FOR everyone involved with Liverpool, this is probably the best thing to happen for a while – and I think they all know it.

The Reds will be without Jurgen Klopp next season, and they could also do so without Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

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Trying to replace Salah will be like replacing three players. Meanwhile, Van Dijk is not only one of the best central defenders in the world, but also an excellent leader.

With only a year left on his contract, Van Dijk could leave and will be virtually impossible to replace.

I also don’t think Liverpool can tempt Xabi Alonso to Anfield.

Alonso has the choice between Bayern Munich or Liverpool and I think he will choose Bayern because he will have greater financial strength there and will not have to face such a big rebuild.

Liverpool do not have the money or the pulling power to attract the very best in the world. Klopp wanted Jude Bellingham last summer, but didn’t get him.

That kind of thing could be one of the reasons why Klopp has decided to call it quits this season.

It must be tiring to have to compete with Manchester City year in and year out when you don’t have the same financial level.

The same was true for Klopp when he was boss of Borussia Dortmund and tried to compete with Bayern. You can only keep trying for so long.

HOW TO GET FREE BETTS ON FOOTBALL

Still, it feels like Klopp’s announcement that he is leaving at the end of the season has a galvanizing effect.

The number of injuries they have suffered recently is phenomenal and the way they have continued to win is extraordinary.

It feels like this is a team of players who know this is the end of an era and are determined to squeeze every last drop out of the season.

Klopp’s side are chasing four trophies and the first is up for grabs against Chelsea in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

Ask me for a prediction and I want to see Liverpool’s starting line-up first.

Unless Klopp has two or three of his best players back from injury, I think Chelsea are doing it stealthily.

Those injuries will be a major concern at Anfield. In this age of sports science, there has to be a reason for everything.

No one wants to believe that something could just be a coincidence. No one in football wants to believe in luck, good or bad. Elite clubs employ so many people that they think they can eradicate happiness.

Klopp will demand answers from his medical department.

There’s an ‘us against the world’ mentality at Anfield – and it’s working.

He will want to know if there are any small changes in training schedules, preparation, diet, or anything that could be a reason why so many players are on the treatment table.

It’s hard enough having Liverpool players in your fantasy football team at the moment, so imagine you’re Klopp. There’s an ‘us against the world’ mentality at Anfield – and it’s working.

It also helps that Liverpool’s youth academy is so strong and that Klopp is never afraid to donate blood to young people.

Conor Bradley has really stepped up in recent weeks, while Bobby Clark looks a good player. But in a Wembley final, the Liverpool boss will not want to rely on children.

I love Chelsea. If they deploy Ivan Toney up front this summer and a centre-back to replace Thiago Silva, they could be real contenders next season.

Winning the Carabao Cup would be a big step for Mauricio Pochettino as he looks to build a young team.

But every Liverpool player and supporter must suspect that the Wembley final could be very difficult to achieve if Klopp is gone.

Simon Cowell was blown away watching Sainted choir perform a cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer on Monday’s finals episode of America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League on NBC.

‘I actually feel I’m literally in heaven,’ said Simon, 64, after the performance by his dream team act concluded the two-hour episode featuring the final 10 contestants. 

‘I mean, seriously. I have seen how hard this group has worked from day one, and we’ve thrown some tough songs, there’s challenges, and they’ve embraced the challenges. They want to win this so much, and this means everything to them. And I love everything about you, what you stand for. That was again incredible. So powerful and so emotional,’ Simon added.

The Sainted choir from Charlotte, North Carolina, were a part of Simon’s dream team and he encouraged them before they took the stage to reimagine the song and make it their own. The choir, dressed in purple matching outfits, encouraged the audience to sing along with them during their performance and confetti rained down on them when they finished.

‘You can sing anything and everything,’ Mel B., 48, said. ‘And you know what I love is that you just all go there in sync.’

‘Every time you are on the stage you deliver an unforgettable performance every single one of them including today,’ Heidi Klum, 50, said.

‘This was heavenly and you brought it,’ Howie Mandel , 68, said.

Sainted was one of the top 10 acts who competed to be crowned AGT: Fantasy League champions and win the $250,000 grand prize.

The Pack Drumline from Chicago, part of Simon’s dream team, opened up the show with an energetic performance.

‘Being an underdog isn’t a bad thing,’ Simon told them before they performed. ‘I really believe this could be a life-changing moment.’

The drummers danced in unison while also playing each other’s instruments and even drumming upside down. One drummer lit the cymbals on fire as he played.

‘This might be one of those years where the underdog actually takes the title home,’ Simon said. ‘You so deserve this because you have worked hard for this. As a show, as a song, as a performance, It was absolutely outstanding.’

‘I got to say, that was amazing,’ Howie said.

Contortionist and aerialist Sofie Dossi went next. Sofie, who was Heidi’s Golden Buzzer act, hung 12-feet off the ground for her final performance while spinning to Soft Cell’s song Tainted Love. She did a handstand and almost a backbend on top of the elevated platform. She hopped along as the platform wheel spun. The audience gave her a standing ovation.

‘That’s too short,’ Simon said.

‘Absolutely incredible,’ Heidi said. ‘ You are so strong, so innovative, so beautiful. This was a perfect act!’

Mel said she just wished her act went on longer.

Kodi Lee from Irvine, California, performed Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Kodi, who won AGT in 2019 was on Howie’s team after he stole him away. Kodi, who is legally blind and autistic, sat down and played the piano and stunned the crowd with his musical ability. The judges gave him a standing ovation when he finished. Kodi jumped up and down excited hearing the cheers.

‘You’re a star,’ Howie said. ‘You always deliver. I’m so proud that I could be the mentor of your dream team.’

‘I think you are so very talented, Kodi,’ Heidi said. ‘Not to take away from what you just did but I loved your own songs so much.’

V. Unbeatable dance crew from India, who were on Heidi’s dream team after she stole them from Howie, went next. The team was determined to show the world that they were back. Heidi urged them to be safe during their final performance. 

They wowed the audience with their synchronized dancing and flipping off a high platform into each other’s arms. The audience and the judges gave them a standing ovation.

‘No one does it like you guys do it,’ Heidi said. ‘No one jumps as high as you all do. No one wants it as much as you do.’

‘The timing was so impeccable,’ Simon said ‘That was an incredible, incredible performance.’

The Ramadhani Brothers, from Tanzania, Africa, who were on Howie’s dream team, performed their dangerous strong-man act by balancing handstands on top of each other’s heads. One brother even climbed a ladder while the other balanced upside down on his head. They even performed their balancing act while blindfolded.

‘That is so hard,’ Simon said to Mel.

‘That was a winning performance!’ Howie said.

Heidi told them she was very upset that Howie stole them from her, but that she loved their performance.

‘It was incredible!’ Mel said.

‘This was for me your best performance,’ Simon said.

South African dancer Musa Motha, who performed with crutches after losing his leg during childhood to cancer, performed another incredible dance routine to Naughty Boy’s song Runnin’. He showed himself stumbling while using his crutch to dance. Before taking the stage, Musa said he was on the show to win as a dancer not as a ‘disabled dancer.’

‘I always tell myself that if someone sees me as a disabled dancer onstage, then I’ve failed,’ Musa said.

The crowd chanted his name when he finished.

‘You are incredibly talented, inspirational,’ said his mentor Simon. ‘You are also such a humble, sweet person.’

Simon told him that he made the show really special.

‘You have shown us excellence in the face of adversity,’ Howie said. ‘You’ve shown us the manifestation of a dream in the face of hurdles.’

‘I think there is a beauty and a purpose in you being here,’ Heidi said. ‘I totally believe this is your time right now and this is the place for you.’

‘This is a day that is going to change my life,’ Musa said. ‘I love American people and I really love you guys. And I’m grateful to have your support.’

Aerialist Aidan Bryant from Prince George, Virginia, the former AGT winner, now on Mel’s dream team went next. He used his aerial hop which he said was his specialty. Aidan, who was self taught, twirled in the hoop from high above the stage. He spun from the hoop at times holding on with only one arm.

‘You were like a poet up there. I don’t know how else to describe it,’ Heidi said. ‘You are absolutely incredible.’

Simon told him that he loved his performance, too. Howie started to say what he didn’t like when Mel then pushed all the ‘X’ buzzers to shut him up.

‘What I didn’t like, let me finish, is that you are not on Howie’s dream team, and that bothers me,’ Howie said.

Shadow Ace, from the Philippines, performed his shadow puppet act using Heidi in his act. He said he already felt like the luckiest person just making it to the AGT stage. Heidi played along in the act. She even sang along in parts.

‘You always have amazing music, Heidi’s song,’ Mel said. ‘What you do with your hands is magical.’

‘Even though it’s so silly it’s so great at the same time,’ Simon said.

Roller skaters Billy and Emily England, from Las Vegas, who started out on Simon’s dream team but went to Mel after she took them with the Golden Buzzer, were the penultimate performers. Emily wore a ‘Scary Spice’ T-shirt for the act. They tried a dangerous stunt where Emily would be hanging by her hair over the stage that had been lit on fire.

‘You absolutely did a killer performance right there,’ Mel said.

‘You are crazy, but crazy good, this was insane,’ Heidi said.

‘One of the best we’ve seen tonight,’ Simon said.

The winning act and coach of the spin-off series will be announced next week in the AGT: Fantasy League season finale on NBC.

Barring another last-minute spike, the women's professional tennis tour is preparing to announce that the season-ending WTA Tour Finals will take place in Saudi Arabia, marking the latest step in the country's massive investment in elite sport.

WTA Tour chief executive Steve Simon has held talks with Saudi officials over the past year and if an agreement is reached, the 2024 finals would take place there at the end of the season, several of the sport's top officials said. However, the WTA has been here before, such as last summer, when it came close to a deal with Saudi Arabia but changed course at the last minute under public pressure.

In a statement on Thursday, a WTA spokesperson said the process is ongoing, with the aim of a final decision and announcement later this month.

“As everyone knows, we are in the process of selecting a host venue for the WTA Finals,” they said. “No final decision has been made and we will continue to engage players throughout the ongoing process.”

The Athletics has contacted Saudi representatives for comment.

A top tennis official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on behalf of the WTA, called the potential deal with Saudi Arabia “the worst-kept secret in sports.” It is said that the WTA has reached the point where it has full confidence in Saudi Arabia's ability to host a top-level event, but is still concerned about the additional criticism that will follow if the signature event moves to a country that does not grant women equal rights. .

The deal for the WTA Finals would be the latest step in Saudi Arabia's efforts to become a major destination for international sports. It could also mark the start of the country hosting more major tennis events.

Saudi Arabia has been trying to acquire a top tournament since at least mid-2023. While it remains unclear whether that will happen, several top tennis events are beginning to look for new host venues. Leading tennis officials expect Saudi Arabia to be a key player in the process, given the appetite for sporting events and the need of tennis' top organizations for new sources of investment.

The International Tennis Federation, which organizes the international team competition Davis Cup for men and the Billie Jean King Cup for women, will soon begin looking for new venues for the final rounds of those events in coming years.

The Billie Jean King Cup enters its final year in Seville, Spain. King, who along with her wife and business partner owns 49 percent of the event, has already expressed her support for bringing the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia, arguing that engaging with the government there is the best way to bring about change to take.

In football, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought Premier League team Newcastle United in 2021 and some of the biggest names in football have moved to clubs in the Saudi Pro League, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Saudi Arabia will also host the 2034 World Cup.

In golf, Saudi Arabia pledged to spend $2 billion on a new competition, LIV Golf – which once again features some of the sport's biggest names – and the country has become home to elite boxing in recent years. Formula 1 has been holding races in the city of Jeddah since 2021 and there has also been significant Saudi investment in Formula E. You can read more about the Saudi takeover of the sport here.

Saudi Arabia hosted the ATP Tour's Next Gen Finals – pitting the best young male players against each other – in November and exhibition matches between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur the following month.

When the tennis world gathered in Melbourne for the Australian Open two weeks ago, Rafael Nadal announced a deal to become ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation. The move took the tennis establishment by surprise, as Nadal has a well-established reputation for avoiding political controversy.

While Djokovic played the recent exhibition match and expressed support for further Saudi investment in the sport, he has failed to pursue a deeper relationship with the country.

For months, there have been discussions between the WTA and the International Tennis Federation about the need to bring the tour finals and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals – the Women's Tennis World Cup taking place the following week – closer together and perhaps even to the same venue. That would make it easier and more likely for the top eight players, who qualify for the elite tour championship, to play in the international team competition, although it is not clear whether an internal market could support both events.

The ATP Tour, which organizes elite men's tennis, has signed a deal with Turin, Italy, for its finals event that expires in 2025. The ATP and WTA have worked closer than ever to find ways to grow their businesses since tournaments in which both men and women are the most popular. The idea of ​​combining the tours with the season-ending championships one day has also been discussed, although not in a definitive way.

The WTA was close to a deal last summer to bring the event to Saudi Arabia as it looked for a venue to replace Shenzhen, China, which ended its 10-year deal with the tour in response to the tour's decision to boycott China for 18 years. months after the country's refusal to investigate whether a former top government official sexually assaulted former doubles player Peng Shuai.

The tour dithered at the last minute, opting to hold the championship in Cancun, Mexico, for a year amid social media backlash from two of the biggest names in the sport: Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

The former on-field rivals, who are now close friends, renewed their public opposition last week, writing a joint essay in The Washington Post arguing that a deal with Saudi Arabia would mark a step backward for women and women's sports.

Saudi Arabia has implemented a series of reforms in recent years aimed at making women a substantial part of public life, including allowing them to drive, run their own businesses and socialize with men in public to go. But it has maintained other restrictions. Women cannot marry without the consent of a male guardian and must obey their husbands if those men will not allow them to exercise the rights granted by the government.

Furthermore, Saudi Arabia, like other countries in the region, criminalizes homosexuality, although that has not stopped the WTA from organizing tournaments in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

“We fully realize the importance of respecting diverse cultures and religions,” Evert and Navratilova wrote. “It is for this reason, and not despite it, that we oppose awarding the tour's crown jewel tournament to Riyadh. The values ​​of the WTA are in stark contrast to those of the proposed host.”

But unlike last summer, when Saudi Arabia remained largely silent as critics of its plan to host a major tournament there pilloried the country in the press, this week Saudi Arabia met the criticism head-on, a move which tennis administrators saw as an attempt to target his potential partner.

Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, issued a blistering response to Evert and Navratilova, accusing them of “turning their backs on the same women they inspired, and that is more than disappointing.”

Bandar Al Saud criticized Evert, Navratilova and other voices from abroad who portray Saudi women as voiceless victims and voiceless.

“Perfection cannot be the price of admission,” wrote Bandar Al Saud. “For a tennis tournament or any other once-closed space our women want to enter.”

Discomfort and resistance to an event in Saudi Arabia have diminished among female players in recent months. Several top stars, including world number 1 Iga Swiatek, noted the difficulties women face in the region but appear resigned to eventually playing there.

“I definitely don't support the situation there,” said US Open champion Coco Gauff at the Australian Open, “but if we decide to go there, I hope we can make changes and improve the quality and get involved in the local communities and making a difference.”

(Top photo: Robert Prange/Getty Images)

• Swift, 34, and Kelce, 34, were spotted kissing on the field after the Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 on Sunday
• The couple started dating last year, with the pop star spotted at several of Kelce's games in the luxury suites
• Soon after, fans flocked to social media with a slew of memes responding to the on-field kiss

By Brian Gallagher for Dailymail.com

Published: 9:26 PM EST, January 28, 2024 | Updated: 9:26 PM EST, January 28, 2024

England have been eliminated, South Africa has qualified for the semi-finals, while the battle for the last two semi-finals…

England have been eliminated, South Africa have qualified for the semi-finals, while the battle for the last two semi-finals is largely between four teams. Here’s what the qualifying scenarios look like for the other teams.

Four defeats in the last four matches have left New Zealand with a lot to do to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Even if they win their last match, they could miss out if Australia beat Bangladesh and Afghanistan win their last two matches. If all these results happen, four teams will finish with twelve or more points.

The best-case scenario for New Zealand is for them to beat Sri Lanka, for Afghanistan to lose their last two, and for England to beat Pakistan. Then they will get through with 10 points without NRR coming into play.
Two points after the win against England means Australia are well positioned to clinch third spot in the semi-finals and finish among the top three. They can confirm both if they beat Afghanistan in Mumbai on Tuesday – that will ensure Afghanistan can only finish on a maximum of 10 points, which will also be the ceiling for both New Zealand and Pakistan.

#worldcup2023 #pakistancricket #australia #newzealandcricket

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The woman who claims Conor McGregor sexually assaulted her last week in the VIP men’s bathroom at an NBA Finals gave police the clothes she was wearing at the time, claiming evidence that he “spit” on her after he forced her to perform oral sex.

The woman met McGregor during the game at the Kaseya Center and left the arena when she claimed his security told her he was asking about her in the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, she claims that he forced her to perform oral sex on him, forcibly kissed her.

She claims McGregor then spat on her and himself as he tried to rouse himself.

The woman’s lawyer tells DailyMail.com that she went to the police on Sunday to report the incident, but was turned down and advised to hire legal help.

Yesterday she returned with her lawyer and gave the police the clothes. DailyMail.com got a photo of the packed outfit.

McGregor denies the allegations.

“These allegations are false. Mr McGregor will not be intimidated,” his lawyer said in a statement.

They have since sent letters to McGregor’s team and returned to police to report the incident.

The woman’s lawyer told DailyMail.com that she had turned in clothing to police that had McGregor’s DNA — saliva and “pre-ejaculation” on it.

The prosecution’s attorney says she met McGregor at the game that night. Invited by the NBA, he shocked fans by knocking out mascot Burnie, who required hospitalization.

According to legal demand letters sent not only to McGregor’s lawyer, but also to the Heat and the stadium, the woman was on her way out when McGregor’s security called her to the VIP men’s room.

After the game, and after Mr. McGregor sent Miami Heat mascot Burnie to the hospital, Mr. McGregor increased his aggressive, unprovoked and outrageous behavior by violently sexually assaulting and assaulting this company’s customer in the men’s room from the Kaseya Center.

‘Mr. McGregor, assisted by NBA security and Miami Heat Kaseya, physically allowed the victim to enter the men’s room through security, separate her from her boyfriend, and lock her inside with Mr. McGregor and his security guard.

“Once isolated and locked in the VIP men’s bathroom at the Kaseya Center, security refused to let her out or anyone else, including her friend, into the bathroom.

‘Mr. McGregor then appeared from the disabled stall and pushed his tongue into the victim’s mouth and aggressively kissed her,” the legal letter said.

The woman’s lawyer says she then told him she needed to go to the bathroom.

While in the stable, she says McGregor “pulled his penis out and shoved it down the victim’s throat.”

She claims she was able to get him ‘off her’ but says he then ‘spit on her and on himself’ in a desperate attempt to get his flaccid penis hard.’

She claims she then tried to flee, but McGregor “aggressively grabbed her, pinned her against the wall” and attempted to anally rape her.

“Fortunately, Mr. McGregor’s penis was too flaccid for full penetration, and the victim continually elbowed Mr. McGregor and eventually escaped,” the letter read.

The claims come less than 24 hours after it was revealed that McGregor and his fiancé Dee Devlin are expecting their fourth child.

McGregor and Devlin already have three children; Conor Jr., Croia Mairhead and Rian, aged six, four and two respectively.

“I’m fine,” McGregor said of his family life.

We also have one on the way. There’s a lot going on,” he said during a TV appearance in Ireland.

In a statement about the allegations, the UFC said: “The organization is aware of the recent allegations regarding Conor McGregor and will continue to gather additional details about the incident.

“UFC will allow the legal process to proceed before making any additional statements.”

In 2019, Junam Lee started posting about her father, Jung Soo Lee, on a Denver Nuggets fan page on Reddit, often commenting on how excited he was for an upcoming game. Nuggets fans quickly fell in love with him because of how stoic and sometimes hilarious he watched while watching the matches.

Then Junam posted a picture of her father watching a game while wearing a travel neck pillow. Reddit users loved the photo so much they started calling it “Nuggdad.” Since then, every shot of Jung Soo, 69, has been treated with almost the same excitement as a Nikola Jokic triple-double or a major Nuggets win.

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