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Arbeloa: Madrid Copa exit to 2nd-tier side ‘painful’

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Arbeloa: Madrid Copa exit to 2nd-tier side ‘painful’


New Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa took responsibility for the team’s “painful” 3-2 Copa del Rey defeat to second-tier Albacete on Wednesday, defending his decision to rest a number of senior players.

A 94th-minute winner from Jefte Betancor gave Albacete — currently 17th in the second division — their first win over Madrid, after Gonzalo García looked to have forced extra time at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte with a 91st minute header.

Arbeloa took charge of Madrid on Tuesday, stepping up from coaching the reserve team after the departure of Xabi Alonso.

“At this club a draw is bad, a tragedy, so imagine a defeat like this,” Arbeloa said in his postmatch news conference. “It’s painful, especially against a lower division team. … Obviously we have to improve.

“I’m responsible, I take the decisions: the team, how we want to play, the substitutions. We’ll try to recover our morale and physically, and improve for the game on Saturday [against Levante in LaLiga].”

Madrid’s Copa exit came only three days after they were beaten by Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a result that preceded Alonso’s removal as coach.

Arbeloa left several key players out of the squad for the trip to Albacete, including Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Álvaro Carreras, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappé, who has been struggling because of a knee sprain.

“I was convinced the squad was the right one, and I still think that,” Arbeloa said. “We have an extraordinary squad, with great players. It isn’t easy for them to do everything I’ve asked of them after just one day [in the job]. We have a lot of players to get back to their best physical level.

“I don’t regret anything. I’d pick the same team again.”

Madrid had previously progressed only to the round of 16 of the Copa, needing an Mbappé brace to beat third-tier Talavera de la Reina 3-2 in December.

“I think we’ve hit rock bottom today,” defender Dani Carvajal told reporters. “We’ve been knocked out by a second-division team. Congratulations to them. From tomorrow we’ll all do some self-criticism, individually and collectively. There’s still time to turn the season around.”

Said Arbeloa: “If people want to describe this as a failure I’d understand it. For me, failure lies on the way to success. … I don’t fear that word. I’ve failed a lot in my life, I’ve suffered defeats in cups, I’m excited about getting to Valdebebas tomorrow and working with the players, to [play] much better on Saturday.”

The new coach cited the need for his squad to improve physically, and refused to view the cup elimination as a positive in terms of reducing the workload going forward.

“Losing is never a relief at Real Madrid,” Arbeloa said. “Obviously it can have some positive consequences, but it wasn’t our objective to lose today. Physically we have a big margin to improve, that’s what [fitness coach] Antonio [Pintus] is here for, I think we need that.”

Emotional scenes at the final whistle saw Albacete’s players perform a lap of honor, while former Madrid defender Jesus Vallejo — who sat out Wednesday’s game because of injury — left the field in tears.

“It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever experienced in football,” matchwinner Betancor said. “It’s what you dream about.

“Nine years ago I wanted to leave football. Now, by dreaming, and working hard, look where we are. I think we deserved it.”



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Harry Kane calf injury imperils Bundesliga record chase

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Harry Kane calf injury imperils Bundesliga record chase


Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich‘s game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday with a calf injury in a blow to his hopes of breaking the Bundesliga record for most goals in a season.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said on Thursday the problem wasn’t serious but means Kane will play no part in Friday’s game, which could see Bayern open up a 14-point lead at the top of the table.

“He got a knock on his calf and hasn’t recovered yet,” Kompany said. “It’s nothing serious for the time being but we’d need maybe another a day for him to be involved. We’re pretty relaxed. Of course we would have liked Harry to be involved but these things happen.”

Kompany didn’t express concern Kane would miss Bayern’s visit to Atalanta in the Champions League round of 16 next week.

Kane has scored 30 goals in the Bundesliga and is 11 short of Robert Lewandowski‘s record of 41, with 10 games remaining.

Bayern will also be without Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies for Friday’s game, Kompany said.

Bayern, the defending Bundesliga champions, have an 11-point lead at the top of the table after beating second-placed Borussia Dortmund 3-2 last Saturday.

“We’ve had an 11-point lead before and we know how quickly that can change,” said Kompany.

“We’re just looking at our performance and our victories. I looked at the table once after the game against Dortmund and it looked good. But after that, once again the only thing that mattered was Gladbach. It sounds like a cliche, but it’s a way of life for me.”

The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.



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India beat England to set up T20 World Cup final with NZ – SUCH TV

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India beat England to set up T20 World Cup final with NZ – SUCH TV



An explosive half-century by in-form opener Sanju Samson, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling display, helped India secure a narrow seven-run victory over England in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

The victory propelled India into the final, where they will be locking horns with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Set to chase a daunting 254-run target, England could accumulate 246/7 in their 20 overs despite Jacob Bethell’s gutsy century.

England got off to a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost opener Phil Salt (five) and captain Harry Brook (seven) inside five overs with just 38 runs on the board.

Following the early dismissals, Bethell walked out to bat at No.4 and shared a 26-run partnership for the third wicket with Jos Buttler, who made a 17-ball 25 before falling victim to Varun Chakravarthy on the penultimate delivery of the batting powerplay.

England then suffered another setback to their run chase in the eighth over when Axar Patel cleaned up Tom Banton (17) after being hit for two consecutive sixes, and consequently slipped to 95/4.

Bethell then eventually received formidable support at the other end in the form of all-rounder Will Jacks, and the duo displayed grit to keep England in the hunt as they put together 77 runs off just 39 deliveries amid their fifth-wicket partnership, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the 14th over.

Jacks made a notable contribution for England in the run chase with a 20-ball 35, comprising four fours and two sixes.

Bethell then shared a 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Sam Curran, who fell victim to Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over after scoring a 14-ball 18.

England’s batting mainstay Bethell eventually got run out on the first delivery of the final over and walked back after top-scoring with a valiant 105 off 48 deliveries, featuring eight fours and seven sixes.

Pandya was the standout bowler for India, taking two wickets for 38 runs in his four overs, while Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with one apiece.

England captain Harry Brook’s decision to field first backfired as the home side piled up 253/7 in their 20 overs.

India, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as their left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma (nine) was dismissed by Will Jacks in the second over with just 20 runs on the board.

The early setback, however, did not bother India as their top-order duo of Ishan Kishan and Samson raised 97 runs for the second wicket off 44 deliveries until Adil Rashid dismissed the former, who remained a notable contributor for the co-hosts with an 18-ball 39.

Samson was then involved in a 43-run partnership for the third wicket with all-rounder Shivam Dube until eventually falling victim to Jacks in the 14th over. He remained the top-scorer for India with a blazing 89 off 42 deliveries, studded with seven sixes and eight fours.

India suffered another major setback to their batting expedition an over later when Adil got their captain Suryakumar Yadav stumped, who could score 11 off six deliveries.

With the scoreboard reading 190/4 in 15.4 overs, Dube was joined by fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the middle, and the duo put together 32 runs for the fifth wicket before the former was run out due to a mix-up, coupled with a direct hit by England captain Brook.

Dube remained a significant run-getter for India in the high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 fixture, scoring 43 off 25 deliveries with the help of four sixes and a four.

Following his departure, Pandya and Tilak Varma ensured an equally dominant finish with the bat for India with blistering cameos, contributing 27 and 21, respectively. The duo also shared a 24-run partnership.

For England, Jacks and Adil bagged two wickets each, while Archer could pick up one.



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Athletics GM ‘always open’ to Kyler Murray reunion ahead of expected Cardinals release

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Athletics GM ‘always open’ to Kyler Murray reunion ahead of expected Cardinals release


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Kyler Murray’s tenure with the Arizona Cardinals is coming to an end. 

The team reportedly informed the former No. 1 overall pick this week that he will be released at the start of the new league year, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any team, including, potentially, one in Major League Baseball.

Prior to declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray was a two-sport athlete playing both football and baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for over 4,000 yards and 42 touchdowns during the 2018 season, but the then-Oakland Athletics still selected him with the 9th overall pick in the 2018 draft. 

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray throws a pass during the first half of an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans in Glendale, Ariz., on Oct. 5, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/AP)

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He signed a contract with a $4.66 million signing bonus, but Murray would forgo his senior year at Oklahoma and declare for the NFL Draft. After seven years in the NFL, Murray’s MLB career still remains a possibility.  

“Kyler is an elite NFL quarterback and I’m sure there are plenty of opportunities for him to continue his football career,” A’s general manager David Forst told MLB.com on Wednesday. 

“That said, he and his baseball representatives know that we’re always open to him exploring a return to baseball with the A’s if that time ever comes.”

Kyler Murray standing during batting practice at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ No. 1 draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, looks on during batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Murray, 28, will likely have several options during the offseason. He is currently owed $36.8 million. 

His career with the Cardinals has been marred by injuries and other controversies, including the study clause that was initially included in his five-year, $230.5 million deal signed in 2022. The clause was later removed. He appeared in just five games last season after suffering a foot injury, which later landed him on injured reserve.

The Cardinals finished 3-14 behind backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett and later fired head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Kyler Murray batting during practice at Oakland Alameda Coliseum.

Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ number one draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, takes batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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“To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Murray posted in a farewell message to fans on social media. “I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77-year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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