MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will not stand in Bernardo Silva’s way should he wish to join Barcelona before the end of the transfer window.
Guardiola said there has been no bid from his former club for the Portuguese midfielder, but would not keep Silva in Manchester against his will.
Despite debts of 1.3 billion euros ($1.3 billion) Barcelona have embarked on a spending spree this summer and will reportedly turn their attentions to Silva should Frenkie de Jong depart the Camp Nou.
City have already let Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko join Arsenal and sold Raheem Sterling to Chelsea this summer as all three sought more regular game time.
By contrast, Silva has been a vital player in City winning four Premier League titles in the past five seasons and would be difficult to replace in the final weeks of the transfer window.
“I was comfortable working with Oleks, Raheem, Gabriel, incredible characters that helped us achieve what we achieved,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference ahead of the start of City’s Premier League defense at West Ham on Sunday.
“Sometimes for the club, sometimes for the players, sometimes for the agent, sometimes you have to divide our path.
“Especially the desire of the player is the most important thing. Of course I would love Bernardo to continue here, he is a special player for us. But I don’t know what is going to happen.
“What happens will happen and if he stays it is perfect and in the end if he has to leave it is because football is like this, the player has a desire. I will not be a person to stop a desire for the people.”
Despite the departures from the Etihad over the close season, the City squad looks stronger than ever thanks to the arrival of Erling Haaland to fill the need for a natural striker.
The Norwegian superstar had a debut to forget last weekend, missing a glorious chance toward the end of a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Community Shield.
But Guardiola dismissed any suggestion that Haaland will struggle to adapt to City’s possession-based style.
“He adapts to the way we play and we will adapt to him,” he added. It will need time but at the same time I have no doubts it is going to happen.”
For the second time in four years, City pipped Liverpool to the title by a single point last season.
Another tight tussle between those two is expected at the top of the table.
But Tottenham and Arsenal have invested heavily to try and close the gap, while Chelsea and Manchester United are expected to be active in the final weeks of the window.
“Every year I have the feeling that this season is harder,” said Guardiola.
“Everyone is getting better, every club, every owner invests. Many teams do it and do it well, the quality is there and the managers are exceptional.
“That’s why it is exciting and that’s why the Premier League is the best.”
Guardiola will not stop Silva joining Barcelona
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Guardiola will not stop Silva joining Barcelona
- Guardiola said there has been no bid from his former club for the Portuguese midfielder, but would not keep Silva in Manchester against his will
- Silva has been a vital player in City winning four Premier League titles in the past five seasons
Pogacar plays down yellow jersey after Evenepoel wins Tour time trial
- Pogacar: The most important (jersey) is yellow, and the most important time to have it is on the Champs-Elysees at the finish line
- It was Evenepoel’s second stage win on the Tour de France, having triumphed in the time trial in Gevrey-Chambertin last year on his debut in the Grande Boucle
CAEN, France: Three-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar played down the importance of taking over the yellow jersey after Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel stormed his way to an impressive victory in the fifth-stage time trial on Wednesday.
Pogacar, who started the day in second place on the same time as leader Mathieu van der Poel, produced one of his best time trials on the 33km route around Caen to finish just 16 seconds behind the world and Olympic champion to leave Van der Poel and fellow challenger Jonas Vingegaard struggling in his wake.
The Slovenian, who now holds a 42sec lead over Evenepoel with Vingegaard over a minute behind, is the first rider since Eddie Merckx in the 1970s to hold all three of the main jerseys — the general classification, points and king of the mountains.
“I’m super happy with how I rode today, to be 16 seconds behind the world champion, the Olympic champion, the best time triallist in the world right now,” Pogacar said after the stage.
“It’s a very good day and I’m happy, but I’m just happy this day is over and we can keep the ball rolling in this Tour de France.
“The most important (jersey) is yellow, and the most important time to have it is on the Champs-Elysees at the finish line.
“Now, it’s not that important. It feels good, but the important thing is to have it in Paris.”
Evenepoel completed the course in 36min 42sec at a blistering average speed of 54 km/h. Italian Edoardo Affini finished third, 33sec behind.
It was Evenepoel’s second stage win on the Tour de France, having triumphed in the time trial in Gevrey-Chambertin last year on his debut in the Grande Boucle.
“I knew I had a good chance but, of course, the legs still have to be there and everything has to go to plan,” said Evenepoel whose Soudal Quick-Step teammate Tim Merlier won stage three two days ago.
“In the end I think it was pretty good. I didn’t really feel like I could go any faster, so I think in general I’m happy with the result.
“It’s a second stage win for our team, it’s super nice.
“As for me, I’ve taken a step toward the podium but there’s still a long way to go.”
Two-time winner Vingegaard, who began the day just 8sec behind Van der Poel, had a poor day as the Dane could only finish 13th in the stage — 1min 21sec behind Evenepoel — to slip to 1min 13sec behind Pogacar in the new standings.
He drops to fourth overall with local rider Kevin Vauquelin moving up to third after a hugely impressive ride that saw him finish fifth on the day.
“I’m over the moon, really,” said an emotional Vauquelin.
“I think I can only experience this once in my life. To see everyone looking at me, cheering me on, it’s incredible.
“For a 24-year-old just starting out in the professional world, it’s just incredible.”
Dutchman Van der Poel also struggled to maintain the pace, coming in 18th, 1min 44sec behind the winner, dropping him down to sixth overall.
Evenepoel was the nailed-on favorite to win the stage given his astonishing record in time trials.
The Flemish rider, who has been wearing a golden helmet since his Olympic double, is virtually invincible in this exercise.
He has won the last six time trial stages in which he has taken part, and nine out of 12 since the start of 2024. This was his 64th career victory, of which 21 have come in time trials.
Evenepoel was also impressed by the performance of Pogacar who was a distant third to the Belgian and Vingegaard in the time trial in the recent Criterium du Dauphine.
“Compared to the Dauphine, he took a big step forward. He showed that he’s in great form and that he’s the man to beat in this Tour.”
Thursday serves up the second longest stage of this year’s Tour with 3,500 meters of elevation over a 201.5km route through Normandy which starts in Vauquelin’s home town of Bayeux and ends with a short, steep climb to the finish in Vire Normandie.
Let the games begin! Riyadh opens Esports World Cup
RIYADH: The Esports World Cup kicks off in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday as the world’s largest esports and gaming festival comes to Riyadh.
Running until August 24, the event features more than 2,000 elite players, 25 tournaments across 24 leading titles, and a record-breaking prize pool of over $70 million, cementing its status as the biggest and most significant esports event ever staged.
The event will bring together the world’s top 200 clubs to compete in a new format.
At the heart of the competition is the Club Championship, where teams accumulate points across multiple games to become the EWC Club Champion, claim a $7 million grand prize and hoist the coveted EWC Club Championship trophy.
The $70+ million prize pool also includes $38+ million for individual Game Championships, $5 million in global qualifier rewards, and $450,000 in MVP bonuses.
Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, the chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, praised the Saudi leadership for their support and said: “The Kingdom is cementing its position as a global leader in gaming and esports. The Esports World Cup is a clear reflection of that progress.”
The event, run by the Esport World Cup Foundation, was first held in Riyadh last year with a purse of $62.5 million.
The team competition was won by Team Falcons, a Saudi esports team, in 2024.
“This event stands as a global milestone for esports by showcasing the scale, ambition, and future of competitive gaming,” Prince Faisal said. “It is a moment that will shape the direction of the industry for years to come.”
Faisal bin Homran, chief product officer of Esports World Cup Foundation, added: “The Esports World Cup is redefining what’s possible in esports. It brings together the world’s top teams to compete in the most iconic and advanced arenas, delivering a level of excitement that is unmatched across the industry.
Djokovic reaches record 14th Wimbledon semifinal
- The Serb, chasing a historic 25th Grand Slam singles crown, was given the royal seal of approval by Britain’s Queen Camilla before his 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win on Center Court
LONDON: Novak Djokovic won a testing battle against Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday to reach a record 14th men’s Wimbledon semifinal, which will be a blockbuster clash against world number one Jannik Sinner.
The Serb, chasing a historic 25th Grand Slam singles crown, was given the royal seal of approval by Britain’s Queen Camilla before his 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win on Center Court.
The seven-time champion was pushed hard by the Italian 22nd seed but ultimately had too much for the 23-year-old, who had never previously been beyond the third round of a major.
Djokovic said Wimbledon was the “most special tournament” in the sport as he was cheered by the crowd.
“And of course, it means the world to me that I’m still able at 38 to play the final stages of Wimbledon,” he said.
“Thank you for cheering for my age. I really appreciate it. It’s beautiful. Makes me feel very young.
“And I guess another thing that makes me feel very young is competing with youngsters, you know, like Cobolli today — he’s who knows how many years younger than me.”
The sixth seed prepared for the contest by meeting Camilla, the wife of King Charles III, who said she was keeping her “fingers crossed” for his match.
She watched Djokovic from the Royal Box, along with British actor Hugh Grant.
Cobolli showed early intent, mixing up his play with drop shots and heavy groundstrokes from his flashing orange racquet and unsettling his illustrious opponent.
Djokovic, who has reached every Wimbledon final since 2018, served for the first set at 5-3 but the Italian broke back and won the ensuing tie-break.
Cobolli, who has claimed titles in Bucharest and Hamburg this year, next had to answer the question of whether he could sustain his level against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
But it was a different story in the second set as Djokovic broke twice to level the match in the evening sunshine.
The pair swapped service breaks early in the third set but Djokovic pounced again in the 11th game and thundered an ace as he took control of the match.
The fourth set was tight but Cobolli failed to put away a simple winner at the net in the ninth game.
Djokovic slipped and fell awkwardly when serving for the match, grimacing in pain, but got up to finish the job.
He played down the incident in his on-court interview.
“I had a nasty slip, but that’s what happens when you play on the grass,” he said.
“It did come at an awkward moment, but somehow I managed to find a good serve and close it out. Obviously, I’m going to visit this subject now with my physio and hopefully I’ll be well in two days.”
The Serb now owns the all-time record for most Wimbledon men’s singles semifinal appearances, moving one clear of eight-time champion Roger Federer, who reached the last four 13 times.
He has also reached a 52nd Grand Slam semifinal, extending his all-time record in the men’s game.
Djokovic is now within two wins of breaking his tie with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles for any player, man or woman.
If he reaches and wins Sunday’s final he will also equal Federer’s record of eight men’s titles at the All England Club.
Sinner, who beat 10th seed Ben Shelton earlier Wednesday, will offer a different level of challenge.
The top seed has won his past four matches against Djokovic, beating him in straight sets in the semifinals of the recent French Open.
Carlos Alcaraz, who has beaten Djokovic in the past two finals at Wimbledon, takes on US fifth seed Taylor Fritz in the other semifinal on Friday.
Dominant France thrash Wales 4-1 at Euro 2025 to go top of group
- After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win
ST. GALLEN, Switzerland: France produced a dominant display to thrash Wales 4-1 and go top of Group D at Euro 2025 on Wednesday, outclassing their opponents who scored their first goal at a major championship.
After England beat the Netherlands 4-0 earlier in the day, France went top of the group on six points, followed by the English and the Dutch on three points each.
Wales, who face England in their final group game on Sunday, have yet to register a point but still have a mathematical chance of going through to the knockouts. France face the Netherlands in their last group game.
Clara Mateo was at the center of much of France’s attacking play and lashed them into an early lead, controlling a flick-on from a corner on her chest and firing a volley into the net in the eighth minute.
The moment thousands of Wales fans had been waiting for came five minutes later when Ceri Holland broke down the left and though her first attempt to find Jess Fishlock was blocked, she managed to steer the ball to the 38-year-old, who poked home Wales’ maiden goal at the women’s European Championship finals.
That was as good as it got for Wales, who looked set to go into the break level only for Holland to chop down Mateo in the box and Kadidiatou Diani’s spot kick crept over the line after striking the foot of keeper Safia Middleton-Patel.
Middleton-Patel was at fault just after the break as she lost control of the ball in the box, allowing Mateo to tee up Amel Majri, who thumped it into the net.
After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win.
“We’ve got six points after two matches and that’s what we need to remember. It won’t be an easy (next) game because the Netherlands will have no choice but to attack and score goals,” France coach Laurent Bonadei said.
Mateo was impressed with how her side bounced back from Fishlock’s equalising goal and how they went on to dominate.
“We had a bit of a scare at the start of the game but we had confidence in ourselves. It was a great evening, there are different strikers and that’s important for everyone’s confidence,” she said.
PSG inflict humiliating defeat on Real Madrid to reach Club World Cup final
- Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside the opening nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd
EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Fabian Ruiz scored twice as European champions Paris Saint-Germain turned on the style in their reunion with Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semifinals of the Club World Cup to set up a final showdown with Chelsea.
Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside the opening nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York.
The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time and Goncalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique’s side moved one game away from glory at FIFA’s new tournament.
Victory against Chelsea on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May.
After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid and the ease with which they disposed of Real here was striking.
PSG’s fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso. Meanwhile Mbappe struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club a year ago.
The France captain was hoping for a different outcome against the team for whom he scored a club record 256 goals, and the defeat is a real blow to Real as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.
But PSG have improved without Mbappe and are now such a well-oiled machine that they appear unstoppable — it would be a big surprise if they failed to beat Chelsea.
Luis Enrique was without imposing center-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter.
Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defense with ease, and the rest of PSG’s first-choice line-up was there.
Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow.
The return to the starting XI of Mbappe, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from keeping his place.
But the Spanish giants’ front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG’s domination.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range.
Yet Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembele pounced on slack defending by Raul Asencio. The Real ‘keeper saved at the forward’s feet but Ruiz converted the loose ball.
Three minutes later and the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to run through before finishing low into the corner.
Like his friend Mbappe, Dembele was starting for the first time at the competition having been injured. That was a 34th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or.
It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half.
A deflected shot by Mbappe was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their own net a minute later.
Dembele released Achraf Hakimi on the right and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desire Doue had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half.
But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender.
PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.
