Paris Olympic Organizing Head Says Budget ‘Under Control’ a Year Ahead of 2024 Games 

Paris 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet speaks during a press conference at the headquarters of Paris 2024 in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. (AP)
Paris 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet speaks during a press conference at the headquarters of Paris 2024 in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. (AP)
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Paris Olympic Organizing Head Says Budget ‘Under Control’ a Year Ahead of 2024 Games 

Paris 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet speaks during a press conference at the headquarters of Paris 2024 in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. (AP)
Paris 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet speaks during a press conference at the headquarters of Paris 2024 in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. (AP)

The operating budget for the Paris Olympics is “under control,” the president of the organizing committee said Tuesday.

With one year to go before the opening ceremony, organizing committee president Tony Estanguet said partnership deals are on track, with 22 new sponsors joining since the start of the year.

“Just recently, we passed the 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) mark in secured revenue from our partners,” Estanguet said. “This is unprecedented. It’s obviously the first time that a sporting event in France has raised so much money from companies and partnerships.”

Estanguet said the money in investment does not include “a new premium partner with whom we’re in talks.”

Paris organizers are still negotiating a partnership contract for the 2024 Games with luxury group LVMH.

The organizing committee, known as COJO, has an operating budget of about 4.4 billion euros ($4.5 billion).

Estanguet insisted that 96% of the budget is funded by the private sector, including the IOC, partner companies, as well as the ticketing office and licensing. He added that organizers aim to secure 92% of the budget by the end of the year.

“We continue with enthusiasm and serenity in a bid to achieve this goal,” Estanguet said, adding that ticket sales have also been successful, with 6.8 million tickets already sold.

The overall budget for the Paris Olympics, including the cost of building and renovating venues, is about 8 billion euros ($8.2 billion).



Amorim Says Future ‘Hasn’t Been Decided’ as Man United Shows Interest in Sporting Lisbon Coach

 Sporting's coach Ruben Amorim attends a training session on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against SK Sturm Graz at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy in Alcochete, outskirts of Lisbon, on September 21, 2024. (AFP)
Sporting's coach Ruben Amorim attends a training session on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against SK Sturm Graz at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy in Alcochete, outskirts of Lisbon, on September 21, 2024. (AFP)
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Amorim Says Future ‘Hasn’t Been Decided’ as Man United Shows Interest in Sporting Lisbon Coach

 Sporting's coach Ruben Amorim attends a training session on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against SK Sturm Graz at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy in Alcochete, outskirts of Lisbon, on September 21, 2024. (AFP)
Sporting's coach Ruben Amorim attends a training session on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against SK Sturm Graz at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy in Alcochete, outskirts of Lisbon, on September 21, 2024. (AFP)

Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim said Tuesday his future "hasn’t been decided yet" amid interest from Manchester United.

"Nobody knows if this was my farewell match, or if there will be a farewell match," Amorim said in quotes reported by Portugal’s sports daily A Bola after Sporting’s 3-1 win over Nacional in the Portuguese League Cup quarterfinals.

Hours earlier, Sporting released a statement to the Lisbon Stock Exchange, saying it has told United that Amorim has a release clause worth 10 million euros ($10.8 million) in his contract.

The Portuguese champions said United "has shown interest" in paying that amount for Amorim.

United is looking to replace Erik ten Hag, who was fired on Monday with the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.

Ten Hag was the 20-time English champions' fifth permanent manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. United hasn't won the league since Ferguson's departure.

The 39-year-old Amorim has coached Sporting since 2020, leading the team to Portuguese league titles in 2021 and last season.

Sporting leads the league this season, too, having won all nine of its games, bolstering Amorim's reputation as one of Europe's most talented coaches.

"We have to wait a little bit more to explain everything I need to explain. It will be very clear," he said.

Amorim said he expects to still be in Lisbon on Sunday, when United hosts Chelsea in the Premier League, but when pressed he laughed and said: "I don't know."

He reportedly held talks with West Ham last season and was linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool before Arne Slot was hired.

Amorim is a former Portugal midfielder who spent the majority of his club career at Benfica.

His contract at Sporting expires in 2026.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked earlier Tuesday if he thought Amorim has what it takes to succeed in the Premier League.

"All I can talk about is the experience of playing twice against Ruben’s Sporting Lisbon team (in the Champions League's round of 16 in 2022), and the pressure was really, really good," Guardiola said.

"I spoke with (current City player) Matheus Nunes, and he was his player, and he speaks highly about him. And look this season, he is unbeaten and winning all the games in the Portuguese league and (in) the Champions League, (they have) the same points as us. So a high manager. I have the feeling that Man United, what I hear, that they are thinking about him, it’s because he’s a good manager."

Ten Hag's assistant at United, Ruud van Nistelrooy, will take interim control of the team for Wednesday's English League Cup match against Leicester at Old Trafford.