SPORTS
Pogba Returns to Juventus After Leaving Manchester United
Ten years after Paul Pogba left Manchester United to sign with Italian side Juventus on a free transfer, history repeated itself on Monday for the France midfielder.
He bid farewell to the English Premier League (EPL) and returned to the Serie A club.
Pogba, who left Manchester United when his contract expired last month, has signed a four-year contract with Juventus.
It will tie the 29-year-old down with the Turin club until June 2026.
“Juventus Football Club announces that it has signed a contract of employment with the player Paul Pogba…
“Juventus and the player have signed a contract of employment until June 30 of 2026,” the club said in a statement.
Pogba was signed by Manchester United in 2016 for a then-world record fee of 89 million pounds (106.32 million dollars).
But the four-times Serie A champion won only two trophies with the Premier League club —- the League Cup and the Europa League —- in his first season.
Having come through the Manchester United youth system, Pogba made a handful of senior appearances before opting not to extend his contract, joining Juventus in 2012.
It was a move which had irked then manager Alex Ferguson.
Pogba became a regular in the Juventus side during his four-year spell with the Serie A club.
He even earned a call-up to the France national team before Manchester United decided to spend a record sum to bring their former player back to Old Trafford.
His arrival was meant to signal a new era at Manchester United —- a club that was struggling to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, let alone be considered title contenders.
But he was unable to replicate his consistency in Serie A when he arrived in England.
A fallout with Jose Mourinho led to Pogba being stripped of the vice-captaincy.
Although the Frenchman had a brief resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, his overall contributions were limited by injuries or a lack of support on the pitch.
Pogba had rarely grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.
The fans’ patience eventually wore thin as many wondered how Pogba was able to play a leading role in France’s World Cup victory in 2018 but struggle at Manchester United.
In spite of a promising start last season, when he had five assists in his first two games, he made only 16 league starts.
And, the club failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League once again.
With his contract winding down, his refusal to sign an extension also made him a lightning rod for much of the criticism Manchester United’s squad endured.
This was because it was their worst campaign in Premier League history with respect to points scored.
His soured relationship with the fans came to a head when they booed him off the pitch after his withdrawal in a game against Norwich City in April.
To worsen the situation, the Frenchman appeared to cup his ears in the direction of the Manchester United supporters.
Three days later, Pogba’s career at Manchester United ended in a whimper at Anfield.
That was when he lasted only nine minutes before an injury forced Ralf Rangnick to hook him off as Liverpool went on to win 4-0.
Pogba was meant to find redemption in that game, having been sent off in a humiliating 5-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford.
Rangnick admitted at the time that he may not play again in the season.
He never did.(Reuters/NAN)
SPORTS
Mayweather Fights Kickboxer before Pacquiao Rematch
Floyd Mayweather will fight veteran Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis in an exhibition bout in June before his rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao, 47, and Mayweather, 49, will fight at Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday, 19 September, live on Netflix, in a rematch of their 2015 ‘Fight of the Century’ – the richest bout in boxing history.
And former five-weight champion Mayweather – who announced he would come out of retirement for a fourth time two weeks ago has decided to take on Zambidis in Athens to prepare for his first professional boxing match in nine years.
“2026 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for me,” American Mayweather said on Instagram.
“I’m on the way to entertain!! Athens, Greece, get ready. This summer will be a legendary battle.”
Zambidis, 45, boasts a 157-24 kickboxing record with 87 KOs. His last official fight was in June 2015.
Mayweather has not had a pro bout since beating mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor with a 10th-round technical knockout in 2017.
SPORTS
I Take Training Seriously but Ramadan is More Important – Mahamed
A marathon training block is tough enough. Fasting while preparing to take on the world’s best over 26.2 miles is harder still.
Mahamed Mahamed is among a talented generation of British male distance runners closing in on Mohamed Farah’s national record over the marathon distance.
But, as he builds towards this year’s London Marathon, the 28-year-old is currently finishing his sessions as late as 1am as he attempts to balance the demands of training at altitude with observing Ramadan.
Mahamed, fourth on the UK all-time list, has ignored advice to postpone his fasting while training to improve his personal best of two hours seven minutes and five seconds.
“Some people think I shouldn’t [fast while training],” Mahamed told the Press Association.
“Especially now, because I’ve got a competition coming up, they think I should focus on training for now and then maybe fast.
“But I’m used to it. It became my routine. I am grateful for that advice but I just get on with everything.”
Mahamed has based himself in the town of Ifrane in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains as he builds towards April’s race.
The location allows him to train safely under the floodlights of the track at night, alongside other Muslims currently observing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan by not eating or drinking during daylight hours.
At their longest, Mahamed’s days extend into the early hours of the morning. He will head out for his first session at around 4pm, then break his fast and attend mosque before completing a second session.
Once he is adequately refuelled, Mahamed will sleep for an hour or two and then wake for more food at about 4am, before returning to bed to top up on sleep.
“It’s a little bit hard,” Mahamed admitted.
“I take my job seriously, but Ramadan is the most important for me. It makes me focus as well. It makes me understand who I am and what I could do.”
Mahamed is among four active British marathon runners to have clocked under 2:08, alongside triathlete Alex Yee, Emile Cairess and Philip Sesemann, in what he describes as a “new era” cohort.
Fourth at the 2024 London Marathon, he will target a personal best in London before chasing a European Championship medal in Birmingham this summer.
SPORTS
Ronaldo Leaves Saudi Arabia for Madrid Following Strikes
Captain and forward for Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo, has left Saudi Arabia for Madrid, Spain, following escalating tensions in the Middle East after US-Israeli strikes in Iran.
The 41-year-old departed Riyadh late at night aboard his £61 million ($81 million) Bombardier Global Express 6500 private jet.
His reported departure follows regional strikes.
The US embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones overnight, and Iranian state media reported that a command and staff building in Bahrain had also been destroyed.“Riyadh, where Ronaldo lives with his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their five children, has been affected by attacks linked to the regional conflict,” the report said.
Flightradar24 confirmed that the aircraft “departed Riyadh at 8:00 pm and arrived in Madrid at almost 1:00 am, flying a path over Egypt and the Mediterranean.”
The move follows US-Israeli military strikes in Iran on February 28, 2026, which reportedly killed several Iranian leaders. Iranian state media confirmed early on March 1 that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed, declaring 40 days of mourning and a seven-day national holiday.
The Saudi Ministry of Defence said, “A limited fire broke out at the United States Embassy in Riyadh after it was hit by two drones,” noting the strike caused “minor material damage.”


