Robert Saleh, the new head coach for the New York Jets, is making history as the first Muslim American to lead a team in the National Football League.(Photo Credit: All-Pro Reels/District of Columbia, USA, CCY)
Football
Zinedine Zidane has admitted there is growing uncertainty over his future as manager of Real Madrid because the job “takes a lot out of you”. The Frenchman, who is in his second stint in charge of Real, revealed that he will not be discussing a contract extension any time soon, with his current deal set to expire in 2022.
Transfers: Leicester City can confirm that striker Islam Slimani has signed a permanent deal with Ligue 1 side Lyon, subject to international clearance. The Algerian international, who arrived at LCFC in August 2016 and made 47 appearances for the Foxes, will now join Rudi Garcia’s team on an 18-month deal. He has enjoyed loan spells with Newcastle United, Fenerbahce and AS Monaco while with the Foxes, netting nine goals for the latter in France’s top-flight in 2019/20.
Mesut Özil is close to agreeing on a settlement with Arsenal that would allow him to terminate his contract and join Fenerbahçe this month. The playmaker’s future has been a live topic for several months and the question has been when, rather than if, he will depart a club at which he has fallen dramatically out of favour. Özil’s £350,000-a-week deal at Arsenal ends on June 30 but the two parties are on the verge of confirming an early parting of ways.
National Football League
The New York Jets hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be their new head coach, making him the first Muslim to run an NFL sideline, the team announced on January 14.Saleh is also the third Arab American NFL head coach — joining Abe Gibron and Rich Kotite — according to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). “We’ve reached an agreement in principle with Robert Saleh to become our head coach,” the Jets said in a statement. Saleh has spent the past four years in Santa Clara, California, transforming the 49ers’ defence from a onetime laughingstock to one of football’s most elite units.
Cricket
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan was named Men’s T20I Player of the Decade by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on December 28. Sensational leg-spinner Khan has become the poster boy of this popular format of the sports within years of his debut on October 26, 2015. The sport’s global governing body, ICC has praised Rashid as a player with “incredible record” to date in the format, having amassed 89 wickets in 48 games, at an average of just 12.62.
“It’s not just his wicket-taking ability that has seen him recognised either. His economy rate is also exceptional, conceding 6.14 runs per over in T20s. With the bat, in all forms of T20 cricket he’s shown that he can play shots, and along with his match-winning capabilities with the ball, he’s proved he is an asset to his side,” the ICC said.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
Khabib Nurmagomedov has met with UFC president Dana White to begin discussions over a potential return to the octagon. The UFC’s lightweight champion rendezvoused with White on January 14 ahead of UAE Warriors’ latest show in Abu Dhabi.
Squash
Egypt continues its dominance in squash with eleven Egyptian men featured inside the Professional Squash Association (PSA) top 20 world ranking, while their countrywomen secured seven spots in the women ranking.
Egyptian Men in the PSA Top 20:
1 – Ali Farag
2 – Mohamed ElShorbagy
3 – Tarek Momen
5 – Karim Abdel Gawad
6 – Marwan ElShorbagy
8 – Fares Dessouky
11 – Mohamed Abouelghar
12 – Mostafa Asal
14 – Mazen Hesham
16 – Omar Mosaad
18 – Zahed Salem
Egyptian Women in the PSA Top 20:
1 – Nour El Sherbini
2 – Nouran Gohar
4 – Nour El Tayeb
5 – Hania El Hammamy
14 – Rowan Elaraby
15 – Yathreb Adel
17 – Nadine Shahin
