PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain has signed midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum on a free transfer after he left Liverpool.
The 30-year-old Netherlands international has joined on a three-year deal until 2024, PSG said in a statement on Thursday.
He played 237 games over five seasons for Liverpool, helping the English side win the Champions League and the Premier League.
His chose not to renew his contract and was initially expected to join Barcelona. But PSG reportedly came in with a better salary offer.
Wijnaldum is a versatile midfielder and he also doubled as an emergency center half during Liverpool’s injury-hit campaign this season.
“I’m joining one of the best squads in Europe,” Wijnaldum said after signing his contract. “Paris Saint-Germain has proved how good they are in recent years and I am convinced that together, with our supporters, we can go even further and higher.”
PSG is looking to strengthen its squad after failing to win the French title as Lille delivered one of European soccer’s biggest upsets in recent seasons. Also, PSG was knocked out in the Champions League semifinals by Manchester City.
The club recently persuaded Neymar to sign a new long-term contract, but prolific forward Kylian Mbappe is hesitating over a new deal and his contract expires at the end of next season.
The France World Cup-winning star has urged the club to show an ambitious project for him to stay.
PSG has also been linked in recent days with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is considered by many observers to be the best in the world. He has chosen to leave AC Milan and has also been linked with Juventus.
Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum joins PSG on a free transfer
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Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum joins PSG on a free transfer
- Wijnaldum, the Netherlands international, has joined on a three-year deal until 2024
- He was initially expected to join Barcelona but PSG reportedly came in with a better salary offer
Palmeiras edge Brazilian rivals Botafogo in extra time at Club World Cup
All eyes were on Estevao, the 18-year-old winger who will join Chelsea once the tournament is over
PHILADELPHIA: Substitute Paulinho scored an extra-time winner to settle a Brazilian battle of attrition as Palmeiras edged Botafogo 1-0 on Saturday to win through to the Club World Cup quarter-finals.
The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling at the time but ultimately proved inspired.
The tie had reached the 100th minute when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner.
That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd inside Lincoln Financial Field, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the last-16 showdown despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on.
Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now stay in Philadelphia for a last-eight tie next Friday against either Benfica or Chelsea, who meet later Saturday in Charlotte.
They had been the more dangerous side throughout in this meeting of the top two in last year’s Brazilian league, with almost all of the chances falling the way of the men in green.
Rio de Janeiro side Botafogo pipped Palmeiras to the domestic title and also won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history in 2024.
They then lost their coach and several key players, but still managed to beat European champions Paris Saint-Germain during the group stage of the Club World Cup as they qualified for the knockout phase ahead of Atletico Madrid.
Nevertheless Palmeiras were the more lively of the two teams in a game played in warm midday conditions in Philadelphia.
All eyes were on Estevao, the 18-year-old winger who will join Chelsea once the tournament is over and is seen as Brazil’s next big thing.
He found it hard to make an impact in what was for long spells a disappointing game pockmarked by moments of quality.
Colombian midfielder Rios came close to scoring in first-half stoppage time with a thunderous shot from the edge of the box that was deflected onto the roof of the net.
Estevao then came to life after the restart, forcing a good save from Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor and then putting the ball in the net only to be denied by an offside flag.
There was surprise around the stadium when the starlet was taken off just after the hour mark alongside striker Vitor Roque, with Luighi and Paulinho sent into the attack.
A Mauricio header from a Joaquin Piquerez cross was tipped over and Paulinho then blazed high from a good position as normal time ended goalless.
Into the extra half-hour they went, and a Rios piledriver was parried behind before the goal finally arrived thanks to the once-capped Brazil winger who played in the Atletico Mineiro side beaten by Botafogo in last year’s Libertadores final.
The substitute was then promptly substituted, his job done for the day.
Botafogo pushed for an equalizer that would have led to a penalty shoot-out, but could not find it even after Paraguayan center-back Gomez walked for a second booking in the 116th minute for grappling off the ball with Alexander Barboza.
Coco Gauff says criticism of Aryna Sabalenka’s French Open comments went ‘too far’
- The Belarusian later wrote to apologize to Gauff and said her comments were “unprofessional”
- Gauff is trying to make sure the criticism stops
LONDON: It didn’t take long for Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka to patch up their relationship after this month’s French Open final.
Now as Wimbledon is about to start, Gauff is hoping everyone else can also forget what the top-ranked Sabalenka said in the wake of her loss to the American at Roland-Garros.
A day after dancing together on Wimbledon’s Center Court in a TikTok video, the two tennis players faced more questions on Saturday about the aftermath of Sabalenka’s comments right after the final, when she said her loss had more to do with her own mistakes than Gauff’s performance.
The Belarusian later wrote to apologize to Gauff and said her comments were “unprofessional,” but not before she faced some major backlash from fans and pundits — especially in the United States.
Gauff is trying to make sure the criticism stops.
“I’m not the person that will fuel hate in the world,” said Gauff, who opens her Wimbledon campaign against Dayana Yastremska on Tuesday. “I think people were taking it too far. … It was just really targeting and saying a lot of things that I felt were not nice. I didn’t want to fuel that more.”
Sabalenka, who faces Carson Branstine on No. 1 Court on Monday, said she hopes the
TikTok video shows that all is well between the two.
“We are good, we are friends,” the three-time major winner said. “I hope the US media can be easy on me right now.”
Sabalenka reiterated that she never meant to offend Gauff.
“I was just completely upset with myself, and emotions got over me,” she said. “I just completely lost it.”
Gauff did acknowledge that she was initially tempted to hit back publicly at Sabalenka, who said the American “won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes from ... easy balls.”
But after Sabalenka reached out to apologize, she was quick to bury any grudge.
“I preach love, I preach light,” Gauff said. “I just want us to be Kumbaya, live happily, hakuna matata, and be happy here.”
Saudi Arabia complete preparations ahead of Gold Cup quarterfinal clash with Mexico
- The Green Falcons held their last training session at Phoenix Rising Stadium in Arizona
GLENDALE, Arizona: Saudi Arabia’s national football team have concluded their final preparations ahead of their high-stakes quarterfinal encounter against Mexico in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Saturday.
The Green Falcons held their last training session at Phoenix Rising Stadium in Arizona, with head coach Herve Renard overseeing the workout.
The session featured warm-ups, passing drills, tactical routines, and stretching exercises as the squad fine-tuned their approach for the match at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
There was some positive news on the injury front, with defender Abdullah Madu rejoining full team training.
However, midfielder Hammam Al-Hamami was sidelined after suffering an ankle injury during Thursday’s session and did not take part in the final run-out.
Kick-off for the quarterfinal is scheduled for Saturday night local time, as Saudi Arabia look to book their place in the semifinals of the tournament for the first time since joining the Gold Cup as a guest nation.
Chelsea's Club World Cup travel plan derailed by group-stage slip-up
- Chelsea will now face Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium
- The detour means reorganising bookings and schedules at short notice
MIAMI: Chelsea are facing a logistical headache at the Club World Cup after finishing second in their group, forcing an unexpected trip to Charlotte for their last 16 match instead of staying in Miami, where the club thought they would be based for the knockout stage.
A club source told Reuters that travel, accommodation and training arrangements were all made with the assumption that the West Londoners would top Group D and play their round of 16 match at Hard Rock Stadium.
Instead, after a 3-1 loss to Brazil's Flamengo and only managing second place despite a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis in their final group stage fixture in Philadelphia, Chelsea will now face Benfica on Saturday at the Bank of America Stadium.
The detour means reorganising bookings and schedules at short notice, but the club still intends to return to its Miami base after the match, adding more miles to an already hectic itinerary.
If Enzo Maresca's side reach the quarter-finals, they will return to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face the winner of the all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo.
Norris maintains upper hand on Piastri in Austrian GP practice
- Leclerc puts Ferrari on front row, Piastri third
- Verstappen only seventh at Red Bull’s home circuit
- Bortoleto into top 10 for first time, Lawson sixth
SPIELBERG: Lando Norris bounced back from his collision in Canada to put McLaren on pole position for the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday while championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri qualified third.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc joined Norris on the front row with teammate Lewis Hamilton fourth, raising the Italian team’s hopes after a difficult weekend so far.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen qualified only seventh at his team’s home circuit after pulling out of his final flying effort when Alpine’s Pierre Gasly spun at the last corner and briefly brought out yellow flags.
Piastri was also forced to bale but had been slower than Norris in both of the first two phases.
Norris, who needs a strong result after a collision with Piastri in Canada two weeks ago, is 22 points behind the Australian in the championship after 10 of 24 races.
“I did what I planned to do and when I plan to do something and it goes right, it normally goes very, very well,” said Norris.
“A good day and it has been a good weekend for me so far, so hopefully we can keep it up.”
The pole was his third of the season and he won both of the previous two with fastest lap in Australia and Monaco.
RED FLAG
George Russell, last year’s race winner, qualified fifth for Mercedes but faced an investigation for a potential unsafe release in the pitlane.
Liam Lawson will line up sixth for Racing Bulls, ahead of Verstappen, with Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto making it into the final phase for the first time and qualifying eighth for Sauber.
Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli was ninth fastest for Mercedes and Gasly completed the top 10.
The second phase of qualifying was red-flagged when the trackside grass at turn 10 caught fire, the latest of a series of such incidents.
The governing FIA said the fire was caused by a car going off track, rather than by sparks from the titanium skid blocks, and carried out additional dampening of the grass before the final top 10 shootout.
Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda and Williams’ Carlos Sainz made early exits, neither getting through the opening phase.
“There’s damage in the car, for sure. The car is undriveable ... it’s pulling under braking, no load in high speed,” said Sainz, who qualified 19th with only Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg behind.
He explained later that the team had put new brakes on the car for qualifying, as usual, but it started pulling to one side immediately. (Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ed Osmond and Andrew Cawthorne)
