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Soccer

Barcelona, City interest won't tempt Ajax to sell prodigy De Ligt in January

Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars has said there is a “zero percent” chance teenage defensive star Matthijs De Ligt will leave the club in January.

De Ligt is just 19 but has reportedly attracted the interest of clubs including Barcelona and Manchester City with his hugely impressive, commanding performances for the Dutch giants. His defensive display as Ajax secured a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich in the Champions League at the start of October was of particular note.

Related – Report: Manchester City monitoring Ajax stud De Ligt

Overmars, who played for both Ajax and Barca during his own career, has insisted that although “it’s a possibility” the phenom will leave next summer, he will be completing the current season in Amsterdam.

“The chances of De Ligt leaving Ajax in January are zero percent,” Overmars told LaRoma24, via ESPN’s Sam Marsden.

De Ligt is regarded as one of European football’s next biggest stars. The center-back made his senior Ajax debut as a 17-year-old two years ago and was named club captain at the age of 19 this summer.

He has reached 74 appearances for the club – scoring eight goals in the process – and has amassed 10 caps for the Netherlands national team with 10 months of his teenage years still remaining.

After the 3-0 Nations League win over Germany on Saturday, in which De Ligt played the full 90 minutes, the defender was asked whether he would prefer a move to Barcelona or Manchester. He would not be tempted, however, instead replying: “Ajax! The newspapers need to write something, it’s normal,” as quoted by Barcelona-based outlet Sport.

NFL

Report: Aaron Hernandez was sexually abused

An investigative series by the Boston Globe reveals that former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who killed himself in prison last year, was sexually molested as a young boy.

The previously undisclosed information came from the Globe’s “Spotlight Team” from interviews, thousands of court and government records, and text messages, emails and images Hernandez sent and received while in a Massachusetts prison, where he was serving a life sentence without parole for the 2013 slaying of onetime friend Odin Lloyd.

The newspaper’s six-part series, the first installment of which was published Saturday, included details about Hernandez’s childhood, sexuality and drug use. Among them:

• Hernandez and his brother, Jonathan, were often beaten by their father, Dennis, while growing up in Bristol, Connecticut. The beatings were sometimes related to Dennis Hernandez’s drinking.

• Aaron Hernandez started smoking marijuana in high school with a teammate before school, before football practice and after games.

• The teammate, Dennis SanSoucie, told the Globe that he had a sexual relationship with Hernandez in junior high and high school and that the two tried to hide it.

• Jonathan Hernandez told the Globe that Aaron Hernandez disclosed later in his adult life that he had been molested as a young boy. One of Aaron’s lawyers in his criminal case also said Aaron spoke to him of sexual abuse as a child. Neither was willing to identify the perpetrator to the Globe.

• Aaron Hernandez was close to a cousin, Tanya Singleton, and he was crushed when he learned that his mother, Terri, was in a serious romantic relationship with Singleton’s husband, Jeff Cummings.

The report Saturday included information gleaned from recordings of nearly 300 phone calls Hernandez made from jail over a six-month period.

Hernandez was found hanging from a bed sheet in his cell on April 19, 2017, just days after he was found not guilty of two counts of murder in the killing of two men in a drive-by shooting outside a Boston nightclub five years earlier.

Soccer

Tottenham had no answer for vintage Messi performance at Wembley

The seemingly telepathic connection between Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez was on full display Wednesday at Wembley.

The Argentine magician scored twice in Barcelona’s breathless 4-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, with a pair of deft dummies from his Uruguayan teammate playing a vital role in each strike.

The 31-year-old, who also hit the post twice in quick succession in the second half, was at his unstoppable best for much of the contest, picking up the ball deep, darting past defenders, and causing havoc every time he was in flight.

Vintage Messi, if you will.

Despite some sloppiness in defense, Barca – who came into the match winless in three games – now sit atop Group B, ahead of Inter Milan on goal difference after a pair of wins. Spurs, meanwhile, are still looking for their first point after also dropping their opening Champions League encounter against the aforementioned Italian side.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men received tallies from Harry Kane and Erik Lamela – the latter coming courtesy of a big deflection – but they were undone by the combination of Suarez’s selflessness and Messi’s ruthlessness.

A horrific error from Hugo Lloris, which allowed Philippe Coutinho to open the scoring early, along with a stunning volley from Ivan Rakitic, didn’t exactly help Tottenham’s predicament, either.

Despite all that, it was Messi who really made the difference. He now has five goals in two Champions League matches this season.

When he was named Blaugrana captain ahead of the season, taking the armband from the departed Andres Iniesta, Messi, speaking of the big-eared Champions League trophy, vowed to “bring this beautiful cup back home to the Camp Nou.”

If the first two matchdays are any indication, he means it.

NFL

Rams expect WRs Cooks, Kupp to clear protocol
5:04 PM ET

  • Lindsey ThiryESPN

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    • Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times
    • Previously covered the Falcons
    • Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp are expected to clear the concussion protocol before the Los Angeles Rams play the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Broncos Stadium at Mile High.

“We’re right on track,” Rams coach Sean McVay said after practice Friday, adding that doctors could give a final clearance as soon as Saturday. “Looking positive in that direction.”

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Cooks and Kupp progressed through the protocol this week after they were sidelined Sunday in a victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

“Just one of those things that’s part of the game,” said Cooks, who was placed into the protocol after a hit from Seahawks safety Tedric Thompson in the second quarter. “Things happen. It’s unfortunate, but it’s how you respond and it’s been a great week of just preparing and just getting back to football.”

Kupp notified the training staff at halftime that he did not feel all right after he hit his head on the turf inside the two-minute warning.

“Been able to go through this week and move through the protocol here and just being smart about making sure that I’m 100 percent,” Kupp said. “I wouldn’t be out there if I wasn’t for sure I was 100 percent, so it’s been a different week, for sure, just having to go through this protocol and not being able to practice. But it’s part of it, I understand it.”

Cooks and Kupp have played major roles in the Rams’ top-ranked offense, which is averaging 468.4 yards and 34.6 points per game and has propelled the team to a 5-0 start.

Cooks has caught 26 passes for 452 yards and a touchdown, and Kupp has 30 receptions for 438 yards and five touchdowns.

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Soccer