Latest news with #EuropeanChampionship-winning
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Como confident of keeping Cesc Fabregas amid Inter interest
Como are confident of keeping Cesc Fabregas amid interest in their head coach from other clubs including Inter. Fabregas, in his first full season in management, established Como in the Serie A mid-table in what was the club's first top-flight campaign since 2003. Como finished the season 10th. The former Spain international's impact has attracted the attention of Inter, who contacted Como in relation to their now vacant head coach position. Simone Inzaghi left the Champions League finalists on Tuesday and is expected to accept a lucrative offer to take over at Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. Advertisement Como do not want to lose Fabregas with the situation further complicated by his own personal investment in the Lombardy club. Como are owned by the Djarum Group of Indonesia and are estimated to be the wealthiest club in Italy with Fabregas, as well as his former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry, minority stakeholders. A move within Italy is therefore seen as extremely difficult. 'Obviously, there is an emotional aspect, I cannot deny that,' Fabregas said on his future after the win over Cagliari last month, via Tuttomercato. 'Whatever happens, I will always be grateful to this club, proud of what is being built around Como. This energy at the Stadio Sinigaglia is different to when I arrived as a player. 'I want to leave here leaving an inheritance, as the important thing is that whoever follows me will find a great club with lads who have a spectacular work ethic. I want to leave this to Como, then obviously I am very fond of everyone, very involved in their future too. When the moment comes, I will say something.' Fabregas initially became interim head coach at Como in November 2023 after they sacked Moreno Longo, having previously been an assistant after retiring as a player that summer. Former Crystal Palace assistant Osian Roberts took over interim duties in December 2023, with Fabregas reverting to his previous position. Como were promoted at the end of the season, with Fabregas then appointed as head coach on a four-year deal and Roberts taking on the role of head of development. Following promotion, Como recruited Fabregas' former Spain team-mate Pepe Reina, as well as Sergi Roberto from Barcelona, Raphael Varane from Manchester United and Nico Paz from Real Madrid, though Varane later retired after making only one appearance. A former midfielder, Fabregas enjoyed a glittering playing career winning league titles with Barcelona and Chelsea as well as being a key figure in World Cup and European Championship-winning (twice) teams with Spain. ()
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Kirby follows Earps in retiring from international soccer duty with England
LONDON (AP) — Another member of England's European Championship-winning team has announced her retirement from international soccer, with midfielder Fran Kirby making her decision after missing out on selection for the team's title defense next month. The 31-year-old Kirby, who played 77 games for England and scored 19 goals, stepped down from national team duty less than a week after goalkeeper Mary Earps did the same. Kirby made her senior debut in August 2014 and represented England at four major tournaments, as well as featuring for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She started in all of England's games at Euro 2022 on home soil, scoring two goals along the way as the Lionesses lifted their first major trophy with victory over Germany in the final at Wembley. Her last appearance for England came off the bench during its 6-0 win over Portugal on Friday. She announced her decision on Instagram following the team's 2-1 loss to Spain on Tuesday. 'After being in the England team since I was 21, it's time to close that chapter of my life,' Kirby wrote. 'I didn't ever want this day to come, but I cannot tell you how proud I am it happened. It's been the biggest honor to represent my country, one that I had only dreamt about as a young girl." Kirby was planning to retire from international duty after the upcoming Euros in Switzerland but has brought that forward after discovering she wouldn't be in Sarina Wiegman's squad for the tournament. 'When I had the conversation with Sarina and you know, she laid her plans out for the Euros, and she told me I wasn't going, unless someone got injured, I knew it was the moment where I'd outstayed my welcome," Kirby told ESPN. 'I don't want to take the opportunity away from someone who can learn and to then set them up for the future. And I just didn't want to be waiting around every day, of keeping that faint hope going just in case I was going to get a chance. I don't think that would've been fair on my head, either.'
Fox Sports
6 days ago
- General
- Fox Sports
Kirby follows Earps in retiring from international soccer duty with England
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Another member of England's European Championship-winning team has announced her retirement from international soccer, with midfielder Fran Kirby making her decision after missing out on selection for the team's title defense next month. The 31-year-old Kirby, who played 77 games for England and scored 19 goals, stepped down from national team duty less than a week after goalkeeper Mary Earps did the same. Kirby made her senior debut in August 2014 and represented England at four major tournaments, as well as featuring for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She started in all of England's games at Euro 2022 on home soil, scoring two goals along the way as the Lionesses lifted their first major trophy with victory over Germany in the final at Wembley. Her last appearance for England came off the bench during its 6-0 win over Portugal on Friday. She announced her decision on Instagram following the team's 2-1 loss to Spain on Tuesday. 'After being in the England team since I was 21, it's time to close that chapter of my life,' Kirby wrote. 'I didn't ever want this day to come, but I cannot tell you how proud I am it happened. It's been the biggest honor to represent my country, one that I had only dreamt about as a young girl." Kirby was planning to retire from international duty after the upcoming Euros in Switzerland but has brought that forward after discovering she wouldn't be in Sarina Wiegman's squad for the tournament. 'When I had the conversation with Sarina and you know, she laid her plans out for the Euros, and she told me I wasn't going, unless someone got injured, I knew it was the moment where I'd outstayed my welcome," Kirby told ESPN. 'I don't want to take the opportunity away from someone who can learn and to then set them up for the future. And I just didn't want to be waiting around every day, of keeping that faint hope going just in case I was going to get a chance. I don't think that would've been fair on my head, either.' ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Kirby follows Earps in retiring from international soccer duty with England
LONDON (AP) — Another member of England's European Championship-winning team has announced her retirement from international soccer, with midfielder Fran Kirby making her decision after missing out on selection for the team's title defense next month. The 31-year-old Kirby, who played 77 games for England and scored 19 goals, stepped down from national team duty less than a week after goalkeeper Mary Earps did the same. Kirby made her senior debut in August 2014 and represented England at four major tournaments, as well as featuring for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She started in all of England's games at Euro 2022 on home soil, scoring two goals along the way as the Lionesses lifted their first major trophy with victory over Germany in the final at Wembley. Her last appearance for England came off the bench during its 6-0 win over Portugal on Friday. She announced her decision on Instagram following the team's 2-1 loss to Spain on Tuesday. 'After being in the England team since I was 21, it's time to close that chapter of my life,' Kirby wrote. 'I didn't ever want this day to come, but I cannot tell you how proud I am it happened. It's been the biggest honor to represent my country, one that I had only dreamt about as a young girl.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Kirby was planning to retire from international duty after the upcoming Euros in Switzerland but has brought that forward after discovering she wouldn't be in Sarina Wiegman's squad for the tournament. 'When I had the conversation with Sarina and you know, she laid her plans out for the Euros, and she told me I wasn't going, unless someone got injured, I knew it was the moment where I'd outstayed my welcome,' Kirby told ESPN. 'I don't want to take the opportunity away from someone who can learn and to then set them up for the future. And I just didn't want to be waiting around every day, of keeping that faint hope going just in case I was going to get a chance. I don't think that would've been fair on my head, either.' ___ AP soccer:
Telegraph
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Too fat, too thin – female athletes cannot win
'You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin.' That is a line from America Ferrera's monologue in the 2023 film Barbie that surely resonated across the world, as would so many of the other expectations placed on women that she highlighted. Commenting on women's weight is nothing new; actresses and musicians have had their body shape scrutinised for decades. Take Selena Gomez: during last year's awards season some on social media told her to take Ozempic, a weight-loss drug, while this year there was criticism she was too thin. The fact she has previously spoken about how her lupus medication causes her weight to fluctuate seems to have been forgotten. Now, with their increased profiles, female athletes are finding their appearances picked over more than ever. Across the sporting spectrum, there are examples of women who find their looks discussed more than their athletic performance. Eilish McColgan has called out trolls for claiming she has an eating disorder while fellow runner Georgia Hunter Bell has spoken about the 'dark side of social media' with people commenting on 'how you look'. Sarah Glenn has opened up about 'demeaning' remarks around her wearing make-up to play cricket. 'Do you really think one layer of foundation is going to affect how I bowl?' she has said in response. Pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw told Telegraph Sport a few years ago that 'at one point if you typed my name into Google, the word 'fat' came up after it. Can you imagine?' Fran Kirby, part of the European Championship-winning Lionesses squad of 2022, has reflected on the effect people describing her as 'big' has had during her career. Serena Williams famously told Harper's Bazaar in 2018: 'People would say I was born a guy, all because of my arms, or because I'm strong. This is me, and this is my weapon and machine.' Yet while the tennis great was able to turn criticism into a body positive message, others have not found it easy to brush off such opinions and all the discourse around weight can negatively affect people's health, mental and physical. Research shows that 44 per cent of UK female athletes experience disordered eating and that athletes are at a significantly higher risk of developing eating disorders compared to the general population. It is an issue former swimmer Cerian Harries wanted to highlight and, along with 12 other athletes, she recently produced an Instagram video with the key message: 'Your worth was never in your weight.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by F🔺T (REDs) Awareness (@female_athletetriad_awareness) Of course, professional athletes should expect their performances to come under scrutiny; sport is their job and there are standards that should be met. That can involve questioning people's fitness and athleticism, as we saw in the recent Women's Ashes series, but body shape is not necessarily indicative of whether someone is fit or healthy. As Kirby says: 'As long as you're fit to play your sport at the highest level, and you're consistently performing well, then body shape shouldn't be a conversation.' McColgan, too, stresses that 'fuelling' correctly is key, saying: 'Looking after your body should be, as an athlete, the absolute top priority.' As is too often the case with women in the public eye, discussions focus on appearance rather than ability. Too fat, too thin, too much make-up, too little make-up, too feminine, too masculine… Female athletes simply cannot win and body-shaming is becoming ever more common. The endless judgment athletes face for their appearance is more eloquently expressed by Sophia Thakur than me. Here is an excerpt from her poem Gladiators, which she performed at a recent Sky Sports event, that perfectly outlines the endless commentary: 'They're like, 'Would you mind maintaining your shape, your figure eight. / Don't get too strong. Practise a soft voice and some grace. / But still win. Still first place but like a lady might.' 'Funny that. It's when I'm my strongest, I feel most like the lady type. / When these legs activate and I can jump to crazy heights. / When these shoulders broaden and I can carry both the world and its opinions straight to the finish. / God bless the strength in these arms. / Oh, how they have held me over the years ... / We are celebrated for our wins. Whilst they berate our anatomy.'
