Man City case has 'significant implications for the integrity' of foo…

London: The English Football Association said on Friday that an independent commission's findings that Manchester City had broken financial rules had "implications for the integrity of the game". cat-cross.com

The national governing body said in a statement that it was "carefully considering the decision and its implications" and would take action where appropriate.

"As proceedings between the Premier League and Manchester City Football Club remain ongoing, we do not intend to comment further at this stage," the FA added. "We will, however, continue to monitor developments closely."

Los Angeles, United States: United States coach Mauricio Pochettino on Friday named Tyler Adams as his team's captain through to the 2030 World Cup.

Pochettino, speaking ahead of the USA's friendly against Mexico in Arizona on Saturday, said Adams was the logical choice to lead the United States.

"I'm happy to announce and for everyone to know that he's going to be our leader and captain," Pochettino told reporters.

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"We've had a very good relationship the last three years and I think he knows what I expect.

"He's a perfect role model for everyone in the way that he can translate the philosophy, the culture and represent (this) amazing country.

"He's the player that can lead the period that we have ahead."

Adams, who plays for English Premier League club Bournemouth, is firmly established as one of the senior players in the USA squad.

The 27-year-old captained the USA at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar under previous coach Gregg Berhalter.

Pochettino named veteran defender Tim Ream as captain for this year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Ream announced his retirement from international football earlier this week.

Adams, who will take over the armband for Saturday's game against Mexico, said he wanted to "lead this group into a winning culture."

The midfielder added that he believed he had built greater experience since leading the USA as captain at the 2022 World Cup.

"In 2022, obviously we were a very young team, I think one of the youngest at the World Cup, and although I think I was ready for that role, at the same time I've had the ability to grow on and off the field in the period up to now," Adams said.

"Getting the armband doesn't mean anything to me in being a leader or being different from who I am, I'm going to be the exact same person."

Nagoya, Japan: Chinese football has "a fantastic future" after winning their first Asian Games medal in nearly three decades on Saturday, their men's under-23 coach said.

Football's great underachievers have only qualified for the World Cup once, in 2002, and the senior side were hammered 5-0 at home by Palestine on Friday.

But China have enjoyed recent relative success at youth level and followed up their runner-up finish at the Under-23 Asian Cup in February with a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Japan.

China beat Uzbekistan on penalties after a 2-2 draw and coach Antonio Puche said he expects the new generation to go on to bigger and better things.

"These players for me have a fantastic future," said the Spaniard.

"We need to work, we need to push them because we have players with big quality and big heart, and this is very important in football."

Asian Games football is under-23 squads that can include three overage players.

Puche's team in Aichi-Nagoya included several players who are regulars with the full national side.

The senior team has struggled in their absence, also going down 3-0 at home to New Zealand in a friendly last week.

Puche backed coach Shao Jiayi to turn things around after the Palestine debacle.

"The result of that last match wasn't very good, that's for sure," he said.

"But the head coach is very capable and resilient and he will use this loss to make the team better."

China have never won Asian Games men's football gold.

They won bronze in 1998 at Bangkok.

Nagoya: Qatar's Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan cemented their Asian Games dominance on Saturday, defeating Indonesia 2-1 in the men's beach volleyball final to capture a third consecutive gold at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.

The Qatari duo held their nerve in a hard-fought final to add another Asian Games title to their collection, following their triumphs at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022 and further cementing their place among Asia's elite beach volleyball pairs.

The victory caps a stellar 2026 for Younousse and Tijan, who were named Asia's Men's Beach Volleyball Players of the Year for 2026 and also claimed gold at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games. Saturday's triumph adds another major title to an already remarkable season.

Younousse and Tijan were imperious throughout the competition, topping Group A with a perfect run before powering through the knockout stages. They swept past Iran 2-0 in the quarterfinals and followed that with another straight-set victory over Thailand in the semifinals, setting up the gold-medal showdown with Indonesia.

The latest success further elevates Qatar's standing in Asian beach volleyball and reinforces Younousse and Tijan's reputation as one of the continent's most successful pairs, with an impressive record at major Asian and international competitions.

The pair also made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, winning bronze to secure Qatar's first Olympic medal in beach volleyball. They have since continued to add to an impressive collection of titles and podium finishes on the Asian and international stages.

President of the Qatar Volleyball Association Ali bin Ghanem Al Kuwari said the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 gold builds on the national team's achievements in recent years, praising the high level displayed by Younousse and Tijan throughout the competition.

He added that the latest success would provide added motivation as the team looks ahead to upcoming international competitions, stressing that plans are in place to ensure the team is fully prepared to compete at the highest level and continue delivering titles and strong results for Qatari beach volleyball.

Younousse, meanwhile, expressed his delight at winning the final and claiming the gold, acknowledging that the match was a tough one. He said maintaining focus and playing with a unified spirit were crucial to securing victory and reaching the top of the podium.

Younousse dedicated the achievement to the Qatari people, expressing his pride in continuing to deliver major sporting successes and raise Qatar's flag at Asian and international competitions.

Doha, Qatar: Qatar will face hosts Saudi Arabia in the Gulf Cup semi-final tomorrow in Jeddah, with striker Almoez Ali confident the Asian champions can reach the final despite expecting a tough challenge in front of the home crowd.

Saudi Arabia topped Group A to set up a semi-final against Qatar, who finished second in Group B after Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with the UAE.

Almoez, who scored Qatar’s goal against the UAE, said the team had shown good form during the tournament and was ready for the knockout stage.

“We put in a good performance in the first half against the UAE. In the second half, we dropped back quite a bit, to be honest, but we will learn from these mistakes. The team is what matters most,” he said after the match.

The forward also highlighted the number of players used by coach Julen Lopetegui during the group stage, saying it had helped the team manage the demands of the tournament.

“We managed to field 20 or 21 players across these three matches. The coach gave some players a rest ahead of the next match and was able to field a large number of players. We are grateful for the result and satisfied with the performance,” Almoez said.

Reflecting on the draw with the UAE, he said Qatar could take positives from the result despite not securing top spot in the group.

“A 1-1 draw is still a positive outcome, and there are valuable takeaways from this match. The players managed to play well, and I expect our team is ready for the next stage, the semi-finals,” he said.

Almoez also praised the team’s approach throughout the tournament, saying the players had maintained a strong spirit and confidence under Lopetegui.

“Our team is excellent both with and without the ball. The coach instills confidence in the players, and we all share the same desire and spirit,” he said.

He added that the competitive nature of the Gulf Cup meant Qatar would have to be ready to beat any opponent if they wanted to lift the title.

“A champion must beat everyone. This is a highly competitive tournament that the entire Gulf region vies for. All teams are preparing hard, showing great spirit and improving. You have to try to beat everyone and secure a positive result.”

Ahmed Al-Janahi also acknowledged the difficulty of facing the hosts but said Qatar were confident of reaching the final.

“Next up is a match against the hosts, in front of the Saudi fans, which will be tough, but Al Annabi is ready. The Saudi national team is a formidable opponent, especially playing on their home turf and before their crowd,” he said.

“Remember, we are two-time Asian champions. We aim to reach the final and win the title, InshaAllah. We are fully confident in that.”