By SuperWest Sports Staff
Sports
Derek Chisora makes his feelings clear on Conor Benn leaving Eddie Hearn for Zuffa
Derek Chisora has weighed in with his view on Conor Benn leaving Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to join Dana White’s Zuffa promotion.
It came as a huge shock last month when it was announced that Benn had parted ways with long-term promoter Hearn in order to join forces with the new upstart Zuffa company fronted by UFC chief White.
Benn had spent his entire career with Matchroom up to that point, dating back to 2016, going through many highs and lows during that decade, including infamous failed drugs tests, and two epic fights with Chris Eubank Jr last year.
He returns to action when he faces Regis Prograis in a 150-catchweight bout on the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov card on April 11, where he will receive a reported purse of 15 million dollars.
It is because of that figure why heavyweight contender Chisora has no issues with Benn leaving Hearn, telling Playbook Boxing that his countryman has done the right thing.
“We both know the saying, if you want loyal, you buy a what? A dog. I’m not loyal. Nobody’s loyal when somebody comes and say ‘you know what? I’m gonna give you this much money. Come with me.’
“Let’s not try and make it like what this young man did was so bad. He did good business. If he turned it down, you guys will be like ‘oh, you’re a fool. Why you turn it down for? Oh you’re loyal to Eddie.’ Nah, f**k that, man.”
Chisora has a fight of his own to prepare for next month, as he faces former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder at The O2 Arena on April 4.
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After last year’s 11-2 campaign, Utah football has played 119 FBS seasons, dating back to 1905.
Overall, according to Sports-Reference.com, the Utes have compiled a 704–468–30 (.591) record as an FBS program through the 2025 season.
Since the program’s initial season, Utah has appeared in 27 bowl games, winning 18, while securing 26 conference championships.
Utah is credited by some with an unclaimed National Championship after its undefeated 2008 season, and has produced 13 consensus First Team All-America players.
The Utes begin their 120th FBS season in the Big 12 with momentum under new head coach Morgan Scalley, looking to continue its winning ways.
—Conference Affiliations—
- Big 12 Conference (2024–present)
- Pac-12 Conference (2011–2023)
- Mountain West Conference (1999–2010)
- Western Athletic Conference (1962–1998)
- Skyline Eight Conference (1951–1961)
- Skyline Six Conference (1947–1950)
- Big Seven Conference (1938–1946)
- Mountain States Athletic Conference (1938-1961)
- Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (1910–1937)
- Independent (1892–1909)
The table below provides an all-time FBS season rundown with Conference, W-L record, win percentage, coach, and bowl game, if any, for each year.
| Year | Conf | W | L | T | Pct | Coach(es) | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Big 12 | 11 | 2 | 0 | .846 | Kyle Whittingham (10-2) Morgan Scalley (1-0) | Las Vegas Bowl (W) |
| 2024 | Big 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | Kyle Whittingham (5-7) | |
| 2023 | Pac-12 | 8 | 5 | 0 | .615 | Kyle Whittingham (8-5) | Las Vegas Bowl (L) |
| 2022 | Pac-12 | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | Kyle Whittingham (10-4) | Rose Bowl (L) |
| 2021 | Pac-12 | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | Kyle Whittingham (10-4) | Rose Bowl (L) |
| 2020 | Pac-12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | Kyle Whittingham (3-2) | |
| 2019 | Pac-12 | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | Kyle Whittingham (11-3) | Alamo Bowl (L) |
| 2018 | Pac-12 | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | Kyle Whittingham (9-5) | Holiday Bowl (L) |
| 2017 | Pac-12 | 7 | 6 | 0 | .538 | Kyle Whittingham (7-6) | Heart of Dallas Bowl (W) |
| 2016 | Pac-12 | 9 | 4 | 0 | .692 | Kyle Whittingham (9-4) | Foster Farms Bowl (W) |
| 2015 | Pac-12 | 10 | 3 | 0 | .769 | Kyle Whittingham (10-3) | Las Vegas Bowl (W) |
| 2014 | Pac-12 | 9 | 4 | 0 | .692 | Kyle Whittingham (9-4) | Las Vegas Bowl (W) |
| 2013 | Pac-12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | Kyle Whittingham (5-7) | |
| 2012 | Pac-12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | Kyle Whittingham (5-7) | |
| 2011 | Pac-12 | 8 | 5 | 0 | .615 | Kyle Whittingham (8-5) | Sun Bowl (W) |
| 2010 | MWC | 10 | 3 | 0 | .769 | Kyle Whittingham (10-3) | Maaco Bowl (L) |
| 2009 | MWC | 10 | 3 | 0 | .769 | Kyle Whittingham (10-3) | Poinsettia Bowl (W) |
| 2008 | MWC | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Kyle Whittingham (13-0) | Sugar Bowl (W) |
| 2007 | MWC | 9 | 4 | 0 | .692 | Kyle Whittingham (9-4) | Poinsettia Bowl (W) |
| 2006 | MWC | 8 | 5 | 0 | .615 | Kyle Whittingham (8-5) | Armed Forces Bowl (W) |
| 2005 | MWC | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | Kyle Whittingham (7-5) | Emerald Bowl (W) |
| 2004 | MWC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Urban Meyer (12-0) Kyle Whittingham (1-0) | Fiesta Bowl (W) |
| 2003 | MWC | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | Urban Meyer (10-2) | Liberty Bowl (W) |
| 2002 | MWC | 5 | 6 | 0 | .455 | Ron McBride (5-6) | |
| 2001 | MWC | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | Ron McBride (8-4) | Las Vegas Bowl (W) |
| 2000 | MWC | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | Ron McBride (4-7) | |
| 1999 | MWC | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | Ron McBride (9-3) | Las Vegas Bowl (W) |
| 1998 | WAC | 7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | Ron McBride (7-4) | |
| 1997 | WAC | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | Ron McBride (6-5) | |
| 1996 | WAC | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | Ron McBride (8-4) | Copper Bowl (L) |
| 1995 | WAC | 7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | Ron McBride (7-4) | |
| 1994 | WAC | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | Ron McBride (10-2) | Freedom Bowl (W) |
| 1993 | WAC | 7 | 6 | 0 | .538 | Ron McBride (7-6) | Freedom Bowl (L) |
| 1992 | WAC | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | Ron McBride (6-6) | Copper Bowl (L) |
| 1991 | WAC | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | Ron McBride (7-5) | |
| 1990 | WAC | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | Ron McBride (4-7) | |
| 1989 | WAC | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | Jim Fassel (4-8) | |
| 1988 | WAC | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | Jim Fassel (6-5) | |
| 1987 | WAC | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | Jim Fassel (5-7) | |
| 1986 | WAC | 2 | 9 | 0 | .182 | Jim Fassel (2-9) | |
| 1985 | WAC | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | Jim Fassel (8-4) | |
| 1984 | WAC | 6 | 5 | 1 | .542 | Chuck Stobart (6-5-1) | |
| 1983 | WAC | 5 | 6 | 0 | .455 | Chuck Stobart (5-6) | |
| 1982 | WAC | 5 | 6 | 0 | .455 | Chuck Stobart (5-6) | |
| 1981 | WAC | 8 | 2 | 1 | .773 | Wayne Howard (8-2-1) | |
| 1980 | WAC | 5 | 5 | 1 | .500 | Wayne Howard (5-5-1) | |
| 1979 | WAC | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | Wayne Howard (6-6) | |
| 1978 | WAC | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | Wayne Howard (8-3) | |
| 1977 | WAC | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | Wayne Howard (3-8) | |
| 1976 | WAC | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | Tom Lovat (3-8) | |
| 1975 | WAC | 1 | 10 | 0 | .091 | Tom Lovat (1-10) | |
| 1974 | WAC | 1 | 10 | 0 | .091 | Tom Lovat (1-10) | |
| 1973 | WAC | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | Bill Meek (7-5) | |
| 1972 | WAC | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | Bill Meek (6-5) | |
| 1971 | WAC | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | Bill Meek (3-8) | |
| 1970 | WAC | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | Bill Meek (6-4) | |
| 1969 | WAC | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | Bill Meek (8-2) | |
| 1968 | WAC | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Bill Meek (3-7) | |
| 1967 | WAC | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | Mike Giddings (4-7) | |
| 1966 | WAC | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | Mike Giddings (5-5) | |
| 1965 | WAC | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Ray Nagel (3-7) | |
| 1964 | WAC | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | Ray Nagel (9-2) | Liberty Bowl (W) |
| 1963 | WAC | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | Ray Nagel (4-6) | |
| 1962 | WAC | 4 | 5 | 1 | .450 | Ray Nagel (4-5-1) | |
| 1961 | Skyline | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | Ray Nagel (6-4) | |
| 1960 | Skyline | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | Ray Nagel (7-3) | |
| 1959 | Skyline | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | Ray Nagel (5-5) | |
| 1958 | Skyline | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | Ray Nagel (4-7) | |
| 1957 | Skyline | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | Jack Curtice (6-4) | |
| 1956 | Skyline | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | Jack Curtice (5-5) | |
| 1955 | Skyline | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | Jack Curtice (6-3) | |
| 1954 | Skyline | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | Jack Curtice (4-7) | |
| 1953 | Skyline | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | Jack Curtice (8-2) | |
| 1952 | Skyline | 6 | 3 | 1 | .650 | Jack Curtice (6-3-1) | |
| 1951 | Skyline | 7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | Jack Curtice (7-4) | |
| 1950 | Skyline | 3 | 4 | 3 | .450 | Jack Curtice (3-4-3) | |
| 1949 | Skyline | 2 | 7 | 1 | .250 | Ike Armstrong (2-7-1) | |
| 1948 | Skyline | 8 | 1 | 1 | .850 | Ike Armstrong (8-1-1) | |
| 1947 | MSAC | 8 | 1 | 1 | .850 | Ike Armstrong (8-1-1) | |
| 1946 | MSAC | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | Ike Armstrong (8-3) | |
| 1945 | MSAC | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 | Ike Armstrong (4-4) | |
| 1944 | MSAC | 5 | 2 | 1 | .688 | Ike Armstrong (5-2-1) | |
| 1943 | MSAC | 0 | 7 | 0 | .000 | Ike Armstrong (0-7) | |
| 1942 | MSAC | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | Ike Armstrong (6-3) | |
| 1941 | MSAC | 6 | 0 | 2 | .875 | Ike Armstrong (6-0-2) | |
| 1940 | MSAC | 7 | 2 | 0 | .778 | Ike Armstrong (7-2) | |
| 1939 | MSAC | 6 | 1 | 2 | .778 | Ike Armstrong (6-1-2) | |
| 1938 | MSAC | 7 | 1 | 2 | .800 | Ike Armstrong (7-1-2) | Sun Bowl (W) |
| 1937 | RMC | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | Ike Armstrong (5-3) | |
| 1936 | RMC | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | Ike Armstrong (6-3) | |
| 1935 | RMC | 4 | 3 | 1 | .563 | Ike Armstrong (4-3-1) | |
| 1934 | RMC | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | Ike Armstrong (5-3) | |
| 1933 | RMC | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | Ike Armstrong (5-3) | |
| 1932 | RMC | 6 | 1 | 1 | .813 | Ike Armstrong (6-1-1) | |
| 1931 | RMC | 7 | 2 | 0 | .778 | Ike Armstrong (7-2) | |
| 1930 | RMC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Ike Armstrong (8-0) | |
| 1929 | RMC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Ike Armstrong (7-0) | |
| 1928 | RMC | 5 | 0 | 2 | .857 | Ike Armstrong (5-0-2) | |
| 1927 | RMC | 3 | 3 | 1 | .500 | Ike Armstrong (3-3-1) | |
| 1926 | RMC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Ike Armstrong (7-0) | |
| 1925 | RMC | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 | Ike Armstrong (6-2) | |
| 1924 | RMC | 3 | 4 | 1 | .438 | Thomas Fitzpatrick (3-4-1) | |
| 1923 | RMC | 4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | Thomas Fitzpatrick (4-3) | |
| 1922 | RMC | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 | Thomas Fitzpatrick (7-1) | |
| 1921 | RMC | 3 | 2 | 1 | .583 | Thomas Fitzpatrick (3-2-1) | |
| 1920 | RMC | 1 | 5 | 1 | .214 | Thomas Fitzpatrick (1-5-1) | |
| 1919 | RMC | 5 | 2 | 0 | .714 | Thomas Fitzpatrick (5-2) | |
| 1917 | RMC | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | Nelson Norgren (2-4) | |
| 1916 | RMC | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | Nelson Norgren (3-2) | |
| 1915 | RMC | 5 | 2 | 0 | .714 | Nelson Norgren (5-2) | |
| 1914 | RMC | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | Nelson Norgren (3-3) | |
| 1913 | RMC | 2 | 4 | 1 | .357 | Fred Bennion (2-4-1) | |
| 1912 | RMC | 5 | 1 | 1 | .786 | Fred Bennion (5-1-1) | |
| 1911 | RMC | 5 | 1 | 1 | .786 | Fred Bennion (5-1-1) | |
| 1910 | RMC | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 | Fred Bennion (4-2) | |
| 1908 | Ind | 3 | 2 | 1 | .583 | Joseph Maddock (3-2-1) | |
| 1907 | Ind | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | Joseph Maddock (4-2) | |
| 1906 | Ind | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 | Joseph Maddock (4-1) | |
| 1905 | Ind | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 | Joseph Maddock (6-2) |
Former Team India head coach Gary Kirsten recalled working with star all-rounder Hardik Pandya during his stint with the Gujarat Titans (GT). The pair enjoyed a lot of success together after winning the title in their very first season in 2022, followed by a run into the finals, the very next year.
Gary Kirsten was named GT’s mentor right after their inception, while Hardik Pandya was named captain. The team enjoyed a dominant run in the league phase, finishing at the top of the table after losing only four matches.
The IPL 2022 season was crucial for Hardik Pandya as he made a massive statement with his exploits as both captain and player. The all-rounder had been dropped from the side after the disastrous T20 World Cup 2021 campaign, with Venkatesh Iyer taking over the slot of pace all-rounder.
Hardik Pandya responded by overcoming his injuries, scoring 487 runs with the bat and picking up eight wickets with an economy rate of 7.27.
Gary Kirsten recalled Hardik Pandya’s match-winning impact as a player alongwith his candid demeanor off the field.
“He does have a unique sense of self-belief. When he came to us in 2022, Ashish appointed him captain, and he was kind of in a bit of a strange place in his career at that point. He was in and out of the Indian team, and he needed to prove a point. He is very quirky off the field, and he is quite a funny guy. He actually makes you laugh a lot. He’s got this kind of very flamboyant way about him. almost get the sense that he does not care too much, but he does,” Gary Kirsten told Wisden Cricket.
Hardik Pandya played a vital role for Team India in their recent victorious T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. He scored 217 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 160.74, and picked up nine wickets at an average of 32.33.
“What stood out for me was his ability to do special things with the ball” – Gary Kirsten on Hardik Pandya’s impact as a bowler
After being forced to play as a pure batter for a brief period due to his chronic back injury, Hardik Pandya eventually ramped up his bowling load to function as a proper all-rounder. After not bowling in the 2020 and 2021 seasons at all, he put in 30.3 overs with the ball in the 2022 season and has not turned back since.
“We shifted him up the order, he actually batted at No.4 in that IPL, and he actually played some proper kind of longer innings as compared to what he is doing now. What stood out for me was his ability to do special things with the ball as well. I’ll never forget that final in front of 120,000 people where he bowled his four overs, 3-17. I think that is Hardik,” Gary Kirsten concluded.
Hardik Pandya was crowned player of the match in the IPL 2022 Final, which GT had won by seven wickets. He had derailed the Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) innings after dismissing the dangerous trio of Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Shimron Hetmyer.
Edited by Gokul Nair
Since that event, Woodland said he’s talked with the PGA Tour and that protocols have been put in place where he said he feels safe.” Woodland also said the Ryder Cup, played two weeks after the Procore “was probably the safest I’ve felt through this whole journey because I was with the guys and I didn’t have to hide it.”
“They’ve helped me,” Woodland said, “more than I can say.”
Gary Woodland’s talk at the WM Phoenix Open
;)
2026 Players Championship: TV schedule, streaming info, how to watch, tee times
Hoggard asked Woodland if he believed he could “outwork” his situation — and Woodland said no. He then described a moment last month at the WM Phoenix Open, where he was paired with a security officer who told him on the tournament’s final day that he was a military veteran who himself had battled PTSD.
“And he said being with me that week brought back a lot of memories of himself, and he could see my brain analyzing, searching for threats the whole time while I was playing,” Woodland said in the interview.
“And I wasn’t aware of that.”
The security officer, Woodland said, then asked if he could give some advice.
“I said please, please,” Woodland said. “And he told me a couple of things. He said this is going to take time. And he said, take every day for what it’s worth. He said if you have a good day, it doesn’t mean you’re over this. And if you have a bad day, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck in this forever. But put your head on your pillow every night and be proud that you got through today.
“And then the second thing is, he said I don’t care how strong you think you are, you can’t do this on your own. And I needed to hear that because there’s been times where I’ve strung days together where I thought I was past this, and there’s been days where I’ve had bad days in a row, and I thought I was never getting out.”
‘I’m going to play’
Woodland said in the interview that doctors have told him that “in an ideal world,” he’s probably not playing and that he’s probably not “in a stressful, overstimulating environment.” To that, though, he said he says this:
“My response was, in an ideal world, I don’t have this. This is my dream and this is what I’m going to do, and no matter how hard it is, I’m going to play.”
Woodland also said that there was a reason behind doing the interview.
He said he hoped it would help him.
“I want to live my dreams and I want to be successful out here, but I want to help people, too, but I realize now I got to help myself first.”
Editor’s note: To watch the complete Golf Channel interview with Woodland, please click here.
Sports
“BTS IS SEVEN” – Fans react as “Jungkook Leave BTS” trends amidst ARIRANG promotional poster controversy & Heeseung’s ENHYPEN departure
On March 10, an online debate recently intensified around BTS Jungkook after an unexpected phrase began spreading across social platforms. The situation developed soon after viewers criticized promotional visuals connected to BTS’ forthcoming comeback. Several fans argued that both Jungkook and j-hope appeared sidelined in the material. Because of that perception, frustration slowly built across the fandom, and discussion threads multiplied.
As those conversations continued circulating, a surprising development appeared online. The words “Jungkook Leave BTS” suddenly surfaced among trending topics. The appearance of that phrase caught many supporters off guard. For numerous fans scrolling through social media, the wording felt alarming and confusing at the same time.
Meanwhile, the broader K-pop community was already processing news related to Heeseung and the announcement about stepping away from ENHYPEN. Because that story remained fresh, some online users began linking the two situations. Soon, a handful of posts promoted the idea that Jungkook might also explore a career path beyond the group. Those claims spread quickly across several platforms.
However, a large section of the fandom rejected that suggestion almost immediately. Many ARMY supporters criticized solo-focused fans who push narratives centered on individual members rather than the collective identity of the band. Others highlighted Jungkook’s long record of expressing affection for BTS and the members who stand beside him.
For now, the online discussion has shifted toward defending the group’s unity. Supporters continue highlighting Jungkook’s loyalty to BTS and the deep bond shared with fellow members. As a result, the viral phrase has largely turned into a point of frustration rather than a genuine demand from the fandom.
Meanwhile, others are hilariously saying that Jungkook will never leave honey thighs.
BTS comeback poster sparks debate over obscured members
Excitement surrounding the next chapter for BTS has steadily grown as the group prepares to unveil the project ARIRANG, scheduled for March 20, 2026. As the date approaches, promotional clips and giant advertisements for BTS The Comeback Live | Arirang have begun appearing across social media and several public spots in Seoul.
Bright digital boards and building displays now carry the campaign artwork. Because of that rollout, attention around the comeback has intensified among fans. However, once the images began circulating online, viewers started observing the details more carefully.
During that closer look, several fans noticed something unusual. The bright beams stretch across the positions where Jungkook and j-hope stand. Because the lighting appears extremely intense, portions of their faces seem partly hidden beneath the glare. In contrast, the remaining members appear clearer within the same frame, therefore drawing attention to the imbalance.
One photograph shared widely on X shows the advertisement placed outside a building. In that display, the light streaks appear strong enough to soften the visibility of Jungkook and j hope. Consequently, fans quickly began discussing the issue across social platforms.
As the conversation expanded, many supporters urged the company to adjust the promotional visuals so every member could be seen properly. Several posts expressed confusion about how such an image could be approved during preparations for a major comeback. Some users argued that promotional material for a global group should present each performer clearly.
Edited by Shreya Jha
Pep Guardiola has overstepped the mark in recent matches, but he is back in Madrid ready to push Manchester City’s limits
06:00, 11 Mar 2026
What is Pep Guardiola trying to achieve on the touchline in going out of his way to irk the officials? And what does it mean for Manchester City for both this season and beyond?
In the middle of an excellent performance from his players in the FA Cup at Newcastle, Guardiola appeared to have one of his strangest days in the office. He may never be a man to hide his frustrations, yet he went above and beyond his normal behaviour with referees before and after he picked up a yellow card.
Whether it was clenching his fists as he squared up to the fourth official, shouting how sorry he was (for his team being so good) when Omar Marmoush smashed in City’s third or having to be dragged away from the referee and linesman by his security guard at full-time, this was the most volatile Guardiola has been all season. A yellow has earned him a two-game ban after his sixth of the season, yet it could easily have been red.
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There were specific circumstances to partly explain the level of rage. Guardiola is still angry about three decisions made by referee Sam Barrott and his team in the 2-1 Premier League defeat at St James’ Park in November – a result that, reversed, would have the title race in City’s destiny.
He was annoyed before the game began that Barrott had been handed their FA Cup fifth round clash, and an early challenge on Tijjani Reijnders in the penalty box after he had shot at goal brought back visions of the penalty that Phil Foden should have had for Fabian Schar clattering him.
But if it felt personal on Saturday, the yellow card was hardly unusual for the City boss. Not only was it his sixth of the season, this was his fifth in his last 14 games in the Premier League and FA Cup – a disciplinary record that would raise eyebrows if it was a player never mind somebody who doesn’t step foot on the pitch.
Is this Guardiola teeing off and settling scores because he knows he is leaving at the end of the season so feels he can do what he wants? Or is that feeling down to the fact he is in his tenth year in English football and has won so much that he no longer needs to tow any lines?
Possibly both, and as he returns to the Bernabeu again he will relish the opportunity to cause more damage in an arena where he is loathed by the 80,000 supporters who angrily whistle and jeer every mention of his name and picture on the big screens. Ten years in Manchester may have taken him out of the sting of a Madrid media who broadcast what time he went to bed before the December game, yet he remains a Barcelona boy through and through.
Whether he sees out his contract or, as a lot of people expect, leaves the Etihad in 2026, Guardiola has to be seeing this trip as potentially his last to the Bernabeu. He will have had the same feeling for the match three months ago, and while he was calm rather than angry in his press conference he still managed to twist the knife in.
With an idiom that can only have come from being delivered in his native tongue, Guardiola’s advice for Xabi Alonso was to ‘p*** with his own p****’. Not only was it crude, it was pointed; invited to contribute to the pressure on a man he loves from their time at Bayern together, the Catalan instead made clear how tough the environment is for any coach at Real to battle against the power elsewhere in the club.
He will have enjoyed that even if he took no pleasure in Alonso’s exit shortly after, and even more important was being able to see his young team win. The message afterwards was that they have to play better to make it through the knockouts, a message that is only spoken when there is confidence the players can rise to the challenge.
That mood was such a stark contrast to February 2025, when City had thrown away a 2-1 lead in the final minutes of the home leg of their play-off with Madrid and then surrendered a few minutes into the game at the Bernabeu. As Guardiola talked through their exit, he looked resigned as he said that previous exits had been much harder to take because they had been so much worse this time.
Above all else, Guardiola is a winner who hates losing. Even worse than losing is not competing – and that is what it felt like in the middle of their issues last season when nothing that the great manager tried could seemingly turn them back into champions.
It couldn’t happen for the team but it has happened at the club. After three transfer windows that have seen considerable change to the squad and starting XI, they have a decent chance of success in all four competitions that they entered at the beginning of the campaign.
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That gives Guardiola energy, and he does everything he can on the touchline to pass that onto his players. Perhaps the added tilt at referees is a reflection of the fact that this City team aren’t quite there yet, not favourites for any competition even if they are strong contenders in all of them.
“It’s a pity that the Premier League is not in our hands – that is a big drop against Nottingham [Forest],” he said on Saturday after beating Newcastle. “But don’t think much, recover, go to Madrid, make a good selection and hopefully we can behave – win or lose – in the way we are.
“That’s always been my focus; when we play on the biggest stages against the big teams it’s not about winning or losing but being who we are as individuals and as a team. After that, you can win or lose but that is the main target I have in my mind that I say all the time to my players.”
Guardiola could to with toning down the touchline anger towards officials – it isn’t a good look and has cost him a seat in the dugout for the FA Cup quarter final against Liverpool as well as the league game at West Ham. But when he sees how unstoppable his team can be again, it is difficult for the City manager to contain his emotions.
The more they can give, the less he will need to.
Hello and welcome to another episode of On This Week, where we take a look back over some of the major and not so major things to have happened in the history of Sunderland AFC over the years. Join Martin, Andrew and Kelvin as they journey back in time to look back on:
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Brazil’s Under 15s playing at Roker in 1988
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Roker Park’s red card protest
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Two epic cup ties versus Leeds in 1967
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The first Sunderland player to be sent off
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Mudslides and a whole host of controversy at Wigan in 1987
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UEFA Champions League heavyweights FC Bayern Munich and Atlético de Madrid moved closer to the quarter-finals after dominant victories in the first legs of their round of 16 matches on Tuesday night.
However, the other two ties remain open after Galatasaray SK defeated Liverpool FC 1-0 in Istanbul, while FC Barcelona rescued a late draw against Newcastle United FC.
Bayern thrash Atalanta
FC Bayern Munich produced a ruthless performance to crush Atalanta BC 6-1 away from home.
Josip Stanišić opened the scoring with a simple finish before Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise struck quick goals to give the German side a 3-0 lead inside the first 25 minutes.
The visitors continued their attacking display after the break as Nicolas Jackson scored on a swift counterattack. Olise then curled home his second goal of the night before substitute Jamal Musiala added a sixth.
Mario Pašalić managed to score a late consolation goal for Atalanta in added time, but the Italian side now face a very difficult task in the second leg.
Olise was named Player of the Match after his impressive display.
Galatasaray edge Liverpool
Galatasaray SK secured a slim advantage ahead of the return leg at Anfield after a 1-0 victory over Liverpool FC.
Mario Lemina scored the only goal of the match in the seventh minute with a powerful header.
The goal came after Victor Osimhen redirected a corner from Gabriel Sara into Lemina’s path.
Both sides created several chances in a fast and lively contest, with Florian Wirtz and Davinson Sánchez going close for the Turkish champions.
Liverpool pushed harder in the second half, but Alexis Mac Allister fired just wide while Hugo Ekitiké was denied by goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır.
Lemina was named Player of the Match.
Barcelona rescue draw at Newcastle
FC Barcelona earned a dramatic 1-1 draw against Newcastle United FC thanks to a late penalty from Lamine Yamal.
Newcastle had looked set for victory when Harvey Barnes scored in the 86th minute with a first-time strike after a precise cross from Jacob Murphy.
Barnes had earlier hit the post with a curling effort as the home side created the better chances.
But in stoppage time, Malick Thiaw fouled Dani Olmo inside the box, and Yamal calmly converted the penalty, sending goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way.
Barnes was named Player of the Match.
Atletico punish Tottenham
Atlético de Madrid put themselves in a strong position after defeating Tottenham Hotspur FC 5-2.
The Spanish side stunned Tottenham with four goals in just 22 minutes. Marcos Llorente, Julián Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann all scored after defensive mistakes from the visitors.
Robin Le Normand also found the net after goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario pushed out a corner.
Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke scored for Tottenham, but Alvarez added his second goal after a quick counterattack to seal the win.
Alvarez was named Player of the Match.
Other matches
Other round of 16 matches will take place on Wednesday as Bayer 04 Leverkusen host Arsenal FC, while FK Bodø/Glimt face Sporting CP.
Paris Saint-Germain FC will also take on Chelsea FC, while defending champions Real Madrid CF meet Manchester City FC.
The second-leg matches will be played next week as teams battle for places in the quarter-finals of the competition.
The late, great architect Mike Strantz never hewed to convention. So it’s only fitting that a side project spawned by his most iconoclastic creation skips a few conventions of its own.
At Tobacco Road Golf Course in the North Carolina Sandhills, owner Mark Stewart has announced construction of the Matchbox, a 12-hole par-3 course that will thread through the trees near the 12th and 13th fairways of Strantz’s wondrous funhouse of a layout. Like its big sibling, the new course will sit on family land that once served as a gravel mining site, its spoil piles and sandy ridges providing the unruly raw material for Strantz’s imagination when the main course opened in 1998.
Short courses are everywhere these days, sprouting up at resorts and daily-fee facilities across the country. But Tobacco Road has put a twist on the trend.
The Matchbox will be built with synthetic turf blended into the natural landscape, allowing for more consistent conditions without having to clear the tree canopy for sunlight. It will also feature a mix of real-sand and faux bunkers.
Stewart, who spoke to GOLF by phone Tuesday, said the approach fits with the out-of-the-box thinking Strantz brought to the original course. “I think he’d be thrilled,” Stewart said. “It goes along with his whole maverick approach.”
The Matchbox is being designed by Carlton Marshall Golf Design, whose principals, Justin Carlton and Chris Marshall, specialize in synthetic-turf projects. Another key player is Mark White, a former Strantz apprentice and one of Tobacco Road’s original shapers.
Strantz himself died of cancer at 50 in 2005, but not before blazing a distinctive path. An Ohio native, he cut his teeth under Tom Fazio and then lit out on his own, earning acclaim for his first solo project, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club in South Carolina, as well as for its neighbor, True Blue. Tobacco Road came next. A wild statement piece, the course perplexed some critics but attracted a huge faction of admirers. Over time, the latter camp has only grown, and Tobacco Road has emerged as a Sandhills must-play, a quirky complement to the region’s more classical designs.
Part of the Matchbox routing will play along a pond that even many Tobacco Road regulars might not know exists. Stewart said that he and Strantz had discussed having a par-3 play over it during the original design process, but it didn’t make the final routing.
The holes themselves cut the profile of Tobacco Road’s Mini-Me, stitched onto a five-acre parcel with roughly 40 feet of elevation change. The 3rd will play as a blind 60-yard shot from an elevated tee. The 7th requires a 40-yard carry over a cove. The 9th is meant to channel the spirit of the big course’s in-your-face opening, playing through two large mounds.
Stewart said he’d had his eye on the par-3 parcel for more than 20 years, long contemplating what he might do with it. And the name he had in mind all along was never in doubt. The Matchbox nods to tobacco (matches for lighting), but also alludes to a golf match while winking at the intimate scale of a matchbox car. “I’ve had that name in mind for years,” he told GOLF.
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Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo made NBA history on Tuesday night.
Adebayo scored 83 points, all while setting league marks for free throws made and attempted in a game for the Miami Heat in a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. It is the second-highest scoring game for a player ever, only to Wilt Chamberlain’s famed 100-point game.
“An absolutely surreal night,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game.
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Adebayo started with a 31-point first quarter. He was up to 43 at halftime, 62 by the end of the third quarter. And then came the fourth, when the milestones kept falling despite facing double-, triple- and what once appeared to be a quadruple-team from a Wizards defense that kept sending him to the foul line.
He finished 20 of 43 from the field, 36 of 43 from the foul line, 7 for 22 from 3-point range.
After the game, he was seen in tears while he hugged his mother, Marilyn Blount, before leaving the floor after the game.
“Welp won’t have the highest career high in the house anymore,” Adebayo’s girlfriend, four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, wrote on social media, “but at least it gives me something to go after.”
MAGIC’S ANTHONY BLACK MAKES INCREDIBLE DUNK OVER FOUR DEFENDERS IN HISTORIC NBA GAME
Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrates during the fourth quarter of the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center on March 10, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The NBA’s previous best this season was 56, by Nikola Jokic for Denver against Minnesota on Christmas night. The last player to have 62 points through three quarters: one of Adebayo’s basketball heroes, Kobe Bryant, who had exactly that many through three quarters for the Los Angeles Lakers against Dallas on Dec. 20, 2005.
He wound up passing Bryant for single-game scoring as well. Bryant’s career-best was 81 — a game that was the second-best on the NBA scoring list for two decades.
Adebayo scored 31 points in the opening quarter against the Wizards, breaking the Heat record for points in any quarter — and tying the team record for points in a first half before the second quarter even started.
He finished the first half with 43 points, a team record for any half and two points better than his previous career high — for a full game, that is — of 41, set Jan. 23, 2021, against Brooklyn.
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Adebayo’s season high entering Tuesday was 32. He matched that with a free throw with 5:53 left in the second quarter, breaking the Heat first-half scoring record.
Adebayo’s 43-point first half was the NBA’s second-best in at least the last 30 seasons — going back to the start of the digital play-by-play era that began in the 1996-97 season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Australia granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who were visiting the country for a tournament when the Iran war began, a government minister said Tuesday. The announcement followed days of urging by Iranian groups in Australia and by U.S. President Donald Trump for the Australian government to help the women, who had not spoken publicly about a wish to claim asylum. The team drew speculation and news coverage in Australia when players didn’t sing the Iranian anthem before their first match.
Early Tuesday, police officers transported five of the women from their hotel in Gold Coast, Australia, “to a safe location” after they made asylum requests. There, they met with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and the processing of their humanitarian visas was finalized.
“I don’t want to begin to imagine how difficult that decision is for each of the individual women, but certainly last night it was joy, it was relief,” said Burke, who posted photos to social media of the women smiling and clapping as he signed documents. “People were very excited about embarking on a life in Australia.”
The women granted asylum were happy for their names and pictures to be published, he said. Burke added that the players wanted to make clear that they were “not political activists.”
Iranian state TV said the country’s football federation asked international soccer bodies to review what it called Trump’s “direct political interference in football,” warning such remarks could disrupt the 2026 World Cup, which begins in North America in June.
Naghmeh Danai said she was invited as a migration agent and member of the Iranian-Australian community to visit the women at a hotel Monday night and to reassure them about what was available to them in Australia.
“I told them that if you accept this offer, you will have a great future here. You will have more respect. You won’t be under a lot of suppression that you have been in your country. And they were thrilled,” Danai said.
“At the same time, it’s understandable that it was a very hard decision for them to make when they have family back home and when they just came here to compete,” Danai added.
The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup last month, before the Iran war began on Feb. 28. The team was knocked out of the tournament over the weekend and faced the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment. Iran’s head coach Marziyeh Jafari said Sunday the players “want to come back to Iran as soon as we can.”
An official squad list named 26 players, plus Jafari and other coaches. Burke said the offer of asylum was extended to all on the team.
A commotion erupted Tuesday afternoon outside the team’s hotel as members of the public knelt or lay in front of the team bus.
The protesters, some wearing red, white and green clothing or holding pre-Revolution Iranian flags, tried to prevent the bus from departing the hotel, but it was delayed by only minutes. Some chanted “Save our girls” and “Please act now.”
An Iranian-born protester who sat in front of the bus, Hadi Karimi, said the demonstrators had attempted to create more time for the team members to talk to Australian authorities.
“We haven’t slept,” Karimi said, referring to the time between the team’s last game and its departure. “We were there. That means it works. We did something.”
The women flew to Sydney Airport, where police evicted protesters from the international terminal before the team boarded an international flight to Kuala Lumpur, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
The ABC reported that Burke had confirmed more members of Iran’s delegation have sought asylum in Australia, without giving details.
Burke’s office did not immediately respond to the AP’s request for confirmation of the Iranians’ departure or comment on whether any additional women had opted to stay in Australia.
Burke was expected to provide an update Wednesday.
The home affairs minister didn’t detail what threats the players faced if they returned to Iran. During the tournament, the women mostly declined to comment on the situation at home, although Iran forward Sara Didar choked back tears in a news conference Wednesday as she shared their concerns for their families and all Iranians.
The Iranian team has drawn intense news coverage after the players’ silence during the anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last week was viewed by some as an act of resistance and others as a show of mourning. The team hasn’t clarified. Players later sang and saluted during the anthem before their remaining two matches.
“Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters. “They’re safe here and they should feel at home here.”
Australia’s announcement came after Trump on Monday in Washington called on Australia to grant asylum to any team member who wanted it. Earlier that day, Trump had lambasted Australia on social media, saying it was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the … team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.” Trump added: “The U.S. will take them if you won’t.”
Less than two hours later, in another social media post, Trump praised Albanese, saying, “He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.”
Iran’s football federation said Trump’s comments were “baseless and unlawful” and urged global football authorities to intervene.
Iranian first Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref separately said: “Iran welcomes its children with open arms and the government guarantees their security.”
“No one has the right to interfere in the family affairs of the Iranian nation and play the role of a nanny who is kinder than a mother,” he added.
The president’s offer of asylum represented something of a change for Trump, whose administration has sought to limit the number of immigrants in the U.S. who can receive asylum for political purposes.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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