By LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The Albanian soccer federation has hired Sylvinho as coach of the national team with the goal of qualifying for the 2024 European Championship. The 48-year-old Brazilian signed a contract that will take him through the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany. Sylvinho replaces Italian Edoardo Reja who
Continue Reading By Ben Church, CNN Five-time Champions League winner and Welsh football icon Gareth Bale has retired at the age of 33. The forward announced his decision on social media Monday, saying the game had given him some of the “best moments of my life.” “After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from
Continue Reading By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer Rob Gronkowski will be back on a football field for the Super Bowl. The four-time All-Pro tight end will attempt to make a field goal in Arizona on Feb. 12 during a live Super Bowl television commercial for FanDuel. It will be a high-stakes kick for Gronkowski, a
Continue Reading By Aqeel Najim and Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Iraq is holding its first international soccer tournament in more than four decades, hosting its Gulf Arab neighbors for a two-week competition as it emerges from its worst and longest political deadlock in years. The tournament, analysts say, is a glimmer of hope for a struggling population, but
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By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Browns fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods after his third season ended way short of expectations or the playoffs. Cleveland’s defense had issues from the opener, leading to a 7-10 record. Woods was heavily criticized all season and he sensed his dismissal last week.
Continue Reading By DENNIS PASSA AP Sports Writer BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Ash Barty finished 2022 the way she started it. She was in the spotlight even if it was nine months after she retired at age 25 while the No. 1-ranked woman in tennis. Barty won’t be defending the title she won a year ago when
Continue Reading By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press LE PECQ, France (AP) — The president of France’s football federation has apologized after Kylian Mbappé, the French sports minister and Real Madrid all took him to task for brusque comments that he “couldn’t care less” about Zinédine Zidane’s future as a coach. Noël Le Graët says his comments in
Continue Reading By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — Staying awake might be Mikaela Shiffrin’s biggest challenge as she prepares to try to set a record for women’s World Cup skiing victories. Having poured out her emotions after matching Lindsey Vonn with career win No. 82 in an early morning giant slalom in
Continue Reading ZURICH (AP) — The six female match officials who worked at the men’s World Cup in Qatar have also been selected by FIFA for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The tournament will have 13 men in the team of video review match officials. French referee Stéphanie Frappart made World Cup history in December handling Germany’s
Continue Reading LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal has hired former Belgium coach Roberto Martínez to lead its national team. The Spaniard replaces Fernando Santos. Santos quit in December after Portugal’s elimination against Morocco in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Santos left amid the controversy of benching Cristiano Ronaldo in the knockout stage of the tournament in
Continue Reading By Ben Morse, CNN Josh Allen could barely hold back his emotions as he described Nyheim Hines’ kick return touchdown in the Buffalo Bills’ first play since teammate Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest. With Hamlin watching from his hospital bed and after some powerful pre-game tributes, Hines took the opening kickoff from the New
Continue Reading By Ben Morse, CNN Josh Allen could barely hold back his emotions as he described Nyheim Hines’ kick return touchdown in the Buffalo Bills’ first play since teammate Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest. With Hamlin watching from his hospital bed and after some powerful pre-game tributes, Hines took the opening kickoff from the New
Continue Reading PARIS (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo’s first game in Saudi Arabia is set to be against Paris Saint-Germain. That could mean a possible reunion with his career-long rival Lionel Messi. Qatar-owned PSG says it will play a Jan. 19 friendly in Riyadh on a two-day trip to the region. It’s against a composite team of players
Continue Reading LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal has hired former Belgium coach Roberto Martínez to lead its national team. The Spaniard replaces Fernando Santos. Santos quit in December after Portugal’s elimination against Morocco in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Santos left amid the controversy of benching Cristiano Ronaldo in the knockout stage of the tournament in
Continue Reading By Matias Grez, CNN Spanish golfer Jon Rahm won his third PGA Tour title in six starts with a stunning comeback to overturn a seven-shot deficit at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. The world No. 5 even bogeyed Sunday’s first hole but went on a remarkable run to finish the final round with a
Continue Reading DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Thomas Müller has ruled out international retirement after Germany’s failure at the World Cup and says he will remain available for selection. The Bayern Munich forward suggested Dec. 1 he might have played his last game for Germany and paid tribute to the fans after Germany was knocked out in the
Continue Reading By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — A Californian court has ruled in favor of swimming’s governing body in antitrust cases filed in 2018 by athletes and a rival independently run competition. World Aquatics says it won rulings from a judge in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The issues in court
Continue Reading By Ben Church, CNN Victoria Lee, one of the brightest new stars in mixed martial arts (MMA), has died at the age of 18, her sister confirmed. “She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then,” her sister Angela said in an Instagram post Saturday. “We miss her. More than
Continue Reading By Ben Morse, CNN JJ Watt struggled to hold back his tears as he received a standing ovation while he left the NFL field for the final time after his likely Hall of Fame career came to an end on Sunday. The 33-year-old — one of the best defensive players of all time — announced
Continue Reading ATLANTA (AP) — Greg Beadles has been named Atlanta Falcons president as part of several changes in team owner Arthur Blank’s family business management team. Longtime Falcons executive Rich McKay, who was hired by Blank as general manager in 2004 and was named team president in 2011, has been named CEO of the Falcons and
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