Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker expects "exciting times" after Kevin Durant's trade made the rest of the NBA stand up and take notice.

Durant's move to Phoenix represents a big acquisition for new Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who completed his takeover last week and acted swiftly to bring in the 13-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP.

The 34-year-old, joining from the Brooklyn Nets with T.J. Warren, has averaged 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season.

After hitting the courts with Durant – who has been out of action over a month due to a knee injury – Booker hailed the small forward's quality as he lauded the Suns for attracting such talent.

"You can't put it into words, man," Booker said on Tuesday. "It's just all feeling. Looking forward to the post-All-Star break when we actually get the chance to compete with each other.

"I've never got to do that besides the Olympics with Kev, so it's exciting times around here.

"We built something that the league has picked up on. We were probably the laughingstock of the NBA about four or five years ago, and just turning that around to something serious to championship contenders is a quick turnaround for us, so we take a lot of pride in what we've built here.

"People reach out and they're like 'Oh, that's what y'all are on?' Just trying to get it done, man. Just trying to get it done.

"For us to be a destination that Kev wanted to come to is a big sign of that, to show respect for what we've done so far. We still have more to do, but we're moving in the right direction."

Phoenix fell narrowly short in the 2021 Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, losing 4-2, and Booker believes the Suns will soon achieve glory as they assemble their squad.

"One-hundred per cent. We kind of had the same approach with the team before the trade. Once you get a taste of Finals experience and having that under your belt, that's all that you want," he said.

"We have one goal; we know it's not going to be easy to get there, but we feel we have the talent, we have the mindset and everything it takes right here in this gym."

While Durant arrives with a major reputation and experience at the top of the game, Booker does not expect the Suns to have to adjust much to another star player.

"We don't have a hierarchy," he continued. "That's the thing about it. You have Chris Paul, one of the greatest leaders of all time. You have coach Monty [Williams], you have [general manager] James Jones, we have guys that are all on the same plan.

"I think we all have different types of leading styles, which is the great thing about leadership it comes in many different forms. And I think all of our games, and our mindsets, complement each other very well."

Booker sees Durant as "one of the best to ever do it", as he added: "It's just something that you got to be around. To feel when you're around greatness.

"It's just a different look, a different feel – but I'm excited to be a part of it."

The 31-27 Suns sit fourth in the Western Conference and host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson wants the report into the incidents at the Champions League final to represent a "turning point" after "inadequate organisation" by UEFA.

The May 28 European showpiece between Liverpool and Real Madrid was twice delayed before kick-off at the Stade de France, with fans unable to enter the ground and tear-gassed by police.

UEFA initially blamed Liverpool fans attempting entry with "fake tickets" before an independent review, commissioned by European football's governing body, placed the blame at the door of the organisers.

The report released on Monday apportioned "primary responsibility" to UEFA, while also criticising the actions of the French Football Federation and local police authorities.

On Tuesday, Liverpool demanded action from UEFA following what the report described as a "near miss", and Henderson is determined the events of last year must not be repeated.

"The Paris report needs to be a turning point for the treatment of football fans," Henderson wrote on Twitter, sharing Liverpool's response. "No one should have their safety jeopardised by inadequate organisation."

Comparisons were drawn by Liverpool supporters between Paris 2022 and the fatal events at Hillsborough in 1989, which resulted in the death of 97 supporters, with the report concurring that UEFA risked a repeat.

It stated "the parallels between Hillsborough 1989 and Paris 2022 are palpable", with incidents at both stadiums "preventable" and "caused by the failures of those responsible for public safety". 

Liverpool urged UEFA to "fully and transparently" fulfil the report's 21 recommendations, which included putting safety and security at the forefront of planning and having matches managed with a "facilitation and service" approach towards supporters, rather than viewing them as a potential public order problem.

The Premier League club added action must be taken "to ensure there are no more 'near misses'", and Henderson expects to see progress as soon as possible.

"The sooner action is taken, the better," he added.

Belinda Bencic continued her impressive run of form this season with a straight-sets win over Viktoriya Tomova in the opening round of the Qatar Open.

The seventh seed triumphed at the Abu Dhabi Open last week to add to her Adelaide International 2 success from January and is now seeking another title in Doha.

Bencic eased to a 6-0 6-1 win against Bulgarian qualifier Tomova and will face two-time tournament winner Victoria Azarenka for a place in the quarter-finals.

Maria Sakkari also advanced on Tuesday, overcoming Zheng Qinwen 6-2 3-6 6-3, as did fellow seeded player Daria Kasatkina with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win against Rebecca Marino.

Zheng may have suffered an early exit, but last season's WTA Newcomer of the Year produced the shot of the tournament with a winning tweener en route to taking the second set.

Petra Kvitova, another two-time winner in Qatar, defeated Zhang Shuai 7-5 6-2, while Danielle Collins beat Elise Mertens 6-4 7-6 (8-6) and will now face top seed Iga Swiatek.

Second seed Jessica Pegula will take on Jelena Ostapenko, meanwhile, after the Latvian proved too strong for Madison Keys in a 7-5 6-2 victory.

Graham Potter rounded on former players who have questioned his experience and edge as the Chelsea boss insisted he chooses the right moments to show anger.

Former England stars Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole have been among those to speak out about Potter's leadership.

Both expected a more forceful response from the former Brighton and Hove Albion head coach after Chelsea were denied a penalty at the weekend when Conor Gallagher's shot hit the arm of Tomas Soucek in a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Cole said there should have been someone on Potter's staff to "cause a bit of an uproar", while both men suggested Potter missed a chance to lay the blame for a disappointing result at the door of the match officials, thereby taking heat off his struggling team.

Ferdinand suggested the likes of former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, plus Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, would have swiftly jumped at a chance to deflect incoming criticism.

Their verdicts on BT Sport came as Potter gave a reasoned reaction to the broadcaster, saying Chelsea needed such things to go for them, adding there was "nothing to complain about there".

Asked about whether he shows anger and in what circumstance, Potter addressed the matter on the eve of his team's Champions League last-16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.

"Of course I get angry. I'm a human being just like you," he told reporters in Tuesday's press conference. "It's just I choose to conduct myself the way I think is the right way to conduct myself on the side.

"That's not to say we don't all lose our temper, because we do, because it's an emotional thing, but I think I have a responsibility to myself, to Chelsea and the game to act in a way that I think is the right way for me; not for anyone else, for me.

"if you think you can start a coaching career in the ninth tier of English football, in the Northern Counties Division One, and get to this point now with Chelsea in the Champions League without getting angry or being nice, then I would suggest you don't know anything about anything."

Potter said the Dortmund away game on Wednesday would be a "wonderful occasion" and he is "really excited for it".

He also spoke about perceived problems between Mykhaylo Mudryk and Marc Cucurella, with reports claiming new signing Mudryk gave a 'like' on Instagram to a post critical of the Chelsea left-back.

They need to forge an alliance on the flank if Chelsea are to blossom, and Potter looked to defuse the situation, saying: "There's no problem in terms of anything sinister at all.

"If anything, it's just team-mates understanding each other. It's quite a common problem: when to pass and at what point and what time.

"There's no problem, it's more just an understanding challenge, which is quite easy to understand when you recognise the context we're in."

Potter added: "We've got a squad we're really excited about, but we know there are challenges and work you have to do. If all of us started working together we'd have to take some time, understand each other, understand what makes us tick and understand how we can help each other.

"That's the impression I get when I see the boys on a daily basis: good spirit, good harmony. They're pushing each other in a good way."

Potter knows Chelsea's vast spending spree, in the region of £600million since Todd Boehly came in as owner, means they have to perform at a high level.

"Of course there's more pressure and expectation when you spend money," he said.

He spoke of how it was difficult to see any club sweeping to consistent trophy success without major investment, but suggested five per cent might find a formula without lavishing huge sums in the transfer market.

"It's like warfare," Potter said. "Sometimes guerrilla warfare can win. You don't have to have the big guns and the big ammo, but sometimes it helps as well."

Charles Leclerc has high expectations for Ferrari in 2023 despite the difficulties of last year.

Leclerc won two of the first three Formula One races in 2022, but only managed one victory through the remainder of the campaign.

A number of dubious race management calls proved costly for Ferrari, who finished a distant second behind Red Bull in the constructor standings.

Ferrari replaced team principal Mattia Binotto with Frederic Vasseur, who last month outlined the team's title intent.

It is a sentiment echoed by Leclerc, who said: "The goal is to win, clearly. I am really looking forward to getting back in the car and trying to win that championship.

"Last year was a good step forward. We need to do just the same this year and hopefully get that championship.

"That is the target for the team and for me, too – get more wins, hopefully be more consistent from the first race to the last race.

"So far it is intense. You can feel the responsibility. But the most important is to be successful – we have to deliver. The most important is to win and the challenge is in front of us.

"When you are at Ferrari coming from 2022, you can't have another objective than to win.

"I don't want to stay it will be easy because Red Bull and Mercedes will have the same target and only one team and driver will win. But we need to have this kind of target.

"We need to bring the mindset to do a better job tomorrow than today and to be always trying to improve the system."

Leclerc was speaking as Ferrari unveiled their new car for the 2023 season, which starts in Bahrain next month.

Andreas Christensen warned Barcelona must be wary of the "dangerous" Marcus Rashford, hailing Erik ten Hag's work at Manchester United.

Barca host United in the first leg of the Europa League on Thursday as the two European heavyweights battle for a place in the last 16.

Ten Hag's side have won 12 out of 15 games across all competitions since the World Cup break, with a resurgent United inspired by Rashford's superb form.

The 25-year-old has scored 13 times for United since the season restarted and Christensen expects a tough test from the forward at Camp Nou.

"He is in great form at the moment. I like him a lot, I love the way he plays. He is a direct, dangerous, and powerful player," Christensen said in a video posted by Barca's social media channels.

Rashford has netted 21 goals this term and has benefitted from the coaching of Ten Hag.

The Dutchman inherited a struggling squad after Ralf Rangnick failed to transform United in his short spell following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's' dismissal last season.

United sit third in the Premier League and will face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final as the Red Devils search for their first major silverware since the 2016-17 campaign under Jose Mourinho.

"They have great quality and the way they play is good," Christensen said of United. 

"I think Ten Hag will take them to a different level. It will be a tough game, but I think we are in a great moment. Will be a great match."

Barca lead LaLiga by 11 points, with second-placed Real Madrid having played a game fewer, and Christensen urged the Blaugrana to seize the opportunity for success at the end of the season.

"I got here seven months ago, and I think it's been great," the 26-year-old continued. "I think we are on the right track. We want to win another title this season."

Leeds United have confirmed caretaker manager Michael Skubala will remain in charge for their "upcoming fixtures".

The Premier League club have been in search of a new boss since sacking Jesse Marsch last week.

However, after guiding Leeds to a 2-2 draw at Manchester United, before losing 2-0 late on to the same opponents at the weekend, Skubala is to continue in the job for now.

Paco Gallardo and Chris Armas will carry on supporting Skubala, alongside the backroom team already in place at Elland Road.

"I have really enjoyed the experience and the team and staff have responded well," Skubala told Leeds' official website.

“I know I speak for Paco and Chris when I say that it is an honour to be on the touchline at this club.

"We will continue work tirelessly to help to push on up the table in the short term, whilst the board focus on the long term future of the team."

Leeds, who are one point above the relegation zone, take on Everton and Southampton – two of the three sides below them – in their next two games.

The Whites are reported to have failed in their attempts to bring in Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot, of Rayo Vallecano and Feyenoord respectively, as Marsch's successor.

Carlos Corberan was also touted as a candidate to take over prior to signing a new deal with West Brom, while Alfred Schreuder was another contender.

Indeed, Schreuder appeared likely to take over after he was in attendance at Elland Road for the defeat to United on Sunday, but Leeds elected against hiring the former Ajax coach.

Leeds' fellow strugglers Southampton are said to be close to appointing Marsch as their new boss following the sacking of Nathan Jones.

Kylian Mbappe was named among Paris Saint-Germain's substitutes for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg against Bayern Munich.

The France forward was initially ruled out of the match when sustaining a hamstring injury against Montpellier on February 1 that was expected to sideline him for three weeks.

However, after returning to training on Monday, Mbappe was deemed fit enough to start on the bench for PSG at the Parc des Princes for the visit of Bayern.

Since making his PSG debut in 2017, Mbappe has recorded 57 goal contributions (34 goals and 23 assists) in 50 Champions League appearances.

Lionel Messi, who missed Saturday's 3-1 Ligue 1 loss at Monaco, was among the starters for the hosts alongside Neymar and 16-year-old academy graduate Warren Zaire-Emery.

It was a first start in the competition for Zaire-Emery, with his only other appearance coming off the bench in a 7-2 win over Maccabi Haifa in the group stage.

As for Bayern, Thomas Muller dropped to the bench, with Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala providing support for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

January recruits Joao Cancelo and Yann Sommer both started in the French capital.

Todd Monken was on Tuesday appointed as the Baltimore Ravens' new offensive coordinator.

The 57-year-old replaces Greg Roman, who stepped down last month with a year remaining on his contract after coming under increasing pressure.

Monken has 34 years of coaching under his belt and arrives in Baltimore after helping Georgia Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships in his role of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said: "We conducted 21 interviews with 14 candidates throughout a thorough process that had wide-ranging organisational involvement.

"Todd's leadership and coaching acumen were evident from the beginning. He has a proven track record for designing and teaching offensive systems that allow players to succeed at the highest level. We're excited to get to work and begin building an offense that will help us compete for championships."

Monken has spent eight years of his coaching career working in the NFL, most recently leading the Cleveland Browns attack in 2019.

He has also been employed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars and joins a Ravens franchise regrouping after a 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in an AFC Wild Card Game last month.

Edin Terzic has not discussed the future with Jude Bellingham and is focusing on improving the midfielder – along with Borussia Dortmund's latest 'next big thing' in Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.

Bellingham is set to be the most sought-after player in Europe when the transfer window opens at the end of the season.

Liverpool have been widely linked with the England international but are set to face competition from rivals in the Premier League and Champions League.

Dortmund have not given up hope of keeping Bellingham, sporting director Sebastian Kehl said this week, but that is not head coach Terzic's concern.

"He still has a long-term contract with us, and I never spoke about that with him," Terzic told The Telegraph.

"The only thing we talk about is improving his performance and to try to push him to find his limits. The rest – there will always be rumours, especially if you are a young, talented English player not playing in England."

Terzic is not yet sure of that limit – "he can achieve everything if he stays hungry," the coach added – but he is confident Bellingham will not be the last young player to trust Dortmund with his development.

Indeed, Bynoe-Gittens, another English teenager, left Manchester City for Dortmund in 2020 and broke into the BVB first team at the end of last season.

This season, winger Bynoe-Gittens has played just 281 Bundesliga minutes, but he has scored three goals – all as a substitute – and provided five secondary assists in that time.

Dortmund sit just three points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and they come up against Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday.

"We have to produce the next big thing," Terzic said. "It's our way, and you see it started with Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic, who stepped into this role, and then we created our own chain reaction.

"When you are ready to sign Jadon Sancho, he sees that Ousmane Dembele had a great time at the club. Then it makes it a bit easier to sign Erling Haaland.

"If you have Erling, you sign Jude, and if you have Jude, it's easier to sign Jamie."

Terzic is comfortable discussing Bynoe-Gittens in that company, adding of the 18-year-old: "Every time he's on the pitch, he's capable of making the difference, and at 18, it's something special to do that.

"We are sure he's going to be the next one we enjoy on the pitch."

FIFA has awarded the next Club World Cup to Saudi Arabia, it was revealed on Tuesday.

The tournament will be staged in the Middle East country from December 12 to 22 of this year, retaining its current seven-team format.

World football's governing body said the Saudi Arabian Football Federation was "unanimously appointed" to host the event by the FIFA council, which consists of members from all regional confederations.

Saudi Arabia has pushed to be recognised as a nation that stages standout sporting events, and it may bid to stage the 2030 World Cup.

A World Cup proposal from Saudi Arabia in tandem with Egypt and Greece has been mooted in reports, and intentions to bid have confirmed been already from Morocco, a Spain-Portugal-Ukraine alliance, plus a South American offering from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.

FIFA is due to announce the 2030 World Cup hosts next year, with the Club World Cup giving Saudi Arabia a platform on which to showcase its capabilities.

It will feature Champions League winners from across FIFA's confederations, plus the Copa Libertadores champions and the Saudi league title holders. Real Madrid won the most recent edition, beating Al Hilal 5-3 in Sunday's final in Morocco.

Human rights groups have accused Saudi Arabia of using major events as means to 'sportswash' its international reputation, with the country having heavily invested to secure events in sports such as golf and boxing.

There was also strong criticism expressed when it was claimed the Visit Saudi tourism authority was set to be a major sponsor of FIFA's Women's World Cup this year, staged by Australia and New Zealand.

Saudi Arabia has been cited by critics as having poor records in terms of rights for women and the LGBTQ community.

The next men's World Cup, in 2026, sees the United States, Mexico and Canada serve as co-hosts, and FIFA has confirmed all three nations will qualify automatically for the finals, as expected.

FIFA said that was decided "in line with the long-standing tradition of having all hosts competing at the FIFA World Cup, as well as sporting and operational considerations".

It means there will be only three, rather than six, slots available to teams taking part in CONCACAF qualifying for the 48-team finals.

Mikel Arteta hopes to see Arsenal rise to the challenge set for them by Manchester City on Wednesday as they aim to reach the Premier League champions' standard.

Arsenal are three points clear of City at the top of the table heading into their crunch clash at Emirates Stadium.

The match was originally scheduled for October and postponed, meaning this is the first time the top two have faced one another in the league this season, though they did face off in the FA Cup fourth round last month, with City winning 1-0.

City can leapfrog Arsenal with a victory and have a clear advantage in terms of title-winning experience, but manager Arteta sees this as an important hurdle for his players to get over.

"What [City] have done the last six years, they absolutely merit it, they merit it on the pitch, the way they play, the way they have competed, the way they have gone through difficulties," said Arteta, a former City coach who again refused to discuss their alleged breaches of financial regulations.

"For us, the challenge is to get to that level. We need to use that challenge and that energy. This is what we want to be. This is the level and we are heading towards it."

Arteta, who spent much of his pre-match news conference instead discussing Saturday's VAR controversy against Brentford, anticipates motivation being no issue for his side against City.

"There is great energy," he said. "I sensed it since I arrived from after the Brentford game.

"From the staff and everyone at the club, there was a mixture of anger and desire to play the next game. We need to use that."

The Arsenal manager expects a similar attitude from the supporters, adding: "We will play with 15 players. They are so into it for every single ball, giving us energy, support.

"Let's enjoy a beautiful night and a really special day."

Stuart Broad will return when England attempt to keep riding on the crest of a wave at the start of the Test series against New Zealand.

Broad missed a historic 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan to stay at home for the birth of his first child, but Ben Stokes has confirmed the paceman will be back in the team for a first day-night Test that starts at Bay Oval on Thursday.

Olly Stone will miss out as Broad, Anderson and Ollie Robinson have got the nod along with spinner Jack Leach for the pink-ball contest in Mount Maunganui.

Cyclone Gabrielle has affected the preparation for two sides who met in a Test series last year that ended with England celebrating a 3-0 clean sweep. That came at the start of a new era under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.

England have won nine of their 10 Tests since Stokes and McCullum took charge, while New Zealand have failed to win any of their past five series and also have a recently appointed skipper in Tim Southee.

The Black Caps have not lost a home series in the longest format for almost six years, though, and they will be out for revenge over former New Zealand captain McCullum and Christchurch-born Stokes.

Stokes is determined to carry on getting the best out of his team-mates, with an Ashes series at home to Australia on the horizon.

The all-rounder said: "I'm at a stage now where I would much prefer to leave a mark on other people's careers than look to make mine more established.

"I've played a lot of cricket and done some great things with some great teams over the years. Being captain, I've got a real desire to make the best out of the team I've got here and players who will come in in the future.

"That's one of my goals as England captain: to hopefully let some of these guys in the dressing room here just have an amazing career. If I can influence that in any way shape or form, then I'll be happy."

Jamieson blow for Black Caps

New Zealand will have to do without Kyle Jamieson for the two-match series after the paceman suffered a suspected stress fracture of his back.

Left-arm seamer Matt Henry will also be absent for the first Test as he awaits the birth of his first child.

Uncapped duo Jacob Duffy and Scott Kuggeleijn have been called into the squad following the loss of Jamieson and Henry.

Tourists out to end 15-year wait for series win

England have been beaten 1-0 in their past two Test series in New Zealand.

You have to go back to 2008 for the last time they won an away series against the Black Caps in the longest format, when they came from behind to take a 2-1 victory.

Ryan Sidebottom took 7-47 in the first innings of the decider in Napier to set up that win, with McCullum among his victims.