Tuesday, 23 June 2026
ARGENTINA FORWARD JULIĆN ĆLVAREZ SAYS HE WANTS OUT OF ATLETICO MADRID
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| Alvarez scored 20 goals in all competitions for AtleticoCredit: Getty |
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Argentina forward JuliĆ”n Ćlvarez wants out of Atletico Madrid.
Ćlvarez spoke after Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria on Monday at the World Cup in Arlington, Texas.
"The best thing for everyone is a transfer," the 26-year-old player told ESPN. "I don´t think it´s the right time to talk about this, but I can´t hide either. I have to be honest, and I spoke with people at the club, the ones I needed to talk to."
Not long after his comments were published in Spain, images of some Atletico fans burning the player's jersey were posted on social media.
Earlier this month, Real Madrid said Atletico rejected an offer of 150 million euros ($171 million) for the 26-year-old Ćlvarez.
The offer was part of the campaign promises made by Real Madrid President Florentino PĆ©rez ahead of his re-election.
Barcelona is also reportedly interested in signing the talented Argentina forward.
Atletico has said it does not intend to negotiate.
Spanish media reported that there was a release clause for Ćlvarez worth 500 million euros ($571 million).
- AP
Monday, 22 June 2026
DUSTY MAY AGREES TO BECOME DALLAS MAVERICKS HEAD COACH
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| Michigan national champion coach Dusty May is finalizing a deal to become the Dallas Mavericks’ next head coach, pairing him with Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg |Michigan basketball coach Dusty May | Image by Getty Images |
Michigan basketball coach Dusty May is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, according to multiple reports.
The move comes weeks after the Mavericks mutually agreed to part ways with Jason Kidd following a 26-56 season. May, who led Michigan to the 2026 NCAA national championship, would make the jump from college to the NBA in what would be the first direct college-to-pro head coaching hire since 2019.
Mavericks Coaching Search Background
The Mavericks began their coaching search in May 2026 after parting ways with Kidd. In a statement at the time, Mavericks President Masai Ujiri said at the time that “Jason has had a meaningful impact on the Dallas Mavericks, both as a Hall of Fame player and as the head coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals. … As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team.”
The Dallas Express previously reported on the search, noting Ujiri’s emphasis on future-oriented decisions around rookie star Cooper Flagg. Candidates included assistants and college coaches, with exploratory talks involving May and others.
Dusty May’s Coaching History
May built his reputation at Florida Atlantic University before moving to Michigan. At FAU from 2018 to 2024, he compiled a 126-69 record, leading the Owls to the 2023 Final Four as a No. 9 seed — one of the most improbable runs in NCAA history. He was the program’s all-time wins leader.
Prior to FAU, May served as an assistant at Florida (2015-18), Louisiana Tech, and other programs after starting as a student manager at Indiana. He was hired by Michigan in 2024 to replace Juwan Howard and quickly restored the Wolverines to national prominence, winning the 2026 national title in his second season.
Reactions on X
Social media lit up with the news. One user posted that “After winning a National Championship at Michigan, Dusty May is leaving the Wolverines to coach Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks, per multiple reports.”
Another noting owner Patrick Dumont’s role, posted, “Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont convinced Rick Welts to come out of retirement, he convinced Masai Ujiri to run his basketball team and now Dusty May to coach his team. The ungodly amounts of money he’s spent…”
No official Mavericks statement confirming the hire had been released as of Monday morning, but reports from Adam Schefter, Shams Charania, and Pete Thamel indicated the deal was nearing completion.
First Game and Future Outlook
May’s first regular-season game with the Mavericks is expected in late October 2026, when the NBA season typically tips off. No exact date has been announced pending the official hire and schedule release.
The hire pairs May with Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick and 2025-26 Rookie of the Year, who averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. It marks a rebuild-focused move under Ujiri aimed at long-term contention. Michigan will now search for its next coach.
- Tiffany Chartier
FORMER WIMBLEDON WINNER'S BAN SLAMMED AS 'COMPLETELY INSANE' BY WTA STAR
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| Marketa Vondrousova with inset of Eva Lys |
Marketa Vondrousova has been hit with a lengthy ban from tennis following her refusal to submit a sample during an out-of-competition test, but one of her fellow WTA players has come to her defence.
2023 Wimbledon winner Vondrousova has not competed since the Adelaide International in January and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) dropped a bombshell in April when it announced that she had been charged after she denied a doping control officer entry to her home to conduct the test.
The case went to a hearing and a tribunal has now found her guilty and handed down a long suspension as the starting point for a sanction when a player refuses a test is the same as if they had tested positive.
The 26-year-old Vondrousova, who peaked at No 6 in the WTA Rankings, will miss the next four years of action and her suspension will only end on 21 June 2030.
Fellow tennis star Eva Lys was one of the first to react as she offered her support to the Czech star, writing on social media: “This is COMPLETELY insane. Sending so much love to Marketa…”
Under international anti-doping regulations, players have to submit their whereabouts for an hour each day so that officials can conduct anti-doping tests.
An official arrived at her home in the Czech Republic last December to get a sample, but Vondrousova refused to allow the officer in stating she feared for her safety.
Tennis News
Following the announcement, the 26-year-old posted a message on social media to give her side of events, writing: “It is very tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health.
“The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress.
“For a long time, I’ve been dealing with injury, constant pressure, and ongoing sleep issues that left me feeling exhausted and fragile.
“It slowly wore me down more than I probably realised at the time. And on top of that, years of hateful messages and threats have affected how safe I feel in my own space.
“When someone rang my door late at night without properly identifying themselves or following protocol – I reacted as a person who felt scared.
“In that moment, it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything. Experts confirmed I suffered an Acute Stress Reaction (F43.0) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (F41.1).
“In that moment, fear clouded my judgement and I just could not process the situation rationally. After what happened to Petra [Kvitova], we don’t take strangers at our door lightly.”
Although her charge didn’t come with an automatic suspension, Vondrousova has not competed in recent months with the case going to a tribunal.
Vondrousova stated her case at the hearing, saying stress and poor mental health had affected her decision-making, in addition to concerns for her safety.
But the tribunal concluded that the evidence offered “no compelling justification” for the test refusal.
International Tennis Integrity Agency CEO, Karen Moorhouse said: “We understand that the testing process is uncomfortable, and acknowledge that it is an additional burden for players whose jobs already come with a high level of pressure and scrutiny, but it is essential to protect fair competition.
“Safety and welfare of players and our testers is really important to us. Our testers are well-trained, professional, and the gender of our testing witness always matches the player. They carry ID at all times, and players are able to verify their identity in other ways if they are ever unsure.”
She added: “Unpredictable testing is an essential tool to protect clean sport.
“The independent tribunal ultimately supported that principle. This case is an important reminder that players can be tested at any time, in any place, and that refusal comes with significant risk.”
Vondrousova is free to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), but she is yet to make a statement following the announcement by the ITIA.
- Shahida Jacobs
BILLIONAIRE ATHLETES
David Beckham is a billionaire, worth $1 billion by our count—one of just seven living pro athletes (Jordan, Magic, Tiger, LeBron, Federer and retired Romanian tennis ace Ion Tiriac) to manage the feat.
Read more about how Beckham became a billionaire: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maneetahuja/2026/05/20/new-billionaire-david-beckham-on-his-family-team-and-legacy/?utm_source=ForbesMainFacebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ForbesMainFB
- Forbes
ENGLAND LOSE 12 WTC POINTS FOR SLOW OVER RATE AT OVAL
This is the second time England have lost points for a slow over rate in this World Test Championship cycle
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| Joe Root accepted the charge of maintaining a slow over rate at The Oval • Philip Brown/Getty Images |
England have been docked 12 points in the World Test Championship and fined 50% of their match fee for a slow over-rate offence against New Zealand in the second Test at The Oval. Since a win is worth 12 WTC points, the penalty has cost England the points they earned for beating New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's.
England were found to be 12 overs short of the target at The Oval after factoring in time allowances. According to the World Test Championship playing conditions, a team is penalised one point for each over short. The ICC's Code of Conduct says players will be fined 5% of their match fee for each over short but the maximum is capped at 50%, which is the penalty England have been hit with.
The charges were brought by on-field umpires Adrian Holdstock and Nitin Menon, third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd. England captain Joe Root, who was standing in for Ben Stokes in the aftermath of the Rex Rooms incident, pled guilty and so no hearing was needed with match referee Andy Pycroft.
England lost the second Test by 253 runs, with the series level at 1-1 ahead of the decider at Trent Bridge from June 25. England are currently seventh out of nine teams in the WTC standings with 38 points from 12 Tests, which translates to 26.39 percentage points.
This is the second time England have been docked points for a slow over rate in the current WTC cycle. They lost two points for the same offence during their 22-run victory against India at Lord's in 2025. In the previous WTC cycle from 2023 to 2025, England had lost 22 points due to slow over-rate offences and finished fifth.
- ESPNcricinfo
FORMULA 1 RETURNS TO THE RED BULL RING FOR THE 12TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Round 8 is here at the heart of the Styrian hills! š¦š¹
Formula 1 returns for the 12th consecutive year at the Red Bull Ring.
#FIA #F1 #AustrianGP
- FIA
PRESENTER AT THE CENTER OF JEREMY DOKU WORLD CUP ROW 'SUSPENDED' AFTER CHILD BIRTH COMMENT
L'Equipe presenter France Pierron has been suspended after making controversial remarks about Belgium star Jeremy Doku's decision to leave the World Cup.
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| Jeremy Doku faced criticism over plans to leave the World Cup for the birth of his first child. (Image: Getty) |
France Pierron has reportedly been suspended by L'Equipe following her extraordinary rant aimed at Manchester City and Belgium star Jeremy Doku. The 24-year-old could be absent for the World Cup quarter-final, should Belgium reach that stage, as he plans to attend the birth of his first child in July.
The news of his potential unavailability prompted Pierron to condemn the decision on L'Equipe de Choc, branding it "disgraceful". According to French outlet Clement Garin, Pierron has been removed from presenting duties ahead of their upcoming show on Monday. The remarks made by the journalist and presenter have provoked widespread fury and condemnation, with many criticising her outdated perspective.
Doku's wife Shireen is expected to give birth during the second week of July, which will clash with the quarter-final fixtures. Speaking before the tournament, the winger confirmed he would return home to be with his partner as they welcome their first child.
Clement Garin has reported that Pierron has been suspended by the French broadcaster and will not be fronting their programme on Monday. A tweet read: "NFGO CGTV. France Pierron suspended from airing, the "L'Equipe" editorial team denounces the directory's "hypocrisy.
"According to CGTV sources, @francepierron will not be presenting #LĆquipeDeChoc this Monday. A decision the editorial team does not understand, because it was the management itself that ordered not to delete the post when it started to go viral. It was only when the backlash became unmanageable that management changed its tune by demanding the post be deleted... and turning against its own journalist!".
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| Jeremy Doku's partner is expected to give birth to their first child in July (Image: Getty) |
Doku was absent from Belgium's goalless draw with Iran on Sunday owing to a chest infection, as Rudi Garcia's side occupy second spot in Group G behind the Middle Eastern nation. They remain ahead of New Zealand and Egypt by a single point, though the other group fixture is scheduled for Monday morning (2am), which could pile further pressure on the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku heading into their final encounter against New Zealand.
The forward said pre-tournament: "It depends on when it happens, but it's my first child, so I would definitely want to be there. "If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also know that football involves many other considerations. I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We'll see what we can do."
Following Belgium's draw against Egypt in the group opener — where they avoided a disastrous beginning when a second-half own-goal wiped out Emam Ashour's opener — Pierron was scathing of Doku's decision to potentially miss the World Cup for a personal milestone, branding it "disgusting". She remarked: "You can't miss a World Cup... And now, you're not going to the match to cut an umbilical cord?
"You have the chance to participate in a World Cup, and there are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your place, but you're going to leave all that to go and witness the birth of your child, which is a disgusting moment, excuse me, where the father is useless, he has a role as an extra."
Following a fierce social media backlash, she subsequently broke her silence but offered only a lukewarm apology to the Belgian wide man. She wrote: "In light of the very numerous reactions following my comments in 'L'Ćquipe de Choc' regarding Belgian footballer JĆ©rĆ©my Doku, I wish to provide a few clarifications. In it, I expressed a personal opinion, within the framework of a debate
"In it, I was expressing a personal opinion, within the context of a contentious exchange. These remarks commit only me and in no way reflect a collective position. I understand that they may have shocked, hurt, or wounded some of you, and I am sorry for that.
"My intention has never been to minimize the place or role of fathers with their partner and their child."
- Stephen Killen
VOZINHA’S MUM HAS MADE IT! šØš»❤️
The Cape Verde goalkeeper’s mother is in attendance to watch him play Uruguay at the World Cup, after having her visa granted. š
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