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Haaland’s Life Would Be ‘Boring’ Had He Set Record, Says Guardiola

Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland celebrates scoring the team's fifth goal, his fourth, during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Manchester City and RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 14, 2023. (AFP)
Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland celebrates scoring the team's fifth goal, his fourth, during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Manchester City and RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 14, 2023. (AFP)
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Haaland’s Life Would Be ‘Boring’ Had He Set Record, Says Guardiola

Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland celebrates scoring the team's fifth goal, his fourth, during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Manchester City and RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 14, 2023. (AFP)
Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland celebrates scoring the team's fifth goal, his fourth, during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Manchester City and RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 14, 2023. (AFP)

Erling Haaland virtually wrote his own record book for Manchester City against RB Leipzig on a thrilling night at the Etihad Stadium, but manager Pep Guardiola spoiled what might have been one more.

Haaland scored five goals as City steamrolled their German opponents into submission in a 7-0 rout to put them into the Champions League quarter-finals for the sixth consecutive season before Guardiola substituted him in the 63rd minute.

No player in Champions League history has scored six goals in a game.

"If he achieved this milestone, the record, at 22, will be boring, his life, so now he'll have a target to do it in the future, here and everywhere," Guardiola said. "So that's why I make a substitution."

Haaland became the third player in history to score five goals in a game, matching Luiz Adriano, who achieved the feat in 2014 for Shakhtar Donetsk, and Lionel Messi, in 2012 for Barcelona -- with Guardiola as coach.

"I didn't know with Messi when it was happening against Leverkusen, they told me in the first interview," Guardiola said.

"But I made a substitution (Tuesday) because normally when the game is over, I want to... let them play, as many players as possible.

"Haaland equalled Messi's record, but he did it in 60 minutes, it's different. Who knows if he would have played 90 minutes?"

Haaland was a six-foot-four-inch bulldozer in front of the net all night, narrowly missing several other excellent chances in a victory that secured an 8-1 win on aggregate.

"I told (Guardiola) I would love to score a double hat-trick but what can I do?" said Haaland, who was hauled off minutes after his fifth goal.

Leipzig manager Marco Rose said he knew his team might be in for a stiff challenge against Haaland.

"He had a great night. He was so hungry," Rose said. "He scored goals with the foot and head, won second balls, deep runs. It looked really simple.

"He took the ball from the referee, that tells you it was a special night for him. Congratulations to Erling."

Haaland has 10 goals in the Champions League this season, and 33 in his career, reaching the 30-goal mark in 25 games, the fewest ever. He is also the youngest ever to reach that mark.

Guardiola has won nine major trophies at Manchester City but European success has eluded the Spaniard at the club. The closest they came to winning the Champions League was a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the 2021 final.

How much would it mean to finally lift the trophy this season?

"I have three idols in life: Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Julia Roberts," Guardiola told puzzled reporters.

"Julia Roberts came to England a few years ago in the period when Man United were not good, we were better, and she came to Man United, she didn't come to see us. Even if I win, it cannot make up for Julia Roberts not coming to see us."

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Sports

Nadal Welcomes Unusual Role of Underdog

Spain's Rafael Nadal practices in the lead-up to the 2022 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, January 3, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Spain's Rafael Nadal practices in the lead-up to the 2022 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, January 3, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
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Nadal Welcomes Unusual Role of Underdog

Spain's Rafael Nadal practices in the lead-up to the 2022 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, January 3, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Spain's Rafael Nadal practices in the lead-up to the 2022 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, January 3, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal said on Wednesday he was "excited to be playing in Rome" despite entering the Italian Open unseeded and ranked 305.

"All the matches are tough for me today, difficult and more unpredictable than what they used to be for me, especially on clay," the 37-year-old, 10-time Italian Open winner said.

"I accept that role. I accept that challenge. I'm excited about the way that I can be able to play if I keep working the proper way and my body allows me."

The 22-time Grand Slam singles champion has recently returned to the circuit after a long absence due to injury, AFP reported.

He will open his campaign against Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs with the Spanish icon taking nothing for granted but confident of his current match preparation.

"I'm excited to be playing in Rome. It's a tournament that brings back a lot of unforgettable memories," said Nadal, who turns 38 on June 3.

"But it's day by day. This will be my third week almost in a row on the tour, third tournament almost in a row.

"That hasn't happened for a super long time -- that's good news.

"I need to keep going. I need to keep exploring how I will be able to manage to play every day.

"But I'm happy the way that I feel today."

Nadal is not the only top player with injury issues. Young stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are missing Rome.

"When you push your body to the limit, you get injured," said Nadal.

"When the game is faster and faster and faster, you get injured.

"When you play most of the year on hard courts and the surfaces are tougher for the body, you get injured. That's the simple answer."

But he said that such issues were inevitable.

"It is also about the tournaments, about the business, about the sport."

"At the end the players want to make money. The tournaments want to make money. The cycles come together.

"We accept that role. Things happen."

"You cannot complain about that. You accept what's going on. You keep going. You get injured, you have to recover well.

"They are young (Alcaraz and Sinner), they are going to have plenty of time to play in Rome and have a lot of success here. No drama."

Sports

Olympic Flame Arrives in Marseille Amid Tight Security 

French 19th-century three-masted barque Belem sails in the bay of Marseille, in the Mediterranean Sea, on May 8, 2024, before landing with the Olympic torch, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (AFP)
French 19th-century three-masted barque Belem sails in the bay of Marseille, in the Mediterranean Sea, on May 8, 2024, before landing with the Olympic torch, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (AFP)
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Olympic Flame Arrives in Marseille Amid Tight Security 

French 19th-century three-masted barque Belem sails in the bay of Marseille, in the Mediterranean Sea, on May 8, 2024, before landing with the Olympic torch, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (AFP)
French 19th-century three-masted barque Belem sails in the bay of Marseille, in the Mediterranean Sea, on May 8, 2024, before landing with the Olympic torch, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (AFP)

The Olympic flame reached Marseille, just outside the Old Port, amid tight security on Wednesday, 79 days before the Paris 2024 Games Opening Ceremony.

More than 150,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony after a six-hour parade of the three-masted Belem, which left Greece on April 27 with the flame after it was lit in Ancient Olympia 11 days earlier.

The ship was awaited by 1,024 boats.

Around 6,000 law enforcement officers are securing the area before Florent Manaudou, France's 2012 Olympic men's 50 meters freestyle swimming champion, brings the flame to land shortly after 1730 GMT in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron.

Police canine units and elite forces snipers have also been deployed.

"It's an unprecedented level of security," Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said. "Life goes on in Marseille but in great security conditions.

"We conceived this event as a ceremony, the fifth of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics (on top of the opening and closing ceremonies," said Paris 2024 executive director Thierry Reboul who is in charge of ceremonies.

"Marseille is the ideal spot to create memories."

"It was the obvious choice," Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, said of Marseille, which was founded around 600 BC by Greek settlers from Phocea.

That will be followed by a free rap concert on a floating stage in front of 45,000 spectators.

"It's a huge honor and I think it's an exceptional promotion for the city," retiree and boat owner Henri Gerente, told Reuters.

"It will be watched by hundreds of millions of people, so I am very proud and I hope that everyone will participate in this momentum. It can only be a good thing for the economy and for everything else, for the image of the city. So I'm proud of it."

On Wednesday morning, the tranquility of the gentle breeze was matched only by the glittering of the Mediterranean Sea in the background of the Old Port, making for an ideal day in France's oldest city.

The relay will start on Thursday with former Olympique de Marseille soccer players Jean-Pierre Papin, Didier Drogba and Basile Boli, as well as three-star chef Alexandre Mazzia among the torch bearers.

More than 10,000 people will take part in the torch relay before the flame reaches Paris and is installed near the Louvre, in the Jardin des Tuileries.

The Olympic Opening Ceremony will take place on the River Seine on July 26.

Sports

Kylian Mbappe Trudges off After Another Champions League Dream with PSG Ends 

Football - Champions League - Semifinal - Second Leg - Paris St Germain v Borussia Dortmund - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - May 7, 2024 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe looks dejected after the match. (Reuters) 
Football - Champions League - Semifinal - Second Leg - Paris St Germain v Borussia Dortmund - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - May 7, 2024 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe looks dejected after the match. (Reuters) 
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Kylian Mbappe Trudges off After Another Champions League Dream with PSG Ends 

Football - Champions League - Semifinal - Second Leg - Paris St Germain v Borussia Dortmund - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - May 7, 2024 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe looks dejected after the match. (Reuters) 
Football - Champions League - Semifinal - Second Leg - Paris St Germain v Borussia Dortmund - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - May 7, 2024 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe looks dejected after the match. (Reuters) 

Kylian Mbappe leaned forward with his head bowed and hands on his thighs.

Another Champions League dream with Paris Saint-Germain was over, ruined by the ruthless efficiency of a Borussia Dortmund team that stopped him scoring in both legs of their Champions League semifinal and recorded a 1-0 win in each.

“We always want to win at PSG, we feel sad,” Mbappe said after Tuesday's defeat. “We should have scored. We had the chances to score (and) when you don't, when you're not efficient at both ends, it's difficult to go through.”

PSG coach Luis Enrique consoled Mbappe, and then his star striker trudged off the field and toward a new destination next season.

Mbappe didn't address questions about his future. Most observers expect his next club to be Real Madrid, which leads PSG 14-0 in European Cup trophies and could add a 15th should it get past Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the other semifinal.

Madrid has tried to lure Mbappe before.

In 2021, PSG turned down a bid of 180 million euros ($194 million) from Madrid for the 2018 World Cup-winning forward, who went on to sign a new contract with PSG — on which he didn't take up the option for an extra year. Earlier this year he told PSG he's leaving at the end of the season.

Seven years ago, he joined amid huge hype as the best young player in France and maybe the world.

PSG paid a fee of 170 million euros ($183 million) when Mbappe joined from Monaco in the summer of 2017 along with Neymar, who cost a world record 222 million ($239 million).

Others once on the list of PSG stars included Zlatan Ibrahimovic (156 goals for the club), Edinson Cavani (200 goals for PSG) and Lionel Messi (the men's record eighth-time Ballon d'Or winner).

None could win the Champions League with PSG, despite huge investment and massive wages.

Mbappe had starred for Monaco as an 18-year-old sensation when it reached the semifinals of the Champions League — knocking out Dortmund along the way with three goals in the quarterfinals.

He accepted his share of the blame for not being able to reproduce his magic in front of goal, seven years later, as a global superstar with 46 goals for France and the scorer of a hat-trick in a men's World Cup final to become the tournament's top scorer two years ago.

“I tried to help my team the best I could. It wasn’t enough. When you’re talking about efficiency at both ends, I think I’m the first in question,” the 25-year-old said. “I’m the one who should score the goals and make the difference. I have no problem with that, the first person who should have scored tonight is me.”

Sports

Football, the World’s Most Popular Sport Has Its Own Day for Fans to Celebrate — May 25 

Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores - Group H - Nacional v River Plate - Gran Parque Central, Montevideo, Uruguay - May 7, 2024 Nacional fans are seen in the stands before the match. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores - Group H - Nacional v River Plate - Gran Parque Central, Montevideo, Uruguay - May 7, 2024 Nacional fans are seen in the stands before the match. (Reuters)
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Football, the World’s Most Popular Sport Has Its Own Day for Fans to Celebrate — May 25 

Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores - Group H - Nacional v River Plate - Gran Parque Central, Montevideo, Uruguay - May 7, 2024 Nacional fans are seen in the stands before the match. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores - Group H - Nacional v River Plate - Gran Parque Central, Montevideo, Uruguay - May 7, 2024 Nacional fans are seen in the stands before the match. (Reuters)

Soccer fans around the world will now have a day to celebrate the world's most popular sport every year – May 25.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution Tuesday proclaiming May 25 as World Football Day. The sport is called football outside of the United States.

The day marks the 100th anniversary of the first international soccer tournament in history with the representation of all regions which took place on May 25, 1924 during the summer Olympic games held in Paris, according to the resolution.

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus with a bang of the gavel by its president, Dennis Francis, to applause from diplomats in the assembly chamber. It was co-sponsored by more than 160 countries.

Libya’s UN Ambassador Taher El-Sonni, who introduced the resolution, told the assembly, “Football or soccer as others call it is the number one game played and followed around the globe.”

But he stressed that soccer is more than just a game played by all ages on streets, in villages, schools and courtyards for fun and in competitions.

Because of its “unparalleled position” in the world of sports, El-Sonni said, “football serves as a universal language spoken across the globe, cutting across national, cultural and socio-economic barriers.”

He said the game has become “a pivotal platform” championing gender equality and social inclusion, “a common ground where individuals from varying backgrounds converge, promoting mutual understanding, tolerance, respect and solidarity.”

The resolution acknowledges “the global reach of football and its impact in various spheres, including commerce, peace and diplomacy, and recognizing that football creates a space for cooperation.”

It also recognizes “the fundamental role” of soccer’s international governing body, FIFA, and the important role of regional and national soccer federations, as well as relevant associations, in promoting the game.

The resolution encourages all countries to support football and other sports as a tool to promote peace, development and the empowerment of women and girls. And it also encourages countries to adopt policies and programs to promote football and other sports and physical activities.

On May 25, the resolution “invites” all nations, UN bodies, international organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector to observe World Football Day in line with national priorities “and to disseminate the advantages of football for all, including through educational and public awareness-raising activities.”

Sports

Thiago Silva to Return to Brazilian Club Fluminense after Leaving Chelsea at End of the Season

Football - Premier League - Chelsea v West Ham United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 5, 2024 Chelsea's Thiago Silva after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Chelsea v West Ham United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 5, 2024 Chelsea's Thiago Silva after the match. (Reuters)
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Thiago Silva to Return to Brazilian Club Fluminense after Leaving Chelsea at End of the Season

Football - Premier League - Chelsea v West Ham United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 5, 2024 Chelsea's Thiago Silva after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Chelsea v West Ham United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 5, 2024 Chelsea's Thiago Silva after the match. (Reuters)

Veteran defender Thiago Silva will return to Brazilian club Fluminense after leaving Chelsea at the end of the season.

The 39-year-old Silva said last week he was not extending his contract with Chelsea and Fluminense announced Tuesday that the center back is joining on a free transfer.

The defending Copa Libertadores champion posted a picture of Silva wearing a Fluminense shirt on social media with the text: “The monster is back.”

Silva played for Fluminense between 2006 and 2008. He left for AC Milan in 2009, and three years later joined Paris Saint-German. The Brazilian joined Chelsea in 2020 and won the Champions League the following year.

The defender was in Brazil’s squad for the last four World Cups. He also won the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2019 Copa América with the national team.

Silva is expected to join Fluminense once Brazil’s transfer window reopens in July.

Sports

Lando Norris Win Shows McLaren Is Ready to Return to Global Motorsports Prominence 

McLaren's British driver Lando Norris celebrates with his trophy on the podium after winning the 2024 Miami Formula One Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, on May 5, 2024. (AFP)
McLaren's British driver Lando Norris celebrates with his trophy on the podium after winning the 2024 Miami Formula One Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, on May 5, 2024. (AFP)
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Lando Norris Win Shows McLaren Is Ready to Return to Global Motorsports Prominence 

McLaren's British driver Lando Norris celebrates with his trophy on the podium after winning the 2024 Miami Formula One Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, on May 5, 2024. (AFP)
McLaren's British driver Lando Norris celebrates with his trophy on the podium after winning the 2024 Miami Formula One Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, on May 5, 2024. (AFP)

Lando Norris says the online trolling never really bothered him as he went winless through his first five Formula 1 seasons, even when it got worse as one of the breakout stars for fans introduced to the sport through Netflix.

It was a long wait as Team McLaren got its program together and prepared cars capable of competing with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. Norris passed the time doom scrolling social media, searching for motivation from his haters.

His moment came Sunday in his 110th career start when he earned his first victory by beating three-time reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen at the Miami Grand Prix. Verstappen had won the first two races at Miami and Saturday's sprint race before he hit a cone early Sunday to give Norris his opportunity.

"I never didn't believe in what I could go out and do, so I am happy to put that to bed and prove a lot of these people wrong," Norris said. "I go on Instagram and I like all the comments of people abusing me. I freaking love it. It makes me smile more than anything, especially 'Lando No-Wins'." That's become the thing.

"For me to finally prove those people wrong and prove to people that didn't think I could go out and do it, it's put an even bigger smile on my face. So I thank all of them."

He turned up at the post-race news conference in a champagne-drenched firesuit. Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton led the congratulatory hugs for Norris, and Verstappen and along with third-place finisher Charles Leclerc.

He had closed his eyes and turned his smiling face to the sky as "God Save the King" was played, and he cradled the winning trophy as if it was an infant. He crowd-surfed with his McLaren crew and when he saw boss Zak Brown headed his way, warned "Don't break my ribs," in anticipation of the bearhug.

McLaren needed this win, its first since 2022 (Daniel Ricciardo, and it came on a weekend in which the team introduced massive upgrades it was certain would make its cars more competitive. The 24-year-old Norris said he arrived Sunday believing he'd win.

Norris had promised his ailing grandmother last week that a victory was on the horizon but allowed "I didn't think it would be coming this soon."

McLaren this year now has scored wins in F1, Formula E and IndyCar, where Pato O'Ward last week was declared the winner of the season-opening race because Josef Newgarden was disqualified.

The next three IndyCar weekends are spent at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the buildup to the May 26 Indianapolis 500. McLaren has to be feeling some pressure after a winless 2023 season and somewhat disastrous Indy 500.

The McLaren organization is intertwined — the IndyCar drivers were on social media celebrating Norris as soon as he crossed the finish line — and the F1 victory is a boost at the perfect time of the season. McLaren is also going to Indy with NASCAR superstar Kyle Larson, who will become the fifth driver in history to attempt to complete 1,100 miles of racing in one day in the Indy 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600.

The hype surrounding Larson's attempt at "The Double" has helped McLaren return to its status as one of the most recognizable brands in motorsports.

It is all vindication for Brown, an American who started his motorsports career in a marketing role in Indianapolis and now runs one of the largest racing brands on the planet.

Brown likes to stir the pot and ensure drama remains at the front of almost every race weekend, and he was at it again in Miami when he took a shot at Red Bull by implying famed car designer Adrian Newey was leaving the team because of the fallout from an investigation into improper conduct by team principal Christian Horner.

Brown went so far as to say Newey was probably just the first to head for the exit door, an assumption he was making based on "all the resumes" flying around the paddock.

He doesn't let up in IndyCar, either, and rival team owner Chip Ganassi and Brown are not friendly. Brown signed Ganassi driver Alex Palou for 2023 and the two teams used a mediator to battle over the two-time IndyCar champion. It was decided Palou would join McLaren in 2024, but Palou balked last August and is now being sued by McLaren for more than $30 million.

McLaren last week fired David Malukas before he even made an IndyCar start for the team over injuries he suffered in a mountain bike crash ahead of the season, angering Malukas' millennial fanbase. That followed the unpopular team dismissals of James Hinchcliffe and Oliver Askew, both done after McLaren entered the series with controlling interest of an existing team.

Brown unapologetically chases free agents with little regard to how many seats he actually has open. That's partly how this Palou mess began — when Palou looked at the F1 landscape, he realized Norris wasn't going anywhere and McLaren would likely never have a seat for him in the series.

If he was going to stay in IndyCar, then Palou figured he'd stay with the team that helped him to two championships rather than move to winless, revolving-door McLaren. While the decision might ultimately have been the right one for Palou, Brown is digging McLaren out of a decade-long slump and the Norris win has the entire organization feeling unbeatable.

Sports

Ten Hag Out of Time at Man United, Former Players Say 

Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park in south London on May 6, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park in south London on May 6, 2024. (AFP)
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Ten Hag Out of Time at Man United, Former Players Say 

Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park in south London on May 6, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park in south London on May 6, 2024. (AFP)

Erik ten Hag has run out of time at Manchester United and is unlikely to be given another year at the helm, former United players said in the wake of Monday's 4-0 Premier League loss at Crystal Palace.

United's record 13th league defeat of the campaign left them eighth and facing the prospect of having no European football next season. They have conceded 81 goals in all competitions, their worst showing since the 1976-77 season.

"Tonight felt like the final nail in the coffin," ex-United midfielder Paul Scholes told Premier League Productions.

"There was a lack of know-how from the team, a lack of effort which is the big disappointing thing.

"I've felt he might get another year and work for a club that has calmed down a little bit by the new owners, but it just doesn't feel like it now. It's quite plain to see it feels like borrowed time."

Michael Owen, who played for United from 2009-12, said the club's board should cut their losses and sack Ten Hag before the end of the season, with an FA Cup final against Manchester City still to play for.

"He cannot, simply cannot, manage the team next season," Owen said.

"I just wonder, there's just so much at stake, even if it's only for four games, I wonder whether the board might just have to try to do something here and now and be quite radical about it."

United have three league games left, hosting leaders Arsenal and sixth-placed Newcastle United in their next two matches before winding up the campaign at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Ex-United defender Ashley Young said the club might fail to win any of their remaining games.

"It's shambolic, everything about United's defending was crazy," he told Sky Sports.

"If United put on displays like they have shown tonight, they will miss out."

Sports

Van Dijk Wants to Be Part of Liverpool Transition After Klopp Leaves 

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk greet supporters following the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Liverpool in London, Britain, 27 April 2024. (EPA)
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk greet supporters following the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Liverpool in London, Britain, 27 April 2024. (EPA)
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Van Dijk Wants to Be Part of Liverpool Transition After Klopp Leaves 

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk greet supporters following the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Liverpool in London, Britain, 27 April 2024. (EPA)
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk greet supporters following the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Liverpool in London, Britain, 27 April 2024. (EPA)

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said he is happy at the Premier League club and wants to be part of the transition once manager Juergen Klopp departs.

The 32-year-old's contract runs out at the end of the 2024-25 season, with British media reporting that the Dutch international is a target for Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

After Klopp announced his departure in January, Van Dijk said he was unsure about his future, but the defender now looks set to remain at the club, who are expected to name Arne Slot as their next manager.

"The focus is now on the last two games and then the club will focus on who the new manager is and there will be a big transition and I am part of that," Van Dijk told British media.

"There is nothing for me to discuss (regarding my future) because there is no news. Like I said, I am very happy here, I love the club and you can see that as well. It's a big part of my life already.

"There will be a lot of changes happening and I wouldn't say scary is the right word, but it is quite interesting and exciting what will happen now. So let's see."

Liverpool, who are third with 78 points from 36 matches, next travel to Aston Villa on Monday before hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers in their final league game of the season.

Sports

From Marseille to Mont-Blanc: What to Know about the Journey of the Olympic Torch to Paris 

An aerial view of Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France, March 20, 2011. (AP)
An aerial view of Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France, March 20, 2011. (AP)
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From Marseille to Mont-Blanc: What to Know about the Journey of the Olympic Torch to Paris 

An aerial view of Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France, March 20, 2011. (AP)
An aerial view of Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France, March 20, 2011. (AP)

The Olympic torch will finally enter France when it reaches the southern seaport of Marseille on Wednesday. And it's already been quite a journey.

After being lit by the sun’s rays on April 16 in Ancient Olympia, the torch was carried around Greece before leaving Athens aboard a three-mast ship named Belem, headed for Marseille.

The Belem was first used in 1896, the same year the modern Olympics came back. It will be accompanied by more than 1,000 boats as it parades around the Bay of Marseille, before arriving at the Vieux-Port, or Old Port, and docking on a pontoon resembling an athletics tracks.

Torch bearers will carry the flame across Marseille the next day, the last stretch running on the roof of the famed Stade Vélodrome, home to Marseille's passionate soccer fans.

After leaving Marseille, a vast relay route will be undertaken before the torch odyssey ends on July 27 in Paris.

Here’s a look at where the torch goes before reaching Paris:

MONT-SAINT-MICHEL The torch is due to reach the famed and visually stunning site of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy on May 31.

Located in an area of raised land surrounded by water, the island fortress looks like it was created for a Game of Thrones film set. But it's real, and very old.

So old that it already existed during the Hundred Years' War between England and France, from 1337 to 1453. An English attack was even fended off. Later it became a prison, and in 1979 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Every year swarms of tourists are in awe of its raw and haunting beauty.

ACROSS THE OCEANS The torch travel route is even more unique considering it takes a detour through France’s overseas territories called the Relais des Océans, or Ocean Relay. Riding the waves of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean, it will be in French Guiana on June 9 before hitting New Caledonia on June 11.

Next is the island of Réunion at Saint-Denis — coincidentally the same name as the Paris suburb with the Olympic village — before reaching Papeete in the surfing realm of Tahiti, then Baie-Mahault in Gaudeloupe and finally Fort-de-France in Martinique.

The torch comes back to France on June 18 in the southern city of Nice.

FROM SEA BREEZE TO HEAVY CHEESE Just five days after landing on French shores, the torch heads up the Alpine mountain pass of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc for Olympic Day on June 23.

The Haute-Savoie region is known for its outstanding Chamonix ski resort, which hosts World Cup races, for sweeping views across glacier fields to nearby Italy, and — some would say more importantly — as a producer of fine cheese.

A Cheese Olympics, should it be invented, would feature a sturdy crew of eight competitors from Savoie: Abondance, Beaufort, Chevrotin, Emmental, Reblochon, Tome, Tomme and the heavy-duty Raclette.

HEADING FOR PARIS After leaving fromage-friendly Savoie, torch bearers will digest in the Doubs region of eastern France, and then visit the Alsace city of Strasbourg in the northeast.

Three days later the torch will reach Verdun, the site of one of the most horrific battles of World War I. From February to December 1916, more than 700,000 French and German soldiers were killed or wounded at the Battle of Verdun.

BASTILLE DAY ARRIVAL The torch is to arrive on the streets of Paris on July 14 — hardly surprising, considering it's Bastille Day, France’s national day.

The torch will stay the following day in Paris, then exit again before snaking back to the French capital via Versailles — home to the resplendent Royal Palace — and the suburbs of Nanterre on July 24 and Seine Saint-Denis on July 25.

From there, it's to travel a very short distance back to Paris on July 26, the eve of the grandiose opening ceremony where athletes will parade on more than 80 boats at sunset on the Seine River.

FINAL DESTINATION? After the nearly four-hour ceremony ends shortly after 11 p.m., the cauldron will be lit at a location that is being kept top-secret until the day itself. Among reported options are such iconic spots as the Eiffel Tower and the Tuileries Gardens outside the Louvre Museum.

FLAME PROTECTION A total of 10,000 people will carry the torch along its route. Local police forces on each section of the relay will help to ensure security is high, providing a security bubble around the torch and its carrier.

ECO-FRIENDLY The torches have a lower environmental impact than those used at previous Games. They burn biogas instead of propane and are recharged when fuel runs out.

Around 2,000 torches will be used compared to more than 10,000 before, according to Georgina Grenon, the director of environmental excellence at Paris 2024. The torches are made with recycled steel and not new aluminum.

Sports

Team by Team Review of the F1 Miami Grand Prix

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers into a turn during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers into a turn during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
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Team by Team Review of the F1 Miami Grand Prix

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers into a turn during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers into a turn during the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)

Team by team review of Sunday's Miami Formula One Grand Prix, round six of the 24-race season (listed in current championship order):

RED BULL (Max Verstappen 2, Sergio Perez 4)

Verstappen was beaten, in a race he finished, for the first time since Singapore last September. The triple champion, who started on pole and won Saturday's 100km sprint, stretched his lead over Perez to 33 points. Red Bull said he ended the race with a damaged car, possibly due to hitting a bollard. Perez almost took out Verstappen at the start, when he misjudged the first corner and careered across the track. He moved up to fourth post-race when Sainz collected a five second penalty.

FERRARI (Charles Leclerc 3, Carlos Sainz 5)

Leclerc, who started second on the grid, took his third podium in six races. The Monegasque struggled with rear grip early on, with Sainz itching to get past, and pitted on lap 19 from third, coming back out in seventh before moving back up. Sainz started third and pitted a lap before the safety car and was summoned to stewards after the race for a clash with McLaren's Piastri, dropping from fourth to fifth.

MCLAREN (Lando Norris 1, Oscar Piastri 13)

Norris celebrated his first F1 win in his 110th race, cashing in when the safety car was deployed on lap 28 before he had pitted, giving him a cheap stop. The Briton was able to pit from the lead and stay ahead of Verstappen before pulling away. He is the 114th F1 driver since 1950 to win a race. Piastri set fastest lap but without a bonus point. He dropped to last after pitting for a new front wing following a clash with Sainz. The win was McLaren's first since Monza 2021 and 184th in total.

MERCEDES (Lewis Hamilton 6, George Russell 8)

Russell started seventh on medium tires and Hamilton eighth on hards. Russell dropped to 10th at the start and struggled for pace on the hard tire later on. Both drivers were jumped by Tsunoda who pitted during the safety car period, but Hamilton took the place back and ran Perez close at the end.

ASTON MARTIN (Fernando Alonso 9, Lance Stroll 17)

Alonso pitted for medium tires on lap 23 when the virtual safety car was deployed after Verstappen hit a bollard and left it on the track in a dangerous position. The Spaniard passed Alpine's Ocon for ninth on lap 48. Stroll pitted before the safety car was deployed, compromising his strategy. He was then penalized 10 seconds for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in a battle with Williams' Alex Albon.

RB (Yuki Tsunoda 7, Daniel Ricciardo 15)

Tsunoda did a long first stint and added to RB's haul after Ricciardo finished fourth in Saturday's sprint, the first points of the Australian's season. Ricciardo started last on the grid after qualifying 18th with a three-place penalty from China.

HAAS (Nico Hulkenberg 11, Kevin Magnussen 18)

Magnussen collected two more time penalties totaling 30 seconds, one for entering the pits during a safety car period and not changing tires and the other for causing the collision with Sargeant that triggered the safety car. The Dane was also handed two penalty points, taking his 12-month tally to 10 and leaving him only two from a race ban. Hulkenberg overtook Hamilton on lap two but was passed again on lap 10.

ALPINE (Esteban Ocon 10, Pierre Gasly 12)

Ocon scored Renault-owned Alpine's first point of the campaign, starting from 13th on medium tires and pitting on lap 22 for hards. Gasly started 12th and pitted on lap 12. The Alpine pair went wheel to wheel early on.

WILLIAMS (Alex Albon 19, Logan Sargeant retired)

Sargeant crashed backwards into the barrier after contact with Magnussen, who was trying to overtake, and became the race's only retirement. Albon picked up floor damage as he defended on older tires than rivals had, running off in the closing laps. He was the first to pit on lap 10.

SAUBER (Zhou Guanyu 14, Valtteri Bottas 16)

Still no points for the Swiss-based team, who mixed up their strategies with Bottas switching from softs to hards on lap 11 and then mediums on lap 29. Zhou did one stop on lap 28 with mediums to softs.