Football/Soccer 8-Hour Briefing
×Football/Soccer News
Former footballer Joey Barton was remanded in custody after appearing in court on assault charges. Separately, Kyle Walker announced his retirement from international football, ending his England career with 96 caps.
Champions League & Championship
Promoter Frank Warren intends to negotiate a match between Oleksandr Usyk and the winner of the Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois clash. Spanish Football Federation president Rafael Louzán expects a decision soon regarding the Finalissima, with a venue change from Qatar potentially on the cards. In other news, ten players from Jamaican side Mount Pleasant were denied entry to the United States, impacting their Champions Cup tie against LA Galaxy due to visa issues.
Domestic League Updates
Sheffield Wednesday faces a 15-point deduction at the start of next season in League One. UD Almeria took a step closer to LaLiga promotion following a 3-0 victory over Cultural Leonesa. Meanwhile, Martin O'Neill fears that larger away fan allocations at Celtic and Rangers matches "may now not happen anymore".
Champions League & General
Álvaro Arbeloa insisted Real Madrid should not feel inferior to Manchester City as they prepare to meet in the Champions League round of. With the Champions League in mind, Víctor Font encouraged Lionel Messi to "explain the truth" about his failed return to Barcelona.
NWSL Developments
The NWSL Ambition Rankings reveal the differing approaches of teams, with some building stadiums and signing stars, while others are lagging.
Other Sports News
In other sports news, Jack Draper is relishing facing Novak Djokovic again at Indian Wells. England has made one change for their final Six Nations match against France, with Ollie Chessum replacing Sam Underhill. The groupings and tee times have been released for the opening round of The Players, the PGA Tour's flagship event at TPC Sawgrass. Fernando Alonso is unsure if Aston Martin can finish races despite a better-than-hoped-for Australian Grand Prix.