Catégorie : Sport News

Earlier this month, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made the bold decision to bring Draymond Green off the bench and start Jonathan Kuminga. However, the rotation change hasn’t led to the success the team envisioned. They have lost both games in which the veteran forward came off the bench, prompting Gilbert Arenas to question the Warriors’ game plan.

On the Gil’s Arena podcast, the former Wizards star asked why a player as versatile and experienced as Green was coming off the bench. When the crew responded that the team prefers Kuminga’s ability as a score over the four-time NBA champion’s defensive ability, he pondered why the team wasn’t fielding both. He inquired,

“Dray can’t play the 5? I’m wondering. He can’t play at the 5?”

The three-time All-Star suggested that starting Green over Kevon Looney could be the solution for Golden State. In the Warriors recent loss to the Mavericks, Green played 29 minutes compared to 21 minutes from Looney.

In those minutes, the latter finished with a net rating of -15. On the other hand, Green’s was +4. The four-time NBA champion is evidently more impactful. Starting him at center isn’t a radical solution either as he’s pretty familiar with the position.

Green’s history playing the center position

The Warriors small-ball lineup with Green at center has been a staple in the Kerr era. It has diminished over the years but when they have played him at the 5, they have been pretty effective.

In the 740 possessions the team has played with Green at center this season, their point differential is +7.7, which is in the 81st percentile. In addition, their eFG% is an impressive 58.2%, a mark that is in the top 90th percentile of the league. With Looney as the 5, their point differential is +5.0, and their eFG% plummets to 49.9%, which is in the bottom 10th percentile.

The numbers suggest that the Warriors are a better team with Green at center. It may just be a matter of time before the Warriors decide to bring the veteran back into the starting lineup.

Manchester United might not be able to sell Marcus Rashford as easily as they would like, with a number of key factors playing an important part in the saga.

On Monday, The Guardian reported that Manchester United had put Marcus Rashford up for sale in the January transfer window, after Ruben Amorim decided to drop him entirely from the matchday squad that beat Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia are touted as a potential destination for Rashford by Talksport, but whether the 27-year-old is open to the move is another matter.

Manchester United might need to pay Marcus Rashford off

With Rashford reportedly targeting a return to the England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, it seems unlikely that the Manchester United forward would choose to move to Saudi Arabia at such a pivotal time in his career – especially with Thomas Tuchel starting as England manager on January 1.

So, with Saudi Arabia likely out of the picture, there aren’t a whole host of clubs that represent realistic options – and even fewer when considering his reported £365,000-per-week wages. Indeed, that could prove a real stumbling block in negotiations, especially when Rashford is entitled to that salary until the summer of 2028.

While the aforementioned reports have suggested that Manchester United are willing to let the academy graduate leave in a cut-price deal, around the £45m mark Transfermarkt has him valued at, the club might also have to incentivise the deal for Rashford to leave, too.

With millions of pounds owed to him by the club over the next three-and-a-half years, and similar wages unlikely elsewhere away from Old Trafford, Rashford could simply refuse to leave unless a severance package is offered. Not only could Manchester United sell him for a reduced fee, they might also have to pay him to leave, too.

A similar situation happened in the 2023 summer transfer window, when Harry Maguire reportedly refused to leave amid the offer of a much-reduced salary at West Ham. Wanting a pay-off of around £7m to leave the club, Maguire eventually ended up staying at Manchester United as they failed to come to an agreement.

There is, however, a new part-owner in Sir Jim Ratcliffe who is willing to accept some short-term pain. This became wholly apparent when he cut ties with sporting director Dan Ashworth after just 159 days, despite paying £5m for him to join from Newcastle, as he looked to get the best in class at Old Trafford.

In FourFourTwo‘s opinion, it seems unlikely that Manchester United will manage to sell Marcus Rashford in the coming transfer windows unless they accept the aforementioned costs involved could see them pocket a much lower fee overall. There’s still time for Amorim to convince Rashford to change his ways, too, highlighting the critical period it is in his career right now.

Nick Kyrgios, who has a reputation for stirring the pot, did just that while responding to a fan question. He dismissed the idea of teaming up with Jannik Sinner in doubles, writing on his Instagram Stories, “I only play with CLEAN players”. It was not well received by everyone, as a user called him out for his apparent hypocrisy.

Given that Kyrgios has been openly criticizing Sinner since his doping allegations first surfaced, his refusal to play alongside him was predictable. Still, X user @Gosia_CzBradf reminded fans that the Canberra native will be teaming up with Simona Halep at the upcoming World Tennis League in Abu Dhabi. Halep was suspended in the past for testing positive for a banned substance.

But Kyrgios was quick to respond to the user. He claimed that Halep had already faced consequences because of her actions, unlike Sinner.

“Uh she dealt with the consequences lol – unlike sinner who has been able to play the whole time,” Kyrgios commented.

There is merit in Nick’s argument. Halep was penalized for it and served a nine-month ban.

In addition, Kyrgios recently expressed his opinion that players should be allowed to use recreational drugs.

Kyrgios reveals his opinions on recreational drugs

Nick Kyrgios made several bold comments regarding drugs – banned substances and recreational – during his recent appearance on the Nothing Major Podcast.

In his chat with the panel, Kyrgios responded to a Sam Querrey question, saying, “Absolutely, absolutely (recreational drugs should be fine in tennis).”

Fans can witness the unpredictable yet entertaining Kyrgios in action soon. He is set to return from his lengthy absence during the upcoming Australian swing.

Watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca as the Spanish and Mexican sides look for ultimate glory in the final of the inaugural Intercontinental Cup, with a free live stream and the ability to watch from anywhere with a VPN.

Real Madrid and Pachuca face off in the inaugural final of the Intercontintental Cup on Wednesday, which is the new name of the tournament between the club champions from each of the six continental confederations, following FIFA’s decision to expand the Club World Cup and play it every four years.

As the winners of the Champions League, Real Madrid automatically qualified for the final of the Intercontinental Cup. Pachuca, meanwhile, had a more difficult route to face Los Blancos. First, they had to beat Botafogo in the Derby of the Americas, before facing Al Ahly – the winners of the African–Asian–Pacific Cup – in the Challenger Cup.

After drawing the game on December 14 0-0 after extra time, the Mexican side won 6-5 on penalites to book their spot in the final.

Read on for our guide on how to watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca online and on TV, wherever you are in the world.

Watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca for FREE

You can watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca totally for free in certain countries.

FIFA itself is broadcasting the game on its FIFA+ streaming platform, but geo-restrictions do apply. The US, Canada, and Australia are excluded. However, fans in the UK can watch the Real Madrid vs Pachuca free stream.

All you need to do is create an account and enjoy the action. There’s no payment option for you to input, just stick your email address in and catch Kylian Mbappe and Co. in full flight. To check if the country you’re in is eligible for the free stream, head to the FIFA+ live page to see if the game is included on your schedule.

Real Madrid vs Pachuca will go out on free-to-air television in Spain on Telecinco. And all is not lost for fans in the US, Australia, and New Zealand, with free trials on offer from host broadcasters.

If you’re travelling right now, you might fall foul of all these geo-restrictions, but you can still access your usual streams by using a VPN – more on that below.

How to watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca from anywhere

What if you’re away from home for the game, and your usual streaming service is geo-restricted? Well, there is a neat solution. A VPN – or Virtual Private Network – is a piece of software that sets your IP address to make your device appear to be in any country in the world.

Provided it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to unblock the streaming services you subscribe to, and it also comes with added internet security benefits.

FourFourTwo’s colleagues TechRadar are experts in this field, and they reckon NordVPN is the best VPN provider on the market.

Watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca in the UK

For TV viewers, the game will air on DAZN in the UK, so those with a subscription can sit down and catch every minute with their current plan.

DAZN also broadcasts a range of other sports throughout the year, and is available for £89.99 annually, or £16.99 a month. Football such as the National League and Women’s Champions League are broadcast on DAZN, while other sports also feature prominently.

Watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca in the US

Fans in the US can watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca on beIN Sports.

beIN Sports is available on cable TV packages, but there’s no dedicated streaming platform for the channel, so in order to watch online you’ll need a cord-cutting cable streaming service.

Sling has beIN Sports on its Sports Extra add-on, which costs $11 a month on top of the price you pay for either Sling Orange ($40 a month) or Sling Blue ($45 a month).

Alternatively, you could use Fubo, which costs $79.99, but you can get your first month for $44.99 and even before that you can take out a free trial for seven days with no commitment.

Watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca in Canada

Fans in Canada can watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca on beIN Sports. It’s also available via Fubo, which operates differently than in the US and is available from $24.99 a month.

Watch Real Madrid vs Pachuca in Australia and New Zealand

beIN Sports‘ broadcast deal also covers Australia and New Zealand. Unlike the US, there is a dedicated streaming platform for the channel, so you can watch a Real Madrid vs Pachuca live stream.

Prices start from $14.99 a month in both currencies, and you can also take advantage of a seven-day free trial.

Football administration has a long and varied history of former players in positions of power. UEFA’s strings have been pulled over the years by the likes of former Chief of Football Zvonimir Boban or disgraced former confederation president Michel Platini, and it’s no different in South America.

Brazil is the world’s most successful football nation by a lot of measures but its governing body, the Confederation of Brazilian Football or CFB, has been mired in scandal.

Ednaldo Rodrigues is the current president stomping around on thin ice. Allegations were made about ‘irregularities’ relating to his election in 2022, leading to his removal from office by the courts.

CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues has already been removed from office

Though he’s back in office thanks to a Supreme Court injunction, Rodrigues might not be there for long.

The presidency is up for election in March 2026 and it could come forward by a year as a result of Rodrigues’ legal issues. Not only that, but the 70-year-old will be facing just about the most formidable opponent Brazilian football could throw at him.

Two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo has had enough and he wants in. The former Brazil striker, who is ranked at number 9 in FourFourTwo’s list of the greatest footballers of all time, has announced his candidacy and will run against Rodrigues with plans to rebuild the prestige of the CBF and the Brazilian game.

In an interview this week, Ronaldo nominated himself as the way forward for Brazil.

“Everyone is unhappy,” he told Globo. “These administrative scandals, the injunctions, none of this is helping Brazilian football.

“We have to be vigilant, see what happens, what could happen, and be prepared for the situation.”

Rodrigues became vice-president of the CBF in 2018 after running football in the Bahia region for 17 years. He took up the interim presidency and was elected as president in a subsequently controversial vote in 2022.

Ronaldo’s popularity in Brazil and Brazilian football is beyond dispute but whether that translates into a successful election as CBF chief remains to be seen.

As well as winning the World Cup twice, Ronaldo was a Spanish champion with Real Madrid and a UEFA Cup winner with Inter Milan in the nineties.

He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2002 and is widely regarded one of football’s greatest of all time.

Kobe Bryant was obsessed with practicing and worked out thrice a day to get a leg up on his peers. The guard worked meticulously on his passing, shooting, and defense to ensure he was prepared for any situation during a game. However, he was also pretty efficient. The five-time NBA champion did not waste time trying things he knew would never be useful on the court. He also had no qualms about mocking coaches who tried to sell him unorthodox training methods, as Phil Handy learned firsthand.

During an appearance on Podcast P, the legendary player development coach, who spent seven years with the Lakers over two separate stints, reminisced about how he had tried to get Bryant to dribble two basketballs at once, to help improve his ball handling. However, the guard refused and asked Handy a question he did not have an answer for. He recalled,

“We were doing some ball handling, and I wanted him to do 2 ball handling. And he was like, ‘Man get out of here. I’m not doing that.’ He was like, ‘I don’t dribble with two balls in the game, what is this for?’ And he challenged me, ‘I’m not doing that.’ He was adamant. ‘We don’t play the game with two balls, I’m not dribbling with 2 basketballs.’”

Bryant shooting down Handy may suggest a lack of desire in wanting to learn a new skill or improve an existing one. However, that wasn’t the case. On the contrary, he had no issues trying to develop a niche ability. Handy explained,

“Like just imagine, you go to workout, and you go to the left block, and you’re just there for 45 minutes, and you’re just repping out a turnaround jump-shot for 45 minutes, and in a full sweat. I never trained like that.”

Bryant did not use the turnaround jumper much in his early years in the league. However, it became a staple of his offensive arsenal in the second half of his career.

He practiced it so often that he developed a muscle memory. Bryant continued to add new skills to his repertoire as the years progressed due to his otherworldly commitment to training.

Kobe Bryant’s maniacal training regime

The Lakers icon was obsessive about wanting to be a superstar right from the time he entered the league. To ensure he developed quicker than his peers and caught up to the top players in the league, he devised a training routine that may seem simple but was arduous to follow. He once explained,

“Imagine you wake up at 3 [am], train at 4, 4-6. Come home, breakfast, relax. Now you’re back at it again, 9-11. Relax, and now you’re back at it again, 2-4, and now you’re back at it again, 7-9. Look how much more training I have done, by simply starting at 4 am. So now you do that, as the years go on, the separation you have with your competitors and your peers just grows larger.”

As tenacious as Bryant was, he wasn’t delusional. He knew his body would suffer wear and tear as the years progressed. He decreased his training load with each passing year to extend his career as much as possible. His work ethic helped him clock 20 seasons before calling it a day on his incredible career in 2016 as one of the greatest players in history.

Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk is at risk of being issued the longest ban in Premier League history, after failing a recent drugs test and being provisionally suspended by the FA.

Joey Barton currently holds the record for the longest ban in Premier League history, with the FA suspending the former midfielder in April 2017 for 18 months after finding him guilty for placing best on 1,260 matches between March 2006 and May 2013. He later had the ban reduced to 13 months after appealing, though, that still saw him set the record.

When it comes to a drugs ban, Abel Xavier is the holder of that record, receiving an 18-month suspension while a Middlesbrough player in November 2005. UEFA found a positive test for an anabolic steroid following a UEFA Cup match, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport cutting his ban down to a year.

Mykhailo Mudryk facing four-year ban – the longest in Premier League history

Mudryk, though, could be issued a punishment four times as harsh as Xavier’s, with the maximum punishment a four-year ban from football.

The Ukrainian insists he has « never knowingly used any banned substances », despite the FA discovering an adverse finding in a routine urine test. Due to that adverse finding, Mudryk has been missed for the last four Chelsea games, as per FA rules dictating that a player is informed of a positive test and provisionally suspended before a decision is taken on a formal charge.

That formal charge relies heavily on the result of the ‘B’ sample. When players are tested, two samples are collected in separate containers – the ‘A’ sample is used to conduct the initial test, with the ‘B’ sample then required to verify the accuracy of results if a positive ‘A’ sample is returned.

Should that ‘B’ sample also come back positive, then Mudryk could face a maximum four-year ban from the FA. While the ‘B’ sample is being tested, Mudryk has the opportunity to provide an explanation for the initial positive result.

If Mudryk does receive the maximum punishment, he’d return to football aged 27 – 28 if the ban is handed out after January 5 – in the 2028/29 season. But while his current contract with Chelsea, which runs until the summer of 2031, will still have a couple of years remaining on it, there’s no guarantee the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge would look to keep him.

Indeed, Juventus and Paul Pogba mutually agreed the termination of his contract earlier this season once the length of his drug ban became clear, which would likely happen between Chelsea and Mudryk.

Though Mudryk faces a potential four years out of football, it still wouldn’t be the lengthiest punishment issued by the FA in its history. That’s because former Torquay United goalkeeper Olafur Gottskalksson disappeared after being selected to give a sample in 2005, knowing his cocaine addiction would show up in the results.

A few months later the FA announced that Gottskalksson, who had fled to Amsterdam and didn’t return, had been banned from football indefinitely, with that lifetime ban trumping the 30 years Enoch got for match fixing in 1915.

Manchester City wanted Dani Olmo in the summer – but the 26-year-old found his way back to the Nou Camp, having spent most of his youth at Barcelona before moving to Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 16.

Now, he could be heading for the exit again. Barcelona’s financial complications are ongoing and Olmo’s transfer from RB Leipzig in August has been in their shadow from the start.

The club’s ability to register players with La Liga has long been compromised by their financial problems and Olmo’s future beyond December 31st remains in question. The Premier League could soon come calling.

Manchester City might get a Dani Olmo bargain after all

Olmo’s La Liga registration was a temporary arrangement, ratified only because of Andreas Christensen’s long-term injury. The deadline to extend his registration is looming for Barcelona and Manchester City, who were in competition for his signature in the summer, will be on blue alert.

Barcelona can’t register Olmo without cutting costs or boosting revenue in order to comply with the club’s annual spending limit as set by La Liga. If they run out of time, they won’t be able to register Olmo again and all bets are off.

Man City were reported to be ready to match Olmo’s Leipzig release clause but the Euro 2024 winner returned to Catalonia despite the obvious complications in securing his registration for the season ahead.

And they could benefit from a clause in Olmo’s contract. According to reports, the failure to extend his league paperwork would mean he’d be free to leave his boyhood club for a second time.

Olmo’s had a fantastic 2024, at least on paper. Leipzig qualified for the Champions League again in May with the attacking midfielder in fine form, and he scored three times as Spain won the European Championship in Germany. Olmo’s winning goal in the semi-final against France set up a final against England.

He’s already bettered his 2023/24 tally with five goals in ten appearances for the Spanish league leaders, but an injury – as well as being ineligible for the first two games of the season before scoring three times in his first three games – has affected his playing time.

If Olmo’s early promise at Barcelona is cut short by issues beyond his control, a belated switch to the Premier League would be a more than adequate outcome.

City’s own problems on and off the pitch have been well documented this season. The champions sit in sixth place after 16 games and have won once in their last seven league fixtures.

Lando Norris might have had the edge in McLaren’s drivers’ championship campaign, but even Oscar Piastri’s 2024 season was impressive. Except for a few races, the Aussie driver was right up there to fight for wins and podiums and maximize his results.

Piastri did not have a single DNF throughout the season and was the only driver to do so. He also completed every single lap of the season, a rare record — as he is only the fourth driver after Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen to race every lap of a season.

Ted Kravitz brought this up on the Sky Sports F1 podcast with Piastri’s race engineer, Tom Stallard in their discussion panel. Stallard claimed that it was a “phenomenal” achievement for McLaren’s design office to have such superb reliability that they did not have any DNFs in 2024.

Only Norris had to retire from the Austrian GP owing to his crash with Verstappen. However, it wasn’t classified as an official DNF as the #4 driver had completed over 75% of the race distance.

As for Piastri, Stallard stated that given he is the only non-F1 champion to complete every lap of a season, he would want to correct that in 2025. Schumacher, Hamilton, and Verstappen registered this record when they won a championship at the end of the season.

Schumacher did it in 2002 which was the third year of Ferrari dominance. Hamilton‘s flawless run came in 2019, which was during his streak of four titles with Mercedes from 2017-2020. Meanwhile, Verstappen raced every lap of the 2023 season, when he blew the field apart with a uber-dominant season of 19 wins in 22 races.

Piastri looking to build on his promising 2024

Despite not challenging for the championship, Piastri had an excellent season with two Grand Prix wins to his name. That coupled with his multiple podium finishes ensured that McLaren managed to clinch their first Constructors’ championship in 26 years.

The Aussie driver has been improving with each passing race even though he’s in his sophomore year. Despite struggling at some tracks, he was able to squeeze out the best possible result, and this ability could come in handy in 2025 if he can polish up on his mistakes.

Next season could see McLaren take top billing, as their car has proved to be the most consistent one across the field in 2024. And if that is the case, Piastri isn’t sitting back as a wingman to Norris. The #81 driver has shown that he is not afraid to fight his teammate and get his gloves off to fight for the win and the championship.

However, Piastri will have to face more competition than just Norris. The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are likely to be in contention at the front.

On top of that, the Red Bull in the hands of Verstappen, and Mercedes often coming good at certain tracks won’t make things easy for Piastri gunning for his maiden world title. Still, he has shown the ability to overcome these rivals and win the championship even ahead of Norris, who is being hyped up as the favorite for 2025.

Lamine Yamal crowned his outstanding year with the prize for the best Under-21 player in Europe. Barcelona was well represented at the awards, as Vicky Lopez won the Golden Girl trophy, while Txiki Begiristain scooped the accolade for the best director.

The trio didn’t attend the ceremony as Barcelona deemed it challenging logistic-wise. Instead, all three spoke from a screen at the awards night, which was organised in Turin’s National Automobile Museum.

Outlet Relevo, reported that Barcelona’s players didn’t attend to due ‘Due to various logistical disagreements with the Italian sports newspaper, organiser of the event, which have upset the Catalan club.’

Yamal, who played a big part in Spain’s Euro 2024 victory, succeeds Jude Bellingham who won the men’s award last year.

How the Golden Boy voting works

Representatives of 50 media across Europe can vote and each first pick gives a player 10 points, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth.

The 17-year-old Barcelona forward accumulated 488 of the possible 500 points in the end, which is a record tally in the men’s category.

Second came Kobbie Mainoo with 114 points, who saw his impact at Man United rewarded.

His teammates Alejandro Garnacho (9th) and Leny Yoro (17th) also made the final ranking, while their neighbours at Manchester City were represented by Savinho (7th) and Rico Lewis (13th), while their former academy player Jamie Gittens also made the list with a 19th place.

Evangelos Marinakis, who owns Nottingham Forest among other clubs, received a Career Award, while Jorge Mendes was named as Best Agent. Toni Kroos won the Golden Player Man, the prize for best player over 21.

Yamal, who became the fourth player of Barcelona to win the Golden Boy after Lionel Messi (2005), Pedri (2021) and Gavi (2022). In October this year Yamal also won the Kopa Trophy, the best young player award at the Ballon d’Or.