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chelsea’s The long-planned move for Giovani Quenda is now closer to becoming reality, and Sporting is already feeling the emotional side of it.

After spending the season amidst the title race, overcoming injuries and constantly focusing on his future, the 19-year-old is now officially saying goodbye to the club where it all started.

And watching his farewell interview with Sporting TV, broadcast by the Portuguese outlet to ballThis has hurt him more deeply than expected.

“it’s not goodbye”

Quenda will arrive at Chelsea this summer after the Blues agreed a deal worth around £43.5m (€50m+) for the winger last year.

The plan always included staying in Lisbon for another season before moving to Stamford Bridge. Since then, that final campaign has included almost everything imaginable.

He suffered a long-term injury after fracturing his foot, with rehabilitation work in London under the care of Chelsea. Then their return and their final home match in Lisbon was filled with emotional messages.

Now comes the real farewell. Speaking in a recent interview, Kwenda admitted that he was seriously struggling with the idea of ​​leaving Sporting.

“I had nights when I couldn’t sleep because it was so difficult for me to say goodbye to a club that helped me and my family so much. It’s a very special club to me,” He said.

“The club will always be in my heart. There’s no way I can thank Sporting for how they treated my parents and my family.”

At several moments, the winger reportedly had to pause to wipe away tears.

Chelsea are getting a player who is deeply connected to Sporting

Giovanni Quenda joined Sporting in his childhood and worked his way up through the years to reach the first team.

He eventually achieved that dream under Rubén Amorim, continuing to gain confidence from Rui Borges despite difficult moments following the latter’s injury return.

The winger made 20 Liga Portugal appearances this season, scoring twice and providing five assists in over 1,000 league minutes.

Kwenda repeatedly returned to the emotional connection with Sporting rather than focusing on statistics or the move to Chelsea.

“I’m more mature now, with a bit more experience, although there’s still a lot to live up to for me in football,” he explained.

“But Sporting helped me a lot. I will always keep Sporting in my heart. This is not goodbye, see you soon. I hope one day I can wear a Sporting shirt again.”

One last memory before Stamford Bridge

Kwenda also spoke warmly of many people around the club. He thanked Rui Borges for having faith in him, especially during difficult times after his injury.

“He always talked to me, even when I was not at my best. He always helped me, gave me minutes and played with me.”

There was room for light memories too. Quenda laughed, recalling coach Ricardo Esgio’s approach in training.

“Esgio would kick me a lot during training and then say it was so I could learn, because football was not easy.”

Now, Chelsea are preparing to welcome one of Portugal’s biggest talents. But he is also inheriting a player who clearly never thought that leaving Sporting would affect him so much.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi is not happy with the Carolina Hurricanes.

This isn’t a bit of a surprise, as for the first time in his tenure with Carolina, he has been the most frequently scratched player for the team. In a recent interview, he discussed the Hurricanes’ issues with coaching, management and their season overall.

Kotkaniemi talks about lack of communication, trust with organization leaders

On Wednesday, Ilta-Sanomat, Finland’s largest newspaper, released his interview with Kotkaniemi – an interview in which the 25-year-old centerman lifted the lid on the rift between himself and the Hurricanes organization.

“It hasn’t really been explained to me why I’m not allowed to play,” he told the outlet. “It’s a little difficult.”

He expressed his frustration in the narrative that he is not equal to a second-line centerman when he has rarely performed as one throughout his time in Carolina, citing an oft-forgotten discrepancy between his position on nightly lineup sheets versus ice time and the matchups he was actually given.

However, it seems like the thing that has frustrated him the most is, as you would expect, a lack of meaningful ice time and an absence of trust from the coaching staff.

“Playing time was limited from the beginning of the season. Then came bench assignments. And after a long injury, the coaching staff was in no hurry to get me back into the lineup.

“It’s a shame, because I worked hard over the summer.”

Between the failed trade and lack of ice time, Kotkaniemi’s future with the Hurricanes remains uncertain.

He subsequently faced frequent trade rumors and was repeatedly said to be moved, but this never seemed to happen.

With only eight points this season, and averaging just over 11 minutes of ice time whenever he has been given the chance, this is a stark contrast to last season, in which he had three times the points and average ice time per night was almost three minutes more.

As for Kotkaniemi’s career, and his potential return to the Hurricanes if he is ultimately traded, this season has undoubtedly taken its toll on both sides. Before the trade deadline, the team began making calls about a possible move, but those lined up were reportedly unwilling to pay the price set by general manager Eric Tulsky. Since then, except for the occasional game, he has simply been left on the shelf, gathering dust and losing the opportunity to improve his numbers, and in turn, his trade value.

“The future here doesn’t look very good, at least not right now.”

Translation via Google Translate, Microsoft Translator

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

In fact, the New Jersey Devils are interviewing one of the hottest free agent general manager candidates.

On Thursday, a source confirmed to New Jersey Hockey Now that the Devils have received permission from the Florida Panthers to talk to Sunny Mehta about their open GM position.

Mehta is one of two assistant Panthers GMs who are attracting interest for several vacancies, including Brett Peterson.

At this point, there is no indication that the Devils have even asked to speak to Peterson.

Mehta is one of New Jersey Hockey Now’s “must interview” candidates after the Devils fired Tom Fitzgerald on Monday evening.

Mehta is one of Bill Zito’s right-hand men who helped the Panthers capture back-to-back Stanley Cups the past two seasons.

Mehta, a former Wyckoff, New Jersey resident, also has ties to the Devils as the former director of hockey analytics from 2014 to 2017.

The Devils would not be alone in interviewing Mehta. The Toronto Maple Leafs, who fired Brad Treliving on March 30, are also interviewing the Panthers’ assistant GM for their vacant position.

Due to his analytical approach, Mehta is one of the leading candidates for GM Markets. He was one of the major factors in the Panthers finding Gustav Forsling on the waiver wire, trading forward Spencer Knight for Seth Jones and trading out Matthew Tkachuk.

Mehta, a big Devils fan, revealed in 2021 that his love affair with hockey began in New Jersey.

“He just practiced in public,” Mehta told NHL.com five years ago. “This was in the mid-’80s. It was very, very different. Like there would be more people watching the Devils practice at the public skate than there would be. But I, a little 7-year-old kid, was mesmerized by it. I would just stand in front of the mirror and watch the Devils practice, day after day.”

It would be great to see that come full circle if he takes the GM seat as the next assistant GM and is ready to become a full-time general manager.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Recently, the San Antonio Spurs made headlines when big man Luke Cornette spoke out against the Atlanta Hawks’ planned Magic City Night to pay homage to a local iconic strip club. The NBA eventually intervened and canceled the promotion, with many fans speculating that Cornette’s objections may have had something to do with it.

During a recent episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash and guest Austin Reeves, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James referenced the controversy.

“We’ve got to get Luke Cornett to talk about Magic City,” James said.

Now this is how you end an episode pic.twitter.com/ESeikM1ySQ

– Jimmy Changa ✌️ (@sultanwaystar) 24 March 2026

“We’re going to slam the laptop,” Nash joked.

The Hawks still sold Magic City Wings at the arena and sweatshirts online for the event, but some game-related promotional events were canceled as a result of the NBA’s decision. Kornet was not the only NBA player to speak out against the incident, as former Hawks big man and Kornet’s former Boston Celtics teammate, Al Horford, also took to social media to sign off on Kornet’s complaints.

Based on his tone, it doesn’t seem like James was serious about inviting Kornet on the podcast to discuss this topic, which has largely been put on the back burner as the NBA season approaches its home stretch. However, for a week or so, it sparked discussion about the intersection of the NBA’s reputation as a family-friendly brand with its continued allegiance to gambling companies and other less palatable aspects of society, with some accusing the league of hypocrisy in the decision to cancel the event.

Meanwhile, the Spurs have continued to blow away opponents over the past few weeks, and appear to have locked up the number two seed in the Western Conference when all is said and done.

The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers were already in a chaotic, “Twilight Zone” matchup at Little Caesars Arena when Donovan Mitchell decided to steal the show from the sideline. With a broken scoreboard and a literal handheld air horn dictating the rhythm of the game, Mitchell provided the perfect comedy beat on an otherwise tense Friday night for the Cavs.

While participating in an in-game interview from the bench, the sidelined Cavs superstar couldn’t help but play “armchair referee.” As he watched Dennis Schroder steal and then be fouled, Mitchell took over to defend his teammate. “Look at Dennis, man. That’s foul. Sorry,” he joked. It was a rare moment of jubilation in a building that felt more like a construction site than an NBA arena.

“Look at Dennis, man. This is foul.”

-Donovan Mitchell joins the broadcast from the bench pic.twitter.com/CWlyHJK2fw

– NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) 28 February 2026

Ultimately the jokes faded as the Pistons won 122–119 in an overtime thriller. Jalen Duren was a pass rusher, anchoring Detroit with a 33-point, 16-rebound triple-double. Cade Cunningham performed equally well, finishing with 26 points and seven assists to secure the win in front of the home crowd.

Despite Mitchell and James Harden being down, the Cavs refused to go quietly. Evan Mobley put up 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Jarrett Allen’s 25 points kept them alive long enough to force a 114–114 tie at the end of regulation. In the end, Detroit’s interior strength proved too much for the shorthanded Cavs to handle in the additional five minutes.

Despite showing tremendous grit and determination, the Cavs could not overcome the Pistons, who were losing their stars.

Kyrie Irving gives fans the inside scoop on how he’s been spending his time over All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, whether it’s working out or interacting with fans. He also shared how he is not a fan of some sports media companies, including the world’s largest.

Irving was taking pictures with fans when a publicist approached him and said ESPN was going to interview him. The Dallas Mavericks guard smiled at the man and later said, “I don’t really care about ESPN.”

Kyrie Irving declined an interview for ESPN:

“I don’t really care about ESPN”pic.twitter.com/YI1KQSOhS6

– MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) 16 February 2026

There is some truth to the fact that Irving is not very fond of ESPN, and it is directly related to Stephen A. Might be from Smith, as they’ve been going back and forth over the years.

The most recent time was when Smith talked about Irving’s extension with the Mavericks, saying the guard deserved more than he got.

“In today’s economy, where you get Cats paid over $55, $60 million, you can’t give this guy at least $43 to $45 million per year? Remember, he should have gotten a player option that would have given him $43 million. So, to me, $119 million, that’s a little less than $40 million per year. Kyrie Irving deserves more than that,” Smith said.

Although it was a compliment, Irving did not take it that way and fired back at Smith.

“I’m going to discuss his contract. I’m going to discuss Stephen A’s contract and I’ll say: ‘I don’t think you’re worth it,'” Irving said.

Before then, Smith will test Irving after he did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which caused him to miss court time with the Brooklyn Nets. Smith has since apologized for his stance on it, but it was still a big issue that he always brought up on First Take.

The feud between Smith and Irving may have started when the guard went on First Take after being traded to the Boston Celtics, and he was basically questioned during his entire segment about why he wanted to leave Cleveland.

The Cleveland Browns continue reshaping their leadership structure following a difficult season that ended with a 5–12 record and a last-place finish in the AFC North, with their head coach search gaining urgency as new candidates emerge. The organization is scheduled to interview Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Saturday as part of its expanding process.

In an article published on the organization’s official website, the Browns’ Kelsey Russo confirmed the interview’s timing.

“The Browns are interviewing Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Saturday for the team’s head coach opening.”

Monken brings more than three decades of coaching experience, including 11 years at the NFL level, and is widely regarded for his offensive acumen. Cleveland requested and received permission earlier this week to speak with Monken amid Baltimore’s own coaching transition and uncertainty surrounding his future with the Ravens.

The Browns are seeking stability after dismissing Kevin Stefanski on January 5 following six seasons at the helm. Under Stefanski, Cleveland posted a 45–56 record with two playoff appearances, but recent struggles proved decisive, including a combined 8–26 mark over the final two seasons. Offensive inconsistency played a central role in the decision, positioning Monken’s resume as a potential catalyst for meaningful change.

Baltimore’s offense under the 59-year-old offensive coordinator ranked second in rushing yards per game during the 2025 season and previously led the league in red-zone touchdown percentage and passer rating. His familiarity with the organization also stands out. Monken served as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator during the 2019 season, overseeing career years from Nick Chubb and Baker Mayfield, though play-calling duties remained with then–head coach Freddie Kitchens.

Saturday’s interview marks the fifth completed meeting for the team during this hiring cycle. Cleveland has already spoken with Tommy Rees, Jim Schwartz, Dan Pitcher, and Aden Durde, as executive vice president of football operations Andrew Berry continues to oversee the search.

As the Browns weigh continuity against transformation, Monken’s interview represents a pivotal data point in determining whether the franchise commits to an offense-first reset or opts for internal familiarity moving forward.

The No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers are heading to the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship.

Spearheaded by superstar quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Hoosiers inflicted a 56-22 defeat on the fifth-ranked Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.

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Mendoza’s sparkling display in which he completed 17-of-20 passing for 177 yards and five passing touchdowns only boosted his stock of being taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Indiana’s defense set the tone, taking a lead on the first play from scrimmage with a defensive score.

From then on, it was just utter dominance from the nation’s best team, who scored seven touchdowns on 10 drives, excluding the final one as they went into victory formation.

Indiana will enter the CFP national championship game against the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes with an undefeated 15-0 record on the season.

After securing the victory, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti – who has been instrumental in turning the Hoosiers’ program around since his arrival in 2024 – gave a hilarious response to his team recording the sixth-largest win in CFP history.

“I’m really not thinking about the next game. I’m thinking about cracking open a beer,” Coach Cignetti told ESPN’s Molly McGrath.

Whilst the Canes will be vying for the championship at home at Hard Rock Stadium after their 31-27 victory over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl, it will also be a homecoming for Mendoza as well having grown up there.

“Playing any national championship is fantastic. But it means a little bit more to me,” Mendoza said to ESPN postgame.