UEFA have demoted FA Cup champions Crystal Palace to the Conference League, with Nottingham Forest to take their Europa League slot.
According to UEFA, Palace were sanctioned after breaching its rules on multi-club ownership.
The rule states that clubs with the same owner are barred from competing in the same UEFA competition if an individual or ownership group is considered to have a decisive influence over more than one of those teams.
READ ALSO: Hernandez Fires Parting Shot At AC Milan
Nottingham Forest are expected to replace them in the tournament, although the Court of Arbitration for Sport have yet to decide.
John Textor, Crystal Palace’s largest shareholder and the owner of Lyon. had till March 1 to resolve the multi-club ownership issues.
However, Textor recently agreed a deal to sell his Palace shares to the US billionaire Woody Johnson, but the move has not been completed and was deemed to have come too late.
Lyon were also expected to face similar sanctions but won their appeal against relegation to Ligue 2 this week, clearing them to take their place in the tournament.
French international Theo Hernandez, who has joined Saudi club Al-Hilal, took a swing at AC Milan’s leadership as he bid farewell to the club and its fans on social media.
Milan finished eighth in Serie A last season amid vociferous protests from supporters against the club’s American owners RedBird.
In a farewell post on Instagram, Hernandez, a left back who can play in midfield, echoed that criticism.
“Milan has always been my priority,” he wrote. “But, unfortunately, not everything depends on one person. The direction the club has taken and some recent decisions do not reflect the values or ambition that brought me here.”
READ ALSO: WAFCON: Ihezuo’s Late Strike Gives Super Falcons Victory Over Botswana
Hernandez, 27, joined Milan in 2019 from Real Madrid. He made 262 appearances for the club scoring 34 goals.
“I am leaving after experiencing unforgettable moments, such as winning Serie A and the Italian Super Cup, and especially after sharing the changing room with extraordinary people,” he wrote.
The club went through three coaches last season and has just appointed a fourth, Massimiliano Allegri.
Hernandez thanked “every coach who believed in me”, singling out Paolo Maldini, the club’s technical director until June 2023, “for his closeness, vision and leadership”.
He also thanked the fans.
“Feeling your support was a privilege that I will never forget and will carry in my heart forever,” he said.
“I am leaving with my head held high,” he wrote. “I leave with a full heart, and with the hope that very soon Milan will return to the place it deserves. Milan will always be a part of me.”
Tottenham have signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham and are set to capture Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White in a double swoop worth over £100 million ($136 million).
Kudus became the first player since 2011 to make the move from the Hammers to rivals Spurs in a reported £55 million deal.
Gibbs-White is set to follow as Spurs have activated the £60 million buyout clause in his Forest contract.
The double signing marks the start of the Thomas Frank era at Tottenham after he replaced Ange Postecoglou last month, despite the Australian winning the Europa League to end a 17-year trophy drought for the club.
Victory over Manchester United in the Bilbao final also secured Spurs direct entry to the Champions League.
Kudus said the combination of playing in Europe’s elite competition and Frank’s track record of developing talent at Brentford were major factors in his decision to join.
READ ALSO: Tojemarine Academy, Imo Grasshoppers Secure Wins In Ardova Handball Premier League 2025
“I have always wanted to play at the highest level,” the Ghanaian international said on the Tottenham website.
“How big the club is, the history, and (in) the Champions League as well, so it is a big moment. I am finally here and am very happy. I can’t wait to start.
“The most important part of why I came here is the project and how the manager sees that I can develop under him.
“I have seen the amount of talent he has developed to become great players, and that is a big sign of why I wanted to work under him as well.”
Kudus scored 19 goals in 80 appearances for West Ham since joining from Ajax for £38 million two years ago.
Gibbs-White had previously been linked with Manchester City after playing a major role in Forest’s seventh-placed finish in the Premier League last season.
He scored seven goals and provided 10 assists in 34 Premier League appearances to earn senior England recognition under both Lee Carsley and Thomas Tuchel.
His departure is the second major loss for Forest in a matter of days with Anthony Elanga set to join Newcastle in a £55 million move.
Gibbs-White joined Forest from Wolves in 2022 for an initial £25 million that could rise to £42.5 million in add-ons.
Holders Tojemarine Academy pulled off a dramatic second-half comeback to defeat a spirited Adamawa Warriors side 29–27 on Day 3 of the ongoing Ardova Handball Premier League 2025 in Benin City, Edo State.
Tojemarine, who lost their first match on Wednesday to COAS Shooters, trailed 12–16 to Adamawa Warriors at halftime. Still, a rejuvenated second-half performance, marked by relentless pressing and accurate shooting, saw the Lagos-based outfit overturn the deficit and secure a hard-fought win, which is their second victory of the league.
In other matches in the men’s category, Sokoto Rima Strikers outclassed Lagos Seasiders 32–17 after going into the break trailing 14–16 while former champions Niger United maintained their solid start to the season with a 21–17 victory over Benue Buffaloes. An 11–8 halftime lead provided a foundation for their victory.
READ ALSO: Safety Babes, Omo Ogiefo Shine Bright As Ardova Handball Premier League 2025 Begins
Safety Shooters outgunned De Defenders 38–27 while COAS Shooters recorded a dominant 25–13 victory over Osun United.
Led by Adeshola Adelakun, who contributed 10 goals in the match, the Nigeria Army boys were in total control from start to finish, leading 14–4 at halftime to set a pace for the onslaught.
In the women’s category, Rima Queens defeated Rivers Queens 33–23, after a commanding 16–8 first-half performance, while Imo Grasshoppers also picked up a crucial win, edging Ekiti Queens 29–27 in a closely contested game.
The Grasshoppers rallied from a 10–15 first-half deficit, showing grit and determination to snatch victory late in the match.
Plateau Peacocks completed the day with a 26–21 comeback win over debutants Soof Omo Ogiefo Academy.
The Peacocks trailed 11–12 at halftime, but Goalkeeper Deborah Landan’s inspired saves helped the Jos-based team turn the tide in the second half with disciplined defending and efficient shooting.
Day 3 results (Men) Niger United 21–17 Benue Buffaloes Safety Shooters 38–27 De Defenders Osun United 13–25 COAS Shooters Tojemarine Academy 29–27 Adamawa Warriors Rima Strikers 32–17 Lagos Seasiders
Chinwendu Ihezuo’s late strike sealed a second consecutive win for the Super Falcons at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Thursday.
With the win, the Falcons now have six points which guarantees the team a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Coach Justin Madugu stuck with the same starting eleven against Tunisia. But after a difficult first half with no breakthrough, he introduced Esther Okoronkwo and Chinwendu Ihezuo to inject fresh energy.
Nigeria Vs Botswana. X/@CAFWomen
The substitutions eventually paid off as The Mares resistance was broken late in the game.
READ ALSO: Super Falcons Outclass Tunisia To Kickstart WAFCON Campaign
Ihezuo ensured that her introduction into the game counted in the 88th minute, latching unto a loose ball in the opponent’s box to give Nigeria the maximum points.
Super Falcons celebrate victory against Botswana. X/@CAFWomen
The late strike against Botswana is Ihezuo’s second goal in the tournament, following her strike in the 3-0 win against Tunisia in Nigeria’s first match.
Both Okoronkwo and Ashleigh Plumptre also had a chance in the second half, but were denied the Botswana keeper.
Iga Swiatek breezed into her first Wimbledon final on Thursday but hopes of a dream match-up with Aryna Sabalenka were dashed when the top seed was stunned by Amanda Anisimova.
Five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek, not previously known for her prowess on grass, demolished former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in just 71 minutes on Centre Court.
“Honestly, I never even dreamed that it’s going to be possible for me to play in the final,” said the 24-year-old eighth seed.
“So I’m just super-excited and proud of myself and, I don’t know, tennis keeps surprising me.
“I thought I had experienced everything on the court but I didn’t experience playing well on grass, so that’s the first time. I’m super excited and just enjoying it.”
(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on July 10, 2025 shows (FILES) Poland’s Iga Swiatek on July 10, 2025 and US player Amanda Anisimova on July 10, 2025, during their respective women’s singles tennis matches of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)
In baking conditions, Swiatek caught her Swiss opponent cold, racing into a 3-0 lead, and never relinquished her grip against her 35th-ranked opponent.
Bencic, who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, at least got on the board in the first set, but in the second set the rampant Swiatek went up another gear and her opponent had no answers.
“Today was just a different level from Iga. She played amazing and I didn’t feel like she let me in the match for one second,” Bencic said.
“There’s nothing I really regret. In the end, she was just too good, and I was a step too short.”
READ ALSO: History-Chasing Djokovic Sets Up Wimbledon Showdown With Sinner
Poland’s Iga Swiatek celebrates after victory over Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic at the end of their women’s singles semi-final tennis match on the eleventh day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 10, 2025. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Swiatek has largely gone under the radar at this year’s Wimbledon, dropping just one set while every seed above her has been eliminated.
Four of her five major wins have come on the clay of the French Open, with her previous best performance at Wimbledon a run to the quarter-finals in 2023.
She made her first grass-court final at Bad Homburg just two weeks ago and is now into her second final on the surface.
Swiatek has won all five of her Grand Slam finals, but standing in the way of a sixth major title is Anisimova in their first professional meeting.
Anisimova ousts Sabalenka
Anisimova, the American 13th seed, shattered Sabalenka’s Wimbledon title bid with a tense 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory.
World number one Sabalenka had reached the previous three Grand Slam finals but came up short against Anisimova, who matched her blow for blow in a bruising encounter lasting just over two hour and a half hours.
“This doesn’t feel real right now, honestly,” said Anisimova. “Aryna is such a tough competitor and I was absolutely dying out there. I don’t know how I pulled it out.
“We’ve had so many tough battles and to come out on top and be in the final of Wimbledon is incredible.”
The 23-year-old, who now has an impressive 6-3 winning record against Sabalenka, won the first set but the Belarusian hit back to level.
Anisimova was hailed as a teenage sensation after reaching the 2019 French Open semi-finals aged just 17.
But in 2023 she took an eight-month break from the court for mental health reasons, tumbling out the top 400.
This time last year, she was on the comeback trail but was ranked too low to get into the Wimbledon main draw and fell in qualifying.
On Thursday she became only the second player in the Open era to reach a women’s final at a Grand Slam after losing in qualifying at the previous year’s event.
“If you told me I would be in the final of Wimbledon, I would not believe you. It’s indescribable to be honest,” she said.
She is guaranteed to make her top-10 debut on Monday.
Defeat was a bitter blow for Sabalenka, who has still never been beyond the semi-finals at Wimbledon.
The 27-year-old won last year’s US Open to collect her third major, but suffered agonising defeats in the finals of this year’s Australian and French Opens.
“Losing sucks,” she said. “You feel like you are getting close to your dream and then this is the end. You always feel like you want to die and not exist any more.”
“But then you sit there a little bit and think about what you could have done differently.”
