ENGLAND
Suarez claims PFA award
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez won the Professional Footballers’ Association’s (PFA) Player of the Year award on Sunday. This time last year the Uruguay international was starting a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, but now Suarez has been chosen by his fellow top-flight professionals in England as the outstanding player in the Premier League after spearheading Liverpool’s title bid. Suarez received the award during a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House hotel after flying down from Liverpool following a 2-0 defeat by Chelsea at Anfield that dented the Merseysiders’ challenge for a first English title in the Premier League era. The 27-year-old Suarez has scored 30 league goals in 31 appearances, despite his ban for biting Ivanovic carrying over into the start of this season. “The Premier League is full of really great players and so it is a great honor when these players recognize your work on the pitch,” Suarez said. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, who did not play at Anfield due to injury, was named the PFA Young Player of the Year.
TURKEY
Fenerbahce win 19th title
Fenerbahce won the Turkish league title with three games to spare on Sunday after a 0-0 draw at home to Caykur Rizespor in front of a crowd made up exclusively of women and children. The Istanbul giants have 68 points and cannot be caught by nearest challengers, and bitter rivals, Galatasaray, who won 1-0 at Sanica Boru Elazigspor, but trail by 12 points. No adult males were allowed to attend the match after a one-game ban was handed down by the Turkish Football Federation earlier this month. Nevertheless, thousands of Fenerbahce fans took to the streets in the club’s home district of Kadikoy, on Istanbul’s Asian side, to celebrate. It is the 19th time that Fenerbahce have won the title, putting them level with Galatasray, their rivals from across the Bosphorus who reached the landmark last season. Fenerbahce, who last won the title in 2010-2011, will not be allowed to compete in the UEFA Champions League next season as they complete a two-year ban from Europe following a sanction for match-fixing. As a result, the second-placed side qualifies for the Champions League.
SERBIA
Ex-Real coach Boskov dies
Former Yugoslavia and Real Madrid coach Vujadin Boskov, who took the Spanish giants to the 1980-1981 European Cup final, died on Sunday at the age of 82, his former club Vojvodina announced. Boskov coached Real to the 1979-1980 La Liga title, but saw his team miss out on the European Cup a year later when they were edged by Liverpool 1-0 in the final in Paris. He also led UC Sampdoria to the Serie A title, but was again was foiled in the European Cup final when the Italians lost 1-0 to Barcelona in 1991-1992. However, he did win a continental crown when Sampdoria triumphed in the 1989-1990 UEFA Cup Winners Cup.
SPAIN
Alves bites back at racism
Barcelona fullback Dani Alves had a banana thrown at him as he took a corner in his side’s match at Villarreal on Sunday — and decided to eat it. The Brazilian picked up the banana and took a bite out of it, before continuing with the game. Alves has been a regular target of racist abuse during his 11 years in Spain with both Sevilla and Barcelona. “I have been in Spain 11 years and it has been the same for 11 years. You have to laugh at these backward people,” he said. “We are not going to change it, so you have to take it almost as a joke and laugh at them.”
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday sparked defending champions Oklahoma City to victory, while Anthony Edwards led Minnesota’s last-minute fightback to beat San Antonio. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points while adding eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder’s 124-112 home victory over Miami, improving the NBA’s best record to 33-7 after outscoring the Heat 70-53 in the second half. “We locked in defensively. We were finally able to get some stops,” Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit, get going offensively and find the flow.” Jalen Williams scored 18 points, while
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
Brandon Miller scored 18 points, LaMelo Ball had 17 and the Charlotte Hornets built a 47-point lead in the first half of a 150-95 rout against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. It was the second-biggest win in franchise history for the Hornets and their largest on the road. The Hornets bounced back from a pair of frustrating losses in a big way, having fallen to Toronto by one point and Indiana by two in their last two games. Charlotte pounded the NBA champion Thunder by 27 in Oklahoma City before those defeats, previously the Hornets’ most lopsided victory of the season. Tre
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