Arsene Wenger admits the FA Cup could jeopardize his hopes of winning the Champions League but the Arsenal manager is determined not to disrespect the competition's heritage.
Wenger who takes his team to Championship side Burnley today, has seen past European campaigns run aground as his squad struggled to cope with the weight of the new year fixture list.
But although Wenger plans to rest several of his first team regulars at Turf Moor, he has reiterated his "love" for the cup he has won four times in his Arsenal career.
"The FA Cup is certainly in conflict with the Champions League -- with the number of replays you have if you don't go through first time and the fact they are always positioned in front of Champions League games, it is difficult," Wenger said.
"But I love the FA Cup and we all have a common desire to do well in every competition we play in. We will not sacrifice the competition -- we are highly motivated and if we lose it is because we were beaten by the better team on the day," he said.
BECKS TRAINS WITH ARSENAL
AFP,LONDON
David Beckham trained with Arsenal for the first time on Friday as the England star tries to maintain his fitness for international duty.
Beckham, 32, asked Gunners manager Arsene Wenger for permission to train with the club during LA Galaxy's off-season break and has made his first appearance at their London Colney base.
"We are helping him to work on his fitness and trying to keep it as quiet as possible," Wenger said. "We don't want to make something complicated out of something that is very simple. He doesn't live far away and always loved Arsenal. That's why we help him."
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38