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#Champions #League #Barca #manager #Hansi #Flick #blasts #refereeing #home #defeat #Atletico #Madrid">Champions League — Barca manager Hansi Flick blasts refereeing after home defeat to Atletico Madrid Barcelona manager Hansi Flick tore into the officiating after his side’s 2-0 home defeat by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, raging over a second-half penalty call and Pau Cubarsi’s red card that left his team a man down before half-time.
Flick’s anger centred on an incident in the 53rd minute when Barca appealed for a penalty.
Goalkeeper Juan Musso appeared to have put the ball in play from a goal kick before defender Marc Pubill handled it inside the six-yard box to retake the goal kick. Referee Istvan Kovacs waved play on and the VAR crew did not call him to the monitor, sparking animated protests from the home bench.
“I don’t know why VAR hasn’t been used. The referee … I think he’s brilliant. We all make mistakes, but what’s the point of VAR? I just can’t understand it. It should have been a penalty, a second yellow and a red card as he already had a booking. This is exactly what shouldn’t happen,” Flick told Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone saw it differently.
“It’s a matter of common sense,” Simeone told reporters.
“The referee saw it as, it was. That Marc (Pubill) received what appeared to be a pass from his teammate to start the move, the referee saw it the same way as Marc saw it. Then we can look at as many situations as we like.”
Barcelona had already been reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute as Cubarsi was sent off for hauling down Giuliano Simeone as the last man. Julian Alvarez brilliantly curled in the resulting free kick before the interval and Alexander Sorloth sealed the win after the break.
Flick also questioned the dismissal.
“I’m not sure if he made enough contact because the ball was behind him; I’m not entirely sure,” he said.
“I don’t know. It might be, or it might not be. I don’t know if he touched him enough. But in other situations, when the ball is touched by the hand, it’s very clear to me.”
Published on Apr 09, 2026
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick tore into the officiating after his side’s 2-0 home defeat by…
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#Deadspin #Virginia #extends #Tony #Elliott #season">Deadspin | Virginia extends Tony Elliott through 2030 season
Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on before the Gator Bowl against the Missouri Tigers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images Virginia head coach Tony Elliott agreed to a contract extension that spans through the 2030 season, the university announced Wednesday.
Financial terms were not disclosed for Elliott, who guided the Cavaliers to a school-record 11 wins last season following their 13-7 victory over Missouri in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Virginia also made the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in 2025.
Elliott, 46, was named the ACC Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award.
That’s quite the turnaround after Elliott finished his previous three seasons with an 11-23 record.
“The commitment to football at the University of Virginia is real and palpable throughout our building,” Elliott said. “I’m proud of the foundation that we have laid and excited for what we can do together in the years to come.”
Virginia athletic director Carla Williams also praised Elliott for guiding the program through difficult times.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Tony Elliott continue to lead our football program,” Williams said. “His commitment to the values of the University of Virginia and his commitment to developing the whole person through football have been a blessing. His vision of building the model program has never wavered, despite extraordinary adversity. The future is bright for UVA Football and we’re excited to continue this work together.”
–Field Level Media
Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on before the Gator Bowl against the Missouri Tigers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images Virginia head coach Tony Elliott agreed to a contract extension that spans through the 2030 season, the university announced Wednesday.
Financial terms were not disclosed for Elliott, who guided the Cavaliers to a school-record 11 wins last season following their 13-7 victory over Missouri in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Virginia also made the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in 2025.
Elliott, 46, was named the ACC Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award.
That’s quite the turnaround after Elliott finished his previous three seasons with an 11-23 record.
“The commitment to football at the University of Virginia is real and palpable throughout our building,” Elliott said. “I’m proud of the foundation that we have laid and excited for what we can do together in the years to come.”
Virginia athletic director Carla Williams also praised Elliott for guiding the program through difficult times.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Tony Elliott continue to lead our football program,” Williams said. “His commitment to the values of the University of Virginia and his commitment to developing the whole person through football have been a blessing. His vision of building the model program has never wavered, despite extraordinary adversity. The future is bright for UVA Football and we’re excited to continue this work together.”
–Field Level Media
Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on before the Gator Bowl against the Missouri Tigers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images Virginia head coach Tony Elliott agreed to a contract extension that spans through the 2030 season, the university announced Wednesday.
Financial terms were not disclosed for Elliott, who guided the Cavaliers to a school-record 11 wins last season following their 13-7 victory over Missouri in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Virginia also made the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in 2025.
Elliott, 46, was named the ACC Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award.
That’s quite the turnaround after Elliott finished his previous three seasons with an 11-23 record.
“The commitment to football at the University of Virginia is real and palpable throughout our building,” Elliott said. “I’m proud of the foundation that we have laid and excited for what we can do together in the years to come.”
Virginia athletic director Carla Williams also praised Elliott for guiding the program through difficult times.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Tony Elliott continue to lead our football program,” Williams said. “His commitment to the values of the University of Virginia and his commitment to developing the whole person through football have been a blessing. His vision of building the model program has never wavered, despite extraordinary adversity. The future is bright for UVA Football and we’re excited to continue this work together.”
–Field Level Media
Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on before…
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#PSG #Liverpool #Salah #left #bench #Liverpool #loses #defending #champion #Champions #League">PSG vs Liverpool — Salah left on bench as Liverpool loses 0-2 to defending champion in Champions League
Defending European champion Paris St Germain was a cut above Liverpool as goals by Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia spurred it to an easy 2-0 home win in its Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.
Doue and Kvaratskhelia struck either side of half-time to give Luis Enrique’s side a solid advantage ahead of next week’s return at Anfield, where PSG booked its place in the last eight last season.
Doue opened the scoring with a deflected effort before Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with a superb solo run and finish, but PSG wasted a handful of chances that would have further strengthened their push for the semifinals.
Liverpool, thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals at the weekend, set up cautiously with three centre backs and Mohamed Salah on the bench, but struggled to contain a PSG side that mixed patient possession with bursts of attacking intensity.
Arne Slot opted for a back three with wings but the defence held for only 11 minutes at the Parc des Princes.
Doue picked up the ball on the left side of the box and his curled shot towards the opposite top corner took a slight deflection off Ryan Gravenberch and went out of Giorgi Mamardashvili’s reach.
Liverpool was hanging on for dear life, picking up two yellow cards in three minutes, and barely threatened.
ZERO SHOTS ON TARGET FOR LIVERPOOL
As the visitor’s defence scrambled a clearance, Kvaratskhelia fired a half-volley that forced Mamardashvili to fully stretch. The ‘keeper then denied Doue from point-blank range, preserving Liverpool’s deficit to a minimum.
Next, Ousmane Dembele missed a golden opportunity to double the advantage when he shot straight at the ‘keeper at the end of a sharp transition.
Liverpool, which did not manage a single shot before the break, was fortunate to be only one goal behind.
Hugo Ekitike was the first to have a go but shot wide four minutes into the second half. But that was as close as the visiting side got, failing to manage a single shot on target.
Liverpool did, however, look bolder after the interval, but limited compared to PSG, which played keep-ball and tormented them with brutal changes of pace.
One of them came in the 65th minute when Joao Neves played in a racing Kvaratskhelia and the Georgian danced his way through the area, rounded Mamardashvili and slotted the ball home.
Dembele’s angled shot crashed onto the post and Nuno Mendes fluffed a golden chance in the final minutes as Liverpool preserved a slim hope of overturning the deficit next Tuesday.
Published on Apr 09, 2026
Defending European champion Paris St Germain was a cut above Liverpool as goals by Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia spurred it to an easy 2-0 home win in its Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.
Doue and Kvaratskhelia struck either side of half-time to give Luis Enrique’s side a solid advantage ahead of next week’s return at Anfield, where PSG booked its place in the last eight last season.
Doue opened the scoring with a deflected effort before Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with a superb solo run and finish, but PSG wasted a handful of chances that would have further strengthened their push for the semifinals.
Liverpool, thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals at the weekend, set up cautiously with three centre backs and Mohamed Salah on the bench, but struggled to contain a PSG side that mixed patient possession with bursts of attacking intensity.
Arne Slot opted for a back three with wings but the defence held for only 11 minutes at the Parc des Princes.
Doue picked up the ball on the left side of the box and his curled shot towards the opposite top corner took a slight deflection off Ryan Gravenberch and went out of Giorgi Mamardashvili’s reach.
Liverpool was hanging on for dear life, picking up two yellow cards in three minutes, and barely threatened.
ZERO SHOTS ON TARGET FOR LIVERPOOL
As the visitor’s defence scrambled a clearance, Kvaratskhelia fired a half-volley that forced Mamardashvili to fully stretch. The ‘keeper then denied Doue from point-blank range, preserving Liverpool’s deficit to a minimum.
Next, Ousmane Dembele missed a golden opportunity to double the advantage when he shot straight at the ‘keeper at the end of a sharp transition.
Liverpool, which did not manage a single shot before the break, was fortunate to be only one goal behind.
Hugo Ekitike was the first to have a go but shot wide four minutes into the second half. But that was as close as the visiting side got, failing to manage a single shot on target.
Liverpool did, however, look bolder after the interval, but limited compared to PSG, which played keep-ball and tormented them with brutal changes of pace.
One of them came in the 65th minute when Joao Neves played in a racing Kvaratskhelia and the Georgian danced his way through the area, rounded Mamardashvili and slotted the ball home.
Dembele’s angled shot crashed onto the post and Nuno Mendes fluffed a golden chance in the final minutes as Liverpool preserved a slim hope of overturning the deficit next Tuesday.
Published on Apr 09, 2026
Defending European champion Paris St Germain was a cut above Liverpool as goals by Desire…
