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In the world of football, Kylian Mbappe has conveyed his intention to Paris Saint-Germain to leave the French champions at the end of the season after his current contract runs out. Read below to learn details about these top stories and other happenings in the sporting world in the last 24 hours.
Football
Kylian Mbappe tells Paris Saint-Germain about his intention to leave the club at the end of season
In one of the major footballing news, Kylian Mbappe, the Paris Saint-Germain forward, has conveyed his intention to the French champions to leave them at the end of the season. The current contract for the 25-year-old with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire in the upcoming summer, and he is heavily linked to finally joining Real Madrid after they chased him for years.
Callum Wilson undergoes chest surgery; could miss remaining of the season
The Newcastle striker Callum Wilson has undergone chest surgery, and he could miss the rest of the season. The 31-year-old had sustained a pectoral muscle injury during the 3-2 win for Newcastle against Nottingham Forest, and in the aftermath of his surgery, the manager Eddie Howe said, “It is no doubt a big blow for him. It's been a stop-start season for him. We hope he's back before the end of the season.”
Bayern Munich “increasingly likely” to part ways with manager Thomas Tuchel: Reports
Bayern Munich are reportedly “increasingly likely” to part ways with their current first-team manager Thomas Tuchel in the upcoming summer after they lost convincingly to their Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen away from home, conceding a five-point lead in the process. According to the Times, Bayern Munich are set to rival Liverpool in their bid to appoint one of the top managers in Europe in Xabi Alonso, who coincidentally manages Bayer Leverkusen.
Arsenal target Pedro Neto expected to cost £60m: Reports
Arsenal are reportedly targeting a move for Wolves forward Pedro Neto, who could cost them £60m, which will be a club-record fee for the West Midlands club, according to The Standard. The 23-year-old has been one of the top performers for Wolves in the ongoing season, which has led to interest being shown in him by the Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool.
Some major results in football are as under:
UEFA Europa League 2023-24
- Feyenoord 1-1 Roma
- Shakhtar Donetsk 2-2 Marseille
- Benfica 2-1 Toulouse
- AC Milan 3-0 Rennes
UEFA Europa Conference League 2023-24
- Olympiakos 1-0 Ferencvarosi FC
- Union Saint-Gilloise 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
- Ajax 2-2 FC Bodø/Glimt
- Real Betis 0-1 Dinamo Zagreb
Saudi Pro League 2023-24
- Al-Khaleej 0-2 Al-Ettifaq
Victoria Azarenka does Marcus Rashford celebration after beating Jelena Ostapenko in Qatar Open R16
Belarusian tennis star Victoria Azarenka performed Manchester United star Marcus Rashford’s celebration after which Latvian star Jelena Ostapenko offered a racket tap. The incident occurred at the Qatar Open where Azarenka defeated Ostapenkpo 6-0, 6-3 in the Round of 16 on Thursday, February 15. Azarenka recorded just 20 unforced errors as compared to her counterpart’s 49 and extended her record against Ostapenko to 5-0. Following her win, the 34-year-old performed the football star’s trademark victory celebration ‘mentality’.
Indian women’s badminton team secures Badminton Asia Team C’ships SF berth, assures historic medal
The Indian women’s badminton team secured its spot in the semifinal round of the Badminton Asia Team C’ships on February 16, Friday. Indian shuttlers defeated Hong Kong 3-0 to make it to the next round of the tournament. The team feature stars like Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, Ashmita Chaliha, and the doubles pair of Ashwini Ponappa and Tanisha Crasto. Sindhu registered a 21-7, 16-21, 21-12 win over Lo Sin Yan Happy and led the side to a 1-0 win. The lead was extended by the doubles pair of Ponappa and Tanisha, following which Ashmita wrapped up the match with a 21-12, 21-13 win over Yeung Sum Yee.
I wouldn't consider him a friend, but someone familiar: Rafael Nadal on Roger Federer
Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal said that he doesn’t consider 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer as his friend. However, he said, he considers him as someone familiar, whom he shares a great bond with. Nadal said, "We have shared most of our careers. We have helped each other. We have also taken away a lot. We have achieved a level of self-demand that is difficult to repeat because we knew that we could not fail. That competition pushed us to the limit." Commenting on the bond he shares with Federer, Nadal said, "I wouldn't consider him a friend, but someone familiar, with whom I have a great relationship."
He is flanked by a hyperattentive mother: Tennis journalist on Holger Rune’s career slump
Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim gave his opinion on Holger Rune’s career slump while commenting on changing several coaches in the last few months. In his column, Wertheim wrote, "No player enters the year intending to make wholesale changes a few weeks in. This camp could use an organizational psychologist to sort out roles, logistics, and workplace dynamics... I see a talented player making his way. This is not a critique, but he is flanked by a hyperattentive mother who is not exactly the Danish equivalent of a shrinking violet."
Naomi Osaka bows out from Qatar Open 2024, Karolina Pliskova secures SF berth
Naomi Osaka bowed out of Qatar Open 2024 as she was defeated by Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5). This was Pliskova’s second win over Osaka after she defeated the Japanese player at the Brisbane International in January. She arrived in Doha after clinching her 17th career title in Cluj Napoca. In the semifinal clash, she will lock horns with the world no. 1 Iga Swiatek, who registered a win in the final nine games of her quarterfinal clash with Victoria Azarenka.
