Category Sports News

There is no denying that this is the most prepared I’ve been as a Celtic manager going into the Champions League campaign, according to Brendan Rodgers, one year prior to Celtic’s campaign opener against Slovan Bratislava.

His statement was supported by the subsequent football. The Glasgow side’s devastating quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich followed a comprehensive victory over the Slovakians. With a few ups and downs along the way.

However, as has previously been pointed out, those in green and white have not been greatly influenced by the near-miss in Munich. As Almaty’s disastrous exit from this season would be proof of.

The Ibrox club, who advanced to the quarter-finals of last term’s edition, finds the second-tier competition to be familiar and frequently comfortable.

Both Glasgow’s big two, who kick off their Europa League campaigns this week, have nothing in common with the current campaign.

Before Celtic’s trip to Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday, fans chanted “sack the board,” and Rangers fans protested against head coach Russell Martin, who will continue his quest for a first league win over the weekend after hosting Genk on Thursday.

Rodgers claimed that he was “in the best place I’ve been” at the club when Celtic prepared for their Champions League campaign last year.

Even if things appear to be going well, it would be difficult to say the same a year later.

Top of the table, no defeats, and just one goal conceded are all signs of a crisis, but Rodgers has been forced to bat away recently, a suggestion Rodgers has been making.

Parkhead hasn’t exactly experienced peace as a result of a disappointing transfer window, allegations of a “cowardly” insider briefing against him, and supporters who regularly stage protests against the club’s powerbrokers.

Sebastian Tounekti’s incredible start at the club has helped to lift the spirits a little, but the unrest in the stands is still ferocious despite an impressive, albeit routine, rout.

The Champions League exit at the hands of Kairat Almaty and the way in which it happened heightened concerns despite bubbling away for a while.

They would have been appreciated, but avoiding the humiliating defeat would have required new faces.

One of the most gloomy encounters with Rangers to date saw them lose to the Kazakhs, which gave them a completely forgettable Old Firm derby following their listless start from the notorious journey.

Three weeks later, Rodgers insists his side is developing “a fluency and rhythm,” while Celtic’s former striker Cillian Sheridan claimed that Celtic were “back to their old selves” against Thistle.

After his team faced Rangers in a semi-final, the manager said, “We’re building.”

“It’s difficult to endure nine months of hot weather.” It took a while for players to enter the window because everything was happening.

Rodgers saw rhythm, but Martin saw relief.

Just two weeks after winning the same competition against third-tier Alloa Athletic, the league’s second team won the 2-0 victory over Hibernian.

Former goalkeeper Cammy Bell said that the victory, which started with protests before and during the game, “diminished the noise” around the head coach.

A side who sits second in the Premiership with no wins and three goals scored has fared better with the semi-final set-up of a semi-final with Celtic.

They were exploited at the back and, if not for a handball discovered by VAR, would have been behind in Martin Boyle’s opener despite their win over Hibs, which Martin said “looked much more like the way I hope we are going to be.”

Rangers have never been a fan of entering Europe on a domestic downer.

With concerns over the club’s summer transfer strategy and the fact that Malmo were five points worse off than Celtic last year, Philippe Clement’s side “got off to the perfect start” away from Malmo.

Finding comfort in that same scenario this season is difficult, but Bell thinks a win over a struggling Genk will set the tone for the string of results that are required to win over the disgruntled fans.

On the Scottish Football Podcast, the former Rangers goalkeeper said, “Martin needs to go on a really good run to turn this around.”

He must win games, they say. He needs to do a fantastic run.

He can’t even afford a draw because it will require a period of consistent winning. Unthinkable given that they are eleventh in the table.

A renowned stallion who sired several of Europe’s biggest race winners passed away at the age of 17.

Wootton Bassett’s stud fee had increased to 385, 000 Australian dollars (£187, 000) from the previous record.

Owners Coolmore reported that he passed away on Tuesday from pneumonia.

The Wootton Bassett’s children, including multiple Group One winners, Irish St Leger winners Al Riffa, and Camille Pissarro, French Derby champion, have won numerous big victories this season alone.

As a two-year-old, Wootton Bassett, who was trained by Richard Fahey, won all five races before retiring for a breeding career after losing all four of them the following year.

Almanzor, who won the 2016 French Derby and Irish Champion Stakes at Ascot in Frankie Dettori’s final ride, and King Of Steel, who finished second in the 2023 Derby.

Wootton Bassett died from complications brought on by the horse’s oesophagus, which is an obstruction that transports food from the mouth to the stomach.

One of the greatest sires in the world, Wootton Bassett, passed away peacefully at Coolmore Australia today after suffering from choke and then developing an acute pneumonia that quickly deteriorated, according to the stud business.

Gervonta Davis and Jake Paul’s exhibition bout will be contested over 10 three-minute rounds and a winner will be declared, says Most Valuable Productions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian.

The14 November bout was moved from Atlanta to Miami last week after MVP, the promotions company founded by Paul and Bidarian, pulled out of efforts to get the fight sanctioned in Georgia.

The fight is controversial because of the big weight disparity, with Davis a lightweight world champion, fighting at 9st 9lb (61kg), while Paul has fought most of his career at cruiserweight, which is 14st 4lb (90.7kg).

Speaking at the first news conference, Bidarian said the Florida Athletic Commission (FAC) had agreed to several conditions, including that the maximum weight would be 13st 13lb (88kg).

“There will be a victor because the fighters have agreed and the commission has approved a maximum weight of 195lb for this exhibition,” he said.

“When Tank and Jake enter the squared circle to go to battle, they will be wearing 12oz gloves.

“Sitting ringside will be three commission-approved world-class professional judges that will score every round to ensure there’s a decisive outcome for the fight if it goes the distance.

“And both men are enrolled in the highest level of testing with Usada (US Anti-Doping Agency).”

Davis wears 8oz gloves as a lightweight, while Paul often wears 10oz gloves in his fights.

Paul, 28, has 12 wins and one loss on his professional record, while 30-year-old Davis has 30 victories and one draw.

BBC Sport has asked the FAC to confirm the details of the fight, including if knockouts will be permitted.

Paul has seven stoppages but his last two bouts have gone the distance.

“There’s a lot of holes in his defence that a lot of people haven’t exposed before,” Paul said of Davis.

“I haven’t got a knockout in a long time, so I’m itching. I’m just excited to be able to deliver that for the fans and have another most viral knockout ever.”

Paul has courted criticism in the past, having fought a 58-year-old Mike Tyson last year.

Davis was expected to fight Lamont Roach Jr in a rematch after their bout in March ended in a controversial draw.

“Every time I fight, it’s fireworks,” Davis said.

“I’m much quicker than him. He’s much stronger and much bigger, but we all know that it’s harder for taller fighters to fight a shorter one.

Grace Harris will not play for Australia’s World Cup squad until September 30th.

The record-breaking game that Australia won by 43 runs against India, which featured a big-hitting all-rounder with a calf strain on Saturday, was a record-breaking one-day international against India.

Heather Graham, a fellow all-rounder, will take Heather Graham’s place.

Australia, who begin their title defense against New Zealand on October 1st, are dealt a blow by losing Harris.

Harris is regarded as one of the world’s most destructive batters, despite the fact that she has not yet changed her T20 record to a longer white-ball format.

Harris also hit the most sixes and had the highest batting strike-rate in the competition this summer’s women’s Hundred.

Habib Diarra, a groin injury player for Sunderland, has undergone an operation and will not play until December.

Prior to Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, the Senegalese international trained with the problem during the training session.

Diarra underwent successful surgery on Monday, according to Sunderland.

In a reportedly club record-setting £30 million deal, Diarra joined the Black Cats from Strasbourg in July.

Prior to the Villa game, he made two appearances for Senegal in September while playing in each of Sunderland’s four Premier League games.

Monchi, the club’s president of football operations, is about to leave.

Villa is currently 18th in the Premier League after a season without a win. The 56-year-old’s imminent departure comes with Villa 18th.

After previously working for Villa at La Liga side Unai Emery, Monchi joined Villa in 2023 from Spanish side Sevilla, where he had previously served as the club’s sporting director.

With a season-long fourth place finish in the Premier League, the pair took Villa to the Europa Conference League semi-finals in 2024.

They advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals last year before being defeated by Paris St-Germain, who had already qualified.

Villa have had a poor season, winning just one game of play and not winning any of their five league games.