Midtjylland warm up for Hibs clash with league draw
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Reuters
7 minutes ago
- Reuters
Chinese club Shandong given 2-year ban from Asian club competition after no-show
Aug 5 (Reuters) - Chinese club Shandong Taishan has been banned from Asian club competition for two years for its no-show against South Korean side Ulsan HD in the Asian Champions League (ACL) Elite in February. The Chinese Super League side pulled out hours before the February 19 match, blaming "serious physical discomfort" of players and saying they were unable to form a team. The Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) Disciplinary and Ethics Commission said Shandong would not be able to play in the AFC's club competitions up to and including the 2026/27 season editions, and fined the club $50,000. It also ordered Shandong to return a participation fee of $600,000 and a performance bonus of $200,000 to the AFC along with compensation of $40,000 to Ulsan "in respect of damages and losses claimed" by the South Korean club. Shandong's pull-out came days after the club said it had banned supporters for "inappropriate behaviour" during a home ACL match against South Korean team Gwangju after fans in the crowd displayed images of South Korea's last military dictator Chun Doo-hwan. Hundreds of people are estimated to have died or gone missing when the South Korean government violently put down the Gwangju uprising by pro-democracy protesters in May 1980, when Chun was the de facto leader of the country after leading a military coup.
BBC News
9 minutes ago
- BBC News
'I needed to get myself together' - Fitzpatrick on finding form
Golf is a demanding and successful day job, but football is former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick's sporting passion - to the extent that he wants to work in the may happen one day but for now, digging his way out of the biggest slump of an otherwise glittering golf career has been the 30-year-old's has been a difficult and emotional process, but proof that he is back came with a career-best tie for fourth at last month's Open. He was the leading UK golfer that week on the Antrim coast and it was a fine way to end the men's major more so given where Fitzpatrick's game was when it began at April's Masters. The previous month he had missed the cut at the Players, parting company with caddie Billy Foster - with whom he won the 2022 US miserable early spring confounded expectations, after taking time to reset his career following a disappointing 2024. He felt ready to contend again, but his game remained in disarray."I just didn't have it," Fitzpatrick told BBC Sport. "I'd put in a tonne of work, my coaches had put in so much work and it just didn't happen."There's no stone left unturned for me, but it's hard when you're intending to hit a shot and missing it by quite a lot. I just didn't know what was coming."And that's when confidence hits an all-time low and you feel like you can't progress." By the end of the Masters, where he finished in a share of 40th place, the former world number six was 75th in the was not sure what to do to arrest the decline. And sometimes stuff happens away from the course as vicissitudes contributed to what had been previously unthinkable - splitting with Mike Walker, his coach and confidante since Fitzpatrick's mid works alongside fellow South Yorkshireman Pete Cowen and helped his protege win the US Amateur in 2013 before turning professional."My relationship with Mike is more important than golf really," Fitzpatrick said. "He's someone I've looked up to since I was 14 or 15."I could tell him anything and my respect for him is so high. At the same time I wasn't playing well and things probably needed to change."It's my job and I needed to get myself together."The week after the Masters, Fitzpatrick started to work with the Alabama-based coach Mark Blackburn."It was the first time I've ever had anyone look at my swing, or get a lesson off someone not named Mike Walker or Pete Cowen in 15 years," Fitzpatrick wanted to know his new pupil's physical capabilities and his level of flexibility. They soon discovered Fitzpatrick possesses unusually long arms."Which is not great for hitting irons because its harder to control the depth of the club, and you are going to hit it heavier more often than not," he said."The other thing was I don't have great shoulder flexion and because of that, as soon as I swing it too long I come out of posture and my swing is all out of whack."While finishing 11 under par at Portrush it was noticeable that before every shot Fitzpatrick would pull back his shoulders and push out his chest. "It's me trying to pinch my shoulder blades together," he said."It is basically to create the radius of my arms, which means I can just rotate there and I don't need to stretch or move my arms." The work is paying off. Fitzpatrick was eighth in May's US PGA at Quail Hollow, one of five top 10s since the Masters - including finishing fourth at the Scottish Open the week before Portrush, and a share of eighth at the Wyndham last he is looking to push to finish top 30 on the PGA Tour and grab a place in the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. He currently lies 41st and competes in the first play-off event, the FedEx St Jude, which starts in Memphis this who he credits for helping him through the toughest stretch of his career, Fitzpatrick says: "My mum and dad and wife Katherine."She was constantly reminding me that I won the US Open; 'you're a great player, you're going to get it back'."It really is true, you've got to have the right people around you and I feel very lucky that I've always had that." Football tactics fascinate Fitzpatrick The other constant has been his love of football. This conversation began with Fitzpatrick seeking contact details for a tactical expert who had appeared on the BBC Sport website."People think its a joke but I love football way more than golf," Fitzpatrick smiled. "I'm obsessed with football. It's brilliant for me."I love supporting Sheffield United, over here in the States they show every game I could wish to see, which is amazing."Fitzpatrick has visited Premier League side Brentford and spoken face-to-face with the performance team at champions Liverpool to glean insights. His voice lights up while recalling the people he met and the chats that was like a sponge absorbing information. "How they use data, how culture is so important," he said. "Just fascinating."Finding little things that maybe we could take into golf - I feel like we've taken a lot from it."But not just golf. He claims there could come a day when he might switch sports."I don't know when I'll ever get time to do this, but I'd love to work in football if the opportunity ever arose in some way, shape or form," Fitzpatrick said."That's extremely wishful thinking, but I just find it so interesting to be part of. I love reading about it and everything about it."More pressing is a golf career that is back on the up. Along with trying to make it to East Lake for the Tour Championship, he wants to retain his place in Europe's Ryder Cup team for next month's trophy defence at Bethpage in New York."It is nice to play well at the crunch time; the play-offs and the Ryder Cup," Fitzpatrick said. "To be part of that would be very special again."He has played three Ryder Cups but his record of only one win in eight matches is a frustration, and poor reflection of the talents of someone with 10 tournament wins in his professional career."Despite my record I still want to be part of it to give myself a chance to improve on it," he he makes Luke Donald's team, Fitzpatrick will bring plenty of perspective to the European team."In the last 15 months there's been an extra effort to try and be a little bit more forgiving to myself and understanding my own psychology really," he admitted."My biggest thing I would take away from the slump is catching things earlier. I can't afford to get to that stage again."It was a tough time for me and the problem was it went on for so long. You can't afford to be behind the eight ball and you need to catch those things as early as you can, and turn them round as quickly as you can."Spoken like a golfer who might one day deliver half-time team talks.
Scotsman
39 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Partizan Belgrade vs Hibs live stream and TV details
Hibs will travel to Serbia to face Partizan in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League third qualifying round tie this week. Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... There was obvious disappointment when Hibs suffered an agonising late defeat in their Europa League second qualifying round tie with Danish side FC Midtjylland last week. However, there was a consolation prize of sorts for David Gray and his players as European football remained on the agenda with a crack at reaching the league phase of UEFA's tertiary club cup competition, the Conference League. Hibs have taken their place in the third qualifying round and they have been handed an awkward looking tie against Serbian giants Partizan, who dispatched Ukrainian outfit Oleksandriya with ease with a 6-0 aggregate win in the previous round. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For Hibs, there is an opportunity to lay the foundations for an extended run in European competition by claiming a positive result in the first leg and Gray and his squad will travel to Serbia in good heart after a Kieron Bowie brace got their Premiership campaign off to a winning start at Dundee on Sunday afternoon. But, with just days to go until the quick return to Europe, what do we know about their meeting with Partizan and will the game be shown live on television. Where and when does Partizan v Hibs take place? The UEFA Conference League third qualifying round first leg fixture will take place at the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade on Thursday, August 7. Kick-off is set for 8pm BST and that is 9pm local time. What has David Gray said about Partizan v Hibs? Hibs head coach David Gray gives out instructions at Dens Park. | SNS Group Speaking about the tie ahead of Sunday's win at Dundee, the Hibs boss said: 'We'll do everything we can to make it as easy as possible for the players. The one thing you want to always do is you want to make sure they're going into it as fresh as you can. The Belgrade game will take care of itself by the time we get to that. 'The plans will go in place to make sure we can get there the easiest way, the quickest way, that you stay over, all these things that come with that. You travel a day early, but that will all take care of itself. Everything is geared up now towards Dundee. We'll make sure we get everybody clear with the game-plan ready to go up there to make sure we try and win the game. Then we'll look forward to Thursday night in Europe again, which naturally the players will all be ready for.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Is Partizan v Hibs being shown live on television? Bedlam at Easter Road as Rocky Bushiri is mobbed after his goal ... but heartache would soon follow against Midtjylland. | SNS Group No, but the game is one of several European ties being shown live via a stream on SolidSport. Their coverage gets underway at 7.45pm on Thursday night with kick-off taking place 15 minutes later. Details on how to purchase access to the stream and further information on their coverage can be found here via the SolidSport website. Your next Hibs read: Scotland striker inspires Hibs to victory - report and ratings from Scottish Premiership opening game
