Rugby-England’s Vunipola Fined for Assault After Arrest in Mallorca

Billy Vunipola -  File photo by David Rogers/Getty Images
Billy Vunipola - File photo by David Rogers/Getty Images
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Rugby-England’s Vunipola Fined for Assault After Arrest in Mallorca

Billy Vunipola -  File photo by David Rogers/Getty Images
Billy Vunipola - File photo by David Rogers/Getty Images

England rugby international Billy Vunipola was sentenced to four months' imprisonment and fined 240 euros ($256.92) for assault and battery after being arrested by police in Mallorca, Spain, following an incident at a pub.

Palma's Examining Court also ordered him to pay 500 euros to a police officer who was injured during the incident following a speedy trial on Sunday.

Under Spanish law, a prison sentence of less than two years does not usually lead to serving any time behind bars unless there are previous criminal records.

According to a report in the Ultima Hora newspaper, Vunipola was tasered twice by police after threatening customers and security personnel and removing his shirt in a bar named Epic in Palma early on Sunday.

The report added that the 31-year-old was handcuffed by the police and taken to the Son Espases hospital in Palma, where he was sedated, before being taken to court on Sunday afternoon.

Vunipola plays for Premiership Rugby club Saracens, who said in a statement that they were aware of the incident and would deal with it "internally".

Vunipola has made 75 appearances for England and was part of the team that finished runners-up in the 2019 World Cup. He was not selected in the England squad for this year's Six Nations.

His brother Mako also played for England until his retirement in January, while his father played for Tonga.



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.