy court in Delaware on Monday included a list of the 20 creditors with the largest unsecured claims, with Kerr and six other athletics stars collectively owed millions by GST.

American sprint star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is owed $356,250, with compatriots Gabby Thomas – the Olympic 200m champion – and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden – who won gold in the 100m and 200m at this year’s World Championships – still owed $249,375 and $190,625 respectively. Each athlete won individual events as well as one or more of the Slams, with Kerr having won the Miami Slam and the 1500m race in Miami, with a total prize of $150,000 across those two meets alone.

One broadcast company is owed over $3m, with the total amount owed to the top 20 creditors nearing $10m. The documents show that there are between 200 and 999 creditors, with the total amount owed between $10m and $50m.

GST, which was founded and launched by multiple Olympic champion Michael Johnson in 2024, filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a US court last week following months of financial issues.

The league’s first event had taken place in Kingston, Jamaica in April of this year, though a major financial backer withdrew its support after the event, with attendance having been poor.

Subsequent meets took place in Miami and Philadelphia, with the latter cut from three days to two, but the final event of the season, which was scheduled for Los Angeles in June, was cancelled.

Johnson later admitted that GST could not afford to pay its athletes, despite the league having promised up to $12.6m in prize money.

The Chapter 11 filing gives GST the chance to reorganise and “stabilise its finances” rather than go through liquidation, with a statement from GST explaining that the league also wants to use the process to “ implement a more efficient cost and operating model, and position GST for long-term success”.

Manchester City and Italy international goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has been crowned as The Best Men’s Goalkeeper for 2025 by FIFA.

The prestigious individual honour caps a remarkable 12-month period for the 26-year-old, who has firmly established himself as one of world football’s dominant figures. Donnarumma’s consistency, coupled with his ability to deliver in decisive moments, saw him rise above a field of elite competitors in a fiercely contested category.

The award is determined following a global voting process involving national team coaches, captains, journalists, and supporters, underlining the scale of recognition behind Donnarumma’s achievement. It also reflects how highly his performances have been regarded across different leagues and competitions during a qualifying period which ran from August 2024 through to early August 2025.

During that timeframe, Donnarumma enjoyed an extraordinary run of success prior to his move to Manchester City having been a central figure in Paris Saint-Germain’s domestic dominance, playing a decisive role as the French giants secured another Ligue 1 title alongside Coupe de France and Trophée des Champions triumphs.

His campaign reached its pinnacle on the European stage, where his performances were instrumental in PSG’s historic UEFA Champions League success, including a commanding clean sheet in the final.

Speaking to ManCity.com after receiving the award this week, Gianluigi Donnarumma reacted, “It is a great honour to win this prestigious award and I would like to thank everybody that voted for me.”

The Italian continued, “I feel extremely proud to have been named as the best in the world and ahead of such wonderful goalkeepers too who I have great respect and admiration for.

“It was an incredible year, one that will live long in my memory, and it’s touching to be recognised for my role in the success achieved over that period.

“I will truly appreciate this acknowledgement and look ahead now to achieving more success with my new club Manchester City.”

Gianluigi Donnarumma’s transition to the Etihad Stadium has done little to slow his momentum. Since arriving, the Italian has quickly adapted to Pep Guardiola’s demands and intensity of the Premier League, producing a series of assured performances that have helped City climb into the upper reaches of the domestic table while maintaining a strong presence in European competition.

This latest accolade adds to an already glittering year on the individual stage with Donnarumma named in the 2025 FIFPRO Men’s World 11 and claiming the Yashin Trophy earlier in the season.

For Manchester City supporters, the recognition provides added validation that the club have secured not just a proven winner, but arguably the finest goalkeeper of his generation. Looking ahead, Donnarumma’s focus will quickly return to collective success rather than personal honours.

With major domestic and European objectives still to be pursued, Manchester City’s No.25 will be expected to continue delivering at the very highest level. If his current trajectory is maintained, this FIFA award may prove to be just one chapter in what could become a defining era of dominance for both player and club.

NEED TO KNOW

• Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is recovering from surgery after tearing his ACL on his left knee
• The injury happened during the Chiefs' game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14
• The Dallas Cowboys' head team physician, Dr. Dan Cooper, performed the surgery, per ESPN, with a league source telling the outlet that Dr. Cooper also repaired the torn LCL in the quarterback’s left knee

Patrick Mahomes is recovering from surgery following his latest injury.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, 30, has had surgery after tearing his ACL on his left knee during his team's Dec. 14 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs shared in an update on X on Monday, Dec. 15.

“Patrick Mahomes successfully underwent surgery in Dallas this evening with Dr. Dan Cooper to repair the tear in his left ACL,” the team wrote, adding that Mahomes “will begin his rehab process immediately.”

Dr. Dan Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys' head team physician, performed the surgery, ESPN reported. Dr. Cooper also repaired the torn LCL in the quarterback’s left knee, a league source told the outlet.

PEOPLE has reached out to Mahomes for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Mahomes was injured in a tackle as he attempted to secure a touchdown for his team in the final two minutes of Sunday's game, pulling him out of the ninth season. He was helped off the field and replaced by Gardner Minshew.

The Chiefs subsequently confirmed in a post on X on Monday, Dec. 15, that an MRI revealed that Mahomes had a torn ACL in his left knee. "Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options," the team wrote at the time.

Mahomes’ injury comes after he had been experiencing issues with the same knee throughout the season.

He later addressed his injury on X, writing, “Don’t know why this had to happen. And not going to lie, it hurts. But all we can do now is trust in God and attack every single day over and over again.”

“Thank you, Chiefs kingdom, for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I will be back stronger than ever ⏰,” added Mahomes.

The expected period of recovery for this type of injury is around nine months, leaving Mahomes’ appearance in the next NFL season from September 2026 up in the air.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid told ESPN that he thinks Mahomes could be fully recovered by next season if he commits to rehab.

"You've just got to put as much diligence into the rehab process," said Reid. "I always feel like the faster you rehab, the faster you can get back to practicing the sport that you know you love. But that requires an all-out commitment.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Reid said that Mahomes is "in a good place" following his injury, but "feels like he let people down,” he continued, adding that the quarterback “is ready for the challenge ahead.”

"He'll attack it, just like he does everything else … He'll get after it, and he's got good people here to rehab him. He'll be right on top of all of that,” said Reid.

Read the original article on People

Strathpeffer Paralympic cyclist Fin Graham has been named para athlete of the year at the Scottish Sports Awards.

The recognition from national agency Sportscotland comes after the 26-year-old secured a fourth consecutive C3 road race world title in Belgium.

The former Dingwall Academy pupil has now won eight world championships in four years.

Last year Graham won a gold and silver medal during the Paralympic Games in France and was awarded an MBE in the King's New Years Honour list.

• Graham wins fourth successive road race world title
• Paralympic gold medallist visits his old school

The forthcoming weeks were always going to be a test for us with both Idrissa Gana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye at Afcon, but that test may have just become a whole lot more difficult after Saturday's defeat to Chelsea.

Seeing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – our most in form player – gingerly leave the pitch with an apparent hamstring injury, was a sight Evertonians feared and maybe even more so, David Moyes.

With the aforementioned Gana Gueye and Merlin Rohl both unavailable, losing Dewsbury-Hall leaves options in midfield seriously thin on the ground.

Not only are we navigating the precarious situation above, James Garner is one yellow card away form serving a one match suspension.

Post match whispers also highlighted a potential issue for Jack Grealish.

It's the stuff of nightmares for the manager.

Even with a full squad to pick from, numbers would still be relatively small compared to most Premier League sides.

With the squad rebuild only one transfer window deep, we were always going to have moments in the season when we were stretched.

The same players are being pushed every single week, with little room for a reshuffle to help with player recovery.

The next couple of weeks will be a real test for both the manager and players.

With Arsenal visiting Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, it will be a tough ask for us to come away with anything more than a point, but games beyond then offer a real opportunity to pick up points.

The void left by others represents an opportunity for the likes of Tyler Dibling, Dwight McNeil and Tim Iroegbunam to really cement a place in the starting XI.

Time for Moyes to earn the big bucks.

Find more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity

Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi was not with his Gunners teammates at their open training this morning, according to Sky Sports journalist Sam Blitz. However, there are no suggestions that the Spaniard is injured as he was doing work elsewhere, with his training load being managed. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be praying none of his players get injured going forward but Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes remain unavailable and did not train today.

Martin Zubimendi was not in Arsenal open training this morning, but it's said he was doing work elsewhere. Not the first time his training load has been managed this season.

Still no Havertz or Gabriel. Today is Arsenal's first day back training post-Wolves after two days off. pic.twitter.com/YTgyxUEEqY

— Sam Blitz (@SamBIitz) December 16, 2025

Arsenal secured a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on Saturday and the players returned to training this morning after two days off. Cristhian Mosquera also remains out of action, but Havertz is pushing hard to return before the end of the year. Gabriel could also be available in the coming weeks, but Zubimendi is expected to feature against Everton on Saturday. The Gunners travel to Hill Dickinson Stadium to take on the Toffees and will be desperate to leave with all three points.

They host Crystal Palace in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup afterwards before Premier League home games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa.

Four matches into an eight-game December, and Crystal Palace can claim four victories, three actual ones and one "Graham Potter" xG win over Manchester City, which naturally doesn't count.

Despite the brutality of a 3-0 home defeat, the team can take plenty of positives, even if they didn't take their respective chances. It can be deemed as a bit of turbulence on their journey, rather than the literal plane that didn't take off last Thursday evening in Dublin.

However, the casualties of such a congested schedule are mounting. Daniel Munoz has joined the knee-injury-surgery support group, while the team will hope the hamstring injury suffered by Daichi Kamada sees a quick recovery. Ismaila Sarr did make a sharp return, though mainly to Senegal's benefit, as he joins them for Afcon.

Thursday's game against the newly crowned Finnish champions KuPS, followed by Leeds United 48 hours later, is the most difficult pair of fixtures for Oliver Glasner to manage logistically. Twice publicly, he has stated that he plans to make 11 changes between matches. Whether that is possible, given the squad's constraints, remains to be seen.

The KuPS game itself is a must-win fixture to achieve a top-eight finish in the Conference League, and Glasner has been reluctant to grant academy players minutes as a form of charity. Players have had to earn that opportunity.

The Shelbourne match gave a debut to 17-year-old forward Benji Casey, who leapfrogged players in older age brackets, to travel with the senior squad. Casey, by reputation, even at a young age, fits the Justin Devenny or Rio Cardines prototype – exhibiting professionalism and maturity in his football. That is likely to ingratiate any player, junior or senior, with this manager and staff.

With great fixture congestion certainly comes opportunity. It is up to the players on the fringes to grasp it on Thursday evening.

Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast

Welcome back to the 2025-26 edition of Smash or Pass, in which we examine potential free agent and trade targets to determine whether the Red Sox should pursue them and what it would take to land them. Next up, a left-handed pitcher to pair with Garrett Crochet who has been mentioned in Red Sox-Royals trade rumors.

Who is he and where does he come from?

Cole Ragans is a left-handed pitcher from Gainesville, Florida. He threw 64 innings with the Texas Rangers between 2022 and 2023 before being shipped to Kansas City in exchange for fellow massive southpaw Aroldis Chapman. He’s started 57 games for the Royals in the 2.5 seasons since.

Is he any good?

If I were a GM, I would need to have someone on staff to say, “Jake, the pitching staff can’t be entirely gigantic lefties.” You could say I have a type. Cole Ragans is that type. Now, not all big lefties are created equally. Some, such as Payton Tolle, haven’t quite figured out the arsenal past the heater. Others, such as Garrett Crochet, have secondary pitches to complement the big fastball. The final evolution of the big lefty is the one who has a good fastball, a breaking pitch, and a devastating changeup. That’s Tarik Skubal.

Ragan’s fastball isn’t as overpowering as Skubal’s, but his changeup is nearly as good. He uses the pitch 24% of the time against righties, getting swinging strikes on almost 30% of his offerings. He does it with a 44% zone rate on the pitch, so even when it’s in hittable locations, opponents can’t touch it. It wasn’t just a small sample size fluke, either. Righties whiffed at a similar rate in 2024 when the pitch accounted for even more of his arsenal.

It’s not just the changeup, though. His fastball averages about 95 mph, reaching 99 mph at times. The shape isn’t an outlier, but it exhibits two-plane movement and misses bats thanks to velocity and command. He throws the pitch about 50% of the time for a strike rate in the high 60s to righties. Last season, the swinging strike rate was 18% against them, though his 2024 mark of 14% is probably a more realistic expectation. For reference, Skubal’s 2025 mark was the next best among qualifiers at 16.2%; Garrett Crochet came in third at 14.5%. It’s a dominant fastball.

But wait, there’s more. Ragans features a curveball and slider against righties as well. The curveball was used mostly in early counts, but he occasionally spiked one in two-strike counts as well. The strike rate was abysmal at about 50%, but nobody made hard contact against it either. It faded from his repertoire as the season progressed; I wouldn’t be surprised to see it disappear entirely in 2026. The slider, however, was great. It was almost exclusively a putaway pitch, and it did exactly that. The swinging strike rate was massive at 23% against righties. That number will also come down, like the fastball, but it’s a great offering nonetheless.

What about lefties, though? Opponents tend to stack their lineups with righties against Ragans, despite him having reverse platoon splits. His fastball doesn’t miss bats at nearly the same rate, and he doesn’t use the changeup that’s such a weapon against righties. His slider is good, but there isn’t enough in the arsenal for him to throw strikes with. Is there a world in which he can throw the changeup in the zone to same-handed hitters? The Red Sox don’t throw same-handed changeups, but it could be an option. He could add a sinker; it worked for Crochet. It also might not matter that much. There’s probably some selection bias at play here. He doesn’t see many lefties, so the ones who do remain in the lineup are probably the best of the best. The group of lefties that hit against Ragans posted a cumulative .760 OPS on the season, higher than the league mark of .719. That’s probably not sound statistical analysis, but you get the point.

So, why was his ERA so high? It’s pretty simple, actually. He was hurt. In May, he had two starts where he allowed four runs over five innings. Each start featured decreased velocity. He hit the IL after the second of the two poor outings, and when he returned, he gave up five runs in three innings, with his velocity still lacking. He again hit the IL, but pitched well in his final three starts when he returned in September. Chalk it up to a lost season in which he never got a chance to get his legs under him. Health is a concern, but he’s a pitcher, and health is a concern for every pitcher. He’s good.

TL;DR, just give me his 2025 stats

13 GS, 31.2 IP, 4.67 ERA, 38.1% K%, 7.8% BB%, 2.50 FIP

Why would he be a good fit for the Red Sox?

Ragans is under control for the next three seasons. He’s making about $5 million this season and about $8 million next season before his final year of arbitration. Like it or not (don’t like it, why would you like it?), the Red Sox are operating with salary constraints. The lineup still has holes, so if you want Alex Bregman back, you’ll have to live with an inexpensive starting pitcher. The Twins don’t seem motivated to move Joe Ryan, so Cole Ragans is at the top of that list.

Also, he’s awesome? He struck out 100 hitters in 60 innings. What team would that not be a good fit for?

Why wouldn’t he be a good fit on the Red Sox?

Is he too similar to Garrett Crochet? I know that sounds crazy because Crochet is a top-five pitcher in the world, but does having two lefties with similar arm slots pitching on back-to-back days help an opposing offense? My gut says probably not, but maybe there’s something to it. I’m not sure I know how to code well enough to research that, but I might try. Let me get back to you. Or don’t. As I said, he’s a good fit for every team, but the template provides this section, and I’m paid by the word, so that’s what I came up with.

What would it take to get him?

There are rumors that the Royals are interested in Jarren Duran. Pitching is expensive, and I think there would probably be some prospects changing hands as well, but I’m terrible at estimating these things. Go on Twitter and find one of the 100,000 mock trades that have been posted that will also probably be wrong.

Show me a cool highlight.

Here he is striking out 12 batters in 2024, a career high. In 2025, he struck out double-digit batters in five of his 13 starts.

Smash or Pass?

Last year, I sat here and compared myself to a cartoon wolf with its eyes bursting out of its head at the thought of trading for Garrett Crochet. The comment section — that’s right, you guys are getting held accountable — mostly pooh-poohed the idea. If it weren’t for the other lefty with an out-of-this-world changeup in Tarik Skubal, he would have won the American League Cy Young. This year, Cole Ragans trade rumors have me levitating off the ground and drifting toward the metaphorical irresistible pie on the windowsill. Roster construction aside, this is a guy you want on your team. SMASH.

The Cleveland Browns went into Week 15 with the hope that QB Shedeur Sanders could build on his great Week 14 performance, DE Myles Garrett could continue his chase of the NFL’s single-season sack record, and with their 2026 NFL draft order rooting interest in a number of games. Instead, the Browns offense struggled with Sanders, Garrett “only” got 1.5 sacks, and Cleveland didn’t get much NFL draft positioning help while getting destroyed by the Chicago Bears.

Browns fans have a lot of thoughts about Sanders’ performance, but all that matters is how the organization sees him, especially if they are in a position to select a quarterback high in this year’s draft.

With all three teams in front of them in the 2026 NFL draft order, Cleveland remained with the fourth overall position heading into Week 16. With the Jacksonville Jaguars continuing their winning ways, running their record to 10-4, the Browns second first-round pick is likely to be decided by how the NFL playoffs play out.

With the completion of Monday Night Football, here is the current 2026 NFL draft order:

Updated NFL Draft order

1. New York Giants: 2-12
2. Las Vegas Raiders
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Cleveland Browns: 3-11
5. New York Jets
6. Arizona Cardinals
7. New Orleans Saints: 4-10
8. Washington Commanders
9. Cincinnati Bengals
10. Atlanta Falcons (goes to the Los Angeles Rams): 5-9
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Kansas City Chiefs
13. Minnesota Vikings
14. Dallas Cowboys
15. Baltimore Ravens
16. Carolina Panthers
17. Detroit Lions
18. Indianapolis Colts (goes to the Jets)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
21. Philadelphia Eagles
22. Houston Texans
23. Green Bay Packers (goes to the Cowboys)
24. Buffalo Bills
25. Chicago Bears
26. Los Angeles Chargers
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (goes to the Browns)
29. New England Patriots
30. Seattle Seahawks
31. Los Angeles Rams
32. Denver Broncos

Cleveland finishes their schedule with two teams currently locked into NFL playoff spots (Bills, Steelers) and the four-win Bengals. The increased Strength of Schedule based on those three games could impact NFL draft order tiebreakers.

The Giants and Raiders play each other in Week 17, while the Titans and Saints matchup that week as well. Las Vegas and Tennessee also play Kansas City, who are out of the playoffs and will be without QB Patrick Mahomes, after a concerning knee injury at the end of their Week 15 contest.

Given all the variables, the Browns could end up with the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft if they lose out in their last three games this year.

With all Week 15 games in the book, we have our Week 16 2026 NFL draft order all set.

Where do you think the Browns end up selecting in the 2026 NFL draft?

It's now Tuesday, but the big story at Chelsea remains the comments Enzo Maresca made on Saturday evening.

In his press conference after a fairly routine win over Everton, the coach unexpectedly turned an anodyne question about Malo Gusto's performance into a launch-pad for a stark statement about how the last 48 hours had been his "worst," at Chelsea, due to a lack of "support".

It wasn't quite clear what he meant - pressed for more details, he clarified he wasn't talking about support from the fans. But that was all he would say, and Monday's presser previewing Tuesday's EFL Cup game against Cardiff saw him resist all opportunities to elaborate.

The best explanation, based on the whispers coming from journalists with contacts at Chelsea, is that the coach feels he's been hung out to dry by the club's transfer policy - he's the one criticised when rotation costs the team results, when actually it's the squad he's been given which is too callow to have the depth needed to win in midweek Champions League games as well as the Premier League matches at the weekend.

Evidently he wants "support" in the form of the club making it clear (perhaps publicly, perhaps privately) that he's working within those restraints. A highly competitive man still trying to prove his ability as a manager wants it made obvious that he's operating with a handicap compared to some of his rivals. There's also some talk of the well known division within the ownership pulling the project in two different directions, with Maresca left in the middle to take the flak.

It's amazing to see a coach who was appointed as a company man, who has yet to step out of line, suddenly shine a light on those above him. It will all be smoothed over and the media will move on if there are a couple of good results this week. But whatever happens now, that first shot has been fired and can't be taken back.

Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News

Being a long-term, match going supporter of a Premier League club in 2025 – or 'legacy fan' to coin a popular phrase - often feels like you are taken for granted.

Matches are rescheduled to suit broadcasters without a thought for away fans. Teams chase new supporters from emerging markets and want a greater number of tourists inside stadiums, knowing they will pay more for tickets and in megastores.

Which is why it was refreshing that Brighton not only reversed their decision to replace Heritage Tiles at the Amex with a digital screen, but Paul Barber also apologised for the debacle.

Albion supporters have been able to buy Heritage Tiles since the stadium opened. Many of these tiles feature names of grandparents, parents and even children who have passed away.

Each of the 2,500 Tiles was more than just a brick on a wall. People treated them like graves - visiting them before home matches to say hello to lost friends and relatives and touching them for good luck.

Many of these Heritage Tiles are now damaged. The club announced on Friday that all would be removed and a digital wall installed in their place.

Their solution shocked fans for its callousness and lack of foresight. Especially when a much more obvious solution existed.

Create a replacement memorial somewhere at the Amex, featuring as many of the names inscribed as possible. A physical place fans can go and remember those no longer with us. Not pictures flashing up on a screen.

An unanimously critical thread on fan forum North Stand Chat ran to 36 pages. Season ticket holders said they would not renew. Fans emailed Barber and a petition quickly reached over 3000 signatures.

By Monday evening, the club announced every Heritage Tile will instead be transferred to a new installation. They acknowledged they had made a mess of it and even said sorry for the hurt caused.

The U-turn and apology show the club do care and will listen to what 'legacy fans' think; a connection which is rare in the Premier League and a credit to both the club and fan power.

Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton

The Chicago Bears saved their best football for the start of their most crucial stretch of the season. Caleb Williams put together his best performance of the season and showed more than just flashes in the Bears' victory over the Browns. The Bears, for the first time this season, were in full sync, with both the offense and defense dominating. Now the Bears control their destiny once more in the NFC North.

Here are my takeaways from the Bears' bounce-back win versus Cleveland Browns:

The passing game looked as good as it has all season

The Bears usually struggle moving the ball down the field and have to lean on their ground game to help get some type of success going until they find success through the air. Against the Browns, the run game was more of a compliment to Caleb's arm. Caleb had his best game in the pocket, and he was playing with all the confidence in the world. It is a dangerous sight that his best performance came in terribly cold temperatures at Soldier Field. That is a nightmare for teams come playoff time. The Bears' passing game might have taken a while to show some real confidence, but boy, Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson picked the perfect time to get things right. If this is the Caleb Williams that will show up these next three games, and for the playoffs, the Bears should feel confident against anybody.

Extension time for D'Andre Swift?

Many others and I expected their Bears running back room to be a weakness and not a strength. This season, D'Andre Swift has been spectacular, and he and Kyle Monangai have won their Bears football games on their backs. Swift has had 3 100 rushing yards performances and 6 games with at least 80 yards rushing this season. With three games left, Swift is just 65 yards away from another 1000-yard season for his career. Swift has been one of the Bears' brightest stars this season. He has one year left on his deal, but with him being just 26, I would be 100 percent be okay with him getting a team-friendly extension. Ben Johnson has gotten the most out of Swift, and looking at the duo of Swift and Monangai that has been unstoppable this season, why not keep that asset for another 2-3 years?

Luther Burden will be the Bears' best receiver very soon

Rome Odunze has been dealing with a foot injury, and his production has been plummeting after his hot start. D.J. Moore has too many games where his presence is not felt. So far this season, there have not been too many games where you do not say Luther Burden is a special talent. He makes at least one big play every game. He is the Bears' most explosive player, and each week Ben Johnson gets him more and more involved. He has all the makings of a spectacular receiver; many would even say he could be the Bears' best receiver down the road. With the little flashes that have been shown over the last two weeks, I think he could be the Bears' best receiver as early as next year. With Rome banged up, I think he will start becoming that go-to guy for Caleb. He is the one young player that I am most excited for on this team because the sky really is the limit for how good he can be.

Defense smothered rookie Shedeur Sanders

Shedeur Sanders was already entering this game versus the Bears with maybe the worst supporting cast out of any starting quarterback in the NFL. The Bears seize this opportunity to dominate defensively. Shedeur threw 3 interceptions and was sacked 5 times in this game. Shedeur had two really nice long passes to Isaiah Bond, but other than that, he could not get anything else going against the Bears' defense. This was the exact performance this defense needed to head into the rigorous stretch of games the Bears have to finish the season strong.

The Bears control their destiny again

The Bears now sit in first place in the NFC North, and if they win versus Green Bay, they more than likely will clinch a playoff spot at the very least. If this team wants to put good use of one of the best assets in their stadium, Soldier Field. All they have to do is just take care of business. The Packers are as injured as any team in the NFL. No, Micah Parsons for the rest of this season, and Christian Watson is hurt again. That is now a favorable game; the 49ers have a defense that is unrecognizable due to all of their injuries as well. Detroit is just as banged up, and they are not a team that plays well at Soldier Field in the cold. Things are really falling into place for the Bears to have a very successful season; it is just up to them to see it all the way through.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Chicago Bears don't let NFL season spiral after Green Bay Loss

NFL power rankings: Rams reclaim No. 1 from Broncos; Bills, 49ers rise as Packers fade for Week 16 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Week 15 in the NFL had its share of heavyweight matchups and playoff knockouts. The playoff field is shrinking and of all teams, the Chiefs won't be in it. The Bengals also are out and the Ravens and Lions may soon follow suit.

While the Patriots and Packers stubbed their toes in tough matchups, other teams at the top flexed more in tricky marquee matchups. Following a critical Week 15 that changed the end-of-season paths for many teams in 2025, here's how they all stack up against each other now going into Week 16:

NFL WEEK 16 PICKS: Against the spread | Straight-up predictions

NFL Power Rankings

1. Los Angeles Rams 11-3 (previous ranking: 2)

The Rams stumbled early against the Lions before leaping past Detroit with an explosive offense, this time fueled by the running game. The defense showed a few more holes, but has more margin for error given the success of the Rams' offense.

2. Denver Broncos 12-2 (4)

The Broncos keep showing their doubters why they should believe in them, with a dominant defense making huge plays at right times and a confident QB in Bo Nix. Denver is making a case to be trusted in the playoffs under Sean Payton.

3. New England Patriots 11-3 (1)

The Patriots have cooled off a bit with Drake Maye's passing and revved up their running game. Blowing a 21-0 lead at home to the Bills with the division on the line is a little bit worrisome.

4. Buffalo Bills 10-4 (6)

The Bills were relentless coming back with Josh Allen in New England. That win was a statement of why they look like the team to beat right now. But Buffalo's run defense can come back to bite them big time with more on the line.

MORE: How Josh Allen overcame slow start to stun Drake Maye in Foxboro

5. Seattle Seahawks 11-3 (5)

The Seahawks were contained on the ground and didn't get a lot going on offensively against the Colts with their red zone woes. However, Jason Myers' field-goal dominance and Seattle's defensive stinginess can make up for plenty.

MORE: Seahawks playoff picture after Week 15 win over Colts

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

6. San Francisco 49ers 10-4 (7)

The 49ers got Brock Purdy at home against the Titans and after a bye, and he looks more comfortable with all of his weapons at better overall health. San Francisco isn't going away as a Super Bowl contender.

7. Green Bay Packers 9-4-1 (3)

The Packers' defense lost Micah Parsons in Denver after it had a bad day against the Broncos' limited offense. That will make it hard for them to sweep the Bears in Week 16 in Chicago to regain first place.

MORE: Why the Packers won't win Super Bowl 60 without Micah Parsons

8. Chicago Bears 10-4 (8)

The Bears are getting it done with varied receivers helping Caleb Williams from week-to-week and an improved rushing punch with D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Watch out if the defense continues to play like it did to freeze out the Browns.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars 10-4 (9)

The Jaguars keep pressuring QBs on lesser teams and getting takeaways to spark big wins, including over the Jets. Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr. have never looked this good together in the offense and now they have a ton of fun help.

MORE: Trevor Lawrence delivers gift for fantasy managers with stellar showing

10. Los Angeles Chargers 10-4 (10)

The Chargers struck hard with no mercy against the Chiefs knowing they could be responsible for ousting the AFC champions and swing the door wide open. There's no more "charger-ing' here with Jim Harbaugh before the playoffs.

MORE: Chargers playoff picture after Week 15 win over Chiefs

11. Philadelphia Eagles 9-5 (11)

The Eagles needed a complete get-well game and they got it with a 31-0 shutout of the Raiders in which no one complained about the offense or defense for a change. They can keep that up against the Commanders next week.

12. Houston Texans 9-5 (13)

The Texans are seeing C.J. Stroud start to play at an expected level with injury issues behind him and Nico Collins right in front of him. The recent offensive explosion is good for their hopes of winning in the playoffs.

13. Detroit Lions 8-6 (12)

The Lions were game with Jared Goff dueling Stafford well in the classic double-revenge game, but their beat-up defense had to submit and go into the tank in the second half. Dan Campbell's team is headed to have a year off to set up a strong comeback.

MORE:Updated Lions playoff chances after Week 15 loss

14. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-6 (15)

The Steelers got more of the vintage Aaron Rodgers in an Monday night get-well tuneup against the Dolphins and ensured they're right on track for winning the AFC North over the Ravens.

15. Indianapolis Colts 8-6 (14)

The Colts tried to play enough viable offense with Philip Rivers dinking and dunking playing off the run, but it wasn't either, wasting a good effort by the defense with a dream season turning into a nightmare fast.

16. Baltimore Ravens 7-7 (20)

The Ravens are seeing the real Lamar Jackson again with his hamstring injury not bothering him. It also helps when Derrick Henry is rolling for chunk runs. They will hope they can still make amends for the Steelers loss in Week 14.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-7 (17)

The Buccaneers got a little sloppy with their defensive coverage minus real pressure and put the Falcons in too many comfortable situations on Thursday night. Baker Mayfield is fortunate he can still lead a first-place team down the stretch with a huge Panthers revenge game next.

18. Carolina Panthers 7-7 (18)

The Panthers somehow have beaten the Rams and Packers but now have been swept by the Saints. Dave Canales' team keeps tantalizing its fans who expect to get a reality check against the Buccaneers.

MORE:Can the Cowboys still make playoffs?

19. Dallas Cowboys 6-7-1 (16)

The Cowboys have been going in the wrong direction right when they need to rally with their offense but their defensive shortcomings have been much too hard to overcome.

20. Minnesota Vikings 6-8 (22)

The Vikings were playing for pride and trying to see more positive flashes for J.J. McCarthy in Dallas and he came through with a strong offensive night. The Vikings need every good vibe to close the season.

21. Kansas City Chiefs 6-8 (19)

The Chiefs are seeing all their issues from the past two seasons all come together to trip them up at the wrong time. Now the only concern is getting Patrick Mahomes back on the field to start next season.

MORE: Six reasons for the Chiefs disastrous Super Bowl hangover

22. Miami Dolphins 6-8 (21)

The Dolphins have been splashing around to save Mike McDaniel and it might have just have worked with them rallying from a 1-6 start, but then come the tough playoff-eliminating setback on Monday night.

23. Atlanta Falcons 5-9 (24)

The Falcons are rallying in trying to save Raheem Morris and getting a spoiler road win at Tampa Bay helps. Their defense, however, remains a major letdown.

24. New Orleans Saints 4-10 (25)

The Saints keep marching toward more positive vibes with Tyler Shough as Kellen Moore is finding an offensive spark through his young stars. The defense also is fighting harder to make plays with its veteran core.

25. Cincinnati Bengals 4-10 (23)

The Bengals should not be shut out with the level of offensive skill they have around Joe Burrow. The lack of pop against the Ravens when the defense was trying its best was rather disconcerting.

MORE: Joe Burrow gives brutal assessment of Bengals loss to Ravens

26. Washington Commanders 4-10 (27)

The Commanders should be thrilled on what Marcus Mariota is doing with the Kliff Kingsburgy offense minus Jayden Daniels. It should also make them regret not shutting down Daniels earlier in the season.

27. Arizona Cardinals 3-11 (26)

The Cardinals are not playing enough good defense to save Jonathan Gannon. The offense at least is saving some face with Trey McBride dominating.

28. New York Jets 3-11 (28)

The Jets showed a little life with Brady Cook at quarterback before he got overwhelmed because the defense couldn't stop anything or making any big plays per usual. Aaron Glenn got a tough deal and needs a lot of personnel help.

MORE: Updated 2026 NFL Draft order through Week 15

29. Cleveland Browns 3-11 (29)

The Browns crashed back to earth with Shedeur Sanders in the chill of Chicago. Their offensive line and shaky running game aren't helping and they need to add a lot more weaponry last season. Without Myles Garrett, they wouldn't be relevant.

MORE: Bears defense overwhelms Shedeur Sanders with three interceptions, five sacks

30. New York Giants 2-12 (30)

The Giants are showing plenty more flash with Jaxson Dart and their defense is playing hard, too, for Mike Kafka  They are setting up to be much better with an overhaul soon.

Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

31. Tennessee Titans 2-12 (31)

The Titans stayed competitive as long as they could against the 49ers but the defense has grown into being a bigger problem than their offense for next season.

32. Las Vegas Raiders 2-12 (32)

The Raiders seem to be getting worse for Pete Carroll with their offense tanking even more without Chip Kelly. At least they're trending toward having their choice of franchise QB in the 2026 draft.

While waiting for the "The Best" ceremony this Tuesday evening in Doha, FIFA is gradually announcing the winners in the less publicized excellence categories. 

In the early afternoon, The Best award for the world's best goalkeeper was given to Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Having achieved a treble of Ligue 1 – Champions League – Coupe de France with Paris Saint-Germain, the new Manchester City goalkeeper also won the Yachine Trophy last September.

His outstanding performances at City already make the Italian a candidate for his own succession in 2026.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is crowned #TheBest FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2025! 🧤

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 16, 2025

In your opinion, who will be elected the best goalkeeper in the world in 2026?

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

📸 Christof Koepsel - 2022 Getty Images

This is the fan piece I never wanted to write! The one where we played at Sunderland and lost.

It is not even that we lost to our most loathed rivals (it is) but rather the manner of the defeat. It is that neither team was particularly good. It is that almost all the Newcastle United players did not, somehow, look up for what is one of the most anticipated games of the season. Do they not know about rivalry? Do they not know about our fans?

And so to the manager our attentions have been turned. It is one (terrible) thing to lose at Sunderland, but in reality this just typifies the season so far. Inconsistency, a baffling lack of intensity, and no plan B. Sometimes, it seems, no plan A.

I am not climbing aboard any sort of 'Howe out' train just yet, but I can't ignore my own eyes. I can't ignore what I have seen home and away this season.

Take the past week of games: one ground out win against 10-man Burnley, a lead thrown away in the Champions League in Germany and a loss at Sunderland. Not a great week at the office!

It is important, in the age of social media, to retain critical-thinking skills. Questioning Eddie Howe does not mean demanding he resign or be sacked. Liking pancakes does not mean you hate waffles.

Questions should be asked. Here are mine:

• Where is the drive this season?
• And where are our players' heads?

Something isn't clicking and it is all well and good to say that is on the players, but the head coach is there to coach not just bodies but minds too.

The defeat this weekend was an embarrassment. If it doesn't represent a turning point both tactically and psychologically at Newcastle United, and soon, then the questions are just going to get louder.

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast

Some of you have been in touch using our Ask Me Anything about Aston Villa form and you're keen to know what the latest is with Tyrone Mings.

Mings is still out with a hamstring injury but could return early in the New Year.

The defender has been sidelined since the start of November after coming off against Liverpool and has not played since the Europa League defeat at Go Ahead Eagles in October.

Before that, he started Villa's opening six Premier League games but an ankle injury in September kept him out for almost a month.

In his absence Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres have become Unai Emery's first choice defensive pairing, although Victor Lindelof deputised for the injured Torres in Sunday's win at West Ham.

Mings - who has become an England international during his six years at Villa - only signed a new contract in June, which ties him to Villa until 2027 but that does not necessarily guarantee he will still be at the club until then.

He is 33 in March, certainly not too old, but Villa have relied on the core old guard for a long time and - within their financial restrictions - have been slowly refreshing the squad.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Potential is usually the word people associate with Harry Wilson.

But as the Wales winger orchestrated another significant moment - our first win at Turf Moor in nearly 75 years - it is time we start to accept that he is fulfilling it.

His 20 assists and 10 goals as we romped to the Championship title. His wizardry against Brentford – twice - to secure huge derby wins. His goal that sent us on our way to our first win at Stamford Bridge in 45 years.

Wilson is fast becoming indispensable for the Whites – but it has been a difficult journey. Injuries have not necessarily blighted his time in SW6, but they have caused it to be stop-start. However, every time he gets a sustained run in the first XI he makes an impact.

Harry has started as many games already this season than he did in each of his previous three since our return to the Premier League, showing how important he is when he is fully fit and firing.

And firing he is. Five goals and three assists so far this season means he leads the way in terms of our attacking output. He is grabbing our campaign by the scruff of the neck and dragging us up the table.

Moreover, he is set to become even more important as we look to progress to the EFL Cup semi-finals this week. With fellow midfielders Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze off to Afcon, Fulham will be looking to their Welsh wizard to pull the strings in what is widely acknowledged as our most crucial period of the season, with Nottingham Forest and West Ham up next in the league.

Get results against that pair, and we could find ourselves back in the top half of the table going into the second half of the season.

Then, like Harry, we would be on our way to fulfilling our potential.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish

There is a theory in football that squad depth breeds competition. The presence of multiple potential starters all vying for a spot should push the starting XI into better performance, knowing that a dip in form will result in potentially being dropped. For a squad like Arsenal's, perhaps the deepest and strongest in the Premier League, this dynamic should be in full flow by now.

However, for this theory to become reality there needs to be a genuine threat of being dropped, and a willingness for the manager to rotate based on the game ahead. Following Arsenal's narrow 2-1 win over Wolves at the weekend, the spotlight is on whether Mikel Arteta is capable of the latter.

Noni Madueke delivered an exceptional performance midweek in the Champions League against Brugge, scoring one of Arsenal's best goals of the season so far. There was a fair expectation that he might be rewarded with a start this weekend. Similarly, Eberechi Eze was preferred to Martin Odegaard. In fairness to Arteta, he has become accustomed to making changes early. Eze was substituted for Odegaard just 12 minutes after half time.

While this might be just a one-off case of the manager getting the game plan wrong, it speaks to a lack of trust in certain players, and therefore an overreliance on others to get the job done.

Frequent and sometimes long-term injuries have absolutely disrupted Arsenal's ability to rotate, but if players don't feel that excellent performances will be rewarded, the entire premise of competition no longer exists.

With the re-integration of Gabriel Jesus underway, and Kai Havertz hopefully returning soon, Arsenal have the depth. The question for Arteta is whether he will have the courage to trust some of the new guard to get Arsenal over the line.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast

NFL picks, predictions for Week 16: Ravens hold off Patriots, Broncos beat Jaguars, Rams keep rolling originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Before the Chiefs' reign of terror in the AFC began, it was generally a three-team race in the conference. 

The Patriots, Ravens and Broncos combined to win eight straight AFC championships from 2011-18. With Kansas City eliminated from the postseason, those three teams are among the favorites in the AFC heading down the stretch run. 

The Patriots and Ravens meet on Sunday Night Football. First-year coach Mike Vrabel is very familiar with the rivalry with Baltimore, which is still looking to win a tight AFC North race with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos, meanwhile, are on an 11-game win streak entering a matchup with Jacksonville in Week 16. 

Of course, Buffalo and Pittsburgh are in the mix, too, and Houston is heating up at the right time in the AFC South. 

Those are the go-to matchups in a loaded Week 16 that also features Rams-Seahawks on Thursday Night Football and Eagles-Commanders and Bears-Packers opposite the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday. 

Straight up: 146-77-1 (11-5 in Week 15) 

Against the spread: 108-113-3 (6-10 in Week 15) 

Here are our straight-up picks for Week 16. Odds according to Caesars. 

MORE CHIEFS NEWS: 

• Six reasons why the Chiefs never got over Super Bowl hangover
• How long Chiefs are expected to be without Patrick Mahomes after knee injury
• What Patrick Mahomes knee injury means for Chiefs' dynasty
• Chiefs officially eliminated from NFL playoffs with loss to Chargers

NFL picks, predictions for Week 16

• Los Angeles Rams (-1.5) at Seattle Seahawks 

Thursday, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video 

The Rams are averaging 30 points per game and have scored 40-plus points each of the last two weeks but might be without Davante Adams (hamstring) on a short week. This game could determine home-field advantage in the NFC. Seattle had four turnovers in the first meeting – a 21-19 loss. The Rams have won the last two meetings at Seattle. 

Pick: Rams 23, Seahawks 20 

MORE: Rams retake top spot in Sporting News' latest NFL power rankings

• Philadelphia Eagles (-6) at Washington Commanders 

Saturday, 5 p.m., Fox

The Eagles had their get-well game in a 31-0 shutout against the Raiders in Week 15. Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby combined for 135 rushing yards. Washington broke an eight-game losing streak in Week 15 – but turnovers remain a problem. It's these teams' first meeting this season. 

Pick: Eagles 27, Commanders 17 

• Green Bay Packers (-1.5) at Chicago Bears 

Saturday, 8:20 p.m., Fox 

What a difference a week makes. The Bears are back in first place, and the Packers lost Micah Parsons (ACL) in a Week 15 loss to Denver. Bo Nix had 302 passing yards and four TDs against Green Bay in Week 15. Caleb Williams should have success behind the running game – and Chicago takes control of the NFC North. 

Pick: Bears 28, Packers 26

MORE: Why Micah Parsons injury is bad news for Packers' Super Bowl chances

• Buffalo Bills (-10) at Cleveland Browns 

Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS

The Browns have averaged 13.3 points through a three-game losing streak, and despite Myles Garrett (21.5 sacks) being on the chase for the single-season record the defense is bad, too. Cleveland is 0-2 ATS as an underdog of 10 points or more, and the Bills' offense is hot with Josh Allen. 

Pick: Bills 28, Browns 20

MORE: Josh Allen, Bills stun Patriots with comeback win in Foxboro

• Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas Cowboys (-1.5) 

Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox

This line might drop to a pick 'em before kickoff. The Cowboys are on the brink of playoff elimination. The Chargers are finding ways to win games. Justin Herbert has taken 14 sacks the last three games – all Los Angeles wins. The Chargers are 3-1 ATS as a road underdog under Jim Harbaugh the last two seasons. 

Pick: Chargers 28, Cowboys 25 

• Kansas City Chiefs (-3.5) at Tennessee Titans 

Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS

Patrick Mahomes (ACL) is out, so Gardner Minshew will get the start for the Chiefs. Titans quarterback Cam Ward averages 144 passing yards the last two weeks, but he's taken just one sack with one interception. Where will the Chiefs' focus be after being eliminated from the playoffs? 

Pick: Chiefs 24, Titans 16

MORE: How Patrick Mahomes' ACL recovery time compares to others

• Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins (-1.5)

Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS

The Bengals' disappointing season continues, and Joe Burrow has thrown four interceptions in Cincinnati's last two games. What does this mean for the future of Zac Taylor? The Dolphins have taken the opposite trajectory with Mike McDaniel, and they can take advantage of the worst rushing defense in the NFL. 

Pick: Dolphins 27, Bengals 24 

• New York Jets at New Orleans Saints (-4) 

Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS

The Saints have a chance to build a three-game winning streak. Jets quarterback Brady Cook has five interceptions and has taken nine sacks in two games. New Orleans rookie quarterback Tyler Shough takes a lot of sacks, too, but he's managed to limit turnovers. 

Pick: Saints 20, Jets 17

MORE: Updated draft order after Week 15 NFL results

• Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) at New York Giants

Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox

The Vikings are improving around JJ McCarthy, who has five TDs, one interception and a 66% completion percentage in his last two starts. The Giants are on a seven-game losing streak and they are 0-2 ATS as an underdog of three points or less. 

Pick: Vikings 24, Giants 17

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5) at Carolina Panthers 

Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox

Who wants to win the NFC South? The Bucs and Panthers are both stuck at .500, and Tampa Bay has lost five of its last six games. Carolina also has been hit or miss and is coming off a loss against the Saints. The Panthers are 6-2 S/U in games decided by seven points or less. The Buccaneers are 6-3 S/U in the same situation. 

Pick: Buccaneers 31, Panthers 26

• Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos (-3) 

Sunday, 4:05 p.m., Fox 

The Broncos continue to roll under coach Sean Payton, but the Jaguars will be an interesting test. The Jaguars have won five in a row, and Trevor Lawrence has nine TDs and no interceptions in his last three games. Jacksonville is 0-3 S/U when Lawrence takes more three sacks. Will the protection hold up against Denver? 

Pick: Broncos 30, Jaguars 24 

MORE: Trevor Lawrence delivers five-touchdown performance to continue hot stretch

• Atlanta Falcons (-1.5) at Arizona Cardinals 

Sunday, 4:05 p.m., Fox 

The Cardinals have allowed 42.5 points per game in their last two losses. The Falcons are a road favorite. Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is coming off a 373-yard, three-TD performance. A last-minute run at a NFC South title is probably a reach, but we like the Falcons in this spot. 

Pick: Falcons 31, Cardinals 23 

• Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions (-7)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m., CBS 

The Lions are still in the NFC playoff hunt, but they'll have to knock off an old foe in Aaron Rodgers, who has kept the Steelers in the AFC North mix. The Lions have not beat the Steelers since a 19-16 victory on Nov. 26, 1998 – the “Coin Flip” game with Jerome Bettis.  Detroit changes that with a strong running game led by Jahmyr Gibbs. 

Pick: Lions 34, Steelers 29

• Las Vegas Raiders at Houston Texans (-14) 

Sunday, 4:25 p.m., CBS 

The Texans lead the NFL in scoring defense (16.3 ppg.). The Raiders are last in points per game (14.0). That alone is enough to pick the Texans, who have the second-longest win streak in the NFL at six games. The Raiders are 0-3 ATS as an underdog of 10 points or more, and they have been shut out 31-0 twice in that situation. 

Pick: Texans 23, Raiders 10

MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture heading into Week 16

• New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) 

Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC Peacock 

A great Sunday Night Football stage for two AFC playoff contenders. The Patriots have allowed 134.8 rushing yards per game the last four weeks, and that is a major concern against the Ravens. Lamar Jackson has seven carries or less in his last five games. Will that change in this matchup? 

Pick: Ravens 28, Patriots 21 

• San Francisco 49ers (-5.5) at Indianapolis Colts 

Monday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN 

Who knew we would get Philip Rivers on Monday Night Football? That's sure to be a talking point, and the Colts are trying to hang on in the AFC playoff race. The Colts are 3-2 ATS as an underdog this season – and they are 2-0 S/U as a home underdog. 

Pick: 49ers 25, Colts 23

MORE: How Philip Rivers performed in his return to the NFL after five seasons

It’s been nearly 10 years since Jokić was named the full-time starter in Denver. Every December 15th, since 2016, the particularly online corners of Nuggets fandom celebrate the day things changed in the Mile High City. We call it Jokmas, and Jokić himself cares deeply for the unofficial holiday. Just ask him about it.

The holiday means nothing to Jokić, which you can file under predictable. It was just another day, including just another game, which featured just another triple-double. He is a working man, and to him, his latest masterpiece was just another day at the office.

On Monday night, with the Houston Rockets in town, the Denver Nuggets played on December 15th for the fifth time since 2016. Jokić dropped his best performance yet on that calendar date, putting up a 39-point triple-double in an overtime win.

It was an electric showdown between two hopeful contenders, and fans in Ball Arena and their living rooms enjoyed a tremendous showcase of NBA talent. Jamal Murray and Kevin Durant put on a shotmaking clinic. Meanwhile, Jokić and Alperen Sengun were locked in a big man duel that, if shown to someone 30 years ago, might induce delirium.

“The NBA, it’s in such a good place right now,” David Adelman said at the podium. “The skillset in some of these guys is outrageous. The way they can shoot it, pass it, handle it.”

Jokić can shoot, pass, and handle it with the best of them. He dominates almost every aspect of basketball, and his monster second half played a crucial role in snapping a 4-game losing streak in Ball Arena.

Jokić scored 25 of his 39 points in the second half and overtime period. He scored seven of his eight field goals from the middle of the floor — from straight-away threes, to floaters, putbacks, and headstrong drives through the teeth of the defense.

Houston didn’t have an answer for him. Even when they had him jammed up, he found a way. Jokić hit his second Sombor Shuffle in as many games, this one coming in a tightly contested fourth quarter.

The Rockets can put various combinations of height, strength, athleticism, and defensive prowess on the floor. Jokić worked in the paint when he could, but you can’t live there against the Rockets. He needed to mix in his three-point shot, which he’s currently shooting with confidence.

Long considered a theoretical shooter from outside, Jokić actualized that reputation last season when he shot nearly 42% on career-high volume. And he’s taking it even further in the new campaign.

Jokić is attempting 5.1 threes per game right now, and he’s shooting 43% on those looks. With that shot in his arsenal, and a more serious supporting cast, he’s become veritably unguardable.

Against the Rockets, Jokić shot nine threes, making five of them. Three of those makes came in the second half, including two clutch buckets in the fourth quarter. He eventually fouled out in the overtime period, but the remaining Nuggets, led by Murray, who scored 35, crossed the finish line without him.

The Nuggets, 19-6, are off to the best start in their NBA history. They’re proud owners of the league’s best offense, and they currently hold sole possession of second place in the Western Conference. They’ve so far not just survived, but kept up an impressive pace without Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun.

We can list all the factors in their success, but two stand out as the most obvious explanations. The first is that Murray’s never played better in the regular season, and the Nuggets look like they have two stars on the floor. The second is that the best player alive looks better than ever, and through Jokić, all things seem possible.

We’re nearly halfway through a new decade in the NBA, and in the last five years, no one has scored more, assisted more, rebounded more, stolen the ball more, and, most importantly, won more games than Jokić.

The Nuggets turned to the towering Serbian nine years ago in search of a new direction. They’ve been on the greatest ride in team history since. When Adelman heard the explanation for Jokmas, he found no need for the holiday. He’s had a front row seat to Jokić’s ascension to an all-time great. He practices gratitude daily.

“I feel like every day is that,” Adelman said of the unofficial holiday. “We’re lucky to have him on this day, and tomorrow, and however many days he decides to stay here in Denver, Colorado.”

Welcome to our coverage of FIFA's The Best Awards - with the global game's best being crowned throughout Tuesday.

In the men's game, Manchester City summer signing Gianluigi Donnarumma is world's best. 

Gianluigi Donnarumma has been named The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper for 2025! 🏆

Congratulations, @donnarumma 🩵 pic.twitter.com/h2qa5bUq3W

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 16, 2025

Chelsea and England's Hannah Hampton has scooped the top female prize. 

Hannah Hampton is crowned #TheBest FIFA Women's Goalkeeper 2025! 🧤

— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) December 16, 2025

First up for the individual player honours, it is The Best Goalkeeper awards.

Welcome to our coverage of FIFA's The Best Awards - with the global game's best being crowned throughout Tuesday.

Safety comes first for everyone!

Getty Images

The relentless rhythm of modern football faced a humanizing intervention this week. With player welfare taking center stage, a decisive move was made to ease the punishing physical demands placed on athletes.

The immediate consequence was the official postponement of a high-profile Carabao Cup fixture. The eagerly anticipated quarter-final clash between Arsenal and Crystal Palace, originally set for this week, has been formally rescheduled.

Why Arsenal are not playing in the Carabao Cup this week#AFChttps://t.co/ZbWr03P1jN

— Standard Sport (@standardsport) December 15, 2025

The catalyst was a schedule conflict that threatened to push players to their limits. While Arsenal had advocated for the match to proceed this Tuesday, doing so would have plunged Crystal Palace into an unsustainable stretch of three crucial matches within a mere five days. This grueling sequence would have seen the Eagles follow a demanding Premier League encounter with Manchester City on Sunday, immediately face Arsenal on Tuesday, and then travel to face KuPS in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.

Acknowledging the untenable physical burden this would impose, the English Football League (EFL) stepped in. In a move prioritizing recovery and fairness, they have shifted the fixture to a new date: December 23rd, offering both sides a more balanced and manageable path forward.

£40m Milos Kerkez struggled early in Liverpool career

Not everyone has had the fortune of hitting the ground running like £69m Ekitike. Indeed another recent signing in the shape of Milos Kerkez foundered in the early part of his Liverpool career.

Signed for £40m from Richard Hughes’ former club Bournemouth, the 22-year-old Hungary international has been under considerable pressure right from the off.

Replacing a club legend like Andy Robertson was never going to be easy and Kerkez really struggled with that transition. The left-back’s game was littered with individual errors - and Slot has even seen fit to pull him out of the firing line on occasions.

But Liverpool’s patience with Kerkez is finally beginning to pay off - with the former AC Milan youngster reaching new heights in the weekend win against Brighton.

Kerkez hits new heights versus Brighton

It was arguably Kerkez’s best performance in a red shirt thus far and should give him great confidence going forward.

Kerkez looks to be benefitting from Arne Slot’s recent change to a four-man midfield - finding it easier to get high and wide in order to contribute on the ball.

Richard Hughes has staked a lot on getting this Kerkez transfer right. It’s the second time he’s signed the defender in his career having overseen his move to Bournemouth too.

© IMAGO - Milos Kerkez Liverpool

Days like Sunday don't come along very often, but when they do, you are reminded of why you love your team and you love football.

Sunderland were absolutely outstanding against Newcastle in the first Premier League meeting in a decade, and while it wasn't a startling game of football, there can be no doubt that the lads in red and white were deserved winners and looked more than good enough value for the three points.

It was one of the most determined and spirited defensive displays I have seen from any Sunderland side, and every person watching could see this is a special team determined to fight every second for the supporters and the badge.

It feels poetic to me that in the past decade Sunderland have been relegated twice, spent four seasons in League One, have almost gone bust, had to completely rebuild ourselves - and still we are superior to our neighbours up the road who sold out to a Saudi-led consortium. And for what? Nobody likes them. No neutral watching that game wanted to see Newcastle United emerge victorious.

Instead, Sunderland have gone about their business in a fashion that has rightly earned us praise and acclaim. You watch players like Robin Roefs, Noah Sadiki, Omar Alderete, Dan Ballard, Reinildo Mandava, and Granit Xhaka and you can't help but love them. Every fan of every team wants players who 'get it', and Sunderland's players certainly do. It is just such an amazing time to support this unbelievable football club.

Sunday was my favourite derby victory. There is no sweeter feeling, after taking stick for the last goodness knows how long from fans of "the Visitors", than to be able to sit here knowing we are better than they are, that we beat them and that we are above them in the table. I am going to be smiling ear to ear for the rest of this week!

By the way... does anyone know if the phone networks have gone down over Newcastle? I can't seem to get in touch with any of my black-and-white-supporting mates. I hope they're OK.

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report

What channel is Jacksonville State vs. Troy on? Live stream, time, TV schedule to watch Salute to Veterans Bowl originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Troy Trojans and Jacksonville State Gamecocks will battle in the Salute to Veterans Bowl on Tuesday night. 

Both programs enter this matchup sitting at 8-5 and are looking to end their 2025 season with another victory. The last time these two football teams faced off was 2001, when Troy beat the Gamecocks 21-3. 

Trojans quarterback Tucker Kilcrease and and the Gamecocks' Caden Creel have very similar passing numbers. However, Creel is only a freshman, whereas Kilcrease is in his junior year.

Junior running back Cam Cook will be the key to the Gamecocks' win. Cook has been a monster this season, leading the NCAA with 1,659 rushing yards along with 16 rushing touchdowns. 

The Sporting News has you covered with everything that you need to know to watch Jacksonville State vs. Troy. 

Where to watch Jacksonville State vs. Troy: TV channel, live stream

• TV channel: ESPN
• Live stream:ESPN app | Fubo

Jacksonville State vs. Troy will air on ESPN, with Matt Barrie, Tom Luginbill and Harry Lyles Jr. on the call. College football fans can stream the game on the ESPN app and Fubo, the latter offering a free trial. 

Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the new ESPN app.

Salute to Veterans Bowl start time

• Date: Tuesday, Dec. 16
• Time: 9 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. CT

The Salute to Veterans Bowl will begin at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 16. 

Jacksonville State vs. Troy radio station

• Radio station: SiriusXM channel 203

You can listen to Washington vs. Boise State live on SiriusXM. Coverage will be available on channel 203

New subscribers can listen to SiriusXM for free for four months. Listen to live NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.

Salute to Veterans Bowl location, stadium

• City: Montgomery, Alabama
• Stadium: Cramton Bowl 

The 2025 Salute to Veterans Bowl location will be held at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. The 21,000-seat stadium has hosted the game (previously known as the Camellia Bowl) since 2014. 

College football bowl schedule 2025-26

Tuesday, Dec. 16

Wednesday, Dec. 17

Thursday, Dec. 18

Friday, Dec. 19

Saturday, Dec. 20

Monday, Dec. 22

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Wednesday, Dec. 24

Friday, Dec. 26

Saturday, Dec. 27

Monday, Dec. 29

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Wednesday, Dec. 31

Thursday, Jan. 1

Friday, Jan. 2

Thursday, Jan. 8

Friday, Jan. 9

Monday, Jan. 19

Related Links

• Latest college football news
• College football schedule, scores
• This week's Top 25 polls
• How to bet on college football

West Ham are definitely improving under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Before the visit of third-placed Aston Villa, who had won eight consecutive games and were fresh off the back of beating title favourites Arsenal last weekend, there was genuine fear that it was an almost guaranteed defeat at London Stadium.

Indeed, Sunday's clash in Stratford did end in a 3-2 loss, but the overall performance from West Ham was good and encouraging. We led twice, we had Unai Emery's Villa on the ropes several times and would have been well worth at least a point had Morgan Rogers' impressive winner not hit the back of the net in the 79th minute.

But despite the positive performance against one of the most in-form teams in Europe, there is an element of frustration surrounding the manner of the defeat.

At 2-2, West Ham had a period of dominance in which Jarrod Bowen had a goal ruled out for offside and Villa looked a little panicked defensively. It was clear Nuno needed to make a change by bringing on an actual striker, ideally for someone like Lucas Paqueta, who was struggling to lead the line himself. A change like that may have helped us unlock a makeshift Villa backline.

Instead, Nuno sat on his hands and waited. Emery, in the opposing dugout, made his move by replacing defensive midfielder Amadou Onana with striker Donyell Malen. Ten minutes later he introduced Emiliano Buendia and Villa were back in the game. Rogers scored the winner shortly afterwards.

It was only then that Nuno responded by bringing on Callum Wilson. But it was too late. Villa were comfortable sitting on their lead and saw the game out without much to worry about.

Emery's in-game management won Villa the game - Nuno's cost West Ham at least a point, perhaps all three. The Spaniard did exactly what Nuno needed to do at 2-2 and it paid off.

Hopefully that is a lesson learned because if West Ham play like that for the rest the season, we should be fairly confident of Premier League survival.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham

Only Wolves could score three goals and still lose. When you are bottom of the table, nothing seems to go in your favour. Every deflection drops the wrong way, every tight call goes against you and every mistake is punished. Two own goals at the Emirates felt like the perfect storm of bad luck.

Being proud of a Wolves performance is a strange feeling this season. Against league leaders Arsenal, Wolves played like relegation was more than just a 'technical term'. They showed desire and fight. They were organised and accountable - something we have not always seen so far.

Two things might explain the step up.

First, the arrival of Rob Edwards' assistant, Rui Silva. It looks a smart appointment and there are already signs he is making an impact. It is no coincidence we suddenly look more organised. After just a week, everyone seemed to know their job. Wolves were less wasteful on the ball, had more structure and showed better positional sense defensively.

Secondly, Wolves often look freer away from home, without the weight of expectation that comes with Molineux. That extra freedom showed at the Emirates.

Yes, recent performances have deserved criticism. But any sports psychologist will tell you that constant negativity does not create positive results. During the game, the job is simple: get behind the team. The analysis and accountability can come after the final whistle.

One of the brightest sparks at the Emirates was Matheus Mane. At just 18, he embraced the current Wolves motto: fear nothing. He came on and played like he was in the playground, just having fun. He ran at Arsenal's defence, demanded the ball and was buzzing to grab an assist. His energy and confidence could be infectious. He does need careful managing, as he is still growing physically, but he is definitely one to watch.

This performance was a world away from the horror show against Manchester United. A different kind of pain, yes, but a far more promising one.

If Wolves can replicate that hard-working, disciplined display, the fans will back them. Rob now has something real to work with; the next step is turning it into points.

Find more from Emma Milton at Always Wolves

The Italian takes the prize after completing an incredible season with PSG, now with Manchester City.

The awardees at FIFA The Best keep coming, and now it's the turn for the goalkeeper. After a spectacular season with PSG, Gianluigi Donnarumma is chosen as the best goalkeeper in the world.

Gianluigi Donnarumma has been named The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper for 2025! 🏆

Congratulations, @donnarumma 🩵 pic.twitter.com/h2qa5bUq3W

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 16, 2025

Following in the footsteps of others like Emiliano Martínez or Thibaut Courtois, the Italian has been a key player for a PSG that won everything, and now under the City goal, he wants to continue making a difference.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 Alex Pantling - 2025 Getty Images

Juventus and adidas pay tribute to Alessandro Del Piero with the launch of the ADP Collection, a project that celebrates one of the absolute legends in the history of the Bianconeri.

Watch the entire Serie BKT live on OneFootball for only €9.99 per month. Click here to purchase the LaB Channel Monthly Pass without automatic renewal.

An absolute icon of the Bianconeri with nineteen seasons in Turin, 290 goals, 705 appearances, and a legacy that goes beyond numbers: Del Piero is still today a symbol of Juve's identity, capable of uniting style, talent, and belonging.

Galleria Del Piero, aperta da oggi ✨
Pura perfezione.

Una collezione pre-partita e di pezzi originali ispirata a una carriera leggendaria.

➡️ https://t.co/3vOJnXFBaF@adidasfootballpic.twitter.com/EPdsGxeKvY

— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) December 16, 2025

The heart of the collection is a pre-match jersey that the team will wear during the warm-up before the match against Roma. A tribute rich in iconic references: the legendary number 10, the dates marking the beginning and end of his adventure with the Bianconeri, the celebrations that have entered collective memory. The design, inspired by Renaissance art, blends Italian cultural heritage with a modern aesthetic, reflecting the technical elegance and timeless style of “Pinturicchio.”

L'arte del calcio.

Per decenni un prodigio. Per sempre una leggenda.@adidasfootballpic.twitter.com/ALGJGafpnA

— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) December 16, 2025

Alongside the jersey, the ADP Collection also includes a lifestyle line embellished with Del Piero's signature and personal logo, designed to strengthen the bond between fans and one of the most beloved icons of Italian football. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

Hello and welcome to the Week 16 waiver wire watch for tight ends!

The first week of the fantasy playoffs is in the books and some of you are a step closer to winning your league and claiming bragging rights over your friends. Meanwhile, some of you are fighting for your life in the loser’s bracket and trying to avoid finishing last. Either way, it’s time to start lookiing for ways to fortify your rosters for the next round of the postseason.

We’ll go over some TE performers that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 16 and as always, we’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in 60% of leagues at the max. As a reminder, bye weeks a no longer a thing at this juncture of the year, so every team will be in action for the rest of the way.

Colby Parkinson, TE, Los Angeles Rams (5.2%)

There hasn’t been a bigger tight end touchdown machine in the second half of the season than Parkinson and he continued his tear in the Rams’ 41-34 victory over the Lions on Sunday. The veteran posted his best numbers of the season in this showdown of NFC playoff contenders, catching five of seven targets for 75 receiving yards and two second half touchdowns that were critical for L.A.

That’s now six touchdowns in the last six games for Parkinson and he proved on Sunday that he can be more than just a red-zone target. He’s yet another dangerous weapon in the arsenal for Matthew Stafford and most of you should be able to find him on the waiver wire this week.

Week 16 matchup: @ Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (Thursday night)

Gunnar Helm, TE, Tennessee Titans (1.3%)

The Titans are playing out the string of this wretched season but if you squint, you can find something positive to take away from each game. One positive from Sunday’s 37-24 loss to the 49ers was the performance of Helm, who led the team in receiving by catching all four of his targets for 49 yards and a second-quarter touchdown that brought them back to within a score.

The rookie out of Texas has combined for 17 receptions over their last four outings and is starting to become a go-to option for Cam Ward. The Titans have long been in a mode of evaluating their young offensive skill players, so we may see even more of Helm as they close out the campaign.

Week 16 matchup: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET

Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears (44.3%)

The Bears spanked the Browns 31-3 on Sunday in a game where they were never in an any danger. Loveland proved to be a danger in his own right as he hauled in four receptions for 63 receiving yards in a victory that kept them square in the NFC North hunt. That marked the third time in the last four weeks where the first-rounder out of Michigan has finished as a top-15 fantasy tight end, so he is putting together worthwhile efforts for managers who have already scooped him up. It’s not too late for you!

Week 16 matchup: vs. Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (Saturday night)

Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills (2.3%)

Knox came up huge for the Bills in Foxborough on Sunday as they kept their AFC East title hopes alive in a 35-31 victory. The veteran tight had had three receptions for 37 receiving yards with two of them being second-half touchdowns that helped fuel Buffalo’s second-half comeback. This performance was a direct follow-up to his 93-yard effort against the Bengals the week prior, so he’s establishing a rhythm with Josh Allen late in the year. You may want to try to capitalize.

Week 16 matchup: @ Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET

The Arsenal u18s won comfortably away to Mansfield Town in the third round of the FA Youth Cup on Monday night, setting up a tie against Manchester City.

Photo via Arsenal.com

Arsenal travelled away to Mansfield Town on Monday for their FA Youth Cup third-round tie with a depleted squad, missing key players like Max Dowman (injured), Andre Harriman-Annous (injured), Marli Salmon (suspended), and Josiah King (suspended).

Yet the game couldn’t have started better for the young Gunners, with team captain Callan Hamill finishing off a corner routine with a flick at the near post for 1-0 in the 12th minute.

Mansfield were rattled, and Arsenal capitalised as Louis Zecevic-John was brought down for a penalty a few minutes later. Maalik Hashi converted for 2-0 after just 16 minutes.

Photo via Arsenal Academy on Twitter

Arsenal had to wait a little while for a third, with Zecevic-John again involved to turn home a deflected clearance just after the hour mark.

But just when it looked like the game was done, Mansfield sparked hope of a comeback in the 67th minute as Mace Oldershaw made it 3-1.

Thankfully, Arsenal regained their three-goal lead directly from kick-off, with Brando Bailey-Joseph finishing off a nice move for 4-1. That’s how it remained until the full-time whistle, sending the away side through to the next round.

Arsenal u18 lineup vs Mansfield Town

Porter, Hamill, Chapman, Onyekachukwu, Ogunnaike, Murisa, Julienne, Hashi, Bailey-Joseph, Zecevic-John, O’Neill

Substitutes

Thompson (for Zecevic-John, 65), Marciniak (for Hashi, 71), Phillips (for Bailey-Joseph, 90), Ranson, Pedro, Owusu-Gyasi, Stachow

What’s next?

Photo via Arsenal Academy on Twitter

Arsenal already know their fourth-round opponents, with the young Gunners to face Manchester City away from home. The match will take place in January, but the exact details are yet to be confirmed.

It could hardly get more difficult than an away match against the runaway u18 Premier League North leaders, but a win would certainly inspire a lot of belief that this could be Arsenal’s year to win the competition.

Hello and welcome to the Week 16 waiver wire watch for wide receivers!

The first week of the fantasy playoffs is in the books and some of you are a step closer to winning your league and claiming bragging rights over your friends. Meanwhile, some of you are fighting for your life in the loser’s bracket and trying to avoid finishing last. Either way, it’s time to start lookiing for ways to fortify your rosters for the next round of the postseason.

We’ll go over some WR performers that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 16 and as always, we’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in 60% of leagues at the max. As a reminder, bye weeks a no longer a thing at this juncture of the year, so every team will be in action for the rest of the way.

Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos (53.4%)

The Broncos joined the Rams as the only teams to clinch a playoff spot so far, punching their ticket to the postseason with a 34-26 victory over the Packers. Franklin ended up coming through big in this possible Super Bowl preview, catching all six of his receiving targets for 86 yards and a late third-quarter touchdown reception that put Denver on top.

That’s now six touchdowns on the year for the second-year wideout from Oregon as he remains a reliable option for Bo Nix like their days in Eugene. With a rostership of roughly 50%, this may be your last chance to see him on the waiver wire, so you might as well submit a bid.

Week 16 matchup: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 4:05 p.m. ET

Adonai Mitchell, WR, New York Jets (27.5%)

The Jets are doing exactly what you’d expect them to be doing at this point in the season: losing games to ensure their top-five positioning in next year’s draft while still squeezing production out of their younger players. That’s exactly what happened in Sunday’s 48-20 loss to the Jaguars as wide receiver Adonai Mitchell grabbed six passes for 58 receiving yards and a touchdown.

That’s now two touchdowns in the last three weeks for the second-year wideout and he’s proving to be more than just a throwaway piece in the Sauce Gardner trade. Whoever’s throwing for the Jets in the Superdome next Sunday, they’re going to want to look for Mitchell early and often.

Week 16 matchup: @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET

Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers (5.9%)

The Panthers held the lead in the NFC South for 72 hours before giving it right back to the Bucs with a 20-17 loss to the Saints on Sunday. But hey, they at least got another productive afternoon out of Coker, who led the team in receiving by catching all four of his targets for 60 yards and a third-quarter touchdown that gave them a 10-point lead.

This marked the second straight game with a touchdown for the second-year wideout from Holy Cross and he’s really coming on as a reliable weapon for Bryce Young in the last month. Given how the Bucs defense has been shredded through the air in recent weeks, I like the young receiver’s chances of finding the end zone again in Sunday’s crucial NFC South showdown.

Week 16 matchup: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET

Luther Burden III, WR, Chicago Bears (21.9%)

Burden played a big role in the Bears’ 31-3 trashing of the Browns on Sunday, helping them bounce back from their loss to the Packers the week prior. The rookie stepped up and led the team in receiving in the big win, catching six of seven targets for 81 yards in the home victory.

That’s now three straight weeks with at least six targets for the second-round pick out of Mizzou and he’s proving to be a reliable hand for Caleb Williams with a 76.6% catch rate. Burden went for 67 receiving yards against the Packers a few weeks back and he’ll have a chance to top that when the two teams meet again at Soldier Field this Saturday night.

Week 16 matchup: vs. Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (Saturday night)

Gianluigi Donnarumma has been named The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper for 2025.

City’s No.25 beat off competition from Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa, Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich, Arsenal’s David Raya, Inter’s Yann Sommer and Barcelona’s Wojciech Szczesny to win the prestigious award.

The nominees were chosen by a panel of experts, with Donnarumma selected as winner by an international jury comprising: men’s national team coaches, men’s national team captains, football journalists and fans who voted on FIFA’s official website.

This year’s qualifying period fell between 11 August 2024 to 2 August 2025.

Donnarumma enjoyed a brilliant campaign across that timeframe with former club Paris Saint-Germain, helping the French side to their 13th Ligue One title as part of a domestic treble alongside Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions success.

He then played a starring role as they went on to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time, the Italian international impressing throughout PSG’s journey to the final where he kept a clean sheet against Internazionale in their 5–0 triumph.

Prior to joining City, he also helped Luis Enrique’s side reach the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final.

Having made the move to City this summer, Donnarumma has continued that wonderful form and played a major part in helping Pep Guardiola’s side rise into second place in the Premier League table and fly high in the UCL standings.

“It is a great honour to win this prestigious award and I would like to thank everybody that voted for me,” he said.

“I feel extremely proud to have been named as the best in the world and ahead of such wonderful goalkeepers too who I have great respect and admiration for.

“It was an incredible year, one that will live long in my memory, and it’s touching to be recognised for my role in the success achieved over that period.

“I will truly appreciate this acknowledgement and look ahead now to achieving more success with my new club Manchester City.”

Donnarumma’s latest special recognition comes hot on the heels of the shot-stopper being named in the 2025 FIFPRO Men’s World 11 in November and winning the 2025 Yashin Trophy – awarded to the best goalkeeper over the past 12 months – at September’s Ballon d’Or awards ceremony.

City v West Ham tickets

Get into the festive cheer for the nearest home fixture to Christmas as we welcome West Ham!

We face Nuno Espirito Santo’s men on Saturday 20 December with a 15:00 (UK) kick-off at the Etihad.

Tickets are on sale to Cityzens Matchday and Junior Members - it’s three tickets per Member.

All adult Cityzens Matchday general admission tickets are priced between £30 - £60 while Under-18 tickets are between £15- £30.

The Blues have won every home fixture with the Hammers since Pep Guardiola’s arrival into the City hotseat with this game always an exciting one.

Two matches of late have been especially noteworthy with Erling Haaland breaking the single-season Premier League scoring record in the May 2023 clash as he received a Guard of Honour from teammates after the game.

And then, a double from Phil Foden and a superb strike from Rodri ensured a 3-1 triumph over the Londoners in May 2024 on the final day of the season as we collected Four-in-a-Row Premier League titles.

Make sure you’re here for this latest edition!

BUY TICKETS HERE

NFL power rankings entering Week 16 of the 2025 season (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Los Angeles Rams (1): The best team in baseball? We'll find out Thursday night in Seattle. But hard to bet against this team given the way its offense can simply takes games over -- LA scoring at least 34 points in six of its past eight outings.

2. Seattle Seahawks (3): The best team in baseball? We'll find out Thursday night in Seattle. But hard to bet against this team given the way its defense can simply takes games over -- Seattle allowing surrendering one touchdown over the past 12 quarters.

3. Denver Broncos (5): Will the real Bo Nix please stand up? But if that was you Sunday against Green Bay, then the Broncos are truly a legitimate Super Bowl threat.

4. Houston Texans (6): Will the real C.J. Stround please stand up? But if that was you Sunday against Arizona, then the Texans are truly a legitimate Super Bowl threat.

5. Buffalo Bills (7): What was more important Sunday -- their defeat of New England (keeping their AFC East title hopes alive), or Kansas City's loss (removing a massive impediment on their past to Super Bowl 69)?

6. New England Patriots (2): The loss to Buffalo with a division crown on the line was a reminder that this is a young team, and one that's only beaten one team this season that has a winning record … though it was the Bills.

7. Green Bay Packers (4): Will the loss of DE Micah Parsons to an ACL tear having a bigger impact on the Pack's defense or its collective psyche?

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (9): Everyone expected Trevor Lawrence to be a generational performer … it just took until Sunday for him to remind us.

Trevor Lawrence is the only player in NFL history with 5+ pass TDs, 1+ rush TD & 50+ rush yards in a single game 🔥@Jaguars | #DUUUVALpic.twitter.com/0xOE9zbqnW

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 14, 2025

9. San Francisco 49ers (10): For all the (belated) focus on the Rams and Seahawks, it's easy to forget that the lurking Niners could yet slip past both and wind up as the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed.

10. Chicago Bears (11): G Joe Thuney received Offensive Player of the Year votes in 2024 with Kansas City. This year in the Windy City? He's allowed one hit on QB Caleb Williams … in nearly 900 snaps.

11. Los Angeles Chargers (12): Jim Harbaugh took the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his second year coaching them. But no way he replicates that trick with Bolts. Right?

12. Philadelphia Eagles (13): WR A.J. Brown's three-game streak of 100-yard receiving games was snapped Sunday. Philly's three-game losing streak was snapped Sunday. Hmmm.

13. Detroit Lions (8): A team this good and fun to watch? Notre Dame is definitely going to cry foul if the committee leaves the Lions out of the playoff field.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (17): You can bet their hoping to host the Monday night wild-card round game if they wind up winning the AFC North.

The Steelers have won 22 consecutive home games on Monday Night Football.

Can they extend the streak this Monday when they take on the Dolphins? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/3gCPM7SUoq

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 12, 2025

15. Baltimore Ravens (19): They won a football game 24-0 and didn't have possession for even 21 minutes? No wonder we thought this team could win the Super Bowl.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20): They've just gotten a lot of (expletive) players like WR Mike Evans back in the (expletive) lineup. We still feel fairly confident (expletive) Baker and Mayfield and Co. can win the (expletive) NFC South a fifth straight time.

17. Carolina Panthers (14): Getting swept by the Saints could quite literally ruin their season.

18. Indianapolis Colts (22): You're telling us they're about to host a Monday night game in their "Indiana Nights" uniforms with 44-year-old Philip Rivers at the controls, but there's no NFL script? The jig's up.

19. Minnesota Vikings (24): QB J.J. McCarthy has a 120.3 passer rating against the NFC East … and 57.9 against everyone else.

20. Dallas Cowboys (15): They're 4-1-1 when WR George Pickens has at least 80 receiving yards and 2-6 when he doesn't. That franchise tag is coming, buddy.

21. Kansas City Chiefs (16): They're shockingly in their Gardner Minshew Era … which may determine whether they want to go back to their Carson Wentz Era in 2026.

22. Miami Dolphins (21): When did "Tank for Tua" become "Tank with Tua during a nationally televised game"?

23. Atlanta Falcons (30): TE Kyle Pitts has been their best player not named Bijan Robinson since Thanksgiving. But does it matter if it requires QB Kirk Cousins to unlock the pending free agent?

24. New Orleans Saints (26): Even though he might get just nine starts, QB Tyler Shough has enough runway to wind up as the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

25. Arizona Cardinals (23): TE Trey McBride and WR Michael Wilson are the only NFL players with at least 40 receptions since Week 11 (both have 44 during that span). Despite all their efforts, the Cards are 0-5 during that stretch.

26. Washington Commanders (25): It's inspiring watching players like QB Marcus Mariota, WR Terry McLaurin and LB Bobby Wagner continue playing (and leading) as if this team is returning to the NFC title game.

27. Cincinnati Bengals (18): Since this organization tends to listen to QB Joe Burrow, what will it do if he tries to talk his way out of Cincinnati?

28. New York Giants (29): On top of all the talent already on the extended roster, the G-Men are in line to get the No. 1 pick in 2026. However losing to the Raiders in Week 17 will present a massive challenge.

29. New York Jets (27): The defense has zero interceptions this season. And one fired coordinator. Coincidence?

30. Tennessee Titans (32): DT Jeffery Simmons is just the fifth player since 1982, when sacks were first tracked, to have a TD reception, forced fumble and sack in the same game. He might (currently) be the best two-way player in the AFC South …

31. Cleveland Browns (28): This week, let's give Shedeur the wristband with three TD pass plays in it, not three picks.

32. Las Vegas Raiders (31): They lost 31-0 and had fewer than 100 yards of total offense. Remarkably, that's happened twice this season.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL power rankings Week 16: Who's 2nd behind Rams after Patriots lose?

Week 15 was the backdrop to stellar quarterbacking performances and affirming wins for AFC contenders. It was also devastating for a handful of star players.

Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons both suffered what are expected to be torn ACLs, ending their seasons. Wide receivers Davante Adams and Christian Watson each left their games with injury. Bam Knight and Devin Neal's rise up the fantasy ranks were curtailed by leg injuries that ended their days early. Rome Odunze's day never officially began after aggravating a foot injury during pregame warmups.

Those all amounted to brutal losses for NFL teams and devastating departures at the start of the 2025 fantasy football playoffs. Week 15 marked the typical beginning to the postseason across 12-team leagues. Week 16 means you're just two wins away from a year of bragging rights and whatever cash considerations may be attached to your trophy. If you were counting on a Mahomes-Adams pairing to carry you to glory, welp, time to pivot.

That's what we're here for. Throughout our first year slinging together FTW's Fantasy Ladders tier we've been able to dig emeralds off the waiver wire. Players like Troy Franklin, Devin Neal and Jayden Higgins have all emerged from the ether for big weeks after we took a good look at their untapped value. Hitting on another one could be the difference between victory and the shameful embrace of watching football all Sunday without personal cogitation.

Thus, I've enlisted Rhode Island Scumbag Mike "Yaj" Boyajian to venture, once more, into the breach with me.

Since we're looking for waiver wire replacements -- and since it's late enough in the season that there won't be a ton of competition from the also-rans in your league -- we're limiting our picks to players owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Let's run down each of Week 15's significant fantasy injuries and fire up some fixes.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Mahomes suffered the worst case scenario in Week 15, exiting a loss that eliminated Kansas City from the postseason after suffering a torn ACL late in a futile comeback effort. The two-time regular season and three-time Super Bowl MVP will turn his offense over to Gardner Minshew, who should not be on your fantasy playoff roster. But who could fill Mahomes' place?

Christian: J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

Yep, I hear it too. And I know how frustrating each Justin Jefferson overthrow will be. But McCarthy is a volume passer with useful legs who has sprung for 20-plus points each of the last two weeks. He finishes with the league's 25th (Giants) and 18th (Lions) ranked passing defenses. He's gonna frustrate the hell out of you. He might also spring for 300 total yards and four touchdowns.

Yaj: Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

He’s put up at least 20 points in his last three matchups and finishes the year facing off against the Jets and Titans. Now, he’s not going to put up a week-winning point total in either week (his high in points was 23), but if someone like Trevor Lawrence or Jacoby Brissett is unavailable, Shough will provide a stable floor, which is very important at this stage of the game.

2. Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams

Adams is questionable for Week 16 thanks to the hamstring injury that ended his Sunday early. A quick turnaround to a Thursday Night Football game suggests he could miss a vital showdown against the Seattle Seahawks even if that injury isn't severe. In the midst of win-or-go-home season, even a limited performance could be the difference between fantasy glory and the blissful ignorance of not sweating out lineup changes Sunday morning.

Christian: Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets

I can't quit our big, athletic, stone-handed wideout. Mitchell's inconsistency makes him liable for a stinker; he's had fewer than seven points in three of his five games as a Jet. He also has two games with more than 17 points, including last week's nine-target, six-catch, one touchdown day. Even Brady Cook knows to get him the ball in large part because, c'mon, it's the Jets, who else are they gonna throw to?

Yaj: Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears.

What more do I have to say about Luther Burden for people to believe in him? He’s currently on 17 percent of Yahoo! rosters, which seems negligible at this point. Yeah, he did leave Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, so definitely keep an eye on that. However, he was once again a top option in the Chicago offense before his injury, and since it was a blowout, may have been held out in a precautionary manner. I say grab him and have a pivot in mind if necessary.

3. Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers

Watson and Parsons were injured within the same quarter as a nine-point Packer lead became an eight-point Denver Broncos win at Mile High Stadium. Watson was first, writhing on the turf after suffering an upper body injury trying to wrestle a deep throw away from Patrick Surtain II. X-rays were negative and, after a brief hospital visit, he was able to rejoin the team.

Like Adams, he could wind up missing a week or two at a critical juncture in the fantasy season. Even if you aren't dropping him, you'll need to replace him in your lineup if you believe he'll slip down Jordan Love's wish list while playing through the pain. Who would make sense among guys we didn't previously call out for Adams?

Christian: Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers

That's right, we're rolling with the handcuff. Reed has nine catches on 10 targets in two games since returning from injury. That includes six targets last week in the game Watson was injured. He's a proven piece of the Green Bay offense who's inside Jordan Love's circle of trust -- and, importantly, a guy who shows up for NFC North rivalry games. Four of his five career games with more than 85 receiving yards came against divisional foes.

Yaj: Isaiah Bond, Cleveland Browns

I was originally going to suggest ANOTHER Green Bay receiver in Matthew Golden, who seemingly took Watson's role when he left. However, let’s pivot to another team and player.

This may sound gross, but is Bond starting to play the Watson role in the Browns’ offense? Seems that way. His role increased this week with four long targets (at least 27 air yards per target over the last three weeks), resulting in two catches and 89 yards. He has the Bills and Steelers left. Both have susceptible secondaries that can be beaten.

4. Devin Neal, New Orleans Saints

Neal left Sunday's game after an early rushing touchdown due to a hamstring injury. His status is uncertain for Week 16, but he could also be facing another concern -- a potentially returning Alvin Kamara. Kamara hasn't played since Week 12 due to knee and ankle injuries. He didn't practice in Week 15, but could return to the field to wrap up the season even with New Orleans only playing for pride at this point. With $8 million in cap space to be saved by designating Kamara a post-June 1 cut this offseason, head coach Kellen Moore may want to see how his 30-year-old RB1 responds before setting up his dominoes for 2026.

Christian: Stick with Neal.

Neal isn't great. Kamara has been, somehow, less efficient (-0.5 rush yards over expected per carry vs. -0.7, respectively). Neither is going to give you a high floor. But friend, it is *rough* out there for running back help. Bill Croskey-Merritt's playing time is gonna dip back down when Chris Rodriguez returns. Blake Corum might be available but offers no PPR value. Bhayshul Tuten is tempting but had two touches in Week 15. Maybe -- maybe! -- pick up Corum if he's there.

Yaj: I’m with Christian here.

If you can stick with Neal, and he’s going to play, there simply isn’t anything better on the wire. If he’s out? Maybe pivot to (eesh) Michael Carter? Bam Knight was injured and ruled out early in week 15, leaving Carter to assume most of the duties in a beatdown at the hands of the Texans. His running mate, Emari Demercado is another coin flip, last gasp option as well.

It’s rough out there folks.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Who can replace Patrick Mahomes, Davante Adams in fantasy playoffs?

"I got to the stage where I was going to give up my season ticket."

When Neale Ormston developed diabetic retinopathy, an eye condition, he thought his days of attending Crystal Palace games were over.

The 53-year-old was "not getting enjoyment" out of football because of the struggles of getting to matches and not being able to see and keep up with play as he once did.

But now he has "that passion again" and has made history as the first visually impaired fan to commentate on a Premier League game using a GiveVision headset.

BBC Sport went to meet Ormston at Selhurst Park and watch him in action.

'I'm at more of an advantage now than everyone else'

Football commentary is challenging enough - finding the correct words to describe the action, keeping up with the play and identifying the right player at the right moment is more difficult than the professionals make it look.

For Ormston, who said he was "nervous" to go live, it was made even harder by his inability to have notes or a teamsheet.

For Sunday's match against Manchester City, he was providing audio to other visually impaired fans in the stadium alongside colleagues Roger Dickson, Andy Bull and Chris Winter.

Palace have provided this service for their fans for many years, but since last season GiveVision headsets have also been made available for those that are eligible.

The headset, which looks like a virtual reality mask, transmits to the retina to allow the person using it to see what is there.

During the game, the user can control what they see via network camera feeds and they can zoom in and out and change the contrast. It also also allows users to switch to regular vision to join in with the real-time celebrations with those around them.

"I'm actually at more of an advantage now than everyone else," smiled Ormston. "My friends round me ask when there is VAR because I get replays so I can tell them when to cheer and not to cheer."

Ormston took the headset to Dublin last Thursday for Palace's Conference League victory over Shelbourne but is unable to take it to any Premier League away game because other grounds do not have the requisite 5G infrastructure.

"The atmosphere is what I want to experience," he added. "But it's about inclusivity.

"There are so many clubs that don't even have the audio commentary option, so how many visually impaired people are there out there who don't go but want to go?"

One in 30 people in the UK are affected by some degree of sight loss, but at present, Palace are the only club to offer the vision enhancement system.

A total of 73% of sports fans with visual impairments do not attend matches due to the lack of accessibility, according to Unadev, the France-based organisation that raises awareness of visual impairment issues.

That is something Ormston and other people connected to the club want to change.

'I want to go to every match now!'

For Sunday's game, eight people had the headsets, which are also available to travelling fans if they register in advance.

One fan who relies on the technology is Susan Venon, 80, who has had gradual deterioration in her sight since 2004.

She called the service "a revelation" because without it she too "would not be coming now, and wouldn't have renewed [her season ticket] for this season" despite following the club for 56 years.

"I have always had to have someone here with me to tell me what is going on but with the headset I can see everything," she said. "It is so wonderful. I want to go to every match now!"

'You can't put a price on sight'

Charlotte Woodward, Chair of Crystal Palace's Disabled Supporters' Association, says the headsets "should be a standard across the Premier League and beyond".

"You can't put a price on sight," she said. "It doesn't discriminate against age, gender, race or background. You can have a sight condition from birth or later on in life.

"At Palace we invest in fans and by doing this it shows the club's dedication to them being the 12th man."

Stan Karpenko, the founder of GiveVision, told BBC Sport it has "spoken to almost every club in the UK".

He added that the biggest barrier is not the installation cost but "it's the awareness of their fans who could benefit from it".

Karpenko said: "If there are no facilities to make their experience adequate enough to attend, then they don't think they have any visually impaired fans.

"Our job is to raise awareness so that football clubs know about the fans who are still excluded from the game."

• Latest Crystal Palace news, analysis and fan views
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New York Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka addressed two scrutinized decisions from Sunday's game during his postgame and Monday press conferences, emphasizing the importance of trust, effective roster management, and strategic flexibility.

On using safety Jevon Holland as the punt returner, despite the primary returner, Gunner Olszewski, being in concussion protocol, Kafka explained that the choice stemmed from late-week roster constraints.

"Yeah, we definitely had those conversations just late in the week where we had some other groups, other position groups that we were talking about, the D-line where we had some sicknesses and things like that," Kafka said Sunday night. "So, we got a lot of trust in Holland to go back there and fair catch it. He actually had a couple nice returns for us. But it was certainly one of the discussion points that we had in the week."

Kafka reiterated Monday that the staff had "a lot of confidence in Holland to go back there and just really catch the punts, even if it was just a fair catch," prioritizing depth elsewhere while noting Holland "did a nice job."

Regarding the late-game extra point kick after scoring to make it 29-20 with 3:43 left—instead of going for two—Kafka detailed the calculated approach.

"There was definitely a discussion to whether or not to kick it or go for two. We just decided to kick it and then go get another touchdown and go for two at that point," he said. "That's kind of just -- and sometimes you're in the heat of it, you're going, it's a 50-50, there's really not a sway either way. So, we just decided to take it right there and make sure when we go score the next touchdown, now we know we’ve got to go for two, and it wasn’t going to be a two-score game.

"So, we were just really banking, make it a one-score game, let's go score one more time, then go for two to tie it. Versus, alright, you roll the dice, if you go for two there and you don't get it, now you’ve still got to get another touchdown and then a field goal. So, we were just trying to keep it a one-score game."

It's not the same aggression Kafka showed over his first two games, and the result wasn't what he was hoping for. While none of those decisions necessarily doomed him in Week 15, the Giants are still 0-4 under Kafka's interim leadership.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants' Mike Kafka addresses controversial Week 15 decisions

The ink has barely dried off the 2025 Heisman Trophy, but it’s never too early to predict what we’ll all see next year, and many will have Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr on their lists.

That won’t include Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick, who released his way-too-early 2026 Heisman Trophy finalists. He had two Ohio State players in quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who finished No. 4 and No. 6 in this year’s voting. Chadwick also had Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, who finished No. 7 this season, but unlike the Buckeyes, could turn pro after this season is over.

The final player he had on his list was Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who also saw plenty of preseason hype heading into this season, only to fall well short of expectations. If there is one player on his top-four that Carr should be over, it’s Manning, as the Notre Dame quarterback threw for just 201 less yards passing, but had the same amount of touchdowns, 24, less interceptions, 6 to 7, and had a higher QBR.

To me the hype being Manning is all in his last name, which Carr should have plenty of as well, being the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd. Lists like these will just fuel Carr’s fire as he should have a huge second season as Notre Dame’s starter.

Way-Too-Early 2026 Heisman Finalists Prediction🏆

(Via: @CFBMaxChadwick) pic.twitter.com/zq7qWbIa5m

— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 15, 2025

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame QB CJ Carr not on way-too-early 2026 Heisman list

After a six-year run in Pittsburgh during which he helped the Pirates quietly turn into one of baseball’s better pitching development organizations, Jeremy Bleich is tasked with trying to do the same for the Diamondbacks.

Bleich, 38, was hired last week to be the Diamondbacks’ third assistant general manager. He will oversee the club’s pitching development infrastructure. He had held the title of director of pitching with the Pirates in a role in which he helped streamline their processes from the major leagues down to the lowest levels of the minors while also aiding in player acquisitions.

For Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, the hiring is part of a strategy to get the club’s pitching in line with its position player development.

“We just haven’t been happy with the way the overall pitching infrastructure has gone,” Hazen said. “The results, certainly, at the major league level speak to that. I want to be realistic about the things we’ve done and haven’t done as well and that’s one of those areas where I feel like we haven’t done as good of a job in.

"Devoting somebody that’s going to oversee all of our pitching processes — acquisition and development — we felt like was a huge priority.”

Bleich comes with a good reputation, Hazen said, and stood out from other candidates during the interview process as the best fit for the job. A source with the Pirates gushed about him, saying Bleich was “great at simplifying ways forward” and managed to get the organization’s pitching group “all pulling rope in the same direction.”

Bleich spoke highly of the people the Diamondbacks already have in the organization and said one of his first goals will be to establish an “organizational-wide pitching identity” that he wants to look something like “a relentless pursuit of the strike zone with our best stuff.”

“It can be simple; it can be direct,” Bleich said. “We want to try to lean into, when you face the Diamondbacks, through gameplay, people know what we stand for and what we’re striving for daily. What are the non-negotiables?”

Bleich went through ups and downs during his playing career. He was selected 44th overall by the New York Yankees in 2008 and was that organization’s ninth-ranked prospect, per Baseball America in 2010. But it wasn’t until 2018, at which time he was on his fifth organization and had made two stops in independent ball, that he finally made his major league debut.

He made just two appearances for the Oakland Athletics, then retired after the 2019 season.

Thinking back, Bleich recalled times when he was considered a prospect that coaches mostly left him alone. Other times, he felt like he didn’t matter. He wants to do what he can to give every player what he needs to achieve his dream of pitching in the majors.

“How are we giving each guy the most resources, the most chances to do that?” Bleich said. “There are times it was rough and lonely. I felt like wanted direction and I wanted clarity. I wanted to be challenged. I want to give that back.

"Maybe it’s giving a player something he doesn’t feel (he is receiving) at the time that can help them chase their ultimate goal.”

Hazen said Bleich would oversee pitching at all levels from the major leagues down. Bleich will also aid in acquisitions, both on the professional (trades, free agents, waivers) and amateur sides.

As far as the draft goes, he praised the Pirates’ ability to draft and develop high school arms into big-league starters — right-handers Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft are recent examples — and said he would like to see the Diamondbacks be more active in that demographic.

“We don’t have a lot of wins in that area,” Hazen said. “It is a very fertile area to get upper-level talent starting pitchers and we should be shopping in that area a little bit more. This is going to help with that. They (the Pirates) do that consistently and have consistently landed those guys.

"I think he’s going to add a lot of process and programmatic experience to how the entire operation (unfolds).”

The Diamondbacks have done well developing everything from star-caliber to useful position players during Hazen’s tenure. The results on the pitching side have been more hit and miss — and those misses have contributed heavily to the club missing the postseason the past two seasons.

“I think we have a lot of smart people, hard-working people who are very knowledgeable,” Hazen said. “I feel like with the transitions we’ve had with all the different major league pitching coaches and regimes and philosophies, we have not done as good of a job systematically, philosophically, on the pitching side as we’ve done on the hitting side.

“I feel like if we can match up what we do on the hitting side with the pitching side, we’ll be in a good spot. That’s what (Bleich) is going to be charged with doing.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks executive Jeremy Bleich tasked with improving pitching

Though the Diamondbacks’ agreement this week with free-agent right-hander Merrill Kelly gives them five established starting pitchers, it does not change the likelihood the club deals second baseman Ketel Marte, according to a club source.

Marte could still bring back high-end starting pitching, something the organization does not have in bunches in its minor-league system.

Once his deal is official, Kelly will join a rotation that also includes the recently signed Michael Soroka, right-handers Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.

Of those five, only Kelly and Nelson are seen as safe bets to be both durable and effective. Pfaadt and Rodriguez are both coming off years in which they posted ERAs north of 5.00. Soroka wasn’t much better with a 4.52 ERA — and he has a checkered history when it comes to injuries.

The Diamondbacks’ front office likes its collection of young starters in the upper minors, but many of those arms either have yet to debut or have limited big-league experience. The club would prefer not to have to rush those pitchers to the majors early in the season.

The Athletic reported this week the teams on Marte’s five-team no-trade list: the Athletics, Giants, Pirates, Yankees and Cardinals.

Another thing that remains to be seen following the Kelly signing is how much financial flexibility the Diamondbacks have remaining — and whether it will keep them from being active in the relief market.

Following the signings of Kelly and Soroka, the Diamondbacks’ payroll sits at an estimated $171 million, per FanGraphs’ Roster Resource.

Kelly’s contract includes vesting option

Kelly’s two-year, $40 million deal includes a vesting option for 2028, a source said.

If Kelly reaches 170 innings pitched in 2027, it will trigger a $12 million guarantee for 2028. If he hits 185 innings, the guarantee grows to $14 million.

According to The Athletic, Kelly turned down a three-year offer in excess of $50 million to take the Diamondbacks’ offer.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How do FA signings affect Ketel Marte trade talks?

Quarterback Philip Rivers is back on the field and off the list of modern-era players under consideration to be part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

Hall of Fame spokesman Rich Desrosiers confirmed Rivers' status on Monday, Dec. 15:

“Philip relinquished his place as a semifinalist for the Class of 2026 when he was elevated to the Colts’ roster and activated Saturday.”

Desrosiers said "the clock resets from whenever he last plays," which means Rivers could regain eligibility, if he doesn't play next season, for the Class of 2031.  

Rivers, 44, had not played in 1,800 days before he started for the Colts in an 18-16 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 14.

He was signed because of an injury to starter Anthony Richardson. Richardson is cleared to play their next game, but Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Rivers will start it against the 49ers on "Monday Night Football" on Dec. 22.

Rivers recently was named one of 26 modern-era finalists for the Class of 2026. He made that cut along with a group of first-year-eligible players including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore and Jason Witten. Each last played in the 2020 season.

The semifinalist list will be cut to 15 finalists later this month.

The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Hall of Fame semifinalist Philip Rivers not eligible for 2026 Class

Another week of college basketball action saw significant movement in the Big 12 Conference. Iowa State and Arizona appear to be the top two teams in the conference, taking over the reins from Houston and BYU. Kansas is back where it belongs in the Big 12's upper tier.

With four teams ranked in the top 10 and two more in the top 20, the Big 12 continues its dominance as the best basketball conference in the country. That top group will likely remain consistent over the next few weeks before conference play heats up in the new year.

As we enter the final stretch of nonconference action, here is an updated look at the full conference power rankings.

Updated Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings (Dec. 16)

1. Arizona Wildcats (9-0, 0-0 Big 12; No. 5 in KenPom) -- Up 1
2. Iowa State Cyclones (11-0, 0-0 Big 12; No. 3 in KenPom) -- Up 1
3. Houston Cougars (10-1, 0-0 Big 12; No. 8 in KenPom) -- Down 2
4. BYU Cougars (9-1, 0-0 Big 12; No. 9 in KenPom) -- No change
5. Kansas Jayhawks (8-3, 0-0 Big 12; No. 17 in KenPom) -- Up 2
6. Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-3, 0-0 Big 12; No. 23 in KenPom) -- Down 1
7. Baylor Bears (7-2, 0-0 Big 12; No. 34 in KenPom) -- Down 1
8. Kansas State Wildcats (7-4, 0-0 Big 12; No. 71 in KenPom) -- Up 1
9. UCF Knights (8-1, 0-0 Big 12; No. 54 in KenPom) -- Up 1
10. West Virginia Mountaineers (8-4, 0-0 Big 12; No. 70 in KenPom) -- Up 2
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-1, 0-0 Big 12; No. 55 in KenPom) -- No change
12. Colorado Buffaloes (9-1, 0-0 Big 12; No. 60 in KenPom) -- Up 1
13. TCU Horned Frogs (7-3, 0-0 Big 12; No. 62 in KenPom) -- Up 3
14. Arizona State Sun Devils (9-2, 0-0 Big 12; No. 63 in KenPom) -- Up 1
15. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-4, 0-0 Big 12; No. 82 in KenPom) -- Down 6
16. Utah Utes (7-4, 0-0 Big 12; No. 130 in KenPom) -- Down 1

Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram.

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Big 12 basketball power rankings after Arizona's big win

The West's home of motorsport is celebrating its 75-year anniversary this year.

More than 150,000 people visit Castle Combe Circuit, based next to the Cotswolds village of the same name, every year.

The Wiltshire-based site changed from a World War Two airfield to a circuit in 1950 and has hosted racing stars including Stirling Moss and Nigel Mansell, as well as the Top Gear team.

Max Symonds, the site's commercial manager, said: "There's something that's unique and special about the traditional nature of Castle Combe circuit -but at the same time [we] keep up with what people want."

To celebrate its anniversary, a number of events have been hosted at the site throughout 2025 including a commemorative display at a racing festival.

It is now used by clubs from across the West of England, but stopped hosting Formula Three championships in 2005 due to noise complaints.

Formula Ford still features at the circuit and it hosts race days for classic cars and motorcycles, as well as having saloon car championships.

Many of these are linked to the Castle Combe Racing Club.

Castle Combe commentator Chris Dawes said he was five years old when he first attended a race with his dad.

"The sights, the sounds, smells, everything - I was intoxicated.

"The history screams at you when you're here. It's enabled a lot of people to taste racing," he said.

The track staged its first meeting on 8 July 1950, both for bikes and cars.

It was run by Bristol Car Club and held behind closed doors to check if more could be held in future.

Those who took part at the first meeting were given a commemorative cigarette lighter - but the venue's name was spelt incorrectly.

When the site first opened, drivers did not wear crash helmets and they sat in front of the engines.

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It wasn't that long ago that Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham was the newbie in college coaching circles. Just last year, there were nine schools in the Big 12 with coaches who had longer tenures at their respective schools than Dillingham.

That won't be the case come next season.

Veteran Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has stepped down, with defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley named to succeed him, and Mike Gundy was fired halfway into a second straight disastrous season at Oklahoma State. Those two were in their 21st seasons at their schools, tied for the second-longest tenure in college football, behind Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, who is in his 27th year.

Chris Klieman retired at Kansas State and Iowa State's Matt Campbell moved over to Penn State.

Those moves leave Brigham Young's Kalani Sitake as the elder statesman of the group, now rounding out his 10th season.

Dillingham has always praised what Whittingham has built at Utah, which has been a perennial conference contender, whether it was in the Pac-12 or Big 12. He has always said he appreciated what the veteran coach built from a stability, consistency standpoint with a team that played physically on both sides of the ball.

Dillingham also praises Whittingham's tenure at the same school, a rarity nowadays in college football.

"Unbelievable run. That's a guy who doesn't get enough credit," Dillingham said of Whittingham. "Could be the best coach in this generation. Definitely top five in my mind, probably top three. ...

"I can say that with a lot of confidence that from inside the industry and people around, he was one of the best coaches of this era."

Sitake is followed in tenure by Baylor's Dave Aranda (sixth year), Lance Leipold of Kansas (fifth year), with TCU's Sonny Dykes and Texas Tech's Joey McGuire (fourth year) next. Then come Dillingham, Colorado's Deion Sanders, and Cincinnati's Scott Satterfield, who are finishing their third year.

Dillingham has spoken often about trying to model his program after that of the Utah legend, but he conceded that it is not something that can be done, just because of the changes in the game over the past several years, namely the transfer portal and NIL.

"You can't anymore because it's completely different, right?" Dillingham said. "The changing landscape of college football. What was three years ago is dead. I shouldn't say it's dead, it's completely different. What it takes to win. How to navigate winning. What he accomplished is amazing. To be able to do that in this era would be amazing and that's a great challenge."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham praises Utah counterpart

The Hoops are making the trip to Tannadice Park this Wednesday evening (Dec 17) to take on Dundee United in the William Hill Premiership, so get ready with the official Celtic FC quiz. 

Ahead of kick-off, put your Celtic knowledge to the test with our quiz which focuses on previous matches. 

You've got the familiar 90-second challenge – can you get all 10 questions right?

Check out our full collection of Celtic FC quizzes here.

More Celtic Quizzes

• Check out our collection of Celtic FC quizzes here to test your Hoops IQ.

Fixtures

Dundee United Vs. Celtic - Wed, Dec 17th 2025, 20:00

The Chelsea and England national team goalkeeper wins the award for the best goalkeeper of the year.

At 25 years old, Hannah Hampton has just been declared the winner of the FIFA The Best award for the best goalkeeper in the world. She has been crucial for both Chelsea and England.

¡Hannah Hampton es condecorada con el Premio #TheBest a la Guardameta de la FIFA 2025! 🧤

— Copa Mundial FIFA 🏆 (@fifaworldcup_es) December 16, 2025

She follows in the footsteps of Mary Earps, who won it in 2022 and 2023, as the second English player to be honored as the best in the world between the posts. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 Naomi Baker - 2025 Getty Images

Hello and welcome to the Week 16 waiver wire watch for running backs!

The first week of the fantasy playoffs is in the books and some of you are a step closer to winning your league and claiming bragging rights over your friends. Meanwhile, some of you are fighting for your life in the loser’s bracket and trying to avoid finishing last. Either way, it’s time to start lookiing for ways to fortify your rosters for the next round of the postseason.

We’ll go over some RB performers that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 16 and as always, we’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in 60% of leagues at the max. As a reminder, bye weeks a no longer a thing at this juncture of the year, so every team will be in action for the rest of the way.

Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (42.7%)

The Rams became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff spot with Sunday’s 41-34 victory over the Lions and look like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. One of the things that makes them a danger right now is the emergence of Corum in recent weeks and he broke off 11 carries for 71 rushing yards and a touchdown in their home victory over Detroit on Sunday.

That is now three straight games with a touchdown for the second-year back out of Michigan and the second straight week where he’s recorded 10+ carries while backing up Kyren Williams. He’s going to remain an important part of the Rams offense for their playoff push, so why not make him part of yours?

Week 16 matchup: @ Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (Thursday night)

Bill Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders (46.0%)

We haven’t heard Croskey-Merritt’s name as of late as the Commanders’ season has fizzled out, but he did play a big role in their 29-21 victory over the Giants on Sunday. The rookie ended up posting 18 carries for 96 rushing yards, and a touchdown in the win, marking his first trip to the end zone since two-score outing against the Chargers way back in Week 5.

BCM’s production dropped off significantly in the second half of the season as prior to Sunday, he hadn’t gone above 60 yards on the ground since their Week 6 loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football. Perhaps his performance against the New York is an indicator that he’ll get to tote the rock more as Washington closes out the season. He’ll be someone to keep in mind when scoring the wire this week.

Week 16 matchup: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 5 p.m. ET (Saturday night)

Keaton Mitchell, RB, Baltimore Ravens (5.7%)

The Ravens ended a two-game losing skid by shutting out the Bengals 24-0 on Sunday and Mitchell played his part in the win. Eight carries for 66 rushing yards is what the third-year back was able to produce and he was notably on the field for more snaps than Derrick Henry in the contest. Granted, Henry was able to cram in 100 rushing yards into his light work load, but having a backup that could handle business like Mitchell certainly helped.

Mitchell now has over 140 rushing yards in his last two games combined and he’s carving out a sustained role in the offense as Baltimore fights for the AFC North crown. He’s someone worth keeping an eye on over the next few weeks.

Week 16 matchup: vs. New England Patriots, 8:20 p.m. ET

Michael Carter, RB, Arizona Cardinals (7.8%)

The Cardinals are just counting down the minutes until the season ends and took another ugly loss in a 40-20 setback against the Texans on Sunday. BUT, a bunch of their offensive weapons are at least getting a chance to rack up some numbers in the final weeks and that was the case with Carter on Sunday. The fifth-year vet was on the field for 80% of the offensive snaps and got plenty of touches, taking 14 carries for 56 rushing yards on the ground while also grabbing all four of his passing targets for 38 receiving yards in the loss.

This spike in production came as a result of Bam Knight being carted off the field with ankle injury, leaving Carter as effectively the only running back that Arizona was willing to deploy throughout the afternoon. Knight is unlikely to play against the Falcons this Sunday, meaning the green light is on for Carter to get more touches.

Week 16 matchup: vs. Atlanta Falcons, 4:05 p.m. ET

While the Denver Broncos focus on securing a top seed for the NFL playoffs, fans and pundits for struggling teams have started shifting focus to the 2026 NFL draft, and mock draft season has begun. While it's obviously not a priority in Broncos Country right now, it is fun to begin looking ahead to who Denver might target in April's draft.

Over at Draft Wire, Curt Popejoy's latest 2026 NFL mock draft has the Broncos selecting Georgia linebacker CJ Allen at pick No. 32 overall at the bottom of the first round.

Our friends over at Bucs Wire recently published a three-round mock draft. Denver selects Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and Indiana edge defender Mikail Kamara in that mock.

"The Broncos have a fun receiving corps, but they need that physically gifted, explosive piece," Andrew Harbaugh wrote. "They have one of each separately in Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin, but Chris Bell is the best of both worlds and would give Bo Nix another fun piece to work with."

ESPN's Field Yates, meanwhile, also sent Louisville receiver Chris Bell to Denver at pick No. 32 in his latest mock draft. It should be noted, though, that Bell recently underwent ACL surgery, which could knock him out of the first round. While he might not be a candidate for the Broncos' first pick in 2026, Bell will still be a name to watch in the spring as he works his way back from the injury.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 2026 NFL mock draft: Who do the Broncos pick?

Every other season, I really hate football. And this is one of those seasons.

We spent so much of the earlier parts of this season bemoaning our early fixtures and confidentiality saying we would be in a much stronger position once we had our run of mid-table fixtures. That confidence has been extinguished at an alarming rate, with the Clarets picking up not a single point against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Brentford and West Ham United. We sit in 19th, with just 10 points from 16 games and 6 points adrift of safety.

I thought the Kompany era was bad. This might be worse.

It's the manner of the defeats that are worrying me the most. We are atrocious in defence, our midfield is invisible, and we have no attacking threat. And, despite what Scott Parker claims to the contrary, very little fight in the squad. As much as I hate to single out one player, the vision of Quilindschy Hartman casually strolling back to track his man when his team was 2-1 down in a crucial home match epitomised everything that is painful about this team right now.

It is for that reason that I wouldn't object to a change of manager. Parker is an incredible human being, and I really wanted this to work for him. But he is far too safe and unambitious to succeed in the Premier League. The cracks were there last season - if it had not been for a spectacularly timed Sheffield United capitulation, Burnley would have had to settle for the playoffs and likely lose to Sunderland - but the joy of automatic promotion muted some warning bells.

The board hasn't spent well. The recruitment hasn't been good enough. And Parker doesn't have the dogged fight in him to get the best out of an underperforming side.

Harsh? Probably. But the joy and optimism have been drained out of me this season. And, as has been the case in so many other Premier League seasons, I can't wait for it to be over.

Find more from Natalie Bromley at No Nay Never podcast

KEM Hospital in Parel, Mumbai, has launched a sports injury rehabilitation centre, becoming the first public hospital in western India to offer a facility for athletes seeking advanced treatment.

The sports injury rehab centre, built with CSR [corporate social responsibility] funding from Balkrishna Industries, aims to provide advanced care and rehabilitation to sportspersons at municipal rates.

The facility features a range of the latest equipment for athlete training and rehabilitation. It is equipped with 25 beds, including 20 general, two special, and three ICU beds.

Plans are underway to offer a postgraduate degree in sports medicine, enhancing the centre’s academic and clinical capabilities.

During the inauguration, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner Bhushan Gagrani highlighted the importance of the centre, stating: "It is important to have such a centre available for athletes in a metropolis like Mumbai."

He noted that the facility aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to prepare for Olympic-level competitions, providing essential support to the city’s sporting talent.

KEM Hospital dean Dr Sangeeta Ravat provided further insights into the multidisciplinary approach of the centre: "Arthroscopic surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, biophysicists, psychiatrists, and dieticians will all be available under one roof."

Dr Ravat added that the primary goal is to ensure that injured athletes can recover fully and return to their sporting careers.

KEM medical superintendent Dr Mohan Desai addressed the challenges faced by young athletes following injuries, commenting: "Many youngsters give up sporting dreams after injuries. But with such a facility available in the public sector, they have a second chance."

Sports medicine in India has traditionally been limited to a few private hospitals, where treatment and surgery costs can reach several million rupees, reported Times of India (ToI).

The centre was constructed with a budget of Rs200m ($2.4m), funded through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

It is equipped with devices such as walker view machines, de wall (a machine that helps movement analysis and training), and an underwater treadmill.

"Sports injury rehabilitation centre opens at KEM Hospital in Mumbai, India" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand.

The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.

Kobbie Mainoo’s brother wore a t-shirt displaying the message ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’ at Old Trafford during Manchester United’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth, per BBC Sport.  

The midfielder’s brother and TV personality Jordan Mainoo-Hames unveiled the t-shirt during Monday’s game and posted the picture on Instagram afterwards. 

Manager Ruben Amorim was not asked about the t-shirt after the Bournemouth game, but the incident is likely to annoy the Portuguese boss. 

Mainoo is one of the best players to come out of United’s academy. The 20-year-old has already made 84 senior appearances, bagging seven goals and three assists in the process. 

But he has been struggling for game time under Amorim, who hasn’t started him once in the Premier League this campaign. 

The England international has been limited to just 212 league minutes, spread across 11 appearances. 

Amorim views him as a number eight, a position currently monopolised by Bruno Fernandes. 

The Portuguese boss has also suggested the United academy graduate lacks the positional discipline to excel as a holding midfielder. 

Mainoo wants to leave on loan in the winter transfer window in search of more game time. 

Several clubs have been credited with an interest in the youngster, including Napoli and Chelsea. 

But the midfielder is highly rated by the club’s hierarchy and they are not open to offers for him. 

With the 2026 World Cup scheduled to start in June, Mainoo will be desperate for more first-team action to become a part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. 

However, he is unlikely to displace Fernandes at United and the club are also unlikely to sanction an exit this winter. 

Stats from Transfermarkt 

With the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations set to take place from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, a total of 17 Bundesliga players from 10 clubs have been called up to represent their national teams.

Exactly how long each player will be unavailable to their club depends on how far their team progresses in the tournament.

If a player reaches the final with his national team, he would miss up to four Bundesliga matches for his club.

Here is an overview of Bundesliga players called up for the Africa Cup of Nations:

Bundesliga players at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

TSG Hoffenheim: Bazoumana Touré (Côte d'Ivoire)

VfB Stuttgart: Bilal El Khannouss (Morocco)

Borussia Dortmund: Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria)

FC Bayern: Nicolas Jackson (Senegal)

VfL Wolfsburg: Mohamed Amoura (Algeria)

SC Freiburg: Cyriaque Irié (Burkina Faso)

RB Leipzig: Yan Diomande (Côte d'Ivoire), Amadou Haidara (Mali)

Eintracht Frankfurt: Farès Chaïbi (Algeria), Ellyes Skhiri (Tunisia)

FC Augsburg: Samuel Essende (DR Congo), Elias Saad (Tunisia), Ismael Gharbi (Tunisia)

Bayer Leverkusen: Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Ibrahim Maza (Algeria), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Morocco), Christian Kofane (Cameroon)

So Notre Dame gets shut out of the CFP and how do they respond? They refuse to play in any bowl – which tells you two things. One, the Irish are angry and want to make a statement and two, their program prints so much money a $4 million payday is just a drop in the bucket in their revenue streams.

Supposedly the Irish were offered to play BYU, but again declined. While nine other schools also declined, some lost their coach while others had 5-7 records and all would’ve played in much lesser bowls where the payout was less than $1 million. A little known memorandum of understanding was executed by Notre Dame and the CFP last year which stated if the Irish finished in the top 12 (which they did), they would automatically qualify as an at-large team, meaning they would have jumped Miami even though the Hurricanes were ranked ahead of them.

How completely nonsensical would that have been and what Notre Dame alum drafted that MOU?

Moore's family are victims

The Sherrone Moore saga continues as new information emerges. Charged with three counts including stalking and a home invasion, Moore was released on $25,000 bail while his case is pending. Moore, who is married with three daughters, apparently was having an affair with a staff member and after being fired with cause, proceeded to that staff member’s home and reportedly threatened to kill himself after breaking in. While his future as Michigan’s head coach is finished, it is clear Moore needs help.

Then there are the innocent victims of this affair, his wife and three children and the enormous stress and pressure they will be exposed to because of the embarrassing and humiliating allegations released to the public. We can only pray for their health and strength to endure and persevere through this crisis. All you hear about is the Michigan coaching job and rumored coaching candidates including Alabama’s Kalen Debour, who has stated he is not interested in the vacancy. I’m sure the Moore household has much more important challenges ahead of them than who the next Michigan coach might be and we wish them well.

Not going bowling

Without ESPN and its money, many bowls would just fold, which is why only only a few of them are mentioned here. In fact, with Washington defeating Boise State 38-10 in the LA Bowl (which I cannot find anyone who watched), that bowl officially was terminated after a less-than-inspiring five-year-run.

Kudos to Whittingham

There have been many other coaches fired or who have resigned recently, but nobody carried themself better on and off the field than Kyle Whittingham at Utah. He led the Utes to the top of the Mountain West and when they moved to the Pac 12, Utah became a physical, always well-prepared team which won two PAC 12 Championships and went 177-88 overall. He retired after spending 31 years at Utah, 21 as their head coach, and is forever the face of the university’s football program. Toughness, classy and humble, Whittingham put Utah football on the map without compromising its integrity.

Well-deserved honor for Mendoza

As predicted here, Fernando Mendoza was announced as the first Heisman Trophy in Indiana Hoosier history. If you haven’t seen the acceptance speech yet, it’s a made-for-television movie, a Cuban American kid whose parents just wanted to instill character, discipline and commitment in their kids and never wavered even in the face of adversity. If you can keep the tears inside you when he thanks his beautiful mom, who inspired him and is sitting in a wheelchair because of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, you’re a tougher person than I am. Humble, thankful and appreciate, he’s the the kind of person who not only gives us hope for the next generation but if you have a daughter, instantly becomes the person you want her to marry. Just my sentiments, maybe not yours.

followtheschreib61@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Notre Dame football doesn't need to play in lesser bowl games

Inter Milan will reportedly face Bologna in a high-stakes Supercoppa Italiana semi-final tie without Hakan Calhanoglu.

According to Corriere dello Sport via FCInterNews, the Turkish midfielder is likely to sit out Friday’s clash in Riyadh.

Hakan Calhanoglu sustained a muscle injury during Inter’s controversial 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool last weekend.

Therefore, Cristian Chivu couldn’t call upon his talismanic playmaker for Sunday’s away match against Genoa.

However, the Nerazzurri boss has included the 31-year-old in his squad for the upcoming Supercoppa.

Inter Milan to Take on Bologna Without Hakan Calhanoglu

MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 21: Hakan Calhanoglu of Internazionale warms up prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and US Sassuolo Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Despite traveling to Saudi Arabia with the team, Calhanoglu may only be available for the final should Inter overcome Bologna.

Though the former AC Milan star has escaped a serious injury, his absence against Vincenzo Italiano’s side looks certain.

Indeed, Chivu would likely leave his starting playmaker on the bench as a precaution.

As such, Piotr Zielinski could make another start after impressing at the Marassi last weekend.

CAN 2025: controversy surrounding Cesc Fabregas and Senegal

CAN 2025: Cesc Fabregas insulted by Senegalese fans

The injury to Assane Diao, which occurred just days before the kickoff of the Africa Cup of Nations, has sparked intense controversy between Senegal and Cesc Fàbregas. After a powerful counter-attack with Como, the Senegalese forward was forced off the pitch in tears in the 38th minute, casting serious doubt over his participation in the continental tournament.

Cesc Fàbregas fait face à une vague de harcèlement sur Instagram de la part de milliers d’internautes sénégalais. 🇸🇳😳

L’entraîneur de Côme est jugé responsable par une large partie de la population sénégalaise à la suite de la blessure d’Assane Diao face à l’AS Rome ce soir.… pic.twitter.com/CLqCBJOG58

— Foot Mercato (@footmercato) December 15, 2025

This twist of fate has provoked massive outrage among Senegalese supporters, especially as the player was in the starting lineup while he was expected to join the national team. Tensions were further fueled by previous comments from Fàbregas, who had voiced his disagreement with the player’s call-up. The Spanish manager soon became the target of online harassment, sometimes accompanied by racist messages.

Addressing the media, Fàbregas felt compelled to explain himself.

before mentioning "unpleasant" exchanges with the Senegal coach. Amid this tense atmosphere, Assane Diao remains the main casualty, now highly doubtful for what would have been his first-ever Africa Cup of Nations.

N’Golo Kanté (34) almost left Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad over the summer, however, Paris FC could not get a move over the line. 

“There wasn’t a lot in it. It is a shame and sad that he didn’t come. I think he also wanted to come, but his club didn’t let him leave,” PFC owner Antoine Arnault revealed in an interview with L’Équipe.

However, a move away from the Gulf State could be on the cards this January, as per a report from L’Équipe. The France international’s contract at Al-Ittihad is up at the end of the current campaign, and Al-Ittihad are currently in the process of attempting to extend that deal by a further year. 

However, given the bureaucracy involved in extending the contract, an extension is not close at this moment in time. There are some Saudi clubs that are looking to exploit the situation, but a return to Europe is also on the cards.

As per L’Équipe, French and English clubs are interested in signing Kanté next month. The publication adds, however, that the chances of doing a deal are low due to Al-Ittihad’s reticence to sanction a departure, as was also the case last summer.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen has returned to the spotlight after recovering from his back injury and receiving medical clearance.

The goalkeeper has now been included in the squad for three games in a row, including tonight’s Copa del Rey match against Guadalajara, where he could get minutes if Hansi Flick and the club deem it appropriate.

However, Ter Stegen’s future at Barça is far from clear, with the German now becoming the third-choice goalkeeper behind Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny. His chances of playing regularly are minimal.

Ter Stegen, though, remains keen on staying put at Barça, where he still has two and a half years left on his contract.

Tottenham could change Ter Stegen’s stance

But, according to SPORT, things could change with Ter Stegen if Tottenham Hotspur step in, as the Premier League club are seriously considering making a move for a goalkeeper.

For now, Ter Stegen is not considering a January move, as he is convinced that many things can change in the future and that his opportunity may yet come.

What does the future hold for Ter Stegen? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Another key factor is that the options presented to him so far do not fully convince him. Barça have received enquiries from clubs like Beşiktaş, Bologna and Ajax, but none of them could afford his wages and, from a sporting perspective, do not meet his ambitions.

Manchester United made an approach through intermediaries but have not taken any serious steps. Everything suggests that his situation would only truly change if Tottenham enter the race.

The London club are seriously considering strengthening their goalkeeping position in January, given that Guglielmo Vicario has come under fire of late.

The Lilywhites value the Barcelona first captain, although no final decision has been made yet.

Tottenham could offer a loan with a purchase option and take on his full salary. It would also represent an attractive sporting project for the goalkeeper.

For the moment, Ter Stegen’s stance is quite firm. But if the right offer arrives, things could change. Barça are watching closely, although they will not force any move.

Garbiñe Muguruza’s life was always going to get pretty busy in 2026. Her first child is due at the end of January. But Muguruza, who formally retired from tennis in 2024, and later that year became both a television commentator and the tournament director for the WTA Tour Finals, does not appear inclined toward the easy life.

Last week, the two-time Grand Slam champion who spent four weeks as world No. 1 was named the co-tournament director of the Madrid Open. The clay-court tournament in the Spanish capital is one of six flagship mixed events at the 1,000 level, just below the Grand Slams.

The assignment to oversee the tournament alongside her compatriot Feliciano López carries a good bit of responsibility for a former women’s world No. 1. For years, the Madrid Open had a well-earned reputation for treating women as second-class tennis players.

Its former owner, the Romanian billionaire and former player Ion Țiriac, long argued to revoke paying equal prize money. WTA Tour players complained that they received worse court assignments and scheduling compared with their male counterparts.

Sports conglomerate IMG purchased the tournament from Țiriac in 2022, but ugly moments continued. That year, organizers scheduled the women’s singles final between the men’s semifinals; in 2023, they prohibited the women’s doubles finalists from speaking during the trophy ceremony.

The players, Victoria Azarenka, Beatriz Haddad-Maia, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, all called the decision unacceptable. The disparity in the size of birthday cakes given to Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka also came under fire.

In the same week as the announcement of her new role, Muguruza told El Partizado de Cope in an interview that a male junior player would have beaten her when she was top of the women’s rankings. “It’s more of a show — it has nothing to do with the Battle of the Sexes,” she said of current WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka’s upcoming match with Nick Kyrgios.

Gerard Tsobanian, the chief executive of the Madrid Open, said Muguruza’s appointment was not a symbolic gesture.

“We strongly believe that leadership in tennis should be built from diverse, complimentary perspectives with equal voice and influence,” he said in a statement announcing Muguruza’s appointment. “We don’t just talk about equality, we design it, we implement it and we make it visible.”

In a message Monday, Muguruza did not offer qualms about the tournament’s past.

“The Madrid Open has always been eager to be ahead, to make a step forward, to be a bit of a pioneer,” she said. “I think it’s a great idea to share the workload and provide the best service to both ATP and WTA players.

She said she recognizes it will be a significant step up from the WTA Tour Finals, with far more players to care for, but the role is especially close to her heart because it is the most significant women’s tournament in Spain. She has warm memories of that rare feeling in tennis: the entire stadium being behind her.

“It was stressful but beautiful,” she said.

The role marks the 32-year-old’s latest move in her pivot from on-court to off-court figurehead. That pivot came far earlier than it has for a lot of players of her renown, as more and more play into and through their 30s, or return to the top level of the sport after having children.

Muguruza didn’t figure it would happen this soon. Just a couple of years ago, she was at the top of the sport, seemingly with many years of competition ahead of her. Having beaten Serena Williams to win the 2016 French Open, she beat Venus Williams to win Wimbledon a year later. Her quality dipped for two seasons, but she started 2020 strong, reaching the final of the Australian Open against Sofia Kenin.

Then the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, and Muguruza, like everyone else, spent six months off the grind of the tennis tour. She took a bit to hit her stride again when tennis resumed, but 2021 brought another solid season. She made four finals, won two of them and then walked off with the WTA Tour Finals title in Guadalajara, Mexico.

For Muguruza, who grew up mainly in Spain but was born in Venezuela, playing in Mexico in front of screaming crowds was pure joy. But almost instantly, everything changed. She had experienced drop-offs following her biggest triumphs before, but this one was a little different. “An empty feeling a little bit,” she said during an interview in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of this year’s Tour Finals.

“It was massive for me to have that opportunity,” she said. “I felt before the tournament, ‘This is mine, it has to be for me.’ But after that event, I definitely felt a drop in energy and a tiny bit of motivation.”

She started to wonder if it was a blip or a red flag. She started to wonder if her mind was telling her to think about what would come after tennis. As losses and early-round exits piled up in 2022, the answer made itself clear. She started to long for what tennis felt like it was keeping from her, especially the budding relationship that would blossom from a chance meeting with a fan during a walk through midtown Manhattan into a marriage.

“That year I was mentally a little bit more exhausted, and not only that, but I started to look forward to being more at home and being more with my family and with my husband,” she said.

“I started to prioritize more my personal than professional life.”

She played four matches at the start of 2023. She lost all of them, and never played again, before formally announcing her retirement in 2024.

In retrospect, she can see how the sport had changed and how that change had gone against her. There was more power, more speed and more movement than when she broke through, with the time to construct points growing shorter.

“You need to be ready for those quick rallies, for those big serves and two, three shots,” she said. “Before, maybe points were a little longer. But again, it depends. Coco Gauff has a different style than Elena Rybakina.”

Who is the next star from Spain, one of the proudest tennis nations and among the most successful of the new century? She said she is keeping a close eye on Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro, the 23-year-old who Muguruza said might be on the verge of a breakout.

“I think something amazing is going to happen soon because she has the level. She’s gotten deep into tournaments but not yet got a trophy. I feel like we can see something exciting next year.”

She has also become friendly with Alcaraz, the men’s world No. 1 and the biggest Spanish tennis hero now. She sought him out when he first arrived on the tour. She said he hasn’t changed at all.

She will take a break from all that for a little while around the birth of her child. Before long though, it will be time to go back to work. The Madrid Open begins April 20 for the players, and for her a good deal sooner. Then comes the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh next November, its last edition there under the extant deal with the country. WTA Tour chief executive Portia Archer has said she wants to extend it, despite heavy criticism for the country’s human rights record, and for taking the flagship event in women’s tennis to a relatively immature tennis nation.

“As a player you don’t really know what happens behind or outside the tennis court,” Muguruza said. “I’m much more aware now. So many things, but it’s great. I’m really loving this new chapter and this whole new career now.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Sports Business, Culture, Tennis, Women's Tennis

2025 The Athletic Media Company

Al Qadsiah have appointed Brendan Rodgers as their new manager.

The Al Khobar club, currently fifth in the Roshn Saudi League, confirmed the appointment on Tuesday. The former Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester City head coach replaces in the dugout Real Madrid great Michel.

In a statement, Al Qadsiah Chief Executive Officer James Bisgrove, said: “Following a rigorous global recruitment process, we’re delighted to welcome Brendan to Al Khobar as our new Head Coach.

“This is a landmark moment for the club. The calibre of his experience and track record of winning reflects our ambition and long-term vision to establish Al Qadsiah as one of Asia’s leading clubs.”

Born in Northern Ireland, Rodgers arrives in the RSL with a wealth of experience at some of world football’s most popular clubs.

His time with Celtic remains his most successful, with Rodgers guiding the Glasgow giants to 11 major trophies across two stints in Scotland. The haul included four Scottish top-flight titles.

Rodgers, 52, also led Leicester City to a historic first FA Cup, in 2021, and two superb fifth-placed finishes in the English Premier League. Prior to that, he was in charge of Liverpool for three years from 2012, overseeing the team’s runner-up finish in the 2013-14 English Premier League.

Rodgers first match at Al Qadsiah will be the Matchweek 11 clash at home to Damac on December 27.

He’s here to write success through action 🎩#AlQadsiah | #BrendanQadsawipic.twitter.com/KXEnBo6iEX

— AlQadsiah Saudi Club (@AlQadsiahEN) December 16, 2025

Carlos Anton, Al Qadsiah’s Sporting Director, said of the appointment: “We’re thrilled to welcome Brendan to Al Qadsiah Club and believe his elite coaching credentials and playing philosophy are an excellent fit with our football strategy.

“Brendan inherits a highly talented and committed squad that is hungry for success, and I’m confident he will drive the next stage of the club’s development.

“He will work in close alignment with our performance, medical, recruitment and analysis departments to help elevate the club to the next level.”

Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries is reportedly on the verge of undergoing ankle surgery amid a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport via FCInterNews, surgery has become the most realistic solution for Dumfries’ problem.

Indeed, Mattia Zaccagni awkwardly fell on the Dutchman’s ankle under the challenge of Petar Sucic.

Though the injury seemed innocuous at first, Dumfries has failed to recover as expected.

Inter Milan Scouring Market to Replace Denzel Dumfries

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 02: Denzel Dumfries of FC Internazionale gestures during the Serie A match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 02, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

It’s hard to predict when the 29-year-old could return to the pitch.

With Luis Henrique continuing to struggle in Serie A, Inter will likely try to sign a new wingback in January.

Indeed, the San Siro giants cannot rely on the Brazilian to fill Dumfries’ shoes after an underwhelming first half of the season.

As for Dumfries, Inter will make a final decision regarding surgery today.

However, it’s now all but certain that the former PSV Eindhoven ace will go under the knife.

Whenever a Kentucky volleyball player deflects the opposing team’s attack, Historic Memorial Coliseum erupts.

“Monster block! Monster block! Monster, monster, monster block!” booms from the PA system as fans and UK’s bench chant the same and pump their arms to the music.

This tradition along with dancing during challenges and player-personalized cheers are just a few of the sideline antics Kentucky is known for around the sport.

“A big part of volleyball is the momentum,” redshirt sophomore Ava Sarafa told The Courier Journal. “We have 14 people on the roster, and it takes every single person on the roster to give in to the full effort of winning in our season.”

These Wildcats possess a fire, a closeness and a joy most say is unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. They call it “flow state.” Full immersion in the game plan, the baseline high jinks and the ultimate goal: to bring a second national championship back to Lexington. Top-seeded UK will try to take another step toward that goal when it faces third-seeded Wisconsin in the second national semifinal of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night in Kansas City, Missouri.

When Eva Hudson records a kill, which she does often as the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer, she lets out a passionate scream. “Come on!” “Let’s go!” “Get f****ed!”

“We have played Eva Hudson the last two years at a former school so we are very familiar with how fiery she can get,” Creighton coach Brian Rosen said ahead of the Elite Eight. “She will stare you down through the net, and she will turn and bring so much energy to her team. If she gets going, they get going.”

The force with which she plays is contagious. UK’s bench stokes the flames. A Hudson kill prompts a basketball-themed celebration. “We're all, like, dunking,” Sarafa said. “Basically saying she's dunking on the other team.”

Since arriving on campus together in January, the Wildcats have put in a lot of time on the court but also off it to enhance their overall chemistry. And their cheer game, of course.

“It's mostly like inside jokes,” Sarafa said. Like Asia Thigpen’s signature celebration.

During her freshman season, the 5-foot-11 outside hitter would throw her fists in the air after every kill or point she scored. The team called it “happy fists” and naturally co-opted the move as her cheer.

Other items are passed from class to class and squad to squad. Like the “A-train” cheer for aces. “We all just go ‘choo choo!’" Sarafa said. "It’s a silly moment for us, and I think that it brings so much energy to the bench and the team. It’s a cool thing to be a part of.”

Same with UK’s dances during challenges, like the one caught on ESPN+ during the first-round match versus Wofford as the “Cotton Eye Joe” line dance remix. 

Dancing in December (literally) 💃#NCAAWVB x 🎥 ESPN+ / @KentuckyVB@WoffordVBpic.twitter.com/EpIYPt7IQU

— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 5, 2025

“The Wildcats on the bench, known for their choreography. You were part of that,” Dick Gabriel said on the broadcast to former UK setter and color commentator Cam Scheitzach.

“Yes,” Scheitzach said. “It was the best part. Creating dances, almost having dance-offs with the other team.”

It’s all about playing with joy. Staying composed when the pressure is on. And celebrating each other for overcoming.

“Even in film sessions, sometimes there will be a crazy play, and we'll just zoom in on the bench, and everyone's going crazy,” Sarafa said. “Like, there's people on the ground, there's people running in circles, people jumping up and down, and I think it's just a big part of our team's culture.”

UK head coach Craig Skinner has been privy to a lot of elite volleyball. Between 21 seasons in Lexington (one in which the program won its first national championship) and his coaching roots in Nebraska and Wisconsin, he knows what special looks like. And this Wildcats team certainly has it.

With two matches — at most — remaining, they're embracing every moment.

"You do not get this chance very often in life. So we're not going to go in and (go) 'Ah, we gotta play great on Thursday' from here until then," Skinner said after UK's Elite Eight win. "We're going to enjoy the experience, enjoy this victory, and enjoy the time we have together.

"I told the team in the locker room, 'It's very rare you get to experience a group of people like this that is so bought into each other and the program, so we have to enjoy that for as long as we can and as long as this season will take us.'"

Reach college sports enterprise reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@gannett.com and follow her on X @petitus25. Subscribe to her "Full-court Press" newsletter here for a behind-the-scenes look at how college sports' biggest stories are impacting Louisville and Kentucky athletics.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky volleyball NCAA Tournament Final 4 run fueled by celebrations

A decision by a Paris labor court in the financial dispute between Kylian Mbappé and his former club Paris Saint-Germain is expected on Tuesday — the latest chapter in a judicial saga involving colossal sums.

Lawyers argued last month before the Conseil de prud’hommes de Paris, with each side demanding hundreds of millions of euros from the other regarding the end of the player’s contract before his move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.

Amid accusations of betrayal and harassment surrounding the breakdown of their relationship, Mbappé's lawyers claimed PSG owes him more than 260 million euros ($305 million). They argue his fixed-term contract should be reclassified as a permanent one, triggering compensation for unfair dismissal and unpaid wages. They have also alleged moral harassment and undeclared work.

PSG, meanwhile, is seeking 440 million euros from Mbappé, citing damages and a “loss of opportunity” after he left on a free transfer.

Tuesday's decision can be appealed and is unlikely to end the dispute. The panel may also decide to decline jurisdiction or to adjourn the case to a later hearing, sitting in parity with a tie-breaking judge if no majority emerges.

The ruling may have broader consequences for player contracts and labor law in French soccer, even as PSG maintains that Mbappé’s request to reclassify his contract as a permanent one is without legal basis.

The club argues that professional players’ contracts are a special form of fixed-term agreements regulated by the sports code and validated by the French professional league, in accordance with both French and European Union law. Mbappé’s legal team disagrees, saying the reclassification of a fixed-term contract into a permanent contract is a standard procedure when legal conditions for a fixed-term deal are not fulfilled.

The relationship between the 2018 World Cup winner and the reigning European champion turned bitter when Mbappé decided in 2023 not to extend his contract, which was set to expire in summer 2024.

This deprived the club of a juicy transfer fee despite having offered him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new deal in 2022. He was sidelined from a preseason tour and forced to train with fringe players. He missed the opening league game but returned to the lineup for a final season after discussions with the club — talks that are central to the dispute.

The club accuses Mbappé of backing out of an August 2023 agreement that allegedly included a pay reduction should he leave on a free transfer, an arrangement PSG says was meant to protect its financial stability. PSG claims Mbappé hid his decision not to extend his contract for nearly 11 months, from July 2022 to June 2023, preventing the club from arranging a transfer and causing major financial harm. It accuses him of violating contractual obligations and the principles of good faith and loyalty.

Mbappé’s camp insists PSG has never produced evidence that the striker agreed to forego any payment. His lawyers claim the club failed to pay wages and bonuses for April, May, and June 2024. They are also seeking reclassification of his fixed-term contract into a permanent one, which would trigger compensation. Mbappé also accuses PSG of moral harassment, citing his treatment when sidelined. His total claim exceeds 260 million euros, combining unpaid salary, contractual bonuses, severance, indemnities, and damages for workplace misconduct.

PSG rejects all accusations of harassment, highlighting that Mbappé took part in over 94% of matches in 2023–24 and always worked under conditions compliant with the Professional Football Charter.

PSG is seeking a total of 440 million euros in damages, including 180 million euros for the lost opportunity to transfer Mbappé because he left as a free agent after declining a 300 million euros offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal in July 2023.

Mbappé joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League this year without him.

 The elbows are coming.

So are the shoves, bumps, hip checks and every other measure, within the rules of course, that Tennessee can use to slow down Louisville basketball on offense. The Volunteers will do everything they can to impede the freedom of movement that allowed the Cardinals to shoot 51% from 3-point range in their 99-73 win over Memphis on Saturday.

Here is where UofL can send a message that resonates the rest of the season. If the Cards don’t allow themselves to be bullied by Tennessee, they can stomp out the idea that the way to beat them is to play physical.

Arkansas proved successful in the Cards’ only loss this season at being the more physical team, a fact that UofL coach Pat Kelsey deemed “unacceptable” after the game.  

Indiana tried to follow that blueprint during its 87-78 loss to Louisville. The Hoosiers failed after falling behind big early, although they successfully got Mikel Brown Jr. out of sorts offensively.

No team is better at playing physically than a Rick Barnes-coached team.

It’s been his modus operandi going back to when he developed that playing style during his days coaching at Providence. He perfected it while at Clemson. And has implemented it for so many years at Texas and now Tennessee, to the extent that the style is simply his brand.

Barnes wants to take possessions away, slow the tempo and keep UofL at a pace where it has to set up and play in half-court situations. He wants to force the Cards to execute and be sharp every time they’re on offense.

Because how can there not be some slippage when Tennessee is trying to make every possession as grueling as an Ironman Triathlon.

The Vols want to play a game in which the final tally is in the 70s. If they can keep it in the 60s, that’s even better. UofL has scored more than 50 points in the first half in six of its 10 games. Cincinnati is the only team to keep them from reaching 80 points in the Cards' 74-64 win.

Perhaps the worst thing that happened for Louisville entering Tuesday night’s game was making 18 3s against Memphis on Saturday. The Cards can’t settle for just hunting shots behind the arc.

They won’t get as many open looks, for starters, against a Tennessee defense that is holding its opponents to 29.7% shooting from 3-point range this season.

The way UofL can fight back against a bully is to stay aggressive.

The Cards had only three players get to the free-throw line against Arkansas for a combined 18 attempts. That number doubled to six players against IU as they totaled 28 free-throw attempts.

It will take that kind of effort in only their second trip of the season to come back with a win. That’s how the Cards did it in their win at Cincinnati.

The Bearcats played like Tennessee-lite, trying to slow down the pace and out-tough UofL. The difference is the Vols have far more talent than Cincinnati.

Forward Nate Ament, who is second for the Vols in scoring at 16.3 points and first with 7.1 rebounds per game, is among the stellar freshman class nationally and projects as an NBA lottery pick.

Tennessee won’t make the game against UofL a battle of toughness because it’s the only play to victory. The Vols will do it because they like to muddy up games and make their opponents uncomfortable.

The only way for Louisville to come out clean is to take the fight back at them.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball game at Tennessee can help Cards send message

LEXINGTON — Entering his junior season of college, and second year playing for Kentucky basketball and coach Mark Pope, Brandon Garrison was expected to be the team's starting 5-man this season.

Or so the thinking went.

That held true. For the Wildcats' first five games, at least.

Freshman Malachi Moreno, hailing from nearby Georgetown, forced himself into the lineup after a string of good-to-great performances off the bench.

Now, the pair have switched roles: Moreno starts. Garrison is a backup.

Where does this leave the position going forward? And what happens if prized transfer portal addition Jayden Quaintance finally is cleared to play?

Here's a breakdown of where the spot stands as of Dec. 15:

Malachi Moreno

2025-26 stats: 10.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals in 22.4 minutes per game (10 appearances; five starts)

What to know: Malachi Moreno was a McDonald's All-American selection during his senior season at Great Crossing High in Georgetown. In just his second college game, he posted a double-double, leading UK in points (18) and rebounds (10) in a win over Valparaiso. He recorded another double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) in the team's win over Tennessee Tech. Yet, as to be expected with a freshman, Moreno has struggled at times. Especially against high-level competition. In the team's blowout loss to Gonzaga on Dec. 5, Moreno had more fouls (three) than rebounds (two). And in UK's 12-point win over Indiana on Dec. 13, he had just three points and two rebounds. While he has shown plenty of promise, it must be the hope of the coaching staff that Garrison's benching lights a fire under him so Moreno isn't tasked with doing so much in his first year as a collegian.

Brandon Garrison

2025-26 stats: 5.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.5 steals in 17.3 minutes per game (10 appearances; five starts)

What to know: Brandon Garrison is averaging the same minutes per game as last season. But he's averaging fewer points, assists, steals and blocks per game. There have been two areas of slight improvement, however. He's grabbing more rebounds, and his shooting percentages — overall, at the free-throw line and beyond the 3-point arc as well as effective field-goal percentage (a stat that accounts for 3s being worth more than 2s) — are up as well. His inconsistency, however, combined with Moreno's better-than-expected play from the jump, have relegated Garrison to a reserve role for the second time in as many seasons. The inarguable low point: Garrison declined to hustle back on defense after giving the ball away in the first half against North Carolina Central, which led to a fast-break dunk for the visitors. Pope immediately called a timeout, then proceeded to light into Garrison; the 6-foot-10, 245-pound forward remained glued to the bench the remainder of the night. Pope praised Garrison's response at the next practice: The big man won every sprinting drill that day. Then, in the Wildcats' next game (the 72-60 win over the Hoosiers on Dec. 13), Garrison had one of his best performances in his two-season stint with the program. Poring over the numbers on paper, his individual statistics don't exactly glow like neon lights: six points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. But he made numerous hustle plays that changed the tenor of the game. His energy off the bench was striking. It was the type of outing that, should he be able to replicate those regularly, should land Garrison back in the starting five sooner rather than later. Of course, that's always been the million-dollar question with Garrison: Can he finally develop consistency? How well Garrison answers that question will dictate his playing time the rest of the 2025-26 campaign.

Jayden Quaintance

2025-26 stats: N/A; Quaintance has yet to appear in a game this season

What to know: Jayden Quaintance was one of the top-ranked players to hit the transfer portal after last season ended. That the Wildcats landed him was considered a coup, as Quaintance is viewed as a likely lottery pick in next year's NBA draft. But what he'll be able to do for Kentucky — if anything — still is up in the air. He tore his ACL in February in the middle of his freshman campaign at Arizona State. While Pope continues to tout how Quaintance is getting closer and closer to being cleared, until he actually takes the floor in a live game, UK fans will have flashbacks to the Shaedon Sharpe saga, when the highly touted guard enrolled in January 2022 and teased the possibility of playing that semester ... only to enter that year's draft without making an appearance in a Kentucky uniform.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Malachi Moreno, Brandon Garrison give Kentucky options in frontcourt

Brendan Rodgers has made a swift return to football management, taking the helm at Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah just six weeks after his contentious departure from Scottish champions Celtic.

This move marks Rodgers’ first managerial role outside of Britain, following spells at Liverpool, Leicester, and Swansea.

Al-Qadsiah, currently sitting fifth in the Saudi Pro League in their inaugural top-flight season, has described Rodgers as a "world-renowned coach."

The club, which boasts Italian striker Mateo Retegui and former Real Madrid defender Fernandez Nacho, stated his arrival "reflects the club’s ambitious vision and its rapidly growing sporting project."

Rodgers’ second tenure at Celtic concluded on 27 October amid significant controversy, with major shareholder Dermot Desmond publicly criticising his conduct as "divisive, misleading, and self-serving," and alleging he "contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club."

The club’s chief executive, James Bisgrove, hailed the appointment as a "landmark moment for the club."

He added, "The caliber of his experience and track record of winning reflects our ambition and long-term vision to establish Al-Qadsiah as one of Asia’s leading clubs."

Al-Qadsiah’s status has been significantly transformed since its acquisition by state-owned Saudi oil giant Aramco in 2023.

Rodgers arrives with a strong track record, having secured back-to-back Scottish league titles with Celtic, contributing to his 11 major trophies across two spells, alongside an FA Cup win with Leicester.

He also came close to winning the Premier League with Liverpool back in 2014, but the Reds missed out on the title by two points to Manchester City.

Liverpool failed to build on that campaign as they finished sixth the following season under Rodgers, 25 points behind champions, Chelsea.

Rodgers was sacked in the early stages of the 2015-16 season and replaced by Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, but he bounced back to enjoy further success at Celtic and Leicester.

The Alabama Crimson Tide are back in the College Football Playoff and will take on the Oklahoma Sooners Friday in the first round of the CFP at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman.

Alabama (10-3) is the No. 9 seed in the playoffs and is ranked No. 11 in the US LBM Coaches Poll; Oklahoma (10-2) is the No. 8 seed and ranked No. 8 in the polls. The winner will advance to the CFP semifinals at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day to face the No. 1 overall seed Indiana Hoosiers.

The Crimson Tide are coming off a punchless performance in a 28-7 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. Alabama rushed for negative net yardage and finished with just 209 total yards. Ty Simpson threw for 212 yards and the Tide's only touchdown off a 23-yard run by Germie Bernard.

Oklahoma came from behind to defeat LSU, 17-13, in the Sooners' last game on Nov. 29. John Mateer hit Isaiah Sategna III for a 58-yard go-ahead touchdown with 4:16 to play.

Who has the edge? Odds for Alabama vs. Oklahoma in CFP first round https://t.co/9K7aq3sNlcpic.twitter.com/TSP0Vwmaxa

— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) December 14, 2025

ESPN reveals TV broadcasters for Alabama vs Oklahoma football in CFP first round

Ahead of Alabama-Oklahoma, ESPN announced who will have the call of Friday's game in Norman. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call the action from the broadcast booth at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge will report from the sidelines.

For Fowler and Herbstreit, it's their fourth Alabama game this season, and the duo's third straight broadcast calling a Crimson Tide game. The pair called the Tide's loss to Georgia in the SEC title game, as well as their 27-20 win over Auburn. Fowler and Herbstreit called Alabama's 24-21 win over Georgia in the regular season on Sept. 27.

Fowler and Herbstreit have been ESPN and ABC's No. 1 college football broadcast crew since 2014.

What channel will Alabama football CFP game vs. Oklahoma be on?

Alabama-Oklahoma will be shown nationally on ABC and ESPN and will stream on ESPN+.

Additionally, both SEC Network and ESPN2 will offer alternate presentations of the game. Per a press release from ESPN:

"ESPN2 and SEC Network will each feature a Skycast of the battle of the conference foes. ESPN2’s Skycast audio will highlight Oklahoma’s hometown radio crew, while SEC Network’s will showcase Alabama’s hometown radio."

Alabama vs. Oklahoma start time for CFP game

Kickoff for Alabama-Oklahoma is 7 p.m. CT Friday.

Alabama football series history vs Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma leads the all-time series vs. Alabama, 5-2-1. The Sooners defeated the Crimson Tide, 23-21, in Week 12 of the regular season and won 24-3 on Nov. 23, 2024, in Norman.

Alabama's only win over Oklahoma in recent history was in the 2018 CFP semifinals at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Tua Tagovailoa out-dueled Kyler Murray in a 45-34 Alabama victory that sent the Crimson Tide to the national championship game against the Clemson Tigers.

Here are the game-by-game results for Alabama vs. Oklahoma football through the years.

• 2025: Oklahoma 23, Alabama 21 (Tuscaloosa)
• 2024: Oklahoma 24, Alabama 3 (Norman)
• 2018: Alabama 45, Oklahoma 34 (Orange Bowl)
• 2013: Oklahoma 45, Alabama 31 (Sugar Bowl)
• 2003: Oklahoma 20, Alabama 13 (Tuscaloosa)
• 2002: Oklahoma 37, Alabama 27 (Norman)
• 1970: Alabama 24, Oklahoma 24 (Bluebonnet Bowl)
• 1963: Alabama 17, Oklahoma 0 (Orange Bowl)

Alabama football schedule 2025

Here's a game-by-game look at Alabama football's 2025 schedule.

All start times Central.

• Aug. 30: at Florida State (L, 31-17)
• Sept. 6: vs. UL Monroe (W, 73-0)
• Sept. 13: vs. Wisconsin (W, 38-14)
• Sept. 27: at Georgia (W, 24-21)
• Oct. 4: vs. Vanderbilt (W, 30-14)
• Oct. 11: at Missouri (W, 27-24)
• Oct. 18: vs. Tennessee (W, 37-20)
• Oct. 25: at South Carolina (W, 29-22)
• Nov. 8: vs. LSU (W, 20-9)
• Nov. 15: vs. Oklahoma (L, 23-21)
• Nov. 22 vs. Eastern Illinois (W, 56-0)
• Nov. 29: at Auburn (W, 27-20)
• Dec. 6: vs. Georgia (L, 28-7)
• Dec. 19: at Oklahoma, 7 p.m.

Follow us at @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook, for ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football vs Oklahoma channel, start time, TV announcers in CFP

Yes, the Washington Commanders were playing a bad team on Sunday in New Jersey.

Yes, the New York Giants hold the overall top pick in next April's draft, so they were not the opposition the Seahawks, Lions, and Broncos faced in recent games. Yet, as bad as the Giants are, the people putting up the money for the game had the line at kickoff reveal the Giants were actually a 2.5-point favorite Sunday over the Commanders.

However, the Commanders exhibited something they haven't shown much this 2025 season — the big play. Sunday at MetLife Stadium, the Commanders produced several big plays, leading to their 29-21 win. Here is a quick look at plays that resulted in 15 yards or more.

First Quarter

• Marcus Mariota to Noah Brown for 28 yards
• Jaylin Lane 20-yard punt return

Second Quarter

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt 16-yard touchdown run
• Mariota to John Bates for 19 yards
• Mariota to Jeremy McNichols for 16 yards
• Jaylin Lane 63-yard punt return touchdown
• Mike Sainristil's interception return for 55 yards

Third Quarter

• Mariota to Terry McLaurin for 15 yards

Fourth Quarter

Let Commanders WR Terry McLaurin (@TheTerry_25) walk you through his 51-yard touchdown against the Giants ... pic.twitter.com/3cvsfrK6O7

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 15, 2025

• Mariota to Deebo Samuel for 18 yards
• Mariota to Terry McLaurin for 51-yard touchdown
• Mariota to Terry McLaurin, 17 yards, DPI penalty
• Mariota to Ben Sinnott for 36 yards

It was good to see the Commanders displaying some explosiveness with all of these big plays, going for at least 15 yards. Next Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Washington Commanders for a Saturday contest, scheduled for a 5 p.m. ET broadcast. This means it will be a nationally broadcast game, followed by the Green Bay Packers going to Chicago to face the Bears, with the second game scheduled to kick off at 8:20 PM.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders produced multiple explosive plays in Week 15

The name of Bournemouth star Tyler Adams has cropped up in conversations over Manchester United’s potential midfield targets in the winter transfer window or next summer, according to the Daily Mail. Man United want to strengthen in the middle of the park at the Old Trafford club as they prepare for the potential departure of Casemiro. The Red Devils have been linked with the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

However, Adams is a more attractive and cheaper target as he could be available for around £40 million. The 26-year-old United States international has played less than 50 Premier League games but has done enough to catch the attention of Man United. Adams was looking forward to playing against the Red Devils at Old Trafford last night, but an injury ruled him out five minutes into the game. He missed practically the entirety of the 4-4 thriller but would remain on their radar heading into the winter transfer window. Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo is the only Premier League midfielder to have made more interceptions than Adams this season besides, and he ranks seventh in the total number of tackles made by any player including defenders.

He has proven himself in recent seasons and could be the perfect long-term successor to Casemiro. While yesterday would have been the perfect audition for him, he has other games to prove himself going forward if Man United are not yet convinced.

Juventus are not expected to spend big during the upcoming January transfer window, but Olympique de Marseille’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (30) has emerged as a key target for the Serie A side, according to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

The Denmark international is a key part of Marseille’s midfield and has regularly worn the armband under Roberto De Zerbi’s management. Unsurprisingly, therefore, neither OM nor De Zerbi are keen to part ways with Hojbjerg this January.

He is, however, Juventus’ prime target as they have made strengthening their midfield a priority for next month. The Italian side believe that they may have a joker to play, given that De Zerbi is a strong admirer of Manuel Locatelli (27). 

Sending Locatelli in the opposite direction, to the Vélodrome, could sweeten the deal, given that the midfielder has already previously been strongly linked with a move to the Ligue 1 giants. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

With just over six months left on his contract at RB Leipzig, Xaver Schlager could potentially leave the club on a free transfer next summer.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus are interested in picking up the Austrian international as a free agent once his contract expires.

Die Roten Bullen, however, would likely prefer to avoid losing Schlager on a free transfer and may look to negotiate a contract extension.

In what has generally been an injury-plagued spell at Red Bull Arena, the 28-year-old central midfielder has made 91 appearances since joining from Wolfsburg in 2022.

He is an Austrian international and has represented his country 49 times at senior level.

Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua will square off in a strange fight this week, pitting a YouTuber-turned-boxer against a former two-time world heavyweight champion.

Joshua is the latter, to avoid any confusion, with the Briton entering Friday’s fight in Miami as a huge favourite. “AJ” holds standout victories over the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Kubrat Pulev, Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin. However, the 36-year-old is entering this bout, which streams live on Netflix, on the back of a brutal stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

Meanwhile, Paul comes into this contest – a professional bout, with knockouts allowed and standard 10oz gloves in use – with a 12-1 pro record. The American, 28, last fought in June and outpointed former world middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, following a decision win over heavyweight legend Mike Tyson last November.

Tyson was 58 at the time, with the fight proving controversial to fans and pundits but lucrative to the boxers; Paul reportedly took home $40m and Tyson $20m.

Now, Paul and Joshua will seemingly clear even Paul’s payday from that bout – and by some distance.

In the days leading up to the confirmation of this bout in November, the Daily Mailreported, “Sources tell us that a gargantuan prize pot of around £140m [$184m] has been mooted,” seemingly to be split evenly between Joshua and Paul. However, Paul later took to X (formerly Twitter) with a different figure, seemingly referencing the fight purse.

Several days after the Mail’s report was published, Paul tweeted: “Stop asking me. $267 Million.” That works out at approximately £200m.

Sports and entertainment accountant Oriana Morrison told The Independent on Tuesday: “Even if the lower figure – the rumoured $184m purse – is true, AJ could bring home $92m [£70m]. We haven’t seen a boxing match with a purse at this level since Mayweather vs Pacquiao in 2015 or even Mayweather vs McGregor in 2017. It’s higher than any Saudi purse to date.”

Morrison, who was referencing Floyd Mayweather’s bouts with Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor, continued: “The US never really got the chance to savour Anthony Joshua’s talent and charisma. This is the perfect setting for this fight and definitely a turning point for boxing in the US.

“MVP [Most Valuable Promotions, Paul’s company] and Jake Paul are dragging new audiences into boxing. They’re forcing boxing to modernise its promotion and pay fighters better than established promoters.”

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — Tom Izzo took umbrage to the question, even though it wasn’t the question the Michigan State basketball coach thought.

Divine Ugochukwu had just gone off for a career-high 23 points and 5-for-5 3-point shooting in the No. 9 Spartans' narrow 76-72 win at Penn State. Izzo brought in the Miami (Florida) transfer as a backup point guard but gave Ugochukwu his first start as a Spartan at shooting guard next to Jeremy Fears Jr.

Asked about the ripple effect of the move on his rotation and lineups, Izzo bristled.

“The quarterback controversy – you guys know me … I’m into making you guys so mad at me,” Izzo said Saturday, Dec. 13. “I ain’t worried about that at all.”

MOVING PIECES: Michigan State found new starting lineup, but it created problems too

Of course he isn’t. The “quarterback controversy” term he used deep inside Bryce Jordan Center was the same one he himself brought up a week earlier to describe his inconsistent shooting guard position after MSU (9-1, 2-0 Big Ten) lost its first game this season, 66-60 to No. 3 Duke. Izzo was struggling to figure out how to best use Ugochukwu, previous starters Kur Teng and Trey Fort, as well as freshman Jordan Scott.

“There will be some juggling,” Izzo said Dec. 6 at Breslin Center. “We’ll have a quarterback controversy. Because what you do is you give people an opportunity and a chance. And yet, sooner or later, you gotta step up.”

Which brings us to Tuesday’s game against Toledo (5-5). But more specifically, the Spartans’ next three games before resuming Big Ten play at Nebraska on Jan. 2.

Izzo was cognizant ahead of the Penn State game that the rest of the month would give him a chance to explore. Altering his lineups and moving players into uncomfortable positions has always been some of the best teaching devices in his coaching toolbox over 30 seasons, and Year 31 is no different.

It’s a calculated time of the season for Izzo and something he typically attempts to do at this point for several reasons. To find out about the Spartans’ mental ability to handle adverse situations, be it through real or manufactured strain. To find out about his players’ positional strengths and limitations, so he can whittle and finesse his rotation when Big Ten play heats up after the new year.

Even going back more than a quarter century to his national championship team losing at Wright State on the next-to-last day of 1999, Izzo has never been afraid to sacrifice a December game if it means winning four (or more) come March, based on what he discovers and how his players respond. But it’s always better for him and his program when those experiments come with wins.

And it helps to keep Izzo from using another term he loves to throw around when success becomes too consuming – the dreaded “fat and sassy.”

“We did find a way in the end,” Izzo said Saturday after MSU blew two 10-point leads and still hung on against the Nittany Lions. “And good teams have to find a way to win.”

Whether that means Ugochukwu continues to start and Izzo massages his point guard rotation with him, Fears and potentially more of Denham Wojcik will remain to be seen. The same goes for the question of whether Scott will continue to get more minutes, as Izzo said Saturday, or if Fort and Teng respond to the challenge Izzo has laid out to provide more on both ends of the floor.

“They’re human beings. And human beings are meant to be pushed,” Izzo said Nov. 16, two days before beating Kentucky in the Champions Classic. “And if they aren’t meant to be pushed, I wouldn’t have a job. I mean, that’s why you have a job, to try and push people and make them into what they want to be.”

But there remains no question that Izzo is searching for the combinations he likes best with his roster. Just like he does most every December. And he’s not afraid to mix things up until he finds the right formula for the season’s final three months.

“We’re not gonna have a steady diet of anything,” Izzo said Thursday before the PSU trip. “We’re gonna try to find out who’s better off the bench, who’s better in (the lineup), how do we get our rotation down. I told you it would take until the middle of December, and now we’re getting to the middle of December. And that’s what we’ll start doing.”

Chris Solari's prediction

Expect Izzo to continue to tinker with his five-man lineups to find the ones that give the Spartans the most consistency on both ends of the court. A strong start will be key here, and MSU’s talent will eventually overwhelm the Rockets by the early stages of the second half and allow plenty of minutes for Izzo’s 11-man playing group to state their case. The pick: MSU 88, Toledo 68.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

 Subscribe to the "Spartan Speak" podcast for new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tom Izzo seeking right mix as Michigan State basketball faces Toledo

Who is the top returning girls' wrestler in the Bucks County area for the 2025-26 season?

Let us know by voting in our poll.

Readers can vote until Sunday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m. Voting more than once is permitted.

Our polls are designed to recognize excellent local high school athletes and we ask that you vote for your favorites as many times as you wish. But we also ask that you play fair. In other words, keep the bots or crazy cheats out of our polls.

Any suspicion of bot activity will result in immediate removal of the athlete, and possibly teammates, from this and future polls.

Drew Markol covers local sports for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Vote for the top girls' high school wrestler in the Bucks County area

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is entering the transfer portal. Raiola will have two years of eligibility remaining.

The quarterback threw for 4,819 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions during his time in Lincoln. He had a 140.8 career passer rating.

Raiola broke out as a freshman in 2024, recording 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He started in 22 total games for the program.

The sophomore had a stellar second season, which was cut short by injury. He threw for 2,000 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 72.4% completion percentage.

Raiola was injured during Nebraska’s game against USC, getting sacked in the third quarter. The injury forced him out of the rest of the game, and it was confirmed that he suffered a season-ending broken right fibula injury.

This move undoubtedly reshapes the Huskers' quarterback room going forward. It will be interesting to see which direction the program takes and how active they are on the transfer portal for a signal-caller.

Breaking

BREAKING: Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola is expected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos reports👀https://t.co/oigRfUZvO8pic.twitter.com/e58JHjZyGY

— On3 (@On3sports) December 15, 2025

Ouch

Five-star QBs DJ Lagway and Dylan Raiola plan to enter the portal. May they someday be as good as Class of 2022 No. 134 QB Fernando Mendoza.

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) December 15, 2025

Timeline

Dylan Raiola timeline:

- 2021: Plays for Burleson H.S. (TX)
- 2022: Transfers to Chandler H.S. (AZ)
- May 2022: Commits to Ohio State
- 2023: Transfers to Buford H.S. (GA)
- May 2023: Commits to Georgia
- December 2023: Commits to Nebraska
- December 2025: Enters transfer portal… pic.twitter.com/qVKWI77HrS

— College Sports Only (@CSOonX) December 15, 2025

What's next?

What’s next at quarterback?

Nebraska will most likely turn to the transfer portal after losing Dylan Raiola.

Here are some early QB names to know as Matt Rhule looks to stabilize the position.

🔗 https://t.co/xWRGnZX8qUpic.twitter.com/RCxhf3g6WM

— Sean Callahan (@Sean_Callahan) December 15, 2025

What a time

Remember when Kirk Herbstreit talked to Dylan Raiola’s dad & told him Nebraska is where he should go?

And then the Raiolas made the whole thing about legacy & playing at a place where his family’s name hung in the stadium?

What a time to be alive. https://t.co/JW5ACrKvQ5

— Jon Tweets Sports (@jontweetssports) December 15, 2025

Tough class

With DJ Lagway and Dylan Raiola intending to enter the portal, the top-five 2024 QB recruits (per the 247Sports Composite) will have all transferred within two years of signing with their initial schools pic.twitter.com/CsJEotVPEG

— Antonio Morales (@AntonioCMorales) December 15, 2025

Time to move on

We appreciate what Dylan Raiola did and the effort he put forth. It's time to move on to the next chapter. It's going to be exciting to see who the next starting quarterback is. #GBR

— Huskers Talk | 𝙉𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 (@HuskersTalk) December 15, 2025

Message boards have an opinion

Dylan Raiola has entered the transfer portal. #GBRpic.twitter.com/PRmS82MfG4

— Message Board Geniuses (@BoardGeniuses) December 15, 2025

College sports in shambles

• Florida QB DJ Lagway
• Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby
• Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles
• Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola

...and it's only noon. College sports is in absolute shambles right now. Losing interest fast.

— WhoDey All Dey. (@travisbrock24) December 15, 2025

What do the experts think?

QB Dylan Raiola is LEAVING Nebraska and entering the transfer portal | What's next for Raiola and the Huskers? https://t.co/S86NF4YGW8

— Andy Staples (@AndyStaples) December 15, 2025

Might be mutual

I have no comment on this Dylan Raiola transfer news. Please respect my silence on this issue.

Also, I think this decision was mutual. Just sayin'. #Nebraska#Huskers

— Jim Vranicar (@JVranicar) December 15, 2025

What if?

Free content for local sports shows:

Would Nebraska, as a program, been better off taking Kyle McCord ahead of the 2024 offseason than Dylan Raiola?

Raiola famously flipped during McCord's official visit to Lincoln. He went to Syracuse and lit things up. https://t.co/aJWkPBep6c

— Mike Schaefer (@mikejschaefer) December 15, 2025

Best of luck

Best of luck to Dylan Raiola. Love his family and GBR to them always.

Now let’s get back to some dual threat ball, baby. 🌽🎈

— CaptainBugeater (@CaptainBugeater) December 15, 2025

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Social media reacts to Dylan Raiola planning to enter transfer portal

After years of hosting middling mid-major competition, the Texas Tech women's basketball team's home schedule underwent a glow-up this season.

That included a stretch of Power 4 opponents at United Supermarkets Arena in which the Lady Raiders answered with three wins — two over SEC foes.

Yet more people watched Tech face Houston Christian last season than any of those matchups.

The Lady Raiders, who are 12-0 entering their final non-conference game Wednesday, boast their most impressive early résumé of the Krista Gerlich era. The team is not only winning, but winning big. All but three victories have been by 20-plus points. That's caught the attention of national-poll voters and placed them in the top 25 of NET rankings.

So, why hasn't attendance matched the on-court product?

Tech posted its worst-attended season opener under Gerlich with 2,978 watching the team play North Carolina A&T. In fact, it was the smallest home crowd since Gerlich took over, pandemic season of 2020-21 notwithstanding.

More: Should Texas Tech women's basketball be ranked? Krista Gerlich weighs in

More: Did Texas Tech basketball fall in national rankings after Arkansas loss?

Pointing to the opponent? OK. The smallest crowd from 2024-25 — 3,584 in the opener against UIW — was still more than five of seven home games this year. The exceptions were the Arkansas game in which the 1992-93 national-champion team was inducted into the Ring of Honor and the Mississippi State contest, which drew 68 more than the UIW showing.

Four of the six worst turnouts in non-pandemic campaigns under Gerlich have been this year, despite the success.

The coach feels part of the reason may be tied to fans' perception of the team.

"I think more than anything, people probably are doubting us and what we can do," Gerlich said.

And if you haven't been paying attention recently, that's fair. The Lady Raiders have finished above .500 three seasons in a row — the past two by one game — but haven't reached the NCAA Tournament since 2013. Big 12 play has not been kind, either.

Doubt is understandable. It's also reasonable to suspect Tech's other successes have played a role. In a football-crazed state, it's hard to dismiss the impact the Red Raiders' run to their first Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff berth have had on attention to November basketball.

"I think there's been a lot of Red Raider sports going on," Gerlich said, "so I think there's probably a little bit of fan fatigue, if you will. But I've been pleased with our crowds. … I think it's more so that we've just had so many things going on here, that it's just a lot. I'm expecting our crowd to really rev up during conference play."

History says that should be the case. As the sports calendar opens up and the stakes rise, attendance does increase. Since the pandemic, the Lady Raiders have averaged at least 4,488 at home in Big 12 games. That was last year, and the two seasons before averaged more than 5,000.

Entering Wednesday’s Education Day matinee, an annual boost to attendance (and high-pitched noise), Tech home crowds averaged 3,484. The non-conference slate outside Education Day last year averaged 4,088.

It's perhaps a marginal decline, but given the Tech team taking the floor, it seems more stark. The offense is smoother than in recent memory and averaging 77.3 points per game. Gerlich also pointed to a defense-first approach she said West Texans appreciate.

The Lady Raiders are coming off a neutral-site game against ACU in Odessa. Gerlich said the decision was part being without United Supermarkets Arena because of graduation ceremonies and part giving Tech fans in that region a chance to watch the team. Gerlich said a neutral-site contest against UNLV at West Texas A&M in 2021 increased season-ticket interest from the Panhandle, too.

The Lady Raiders open conference play at Baylor this Sunday before hosting UCF on New Year's Eve. It could be tough to draw a big crowd on a holiday, but the team deserves one. Tech should be a significant favorite, but the game's importance is part of the big picture. The Lady Raiders have the best shot in years to end their NCAA Tournament drought. Conference play is going to determine their fate. Taking care of underdogs at home should be the minimum standard.

Those who have watched this team from the jump know it's a different group. Those who haven't shouldn't wait much longer. Gerlich promises you won't be disappointed.

"I think if they come and watch one game, we'll hook them,” Gerlich said, "because our kids play so hard. We're obviously playing really good defense, and I know that Lady Raider nation respects and appreciates hard-nosed defense. We're playing an exciting brand of basketball; we're sharing the ball; we've got a lot of offensive weapons, so we're scoring the basketball a lot better. …

“We have been so appreciative of the ones that have been there, but we certainly can lead this conference in attendance if Lady Raider nation will come just take a peek."

Avalanche-Journal reporter Nathan Giese contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech women's basketball attendance down despite impressive start

Burn was injured in a first half challenge with Nordi Mukiele and was subsequently withdrawn and taken to hospital for treatment.

And ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final against the England international's former club Fulham at St. James' Park (kick-off 8:15pm GMT), head coach Howe confirmed his side will be without the 33-year-old until the New Year.

Howe provided further team news updates in his pre-match media briefing on Tuesday morning as he previewed the last-eight clash with the Cottagers, with a third semi-final appearance in four years in the offing should the Magpies see off Marco Silva's men.

Here are some of the main talking points:

Howe on Burn's injury...

"It was a big blow for us because I think he's been excellent in recent weeks. It's a rib problem and an issue with his lungs so we wish him well and it will be around four to six weeks out."

Howe on team news ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Fulham...

"The back line is an issue for us. We don't have many injuries but we have a concentrated group of players that all play in the same position.

"With Sven (Botman), we're not entirely sure when he'll return. He's made good progress but he's not ready to play yet.

"Emil Krafth and Kieran Trippier are still out and their target date will be around the new year we think.

"Jamaal Lascelles is returning from a muscle problem. He's fit and training with the group."

Howe on whether Yoane Wissa is ready to make his first start for United...

"I'll make a decision on that (whether he's able to start) in consultation with everybody else. We'll have to see whether he can execute what we need him to."

Howe on Wednesday's visit of the Cottagers providing a "positive focus" for his side...

"The beauty of football is you get another opportunity to focus on. That's a good thing for us after Sunday.

"It's a difficult game, but it's a great opportunity for us to get to another semi-final of this competition. It's something positive to focus on."

Howe on reacting to the Wear-Tyne derby defeat at Sunderland...

"Part of my job is to remain very level. If you don't and you join the emotional rollercoaster that football brings, you can damage relationships which are hugely important.

"I have to be constructive in my feedback and criticism which I will endeavour to do because we have to be very honest with the players and they have to be honest back with us. Then we have to find a way forward and we have to find a way to get consistent results which is what we're still searching for this season."

Howe on responding after Sunday...

"I can't do that myself - it's going to be us together as a group. I understand it. All I urge the supporters to do is what they've always done since I've been here and that's support the team when they're playing.

"We have a huge group of games to come and we have the opportunity to still make this an amazing season, so while we're in that position while everything can still be positive we have to attack it with all of our efforts combined."

PARIS (AP) — Portugal will return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2027 and 2028, replacing the Dutch Grand Prix.

The Algarve International Circuit near Portimão previously hosted F1 in 2020 and 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic.

The two-year deal brings the series back to Portugal after a six-year absence.

“The circuit delivers on-track excitement from the first corner to the checkered flag, and its energy lifts fans out of their seats," F1 president Stefano Domenicali said on Tuesday. "I look forward to working together again to ensure that Portimão returns to the calendar in emphatic style.”

Portugal's first F1 race was in Porto in 1958 but was discontinued shortly after. Estoril hosted grands prix from 1984-96, and was where Ayrton Senna claimed his first victory.

Lewis Hamilton won both pandemic races in Portimão and surpassed Michael Schumacher's record of all-time wins with his 92nd victory in 2021.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing

When Georgia beat Tennessee 44-41 in overtime in September, you probably thought you were watching two playoff teams at Neyland Stadium.

The Vols could have won the game in regulation play if not for a missed field goal. But even in an agonizingly close defeat, UT fans could be encouraged by the outcome.

If Josh Heupel's Vols could come that close to winning – and gain 498 yards against a Kirby Smart defense along the way – why shouldn’t their fan base be optimistic about how the season would unfold?

There was just a sliver of difference between the Vols and Bulldogs on that day. But the gap would widen drastically as the season went along.

The Tennessee defense never got any better. It gave up 44 points against Georgia in its first SEC game and 45 to Vanderbilt in its last SEC game.

The Bulldogs kept getting better defensively until by the end of the season, they had a typically tough Georgia defense. Despite giving up 41 points to the Vols, they will enter the playoffs ranked 11th nationally in points allowed per game. Tennessee ranks 91st in the same category.

A porous defense cost the Vols dearly in their four losses. As a result, they were eliminated from the playoff chase and are headed for the Music City Bowl against Illinois.

Thanks to a much-improved defense, Georgia is 12-1, the SEC champion, and the conference’s best bet in the College Football Playoff.  

While the Bulldogs earned a first-round bye, four other SEC teams will dive into the playoffs in the first round (Dec. 19-20). Here’s what I expect:

Oklahoma 23, Alabama 20: Much has been made of the Tide amassing significantly more yardage against the Sooners in their regular-season matchup, which Oklahoma won by two points.

Tennessee also outgained Oklahoma but lost 33-27.

You can’t measure the Sooners by yardage. They went 10-2 against a difficult schedule because of their defense, which so often made game-turning plays. Quarterback John Mateer, who can be maddeningly inconsistent, also came through in the clutch. And nobody is more clutch than kicker Tate Sandelle, who has made 23 of 24 field-goal attempts.

That should be enough to go back-to-back against Alabama, whose passing game is headed in the wrong direction. The Crimson Tide's running game, which averages only 116 yards per outing, will be hard-pressed to dent the Oklahoma defense.

Ole Miss 38, Tulane 20: The Rebels were abandoned by their coach but embraced by the CFP selection committee, which seeded them sixth for the playoffs. Coach Lane Kiffin’s much-publicized departure for LSU means former Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding will make his head-coaching debut.

Unlike Kiffin, coach Jon Sumrall is sticking around for Tulane’s playoff run, even though he already has accepted the Florida job.

Never mind who’s coaching. Ole Miss has the better players, as evidenced by its 45-10 victory over Tulane during the regular season.

ADAMS: Firing Tim Banks isn't the only change Josh Heupel should make

Texas A&M 28, Miami 23: Don’t blame the selection committee for keeping Notre Dame out of the playoffs. Blame the Aggies and Hurricanes, both of whom won close early-season games against the Irish.

Former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck will need to be at his best to beat the Aggies. But do you really think a hostile venue and an aggressive opposing defense will bring out the best in Beck?

His track record suggests otherwise.

Record: 110-19 (.853), 76-41 (.649) against the spread.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: CFP predictions for SEC, Oklahoma vs Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M

Today in Boston Celtics history, Antoine Walker put up a triple-double in a 99-87 defeat at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets in 2000. The University of Kentucky alum put up 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists with 1 foul and 6 turnovers in just under 45 minutes of floor time in the losing contest from the Celtics.

He hit a mere 7 of his 20 attempts from the floor overall that night, and only 1 of his 7 attempts from beyond the arc, a likely key cause in the defeat -- although Walker did hit a total of 5 of his 6 trips to the free throw line that evening.

Teammate Paul Pierce added 19 points and 5 rebounds and Bryant Stith chipped in another 14, but it wasn't enough to secure the win for Boston.

Historic milestones

It is also on this day in 1979 that the Celtics saw (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets guard Mike Newlin hang 52 points on the Celtics, tied for the sixth-most points a player has scored against Boston. The performance came in a loss for the Nets though, the Celtics coming away with a 115-112 overtime win, the game played at the Nets' arena for their fourth season in the NBA, Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey. Newlin's full stat line was 52 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in 49 minutes of play with 3 fouls and 4 turnovers.

He shot 19-of-28 overall and hit one of his three attempts from beyond the arc while going 13-of-15 from the charity stripe, yet again not enough for Boston's opponent to come away with a victory.

Birthdays

Finally, it is also the birthday of former Celtics forward Bennie Swain, who came into this world in 1933 in Talladega, Alabama. Swain would play collegiately at Texas Southern University and led the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in scoring in the 1957-58 season, earning him NAIA All-American honors.

That got him on the radar of the Celtics, who picked him up with the seventh overall selection of the 1958 NBA Draft. He only played a single season for the franchise in 1958-59, but won a title with them in it, averaging 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Walker triple-double; Newlin 52 vs. Cs; Swain born

The Ohio State football team, led by Ryan Day is in the midst of nearly a month break. The last time the Buckeyes stepped on the field, they fell to Indiana 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship.

With the loss, Ohio State’s road to back-to-back championship seasons gets that much harder and Ryan Day is hoping the loss helps this year’s Buckeyes find the necessary edge to win it all that the team found last season following the loss to Michigan.

Ohio State’s next game will be New Year’s Eve and it will play the winner of Miami and Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Ohio State will be using the extra time off preparing for a championship run, but the coaching staff will also be taking advantage of the extra time to recruit as well.

Following the early signing period, Ohio State’s 2026 class is all but wrapped up, minus a few last-second additions. Because of this, the coaching staff is able to place the majority of its focus recruiting next year’s class of recruits.

The Buckeyes already hold seven verbal commitments in next year’s class, good for the No. 4 team currently in the cycle, according to 247Sports. The coaching staff is certainly looking to add to this already impressive haul, and they may be doing so this week.

Over the weekend 2027 four-star linebacker Quinton Cypher (Raleigh, NC / Millbrook) announced his top four schools and Ohio State made the cut. He also announced that he will be announcing his commitment this week.

Cypher is the No. 11 LB in the 247Sports Composite and he is thew No. 192 national prospect. He is also the No. 8 recruit out of North Carolina. As was noted, the Buckeyes are not alone in his recruitment as Alabama, Georgia and Miami also made the cut for the blue-chip linebacker.

Shortly following Cypher’s top schools and commitment announcement, predictions started to be cast in favor of Ohio State by multiple experts at On3 and the Buckeyes certainly look to be the favorites going into his commitment. Cypher quickly became one of Ohio State’s top targets at his position in the 2027 class and he visited Columbus and the Buckeyes just last month.

Georgia is looked at as Ohio State’s biggest competition for Cypher and while this is all looking great for Ohio State, the blue-chip prospect has kept his recruitment rather close to the vest for the majority of his recruitment. Because of this, even if the tea leaves are looking scarlet and gray, there is far from any guarantee he will choose the Buckeyes. We also are uncertain as to which date this week he will be committing, only that he is planning for it to take place this week.

Make sure to follow Land-Grant Holy Land for updates on how Cypher’s recruitment plays out and all things Ohio State.

Quick Hits

Sticking with the 2027 recruiting class, Ohio State has identified a running back that they think would make for an excellent addition to the team. This past weekend three-star RB SaRod Baker (DeSoto, TX / DeSoto) announced he had received an official scholarship offer from the Buckeyes.

While only being a three-star prospect, Baker has racked up almost two dozen scholarship offers from the likes of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Pitt, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF and others – and now Ohio State. Baker is the No. 68 RB in the 247Sports Composite and is the No. 806 national prospect.

Obviously, this season did go the way we thought that it would, myself included. Notre Dame started off the regular season 0-2 after dropping games to the two best opponents they played, Miami on the road and Texas A&M at home. They then proceeded to rattle off 10 straight wins by double digits and accomplished something they hadn't done since the 1966 season. After the final week of the regular season, they were in prime position to make the playoffs but were left out after, arguably, the biggest snub in the playoff era. 

So what did the Fighting Irish learn in the process? As there head coach Marcus Freeman says 'there's lessons to be learned in every scenario.' So what were the lessons learned here? Everything has to be under evaluation heading into the offseason to better prepare this program to go on a run in 2026. For me, it's relatively simple: start faster and finish dominant. 

Start Faster

The month of September hasn't been too kind to Notre Dame under Freeman. They have suffered devastating losses in each of the four seasons in his tenure in the month of September or the first quarter of the regular season. In 2022, they lost their season opener to Ohio State on the road 21-10 only to follow up that loss with a loss in their home opener to Marshall 26-21 a week later. In 2023, they rattled off four straight victories to kick off the season but lost in a heartbreaker to Ohio State in South Bend 17-14. Last season, a week after picking up their biggest win in September under Freeman, they lost their home opener to Northern Illinois 16-14. 

Home openers in the Freeman Era haven't gone the way we had expected either. Notre Dame is 1-3 since 2022 in home openers with losses to Marshall, Northern Illinois and Texas A&M. Their lone home-opener win came against Tennessee State in 2023, the only FCS team the Irish have played in program history. Something has to get adjusted in the preseason to get this team going out of the gate quicker; a faster start is imperative to their season's success. 

One thing that would help is potentially altering the early season schedule. Notre Dame was the only team ranked in the College Football Playoff Top 25 that started their season playing two playoff teams. With future schedules featuring Alabama, Texas, Auburn and Michigan likely in the early window, the month of September will continue to carry a heavy weight for the Irish and their playoff outlook. Starting fast has to become a top priority for Freeman and this program moving forward so they aren't working from behind the eight ball in future seasons. 

Finish Dominant

As much as I disagree with how the committee evaluated Miami's end of the season performances, the reality is, the box score watchers were amongst the playoff committee. Notre Dame can't afford to let late game touchdowns happen like we saw this season against Pitt and Stanford. No, that doesn't mean keep the first team offense and defense in and run with the same gameplan they started the game with. I'm not even saying run up the score, after all, they beat Syracuse this season 70-7 and still missed the playoffs. 

With that being said, Notre Dame will have to operate with the same aggressiveness with the back ups and rotational players in. One of the debates that kept Notre Dame and Miami close together towards the end of the regular season was the fashion in how those teams won. The Irish jumped out to big leads and took their foot off the gas against teams like Pitt and Stanford while the Hurricanes limped through the first half of some of those games and piled on points. A dominant end to the season has to be a priority in years to come regardless of the start of the season for Notre Dame's playoff chances. 

Yes, there are other factors at play as to why Notre Dame didn't make the playoffs, but there are valuable lessons to be learned in any season and to me, this season's lessons were abundantly clear. How do you become more successful in September and the early window of the season? How do you start off your home campaign on a strong note? How do you put teams away late but don't run up the score with your starters in? Those are all things the staff will have to evaluate during this long offseason. If they come away with a great plan for 2026, next season will be one to remember. 

-------

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Where to watch Cardiff vs. Chelsea live stream, TV channel, start time for EFL Cup match originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Chelsea are aiming for more silverware under Enzo Maresca when they travel to Cardiff City in the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup.

The Blues lifted the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup last season, although a morale boost might be in order following their recent form.

Saturday's 2-0 win at home to Everton ended a four-game winless run across all competitions that has seen Chelsea fall away from pacesetters in the Premier League

Cardiff were finalists in the competition in 2012, losing to Liverpool on penalties. The League One leaders are the only club outside of the Premier League remaining in the draw.

The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the quarterfinal schedule.

Cardiff vs. Chelsealive stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this match in the U.S.:

• TV channel: None
• Live stream: Paramount+

This game is available via Paramount+.

EFL Cup matches throughout the season are available on Paramount+.

Paramount+ gives subscribers the ability to watch basketball, football, golf and soccer, and they won't have to break the bank in order to follow along with the latest sporting events. Paramount+ does have a FREE trial, so new subscribers can enjoy it for one week before making a payment.

What time does Cardiff vs. Chelsea kick off?

This clash takes place at the Cardiff City Stadium and kicks off on Tuesday, December 16 at 8 p.m. local time.

Here's how that time translates across the U.S.:

Carabao Cup quarterfinal fixture schedule

Tuesday, December 16

• Cardiff City vs. Chelsea (3 p.m. ET)

Wednesday, December 17

• Manchester City vs. Brentford (2:30 p.m. ET)
• Newcastle United vs. Fulham (3:15 p.m. ET)

Tuesday, December 23

• Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace (TBC)

Where to watch Newcastle vs. Fulham live stream, TV channel, start time for EFL Cup match originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The quarterfinals of the EFL Cup are underway. Who will stand tall when Newcastle United faces Fulham?

Last year's champions Newcastle head into the match as the favorites, but manager Eddie Howe is under big pressure following their 1-0 defeat to rivals Sunderland at the weekend.

Fulham are in higher spirits following a 3-2 win over Burnley last time out and are bidding for a second EFL Cup semifinal appearance in three seasons.

The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the weekly schedule.

Newcastle vs. Fulhamlive stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this match in the U.S.:

• TV channel: None
• Live stream: Paramount+

This game is available via Paramount+.

EFL Cup matches throughout the season are available on Paramount+.

Paramount+ gives subscribers the ability to watch basketball, football, golf and soccer, and they won't have to break the bank in order to follow along with the latest sporting events. Paramount+ does have a FREE trial, so new subscribers can enjoy it for one week before making a payment.

What time does Newcastle vs. Fulham kick off?

This clash takes place at St. James' Park and kicks off on Wednesday, December 17 at 8:15 p.m. local time.

Here's how that time translates across the U.S.:

English Carabao Cup fixture schedule this week

Wednesday, December 17

• Manchester City vs. Brentford (2:30 p.m. ET)
• Newcastle United vs. Fulham (3:15 p.m. ET)

Sheehan boys basketball coach John Wodatch was all set to get his team together for practice Sunday after a number of his players, including quarterback and point guard Jake O’Brien, played Saturday in the Class S state football championship game (and won the title).

But it snowed Sunday and practice was canceled. So his whole team finally practiced together Monday afternoon. Sheehan plays its first game Tuesday at home against Darien.

The Titans, and other teams like Windsor and Northwest Catholic, had to wait for some of their players because the football finals took place Saturday.

“There’s pros and cons,” said Wodatch, whose team was the Division IV runner-up to unbeaten Ellington last year. “The con is you’re missing out on some of your guys that need valuable preseason time to get their bodies and their minds ready to play. But the positive is that it gives other guys experience they wouldn’t otherwise have if they were here. It better prepares those guys.

“As a team it’s a little bit of a setback before we get our full team together. The snow messed with our plans (Sunday), unfortunately, so it was another setback. But all the football guys are there today in the gym.”

Sheehan, the 23rd of 27 seeds in the Div. IV tournament last year, made an improbable run to the finals last year.

“We’re lost a good senior group that had a lot of leadership and team connectivity, but they are leaving that with us and we’re in a better starting spot because of that mentality,” Wodatch said. “That (run) gave them a lot of confidence in terms of what it takes to play winning basketball.”

Most of the football players were in the gym Sunday for Windsor, after winning their second state title in program history in Class MM. Missoni Brown, the MVP of the Warriors’ state basketball championship team as a freshman, and Jayden Compton, two juniors, are key players returning for the Warriors. Senior Theo Perkins, who transferred from East Catholic and played on the football team, is also expected to play a key role on the basketball team. Quarterback AJ Robinson played basketball as a sophomore and didn’t play last year, but Windsor coach Ken Smith expected him to be back, too.

“I’m trying to work with the kids,” Smith said. “I know some of them (are) going to be banged up and they can’t go but they want to go. But they’re not going to have the stamina they need and it’s going to be hard.”

Windsor lost in the Div. I quarterfinals last year to eventual champion Notre Dame-West Haven.

At Northwest Catholic, John Mirabello was dealing with the same issue; two of his main players – Vincent Burbank and Kayden Davis – were on the football team that lost to Sheehan in the Class S final Saturday.

“It’s a good thing, it’s great for the school, the run was terrific, even though it didn’t end the way they wanted it to,” Mirabello said Sunday. “Today was the first day and they came in and I said guys, ‘You’re not running, you’re not bumping into anybody, let’s just start slowly.’”

Northwest lost in the Div. I quarterfinals to East Catholic, 59-41 last year.

Around the CCC

East Catholic coach Luke Reilly is catching up to his father and uncle as far as victories go. Reilly is three wins short of 500; his uncle Gene is 11th on the all-time wins list in the state with 548 wins and his father Joe is 15th with 512.

East, which lost in the Div. I semifinals last year to St. Bernard, lost four players to transfers – two to prep school, one to Windsor and one to Bloomfield.

But the Eagles return senior guards Sincere Folk and Joey Montalvo.

“Those guys have a lot of experience,” Reilly said. “I think the challenge is going to be that we lost some size but we’re going to try to make that up in style of play and some other ways. We’re kind of reinventing ourselves, which is exciting.”

East Catholic opens Thursday against Southington.

Manchester, which won its first state title in boys basketball since 1938 last year in Division II, lost all its starters to graduation and is starting over.

“I’m a big crossword guy and I was thinking, ‘It’s a good thing I like crosswords because this is a big puzzle,’” Manchester coach John Reiser said. “It’s putting all these pieces together, finding out combinations, who’s ready – all those things. We just need time. We have our moments when things come together but it’s not consistent.”

Manchester, which beat New London 77-74 in the state championship game, opens with Cheney Tech Tuesday, then has to play Windsor on Thursday and East Catholic Monday.

The Red Hawks have also moved up to Div. I this year.

“The good thing is the energy’s good, the vibe’s good,” Reiser said. “We got that going for us.”

Bloomfield has a new coach in Corey McKeithan, who was coach Brooks Sales’ assistant the last three years. The Warhawks graduated seven seniors from last year’s team, which lost in the second round of the Div. II tournament to East Hartford but gained four transfers, including senior Kahil Bell from East Catholic, junior Rob Hall from the Masters School and senior Ken Hardy from SMSA.

“We have a pretty decent squad, I’m pretty excited,” McKeithan said.

Bloomfield will open against East Hartford Saturday at the GHPA Spirit of Doc Classic at Trinity College.

Ellington ready to defend its title

Ellington, which went undefeated and won the Div. IV state title last year, has most of its team back but has moved up to Div. III.

“It’s a fresh new year, the past is the past,” Ellington coach Bob Freitas said. “They’re bigger, they’re stronger and they’ve played so much together.”

Junior Jack Curtis had 19 points and four steals for top-seeded Ellington (27-0) in the state final and sophomore Reese Nicol had eight rebounds and nine points, while junior Ty Fieldhouse and senior Dylan Killoran both had eight rebounds.

Andrew Flickenschild was the only senior on last year’s team and 6-4 Jack Weigand is expected to step into the center role.

Cromwell’s new coach

Cromwell’s long-time coach John Pinone resigned after last season and Steve Ciarcia, who was an assistant at East Catholic and Newington, has taken over in his first head coaching job.

Cromwell, which won the Div. IV title in 2023, returns two starters from last year. The Panthers will open with Innovation, the 2024 Div. IV champion, Tuesday.

“It’s a good challenge,” Ciarcia said. “It’ll show us where we’re at.”

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has hailed Ruben Amorim for one thing he got absolutely right, despite the club repeatedly throwing away leads to settle for a 4-4 draw with Bournemouth.

United held by Bournemouth

United enjoyed a bright start to the contest at Old Trafford, creating multiple chances and pinning the visitors inside their own half.

After a period of sustained pressure, United took the lead courtesy of Amad, who nodded home at the line, but Antoine Semenyo drew the sides level when he capitalised on an error between England duo Luke Shaw and Mason Mount.

United snatched back the lead right before the interval, with Casemiro steering a header from the back post. However, the Cherries came out firing after the restart and scored two goals in the space of six minutes. Evanilson broke into the box and made it 2-2 before Marcus Tavernier converted a free-kick past Senne Lammens, whose positioning was suspect.

The teams were drawn level again by a moment of brilliance from Bruno Fernandes, who bent a perfect free-kick into the top corner. The comeback appeared complete when Matheus Cunha then slammed in a fourth goal, putting United on the brink of a remarkable win.

But substitute Eli Junior Kroupi had the final say, making it 4-4 to ensure the spoils were shared between the two sides.

After the final whistle, Amorim lamented United’s woeful defending. He has often been accused of being too pragmatic but the attacking nature of the team’s performance earned him some praise from Neville, who credited him for doing “the right thing.”

Neville gives Amorim verdict

Speaking on The Gary Neville podcast, the ex-United captain remarked, “It was a stunning watch – more for a neutral maybe, but even for me. I was really critical after the Everton and West Ham games because of just the nature of the performance – I thought it was really bland, the Everton one where obviously he kept three at the back and against one – they were down to 10 men; there was no urgency, they weren’t throwing the kitchen sink at it. Same against West Ham, they let large parts of the game drift.”

“It was the complete and utter opposite tonight, I can live with that all day long in terms of the performance and the standard because they played with real intent. Played the ball forwards, always played at full pace.”

“We’ll come onto the mistakes shortly, but I just feel that the way in which, also when United went 3-2 down, and Ruben Amorim then went to 4-4-2 and did the right thing. Forget the system, he did the right thing and he got the right players on the pitch and looked a massive threat.”

Neville continued, “But credit to Bournemouth. In the first half, I thought they were overrun by United, I thought they were going to be out of the game, that it would probably be two or 3-0. But if you don’t kill teams off – I think you said in the first half United had more shots than any other team this season recorded in the Premier League, which demonstrated their dominance.”

“But still, Bournemouth had one or two good moments, as well, get their goal and are still in it at half-time. Jamie Carragher’s words just coming out before the second half that Ruben Amorim will be thinking ‘we should be further ahead in this game’ – that’s true.”

“The second half was absolute mayhem. Absolute mayhem. But just generally in terms of sort of the fans would feel the same thing. There were boos after the Everton and West Ham game, there weren’t boos after this game.”

“There was disappointment, but there were a lot of fans we’ve just seen stay in the stadium to clap the team because they can live with that. If you’re a kid coming to United – my two girls have come tonight – and they’ll be thrilled walking back across that forecourt. They won’t be happy United haven’t won, but they’ll have seen a great game of football, and that’s what you come to Old Trafford for.”

“You come for entertainment, of course you come to see your team win – I get it, you’ve got to win games, you’ve got to win trophies and titles, we can turn to this is sort of not good enough in respect to what happened. They’ve got the entertainment bit right, their performance right, the style right. It’s absolutely critical at this football club and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen tonight from those red shirts.”

On United’s poor defending, Neville noted that the frailties witnessed were expected, especially considering the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are unavailable, while Lisandro Martinez is still working himself to full fitness.

Neville said that the only United would have probably sunk Andoni Iraola’s men is by outscoring them and they tried, although it wasn’t enough on the day.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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Last session before Copa del Rey debut – FC Barcelona
It’s Copa del Rey time. Barça are set to make their debut in the knockout competition after a great win in LaLiga against Osasuna. With qualification for the last 16 the aim, every available first team player was in for a final training session before travelling to play Guadalajara.

When and where to watch CD Guadalajara v FC Barcelona – FC Barcelona
After beating Osasuna in the league, attention now switches to the defence of the Copa del Rey trophy, in which the first and hopefully not last challenge is for Barça to get past lower league outfit Deportivo Guadalajara, a side they have never met before.

Hansi Flick: ‘We are favourites, but I want to see it on the pitch’ – FC Barcelona
The road to retaining the Copa del Rey begins for FC Barcelona with the last 32 match against Guadalajara, an opponent from the Primera Federación who will face the Blaugranes for the first time at the Pedro Escartín Stadium. Despite the difference in divisions, Hansi Flick doesn’t want any complacency and has warned that the tie will require the highest level of focus.

Claudia Pina extends with Barça until 2029 – FC Barcelona
The striker Claudia Pina is set to stay at FC Barcelona until 2029 after signing a new contract with the blaugranes on Monday. The player from the town of Montcada i Reixac from just outside Barcelona put pen to paper in the presence of president Joan Laporta, the director responsible for Women’s Football, Xavier Puig and the sporting director of Barça Women, Marc Vivés.

Brentford Women striker Paula Holguin has been named London and South East Premier Player of the Month for November.

Holguin scored three goals and picked up an assist in the month, with the Bees winning twice, losing twice and drawing once across all competitions in that time.

The Brentford no.19 said the award came as a shock, but she was happy to be recognised for her form.

“It was honestly a massive surprise and very, very unexpected… but I’m very glad and very happy to be recognised," she said.

"I’ve been working hard, I’ve been putting in the hours, and to be recognised is very cool.

“I’m very blessed and grateful, that’s how I feel to be recognised for putting in the work - it’s all coming together.”

Holguin starred in the Bees’ 7-1 win over Sevenoaks Town in the League Cup in early November, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist.

This took her season tally to four goals, while an assist in a 6-0 win over Millwall earlier this month made it two assists for the campaign to date.

“That hat-trick was one of my favourite games so far, so to be recognised for that is a great feeling,” said Holguin.

While November brought mixed results in the league for Carly Williams’ side, Holguin said the group was as tight as ever and looking forward to pushing on following the victory over Millwall.

“Our last game against Millwall, I feel like that was the cherry on top for the first half of the season. I think that was our best game, the way we played and our team cohesion,” she added.

“Even with the losses that we took and the draw… I feel like our reactions to every result have been great, and Carly has made it a focus to, regardless of the result, go back to the drawing board and we focus on us.

“Our chemistry is building every week and, even though on paper it’s been a tough month, we have no cracks in the team right now - we are very strong, very motivated, and we’re ready to take on the new year.”

Holguin joins Brentford defender Regan Graver as a recipient of the award, with Graver’s honour coming following her performances in August.

Well the win streak was fun while it lasted, but that came to an end last night when the Miami Dolphins lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dolphins didn’t rely on their stellar running game in the first half and it came back to bite them as they couldn’t sustain drives. It’s become pretty clear that the team cannot rely on QB Tua Tagovailoa as he makes questionable decisions and just doesn’t have the arm. Though not all the blame should be on Tua as the defense was unable to make plenty of tackles that resulted in big gains. With the loss, the Dolphins are out of the playoff race and we can officially begin to look toward the offseason.

You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.

Miami Dolphins lose at Pittsburgh Steelers: Instant Takeaways
The Miami Dolphins traveled to the Pittsburgh Steelers, attempting to even their record at 7-7 while on the national stage of “Monday Night Football.”

Dolphins at Steelers

Dolphins pounded in Pittsburgh, eliminated from playoff contention
The Miami Dolphins’ late surge in the season will ultimately leave them short of any postseason aspirations.

Mike McDaniel

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is more than a meme
The news conference room at the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid is bigger than the makeshift room at Hard Rock Stadium where Miami Dolphins players and coaches typically speak after a game.

Dolphins Quarterbacks

It’s time for the Dolphins to make this change with Tagovailoa. Enough is enough
Don’t be deceived by the stat-stuffing fourth quarter touchdown passes that left Tua Tagovailosa with a 113.4 passer rating on a night the Dolphins offense mustered three points and fewer than 100 passing yards through three quarters.

Phinsider News You May Have Missed

Previewing Dolphins/Steelers matchup – The Splash Zone 12/15/25
Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.

Dolphins fan confidence jumps as team prepares for Steelers games
The Miami Dolphins put their four-game winning streak on the line as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. How are fans feeling about the team?

Dolphins add Quinton Bell in series Week 15 of roster moves
The Dolphins announced several roster moves ahead of their Week 15 MNF game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dolphins vs. Steelers final score: Reactions as Miami gets run out of Pittsburgh
The Miami Dolphins get embarrassed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as long-shot playoff chances crash down.

Barcelona: Flick has targeted a profile in Dortmund

Barcelona: Hansi Flick is a fan of a BVB defender

FC Barcelona continues to scour the market in search of cost-effective solutions to bolster their defense. According to journalist Patrick Berger from Sky Sports, the Catalan club is closely monitoring Julian Ryerson, Borussia Dortmund’s versatile full-back, who has been identified as a credible option to strengthen the defensive unit.

The Blaugrana management is looking for a player who can provide depth behind Jules Koundé without upsetting a wage bill that remains under scrutiny. In this regard, Ryerson ticks several boxes. Valued for his reliability and consistent performances, the Norwegian defender represents an economically viable solution.

🔵🔴 FC Barcelona is looking for a (cost-effective) backup for Jules Koundé and have #BVB full back Julian Ryerson (28/🇳🇴) on their list; first talks have taken place between Ryerson camp and Barça. But nothing advanced or concrete at this stage.

Ryerson‘s contract at Dortmund…

— Patrick Berger (@berger_pj) December 15, 2025

Under contract with Dortmund until 2028, Ryerson is reportedly open to a move in the upcoming summer transfer window. Barcelona has also considered a move for Nico Schlotterbeck, but BVB’s financial demands, estimated at €50 million, have seriously dampened that prospect.

The January transfer window is fast approaching, but reports in Italy claim that Juventus are already looking ahead to the summer, when they could make a move for RB Leipzig midfielder Xaver Schlager.

Reports Juventus interested in Schlager on free transfer

According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Schlager is of interest to the Bianconeri given that his contract is set to expire in June and could be tempted away from the Bundesliga.

The 28-year-old has 134 Bundesliga appearances to his name, but is not currently a guaranteed starter under Ole Werner at RedBull Arena.

LEIPZIG, GERMANY – DECEMBER 06: Xaver Schlager of RB Leipzig runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Robin Koch of Eintracht Frankfurt during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt at Red Bull Arena on December 06, 2025 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

A central midfielder, also capable of playing in a more advanced role, Schlager would be comfortable covering in both a three-man or two-man midfield at Juventus.

The Austria international suffered a cruciate ligament injury in May of 2024, which kept him sidelined for most of the 2024-25 campaign. Before then, he was a guaranteed starter for Die Roten Bullen, making 29 Bundesliga appearances and eight in the Champions League in 2023-24.

Ricky Pearsall aggravated PCL injury vs Titans, leaving Week 16 status uncertain
“He landed on his knee and it’s a painful thing,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully, it’s not at all like when he first did it. But it does take time for that pain to go away. Hopefully, that’ll be sooner than later over these next eight days.”

The 49ers are back in action in Week 16 against the Colts on Monday night in Indianapolis.

Shanahan said he is not sure if Pearsall will be able to practice this week or play on Monday due to knee and ankle injuries. The 49ers return to practice on Wednesday.“

Kyle Shanahan shares 49ers updates day after Week 15 win vs. Titans
“”Jordan [Watkins] needs to show out on the practice field that he is better than the guys in front of him. And it’s really tough with these guys when they’ve missed so much time, but he has been out here for a little bit getting back in shape and doing a good job in practice. But I mean, we’re going to play the top guys and he’s still working to show that he’s one of those. What was the other question? The one before that.”

Is the window going to be opened on Jacob Cowing?

“No, they didn’t tell me this week. So, I think our goal is next week versus Chicago.”

Thompson: How are the hobbled 49ers still in this? They found a different way to be great(paywall)
“Shanahan has coached squads flush with enough stars to feel inevitable, including just last year. Twice, the 49ers came close enough to the Lombardi Trophy to see their breath on the silver, only to see it snatched away by the greatness of Patrick Mahomes. Those squads won by overwhelming opponents with their talent. This one wins by never letting up.

The edge of Shanahan is showing up in the personality of this team. He coaxed a 5-3 record out of backup quarterback Mac Jones’ starts. San Francisco’s 24.6 points per game have often come with running back Christian McCaffrey and receiver Kendrick Bourne leading in receiving yards. Shanahan, who has some bouts with conservatism, rides his workhorses with desperation. McCaffrey leads the league with 345 touches. Kittle is third among tight ends in receptions and second in touchdowns since returning from his injury.

This may end up being Shanahan’s finest coaching job. Not because of what he’s drawn up, but because of what he’s demanded.

What’s saving this season is the part of these 49ers that’s learned from loss, scar tissue and heartbreak. The part that understands championships aren’t built with perfection. It’s an endurance test. A challenge of the will. And as long as it comes down to the fight in the dog, they’re still in it.

The last three games feature something they haven’t seen in a while — playoff-caliber teams. At Indianapolis (8-6) before closing the season against Chicago (10-4) and Seattle.

They’ve got a chance. Something that seemed to die two months ago. But they’ve clawed it back to life.“

Barrows: 49ers’ Ricky Pearsall performs like the heir to Brandon Aiyuk in win over Titans(paywall)
“Still, the rarely used reserve/left team designation is reserved for players who have done exactly that — quit the team. And as last year’s episode with linebacker De’Vondre Campbell underscored, teams don’t look kindly on players who quit in the middle of a game, or in Aiyuk’s case, stop showing up to work.

“I’m gonna punt on that question,” said George Kittle, the 49ers’ de facto spokesman, when asked about Aiyuk’s situation. “It is what it is. Nothing I can do about it, so I’m just going to play ball with the guys that are here.”

Pearsall is Aiyuk’s natural successor. After Sunday’s win, McCaffrey called him a “special player” for precisely the reasons Aiyuk has excelled in San Francisco — he creates separation and gets open.

“I think it’s his ability to beat man coverage and his hands, especially,” he said. “He’s a hell of a ball catcher and an elite route runner. And I think when you have someone as dynamic as that, the ball is gonna find him.”

Pearsall, it seems, is one of the few people inside the 49ers’ facility who have recently communicated with Aiyuk. He credits Aiyuk for guiding him when he first arrived at Arizona State. The two have been close ever since, and he said he texts Aiyuk every so often.

“Whether he answers it or not, I know that he sees it,” Pearsall said. “I’m just praying for the dude. … I have all the love and respect in the world for that man, and I send him a text every so often to check on him. It’s bigger than the game.”

Sando: What makes these 49ers’ special? The answer might surprise you(paywall)
“They rank first by a wide margin among all teams since 2000 in year-over-year change in special teams EPA per game, per TruMedia.

Gaining more than a touchdown in value (7.1 points) per game on these plays is sensational for the 49ers, whose 37-24 victory over Tennessee on Sunday featured, appropriately, the NFL’s third-best special teams output in Week 15 (+5.9).“

49ers vs. Titans PFF grades: Best and worst from the game, plus snap counts
“In addition to earning the game’s top overall grade, Trent Williams was also the highest-graded run blocker (95.1) and pass blocker (87.5). He surrendered just one pressure across 41 pass-blocking snaps…Cornerback Upton Stout was the 49ers’ highest-graded tackler (81.2), followed by safety Jason Pinnock (77.8). Neither missed a tackle in the game.

For the second consecutive week, rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins earned the lowest tackling grade (22.9). Kalia Davis wasn’t far behind with a 26.4 tackling grade.“

Yves Bissouma (29) could leave Tottenham Hotspur during the upcoming January transfer window, and France has emerged as a possible destination, according to a report from The Times. 

The former Lille OSC midfielder has not played for Spurs yet this season, and he may have already played his final game for the club. The midfielder was seen inhaling nitrous oxide and was suspended by his club at the start of the campaign. A second video of the player inhaling nitrous oxide has since emerged. 

The Mali international could now return to France, having left L’Héxagone to join Brighton and Hove Albion back in 2018. Tottenham Hotspur are keen to earn a fee for Bissouma and so a departure next month is envisaged. 

As per The Times, Olympique de Marseille and OGC Nice are both interested in signing Bissouma. The former are currently on the podium in Ligue 1, whilst the latter are in crisis and are currently 13th. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Midfielder Sarah Zadrazil has agreed a new contract with FC Bayern Women until 30 June 2027. The 32-year-old Austria international has been with the Munich Frauen for five years and has won four Bundesliga titles, a DFB Cup and two Supercups.

Rech: “Irreplaceable part of our team on and off the pitch”

Bianca Rech, FC Bayern Women director: “We’d already spoken prior to Sarah’s injury about a potential new contract. And there was also no question afterwards that we wanted to continue together. Sarah isn’t just a central figure and a quiet leader on the pitch but also has an incredibly important role for the team off the pitch. Her commitment, support and hard work – especially in holding midfield – make her an irreplaceable part of our team. We firmly believe that she will still give us a lot after her injury and are really excited to see her on the pitch again. We’re in close contact during her recovery, because it’s especially important during a long layoff to maintain contact and plan things together.”

Zadrazil: “Great appreciation and huge support”

Sarah Zadrazil: “This new contract means a great deal of appreciation and huge support for me. It allows me to focus fully on my recovery, and I’ll do all I can to be back on the pitch as soon as possible. Bayern has become a second home for me. Especially now after my injury, I’ve got lots of goals with the club that I still want to achieve. I really appreciate that Bayern have put their trust in me. I’m really looking forward to being back on the pitch again with the team and hope I can do my role just as well as before. This team is special and what I miss the most right now. It means I’m even more looking forward to being part of this team on the pitch again soon.”

Munich midfield motor

Zadrazil joined Bayern from Turbine Potsdam in 2020 and quickly established herself as a vital cog in the team’s midfield. Born in Bad Ischl, Austria, she has since been a consistent performer and has made 160 appearances (six goals) for Germany’s reigning double winners. The 32-year-old suffered a torn cruciate ligament in September’s Bundesliga game against Freiburg and has since been working hard on her comeback. The midfielder has also been an integral part of the Austria national team since 2010, earning 128 caps.

We’ve spoken to Zadrazil about her new contract and more:

Zadrazil: 'Munich is my second home'

FC Barcelona will lock horns with CD Guadalajara in their Copa del Rey opener of the 2025/26 season later tonight away from home.

Having strung together a five-game winning run in all competitions, the Catalans will be aiming to make it six and progress into the Round of 16 of the cup tournament.

Ahead of their trip to Guadalajara, manager Hansi Flick has announced the squad list of players at his disposal for his selection.

The big news is that Robert Lewandowski features in the squad despite not training with the rest of the players on Monday, which led to doubts over his availability.

Meanwhile, Joan Garcia travels with the squad even though he will not be starting in goal tonight, as confirmed by manager Flick already.

Youngsters Jofre Torrents, Dro, Tommy Marques, and Roony Bardghji all feature in the squad and could feature tonight in the starting XI for Barcelona.

Marc Bernal and Marc Casado, who have barely played of late, could also be in contention to start for the current Copa del Rey holders.

Dani Olmo, Gavi, and Ronald Araujo, meanwhile, remain unavailable for Barça.

Los convocados de Hansi Flick para nuestro partido de Copa ✈️ pic.twitter.com/DsC1GHskHn

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) December 16, 2025

Wataru Endo has his place back

Slot’s decision to switch Liverpool from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 had an effect on just about everyone. Few felt it more than Wataru Endo, though, who had his position completely taken out of the team.

Endo was used under Jurgen Klopp as a defensive midfielder and usually the only one in the team. He sat behind the other midfielders, shielding the defence and allowing everyone else to focus on attacking while he stopped transitions through the middle.

Slot didn’t want such a player. He essentially removed the defensive midfielder role and swapped it for an attacking midfielder role. Instead of stopping transitions with a sitting player, he wanted someone further forward in the press.

Now he’s moving, once again, to something new. Liverpool’s current midfield setup has both, with a deeper midfielder covering for a series of players in front of him that move all the way across the pitch.

That player has been Ryan Gravenberch in recent weeks but we do wonder if Slot will give Endo a go there. Maybe not as a first-choice option but with his role having returned to the side, surely the veteran gets games?

He’s an expert at shielding on his own and that’s something that is now absolutely required when the three other centre-midfielders have such licence to advance.

In a lot of ways, bringing Endo into the team is a more attacking option, allowing those midfielders even more freedom with an out-and-out defender behind them. It’s absolutely an option for Slot going forward - and a very exciting one.

He’s barely used Endo, starting him just once in the Premier League over the last 18 months. We expect that to change in the near-future.

Cooper Flagg scored the most points by an 18-year-old in NBA history, but he couldn't enjoy the accomplishment because it came in defeat. Flagg put up 42 points -- topping the previous mark of 37 set by LeBron James on Dec. 13, 2003 -- in a 140-133 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night. "Obviously, we didn't win. So, it's tough for me to want to be happy or any of that," said Flagg, who had a bag of ice on an ankle after rolling it at the end of regulation. "But obviously, it's a success."

ESPN

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Cooper Flagg becomes youngest NBA player to score 40 points in a game

Blake Griffin on his trade to Detroit: I had gotten wind of it because one of my best friends is very close with people in the Pistons organization. I tried to figure out if it was true or not. My agent was calling, all that. When I found out to the time the trade went through, it was like two hours. I was trying to get information and couldn’t really get any, and I saw the tweet and I just put the phone down. I was playing a game on the trampoline with my kids, saw the notification, and just tossed the phone into the grass. I kept playing the game. I’ll never forget—I hope my kids were so young they had no clue what was going on. I just remember being like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy.’ That was the last thing I would have guessed when I woke up that morning. But it’s fine. I appreciated my time in Detroit, and I think it all worked out.”

YouTube

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Blake Griffin on his trade to Detroit: I had gotten …

MrBuckBuck: Jalen Brunson when asked if the team has given any thought to spreading the wealth from the NBA Cup to everyone else in the organization: "Yes we have. Thanks for ruining the surprise."

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: MrBuckBuck: Jalen Brunson when asked if the team has …

Farbod Esnaashari: Both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden left without speaking to media after losing to a very shorthanded Grizzlies.

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Farbod Esnaashari: Both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden …

The Best Awards are organised and presented by Fifa to celebrate the best individual men's and women's player, as well as goalkeeper and coach.

The award is based on achievements between 11 August 2024 to 2 August 2025.

Fifa, football's world governing body, said that the awards are based on the "on-pitch performance and general conduct on and off the pitch" for players and the "on-pitch performance and general behaviour of their teams on and off the pitch" for coaches.

Nominations are compiled by Fifa and football stakeholders, which are then reviewed by Fifa football experts. The shortlist is then published on the Fifa website.

Vinicius Jr and Aitana Bonmati were the 2024 men's and women's player winners.

Who decides on the winners?

The winners are selected by an international jury consisting of:

• Current coaches of all men's national teams (one coach per team)
• Current captains of all men's national teams (one captain per team)
• A specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team
• Fans from all over the world registered on Fifa's website

Each of the four group of voters will have the same electoral weight, making up a quarter of votes.

Each voting group will have to select their top three players, goalkeepers and coaches.

The three players, three coaches and three goalkeepers nominated will receive five points, three or one point respectively, depending on whether they were selected first, second or third.

Individual votes from coaches, captains and journalists will be published on Fifa's website.

The individual with the most points will win the award.

What are the voting rules?

• Captains of national teams may vote for coaches from the national team they represent
• Captains and coaches of national teams may vote for players from the national team they represent
• Nominated captains and coaches are not permitted to vote for themselves
• Specialist journalists may vote for players, coaches and goalkeepers who are from their own country or who represent clubs affiliated to their own country
• Fans registered on the Fifa website may vote for any men's and women's football players, coaches and goalkeepers, provided that any such vote is cast fairly and in accordance with these Rules of Allocation

Who are the nominees?

Men's players: Ousmane Dembele (France and PSG), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and PSG), Harry Kane (England and Bayern Munich), Kylian Mbappe (France and Real Madrid), Nuno Mendes (Portugal and PSG), Cole Palmer (England and Chelsea), Pedri (Spain and Barcelona), Raphinha (Brazil and Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool), Vitinha (Portugal and PSG), Lamine Yamal (Spain and Barcelona)

Men's goalkeepers: Alisson Becker (Brazil and Liverpool), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium and Real Madrid), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy and PSG/Manchester City), Emiliano Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa). Manuel Neuer (Germany and Bayern Munich), David Raya (Spain and Arsenal), Yann Sommer (Switzerland and Inter Milan), Wojciech Szczesny (Poland and Barcelona)

Men's coaches: Javier Aguirre (Mexico), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Luis Enrique (PSG), Hansi Flick (Barcelona), Enzo Maresca (Chelsea), Roberto Martinez (Portugal), Arne Slot (Liverpool)

Women's players: Sandy Baltimore (France and Chelsea), Nathalie Bjorn (Sweden and Chelsea), Aitana Bonmati (Spain and Barcelona), Lucy Bronze (England and Chelsea), Mariona Caldentey (Spain and Arsenal), Temwa Chawinga (Malawi and Kansas City Current), Diani Kadidiatou (France and Lyon), Melchie Dumornay (Haiti and Lyon), Patri Guijarro (Spain and Barcelona), Lindsey Heaps (USA and Lyon), Lauren James (England and Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (England and Manchester City/Arsenal), Ewa Pajor (Poland and Barcelona), Claudia Pina (Spain and Barcelona), Alexia Putellas (Spain and Barcelona), Alessia Russo (England and Arsenal), Leah Williamson (England and Arsenal)

Women's goalkeepers: Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany and Gotham FC), Cata Coll (Spain and Barcelona), Christiane Endler (Chile and Lyon), Hannah Hampton (England and Chelsea), Anna Moorhouse (England and Orlando Pride), Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria and Paris FC/Brighton), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (USA and Manchester United)

Women's coaches: Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea), Jonatan Giraldez (Washington Spirit/Lyon), Seb Hines (Orlando Pride), Renee Slegers (Arsenal), Sarina Wiegman (England)

What awards will be given out?

Men's awards:

• Best Fifa men's player
• Best Fifa men's goalkeeper
• Best Fifa men's coach
• Fifa Puskas Award
• Fifa Fifpro men's World XI

Women's awards:

• Best Fifa women's player
• Best Fifa women's goalkeeper
• Best Fifa women's coach
• Fifa Marta Award
• Fifa Fifpro women's World XI

Other awards:

• Fifa Fan award
• Fifa fair play award

Who has been nominated for Puskas and Marta awards?

Puskas nominees: Alerrandro (Vitoria), Alessandro Deiola (Cagliari), Pedro de la Vega (Seattle Sounders), Santiago Montiel (Independiente), Amr Nasser (Pharco), Carlos Orrantia (Atlas), Lucas Ribeiro (Mamelodi Sundowns), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Rizky Ridho (Persija Jakarta), Kevin Rodrigues (Kasimpasa), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

Marta nominees: Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal), Ashley Cheatley (Brentford), Kyra Cooney-Cross (Australia), Jon Ryong-jong (Korea DPR), Marta (Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Manchester City/Netherlands), Kishi Nunez (Argentina), Lizbeth Ovalle (Tigres), Ally Sentnor (USA), Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)

When is the ceremony?

The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 16 December at 17:00 GMT, in Doha, Qatar.

The voting for the awards concluded on 28 November 2025 at 22:59 GMT.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

What is Ask Me Anything?

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits.

We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events.

Our coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio.

More questions answered...

• What is the Fifa Peace Prize?
• Which English top-flight side has the most consecutive clean sheets?
• Where are England's U17 World Cup winners now?

The Observer's football correspondent Rory Smith has observed a pattern in Burnley's attempts to establish a foothold in the Premier League.

After winning the 2022-23 Championship by a 10-point margin, Vincent Kompany's Burnley failed to find their feet in the top tier - and now, we're seeing history repeat itself, Smith says.

"[Appointing] Parker was a deliberate response to that [naive style under Kompany], to say 'that will not keep us up'," Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"The risk they were taking is: 'We've tried the fun way, and we went down. So let's try the non-fun way.'

"Parker has done the exactly the same job as Vincent Kompany - he got Burnley promoted, and now they're not quite good enough to stay up."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

The Negreira case and a new attack from Florentino on Barcelona are the most repeated topics in the sports press this Tuesday.

When Florentino speaks, the press listens. Following Laporta's comments on the Negreira case, Florentino's meeting with journalists for the holidays once again produced headlines that today are front-page news and the subject of debate. Besides all this, today Barça plays in the Copa del Rey.

Diario MARCA

Diario AS

Mundo Deportivo

Diario SPORT

Superdeporte

Estadio Deportivo

Sphera Sports

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 THOMAS COEX - AFP or licensors

The 2025-26 high school basketball is underway and the area's teams are ready for big things this winter.

This season features a large group of returning stars and some key newcomers. Who is your choice for the top player to watch for the upcoming campaign?  

Voting closes Sunday at 11 p.m.

If poll doesn’t show, please refresh the page.

Candidates selected by Harry Frezza Jr. and Josh Rosenfeld

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ boys basketbal VOTE NOW for Central Jersey player to watch

Florent Ghisolfi, Sunderland's director of football, had high praise for Dan Ballard after Sunday's derby day win over Newcastle.

"I can go to the market for all of them but I cannot find a Ballard," Ghisolfi said. "He is Sunderland - hard work, resilience, talent.

"I can look in Argentina and other markets, but I cannot find a Ballard."

Ballard was one of the Black Cats' key players in their promotion-winning campaign and scored in the final seconds of extra time against Coventry City to seal Sunderland's place in the Championship play-off final.

Despite Regis le Bris assembling a practically new squad for their top-flight return, the 26-year-old has featured in 14 of the opening 16 games, scoring two goals and assisting one.

"He is aggressive, he is decent on the ball and he is certainly one of the big characters on the pitch," said former Manchester United defender Phil Jones on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

Ex-Premier League striker Chris Sutton added: "I can't say I saw too much of him in the Championship, but maybe because of the players they brought in to play alongside him, Le Bris saw him as a good squad player - but he has had his opportunity and he has taken it."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

While Manchester United and Bournemouth descended into chaos, the young Ayden Heaven struggled to keep up with the action.

The Red Devils took a one-goal lead on three occasions, but lost it thrice, as the contest ended in a 4-4 draw.

While this was an instant classic that certainly delighted the neutrals on Monday evening, the Man Utd supporters at Old Trafford couldn’t help but feel that their team wasted another golden opportunity to break into the Top Five.

Ayden Heaven struggled against Bournemouth

Sadly for Heaven, he has been identified as one of the main culprits at the back, as he was directly responsible for the Cherries’ first two strikes.

Heaven, who was hailed for his ‘fantastic’ performances by Wayne Rooney last season, hasn’t been able to impress in recent weeks.

Interestingly, the 19-year-old was urged by his teammate Mason Mount, to engage with Antoine Semenyo on Bournemouth’s first equaliser, as revealed by The Sun journalist Samuel Luckhurst. However, the young defender allowed the pacey winger to enter the box before losing the duel.

(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

The Arsenal youth product was also too slow to react to Evanilson’s run on the second Bournemouth goal. Hence, The Sun’s Katherin Walsh handed him an abysmal rating of 4/10.

The journalist also suggested that Ruben Amorim will be looking to put a swift end to Ayden’s experience at the heart of the backline, even if it means rushing Lisandro Martinez back to the lineup.

Lisandro Martinez back in the lineup vs Aston Villa?

The Argentine has recently returned to action after a 10-month layoff due to an ACL tear he suffered in February. However, Amorim has yet to start him, preferring to slowly reintegrate the 2022 World Cup winner back into the action to avoid a relapse.

Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are considered Man Utd’s main choices for the central defender role, but the manager admitted he’s not sure whether either of the two will be available for the next contest against Aston Villa.

Regarding Heaven, it should be said that his experiment at the heart of the backline has been ill-fated, but last season, he had shown promising signs while filling in for Martinez on the left side of the back-three, which appears to be his most natural role.

David Alaba’s time at Real Madrid appears to be drawing to a quiet but decisive close. 

It is known that the club has taken a firm stance on the Austrian defender’s future, choosing not to renew his contract and effectively placing him on the open market. 

As a result, one of the most experienced players in Madrid’s dressing room is now preparing for the next chapter of his career.

Alaba’s situation has not gone unnoticed across Europe and beyond. With his contract running down and no extension forthcoming, he is set to become a free agent. 

Notably, offers have arrived from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, two destinations increasingly active in the transfer market and willing to provide both sporting opportunities and financial incentives.

Galatasaray want Alaba

According to Defensa Central, among the clubs pushing hardest is Galatasaray. 

Galatasaray are interested in Alaba. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The Turkish giants are reportedly very serious about securing Alaba’s signature for next season and see him as a player who can immediately elevate their defensive. 

Crucially, the move is not being dismissed by the player. Alaba is understood to be genuinely open to the idea of joining Galatasaray and is carefully considering the proposal. 

As a free agent, Alaba knows he holds the upper hand and finding a new club will not be a problem. 

The real challenge lies in choosing the right destination. Saudi Arabia remain a powerful alternative, with clubs prepared to offer him a lucrative contract that would far exceed most European proposals. 

Financially, the Middle East option is difficult to ignore. However, Galatasaray offer something different. 

The opportunity to continue competing in elite European tournaments, including the Champions League this season, presents a compelling sporting argument, something that is hard to refuse.

Tommy Marques has quietly become a familiar figure around Barcelona’s first-team environment under Hansi Flick. 

The 19-year-old midfielder has been a constant presence in training sessions in recent weeks, regularly working alongside established senior players. 

Yet despite that growing exposure, his official first-team debut has so far remained out of reach.

That could be about to change. As Barcelona prepare to begin their Copa del Rey campaign against CD Guadalajara, there is a growing sense that the competition may once again serve as the perfect platform for youth integration. 

According to journalist Jordi Cardero in Mundo Deportivo, the young midfielder, who has been called up by Flick for the last four league fixtures, is a genuine candidate to make his senior debut tonight. 

The report underlines that Flick has confidence in the youngster and views him as a reliable option when rotation is required.

A perfect stage

Historically, the Copa del Rey has offered Barcelona’s academy talents their first real taste of senior football. 

Tommy Marques could make his debut tonight. (Picture credit: Instagram/@tommy.marques)

While the shift to a single-match format in the early rounds has increased the risk of surprise eliminations, it has not stopped managers from trusting young players. 

Last season, in Barbastro, Toni Fernandez made his debut under Flick. Two years earlier, Pau Cubarsi made his first appearance against Unionistas.

Now, the spotlight may fall on Marques. The midfielder has been included in the first-team squad for the last four league matches, but has continued to gain his minutes with Barça Atletic. 

Within the club, Marques is valued for his presence, positional discipline, and tactical intelligence. 

Flick appreciates his reliability and his ability to follow instructions, qualities that are often decisive when a coach considers handing a debut to a teenager.

Whether or not the debut arrives in Guadalajara, the message is clear that Marques remains on Flick’s radar, and his progress suggests that his first-team moment is approaching sooner rather than later.

Barcelona make the trip to Estadio Pedro Escartín to take on third-tier outfit CD Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey Round of 32 on Tuesday, as the holders begin the defence of the trophy they lifted last season.

Barcelona come into this clash in outstanding shape, having put together a run of five straight wins in all competitions.

Their league form has been particularly impressive, with victories over Alavés (3-1), Atlético Madrid (3-1), Real Betis (5-3) and Osasuna (2-0) in La Liga. They also edged Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the Champions League. This sequence of results has them sitting at the top of La Liga, four points clear of their nearest challengers.

Barcelona team news

Head coach Hansi Flick has already indicated that he plans to rotate his side for this tie. First-choice goalkeeper Joan García is set to be given a rest ahead of upcoming key fixtures, with either Marc-André ter Stegen or Wojciech Szczesny expected to start between the posts.

Barcelona’s biggest fitness issue is Dani Olmo. The Spanish midfielder suffered a dislocated shoulder while scoring in a 3-1 win over Atlético Madrid on 2 December and is predicted to be sidelined for around a month, ruling him out for the rest of their 2025 fixtures.

At the back, Ronald Araújo is unavailable after being granted indefinite leave from the club to focus on his personal recovery, a decision confirmed by sporting director Deco.

Barcelona predicted lineup

Possible Barcelona starting XI: Szczesny; E Garcia, Cubarsi, Christensen, Jofre; Casado, Bernal; Bardghji, Fermin, Dro; Lewandowski.

When will the match kick off?

The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Tuesday, 16th December.

How to watch Guadalajara vs Barcelona?

For viewers in the UK, the Guadalajara vs Barcelona clash in the Copa del Rey will be broadcast live on Premier Sports 1.

Read Also – Chelsea boss makes key decision ahead of Cardiff City clash

See More – Premier League Awards: Sunderland supremacy, sublime Sangare, rampant Rogers

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Barcelona travel to the Estadio Pedro Escartín to face third-tier side CD Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey Round of 32 on Tuesday. The Catalan giants are defending their Copa del Rey title after winning the trophy last season.

Guadalajara vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news

• Date: Tuesday, 15th December.
• Kick-off: 8pm BST.
• Venue: Estadio Pedro Escartin, Guadalajara.

Guadalajara team news

There is no new injury news, nor do they have any suspensions. The Primera Federacion team will look for a strong performance against the current defending champions, in the first-ever meeting between the teams.

Pablo Munoz will lead the attack and has already scored three times and registered two assists during the current season. Alejandro Canizo is set to feature in an attacking area, and Pablo Rojo is also expected to start in the midfield.

Barcelona team news

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has confirmed rotations in the squad for the Guadalajara clash. Joan García, the starting goalkeeper, will be rested ahead of important fixtures, with either Marc-André ter Stegen or Wojciech Szczesny set to feature in goal.

The main injury concern for Barcelona is Dani Olmo, the Spanish midfielder who dislocated his shoulder while scoring in Barcelona’s 3-1 victory against Atlético Madrid on December 2. Olmo is expected to miss approximately one month and will not be available for Barcelona’s remaining games in 2025.

Defender Ronald Araújo has been granted indefinite leave after requesting time away from the club for personal recovery, according to Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco.

Form

Guadalajara

CD Guadalajara, competing in Spain’s third tier, earned their place in the Round of 32 by securing victories over Cacereno (2-1) and Ceuta (1-0) in earlier rounds of the Copa del Rey. The club is in 17th in the Primera Federación standings with 17 points from 16 matches. Guadalajara’s recent form has been inconsistent. While they defeated Osasuna B 1-0 on December 7, they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid Castilla on the weekend.

Barcelona

Barcelona are in exceptional form, winning their last five matches across all competitions. In La Liga, the Catalan club defeated Alavés (3-1), Atlético Madrid (3-1), Real Betis (5-3), and Osasuna (2-0). In the Champions League, Barcelona claimed a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. Barcelona currently sit top of La Liga with a four-point lead.

Predicted lineups

Guadalajara: Vicente; Mayo, Ablanque, Rodriguez, Casado; Rojo, Calvo; Diaz, Ramirez, Munoz; Canizo.

Barcelona: Szczesny; E Garcia, Cubarsi, Christensen, Jofre; Casado, Bernal; Bardghji, Fermin, Dro; Lewandowski.

How to watch Guadalajara vs Barcelona?

In the UK, Guadalajara vs Barcelona in the Copa del Rey will be shown live on Premier Sports 1.

Read Also – Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend

See More – Maresca refuses to explain ‘worst 48 hours’ Chelsea rant

Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Scotland leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood has signed a new two-year contract with Essex Women.

The 26-year-old took 22 wickets in all competitions for the county in 2025, their first as a fully professional team.

She made her Scotland debut in 2018 and has played 80 white-ball internationals so far.

"Abtaha's value to our team was underlined last season, taking wickets at crucial times and further growing into her role as a leader in our bowling unit," said Essex Women's performance director Danni Warren.

Maqsood has also played for Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.

• Browne named lead batting coach for Essex Women
• Essex Women name Parry as head coach

City Football Group executive Carlos Raphael Moersen is in advanced talks to join Tottenham Hotspur as their director of football operations, according to The Athletic. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium club have been undergoing recent major changes at board level, and Moersen is set to switch Manchester City for Spurs. One of his major roles at the Etihad Stadium club is negotiating contracts with current and prospective Man City players.

Moersen has spent the last ten years working for CFG clubs and is currently their director of football transactions. He will be bringing the wealth of experience to Tottenham, and while the deal is not yet complete, it is expected to be finalised soon. Spurs are also set to appoint Alex Scotcher as their new commercial director in January. They believe his arrival will help speed up their process of getting a naming rights partner since moving into their new stadium in April 2019.

Major changes have been happening at the North London club in recent months, with former chairman Daniel Levy leaving the club in September after 24 years. Former Arsenal executive Vinai Venkatesham became Spurs CEO in April 2024, and executive director Donna-Maria Cullen stepped down two months later.

Fabio Paratici also returned to Tottenham as a joint-sporting director alongside Johan Lange in October, and more changes could be on the cards.

Without Szoboszlai it will be interesting to see how he intends to use the diamond formation that has been so effective over the course of the last few games.

Apart from the Hungarian, he doesn't really have any other senior midfield options. Which means Slot may be forced to hand a Premier League debut to Trey Nyoni.

The Reds' wonderkid has played plenty of first-team games for the club. In total Nyoni has played eight matches and registered one assist. But none of these games have come in the Premier League.

He's played most of his minutes in the domestic cups and a handful of games in Europe.

Over the course of pre-season, Nyoni was a stand-out performer. Whether Slot asked him to play in midfield or even as a centre-back, he always delivered.

Virjil Van Dijk et Mohamed Salah

At Liverpool, Mohamed Salah's future remains shrouded in doubt following recent events. Virgil van Dijk has publicly raised questions about the situation.

Last Saturday, Mohamed Salah was brought back into the squad for the Premier League clash against Brighton (2-0). However, the Egyptian is far from certain to stay at Liverpool this winter. Reds captain Virgil van Dijk hasn't hidden his concerns after speaking with his teammate.

pic.twitter.com/KFM2eIknxu

— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) December 15, 2025

"I talk to him about everything. I told him I want him to stay. I’d really like him to stay because he’s one of our leaders, but he’s heading off to AFCON. We’ll keep in touch over the coming days and weeks, as we always do, and we’ll see what happens. I wish him all the best and hope he comes back. I hope so. I have no influence over it. We hope he’ll win there, return, and play a key role for the rest of the season. But on the other hand, we all know how football works, and we have no idea what will happen. He’s still hugely important to the club, but there are other parties involved.", admitted the Reds captain.

As a reminder, frustrated by his lack of playing time, Mohamed Salah had previously vented his frustrations, which led to his exclusion during last Tuesday’s Champions League showdown against Inter Milan (1-0).

Vinicius Jr et Xabi Alonso

On Sunday night in Alavés, Vinicius Jr and Xabi Alonso exchanged words after a controversial moment, particularly following the penalty that was not awarded to Madrid after a foul on the Brazilian.

Last Sunday, Real Madrid clinched a 2-1 victory away at Alavés in a match highlighted by a widely discussed incident involving a potential penalty on Vinicius. After being substituted for Franco Mastantuono in the 89th minute, the Brazilian forward and his coach Xabi Alonso shared a brief exchange about the moment. Vinicius felt he was being treated differently: "He didn't call it because it's me," to which Xabi Alonso replied, "It was clear, it was obvious," according to Movistar.

🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Vinicius’ reaction after the penalty was not given:

• Xabi Alonso to Vini: "It was clear. It was clear!"

• Vini’s response to Xabi: "Referee didn’t give the penalty because it’s me!"

— @MovistarFutbolpic.twitter.com/r2CsCaRKc4

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) December 14, 2025

Both managers also weighed in on the referee's decision after the match. Xabi pointed out that there was indeed a foul on his player, while his Argentine counterpart criticized the lack of a second yellow card for Vinicius, especially considering the penalty was not awarded.

Braves' $2 million gamble pays off after long-awaited $20M contract decision on Gold Glove winner originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Last season, the Atlanta Braves brought in Ha-Seong Kim off waivers after Nick Allen’s production at shortstop began to decline. The move was initially intended to see if Kim could perform well enough over a month-long trial to justify a longer-term role. However, Kim’s performance was so strong that testing free agency became the better option, putting the Braves in a familiar tough situation.

“Because of this thin market, that would incentivise Kim to test the market. For that same reason, it’s even more important that the Braves find a way to retain his services,” wrote SI’s Harrison Smajovits. “If he opts out and signs elsewhere, they could be back to square one with this dilemma. The offense has had its struggles as is, and they have, at least for now, figured out one of the issues.”

On Monday, the Braves successfully brought Kim back to Atlanta on a one-year contract.

“Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is returning to the Atlanta Braves, agreeing Monday to a one-year, $20 million contract that addressed a major offseason priority for the team. Kim gets a $4 million raise. He had declined a $16 million player option that was in the two-year, $29 million contract he signed in February with Tampa Bay, a deal that paid him $13 million. The Braves announced the new deal with Kim on Monday night,” ESPN reported.

The Braves’ $2 million gamble has now turned into their everyday shortstop for the 2026 season.

“Atlanta took a $2 million gamble by trading for him at the trade deadline and it pays off as they re-acquire their starting shortstop,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.

Kim provides exactly what the Braves have been lacking at the shortstop position over the past few years: a strong bat. He is also a Gold Glove winner, which adds defensive value.

He is an ideal fit for Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos. Kim is aiming for a fully healthy season and hopes to prove himself for next winter as well. While this is only a one-year investment, it wouldn’t be surprising if Atlanta extended him should he have a productive year.

More MLB news:

• Braves manager Walt Weiss hints at massive Ronald Acuna Jr. decision for upcoming season

• Braves' manager Walt Weiss delivers fiery message to fans after Brian Snitker era, playoffs missed

• Mets sign Braves World Series champion to join Juan Soto amid Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz departures

• Phillies signing Rangers' Adolis Garcia forces $20M decision on $100M 2-time All-Star veteran

• SI predicts Braves trade $45M veteran after creating distrust with organization to fill major void

• Royals predicted to trade for Dodgers' $66M 2-time World Series champion after losing Mike Yastrzemski

• Mets predicted to trade for $87M 3-time All-Star, World Series champion to replace Pete Alonso

• MLB reporter warns Mets of Juan Soto doomsday season after failing to re-sign Pete Alonso

• Dodgers' Dave Roberts signals major shift for Freddie Freeman's workload after offseason injury

• Dodgers' Andrew Friedman pours cold water on $400M World Series champion after Edwin Diaz signing

New exchange of statements between Madrid and Barça regarding the Negreira case, in addition to the Copa football where the big teams make their debut.

The Copa del Rey returns, the Negreira case is on everyone's lips, and today the FIFA The Best will also be announced. Certainly, this Tuesday will not go unnoticed.

The Best is decided today

Los ganadores de los premios The Best FIFA Football Awards™ 2025 se conocerán en un evento especial que se celebrará en Doha (Qatar) el martes 16 de diciembre de 2025.

Más información y dónde verlo 👇https://t.co/oJailNHtnOpic.twitter.com/zoXXbzKqaQ

— FIFA (Español) (@fifacom_es) December 14, 2025

Starting at 18:00 CET in Doha, the last individual award of the year in football will be decided. The FIFA The Best includes players like Dembélé or Lamine Yamal as candidates to win it.

Laporta explains the Negreira case...

🚨📂 @La_SER accede a la declaración de Joan Laporta ante la jueza del 'caso Negreira'

"La información que tengo es que los hacía el hijo del señor Negreira y que el señor Negreira era un exárbitro. Esto es lo que había llegado a mi conocimiento"

🗨️#ElLargueropic.twitter.com/El87ID8QwE

— El Larguero (@ellarguero) December 15, 2025

The president of Barça appeared as a witness in the Negreira case and made several noteworthy statements. He denied knowing the former vice president and reiterated that reports were the only thing they contracted.

... and Florentino goes on the attack

‼️ ATENCIÓN a la RAJADA de Florentino:

🚨 "El caso Negreira es el problema más grave que tiene el fútbol"

😤 "Estamos seguros de que no somos el único club perjudicado por este caso"

❌ "Es posible que algún club haya descendido por culpa de este caso"

📻 #PartidazoCOPEpic.twitter.com/sEEZ1hUNQJ

— El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) December 15, 2025

The president of Real Madrid once again attacked Barcelona regarding the Negreira case during the Christmas meeting with journalists covering Real Madrid news.

Barça debuts in Copa

The current champion makes its appearance against Guadalajara in an always tricky match where Flick will have to decide his choice between Ter Stegen or Szczesny in goal. It's time for several La Masia youth players.

Finalissima, date and location confirmed

LA FINALISSIMA SE JUGARÁ EL 27 DE MARZO EN QATAR 🏆🇶🇦

ℹ️ Esteban Edul#Finalissimapic.twitter.com/HPXrG07Gl7

— DAZN Fútbol (@DAZNFutbol) December 15, 2025

Don't make plans for March 27 because Spain and Argentina will finally play the much-anticipated Finalissima. It will be in Qatar, where the Albiceleste lifted the last World Cup. Who will take it?

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 MANAURE QUINTERO - AFP or licensors

Let's be Frank... this summer I was full of hope.

With a trophy finally to our name, the appointment of Thomas Frank was the sensible decision. A manager capable of mixing the good, the bad and the ugly - skills that you need to be successful in the Premier League.

With the summer and Bilbao a distant memory, what we have seen so far this season has been a lot of ugly and bad football, and very little good. Once again, we are being forced into two camps: are you Frank in or out? Supporting Tottenham is a constant cycle of picking a side.

So here I am, waiting in line to hit the button: in or out. My position on Frank is difficult to categorise.

Sacking him before we have even had our turkey lunch is very bah-humbug, but in an age when your fate is assessed at every full-time whistle, you have to deliver something to keep the wolves at bay.

You cannot expect to sit comfortably in the dugout when you have only beaten one top-half team all season.

Frank's biggest failing as Tottenham manager is there is nothing tangible that suggests that more time is the remedy. There are no patterns of play, our defence is as porous as it has always been and even our set-pieces, the lighthouse in the distance, has blown its bulb.

We have no maverick to pin our hopes on, no heroes ready to burst through the wall and scoop us up - just a collection of lost boys wandering around a pitch for 90 minutes.

You cannot back a manager who offers you no hope for the future. You cannot back a manager who questions us, the paying public. And you cannot back a manager who empowers his players to take pot-shots at us.

Frank has to give us some hope, as right now there is none.

Find more from Bardi at The Extra Inch

Mainz didn't just take a point from Munich over the weekend. A 05er was even able to celebrate a new Bundesliga record after the 2:2 draw against Bayern.

Leon Maloney covered more kilometers than any Bundesliga player before him. 'Sportschau' reports 14.68 kilometers, while the DFL even states 14.8 kilometers. Either way, it stands: An incredible performance that sets new standards.

Until then, Vladimir Duda was considered the most relentless long-distance runner of all time. The former Hertha player clocked an impressive 14.65 kilometers in a match against BVB in the 2019/20 season.

This distance was surpassed by Maloney over the weekend. He has thus demonstrated the greatest endurance performance since the beginning of modern data collection in the German top league.

The FSV midfielder has definitely proven an unyielding will to perform. Yet some football prophets might still quip: Those who run a lot are in the wrong place!

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 KARL-JOSEF HILDENBRAND - AFP or licensors

Fresh developments have emerged in the ongoing Negreira case following the release of audio recordings containing statements from Joan Laporta, Luis Enrique, and Ernesto Valverde. 

The audios correspond to testimonies given by the three figures as witnesses and provide clearer insight into their positions after days of speculation.

Even before the existence of audio confirmation, both former Barcelona coaches were aligned on a central point. 

Neither Enrique nor Valverde had any awareness of referee-related reports during their respective spells at the club, nor did they know Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira or his role within the CTA.

Who said what?

Enrique was particularly direct when addressing the issue. The current PSG coach stressed that referee reports were never part of his professional framework and were never placed at his disposal.

“No one offered me reports or anyone else on my staff.”

He went even further, underlining the total absence of any connection to the Negreira family. “I know nothing about either Negreira senior or his son.”

Valverde echoed those sentiments in a similarly firm manner. He made it clear that this was never the case during his time at Barcelona. 

“I have never used these reports, nor have I requested them or taken an interest in them, not even now at Athletic. 

Laporta testified in the Negreira case. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“I know that my assistant receives them. In fact, I asked my assistant (at Barça), and he said no,” he noted.

What about Laporta?

Laporta, meanwhile, focused his testimony on the institutional side of the matter. 

The Barcelona president explained that the payments linked to companies associated with Negreira were not initiated under his leadership but carried over from previous administrations.

“The sports department was the recipient of these analyses. I don’t remember when it started, before our presidency, because it was inherited. 

“I was informed that there was advice, and it was decided to continue with these payments.“

Laporta added that he always believed the reports were produced by Negreira’s son, a claim that contradicts statements made by Enriquez Negreira Jr. himself. 

Finally, Laporta strongly rejected any suggestion that Barcelona sought to influence competition outcomes, arguing instead that the case has been used to undermine the club’s achievements.

“FC Barcelona has never taken any action with the aim of altering the competition. 

“This is crystal clear, a reality, and I prefer not to comment on it now, but it is evident that this is an orchestrated campaign to try to damage Barça’s reputation, especially at a glorious time in the club’s history,” he added.

Source: SPORT

Real Madrid’s trip to Vitoria to face Alaves was meant to be a routine league fixture, but once again it was overshadowed by troubling scenes from the stands. 

Defender Raul Asencio found himself at the centre of unwanted attention, as sections of the home crowd directed personal and offensive insults towards him during the match.

Footage shared by El Día Después captured the moment during a Real Madrid corner kick when chants were clearly aimed at the centre-back. 

Asencio became the target of abuse as the crowd shouted, “Asencio, scum, get out of Vitoria!” 

Rather than reacting with anger, the defender turned towards the stands and, in an ironic gesture, briefly joined in with the chant himself, a response that underlined both frustration and resignation.

Asencio’s calm response

The situation did not go unnoticed by his teammates. Aurelien Tchouameéni immediately stepped in, moving towards Asencio in an attempt to calm him and prevent the abuse from affecting his focus during a crucial phase of the game. 

Estoy de acuerdo🤐

— Raúl Asencio (@RaulAsencio_17) December 15, 2025

Following the match, El Día Después published a post condemning the insults and calling for such behaviour to be eradicated from football stadiums. 

Asencio chose to respond directly, making his position clear without inflaming the situation further. 

The defender replied, “I agree,” accompanied by an emoji of a face with a zipper over its mouth, a restrained yet telling reaction that spoke volumes about his state of mind.

Unfortunately, this incident was not an isolated one. Asencio has been subjected to similar insults on several occasions, with certain sections of fans continuing to reference legal proceedings he faced in the past. 

While the matter generated significant attention at the time, it is important to note that the two victims involved in the case later forgave the Real Madrid player.

Previously reported targets again linked with Celtic as Kilmarnock eye Aberdeen coach with Rugby Park past...

Polish midfielder Mateusz Bogusz, at Mexican side Cruz Azul, and CFR Cluj's Romania striker Louis Munteanu top the Celtic shortlist for the January window. (TeamTalk)

Aberdeen coach Peter Leven is under consideration for the vacant Kilmarnock job following Stuart Kettlewell's dismissal. (Daily Record)

Pierre Ekwah, the 23-year-old midfielder, who has attempted to terminate his contract at Saint Etienne, is once again linked with Rangers, along with Serie A side Udinese. (Footmercato - in French)

Celtic remain interested in Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who will be out of contract at the end of the season, while Inter Milan are considering the 25-year-old Frenchman as a back-up option. (TeamTalk)

Sheffield United are confident of securing a January deal for Rangers midfielder Joe Rothwell, with their Championship rivals Middlesbrough, Stoke City and Derby County also showing interest in the 30-year-old. (TeamTalk)

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke plans to reach out to Harvey Barnes' advisers early in the New Year to discuss a possible change of allegiance for the Newcastle United winger who has one senior England cap. (Scottish Sun)

Steve Clarke has spoken with several Scotland squad members about investigating loan moves to address the issue of playing time, including Angus Gunn, but not fellow goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who is yet to feature for Hearts this season. (The Scotsman)

Steve Clarke says he hasn't had much time to consider his future as Scotland head coach but will sit down SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell early in 2026 once the details of World Cup preparations have been rubber-stamped. (Daily Record)

Former Celtic assistant John Kennedy has agreed to follow Brendan Rodgers to Saudi club Al-Qadsiah. (Scottish Sun)

• Man City to target Guehi in summer - Tuesday's gossip
• Iheanacho injury & Nancy backs himself - gossip

Chelsea looked good on Saturday because of two things – the partnership of Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah in defence keeping them solid, plus the return of Cole Palmer in attack.

Fofana took the chance after the game to speak about Palmer’s influence in particular. The attacking midfielder got a nice goal in the first half, and Fofana was then a major part of defending that lead for the rest of the game.

Fofana on “star” Palmer

Cole Palmer celebrates his first goal since September. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

“He’s a star – he’s the best player in the team when he’s on the pitch,” Fofana said in quotes picked up by the club’s official website.

“He’s a different player. Everyone says that. In just 60 minutes against Everton he showed that. We’re happy he is back, and we hope he stays fit. Cole is close to the level of the guys like Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele – he’s a very good player. I’ve had the opportunity to play with and against some very good players, and he’s at the top.”

Fofana would know – he’s played with both of those guys with France. We hope that our star man can stay fit this season and get back to his best level. The defender also praised Malo Gusto’s showing:

“I’m very happy for Malo. He’s my friend, and we’re very close. A goal and an assist – I’m very proud of him because he works very hard every day.”

In other news…

Chelsea are looking to make more moves in January, as ever, and their latest interest is in Cassiano Kiala of Bayern Munich, whose father has been in London for talks with the Blues and another Premier League club.

Enzo Maresca’s comments from yesterday still are ringing in the air – Simon Jordan had an interesting theory on what was going on with the coach after his amazing outburst.

The K League United Awards are back after a four-year absence! We've witnessed a K League 2 season that saw Incheon United win the title at a canter, Suwon Bluewings miss out on promotion for the second year running, and Bucheon FC 1995 go up for the very first time in the club's history. Needless to say, the K League 2 party has been one to remember this year.

We've also seen the official K League Awards handed out, some more controversial than others. So, with that in mind, we'd love to hear your opinion on who were the best of a very good bunch in the second division.

This is your opportunity as K League fans to honour the top performers. Fill out your ballot below and hit submit, it's a simple as that.

And in case you need a reminder of who won the official awards...

For the last few months, student-athletes braved the late summer heat, then the autumn chill, and finally the winter freeze, to separate the good from great.

This year's Fall 2025 All-Greater Rochester teams celebrate that achievement, from excellence on the gridiron to the pitch to the mud trails.

Most teams are recognized in a first- and second-team format, with the exception of football and volleyball, which distinguish between the large school athletes (AAA, AA and A) and the small school (B, C, D).

Congratulations to all those who donned their school colors and represented their community with prowess this fall.

See below to meet the athletes.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: All-Greater Rochester Fall Teams released for 2025: Meet the athletes

Interview

Broos open to giving fringe players a chance in AFCON warm-up

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos says the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) send-off match against Ghana is a perfect opportunity to asses fringe players in the squad.

South Africa will host a Ghana side comprised of locally-based players at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday (16h00), as the Black Stars failed to qualify for the continental showpiece.

With several Europe-based players not in camp yet and set to meet the squad in Morocco, Broos sees a silver lining as he can be able to evaluate the performances of fringe players.

“I think there should be a difference if everyone is here [in camp], we would play maybe with the [regular] team, and we could even make corrections if needed. But now because they are not there I think I can give opportunities to players who didn't play so much with Bafana Bafana,” he said.

"I think for example a player like [Thabang] Matuludi. I think we can give him a chance tomorrow [Tuesday] to play with the team and to adapt a little bit at the way of playing.

Though the Belgian mentor is keen to give players with less game time a chance in the team, he insists Bafana are not taking Ghana B lightly, stating the mandate is to emerge victorious.

“So, I said it's a training game, not a selection game but on the other hand I want to win it. So, don't think that we take the game for laugh tomorrow and that my players should take the game for laugh,” Broos added.

"We will play like we always play and try to win it. But again, sometimes you have to take the bad things for good and the good thing now is that because those players are not here we can give some play time to other players.

Bafana are in Group B with neighbors Zimbabwe, record seven-time African champions Egypt, and Angola, whom they kickstart their AFCON campaign against next Monday in Marrakech, Morocco.

Last week, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury praised left tackle Laremy Tunsil before saying that "he's going to get a lot of money."

Tunsil later admitted that yes, he wants to be paid, but he hopes it's in Washington after the Commanders traded for him last offseason. With two years remaining on his contract, Tunsil is due a nice raise after his outstanding debut season in Washington.

Tunsil has started every game for the Commanders this season, but that could be in jeopardy on Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Tunsil left Sunday's Week 15 win over the New York Giants in the first half with what was reported as a shoulder injury. Trainers worked with Tunsil on the sideline, but he went into the locker room.

Tunsil did return to the game, only to leave again, when Washington reported his injury as an oblique. Overall, Tunsil played 29 of the Commanders' 61 offensive snaps.

On Monday, head coach Dan Quinn offered an update on Tunsil.

"He has an oblique injury, and we'll have to see what the strength looks like for him, the movement, the strength over the next couple days," Quinn said. "And if he's able to, then he will play."

Remember, Washington plays on Saturday — not Sunday. That one day could make a big difference in Tunsil's availability this week. The Commanders have nothing to play for with three games remaining, and ended quarterback Jayden Daniels' season on Monday.

If Tunsil can't go, Washington has Brandon Coleman. As a rookie last season, Coleman started 15 total games at left tackle, including the playoffs. He started all three games against the Eagles.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Laremy Tunsil injury update

Backyard Bo Nix is DOMINATING as the Denver Broncos clinch a playoff spot and extend their insane win streak to 11, and Bennie Fowler & Dave Logan are breaking down every snap from the Week 16 win over the Packers on Broncos X & O’s. We dive into Bo Nix’s “backyard football” magic, his perfect blend of off-script creation and in-structure processing, plus how Sean Payton is tailoring the offense around his rookie QB. Dave Logan and Bennie Fowler break down the maturity of this Broncos team, elite red-zone defense, huge games from Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin, and why this receiver room makes Denver a nightmare matchup in the AFC playoffs.

We also look ahead to possible playoff opponents like the Bills and Jaguars, what it will take to lock up the No. 1 seed, and why Broncos Country should believe this team can make a legit Super Bowl run—smash that like button and subscribe for more Denver Broncos film breakdowns, Bo Nix highlights, and weekly Broncos X’s & O’s podcastanalysis.

Nigeria squad for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations: Eric Chelle stacks AFCON Super Eagles roster with attacking talent originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Nigeria boss Eric Chelle has named five uncapped players in his 28-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles are smarting from crashing out of qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Chelle has opted to introduce some fresh blood.

Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu is selected for the first time, with Nottingham Forest's Ola Aina sidelined through injury.

Midfield trio Muhammed Usman, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro and Tochukwu Nnadi, and Croatian-based forward Salim Fago Lawal complete the quintet.

Chelle has plenty of options at his disposal in an attack that will be led by star striker Victor Osimhen.

MORE:Why Eric Chelle was a controversial choice as Nigeria head coach

Nigeria squad for March 2025: Super Eagles list in full

International caps current as of Saturday, December 13, 2025.

Nigeria AFCON schedule

Nigeria have been drawn in Group C at AFCON 2025 alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania.

Nigeria AFCON fixtures

• 12/23/25: Nigeria vs. Tanzania (Fez Stadium, Fez)
• 12/27/25: Nigeria vs. Tunisia (Fez Stadium, Fez)
• 12/30/25: Uganda vs. Nigeria  (Fez Stadium, Fez)

MORE:All the teams to have qualified so far for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Manchester City are ‘strongly interested’ in securing the services of highly-rated Bayern Munich centre-back talent Cassiano Kiala, according to new reports.

The Etihad Stadium hierarchy have regularly shown a willingness to engage early with representatives of youth talents, even when immediate transfers are not possible, ensuring pathways are discussed well in advance.

Over the last two years, City have increasingly positioned themselves as a long-term destination for the game’s most promising stars, combining elite coaching with a structured development pathway that often includes gradual integration via the academy or loan system.

That approach has been evident in recent youth recruitment activity, particularly in Germany and Spain, where Manchester City scouts reportedly remain active. And Cassiano Kiala’s rapid rise within Bayern Munich has not gone unnoticed. With City also maintaining strong links to top intermediaries across Europe, early relationship-building has become a strategic priority.

Now, according to the information of The Mirror’s Ryan Taylor, the father of the highly-rated aforementioned Bayern Munich centre-back Kiala flew to London on Friday for private discussions with both Chelsea and City – with the latter ‘strongly interested’

Kiala – who is close to making his first-team breakthrough at the Allianz Arena – is said to be internally widely regarded as one of club’s most-promising young talents alongside breakthrough attacking wonder-kid, Lennart Karl.

Interestingly, it is reported that super-agent Jorge Mendes was in Munich last week to meet both the player and his family, while the reigning Bundesliga champions understandably want to keep the former Hertha Berlin youth starlet ‘at all costs’.

From the side of Bayern Munich, it is explained that the club have huge confidence Kiala will become a first-team regular under manager Vincent Kompany, with a notable recent push within the club to integrate more homegrown talent.

On the subject of Bayern Munich and their intentions, follow-up reporting from market expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that the club are in ‘advanced talks’ with Kiala over new long-term contract, and are confident of avoiding any hijacks from Premier League clubs.

From Manchester City’s perspective, any discussions at this stage are likely to be exploratory. With Kiala not turning 18 until January 2027, Premier League regulations prevent an immediate move, meaning talks would instead centre on long-term planning.

Should Bayern Munich succeed in finalising a new deal, as some expect, City may be forced to shelve their interest temporarily. However, maintaining dialogue with the player’s camp could prove valuable should circumstances change closer to the expiry of his current contract.

For now, the situation underlines Manchester City’s continued presence at the very top of Europe’s youth recruitment landscape.

Former UFC Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad doesn’t want to see Kamaru Usman anywhere near the next title shot.

When Islam Makhachev jumped to 170 pounds and dominated Jack Della Maddalena to capture Welterweight gold, two other top contenders emerged on the same night. Carlos Prates and Michael Morales scored massive knockouts, adding their names to the list of possible title threats alongside the likes of Shavkat Rakhmonov Ian Garry. It was a massive moment for the rising generation of Welterweight talent, but there’s still no guarantee who Makhachev will face next.

The Russian champion himself has expressed a preference for Kamaru Usman, the former divisional great who upset Joaquin Buckley earlier this year at UFC Atlanta. Prior to that unanimous decision win, Usman had lost three straight and sat on the sidelines for quite some time.

Muhammad may be pals with Makhachev, but that doesn’t mean he agrees Usman should be next. According to “The Bully,” there’s a scheme in play to book Makhachev an “easier” title fight, while his manager Ali Abdelaziz benefits from booking both of his athletes in a UFC title fight and double-dipping on percentages.

“When I look at the Welterweight division — Islam being the champion — who do I think deserves it?” Muhammad explained. “Michael Morales for sure has earned it. But we see the seeds planted. We see Islam planting the seeds of Usman should be the next guy. Obviously they have the same manager. Obviously, the manager planted the seeds in his head.

“Do I think Usman is an easier matchup for him? Of course. The guy fought one time in three years, and he’s 1-3. I’m still ahead of you. Even though I lost my last two fights, I’m still 2-2. You can talk, say whatever you want — you turned down the fight. You didn’t want to fight, and I don’t think that should earn you a title fight when you say no to fights.“

Muhammad finished with another call to face “The Nigerian Nightmare.” The two have beefed for ages now ever since a podcast appearance allegedly ended with a physical altercation, but so far, nothing has been booked. Hopefully, some new Welterweight matchups start getting announced for 2026 sooner than later, because a lot of uncertainty remains.

The long-running Negreira case has once again ignited tensions at the very top of Spanish football, with a public and unusually sharp exchange between La Liga president Javier Tebas and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. 

After Perez voiced strong criticism regarding what he described as “passivity” in the judicial handling of the case, Tebas took his time before responding. 

When he finally did, his reply was anything but restrained.

Using his personal X account, the La Liga president directly addressed Perez and dismissed his claims with a tone that left little room for interpretation. 

Opening his response, Tebas urged caution against what he views as a distorted version of events.

“Don’t let them spin the story for you, president,” Tebas begins in his post.

A rant from the chief 

From there, Tebas moved into a detailed explanation of how judicial procedures actually function, pushing back against the idea that La Liga had failed to act decisively. 

“In a legal proceeding, intervention is not at the discretion of the interested party, but in accordance with the legal order of appearance in the proceedings. 

“The order was clear and categorical: the prosecutor, Estrada Fernández’s lawyer, LaLiga (although we acted earlier in the prosecutor’s office), and finally, Real Madrid, which was the last to appear.”

Que no te construyan el relato, presidente.
En un proceso judicial, la intervención no es a gusto del interesado, sino conforme al orden legal de personación en el procedimiento. El orden fue claro y rotundo:
El fiscal,
El abogado de Estrada Fernández,
LaLiga (aunque actuamos… pic.twitter.com/FAL7f0ZDwP

— Javier Tebas Medrano (@Tebasjavier) December 15, 2025

Tebas then turned the focus squarely back on Real Madrid, questioning the club’s timing and suggesting that responsibility for any perceived delay lies closer to home. 

Addressing Perez directly, he posed a pointed rhetorical question.

“Don’t you remember why you were the last? Passivity, then. By the way, the prosecutor asked 19 questions, Estrada’s lawyer asked two before the question asked by La Liga’s lawyer,” said the La Liga president.

As his statement progressed, Tebas’ language became increasingly forceful. 

He underlined that the questions Real Madrid later sought to introduce had already been covered during the testimony of Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde, rendering further intervention redundant.

“And it should be emphasised that the questions that Real Madrid tried to raise afterwards had already been answered by Luis Enrique and Valverde. 

“To speak of ‘passivity’ in this context not only disregards the legal proceedings but also disrespects the intelligence of anyone who knows how a court works. 

“That is not indignation: it is theatre. La Liga respects the processes, acts when it must, and does not construct narratives. Others, unfortunately, do,” he concluded.t

Barcelona continue to keep a close eye on Nico Schlotterbeck’s situation as the club assesses options to reinforce a defense with limited depth. Despite the strong emergence of Gerard Martín alongside Pau Cubarsí, the Blaugrana remain active in the market, both to add competition and to prepare alternatives should Ronald Araújo’s long-term future change.

Schlotterbeck, 25, has become one of the standout defenders in the Bundesliga since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2022. His contract runs until 2027, but several reports indicate he is not currently inclined to renew, a stance that has alerted clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

From a sporting perspective, the German international fits the profile Barcelona’s coaching staff value. He is left-footed, comfortable defending high up the pitch, quick across the ground, and strong in the air. Over his Dortmund career he has scored seven goals, a notable return for a center back, and he brings significant experience with nearly 150 appearances for the club and 23 senior caps for Germany.

Financially, however, any deal would be far from straightforward. According to BILD, Dortmund already offer Schlotterbeck a package worth around €14 million gross per season including bonuses. Bayern Munich could reportedly go as high as €15 million annually, while Dortmund would demand a transfer fee of at least €50 million to consider a sale. Factoring in wages and bonuses over a five-year deal, the total cost could rise to figures that would severely test Barcelona’s Fair Play limits.

The competition is fierce. Real Madrid remain attentive to the situation, and sources in Germany suggest the player would be open to a move to the Spanish capital. His name has also been loosely linked to Bayern’s internal planning, especially with uncertainty surrounding Dayot Upamecano’s contract talks, which according to Bild include demands of €20 million per year plus a €20 million signing bonus.

Inside Dortmund, opinions differ on how to manage the situation. While sporting director Lars Ricken has publicly ruled out setting a deadline for a decision, club advisor Matthias Sammer has argued for a firmer stance. “With Nico Schlotterbeck, you have to develop a sense of how far along the talks are,” Sammer told Sky. He added, “I have always looked at it from a sporting perspective… Sometimes I would set deadlines.”

Your daily dose of Everton news and rumours

James Garner says he will embrace the challenge of adding more leadership to Everton’s midfield in the absence of teammate Idrissa Gana Gueye:

“I think [playing as a senior midfielder] comes quite naturally, to be fair. I’m quite a quiet leader. I’ve been captain pretty much every single place I’ve been at, coming through the youth teams, so it comes quite naturally to me.” [Everton FC]

Everton Under-21s produced a thrilling comeback to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over PSV Eindhoven Under-21s in the Premier League International Cup at Goodison Park on Monday evening. [Everton FC]

Former Everton defender Michael Ball reflects on the club’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea – including the pre-match conversations that showed him how perceptions about the Blues are changing. [Liverpool Echo]

Dominic Calvert-Lewin says he experienced something at Leeds United that he never experienced at Everton. [Leeds Press]