Latest news with #McKennie
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘USA would even deep-fry the soles of their shoes': How Weston McKennie and Tim Weah got into ‘food fight' with Emiliano Viviano over American and Italian cuisines
With the FIFA Club World Cup matches in USA facing plenty of flak due to the games being played in excessive heat or getting delayed due to thunderstorms, there's a different kind of storm brewing off the pitch. Recently, USA players Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, both playing for Italian club Juventus, said the Italian cuisine did not have any variety compared to the American cuisine and have caught plenty of flak. The comments as expected did not go down well with former Italian goalie Emiliano Viviano blasting the duo, calling USA the worst country when it comes to food. 'The United States is the country with the worst food in the world. They would even deep-fry the soles of their shoes. If I was Meloni, I wouldn't let him back into Italy! How can you say there's no variety in Italian cuisine? His very definition of 'variety' irritated me. McKennie, there are 200 million of you Americans and all you ever eat are hamburgers,' Viviano said on TV Play. 'The truth is, all the food in America was brought there by other nations. I just want to tell McKennie that he has achieved the incredible feat of managing to unite all of Italy against him. It is not about fans anymore, he can be insulted by absolutely everybody,' he added. 'You guys don't have variety – it's pasta, pizza, fish, steak,' McKennie said. 'You know what the problem is with Italian food? It's great, it's good specific food that you do very well, but in America if I go to a burger joint or a steakhouse, then I go to another place 10 minutes down the street, I'm still eating a burger, but it's a completely different taste. In Italy, I go to this restaurant and get a pesto pasta, I go 10 minutes down the street and order a pesto pasta, it's the same thing,' McKennie had said on Juventus' Talk With Us while Weah nodded in the affirmative.
Metro
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Donald Trump stuns Juventus players with dig at transgender footballers
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Juventus players and club officials were left stunned during a visit to the White House after Donald Trump attempted to grill them on the subject of transgender women in sport. One Italy's most prestigious football clubs are currently in America, participating in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup. Juve began their campaign with a 5-0 win over Al Ain on Wednesday night, before which they spent time with US president in the Oval Office. Lined up behind Trump, members of the first team squad, which includes America internationals Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie, looked awkward while the president held court in front of the assembled media. Trump's initial question was directed at former Leeds United midfielder McKennie who was asked for his opinion transgender athletes. Turning to his fellow American, Trump asked: 'Could a woman make your team fellas? Tell me, you think?' McKennie appeared baffled by Trump's line of questioning and looked to Weah for help before Manuel Locatelli broke a brief period of uncomfortable silence saying, 'Yeah.' 'You're being nice,' Trump said in response. 'What do you think, think a woman could make the team? General managers, what do you think?' Trump said, turning to some of the Juventus leadership. 'We have a very good women's team,' general manager Damien Comolli said to Trump. In typically cutting fashion, Trump responded with: 'You do have it, but they should be playing with women. It's one of those things. See, they're very diplomatic.' Trump signed the controversial and hugely divisive 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' executive order in February after campaigning heavily on the issue in 2024. The order prompted the National Collegiate Athletic Association to change its gender eligibility policy to only permit biological females to compete in the women's category. Trump's administration, meanwhile, has assured local Olympic officials it is committed to supporting the successful hosting of the Summer Games in 2028 and 2034 Winter Games, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said. Trump issued a directive earlier this month banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the US as part of an immigration crackdown he said was needed to protect against 'foreign terrorists' and other security threats. More Trending Athletes and their coaches and families are exempt from the travel ban, however, and Hirshland said the LA Games in 2028 and Salt Lake City Winter Olympics six years later were a chance for the United States to bring people of all backgrounds together. 'It's a great opportunity to welcome the world and to do it through the lens of sport,' Hirshland said on a call with reporters. 'We all believe that sport is a great unifier. It is a great environment to create common purpose, common values, to see great competition and sportsmanship. 'And we have every assurance from the administration that they will be great partners in helping ensure that we are a great host country.' MORE: 'I can't get sponsorship'- why UK LGBT Pride events are disappearing MORE: US 'Doomsday Plane' spotted near DC: Everything you need to know about the Boeing E-4B MORE: Why Kylian Mbappe misses Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal at Club World Cup
Business Recorder
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Weston McKennie defends USMNT teammates from criticism
A day after Landon Donovan lambasted members of the U.S. men's national team who decided to skip this summer's friendlies and CONCACAF Gold Cup, midfielder Weston McKennie came to the defense of his teammates. Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Yunus Musah are among the USMNT mainstays who aren't with the team, ostensibly to rest after the European season. The national squad is also missing numerous other players due to injury or involvement in the upcoming Club World Cup, where McKennie is set to compete with Juventus. While lauding Cristiano Ronaldo for helping lead Portugal to the UEFA Nations League championship Sunday with a win over Spain, Donovan took a shot at the current USMNT absentees. 'This is what it means to represent your country,' Donovan said, speaking of Ronaldo, on the Fox broadcast. 'This is what it means. And if you don't want to take this as a professional soccer player, as someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don't come in. This is what it means. '(Ronaldo is) 40 years old. He's played a long-ass season. He's tired. He's out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can't help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's pissing me off.' The U.S. team just took a third consecutive loss, falling 2-1 to Turkey on Saturday in a friendly at East Hartford, Conn. McKennie was asked about Donovan's comments by USA Today Sports on Monday in Italy, where he is in training with Juventus. 'Obviously, none of us take for granted playing for the national team,' McKennie told USA Today. 'None of us want to lose games. All of us want to compete.' McKennie added about Donovan's remarks, 'No names were named. Coming off a long season, a stressful season, obviously, some players feel a different way about it, and some players feel another way. But the comments are comments. Everyone has their own opinions, and that's life, and that's football. 'Obviously, like I said before, none of us take for granted that we get to represent a national team because it's one of the biggest honors that we can have in the sport of football. … 'So, any chance that we get, we want to play. But obviously, if you don't feel like your body is in the right condition, and you don't feel like your body is in the best form or shape or whatever, to be able to do that at 100 percent, and you feel like you're risking injury, then it's better to let someone else go in that is completely 100 percent.' Argentina not overly reliant on Messi, says Scaloni Also on Monday, Mark Pulisic, Christian's father, posted on Instagram a ChatGPT summary of the time when Donovan took a sabbatical from playing in 2012-13 'because he was feeling both physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and the pressure that comes with being a top athlete.' Christian Pulisic 'liked' his father's post.
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Weston McKennie defends USMNT teammates from criticism
A day after Landon Donovan lambasted members of the U.S. men's national team who decided to skip this summer's friendlies and CONCACAF Gold Cup, midfielder Weston McKennie came to the defense of his teammates. Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Yunus Musah are among the USMNT mainstays who aren't with the team, ostensibly to rest after the European season. The national squad is also missing numerous other players due to injury or involvement in the upcoming Club World Cup, where McKennie is set to compete with Juventus. While lauding Cristiano Ronaldo for helping lead Portugal to the UEFA Nations League championship Sunday with a win over Spain, Donovan took a shot at the current USMNT absentees. "This is what it means to represent your country," Donovan said, speaking of Ronaldo, on the Fox broadcast. "This is what it means. And if you don't want to take this as a professional soccer player, as someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don't come in. This is what it means. " 40 years old. He's played a long-ass season. He's tired. He's out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can't help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's pissing me off." The U.S. team just took a third consecutive loss, falling 2-1 to Turkey on Saturday in a friendly at East Hartford, Conn. McKennie was asked about Donovan's comments by USA Today Sports on Monday in Italy, where he is in training with Juventus. "Obviously, none of us take for granted playing for the national team," McKennie told USA Today. "None of us want to lose games. All of us want to compete." McKennie added about Donovan's remarks, "No names were named. Coming off a long season, a stressful season, obviously, some players feel a different way about it, and some players feel another way. But the comments are comments. Everyone has their own opinions, and that's life, and that's football. "Obviously, like I said before, none of us take for granted that we get to represent a national team because it's one of the biggest honors that we can have in the sport of football. ... "So, any chance that we get, we want to play. But obviously, if you don't feel like your body is in the right condition, and you don't feel like your body is in the best form or shape or whatever, to be able to do that at 100 percent, and you feel like you're risking injury, then it's better to let someone else go in that is completely 100 percent." Also on Monday, Mark Pulisic, Christian's father, posted on Instagram a ChatGPT summary of the time when Donovan took a sabbatical from playing in 2012-13 "because he was feeling both physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and the pressure that comes with being a top athlete." Christian Pulisic "liked" his father's post. Field Level Media
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Weston McKennie: Landon Donovan's dig at Christian Pulisic was sad
Weston McKennie: Landon Donovan's dig at Christian Pulisic was sad Show Caption Hide Caption Ronaldo at the Fifa Club World Cup? It's possible Safid Deen on the new international transfer window that could open the possibility of Cristiano Ronaldo joining a team ahead of the Club World Cup. Sports Seriously U.S. Men's National Team standout Weston McKennie says Landon Donovan's comments indirectly made regarding captain Christian Pulisic were sad and disappointing. While commentating Portugal's celebration after the team won the UEFA Nations League final Sunday on Fox Sports, Donovan said, 'This is what it means to represent your country. … I can't help but think about our guys on vacation not wanting to play in Gold Cup. It's pissing me off.' While Donovan didn't name Pulisic, it's clear the former USMNT captain was referring to the latest one. Pulisic decided to take the summer off after two straight 50-match seasons with AC Milan instead of joining the national team for the Concacaf Gold Cup later this month. Donovan, himself, also took a brief sabbatical from the team in 2013. 'Obviously, none of us take for granted playing for the national team. None of us want to lose games," McKennie told USA TODAY Sports on Monday, from Juventus headquarters in Italy preparing for the Club World Cup. "All of us want to compete. And for me, it's a little bit, I won't say sad, but as a former national team player, I think as a national team player pool – previous, present – I think it's more about trying to build or even say something like that to a person directly rather than putting it out there. 'That's just my opinion because we've all been through those moments, even when comments about us losing the Nations League were made by many players from before, but they've had the same thing on a bigger stage with not qualifying for the World Cup.' McKennie is also not participating with the USMNT this summer to help Juventus compete in the FIFA Club World Cup. Juventus is in Group G of the tournament and will play Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) on June 18 in Washington D.C., Wydad AC (Morrocco) on June 22 in Philadelphia, and Manchester City (England) on June 26 in Orlando during the group stage. Still, McKennie is keeping an eye on his teammates with the national team led by new coach Mauricio Pochettino. The USMNT lost a friendly to Turkey 2-1 on June 7 in East Hartford, Connecticut. The Americans will play Trinidad and Tobago on June 15, Saudi Arabia on June 19 and Haiti on June 22 in the group stage of the Gold Cup. McKennie believes the USMNT has a good group of players who are ambitious with room to grow before World Cup 2026, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. He believes the team needs to find its identity by practicing in a competitive environment. 'You fight for each other. You run for each other. You sacrifice for each other,' McKennie said. 'I think with the group that we have and some of the players that have been there a little bit longer, including myself, need to start not thinking that we're young anymore. We're veterans on the team, and we need to start acting like that. And take control. "And show the way, and show the culture that the U.S. men's national team has presented before because we've always been known as a country to fight, never give up, maybe not have been the best talented-wise. But now we have a lot more talent. And so now, we just need to add that grit and grind, and competitive nature back into the system.' As for Donovan's comments, McKennie sided with Pulisic while reiterating their desire to suit up for the national team because of its significance. 'No names were named,' McKennie said. 'Coming off a long season, a stressful season, obviously, some players feel a different way about it, and some players feel another way. But the comments are comments. Everyone has their own opinions, and that's life, and that's football. 'Obviously, like I said before, none of us take for granted that we get to represent a national team because it's one of the biggest honors that we can have in the sport of football. ... 'So, any chance that we get, we want to play. But obviously, if you don't feel like your body is in the right condition, and you don't feel like your body is in the best form or shape or whatever, to be able to do that at 100%, and you feel like you're risking injury, then it's better to let someone else go in that is completely 100%.'
