VENEZUELA
Player, friend shot dead
International player Jhonny Perozo has been shot dead along with a friend after an argument, public prosecutors said in a statement on Monday. Perozo, 29, who was a free agent after leaving first-tier club Zulia in December last year, was killed at a sports center on Sunday morning along with Jaime Alberto Tey. “According to the preliminary information, the two were involved in an argument with a man who opened fire,” the statement said. Venezuelan media said that the incident happened outside a bar at the sports center in the town of Lagunillas. Zulia, the Venezuelan Football Federation and the players’ union all issued statements offering their condolences. “The professional footballers of Venezuela express their heartfelt condolences, and repudiate the violence which affects the country and claims the lives of Venezuelans every day,” the union said. “We demand that the authorities clear up this crime which ended the life of a professional who will always be remembered in this country’s football.”
URUGUAY
Suarez doing ‘very well’
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez is progressing “very well” after undergoing keyhole surgery on his left knee, although his chances of playing at the World Cup are still in the balance, the team doctor said on Monday. “It’s only been a few days [since the operation], but we can say that progress is very good,” Alberto Pan told a press conference at the team’s training camp. “It would be adventurous to set a time line. We have nearly three weeks ahead of us. We can’t rule out that he will be ready for intense activity in this period, but we can’t be certain, either.” Pan praised Suarez’s attitude. “I’ve never heard a negative expression from him, he’s always been positive,” he said. Suarez, who helped Uruguay to fourth place at the World Cup in South Africa four years ago, underwent surgery on Thursday last week.
ENGLAND
Rodgers inks long-term deal
Brendan Rodgers has been rewarded for leading Liverpool to the brink of their first English league title for 24 years with a new long-term contract, the club said on Monday. Liverpool ended two points behind champions Manchester City after faltering at the end of the season, but are looking forward to a return to the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2009-2010 season. In a joint statement, owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner said Rodgers was the right manager to bring silverware back to Anfield. “We are very fortunate to have a hugely talented individual leading our football performance and in whom we place our trust to deliver the vision we share for Liverpool Football Club,” they said.
BRAZIL
Romario launches attack
Former World Cup winner Romario launched another attack on the nation’s organization of the finals on Monday and accused former teammate Ronaldo of inconsistency. The once deadly striker said comments by Ronaldo, who works on the tournament’s organizing committee, but professed himself embarrassed at Brazil’s shortcomings in an interview with Reuters last week, were opportunism. “Everyone knows what I stand for,” the federal deputy was quoted as saying by UOL, a Brazilian news Web site. “I don’t change sides depending on how the game is going.” However, Romario said the organizational problems did not mean he would not be cheering on the hosts. “We’ve already lost off the pitch,” he said. “Now we have to hope and pray that we do well on it.”
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
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,
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
France head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday lauded his team’s attacking performance after their dazzling 36-14 victory over Ireland in their Six Nations opener. A brace of tries from Louis Bielley-Biarrey and one from mercurial flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert helped France storm into a 29-0 lead before taking their foot off the gas and allowing Ireland back into the match, before winger Theo Attissogbe put some gloss on the victory late on. “In an attacking sense, with the ball, the team played with great accuracy,” Galthie said. “It was one of the most accurate attacking performances in a long time, despite the weather
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