Lyon were expelled from the Coupe de France on Monday, paying the price for crowd trouble that caused their last-64 tie at Paris FC to be abandoned.
Paris FC were also banished from the competition and served with a five-game stadium closure, while Lyon's supporters have been banned from travelling to all domestic away games for the rest of the season.
The December 17 tie between the sides was called off at half-time as fans clashed at the Charlety stadium. Supporters appeared to be fighting in the stands and several flares were thrown before a number of fans made their way onto the pitch.
Lyon declared they would look to identify the individuals responsible and serve them with lifetime stadium bans, and the French Football Federation (FFF) has now handed down severe punishments to both clubs. The winner of the game had been due to play Nice in the next round.
An FFF disciplinary commission met on Monday and decided both teams should be ruled to have lost the match, imposing the stadium ban and a fine of €10,000 on Paris FC.
The FFF stated that Lyon fans would be banned from attending away games until the end of the 2021-22 campaign, in "a sanction that applies to all competitions organised by the FFF and the LFP [Ligue de Football Professionnel] in which the first team is involved".
Lyon have also received a suspended ban from next year's Coupe de France, which could be imposed in the event of supporters causing trouble again. On top of that, the Ligue 1 club were fined €52,000 and ordered to meet the costs of repairing seats damaged by their supporters at Charlety.
It was the second time a recent game involving Lyon has had to be ended prematurely, with their Ligue 1 encounter at home to Marseille on November 21 also abandoned after a spectator threw a bottle that struck Dimitri Payet inside the opening five minutes. That led to Lyon being docked a point as punishment.
Lyon have been usurped by Paris Saint-Germain as France's leading team in the past decade. Beginning in 2001-02, Lyon won seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles. They finished fourth last season and sit 13th this term, in a congested mid-table.
Paris FC, a club living in PSG's shadows, are third in Ligue 2.
Marcus Harris said "it's about trusting what I do" after going some way to silencing his doubters on day two of the third Ashes Test against England.
The opening batsman went into the contest at the MCG with a best effort of 23 from four innings, but top scored with 76 – the only Australian to make more than 40 in the first innings.
It proved a particularly good knock in the context of a day that saw Australia restricted to 267 having bowled England out for 185 on day one, before dominating the final hour to have the tourists 31-4 and still 51 runs in arrears.
Harris was thrilled to play his part on his home ground and prove a few people wrong in the process.
"It was good to spend a bit of time in the middle today. I had a bit of a battle in the first couple of Tests but it was good to be home and play on a familiar wicket," he told ABC Radio.
"There's a lot of media around but the support I've had from within and my close circle of people has been unbelievable. It's about trusting what I do."
James Anderson had starred with the ball for England, taking 4-33 to give the visitors an opportunity to get back into the game.
But Mitchell Starc (2-11) and Scott Boland (2-1) combined to have Zak Crawley (5), Dawid Malan (0), Haseeb Hameed (7) and nightwatchman Jack Leach (0) dismissed in a devastating final hour, much to the delight of the Melbourne crowd.
Harris added: "The way the wicket is, the amount of grass, there's always something in it for the bowlers.
"Jimmy Anderson bowled unbelievably, as did our bowlers in the end."
James Anderson rued England's disappointing final hour after the tourists had worked hard to fight their way back into the third Ashes Test against Australia on day two.
Having been bowled on for 185, England's star paceman Anderson led the way with 4-33 to restrict Australia to 267 all out and a first-innings lead of 82 at the MCG.
But a woeful last hour amid familiar failings with the bat saw England close on 31-4, still trailing by 51 runs as Australia moved ever closer to sealing the series.
"It's obviously a disappointing finish to the day, I thought we bowled well through the day to keep the pressure on Australia," England's all-time leading wicket taker Anderson told BT Sport.
"It wasn't easy to bowl them out for less than 300 on that wicket but it was a good effort to do so.
"It was a difficult 12 overs, good spell from Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, they're world-class bowlers so you expect that. It was disappointing to lose four wickets in those 12 overs."
England looked set to enjoy their best day of a poor series so far until Starc (2-11) and home favourite Scott Boland (2-1) combined to have Zak Crawley (5), Dawid Malan (0), Haseeb Hameed (7) and nightwatchman Jack Leach (0) dismissed, much to the delight of the Melbourne crowd.
Anderson, though, insists there is plenty of unity within England's camp.
"It's been a frustrating tour so far full stop. We are working hard and trying to put things right and trying to put in better performances," he added.
"I thought we did that with the ball, we hit our areas with the ball but it was a frustrating end to the day.
"We are together as a group. We have a really good group of guys. We know how hard the batters are working and as bowlers we are doing the same.
"The cohesion is definitely there it's just frustrating we are not putting the two things together at the same time."
Australia took four late wickets amid a devastating spell with the ball to grab a stronghold on their way to sealing the Ashes after England had fought back on day two of the third Test at the MCG.
Mitchell Starc claimed the scalps of Zak Crawley and Dawid Malan in successive balls before Victorian debutant Scott Boland had Haseeb Hameed caught behind and bowled Jack Leach to leave the visitors reeling.
England were 31-4 at stumps, trailing by 51 runs as Australia, who lead the series 2-0, look to clinch the Ashes in Melbourne. Joe Root (12*) and Ben Stokes (2*) will resume at the crease on day three.
The visitors had rallied to keep the Boxing Day Test alive, having dismissed Australia for 267 led by veteran James Anderson with 4-33.
All this after drama forced the resumption of play to be delayed after a coronavirus scare within the England camp, before all the players were cleared for an 11am local start.
Australia had resumed at 61-1 after England were all out for 185 on the first day. Marcus Harris resumed at the crease and top scored with 76 on his home deck.
England had made good inroads into the Australia batting order at 110-4, dismissing number one Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne for 1 and vice-captain Steve Smith for 16 from Chris Wood (71-2) and Anderson respectively.
Harris was the only Australian to score more than 40, with Travis Head (27) getting a start before falling to Ollie Robinson (64-2), who had a hamstring scare but played on.
England appeared set for a nominal first-innings deficit before a late cameo from Starc (24*) and captain Pat Cummins (21) opened up an 82-run lead.
However, Australia turned the game in a stunning final 45 minutes with Cummins almost having Crawley caught behind for a duck when Alex Carey botched a chance, before the English opener went in the next over to Starc (11-2).
Starc trapped Malan lbw next ball despite a review, before Boland was introduced to the attack, having Hameed caught by Carey before clean bowling Leach two balls later.
Starc misses rare Boxing Day hat-trick
Starc almost claimed the first Boxing Day Test Ashes hat-trick since Shane Warne in 1994 when he dismissed Crawley and Malan in successive deliveries. England skipper Root survived a close call on the hat-trick ball which had the MCG crowd on their feet as it whizzed past the bat.
Local hero fires up crowd
Local debutant Boland only managed one wicket in the first innings but received great support from his home crowd during his brief batting innings before a double strike with his only over after being thrown the ball late in the day.
The Los Angeles Clippers have confirmed All-Star Paul George will be out of action for three to four weeks with an elbow the injury.
George suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will need to rest the injury prior to a re-evaluation in the next three to four weeks.
The Clippers, who made last season's Conference semi-finals, are 17-16 this season having been without Kawhi Leonard all campaign.
George hurt his elbow earlier this month before missing five games, but returned on December 20 against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Clippers lost 103-100 to the Denver Nuggets without George on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Clippers have confirmed All-Star Paul George will be out of action for three to four weeks with an elbow injury.
George suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will need to rest the injury prior to a re-evaluation in the next three to four weeks.
The Clippers, who made last season's Conference semi-finals, are 17-16 this season having been without two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard all campaign.
George hurt his elbow earlier this month before missing five games, but returned on December 20 against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Clippers lost 103-100 to the Denver Nuggets without George on Sunday.
The Philadelphia 76ers moved above .500 as Joel Embiid scored 36 points with 13 rebounds in a 117-96 win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
The 76ers center was the dominant player on court, but also involved in a spat with Montrezl Harrell, which saw the latter ejected after a second technical foul in the third quarter.
Embiid had good support from Tobias Harris (23 points, seven rebounds, three assists) and Seth Curry (11 points with three triples, five rebounds, nine assists).
The Wizards had held a six-point quarter-time lead but the 76ers responded with excellent second and third periods, totalling 67-41 to take control of the game.
Jokic double-double leads Nugs past Clippers
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets past the Los Angeles Clippers 103-100 in a thriller with the Serbian center finishing with 26 points, 22 rebounds and eight assists. Youngster Brandon Boston Jr, who had 18 points, missed a three-point attempt on the buzzer to force over-time. Jokic becomes the first player to record 25 or more points, 20 or more rebounds and five or more assists in back-to-back games since Charles Barkley in 1988.
Veteran Kevin Love scored 22 points making six-of-nine from beyond the arc, with nine rebounds from 18 minutes on court as the Cleveland Cavaliers thrashed the Toronto Raptors 144-99 to improve to 20-13. The 45-point win was the Cavs' largest margin since 1991, when they had a franchise-best 68-point win over the Miami Heat.
Zach LaVine scored 32 points including five three-pointers while DeMar DeRozan added 24 points as the Chicago Bulls got past the Indiana Pacers 113-105.
Morant still finding his feet
Ja Morant continues to adjust after returning from injury, shooting eight-of-18 from the field including zero-of-three from three-point range while having four turnovers in the Memphis Grizzlies' 127-102 win over the Sacramento Kings. Morant did finish with 18 points and nine assists.
Lonzo Ball joined the long list of Chicago Bulls players to enter the NBA's health and safety protocols ahead of Sunday's game against the Indiana Pacers.
Ball will not face the Pacers and the guard faces at least 10 days out of action unless he records two negative COVID-19 tests.
The 24-year-old is the 13th man on the Bulls roster to enter the protocols this month.
Three of Chicago's matches have been postponed in December due to the squad being so severely depleted.
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have since been given the green light to return, while Ayo Dosunmu, Matt Thomas, Alize Johnson, Devon Dotson, Coby White and Javonte Green have also cleared protocols.
Tony Bradley, Alfonzo McKinnie, coach Billy Donovan and now Ball are absent.
England suffered a coronavirus scare ahead of day two of the third Ashes Test against Australia at the MCG.
The players and management were forced to remain at their hotel after a positive COVID-19 test was recorded within the team's family group.
Players and staff had to await the results of their own coronavirus tests before eventually being given the all-clear to head to the stadium.
England, who trail the series 2-0, were bowled out for 185 on day one after Australia won the toss and put the tourists in.
Australia will resume on 61-1 after James Anderson accounted for David Warner (38) before the close of play on day one.
Pat Cummins need only to avoid defeat in Melbourne to retain the Ashes after one-sided victories in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Stephen Curry hailed the Golden State Warriors' win against the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day as "huge" given the number of players missing.
Against a comparatively healthy Suns squad, the Warriors were without Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Damion Lee and Moses Moody (health and safety protocols), along with several assistant coaches, and Andre Iguodala (knee), Klay Thompson (Achilles/ACL) and James Wiseman (meniscus) still out with injury.
Curry was available but has previously struggled on Christmas, averaging just 13.1 points in his eight career games on the festive day. That ranked as his worst average points haul on any date he has played on more than twice.
However, the Warriors' star guard excelled against the Suns on Saturday, achieving a game-high 33 points in the 116-107 win.
Otto Porter Jr also impressed in a rare start for Golden State, with a late flurry helping to see his team home as 13 of his 19 points came in the fourth quarter, making several clutch shots.
Speaking after the game, Curry said: "It's nice to win on Christmas, nice to win on the road against the best record in the league, short-handed. All the other context of the situation, a huge win.
"Everybody stepped up. It was a great atmosphere. Just toughed it out at the end, and obviously, Otto took over down the stretch, so that was huge all the way around."
Steve Kerr's Warriors now move half a game ahead of the Suns, with a league-best 27-6 record.
Kerr was delighted with the showing from his depleted side, making special mention of how Curry rose to the occasion despite being one of their only star men available.
"Steph was amazing," he said. "Facing that defense with so much attention on him, missing three of our best shooters, for him to see that type of defense and find his way to 33 points - he was a plus-24 - so even when he was not making shots, he was still impacting the game just by pulling the defense over towards him.
"Steph was brilliant, so was Draymond [Green]. I thought [Kevon] Looney did a hell of a job, as well, so it was a great team win."
Antonio Rudiger could be on his way to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
With his Chelsea contract due to expire, Rudiger may have his choice of elite clubs.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel called for "a bit of patience" earlier this month, with the Premier League giants keen to retain the German defender.
TOP STORY – REAL STARS READY TO WELCOME RUDIGER
The Santiago Bernabeu increasingly looks the likely next destination for Rudiger, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper says Madrid's players are expecting Rudiger to arrive in the close season and bolster Carlo Ancelotti's defence.
That would be a big blow to Chelsea, should the centre-back move on, given Rudiger has started more games this season (23) than any other Blues defender.
He has a decent tackle success rate of 66.67 per cent, has won 50 out of 68 aerial battles, and has weighed in with two goals from his position on the left side of a back three.
ROUND-UP
- Brazilian giants Corinthians have previously been said to fancy Edinson Cavani, whose Manchester United contract runs to the end of this campaign. If they cannot secure him, with Barcelona also said to be keen, UOL Esporte reports Corinthians could turn their focus to Cavani's Uruguayan compatriot Luis Suarez, now at Atletico Madrid.
- Bayern Munich could launch a shock move for Leeds United's Brazilian star Raphinha in January, reports TNT Sports. The Brazilian broadcaster says a €50million deal could be in the offing, with Raphinha reportedly targeted as a replacement for Kingsley Coman.
- In Serie A, fourth-placed Atalanta are said to be close to landing a long-term target. Sky Sport Italia reports they are poised to announce the signing of Sassuolo's Ivory Coast winger Jeremie Boga, who began his professional career at Chelsea.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach David Fizdale lamented that LeBron James' effort is being "wasted on losses" after slipping to a 122-115 defeat against the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas Day.
The loss was the Lakers' fifth straight defeat and saw them slump to a disappointing seventh place in the Western Conference with a 16-18 record.
However, James put in another terrific individual performance – scoring a season-high 39 points, the fourth game in a row in which he has broken the 30-point barrier – and Fizdale revealed his frustration at not being able to capitalise on his star's strong showings.
"I'm kicking myself in the head because he's giving me incredible effort," Fizdale said after the game. "[I'm] trying to figure out ways to get him over the hump with that effort, and I hate that it's wasted on losses. Just spectacular.
"But to watch it, to be a part of it, even though those games are turning into L's, I've never seen anything like this guy. And we better sure as hell be thanking our lucky stars for this guy."
While James' individual display could hardly be faulted, the same could not be said of fellow Lakers star Russell Westbrook, who managed just 13 points on Saturday.
James defended the point-guard's performance, however, focusing instead on the effort his team-mate put in during the game.
"He gave us extra possessions, he gave us a lot of looks around the basket, which I know that he can't stand [failing to convert] as well," James said.
"But as far as the effort piece, if a guy plays hard, if a guy leaves it all out on the floor, I've got no problem with that. It's a make-or-miss league."
Fizdale agreed that the 33-year-old Westbrook could not be criticised for lack of effort, and suggested that taking some pressure off himself would lead to an improved scoring record.
"A big part of it is he just wants it so bad," Fizdale said. "I mean, you can just see it in him, everybody does. He wants it so bad. And I know that's just hard for him when it doesn't work out. And I know he cares like crazy.
"I just want him to take a lot of that pressure off himself, keep attacking, keep playing the way we know he can."
James Harden believes Brooklyn Nets team-mate Patty Mills is playing the best basketball of his career after the Australian’s 34-point haul in the victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nets had seen their three previous matches called off due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the squad, with Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge among those affected.
But Harden, who admitted he was "just happy to be back on the court," and Mills were instrumental as they returned to action with a narrow 122-155 win on Christmas Day.
The pair combined for 42 of their side’s 66 first-half points, with Mills recording his best overall tally in the NBA this season and surpassing the 20-point mark for a 10th time.
The former San Antonio Spurs guard also registered a season-high seven assists, while landing a record number of three-pointers in an NBA game played on Christmas Day with eight.
Asked if he thought Mills was playing the best basketball of his career, Harden said: "I think so.
"We know how many big shots Patty hit when he was in San Antonio, but he has a much bigger role in this team because of having all the injuries and dealing with guys dropping out of line-ups.
"He's just playing consistent; his shot is always cash. He's doing a better job of just being a playmaker, putting the ball on the floor and getting it to the paint. He’s got his finishes, and he's making plays. He just looks more confident."
Mills added: "It was a massive team effort from every guy that stepped on the floor.
We've been handling adversity throughout the whole season with different types of things, so I think this was no different.
"With the past week that we've had, it was exciting to get some guys back and there was good energy there.
"We're all about the big picture here and where we want to be at the end of the season, and I think that's what’s really keeping us moving forward in the right direction."
James Harden marked his return to action with a telling triple-double as the Brooklyn Nets snatched a dramatic 122-115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
For the Lakers, LeBron James scored 39 points and became the NBA's highest scorer all-time in Christmas Day games, reaching 422 points on December 25 across his career to surpass Kobe Bryant's 395 haul.
However, Russell Westbrook shot only 4-of-20 from the field, meaning his own triple-double of 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists was tinged with disappointment.
It allowed Harden and Patty Mills to guide the Nets to a hard-earned win over a Lakers side who have lost five successive games to slide to 16-18 for the season.
Mills matched a career-best with 34 points, and his eight three-pointers established a new NBA record for Christmas Day.
Harden's haul of 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists came in his first game out of COVID-19 protocols and boosted the shorthanded Nets to 22-9, with Brooklyn rallying despite being without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge, among others.
The Lakers trailed 102-82 entering the final quarter but got back to 115-115 with 45 seconds remaining, yet Nic Claxton restored Brooklyn's lead, and Harden's accuracy from the free-throw line saw them pull clear in the closing moments.
This was the first Christmas Day game with multiple triple-doubles, the NBA said.
Antetokounmpo rebounds with stellar show
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo joined Harden in making a stellar return to action, after also serving time in isolation due to the health and safety protocols.
After missing five games, Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and had 12 rebounds in a 117-113 win for the Bucks over the Boston Celtics.
That improved the Bucks, who sit third in the Eastern Conference, to 22-13 for the season. It was the fifth time this season that Antetokounmpo has topped 35 points in a game.
Christmas Curry proves a rare treat
Heading into the Golden State Warriors' game with the Phoenix Suns, Stephen Curry was averaging a meagre 13.1 points in his eight career games on Christmas. That ranked as his worst average points haul on any date he has played on more than twice.
This time Curry came good though, bagging a game-high 33 points in a 116-107 win for the Warriors.
There was cause for Christmas cheer for the New York Knicks' Kemba Walker too. The Knicks landed a 101-87 win over the Atlanta Hawks, led by Julius Randle's 25 points and 12 rebounds, with Walker weighing in with the team's first triple-double on Christmas Day. He finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, and on the right side of the scoreboard.
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