Bukayo Saka needs to protect himself from roughhouse tactics but manager Mikel Arteta warned he must stay within the laws of the game.
Saka reacted angrily to a challenge from Philippe Coutinho during Arsenal's 4-2 win at Aston Villa last weekend, shoving the former Liverpool man before team-mates intervened.
Saka has been involved in 49 Premier League goals for Arsenal (26 goals, 23 assists), and could become the youngest player to reach 50 goal involvements in the competition since Cesc Fabregas in 2008 should he score or assist against Leicester City on Saturday.
With teams increasingly looking to use tough tackling to halt the 21-year-old's sparkling displays, Arteta feels Saka has a right to defend himself.
"The first one who has to protect Bukayo is himself," Arteta said. "There's many ways to do that on a football pitch, within the rules, and he needs to learn and improve that.
"He reacted in a way, but that line is extremely thin and that cannot take him out of his game and lose his focus.
"But he can help that, as well, to have more focus, more determination, more belief for the next action. It's something he needs to do."
Saka is set to make his 32nd Arsenal appearance of the season against Leicester on Saturday, while he also started four of England's five games at the World Cup in Qatar.
Arteta pointed to Saka's mentality as the reason for his ability to play so many matches, explaining: "I really see his determination and where he wants to get to.
"He really wants to get there and have that resilience and that capacity to consistently show a certain level. He has a great physical element to be able to play every three days. Hopefully he can continue to do that."
With his team top of the Premier League table, two points above closest challengers Manchester City with a game in hand on the reigning champions, Arteta is hoping he can repay the Arsenal board's faith in him by delivering the Gunners' first Premier League title since the 2003-04 'Invincibles' campaign.
The former Gunners midfielder has endured rough periods since taking over in 2019, and he is grateful the board have stuck with him.
Asked how significant trust was between ownership and manager, Arteta said: "It's extremely important, obviously. The people you work with need to have faith, but at the same time they have to see every day what you are doing.
"I think it's something that works very close together, and I was lucky to have the people and the ownership we have. They believed we could continue to do the work that we wanted to do and gave me time. Hopefully we can repay that faith."
The Kansas City Chiefs have promoted Matt Nagy to offensive coordinator for the 2023 season, the team announced on Friday, filling the void created by Eric Bieniemy's departure.
Nagy is a longtime mentee of head coach Andy Reid and previously served as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2016-17.
Nagy was head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2018-21, compiling a 34-31 record and collecting honours as the AP's Coach of the Year in 2018.
After he and the Bears parted ways, Nagy returned to Kansas City last February as a senior assistant and quarterbacks coach, helping the Chiefs win their third Super Bowl in franchise history.
Bieniemy had served as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator for the last five seasons before leaving this offseason for Washington, who named him their assistant head coach and OC.
Nagy has been professionally connected to Reid since 2008, when he joined the Philadelphia Eagles' staff as a coaching intern.
After playing quarterback for the University of Delaware, Nagy was not selected in the 2001 NFL Draft and ended up in the Arena Football League, where he threw over 300 touchdown passes from 2002-08.
Sivasspor coach Riza Calimbay acknowledged it will be tough for Super Lig teams to return to football as his side drew Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League.
Turkey's top flight was suspended in the wake of the February 6 earthquakes that devastated the country and neighbouring Syria, leaving over 50,000 dead.
Having topped Group G in the Europa Conference League last year, Sivasspor bypassed the competition's knockout round play-off phase this month.
But as they prepare for domestic competition to restart this weekend ahead of their return to Europe, Calimbay noted it would be a very different game that emerges.
"It is very difficult to talk after the earthquake," he told the club's website. "Talking about football is very difficult. I think our problems are not over yet.
"We need to start playing football [but] the league will be chaotic, everything will be chaotic. Some matches will not be played. It will be a different league, it will be a sad league.
"Every time we play a match, everyone will have tears. No one can give themselves fully to the game. But our teams that go to Europe, we have to do whatever is necessary to bring points to Turkey."
Sivasspor's fellow Super Lig side Istanbul Basaksehir will also return to Europa Conference League action, having drawn Gent in the last-16 stage.
Elsewhere, Premier League outfit West Ham face off with AEK Larnaca, while Serie A team Lazio will take on AZ after edging out CFR Cluj.
Villarreal take on Anderlecht, with Nice set to square off with Sheriff.
Basel face Slovan Bratislava and Lech Poznan encounter Djurgarden in the remaining ties, with home and away legs set to be played over March 9 and 16.
Europa League last-16 draw in full:
AEK Larnaca v West Ham
Anderlecht v Villarreal
Basel v Slovan Bratislava
Fiorentina v Sivasspor
Gent v Istanbul Basaksehir
Lazio v AZ
Lech Poznan v Djurgarden
Sheriff v Nice
UEFA has launched an investigation after Sevilla goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic was punched by a PSV fan during Thursday's Europa League match.
The on-field skirmish came near the end of the game, which saw PSV win 2-0 but suffer a 3-2 aggregate elimination against their LaLiga opponents.
Dmitrovic pinned down the pitch invader and held him to the ground before security arrived to escort him away.
UEFA is understood to have opened a case following the incident, which has been condemned by PSV, who said the fan should not have been in the stadium in the first place.
The Dutch club said in a statement: "PSV strongly condemn the incident on Thursday evening when a man invaded the pitch and confronted the goalkeeper. The person involved had already been handed a stadium ban."
PSV general manager Marcel Brands said: "This is not what we stand for at PSV. We feel ashamed and there is no place for that type of behaviour.
"We will consult the organisations involved to discuss how we can enforce stadium bans better, hopefully through reporting obligations. All PSV supporter organisations, who cheered on their team last night, unanimously and explicitly distance themselves from this disgraceful pitch invasion."
PSV said they would "await the investigations into the pitch invader made by the police and look to recover any financial damages".
Sevilla have been drawn to face Turkish Super Lig outfit Fenerbahce in the last-16 stage.
Six-time champions Sevilla are looking to extend their record haul in the competition, which began in its previous guise as the UEFA Cup, having last lifted the trophy in 2020 against Inter.
Paris Saint-Germain cannot count on just Kylian Mbappe to get over their below-par form, according to head coach Christophe Galtier.
PSG have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, with a one-goal deficit to overcome in their Champions League round-of-16 tie with Bayern Munich and their hopes of winning a 15th Coupe de France this season over.
A dramatic 4-3 victory over Lille in Ligue 1 last weekend halted a run of three straight defeats, but PSG's lead at the summit could be cut to just two points should they lose to Marseille in Sunday's derby.
Marseille came out on top against Galtier's side in the Coupe de France last 16 earlier this month, and the PSG boss says it cannot come down solely to key man Mbappe if they are to defeat their closest title challengers and get back to top form.
"Everyone is concerned," Galtier told reporters at his pre-match news conference. "We think that players move on from a defeat in five minutes, but that's not true.
"We will have to win duels to get out of the Marseille pressure. We will have to have more runs in behind, which we lacked during the Coupe de France match. With Kylian, there will be.
"But it's not just him who should help us. He is capable of making a difference, but other players will have to project themselves more freely and with more determination to beat Marseille."
Marseille head coach Igor Tudor stated on Friday that PSG's quality means they are favourites in all of their fixtures, but Galtier disagreed, instead expressing a belief that his team must show improvement over recent form if they are to come out on top on Sunday.
"I cannot say that Marseille are favourites," Galtier explained. "Neither are we.
"For this status as favourites, a different dynamic would have been needed. But the end of the match against Bayern and against Lille gives us a lot of hope.
"We will have to have a very high level of play on a regular basis to beat Marseille, who are in good form and who will be pushed by their fans. We will have to be better than what we have shown in recent weeks."
PSG's poor recent form has reportedly put Galtier under pressure, with former coach Thomas Tuchel linked as a potential replacement should the former Nice boss suffer the same fate as Mauricio Pochettino.
Despite the importance of Sunday's fixture in the title race and the opportunity for PSG to avenge their cup defeat, Galtier does not feel it will be a defining game in his team's season.
"There is no revenge," Galtier added. "There is a lot of pride in this team, obviously that will be important for Sunday evening.
"It's an important match. They are two teams that are very close in terms of the championship with very few points apart.
"Is this decisive for the title? I don't think so."
Giorgio Chiellini feels "sad and hurt" by Juventus' points deduction that dented their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
The Bianconeri were punished for alleged irregularities regarding historic transfer dealings by having 15 points struck off their Serie A total in January, although the club intend to appeal.
Chiellini, who now plays for Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC, was a part of the Juve team who were stripped of titles and relegated due to the Calciopoli scandal in 2006.
Massimiliano Allegri's side are seventh in Serie A, 12 points off the top four and Champions League qualification with 15 games remaining, though they are through to the Europa League last 16 after beating Nantes 4-1 on aggregate in the playoff round.
"For me, it's painful," Chiellini told The Athletic. "I feel sad and hurt by what's happening to Juventus. It's hard not to be in Turin, and it's not easy for everyone who loves the club. Now, the fans need to be patient because the club is fighting for everyone, and I hope everything finishes in the best way possible."
The 38-year-old former Juve and Italy defender revealed he barely watched any of the World Cup in Qatar, after the Azzurri failed to qualify.
"The World Cup was weird, to be honest," he said. "I didn't watch very much – it wasn't nice. I caught up on some of the highlights but almost never the live matches, outside of the final [Argentina v France] and the United States' first game against Wales, because I was still here for that.
"It was tough not to be there for it because going to the World Cup is a big goal. It would have been a great experience, but I try to change the bad things and look at them more positively. Failing at World Cup qualification meant I decided to come to Los Angeles for a new challenge, and it has been an unforgettable experience for me."
Chiellini made 13 appearances for LAFC after joining last season, helping them to win the MLS Cup, and he is starting to feel more at home since leaving his native Italy.
"After the Christmas holiday, I feel more settled, I understand the city better now," he said. "Los Angeles is so big. When I arrived, I didn’t quite understand what it was like to live here."
He added: "Leaving Italy and coming here has allowed me to discover many new cultures and a different way of life outside of football. I like it. I'm a curious guy, and I'm very lucky to have found an amazing club that has welcomed my family and me in the best way possible."
France forwards Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto joined captain Wendie Renard in a boycott of the national team as a crisis erupted ahead of the Women's World Cup.
Lyon veteran Renard announced on Friday she would not represent France in Australia and New Zealand later this year unless major changes are implemented.
Renard spoke of wanting to protect her mental health, attacking the "current system".
She did not name head coach Corinne Diacre, who has overseen a controversial reign, but reports claimed Renard would refuse to return if Diacre and her staff remain in place.
Within hours, Paris Saint-Germain players Diani and Katoto followed suit by announcing they too would be unavailable for selection, with both also offering a scathing indictment of the national set-up.
"The words of our captain Wendie lead me in turn to talk about the situation in the France team," Katoto wrote.
She said she felt "no longer aligned with the management of the France team and the values transmitted".
"I therefore make the decision to put my international career on hold until the necessary changes are applied," Katoto added.
Diani added: "Following the announcement from our captain Wendie Renard and in view of recent results and management in the France team, I am suspending my international obligations in order to concentrate on my club career.
"If the profound necessary changes finally arrive, I will return to the team."
Renard, a 142-cap veteran, lost the captaincy under Diacre in 2017 but was restored to the leadership in 2021.
Star midfielder Amandine Henry was controversially excluded from last year's Euro 2022 squad, with record scorer Eugenie Le Sommer also missing out.
It remains to be seen whether the three who took their stance on Friday will be followed by others.
The Women's World Cup runs from July 20 to August 20.
Norway international Ada Hegerberg, Renard's team-mate at Lyon, voiced her support, having famously spent a self-imposed five-year exile from the national side in protest over a perceived lack of support for women's football in her homeland.
Hegerberg wrote on Twitter: "How long will we have to go through these lengths for us to be respected? I'm with you, Wendie, and with everybody else going through the same processes. Time to act."
A brief statement from the French Football Federation addressed the matter on Friday, with the escalating crisis set to be addressed at an executive committee meeting on Tuesday.
"The FFF has taken note of the statements of Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto," it read. "Its executive committee, meeting on February 28, will take up the issue at that time.
"The FFF would like to serve a reminder that no individual is bigger than the team."
As the national women's softball team prepares to leave the island shortly, they do so confident in the backing they have received from the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).
The team leaves for the US Virgin Islands where they will participate in a qualifying tournament for the Pan-American Games as a precursor to an Olympic bid.
The national association is funding the aspirations of softball on a journey which, hopefully, will be historic.
“History making and their love for country compel our support for softball and I have watched them in training exemplifying commitment and going beyond the challenges of not having the luxury of resources in the sport to creating a wealth of talent,” said JOA President Christopher Samuda.
The national team has been in training at their home ground at Up Park Camp and for JOA Secretary General/CEO, Ryan Foster, “the JOA is proud of and committed to the softball artillery as part of our armoury of building capacity in several sports in giving them a fighting chance in the international arena of combat. This investment is bankable.”
Softball Jamaica’s President, Marvalyn Campbell, thanked the nation’s governing sport body “for believing in softball and responding every time to the call which will not be forgotten and for which the team is very grateful.”
The JOA Executives also lauded the directors of Softball Jamaica for growing the support and providing our sportsmen and women opportunities for self-actualisation and national representation.
Barbora Krejcikova will play Iga Swiatek for the Dubai Tennis Championships title after settling a see-saw semi-final against Jessica Pegula in ruthless fashion.
Having seen Swiatek brush aside Coco Gauff in straight sets in the first match of the day, Krejcikova would have been confident of doing likewise after taking the opener against Pegula.
Third seed Pegula battled back to take the second set, though, and the American appeared to have momentum on her side, only to bow out in a one-sided decider, losing 6-1 5-7 6-0 for her first defeat to Krejcikova.
The pair's only prior meeting had been a straight-sets win for Pegula at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Pegula's sole other tournament since Melbourne had ended in similar circumstances to this one, with a 6-3 6-0 crushing at the hands of Swiatek in the final of last week's Qatar Open. The Pole is who Krejcikova must play next.
Krejcikova is the first player since Svetlana Kuznetsova in Cincinnati in 2019 to beat two top-three opponents at the same WTA 1000 tournament.
Yet after seeing off number two Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals and number three Pegula in the semis, she faces the world number one in the final.
Swiatek has had a rather more straightforward path, granted a walkover in the last eight and then, on Friday, playing Gauff, who she continues to dominate.
The Pole is now 6-0 across her career against Gauff, winning all of those matches in straight sets.
Gauff at least made Swiatek work a little harder than she has in many recent matches, going down 6-4 6-2 – the first match since Melbourne in which the number one has not won a set either 6-0 or 6-1, piling up the 'bagels' and 'breadsticks'.
Swiatek is 2-1 against Krejcikova for her career, although the Czech won their most recent meeting and their only encounter in a final in Ostrava last year.
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone is plotting to bring Real Madrid back down to earth when he makes history in Saturday's derby at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The former Argentina midfielder will take charge of his 425th LaLiga game as Atleti boss, which is more than any other coach has overseen for one club in the Spanish top flight.
Simeone will also match Luis Aragones' record tally of 612 competitive matches in the dugout for the capital club, taking in all competitions.
Los Blancos could ensure Simeone is no mood to celebrate after maintaining their impressive form by coming from two goals down to hammer Liverpool 5-2 in the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday.
Ahead of kick-off, Stats Perform previews the big game with a healthy serving of Opta data.
Derby delight in short supply for Atleti
Atleti have only won one of their last 13 LaLiga meetings against their city rivals, Yannick Carrasco's penalty securing a 1-0 victory last May.
Los Blancos have come out on top in six and drawn as many times in the other dozen encounters.
Simeone's side have suffered three consecutive LaLiga losses at the home of their rivals without scoring a goal.
Carlo Ancelotti's men have already beaten Atleti twice this season, most recently a 3-1 Copa del Rey triumph after extra time last month.
Ruthless champions firing on all cylinders
Madrid have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals after putting sorry Liverpool to the sword on Merseyside in an incredible first leg.
Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema helped themselves to doubles as the holders stormed back from sliding two goals down inside 15 minutes.
The LaLiga and European champions, who also won the Club World Cup this month, have won five games in a row and scored 20 goals in the process.
Second-placed Madrid are eight points behind leaders Barcelona and 10 better off than Atleti, who occupy fourth spot.
Atleti building momentum
Simeone's side have also improved of late, winning three times and drawing with Getafe since losing the Copa del Rey derby tie.
All three of those wins were by 1-0 margins, and Atletico have not been beaten in six LaLiga matches.
That is their longest unbeaten run in the competition this season, moving them two points behind third-placed Real Sociedad.
Beware Benzema
Madrid captain Karim Benzema's double against the Reds ensured he has scored five goals in his last three matches.
The Ballon d'Or winner has 17 goals in all competition this season despite enduring injury frustration.
Benzema has enjoyed facing Atleti, scoring in three of his last four derbies in LaLiga. He will be looking to find the back of the net against Simeone's side in a third consecutive game.
Thomas Muller will start Bayern Munich's clash with title rivals Union Berlin on Sunday after he was hauled off early on in the defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann replaced captain Muller with Joao Cancelo after just 16 minutes against Monchengladbach, making a tactical substitution with Bayern a goal behind and down to 10 men after Dayot Upamecano's early red card.
The champions went on to lose 3-2, another blow to their hopes of winning an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title as their challengers made ground.
Nagelsmann's decision to replace veteran Muller so early came under scrutiny after the match, having also chosen to start him on the bench for Bayern's 1-0 Champions League first-leg victory over Paris Saint-Germain.
With the Bavarian side facing shock title challengers Union this weekend, Nagelsmann confirmed the 33-year-old will be in the starting XI.
"Thomas is a very experienced player, he was told why the decision was made," Nagelsmann said at his pre-match press conference. "You can always discuss it afterwards. I spoke to Thomas at length and clearly he is not happy.
"He is very professional and an important player. His importance is huge because it goes beyond the game itself. He will start on Sunday. He is aware of the overall situation."
The slip-up against Monchengladbach allowed Borussia Dortmund and Union to both pull level on points with Bayern at the top, though the champions' goal difference means they clung onto their position at the summit.
Nagelsmann's men have picked up just nine of a possible 18 points since the turn of the year, while Sunday's opponents have taken 16 over the same period.
A tricky encounter is expected against Union, who have never won a Bundesliga match against Bayern in seven attempts.
"I'm expecting a top game," Nagelsmann said. "Union always bring their football onto the pitch, designed for counter-attacks, with their physicality. It's always uncomfortable to play them.
"It will definitely be an exciting and interesting game, hopefully with a better outcome for us."
Nagelsmann revealed Bayern could be boosted by the return at some point in the game of Sadio Mane, who has been absent since early November after suffering a leg injury that ruled him out of Senegal's World Cup campaign.
"Sadio Mane isn't fit enough to start," Nagelsmann added. "But he is an option that we're really happy about."
France captain Wendie Renard will sit out the 2023 Women's World Cup unless there is a regime change, she revealed in a bombshell announcement on Friday.
In a statement posted on social media, Renard said she loved France "more than anything" but blamed "the current system" for her decision and said she wanted to protect her mental health.
The 32-year-old has 142 international caps and is one of the best-known women's footballers in the world game.
Renard was stripped of the captaincy by head coach Corinne Diacre in 2017, before regaining it four years later, with French outlet RMC Sport reporting her decision on Friday relates to concerns about Diacre, who remains in charge of the team.
Renard wrote: "I defended the blue, white and red jersey 142 times with passion, respect, commitment and professionalism. I love France more than anything, I'm not perfect, far from it, but I can no longer endorse the current system, far from the requirements required by the highest level.
"It's a sad but necessary day to preserve my mental health. It is with a heavy heart that I come by this message to inform you of my decision to take a step back from the French team.
"Unfortunately, I will not play this World Cup in such conditions. My face can hide the pain, but my heart hurts... and I don't want to hurt any more."
Renard has won 15 Division 1 Feminine titles with her club Lyon, as well as nine Coupe de France trophies and eight Women's Champions League titles.
The Women's World Cup takes place between July 20 and August 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
England and Barcelona star Lucy Bronze sent a message of support to Renard, her former Lyon team-mate, posting on Instagram: "With you my sister always."
French tennis legend Yannick Noah added his support, writing: "Courage to you Wendie."
Jamaica’s former WBA Super world featherweight champion Nicholas ‘Axe Man’ Walters says he was encouraged to return to the ring by several trainers in Panama where he is based.
The 37-year-old is set to break a six-year layoff with an eight-round super lightweight bout this Saturday in Santa Marta, Colombia, against local fighter Luis Diaz Marmol.
In recent years, Walters had been visiting the boxing gym to keep in shape but admits he “wasn’t really serious about fighting” until experts around the gym encouraged him to come out of retirement.
“After sparring with other fighters here in Panama, my coach and other coaches asked me to come back to the sport,” Walters said.
“I was making it very difficult for the guys that I was sparring with, so everyone was saying I should make a comeback,” added Walters, who boasts a solid ring record of 26 wins (21 kos) against one loss and one draw.
The 29-year-old Marmol brings an aggressive style to this Walters bout and upset unbeaten Colombian prospect Diego Silva his last time out. Marmol has a ring record of 19 wins (11 kos) against 16 losses.
Originally from Montego Bay on Jamaica’s north coast, Walters became the first Jamaican ever to win a world boxing title at home when he defeated Daulis Prescott on December 8, 2012 in Kingston via a seventh round TKO. He will be fighting for the first time since 2016 but has been actively training for months.
Walters has also enlisted the services of well-respected manager Gabriel Barron as he returns in a weight class 14 pounds above his title-winning featherweight division. In his last bout on November 20, 2016, Walters quit against Vasiliy Lomachenko after being dominated by the outstanding Ukrainian for seven rounds in Nevada, USA.
Walters had turned pro in 2008 after an amateur career that included bronze at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and two gold medals at the Caribbean Championships in 2005 and 2006. Within a few years he became one of the world’s most exciting fighters of the lower weight divisions after defeating big names like Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan.
Luciano Spalletti says Napoli cannot afford to make "the slightest mistake" when they visit Empoli on Saturday, having seen their Scudetto bid derailed by the same opponents last season.
Napoli are 15 points clear of Inter at the Serie A summit ahead of their trip to the Stadio Carlo Castellani, and appear destined to win their first league title since the Diego Maradona era.
However, Empoli have only lost one of their nine home games against Napoli in Serie A, winning four and drawing four – with last campaign's contest having a huge impact on the title race.
Napoli squandered a two-goal lead in the final 10 minutes as they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat at Empoli last April, a result which all but ended their hopes of beating Milan and Inter to the Scudetto.
Despite Napoli's seven-game winning streak making them overwhelming title favourites, Spalletti is wary of the threat posed by a side he represented as both a player and as head coach.
"Don't get confused between work and superstition," Spalletti said. "Here, we work in the right way.
"The match with Empoli [last season] destroyed our whole year of work, we could have won 3-0 and instead we lost, it was devastating. We suffered a lot.
"We want to win for our city, we feel it. We can't make the slightest mistake. Sometimes, they happen unexpectedly and determine the fate of the whole situation.
"The euphoria we have cannot become presumption, which would stop us from growing."
Empoli are one of just two teams – the other being Inter – to have beaten Napoli twice across the last two Serie A campaigns, doing the double over the Partenopei last term.
However, Napoli appear to be a different beast this campaign, and Spalletti's men have even been touted as contenders to win the Champions League following Tuesday's 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Asked whether his side should be held up as an example for others to follow, Spalletti said: "I don't know if we can become a role model.
"Our approach is this, to play good football with our characteristics and to achieve as many results as possible. We are pleased with the compliments, of course."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
