Eta’s Union Berlin side fell to an unfortunate 2-1 defeat to fellow strugglers Wolfsburg but the social media discourse was marred by the usual comments, with Union’s social media admins taking several users to task.
The German football association (DFB), in the form of vice-president Celia Sasic, said this style of community management was “absolutely the right thing”. In an interview with the t-online portal, Sasic added that: “The comments are unacceptable. They’re not directed solely at a single individual, but call into question values that are central to our sport: respect, fairness, and equality.”
Eta wants focus on football
As has been her way throughout the storm of the last week, Eta tried to keep the focus on the football but did acknowledge the abuse. “It says more about the people posting it online than about the people being talked about,” she said postmatch.
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Helen Nkwocha is one of the few women who has had a similar direct experience. The Black British coach became the first woman to coach a men’s European top-division football team in 2021 when she took over as head coach of Tvoroyar Boltfelag of the Faroe Islands.
“As female coaches, especially if we are coaching at a competitive level, we experience that sort of thing a lot,” she told DW. “In the Faroe Islands, I actually got a racially offensive message and lots about no one knowing where the Faroe Islands is.”
Nkwocha said it is important that Union continue to back Eta. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first time she would have been faced with adversity,” she said. “I think a club always needs to be smart when they recruit a new coach. I don’t think they should make too big deal out of it and stay focused on the football.”
Women’s football ‘done a disservice’
While Union have celebrated the appointment, both they and Eta have tried to normalize a story that has made headlines across the world.
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Another, more subtle, element of the sexism underpinning much of the reaction has been the suggestion that Eta — hired on a temporary basis until the end of the season — will automatically choose a potential job offer for the men’s position above her planned move to Union’s women’s team.
“I’m not having a discussion that says if she does well she stays with the men, if she does badly she coaches the women. That does women’s football a disservice,” said Union president Dirk Zingler after the game.
Marie-Louise Eta’s Union Berlin were dominant against Wolfsburg but could not take their chancesImage: Darius Simka/IMAGO
While men’s coaches in women’s football are commonplace, a woman taking charge of a high level men’s team remains unusual, even if it has happened in lower European leagues. Professional footballer Robin Afamefuna, captain of fourth-division club Fortuna Köln and a cultural anthropologist whose research focuses on sexism and racism in football, said Eta’s example will be important.
Visibility of coaches important for the future
“When we talk about visibility and role models, about what young girls see now, then commitment is very important,” Afamefuna told DW. “Girls see that there is a possibility of doing this job someday. And that simply wasn’t available before.”
The DFB has about 4,000 female coaches who hold a C or Pro license and are authorized to coach professional teams. But despite recent progress, Afamefuna said society has some way to go before these women get the same chances as their male counterparts.
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“It’s a very deeply rooted, structural, systemic problem that affects women in football,” he added. “We have to talk about the fact that women are disadvantaged in football, and these structures need to be broken down.”
While Eta’s debut has shown football’s patriarchal structure can be challenged, the reaction to it has highlighted the truth that there are plenty of hurdles still to jump.
The filly Snitzel Dancer proved trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou right by notching her stakes debut win in the Group 3 $250,000 James HB Carr Stakes (1400m).
Ryan expressed confusion over Snitzel Dancer’s two early-season Warwick Farm runs.
But her rebound success at Hawkesbury led Ryan and Alexiou to target the Carr Stakes.
“This filly shows us a lot at home so we couldn’t work out what happened in those two Warwick Farm runs,” Ryan said.
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“It’s possible she just doesn’t like Warwick Farm because she was back to her best at Hawkesbury.
“I know she was big odds today but we were confident she would run very well. I told the owners she would finish top three.”
Kerrin McEvoy guided the $21 Snitzel Dancer to a strong finish, winning by near a length from resilient Plaintiff ($2.15 favourite) who had a wide passage with cover and placed second closely, while Karinska ($7.50) overcame interference to grab third half a length away.
Snitzel Dancer has now qualified for the stable’s Brisbane winter carnival squad, per Ryan, with the Group 1 Queensland Oaks in sight.
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“We will go to perhaps the Guineas against the boys or the Bracelet on the Gold Coast, because I’ve always believed this filly will run 2000 metres.
“The Oaks is only 2200m, but we’ll just see how she’s going. We won’t stretch her too far.
“It’s good to see her live up to what she’s shown all the way along.”
McEvoy feels Snitzel Dancer can handle extended journeys.
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“She hit the line strongly late and will get 1600m at least,” McEvoy said.
“I think she’ll stay further because she’s such a nice attitude. She’ll keep developing and no doubt strengthen a bit more.
“If Gerald and Sterling want to head towards the Oaks, then it’s worth a try because she’s a promising filly who is only going to get better.”
Plaintiff aimed for a perfect record and Jordan Childs praised her.
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“She has gone extremely well,” Childs said.
“We had a nice run in transit, got into the three wide moving line and travelled up like the winner. “She probably just didn’t quicken up as good as she did the other day, being fresh. This was her first go 1400m I thought it was a good run.”
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Myles Garrett and his girlfriend, Chloe Kim, are enjoying their downtime away from their respective sports. On Sunday, the three-time Olympic snowboarder posted a photo on her Instagram Story of her laying next to Garrett.
Kim smiled in the photo and used just a simple caption to proclaim her excitement in the moment.
Thanks for the submission!
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“yay!!” Kim said.
•
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(Image via Instagram/@chloekim)
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Kim and Garrett have shown support for each other since debuting their relationship in 2025. The Olympian was spotted at several Cleveland Browns games throughout the regular season.
The reigning NFL defensive player of the year made the trip to Milan, Italy to support Kim at her third Olympic games. She won the silver medal in the halfpipe event.
Chloe Kim shared heartfelt post for Myles Garrett for first Valentine’s Day
Just two days after she claimed her third Olympic medal, her first silver, Chloe Kim celebrated her first Valentine’s day with Myles Garrett. She shared a carousel of photos of their relationship and expressed her gratitude for him.
Amongst the photos, she included a glimpse of Myles Garrett wearing a shirt that read, “I heart my Super Hot Beautiful Girlfriend so please stay away from me,” to which the Olympian revealed she bought him.
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“blinked and suddenly I had a Valentine ❤️ and yes I bought him the shirt,” Kim said.
Kim and Garrett debuted their relationship in May while attending the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. In a recent interview the snowboarder revealed that they were introduced by a mutual friend, who happened to her physical therapist. She was unaware at first that Garrett was a football player until after she attended an NFL game.
Mar 14, 2026; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toledo Rockets guard Leroy Blyden Jr. (2) dunks against the Akron Zips during the first half of the men’s Mid-American Conference Championship at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Kansas snagged MAC Freshman of the Year point guard Leroy Blyden Jr. from Toledo in the transfer portal.
He made the All-MAC Third Team in 2025-26 after averaging 16.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 40.7% from 3-point range in 34 games (32 starts) for the Rockets.
Blyden visited St. John’s but opted to join the Jayhawks, who previously received a transfer commitment from Utah forward Keanu Dawes.
Blyden was runner-up to Michigan freshman Trey McKenney for Michigan’s Mr. Basketball honor in 2025.
Matt Fitzpatrick thoroughly enjoyed silencing a rowdy group of American golf fans after his playoff victory over World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at the RBC Heritage on Sunday.
The Englishman began the final round of the PGA Tour signature event with a three-shot cushion over Scheffler, but as is often the case, the best player in the world refused to go away. Fitzpatrick carded his lone bogey of the afternoon on the 72nd hole to fall back to 18-under and into a playoff against the American, who posted a bogey-free round of 67 on Sunday.
Matt Fitzpatrick plays from the rough during the first round of the British Open at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, July 17, 2025.(Francisco Seco/AP)
As Fitzpatrick’s par putt from just inside 25 feet slid past the cup on the final hole, chants of “USA-USA-USA” broke out among the crowd on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The 31-year-old is no stranger to hearing it from American fans, having represented Europe in the Ryder Cup four times.
Fitzpatrick drew something not only from his experiences competing in the Ryder Cup, but also from winning the biennial event in 2023 and 2025, a fact he was sure to remind folks of after defeating Scheffler on the first playoff hole on Sunday.
Matthew Fitzpatrick hits from the bunker at the Ryder Cup, Sept. 28, 2025, in Farmingdale, New York.(Robert Bukaty/AP)
“Americans are incredibly patriotic, and I think that was amazing,” Fitzpatrick said when asked if he thought the “USA” chants were strange. “I guess the only issue is they just have shorter memories because we won in October.”
While walking off the 18th green after making a birdie to win the playoff, Fitzpatrick put his finger to his ear to playfully taunt the pro-American crowd.
Aside from the Europeans taking down the Americans in dramatic fashion, the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black will be remembered for the fan experience getting out of hand. Fitzpatrick and his European teammates were berated by fans throughout the three-day event in New York, and while the majority agrees things crossed the line at the Ryder Cup, it certainly wasn’t the case during the closing moments at the RBC Heritage.
“No, it didn’t get out of line in terms of no one was shouting on backswings or anything like that, which was great. I’m all for it. I love the people – they’re supporting Scottie; that’s great,” Fitzpatrick explained. “You want golf to have an atmosphere in my opinion. I grew up watching football. I’m paid so much money to be out there in front of those crowds, having them chanting at you every week, it’s a great feeling.
“However, there’s no better feeling than coming out on top against that. There isn’t a better feeling.”
Matt Fitzpatrick acknowledges the crowd during The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 17, 2025, in Portrush, Northern Ireland.(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Fitzpatrick’s victory on Sunday marked his second RBC Heritage title and his second win in his last three starts on Tour after winning the Valspar Championship in March. The Englishman won the RBC Heritage in 2023 in a playoff over Jordan Spieth.
Following his unanimous decision defeat to Conor Benn last Saturday, Regis Prograis has considered how a clash between ‘The Destroyer’ and Ryan Garcia might unfold.
The two-time world champion faced Benn on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov, announcing his retirement shortly after losing their contest at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Fighting at a catchweight of 150lbs, this was Benn’s first outing since his middleweight rematch with Chris Eubank Jr, which saw him claim a dominant points victory in November.
The American secured his world title at 147lbs in February, dethroning Mario Barrios with a unanimous decision victory after scoring a first-round knockdown.
In doing so, Garcia claimed his first win since stopping Oscar Duarte in 2023, which was followed by his controversial clash with Devin Haney in 2024.
Despite managing to edge a majority decision on the night, ‘King Ry’ was ultimately handed a year-long ban – and had his career-best triumph overturned to a no-contest – after it emerged that he had twice tested positive for banned substance ostarine.
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Similarly, Benn twice tested positive for clomifene in 2022, a few months after his last welterweight outing saw him stop Chris van Heerden in the second round.
With Benn now looking to return to 147lbs and face Garcia, though, Prograis has offered his take in an interview with Fight Hub TV.
“Ryan is fast. Ryan might catch him, but I think that Conor could catch Ryan [as well].
“Conor does have some power, and Conor reminds me of me when I was younger. I was just a dog – I came to fight and I was unpolished.
“That’s what Conor is. He’s strong; he’s going to come to fight; he has a chin; he’s durable.
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“With Ryan, it would be interesting. It depends [on] who catches who first.”
Indeed, both Benn and Garcia appear to carry plenty of power, but have not engineered any stoppages since 2022 and 2023, respectively.
A new name has entered the spotlight for Mumbai Indians as 21-year-old Danish Malewar made his IPL debut against Gujarat Titans in the 2026 season clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium.Born on October 8, 2003, in Nagpur, Malewar is a right-handed top-order batter who also bowls right-arm leg-spin. He has been steadily building a reputation in domestic cricket, particularly for his consistency in the longer format and his aggressive intent in white-ball cricket. His rise earned him an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians, who secured him at his base price of INR 30 lakh.
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Malewar’s cricketing journey began early at the City Gymkhana Academy under coaches Swaroopraj Shrivastava and Nitin Gawande. Joining at just seven years old, he quickly progressed through the ranks and was representing Vidarbha at the Under-14 level by the age of 12.His breakthrough came in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy season, where he played a key role in Vidarbha’s title-winning campaign. Malewar amassed 783 runs in nine matches at an impressive average of 52, including two centuries and six fifties, finishing as the team’s third-highest run-getter.He has also shown his prowess in the shortest format. In the Vidarbha T20 League, he emerged as the second-highest run-scorer, piling up 318 runs at an average of 79.5 and a strike rate of 161.42, underlining his ability to shift gears.Malewar’s debut comes at a crucial time for Mumbai Indians, who are struggling in IPL 2026 with four consecutive losses after their opening win and currently sit near the bottom of the table. With senior players under pressure, the franchise has turned to fresh talent in search of a turnaround.Facing a confident Gujarat Titans side led by Shubman Gill, who opted to bowl first after winning the toss, Malewar now has an early opportunity to showcase his potential on one of the biggest stages in franchise cricket.
The protracted disagreement over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between the Senegal national football team and the Morocco national football team is likely to drag on for months, with proceedings at the Court of Arbitration for Sport still ongoing.
Legal experts in sports say the arbitration could last between nine and twelve months. Without a fast-tracked process, a final decision may only arrive after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, prolonging uncertainty over who should officially be crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The delay is largely due to the complicated nature of the case, as CAS judges aim to carry out a detailed review and deliver a solid legal ruling. It is understood that Morocco has chosen the standard arbitration route instead of an expedited hearing, a decision seen as a way to strengthen its legal arguments.
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This has led to a rare situation in African football. While officials have provisionally acknowledged Morocco as winners, the trophy is reportedly still in Dakar and linked to Senegal. The unusual arrangement has continued to stir debate and confusion among supporters and stakeholders across the continent.
Until CAS reaches a final verdict, the dispute over the AFCON final will remain unresolved, leaving the competition’s official outcome uncertain.
Matias has entered the Queensland Derby discussion thanks to his commanding success in the Group 3 $250,000 Frank Packer Plate (2000m).
This came just 35 minutes on from his stablemate Snitzel Dancer’s win in the Group 3 Carr Stakes.
Prior to his stud career at Arrowfield, Ryan had Snitzel capture the Oakleigh Plate; there, the stallion excelled, claiming four Australian Sires Premierships and producing 27 individual Group 1 winners, three of whom won the Golden Slipper.
Snitzel died last year aged 22, but with Matias and Snitzel Dancer, he is set for a fifth Sires title this season, reaching 15 individual stakes winners (others max 8), progeny prize money over $20.5 million, $4 million ahead of The Autumn Sun.
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“Snitzel is just a freak of a horse,” said Ryan, who now trains in partnership with Sterling Alexiou.
“He was outstanding on the racetrack and a phenomenon at stud – and he’s still throwing stakes winners.”
As the $2.70 market elect, Matias became Snitzel’s newest stakes victor with a lengthier-than-expected margin in the Frank Packer Plate over Providence ($7.50), Pictor ($13) third by a half-length.
The trainer announced Matias heads to the Queensland Derby, alongside Snitzel Dancer targeting the Queensland Oaks in Brisbane’s winter three-year-old carnival.
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“This race was the deciding point, whether he ticked the 2000m box,” Ryan said.
“I know he’s by Snitzel but his first three dams either won or ran a place in the Oaks.
“The Queensland Derby has always been the aim since he won the Grand Prix up there in December.
“I think we will run in the Rough Habit Plate. I know it’s a month between runs, I know he’s a big, gross horse but you can’t overwork him. Then it’ll be a fortnight into the Derby.”
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Ryan hailed jockey Nash Rawiller’s performance aboard Matias as “a beautiful ride.”
Matias exhibited solid staying power according to Rawiller in taking the Frank Packer Plate.
“I don’t know what time they ran (2m 02.43s) but it was a genuinely run race,” Rawiller said.
“My bloke was turned out to perfection. He’s been a horse that’s been building to this now for 12 months.
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“You know, I think we just saw the furnished product, the sort of horse we thought he would be from day dot.
“Like I said, it was a genuinely run, staying-type race and he just thrived on that and he loved it.”
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