Contact us
Twitter: @FreemanSports; Email: sports@freemanonline.com; Phone: 845-331-5000, ext. 5; Fax: 845-331-3557. Email: rrosner@freemanonline.com Phone: 845-400-1225. Twitter: @RonRosner Brian Hubert, Reporter: bhubert@freemanonline.com; Phone: 845-400-1211; Twitter: @brianatfreeman Mike Stribl, Reporter: mstribl@freemanonline.com; Phone: 845-400-1231; Twitter: @MStribl
Italy coach fired as FA chief refuses to step down
Two days after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, the head of the country’s football federation fired national coach Gian Piero Ventura — while ignoring angry calls to quit his own job.
Ventura left in disgrace Wednesday, widely criticized for his tactical decisions that left Italy out of football’s biggest competition for the first time in six decades.
“I spoke with Ventura today and told him that his services are no longer needed,” federation president Carlo Tavecchio said in a brief statement to reporters, adding that he would propose a series of reforms to improve the country’s most popular sport.
Four-time champion Italy lost a playoff to Sweden, 1-0 on aggregate, on Monday.
Representatives of a former North Carolina football player’s estate are suing the Atlantic Coast Conference and the NCAA, saying they ignored the dangers of concussions and it led to his death.
Sandra LaMountain and Noah Hoffman brought the 39page lawsuit on behalf of Ryan Hoffman’s estate and filed it Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Greensboro.
They allege negligence, breach of express contract and unjust enrichment. They argue that both groups failed to protect and promote the safety and well-being of the players, and breached a contract with the players by failing to properly educate and warn them of the long-term risks of concussions.
Spokeswomen for the ACC and NCAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
President Donald Trump is asking whether three UCLA basketball players released from detention in China will thank him.
Trump said he raised their case with China’s president when he visited Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) in Beijing last week.
Freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday and ignored questions from reporters. Trump returned late Tuesday from a trip through Asia and tweeted Wednesday: “Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you President Trump? They were headed for 10 years in jail!”
The players were detained in Hangzhou (hahn-joh) following allegations of shoplifting last week before a game against Georgia Tech in Shanghai.