Guardiola hits back at ex-England boss; Tuchel wants to ‘earn’ anthem; Cheltenham shock

A rare Friday night with little in the way of major sporting action in Europe. The English Premier League weekend starts on Saturday with the showpiece Carabao Cup final on Sunday. All the talk was of the England squad selection but first, a look at a story involving a former Three Lions gaffer. If the Cap fits Pep Guardiola has hit back at Fabio Capello, who labelled the Manchester City boss “arrogant”. In a recent interview with Spanish publication El Mundo, the ex-Juventus and England boss suggested Guardiola’s much-discussed surprise tactical tweaks in major Uefa Champions League matches was to show that success was down to him and not the players. He also suggested the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach had caused enormous damage to Italian football as managers attempted to imitate his style. And, speaking ahead of City’s clash with Brighton, Guardiola was asked about the comments. “I listen to everything that people say about me, so be careful,” he said. “It’s not the first time Mr Fabio Capello has said that. I’m not good enough to ruin Italian football. A big hug to Fabio. A big hug.” Capello managed Guardiola during a brief stint for the Spaniard at Roma during the 2002-03 season. Sing when you’re winning England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would not join in the signing of the national anthem in his opening matches in charge as it is a right he must “earn”. The prickly issue of the anthem was raised when Tuchel named his first England squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers with Albania and Latvia on Friday. “I think, first of all, you have a very powerful, emotional and meaningful national anthem and I could not be more proud to be on the sidelines and be in charge of the English national team,” he said. “It means everything. “It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel because it is that meaningful and it is that emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it.” Tuchel, only the third non-British manager of England, confirmed he does know the words to “God Save the King”, but for now he won’t be singing them. Lee Carsley, who represented Ireland in his playing career, made headlines during his interim spell in charge of England last year when he declined to sing the national anthem. “I feel that it is not just a given. You cannot just sing it. That’s why I decided that I will not sing it in my first matches,” Tuchel added. “I will earn it with results, with building a group, with doing my job properly and by creating a feeling where maybe even you guys say at some point, ‘Now it’s time that you sing it, it feels like you properly earned it and you’re a proper English guy now’. “Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like, ‘He should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’.” Meanwhile, Tuchel also defended his work-life balance after missing certain Premier League fixtures during the first 10 weeks of his tenure. “I was at 25 matches in the last nine weeks,” Tuchel said. “On the Premier League weekends where I don’t go, I watch a minimum of five matches live on a wide-angle screen.” Mark of a champion Inothewayurthinkin, a 15/2 shot trained by Gavin Cromwell and ridden by Mark Walsh, won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and denied odds-on favourite Galopin Des Champs a third successive victory. Galopin Des Champs (1/2) finished second and 40/1 Gentlemansgame was third. “I’m dancing inside,” Walsh said after his mount powered home from the final fence to win by six lengths. “Brilliant. I can’t believe it.” Galopin Des Champs, trained by the dominant Willie Mullins and ridden by Irish jockey Paul Townend, had been chasing a place in history in the famed steeplechase and after running sixth early on moved into the lead with two fences to go. Only four horses have won the Gold Cup three times or more, with Golden Miller winning five in a row from 1932-36 and Arkle a triple from 1964-66, and Galopin had looked set to join their ranks. Rugby star’s jail time Former Australia rugby union captain Rocky Elsom was handed a two-year prison sentence by a French court after being found guilty of misusing corporate funds. The 42-year-old was also fined €100,000 – half of which was suspended – and ordered to pay €240,000 compensation to the liquidator of the Narbonne rugby club where he was president between 2015 and 2016. Former flanker Elsom, capped 75 times by the Wallabies, was convicted in his absence but was made the subject of an international arrest warrant. Elsom’s lawyer Yann Le Bras said that he would appeal the sentence.

Guardiola hits back at ex-England boss; Tuchel wants to ‘earn’ anthem; Cheltenham shock

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Manchester City boss irked at ‘arrogant’ label from former manager as he prepares to face Brighton on Saturday

If the Cap fits

Manchester City boss irked at ‘arrogant’ label from former manager as he prepares to face Brighton on Saturday