ATHLETIC NEWS

"Will not be music to the ears of many fans" - Journalist provides update on Arsenal's transfer plans for winter window The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has claimed that Arsenal will not be active in the ongoing January transfer window.

5 DAYS AGO • SPORTSKEEDA.COM

Athletic Club 0-2 Barcelona: Player Ratings as the Catalans Cruise to the Spanish Super Cup Final Barcelona are one step away from collecting the first trophy of the season in Spanish soccer.

6 DAYS AGO • SI.COM

Artificial intelligence could transform football. So what might the future look like? Artificial intelligence has the capacity to transform the sport, whether that is scouting, coaching, injury prevention or extending careers

6 DAYS AGO • NYTIMES.COM

Nico Williams - Not training as precaution Williams (ankle) has not trained as a precaution ahead of Wednesday's Supercopa clash against Barcelona, the club announced.

Impact Williams is nursing a bruise on his left ankle and remains uncertain for the Supercopa clash with Barcelona, as well as the La Liga match against Celta Vigo on Jan. 18. If Williams is unable to recover in time, Alex Berenguer is expected to take his place on the left flank.

JANUARY 8 • ROTOWIRE

Nico Williams - Suffers ankle contusion Williams is set for time on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury, according to his club.

Impact Williams looks likely to miss some time over the next week or two, as he suffered an ankle contusion this week. For this reason, he was only allowed to train on the side Tuesday. He has yet to be ruled out for Saturday's match against Celta Vigo, although it looks likely.

JANUARY 7 • ROTOWIRE

Journalists for the Athletic push to join the New York Times union It’s unclear whether the Times, which shuttered its own sports desk after buying the Athletic, will fight the journalists’ effort to join th...

JANUARY 6 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM

Coco Gauff beats Iga Swiatek to help USA win United Cup title over Poland in Australia Coco Gauff's reworked forehand helped her overcome Iga Swiatek in a match of at times extraordinary quality.

JANUARY 5 • NYTIMES.COM

Ander Herrera - Starts and plays 60 Herrera (hamstring) started and played 60 minutes in Saturday's 0-0 (4-3) shootout win against Logrones.

Impact Herrera returned to action Saturday after five matches out due to a hamstring issue. He started in the match, seeing a decent amount of play before a tactical change. He will likely drop back to the bench in league play, only starting in two of his eight appearances.

JANUARY 4 • ROTOWIRE

Celine Haidar, the Lebanon player struck by shrapnel, has loved ones 'waiting for her to come back to life' The 19-year-old's family and friends tell the story of the promising player who cannot move or speak after being caught up in the war

JANUARY 3 • NYTIMES.COM

Nine-darters, holes-in-one and golden sets: What's the most perfect achievement in sport? Every sport has an individual achievement which is deemed the holy grail for competitors

JANUARY 3 • NYTIMES.COM

Alex Padilla - Signs new contract Padilla has extended his contract with Athletic Club until the end of the 2028/29 season.

Impact The 21-year-old has extended his current contract by a further three seasons, meaning he'll remain a depth option and insurance policy between the posts as the club's No. 3 goalkeeper. He's made five appearances in 2024/25 and should continue to see time with the club in the coming years, though he'll remain solely in a backup role as long as Unai Simon and Julen Agirrezabala remain around.

JANUARY 3 • ROTOWIRE

Yeray Alvarez - Picks up injury again Alvarez (calf) has suffered a muscle injury to his right calf which is preventing him from taking part in full training, the club announced.

Impact Alvarez has had a challenging season due to recurring injuries, appearing in just 11 of 15 matches so far. He has contributed 19 interceptions, 36 clearances, and 11 tackles. With this update, it appears that Aitor Paredes will continue partnering with Dani Vivian in the center of defense for the foreseeable future.

JANUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE

Oihan Sancet - Doesn't train with the team Sancet (ankle) trained individually at the Lezama facilities as he continues recovering from the ankle injury sustained against Osasuna, the club announced.

Impact Sancet trained individually during the first session after Christmas. Bilbao will face Logrones in the Copa del Rey on Saturday, followed by the Supercopa semi-final against Barcelona on Jan. 8. Sancet is unlikely to return for the cup match as the team may prioritize his availability for the Supercopa.

DECEMBER 30, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Inigo Ruiz De Galarreta - Trains inside facilities Galarreta (hamstring) didn't train with the rest of the team Sunday for the first training session after Christmas. He has a moderate muscle injury in the left hamstring muscles, t...

Impact Galarreta trained at Lezama's facilities as he recovers from a moderate hamstring injury. He is unlikely to feature on Saturday in the cup match against Logrones. The midfielder has been a key player in Ernesto Valverde's tactics, and the team may prioritize his availability for the Supercup semifinal against Barcelona on Jan. 8.

DECEMBER 30, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Pace, swerve, angle – the art of the 'olimpico', football's (usually) rare phenomenon Unless you're Manchester United, you're unlikely to see many goals being scored direct from corners – but here experts explain how to do it

DECEMBER 29, 2024 • NYTIMES.COM

Oihan Sancet - Recovering from ankle injury Sancet (ankle) was substituted in the 48th minute of the match against Osasuna due to discomfort in his right ankle. Coach Ernesto Valverde provided an update after the match, stat...

Impact Sancet has been one of the standout performers for Bilbao this season, alongside the Williams' brothers. He has scored eight goals across all competitions, along with 26 shots and 15 chances created in 20 appearances. It would be a significant loss to the team if he is unable to recover over the Christmas break, given the importance of the January fixtures. Bilbao will face Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup on Jan. 8. If Sancet is unavailable, Alex Berenguer is likely to replace him as the playmaker.

DECEMBER 26, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

A guide to Christmas-themed trading cards: From Santa Claus to Clark Griswold With origins dating back to the 1800s, Christmas-themed cards have become a significant part of the sports card world

DECEMBER 24, 2024 • NYTIMES.COM

Unai Simon - Two saves in victory Simon had two saves and allowed one goal in Saturday's 2-1 victory over Osasuna.

Impact Simon made two saves for a second consecutive game since returning to action. He also limited opponents to no more than one goal for a second straight outing. Up next for Athletic is a meeting with UD Logrones as part of Copa del Rey on January 4.

DECEMBER 22, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Nico Williams - Strong effort in win Williams generated two shots (one on goal), one cross (one accurate) and three chances created in Saturday's 2-1 win versus Osasuna.

Impact Williams registered at least two shots and one on target for the third time in five league games. He is also up to a total of nine chances created in that span. Additionally, this marked the third straight league outing where he accounted for at least one accurate cross.

DECEMBER 22, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Gorka Guruzeta - Keeps up scoring trend Guruzeta scored one goal to go with four shots (three on goal) in Saturday's 2-1 win over Osasuna. In addition, he was given a yellow card in the 87th minute.

Impact Guruzeta registered his first shot on target in the ninth minute of play and broke through soon after, scoring on a header, assisted by Inaki Williams with a cross in the 31st minute. The goal marked the third in the last seven league games and fifth of the campaign for Guruzeta, who also set a season high with three shots on target.

DECEMBER 22, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Alex Berenguer - Second goal in four league games Berenguer scored one goal to go with one shot (one on goal), four crosses (three accurate) and three corners in Saturday's 2-1 win over Osasuna.

Impact Berenguer entered the match in the 48th minute of play and came up with a crucial impact by scoring the go-ahead goal on a shot from the left side of the box in the 75th minute of play. It marked his second goal in four league games, and his fourth of the campaign. Berenguer also set a season high with three accurate crosses, despite totaling just 42 minutes of action.

DECEMBER 22, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Inaki Williams - Earns assist in victory Williams assisted once to go with three shots (two on goal), five crosses (one accurate) and three chances created in Saturday's 2-1 win over Osasuna.

Impact Williams got off to an active start with a shot on target in the 15th minute of action. He followed up soon after with a cross to Gorka Guruzeta, who headed it home to tie the score at 1-1 in the 31st minute. Williams had another shot on target just before halftime and was involved in a couple of chances in the second half, as he three chances created and two shots on target for the second time in three appearances.

DECEMBER 22, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Introducing the most dangerous pass in football A short vertical pass from a goalkeeper. Sounds harmless enough, right? We analyse the risk and reward behind the pass that drives fans wild

DECEMBER 20, 2024 • NYTIMES.COM