Posts

There is no doubt that the Champions League holds special significance for the Bavarians. Pep Guardiola enjoyed a wildly successful three years at the Allianz Arena, but a trio of failed campaigns for Europe’s biggest prize eventually convinced him that Manchester City and the Premier League would be a better option. In response, Bayern turned to a Champions League specialist in Carlo Ancelotti, who has lifted the trophy three times, and with two different clubs (AC Milan and Real Madrid)....

‘Real will be Ronaldo’s last big club’ Sanches moved to the Bundesliga club from Benfica last summer, having been linked with a host of elite European clubs. A much-vaunted player, Sanches won the Golden Boy award in 2016, and starred at Euro 2016, which Portugal won. However, he has struggled to find his feet at Bayern, making 25 appearances across last season but rarely impressing. Portuguese newspaper Record speculated that Milan could take the 29-year-old on an initial two-year loan deal, featuring the option to buy for €47 million....

The 18-year-old defender made his debut in Bayern’s Bundesliga win at Hannover last weekend and impressed in the 3-0 win. And Bayern announced on Friday that Mai - who joined the club in 2014 - has agreed a three-year contract until 2021. “I am very happy about this great opportunity,” the teenager said. “It has always been my dream to play for Bayern. Now I want to keep working hard to take the next steps in my career....

Boateng, 29, is recognised amongst the world’s elite defenders for his work with the Bavarians and in the Germany national team. Germany 5/1 to retain World Cup Among his career highlights are a World Cup winners medal, a Champions League crown and five consecutive Bundesliga titles with Die Roten. When pressed on his defensive idols, however, Boateng turned to two Spanish stars. “Sergio Ramos is not only one of the best because of his many successes, he also scores important goals offensively,” he told Sport Bild....

It was only after Rivers received assurance from the league that swift and drastic action would be taken that Rivers decided to stay on — and not only stay on, but rally the rest of the organization to maintain its focus. But before Rivers, there was Elgin Baylor. And if Rivers can claim he was blindsided by the behavior and attitude of Sterling — an iffy claim, as Sterling’s history is well known — Baylor certainly can’t, not after 22 years working for Sterling as the vice president for basketball....

Dayton’s Obi Toppin was compelled to enter the NBA Draft, aware he’d be selected in a prominent position, and the Flyers entered a rebuilding season. Kansas center Udoka Azubuike was out of eligibility, and the Jayhawks followed with a fine season, just not extraordinary. Gonzaga All-American Filip Petrusev chose to turn professional in Europe, but the Zags this year were great without him, as they were the year before (Elite Eight), the year before that (Sweet 16) and the year before that (Final Four)....

But that doesn’t worry university officials. On Wednesday, athletic director Whit Babcock announced that Virginia Tech had given Beamer a two-year extension that takes his contract through Jan. 1, 2019. “As I’ve stated numerous times, the only job I desire is right here at Virginia Tech,” Beamer said in a statement. “My passion and commitment have been further energized with the arrivals of President (Tim) Sands and Whit Babcock and the leadership and vision they provide....

Chicago has dealt with heavy rain ahead of the season-opening game, and the new turf at Soldier Field is taking the brunt of it. Several videos taken just hours before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff show several puddles and standing water on the field. One particular video from ESPN’s Michelle Steele shows water standing at least a couple inches: MORE: NFL Week 1 Weather Updates: Rain, wind, heat in forecast could affect fantasy start ’em, sit ’em decisions...

The list of what’s wrong with the Bears in their last three games is horrifyingly long, and the evidence was on full display Sunday night in Lambeau Field during a 55-14 massacre. But the list has a common theme: They’ve got this player, and that player, and the other player … yet they’re 3-6, they look like they’ll never win another game all year, and whoever threw them together needs to be fired....

“Both men did everything we asked of them,” GM Ryan Pace said on the team’s website. “Part of growing as a team is making difficult decisions like the ones we made today.” MORE: From A to D(olphins): Grading every team’s draft Rolle, 33, played only one season in Chicago after signing a three-year, $11.25 million deal last March. “I appreciate the Chicago Bears and the organization for the opportunity,” Rolle tweeted Sunday....

Motor mouth Harry Fabian talks an up beat game, but his life operates by the rules of Murphy’s Law (anything that can go wrong will go wrong). This time, however, he’s sure he’s going to strike gold-as a boxing promoter. There are some big problems with his scheme. His partner, ex-prizefighter Al Grossman (Jack Warden), is the brother of gangster Boom Boom Grossman (Alan King), and Harry’s muscling in on Boom Boom’s turf....

Wildlife and underwater photographer, Dmitry Kokh, visited the remote Kolyuchin Island to find a group of polar bears had claimed it as their own and moved into the abandoned, decaying houses. His photos show how the polar bears have taken residence inside the buildings that were left behind by their former inhabitants around 30 years ago. Kolyuchin Island is located in the middle of Chukchi Sea. It used to be home to a weather station that was built in the 1930s, according to the U....

Dec. 23 | 2 p.m. | ESPN MORE: Bowl matchups/results | College football icons | SN All-Americans The line: East Carolina (-13.5) | Linemakers breakdown of matchup Why watch? The Pirates scored at least 50 points five times. During a five-game winning streak in the second half of the season, they averaged 50.4 points per game. Meanwhile, in a three-game losing streak late in the season for Ohio, the Bobcats scored 5....

He came into the season with high expectations, and he's lived up to those so far. The 5x5 stats are easy to see, but some statistics that are a little harder to find explain his hot hitting. Here's a look at how Abreu and a few others are faring in some other hitting categories. Extra-base hits: Abreu is tied with Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt with eight extra-base hits and 12 runs created....

Why is Beijing so scared of Taiwan’s new president? As head of the erstwhile opposition Democratic Progressive Party, Chen represents a new Taiwan that mainland China hardly understands. Over the decades, Beijing’s leaders knew how to deal with the Kuomintang (KMT), whose leaders fled to Taiwan in 1949. The two enemies agreed on one fundamental point: one China. But Taiwan’s commitment to reunification has faded; the DPP’s platform even calls for the establishment of a Republic of Taiwan, which Beijing finds unacceptable....

Normally, for a company like Calvert to lay off workers isn’t news. But the firm now joins the growing ranks of “socially responsible” capitalists that are struggling to balance their values against the demands of the marketplace. In the past year: Hanna Andersson, a mail-order merchant that prides itself on treating its workers like family, abruptly flied 10 percent of its phone-marketers and cut benefits; the Body Shop, maker of wholesome beauty products, came under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission over its franchising practices; and the ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry’s abandoned its much celebrated pay scale, which limited its CEO salary to seven times that of the folks who scoop ice cream....

The festival is being advertised on social media as a sequel to an April Fools’ Day party that drew thousands of people to one of Brussels’ largest parks, Bois de la Cambre, and ended in clashes with police earlier this month. A group called Abyss for Saturday is leading the new event in the same park. On Tuesday, prosecutors in the city said they had arrested the manager in charge of the party’s Facebook page, and warned residents to stay away from the park due to concerns of violence and rising virus cases, the Associated Press reported....

Founded in 1966 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the movement–formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)–became known largely for proselytizing in airports and for its influence on Beatle George Harrison. Critics called it a cult, and a sex-abuse scandal also cost it both money and members. Using the teachings of 15th-century philosopher Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Hare Krishnas worship by repeatedly chanting God’s name. They believe in simple living and are prohibited from eating meat, gambling, intoxication and sex outside marriage....

To add to the frenzy, it just so happens that the years building up to 2012 mark an unusual astronomical alignment, one so rare it occurs only in 30 out of every 26,000 years. During this period, the Sun will make its annual crossing of the galactic equator–the plane that bisects the Milky Way as it appears in the sky–on the same day as the winter solstice. So what does all this mean?...

Hadid, 24, broke down 15 of her most memorable looks from the last six years in a video with Vogue. Turning the pages of a glossy lookbook, she landed on a photo of herself walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. “So, this is apparently a very iconic red dress moment,” she said of the Alexandre Vauthier backless gown. The dress features a daringly high thigh slit which she explained made her feel “nervous....