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Roberto Martinez to remain as head-coach of Belgium

Spaniard Roberto Martinez will remain as Belgium head coach for the future after his side were eliminated at the quarter-final stage at Euro 2020.

The head of the Belgian Football Association, Peter Bossaert has come out and admitted that Martinez will be the manager for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and beyond.

Coming into the European Championship, Belgium was ranked number one in the official FIFA World rankings, ahead of defending champions Portugal and World champions France.

De Rode Duivels were knocked out by Italy, losing 2-1 at the quarter-final stage in Germany.

This is yet another major international tournament where Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ have disappointed.

After reaching the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup, failing to go further into the latter stages of the Euros has put pressure on Martinez.

A statement read; “Today we start preparations for the September and October games. Roberto Martinez will be there. No official communication will follow, but there is no reason to change the staff,” Bossaert said.

Ireland Stars Larmour and Farrell Ruled Out Of USA Game

Ireland internationals Jordan Larmour and Chris Farrell have been ruled out of this weekend’s match against the USA Eagles in Dublin after sustaining injuries in the 39-31 win over Japan.

Larmour went off after half an hour on Saturday afternoon after picking up a groin injury and was replaced by Munster’s Shane Daly.

Chris Farrell was taken off early into the second half after taking a knock to the head and failed his head injury assessment.

The Munster centre was replaced by Ulster’s Billy Burns for the remainder of the game.

Both players will not feature this weekend as a result of the injuries they picked up at the weekend.

Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony will also be unavailable for the match against the USA Eagles after he was released from the camp to begin his off-season.

The Munster star played 71 minutes in the win over Japan and was replaced by debutant and Munster Player of the Year Gavin Coombes.

It is likely that we see a less experienced side play against the USA than we did against Japan.

The news that these three international regulars will not be available guarantees that there will be a higher chance of this.

To view the full Irish squad for the Vodafone Summer Series, click here.

Ireland U18 Centre Karl Martin Signs For Montpellier

Ireland youth prospect Karl Martin has signed an academy deal with Top 14 club Montpellier.

The U18 international has signed a three-year contract with the Challenge Cup winners, joining the side from Leinster.

According to the42, Leinster were keen to retain the Drogheda centre but they did not have a full academy place available for him.

Martin opted to move to mainland Europe to join Montpellier as a result of this.

The Louth native made his debut for the Leinster U18s at the age of 15 and joins Phillipe Saint-AndrĂ©’s side with international experience at youth level under his belt.

Martin, who was the 2018 Young Sports Star of the Year at the Drogheda Independent Coca-Cola Sports Star awards was also involved in the Leinster ‘A’ setup in the past season.

His former club Boyne RFC wished him well on their social media account after the deal was announced.

The 18-year-old becomes the latest player to leave Ireland’s most high profile province and go abroad.

Hugh O’Sullivan recently moved across the pond to join Declan Kidney at London Irish.

23-year-old Luke Carty was part of the Connacht setupb ut recently moved across the Atlantic Ocean to join the LA Giltinis.

The younger brother to Ireland international Jack Carty qualified for United States and made his debut for the side against England on Sunday.

Martin will now pursue a professional career in French rugby.

Ings turns down four-year Southampton Contract

Southampton and England international Danny Ings has turned down a four-year contract extension with Southampton.

Ings (28) is entering the final year of his current contract at St.Marys, with Manchester City interested in signing Ings, as a successor to parted Argentian striker Sergio Aguero.

Manchester United have also been linked with Ings, but with Edison Cavani signing a one-year extension, any deal looks unlikely.

Since signing for Southampton in the summer of 2019 after a successful loan spell with the Saints in 2018. He has scored 34 goals in 67 Premier League appearances.

Scoring 14 goals last season and 25 the season prior. Ings has turned down a four-year contract which would see him stay at the club until 2024.

The deal would have made Ings the highest-paid player in Southampton’s history, but the former Liverpool player is reportedly keen to compete at the highest level.

With Ing’s turning down a four-year contract with Southampton, it suggests the Man City interest has turned his head.

Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said in May that he expected Ings to put pen to paper on a new contract;

“I think Danny, especially, will stay with us,” “He knows with all his injuries he has had he has a very good spot to perform and come back, and I think this is important for a player.”

“It’s a risk to go into a final year of a contract with the risk of getting another injury, then things can be gone. It’s something every player has to answer for themselves, and we hope he’ll be with us for longer.”

Ings joined the Saints for a then club-record fee of ÂŁ20 million in the summer of 2019.

He was called up to the England squad in 2020, missing out on the EURO 2020 squad due to injury.

Danny Ings turns down four-year deal with Southampton

Southampton striker Danny Ings has turned down a new contract as transfer rumors circle the player according to Sky Sports

There are only 12 months remaining on Ings contract at the Saints. Transfermarkt estimates his value to be around €25 million.

Although it seems he has been in the Premier League for a long time, he is still only 28. He has also played for clubs, Liverpool and Burnley.

Ings has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City with manager Pep Guardiola very impressed by him. Tottenham Hotspur might also look for the striker if they lose the talismanic Harry Kane this summer.

He has scored 34 goals in 67 games since joining Southampton permanently in 2019.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl told Sky Sports in April:

“I think Danny, especially, will stay with us. He knows with all his injuries he has had he has a very good spot to perform and come back, and I think this is important for a player.”

 

Danny Ings missed out on making the England squad for Euro 2020 and as he hits the prime of his career. He will need to be at a bigger club to convince Gareth Southgate of his talent.

Southampton has done some business this summer already by making Theo Walcott’s loan move permanent and signing left-back Romain Perraud.

Ings has been the focal point of the Saints attack and has been involved in everything good they produce. It will be important for them to lock down the striker or to find a good replacement or 2021/22 could be a very difficult year for them.

“It’s a risk to go into a final year of a contract with the risk of getting another injury, then things can be gone. It’s something every player has to answer for themselves, and we hope he’ll be with us for longer,” added Hasenhuttl.

Chael Sonnen Defends Dana White Over Fighter Pay

Former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen has come out to defend UFC President Dana White over fighter pay.

Sonnen has come to the defence of White over fighters complaining about a lack of sufficient pay after a recent dispute with heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

In a recent video taken from his Youtube channel, Sonnen expressed how White was the first to champion for bigger purses for fighters.

He added; “The person who believes fighters were exploited and fighters weren’t paid enough is Dana. And they’re now trying to use the same argument that he brought forward and act as though he is doing something wrong.

“When I first fought in the UFC, the year was 2005. I was paid $2,000 to show and $2,000 to win. I could not believe how much money I had in my pocket when I got that check. $2,000 in 2005.”

Sonnen went on to say that the overall pay for fighters in today’s landscape has significantly risen since then. With payouts rising from $2000 to $12,000

With the ”bad guy” offering anyone a reward who can name one or more companies besides the UFC who has done the same thing.

”The minimum pay right now is $12,000. The minimum now is six times as much. I will give two tickets to anybody who shows me any company in the world that is paying six times (more) right now than what it paid 15 years ago.”

The topic of fighter pay has been long discussed in MMA, and especially in the UFC. With former Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones in the spotlight.

After vacating his Lightweight strap and moving up to Heavyweight, Jones expressed he should be compensated more if he were to challenge UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou.

Jones was immediately shot down by White, who claimed Jones wanted Deontay Wilder money for moving up a weight class.

White’s Response to Jones

During a media scrum in May, White responded to Jones’s claims, claiming he wanted over ÂŁ30 million, and that ÂŁ8-10 million was simply too low.

 “We have text messages from Jon Jones. It’s not like I can’t prove what I’m saying is true. We have text messages from him but I’m not going to do that. I’m not going to put his text messages out in the press”.

“If Jon Jones wants to sit down and take a lie detector test about who’s lying and who’s not, we can do that, too”.

 

 

 

Iain Henderson To Captain British and Irish Lions

Ulster and Ireland’s Iain Henderson will captain Warren Gatland’s British and Irish Lions when they play the Cell C Sharks in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening.

It will be the 29-year-old’s first time wearing the armband for the famous side in his second tour.

The lock forward has been Ulster captain since the start of the 2019-20 season, taking on the role after Rory Best.

He has also worn the armband at international level for Ireland – captaining the side when they lost 15-13 to France at the Aviva Stadium in this year’s Six Nations Championship.

Henderson will join an elite group of Irish captains of the Lions, with 12 Irish players achieving the honour beforehand (including Conor Murray).

Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll are examples of the Irish players that have captained the famous side before.

Henderson is only the second Irish player to captain the Lions that was not Tour Captain.

Peter O’Mahony started the first test against New Zealand in 2017 ahead of Tour Captain Sam Warburton and was given the armband in his absence.

Henderson’s achievement will come 101 years after the first-ever Irish Lions captain led the side out against South Africa.

Tommy Smyth is the beginning of an illustrious list that includes those mentioned above as well as full-back Tom Kiernan and lock Willie John McBride, who toured with the Lions five times and is currently the most-capped player for the side.

Iain Henderson will etch his name onto that list on Wednesday evening when he leads the side out against the Sharks in Johannesburg.

The lock will captain a side that includes Connacht and Ireland centre Bundee Aki at 12.

Four Irish players are expected to come off the bench in the midweek game – Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan and Conor Murray.

Click here to see the Lions’ matchday 23 to face the Sharks.

The game will be available to watch on Sky Sports.

 

Sharks 23 to play British and Irish Lions Announced

The British and Lions’ first midweek opponents, the Cell C Sharks, have announced their 23-man team for the game on Wednesday at 6 pm.

Springboks-capped fly-half Curwin Bosch will start the game wearing the number 10.

No.8 Phepsi Buthelezi will wear the armband upon his return to the side after missing their last outing against Western Province.

Khwesi Mona and Khutha Mchunu will have Fez Mbatha in between them in the front row.

Ruben van Heerden and Hyron will start for the side in the second row.

James Venter will pair up with Thembelani Bholi and the previously mentioned Buthelezi in the back row.

21-year-old Jaden Hendrikse will play at scrum-half beside fly-half Bosch.

Marius Louw and Jeremy Ward will make up the midfield pairing for the side with a back three of Thaakir Abrahams, Werner Kok and Manie Libbok.

Substitutes include Ntuthuko Mchunu and former Ulster player Wiehahn Herbst.

The game will be played at Ellis Park in Johannesburg and will be shown live on Sky Sports.

Click here to see the British and Irish Lions side that will play the Sharks.

Sharks side v Lions

Backs

15. Manie Libbok
14. Werner Kok
13. Jeremy Ward
12. Marius Louw
11. Thaakir Abrahams
10. Curwin Bosch
9. Jaden Hendrikse

Forwards

1. Khwezi Mona
2. Fez Mbatha
3. Khutha Mchunu
4. Ruben van Heerden
5. Hyron Andrews
6. James Venter
7. Thembelani Bholi
8. Phepsi Buthelezi C

Replacements:

16. Kerron van Vuuren
17. Ntuthuko Mchunu
18. Wiehahn Herbst
19. JJ van der Mescht
20. Reniel Hugo
21. Dylan Richardson
22. Grant Williams
23. Anthony Volmink.

Amanda Staveley Criticises Premier League Over Takeover Bid

Businesswoman Amanda Staveley has criticised the Premier League over a ”closely guarded lack of transparency” over the potential takeover bid of Newcastle United.

Stavely, who was the financier of a ÂŁ300 million takeover of Newcastle United has come out with a letter to the British Conservative Party member Tracey Crouch, who is leading a government-commissioned review of English football’s governance.

In the letter, Ms Staveley has pointed the finger at the Premier League over the legal proceedings that will ultimately determine the ownership of Newcastle.

Stating a ”closely guarded lack of transparency” and that the league has raised ”an effective shield against public scrutiny.

The use of confidential arbitration processes to fix the in-house fighting within the English football pyramid was heavily criticised by Staveley in her letter, adding;

“One might justifiably ask why that model is so favoured by those responsible for regulating the sport if they have nothing to hide.”

Ms Stavely’s letter addressed many of the issues and actions over her proposed takeover last year after a consortium consisting of her firm, PCP Capital Partners and a Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF)withdrew its offer to buy Newcastle United.

Which ultimately failed due to the Premier League Owners and Directors Test.

However, The Premier League has denied any wrongdoings in the rejection of the takeover.

Citing that it was never PCP’s bid that was the issue, coming to the conclusion that the PIF is controlled by the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, which stopped the takeover from moving forward.

The Letter and Club Statement

In Staveleys letter, she wrote;

“Fans surely deserve absolute transparency from the regulators across all their processes – to best ensure that they act responsibly.

“They are performing a function like that of a government regulator – but without the same systems for accountability.”

The Club released a statement surrounding the arbitration case against the Premier League, telling the league the case for greater transparency in the sport.

“Gone are the days when important decisions that affect clubs and their fans should be made secretly, behind closed doors and away from the public eye,” the statement read.

 

Cluxton stepping away claims Farrell

Stephen Cluxton is reportedly stepping away from the Dublin senior football panel claims Dessie Farrell.

Dublin manager Dessie Farrell confirmed the news after months of speculation after Dublin’s narrow win over Wexford on Sunday.

While Farrell claims Cluxton is stepping away for the time being he did admit that the eight-time All-Ireland winner has not retired from the sport.

“The situation is very simple. Stephen isn’t with us at the moment. He has gone back to his club, and he’s just taking time to heal the body, maybe re-generate the appetite,” Farrell told members of the media after the game.

“I don’t know to be honest whether Stephen will be back or not. ”He is not retired, he has just stepped away. And I think he’s spoken about it in the group. Given the service he has provided over the years, he deserves that respect and that time and space to make up his mind.”

The full Dessie Farrell Interview: FM104

This news comes after former Mayo midfielder David Brady claimed that he was on the way out of the Dublin panel for the upcoming Championship season.

Adding on an Off The Ball Podcast;

”Stephen Cluxton has probably done exactly what Cuxton was going to do, he was going to bow out, and from my mind, I don’t see him being any part of the Dublin panel this year.”

The Parnells man made his senior championship debut for Dublin at the age of twenty and has gone on to become the greatest goalkeeper in history.

Boasting eight All-Ireland wins and captaining his side to seven of those titles.

There has been no official statement released by Dublin nor from Cluxton himself about the rumours circulating about his future.

Although there has been much speculation over whether or not the six-time all-star keeper will part ways after nearly twenty years of service to the Capital.

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