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UCL final ref sorry for attending far-right event

Polish referee Szymon Marciniak has apologised for speaking at a business event tied to a far-right politician and will officiate next week’s Champions League final, UEFA said on Friday. Marciniak’s appointment for the game between Manchester City and Inter Milan on June 10 was at risk after a Warsaw-based anti-racism group alerted UEFA to his conference appearance this week. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Marciniak, who officiated…

Madrid beat Man Utd to be Forbes’ richest club

Real Madrid were the world’s most valuable club in 2022 with a worth of $6.07 billion (£4.9bn), according to Forbes. For a second straight year, the Spanish giants topped the 30-club list compiled by the American business magazine, with Manchester United second, valued at $6bn (£4.8bn). – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) LaLiga champions Barcelona, who ranked first in 2021, are third with a valuation of $5.51bn (£4.4bn).…

Spurs’ Kane hopes AI can help reduce injuries

England and Tottenham forward Harry Kane has said he hopes artificial intelligence can revolutionise injury prevention, with a number of players set to miss the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Sarina Wiegman’s England side won Euro 2022 last year but enter this summer’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand without stars Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) A number of other leading…

UCL final ref scrutinized for alleged far-right ties

An anti-racism group on Thursday called on the head referee of the Champions League final to distance himself from a far-right politician in Poland, and UEFA said it wanted “urgent clarification” ahead of the Champions League final. “A further announcement will be made [Friday], after reviewing all the evidence,” UEFA said. Szymon Marciniak has been picked by UEFA to referee the biggest game in club soccer between Manchester City and…

European sport leaders call for WWC TV deal

The sports ministers of Europe’s top football nations on Wednesday urged FIFA and broadcasters to work together and “find a common path” over broadcasting rights for this year’s Women’s World Cup. The rights are being sold separately from the men’s World Cup for the first time and FIFA president Gianni Infantino said earlier this month that Britain, Spain, France, Germany and Italy would face a blackout unless “unacceptable” bids were…

How Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Man City, Napoli, PSG won their titles: Defining moments of 2022-23 season

Sports broadcaster Gary Lineker once famously said, “Football is a simple game: Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the Germans always win.” That isn’t particularly true at the international level anymore — Germany hasn’t made it to even the quarterfinals in its past three major tournaments — but a version of it remains true within Germany. The Bundesliga continues to be an incredibly fun…

Liverpool hire new director to oversee rebuild

Liverpool have appointed Jorg Schmadtke as the club’s new sporting director, the Premier League side said on Tuesday, as they look to rebuild for next season after failing to secure Champions League qualification. Schmadtke spent more than four years in the same role at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg before leaving at the start of the year. He has held similar positions at Cologne, Hannover and Alemannia Aachen. – Stream on ESPN+:…

VAR is failing LaLiga, has relegated Espanyol to the Segunda

That Espanyol were relegated from LaLiga at the weekend might not have had too much impact outside Barcelona, their home city, or China, where their ineffective and unloved owners reside. If you were watching the tumultuous match at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, where the home side’s equaliser in added time nudged Los Che away from the drop zone and, effectively, relegated Espanyol, then the sporting drama might have impacted you. And…

Best, worst moments of European club season

As we creep towards the official end of the 2022-23 European football season — the English Premier League and German Bundesliga have concluded, while Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1 and Spain’s LaLiga have one round of matches left — it’s time to look back at the highlights and lowlights of the campaign. What did our writers love and hate? Which storylines did they enjoy most? Was it Erling Haaland’s…