Jason Kerr believes a clean sheet away to Shkendija can provide the platform Hibernian to reach the league stage of the Conference League.Hibs drew 0-0 in sweltering conditions in Skopje, progressing 2-1 on aggregate to reach the play-off round for the second successive season, with Belgian side Gent their seeded opponents."It's going to take a lot, but I'm fully confident in the players we've got in the dressing room," said Kerr. "There's a lot of quality and I think we can do it."Getting the clean sheet as well, first of the season, we'll take confidence from that, especially as defenders."It was a completely different game from the first leg. We had to ride our luck a little bit. We made a good few blocks, a lot of defensive actions."It was not the best game to watch, but, when you're ahead in the tie, you take that all day. Getting through is all that really matters."Hibs had to cope with temperatures of around 30C at kick-off, but Kerr believes the incentive of moving one step closer to European league stage football for the first time helped players overcome the conditions."It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be, to be fair," said the 29-year-old. "It was humid and it does drain you, but the thought of getting through to the next round gives you that extra bit of motivation and determination."I think all the lads felt that in the last 10 minutes. Putting our bodies on the line at times, I just felt like we deserved that."Before their European campaign resumes in Belgium next Thursday, Hibs turn their attention Sunday's Premier Sports Cup tie with Partick Thistle at Easter Road."We're two games away from a semi-final, potentially," added Kerr. "So it's a massive game and that's us three unbeaten now. We need to keep that run going and get through in another cup competition."It'll be a tough game. I know Partick Thistle have done well the past couple of years, so we won't be taking them lightly. But I think that's one we can get past as well."

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) A consortium containing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is buying a minority stake in Premier League club Liverpool, the English soccer giant said on Friday.Club owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG) said in a statement it entered into a definitive agreement for the sale to 1892 Holdings.The investor group is led by Amit Bhatia, who is married to a daughter of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, and has taken a stake of more than 30% in the 20-time English champion, according to Sky News. The deal reportedly values Liverpool at around $6 billion.Boston-based FSG paid 300 million pounds ($400 million) to take over Liverpool in 2010 and also owns the Boston Red Sox. FSG said in July that it had been approached by the Bhatia-led consortium regarding a strategic minority investment in the club.As we considered this opportunity, it became clear that Amit and the consortium shared our long-term philosophy and appreciation for what makes Liverpool special, FSG president Mike Gordon said in the statement.It marks the first foray into soccer by Bezos, who, according to Forbes, is the fourth richest person in the world with a net worth of around $280 billion. He founded Amazon in 1994 and has been executive chairman since 2021.Saverin is a Brazilian businessman worth around $36 billion, according to Forbes.Bhatia, a British-Indian entrepreneur, was the co-owner of second-tier English team Queens Park Rangers for 18 years before stepping down recently.We are making this investment because we believe deeply in Liverpool and its leadership, and we look forward to supporting the clubs continued success for years to come, Bhatia said in the statement.Under the leadership of FSG and its principal owner John Henry, Liverpool ended a 30-year wait to be English champion in 2020 and added another Premier League title last year. That tied Manchester United on 20 English top-flight league championships.The club was European champion for a sixth time a record for an English team in 2019.The Premier League is one of the biggest competitions in sports, with its teams now largely owned by oil-rich gulf states or private equity.Can Liverpool now start spending heavily?Liverpool now has three of the richest people in the world as minority owners.That doesnt mean, however, that the club can simply start spending recklessly in the transfer market on new players.Thats because the Premier League has financial rules in place to protect the competitive balance of the competition and ensure the financial sustainability of clubs.In broad terms, a clubs on-pitch spending is related to 85% of its football-related revenue and net profit/loss from player sales, the Premier League says.Instead, the difference will come in how Liverpool already one of the top teams in world soccer is marketed more around the world under Bezos and Saverin, especially.The deal is likely to bring more commercial revenue into the club, thereby improving its profits.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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TimesofIndia.com in Galle: India's road to the World Test Championship (WTC) final enters the home stretch from the historic city of Galle, and captain Shubman Gill has an uphill task over the next few months. The WTC final is mathematically still within India's reach but would need a performance for the ages in the next few months, starting with the series opener in Galle on August 15.The scenario is simple: win seven out of the next nine Test matches to secure the final berth. Even though the immediate challenge involves Galle, crosswinds and frequent rain interruptions, Gill and Co. have their eyes locked on the target, the "main goal"."The main goal is to play the WTC final, which is next year. And we have got about nine Tests and I think we have to win around six or seven to be able to have a good chance at qualifying. So in terms of that, I think it's a very important series for us," said Gill at the pre-match press conference.Gill is taking giant strides forward as a leader, which is reflected in how the team has prepared for the series. The captain has vocally criticised the packed scheduling and how it has robbed the side of ideal preparation before an important series in the past. Sri Lanka, on that front, has come as a breath of fresh air, as the team has been camped in Colombo since August 4, where they trained hard at the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) Ground, played a warm-up fixture and squeezed in two quality sessions in Galle."If we do have an opportunity and if the scheduling allows us to have at least a week or 10 days before the Test match starts, it obviously helps with the preparation. Even last year we had quite a busy schedule in terms of, you know, travelling, playing in England and playing the Asia Cup, then playing the Test match in India, going to Australia."And then playing the Test match within four days after returning from Australia. So it's never easy for the players to be able to adapt. And most of the players in this team, I think, require a bit of time to be able to adjust to the conditions. And it's not like a lot of the players have a lot of matches or a lot of experience under their belts. So the extra time in preparation definitely helps," added Gill.Every player in the squad relies on high-volume preparation. The optional nets remained busy on the eve of the match as the likes of Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar and others applied the finishing touches hours before taking the field in very hot and humid conditions. India's squad, hit by injury concerns, is far from the first choice, but there is no dearth of quality in the 15 assembled by the men's senior selection committee.Chairman Ajit Agarkar has been with the side in Galle, and there have been long chats involving the selector, coach and captain. For a team that has relied heavily on all-rounders to fill crucial slots, the first Test will be a rare occasion featuring more specialist players. India have been averse to compromising batting depth, even at the cost of a quality bowler, but Manav Suthar gives them the option of crucial runs and magic with the ball."He's got the ability with the bat. We know he can bat, obviously. Of course, you need a bit of experience, you need some belief and confidence. And that will only come once you're out there, you're playing, you score some runs. And hopefully he does that in the series. He's someone with great skill in bowling. And he's got the potential to be able to be a really good number 8 batsman as well," revealed Gill, all but confirming the playing XI.Both Gill and Gambhir see a lot of value in meaningful contributions from the lower order, and the captain asserts that it could seriously affect momentum and frustrate the opposition. This was the prime reason Kuldeep Yadav never made the playing XI for the five Tests in England and has often been benched for limited-overs fixtures too. In Suthar, the team is trying to plug that spot, especially in conditions where they have the option of fielding three spinners.It will be hard work for the two fast bowlers in testing conditions. While Gill didn't confirm the bowler who would partner Mohammed Siraj, he dropped enough hints that it will be difficult to look beyond Prasidh Krishna for this fixture. Additionally, Brar had a heavy workout on the eve of the match, which is not usual, especially when you are expected to undergo the grind in a few hours."They both are very skilled bowlers and they bowled really well in the practice match. We have seen how good Gurnoor is with the old ball when nothing else is happening. You need that bit of extra pace and extra bounce. He's obviously very tall as well. But I think Prasidh recently has been bowling the best that I have ever seen him bowl. In red ball and also in white ball. So it would be a very tough decision for us to pick just one," said Gill.With a fort in the backdrop, Gill will beam with pride when he walks out for the toss wearing the captain's blazer in the team's 600th Test on August 15. The spin, turn, nature of the pitch and the crosswinds can take a backseat for the moment the coin is flipped in the air because once it comes down, the business will begin.Galle will decide how much work is needed to reach The Oval. 133243894

Unai Hernndez, reinforcement for the midfieldGirona FC and Al-Ittihad FC have reached an agreement for the loan of midfielder Unai Hernndez until the end of the season.Born in Malgrat de Mar on December 14, 2004, Unai Hernndez, 21 years old, returns to a club he knows very well. After starting at the Olmpic Malgrat School, the footballer joined Girona in the Alev category. In our youth football system, the player from Maresme spent seven seasons where he had a precocious trajectory. He was still a second-year youth player when he joined the reserve team, although he still played some matches with the youth team. In December 2021, Michel called him up to train with the first team, and shortly after, on January 2, 2022, he was part of the squad that traveled to play a league match against Huesca.It was in the summer of 2022 when FC Barcelona signed Unai, who joined the Juvenil A team before later moving to the Bara reserve team. At this club, he also stood out for his talent. Xavi Hernndez had him travel with the first team for the last league match of the 2022-2023 season against Celta. However, his debut with Bara's first team took place in Japan, in a preseason match against Vissel Kobe. In Bara's reserve team, he became one of the most important players on the team. During the 2023-24 season, he played 38 matches and scored 10 goals.In January 2025, he was transferred to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Professional League. With the Jeddah team, he participated in nine matches and scored one goal before continuing his experience in Arab football on loan to Al-Shabab.The new red-and-white player has excellent ball control, the ability to drive the ball, and enough technique to surpass opponents in tight spaces. He is a footballer with a lot of personality and a remarkable shot.

The biggest injury news from the Indianapolis Colts' preseason opener was that quarterback Anthony Richardson was back after his "freak" eye injury last year. The second-biggest injury news was what happened to one of their coaches.Brian Mason, the Colts' special teams coordinator, was part of a sideline collision on the final play of his team's matchup against the New England Patriots. Mason was watching Colts quarterback Riley Leonard's last-second Hail Mary attempt when two players one Colt and one Patriot ran into the coach.The collision, which was caught on broadcast cameras, knocked Mason onto the ground. He could be seen screaming and rolling around for a moment before members of the Colts' training staff came over to help him.Note: The following video may be graphic for some viewers.Not good: #Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason got taken out on the very final play of tonights preseason game and was in significant pain.( @BCampbell__87) pic.twitter.com/t87ZXVZWp3 Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 14, 2026