Curse of Kepa returns to haunt Chelsea in Carabao Cup final defeat February 27, 2022 Future Chelsea managers could be forgiven for keeping Kepa Arrizabalaga well away from Carabao Cup finals. In 2019, the Spanish stopper refused to be substituted and could not prevent the Blues losing to Manchester City on penalties. Today at Wembley he was sent on solely for the shootout after a 0-0 draw, only to let [...]
Premiership talking points: Saints revived, Irish draw and the race is on February 27, 2022 It’s starting to feel like the beginning of the run-in to this year’s Premiership rugby season. There are less than 10 rounds to go but there are so many storylines to follow. Here are our talking points from the weekend. Luck of the draw The league saw its fifth draw of the season at the [...]
Sport is guilty of shutting its eyes to Russia’s geopolitical ambitions February 27, 2022 Roman Abramovich’s near 20-year ownership of Premier League club Chelsea has been shrouded in mystery and therefore subject to constant scrutiny and speculation. Indeed, until the weekend, it remained unclear why he is there and what he is seeking to achieve. The oligarch has denied having direct links with Vladimir Putin but has been seen [...]
Chelsea facing calls to clarify Roman Abramovich role February 27, 2022 Chelsea are facing calls to publicly clarify Roman Abramovich’s role after he said he had handed the club’s “stewardship and care” to trustees of its charitable foundation. Ministers have been urged to seize billionaire Abramovich’s assets on the basis of his links to the Russian state in the wake of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. [...]
Abramovich hands over “stewardship” of Chelsea FC amid Ukraine war February 26, 2022 Roman Abramovich has handed over control of Chelsea FC to the trustees of the club’s charitable foundation. The move comes amid unprecedented pressure on those with ties to Vladimir Putin after the Russian President’s invasion of Ukraine. In a statement on the football club’s website, Abramovich wrote: “I have always taken decisions with the Club’s [...]
‘No more words, it’s time to act’: Poland refuses to play Russia in World Cup play-off game February 26, 2022 Poland have said it will not play its 2022 World Cup play-off game with Russia in Moscow on March 24 following its invasion of Ukraine. “In light of the escalation of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, the Polish national team is not going to play a match against Russian Republic,” President of the Polish [...]
Uefa to sever ties with Gazprom over Ukraine invasion February 25, 2022 Uefa is reportedly in talks to sever all ties with Russian sponsor Gazprom following the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. The governing body has set this course of action even though the 10-year partnership with Gazprom has been one of the most lucrative for Uefa, the i paper exclusively reported. Following calls to strip Russia of [...]
EP: 113 Kempton, Newcastle & Hong Kong February 25, 2022 With four graded races on the card, Kempton provides Saturday’s top quality action, whilst Newcastle stages the marathon Eider Handicap Chase on the same afternoon Trainer Harry Fry runs Phoenix Way at Kempton, hoping to give owner JP McManus another big Saturday winner and he joins us on today’s podcast City A.M. racing editor Bill [...]
Carabao Cup has enough fizz to make business sense despite what its critics say February 25, 2022 The Carabao Cup, which concludes on Sunday when Chelsea play Liverpool at Wembley, is perennially fending off calls for its demise and remains the butt of many a joke. Its future beyond 2024 remains uncertain, when an expanded Champions League is set to tighten the squeeze on English football’s secondary domestic cup competition. And it [...]
Jones urges fans to get in seats early ahead of England v Wales February 25, 2022 England head coach Eddie Jones has urged fans to take their seats early at Twickenham for tomorrow’s Six Nations match against Wales as his side, boosted by the return of key players, look to burst out of the blocks. “The first 20 minutes of a Test match is always the quickest,” said Jones. “I think [...]