Sports
Dinner, photo with Yamal’s mum? Yours for £130
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal‘s mum, Sheila Ebana, will be the special guest at a charity Christmas dinner in London next month.
The event, which will take place at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City on Nov. 7, has been branded by the organisers as an “unforgettable Christmas sports dinner gala.”
“JEN C Events is honoured to be the first events planners to work with Sheila,” the agency organising the dinner said.
“It is going to be a great evening of networking, including a meet and greet with Sheila.
“We don’t want to give too much away, but guests are in for a treat for one night only in London with one of the best footballers in the world’s mum.”
Tickets for the dinner range from £130 to £289 ($174 to $388.70), with champagne on arrival, a three course dinner, non-stop entertainment and DJ, networking with other sports personalities and photo opportunities listed among the benefits.
The announcement of the event had led to criticism of Ebana in Spain, but former Real Betis player Benjamín Zarandona, who will also be at the dinner, has explained she merely accepted an offer to attend.
“JEN C Events contacted me regarding the charity dinner they organise every year,” Zarandona told Cadena Ser.
“They had seen me in a photo with Lamine’s mum. As you know, I’ve had a friendship with her for many years due to our shared roots in Equatorial Guinea.
“The agency asked me if it would be possible to get her to London for a Christmas event. I said I’d look into it. That’s it. We reached an agreement. They hired me as an ex-player and I contacted Sheila.
“We’ve simply been hired to attend a dinner they are organising. From there, they set the prices. Obviously they will want to cover the costs of the dinner.
“Lamine’s mum is not organising anything. She’s attending as a guest. That is it. Some of the things that have been published have really surprised me.”
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Yamal, 18, has developed into one of the best players in the world since making his Barça debut as a 15-year-old. Last week he finished second to Ousmane Dembélé in the Ballon d’Or, a coveted individual award given to the No.1 footballer on the planet.
In his short career, he has already won two LaLiga titles, among other trophies with Barça, and the European Championships with Spain.
Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni on Friday named Inter Miami‘s Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul to his 28-player squad for the friendlies this month against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in Miami and Chicago, respectively.
The participation of Messi and De Paul in the match against Venezuela on Oct. 10 remains in doubt as Inter Miami plays Atlanta United in a key MLS regular-season match at Chase Stadium one day later.
When asked if Messi and De Paul would participate in Argentina’s friendly on Oct. 10, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano was vague.
“It’s something we’re talking through right now, you’ll find out,” Mascherano said on Friday.
Argentina host Puerto Rico at Soldier Field on Oct. 13.
Miami’s Telasco Segovia was also called up to represent Venezuela in the upcoming friendly.
Though Inter Miami has already clinched a spot in the 2025 MLS playoffs, the team continues to fight for a top slot on the Eastern Conference table to ensure home-field advantage during the postseason.
The club could also be fighting for the Supporters’ Shield during the match against Atlanta United on Oct. 11, dependent upon match results.
The Herons must win the three remaining league matches, while the Philadelphia Union lose the final two games.
Inter Miami currently sits in fourth place on the Eastern Conference table with 56 points in 31 games, recently coming off of a 5-3 loss against the Chicago Fire.
Sports
Chipper Jones respond to claim pitting Brian Snitker against legendary Braves manager Bobby Cox
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The Atlanta Braves won 76 games, falling well short of the playoffs.
Shortly after the Braves defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the regular-season finale, longtime manager Brian Snitker announced he would not return to the dugout next season.
The 69-year-old will move into a special advisory role. He spent nearly a half-century with the Braves organization in various capacities, many of them as a minor league player and coach. His decade-long run as Atlanta’s skipper was highlighted by the 2021 World Series title.
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Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones (10) shakes hands with former manager Bobby Cox while former Braves pitcher Don Sutton looks on during the number retirement ceremony before a game between the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs at Turner Field on Aug. 12, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
Braves Chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk said Snitker would be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame next year, according to 680 The Fan.
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Snitker oversaw six straight National League East titles and seven postseason berths. He ended his career as one of the franchise’s all-time winningest managers. Snitker’s 811 career wins trail only two former Braves managers: Frank Selee and Bobby Cox.
After Snitker confirmed he would step down, Atlanta sports radio host Mike Bell compared his career to Cox’s, “Brian Snitker did more with less. Bobby Cox did less with more,” Bell wrote on X Wednesday afternoon.
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker (43) is on the field against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Truist Park in Cumberland, Georgia, on Sept. 10, 2025. (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)
That comment drew criticism from Baseball Hall of Famer and Braves icon Chipper Jones.
“U are….without a doubt….a clown! Only an absolute, talentless, gasbag….would take this opportunity to celebrate a glorious retirement by crapping on the generational GM and manager that ignited the last 35 yrs of baseball relevance. U can’t be serious with this post,” Jones responded.
Jones, who spent most of his career with Snitker as his manager, also responded to a fan who suggested “the Braves underachieved during that Bobby Cox tenure.”
“[B]lowing a 2-0 lead against the Yankees in 98 was just one of the many times,” a social media user wrote.
Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox (left) and Chipper Jones in the dugout against the Texas Rangers at the Rangers Ballpark on June 17, 2008, in Arlington, Texas. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
“Hmmm….i have 2 WS rings, 2 NL rings. How many u got Einstein? We were 2-0 in ‘96. If u gonna argue, at least seem knowledgeable. Padres/yankees were ‘98,” Jones rebutted.
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Cox was on the New York Yankees coaching staff during their 1977 World Series run. He managed the Braves for 25 seasons over two stints.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has been called up to the Spain squad after recovering from injury following last month’s club versus country row.
Yamal, 18, aggravated a groin problem while on international duty in September, angering Barça coach Hansi Flick, and only returned to action last weekend.
The teenage forward made his first appearance as a substitute in the win against Real Sociedad, before playing 90 minutes in the midweek loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has subsequently named him in his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers at home to Georgia on Oct. 11 and Bulgaria on Oct. 14.
Prior to joining up with the national team, Yamal has one more match with his club, away at Sevilla in LaLiga on Sunday.
Barça will be paying close attention to Yamal’s minutes with Spain after Flick accused La Roja of “failing to take care” of their young players last month.
The German coach said Yamal had been unable to train due to a slight niggle, yet Spain had administered pain killers, allowing him to start games against Bulgaria and Turkey.
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De la Fuente replied that he had “no interest” in Flick’s complaints.
Due to the injury, Yamal missed four matches in total, wins against Valencia, Newcastle United, Getafe and Real Oviedo.
Barça sporting director Deco has since said he has spoken with his counterpart at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Aitor Karanka, to ensure better communication between club and country moving forward.
Spain squad:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simón, David Raya, Álex Remiro
Defenders: Alejandro Grimaldo, Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsí, Dani Vivian, Robin Le Normand, Marcos Llorente, Pedro Porro, Dean Huijsen
Midfielders: Rodri, Dani Olmo, Mikel Merino, Martín Zubimendi, Aleix García, Pedri, Álex Baena, Pablo Barrios
Attackers: Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Yeremy Pino, Lamine Yamal, Samu, Jorge de Frutos, Jesús Rodriguez
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