The players emerged to packed stands on every side of Stamford Bridge. The Champions League music tingled. Flamethrowers lit up the sky. The night bristled with possibility for approximately five minutes.
Then PSG started playing and Chelsea crumbled. Mamadou Sarr blinked at a high ball like the dying sun before miscontrolling into the path of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who whipped a first-time finish beyond Robert Sanchez. The energy drained out of the stadium. There would be groans, ironic cheers, boos and expletives hurled into the night sky before the end of this damning 3-0 defeat.
It is not about mistakes but how you respond to them, Liam Rosenior had written in his pre-match programme notes. Chelsea responded by making another one. Moises Caicedo dithered in midfield before turning over possession and PSG broke menacingly. A few seconds later Bradley Barcola was trapping Achraf Hakimi’s pass on the edge of the box before driving the ball into the top corner in one beautifully succinct motion.
PSG had two and the night was over quicker than the time it takes to walk from Fulham Broadway station.
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Bradley Barcola scores PSG’s second goal of the game (AFP via Getty Images)
PSG were too quick, too sharp, their default setting too intense for Chelsea to cope with. At one point during the first half, Kvaratskhelia dribbled across the pitch evading five Chelsea defenders like the most talented kid in the playground, going nowhere but antagonising players and fans in equal measure. Moments later, he scored a clever goal which was deemed offside. It was minute 31, Chelsea were 7-2 down on aggregate, and their fans had begun olé-ing their own passes.
On the touchline, Liam Rosenior barked instructions that his players couldn’t really hear. He clutched a largely blank notepad. He pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his forehead. He wore an entire Zara. Occasionally he burst into little bouts of fury before sitting back down in a huff, tugging at the zip on his short-cut jacket (navy, M).
“Six minutes in and another mistake that we make, it takes the wind out of our sails, and then I think the second goal is hit from 25 yards in the top corner,” Rosenior said. “When you go two goals down so early – already five goals down on aggregate – it makes it a really, really difficult evening. We wanted to obviously have more of a fight than what we did. Credit to PSG, their possession play was really top in the game, and over the two legs they deserved to go through.”
Chelsea fans will ask the question: is Rosenior the right man for the job? Not all of this debacle was necessarily his fault. How could he account for PSG’s first goal, when Sarr’s eyes flitted to Kvaratskhelia and back to the ball in panic? How could he plan for Caicedo handing over possession with his team prone? What could he do as his players missed the final pass or finishing touch at the end of each promising move?
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Chelsea players made more mistakes as they slumped to their third defeat in a week (Reuters)
But this was a humiliating hiding by a far superior team and Rosenior’s methods will come under scrutiny now. After winning five of his first seven games in charge, Chelsea have won only two of their past seven. They’ve lost three matches in seven days. Their only notable win since early February was the 4-1 victory over Aston Villa earlier this month.
It is not just the downturn in results that is cause for alarm. The manner of the weekend defeat at Newcastle, who sliced breezily through the soft centre of Rosenior’s team, was striking and provoked a damning segment of analysis by Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. Thierry Henry criticised Rosenior for turning his back on the play.
The selection of Filip Jorgensen in the first leg of this tie was a gamble that failed spectacularly. PSG may still have won the contest but Chelsea should have been taking a competitive scoreline back home, and Jorgensen’s second-half mistake cost them dearly. And although injuries to Reece James and Malo Gusto forced the issue, perhaps this wasn’t the night to hand the 20-year-old Sarr his Champions League debut.
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Then there have been the off-field distractions: line-up leaks, the comical pre-match huddle around referee Paul Tierney, some odd press conference answers. Rosenior’s giggling post-match interviews beside his players struck an odd note in the early weeks. No one element is damning, but they blend together to paint a picture of an inexperienced manager still trying to assert his authority.
“I’m learning all the time,” Rosenior said. “What I’m learning is that you have to have players that in every moment you can rely on to make correct decisions defensively. But it’s also to be clinical. They [PSG] were clinical in both games … That’s the level.”
Alejandro Garnacho reacts during the second leg at Stamford Bridge (AP)
Taking over a side in the middle of a season – a team who weren’t exactly floundering under Enzo Maresca – was never going to be entirely smooth. Rosenior will argue he deserves time. He has been handed a young squad lacking leaders, lacking trophy-winning experience. But there is no escaping the pressure at a job like Chelsea, even at this early stage, two months into the job.
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There is still the possibility of an FA Cup triumph, with a quarter-final against Port Vale to come next month. Finishing in the top five of the Premier League remains the priority, although on this evidence that may require Liverpool or Aston Villa collapsing in the final weeks to make it happen.
Because this was undoubtedly the nadir of Rosenior’s short reign. The second half was no better than the first. Rosenior took off Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro, waving the white flag as Chelsea fans jeered. A minute later, PSG substitute Senny Mayulu added a precise third.
The match finished with Trevor Chalobah, Chelsea’s best defender, leaving the pitch on a stretcher looking distraught. Rosenior patted him on the chest as he was carried past the dugout. Then the manager puffed out his cheeks and walked back to his seat. Somehow, a disastrous night had found a way to get a little worse.
Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest managers of all time.
The Spaniard has won 12 domestic league titles during his tenures at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and then Manchester City, along with an abundance of domestic trophies and individual accolades.
In the Champions League, his three titles – two with Barca and one with City – put him among the greats with only five-time winner Carlo Ancelotti having won more.
But a 5-1 aggregate defeat by Real Madrid in the last 16 represents another missed opportunity and leaves many wondering what might have been.
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In the 15 years since lifting the Champions League trophy with Barcelona in 2011, his second with the Catalan club having also won it in 2009, Guardiola has only had his hands on the trophy once – a maiden title for City when they did the Treble in 2023.
Guardiola himself would perhaps be disappointed with that yield, having come so close to adding to that tally on several occasions with City.
“We have an extraordinary team and extraordinary group of players, the future is bright,” said the defiant City boss after Tuesday’s exit.
But, given the uncertainty around his future in Manchester beyond this season, questions will be asked around whether this was the 55-year-old’s last chance to win the coveted trophy.
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Roki Sasaki had another up-and-down performance in a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday as he tries to solidify his spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers ‘ starting rotation.
The 24-year-old Japanese right-hander got off to a good start, giving up one hit, walking one and striking out two through two scoreless innings. But after fanning Gavin Cross to start the third, he lost command, walking three straight before manager Dave Roberts took him out of the game.
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Roberts said he was encouraged by aspects of Sasaki’s outing, but there needs to be more efficiency.
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“You’ve got to be able to take down innings and be able to make adjustments sooner,” Roberts said. “I know there were some things he was working through tonight, but when you’re in the middle of a game, you’ve got to find a way to adjust quicker. That’s something that’s probably part of the learning curve for him.”
Sasaki re-entered in the fourth — a quirk that’s allowed during spring training — and struck out two more while also allowing a two-run homer. He started the fifth, giving up a hard-hit double to veteran Starling Marte before leaving the game for good.
The final line: 3 1/3 innings, four hits, three earned runs, four walks and five strikeouts. Sasaki threw 71 pitches, including 38 strikes.
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“There are a lot of things I need to work on, but it’s just spring training,” he said through an interpreter.
Sasaki’s positives are obvious. He has an electric fastball that touched 99 mph on Tuesday, a great splitter and a newly added cutter that was often effective. But there are also moments when he can’t seem to repeat his pitching delivery, leaving him prone to bouts of wildness.
“When it’s good, it’s really good,” Roberts said. “We’re just trying to get him to be more efficient in the strike zone.”
It was Sasaki’s third Cactus League appearance and first since March 3. He has a 13.50 ERA this spring, giving up 10 runs over 6 2/3 innings.
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He also pitched in a game against White Sox minor leaguers on March 10 and threw four scoreless innings.
Sasaki entered his rookie year in 2025 with a lot of fanfare, but didn’t pitch much in the majors during the regular season, finishing 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA over 36 1/3 erratic innings. He appeared in 10 games, starting eight, and missed more than four months because of a right shoulder impingement.
He returned in September and became a key piece of the bullpen during the postseason, giving up just one earned run over 10 2/3 innings and earning three saves to help the Dodgers win their second straight World Series title.
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Sasaki agreed to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus last offseason, becoming the 13th Japanese player to join the franchise.
Daniel Dye has been suspended by NASCAR and his team, Kaulig Racing, after he mocked a fellow driver’s voice as “gay” during a recent livestream.
Dye, a 22-year-old competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was speaking on the Whatnot streaming platform when he launched into a mockery of David Malukas, a Team Penske IndyCar driver, using a high-pitched voice.
“He’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, yas, we race Indianapolis, too. Love Indianapolis. And Roger Penske,’” Dye said, according to The Athletic. “As soon as I start doing a David Malukas gay voice, I hit a gold. So let’s keep it going.”
After the video circulated on social media on Tuesday, NASCAR issued a statement saying that Dye had been “indefinitely suspended” over his “insensitive comments.” The racing organization said he “must complete sensitivity training before he may return to competition.”
Kaulig Racing released a similar statement, saying that the Florida-born racer had been indefinitely suspended from the team “after becoming aware today of comments he made on social media.”
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Daniel Dye has been indefinitely suspended by NASCAR over ‘insensitive comments’ he made about a fellow driver during a recent livestream (Getty Images)
I chose my words poorly, and I understand why it upset people,’ Dye said in a post on X (Getty Images)
In a post on X on Tuesday evening, Dye apologized for his remarks, which he described as careless.
“I chose my words poorly, and I understand why it upset people,” he said. “I’m sorry to anyone who was offended. That’s not how I want to represent myself.”
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“I have some close friends in the LGBTQ+ community who I would never want to feel less of themselves because of what I said, and that’s exactly why I should hold myself to a higher standard,” he added.
Dye, who is from Daytona Beach, began his career in regional races, including at the New Smyrna Speedway, before moving up to national competition, becoming recognized as one of NASCAR’s promising young talents. He is currently 13th in the Truck Series standings.
This is not the first controversy to affect him.
While in high school in 2022, Dye was arrested after striking a fellow student in the groin, according to The Athletic. He was charged with battery, though the charge was ultimately dismissed.
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Malukas, who finished in second place in the 2025 Indianapolis 500, has not publicly commented on Dye’s remarks or suspension.
Mali have booked their place at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup after a strong 97–74 win over South Sudan in Wuhan on Tuesday.
The team, known as the Aigles Dames, put in a calm and confident display on the final day of the qualifiers, showing their steady rise in international women’s basketball.
Their ticket to the tournament was also confirmed after Belgium defeated the Czech Republic, a result that ensured Mali’s qualification.
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Mali played five matches in total and won two of them, showing improvement and determination throughout the competition. While their performance highlighted their quality, it also showed areas they need to work on, especially in tactics and fitness, as they prepare to face top teams in the world.
With qualification secured, Mali will now turn their focus to getting ready for the tournament in Berlin, where they hope to make a strong impact.
Legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned whether some players are actively involved in the public amplification of certain narratives in order to raise their brand value. Labelling the growing phenomenon as a “disease”, Ashwin raised eyebrows regarding the narratives that are discussed on social media, particularly questioning the influence of fan armies on the internet. He hinted at this possibly even being a business model. Ashwin – the second-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket – also criticised the nature of star culture in Indian cricket.
“There’s something of a disease going around at this point. A lot of these opinions that show up on social media through fan armies – I’ve heard them before, first-hand,” Ashwin said, speaking at a RevSportz event.
“Sometimes, I’ve heard these same views at a breakfast table or a lunch table, and later they appear online under some other name. That’s when you wonder-how is this happening?” Ashwin added.
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While Ashwin did not specifically accuse players of being involved in such campaigns, he speculated on the possibility of it.
“I’m not saying players themselves are planting these opinions, but it is scary. Is there some sort of espionage going on? I’m not saying that’s exactly what’s happening, but there is surely some business structure involved.
“Today, every player is an entrepreneur, and pushing opinions outside can increase brand value or improve PR. I’m all for that. But speaking ill of another cricketer is something I would never do,” he stated.
Ashwin also revealed his feelings on Indian cricket revolving around superstars.
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“Where did all this begin? We started creating narratives around players. We started painting a superhero culture, a cinematic culture. Who even talks about cricket now? Nobody speaks about the game itself.
“Some time ago, I put out a Twitter thread about what Shubman was doing that was leading to his dismissals in a certain way. For me, it is always about the ‘what’ and the ‘why,’ never the ‘whom.’ But immediately it became about comparison-why only Shubman and not someone else? I was like, do you even follow what I do?” Ashwin said.
Pep Guardiola responds to a question about his failures in Europe with Manchester City after his side exited the Champions League following defeat to Real Madrid in the last 16.
Mar 17, 2026; Dayton, OH, USA; Howard Bison guard Cam Gillus (2) dribbles defended by UMBC Retrievers guard Jah’likai King (4) in the second half during a first four game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
DAYTON, Ohio — Ose Okojie scored 16 of his team-leading 21 points in the first half and Bryce Harris added 19 points and 14 rebounds as Howard held off a furious rally by UMBC 86-83 on Tuesday in an NCAA Tournament First Four contest in Dayton, Ohio.
As the shot clock was expiring, Harris hit a clutch turnaround jumper with 12.7 seconds left to give Howard (24-10) a four-point lead. The Bison held on to advance as the No. 16 seed and oppose No. 1 seed Michigan in a Midwest Region first-round game Thursday in Buffalo.
The Bison, who qualified for the 68-team field by capturing the MEAC tournament title, extended their season-best win streak to nine games.
Jah’Likai King had 19 and DJ Armstrong Jr. added 17 for the Retrievers (24-9), who had their program-record 12-game win streak snapped. The Retrievers, tournament champions of America East, were making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since their historic 2018 upset of No. 1 seed Virginia.
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Caden Diggs added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench for UMBC. Armstrong’s 30-foot 3-point attempt was off the mark to the right as time expired.
Howard led by double figures for most of the second half, but Diggs converted two free throws with 53.8 seconds left to draw UMBC within 83-78. After the Bison’s Cam Gillus came up short on the front end of a 1-and-1 with 52.9 seconds left, Armstrong drained a long 3-pointer with 43.4 seconds left to cap a 9-0 run, and UMBC was within 83-81.
After UMBC opened with the game’s first four points, Howard scored the next nine points to take an early lead. The Bison used an 8-0 surge to take a 19-11 advantage on a layup by Okojie.
Trailing 21-13, the Retrievers went on a 9-3 spurt to draw within 24-22 on a King layup. UMBC cut the gap to 31-30 before Howard answered with a 12-0 run that gave them their biggest first-half lead after a three-point play from Alex Cotton.
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Cougar Downing’s layup with two seconds left in the half sent UMBC into halftime down 49-41.
Arsenal face competition for Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka, AC Milan look at Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott, while Brighton look to secure German international Said el Mala.
Arsenal will face competition from Juventus for the signature of Germany international Leon Goretzka with the 31-year-old midfielder set to leave Bayern Munich when his contract expires in the summer. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external
AC Milan are looking at Republic of Ireland forward Troy Parrott with the 24-year-old available for around £25m from AZ Alkmaar in the summer. (Independent), external
Fulham have reached a verbal agreement to sign 23-year-old United States forward Ricardo Pepi from PSV Eindhoven with personal terms also agreed. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Xabi Alonso would target the signings of Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni, 26, Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, 22, and Paris St-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, 23, if he were to replace Arne Slot at Anfield in the summer. (Teamtalk), external
Real Madrid and Barcelona are ahead of Premier League clubs in the race to sign AZ Alkmaar’s 20-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smit because he wants to move to Spain to live in sunnier weather. (AS – in Spanish), external
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick will extend his contract until 2028 after Joan Laporta was re-elected as the club’s president. (Florian Plettenberg), external
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) declared that Senegal had “forfeited” the January 18 final by leaving the pitch in protest over a controversial late penalty awarded to Morocco — an incident that also prompted an attempted pitch invasion by furious Senegalese fans.
When the Senegalese players eventually returned to face the penalty 15 minutes later, Moroccan star Brahim Diaz inexplicably and controversially chipped the ball weakly into the goalkeeper’s hands, missing the chance to win the cup and sending the final to extra time — where Senegal went on to score the winning goal.
In the immediate aftermath, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes” and said: “It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right.”
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At an initial disciplinary hearing, CAF imposed bans and fines totaling over $1 million on both Senegalese and Moroccan players for their roles in the farcical scenes — which also included on-field scuffles and attempts by Moroccan ball boys to steal the Senegal goalkeeper’s towel — but allowed the sporting result to stand.
Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw (gesturing in black coat) ordered his players to leave the pitchImage: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/picture alliance
AFCON: what did the CAF board say?
CAF’s Disciplinary Board rejected Morocco’s initial protest, but the appeals board has now ruled in their favor after finding that the conduct of the Senegal team fell “within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.”
Those articles state that “if, for any reason whatsoever, a team refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered the loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition.”
With Senegal declared to have forfeited the match, their 1-0 win was annulled, and Morocco awarded a 3-0 victory by default, a result that sees the Atlas Lions crowned African champions for the first time in 50 years.
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In a brief statement, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said it “acknowledges the decision” but insisted that its appeal was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams involved. It said it merely requested the proper application of regulations for the “clarity of the competitive framework” and the “stability of African competitions.”
Champions of Africa: but Senegal have been stripped of their titleImage: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/REUTERS
‘They are mad’: Senegal to appeal to CAS
Senegal quickly announced that they would seek to overturn the decision at the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Defender Moussa Niakhaté, who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais following spells with Bundesliga team Mainz 05 and Premier League side Nottingham Forest, posted a photo on Instagram of himself holding the trophy and the words “Pour l’éternité” (for eternity) and, presumably referring to CAF, “Ils sont fous” (they are mad).
The whole affair has cast a shadow over what had otherwise been considered a successful and well-organized tournament in Morocco, which will also co-host the World Cup in 2030.
The country has seen widespread protests against preparations for the World Cup, with demonstrators arguing that government funds should be invested in Morocco’s ailing healthcare system, rather than new stadiums and hotels.
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Last week, the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scheduled to kick off in Morocco on March 17, was postponed until July, just 12 days before the opening match.
In a statement, CAF cited “unforeseen circumstances” but gave no details for the decision. “It is a combination of factors, and it is not a decision taken lightly,” Luxolo September, CAF’s head of communications, told DW.
Terence Crawford has offered his verdict on the emergence of Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
After spending over two decades turning mixed martial arts giant UFC into a global powerhouse, White has entered the boxing world to more mixed reviews, as he attempts to take the formula he’s created in MMA and bring it into another combat sport.
White has made some notable moves so far though, signing former long-term Matchroom fighter Conor Benn in a reported $15 million deal, with the promise of more big names in the future.
One big name that White did work with back in September was Crawford, as the UFC CEO acted as the promoter for the fight between ‘Bud’ and Canelo Alvarez at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
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