Sports & Casinos UK

With the departures of Pep Guardiola and Rodri it looks like the end of an era at City. Will Enzo Maresca be able to sustain their position as a domestic and continental superpower?Guardian writers’ predicted position: 2nd (NB: this is not necessarily Jamie Jackson’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 2nd Continue reading...

The 19-year-old US youth international has turned heads in MLS this year, and is on the cusp of a USMNT breakthroughFor much of the past year, the story of American starlet Zavier Gozo has been one of realizing potential – even in failure. Speaking with the Guardian the day after he and Real Salt Lake teammate Diego Luna learned they wouldn’t be on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, the 19-year-old Gozo admitted the rejection made him realize how close he’d gotten to earning a spot.“I thought I would be less disappointed than I was,” Gozo said in May. “Obviously, it wasn’t like I was supposed to go. I feel like I was disappointed, but I also think it just gave me so much more motivation to be able to make the first team, whenever that is.” Continue reading...

Premier Sports secure rights with BBC not biddingNandy: ‘As a fan myself, I share fans’ disappointment’The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has urged administrators to strike a deal to allow this autumn’s Rugby League World Cup to be shown on a free-to-air broadcast after it was announced the event would be shown in the United Kingdom exclusively on subscription TV.The BBC’s longstanding relationship with the sport has led to it consistently showing the Rugby League World Cup irrespective of where and when the tournament has been held. But that tradition will seemingly end this autumn, after it was confirmed the broadcaster would not bid for the rights to show the event, which will be held in Australia. Continue reading...

Musiala reveals ‘neurological dysfunction’ diagnosisWinger has fallen to floor during two recent friendliesThe Bayern Munich winger Jamal Musiala has revealed he is suffering from “treatable absence seizures” after he collapsed on the pitch for the second time in four days.Musiala fell to the floor eight minutes after coming on as a substitute in Bayern’s friendly with Heidenheim on Tuesday night. The 23-year-old experienced a similar incident during Saturday’s friendly against RB Leipzig, but Musiala has insisted there is no long-term health risk. Continue reading...

Spain’s World Cup-winning captain has completed his move to Camp Nou where he is a natural successor to club legendBy the time Flight PTN27B started its descent into El Prat a bit before 8pm on Monday evening, a small crowd had gathered by the terminal doors, waiting for it to land. A few people stood and watched the sky, cameras out to capture its arrival. A lot more watched on their phones. In the two hours it had taken to get there from Manchester, taking off at 5.11pm, 101 minutes behind schedule, the Pilatus PC-24 had become the most tracked plane on the planet. Everyone knew that Rodrigo Hernández was on board. Unless, of course, he had been sneaked away in a catering cart.Five days earlier, Rodri had been seen, and recorded, at Barajas airport waiting to get on a flight back to Manchester from Madrid. He wheeled a small RFEF (Spanish football federation) case with his name on, stood alone in the queue, the World Cup-winning captain just a bloke in shorts and T-shirt, and his stay in the UK was supposed to be brief, just long enough to say goodbye. The plane he was boarding was a Ryanair one: that was the detail everyone homed in on, something extraordinary in the ordinariness. This time, though, he came on a private jet, one way. His family travelled with him. He came to sign for FC Barcelona. Continue reading...

With Pakistan at a low ebb and England at the start of semi-reset, the series at Headingly looks to be an interesting oneThe history of Test cricket between England and Pakistan stretches back to 1954 and has been a vibrant one over the years. Yet, for all the memorable battles, plus the cultural ties between the two countries and a fair bit of scandal along the way, a trophy that denotes the rivalry is still to be created.England lost the Crowe-Thorpe trophy to New Zealand this summer, will look to retain the Basil D’Oliveira trophy in South Africa this winter, and hope they can win back the Ashes next year. Trophies for encounters with India and West Indies go back so far they have been retired and replaced by new ones in recent times. Continue reading...

From the manager’s divorce to tension with the club hierarchy, new documentary is an honest portrayal of his difficult last two seasonsHaving occupied a front-row seat for the final two seasons of Pep Guardiola’s gilded Manchester City tenure, the subject of Amazon’s A Beautiful Obsession, the surprise to me is how unfiltered the four-part series is.Particularly, the telling of the torrid 2024-25 campaign when the wheels came clattering off in the bleakest of mid-winter plunges that featured nine defeats and one victory in 13 aura-shattering games. Continue reading...

1892 Holdings has first refusal if FSG opts to sellGroup paid more than £2bn for initial 38% slice of club1892 Holdings, the new investor in Liverpool, has first refusal to become the majority shareholder in the next 12 months should Fenway Sports Group decide to sell.The consortium led by Amit Bhatia and including the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was believed to have bought 30% to one-third of Liverpool when the deal was announced on Friday. However, the agreement is for 38% of the Anfield club, meaning 1892 has paid FSG just over £2bn to become a minority shareholder. The increased stake, first reported by the Athletic, still values Liverpool at about £5.5bn. Continue reading...

Right-back worked with Matthias Jaissle at RB SalzburgGuglielmo Vicario completes loan move to JuventusThe chance to be reunited with Matthias Jaissle convinced Amar Dedic to swap Benfica for Newcastle in a £29.5m transfer. Dedic becomes Newcastle’s sixth signing of a turbulent summer on Tyneside and the 24-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international is likely to start at right‑back at home to Liverpool on Sunday.“Working with Matthias again was a big factor for me,” said Dedic, who played for Newcastle’s new manager at RB Salzburg. “We know each other well; he knows what I can bring to the pitch and I’m really happy to play for him again. It’s a special feeling and a real honour to join Newcastle.” Continue reading...

IFA points to ‘unprecedented crisis of confidence’Premier League chief says Infantino ‘hit self-destruct’Gianni Infantino’s decision to sack his chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, after the Frenchman’s criticism of the World Cup sell-off plan has hardened some opposition to the Fifa president, with the efforts to force him out expected to intensify over the next few days.On Tuesday Israel became the latest Fifa member to officially withdraw their support for Infantino’s re-election in a letter sent by the head of the Israel Football Association (IFA), Moshe Zuares. Continue reading...