標籤: relationship

Aston Villa The new partnership with French club FC Annecy will not mimic Chelsea’s relationship with RC Strasbourg.

rmc sport report Aston Villa-owned V Sports Fund today signed a deal for Annecy, which will not be a classic ‘multi-ownership model’ that has already been seen in France with Chelsea and Manchester City’s relationships with Strasbourg and Troyes.

Aston Villa as minority shareholder

According to the website, Aston Villa owners are joining the French club as minority shareholders (30%) in a deal seen as a ‘win-win arrangement’ focused on youth development.

French and British officials signed the agreement on Tuesday. The move will immediately take Annecy into ‘a new dynamism’. This will allow the French side to face French football’s financial watchdog DNCG with a clear vision for their future.

There has been interest from Aston Villa since last year. Their officials were sitting in the stands for the last match of the season against Grenoble. They were scouting France to identify the ideal location to develop a training partnership.

This was followed by a round of meetings between club officials and local personalities at Lake Geneva. Negotiations intensified during the winter. The lawyers then took it forward in the last weeks of May.

aston villa effect

Aston Villa head of development Matthew Kidson and their head of loan players Tony Cares recently traveled to France to finalize the details of the collaboration.

The investments from the V Sports Fund will primarily be used to invest in long-term solutions and player development. They are coming in as minority shareholders.

Aston Villa could also use this relationship to find local talent for their teams in England. They have done the same with cooperation in Asia and Africa.

Now they have added FC Annecy to the mix, the new relationship is being celebrated in France and presented as a win-win for both clubs.

This wasn’t how the Dallas Wings wanted their new star’s first media introduction.

The Wings introduced their 2026 No. 1 overall draft pick, Azzi Fudd, in a press conference on Thursday, marking his official arrival as a professional player. The former UConn star joins the franchise that selected her college teammate Paige Bueckers with the top pick in the 2025 draft.

The two players, who first met while competing for the Huskies, now form a highly anticipated backcourt duo in Dallas.

During the session, a reporter dallas morning news A question from Fudd asked whether she and Bueckers would remain in a romantic relationship — which Bueckers publicly acknowledged on social media last year — and whether the pair had consulted with other WNBA couples about navigating the unique dynamics of being both teammates and partners.

Before Fudd could respond, a member of Wings’ public relations staff quickly intervened.

“I understand why you have to ask this question, but we respectfully decline to comment on the personal lives of our players,” the person said.

This moment created an immediate sense of unease in the room, as the team chose to treat the questioning as out of bounds. Fudd’s expression remained largely unchanged during the conversation and the press conference continued without further discussion of the topic.

Well, his expression was mostly Unchanged. At one point, you can actually see Fudd’s eyebrows furrowed as if he was surprised and confused as to why the team wouldn’t let him answer the question. To keep an eye …

A reporter asked Ezy Fudd about his relationship with Paige Bueckers, but the Wings’ media team said they would not comment on their players’ personal lives. pic.twitter.com/iH3enGfoVE

– The Sporting News (@sportingnews) 16 April 2026

This goes back to my previous claim that it is the team that is trying to eliminate the relationship aspect, because they don’t want to be accused of acting like the Lakers, and drafting someone based on trying to please their star.

Veteran sports journalist Jeff Pearlman recently accused the league of pressuring reporters to ignore or downplay the long-standing romantic relationship between Fudd and Bueckers, calling it “the number one piece of this story.”

Pearlman argued that the Wings had essentially set up Fudd to reunite him with his fellow Bueckers on the court – and in life – but said it was the league itself that was trying to stay away from the obvious.

He said, “Ezzie Fudd and Paige Bueckers are in a long-term relationship, and no one is mentioning it. And the WNBA has apparently asked people not to mention it. And that’s very confusing to me journalistically.”

“Like, it’s fascinating that these two guys who have been dating for a long time, dating since college, would be the starting backcourt for a team. To me, that’s really the number one piece of this story. It’s not that they drafted AZ Fudd, they drafted AZ Fudd to play with his longtime teammate, Paige Bueckers.”

The fact that the Wings went out of their way to shut this down should inspire good sports journalists — if there are any left — to keep the pressure on this matter.

Fans have a right to know whether their team selected someone in the draft based on their personal relationships, not whether they were actually worthy of being selected number one.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

crystal Palace Real are one of the clubs pursuing Betis’ Nathan De Souza ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Eagles’ interest is nothing new as they already tried to sign him last summer, but Real Betis were not keen.

Crystal Palace are back in the transfer mix in an attempt to bring the defender to the Premier League.

The La Liga side initially signed the centre-back on loan from Napoli in August 2024 and paid €9m to make his stay permanent the following year. He has been a regular and has continued his good form this season.

His La Liga statistics this season are as follows:

• Appearances: 26
• Start: 26
• Total minutes: 2,257
• Minutes per game: 87
• Interception: 1.2
• Tackles per game: 1.1
• Balls recovered per game: 3.1
• Clearance per game: 7.0
• Duels won per game: 3.8

Earlier this month, Sport Witness broadcast news Crystal Palace, AFC Bournemouth, West Ham United and Brentford are all keen.

The source said Real Betis want €40m after identifying the player as a candidate to help raise funds. The Andalusian club needs it to balance its books.

Crystal Palace transfer interest backed

The Reason Consider that and cover the latest information about Real Betis’ plans and Premier League interest.

The newspaper supports interest from Crystal Palace and Bournemouth and values ​​the Spanish club at €40m.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side intend to sell the 25-year-old and invest €10m to sign Red Bull Bragantino’s Kevin Lomonaco. Real Betis will only move to secure the Argentine’s services if Natan is sold.

The Cherries are ahead but Oliver Glasner’s side could still be ahead in the race to sign the Brazilian.

The Eagles brought Chady Riyad to Selhurst Park from Real Betis in 2024, resulting in a good relationship between the two clubs.

Real Betis had already rejected Crystal Palace’s offer for Natan last summer. This time, the London club can take advantage of its good relationship with Los Verdiblancos to secure the services of the South American.

Should the Eagles make a new offer of at least close to €40 million, Real Betis would be most likely to encourage it.

Contract, price and agent information

Nathan’s contract is until 2030, and transfer market He is valued at €25m, the highest so far in his career.

Link Sports, an agency owned by agent Andre Cury, is representing the player wanted by Crystal Palace and other English clubs.

It looks like Colby Covington has serious regrets about stumping for friend Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election.

Covington’s rise as a main event star in the UFC was unexpected. The American didn’t have highlight reel knockout power or nasty submission skills. Instead, his success was built around a suffocating wrestling game matched by a high-output striking style. This is no way to fight back and promote the company.

However, he catapulted his name into notoriety with a bold and questionable style of fight promotion. He then further raised his profile in the sport when he worked hard to become President Trump’s favorite UFC fighter during his first term in office. The effort was successful, and the relationship with Trump helped make him a star in mixed martial arts.

Due to the friendship that developed through Covington’s efforts, when Trump ran for a second term as President, the one-time interim welterweight champion campaigned to endorse the Republican nominee. However, it seems like “Chaos” regrets using his limited time as an elite athlete to campaign and then fight in 2024.

Colby Covington claims he spent a year campaigning for President Trump

“I gave up a year of my career. I was on the campaign trail in a different state almost every week, and I wasn’t training. This is why I should never have done it [Joaquim] Buckley’s Battle, because I hadn’t been to the gym in six months. I was trying to win elections for America in all these swing states,” he told Bloody Elbow this week.

“My focus wasn’t on the UFC. It was on America… I had given up at that time, and I wasn’t training, and going to fight at that time was honestly career suicide for me, but I [thought] He was very useless and couldn’t do anything with me even without any training camp,” he said, adding, “It’s sad that I wasn’t rewarded. I thought loyalty would be rewarded. The UFC didn’t care.”

Although it doesn’t seem like he regrets being a supporter or friend of President Trump, he clearly wishes he hadn’t put so much effort into helping him win the 2024 presidential election. If he has wasted a year walking the path, it is a year wasted at a time when he is now far from his prime.

Covington was also surprisingly left out of the June card of the UFC event to be held on the White House lawn. Something that surprised many people because it seemed like he was the President’s favorite fighter. He is 2-4 in his last six and has been far more active in Real American Freestyle Wrestling than he has been in the UFC over the past year.

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

Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori has joked that he is closer to Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso at the moment than his mother.

tuttosport The Arsenal defender’s cover comments today amid Gattuso’s efforts to unify the Italy squad ahead of the international break.

The Azzurri need to make it two consecutive wins this break to book a place at this summer’s World Cup.

Gattuso’s side face Northern Ireland in a play-off semi-final on Thursday before a possible final against Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Gattuso’s efforts for unity

Gattuso is working hard to unite the team ahead of the crucial week. Which also includes organizing a dinner among the players recently.

their efforts have already been Praised by Newcastle star Sandro Tonali. Now Arsenal defender Calafiori has also shared his feelings.

“I really appreciated the coach’s behavior with us and with me,” He said.

“I’ve been closer to him in recent months than I have been to my mother. I’m shy and he was good at being there for me, at times when it was useful because I was playing less and less.

“That dinner with Gattuso was nice, just being there and talking. In the last few months we haven’t had much time to train, but the important thing is to be together.

“I think he paid the bill (laughs). It was an evening with friends, where we talked about football and other things. Buffon and Bonucci shared some anecdotes and experiences.”

Fitness and form at Arsenal

Riccardo Calafiori had doubts about his fitness and form in Italy, but wanted to dismiss them. Furthermore, the 23-year-old player revealed that with Arsenal’s matches fast approaching, the Gunners’ focus is on recovery.

“I’m fine, we’ll see how I perform on the pitch today, but I’m fine,” he said.

“In the Premier League, the most important training is the matches, especially for a team like ours that always plays twice a week. We train very little. I don’t know the statistics, but the impression is that there are few dead moments on the field.”

pressure in courage

The Arsenal defender also stressed that he and his Italy teammates will have to turn any fear into courage given the expectations of the fans.

“It all depends on how you look at this match,” He added.

“It’s a responsibility; when you wear this jersey, there are millions of people cheering for you. But I see it as an opportunity, a chance to go to the World Cup, which is something we’ve dreamed of since we were kids. I can’t wait to play.”

However, the reality for Italy is that the pressure continues. They have now qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2014. This is undoubtedly a significant decline for a country which is a four-time champion.

Sweden and North Macedonia also suffered defeats in the play-offs due to their failure to qualify for the previous two editions. For this, there needs to be third time lucky, otherwise Gattuso and his team will be under the same pressure and scrutiny as before.

💫 Max Downman | You can tell a player is going to be a star when people start talking about missed transfers…

💬 Ronald De Boer: “An agent sent me a video. You have to see it. He’s a great player and really means something to Ajax”https://t.co/AOzMnsO0K3 #afc

– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 19 March 2026

In a move that has shocked the MMA world, the PFL has officially cut ties with its most high-profile signee, Francis Ngannou.

The promotion released a formal statement Friday morning, confirming that “The Predator” has been released from his multi-fight contract after only one appearance in SmartCage.

“The Professional Fighters League has decided to part ways with Francis Ngannou,” a representative for the PFL told Sherdog.com. “We have great respect for Francis as both an athlete and a person, and we wish him every success in the next chapter of his combat sports career.”

Despite the grand expectations that accompanied his signing in 2023, the partnership concluded with Ngannou fighting only once – a dominant first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira in October 2024. This release marks the end of what many considered a “game-changing” deal for combat empowerment.

When Ngannou joined the PFL after his public exit from the UFC, he was given unprecedented flexibility, including the right to pursue professional boxing and serve as president of PFL Africa. However, after three years and only one MMA bout under their banner, the promotion has decided to move in a different direction.

Francis Ngannou does not fit the new direction of the PFL

The timing of Ngannou’s release coincides with an executive shakeup within the PFL. In January 2026, following the departure of longtime CEO Peter Murray and Chairman Ray Sefo, founder Don Davis resigned as chairman. These internal changes, along with a strategic capital raise from new major owners Knighthead Capital Management and 885 Capital, signal a reset for the promotion’s heavyweight strategy.

While Ngannou was the face of the PFL’s “Super Fight” division, the league is reportedly shifting its focus to “recruiting and signing the best athletes” for its traditional season-based format. Now a free agent, the 39-year-old Ngannou finds himself at a fascinating crossroads.

While his relationship with UFC CEO Dana White remains rocky – White recently mocked PFL’s deal with Ngannou and claimed he was “happy” to see him go – the heavyweight division in the UFC is currently in flux.

With undisputed champion Tom Aspinall recovering from eye surgery and rumors of Alex Pereira dropping the title to move up to heavyweight, a “White House” superfight on June 14 remains a possibility. More realistically, Ngannou could look towards the boxing ring, where a possible clash with Deontay Wilder on April 4 has been discussed.

Tottenham Hotspur are banking on Luka Vuckovic amid Barcelona’s plans to bring him to La Liga.

is according to gameWhich covers when Barça will consider signing a Tottenham player in the summer.

The 19-year-old has been on loan at Hamburg SV since last summer and has impressed for the Bundesliga team.

His performances have been impressing the German club, and their fans dream of keeping him beyond this season.

The Tottenham-owned player also wants to continue playing alongside his brother Mario. He is in Hamburg and serving a doping ban until November.

Earlier today, Sports Witness news broadcast from germany Hansi Flick wants a new centre-back in the summer. Vuckovic is a substitute and Barcelona have had their first talks with his agent.

Barcelona’s plans for the Tottenham man

Sport relays this and provides its information on the possibility of the defender joining the Catalan club.

Pau Cubarci and Eric Garcia are both currently untouchables for Flick and Barça. The futures of Gerard Martin and Ronald Araújo need to be clarified, and if one of them is to leave, a new centre-back needs to come in.

In that case the Croatia international could be an option. The newspaper says the Spanish giants have lined themselves up with his agent Pini Zahavi.

It is worth noting that the representative has a ‘very close’ relationship with Barca president Joan Laporta and has a good relationship with the club. He also represents Fick and Robert Lewandowski.

Despite the close relationship with the agent, Sport say it is ‘not easy’ for the Blaugrana to move Vuckovic away from Tottenham. This is because the north London club are planning to rely on the central defender for the future.

However, Spurs’ ‘project is not progressing well, and the player also has doubts about joining a team’ which immediately sent him out on loan. Tottenham are now 16th in the table, one point above 18th-placed West Ham United.

Vuckovic’s contract and value

The Croatian has a contract with the Premier League team until 2030. The report suggests that Spurs paid €11m and he is now valued at €40m.

Sport may have taken this figure transfer marketThis has increased by €22m since Hamburg joined.

If Tottenham do sell Vuckovic, the fee they would ask would almost certainly be much more than €40m. Spurs are unlikely to sell a young talent with huge potential at a reasonable price.

MIAMI – The Miami Heat’s win over the Houston Rockets last Saturday demonstrated an area in which the team thrives. Because the Heat are determined to be tough and do the dirty work, their defensive gameplan includes an aspect the team leads the NBA in, although head coach Erik Spoelstra has a love-hate relationship with it.

It hasn’t been rare to see Miami run a zone defense on opponents this season. In fact, the Heat have been using it to the point where they have led the NBA in zone possession over the past three seasons. They are on pace to do so for the fourth time in a row as they recorded 575 zone possessions in Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, and made the most of it in Saturday’s big win over the Rockets.

Spoelstra explained how there are moments when he ‘hates’ zone defense due to the lack of individual accountability that goes away compared to man-on-man. The head coach would emphasize at clutchpoints that zone is an important part of the defense, adding that the “hate” comment was made “in jest” due to his mentor’s views, in reference to Pat Riley.

“It’s in our defensive system, year in and year out, no matter what we feel about it. I’m beyond that. I say it jokingly, just because of who I was mentored under. You know, I believe they said at some point, ‘We’ll never be a zone organization,’ but the league is a lot different than it was 20 years ago. We’re all trying to figure it out. Skill level, shooting, speed, location, you just try to make it. “We are being as tough on other teams as we can and the best version of us defensively is a really tough-minded group, we have to get that more consistently.”

Erik Spoelstra was asked about the pace of leading the NBA again in MIA territory and his love-hate relationship with it:

“It’s in our defensive system, no matter what we feel about it. I was saying it jokingly, just because of who I was trained under…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/9vIJhzTlCQ

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 3 March 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on zone defense: ‘Sometimes I hate it’

Heat captain Bam Adebayo and young center Kel’El Ware played key roles in slowing down Houston and its size in the zone defense, which led to the defense’s success. It’s not just in one game that the defense has been impressive, Miami is fourth in the league in defensive rating (111.5).

Going back to Spoelstra’s original comments, he talked about zone defense after Monday’s practice, detailing a time when he ‘hated’ it.

Despite the success of zone defense, Spoelstra said after Monday’s practice, “Sometimes I hate it.” “Because sometimes there’s not sure accountability. And sometimes you have the mentality that the zone will save you, or you won’t have to work as hard. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We actually have to burn more calories than the man in the zone. And there are a lot of different activities going on. But that’s a part of our defensive system. It’s not the only part of it. Obviously, our fastball is our man-to-man defense when we do our best. Are.”

At any rate, the Heat will continue to use it throughout the remainder of the season, as the team’s record heading into Tuesday’s game against the Nets was 32–29, placing them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. After Tuesday, the team will face the Nets again on Thursday, and conclude the week with a home match against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.

With heavy speculation regarding the Los Angeles Lakers and superstar LeBron James, sports analyst Colin Cowherd gives a candid opinion about the relationship between the team and the player. As Cowherd has criticized the Lakers for certain areas in the past, he would make an interesting comparison between the situation of the franchise and the Hollywood business.

It cannot be denied that James is in the final stages of his career; Whether this season is the final one or not, it’s happening sooner rather than later. Cowherd mentioned James being 41, how some statistical categories reflect his age, and how the star’s initial move to Los Angeles was a “Hollywood marriage” and how it is ending with a focus on Luka Doncic.

“LeBron [James] “The 41-year-old is averaging the fewest minutes of his career, the fewest points per game since his rookie season, and he’s the second-slowest player in the entire league,” Cowherd said. LeBron dominated the NBA for 21 years. 22 years on, it’s all dried up. Let’s be completely honest about LeBron and the Lakers. It was always a Hollywood wedding, of two hot stars. And you know what happens in Hollywood; One of the stars eventually starts dating someone younger. That’s Luca.”

LeBron and the Lakers are headed for a Hollywood divorce @colincowherd pic.twitter.com/VHpimdYaet

– The Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) 27 February 2026

Still, James is averaging 21.5 points, seven assists and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49.8 percent from the field, and while other seasons have been better in the past, some could argue that this year is still impressive, considering his age. Whatever the case, there’s no doubt the Lakers have found the next face of the franchise in Doncic, who is leading the league with 32.7 points per game while averaging 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds on 47 percent shooting from the field.

After this, James and Los Angeles looked to lead the team to as much success as possible with a 34–24 record, which would put them in sixth place in the Western Conference.