Sports
As difficulties mount at Man City, could this season be Guardiola’s last?
Pep Guardiola sought a challenge at every stop of his managerial career. Whether it was swapping Barcelona B for Barcelona after just one season, moving to Bayern Munich or taking on the Premier League with Manchester City, he has usually come out on top.
On his first day at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, he admitted that, despite trophies in Spain and Germany, the question on everyone’s lips ahead of his arrival in England was: “How good is Pep?” He has already answered it once with 18 trophies in nine years in Manchester.
But amid a swirl of change at City and at the center of English soccer, he’s facing the prospect of having to answer it all over again. In a career full of challenges, this is perhaps one of the biggest yet.
Had things played out differently, Guardiola might already be enjoying his retirement on a beach in the Maldives or a golf course in Portugal. He chose to stay at City, in part, because the beginning of this past season — only the second to end without a trophy during his spell at the Etihad — was so difficult and he didn’t want to leave the club in a mess. It appears he also realized the club would find it far easier to hand over to a new manager in a summer that didn’t include the added complication of a Club World Cup.
Having decided to stay and sign a contract extension until 2027, he has taken on the task of trying to build another title-winning team. It’s just that the landscape now is very different.
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Of the squad he picked for the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul just two years ago, 15 players — including Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gündogan — have either left or been moved out to the fringes.
It’s not just the personnel who have changed. At the same time as dealing with huge squad turnover, Guardiola is also trying to adapt to what he views as a shift in the balance of the Premier League.
At one point this past season when discussing the success of teams like Newcastle, Bournemouth and Brighton, he said that “modern football is not positional, you have to ride the rhythm.” It was quite the admission from a coach who has built an empire on a strict framework of positions and movements.
After City’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in February, he said his “tactics don’t work like they used to.” Earlier this season he insisted he would “never ever change his beliefs” and still likes his team to make “a thousand, million passes.”
It seems, though, he has reached an acceptance that he has to change with the times.
This season, he’s trying to marry his own desire for control with more high pressing and quicker, more direct attacks to mirror what’s happening elsewhere in the league. It’s one of the reasons he picked Pep Lijnders as his assistant after the Dutchman played such a key role in developing Jürgen Klopp’s “heavy metal” style at Liverpool.
It’s a nice idea, trying to merge elements of two of the most successful teams in the modern Premier League era, but it has come with some teething problems.
After starting with an eye-catching 4-0 win at Wolves to open the 2025-26 season, City lost their next two games. In defeats to Tottenham and Brighton, they conceded almost identical goals when fast breaks exploited gaping holes at the back — gaps made more pronounced by the high defensive line favored by Lijnders.
It’s something Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will have no doubt noticed ahead of the Manchester derby at the Etihad on Sunday. City will kick off against United one point and four places below their neighbors in the table. They’re already six points behind champions Liverpool, who can now call on new £125 million striker Alexander Isak after the international break.
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No team since Manchester United in 1992-93 has lost two of their first three games and still gone on to win the league. Even at this early stage, there’s a lot of ground to make up if Guardiola wants to regain the trophy he lifted six times in seven years between 2017 and 2024.
But if it’s not going to be this season for City and Guardiola, then when? Guardiola has a contract for the next two years, but staff have given up trying to predict when he might call it quits.
There’s a feeling in some corners of the City Football Academy that this could yet be his last season. There are others who feel that, even though he has admitted he’s approaching the end, the 54-year-old could still be convinced to sign another new contract. That would depend very much on his own energy levels and whether the working relationship with director of football Hugo Viana — who has taken over from Guardiola’s great friend Txiki Begiristain — is running smoothly.
Either way, City bosses decided a long time ago that Guardiola has earned the right to decide how and when he goes. He has accepted that this past season was so bad in terms of City’s specific goals that he might have been axed by any other top club.
At the end of his 26 years at United, Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out as a champion after winning the title in 2013. Guardiola’s achievements deserve the same finale.
To give himself the perfect send-off he’ll need to piece together another great team capable of thriving in a different age of the Premier League. It’s another big challenge to tick off the list.
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Oklahoma Sooners gymnastics team stood huddled in a circle, staring only at one another, as the crowd at Dickies Arena was transfixed on the balance beam.
The Sooners’ day was over, capped off by yet another high-scoring floor routine by senior Faith Torrez, and it all came down to LSU sophomore Kailin Chio on balance beam.
While the rest of the arena cheered and gasped, no one from the Oklahoma huddle seemed to even steal a glance. The Sooners remained with their arms around one another for the next several moments. Head coach K.J. Kindler later said she told her gymnasts how proud she was of them but admitted she didn’t know what would happen next.
“Boy, as we were meeting after our last floor routine, I did not know,” Kindler said. “We did not know what position we would end up in, but what I told them was, ‘You did everything you could.'”
That everything was enough.
And when Chio’s beam score — a 9.90 — flashed on the screen, their fate was sealed and the reality seemed to sink in.
Oklahoma had won its eighth national title — all since 2014 and under the helm of Kindler — with a 198.1625 total score. It was .0875 of a point better than LSU, and nearly a half point better than third-place Florida.
Minnesota, making its championship meet debut after playing spoiler against Utah in the regional finals and UCLA in the semifinals, finished in fourth. Soon after the final scores had been announced, there were “Boomer Sooner” chants with the crowd, long hugs and tears of joy, confetti tosses as “We Are the Champions” played over the loudspeaker and balloons featuring the No. 8 in the stands and on the floor.
Winning national titles has become synonymous with the Oklahoma program in the last decade, but Saturday’s title was hardly guaranteed. The Sooners were narrowly edged out for the SEC championship title last month by Florida and had to reconfigure their lineup this week after sophomore Addison Fatta, an all-around staple for the team all season, injured her hand and was restricted to only beam. And on Saturday, the Sooners had a challenging beam rotation — which saw a fall from Keira Wells and had to count a 9.735 from Fatta — and trailed LSU entering the day’s final rotation after having held the lead for the rest of the meet.
But after beam, which ended with strong showings from freshman Ella Murphy, who Kindler later said called it “the most nervous” experience of her life, Lily Pederson and Torrez, the Sooners came together and regrouped.
“We just reminded ourselves to go for it, leave it all on the floor,” Torrez said. “As K.J. said, ‘Leave it all on the floor for floor. Just be aggressive, don’t play it safe and you know what we have to do.’ But we did a good job at staying in our bubble, so we were really laser focused on us.”
Pederson added she was able to relax, despite the pressure, because she knew it was somewhat out of their hands.
“None of us were really paying attention to the score because at the end of the day, if we do our best gymnastics, that’s all we can ask for,” Pederson said. “We can’t control the score. And I think that’s what we all did.”
On floor, an event Kindler and her staff chose to end on, the Sooners dominated. Anchored by Torrez’s 9.95, and not needing to count a score under 9.90, Oklahoma left little to chance.
Meanwhile, the Tigers, the 2024 champions, had a fall of their own from Lexi Zeiss on beam and simply couldn’t make up the difference with their rest of their lineup.
Kindler credited LSU for “making it extra, extra difficult” and “pushing us to our limit.”
For Torrez, who had been limited throughout the season with injury, the weekend was a fairy-tale ending for a storied collegiate career. After not being able to compete in the all-around during the season, Torrez was able to do all four events for the first time in Thursday’s semifinal. Despite her lack of experience this year, she won the individual national title, stunning Chio and a slew of other talented gymnasts, and helped give the Sooners the highest score entering the championship.
“It’s a dream come true,” Torrez said about her final two meets as a college gymnast.
With Saturday’s victory, the Sooners passed UCLA in the all-time standings for sole possession of third place. Georgia still owns the record with 10 national titles, and Utah has nine. The mark also ties the team with Oklahoma’s legendary softball team for the most championships among women’s programs at the school.
Kindler told reporters she would have never believed it if someone had told her when she took the job in 2006 how successful she would be — but insisted she did not take the feeling of winning a national championship for granted.
“I mean, I was in disbelief today,” Kindler said. “We were just on the edge of our seats. I honestly could not believe it. So, they’re all different. They’re all unique, and they’re all incredibly special. You don’t get immune to the feeling of having an accomplishment like this.
“And all the credit goes to the athletes. The things that we have been through this year … all those [championship] teams are special in very different ways. You have different memories based on who’s part of that [specific] personnel, but that euphoric feeling never goes away.”
Sports
Secretary Doug Burgum expects Teddy Roosevelt’s induction into Pro Football Hall of Fame: report
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Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum reportedly said at a Bank of America reception Thursday that he thinks President Teddy Roosevelt will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year, according to the New York Post.
“Roger Goodell was in the White House in the Oval Office. I had a chance to be with him there, because we, the National Park Service, control the National Mall,” Burgum said, according to the outlet.
“The draft for the NFL is being held on the Mall a year from now, (and) the Capitol will be in the background.
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“Keep it a secret. Keep your fingers crossed, but I think we’re going to see Theodore Roosevelt inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. … It’s going to be announced on the Mall when Roger Goodell is conducting the draft.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the secretary, the White House and the NFL for comment.
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt at his Washington, D.C., office Feb. 10, 1903. (History Archive/Universal Images Group)
Teddy Roosevelt is credited with saving football in 1905–1906 by forcing college leaders to reform the game’s rules after frequent injury-related deaths of players.
The reforms led to the creation of the forward pass and the banning of dangerous formations.
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Fans after a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. (Scott Galvin/Imagn Images)
The 2027 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is headlined by first-year eligible legends Rob Gronkowski, Adrian Peterson and Ben Roethlisberger. Bill Belichick and Eli Manning are also candidates to get in after missing out on first-ballot entry.
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Sports
NJ Transit CEO explains World Cup fare hike as NJ Gov again implores FIFA to pay for $150 train tickets
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An already-expensive trip to the World Cup just got even more costly, as NJ Transit and the FIFA New York New Jersey Host Committee announced fare hikes to attend eight matches at MetLife Stadium this year.
The East Rutherford, New Jersey, stadium will host those matches, beginning June 13 and ending with the final on July 19, but a roundtrip train ticket to and from New York Penn Station and MetLife Stadium will be $150, up from the usual $12.90. Shuttles are also available for $80.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri defended the fare hikes on Friday, saying that the ultimate cost to the public transportation company should not be the burden of New Jersey commuters.
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NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri and Alex Lasry, CEO of the 2026 FIFA World Cup New York New Jersey Host Committee, speak during a press briefing on the regional mobility plan for the World Cup in Newark, New Jersey, on April 17, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
“It is an exciting moment for New Jersey to showcase New Jersey’s diversity as well as its economic standing in the country and in the world. Equally important, she has said that New Jersey commuters cannot and will not subsidize the movement of fans going to the game, because that would not be fair,” Kolluri said, reiterating that the tournament will cost NJ Transit $48 million.
“In order to move 40,000 people and to pay for the cost of $6 million (per game), we have to charge $150.”
The CEO said that if the regular $12.90 fare were put in place, commuters would subsidize the $48 million bill by 92%.
“No one that I have spoken to thinks that’s fair or reasonable. Commuters in New Jersey should not carry the cost years into the future for a wonderful event, no doubt. But the fans going to the games should burden the cost, that’s all we’re trying to say,” Kolluri added.
Days after New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said that FIFA should pay for commuters’ costs, she did so again shortly after the fare hikes were announced.
“New Jersey is ready and excited to host eight FIFA World Cup matches this summer – including the World Cup Final,” Sherrill began in a social media post Friday.
A general view of MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Train Station is seen from a NJ Transit train before the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 9, 2025. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
“Since I took office, my Administration has been working to prepare for the biggest sporting event our state has ever seen – and today, NJ TRANSIT released their Mobility Plan to move 40,000 fans to and from each match safely and efficiently. In the FIFA World Cup agreement that my Administration inherited, FIFA put zero dollars towards transporting World Cup fans. It also eliminated parking at MetLife Stadium, putting the burden of transporting four times more matchday riders than typical for an event at the stadium on NJ TRANSIT. This agreement will cost NJ TRANSIT at least $48 million, while FIFA is positioned to make $11 billion during the World Cup.
“As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day.”
The fare hikes, however, did not please FIFA. In a scathing statement to Fox News Digital, World Cup COO Heimo Schirgi said the “current pricing model will have a chilling effect,” including congestion, late arrivals, and “broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup.”
Schirgi also ripped Sherrill for her “unprecedented” ask to make FIFA pay for the commuting costs.
“No other global event, concert or major sporting promoter has faced such a demand. While FIFA is projected to generate approximately $11 billion in revenue, not profit, as the Governor incorrectly claims, FIFA has always been a not-for-profit organization as per our statutes. Revenues from the FIFA World Cup are reinvested into developing the game of football, particularly for youth and women, worldwide,” Schirgi said.
Commuters move through the NJ Transit section of Penn Station in New York City on May 20, 2025, after NJ Transit resumed operations following a tentative deal to end a three-day strike by train engineers. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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Parking has been barred from MetLife Stadium, and rideshare will be extremely limited, both of which will result in increased NJ Transit commutes.
New York Penn Station will also only be open to matchgoers beginning four hours prior to the start of games, and fans were urged to avoid nonessential NJ Transit travel on game days.
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