SOCCER
PSG targets Rooney
Paris Saint-Germain are willing to pay Manchester United as much as ￡40 million (US$60.3 million) to sign Wayne Rooney and give him a salary of ￡15 million a year after tax, the Daily Mirror reported. The French champions have made Rooney their No. 1 off-season target and will offer the England forward a four-year contract that would put him on the same wages as Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, its top-scorer this season, the newspaper added.
ICE HOCKEY
Canucks sack coaches
The Vancouver Canucks sacked head coach Alain Vigneault along with assistants Rick Bowness and Newell Brown on Wednesday, in the wake of their first-round NHL playoff exit. “We have made the very difficult decision to relieve Alain Vigneault, Rick Bowness and Newell Brown of their coaching duties today,” Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said. “Alain, Rick and Newell worked tirelessly to lead this team to great on-ice success. I am personally grateful to each of them and their families for their commitment to the Canucks and the city of Vancouver, and wish them continued success in future.” Vigneault had been at the helm since June 2006. He led the Canucks to 30 or more wins in six straight seasons and guided the club to a club-record 54 wins and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2011. However, Vancouver fell in the first round last season to eventual Stanley Cup winners the Los Angeles Kings, and they were swept in the first round this month by San Jose.
RUGBY UNION
SANZAR charges Henry
Former All Blacks coach Graham Henry was slapped with a misconduct charge yesterday after blasting officials during the Auckland Blues’ loss to the Canterbury Crusaders last weekend. Henry, the Blues defensive coach, singled out TV match official Keith Brown. “Frank Halai [scored] a try in the corner — it would have been nice [if] you had those given to you,” Henry, filling in for Blues coach John Kirwan, told reporters. “It was obvious to me. He is probably a blind TMO [television match official], is he?” SANZAR yesterday said it had brought a complaint against Henry, who stepped down as All Blacks coach after winning the 2011 World Cup, for breaching its code of conduct with the hearing to be held on Sunday.
CRICKET
Warner explains rant
Australian opener David Warner said yesterday he regretted not keeping a lid on his outrage, but maintained he had to defend himself after his image was used in a report condemning the Indian Premier League (IPL). Warner was speaking for the first time since he was found guilty of breaching Cricket Australia’s code of behavior on Wednesday over a Twitter tirade at two Australian journalists and fined A$5,750 (US$5,567). The explosive opener said he was responding to a piece from News Limited cricket writer Robert Craddock that followed the arrest of Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other IPL players for spot-fixing. Warner said he was “extremely annoyed” that a photo of him playing for the Delhi Daredevils accompanied Craddock’s piece that highlighted, in part, corruption and fixing in the IPL. “For me to have my image related to an article [detailing those issues] ... it’s the worst thing that can possibly be brought to a cricket player,” Warner told reporters in Sydney. However, he expressed remorse, saying he should have handled his reaction better.
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
Ryan Yarbrough picked up a dazzling World Series ring from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Then he went out and beat them. The New York Yankees starter on Sunday pitched one-run ball over six innings, struck out a season-high five and blanked the Dodgers’ top four hitters in a 7-3 win. “I feel like I’m in a really good place right now and really trying to continue that,” Yarbrough said. “I’m having a lot of fun.” The 33-year-old left-hander made 44 relief appearances between the Dodgers and Blue Jays last season. The Dodgers designated him for assignment on July
Spain starlets Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams dazzled on Thursday as La Roja beat France 5-4 in a thriller in Stuttgart, Germany, to set up a UEFA Nations League final with Portugal. Yamal bagged a brace, while Williams scored and provided an assist as the two wingers cut France’s makeshift defense to ribbons. Mikel Merino and Pedri were also on the score sheet for the UEFA Euro 2024 champions. Kylian Mbappe netted a second-half penalty, but Spain were 5-1 up and cruising, before Les Bleus suddenly woke up as their opponents took their foot off the pedal. France’s three late goals — a
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