Tyrone 'never said die' in All-Ireland win
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The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
'There is no one like him': what Martín Zubimendi will bring Arsenal
The way Martín Zubimendi remembers it, the day he was given the chance to be a ballboy for Real Sociedad against Manchester United he was more nervous than when he had to play. Standing at the side of the pitch, he found himself transfixed, the game flying by. So transfixed, in fact, that he forgot it was his job to pass the ball to the players and at one point Claudio Bravo, in goal that night at Anoeta, had to come over and take it off him because he was standing there watching. It was the first time it had happened to him; it would also be the last. If there is anything that defines Arsenal's new midfielder, it is that he is so calm, so in control. 'He oozes assuredness from every pore,' says the Spain coach, Luis de la Fuente. 'He doesn't get nervous walking a tightrope with no safety net.' When he's out there, games don't just go by; they usually go where he wants them to. And as for passes, what he forgot to do that night defines him now: there were 1,752 of them in La Liga last season. No midfielder outside Real Madrid or Barcelona played more. Raised in the San Sebastián neighbourhood of Gros, where he has walked his dog daily, quietly heading across the beach or up to Elía which looks out over the bay, Zubimendi was Gipuzkoa chess champion at under-12 level. It fits the way he plays football, which he did even better: thoughtful, strategic, the whole picture. 'Martín is a player who will bring us enormous quality and footballing intelligence; he has all the qualities to be a key player for us,' Mikel Arteta said. Like Arteta, his coach now, Zubimendi played at local club Antiguoko, an extraordinary success story when it comes to football development in the city, before joining Real Sociedad at 12 and making his first team debut eight years later. Last year, his coach Imanol Alguacil said: 'There is no one like him.' Which isn't, in truth, what most people say. Ask anybody about Zubimendi and one name comes up every time, sometimes two. There is Sergio Busquets, who Zubimendi once joked had done a lot of damage to central midfielders, setting new standards, new demands, forcing them to do things they had never done before. And then, inevitably, there is Xabi Alonso who he says 'must get bored of hearing me talk about him'. Alonso too is from Guipuzkoa and began at Antiguoko before joining Real Sociedad. They play in the same position, with the same style, have the same agent, and listening to Zubimendi explain his craft, even sound the same. Alonso has been Zubimendi's coach at Real Sociedad's B team, taking it upon himself to teach him, bringing out the player he could see inside. Even after Zubimendi's promotion to the first team, Alonso would stop him at the Zubieta training ground and go through the game with him, offering advice. As for being tired of Zubimendi talking about him, forget it. The admiration is mutual, the values shared. This summer, Zubimendi appeared a perfect signing for Real Madrid. Alonso, Zubimendi says, led without it ever being for show; 'Martín,' Alonso says, 'thinks more about his teammates than himself. He has that ability to generate play, make those around him better, organise. He understands the next step before the ball gets to him.' He also understands that is not all there is to the game. Not least because he has been told it. He has talked about needing to see beyond the short pass, learning to shift the length of his deliveries, and there is a dynamism about his play that Alonso And Busquets didn't have. There's also an ability to do the more traditional duties of a defensive midfielder. Only four defenders in Spain made more tackles than he did last season. If there is one thing that Alguacil is obsessed with it is the intensity with which he thinks the game should be played, the determination to compete and put the boot in if needs be. Zubimendi reckons he might have been the player who most had the manager on his back. 'Imanol asks me to talk more, to be more aggressive,' he said. 'Your role is to be constantly helping everyone and talking is part of that. That and the challenges.' Zubimendi is naturally quiet, made in the Gipuzkoan mould. Talk to him and he's engaging, warm company, the analysis impressive, but there is no show. Everyone in San Sebastián knows him; outside, it is tempting to suggest, too few do. Or at least that, without a lobby to champion him, without any desire to demand the spotlight, he has not always had the recognition his performances deserved. In fact, when Rodri went off injured in the final of Euro 2024, to be replaced by Zubimendi, it wasn't only the England fans thinking this was their chance. Up in the directors' box in Berlin, where the presidents of the regional federations were sat, one of the Basque representatives heard the muttering from the row behind: Rodri going off was a disaster, they were screwed now, Spain were going to lose. The way he recalls it, he turned round and had a go, saying that anyone would think they had never seen Zubimendi play and maybe they should watch someone outside Madrid and Barcelona for once. For a moment, it got a bit tense. By the end of the night Spain were European champions; Zubimendi had dominated the second half. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion If they had doubted, De la Fuente had not. 'Rodri is the best midfielder in the world,' he had said, 'but Zubimendi is the second best. Martín gives you everything you ask for and has a fantastic talent. He's a guarantee, totally reliable. He always plays calmly, unhurried and every decision is the right one.' Others had seen it too. In 2023, Xavi Hernández tried to persuade Barcelona to sign him. The following summer, Liverpool thought they had him; so did some Real Sociedad players. At the end of the Euros, Álex Remiro had rented a house in Ibiza and invited the teammates with whom he played for both Real Sociedad and Spain: Robin Le Normand, Mikel Oyarzabal, Mikel Merino, and Zubimendi. Oyarzabal went but, one by one, the problems appeared: Le Normand had to arrange his move to Atlético Madrid, Merino was about to go to Arsenal, and Zubimendi wasn't sure he was going to make it either, because there were things to sort out. Not you too, Remiro replied, not this year. Next year, then. Home called and Zubimendi stayed for now but 12 months on it is time. 'It's hard to find the right words to say goodbye; it hasn't been easy but the moment has come,' he wrote. 'Once I had made the decision to go, I was focused on Arsenal because I think their style is the right one for me. [The manager and I] have a lot in common. We come from the same city and played for the same teams.' Starting at Real Sociedad, where one night Zubimendi let the game pass by him but never again.
Scotsman
28 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Lions name strong team to face Brumbies - but only two Scots get nod
Farrell picks his XV with Wallabies in mind Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Andy Farrell has named his strongest British and Irish team Lions team yet with Wednesday's match against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra shaping up to be a dry run for the first Test against Australia - but only two Scots have been included. Maro Itoje leads the side as part of a second-row partnership with Joe McCarthy and across the starting XV there are picks considered first choice, including half-backs Jamison Gibson-Park and Scotland stand-off Finn Russell. His international teammate Blair Kinghorn starts at 15, with no place for centres Huw Jones or Sione Tuipulotu. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Providing X-factor on the bench are back-rower Henry Pollock and versatile playmaker Marcus Smith in an opportunity for both England stars to prove they are ready to take on the Wallabies on July 19. Scotland stand-off Finn Russell starts for the Lions. | Getty Images Pollock was due to start Saturday's shaky 21-10 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs but withdrew shortly before kick-off because of a tight calf, an injury that has now healed. The all-Ireland combination of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose have been chosen in the centres and Kinghorn makes his first start at full-back having joined the squad late because of his Top 14 duties with Toulouse. Tommy Freeman and James Lowe are the favourites to fill the wings against Australia in Brisbane and both are present, with Mack Hansen adding back-three cover from the bench against his former Super Rugby franchise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Decisions made in the pack Ellis Genge has been the form loosehead prop on tour while on the other side of the scrum three-times Lions tourist Tadhg Furlong is given another start to develop his match-fitness at the end of a season that has been marred by calf and hamstring injuries. Dan Sheehan is named at hooker. Normally an unstoppable force, Tom Curry has yet to find his stride Down Under but he is handed the openside duties in a back row that offers an important line-out option in the shape of Ollie Chessum. Jack Conan is included at number eight and it appears as though Chessum will supply second-row cover in the event of injury to Itoje and McCarthy given flankers Josh van der Flier and Pollock are the inclusions on the bench. Lions head coach Andy Farrell. | Getty Images Ireland provide eight players to the starting XV, England five and Scotland two with no place in the 23 for Wales openside Jac Morgan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Brumbies are the strongest team the Lions will face in Australia outside of the Tests after reaching the semi-finals of Super Rugby, where they lost 37-17 to the Chiefs on June 14. 'In 2013 the Brumbies beat the Lions in Canberra and this year they were the leading Australian team in Super Rugby – so we are fully aware of the challenge in front of us,' head coach Farrell said. 'It will also be a special occasion for Mack Hansen as he returns to his home town and gets the opportunity to play for and represent the Lions against some of his old team-mates.' Lions team to play Brumbies
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Kilkenny considering their options after confusion over final score
Kilkenny were discussing their options on Sunday night after the GAA clarified the final scoreline in Croke Park and RTÉ was incorrect. Croke Park clarified the correct scoreline as Tipperary 4-20 Kilkenny 0-30 in the second of the All-Ireland SHC semi-finals. Advertisement After Oisín O'Donoghue's 69th-minute goal put Tipperary three points ahead, 4-20 to 0-29, a Noel McGrath point effort was waved wide by an umpire. However, it was recorded as a point on the scoreboard. Following Jordan Molloy's point in the second minute of additional time to bring Kilkenny's total to 30, both managers Derek Lyng and Liam Cahill were of the understanding that the margin was three points when it was in fact two. 'I had three, I thought it was three,' said Lyng afterwards. Kilkenny chased a goal in the dying stages when in fact they could have aimed for points to force extra-time — John Donnelly had a goal attempt denied by Robert Doyle on the goal-line. In the immediate aftermath of the game, GAA sources stated afterwards that the scoreline was 4-21 to 0-30 in Tipperary's favour. However, the GAA later corrected it and gave one point fewer to the winning side. Advertisement The Association said they are waiting on referee James Owens' report to ascertain exactly where the confusion arose. A statement on the GAA website read: "The GAA can confirm that the official score at the end of the Tipperary v Kilkenny GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final was 4-20 to 0-30. 'The GAA acknowledges there was confusion over the final score. The CCCC (Central Competitions Control Committee) is awaiting the full referee's report in order to establish how the initial mistake occurred." This is the second time in two years that a scoreline error has been made in Croke Park. In the 2023 Joe McDonagh Cup final, Carlow beat Offaly after extra-time by a point. Referee Thomas Walsh reported the score as 2-29 to 1-31 as did the stadium scoreboards when in fact it was 2-30 to 1-32. The incorrect score was adopted into the records. Broadcasters RTÉ updated their totals to reflect the right scoreline. Advertisement In 2016, a re-match was ordered for the Christy Ring Cup final between Meath and Antrim in Croke Park after it was miscalculated that Meath had won the game by a point (2-18 to 1-20). It materialised soon after that the actual scoreline was 2-17 to 1-20 yet Meath were awarded the trophy. Antrim requested a second game, which was granted, but Meath won it by a point, 4-21 to 5-17.
