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Spain’s ex-football boss Rubiales due in court in assault probe – ARN News Centre

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Former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales will appear before a High Court judge on Friday over a complaint of sexual assault stemming from his allegedly unsolicited kiss of player Jenni Hermoso.

The events of August 20 eclipsed the national women team’s World Cup victory in Sydney and led to protests similar to the Me Too movement, prompting other women to come forward with reports of sexist treatment and assaults.

It also sent a shudder through the male-dominated ranks of Spain’s football establishment.

Rubiales, 46, has maintained that the kiss was mutual and consensual. After weeks of resisting calls for him to step down as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rubiales, already suspended by FIFA, finally quit on September 10.

But he remains unrepentant.

“I am a good person, that in a moment of maximum happiness, with consent, asking beforehand…In truth, there can be no other intention than the celebration and the joy itself,” he told British television interviewer Piers Morgan on Sunday.

He likened the celebratory atmosphere in Sydney to winning a lottery or seeing a war ending, situations in which he said “people don’t ask permissions”.

Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz has called his actions “shameful” and said they showed that male chauvinsim was still systemic in Spanish society.

On September 8, prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil filed a complaint with the High Court against Rubiales after Hermoso told prosecutors that Rubiales kissed her without consent at the medals ceremony.

The prosecutor added a possible crime of coercion after Hermoso said she and her relatives were put under pressure by Rubiales and his entourage to say that she “justified and approved what happened”.

Judge Francisco de Jorge is in charge of an investigation that has to precede any formal charges under Spanish law, and will decide whether the case will go to trial. If it does, he could face between one and four years imprisonment.

De Jorge has ordered several media, including state broadcaster TVE, to send him footage of the incident and subsequent videos such as one of the players celebrating on a bus with Rubiales and referring to the kiss in what appeared to be a light-hearted manner. The investigation could take several months.

Friday’s hearing is behind closed doors.

The legal case will also be a public test of the leftist coalition government’s flagship “Solo si es si” (Only yes is yes) law that puts consent at the heart of sexual relations.

Many players, sports bodies and politicians have backed Hermoso in a campaign coalescing around the hashtag #SeAcabó (It’s Over) on social media, showing the nation’s increasing intolerance to abuse.

Spain’s top 87 female players, including the 23 world champions, have refused to play for the national team until there are changes in the RFEF management line-up and style.

The RFEF has since sacked women’s team coach Jorge Vilda, appointing his assistant Montse Tome instead as the first woman at its helm.

Striker Olga Carmona said this week that the players were yet to determine if changes were enough for them to return to the team.

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Star power boosts Super60 with Guptill, Parnell, Harbhajan

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It was a landmark day for cricket in the USA as the teams assembled an exciting mix of international stars and emerging talents during the draft for the inaugural Super60 USA Tournament, held on Friday with prominent names like Martin Guptill, Wayne Parnell, Varun Aaron and Lendl Simmons making the headlines.

Teams had already locked in eight players as part of their pre-signings. In the draft, they were allowed to choose between seven to 10 more players.

The LA Strikers had already secured big names like Aaron Finch, Isuru Udana, and Ben Dunk in their pre-signings. During the draft, they further strengthened their lineup by picking Gurkeerat Mann, a dynamic all-rounder known for his decent strike rate and handy off-spin. The franchise also brought in experienced wicketkeeper-batter Naman Ojha and seasoned medium-pacer Parvinder Awana, clearly aiming to build a well-rounded squad with depth in every department.

Morrisville Fighters put together a strong core by signing two of India’s finest bowlers — Harbhajan Singh and Munaf Patel. They further added fire power in the batting department with the signing of Shaun Marsh. The franchise continued to build on that solid base with the additions of powerful all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme, pacer Sheldon Cottrell, and experienced campaigner Faiz Fazal.

Rebel Warriors made a statement during the draft after they signed Martin Guptill and Lendl Simmons one after the other. The two batters are known for their aggressive and will play a massive role in providing a brisk start to the team. They also have Saurabh Tiwary whom they signed during the pre-signings to add more aggression in the batting department while the experience of Mitchell Johnson with the ball will be the key for Rebel’s success.

Chicago Players who already had legends in Suresh Raina and Jacques Kallis in their line up got Wayne Parnell, Varun Aaron and Devendra Bishoo to add more fuel to their bowling unit.

Detroit Falcons went into the draft with a clear game plan — to stack their squad with quality all-rounders. With Shakib Al Hasan already in the lineup, they added Mossaddek Hossain and Ariful Haque, two reliable performers with solid domestic records.

With Parthiv Patel, Chris Lynn, and Ravi Bopara in their batting lineup, the Washington Tigers have plenty of experience and firepower up top. On the bowling side, they’ll be counting on Abhimanyu Mithun, Dan Christian, and Shahbaz Nadeem to do the job with the ball and keep the opposition in check.

LA Strikers:

Pre-Signing- Aaron Finch (Icon), Isuru Udana (Platinum), Ben Dunk (Cat A), Chadwick Walton (Cat B), Ashley Nurse (Cat B), Anureet Singh (Cat C), Chirag Gandhi (Cat D), Jesal Karia (Cat C)

Draft- Gurkeerat Mann (Cat B), Naman Ojha ( Cat B), Jaskaran Malhotra (Cat C), Parvinder Awana (Cat C), Manan Sharma (Cat D), Nisarg Patel (Cat D), Kashyap Prajapati (Cat D)

Morrisville Fighters:

Pre-Signing- Harbhajan Singh (Icon), Shaun Marsh (Platinum), Munaf Patel (Cat A), Angelo Perera (Cat B), Bipul Sharma (Cat B), Chamara Kapugedera (Cat C), Danushka Gunathilaka (Cat C), Kristopher Ramsaran (Cat D)

Draft- Colin de Grandhomme (Cat B), Sheldon Cottrell (Cat B), Jerome Taylor (Cat C), Faiz Fazal (Cat C), Suboth Bhati (Cat D), Rahul Yadav (Cat D), Elmore Hutchinson (Cat D)

Rebel Warriors:

Pre Signing- Thisara Perera (Icon), Mitchell Johnson (Platinum), Saurabh Tiwary (Cat A), Miguel Cummins (Cat B), Kennar Lewis (Cat B) , Samit Patel (Cat C), Oshane Thomas (Cat C), Amila Aponso (Cat D)

Draft- Martin Guptill (Cat B), Lendl Simmons, (Cat B), Chaturanga de Silva (Cat B), Jonathan Carter (Cat C), Jonathan Foo (Cat D),  Andre McCarthy (Cat D), Trevon Griffith (Cat D)

The Chicago Players:

Pre-Signing- Suresh Raina (Icon), Jacques Kallis (Platinum), Shehan Jayasuriya (Cat A), Manpreet Gony (Cat B), Kesrick Williams (Cat B), Dilhara Fernando (Cat C), Jon-Russ Jaggesar (Cat C), Navin Stewart (Cat D)

Draft- Wayne Parnell (Cat B), Varun Aaron (Cat B), Devendra Bishoo (Cat C), Siddharth Trivedi (Cat C), William Perkins (Cat D), Pawan Suyal (Cat D), Vikas Tokas (Cat D)

Detroit Falcons:

Pre-Signing- Shakib Al Hasan (ICON), Cameron Delport (Platinum), Rishi Dhawan (Cat A), Nasir Hussain (Cat B), Sharad Lumba (Cat B), Nasir Hussain (Cat B), Malinda Pushpakumara (Cat C), Anthony Bramble (Cat D)

Draft- Mossaddek Hossain (Cat B), Enamul Haque Jr (Cat B), Ariful Haque (Cat C), Kamrul Islam Rabbi (Cat C), Rony Talukdar (Cat D), Al-Amin Hossain (Cat D), Mohammad Nihaduzzaman (Cat D)

Washington Tigers:

Pre-Signing- Parthiv Patel (Platinum), Chris Lynn (Cat A), Ravi Bopara (Cat B), Andrew Tye (Cat B), Rohan Mustafa (Cat C), Abhimanyu Mithun (Cat C), Zahoor Khan (Cat D)

Draft- Dan Christian (Cat B), Shahbaz Nadeem (Cat B), Phil Mustard (Cat B), Jeevan Mendis (Cat C), Sheldon Jackson (Cat D), George Worker (Cat D), Aakarshit Gomel (Cat D)

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No Fluke: India’s teen grandmaster Gukesh crushes Carlsen again in under a month

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There was no table slam, no dramatic sigh, just a quiet handshake and a grimace. On Thursday in Zagreb, Magnus Carlsen resigned once again to Gukesh Dommaraju, this time in a rapid game at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia 2025.

It’s the second time in less than a month that the Indian teenager has defeated the five-time world champion. After his classical-format win over Carlsen at Norway Chess, Gukesh has now proved he can beat the Norwegian even in faster time controls, and with Carlsen playing white, no less.

With that win, Gukesh surged into sole lead at the end of Day 2 of the three-day rapid section, sitting at 10 points, two clear of Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Carlsen, meanwhile, is stuck on 6 points and well behind the leaders.

Not a fluke. Not a meltdown. Just better chess.

What makes this win even more significant is the context. Gukesh has never been seen as a strong rapid/blitz player, even Carlsen himself said so before the tournament began, calling Gukesh one of the “presumably weaker players” in the field.

But Gukesh’s performance in Zagreb is rewriting that narrative. After losing his opening game to Duda, the 18-year-old reeled off five straight wins, including victories over some of the best in the world: Alireza Firouzja, Praggnanandhaa, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Fabiano Caruana, and then Carlsen.

Former world champion Garry Kasparov, on commentary, put it plainly:

“This is not just his second loss to Gukesh, it’s a convincing loss. It’s not a miracle or luck. Magnus was in a big fight, and he lost.”

Carlsen’s pre-tournament jab aged poorly

Carlsen had publicly questioned Gukesh’s readiness for rapid formats, saying:

“Gukesh hasn’t done anything to indicate that he’s going to do well. Players like Gukesh have a lot to prove.”

Safe to say, Gukesh is proving it. While Carlsen walked off without making eye contact after the 49-move defeat, Gukesh looked composed and focused as he moved closer to adding another major title to his fast-growing resume.

Time on his side

Interestingly, Gukesh, known for excelling in slower, classical formats, has been ahead on time even in the endgames during this tournament, including in matches against Carlsen and Caruana. That’s a stark contrast to his earlier blitz outings and signals his evolution into a more complete player.

Now heading into the final day of rapid play, Gukesh leads the standings and is firmly in control.

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Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain alongside brother Andre Silva

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Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva, 25, were tragically killed in a car crash near Zamora in northwestern Spain, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

According to the Spanish Civil Guard, the accident occurred shortly after midnight on an isolated stretch of the A-52 highway, about an hour west of Zamora. The brothers were travelling in a Lamborghini when the vehicle veered off the road and caught fire. Investigators suspect a blown tire may have caused the driver to lose control. No other vehicles were involved.

Emergency services arrived at the scene to contain the blaze, which had also spread to nearby vegetation. The bodies were recovered and are undergoing forensic examination. It remains unclear who was driving.

The news has sent shockwaves across the football world. Jota, whose full name is Diogo Jose Teixeira da Silva, has made 182 appearances for Liverpool since joining from Wolves in 2020. He helped the club lift the Premier League title in May and had also won the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups during his time at Anfield.

Jota was a key player for the Portuguese national team, with 49 international caps and 14 goals, and was part of the squads that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.

His younger brother, Andre Silva, played for Penafiel, a club in Portugal’s lower leagues.

The accident comes just weeks after Jota married his longtime partner Rute Cardoso on June 22. The couple had three young children. In a recent post, Jota had written: “Yes to forever.”

In a statement, Liverpool FC said:

“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. We request the privacy of Diogo and André’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they come to terms with an unimaginable loss.”

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) expressed its sorrow:

“We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football.”

UEFA announced that a minute of silence will be observed at all Euro 2025 matches on Thursday and Friday in honour of the players.

Cristiano Ronaldo, a teammate and close friend, shared a heartfelt message:

“It doesn’t make sense. We were just together with the national team, you had just gotten married. I send my condolences to your family and wish them strength. Rest in peace, Diogo and André. We will all miss you.”

Tributes continue to pour in from clubs, teammates, and fans around the world as the football community mourns the loss of two young lives and careers cut tragically short.

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