Sports
Frustrated Palace boss all-but confirms Eze exit
Oliver Glasner all-but confirmed Eberechi Eze has played his last game in a Crystal Palace shirt after claiming the England attacker pulled out on the day of their historic 1-0 Conference League playoff victory over Fredrikstad.
The Palace boss insisted Eze would start the Eagles’ first leg against the Norwegian side at Selhurst Park – also their first foray into major European football — before Arsenal swooped in.
Sources told ESPN that Arsenal have reached a deal worth £60 million ($80.5m) with £7.5 million ($10m) in add-ons and have also agreed personal terms with the 27-year-old.
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Eze had previously been close to a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur before their north London rivals made their move on Wednesday.
And on Thursday morning, Glasner revealed he received a phone call from Eze, who said he was not feeling well enough to play, forcing him to bring Northern Ireland international Justin Devenny into his starting XI.
“I’m responsible for Crystal Palace and I think he won’t play for us again,” said Glasner when asked to confirm whether Eze was heading to the Emirates Stadium.
“So I have to prepare the team for Nottingham [Forest, in the Premier League on Sunday] and for the second leg against Fredrikstad, and I’m planning without Eberechi.”
Quizzed as to whether Eze was feeling physically or mentally unwell, the Palace boss merely replied: “You have to ask him. Maybe in a few days [you can ask].”
Glasner also shared that he has never faced a situation where a player in Eze’s situation had called to say they were unavailable.
“No,” Glasner confirmed. “And I don’t want it to happen anymore.”
The drama and speculation around Eze — and his absence from Palace’s starting XI — overshadowed the FA Cup holders’ historic major European debut, which they won 1-0 after Jean-Philippe Mateta nodded home in the 54th minute.
Glasner, who blamed late business for Palace’s poor start last season, did not hold back when sharing his frustration about their lack of activity in the transfer window, so far signing just Croatian defender Borna Sosa for £2 million and goalkeeper Walter Benítez on a free transfer.
“I can’t do anything,” said Glasner. “I can’t sign a player’s contract. We have to act. We need this. This is Crystal Palace’s future. It’s easy to add numbers, we need to add the right players.
“The profile has been defined for months, for months. Also it’s not surprising for everyone that Ebs left, because five days earlier we couldn’t have done anything if he leaves [due to a release clause].
“We knew that this chance is very high that this would happen, and honestly, I say it like it is, we missed the chance to replace him early enough. That’s completely our fault, and nobody else’s fault.”
Speaking to British boradcaster Channel 5 after the victory, Palace chairman Steve Parish said: “It is what it is. We’ve got to move past [it]. He’s been fantastic for the club. We all love him for what he’s done and achieved, and we’re pleased that he can go on and fulfil the other ambitions that he’s got.
“The king is dead, long live the king. We have to move past it and we have to find other players to bring in that can support the rest of the team and Oliver.”
Information from PA and ESPN’s James Olley was used in this report.
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President Donald Trump paid respects to late legendary football coach Lou Holtz Thursday after Holtz’s death Wednesday at the age of 89.
Trump shared a tribute to Holtz in a Truth Social post.
Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz listens before being presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec, 3, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The wonderful Lou Holtz passed away yesterday, so sad. Lou was an absolute WINNER both on and off the field. Not only did he spearhead Notre Dame’s HISTORIC undefeated season in 1988 (including the legendary 31-30 ‘Catholics v. Convicts’ Victory against Miami), he raised Millions upon Millions for struggling student-athletes, and the AMAZING University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!),” Trump wrote.
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“He was also a true American Patriot, supporting me through thick and thin, and consistently speaking out against Democrat Insanity, including ‘Transgender for Everybody,’ and the Illegal Alien Invasion.
“It is for all this incredible work that I gave Lou Holtz our Nation’s Highest Civilian Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rest in Peace, Lou. Because of Patriots like you, we have made America GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Holtz was a known supporter of Trump, even saying in February 2024 that Trump needed to “coach America back to greatness!”
Near the end of Trump’s first term, shortly after former President Joe Biden defeated him in the 2020 election, Trump awarded Holtz with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States. Holtz, who also spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, was humbled by the honor.
“It’s the highest honor or award you could possibly receive, and I receive it with mixed emotions. First of all, I’m humbled,” Holtz told “Fox & Friends” afterward. “There are many more people far worthy than me, I can assure you.
“Nobody is more appreciative than me. So, I’m excited to have this opportunity and, at the same time, I’m excited to receive it from President Trump. The president I admire and respect. I think he did a tremendous job.”
At the time, Holtz also called Trump “one of the great presidents of my lifetime.”
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President Donald Trump presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz at the White House in Washington, D.C. Dec. 3, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Holtz was the first coach in NCAA history to take six different football programs to bowl games, including William & Mary (1969-71), N.C. State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83) and South Carolina (1999-2004). The only team he wasn’t able to accomplish the feat with was Minnesota, which he led from 1984-85.
Holtz finished his coaching career with a 249-132-7 record in 388 games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
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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.
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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