Sports

Ruben Amorim says sorry for not speaking to Man Utd fans since exit

Published

8 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Ruben Amorim has apologised for not speaking to Manchester United’s fans since his dismissal in January but says he was “proud” to have been their coach.

Amorim has stayed silent since leaving Old Trafford and opted against making any statements about his 14 months at Old Trafford on social media.

The 41-year-old has now ended his break from the game by signing a three-year contract with AC Milan.

Amorim was unveiled by the Serie A giants on Wednesday afternoon – but in a 35-minute media conference he was not asked to talk about his time at United until the final question

By that point, the former Sporting boss had already admitted he made some mistakes at United and was hungrier to succeed because of how his “last adventure” had turned out.

Asked specifically what the mistakes were, Amorim offered a general assessment and said he was sorry to United’s fans for not acknowledging them.

“It is hard to explain the mistakes as I would have to explain all the context of the last adventure,” he said.

“The only thing I can say is that I learn a lot and I did some mistakes.

“I didn’t have [the] opportunity – and I am sorry for that – to say something to the Manchester United fans at the moment [but] I am really proud to have been their coach for a year.

“Now it is a different history. There are a lot of things I could do better in the last experience. But sometimes it is like that. You need to learn to reach a different level. That is my thinking here.

“Everyone learns from their experience. I learn a lot. I did some mistakes. I will try to change but there are some things you never change. I think I will be better. That is all.”

Ironically, AC Milan will play United in their final pre-season game in Poland on 15 August.

Amorim apologised to the Italian media at his briefing for not being able to speak their language yet and gave his answers exclusively in English.

He sat alongside owner Gerry Cardinale, who said he intends to take on a hands-on role at the club following a disastrous end to last season, when Milan took just seven points from their last eight games and missed out on a place in the Champions League.

One of Amorim’s first jobs has been to try and persuade Luka Modric to stay.

The 40-year-old Croatia skipper has the option to extend his contract by another year but is yet to commit.

“Modric is a player we want to keep for his experience,” said Amorim.

“I know the board spoke with Modric and I spoke to him two times. If I need to, I will go and get the guy.

“He played really well and is a key point for us, especially in the beginning, to keep possession.

“I am not going to say he is going to play all the games but we really want to count with him next season.”

Sports

How to watch Fever vs. Sparks: TV channel and streaming options for July 8

Published

9 seconds ago

July 8, 2026

qasimgillani

July 8, 2026 Updated 7:49 pm EDT

The Los Angeles Sparks (8-11) will look to stop a three-game losing streak when they host the Indiana Fever (12-8) on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena. The contest airs at 10 p.m. ET on USA, WTHR-13, Fever Direct, Spectrum SportsNet, and CNBC.

How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Los Angeles Sparks

Venue: Crypto.com Arena
Time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: USA, WTHR-13, Fever Direct, Spectrum SportsNet, CNBC
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.

Indiana vs. Los Angeles odds

Odds provided by BetMGM.

Injury reports

Fever

Caitlin Clark: Probable (Back),

Aliyah Boston: Questionable (Leg)

Sparks

Kelsey Plum: Out (Lower Leg),

Cameron Brink: Out (Ankle)

Stats to know

The Fever put up 93.5 points per game, only 0.1 fewer points than the 93.6 the Sparks allow.
Los Angeles scores an average of 87.5 points per game, just 1.4 fewer points than the 88.9 Indiana gives up to opponents.
Aliyah Boston posts 17.1 points, 2.8 assists and 8.6 rebounds per contest.
Dearica Hamby averages 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest, while shooting 52.7% from the field (sixth in WNBA).

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Julio Aguilar, Ethan Miller, Steph Chambers / Getty Images

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Latest on Cubs’ Justin Steele: ‘Not realistic’ to stretch out as a starter this year

Published

5 minutes ago

July 8, 2026

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Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs steps off the mound.

Justin Steele’s throwing progression will continue beyond the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Masterpress / Getty Images

July 8, 2026 7:44 pm EDT Updated

BALTIMORE — While planning for a pitching-heavy draft and trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs expect Justin Steele to resume throwing off a mound the first week of August, which leaves a narrow window to join a playoff race in progress, assuming no setbacks.

“We’ve made that clear,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. “The schedule is very tight with Justin.”

Steele had a consultation Tuesday with Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas-based surgeon who handled the season-ending procedure on his left elbow last year, and then diagnosed a flexor strain in April.

Steele’s throwing progression will continue beyond the Aug. 3 trade deadline, meaning the Cubs will have to make roster decisions for the stretch run without knowing what they might get from the one-time All-Star.

Steele, who will turn 31 on Saturday, is a homegrown pitcher who made his major-league debut as a left-handed reliever and then transitioned to starting after the club’s sell-off at the 2021 trade deadline.

Steele finished fifth in the 2023 National League Cy Young Award voting and then accounted for 24 starts in 2024, but it’s been 15 months since he last pitched in a major-league game.

“There’s no question about it,” Counsell said, “stretching out as a starter is really not realistic for him.”

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Caitlin Clark returns to Indiana’s lineup, Aliyah Boston out — but not for long

Published

12 minutes ago

July 8, 2026

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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will return to the lineup Wednesday night at the Los Angeles Sparks, Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters at Wednesday’s shootaround. Clark missed Indiana’s last two games and three overall this season with a back injury.

Clark, however, will not play Thursday night at the Phoenix Mercury as the Fever continue to manage her season-long back issues. White also announced that center Aliyah Boston will be out Wednesday against the Sparks due to a lower right leg injury, but will likely return Thursday in Phoenix. Boston has been managing her leg injury all season and will now miss her second game of the year as a result.

White said the decision to “flip-flop” her star guard and center’s rest days is precautionary. This week’s back-to-back marks the first of three for Indiana during the regular season.

“Again, what’s in the best long-term interest of our players?” White said Wednesday. “Not just short-term, in the game-to-game (outlook), but what’s in the best long-term interest in a season and in a career? So, I’m thankful for our medical team to stay on top of that. They hold us accountable to making sure that we stay (committed) to whatever our restrictions are.”

Clark last played on June 24, when she exited in the third quarter of a turbulent 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury after tweaking her back. That was also the same game in which Clark was flagrantly fouled by Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who pushed her right fist into Clark’s throat during a scrum on the floor in the second quarter. The play was initially a no-call, but the WNBA reviewed it and retroactively upgraded the incident to a flagrant foul 2 penalty on Thomas, fined her $1,000 and suspended her for one game.

White said after the game she was unsure whether Thomas’ “dangerous” foul on Clark contributed to Clark’s back flaring up. Clark said earlier this season that she’s unsure of when her back issues began.

Boston, meanwhile, suffered a lower-leg injury in February while playing with Unrivaled, the professional three-on-three league. She missed the Fever’s first two preseason games and the first WNBA game of her career on May 17 while rehabbing.

Despite both players’ lingering injuries, Clark and Boston were still named All-Star Game starters. Clark, now a three-time All-Star, entered Wednesday night averaging 21.2 points and 8.2 assists in 17 games. She has two games this season and three in her career with at least 30 points and 10 assists. No other player in WNBA history has more than one.

Boston, a four-time All-Star, is averaging 17.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 19 games this year. She’s notched six double-doubles while shooting a career-high 45.1 percent on 3-pointers. The versatile center has drilled 23 3s this season, more than her first three years combined (17).