South Africa thrash England to complete series win but Eoin Morgan insists his men can still win World Twenty20 February 21, 2016 England captain Eoin Morgan insists his team can win next month’s World Twenty20 despite suffering an emphatic nine-wicket loss to seal a 2-0 series defeat in South Africa on Sunday. Proteas skipper AB de Villiers plundered 71 off 29 balls and fellow opener Hashim Amla 69 off 38 as the hosts raced to their target [...]
Jose Mourinho has the Manchester United job, suggests Inter Milan director February 20, 2016 Jose Mourinho is joining Manchester United, so says Inter Milan director Bedy Moratti. The former Inter manager was in Italy this week, sparking speculation he could be heading for a move back to the club he won the treble with in 2010. But Moratti, sister of former president and Mourinho employer Massimo, dismissed the possibility [...]
Liverpool hoping for £90m Anfield main stand sponsorship from Chinese firms February 20, 2016 Liverpool are looking to the cash-rich Chinese market for a potential buyer of the naming rights to Anfield's new main stand, valued up to £9m a season by the Reds. The club's chief commercial officer Billy Hogan has reportedly travelled to China to meet firms interested in having their branding on the expanded main stand, which [...]
Sepp Blatter: You cannot buy a World Cup and I have committed nothing criminal, says former Fifa boss February 20, 2016 Disgraced former Fifa president Sepp Blatter has insisted "you cannot buy a World Cup" and claimed the controversial vote to award the 2018 and 2022 tournaments to Russia and Qatar was not fixed. Fifa will elect its new president on Friday after Blatter, along with former Uefa president Michel Platini, was banned from football for [...]
Anthony Joshua: Charles Martin’s IBF heavyweight belt “belongs to me” February 20, 2016 Not many boxers get offered a world title fight just over two years into their professional career – and even fewer would feel ready to take one so early. But Anthony Joshua is a cut above most boxers and when the opportunity to fight unbeaten American Charles Martin for his IBF heavyweight belt arised, he didn’t [...]
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger tells Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham to forget about loaning his players February 19, 2016 Arsene Wenger has warned Arsenal's rivals at the top of the Premier League they can forget about taking any of his players on loan. The Arsenal boss admitted he blocked a loan move for right-back Mathieu Debuchy to Manchester United last month, and suggested he would never lend one of his players to a direct [...]
Manny Pacquiao “accepts” Nike’s decision to cancel his sponsorship – but reaffirms views on homosexuality February 19, 2016 Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao says he accepts Nike's decision to drop him from their sponsored athletes roster, but has repeated the criticism of homosexuality which cost him the endorsement. Nike moved swiftly to cancel their sponsorship of the welterweight fighter this week, describing his comments that gay people were "worse than animals" as "abhorrent". Yet [...]
Delacroix at the National Gallery does this magnificent painter a disservice February 19, 2016 The National Gallery | ★★☆☆☆ Measuring the influence of one artist on another is no easy task, and the National Gallery fails to pull it off convincingly in this muddled and problematic exhibition. Curators attempt to trace the influence of Delacroix – best known as the romantic painter of the iconic Liberty Leading the People – [...]
Uncle Vanya at the Almeida is brilliantly acted, cleverly staged and gratifyingly reinterpreted February 19, 2016 Almeida | ★★★★★ Anton Chekhov is a cornerstone of modern theatre, one of the fathers of realism; he eschews action in favour of mood and character, and while his Uncle Vanya is an undoubted masterpiece, the prospect of three and a half hours of Russian misery isn’t necessarily the most enticing prospect. Rejoice then that [...]
Manchester United players face wage cut as Midtjylland loss dents Champions League qualification hopes February 19, 2016 Manchester United's squad could face a 25 per cent wage cut if they fail to turn around their stuttering form and qualify for the Champions League. Louis Van Gaal's side crashed to a 2-1 defeat to Danish champions FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday night and are six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City [...]