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Diego Simeone criticised for ‘atrocious’ behaviour during controversial VAR decision

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Diego Simeone has come under criticism for pressuring the referee and fourth official as they made key VAR calls during Atletico Madrid’s draw with Arsenal, with Steve McManaman calling the Argentine’s behaviour “atrocious”.

The Atletico boss has long been known for his explosive touchline demeanour, and he was once again at the centre of things as he put pressure on fourth official Serdar Gozubuyuk and referee Danny Makkelie as the Dutchman reviewed a decision to award Arsenal a penalty.

Makkelie originally awarded the Gunners a penalty as David Hancko appeared to trip Eberechi Eze in the Atletico box, though he was sent to the VAR monitor and eventually overturned the original decision after watching 13 replays of the original incident.

While Simeone could not be seen remonstrating with either Makkelie or Gozubuyuk, TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher pointed out the Argentine’s antics and question whether it might be enough to influence the officials. Clips on social media later showed the Atleti boss approaching Makkelie and shouting, clearly encouraging him to overturn the decision.

(AP)

And the TNT Sports pundits agreed after the final whistle, with Martin Keown highlighting the “drama” that Simeone creates.

“Simeone, his actions to the sideline, the drama that he creates, the scenes around it, the referee in the end I felt buckled under the pressure, went to the screen and didn’t stand by his decision,” said the former Arsenal defender.

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“Simeone, I think he played a big part. From a coaching point of view, his behaviour there, he was in the referees eyesight coming over,” added Steven Gerrard.

And former Liverpool midfielder McManaman agreed, pointing out “the constant haranguing of the fourth official”.

“The behaviour of Diego Simeone and his assistants – when the referee was trying to come over and look at the monitor – was atrocious. I guarantee if that was in the opposite box, Simeone would be going apoplectic for the penalty. And his behaviour is absolutely awful,” explained McManaman.

Eze was clipped by David Hancko in the penalty area but the decision was overturned
Eze was clipped by David Hancko in the penalty area but the decision was overturned (AP)

The pundits were also universally in agreement that the call to overturn the original decision for a penalty was the wrong one, with McManaman stating that he thought Makkelie “had an awful game” as referee.

“Once he gives it and there’s contact, it’s not a clear and obvious error. He shouldn’t go back and re-ref it again,” said McManaman.

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“I don’t think it was clear and obvious mistake from the referee, I’m surprised he got sent to the screen in the first place. When you look at the incident it would have been a soft penalty, there was minimal contact, but I think it’s really harsh on Arsenal to overturn that because it’s not a clear and obvious mistake from the referee,” added Gerrard.

“I don’t want to go too far with it, but something was very wrong there tonight,” said Keown, before adding that “Arsenal were magnificent”.

“The storm was difficult to weather, they did that, and in the end Arsenal looked totally on top. That they didn’t get the moment of justice for them was hard to take,” he added.

The Gunners will host Atletico at the Emirates in the second leg on Tuesday, 5 May, with the winner facing either PSG or Bayern Munich in the final at the end of the month.

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Mumbai Indians’ Big Admission On Jasprit Bumrah’s Poor IPL 2026, After Leaking 54 In 4 Overs vs SRH

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Eight matches, 180 balls, 2 wickets, strike rate 90 – that’s Jasprit Bumrah‘s numbers in IPL 2026 so far. By the lofty standards that Bumrah has set for himself over the years, this season has been a big struggle. Mumbai Indians’ consistent performances have almost always aligned with Bumrah’s precision bowling. This time, however, both have had to endure difficulties. This is the first time since 2015 that Bumrah’s economy rate has gone above eight runs per over. It currently stands at 8.80. While many bowlers would happily take that number, for a bowling great like Bumrah, the slide may not be to his liking. More importantly, Bumrah’s lack of wickets is hurting MI.

Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard admitted that Bumrah “hasn’t been up to the mark” in the post-match press conference after MI’s latest loss against SRH.

“When a cricketer is not doing well, we look at every single aspect as to why he’s not doing well. And there’s no difference when it comes to Jasprit Bumrah. He has done this for years. And as a human being, he is entitled as well to make mistakes, not have a good day, not have a good season, or not have a good couple of months. And I just feel that we need to sometimes remember the good things that he has done. Yes, we try to live in the present, and he hasn’t been up to the mark, but he’s still been a number one bowler for Mumbai Indians and India over a period of time,” Pollard said in the press conference after the loss to SRH.

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Pollard was also extremely candid about his side’s inability to put together a “complete game of cricket” so far. But the MI batting coach pointed out that the dressing room is willing to put up a fight and has not yet accepted defeat, despite losing six of their eight games. With six more games to go, MI still have the opportunity to reach a maximum of 16 points if they go on a winning streak from their next game.

“It has not been as consistent as we would have hoped. The results are showing. It is something you cannot shy away from. Collectively, we have not been good enough. We just need to be collectively better as a unit. That is as much as you can ask. You can ask them to execute better in different areas of the game,” he said.

“But we need to play that complete game of cricket to win a match. It is getting difficult with the way cricket is going, but what I can safely say is that in the dressing room, the guys are wanting to fight.

“We have lost games, but we have not accepted defeat. When I said defeat, I didn’t want the headlines to suggest that Mumbai Indians have been eliminated, because mathematically and from a points perspective, we are still very much in the tournament. Yes, we have accepted losses because we lost the last couple of games, but we have not accepted defeat because we are not out of the tournament. We are still looking to go back and see what we can do and how far we can go in this tournament,” he concluded

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Shubham Dubey: IPL 2026: From bench to finishing line, Shubham Dubey makes the wait worthwhile | Cricket News

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IPL 2026: From bench to finishing line, Shubham Dubey makes the wait worthwhile
Shubham Dubey (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW CHANDIGARH: Shubham Dubey has spent most of his cricketing life waiting. Waiting for recognition, for opportunity, for a moment that would demand everything he has quietly built over the years. On Tuesday night, as Rajasthan Royals were drifting towards defeat against an unbeaten Punjab Kings side here, that moment finally arrived. Dubey seized it with both hands.Walking in as an ‘impact substitute’ at No. 6, ahead of established names like Ravindra Jadeja and Dasun Shanaka, the 31-year-old Dubey was handed a situation that could easily have swallowed him.Rajasthan Royals still needed 72 off 36 balls, the chase slipping and the pressure mounting. But Dubey didn’t just hold his nerve. He flipped the game on its head.Dubey finished unbeaten on 31 off just 12 balls, striking at 258.33, and added 77 in just 32 balls with Donovan Ferreira to script a six-wicket win. What had looked like a faltering chase turned into a statement win, ending Punjab’s unbeaten run.

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Kumar Sangakkara on RR’s win over Punjab Kings

Born in Yavatmal in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, Dubey’s beginnings were modest. A decade ago, he didn’t have the means to afford basic cricket gear. His father, Badriprasad Dubey, ran a paan stall in Nagpur and the family scraped through with limited means.The breakthrough came through the faith of his mentor, the late Sudeep Jaiswal, who backed him when few others did. Jaiswal bought him his first proper cricket kit — a new bat, gloves and other essentials that would allow Dubey to compete on equal footing. More importantly, he helped him find a pathway into the Vidarbha team.From there, Dubey carved his reputation in the less-celebrated corners of Indian cricket. Tournaments like the Bapuna Cup in Vidarbha became his proving ground, where he developed into a powerhitter capable of shifting momentum in a matter of overs. The wider recognition came during the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Dubey piled up 221 runs at an average of 73.66, striking at 187.28. These were numbers too compelling to ignore for the IPL scouts.Rajasthan Royals responded by investing Rs 5.8 crore in him ahead of IPL-2024. But the transition wasn’t seamless. He managed just 33 runs in four games, though his strike-rate of 173.68 hinted at his intent. RR released him but bought him back, this time for Rs 80 lakh.“Dubey, coming in as an impact player, it’s one of the hardest things to do, because you don’t know if you’re playing or not. So mentally, he was exceptionally skilful. The way he was able to keep his focus and go in the middle and bring the game in our favour was outstanding,” said Kumar Sangakkara, Rajasthan’s head coach and director of cricket.Sangakkara pointed out that Rajasthan Royals’ strength lies in the depth of their batting, with Dubey firmly part of that core. “The focus is a lot on Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi). But at the same time, when I look at my side and I run through my batters, there’s Dhruv (Jurel), Yash (Yashasvi Jaiswal), Riyan (Parag), Donovan Ferreira and now someone like Dubey,” Sangakkara said.

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Paul Scholes lifts lid on Ronnie O’Sullivan gesture after BBC apology

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Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has had his say after watching Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible

England and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes was left star-struck after he was acknowledged by Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible. The ex-midfielder also insists he has no regrets about witnessing the Rocket in action for just less than an hour, describing his visit to the World Snooker Championship as among the most memorable experiences of his life.

Scholes was left in awe as O’Sullivan gave him a nod at the end of the game, forcing the ex-United star to admit, “he knows who I am!” The former footballer’s revelation follows BBC snooker commentator John Parrot’s on-air apology to Scholes after his opportunity to watch the legend was abruptly curtailed as the Rocket dismantled his opponent in just over half an hour.

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O’Sullivan, who has toyed with retirement in recent times, was eventually knocked out by John Higgins in the quarter-finals of this year’s competition. Nevertheless, Scholes was present to witness the Rocket tear through He Guoqiang in the opening round.

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The seven-time world champion had raced into a 7-2 advantage following the first session and needed just three additional frames to complete a dominant victory.

Scholes was positioned in the front row for the second session of the match. During the encounter, the BBC cameras focused on the Premier League-winning icon, with Parrot saying: “A very interested spectator, one of England’s greatest midfielders, Paul Scholes, is here today to watch Ronnie. I’m sure he’ll be impressed with what he’s seen.”

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As O’Sullivan closed in on the win, the former snooker star added: “Paul Scholes might have enjoyed this but he’s only going to see three frames of it. Sorry Paul, this man is just too good.”

Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football Podcast, hosted by Paddy McGuinness, the United legend opened up about his longstanding desire to watch snooker’s greatest ever player perform on the legendary Crucible stage.

He revealed that the experience was so memorable that he had absolutely no regrets about it being over so quickly. “I wanted to go and do it for years, go and watch Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible” said Scholes. “I live an hour away (from the Crucible) so on my phone, had a look, see if I buy a ticket – there was one ticket left.

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“It’s three seats away from Ronnie – I’ve clicked on it, 450 quid, and I just thought ‘F*** it. I’m doing it’. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I don’t really get excited about much stuff, do I?

“But this was f*****g unbelievable. One of the best things I’ve ever done. Honestly, peace and quiet, I could have sat in that chair for two weeks. I swear to God, I could have watched every single game.

“He did it in about 45 minutes, got two centuries – absolute genius. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life, honestly. At one point, I got a bit giddy.

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“Do you know what? I was on a high for about three days after it. I’m still talking about it now, it’s one of the best things I’ve done in my life. Watching a genius at work like that, it’s unbelievable.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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3 Ex-WWE stars quietly form a new stable on AEW Dynamite

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In an interesting sequence of events, three former WWE Superstars have seemingly formed an official stable tonight on AEW Dynamite. They now look to go after championship gold.

FTR is currently feuding with Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, and they are set to compete in a high-stakes contest next month at AEW Double or Nothing. This will be a New York Street Fight, with an additional “I Quit” stipulation. The tag team titles will be on the line, and should Cope and Christian lose, they’ll retire as a duo.

But both Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler have found themselves in a feud with another top faction on the roster in The Conglomeration. Last week, tensions got high between them after running into each other on Collision. They got into it again earlier tonight, with both teams being at ringside for Adam Copeland and Christian Cage’s match against RPG Vice.

Moments later, Stokely Hathaway was backstage and proposed an idea that he and FTR had come up with, which Tony Khan had already approved. This would feature a double jeopardy match next week on AEW Dynamite between Dax Harwood and Orange Cassidy.

If Cassidy wins, he will team up with either Roderick Strong or Kyle O’Reilly to take on FTR for the tag team titles. But if he loses, FTR and a third man will challenge the Conglomeration for the trios belts. They then revealed that the partner they had in mind would be Tommaso Ciampa.

Ciampa and FTR were rivals during their days in NXT, but now in AEW, their goals have aligned, and they look to have formed a partnership of sorts. They could prove to be formidable challengers for the Conglomeration, but this will all depend on Dax Harwood. This would be an interesting situation to watch out for as this will have major implications for several title scenes.

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