Football

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Wednesday that Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong is not for sale despite rumours of a departure to the Premier League. De Jong "is a Barca player and unless we have a need or interest in selling him, we don't want to sell him," Laporta said as the club unveiled new signing Franck Kessie. "We know he has offers. If at some moment we were interested, we would consider it, but right now, we're not selling the player," Laporta insisted. De Jong, 25, has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United and a reunion with former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, who is preparing for his first season at Old Trafford. Laporta revealed the club had made an offer to France international Ousmane Dembele , whose contract with Barca expired at the end of June. "Ousmane is no longer a Barca player, but we made him an offer," said Laporta. "He hasn't accepted it yet, but he wants to continue talking. "We're going to carry on speaking, at least for now." … [Read more...] about Frenkie de Jong Not For Sale: Barcelona President Joan Laporta | Football News

The Lincoln Riley era is under way at USC as the head coach looks to return the program to the heights it reached during the early 2000s when the Trojans won back-to-back national titles. And former USC running back LenDale White , who starred on those championship teams, is confident that Riley can do just that. The former All-American was on hand at USC’s recent Salute to Troy event, where he spoke with USC reporter Keely Eure about the new-look Trojans. White praised the addition of Riley and the excitement the coach has already created in his first offseason with the program. “It feels good to be back home,” White said . “It’s a special feeling right now around this place. Lincoln and (USC athletic director) Mike Bohn have done a great job of, you know, building some excitement around here. And it’s good to be back, man. It feels like real Trojan ball right now.” As for what exactly real Trojan ball entails, White pointed to the excitement around the program. USC is … [Read more...] about USC football: LenDale White predicts quick turnaround under Lincoln Riley

USC head coach Lincoln Riley sat down for an interview with CBS Sports senior college football analyst Dennis Dodd to talk about various topics, but one topic in particular was roster construction. The timeline of Riley’s departure from Oklahoma still raises a few questions, but Riley was asked about how soon he got to work on constructing the football roster. “It started on the plane ride out to L.A. actually,” Riley said. “That was basically a two-and-a-half-hour personnel meeting. Listen, we were against the gun when we came out here. We knew that. We knew there was basically about three weeks before the high school signing day and then you had all the potential mid-year transfers after that. So, we knew a lot of our roster work was going to have to be done quickly.” Riley was on a plane to L.A. soon after it was reported that he accepted the head coaching position, and with USC having one more game on their schedule last season — a postponed game against Cal — the new … [Read more...] about USC head coach Lincoln Riley talks football roster and using the NCAA Transfer Portal

Sacked for alleged "sexual misconduct" during the India U-17 women football team's tour of Europe, former assistant coach Alex Ambrose has denied any wrongdoing and sent a legal notice to the All India Football Federation for "tarnishing his reputation by levelling frivolous charges". Ambrose was sacked a few days ago as assistant coach of the India U-17 women's football team over allegations of "sexual misconduct". The notice, issued by Mumbai-based advocate Madhukar P Dalvi on behalf of Ambrose, claimed that he "has been a victim of malafides and ulterior motives and objects at the instance of and behest of the All India Football Federation". "My client was forced to admit to what he has never done by putting him under fear, duress and coercion. My client was not allowed to offer any explanation nor was my client intimated or informed about the charges/allegations/accusations levelled against by him. "My client has been sacked and terminated from his duties in an illegal, … [Read more...] about Alex Ambrose Denies ‘Sexual Misconduct’ Charges, Sends Legal Notice To AIFF | Football News

USA Today Sports Images The Big 12 released its annual Preseason All-Big 12 squad on Wednesday ahead of the conference's media days scheduled for next week. Unlike recent seasons, however, there's real balance among the preseason selections. Four teams earned between four and six selections with Kansas State surprisingly leading the pack with six. Baylor ranked close behind with five selections, including three players in the trenches. West Virginia and Iowa State were close with four each, though they featured a kicker and fullback respectively. In most years, Oklahoma has ranked among the leaders in selections. However, after the departure of Lincoln Riley, the Sooners are looking for new contributors. Punter Michael Turk was the only Oklahoma starter voted to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, tied with Kansas . For comparison, OU had nine selections in 2021. Texas also only had two selections: Running back Bijan Robinson and receiver Xavier Worthy . Robinson and … [Read more...] about 2022 Preseason All-Big 12 football team: Bijan Robinson, Deuce Vaughn lead the way as unanimous selections

Stanford running back E.J. Smith, son of NFL Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith , enters his redshirt sophomore season with the Cardinal in 2022. During a recent conversation on Twitter Spaces, Stanford head coach David Shaw raved about Smith. “He’s the total package,” Shaw said, via PFF College . “Over the next two years, he’ll be one of the best backs in America.” Last season, in seven games, Smith totaled 26 carries for 133 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and one touchdown. He also caught 15 passes for 74 yards. Prior to Stanford, Smith was a 247Sports Composite four-star recruit out of Dallas Jesuit. He was also the No. 109 ranked overall player, the No. 15 ranked player in the state of Texas and the No. 2 ranked all-purpose back in the recruiting class of 2020. Because his dad played at Florida and the Gators had offered him a scholarship, EJ Smith noted his college choice was a tough one but that he wanted to carve his own path. Emmitt could see that his … [Read more...] about Stanford football: E.J. Smith, son of NFL legend Emmitt Smith, earns praise from David Shaw

The Pac-12 released a statement Tuesday morning announcing the start of its next round of media rights negotiations. With USC and UCLA heading to the Big Ten by 2024, and reports from CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd about more schools potentially leaving the league, plenty of uncertainty remains about the future of the Pac-12. Following the announcement, Dodd reported the Pac-12 will begin negotiations with both ESPN and FOX Sports. "Indications are the Pac-12 will begin an exclusive 30-day negotiation window with ESPN and Fox," Dodd wrote . "Other bidders can then weigh in after that if a deal isn't done." CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah put some perspective on what the Pac-12’s goal is with these negotiations. “Put into plain English: Pac-12 schools want to understand how much money is on the table for them if the current conference continues to exist post-USC/UCLA,” Jeyarajah wrote . “If the numbers are bad, they'll quickly try to find new landing spots.” Also on Tuesday, … [Read more...] about College football realignment: Pac-12 negotiating with ESPN, FOX for media rights, per CBS Sports

Now that the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins are bound for the Big Ten in 2024, it’ll be a new era for both football programs. Both programs have plenty of history and new USC head coach Lincoln Riley didn’t even have to coach a game yet before something historic happened. Riley left Oklahoma for USC this offseason, injecting new life into one of college football's biggest brands. Now that Riley and USC will be among the Big Ten soon, he released a statement about the school joining the premier conference. “President Folt, Mike Bohn and Brandon Sosna have been completely aligned with the vision of what our athletic department can be, while always putting our student-athletes,” Riley said in a statement. “This move to the Big Ten Conference positions all of our teams for long-term success. It provides our student-athletes with more exposure, new resources and challenges them with elite competition. USC Football is excited to compete in the Big Ten.” The move largely puts the … [Read more...] about USC football: Lincoln Riley releases statement on Trojans joining Big Ten

With UCLA and USC off to the Big Ten by 2024, there’s going to be a lot of change coming for both programs in the future. It will be something brand-new to head UCLA coach Chip Kelly , who’s only coached in the Pac-12 as a head coach; first with Oregon and now with UCLA. However, Los Angeles Times writer Ben Bloch suggested that is no guarantee that Kelly will coach the Bruins when they make the move to a new conference. “UCLA is going to win enough games this season to keep Kelly employed,” Bloch wrote. “The question becomes if the Bruins can sustain their success in 2023, when they will break in a new quarterback. Also keep in mind that Kelly’s buyout under his new four-year contract is exceedingly friendly to UCLA, so it would cost the school nothing to jettison him as soon as Dec. 16, 2023.” Kelly went 8-4 last year -- his best at UCLA -- and there was finally progress with a program that needed a desperate rebuild. But he’s just 18-25 in his four seasons. With … [Read more...] about UCLA football: Chip Kelly not guaranteed to coach in Big Ten, columnist opines

With USC and UCLA going to the Big Ten by 2024, some have questioned if this could actually be a bad move for college football. FOX Sports host Colin Cowherd said it was a no-brainer and "not surprising" for both schools to make this kind of decision. As the sport rapidly changes, the Big Ten suddenly got a lot flashier with the addition of those two brands. Cowherd explained why the Trojans and Bruins ultimately make out well in a new conference on The Herd . “I think it surprised a lot of people that USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten,” Cowherd said. “I was not surprised USC joined the Big Ten. I was surprised UCLA went for it. USC has been unhappy for years. The Pac-12 does not create the revenue they need. When they got Lincoln Riley , they sold him on big things are happening. USC has been unhappy for years. They've considered selling their games to a network so they almost have an independent TV deal. They've thought about going independent. I've talked to their athletic … [Read more...] about College football realignment: USC, UCLA bolting for Big Ten ‘not surprising,’ analyst says