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Thirteen years in the making: Madrid’s search for a saviour set to end in Mourinho return

The idea that one day Mourinho might return to the Bernabéu had hung in the air, if not really as a serious possibility. Now the impossible is probable The last time José Mourinho was at the Santiago Bernabéu, he parked up in the bus. That night in late February the Benfica manager was suspended, a red card from the first leg of the Champions League playoff meaning he wasn’t allowed on the touchline he had prowled 13 years and a lifetime ago, so Real Madrid prepared a media booth for him to watch from. Situated on the eighth floor, Spanish radio to the left of him, Portuguese to the right, Cabin No 6 had been supplied with nuts, fruit, salad and jamón sandwiches. As kick-off approached, a crowd gathered by the door. But if the camera phones were out, he wasn’t. Mourinho never showed. Instead, he stayed in the basement 10 floors below, watching from an iPad on board the bus and leaving the post-match press conference to his assistant, João Tralhão. The next time he comes, which could b...
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American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney wins Dylan Thomas prize for ‘blistering’ debut poetry collection

The £20,000 award for writers aged 39 or under goes to Joy Is My Middle Name, a collection about navigating race, addiction and womanhood A debut poetry collection with themes including race, addiction and womanhood has won this year’s Swansea University Dylan Thomas prize . American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney took home the £20,000 prize – awarded to writers aged 39 or under in honour of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, who died at that age – for her debut collection Joy Is My Middle Name. She was announced as the winner at a ceremony in Swansea, Thomas’s birthplace. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ptjb3ka

Forgiveness of a Monster review – psychodrama jostles with standup in foggy autofiction

Sherman theatre, Cardiff Connor Allen’s autobiographical show is a twister that winds in everything from gothic mystery to therapy sessions in an ambitious, rather incoherent mix Connor Allen’s autobiographical show features plenty of smoke and mirrors, literal and figurative. Smoke swirls from a pit on a darkened stage, jagged mirrors stand like rocks across it. It is an emotionally anguished play featuring a mixed-heritage protagonist (played by Allen) who has been abandoned by his Jamaican father and raised by his Welsh mother. His inability to forgive his father takes him back to Jamaica where he experiences a psychic watershed. This twister of a drama shifts ambitiously in form and tone, sliding between gothic thriller, family psychodrama and standup-style direct address at one point when Allen interacts with the audience with tipples of gin in warmly comic tones. At Sherman theatre, Cardiff , until 23 May Continue reading... from The Guardian htt...

Man sentenced to two years in prison for stealing unreleased Beyoncé music

Kelvin Evans pleads guilty to stealing hard drives and laptops from a car before singer’s Atlanta tour dates in 2025 A man arrested for stealing hard drives containing unreleased Beyoncé music has pleaded guilty in an Atlanta court on Tuesday. Kelvin Evans was arrested by the Atlanta police department in September in connection to a July 2025 car robbery where two suitcases containing Beyoncé music and tour plans were stolen from a rental car. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/afB8mS2

Keegan Bradley targets Ryder Cup 2027 return as player after haunting captaincy stint

‘It’s going to be really hard … but how fun would that be?’ Bradley is in field for this week’s PGA Championship Keegan Bradley still reflects on the pain of captaining the United States to a home Ryder Cup defeat last year but says he would love to make the 2027 team as a player. Bradley took full responsibility as his USA side endured a chastening first two days at Bethpage Black last September, slipping to a record 11.5-4.5 deficit, before a valiant fightback fell short. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/V1OU9YI

Premier League set to reject extended powers for VAR next season

VAR will rule on corners and second yellows at World Cup PGMO fears change will put more pressure on officials The Premier League is to reject widening the scope of VAR next season after talks with the refereeing body Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO). Under a regulation change approved by the International Football Association Board (Ifab) in February, the video assistant referee will be permitted to rule on the award of corners and second yellow cards from next month, with referees to use the powers at the World Cup after a request from Fifa. Ifab has made the new law discretionary, however, allowing leagues and competitions to decide whether to adopt it. The Premier League’s final decision will be made by the clubs at their annual general meeting next month, but PGMO has advised against extending the use of VAR. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/7BkyUe5

Wizards eye Dybantsa, Boozer, Peterson and Wilson at No 1 after winning NBA draft lottery

Washington last picked No 1 overall in 2010 Wizards had worst record in the NBA this season The league’s worst team this season are getting the No 1 pick in the NBA draft. The Washington Wizards won the draft lottery on Sunday and are poised to pick first overall for the first time since choosing John Wall in that spot in 2010. Wall was the Wizards’ on-stage representative for this year’s lottery. Utah won the right to pick No 2, Memphis will pick No 3 and Chicago will pick No 4. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zpxD5j0