Barcelona veteran says La Liga means more than Champions League: Forces you to perform at the highest level consistentlyThe Barcelona squad under Hansi Flick for his third season in charge of the club has a very young look, with Robert Lewandowski leaving and Marc-Andre ter Stegen on the verge of securing an exit.That leaves back-up goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny as the oldest member of the squad, and his role right now is to provide leadership in the dressing room and be ready in case Joan Garcia is not available.The Polish shot-stopper is always very interesting when he speaks, and he believes Barcelona should dream of winning every trophy this season.However, Szczesny also reiterated that La Liga remains the clubs most important objective.Speaking during Barcelonas pre-season training camp in England, the veteran explained why domestic consistency makes the league title an even greater challenge than the Champions League.Szczesny puts La Liga firstSzczesny made it clear that Barcelonas ambitions extend across every competition.When you represent this club, you start every season dreaming of winning every trophy youre competing for, he said, as quoted by SPORT.Szczesny insists La Liga is more important for him. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)Last year we won two, and this year the objective is to win even more.However, when asked whether the Champions League was the dressing rooms biggest target, the veteran goalkeeper offered an interesting perspective.I dont think its the main one, Szczesny explained.I always think about La Liga first because its the competition where you play the most matches and the one that forces you to perform at the highest level consistently. There are many teams that can win the Champions League, and were one of them.His comments underline the importance Barcelona place on maintaining their domestic dominance under Hansi Flick rather than becoming consumed by European expectations.It also contradicts what most of his younger teammates believe, which could be a reflection of the number of years he has spent in this sport.While the likes of Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, Alejandro Balde and Marc Bernal mentioned that the Champions League was the dream, Szczesny understands that keeping hold of their La Liga title should be the priority.Team comes before individual goalsSzczesny also dismissed the idea of setting personal objectives.I dont have personal goals, he said. Im part of a team, and I do whatever is best for the team.An important player in the locker room. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)As the oldest player in Barcelonas squad, he acknowledged his responsibility to guide the younger members of the dressing room.Im the oldest player and the one with the most experience. I try to help the young players both on and off the pitch.Asked about Flick viewing him as an important figure in the squad, Szczesny responded with a smile.Does he really think that? Youll have to ask him. I just try to do my job as well as I can and help my teammates, he said.Praise for Ter StegenSzczesny also spoke warmly about Ter Stegen as the German goalkeeper continues his comeback from an injury horror.He looks very good, Szczesny said. Its been a difficult couple of years because of the injuries, but hes at a very high level.Szczesny also joked that Lewandowskis departure has helped him improve his Spanish.Now I have more time to speak Spanish because I dont have to speak Polish with him anymore. That could be an advantage, he finished.Szczesny will continue to play an important dressing-room role this upcoming campaign. At this stage of his career, it is very clear that he is there to provide guidance and back-up to Garcia.

CHICAGO Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith downplays his chances of winning a Heisman Trophy even though hes generally regarded as college footballs top returning player regardless of position.I always felt that was a quarterback award unless you have a crazy season like DeVonta Smith did, where you have 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns, said Smith, referencing the former Alabama receiver who caught 117 passes for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2020. I dont really know the criteria, what they look at. Is it the best stats? Is it the best player? I dont really know.Smith is more concerned with helping Ohio State win a second national title in three years, which just might enable Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin to make his own Heisman run. If Ohio State falls short, perhaps it will be because Oregon quarterback Dante Moore leads the Ducks to their first title.Ohio State and Oregon enter this season as the Big Ten favorites even in a conference that includes defending national champion Indiana. Although the Big Ten doesnt release its own preseason predicted order of finish during its media days event, Cleveland.com puts together its own media poll each year and has Ohio State first, Oregon second and Indiana third.Both teams are eager to put recent playoff disappointments behind them.Oregon has lost rematches with the eventual national champion in the playoffs each of the last two years. The Ducks beat Ohio State in the 2024 regular season and earned the No. 1 playoff seed that year before losing to the Buckeyes 41-21 in a Rose Bowl quarterfinal. The Ducks fell 56-22 to Indiana in a Peach Bowl semifinal last year after falling 30-20 to the Hoosiers during the regular season.We never want to feel that feeling again, of coming up short in a game, Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson said. This whole offseason weve been preaching it. We hate that feeling.Buckeyes face tougher schedule this yearOhio State, the 2024 national champion, was ranked first last year before finishing the season with consecutive losses to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game and Miami in a Cotton Bowl quarterfinal. Smith believes the Buckeyes soft regular-season schedule contributed to their playoff demise because they werent battle tested.That wont be a problem this year.Ohio States schedule starts with a trip to Texas and includes a three-game midseason stretch in which the Buckeyes visit defending national champion Indiana and Southern California before hosting Oregon. Theres also the annual rivalry game with Michigan.Were definitely going to be battle tested, Smith said, and thats going to show at the end of the season.The Buckeyes lost 11 players to the NFL draft, more than any other school. That included four of the first 11 overall selections in wide receiver Carnell Tate, linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles and safety Caleb Downs. Ohio State also lost offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, now the head coach at South Florida.But the Buckeyes have Sayin back at quarterback after he threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns. They also have Smith, whose 2,558 career yards receiving and 27 touchdown catches are the most by any Big Ten receiver in their first two years of college and the most by any Bowl Subdivision player over the last two seasons.That production had plenty of teams wanting Smith to enter the transfer portal.There were different types of programs coming at me once Hartline left and the season was over, Smith said. I never really thought about leaving Ohio State. I always wanted to be at Ohio State. It would be dumb for me to leave Ohio State and to go to another team when I have the best offensive line in the country, the best quarterback in the country and best coaches in the country.Oregon might argue it has the best quarterback in the country.Ducks benefit from Moores returnMoore could have been drafted in the first round this year if he had turned pro after throwing for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. He opted to come back to school instead.I think it speaks to his maturity, what he wanted to accomplish, Oregon coach Dan Lanning said.Moores return has the Ducks thinking big, even though Lanning lost two of his top assistants from last season with offensive coordinator Will Stein becoming Kentuckys head coach and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi taking over at California.The impact Moores decision had on Oregons title hopes was evident from Lannings reaction to the news.He had no clue (beforehand), actually, Moore said. I didnt tell anybody. My agent and my dad were the only people who knew, I announced it, and then Coach Lanning came pushing through the door, jumped on top of the desk and started screaming.Oregon hopes the celebration continues deep into January.

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Boycott confirmed: UEFA splits with FIFAInternational football is going through an unprecedented institutional crisis. In response to FIFAs plan to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors, UEFA and its 55 member associations have issued a joint statement threatening to withdraw from all competitions organized by world footballs governing body."The World Cup is not for sale"Through a statement signed unanimously, the European body firmly rejected the proposal pushed by Gianni Infantino, arguing that the integrity of the sport must be protected:"We unequivocally reject the proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. It is one of footballs greatest sporting legacies, built by generations. No part of this heritage should be handed over to private interests."Strong criticism of Gianni Infantinos leadershipUEFA described it as irresponsible that a decision of such magnitude was devised in secret and without the consensus of those who manage the sport globally. For the European body, this course of action represents a lack of leadership and an abdication of FIFAs duty as the highest institutional authority.Likewise, the associations said they are being subjected to governance based on intimidation, arguing that they are being given an ultimatum to accept an irreversible takeover. In light of this situation, European football appears determined to defend the sovereignty of the most important international national-team competition on the planet.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in here.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 21: Jakob Junis #16 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field on June 21, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe Texas Rangers have placed reliever Jakob Junis on the injured list with a left adductor strain, the team announced this morning. To replace him on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled righthanded pitcher Winston Santos from AAA Round Rock.This is unfortunate. Junis, who spent the first half of July on the injured list, is one of basically two Rangers relievers who have been reliable this season. Hes been the eighth inning guy for Texas, setting up Jacob Latz. With Junis now sidelined, Skip Schumaker will presumably be looking at Peyton Gray, or the newly-acquired Chase Silseth, to handle the eighth until Junis returns or they trade for someone better. Benson & Hedges Santos has spent some time in the majors this year as the last man in the pen, but has appeared in just one game, a loss in Cleveland where he gave up two runs in two innings. He has split the 2026 season between Frisco and Round Rock, and most recently pitched for the Express on Sunday, the 26th, when he threw 31 pitches over two scoreless innings.My guess is that hes just here to be an innings sponge if needed particularly given that the Rangers are going with a bullpen game today and will be sent back down when Silseth reports tomorrow.

BREAKING: European nations agree to boycott World CupUEFA nations have reached an agreement to boycott FIFA competitions, notably including the World Cup, as a result of plans to sell stakes in the tournament to private investors.A virtual meeting between the 55 member nations of European football took place on Thursday afternoon to discuss FIFA president Gianni Infantino's controversial proposal.The Athletic, The Times and others now report that an agreement was reached at the emergency meeting to support a World Cup boycott in protest at the plans.The next tournament this would impact would be the Women's World Cup in Brazil next summer, with the next men's edition taking place in 2030 in Spain, Portugal and Morocco (in addition to centenary fixtures in South America).FIFA confirmed plans to sell a significant stake in a new entity known as FIFA Forward Enterprises to take over the running of its major events like the World Cup and Club World Cup.FIFA are seeking to sell a minority 21% stake in FFE, seeking to raise 3.2bn), with money then set to be shared among member associations.This proposal must be approved by FIFAs 211 member associations as well as the FIFA Council.