■ICE HOCKEY
NHL reaches Coyotes deal
The National Hockey League and the owner of the league’s Phoenix franchise have struck an agreement that will allow the league to buy the Coyotes. Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes has been listening to offers from prospective buyers for the bankrupt franchise for several months. Nothing is official and the deal can’t go through without the approval of a US bankruptcy court that announced the pending sale on Monday. One of those purchase offers came from Canadian business tycoon Jim Balsillie who wanted to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario. Balsillie’s bid was rejected by the court. Bill Daly, deputy commissioner of the league, said they hope to wrap up the sale by Nov. 2. He said the NHL wants to eventually find a buyer who will keep the team in Arizona. “Obviously, the pieces fell into place,” Daly said. “The focus now has to shift to getting the club out of bankruptcy and finding a new owner. I’m pleased with the outcome today.” Phoenix has made the playoffs just five times since 1976 and have never made go out of the first round.
■SOCCER
Rangers’ plight intensifies
Concern surrounding Rangers’ financial plight intensified after the British government held talks with the club’s bankers in a bid to allay fears of the Scottish champions entering administration. Last week Rangers manager Walter Smith said Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS), part of the Lloyds group, were in charge at Ibrox since chairman David Murray stepped down at the beginning of the season. Rangers have debts of around £30 million (US$49 million) and the club announced in January that every player on their books was up for sale. Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy held talks with Lloyds, which is 43 percent owned by the UK taxpayer, on Monday as the bank moved to make clear it was not planning to pull the plug on Rangers. A Scotland Office spokesman confirmed Murphy had spoken to Lloyds by saying: “The Secretary of State for Scotland spoke to Lloyds Bank about the importance of the bank’s support for Rangers Football Club.” Meanwhile, the bank said: “We do not run or manage the companies that we bank — that is, quite properly, the responsibility of the management. Given the recent press coverage, we would therefore like to be clear that Rangers FC is neither operated or run by Lloyds Banking Group.”
■SOCCER
Leicester shut out Reading
Martin Waghorn added to the pressure on Reading manager Brendan Rodgers by scoring the only goal of Monday’s Championship game as Leicester won 1-0 at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, England. Defeat meant Reading’s nine-month wait for a home league win continued and left them in the relegation zone. Leicester, last season’s champions of the third tier League One, moved into a play-off position after on-loan striker Waghorn headed home Matt Oakley’s cross on the stroke of half-time.
■SOCCER
Totti goes under knife again
Roma captain Francesco Totti on Monday had surgery on his right knee for the second time in 18 months, his club said in a statement. The 33-year-old forward previously suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee a year and a half ago but following training on Monday he went to see the club doctor, when it was decided that he would need surgery. No details were given about how long he will be on the sidelines.
GUNNING FOR A WIN: The victory sending Arsenal to the final for the first time in six years was cathartic for a team who had lost their previous four semi-finals Arsenal on Tuesday reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg. Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium. It was a cathartic triumph for the Gunners, who had lost their previous four semi-finals in last year’s UEFA Champions League and League Cup, the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 UEFA Europa League. In their first final for six years,
Ademola Lookman on Thursday scored on his Atletico Madrid debut in a 5-0 rout of Real Betis Balompie that sent Diego Simeone’s team to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. David Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada also scored for Atletico as they advanced to the last four for the third straight season. Atletico are trying to reach their first Copa final since winning the competition in 2012-2013. Hancko opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute and Giuliano Simeone added to the lead in the 30th, before Lookman got his first goal for Atletico on a fast
SUPERSTAR DELIVERS: Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to propel the Spurs to a 135-123 victory over the Dallas Mavericks The Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday shook off the early exit of injured star Luka Doncic, rallying without him in the second half for a 119-115 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Austin Reaves, again coming off the bench in his second game back from a 19-game injury absence, scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, drilling a pair of back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lakers their first lead of the game early in the final frame. “Losing Luka, you know nothing’s going to be easy after that because he does so much for us, but we bonded together,” said
DEADLINE DAY: Rennes’ Jacquet had been linked with a transfer to Chelsea earlier this month, but was reportedly put off the move due to the Blues’ bloated squad Liverpool on Monday won the race to sign Stade Rennais defender Jeremy Jacquet on the quiet final day of the English Premier League transfer window, while Crystal Palace swooped for Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Jorgen Strand Larsen despite the collapse of Jean-Philippe Mateta’s move to AC Milan. The Reds agreed a reported fee of up to ￡60 million (US$82 million) for the highly rated Jacquet. However, the 20-year-old will not join the Premier League champions until the summer despite Liverpool’s need for defensive reinforcements. Jacquet had been linked with a transfer to Chelsea earlier this month, but was reportedly put off
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