World number four Casper Ruud crashed out in the second round of Wimbledon on Thursday at the hands of British wildcard Liam Broady. Broady held his nerve when trailing two sets to one against the French Open finalist, rallying to win the Centre Court clash 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. Norway's Ruud, who has been runner-up at Roland Garros in the past two years, was also the beaten finalist at the US Open last year.

The 24-year-old has never gone beyond the second round at the All England Club. Broady, 142 in the world rankings, took a medical time out at the end of the fourth set to change some bandaging on his wrist.

But the 29-year-old came out fit and firing in the evening sunshine, demolishing Ruud 6-0 in the decider before soaking up the applause from the partisan crowd.

"I would have liked to have played him back home, but Centre Court of Wimbledon will do," said Broady. "When I went to bed last night, I was having a think of what I'd say if I won the match, but now I'm here I don't know what to say.

"I said to my mum this morning, she doesn't like watching, but I said I've already won £80,000 ($102,000) this week so she can chill out a bit."

The British player will play Canadian 26th seed Denis Shapovalov in the third round. "Denis is a mercurial talent, he's one of the best players in the world as is Casper," he said. "He's won junior Wimbledon. He's an amazing player. With a crowd like this then why not have a go again."

Teen power

Meanwhile, Russian 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva reached the third round of a Grand Slam for a second successive time at Wimbledon on Thursday. Andreeva was leading Czech 10th seed Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 4-0 when the former French Open champion retired with an injury.

Just as she had done at the French Open, the teenager came through qualifying for Wimbledon and next faces either compatriot Anastasia Potapova or Kaja Juvan of Slovenia. Making her main draw debut, Andreeva, ranked at 102 in the world, saw off China's Wang Xiyu in the first round in a match that finished late Wednesday.

In Paris last month, it took world number seven Coco Gauff to stop her in three sets in the last 32.

[sports]

British journeyman Liam Broady has sent Centre Court into raptures with a stunning defeat of world No.4 Casper Ruud at Wimbledon.

Ruud, who was in the French Open final three weeks ago, lost 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-0 to the world No.142 in three hours, 27 minutes.

Norwegian Ruud has never looked comfortable at Wimbledon, winning once in three previous appearances in SW19. He has, however, reached three grand slam finals in 14 months and this was by a distance the biggest win of Broady's career.

"When I went to bed last night, I had a think about what I would say if I won and now I don't know what to say!" the 29-year-old said.

"It was a pretty terrifying, exhilarating experience coming out at Centre Court on Wimbledon, but it's been my dream since I was five years old."

"I said to my mum this morning, she doesn't like watching, I've already won PS80,000 ($A152,000) this week so she can chill out."

Three-time grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka turned back the clock, defeating seeded Argentine Tomas Etcheverry to set up a first grass-court meeting with Novak Djokovic.

The 38-year-old defeated the No.29 seed, 15 years his junior, in four sets as Wimbledon finally enjoyed a sunny day.

It is the first time Wawrinka has reached a grand slam third round for three years. "It's a long time that I didn't win too much at grand slams," the Swiss said. "I've been working hard to get back to a better level and I'm happy with the way I'm coming up."

Wawrinka, who won every major except Wimbledon, has beaten Djokovic six times in 26 meetings, including the 2015 French Open final and 2016 US Open final.

He said of facing the defending champion on Centre Court on Friday, "I'll enjoy it if I don't get killed. It's a big challenge but hopefully I can come to a higher level and be competitive."

A trio of Italians won, though one knocked out a compatriot. Eighth seed Jannik Sinner coasted into the third round with a 7-5 6-1 6-2 victory over Diego Schwartzman, while Lorenzo Musetti, seeded 14, outclassed Spain's Jaume Munar 6-4 6-3 6-1 to set up a third-round clash against Poland's Hubert Hurkacz.

Matteo Berrettini, the 2021 runner-up, recovered from a slow start to beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 in a match which had begun on Tuesday.

Berrettini, who arrived at Wimbledon undercooked having not played much due to injury, now meets Australian No.1 Alex de Minaur.

Alexander Zverev, who finally got a chance to play his first-round match on the fourth day of the tournament, moved into the second round with a 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) victory over Dutchman Gijs Brouwer.

The 19th seed Zverev, a former world No.2, suffered a bad ankle injury at the 2022 French Open.

"I missed it last year so just to be on this court I'm happy to be here with 10,000 people," he said.

"I play again tomorrow and the day after, well if I win of course. It's going to be a tough few days with back-to-back matches and it is never easy physically - I'm just happy to be playing tennis now," Zverev said.

Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev advanced to the third round at Wimbledon for the second time defeating compatriot Aslan Karatsev.

[thewest]

Cesar Azpilicueta is headed back to Spain.

The 33-year-old defender joined Atletico on Thursday after 11 years at Chelsea.

"I’d like to say so many things, but I’m going to keep it short," Azpilicueta said in a farewell message. "I want to say every time you are part of this club, you give your best. That’s how I learned to be part of Chelsea. The demands are really high, the commitment to the club, to the fans, every single day, even in tough moments when maybe it’s easier to go down a different path. That’s the moment to show the personality, the soul of the club, all together, pushing in the same direction. I know Chelsea will be back where it should be."

Azpilicueta joined the Blues in 2012 from Marseille. He went on to make 508 appearances across all competitions for the club, seventh-most all-time in club history, winning two Premier League titles, two Europa League titles, a League Cup, an FA Cup and the 2021 Champions League title.

Internationally, Azpilicueta has been capped 44 times by La Roja and was a member of Spain's squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

[tsn]

Not for the first time, Kylian Mbappe has been linked with a transfer to Liverpool.

On the face of it, this is not a link that makes a great deal of sense from the Reds' perspective. While not short of money, their transfer kitty is not limitless and Jurgen Klopp must prioritise other areas of his squad ahead of strengthening his attack.

Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo ensure there are no shortage of options and variety to play in Liverpool’s front three. Furthermore, the Reds have signed attack-minded midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig and Brighton’s Alexis MacAllister.

However, Sport Witness cites reports from Spain that Liverpool have made a £170million move for French superstar Mbappe. The veracity of this may be doubtful, but there is clearly a strong mutual respect between the club and the Paris Saint-Germain frontman.

Mbappe's PSG exit stance

 

 

Kylian Mbappe has the option to renew his contract at PSG until 2025 ( 

Image: 

Getty Images)

Mbappe will not sign the one-year contract extension in his PSG contract meaning that his deal will expire in 12 months. Mirror Football understands that the French club’s priority is to ensure he does not leave without a transfer fee, meaning they are prepared to cash in on the superstar this summer.

The French superstar has confirmed that he intends to remain at the Ligue 1 champions beyond this summer but it is understood that PSG will push for his exit as they are aware that the alternative is missing out on a landmark transfer fee entirely.

On Wednesday, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi set an ultimatum of two weeks for Mbappe to either decide to leave the club this summer or sign a new contract. However, the striker is well within his contractual rights to do neither and wait it out until next summer. Real Madrid's interest in signing Mbappe is long-standing and well-documented.

What Mbappe and Klopp have said

 

 

Kylian Mbappe's future at PSG is unclear

Mbappe and Klopp have a history of publicly complimenting each other – which has, predictably, played into suggestions that the two may work alongside each other one day.

Speaking in 2020, the Frenchman claimed: 2020: "This season, Liverpool have been a machine in the Premier League. They have made winning look easy but the truth is that it is never easy. Performances like they have been having don't just happen.

Mbappe didn't stop there and had some compliments for Klopp as well, adding: "To be as ruthless as they have been would come from lots of hard work in training and from having a very good manager."

Speaking before Liverpool faced PSG back in 2018, Klopp told RMC Sport: "I love him, to be honest. What a player he is and a nice lad as well, so he's a really good kid. What a player, what a player.

"Everyone knows him since he was 16, 17 when he impressed in Monaco's youth teams, and I saw videos of him when he was 17 and he destroyed defensive lines as he is doing now.

"He's at an unbelievable level of consistency at that age. He's an outstanding player, that's clear, but he can deliver, deliver and deliver, which shows he's really good educated boy and he knows what he is doing.”

[mirror.co.uk]

Swiss federal judges dismissed FIFA´s appeal against a ruling that overturned its life ban for the former president of Haiti´s soccer federation for alleged sexual abuse of women´s national team players.

A verdict from Switzerland´s supreme court released on Thursday rejected FIFA´s request filed in March to annul a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that lifted Yves Jean-Bart´s expulsion from the sport.

The federal court can review CAS decisions on limited procedural grounds and rarely overturns the sports court´s verdicts. FIFA argued that CAS judges failed to evaluate some evidence.

The decision by three Swiss Federal Tribunal judges was dated June 28, less than a month before Haiti makes its debut at the Women´s World Cup against England in Brisbane. Haiti's group includes China and Denmark.

The Haitian women progressed through qualifying for the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament, being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, while long-time federation president Jean-Bart was banished from the sport.

FIFA´s ethics committee banned Jean-Bart in November 2020 after hearing allegations of multiple sexual offenses against women and girls who were in national team squads. Witnesses in Haiti were alleged to have been threatened not to give evidence.

Jean-Bart denied the allegations, and at his appeal the judges decided "none of the testimonies heard by the CAS were sufficiently precise and convincing to establish (his) guilt," the sports court said in February.

FIFA was ordered by federal judges to pay 15,000 Swiss francs ($16,740) in court costs and 17,000 Swiss francs ($19,000) to Jean-Bart.

[dailymail]

Arsenal are reportedly keen on signing Dutch defender Jeremie Frimpong from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

According to Stefan Bienkowski, Arsenal have initiated discussions with Bayer Leverkusen to sign Jeremie Frimpong. The Bundesliga giants want to recoup €50 million to part ways with the Dutch full-back.

The young defender was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in recent months as well. So it will be interesting to see if Arsenal can agree on a fee with the German club. The Gunners have recently emerged as a suitor for the 22-year-old.

Arsenal need to bring in a specialist right-back this summer, and Frimpong could be an upgrade on Ben White, especially going forward. The former Brighton and Hove Albion star was deployed as a full-back last season, and he did reasonably well. But Arsenal lacked the attacking qualities of a natural full-back.

Frimpong is exceptional going forward and he could add a new dimension to the Arsenal attack with his creativity and pace. The 22-year-old contributed to nine goals and 11 assists across all competitions last season, and he has the potential to develop into one of the finest young full-backs in Europe.

Mikel Arteta has done well to nurture talented young players during his time at Arsenal, and he could help the talented young Dutchman develop into a key player for the Premier League club. Arsenal are desperate to put together a formidable squad that is capable of winning the Premier League title, and they have been very active in the transfer market so far.

The Gunners have already spent significant sums of money to acquire the services of Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, and Jurrien Timber. It seems that they are concentrating on signing a full-back now. Frimpong would undoubtedly be a solid, long-term investment, and the 22-year-old is likely to be tempted to join Arsenal as well. Meanwhile, talks for the young full-back have begun between the two clubs.

The Gunners are one of the biggest clubs in the world and they have qualified for the Champions League. They will be an attractive destination for most players and a move to Arsenal would be ideal for the 22-year-old’s development as well. Playing against top-class attackers in the Premier League will accelerate his development and help him achieve his world-class potential.

[thehardtackle]

Barcelona have made significant progress over the last few seasons under the leadership of the new management, led by Joan Laporta, despite coming into a club that was well corrupted by economic and financial limitations.

Now, as they look forward to the new 2023/2024 season up ahead, it is a good chance to look back at one of the most important aspects of Laporta’s tenure thus far; his recruitment of free agents that have helped stabilize the club in important areas when spending too many funds was not an option.

In total, with the two new free transfers added to the count, Barcelona have managed to recruit 13 free agents over the last 3 years since the 2020/2021 season.

Eric Garcia (Manchester City)

The young central defender came from Manchester City as a free transfer and has since found moments within the club where he has held solid importance, under Ronald Koeman in particular, and also periods of not much importance, as he has been going through this season under Xavi Hernandez.

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

Despite having arrived as a promising player given his massive experience and proven quality, the player’s time at the club was unfortunately cut short due to various health-related issues.

Memphis Depay (Olympique Lyon)

The Dutchman arrived as one of the most prized possessions of France’s Ligue 1, but despite an exciting first season at the club, he was not able to live up to the massive expectations piled up on his shoulders.

Luuk De Jong (Sevilla)

Another Dutchman who arrived to much dismay initially amongst fans, but courtesy of his various late winners and equalizers as a super sub, managed to forever become a fan favorite among the Camp Nou faithful.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)

Tension at Arsenal and internal problems forced the player to be on bad terms with his former club, but hopping onto the Catalan ship the moment the chance presented itself on deadline day would end up being a free transfer that provided benefits to both Barcelona and Aubameyang himself.

Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Known for his rapid pace and insane levels of acceleration, the former La Masia player came for a year-long loan that would end up being a good deal for La Blaugrana, providing them a new kind of option on the wings besides just having to rely on Ousmane Dembele, despite the Catalans not having triggered his buy option.

Dani Alves (Free agent)

A Barcelona legend in his own right, the return of the Brazilian was met with massive uncertainty given his mature age, yet his dedication to the club and commitment to the cause under Xavi Hernandez allowed him to be a great asset both on the field and off it.

Franck Kessie (AC Milan)

The AC Milan midfielder was one of the most well-renowned talents in Serie A before his move to Barcelona, and while he has not been bad by any means during his time in Spain, the player is surely playing less minutes than he would have originally had hoped for at the club.

Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)

The Danish defender has become one of the mainstays under the tutelage of Xavi Hernandez and for good reason. His ability on the ball as well as his understanding of the game have made him an immense part of Xavi’s Barcelona.

Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)

The former Chelsea man arrived on a free transfer after the termination of his contract with Chelsea alongside Andreas Christensen who left the London-based club as a free agent, and while the Dane has become undisputable under Xavi, the Spanish defender has also been able to provide much-appreciated depth.

Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)

Having arrived on a one-year deal following the termination of his contract at Arsenal, the Spaniard was more or less a signing for the short term, and albeit not extraordinary, his time in the city of his birth was not all too bad before moving on to his next club in Sporting CP.

Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City)

One of the most in-form stars in Europe at the moment of signing, treble-winner with Manchester City and captain of the English side as well, bringing Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer could turn out to be a masterful operation done right.

Inigo Martinez (Athletic Bilbao)

The most recent of acquisitions to be made official, the former Athletic Bilbao defender brings along with him proven quality and bundles of experience, particularly in the Spanish first division.

[barcanewsnetwork]