sport

The Premier League has joined three of its top European counterparts in calling for “fundamental” reform of the way that Fifa is run, claiming its president Gianni Infantino has “actively promoted exploitative ideas”.

In a joint statement with Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and Italy’s Serie A, the English top flight says it is speaking out “because we understand how Fifa’s relentless expansionism affects everyone”.

The four leagues say the shake-up is needed to make world football’s governing body “transparent, objective, proportionate and inclusive” and claim that “our sport cannot grow globally if its foundations are undermined”.

It comes days after Infantino proposed an external review of how Fifa operates amid the ongoing crisis over his failed plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors, which sparked a global outcry.

Referencing “one of the biggest abuses of power in Fifa’s history”, the four leagues say that “while football’s stakeholders ultimately forced the withdrawal of the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme, the conditions that led to FFE remain”.

The statement added: “The Fifa president has now acknowledged the need for reform, but it is not enough for surface-level, process changes to be explored in the aftermath of FFE – fundamental governance reform is essential to restore clear constitutional boundaries within Fifa, including confidence that individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference.”

That is known to be a reference to the cancelled suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun at the World Cup after US President Donald Trump called Infantino asking for the striker’s ban to be reviewed.

“Fifa’s governance problem goes far beyond the role of one individual,” the leagues added.

“The wider question is whether Fifa’s president should simultaneously wield such regulatory, commercial and political power without effective checks and balances, including the agreement of affected stakeholders… governance that concentrates unchecked regulatory, commercial and political power in a single office, while relegating affected stakeholders to mere advisory status, is not fit for purpose.”

Fifa has been approached for comment.

Pietersen’s eyes roll slightly when he is asked about Ben Stokes’ recent comments comparing Harry Brook’s talents to his.

Pietersen, like Brook, was a maverick – a batter capable of incredible highs. Those highs mean the lows come with a disproportionate level of criticism.

“Where I can help him is playing situations, because there was a lot of method in my madness,” Pietersen says.

“Yes, occasionally, I got out to reckless shots and crazy shots in the ’80s and ’90s but there was a lot of structure to the way that I batted.

“I’ve still got notes on my phone on how I played in T20 cricket, one-day cricket, Test match cricket, and about hitting straight back at the stumps, and the techniques, and how I did it, and don’t play certain shots.

“That all-round structure is something I could potentially help him with because he’s so flipping good.

“It’s actually frightening how good he is and how good he can be.”

And Pietersen says he will not limit himself to working purely on white-ball cricket.

He has already spoken to new Test coach Stephen Fleming about how he can help the Test batters during his time with the white-ball squads.

Though he said he would not have time for a full-time role, he suggested he is open to working with the Test side before next summer’s home Ashes series.

“I have got a pretty mad schedule,” he says. “I wouldn’t say no.

“I don’t think that necessarily means I need to be in a dressing room.

“There is a lot of time in the lead up to an Ashes series and a tour of South Africa, when I will be with the Test batters.

“There are conversations I can have there.”

Who knows how long this will last. England may as well make the most of this second chance.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko has returned to Russia before the start of the NHL season after his father was killed by a bear.

Kuzmenko’s father Alexander, who was an ice hockey coach in Russia, was on a fishing trip along the Krasnaya River in Southern Siberia with a group of seven others when a bear attacked from the trees.

The 62-year-old suffered severe facial injuries in the attack.

A member of the fishing party called for an ambulance but the dense forest made it difficult for emergency services to reach the area.

Kuzmenko was taken by river downstream for four hours before then being airlifted to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Penguins president Kyle Dubas said the team was “deeply saddened” by the death.

“Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the Kuzmenko family and their loved ones as they grieve the loss of Alexander. We ask that the privacy of Andrei and the Kuzmenko family be respected at this time,” the team said in a statement.

“Andrei chose to be surrounded by his team-mates and practice with the team this morning before returning to Moscow to be with his family this afternoon. Andrei and the Kuzmenko family have the full support of the Penguins organisation during this time.”

The 30-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Penguins this summer and is about to compete in his fifth season in the NHL, following previous stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings.

The NHL season begins on 29 September.

Israel footballer Sayed Abu Farchi was sent off for goal celebration mimicking shooting a gun in match against Austria.

Israel footballer Sayed Abu Farchi was sent off for his goal-scoring celebration when he used the corner flag ⁠to simulate a gun after equalizing against Austria in their UEFA Nations League late on Thursday.

The forward’s goal levelled the match 1-1 early in the second half at Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, Austria, his 55th minute header cancelling out Romano Schmid’s first-half penalty.

The 20-year-old then jogged to the corner, pulled out the corner flag, dropped his right knee to the grass and rested the pole on the back of his left hand before making a firing gesture.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Farchi, who plays his club football in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, was about to simulate a pool cue shot or a weapon, but the action that followed left no one in doubt.

The referee promptly showed the Colorado Rapids forward a second yellow card, just four minutes after his first, leading to a red card.

Under the International Football Association Board Law 12, players can celebrate a goal as they wish, but their celebration “must not be excessive” and a player “must be cautioned for acting in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way”.

Austria regained ⁠the lead in the 90th minute through Phillipp Mwene, who netted following a cross from ‌Paul Wanner. Sasa Kalajdzic added a third goal in stoppage time with a ‌close-range ‌finish to seal a 3-1 win.

Israel’s participation in the Nations League has prompted fierce backlash from several other competing countries, including the Republic of Ireland, whose football association said its request to avoid future pairings with Israel had been ⁠⁠rejected by UEFA.

A banner with the words “Free Palestine” was also displayed by Austrian fans close to the pitch during Thursday’s match.

Ireland face Israel on Sunday in a match to be hosted at a neutral venue – Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary – before hosting the return fixture on October 4.

Al Jazeera has contacted UEFA and Colorado Rapids for a response to Farchi’s celebratory simulation.

Leeds come into the fixture following two losses against Wigan and Hull FC at home.

Looking further back, they closed out their regular campaign with three defeats in five matches.

Asked what it would take to reach the Grand Final, Leeds boss Brad Arthur said he is not worried about his side’s inconsistent run of form.

“[We have to be] the best version of us. We’ve seen that plenty of times this year and we’ve played a lot of good footy,” he told BBC Radio Leeds.

“Our past couple of weeks haven’t been ideal but it doesn’t really count for much right now. It doesn’t mean anything. All those past two games showed was a couple of things that we need to tidy up which we’ve done during the week around execution.

“But like the first 27 rounds, all that’s done is put us in a position where we’re 80 minutes away from Old Trafford so that’s all we got to focus on.”

Leeds last reached a Grand Final in 2022, however that achievement came off the back of Richard Agar’s departure in March of that season, when Leeds had won just once in their opening six games of the campaign.

In stepped Rohan Smith, who eventually strung together 11 wins from 13 matches to take them to Old Trafford where they were defeated by St Helens – however it was an even more impressive achievement given their fifth-placed finish at the end of the season.

This year, Arthur thinks his side are prepared for the rigours of a post-season campaign.

“We’re ready to go. We’re nice and fresh and the best version of us, we know, is good enough,” he added.

“We’ve got to find that and we’ve got to do it for 80 minutes.”

England lifted successive trophies in 1982 and 1984 but then had to wait 39 years until Carsley’s men won in Georgia and Romania in 2023, beating Spain in the final.

Last summer’s extra-time victory over Germany in Bratislava sealed their title defence, thanks to Jonathan Rowe’s strike.

Winning the tournament three times in a row has only ever been done once before, by Italy in the 1990s, although never in the competition’s current guise of 16 teams.

Carsley is aware of the challenge ahead – but also the lasting impact more success could have.

“The older you get, you want to leave a legacy, don’t you?” He said, with England top of Group D and three points clear of Slovakia.

“There would have been an easy move, after the first win, to go and do club management and go and accept a few of the offers.

“But I enjoy the job I’m doing and I enjoy that I’m part of a bigger quest to win a major tournament. I want to be part of the FA when we do that.”

Carsley also says he welcomes the pressure of attempting to do something no Young Lions team has done before.

“I think we have to embrace that,” said the former Everton and Derby midfielder. “They come to play for the under-21s, you’re back-to-back champions. There’s a bullseye that goes with that. We have to be aware of that and go for it.

“The expectancy, we’ll just get through the group and then we’ll win the quarters, we’ll win the semis and then we’ll just win the final… it’s very difficult.

“My priority is definitely qualifying and then that’s something I’ll think about.”

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Chatsworth 37, Reseda 0

Collins Family 33, Westbrook 0

Foshay 44, Angelou 8

GALA d. Los Angeles Jordan, forfeit

GALA 41, Dymally 0

Garfield 35, Legacy 0

Granada Hills Kennedy 19, Van Nuys 0

Los Angeles Hamilton 52, LACES 0

Los Angeles Roosevelt 26, South Gate 24

Narbonne 21, Los Angeles Marshall 0

Panorama 27, Van Nuys 0

SOCES 39, VAAS 0

South East 14, Sotomayor 6

Stella 13, USC Hybrid 0

Southern Section

Alhambra 33, Rosemead 6

Anaheim 46, Estancia 0

Anaheim Canyon 20, Crean Lutheran 19

Animo Leadership 25, SEED LA 14

Aquinas 14, Ontario Christian 0

Azusa 8, Sierra Vista 0

Baldwin Park 13, Garey 0

Beckman 32, Mission Viejo 27

Bonita 26, Glendora 12

Burbank Burroughs 19, Temple City 0

Cajon 45, Arlington 0

Century 7, Santa Ana Valley 6

Cerritos 27, Paramount 7

Cerritos Valley Christian 46, Whitney 12

Chino 12, Don Lugo 7

Compton 33, Compton Centennial 0

Compton Early College 20, Environmental Charter 0

Covina 33, Northview 0

Downey 27, Bellflower 6

Edison 6, Newport Harbor 0

El Modena 7, Sunny Hills 0

El Rancho 13, South El Monte 12

Fountain Valley 13, Los Alamitos 8

Garden Grove 21, Segerstrom 20

Garden Grove Pacifica 27, Brea Olinda 13

Gahr 42, Mayfair 0

Glenn 25, Pioneer 0

Godinez 7, Tustin 0

Great Oak 40, Desert Hot Springs 0

Huntington Beach 21, Corona del Mar 20

Katella 12, Costa Mesa 6

La Canada 33, South Pasadena 0

Laguna Beach 14, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 7

Lakewood St. Joseph 21, Bishop Amat 12

La Palma Kennedy 12, Fullerton 6

La Quinta 12, Palm Springs 6

La Serna 19, California 12

La Sierra 6, Miller 0

Lawndale 34, Culver City 6

Loma Linda Academy 33, United Christian Academy 0

Long Beach Cabrillo 41, Dominguez 6

Long Beach Wilson 18, Lakewood 0

Los Amigos 12, Savanna 6

Marina 19, Irvine 7

Mary Star of the Sea 18, Sacred Heart of Jesus 12

Monrovia 20, Gabrielino 6

Montebello 21, Arroyo 0

Mountain View 14, El Monte 0

Nogales 41, Duarte 6

Palm Desert 12, Xavier Prep 6

Placenta Valencia 28, Laguna Hills 6

Pomona 12, Bassett 0

Portola 12, Irvine University 6

Ontario 12, Montclair 0

Redlands East Valley 39, Serrano 0

San Gabriel 15, Bell Gardens 13

San Juan Hills 36, Capistrano Valley 7

San Marino 18, Westridge 13

Santa Ana Foothill 24, Troy 0

Santa Fe 14, Artesia 6

Shadow Hills 31, Indio 6

Sierra Canyon d. Flintridge Sacred Heartt, forfeit

St. Bernard 18, Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary 13

St. Paul 48, St. Monica 12

Vasquez d, Rosamond, forfeit

Village Christian 34, Pasadena Poly 21

Villa Park 21, El Dorado 12

West Covina 20, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0

Westminster La Quinta 13, Saddleback 0

Whittier 21, Norwalk 20

Woodbridge 47, Northwood 0

Intersectional

Long Beach Poly 20, Carson 6

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Bell 12, Huntington Park 0

Bernstein 19, Roybal 6

Contreras 14, Mendez 0

Contreras 12, RFK Community 7

Fairfax 6, LACES 0

Foshay 40, Diego Rivera 0

Garfield 20, Legacy 0

Hollywood 26, Bernstein 6

Hollywood 32, Roybal 0

Jefferson 45, West Adams 0

Los Angeles Hamilton 26, Westchester 0

Los Angeles Roosevelt 12, South Gate 0

Manual Arts 19, Santee 14

Maywood CES 6, Marquez 0

RFK Community 12, Mendez 6

Sotomayor 32, Maywood Academy 6

Torres 13, Elizabeth 0

Venice 26, Palisades 13

Southern Section

Agoura 49, Calabasas 0

Antelope Valley 83, Littlerock 0

Burbank Providence 43, SEED LA 0

Camarillo 33, Simi Valley 12

Canyon Country Canyon 31, Valencia 13

Castaic 7, Hart 0

Chaminade 18, Harvard-Westlake 13

Channel Islands 47, Del Sol 6

Dos Pueblos 35, Rio Mesa 0

El Segundo 14, West Torrance 0

El Toro 20, Aliso Niguel 0

Highland 12, Knight 0

Lancaster 6, Eastside 0

Mater Dei 34, Linfield Christian 26

Ontario 22, Chaffey 13

Peninsula 12, North Torrance 0

Quartz Hill 43, Palmdale 0

Redondo Union 20, Palos Verdes 0

Royal 55, Oak Park 14

San Juan Hills 36, Capistrano Valley 7

Santa Barbara 26, Buena 0

Santa Monica 38, Hawthorne 0

Santa Paula 62, Cate 0

Saugus 6, Golden Valley 0

South Torrance 32, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 12

Sunny Hills 45, Oxford Academy 0

Thousand Oaks 19, Newbury Park 7

Torrance 13, Mira Costa 7

Ventura 6, San Marcos 0

Westlake 37, Oaks Christian 13

Woodbridge 46, Santa Margarita 6

Intersectional

JSerra 32, Menlo 12

Eagle Rock d. Los Angeles Wilson, forfeit

France will have a new face on the touchline for the first time in 14 years when they face Turkey on Friday.

Zinedine Zidane replaced Didier Deschamps after France’s fourth-place finish at the World Cup, but his appointment had been an open secret long before Les Bleus’ third-place play-off loss to England.

Talks between the former Real Madrid manager and the French football authorities kicked off as early as February 2025 – after Zidane’s former team-mate Deschamps announced a few weeks earlier he would step down following the 2026 World Cup.

When he was unveiled in Paris, Zidane was keen to highlight the time he had spent waiting on the sidelines and preparing for the job.

“I had several offers in the last four or five years, but I turned them all down,” an emotional Zidane said. “The national team is the only thing I wanted.”

While his enthusiasm at taking the job was the overarching theme of his first news conference in the French capital, the midfield legend offered few clues to France fans as to how he would approach the role.

Even a question on Kylian Mbappe’s captaincy was bypassed: “The most important thing for him now is to rest, we’ll have the chance to speak in September.”

Mbappe, speaking to Spanish newspaper AS, has since said having the former Real Madrid star as his national team coach was “like a film”.

When asked about his preferred style of play, Zidane opted against going into tactical detail.

“I can’t explain to you in just a couple of words how we’re going win. I have to arrive, meet with the players, and explain my plans to them. After that, it’ll be up to me to keep this team winning.”

However, Zidane confirmed his intention “to do things differently” and he has called up five uncapped players for this international break.

He went on to signal that there would be a degree of “continuation” from the work of his predecessor, which he made sure to praise.

“I’m going to try do what I know how to, but it won’t be a complete break either.”

So what will Zidane bring to the France dugout?

Wales earned plaudits but Craig Bellamy wants more from his side, after admitting they were forced to suffer in their narrow 1-0 defeat in Portugal.

Joao Felix’s deflected strike proved enough to earn victory in Lisbon for the hosts, who also saw Cristiano Ronaldo’s effort ruled out by VAR.

It was a winning start to the Nations League title defence for Portugal and for new manager Jorge Jesus.

Despite being under pressure for long spells in Lisbon, Bellamy’s injury-hit side ended strongly as Brennan Johnson and Lewis Koumas both went close to snatching a draw.

“It was a difficult game for us. We had to suffer a lot,” said Bellamy.

“I think that’s the longest we’ve been in a game without the ball.

“We could have done more with the ball but I’m beyond proud as well.

“We have a lot of players who weren’t here. That’s OK, we can handle it.

“A lot of players who don’t play, week-in, week-out. So for them to use the energy they were able to, we’ve got to have a big heart to be able to do that. They’ve always shown that and they showed that again.”

A Northern California community college wrestling star slipped and fell to his death Sunday at Yosemite National Park, officials confirmed.

Santa Rosa Junior College sophomore Ryan George died in an apparent accident, his college coach, Fred Duerr, posted in a statement Tuesday.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat broke the news Tuesday, saying the 19-year-old “was hiking with friends near Illilouette Falls in Yosemite when he reportedly slipped and fell to his death.”

“Details are limited right now, and it’s been a really hard time for us all trying to process everything,” Duerr said in the statement. “If you knew Ryan, you know he was one of the most genuine, positive people you could ever meet. He had this way of lighting up a room, making you feel welcome, and bringing out the best in everyone around him.”

Yosemite National Park officials did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

George is listed as a Santa Rosa native in the school’s media guide and graduated from Montgomery High School in that city.

Last season, he enjoyed a strong run through the state championship in the 197-pound division. He entered sixth-ranked and finished with five victories, including two falls, en route to third place.

His finish was impressive considering he lost in the second round of the double-elimination tournament.

George rallied with perhaps his best effort of championships, defeating No. 5-ranked Dominic Sanders Jr. with a pin in 2 minutes, 38 seconds, in elimination bracket action.

He picked up the bronze in that tournament by defeating teammate Joe Ellis via a 6-2 decision.

“He was an amazing leader and wrestler, but more than that, he was an amazing human — kind, loyal, funny, and the kind of friend everyone wishes they had in their life,” Duerr said. “We love you and we will miss you so much, Ryan. Thank you for everything you gave us all.”

A GoFundMe was established to aid George’s sister, Jaida.

The news conference Thursday began with Lakers president of operations Rob Pelinka saying he wanted to “express gratitude” to LeBron James for the eight years he spent playing for Los Angeles before departing to Philadelphia as a free agent over the summer.

It didn’t take long for Pelinka to pivot into Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and how they are now the leaders of the Lakers with James gone.

James informed the Lakers on June 30 that he had plans to play elsewhere, and thus began a new chapter for the Lakers. James, who signed with the 76ers, won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020. He led the Lakers to the Western Conference second round of the 2026 playoffs.

Over the course of his 23-year NBA career, James’ longest tenure had been with the Lakers.

And for that, Pelinka was thankful.

“I think before we get into the questions, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve last seen you guys. I thought it would be appropriate at the front to express gratitude for the LeBron era here,” Pelinka said. “Clearly, new team and new players, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today. But we as an organization are still grateful for the run that we had with him here. The Lakers have become — as they should — a perennial playoff team — won a championship, went to the Western Conference finals. It was a great era, and we’re grateful for it. I think it’s important to say that at the onset as we turn into a new chapter.”

Pelinka said he collaborated with Lakers coach JJ Redick to build a team around Doncic, using a three-pronged approach.

They wanted to re-sign Reaves, which the Lakers did at four years and $180 million, the largest contract ever for an undrafted player in NBA history.

They wanted to acquire a top-notch center, which the Lakers did by getting Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade deal. The Lakers sent two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Jazz for Kessler and then signed him to a four-year, $130-million contract.

They wanted to add quality depth, which the Lakers did by getting Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney.

Pelinka said this was the “thesis” on how they wanted to build the Lakers for the 2026-27 season.

“And there were three fundamental pillars of what we wanted to accomplish in the offseason: We wanted to retain Austin Reaves. That was a really big thing for us,” Pelinka said. “We wanted to find a way to acquire a franchise center and then we wanted to develop a roster of JJ Redick dribble-pass-shoot players that were younger and add depth to our roster. That was sort of our three-prong thesis basketball-wise for the offseason, and we felt like we accomplished all those things.

“Re-signing Austin, putting together a trade to acquire Walker Kessler, and then building out our team with young players that could dribble-pass-shoot, and have brought the average age of our roster to around 26 or 27, which lines up so perfectly with building a team around Luka Doncic. That’s what we’re here to talk about today, is our offseason and the excitement heading into this year.”

Lakers top executive Rob Pelinka, with reporters in the foreground, addresses the media at the team’s training facility in El Segundo on Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Pelinka, who held the news conference with Redick by his side, was asked about the new Lakers ownership group of Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner, who purchased the franchise for a record $12.5 billion from Dodgers owner and Guggenheim Partners’ Mark Walter, who owned the Lakers for about a year. The deal hasn’t been finalized but is expected to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors.

“We have had introductory meetings with Bob and Josh, and those have been excellent,” Pelinka said. “With a pending transaction, we’re not at liberty to talk more about that under league rules. But we’ve had preliminary discussions with them that have been really, really positive. In terms of day-to-day, nothing’s changed. We’re operating with Lakers excellence.”

The biggest change is James not being with the Lakers.

After the Lakers were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in May, James expressed interest in re-signing with the team.

Pelinka even said the Lakers wanted James to retire with the franchise.

But that didn’t happen.

“Again, we’re grateful for the LeBron era,” Pelinka said. “I think the communications with him this offseason were held diplomatically, professionally and honestly. I’m so thankful for the partnership that we had that continued up until this summer when a decision was made for him to play for another team. It was done amicably, professionally, gracefully. We looked at the whole thing with gratitude, because it’s been an incredible era for us here.”

Aaron Donald is still earning his spot.

In his mind, anyway.

During defensive line drills, the Future Hall of Famer continues to go third — even when groups are split — rather than lead.

“Earning my keep right now,” Donald said after Rams practice Thursday. “I’m a guy that likes to work and earn everything I get.”

Donald, 35, has one game under his belt after returning from a two-year retirement to rejoin the team that selected the three-time NFL defensive player of the year in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.

Donald played 33 snaps in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over the New York Giants on Monday. He made three tackles, including one for a loss.

Donald said he watched tape of his performance six times — two times by himself, once with his brother and three more times on his own.

“Not as bad as I thought,” he said. “A lot of things to clean up but on the right track.”

Donald looked “excellent,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.

“He was awesome,” Shula said. “He put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, and then you see like some of the run plays … that group as a whole played really tough, played stout, played physical at the line of scrimmage and Aaron was a huge part of that.”

Now, one of the top interior pass rushers in NFL history is preparing for Sunday night’s game against the Denver Broncos in Denver.

Will Donald’s playing time increase?

“Every game is going to kind of tell its own story,” Shula said. “I think we have a general range of where he would be, but I think depending on how the game plays out, you never know how many snaps and the situations that you’re going to be in.

“You never want to put a full hard cap on it.”

Donald is happy with the way his return to game action is playing out.

“We’ve got a good rotation … keeping guys fresh and right now I’m liking it,” he said. “I think it’s at a great pace right now.

“I’m getting my feet wet, get going, get a feel for the game again and other guys are out there working and getting work too.”

Etc.

Rams receiver Puka Nacua (hip), who sat out against the Giants, did not practice for the second day in a row. On Wednesday, coach Sean McVay told reporters he was “not sure” if Nacua would play against the Broncos. Later in the day, he told ESPN radio that Nacua was “not making great progress.” … Tight end Colby Parkinson (knee) and safety Kam Kinchens (hamstring) also did not practice.

They mentioned “The Odyssey,” they talked about “Lord of the Rings,” they referenced “The Hobbit,” they cited the hero’s journey, they predicted a season filled with mythological tales of triumph.

What they didn’t promise was that their Lakers’ team would contend for a championship.

What they couldn’t mention was what will happen to them if they don’t.

The bard Rob Pelinka? Off with your head!

The soothsayer JJ Redick? Drawn and quartered!

In their annual pre-training camp news conference at their practice facility Thursday, Pelinka and Redick talked about fictional characters perhaps because the reality is too grim for words.

Their jobs are on the line with a rebuilding team that might not be good enough to save them, and no amount of cute Gandalf references can change that.

With new ownership, the Lakers’ braintrust no longer has the protection of the benevolent Buss family or the baseball-centric Mark Walter.

Here’s guessing Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner will want any excuse to put their own people in charge of their $12.5-billion investment. And if this clearly rebuilding Lakers team doesn’t quickly measure up to the brand that Iger and Kushner purchased, they’ll have that excuse.

In his nine full seasons as the Lakers’ basketball boss, Pelinka constructed the 2020 bubble championship team, but destroyed it soon thereafter and hasn’t won since.

In his two seasons as Lakers coach, Redick became the first Lakers coach to win 50-plus games in consecutive seasons since Phil Jackson. But Redick was always LeBron James’ choice, and now that James is gone — thank goodness! — Redick will have to prove himself all over again to the new guys.

He’s already off to an awkward start considering his answer to a question about who would join Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler in the starting lineup. He referenced the lame internet criticism that the Lakers couldn’t win because they were now led by too many white guys.

“I’m pretty confident in three of the spots,” he said. “The other two spots will not be two white guys.”

Um, OK.

Redick acknowledged that all those new potential starters — Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Kevon Looney, Matisse Thybulle and others — can band together to turn this season into a mythological masterpiece.

“Part of the Hero’s journey is allies and gods,” he said, referring to stories about ordinary folk who are transformed by triumphant adventures. “And so I think if you look at “Lord of the Rings,” right? All the guys from “The Hobbit,” those guys had to be connected. They had to embrace the fact that they were allies, right? … You’re not gonna get through the journey without that. Or the journey’s gonna be even more tumultuous than it is because the reality is there will be ordeals and trials along the way.”

At this point Pelinka jumped in, saying, “So I’m a big Tolkien guy. Are you Samwise or Frodo?”

Answered Redick, “Uh, I’m simultaneously Samwise and Gandalf.”

Replied Pelinka: “Gandalf. That’s even better.”

Rob Pelinka (left), the Lakers general manager/president of basketball operations, speaks to the media with coach JJ Redick on Thursday at the team’s training facility in El Segundo.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

In San Antonio they’re talking about Wemby, in Oklahoma City they’re talking about SGA, and in Los Angeles they’re talking about … Frodo?

Tumultuous indeed. Welcome to life after LeBron, with Pelinka essentially starting the news conference by answering the biggest question of the summer — why did the James and Laker marriage fail?

Except he didn’t answer it.

“I’m so thankful for the partnership that we had that continued up until this summer when a decision was made for him to play for another team,” he said.

A decision was made by whom? James said it was him. It says here it was the Lakers, who needed to move him out if they were going to move ahead.

Pelinka didn’t elaborate, instead focusing on a popular reference that he sort of botched.

“We’ve talked about every season is a little bit like ‘The Odyssey,’ if anyone has seen the movie,” he said before someone corrected him. “Oh, it was actually a poem. Fair enough.”

The poem wasn’t this complicated.

“You launch a season, and there’s things that happen throughout that you can’t predict, but you have to stay together as a group and stay strong,” Pelinka said. “That’s a great theme for us.”

Pelinka will be going through his own Odyssey this season, as evidenced by his defense of his accomplishments.

“If you look at the teams that we’re wanting to go shoulder-to-shoulder with, the Thunder and the Spurs maybe in the West. … They had to lose many seasons to get high picks and we just don’t have the luxury of that here,” he said. “Again, the expectations are every year (to) win, get in the playoffs, make a run, and so we feel like we’ve been able to do that. As I’ve started, since I’ve been here in the leadership position, we’ve been a playoff team and we have to continue to do that.”

Redick was also playing defense, saying, “No one is a championship-level team on September 29. There’s not a team in the league that is a championship-level team. That is an ongoing process throughout the year. Rob talks about his job in that. Well, I have a job in that. Our players have a job in that. I’m confident we’re gonna develop as a team into a championship-level team this year. “

This season will live forever in Lakers folklore if they do.

There could be a medieval bloodbath if they don’t.

DR Congo beat Equatorial Guinea, while Ivory Coast cruise by Ghana and Cameroon beat Comoros as AFCON qualifiers begin.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo followed up their World Cup exploits ⁠with a 2-0 ⁠home win over Equatorial Guinea on the opening day of the group qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Captain Chancel ⁠Mbemba headed home the opening goal in the fourth minute, and Yoane Wissa added a second 18 minutes from time in Kinshasa on Thursday, although ⁠the scoreline might have been more emphatic after they twice struck the woodwork and also had two efforts ruled offside.

It was the first game for the Congolese after advancing through the first phase of the World Cup for the first time ‌and running England close in their last-32 tie in Atlanta in July.

However, there was no opportunity for home supporters to celebrate their achievement as the size of the crowd at the Stade des Martyrs was restricted to 20,000 after sanctions for fan violence that followed defeat by Senegal in World Cup qualification one year ago.

Mauritania and Namibia were also winners ⁠in Thursday’s early games, while Libya netted a last-gasp penalty ⁠to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Botswana behind closed doors in Tripoli, where the stadium was also banned because of previous supporter violence.

Botswana striker Tumisang Orebonye scored a double ⁠in the first half to put his side on course for a rare away win before Maruwan Alhibeeshi thrashed ⁠home from the edge of the area to ⁠pull one back in the 87th minute.

Botswana substitute Mothusi Cooper gave away a stoppage-time penalty with a clumsy challenge, allowing Ezoo El Mariamy to rescue a draw.

Mauritania won 3-1 over the Central ‌African Republic in Casablanca, Morocco, which included a superb chipped effort over the goalkeeper from Dawda Camara, while Bethuel Muzeu scored the only goal as Namibia ‌edged ‌Congo.

Ivory Coast beat Ghana 2-0 in a derby in Bouake in a Group C encounter.

A stunning strike from Malick Yalcouye opened the scoring from outside the box in the first half, although the Ghana keeper, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, will feel he should have done better at his near post.

Franck Kessie gave the Black Stars stopper no chance as he sent his opponent the wrong way with a side-footed second-half penalty.

Ghana, who failed to qualify for the 2025 edition of AFCON, are left to reflect on a match where they failed to register a shot on target until the 75th minute. They also conceded 61 percent of possession to their hosts.

Cameroon beat Comoros 3-1, while Tunisia were held to a 1-1 draw by Uganda in the pick of the other ties.

The United States began their bid to win an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup by opening up a 3-2 lead over the International team at the end of Thursday’s fourballs matches at Medinah Country Club in Illinois.

Justin Thomas and rookie Jackson Koivun put the first point on the board for Brandt Snedeker’s American team with a resounding 4&3 win over Canada’s Corey Conners and Colombia’s Nico Echavarria.

World number one Scottie Scheffler, who was partnered with his long-time friend Sam Burns, took the 17th hole and held on to close out their victory over Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im, who were left to rue several missed putts down the stretch.

And two-time major champions Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa ensured the US would take an advantage into Friday’s five foursome matches.

Clark and Morikawa led from the opening hole against Australia’s Adam Scott and reigning Open champion Ryan Fox before completing their 3&2 success with two holes to spare.

“A session win is a session win; we’re going to take it any way we can get it,” said Snedeker.

However, Geoff Ogilvy’s International side will head into the alternate shot format on Friday with optimism of remaining in contention to claim only their second ever triumph in the biennial contest, some 28 years after their first in 1998.

Japanese duo Hideki Matsuyama and debutant Ryo Hisatsune recorded a 3&1 success over Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele, while Kim Si-woo and Tom Kim always looked comfortable in their 3&2 win over Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay.

The five foursome matches scheduled to take place on Friday will be followed by two sessions on Saturday, split between four four-ball matches in the morning and four foursomes in the afternoon.

All 12 players on each team will then compete in the singles matches on Sunday, with 15½ points required for overall victory.

Who: Turkiye vs France
What: UEFA Nations League
Where: Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit, Turkiye
When: Friday, September 25, at 9:45pm (18:45 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will have all the build-up from 15:45 GMT.

Zinedine Zidane was asked if taking charge of his first France game on Friday will feel just as special as his playing debut for Les Bleus more than 30 years ago.

“Even more so, maybe,” a smiling Zidane said on Thursday ahead of a Nations League game in Turkiye. “I feel an immense emotion being at the head of this France team.”

Zidane’s dream was realised when he replaced Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup. His former teammate Deschamps was in charge for 14 years, winning the World Cup in 2018 and losing the 2022 final.

Now it’s Zidane’s chance to make his mark on a team he once starred for.

Affectionately nicknamed “Zizou”, his face was beamed onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris the night France celebrated its first World Cup triumph in 1998.

Zidane scored two headers in the final in a 3-0 win over Brazil and later that year he won the Ballon d’Or. Two years later, he was instrumental in France winning the European Championship.

His rise to the top seemed almost fated, for his international career began brilliantly in 1994 with two stunning goals against the Czech Republic after coming on as a substitute.

He then won league titles with Juventus and Real Madrid and scored a brilliant volley to help Madrid win the Champions League in 2002.

Zidane understands expectations are high, given his achievements as a player and how he led Real Madrid to three straight Champions League titles as a coach.

“It’s something new. I’m taking over as head coach so people are talking about it,” he said. “That makes sense.”

After facing Turkiye, France plays Belgium away on Monday before hosting Italy on October 2, and Belgium three days later, with both those games at the Stade de France.

Mbappe given all clear for France’s trip to Turkiye

France’s all-time top scorer Kylian Mbappe is set to captain the side, having shrugged off a minor injury.

Zidane was asked why, given that Mbappe is captain, he was not present at Thursday’s pre-match news conference. Instead, it was midfielder Adrien Rabiot who spoke to the media.

“The obligation is to have one player and the coach,” Zidane said. “[Mbappe] is fine. He will be ready to play tomorrow.”

Rabiot is one of France’s vice-captains along with forward Ousmane Dembele and right back Jules Kounde.

Rabiot said the huge attention placed on Zidane gave the players a welcome back seat.

“His aura means he commands a lot of attention,” Rabiot said. “In a way, it’s a good thing that the focus is more on the coach than the players. It gives them a bit more peace and quiet.”

Zidane understands the limelight but does not seek it.

“You have to accept how things are. But I’m not here for that,” he said. “Winning matches is what interests me the most.”

What happened the last time Turkiye played France?

The sides shared a 1-1 draw in Paris in 2019 in a qualifier for Euro 2020.

Olivier Giroud gave the home side the lead in the 76th minute before Kaan Ayhan levelled for Turkiye five minutes later.

Head-to-head

This will be the seventh meeting between the nations, with France claiming four wins to Turkiye’s one in the previous encounters.

Turkiye team news

Turkiye will be without the services of Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz due to injury. Real Madrid starlet Arda Guler, however, is available despite fears of a knock.

Turkiye predicted starting lineup

Cakir; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Elmali; Ozcan, Kokcu, Yuksek; Guler, Yilmaz, Akturkoglu

France team news

Zidane can choose from six new faces in his squad.

Striker Esteban Lepaul (Rennes), defenders Leny Yoro (Manchester United) and Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool), midfielder Lucas Da Cunha (Como), Andy Diouf (Inter Milan) and Guillaume Restes (Toulouse) are set for their debuts.

“I’m happy with what I’ve seen so far. The French team is open to everyone,” Zidane said. “We’ve got a good squad, some veterans, some newcomers.”

France predicted starting lineup

Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Lacroix, Truffert; Camavinga, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Doue; Mbappe

Gregg Popovich coached the San Antonio Spurs from 1996 to 2025, winning a league-record 1,390 regular-season games, 170 postseason games and five NBA championships.

For four of those championships and quite a few of the other victories, one of Popovich’s assistant coaches was his new wife’s ex-husband.

Popovich, 77, married Mary Barth Budenholzer on Sept. 16, the Bexar County, Texas, clerk’s office has confirmed.

Budenholzer is a 61-year-old native of Corpus Christi, according to multiple media outlets, and was once married to Mike Budenholzer, who was a Spurs assistant coach under Popovich from 1996 to 2013. He went on to become the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, winning an NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021.

The Budenholzers are said to share four children and to have divorced in 2016.

Popovich was married to Erin Popovich for four decades until her 2018 death at age 67. They have two children and multiple grandchildren.

On Nov. 2, 2024, Popovich suffered a stroke before a game at Frost Bank Center, the Spurs’ home arena. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson was named interim coach. That title became permanent on May 2, 2025, when Popovich stepped down after 29 years as San Antonio’s coach.

A member of the Spurs’ front office since 1994, Popovich currently serves as the team’s president of basketball operations. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Barcelona’s sporting director Deco said the club has no interest in pursuing Manchester United teenager JJ Gabriel.

Gabriel, 15, travelled to the Spanish city after informing United that he wanted to leave Old Trafford earlier this month.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain are among the clubs reportedly keen on securing his signature.

“There’s nothing to say about this boy,” Deco said at a news conference.

“It’s normal we always have players linked with us. There’s a huge market for that, even when they are young.

“We are not interested in any player in his situation. I’m not sure what’s happening, and if he’s still a Manchester United player. We are not involved in that.

“First of all, we need to understand how the situation is before we try to do something. To speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.”

Gabriel has not trained at United since scoring a hat-trick on his Uefa Youth League debut on 10 September.

Tournament rules prevent him from playing for a side other than United in this season’s competition.

But if he obtains a European Union passport through either his father – a former Republic of Ireland international – or mother, who has Greek-Cypriot heritage, he could join a club in the EU when he turns 16 on 6 October.

Last week, United manager Michael Carrick urged for people to be “careful and sensible” about the amount of exposure and scrutiny given to the youngster.

Chelsea target Bournemouth‘s Alex Scott, Bayern Munich are interested in Dani Olmo and Jude Bellingham denies Manchester City interest.

Chelsea will head the queue if Bournemouth‘s English midfielder Alex Scott, 23, becomes available in January. (Mail – subscription required), external

Bayern Munich are eyeing a potential January move for Barcelona forward Dani Olmo, 28, with a valuation of about £60m for World Cup-winning Spaniard. (Sky Sports), external

England midfielder Jude Bellingham, 23, will extend his contract at Real Madrid and is not interested in a move to Manchester City. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Atalanta and Italy defender Giorgio Scalvini, 22, is the subject of interest from Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea. (Caught Offside), external

Chelsea and Aston Villa do not have a January exit clause in the deal that took Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 22, to the Midlands club on a season-long loan at. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Liverpool are considering a move to bring 23-year-old English midfielder Tyler Morton back to the club from Lyon, with Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Brighton also keeping tabs on him. (Teamtalk), external

Chelsea are one of four Premier League clubs keeping a close eye on Manchester City and Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov, 22. (Caught Offside), external

Juventus could be set to reignite their interest in Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, 33, whose future at Liverpool is in doubt. (Football Italia) , external

Barcelona will need to sell players in January to fund any incoming transfers, with Inter Milan and Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni, 27, on their shortlist. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/England)

Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona/Spain)

Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid/Spain)

Ousmane Dembele (Paris St-Germain/France)

Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich/Colombia)

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/Portugal)

Gabriel (Arsenal/Brazil)

Erling Haaland (Manchester City/Norway)

Achraf Hakimi (Paris St-Germain/Morocco)

Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris St-Germain/Georgia)

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona/Spain)

Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr/Senegal)

Marquinhos (Paris St-Germain/Brazil)

Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/Argentina)

Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid/France)

Nuno Mendes (Paris St-Germain/Portugal)

Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/Argentina)

Joao Neves (Paris St-Germain/Portugal)

Michael Olise (Bayern Munich/France)

Willian Pacho (Paris St-Germain/Ecuador)

Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah/Mexico)

Declan Rice (Arsenal/England)

Rodri (Barcelona/Spain)

Fabian Ruiz (Paris St-Germain/Spain)

William Saliba (Arsenal/France)

Ferran Torres (Paris St-Germain/Spain)

Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/France)

Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid/Brazil)

Vitinha (Paris St-Germain/Portugal)

Speaking to BBC Sport after the fight was announced, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren repeatedly returned to one word: compromise.

“Everybody’s got to make a compromise,” the Queensberry boss said. “Tyson really compromised. He didn’t dig his heels in.

“He said, ‘Fine, wherever they want it, I’ll do it. If they want me to go to New York, I’ll go. They want it in the UK, I just want to get the fight on.”

The fighters had already agreed to the contest but the venue was a sticking point.

Warren says Netflix wanted New York, while Joshua, 36, was determined to fight in Britain. Predictably, their camps disagree over who finally got it done.

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn described the push to keep the fight in Britain as a “two-man crusade”.

“AJ has turned down money to keep it in the UK,” Hearn told the Matchroom YouTube channel. “I wouldn’t be able to look people in the eye if I was part of the movement to take this to the US.”

Hearn says Joshua had specifically requested protection for a UK fight in his contract and refused to relent.

“We were under so much pressure to fold,” he added. “It was only really the support of the British public that made Joshua stand 10 toes down and say no.”

Warren sees it differently.

He says Fury, 38, could have insisted on his own contractual position but instead accepted Britain to ensure the fight did not collapse.

Olympic bronze medallist Alice Kinsella says it is “completely surreal” to have been named in the Great Britain team for the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships just a year after giving birth.

She has been selected to compete in Rotterdam between 17-25 October alongside world medallists Abigail Martin, Ruby Evans, Becky Downie and Alia Leat.

The 25-year-old, a two-time European champion, became the first British artistic gymnast to resume competition after giving birth when she finished fourth in the beam at the British Championships in March.

“I can’t put into words with how I’m feeling right now, my goal was always to be ready to compete properly next year and to now say I’m going to the World Championships just feels completely surreal,” said Kinsella, who also got married over the summer.

“I feel so incredibly proud of this achievement. To think I’m going to the World Championships just over a year postpartum is insane.

“It’s been a tough year but I don’t regret my decision in coming back to elite sport at all, it was always the goal of mine and there was nothing stopping me from reaching that goal.

“I can’t wait to tell this story to Parker when he’s all grown up, it’s a big one to tell!”

Double world champion Jake Jarman will participate in the men’s event in the Netherlands along with Olympic bronze medallist Harry Hepworth.

Scotland’s Reuben Ward, three-time world medal winner Joe Fraser and double world medallist Courtney Tulloch will also feature for Britain.