Jürgen Klopp is the overwhelming favorite to be Germany’s new head coach. In recent years, the charismatic 59-year-old was seen as the ideal candidate. In recent weeks, he has been the boss in waiting. With Julian Nagelsmann’s departure now confirmed, Klopp’s arrival looks a formality, especially after the German FA (DFB) announced talks had begun and that Klopp had shown a “willingness” in principle to take up the job.
Germany’s last three World Cups have ended in disappointment, with two group-stage exits and the most recent knockout defeat to Paraguay in the round of 32. Euro 2024 was more positive, but generally Germany have not enjoyed a successful tournament since Euro 2016. For a four-time World Cup winner and a three-time European champion, a decade long span of disappointment sits far below expectation.
Jürgen Klopp’s cheeky manner on TV during the 2026 World Cup brought him even closer to the German jobImage: Marco Bader/HMB-Media/IMAGO
A candidate in waiting
Klopp’s approach to the Germany job has been a long time coming. Even as far back as late October 2024 when he took the job as “Head of Global Soccer” for Red Bull, there were reports that either his contract included a clause allowing him to become Germany head coach in the future or he had a gentleman’s agreement to do the same.
And during this World Cup, his role as a pundit for MagentaTV seems to have moved him ever closer to the job. His analysis has been seen as on point, but Klopp caused a stir whe he said, “Luckily, it’s Julian Nagelsmann who’s picking the team. For now.” Those two words hung over Nagelsmann, and even though Klopp apologized, it almost felt like he knew his time was fast approaching.
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After the loss to Paraguay, Klopp continued to distance himself from the job, saying it wasn’t time to talk about that.
“When the next tournament comes around and whoever is head coach is asked, what is your goal? If they don’t say, ‘European champion’ then people will say, ‘have you got no ambition? We are Germany!’ No, we were football Germany. In order to become that force again, we’ve really got to give it our all,” Klopp said on MagentaTV.
Klopp had been providing “strategic vision and support” as well as helping “coaches develop” in his job at Red Bull. However, his role in the dismissal of RB Leipzig head coach Ole Werner after just one season has been seen critically in the media. Werner guided RB Leipzig to third place in the Bundesliga and returned the club to the Champions League.
The real Jürgen Klopp
A popular figure
His success in the dugout combined with his warm, funny character has made him a fan favorite in most places in Germany. After playing in Mainz, he took the club to the Bundesliga for the first time. His departure was emotional, as both Klopp and many of the crowd shed tears.
At Borussia Dortmund, he won back-to-back Bundesliga titles, and took the club to the Champions League final in 2013. More recently, he spent nine years with Liverpool, where he delivered a first league title in more than a quarter of a century, as well as glory in the 2019 Champions League final. He has a history of leading clubs with strong working-class roots to success, allowing him to maintain a bond to the core values of the clubs in question. In combination with his holistic style of coaching, Klopp is seen as one of the best coaches in the world.
During his break from coaching, Klopp was awarded the highest civic award in Germany as a result of his outstanding contribution to democracy and his impact on the football world. He was credited with becoming a role model, a football ambassador and someone who has improved the image of Germany around the world, particularly in the United Kingdom.
Recently, his face has been hard to miss. Famous for being in a raft of adverts, Klopp has cemented his status as one of the most famous Germans rather than just a great football coach from Germany.
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Jürgen Klopp has changed the way many people around the world think about GermansImage: Metodi Popow/IMAGO
Could Klopp lead Germany to Euro 2028 glory?
With Euro 2028 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Klopp will be familiar with a lot of the stadiums and the way football works in the country. He will have a long run-up at the title, though.
His first game in charge would be in Amsterdam on September 24 against the Netherlands in the Nations League. This will mark the start of a new format of international break. Unlike in previous years where there have three two-week international breaks in September, October and November, the 2026-27 season will see September and October’s breaks merge into one. November’s will be the same.
This means Klopp’s first time in charge of the team would be for a three-week break in late September, which will see Germany play Greece in Augsburg three days after the Amsterdam game. Four days after that, Germany will play Serbia in Munich before closing out the international break in Thessaloniki against Greece on October 4. This longer break would offer Klopp a chance to hit the ground running and generate a real clarity over his playing style and who the core of his Germany team would be.
While it might be a while before the official announcement comes, there will be no stopping Germany fans daydreaming of what their team will look like under Klopp. Heavy metal football, as Klopp once famously described his style of play, might well be on the way for a team that is currently out of tune.
Lonnie Andrews III was gearing up to push for his third straight championship at the helm of Oscar Smith High School (Chesapeake, VA). Now, the Tigers will have to play without the three-star quarterback, as the Virginian-Pilot reported that Andrews will miss his entire senior season due to an injury.
Over the last two years, Oscar Smith has gone a combined 30-1 behind Andrews. As a sophomore, he led the Tigers to an undefeated 17-0 season, and last year, they repeated as champions as Andrews threw for about 3,300 yards and 43 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, according to the Virginian-Pilot. As a dual-threat quarterback, he also rushed for over 550 yards, he posted to social media platform X.
With a number of graduations, the injury to Andrews, and the transfer of three-star defensive lineman Lincoln Halliday to IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL), assistant coach Jahvoni Simmons told the Virginian-Pilot that the team is going “back to the drawing board.”
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“It’s put us back at the rebuilding stage. But the goal is still going to be the goal, regardless,” he said to the outlet. “I believe in my guys and I believe in our coaches. It’s going to be a journey ahead of us. We might take some lumps here and there, but the goal is still the same.”
The injury was not disclosed to the Virginian-Pilot.
Andrews, a Virginia commit, is ranked the No. 19 player in Virginia and No. 48 quarterback in the class of 2027, according to the 247Sports Composite. He is listed at 6-foot tall and 180 pounds. He’ll graduate as a highly accomplished high school quarterback, going the last two seasons with just one loss.
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In his place at quarterback is expected to be incoming freshman Justice Culler, who Simmons said has “a big arm and has some speed.”
Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia (29) swings for the ball during an NCAA Baseball Regional game between Southern Miss and Virginia at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
AJ Gracia, the Atlanta Braves’ top pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, underwent labrum surgery and will miss seven to 10 months, The Athletic reported Sunday.
An outfielder, he was the No. 9 overall pick of the draft out of college at Virginia. The 21-year signed with the Braves for just under $4 million, well below the slot value of nearly $6.7 million.
Gracia hit .354 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs in his only season with the Cavaliers. He is known for his exceptional eye at the plate.
In 176 college games split between Duke (2024-25) and Virginia (2026), he walked 152 times compared to 129 strikeouts.
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Per The Athletic, the surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
The Braves have not announced the procedure yet.
A left-handed hitter, Gracia has compared his playing style to Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees.
Jockey Tim Clark celebrated his birthday with a memorable performance at Rosehill, clinching a riding treble and taking an early lead in the Sydney jockeys’ premiership.
His earlier wins aboard Funshow and Steel Strike preceded a polished ride on Carbonados to secure victory in the NSW Jockeys Association Handicap (1300m).
Clark had to exercise patience, finding himself momentarily held up behind the leaders before seizing an opportunity in the straight.
“Carbonados travelled up well,” Clark said. “But then coming into the straight I had to figure out how well the horse (Gatsby’s) was going outside the leader. It looked like the leader was going better so I was happy to stay where I was. I had the horse to make a run when the slightest of gaps appeared and he was able to push his way through and won well.”
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The $15 outsider then burst through to win by 1¼ lengths from the fast-finishing Althoff ($9.50), with the favourite Fire Star ($4.60) taking third.
This win marked a significant turnaround for Carbonados, who had struggled in his previous three starts, finishing poorly.
“Carbonados has been a little hit and miss and hard to catch but the switching of states, changing things up for him worked well,” Clark added.
The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Carbonados, from the Flemington stable, now has seven wins from 22 starts, with career earnings nearing $400,000.
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The Lindsay Park stable also had a successful raid on Rosehill, with Run Harry Run contributing to their stable’s double for the day.
These results place Team Hayes in a tie for the lead in the early Sydney trainers’ premiership, alongside Richard and Will Freedman, whose runners Attractiveness and Horizons also saluted on the opening day of the new season.
Meanwhile, defending champion trainer Chris Waller endured a rare winless Saturday at his home track as he begins his quest for a 17th consecutive Sydney trainers’ premiership.
India’s athletics contingent delivered one of its finest-ever performances at the Commonwealth Games 2026, finishing with a record 16 medals to spearhead the country’s memorable campaign in Glasgow.
After collecting eight medals at the Birmingham 2022 Games, India doubled its athletics tally to 16 medals, marking a remarkable 100 per cent improvement. The haul included 10 medals in athletics and six medals in para athletics, highlighting the growing strength and depth of Indian track and field across both disciplines.
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Gulveer Singh headlines historic campaign
The standout performer of India’s athletics team was undoubtedly Gulveer Singh.
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The distance runner etched his name into the record books by becoming the first Indian man to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the men’s 10,000m, where he claimed silver.
He followed it up with bronze in the men’s 5,000m, becoming the first Indian athlete to win two track medals at the same edition of the Commonwealth Games.
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His double podium finish was among the defining moments of India’s Glasgow campaign and firmly established him as the country’s leading distance runner.
Para athletics delivers breakthrough performances
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India’s para athletes also enjoyed their most successful Commonwealth Games in recent memory.
Sharmila became the first Indian para athlete to win Commonwealth Games gold in the women’s F57 Shot Put, creating history with a sensational performance.
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India also secured a memorable double podium in the event as Shilpa Shyla added the bronze medal.
The success continued in the men’s F57 Shot Put, where Soman Rana clinched gold while Shubham Juyal took silver, giving India another one-two finish.
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The six para athletics medals underlined India’s rapid rise in disability sport on the international stage.
Triple jump duo recreate Birmingham success
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India once again dominated the men’s triple jump.
Praveen Chithravel claimed the silver medal while Selva Prabhu Thirumaran secured bronze, recreating India’s double podium finish from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
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Their performances reaffirmed India’s growing consistency in the horizontal jumps.
Athletics becomes India’s biggest success story
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The athletics team’s performances reflected years of steady progress.
While India has traditionally relied on sports such as wrestling, weightlifting and boxing at multi-sport events, Glasgow 2026 showcased the country’s emergence as a genuine athletics force.
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From Gulveer Singh’s historic double to multiple podium finishes in field events and the outstanding contribution from para athletes, athletics proved to be one of India’s defining sports at the Games.
India’s athletics medal winners – Commonwealth Games 2026
Michael Carrick’s side went behind inside the first five minutes after Arnau Ortiz found the net for Atleti. But the Reds mounted a comeback in the second half and turned the game on its head with Bryan Mbeumo scoring a brace to earn a 2-1 win at Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena.
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Overall, it was an encouraging performance from United with Mount among those to stand out.
The ex-Chelsea midfielder was used in a two-man midfield alongside new £52million signing Andrey Santos and he suited that position. With the ball, he roamed in the half spaces, linked midfield to attack and created a number of chances. Then out of possession, he led the press and won the ball back on several occasions.
It felt as though Santos and Mount complimented each other in the midfield and that could be a partnership Carrick and United use more often this season, though Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo are expected to disrupt that.
But Mount is still expected to have a major role for the Reds this season and Fernandes, who still hasn’t reported back for pre-season training due to Portugal’s involvement at the World Cup, was full of praise for the former Derby County loanee on Instagram. Indeed, after Mount posted four photos from the win against Atletico in Sweden, Fernandes commented: “Class bro [fire emoji].”
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Fernandes wasn’t the only player to leave a comment on Mount’s post with Shea Lacey putting three clapping emojis, Harry Maguire using a fire emoji and a clap emoji. Meanwhile, 15-year-old talent JJ Gabriel, who made his first-team debut for United against Atleti, used a ‘top’ emoji.
Mount was used in the same role for United against Rosenborg last Saturday and he admitted he ‘loves’ being trusted by Carrick to be a leader in the Reds side. “You have different types of leaders,” he said.
“You have ones that are very vocal, but I see myself as one who leads by example and never stops working. I’ve been captain previously, years ago, so I love the role. Especially with a lot of younger players on the pitch, and off it as well, being able to speak to them and make them feel comfortable, it’s something I really like.”
Lorena Wiebes sprinted to victory on the second stage of the Tour de France Femmes on Sunday after a hilly 147.9km run from Aigle to Geneva in Switzerland, much of it lakeside.
The Netherlands‘ Wiebes also won the first stage on Saturday and cut an impressive figure decked out in the yellow jersey as she burst clear of the pack from 250m out to win by several bike lengths.
The previous two winners of this race, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Kasia Niewiadoma, along with race favourite Demi Vollering, finished with the main pack.
Dutch time-trial specialist Riejanne Markus led the race alone over the final kilometres and suffered the agony of being overtaken by the chasing pack less than 500m from the finish line.
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Sprint specialist Wiebes, a 27-year-old two-time former European champion, extended her overall lead to 14sec on Kim Le Court and 16sec on Vollering.
Italian Elisa Balsamo was second on the day and Dutch veteran Marianne Vos, 39, was third.
The peloton will roll into France on Monday’s third stage which takes in a steep 11km climb just outside Geneva but ends with a flat 15km stretch to the finish line at Poligny.
The two crucial stages of the nine-day race come Tuesday with an individual time trial and Friday when the pretenders to the title climb Mont Ventoux.
Dunum (11/1) won the final day feature, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ahonoora Handicap (Premier Handicap) for a second time this afternoon at Galway.
The course specialist, a winner of the race in 2023, and third in both 2024 and 2025, the Natalia Luipini-trained eight-year-old ran 13th at the course earlier this week, but ran out an impressive victor of the seven-furlong contest for Downpatrick owner, Maurice Burns.
Another course-and-distance win for the Natalia Lupini-trained gelding under Billy Lee in the @IrishEBF_ Ahonoora Handicap 💥 pic.twitter.com/gk0tlzXbNq
Despite an increase of 16 lbs for a course and distance win on Monday, Timurshah (7/2) doubled up at Galway, when taking the Adare Maor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle in fine fashion for four-pound claimer Conor Smithers and Kildare-based handler Aidan Melia.
Willie Mullins final day double
Blood Destiny and Paul Townend gave Willie Mullins a second winner today, and his 9th of the week, when claiming the Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase.
Owned by the Roaringwater Syndicate, Blood Destiny, runner-up last time to Jesse Evans at Listowel, gave weight all round this afternoon but held off the challenge of Coming Up Easy and Darragh O’Keeffe, by three-and-three-quarter lengths
Caher Roes Den (9/2), in the colours of Simon Brookhouse, won the Kenny Galway Puegeot Handicap Hurdle, the first part of his final day double. Ridden by his nephew, Danny, the gelding improved on his Downpatrrick fourth-place stable debut for Closutton, when taking Sunday’s event by three-and-three-quarter lengths from Mr Master Mc (9/1) and seven-pound claimer Thomas O’Connor.
Mullins, with nine winners this week, was named leading trainer at Balllybit for an 11th time.
Henry de Bromhead and his stable jockey, Darragh O’Keeffe, were on the mark in the Kinlay Hostel Handicap Chase, over the Tote Galway Plate distance of 2 miles 6 furlongs and 111 yards, with Jukebox Johnny (9/2). The grey gelding, by Jukebox Judy and bred by Victor Connolly of Burgage Stud, had four lengths in hand on Drop A Threat (6/1) and Danny Mullins at the finishing line.
Blue Blue Moon and Patrick McGettigan gave Johnny Murtagh and Moyglare Stud Farm a win in the Salthill Village Handicap, while the final race of Galway Races Summer Festival 2026 went to Galway-owned Caisleán Gear (13/2) for trainer Andy Slattery and jockey Adam Ryan, beating the Willie Mullins-trained 2/11 favourite, Linford.
Arshdeep Singh picks top 5 Indian bowlers (Image: Agencies)
India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has revealed his picks for the five best Indian bowlers, placing veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar at the top of his list. The left-arm pacer shared his rankings during an appearance on Krishnank Atrey’s YouTube channel, explaining that his admiration for Bhuvneshwar influenced his choice.The ranking drew attention as Jasprit Bumrah, widely regarded as India’s premier fast bowler across formats, did not feature in Arshdeep’s top five.
Bhuvneshwar gets top billing
Explaining why he ranked Bhuvneshwar first, Arshdeep admitted there was a personal bias behind the selection, while also praising the veteran’s ability to control the new ball.“Bhuvi bhai is at the top because he is my personal favourite as well. I really like him, so I’m a little biased. I’ll rate all the fast bowlers first. At number two, I’d go with Shami bhai because, as you know, he can seam the ball on any wicket. His bowling is excellent, and he presents the seam perfectly,” Arshdeep said. Arshdeep placed Mohammed Shami second, highlighting the experienced pacer’s ability to generate seam movement in any conditions.
Kuldeep, Chahal and Ashwin complete the list
The Indian pacer ranked Kuldeep Yadav third, crediting the left-arm wrist spinner’s unique bowling style before naming Yuzvendra Chahal in fourth place.“Third would be Kuldeep Yadav because he has a very rare skill set, a left-arm chinaman. Then there’s Yuzi bhai, as we are teammates in the Punjab team, and his record is also excellent. He has taken so many wickets,” Arshdeep admitted. Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin completed the top five. Arshdeep jokingly apologised for placing the former India spinner last, insisting it was only because the other spots had already been filled.“I wouldn’t want to rate Ash bhai last, but there were no positions left, so he comes in at number five. He is great, but Ash bhai was also my first captain in the IPL, Punjab. Sorry, Ash bhai, I’ll personally message you,” he added.
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Arshdeep explains why he wiped his Instagram feed
During the same interaction, Arshdeep also addressed the buzz surrounding his Instagram account after fans noticed that he had deleted all of his posts following the IPL season.The left-arm pacer, who endured a difficult campaign with the Punjab Kings and faced criticism on social media over his performances, dismissed speculation that the move was linked to the trolling. He clarified that he simply wanted to refresh his profile after the tournament and insisted there was no hidden reason behind the decision.“IPL had ended and I felt like cleaning things up, so I was properly clearing everything out. I mean, people make an issue out of it, asking why I removed the videos and what happened to Arshdeep’s Instagram account, why he changed it overnight. But it’s nothing like that, bro. I just felt like removing them, so I did. If I feel like it, I’ll put them back. It’s just about my mood. Whenever I feel like it, I post something, ” Arshdeep Singh concluded.
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