SOCCER
Modric voted best player
Croatia captain Luka Modric was voted the best player in Europe last season, edging former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah for the UEFA award. Modric helped Madrid to win a third straight Champions League title before leading his country to the World Cup final. Ronaldo was the only nominee to skip the annual awards ceremony held during the Champions League draw in Monaco. Madrid swept the overall election for best player in last season’s Champions League, after goalkeeper Keylor Navas, defender Sergio Ramos, midfielder Modric and forward Ronaldo won the individual position prizes. Returning with his trophy to his seat behind Salah, Ramos tapped the left shoulder of the Egyptian. Salah left the Champions League final in tears after the same shoulder was injured in a tackle by Ramos. Pernille Harder of Denmark and Wolfsburg won the best women’s player award.
FOOTBALL
Kaepernick trial to continue
Colin Kaepernick’s grievance against the NFL is set to go to trial after an arbitrator turned down what was effectively a request by the league for the case to be dismissed. Kaepernick filed the grievance in October last year, claiming that owners have colluded to keep him out of the league after he knelt during the national anthem. Under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, teams and the NFL are forbidden from coming together to deprive a player of employment. The fact that teams with a need for a quarterback have passed up the chance to sign Kaepernick left many to believe owners are either punishing him for his stance or believe his presence would alienate fans. Eric Reid, who knelt beside Kaepernick, has also filed a grievance.
ATHLETICS
Top Kenyan official banned
The International Association of Athletics Federations on Monday handed top Kenyan official David Okeyo a life ban for corrupt practices. Okeyo, a former secretary-general and vice president of Athletics Kenya (AK), as well as a member of the federation’s council, was found guilty of diverting funds from a contract between AK and Nike to his “own personal benefit.” Okeyo in November 2015 was provisionally suspended, along with former AK president Isaiah Kiplagat and AK treasurer Joseph Kinyua. Okeyo has also been accused of extorting money from athletes in relation to anti-doping procedures.
GYMNASTICS
Nassar defender draws ire
Victims of jailed former USA gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar lashed out after a coach who had initially defended the jailed predator was appointed to a senior role with USA Gymnastics. Mary Lee Tracy late on Tuesday was named as elite development coordinator, which has been heavily criticized over its handling of the Nassar affair. Tracy’s appointment was greeted with disgust by victims of Nassar, who was jailed for life earlier this year after abusing more than 250 athletes. Critics pointed to Tracy’s public defense of Nassar in December 2016, when the doctor was already facing allegations of abuse by more than 50 girls and women. “My Olympians have all worked with Larry,” Tracy said at the time. “He has protected them, taken care of them, worked with me and worked with their parents. He’s been amazing.”
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
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