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☆ Goalkeeper Horn to leave Cologne after 21 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 27 (Reuters) - Goalkeeper Timo Horn will leave FC Cologne at the end of the season after 21 years, the Bundesliga club said on Thursday. The 29-year-old's contract, which expires at the end of the season, has not been renewed after Horn expressed a desire to be first-choice again, with Cologne having Marvin Schwabe as their main keeper since last season. Horn joined the club as a nine-year-old in 2002 and made his first-team debut ten years later. "To be part of the team and achieve that makes me incredibly proud," Horn said in a statement. Horn will be the second player to leave Cologne, as captain Jonas Hector will retire at the end of the campaign.

☆ A small-cap fund manager who's beaten 90% of his peers over the last year shares 5 stocks he's betting on now — and how he weeds out downside risk in a volatile area of the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Investors look to small-cap stocks for big upside potential. 5 stocks Harden is betting on nowHarden shared five holdings that he's put through this process and are among those he's most bullish on right now. Next, Harden listed two regional banks: Metropolitan Bank (MCB) and Merchants Bancorp (MBIN). The iShares US Regional Banks ETF (IAT) is down 26% year-to-date. "I don't think there's any money in having a calendar," he said.

☆ Barcelona scrapes by Atlético Madrid 1-0 to remain in firm control of La Liga title race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Patrick Sung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —FC Barcelona scraped by Atlético Madrid 1-0 at the Camp Nou to extend its lead at the top of La Liga over eternal rival Real Madrid to 11 points. Ferrán Torres’ goal in the 44th minute made the difference, ensuring Atlético continued its 17-year winless drought – with 8 draws and 15 losses – at the Camp Nou. Antoine Griezmann was Atlético's main offensive threat, but he was thwarted by the crossbar and Marc-André ter Stegen twice. Just when Barça’s domination of possession in the first half seemed to be fruitless, the first goal materialized near the stroke of half-time. The win means Barcelona remains in firm control in the La Liga title race with eight matches remaining and an 11-point lead ahead of Real Madrid.

☆ Women's Champions League: Barcelona takes 1-0 lead over Chelsea in semifinal in front of a record-breaking crowd
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Barcelona took a step forward to reaching the Women’s Champions League final by defeating Chelsea 1-0 in the first leg of their semifinal clash. In front of 27,697 fans at Stamford Bridge – a record crowd for a women’s Champions League game in the UK – Barcelona took the lead in the fourth minute thanks to Caroline Graham Hansen’s brilliant goal and never relinquished it. But the Blues regrouped after conceding the early goal, engineering chances for Guto Reiten and Sam Kerr, and banishing any thoughts of a similar collapse against Barcelona in the 2021 Champions League final when it lost 4-0. A record-breaking crowd watched Barcelona's victory at Stamford Bridge. Harriet Lander/Chelsea FC/Getty Images“I can’t ask any more of the players,” Chelsea manager Emma Hayes told the club website afterwards.

☆ Inter disappointed as Lukaku ban upheld despite racist abuse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Inter Milan expressed their disappointment after a one-match ban for striker Romelu Lukaku was upheld on Friday, saying the player has been punished despite being racially abused in their Coppa Italia semi-final against Juventus. Lukaku, who was sent off in the first leg of the semi-final, will remain suspended for the return against Juventus on Wednesday after the club's appeal was rejected by Italy's Sports Court Of Appeal. The Belgian striker was subjected to racial abuse during the first leg at Juventus "before, during, and after the penalty" he had scored to earn Inter a 1-1 draw, the player's representatives said. Juventus were ordered to close the Tribuna Sud section of their stadium after racist chants were heard coming from that area, a ban which was later overturned following the club's appeal. Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Williams, Mewis hoping to play their way into US World Cup squad
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Apr 19, 2023; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; -New Jersey/New York Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams (10) celebrates her goal against the Washington Spirit during the second half at Red Bull Arena. "But he’s watching all the time - World Cup or not. "Being the best Lynn Williams I can possibly be will hopefully help me get on that team." The defending World Cup champions wrapped up their April camp with wins over Ireland in a pair of friendlies, with Mewis getting minutes off the bench while Williams did not feature. "What’s most important for me is to just try to be consistent and try to play the way I know how to play.

☆ Podcast: Gay in Uganda - A life or death situation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni must this week either sign, veto or send back to parliament one of the world’s toughest anti-gay bills. Whatever he decides, life for the country’s LGBTQ community is a dangerous endeavour. A corruption scandal at FC Barcelona and the war of words over Spain’s fascist past. Abortion activists and doctors look for alternatives as the Supreme Court considers the future of abortion pill Mifepristone. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A corruption scandal, accusations of favoritism and Franco’s regime: Real Madrid and Barcelona in war of words over Spain’s fascist past
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

More than eight weeks after the scandal emerged, FCB President Joan Laporta went out to bat for the Catalan club on Monday. General view of Estadio Santiago Bernabeu prior to the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Getafe CF on April 09, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. But Laporta finished by saying that Real Madrid is “a club considered the team of the regime,” a reference to the club’s reported historic ties with Franco during his fascist dictatorship. “We are talking about a club [Real] that has historically close ties to political, financial and sporting power,” Laporta said. In total, Real won 14 league titles to Barcelona’s eight under Franco, while the Blaugrana won nine Copas del Generalísimo to Real Madrid’s six.

☆ Ryan Reynolds and Wrexham FC surprise Rob McElhenney with an original song for his birthday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ownership of Welsh soccer club Wrexham has already produced a Disney+ documentary and earned the pair the city’s top civic honor – the Freedom of Wrexham. And now Reynolds has released a catchy song to celebrate his co-chairman’s birthday, enlisting all his “mates in Wrexham” to teach the world how to pronounce McElhenney’s last name correctly. “Would be a real shame if this became a Wrexham Racecourse chant,” Reynolds added. McElhenney simply tweeted: “This is…I mean… I don’t…Wow.”Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham in late 2020. Then, McElhenney retaliated by launching “The Ryan Reynolds Memorial Blimp,” complete with an unflattering picture of the Canadian actor.

☆ England's top soccer clubs agree to ban gambling sponsors on front of matchday shirts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dwight McNeil (L) and Demarai Gray of Everton during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton FC at Old Trafford on April 08, 2023 in Manchester, England. The club's shirts are sponsored by online casino Stake.com. Soccer clubs in England's top-flight Premier League on Thursday agreed not to allow gambling firms to advertise on the front of matchday shirts from the end of the 2025/2026 season. The move comes amid widespread concern and ongoing campaigns to reduce or ban gambling advertising. The Premier League did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Deadly stadium crush: Indonesian soccer clubs meet for first time following disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Sammy Mncwabe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Two of Indonesia’s biggest soccer teams Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya played behind closed doors Tuesday in their first meeting since the deadly stadium disaster that killed more than 130 people in October. Some clashed with police, prompting security forces to fire tear gas into enclosed areas of the stadium – a crowd control measure banned by world soccer governing body FIFA. Persebaya won 1-0 against Arema, the first time the teams have met since last year's deadly stadium disaster. Willy Kurniawan/ReutersFollowing the stadium crush, which Indonesia’s National Police Chief described as one of the world’s deadliest stadium disasters, President Joko Widodo announced that Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang would be demolished and rebuilt according to FIFA standards. In March, two Indonesian soccer officials were sentenced up to 18 months in prison by a court over the deadly stadium crush, while three police officials charged with negligence will have their cases heard at a later date.

☆ Without spectators, Indonesia holds rematch between clubs involved in deadly stampede
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, April 11 (Reuters) - The rematch of an Indonesian soccer game that ended in one of the world's worst stadium stampedes last year began on Tuesday night with no spectators present, officials said. Fierce rivals Persebaya and Arema FC last met in October 2022, when their match ended in a crush in which 135 people were killed. Many died as they fled for the exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd - a crowd control measure banned by world soccer's governing body FIFA. "The match is without spectators, according to the permit issued by police," Persebaya said on its Instagram account. Tuesday's Persebaya-Arema FC match was supposed to take place in early March but was postponed by police due to persistent concerns over fan rivalries and crowd control issues.

☆ Walmart chases higher profits powered by warehouse robots and automated claws
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Tasks are powered by giant automated claws and rolling robots, instead of people. The company took investors on a tour of an approximately 1.4 million-square-foot facility in Brooksville, Florida — the first automated distribution center for packaged foods and other shelf-stable household items. By the end of January, roughly a third of stores will get distribution from the automated facilities, the company said. He declined to share specific turnover numbers, but said the first year after the Brooksville facility became automated, no employees left the job. With the automation, Molina watches the robots unload the truck and intervenes if they run into a problem, he said.

☆ Women's soccer expands into the Bay Area with a new team and record investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Sixth Street has the incredible know-how, experience and bandwidth to devote to the league," NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman told CNBC. Waxman, a former Goldman Sachs executive, founded Sixth Street in 2009, and the firm currently has more than $65 billion in assets under management. This is the company's first foray into women's sports, following investments in Spanish soccer teams Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and the NBA's San Antonio Spurs. The four former national team players will be represented on the board and will work alongside Sixth Street in setting the team's strategic direction, he said. Sandberg will partner with the club to create leadership programs that empower women and girls in underserved Bay Area communities.

☆ A lot of money is on the line for women's pro soccer in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Restore faith in women's soccer and grow the business. The league averaged 37 sponsorship deals per team, which is more than any other women's sport, according to sports data and intelligence platform Sponsor United. Women's pro soccer valuations are also soaring. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman speaks during the 2023 NWSL Draft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on January 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Culture changeOL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe (15) scores on a penalty kick during the second half of the National Womens Soccer League game between NJ/NY Gotham FC and OL Reign on September 21, 2022 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

☆ Palace sack manager Vieira after winless run
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 17 (Reuters) - Crystal Palace sacked manager Patrick Vieira after 20 months in charge on Friday after their 1-0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion left them three points above the Premier League relegation zone. Palace are the only side in the league without a win in 2023, having drawn five and lost six of their games. Their last league win came on Dec. 31, 2-0 at Bournemouth, and they are 12th on 27 points with 11 games to play. Vieira, 46, guided Palace to a 12th-placed finish and an FA Cup semi-final run in his first season in charge, earning praise for an attacking style of play. The club did not confirm who would replace Vieira or take charge of Sunday's Premier League trip to leaders Arsenal.

☆ Vinícius Jr. is being racially abused during LaLiga matches. Why is nobody being punished?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

It has been updated to reflect the persistent racist abuse that Vinicius Jr. was subjected to during Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat by Valencia on May 21, 2023. ‘Racist campaign against Vinícius’Incidents of players being racially abused by fans have tarred numerous LaLiga matches this season. On May 21, Vinícius was again subjected to racist abuse from the stands, this time during Real’s match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium. Most cases of racist abuse which LaLiga has referred to local prosecutors have involved Vinícius. The local prosecutor in Mallorca said it is investigating a number of cases of racist abuse at matches.

☆ Two Indonesian match officials jailed over deadly soccer stampede
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SURABAYA, Indonesia, March 9 (Reuters) - An Indonesian court handed prison sentences to two soccer match officials on Thursday after finding them guilty of negligence over one of the world's deadliest stadium stampedes. The judges also found security officer Suko Sutrisno guilty of negligence and jailed him for one year. An investigation by Indonesia's human rights commission found the main cause of the stampede was police firing into the crowd 45 rounds of tear gas, which soccer's world governing body FIFA has banned as a crowd control measure. Both match officials' representatives said they would study the ruling before attempting next legal steps. Three police officers are also charged with the same offences and their cases will be decided at a later date.

☆ Apple's advertising business is expanding into new areas this year such as TV. Here are 14 behind-the-scenes Apple executives building its advertising empire.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Right now its roughly $5 billion-in-revenue ads business largely consists of search ads sold within the App Store. We asked more than a dozen advertising industry insiders and former Apple advertising staffers to identify the most important executives building Apple's advertising business. Teresi's ascent coincides with the explosive growth of Apple's ad business in recent years. A former Yahoo and Quantcast staffer, Crawford first joined Apple in 2011 to work on global operations for iAd. Lauren Fry - Apple TV+ ad salesApple hired Fry, a TV and video ad sales veteran, in February this year, The Information reported.

☆ Indonesia delays 'risky' rematch of game hit by deadly stampede
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, March 2 (Reuters) - The rematch of an Indonesian soccer game that ended in one of the sport's worst stadium stampedes has been postponed due to the risk of further crowd trouble, police said on Thursday. They could not play in Surabaya because of ongoing stadium upgrades for the Under-20 World Cup in May. Indonesian soccer has long been blighted by problems, including match-fixing scandals and crowd trouble between rival supporters, which has resulted in some matches being played behind closed doors. At another game in Central Java last month, police used tear gas to stop fans from forcibly entering a stadium during a closed-doors derby match. Investigators concluded the main cause of the crush that killed 135 people last year was excessive and indiscriminate use of tear gas, which world governing body FIFA bans as a crowd control measure.

☆ Five storylines to watch in the 2023 MLS season
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Five storylines to follow during the 2023 Major League Soccer (MLS) season which kicks off on Saturday:LAFC'S REPEAT BIDLos Angeles FC return this season looking to retain their crown after a wildly successful 2022 during which they won the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup, becoming the first team to win the double since Toronto FC in 2017. With experience and some added depth, Union are well-placed to take the next step to landing a maiden MLS Cup. The Leagues Cup will not have any draws. - -REVAMPED PLAYOFFSEighteen clubs, or 62% of MLS's teams, will qualify for the 2023 postseason compared to 14 teams last year. The conference semi-finals, finals and MLS Cup remain single-elimination matches hosted by the higher seed.

LAFC prevailed in the most thrilling final in league history against Philadelphia last season when Gareth Bale's stunning extra time goal tied the rollercoaster affair 3-3. The home side then broke the hearts of the Union in a one-sided penalty shootout to claim their first MLS Cup and cap a season where they also won the Supporters' Shield for having the best regular-season record. Earlier this month Forbes announced that LAFC was the first MLS club to reach $1 billion in value. "Leading into the World Cup in 2026, you want to build momentum and gain more exposure, and I think this partnership is going to truly be beautiful." While Fox and FS1 will still carry some games on traditional cable, the bulk of the matches will be streamed on Apple TV through its MLS Season Pass at a price of $79 a year for Apple TV+ subscribers and $99 for those without.

☆ South Korean prosecutors seek to arrest opposition leader in graft probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Feb 16 (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors on Thursday requested an arrest warrant for the head of the main opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, in an investigation into development projects and bribery allegations. Lee, who was mayor of the city south of Seoul from 2010 to 2018, has denied any wrongdoing. The Democratic Party denounced prosecutors' move, calling it an "unprecedented act of violence to incapacitate the opposition party and eliminate the president's political enemy." Lee lost to President Yoon Suk-yeol, a former prosecutor-general, in the March presidential election by a margin of just 0.7%. ($1 = 1,281.3900 won)Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi and Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Why China's and Russia's 5th-generation stealth jets don't quite live up to the hype, according to a former US Navy pilot
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Peter Suciu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Those jets have advanced features but aren't quite as advanced as US stealth jets, a former Navy pilot says. However, a copy of a fifth-generation fighter does not actually make it one. Russia's Sukhoi Su-57Russian Su-57 fighter jets. A Russian Su-57 fighter jet. Associated PressThough the Chinese and Russian aircraft are likely highly capable warbirds, some US aviation experts have suggested they shouldn't rightfully be considered "fifth-generation."

☆ Cincinnati sign Colombia defender Arias
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 9 (Reuters) - FC Cincinnati have signed Colombia defender Santiago Arias through the 2023 season, with an option to extend for an extra year, the MLS club said on Thursday. The 31-year-old, who recently played for Spanish second-tier side Granada on loan from Atletico Madrid, has joined Cincinnati on a free transfer, MLS said. "Santi brings an enormous amount of experience and ability to FC Cincinnati," Cincinnati General Manager Chris Albright said. Arias joined Atletico in 2018 after five years at PSV Eindhoven, where he won three league titles and two Dutch Super Cups. Arias has more than 50 caps and was part of the Colombia squad that finished third at the Copa America Centenario and also went to the 2014 and 2018 World Cup tournaments.

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