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Aston Villa Star Pau Torres has, surprisingly, backed Unai Emery for the Real Madrid job if he was ever offered it.

Marca report the Aston Villa defender’s comments today Following an appearance on Radio Marca’s La Tribu program.

aston villa success

Unai Emery has continued to produce amazing performances at Aston Villa this season, with the Villans currently sitting fifth in the Premier League with two games remaining.

As a result they look set to qualify for the Champions League again. But they could also be ready to add a major trophy to their collection, with Emery guiding them to the Europa League final. This will also give them a place in the Champions League.

All this has been achieved despite a difficult summer for the club and a slow start to the season, in which they failed to score in their first three games or win any of their first six. They are now on course for their first major trophy since 1996 and a return to Europe’s top table.

Both are more successful in a career that is already full of successes. The Spaniard is unquestionably one of the standout managers in world football at the moment. And reports linked him to Real Madrid this summer.

real madrid look elsewhere

Pau Torres is well aware of those reports and believes the Aston Villa manager would be perfect for the role.

“Coaching Real Madrid would be the icing on the cake for Emery’s career,” He said.

“He is a manager who lives and breathes football. I think he is more than qualified. The results he has achieved at every club he has been at speak for themselves.”

Fortunately for Aston Villa, it seems that Real Madrid will not be calling up Unai Emery any time in the near future.

Instead, it appears they are now reaching a deal for Jose Mourinho. In fact, A report from Portugal today Insisted that the deal is almost done. And Benfica will target Fulham’s Marco Silva as his replacement.

Then, Aston Villa and Unai Emery can rest easy and focus on next season.

Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes has been hard at work in the college basketball transfer portal this month, securing three commitments just days after leading the program to the Elite Eight. Now it appears volunteers are on the verge of a fourth large influx this month.

On3.com’s Joe Tipton reported ahead of wing Jalen Harrelson’s visit to Knoxville on Tuesday that Tennessee is “accelerating this recruiting” and momentum is building toward a potential commitment.

RELATED: Tennessee volunteers gaining momentum for SG in portal

Haralson, a 6-foot-6 forward, is rated as a four-star player this cycle by the college basketball transfer portal Rivals and On3.com. He is viewed as the second-best small forward on the market and the 39th-best player available this offseason.

Before this season, Rivals ranked him the 31st-best high school player in the 2025 recruiting class. It was the same class as five-star recruit Nate Ament, a late commit to Tennessee last year who is now expected to be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

RELATED: Tennessee in mix for top player in CBB transfer portal

As a freshman, he started 23 of 27 games for the Fighting Irish. Harrelson averaged 16.2 points, 4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field. He doesn’t offer much in the way of a perimeter scoring threat, making just 5 of 25 from beyond the arc in his freshman season, but he got to the free-throw line 181 times (6.7 per game) and shot 67.4 percent of his free-throw attempts.

As he gained more experience as a freshman, Haralson’s play continued to improve. While Notre Dame went 6–13 to end his season, Haralson averaged 17.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during that span, posted a 52.7 effective field goal percentage, and he averaged 7.4 free-throw attempts per contest.

RELATED: Insider sheds light on Tennessee’s approach to transfer portal

For Tennessee, he could potentially fill the void left by Ament’s expected departure. His commitment will be the fourth commitment for volunteers this month, coming on the heels of or during the trips to Knoxville.

Entering Wednesday, Tennessee’s transfer portal commitment class included Belmont shooting guard Tyler Lundblad, California guard Dai Dai Ames and Loyola big man Miles Rubin. The Volunteers are still actively searching for several guards, including a point guard to replace Ja’Coby Gillespie.

RELATED: Tennessee Volunteers to spend big bucks on basketball

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

On this week’s SmackDown, WWE fans were treated to one of the most disappointing performances in decades. After weeks of hype about a mystery man who was pushing WWE Undisputed Title contender Randy Orton to dark places so he could win the belt at WrestleMania 42, fans of the company were disappointed to learn that that man was… Pat McAfee.

Leading up to the expected revelations, industry veterans who had unique relationships with Orton or his WrestleMania opponent, Cody Rhodes, were named in speculation about the mystery caller. Greats like Ric Flair, The Rock, “Cowboy” Bob Orton and even Shane McMahon. Instead, WWE fans got McAfee. Sometimes analyst and wrestler, who is more known for his podcast and NFL career.

The revelations led to confusion inside the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, and online scorn. Which includes thousands more dislikes than likes on YouTube for videos at this time. What made this surprise even more strange is the reason for all this.

The popular podcaster complained about the weak product and lack of violent, adult, gritty elements of the Attitude Era and said the company needed to move on from the 46-year-old Orton because Rhodes is a poor leader, and why the product is not what it should be.

Over the past year there has been some criticism from fans regarding Rhodes, his character, and his specific role. There is a degree of truth in what McAfee said on SmackDown. However, his return highlights a much bigger problem. This is WWE and their parent company TKO’s celebrity worship on the Road to WrestleMania.

IWC case against Pat McAfee and Cody Rhodes

In 2024, there was no hotter performer in the industry than Cody Rhodes. His journey to finish the story at WrestleMania 40 took the business by storm and made the event a historic success. He filled the void left by John Cena, but not without the divisive reactions from fans.

However, “The American Nightmare” has lost popularity with some fans over the past year. They’re tired of being the mainstays in the WWE Title picture, as well as their long reigns. Furthermore, he often lacks the edge that made him a superstar in 2023 and 2024 as he looks like this generation’s version of Cena. But is it really all on Rhodes?

He’s the QB1, especially as fellow top star Roman Reigns has a part-time schedule. In the end, WWE is still a business, and he’s putting butts in seats. Despite disappointingly high ticket prices, the company is still doing well with their faces. Certainly, he has the right to have his say in his story, but the blame for the opposition put forward to the WWE Champion should be placed squarely on the head of creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque and his team. A good face needs a lot of great heels.

Rhodes chose not to face Drew McIntyre several times over the past few months. Nor did they have any say on the rest of the show or other frustrations with the product, as McAfee noted in his statement. Like the QB1 of an NFL team, he has taken the blame for concerns over which he has no control. Yet, instead of improving the product, WWE is pushing a different strategy that has gotten out of control.

Why is WWE’s celebrity worship getting out of control?

Celebrity appearances in WWE are nothing new. That crossover of stars from other industries has often been very helpful to the brand. Like Cyndi Lauper in the 1980s, Mike Tyson in the late 1990s, and Bad Bunny in recent years. Those names draw extra attention to the product and possibly new fans.

However, the company is starting to move much further towards that instead of focusing on making its content as strong as it was a few years ago. And this overindulgence may be something imposed on the decision makers by their bosses at TKO.

According to a new report, McAfee’s unexpected return to join the Orton and Rhodes storyline was pushed forward by TKO. Many believe that CEO Ari Emanuel is a big fan of McAfee and is trying to turn him into a movie star.

It was speculated in the past that TKO may also have been a driving force in The Rock making a random return at last year’s Elimination Chamber, but never returned to finish his role in John Cena’s heel turn. Similarly, hip-hop superstar Travis Scott was in that story, but turned into an unbelievable celebrity flake who made just one more appearance and then disappeared.

Recent WWE Celebrity Appearances: Jelly Roll, Lil Yachty, Cardi B, iShowspeed, Sexy Redd, Pat McAfee

Still, there are other examples of overuse by celebrities that have nothing to do with TKO. GRAMMY winner Jelly Roll appeared in five disturbing segments on SmackDown last week. Including winning over Kit Wilson in a singles match and hitting him with an RKO at the end of the broadcast.

Rapper Lil Yachty served as the guest sidekick to rising star Trick Williams on this week’s SmackDown. IShowSpeed ​​was on WWE Raw this week, accidentally helped The Vision win the tag titles, and is expected to be in a six-man tag match at WrestleMania this month.

There are also rumors that NFL legend Tom Brady could also appear at WrestleMania this year to continue a bizarre rivalry with Logan Paul. Rapper Sexy Redd will make another appearance for NXT this weekend, and Cardi B hosted SummerSlam in August. Furthermore, due to his fame outside WWE, McAfee is back again.

WWE’s over-reliance on celebrity appearances is getting out of control. And in a wonderful irony, McAfee has shed further light on – although it was not his goal – how this has become a much bigger problem than Rhodes’s. At a time when WWE has its largest roster ever, wasting TV time and valuable spots in major storylines on celebs instead of current or veteran talent is not Rhodes’ fault and is a symptom of a larger problem.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The Kansas City Chiefs don’t have to worry about their next TE1 in the near future. Travis Kelce is frozen in KC, and the dynasty window is wide open.

For a minute this offseason, it looked like Kelce might hang it up. Retirement talk was real, and Chiefs Kingdom was preparing for life after No. 87. But by mid-March, Kelce stopped all that noise and made it clear he wasn’t done cooking yet.

But turns out, Kelce has more gas in the tank than people expected, and the Chiefs are clearly planning as if their TE1 isn’t going anywhere in the near future.

RELATED: Kansas City Chiefs linked to future Hall of Famer

Travis Kelce hints at win-now mode for the Chiefs

Kelce isn’t going to stop this any time soon. He has just re-signed with the Chiefs, locking himself in for the next step and keeping TE1 duties firmly in his hands.

After weeks of retirement talks, Kelce called it all off and put pen to paper. The deal starts with a first-year payout of $12 million and incentives, and is structured to keep him among the top earners in the position. grassroots level? Casey didn’t bring it back – he doubled the pressure on his man.

And it makes sense. The Chiefs are coming off a brutal 2025 campaign that turned into a six-game slump, finishing 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. This isn’t exactly how a dynasty likes to run.

Kelce did not want this to be his final chapter. “Definitely I want to come back,” Kelce said. “I definitely don’t want to end my career without getting to the playoffs and having one of my best years. It still feels like I was hungry enough to get back into it.”

He said, “Obviously, there’s still a little bit of that grit and that feeling. I hate the way this thing ended last year. I want to make it right. I want to get another chance at the Super Bowl.”

That’s vintage Kels. Competitive, excited and still chasing rings.

Even in a ‘down year’, the future Hall of Famer posted 76 catches, 851 yards and 5 TDs while earning a nod to the Pro Bowl for the 11th consecutive time. Not bad for a guy who people thought could ride off into the sunset. Instead, Kelce is running it back, and Chiefs Kingdom have secured their biggest weapon for more than just a farewell tour.

RELATED: 5 Christian Wilkins Landing Spots for 2026

Hasne Kamara has had two very different spells at Watford over the last few seasons, well, two turned into one.

The left-back joined the Hornets from Nice in January 2022. He played the second half of the season in the Premier League but was then sold permanently to Udinese in the summer.

Shortly thereafter, he was loaned back to Watford before the Italian side brought him back for the 2023/24 campaign.

The 32-year-old is an important part of the Serie A team, having established himself as a regular player over the past three seasons.

The praise has now come from Pierpaolo Marino, who worked closely with the Pozzo family and Udinese from 2019 to 2023.

Marino brings Kamara from Watford

The director spoke to Udinese tonight about a number of things relating to Kosta Rungic’s side. He chose to particularly praise Kamara, who has played 16 times in Serie A this season despite injury concerns.

He highlighted its importance and praised its ability to transcend.

Marino said- relayed by All Udinese: : “When I was here, I followed Watford. Kamara makes crosses with a turn that allows the attacker to score more easily. He crosses with impeccable technique, he knows it, and that’s why he says one assist is not enough.”

He also used a reference to a quote from Diego Maradona and seemed to be indirectly comparing the left-back to the legend.

“This is also true [Lorenzo] Lucca is no longer in the box. Davis isn’t exactly an expert in heading, and neither is Zaniolo. To preach a good sermon also requires a listener.

“Maradona used to say that he crosses with the ball, when the ball comes, the attacker just has to touch it and put it into the net. Kamara has that quality to a certain extent.”

While comparisons to the late Argentinian are exaggerated, Marino has a point. Kamara has shown his excellent crossing ability, assisting four times last season.

Watford made significant gains

This is a way of justifying the signing by Marino himself, as Watford made approximately €19m from the sale.

At the time, Kamara was around 20 years old and the Hornets had spent less than €5m to sign him.

The defender has had a great career and Udinese find themselves tenth in the table. They could still return to Europe and that would be fair reward for the Ivorian’s progress.

MIAMI – With Miami Heat star Norman Powell considered “week-to-week” with a groin strain, the team is looking for ways to fill the void the All-Star has left now that there is no doubt a big question as to how productive he can be. With the Heat growing frustrated after taking a step back after their last two disappointing losses, head coach Erik Spoelstra has expressed confidence the team can keep the ship afloat, especially with star Tyler Herro.

While Powell is dealing with a Grade 1 groin strain that could cause the 32-year-old to miss a few games as Miami has four games this upcoming week, Herro is the clear choice to step into the role as the main offensive option alongside Bam Adebayo. Still, Powell has been key to the Heat’s offense, leading the team with 22.5 points per game, but one can’t forget that Herro was an All-Star last season, averaging 23.9 points per game.

Although Miami is losing Powell for an unknown amount of time, Herro’s workload is likely to increase, with Spoelstra even telling ClutchPoints that he was “planning on playing him a few more minutes anyway.”

“Well, we know what we miss with Norm,” Spoelstra said before Saturday’s game against the Houston Rockets. “He’s proven this year that he’s a versatile, explosive scorer in our system, but we also have other guys that can step up. Tyler, certainly, is a guy that’s already starting to get into a better rhythm and were planning on playing him a few more minutes anyway.”

“So, we need this,” Spoelstra continued. “You can see him in the second part [of last Thursday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers] He’s just being himself, and I think he’s going to get even better.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about Norman Powell’s absence and Tyler Herro’s increased workload.

“We have other guys that can step up, certainly Tyler is a guy that’s already starting to get into a better rhythm, was planning on feeding him a few more minutes anyway…” #heatanarian pic.twitter.com/eTj690ezyW

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 28 February 2026

More on Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, Tyler Herro on Norman Powell’s treatment

While the Heat are tired of participating in the play-in tournament and trying to climb the standings with 22 games remaining before Saturday, Herro will be key in keeping the offense going. However, from what fans have seen there may be a role change, as Herro has been coming off the bench for the last four games after missing 15 games due to a rib injury.

There was already a question whether Herro would be reinserted into the starting lineup, but now with Powell out, does Miami have an option? Only time will tell, but it can’t be denied that Herro wants to stay healthy for the remainder of the season and help the Heat after he has missed 45 games this season due to a myriad of injuries.

In addition, the trio of Herro, Powell and Adebayo have only played 11 games this season, giving the team a small sample size on the ceiling. At any rate, Powell will work to get back, though it remains to be seen how much time will be lost.

“We took everything we had available to us today,” Spoelstra said. “I feel for Norm, because he wants to be out for all the games, especially in these moments, you know, right now. But we’ll treat him, and we’ll see where he’s at after the week.”

On Norman Powell being labeled “week to week” by Erik Spoelstra and where that leaves the team.

“We have everything available to us today. I feel for Norm because he wants to be there for all the games… but we’ll treat him and we’ll see where he is after the week…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/3sn4FpTUoS

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 28 February 2026

Before Saturday’s game against the Rockets, Miami is 31-29, leaving them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, but the good news is that, including the aforementioned contest, the Heat are at home for the next seven of eight contests.