data-mm-id=”_kn437rrwo”>The Los Angeles Clippers bowed out of the playoffs early (yet again) on Tuesday night and did so (yet again) without their two highest-paid players. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard both missed the team's season-ending, 136-130, loss to the Phoenix Suns in what has long been a familiar problem for this L.A. squad. Despite their meticulous dedication to load management during the regular season George still got hurt before the playoffs started and Leonard ended up missing the final two games of the series because he tore the meniscus in his right knee. Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Leonard averaged 35 points in first two games of this postseason vs. Suns before the meniscus injury was revealed and he was shut down by medical staff.— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2023It has become a yearly exercise. The Clippers have good enough depth and smart enough coaching to qualify for the playoffs, where make things interesting, but their stars are just never healthy at the same time. George and Leonard have not played in the postseason together since 2021. This is no superteam; it is the idea of a superteam that we will never see come to fruition at this rate. Stephen A. Smith touched upon that issue during Wednesday's First Take and banged the drum for Leonard to just retire for the second time in five days. He first declared Leonard should do everybody a favor and just retire already on his podcast released shortly after news broke that the superstar was hurt again. Today he said the Clippers need to force Leonard to retire because otherwise he'll continue to drain money from the cap sheet and never deliver on what was promised. It sounds like he did this before learning that Leonard was diagnosed with a torn meniscus but it is unlikely that would've changed anything about the diatribe. In fact, it probably would've given Smith more juice."Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers should force Kawhi Leonard to retire."—@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/s9fAlG0BFi— First Take (@FirstTake) April 26, 2023Obviously shocking that we'd ever say this about Stephen A. Smith but, uh, this all seems a little dramatic! Smith just seems mad that Leonard got hurt again, which is a little weird. If he was advocating for the Clippers to do the right thing and force an oft-injured player to consider hanging them up before his issues become lifelong, that would be one thing. That is not what's happening. It sure is frustrating for basketball fans to watch Leonard give glimpses of the monstrous player he was before getting hurt again. It is probably infuriating and devastating in equal measures for the Clippers to watch this happen over and over. But it isn't our money and most fans would prefer the chance of seeing Leonard again rather than the certainty of never seeing him at all, even with the few peaks and many valleys that accompany his presence on the basketball court in recent years. It will be a bummer the day Kawhi retires. The Clippers should not be in any rush to force that day to arrive sooner than it should because what other option do they really have?
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Julen Lopetegui has been appointed as the new head coach of Spain, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed.
The former Porto boss will take charge for an as-yet undisclosed length of time, following the resignation of Vicente del Bosque, who stood down after his side s Euro 2016 exit at the hands of Italy.
Lopetegui, who coached Spain s Under-19, U-20 and U-21 sides prior to taking charge at Porto in 2014, had been linked with the manager s job at Wolves, who are poised to undergo a takeover by a Chinese consortium.
He will be presented by the RFEF at La Ciudad de Futbol in Madrid at 1830 CET on Thursday.
OFICIAL | Julen Lopetegui ( ), nuevo seleccionador absoluto español
— Selección Española (@SeFutbol)
Former …
Crystal Palace have signed Spain Under-20 international Jose Campana from Sevilla.
The midfielder has arrived at Selhurst Park on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee and becomes the newly promoted side s fifth signing ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Campana made his debut for Sevilla in 2011 but completed just 20 appearances for Unai Emery s side.
However, his performances for the club s B team and for his national Under-20s attracted interest from around Europe, and he has now opted for a move away to gain regular first-team football.
Palace manager Ian Holloway believes that the 20-year-old has the ability to fill the void left by Wilfried Zaha s departure to Manchester United, and he cannot wait to see him in action.
I’m absolutely del…
West Bromwich Albion are considering a move for Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner,.
Black Cats manager Paolo Di Canio has already brought in nine new players, and sold eight this summer, and the Baggies are ready to pounce if the 26 year old is told that he is not part of the Italian’s plans for the new season.
The versatile midfielder, who can also play at full-back, made thirty-three appearances for the North East club last season, scoring six goals, but his campaign ended prematurely as he was sent-off in the against Stoke City in the clubs final home game.
He began his career with Aston Villa, where he spent five years before moving to local rivals Birmingham City; winning the League Cup in 2011.
West Brom’s only signing of the summer so…
Winger Marco Marchionni returned from a three-year absence when he was named in the Italy squad on Sunday for World Cup qualifiers in Georgia and at home to Bulgaria.
The Fiorentina player, who switched from Juventus during the close season, picked up his last of three caps in a 1-1 draw with Lithaunia in Euro 2008 qualifying in Sept. 2006.
Otherwise coach Marcello Lippi, whose side top Group Eight, has resisted making major changes for the match in Tbilisi next Saturday and the home meeting with Bulgaria in Turin on Sept. 9.
However, notable absentee s are midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been ruled out of both matches after picking up an ankle injury in AC Milan’s 4-0 defeat by Inter Milan on Saturday, while fellow World Cup winner Luca Toni als…
Mario Mandzukic said Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Gotze is capable of playing in any team amid reports the pair could be reunited at Juventus.
Gotze has emerged as a transfer target for the Serie A champions, who are reportedly set to sell midfielder Arturo Vidal to Bayern.
The Germany international s link to Turin comes after Gotze s agent criticised Bayern coach Pep Guardiola for showing a lack of support to the 23-year-old.
Mandzukic and Gotze were team-mates for one season in 2013-14, and the former told reporters during his Juve presentation on Thursday: He [Gotze] could play in any team.
He s a player of great quality, and a good guy.
As for [Andrea] Pirlo and [Carlos] Tevez [who have left], they re great players, who any team would miss…
Aurelio De Laurentiis has insisted he never considered selling Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain despite reports linking him with a move to the Premier League.
Higuain has flourished at San Paolo since arriving from Real Madrid in 2013, scoring 53 goals in all competitions, leading to speculation that the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal want to sign him.
But Napoli president De Laurentiis told Corriere della Sera: I never, ever considered selling Higuain.
It wasn t by chance that I put a very high clause in his contract, which makes it difficult to sustain for any buyer.
I expect that he s respectful of the commitment and work of the team.
…
Liverpool cannot afford to take their foot off the gas in pursuit of a maiden Premier League title, according to midfielder Adam Lallana.
Jurgen Klopp s side restored their 13-point lead at the top of the table, with a game in hand still to play, courtesy of a slender 1-0 win over Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.
Sadio Mane scored the only goal of the game, the 42nd-minute strike awarded by the Video Assistant Referee after match official Anthony Taylor initially blew for handball against Lallana in the build-up.
Wolves then had a goal ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside against Jonny after Pedro Neto had fired home, while Diogo Jota had two good chances to score in the second half.
Lallana conceded Liverpool had to ride their luck to pick up a 10th leag…
Thiago Alcantara is a rather unique breed of footballer, the type of player who will be almost universally enjoyed such are his breath-taking technical attributes.
It s like he rolls the passing talents of Juan Roman Riquelme and first touch of Ronaldinho into a single player and saunters around the pitch ensuring the game is played at a pace dictated by him.
His Liverpool career feels a lot shorter than it actually has been because of his absence through injury, and he ll be hoping his recent return is the catalyst to kick-starting what is resembling a fairly meek title defence.
But while Thiago has shown flashes of his immense ability in his fledgling Liverpool career, it appears not all are entirely convinced.
Former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann ex…
Paris Saint Germain skipper Claude Makelele hit out Friday at his one-match ban saying it was unacceptable, after French football s disciplinary body turned a yellow card into a suspension.
Makelele said he feared that referees would go after him following a squabble between his coach Antoine Kombouare and a rival over the ability of the 36-year-old former French international midfielder.
It s a shame this ban comes now. It s unacceptable. I just hope there won t be a Makelele case.
I ask refs to referee me the same as anyone. It s a bit tiring all this, he added.
Makelele ended up at the disciplinary hearing on Thursday in the aftermath of the spat between Kombouare and Lorient coach Christian Gourcuff.
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Barcelona came from behind to beat Unionistas da Salamanca 3-1 and reach the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
The third-tier team threatened an upset when Alvaro Gomez’s first-half goal gave them the lead.
However, Ferran Torres levelled in the closing seconds of the first half, before Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde netted in the space of four second-half minutes to complete the turnaround.
FULL TIME!!!
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)
Unionistas were quickly on the front foot at Campo de Futbol Reina Sofia and Mario Losada shot wide in the first minute.
Marc Guiu had a shot blocked for the visitors, 31-time winners of the competition, before bringing a good save out of home goalkeeper Ivan Martinez.
Torres responded with a shot …