Roberto Mancini has returned as Italy’s head coach for a second spell after a dramatic few days that saw Andrea Pirlo withdraw from the race and technical director Paolo Maldini resign.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed the appointment on Tuesday, just one day after Pirlo ruled himself out because of controversy surrounding his links to a Russian betting company.

FIGC president Giovanni Malago said Mancini was always his preferred choice.

“I believed that the best person to become head coach was Roberto Mancini,” Malago said.

Mancini takes over from Gennaro Gattuso, who left the role in April after Italy failed to qualify for a third straight FIFA World Cup. Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini had been in temporary charge.

The appointment comes during a period of major changes within the national team. Paolo Maldini, who had been named technical director only two weeks earlier, resigned after the decision not to appoint Pirlo. Adviser Leonardo also stepped down, while Claudio Ranieri has been named as the new technical director.

Mancini is no stranger to the Italy job. He first took charge in 2018 and guided the Azzurri to victory at Euro 2020, beating England in the final at Wembley. He also led Italy on a world-record 37-match unbeaten run.

However, his first spell ended in 2023 after Italy failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, losing to North Macedonia in the play-offs.

Before returning to the national team, Mancini managed Saudi Arabia and later Qatari club Al Sadd, where he won the Qatar Stars League before leaving the club in June.

At club level, Mancini enjoyed success with Inter Milan, Lazio and Manchester City, where he guided City to their first Premier League title in 2012.

His second spell as Italy coach begins with a UEFA Nations League home match against Belgium on 25 September, followed by an away game against Turkey three days later.

It’s day two at Glorious Goodwood with the Sussex Stakes the feature on the card. We have four selections for you using the best odds from betting sites.

Before you place your bet check out the best Goodwood betting offers to claim free bets, bet boosts and more.

Coral Rewards Shaker Handicap (13.50, Goodwood)

Tuesday began well for us with Al Aali, so let’s see if lightning is capable of striking twice.

Hatteen is an interesting runner on his handicap debut for the Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy combination, which regulars will know is one I have a lot of time for. He was an impressive winner at Doncaster last time (1m4f, good to firm) and enters handicaps off a mark of 88, which gives him scope to improve again.

He is much respected but a pretty skinny price at the same time, with Infraad (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) another with potential and Cannes an interesting contender sent from Ireland by the excellent Joseph O’Brien.

The latter has to bounce back after a lack lustre run at Royal Ascot but I’d definitely not be writing him off and a win would not surprise. However, a really interesting entrant is BALTIC FLEET, who I am happy to take a chance on to small stakes at a good price on betting apps.

He’s 20/1 at the time of writing and that looks attractive. He ran well on his handicap debut at York (1m4f, good) in May and followed that with a better effort when second in a small field at Wolverhampton (1m4f, AW) last time.

After that race, he was bought out of George Boughey’s yard for £170,000 and is now at Ian Williams’ Worcestershire yard. I’d be pretty confident there is more to come from him, given that the horses that filled first and third at Wolverhampton have both gone on to win since, so that form is working out well.

William Buick rides for the first time and if the unexposed Space Blues gelding can continue his rise, he could go much closer than his current price suggests.

Goodwood day two racing tip 1: Baltic Fleet (Goodwood, 13.50) – 1pt each-way @ 20/1 (William Hill)

A cracking Group 3 contest where the front two in the market, Sayidah Dariyan and FLORA OF BERMUDA, both have to prove they’ll get home over this far.

We sided with Royal Velvet at Royal Ascot but it appears she might have just gone over the top on her last two starts, while Zanthos does get this trip and is a danger and Planet Seeker – who dead-heated for first in this last year – is another who should be involved.

However, I’m just siding with Flora Of Bermuda because she’s such a good, consistent yardstick for a sprinter. She’s officially the best in this field over shorter than this but I think she’ll see it out, as she wasn’t stopping when winning the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville (6½f, good to firm).

She’s a strong finisher with a good attitude and she represents a stable (Andrew Balding) that’s in good form and I am surprised that, at the time of writing, she’s not heading the market. She did, after all, beat the market leader by 2l last time they met and they meet on the same terms this time. Hopefully she can head the field past the post.

Goodwood day two racing tip 2: Flora Of Bermuda (Goodwood, 15.00) – 1pt win @ 7/2 (William Hill)

Speedy juveniles to the fore here with Richard Hannon-trained Pershaada heading the market after a C&D novice win and a fourth in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, where she was a place in front of CROWNBREAKER.

I think the latter represents a bit of value at a bigger price than the favourite on horse racing betting sites, having shown her 100/1 Queen Mary fifth to be no fluke by heading to France and winning in Listed company since.

She’s got bags of pace and while there may be less exposed contenders, I actually think her extra experience could prove positive in a race like this. With her trainer among the winners, she looks a lively each-way player who could prove up to winning this.

The unbeaten Adonius could be anything but will have to improve on what he’s produced to add to his CV, while El Floridita is another who is not ruled out.

Goodwood day two racing tip 3: Crownbreaker (Goodwood, 15.35) – 1pt each-way @ 9/2 (Bet365)

While we can’t dismiss outsiders out of hand after what happened with Qirat last year, it really would be a big surprise if this prestigious prize didn’t go to one of the three leading contenders, Opera Ballo, Gstaad or BOW ECHO.

It may not be original to side with the favourite but he’s earned that tag and I think he’ll be better suited by this quicker track than he was at Royal Ascot in the St James’s Palace Stakes (1m, good to firm) last time.

His 2,000 Guineas win was the best performance in that race since the great Frankel and I think that’s always worth bearing in mind. He’s beaten Gstaad fair and square and although there may not be too much in it any longer, he holds the cards.

I am also a big fan of Aidan O’Brien and I can see the argument that he is also still improving, especially as he pushed the selection much closer at the Royal meeting.

He wouldn’t be an undeserving winner but he’s got it to do and he’s officially still got 5lb to find with George Boughey’s mount. That’s considerable and if you’re backing him you’re surely having to do so hoping that the favourite misfires.

Opera Ballo is, in fact, the second best on official ratings as they go to post and he’s a Group 1 winner who has a CV that reads 7-10. He’s the best of the older horses but it will be tough for both he and Ten Bob Tony to successfully concede 8lb to both Bow Echo and Gstaad.

Goodwood day two racing tip 4: Bow Echo (Goodwood, 16.10) – 3pts win @ 5/4 (Betfred)

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Opting for a runner made some sense given the recent news about shuffling a young running back to an injury list. That predictable outcome has arrived, as the team’s official social media clarifies.

The Vikings shored up the RB depth by signing Jordan Mims. By no means a lock for the final roster, Mr. Mims nevertheless finds himself with a chance to latch onto a Vikings team that’s desperate for a respectable rushing attack. Whoever wins the QB1 job will be greatly aided by a potent ground attack. Mims will be trying to show that he’s got enough upside to warrant a spot once September football arrives.

Vikings Shore Up RB Depth

In 2023, the Buffalo Bills brought Jordan Mims into the NFL as an undrafted talent. He did so with the promise of $12,000 in guaranteed cash.

— READ MORE: Vikings Step into Batter’s Box and Take a Good Swing —
— READ MORE: Vikings Begin Pruning Roster with 3 Moves —
— READ MORE: A 53-Man Roster Projection as Training Camp Begins —

Mims didn’t settle into Buffalo for very long. His next opportunities arrived in New Orleans, Tennessee, and San Francisco. In fact, he played against Minnesota last preaseason while working as a Titans employee, turning his 13 carries into 40 yards. The Vikings, in other words, have seen Mr. Mims before, possibly influencing the decision to sign him.

In the regular season, Mims has played in 108 snaps on offense and 71 snaps on specials. Very likely, folks, that the best thing he can do for his NFL career is prove to be an absolute monster on specials. Matt Daniels, perhaps, will task him with some responsibility for Minnesota’s special teams.

His career statistics show 20 carries for 70 scoreless yards. Pretty humdrum. More promising, perhaps, is that he has caught 12 passes for 71 yards. Versatility is coveted in the Twin Cities. And, at the very least, there’s some live regular season football within his past to build off of as he looks to secure a lasting home as a pro runner.

Prior to getting into the NFL, Jordan Mims played for Fresno State. His final collegiate season features some eye-popping statistics: 261 carries, 1,372 yards, and 18 touchdowns. Even better, Mims secured 21 catches for 126 yards and 1 touchdown.

So, there was some reason to give the talented runner from an unheralded college a shot.

He has since bounced around, which is bad news since he hasn’t found a permanent NFL home. Putting a more positive spin on on things would mean acknowledging that he keeps getting a chance, suggesting that the NFL still sees upside in him.

The Minnesota Vikings welcome the full team to TCO Performance Center today. Doing so follows welcoming the rookies on Sunday to get training camp rolling. Soon enough, head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Nolan Teasley will step in front of the microphone for a press conference.

Jordan Mims, 27, is the latest add (alongside veteran safety Jamal Adams). He stands at 6’0″ and weighs 205 pounds.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

After France exited the Football world cup in fourth place, there’s a new change coming for the team. French football legend Zinedine Zidane has been named head coach. While Zinedine Zidane has been out of the spotlight since he coached Real Madrid, he is still considered to be a football legend.

Finger click sparked a cheating scandal (Image: BBC/X)

An amateur cricket match in England has found itself at the centre of a major controversy after a fielder was accused of using a finger-clicking trick to fool the umpire into giving a batter out. The incident, which has gone viral on social media and is now being called “Clickgate” or “Clicky Ponting”, occurred during a North Yorkshire and South Durham (NYSD) Cricket League Division Two match between Saltburn Cricket Club 2nd XI and Norton Cricket Club.

What happened?

The controversy revolves around a dismissal involving Norton batter Noman Shabir. As the bowler delivered the ball, it passed close to Shabir’s bat without appearing to make contact. At that exact moment, a Saltburn fielder stationed at first slip clicked his fingers, creating a sharp sound that closely resembled the noise of the ball edging the bat. The wicketkeeper caught the ball cleanly, Saltburn’s players immediately appealed, and the umpire, believing he had heard an edge, gave the batter out.Shabir protested the decision, insisting he had not touched the ball, but the umpire stood by his verdict. A video of the incident quickly spread across social media, with many viewers claiming the finger click had deliberately deceived the umpire.Saltburn won by 159 runs and are top of Division 2 by 18 points.

More allegations surface

The controversy did not stop with the viral video. Following the incident, cricket fans began analysing Saltburn’s statistics and previous matches. One statistic that attracted attention was wicketkeeper Josh Bowes’ tally of 31 catches in just eight matches, including eight catches in a single innings against Shildon Railway.For comparison, the world record for catches by a wicketkeeper in a men’s Test innings is seven, making the figure unusual enough to fuel further speculation, although the statistic alone is not evidence of wrongdoing.Soon after, Rory Cotterill, captain of Middlesbrough Second XI, publicly claimed his side had experienced two similar finger-clicking incidents during a defeat to Saltburn earlier in the season. Another video from a separate match against Wolviston FC has also emerged online, showing a batter being dismissed under similar circumstances, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the club.

League launches investigation

The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League confirmed it has received a formal complaint and has opened an investigation.In a statement, the league said: “The league have received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents in a Division Two game on Saturday. A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made.”The unusual incident has attracted worldwide attention. The original video has been viewed more than five million times on X (formerly Twitter), while cricket fans from around the world have debated whether the dismissal should stand.Former newspaper editor and television presenter Piers Morgan also reacted, describing the player involved as the “biggest cheat in cricket history”, a comment that further amplified the controversy online.

Pratika Rawal signs Warwickshire

India batter Pratika Rawal has signed with Warwickshire Women for the remainder of the 2026 domestic season, with the 25-year-old set to strengthen the county side’s batting line-up in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Rawal will be available for selection from Warwickshire’s next One-Day Cup fixture on August 19, as the Bears continue their push for a place in the tournament’s eliminators.

Return after injury

The move marks Rawal’s return to competitive cricket after recovering from a knee injury that ruled her out of India’s one-off Test against England at Lord’s. She suffered the injury during an India A match in Taunton on July 1, requiring stitches and forcing her to miss the landmark Test.Warwickshire currently occupy fifth place in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup standings and are aiming to finish inside the top three to qualify for the knockout stage. The club believes Rawal’s arrival will provide added firepower at the top of the order during the closing stages of the competition.Welcoming the India opener, the club said her addition would strengthen the squad as they look to finish the season strongly.“It’s a great signing for the team, and we are most pleased to be able to welcome Pratika to Edgbaston. Our position in the One Day Cup table at the moment is a good one, and bringing in a player of Pratika’s calibre can only serve to strengthen our team as we aim to end the season on a positive note,” the club said in a statement.Rawal said she is eager to experience county cricket and is looking forward to representing Warwickshire at one of England’s most iconic venues.“I am most pleased to be joining Warwickshire; I have heard many positive things about the club and am excited to get going and do all I can to assist the team. Testing myself by playing in England will be a great experience for me, and I’m also looking forward to walking out at Edgbaston, which is such an iconic ground in world cricket,” she said.

A rapid rise in international cricket

Rawal has emerged as one of India’s brightest batting talents since making her international debut in December 2024. She holds the record as the fastest woman to reach 500 ODI runs, achieving the milestone in just eight innings. The opener also played a key role in India’s successful Women’s ODI World Cup campaign, scoring 308 runs, including a century against New Zealand, to help the team lift the title in 2025.

Sarvesh Kushare and Tejaswin Shankar during the CWG 2026 high jump final in Glasgow.

NEW DELHI: Tejaswin Shankar’s own Commonwealth Games campaign ended in heartbreak, but the Indian high jumper ensured his disappointment did not stop a teammate from making history.The national record holder, forced out of the men’s high jump competition by a recurring knee injury, stayed back at the venue to guide compatriot Sarvesh Kushare from the sidelines. The advice proved decisive as Kushare overcame a shaky start to clinch the silver medal — India’s best-ever result in the event at the Commonwealth Games.Tejaswin had won a historic bronze at the 2022 Birmingham Games, the country’s first medal in Commonwealth Games high jump. On Monday, however, the 27-year-old’s title hopes were dashed before they had truly begun.

From medal contender to coach on the sidelines

Tejaswin experienced a sharp pain in his knee during the warm-up and was unable to continue after clearing only his opening height.Instead of leaving the arena, he remained beside the competition area, closely watching Kushare’s attempts and offering technical inputs that helped the Indian recover after struggling midway through the event.Kushare revealed that Tejaswin’s timely advice transformed his competition.“I wanted to clear the height in my first attempt itself, but during 2.25m my rhythm was affected and my stride became shorter. Then TJ told me to move forward in my run-up, and that helped,” Kushare said after winning silver.The medal improved on Tejaswin’s bronze-winning effort from Birmingham and marked India’s finest-ever Commonwealth Games finish in men’s high jump.

‘It really stings’

A visibly emotional Tejaswin admitted the injury struck at the worst possible moment.“I felt a shooting pain in my knee. It happened during my warm-up. It’s nothing new; I have always had tendonitis in my knees,” he said. “I don’t think there is any high jumper who doesn’t have it. That’s why it’s called jumper’s knee. Everyone manages it, and so do I.”The timing of the flare-up made the disappointment even harder to accept.“But it’s one of those days. You want just one day in a year when you don’t have that pain, but it came on that day only. It really stings. In these conditions, I was really confident I could jump for a win, jump for a medal. I really knew I could win a medal,” he said. “But to not even get through the first height, it stings because I was in really great shape.”Explaining the issue further, he added: “It’s just overuse of the patellar tendon. There is nothing spectacular about it. It just flared up today and ruined my entire competition.”

Eyes now on decathlon return

Despite the setback, Tejaswin has not given up on his Commonwealth Games campaign.The versatile athlete remains optimistic of recovering in time for the decathlon, which begins on Thursday.“I will come back in two days. We still have two days. I’ll give my best over the next two days and try and fix this. I will obviously start. I’m not here on vacation,” he said. “The patellar tendon is used in high jump and long jump, so if I’m somehow able to get by those two events, I’m still confident the other events will be fine.”Tejaswin is the national record holder in the decathlon too.

Uefa has reacted furiously to reports that Fifa president Gianni Infantino is planning to sell stakes in the World Cup and its other tournaments to investors.

Infantino is plotting a scheme whereby Fifa would retain majority control of a new enterprise, and the rest would be sold, partly to each of Fifa’s 211 national associations should they wish to invest, and partly to private investment.

The plan could potentially see Infantino installed as the “commissioner” of the World Cup when his Fifa presidency finally ends in 2031, a position that would prove extremely lucrative, according to The Times .

Uefa, the governing body of European football and a long-term critic of Infantino, said in a statement: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross.

“UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially.

“None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”

The investment would be led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, through his Thrive Eternal fund.

Thrive Eternal took a minority stake in Major League ‌Baseball’s San Francisco Giants this year. The ​vehicle was founded by Kushner, and former ⁠Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger serves as an adviser.

Fifa is working with bankers at JPMorgan to raise billions of dollars by bringing in external investors to take as much as a 20 per cent stake ‌in the entity. Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei has ​been involved as a commercial adviser on the creation of the Fifa enterprise.

In a statement, Fifa said it would “raise up to $4.2bn later this year” to fund the project, “based on an initial equity valuation of $ 20bn by carefully selecting long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests … All net benefits will be reinvested back into football worldwide.”

It added: “In a similar way to other sports governing bodies with dedicated commercial subsidiaries, FIFA will invite third parties to make … investments.

“Any such investors would be selected against clear long-term, governance, and strategic criteria. They would represent a geographically diversified group that reflects the global nature of the game, acting as minority, long-term partners that could contribute capital and commercial expertise in support of FIFA’s mission to grow the global game.

“FIFA would retain sole control via majority board representation and exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the international match calendar and all regulatory and sporting decisions.”

The proposal is subject to approval by the Fifa Council.

Football Supporters Europe called for Infantino’s resignation. “The World Cup is not for sale,” it said. “Enough of this charade. FIFA member associations – and everyone who cares about the future of the game – must stand up to the man who wants to sell world football. Gianni Infantino must go.”

Last week, Infantino praised Fifa for “delivering the best show in the world” and spoke of the World Cup bringing “joy and togetherness,” in a 900-word statement published across a 15-page post on his Instagram account and on the Fifa website.

“Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” the Fifa leader wrote, addressing his comments to “those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours”.

Fifa and Infantino faced criticism during the World Cup for Iran team officials, a Somali referee and fans being denied entry to the United States; alleged political influence by Mr Trump in letting Folarin Balogun avoid a ban for a red card; unprecedented high ticket prices and commercialised breaks in play midway through each half of all 104 games.

“Every city was packed with fans from all around the globe,” Infantino wrote. “While they celebrated, you were busy planting seeds of hate.”