Tao gets checked out following crash in Paris-Nice
CYCLING
BRITAIN’S Tao Geoghegan Hart was hospitalised for checks after being left ‘a bit dizzy’ by the crash which ended his participation in Paris-Nice.
The Giro d’Italia winner came off on the descent of the penultimate climb, Mont Brouilly, around 19km from the end of stage four from Chalon-surSaone to Chiroubles.
HEGE RIISE insists she will pick the best players available for Tokyo after being unveiled as Great Britain’s Olympic coach.
The Norwegian, who is in interim charge of the England team following the departure of Phil Neville, will now lead Britain into this summer’s Games.
Riise (pictured), 51, an Olympic champion with Norway as a player and the USA as an assistant coach, will be limited to a squad of 18 and four reserves. She says there is no room for sentiment or future planning.
‘Since the squad will be so small, it will be challenging to think too next-level,’ she said. ‘It will be here and now, and picking the players we think are right for this tournament.’ Asked about non-English players, Riise said: ‘They all have a chance.’
The Football Association’s director of women’s football Baroness Sue Campbell highlighted the stability Riise brings to the role as key for the England players, having consulted the Lionesses’ leadership group about the appointment.
‘Another transition didn’t feel like the right thing if it could be avoided and I’m confident we have made the right decision.’
It will be here and now, and picking right players
JOSE MOURINHO denies Tottenham will have the upper hand in Sunday’s north London derby despite the first leg of their Europa League tie being switched to a home game, writes Matthew Nash.
With both derby rivals drawn at home in the second leg of their last16 ties, Spurs’ game with Dinamo Zagreb tonight has been moved to London avoid a clash next week. The Gunners, meanwhile, face Olympiakos in Greece.
But Spurs boss Mourinho claims that will not necessarily play into his side’s hands when the archrivals meet this weekend, pointing out Arsenal did not make the most of similar circumstances when the teams last met in December.
On that occasion Mikel Arteta’s men lost 2-0 despite having been at home in Europe three days before while Tottenham were in Austria. ‘On the 6th December we played against Arsenal in our stadium. On the 3rd December Arsenal played at home against Rapid Vienna and at the same time we were playing in the ice in Linz against Lask Linz,’ said the Portuguese.
‘We landed in London at 3am (the next morning). Was that an advantage for Arsenal?’
Mourinho, meanwhile, described
Daniel Levy’s endeavours for Spurs as ‘undeniable’ as the chairman celebrates 20 years at the helm.
Levy oversaw the building of a new £1.2billion stadium, which opened in 2019, but the only trophy of his reign is the 2008 League Cup.
Mourinho, who Levy appointed in November 2019, says he wants to help mark the 20th anniversary – and his own 1,000th game as a manager – with a trophy.
He added: ‘I don’t think it’s fair for an owner, an administrator, to be judged on trophies. The work [here] is undeniable, it is a big, big club in many aspects. That is [down to] incredible work from him.
‘I’m not a big guy on stats but my 1,000th official match is going to arrive this season too and it’d be nice for him to celebrate [by] winning a trophy for Tottenham.’
LAST 16, FIRST LEG
We landed back at 3am in the morning. Was that an advantage for Arsenal?
FORMER midfielder Darren Fletcher has been unveiled as Manchester United’s first technical director in a shake-up backed by boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which also sees John Murtough promoted to become football director.
The absence of a director of football at United has been a major talking point for years but they now have two new roles that ‘will further strengthen the club’s football operations’.
Fletcher, 37, who made 340 appearances for United during his playing days, first discussed the role in 2019 and has clearly impressed United’s hierarchy since joining the coaching staff in January.
According to the club, Fletcher will now focus on ‘a co-ordinated and longterm approach to player and squad development’. He said: ‘We are moving in the right direction and I am looking forward to continuing to work with Ole and his coaching team, and now with
John as the football director, to help bring young players through.’
Solskjaer accepted the new role may mean Fletcher doing ‘a little less’ coaching but added: ‘I’m very happy we’ve made this decision and the announcement. Of course I’ve known about it for a little while.
‘We’ve still got the continuity of the last few years but still got new ideas and fresh thinking with Fletch.’
Having been at Old Trafford for seven years, most recently as head of football development, United say Murtough will ‘have overall leadership and responsibility for operations and strategy across all football functions’.
Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: ‘These appointments reinforce the progress we have been making as a club in our relentless pursuit of success.’