Pogačar ready for the Tour de France after winning Critérium du Dauphiné
PARIS — Tadej Pogačar produced a dominant display ahead of his Tour de France defense by winning the Critérium du Dauphiné for the first time.
The UAE Team Emirates rider finished 59 seconds ahead of second-placed Jonas Vingegaard overall after controlling the eighth and final 133-kilometer (83-mile) stage on Sunday from Val-d'Arc to the Plateau du Mont-Cenis.
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New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
Crystal Palace and Lyon in Europa League is a problem – but multi-club crackdown is too little too late
It's there in black and white. On the pitch and off it, football's rulebook can often be infuriatingly vague, but article 5.01 of UEFA's regulations for its club tournaments is pretty straightforward. 'No one,' it reads, 'may simultaneously be involved, either directly or indirectly, in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition.' Advertisement It goes on: 'No individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition' — by which it specifies 'holding a majority of the shareholders' voting rights' or 'being able to exercise by any means a decisive influence in the decision-making of the club'. That is why Crystal Palace's dreams of competing in their first European campaign hang in the balance. The Premier League club's largest shareholder, Eagle Football Holdings, also owns the biggest stake in French club Lyon, who, like Palace, have qualified for next season's Europa League — and that creates a problem. And so it should. Why on earth should UEFA, European football's governing body, allow any two clubs under the same ownership or management structure to enter the same competition? Of course there should be rules to guard against such conflicts of interest and threats to integrity. Palace have spent the past couple of weeks quietly making their case to UEFA, pointing out that while John Textor of Eagle Football Holdings is indeed their largest shareholder, he has just 25 per cent of their voting rights. Indeed, in an interview with The Athletic in May last year, Textor found himself conceding that his vision of integrating Palace into his Eagle Football empire with Lyon, RWD Molenbeek (Belgium), Botafogo (Brazil) and FC Florida (United States) had proved unachievable because the south London club are effectively run by chairman Steve Parish. Palace's other investors have put pressure on Textor to sell Eagle's 43 per cent stake. Woody Johnson, owner of the NFL's New York Jets, has made an offer but is yet to meet his valuation. A consortium of sport and entertainment executives, which includes the NBA star Jimmy Butler, has also held discussions with Textor. It remains to be seen whether such a move would satisfy UEFA's club financial control body; the deadline for teams to make and register changes to their ownership structure, ahead of participation in the coming season's European competitions, passed on March 1. If Palace are expelled from the Europa League, they cannot drop into the third-tier Conference League because, summing up this whole tangled web, the Danish club Brondby have already qualified for that competition and are owned by Global Football Holdings, an investment vehicle led by Palace part-owner David Blitzer. And Brondby, like Lyon, would take precedence over Palace because UEFA's rules stipulate that in issues relating to multi-club ownership, priority is given to the team finishing in the highest position in their respective domestic leagues. Advertisement Sympathy will flow naturally for Palace if the UEFA decision goes against them. Everyone could see what winning the FA Cup last month meant to their supporters, the first major trophy success in their history, but it was also warmly welcomed by the wider football community because beating Manchester City in the final was an underdog triumph of the type that has become depressingly rare in the sport — not least in England, where trophies had appeared to become the preserve of a handful of rich, powerful clubs. Sympathy also flows naturally for Drogheda United, of the League of Ireland, who have already been excluded from next season's Conference League because of the possibility — only a one-in-15 chance in the second qualifying round — that it could have brought them into direct competition with Danish club Silkeborg, who are also under the ownership of the Alabama-based Trivela Group. Reading through Drogheda's statement last Monday after their appeal was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, you could not help but feel their anguish: a 'community-driven club… who fight every day to punch above their weight', who felt that a first European campaign in 12 years, by virtue of winning the FAI Cup for only the second time, would have been 'transformational… not just financially, but emotionally for our players, our staff, and our community'. But like it or not, there is still a conflict of interest — whether potential or actual — when two clubs in the same competition are operating under the same ownership. There are, as of last June, regulations to prevent it. And so there should be. What kind of governing body would UEFA be if there were not? The problem is that UEFA's belated clampdown on multi-club ownership goes nothing like far enough. It doesn't deter multi-club ownership at all. It just seeks to offer a semblance of compliance — a little window-dressing, really — where UEFA's competitions are concerned, as if the only issue with multi-club networks is the relatively small (but fast-growing) threat of teams under the same ownership playing each other, rather than the much more serious issues of them losing their sovereignty, losing their identity, losing their purpose. Advertisement UEFA's most recent benchmarking report, titled 'the European Club Finance and Investment Landscape', detailed that 105 top-flight sides across Europe are now part of a multi-club structure. That includes 15 in the Premier League, 11 in Italy's Serie A, 10 in Ligue 1 in France, nine in Spain's La Liga and six in the German Bundesliga. Some clubs have done very well out of multi-club ownership — perhaps most obviously RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and Girona — but as the phenomenon has grown, the success stories have come to be vastly outweighed by the number of historic names across Europe whose identity and ambitions have been sold to overseas investors (usually, but not always, from the United States) who regard them as little more than stocks in an investment portfolio. Some of those investors can at least claim to offer some level of expertise. Many do not. One of the fastest-growing multi-club networks in recent years was that of 777 Partners, which bought significant stakes in teams in Spain (Sevilla), Italy (Genoa), Belgium (Standard Liege), France (Red Star of Paris), Germany (Hertha Berlin), Australia (Melbourne Victory) and Brazil (Rio de Janeiro's Vasco da Gama). Shortly after it agreed a deal to buy Premier League side Everton — for which it failed to raise the necessary funds — the 777 Partners empire crumbled, plunging its entire stable of clubs into uncertainty or worse. As outlined in this column in 2023, there are so many reasons to be concerned by the rise of multi-club ownership and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin's apparent ambivalence to the issue. As important as the sporting integrity question is — the idea that, for example, Palace could come up against Textor's Lyon in the Europa League — it is far less of an issue for the future of football than the existential threat multi-club ownership poses to teams, and indeed to entire leagues, if they serve as mere satellites to those at the top of the chain. But UEFA's long-awaited crackdown only addresses that single issue. It merely requires clubs to jump through a few hoops so that, on paper at least, the appearance of any conflict of interest is averted. Advertisement City Football Group, for example, was required to transfer its shares in Spanish side Girona to independent trustees as a temporary measure through a 'blind trust' structure, under UEFA supervision, to be cleared to play in last season's Champions League, because Manchester City were already in that competition. INEOS was required to do likewise with their shares in France's Nice to play in the Europa League, where they could have faced Manchester United, where INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe owns a 28.9 per cent stake and has control over sporting matters. In the final weeks of last season, Nottingham Forest announced that Evangelos Marinakis had diluted his control of the club — placing his shares in a blind trust, submitting documents to Companies House in April to say he was no longer a 'person with significant control' of NF Football Investments Limited — to ensure that they would comply with UEFA regulations next season if they ended up in the same competition as his Greek team, Olympiacos. In the event, Olympiacos won the title, so will play in next season's Champions League, whereas Forest ended up in the Conference League. And so, on June 12, there was a filing at Companies House to report that Marinakis was a person with significant control at the City Ground once more. As for whether anything ever really changed beyond the paperwork, we can only take Forest's word for it. But it is worth noting that after Marinakis went onto the pitch to remonstrate with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo after the 2-2 draw with Leicester City on May 11, the club issued a statement in praise of 'our owner' and extolling the strength of 'his leadership, not just through words, but through action and presence'. Please excuse the tangent. The point is simply to underline that, even with his shares placed in a blind trust, Marinakis appeared to be more hands-on at Forest than your typical long-distance Premier League owner would be — more involved than Textor at Palace, certainly. But because this essentially comes down to paperwork, a box had been ticked. Why or how Palace and Drogheda failed to jump through those particular hoops by March 1, only they know. Palace could easily claim that multi-club ownership is so far off their agenda that it did not cross their mind back in March — European qualification likewise, perhaps — but when they have not one but two significant investors with controlling interests in other teams, it looks like a serious oversight. As for Drogheda, they won the FAI Cup last November, so surely they had ample time to ensure compliance. Advertisement That emotionally-wrought club statement last week mentioned 'months of engagement, constructive dialogue, countless hours of legal preparation, and multiple proposals based on frameworks that have been accepted in the past' but said that ultimately the club had 'come up short'. Whatever their frustration, the club — and they appeared to be talking for their owners here — said, 'We accept responsibility and we're sorry.' It is genuinely a sad situation. When you think of the various abuses, loopholes and suspicious activities that multi-club ownership allows, no one would suggest that Drogheda (or indeed Palace) are anywhere near the crux of the problem. Drogheda's is a regulatory failure of the type that the big beasts of European football would never make. Or if they did, they would have enough weight behind them — in terms of power, finance and legal backing — to give them every chance of finding a way around it. But none of these blind trusts or cosmetic reshuffles come close to addressing the issue in a meaningful way. The further and deeper the tentacles of multi-club ownership spread, the closer we come to a scenario where, in future, football could be dominated by a handful of rival networks who own the biggest teams in every league on every continent — and whether those networks are owned by energy-drink manufacturers, venture capitalists or sovereign wealth funds, whether or not those sides are temporarily placed into blind trusts for appearances sake, it is a nightmarish vision for a sport whose popularity since the 19th century has been based on the very simple and very appealing principle that clubs exist simply to represent their community. The football authorities have never shown the slightest appetite to tackle the multi-club issue, and it somehow feels entirely typical that the crackdown centres on paperwork. Should two clubs under even partial control of the same individual or entity be allowed to compete in the same competition? No, they should not. But when it comes to addressing the issue of multi-club ownership, excluding clubs like Drogheda and Palace would achieve nothing except to underline the importance of getting the paperwork right.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Simone Biles Reacts to Exciting Announcement on Sunday
Simone Biles Reacts to Exciting Announcement on Sunday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Simone Biles has been a phenomenon in the sports world for years, recently leading Team USA to a gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Advertisement Biles added to her incredible Olympics resume when she won a gold medal in the all-around and vault exercises. She also earned a silver medal for the floor exercise and helped lead the United States to a team gold medal. Amid her success, especially on the international stage, Biles received another honor. The Olympic gymnast was recently named the Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Female Sports Star. On Sunday, Biles reacted to the news, reposting a photo of the announcement on social media while sharing her thoughts on winning the award. 'Thanks to all the kids that voted for me,' Biles said. 'Love y'all so much.' Simone Biles, Instagram Simone Biles, Instagram Simone Biles received the Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Female Sports Star honor over several other top names in the sports industry, including Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, Alex Morgan, Caitlin Clark, Jordan Chiles, Naomi Osaka and Sha'Carri Richardson. Advertisement On the men's side, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James received the honor for Favorite Male Sports Star. He won the Kid's Choice Awards over Jalen Hurts, Jayson Tatum, Lionel Messi, Patrick Mahomes and Shohei Ohtani. United States gymnast Simone Bartel-Imagn Images Simone Biles has been widely regarded as one of the best Olympians in Team USA history. She started her career on the international stage in 2014 at several world championship events and made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games. During her career competing in the Olympic Games, Biles has earned seven gold medals and 11 total medals (two silver, two bronze). Related: Simone Biles Sends Message After Exciting Announcement with Jonathan Owens Related: Brittany Mahomes' Change in Physical Appearance Catches Attention This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scott Barrett retained as All Blacks captain for France series despite calls for Ardie Savea
FILE - New Zealand's Ardie Savea celebrates after winning the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between Ireland and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File) FILE - New Zealand's Scott Barrett, is tackled by Argentina's Gonzalo Bertranou during the Rugby World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Friday, Oct 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File) FILE - New Zealand's Scott Barrett, is tackled by Argentina's Gonzalo Bertranou during the Rugby World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Friday, Oct 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File) FILE - New Zealand's Ardie Savea celebrates after winning the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between Ireland and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File) FILE - New Zealand's Scott Barrett, is tackled by Argentina's Gonzalo Bertranou during the Rugby World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Friday, Oct 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File) WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has retained Scott Barrett as captain for New Zealand's three-test series against France next month, ignoring calls to promote star backrower Ardie Savea. Barrett's reappointment was certain when it was revealed that Robertson's 35-man squad would be announced Monday at the Coastal Rugby Club in the tiny North Island town of Rahotu to which all three Barrett brothers belong. Advertisement Beauden and Jordie Barrett also were named in the squad — midfielder Jordie was included despite spending the last northern season in Ireland with European Champions Cup finalist Leinster. Savea was voted Super Rugby Player of the Year after he led Moana Pasifika to their best-ever season in the tournament. But Robertson remained loyal to Barrett, with whom he has a strong bond. Barrett wasn't Crusaders' captain when the francise won the Super Rugby title this season for the 13th time. 'Scott's leadership is hugely valued in this group and well complimented by Ardie and Jordie," Robertson said. "They will play a vital role along with the wider player leadership group in supporting the transition of the new players into the environment and imparting their experience to ensure the squad is set up for success.' The squad, read out by former All Blacks captain and current New Zealand Rugby chairman David Kirk, includes five new caps. Advertisement Chiefs hooker Brodie McAlister and prop Ollie Norris, Highlanders lock Fabian Holland, Hurricanes flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi and Highlanders center Timoci Tavatavanawai were all named for the first time. Holland joins Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa'i and Patrick Tuipulotu among the secondrowers in the squad. Kirifi, the Hurricanes captain who has been the best jackal among New Zealand teams this season, is included among backrowers with Savea, Samipeni Finau, Wallace Sititi and Luke Jacobson. Tavatavanawai was picked in the midfield along with Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea and Billy Proctor. Tupaea returns to the All Blacks squad for the first time since 2022 after recovering from a knee injury., 'For the five uncapped players this is a particularly special day," Robertson said. 'These players have all impressed us with their talent and work ethic and have earned their opportunity to be part of this All Blacks squad. ' Advertisement Another uncapped player, Crusaders backrower Christian Lio-Willie, has been designated as injury cover for Jacobson while two-test winger Emoni Narawa will cover for Lienert-Brown. Hooker Asafo Aumua, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, lock Sam Darry, flanker Peter Lakai and utility back Stephen Perofeta were unavailable because of injury. Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie will vie for the No. 10 jersey while Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Ruben Love and Sevu Reece will contest places in the back three along with Ioane, who can cover wing. Robertson will use his full squad in the three tests against France. The All Blacks and France meet at Dunedin on July 5, Wellington on July 12 and Hamilton on July 19, Advertisement ____ All Blacks squad: Hookers: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Brodie McAlister. Props: Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi. Locks: Scott Barrett, Fabian Holland, Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa'i. Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson; Scrumhalves: Noah Hotham, Cortez Ratima, Cameron Roigard. Flyhalves: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie. Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Ruben Love, Sevu Reece. ___ AP rugby:
