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Celtic secure point against Dinamo Zagreb
Watch highlights as Celtic stretch their unbeaten Champions League run to four matches with a goalless draw against Dinamo Zagreb.
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Novak Djokovic sends heartbreaking message to booing Australian Open fans after quitting tournament
Novak Djokovic has heartbreakingly revealed he thinks Australian Open fans ‘don’t want to understand’ him following his withdrawal from the tournament on Friday.
The tennis icon was forced to pull out due to injury after losing the first set to Alexander Zverev, who will now take place in Sunday’s final.
As Djokovic made his way off the court, boos were heard around the Rod Laver Arena.
John McEnroe criticised the behaviour of supporters, while Zverev also pleaded with them to see reason.
Novak Djokovic has heartbreakingly revealed he thinks Australian Open fans ‘don’t want to understand’ him following his withdrawal from the tournament on Friday
REUTERS
Djokovic has always been a player who feels as though he’s fighting against the world and his treatment in Australia this winter has been hard for him to cope with at times.
Prior to the match, he was mocked by Australian broadcaster Tony Jones – who issued an apology for his comments.
And Djokovic has now expressed a belief that fans ‘don’t want’ to understand him and his decision to give up on a record 25th Grand Slam title.
“I don’t know what to say… people have come, they paid for the tickets expecting a great match and a big fight, which they didn’t get,” stated the former world No 1.
“From that perspective, I can understand. I am doing my best to understand them, but I am not sure whether they understand me or if they even want to understand me.
“I know how my body works, what I feel, and I know how much I’ve given to this tournament in the past 20 plus years. I will stop here, so that I don’t continue in the wrong direction.”
Djokovic also admitted that injury is the ‘biggest enemy’ of an athlete.
“It is what it is,” he said. “Injury is the biggest enemy of a professional athlete.
READ MORE: Andy Murray makes ’embarrassing’ admission after Novak Djokovic quits Australian Open
“That’s the beauty of one-on-one sport, [it] is such that there is no replacement, there is no substitution.
“I could not go out now after first set and somebody comes in for me and then I rest for an hour, and maybe come back or maybe come back for the next match and my team wins.
“It doesn’t happen in our sport. If you in a way don’t show up and if something is wrong, you’re out.
“But that’s, again, the sport we are part of. I love it.”
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Novak Djokovic cast doubt on his tennis future following his decision to pull out of the Australian Open
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With Djokovic set to turn 38 in May, it’s understandable that he’s exercising caution when it comes to his latest injury.
But whether he returns for a crack at an 11th Australian Open crown remains to be seen.
Djokovic has fuelled talk he could potentially retire. He said: “I’ll just have to see how the season goes.
“I want to keep going, but whether I’m going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I’m not sure.
Novak Djokovic was backed by Alexander Zverev after pulling out of the Australian Open
REUTERS
“I normally like to come to Australia to play. I’ve had the biggest success in my career here.
“So if I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come. But there’s always a chance.”
Former childhood coach Cavaday, who has known her since she was 10 years old, proved a more stable presence.
In December, Raducanu said she enjoyed the continuity she felt with Cavaday, adding it was not her “philosophy to chop and change coaches”.
“I’ve never really wanted that. In the past, unfortunately, it hasn’t always worked like this,” she told a small group of British reporters at the National Tennis Centre.
“When I enjoy it, and it’s a good energy, then it’s a nice feeling.
“I also see how much I’ve developed in the last year as well, on and off the court.”
Cavaday, 38, worked with Raducanu up to the Australian Open, where she lost in the third round.
Since leaving Melbourne, Raducanu has travelled to Singapore for a WTA 250 event with fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura.
“I am very happy to have been able to work with Emma over the last 14 months,” said Cavaday.
“At this moment in time, it’s important for me to spend some more time at home and prioritise getting back to full health which is hard to do with the extensive calendar.
“I am glad Emma is back to being established on tour now with a ranking inside the top 60, and I look forward to seeing what she does from here.”
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Man United set to launch investigation after controversy strikes in Rangers Europa League win
Manchester United have launched an investigation after Rangers supporters managed to obtain tickets in home sections during Thursday’s Europa League clash at Old Trafford.
Despite allocating 3,500 official away tickets for the Scottish club’s fans, a significant number of additional Rangers supporters appeared to secure seats in areas designated for their United counterparts.
The incident prompted complaints to both the club and police authorities.
United had implemented strict preventative measures ahead of the match to stop away fans accessing home sections.
Man United beat Rangers 2-1 in the Europa League on Thursday night
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A club spokesperson said, per the Daily Mail: “In anticipation of the risks around tonight’s game, we took the strictest possible measures to prevent sales to away fans in home areas.”
Tickets were only available to those on United’s database prior to August’s draw, with the same restrictions applying to hospitality tickets and those forwarded by season ticket-holders and members.
Social media footage emerged showing groups wearing Rangers tops and chanting in home section concourses of the stadium.
Hundreds of Rangers fans in the home end at Old Trafford openly chanting “your city is Blue” before the game tonight…
— Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) January 23, 2025
The club acknowledged that while digital ticketing has made unauthorised touting more difficult, it cannot be completely eliminated.
“All examples of away fans in home areas will be investigated over the coming days, with the strongest possible sanctions taken against the registered holders,” the United spokesperson confirmed.
On the pitch, Bruno Fernandes scored a dramatic injury-time winner as United secured a 2-1 victory in the Battle of Britain tie.
The win moved United to fourth place in the Europa League standings, with a point against FCSB in Bucharest next week likely enough to secure automatic qualification for the round of 16.
Manager Ruben Amorim expressed relief following the result, saying: “It was a victory that we truly needed in this moment. We are not playing our best we are far from that but we improved from the last game.”
United are next in action against Fulham on Sunday (7pm).
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The Red Devils will be hoping to bounce back in the Premier League, having lost 3-1 to Brighton last time out.
Meanwhile, it looks increasingly as though Marcus Rashford could stay at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have launched an investigation after Rangers supporters managed to obtain tickets in home sections during Thursday’s Europa League clash at Old Trafford
GETTY
The forward recently expressed a desire for a ‘new challenge’, having been frozen out by Ruben Amorim.
However, United are struggling to get the 27-year-old off their books and a summer departure looks far likelier as a result.
Rugby Borough – the lowest-ranked side left in the competition – will have their Women’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against West Ham or Liverpool shown live on the BBC.
Third-tier Rugby will host one of the two Women’s Super League clubs on Sunday, 9 February at 12:30 GMT.
West Ham and Liverpool will play their postponed fourth-round tie on Wednesday, 29 January.
Rugby – known as Coventry United until 2023 – are currently fifth in the Northern Premier Division.
In the fourth round they defeated fourth-tier London Bees 6-0.
Among the club’s ranks is 21-year-old Wales youth international Bethan Roberts, who appeared in the WSL and Championship while playing for Reading.
The game will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button and the BBC Sport website and app.
The other seven matches in the round will be shown live via the Women’s FA Cup YouTube channel and the FA Player.
John McEnroe has blasted the Australian Open crowd for booing Novak Djokovic following the 37-year-old’s exit from the competition on Friday.
The tennis icon had gone into the showdown willing to play through the pain, having suffered a muscle injury during his four-set triumph over Carlos Alcaraz earlier in the week.
But Djokovic, after losing the first set, opted to quit the match – much to the dismay of those in attendance.
Fans at the Australian Open booed the 10-time winner as he made his way off the court, something that’s sparked a huge backlash online.
Novak Djokovic pulled out of his Australian Open match with Alexander Zverev on Friday
REUTERS
And McEnroe, commenting for Australia’s Nine network, was left stunned by their antics.
“They can’t possibly be booing him. Please!” he stated.
“He’s won this 10 times. I mean, come on. I mean, clearly something was up.
“The guy is a battler. I mean, him and Rafa [Nadal] have dug deeper than any two players I have seen.
“So to do that [boo], because he decided that he couldn’t go on after what he’s done here I thought was absolutely ludicrous, honestly.”
McEnroe wasn’t the only pundit left stunned by the crowd’s decision to jeer Djokovic as he walked away, potentially for the last time.
Former Australian Open tennis star John Millman was also unhappy, with the 35-year-old adding: “The crowds have been questioned a lot and rightly so.
“I just think it’s a bit of a shambles, some of the behaviour has crossed the line and that one takes the cake for me.
“This is a guy who has won it 10 times, have some respect.
“He is one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest — he’s definitely the greatest on this court.
“I don’t care how much you’ve paid for your ticket, have some respect.”
With Djokovic out, Alexander Zverev is now through to the Australian Open final.
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John McEnroe has blasted the Australian Open crowd for booing Novak Djokovic following the 37-year-old’s exit from the competition on Friday
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The German will do battle with either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton when the event kicks off on Sunday.
And Zverev also criticised the Australian Open crowd for jeering Djokovic, with the 27-year-old fuming: “Please, guys, don’t boo a player who leaves the court due to injury. I know that everyone paid to be here and hopes to see a great five-set match.
“But you have to understand that Novak Djokovic has given his all to this sport for 20 years.”
He continued: “There is no one I respect more on the tour than Novak.
Novak Djokovic was hailed by Alexander Zverev following his Australian Open withdrawal
REUTERS
“I have always been able to send him a message, call him when things were not going well.
“He has helped me a lot. Last year in Shanghai, when things were really not going well after the US Open, we talked for hours.”
We reflect on Rangers’ match with Manchester Utd and preview the weekend’s action.
Sports
Novak Djokovic reveals Andy Murray reaction after withdrawing from Australian Open due to injury
Novak Djokovic has revealed both himself and Andy Murray are ‘disappointed’ and ‘hot-headed’ after the Serb was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open on Friday.
After losing the first set at the Rod Laver Arena to Alexander Zverev, Djokovic opted to pull out due to injury.
He sustained a muscle tear during his epic victory over Carlos Alcaraz earlier in the week and, ultimately, was unable to play on.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic was asked about potentially working with Murray again.
Novak Djokovic has revealed both himself and Andy Murray are ‘disappointed’ and ‘hot-headed’ after the Serb was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open on Friday
REUTERS
The pair united for the Australian Open but it’s unclear, at the current moment in time, if that alliance will go on.
Djokovic stated: “I don’t know [if they will work together again].
“You know, we both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about the future steps. We are so fresh off the court.
“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me.
“You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step.”
He continued: “We are still hot-headed and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are.
“I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we’ll have a chat.”
Djokovic had been hoping to win a record 25th Grand Slam title this winter, as well as an 11th Australian Open crown.
But it is Zverev who is now through to the final, with the 27-year-old poised to lock horns with Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton.
Murray, for his part, believes it is ‘unfortunate’ that Djokovic had to pull out.
“I think he was always going to go out there and give it a good shot,” said the British tennis legend.
“He obviously didn’t train the last couple of days.
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Novak Djokovic plans to have talks with Andy Murray about the Briton’s future now the Australian Open is out of the way
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“He practised right before the match and was feeling good enough to give it a go. It was an unfortunate way to finish.
“The match that he played against Alcaraz was some incredible tennis, amazing to watch from the side from that close, it was an amazing performance.
“He’d been getting gradually better as the tournament was progressing I think.
“It’s obviously a really unfortunate way to finish.”
Novak Djokovic won’t be winning a record 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open this winter
REUTERS
On possibly working with Djokovic again in the future, he stated: “Me and Novak agreed that after the tournament we would speak.
“We’ll do that.”
Frenchman Rudi Garcia has been appointed head coach of Belgium.
The 60-year-old replaces Italian Domenico Tedesco, who was sacked last week after less than two years in the post.
Garcia’s last job was at Serie A side Napoli, but he was dismissed after just 16 games in charge in 2023.
He will be formally introduced at a news conference on Friday.
Before taking the Napoli job, Garcia – who has also managed Lille, Marseille and Lyon and had a three-year spell at Roma – took charge of Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League in 2022.
He left the club by mutual agreement after 10 months in charge.
Belgium, who are ranked eighth in the Fifa world rankings, face Ukraine in the Nations League play-offs in March.
Sports
Andy Murray makes feelings clear and reveals plan after Novak Djokovic withdraws from Australian Open
Andy Murray believes it is ‘unfortunate’ that Novak Djokovic has had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to injury.
The tennis legend lost the first set 6-7 (5-7) to Alexander Zverev on Friday morning before then pulling out of the match altogether.
Djokovic sustained the injury, a muscle tear, during his gruelling victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday.
And Murray, who was part of the Serb’s corner for the tournament, has now opened up on the 24-time Grand Slam winner’s decision.
Andy Murray believes it is ‘unfortunate’ that Novak Djokovic has had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to injury
REUTERS
The British tennis legend, who won three majors during his own career, labelled it ‘unfortunate’.
And he also insisted that Djokovic did everything to play through the pain, saying: “I think he was always going to go out there and give it a good shot.
“He obviously didn’t train the last couple of days.
“He practised right before the match and was feeling good enough to give it a go. It was an unfortunate way to finish.
“The match that he played against Alcaraz was some incredible tennis, amazing to watch from the side from that close, it was an amazing performance.
“He’d been getting gradually better as the tournament was progressing I think. It’s obviously a really unfortunate way to finish.”
Murray struggled with injuries towards the end of his own career.
And he’s expressed sympathy for Djokovic, adding: “Yeah, it’s hard.
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“When you get to that stage of the tournament, you feel like you’re getting very close to something very special, and it’s unfortunate if the body’s not responding in the way that you would like.
“With Novak there’s always hope with him because of how great a player he is and has found ways out of difficult situations before. It just wasn’t to be this time.”
On potentially working with Djokovic again in the future, he stated: “Me and Novak agreed that after the tournament we would speak.
“We’ll do that.”
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Andy Murray will discuss his future with Novak Djokovic now the Serb’s Australian Open campaign is over
REUTERS
Djokovic, meanwhile, has fuelled talk that he could retire and may have played his last Australian Open match.
“I don’t know. There is a chance. Who knows? I will have to see how the season goes,” he said.
“I want to keep going. But whether I’m going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I’m not sure.”
He did, however, insist that he’d ideally love to return to the Rod Laver Arena in pursuit of a record-extending 11th Australian Open title.
Novak Djokovic may have played at the Australian Open for the last time
REUTERS
“I normally like to come to Australia to play. I’ve had the biggest success in my career here,” he continued.
“So I’m fit, healthy, motivated. I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come. But there’s always a chance, yeah.”
When asked to compare the Women’s Super League (WSL) with the elite level of the game in the USA, Holiday thinks the standard is higher in the NWSL, for now.
“I think the NWSL [has the edge] right now because of how close all the teams are and how they compete,” she said.
“There’s more disparity in the WSL, but other than that I think it’s a highly respected and coveted league and there’s a lot of attraction for USA players to want to play there.”
Since the WSL’s inception in 2013, it has become one of the best leagues in the world, attracting some of the game’s top talents.
In the past few years some of the most high-profile stars in US soccer have turned out for English clubs, including Holiday’s former national team-mate Carli Lloyd at Manchester City, and Alex Morgan at Tottenham Hotspur.
This week, USA defender Naomi Girma has agreed terms to join Chelsea on a long-term deal for a world-record transfer fee.
All a far cry from Holiday’s early playing days, when the path to success for top female footballers was through the United States and few, if any, went in the opposite direction.
It is partly why Holiday spent her entire career in the US, where she helped FC Kansas City to two league titles before retiring in 2015. In 2023 she was inducted into the NWSL Hall of Fame.
As our conversation draws to a close Holiday ponders what the future could look like for women’s football. “I think the sky’s the limit,” she said.
“I believe people care about women’s sports, and now they have seen the value and what it looks like when we properly invest in women’s sports.
“It was never that we were not equal. It was never that we were incapable of what the men did. It was that we didn’t have the marketing dollars, we weren’t shown on prime-time television. There were so many factors to it.
“Now people are saying ‘Hey, we need to invest in women!’ I think that’s going to continue to grow. I don’t think that we’re going to let anyone down.”
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