Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously called for an end to the fighting, describing it as a proxy war between Russia and the US Moscow agrees with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent assessment that the Ukraine conflict is essentially a proxy war between […]
Participants are invited to submit ideas on economic development and global growth challenges Moscow has launched an international essay contest on global economic development as part of the upcoming Open Dialogue ‘The Future of the World: New Platform for Global Growth’. The event will take […]
People such as Danish PM Mette Frederiksen don’t want the conflict with Russia to end, the tech tycoon has argued European leaders who are pushing against a peace agreement in Ukraine want a perpetual state of war, tech billionaire Elon Musk said in a statement […]
The Twitter owner commented after Ivan Provorov declined to take part in an NHL ‘Pride’ campaign Elon Musk has responded to the scandal surrounding Russian hockey player Ivan Provorov, who has been criticized for choosing not to appear in a rainbow-themed jersey for the NHL’s […]
The Twitter owner commented after Ivan Provorov declined to take part in an NHL ‘Pride’ campaign
Elon Musk has responded to the scandal surrounding Russian hockey player Ivan Provorov, who has been criticized for choosing not to appear in a rainbow-themed jersey for the NHL’s ‘Pride Night’ campaign earlier this week. Musk appeared to back Provorov after he faced calls to be expelled from the US.
“The pendulum has swung a bit too far,” tweeted Musk on Friday, replying to a clip in which NHL analyst EJ Hradek suggested that if Provorov doesn’t support liberal US values, he should return to Russia to take part in the military campaign in Ukraine.
“The gay movement, in about 7 years, went from ‘equal rights’ to ‘go f***ing die in a trench war if you don’t wear a pride shirt!’” read the original post from Twitter user Maxwell Meyer to which Musk replied, and which shared the clip of Hradek criticizing Provorov.
Musk commented on the criticism aimed at Provorov.
The row began on Tuesday night when Provorov opted not to join his Philadelphia Flyers teammates for their warmup on the ice before the game against the Anaheim Ducks, during which the players wore special rainbow jerseys.
Provorov, who is Russian Orthodox, later explained that he “respects everybody’s choices” but decided not to take part because he wanted to “stay true to myself and my religion.”
The player, 26, has been defended by Flyers coach John Tortorella, who argued on Thursday that Provorov has “done nothing wrong.” Speaking to journalists, Tortorella said: “Just because you don’t agree with his decision, it doesn’t mean he did anything wrong.”
“[Provorov] didn’t actively seek out and try to make a stand against it [Pride Night]. He just felt he didn’t want to [take part]… He’s not beating a drum, he didn’t say a word, he just wanted to go about his business,” added the coach.
Juventus have been docked 15 points while numerous former club officials have been banned Juventus have been handed a 15-point deduction by the Italian football authorities following an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities. The Turin club has already said it will appeal the punishment. […]
Juventus have been docked 15 points while numerous former club officials have been banned
Juventus have been handed a 15-point deduction by the Italian football authorities following an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities. The Turin club has already said it will appeal the punishment.
In immediate terms, the points deduction means Juventus have plunged from third to tenth place in the Serie A table. They are now 25 points behind league leaders Napoli – who beat them 5-1 earlier this month – and are 12 points adrift of the European qualification spots.
The Italian football federation (FIGC) announced its decision on Friday, and the sanction is even harsher than the nine-point deduction that prosecutors had been seeking in the case. It was announced that former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli – who resigned along with other members of the board in November – has been banned from holding a position in Italian football for two years.
Juventus’ former vice-president Pavel Nedved has been hit with an eight-month ban, while ex-sporting director Fabio Paratici – who now works at English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur – has been banned for 30 months. The London club is trying to ascertain if the sanctions will influence Paratici’s position, with the FIGC reportedly requesting that the punishment be applied across all UEFA and FIFA jurisdiction.
Juventus and former club officials have denied any wrongdoing and have already announced their intention to appeal the decision at the country’s highest sports court within the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).
Winners of the Italian title a record 36 times, Juventus have faced claims that they fixed their balance sheets by falsely inflating the value of players and misrepresenting losses.
They were initially cleared alongside 10 other clubs in April 2022, but the case was reopened in December after the federal prosecutor appealed against that ruling.
New evidence into Juve’s financing is said to have come to light from a separate investigation by prosecutors in Turin, leading to the case being revived.
After winning the title for nine straight seasons between 2012 and 2020, Juve saw their dominance in Italian football end at the hands of Inter Milan in 2021 and AC Milan in 2022. The Turin club posted a record loss of €240 million ($260 million) for last season, further indicating their downfall.
Elsewhere, Juventus have found themselves at odds with UEFA over plans for the ill-fated European Super League, which collapsed shortly after being announced in April 2021. Along with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, Juventus have continued to maintain that the project can come to fruition, despite widespread opposition from UEFA and with nine of the 12 founding teams all pulling out.
Juventus were famously embroiled in the ‘Calciopoli’ refereeing scandal 17 years ago – one of Italy’s biggest ever sporting controversies. On that occasion, they ended up being demoted to Serie B and losing two Serie A titles.
Andrey Rublev is into the fourth round after victory over Britain’s Dan Evans Russia’s Andrey Rublev swept into the second week of the Australian Open with a big-hitting performance to defeat Britain’s Dan Evans in their third-round meeting on Saturday. Fifth seed Rublev outclassed Evans […]
Andrey Rublev is into the fourth round after victory over Britain’s Dan Evans
Russia’s Andrey Rublev swept into the second week of the Australian Open with a big-hitting performance to defeat Britain’s Dan Evans in their third-round meeting on Saturday.
Fifth seed Rublev outclassed Evans in straight sets, winning 6-4 6-2 6-3 at Margaret Court Arena. Highlighting Rublev’s dominance, he racked up 60 winners during the contest compared to 20 from the British number 25 seed. The Russian broke his rival’s serve four times, staving off four break points on his own serve.
Rublev, who overtook Daniil Medvedev as Russia’s highest ranked player ahead of the tournament in Melbourne, will next play Danish ninth seed Holger Rune in the fourth round. Rune overcame an injury scare to defeat France’s Ugo Humbert in their third-round match on Saturday.
Rublev, 25, is bidding to reach a seventh quarterfinal at a Grand Slam, and what would be his second in three years in Melbourne. However, he has yet to reach the semifinals of a major and will be aiming to finally break that hoodoo this year.
Crucially, Rublev is finding form after a disappointing start to 2023 which saw him exit two warm-up tournaments in Adelaide in the opening round.
“At the beginning of the season I lost a bit of confidence with those losses, but now I am playing good tennis,” Rublev said after seeing off Evans. “After the first set I was feeling really confident and I knew I could play better, faster and that he was not comfortable with that, so I tried to play even more aggressive.”
Elsewhere in the men’s draw in Melbourne, Russia has representation in the form of Karen Khachanov, who takes on Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the fourth round on Sunday. Two-time Australian Open finalist Medvedev saw his hopes ended at the tournament this year when he suffered a shock third-round exit to America’s Sebastian Korda in straight sets on Friday.
Three Russian players were among the 12 selections unveiled by the league following a vote A trio of Russian players have been added to the lineup for the NHL’s 2023 All-Star Game following a fan vote, it was revealed on Thursday. There are set to […]
Three Russian players were among the 12 selections unveiled by the league following a vote
A trio of Russian players have been added to the lineup for the NHL’s 2023 All-Star Game following a fan vote, it was revealed on Thursday. There are set to be nine Russians in total on the rosters for the four-team showpiece.
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin have both been voted onto the team for the Metro Division, the NHL announced. In the Atlantic Division, Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been chosen by fans following a vote which closed earlier this week.
In total, 12 players were added to the rosters for the four NHL divisions, completing the 44-man list for the league’s annual showpiece, which this year will take place at FLA LIVE Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on February 3-4. An All-Star Skills Show will be held on the first day, followed by the All-Star Game itself.
Earlier this month, six Russian NHL stars were named among the 32 players – one from each of the league’s teams – who were initially selected by the league’s Department of Hockey Operations as 2023 All-Star participants.
Washington Capitals leader Alexander Ovechkin was named on the Metropolitan Division roster, along with right winger Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes. New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin – winner of the Vezina Trophy for the NHL’s best goalie last season – is also in the Metropolitan Division ranks.
In the Atlantic Division, Russia’s Nikita Kucherov will represent the Tampa Bay Lightning – and will now be joined by compatriot and teammate Vasilevskiy following the fan vote.
For the Central Division, left wing Kirill Kaprizov of Minnesota Wild was earlier selected by the NHL panel. Russia’s Vladimir Tarasenko was also included on the initial Central Division roster, but the St. Louis Blues winger faces a race to recover in time from a hand injury.
The All-Star Game will be played in a 3-on-3 format, in a tournament featuring 11-player teams from each of the league’s four divisions. There will be nine skaters and two goalies in each of the four teams.
Daniil Medvedev has crashed out in in the third round in Melbourne Two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev has seen his Australian Open title hopes ended for this year after the Russian suffered a shock defeat to American rival Sebastian Korda in Melbourne on Friday. The misfiring […]
Daniil Medvedev has crashed out in in the third round in Melbourne
Two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev has seen his Australian Open title hopes ended for this year after the Russian suffered a shock defeat to American rival Sebastian Korda in Melbourne on Friday.
The misfiring Medvedev was beaten in three sets, 6-7 (7-9) 3-6 6-7 (4-7), in just under three hours at Rod Laver Arena as the seventh seed was outplayed by his 22-year-old opponent.
For Korda, who is the son of Czech former Australian Open champion Petr Korda, the performance was another sign of his burgeoning talent following a run to the final of the Adelaide International earlier this month.
Seeded 29th in Melbourne, Korda will next face Polish tenth seed Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth round, in what appears to be an increasingly open section of the men’s draw following the exit of an injury-hit Rafael Nadal on Wednesday.
Medvedev, meanwhile, will rue an early departure from a tournament at which he has gone all the way to the final in the past two editions – losing a five-set epic to Nadal last year and being beaten more comprehensively by Novak Djokovic in 2021.
Medvedev spent a total of 16 weeks as world number one in 2022, but is set to drop outside the ATP top 10 following his disappointing performance in Melbourne.
Despite topping the ratings last year, the 26-year-old Russian has endured mixed fortunes in recent months and has struggled to fully recapture the form that saw him win a maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in September 2021.
There was, however, success for Russia in the men’s draw earlier on Friday in Melbourne when number 18 seed Karen Khachanov defeated American 16th seed Frances Tiafoe in four sets, 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (11-9), to set up a last-16 match against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev also remains in contention, and plays Britain’s Dan Evans in their third-round contest on Saturday.
The UFC pundit and podcaster discussed the prospects of the big-hitting Sergei Pavlovich Russian UFC heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich is a “scary dude” whose current form could propel him to title contention, according to Joe Rogan. Pavlovich is undefeated in his last five fights – all […]
The UFC pundit and podcaster discussed the prospects of the big-hitting Sergei Pavlovich
Russian UFC heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich is a “scary dude” whose current form could propel him to title contention, according to Joe Rogan. Pavlovich is undefeated in his last five fights – all of which have ended via first-round knockout.
“I’ll show you what I’m interested in,” Rogan said in a conversation with UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad on his podcast this week. “What I’m interested in at UFC heavyweight: Pavlovich is the boy. Sergei Pavlovich, that motherf**ker, that’s the Russian Francis [Ngannou]. He comes out guns-blazing on people, just like Francis used to.”
Pavlovich is ranked third in the UFC’s heavyweight standings – a division now without a ruler following the departure of former champion Francis Ngannou after his contract dispute with the promotion.
UFC president Dana White announced last weekend that former light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones would return to contest the vacant heavyweight title against France’s Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in Las Vegas on March 4.
Rogan admitted that the match-up was an “interesting” one, not least considering that Jones hasn’t competed in the UFC for three years while Gane is a former title challenger who was beaten by Ngannou 12 months ago.
However, Rogan added that the recent exploits of Pavlovich – who continued his streak of destruction with a brutal finish against Tai Tuivasa in December – made him the one to watch in the division.
“That motherf**ker [Pavlovich] can bomb. He’s fast, very good, very good… The Tai Tuivasa fight was incredible. You think about Ciryl Gane going through that war with [Tuivasa], Sergei just put it on him,” said Rogan.
“His boxing is really tight, real power punches, excellent technique. A big guy too. This dude is scary, he can crack. He’s interesting, I want to see him fight more.
“To me, with Francis leaving, he’s one of the most interesting guys at heavyweight, if not the most interesting guy at heavyweight. I am very interested in him fighting a guy like Jon Jones, that’s crazy to me,” added Rogan.
Rogan suggested that if Jones could get past the formidable figure of Gane and then beat former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, a meeting would Pavlovich would be the next logical step for UFC matchmakers.
Jones, 35, is stepping up to heavyweight in a bid to join an elite group of two-division UFC champions. Despite his numerous controversies, Jones is widely considered among the greatest UFC fighters of all time. The only blemishes for Jones in a 28-fight professional career came in 2017 when his bout with Daniel Cormier was later ruled a ‘no contest’ for a doping violation, and in 2009 when he was disqualified against Matt Hamill for illegal elbows.
Pavlovich, 30, has lost just once in his 18-bout professional career. The Rostov fighter was stopped in the first round of his UFC debut by Dutch veteran Alistair Overeem, but has since bounced back with five first-round victories which showcased his formidable power.
Dani Alves was questioned by police Barcelona on Friday, according to reports Brazilian football star Dani Alves has been detained in Barcelona following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in a nightclub in the city last month, it has been reported. Alves, 39, was […]
Dani Alves was questioned by police Barcelona on Friday, according to reports
Brazilian football star Dani Alves has been detained in Barcelona following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in a nightclub in the city last month, it has been reported.
Alves, 39, was questioned at a police station in the Les Corts district of the Catalan capital, according to Spanish out AS.
The defender is now set to make a court appearance to answer claims that he groped a female patron at Barcelona nightspot ‘Sutton’ on December 31. Alves has firmly denied the allegations against him.
Alves is recognized as the most decorated footballer of all time, amassing a haul of 42 trophies to his name during a career spent at the likes of Barcelona, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain. He has also made 126 appearances for the Brazilian national team, with the most recent of those coming at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Alves currently plays at Mexican team Pumas. The footballer had reportedly traveled to Spain from Mexico following the death of the mother of his Tenerife-born wife.
It was claimed that Alves had arranged his police interview through lawyers, according to the Daily Mail, and that he was detained and fingerprinted as part of routine procedure. He faced questioning before being taken to court for further quizzing on the alleged sexual assault.
Alves spent the most successful part of his career at Barcelona, winning six La Liga titles and a hat-trick of Champions League crowns alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and fellow greats Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.
Club legend accuses global governing body of not doing enough to help The director of football at Shakhtar Donetsk has accused FIFA of “doing nothing” to help the club after its appeal against a controversial transfer ruling was dismissed earlier this month. Darijo Srna claimed […]
Club legend accuses global governing body of not doing enough to help
The director of football at Shakhtar Donetsk has accused FIFA of “doing nothing” to help the club after its appeal against a controversial transfer ruling was dismissed earlier this month. Darijo Srna claimed FIFA “will destroy” his club through its current stance.
“The whole world is helping Ukraine but FIFA doesn’t help its football. It’s their duty and they do nothing,” Srna complained in an interview with The Guardian published on Thursday.
Shakhtar officials have been angered by a FIFA transfer policy which allowed foreign players and coaching staff at Russian and Ukrainian clubs to unilaterally suspend their contracts until the end of June 2023 due to the ongoing conflict. Initially announced in March, the policy was extended in June ahead of the new season.
Eight Russian clubs as well as Ukrainian Premier League team Shakhtar lodged an appeal against the decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, but saw their complaints dismissed earlier in January. Russian teams argued that the FIFA policy was discriminatory and undermined the legitimacy of contracts, while Shakhtar claimed it meant the club would lose out on millions in potential transfer fees.
“What FIFA have done to us is not right,” added Srna, a Croat former defender who spent part of his playing career at Shakhtar. “They will destroy us. We’re not asking for money that isn’t ours. We want to protect a club that has played 17 times [sic] in the Champions League group stage.
“And it doesn’t matter whether it’s us or another club, it’s the entire country. We want them to protect the Ukrainian league and instead we feel as if we’re fighting not only against Russia, but against FIFA too.”
It emerged in July that Shakhtar was seeking €50 million ($54 million) as compensation for players who left on loan when they could otherwise have been sold. The club has, however, received a significant boost to its coffers in recent days following the sale of winger Mikhail Mudryk to English giants Chelsea in a deal said to be worth up to €100 million ($108 million).
After the sale, club president Rinat Akhmetov said that $25 million would be allocated to help the Ukrainian effort in the conflict against Russia, including to support the defenders of Mariupol and their families. The city was the scene of vicious fighting as the neo-Nazi Azov regiment attempted to stave off Russian attacks before surrendering in May.
Shakhtar formerly played at the Donbass Arena in Donetsk and the club retained its name despite relocating to western Ukraine following the violence prompted by the coup in Kiev in 2014. Donetsk was one of four regions which formally became part of Russia following referendums in September of last year.
Meanwhile, Russian clubs continue to be banned by UEFA and FIFA from all official international competitions due to the conflict with Ukraine. It was announced by the Russian Football Union (RFU) at the end of December that it would establish a working group alongside UEFA in an effort to find a potential route to competitions for Russian teams.
A scandal continues to rage in the NHL after Ivan Provorov declined to wear a Pride-themed jersey Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella has defended Ivan Provorov after the Russian star opted not to take part in an LBGT campaign earlier this week. The incident has continued […]
A scandal continues to rage in the NHL after Ivan Provorov declined to wear a Pride-themed jersey
Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella has defended Ivan Provorov after the Russian star opted not to take part in an LBGT campaign earlier this week. The incident has continued to provoke debate within the NHL after Provorov chose not to appear in a pre-game warmup.
“Just because you don’t agree with his decision, it doesn’t mean he did anything wrong,” Tortorella told journalists when asked about Provorov, who featured in his team’s 4-1 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks in Philadelphia on Thursday night.
“[Provorov] didn’t actively seek out and try to make a stand against it [Pride Night]. He just felt he didn’t want to [take part]… He’s not beating a drum, he didn’t say a word, he just wanted to go about his business,” added Tortorella.
The row was sparked when Provorov, 26, declined to take part in a warmup alongside teammates before their game against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Players took to the ice in rainbow-themed jerseys and used sticks wrapped in rainbow tape as part of a ‘Pride Night’ campaign. Provorov, who is Russian Orthodox, later explained that he “respects everybody’s choices” but that he wanted to “stay true to myself and my religion.”
Provorov’s stance has caused anger among some figures in NHL circles, with prominent pundit EJ Hradek even suggesting that the Russian should be removed from the country and sent home.
Elsewhere, however, reports have claimed that there is high demand for Provorov jerseys online following his decision.
Also commenting on Thursday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman defended the league’s position on LGBT rights, arguing that “a handful of players don’t define what we do as a whole.”
“At the end of the day, I think everybody knows what the league stands for in terms of our values, what the Flyers stand for in terms of their values, but in the final analysis, individual players are going to make their decisions and follow their beliefs,” Bettman said.
Defensemen Provorov made his debut with the Flyers in 2016 and has spent his entire NHL career with the franchise.
The two icons met for potentially the last time in an exhibition game in Riyadh Cristiano Ronaldo took a blow to the face from former teammate Keylor Navas but recovered to score twice as the Portuguese striker appeared for a Saudi All-Star XI against Lionel […]
The two icons met for potentially the last time in an exhibition game in Riyadh
Cristiano Ronaldo took a blow to the face from former teammate Keylor Navas but recovered to score twice as the Portuguese striker appeared for a Saudi All-Star XI against Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday.
Making his first appearance in Saudi Arabia since joining Al Nassr in a record-breaking deal earlier this month, Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot and added a second goal with a finish in first-half injury time at the King Fahd Stadium.
Messi had put PSG in front after just three minutes of the match, and the French visitors ended up winning an entertaining game 5-4 thanks to further goals from Marquinhos, Sergio Ramos, a Kylian Mbappe penalty, and a strike from Hugo Ekitike.
PSG also saw Neymar miss a first-half penalty and had defender Juan Bernat sent off in the 39th minute.
Ronaldo’s brace came after he recovered from a bruising encounter with PSG goalie Navas – his former teammate at Real Madrid. Navas came out to deal with a cross but ended up missing the ball and elbowing Ronaldo in the face, leaving the striker in a heap on the floor.
The incident saw the Saudi All-Stars awarded a penalty, which Ronaldo tucked away to level the game at 1-1. The 37-year-old was left with red marks and bruising, which were inspected more closely by PSG forward Mbappe.
Mbappe took a closer look at the marks on Ronaldo’s face following the incident with Navas.
After delighting Saudi fans with his goal-scoring double and some flashes of brilliance – including a cheeky nutmeg on midfield rival Carlos Soler – Ronaldo was substituted in the 61st minute and was later handed the Man-of-the-Match award, while PSG’s megastar trio of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe were withdrawn soon after the Portuguese forward.
The match was a brief mid-season jaunt to the Middle East for the Qatari-owned PSG, who will return to the business of domestic football when they play Pays de Cassel in the French Cup on Monday.
Ronaldo and Messi may have shared the pitch for the last time.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is finally set to make his official bow for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League meeting against Al Ettifaq on Sunday. The Portuguese star, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal reportedly worth up to €200 million ($217 million) a season, has thus far been prevented from appearing for his new team after serving a two-match ban imposed by the English FA from his days at Manchester United, where he slapped a cell phone out of the hands of a young fan in a fit of frustration last season.
Thursday’s game in Riyadh was billed as potentially the last time fans will get to see Ronaldo and World Cup winner Messi – who boast 12 Ballon d’Ors between them – on the same pitch.
