It only took two seasons for Joe Mazzulla to prove that he has what it takes to be an NBA coach.Mazzulla was thrust into the spotlight in September 2022 when the Boston Celtics named him interim coach after Ime Udoka was suspended by the team for the entire 2022-23 campaign for violations of organizational policies.Just 21 months later, the Celtics, under a 35-year-old Mazzulla who had his interim tag removed in February 2023, were hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy to mark their 18th title in franchise history.But these types of success stories are rare.Plenty of coaches have waited well over two years to make their mark, and here are three who need to do so this season if they want to refine their reputation.Doc Rivers, Milwaukee BucksWhen it comes to causing title contenders to fall short of expectations, no one does it better than Rivers.Rivers has been coaching powerhouses since the 2013-14 season, when he saw his Los Angeles Clippers go 57-25 in the regular season just to lose in the Western Conference semifinals.Since then, despite having talent like Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid playing for him, Rivers has never been able to coach a team to the Finals. He took over at the helm in Milwaukee back in January, with the Bucks going just 17-19 this past season under his watch.Milwaukee then got bounced in the first round of the playoffs.Any team with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard should — at the very least — be one of the last four teams standing in the Eastern Conference. If Rivers can’t help the Bucks make a deep playoff run this time around, we may never see him coach again.Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors source: Getty Images The Splash Brothers are no more.An aging Klay Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks in June via a sign-and-trade deal, leaving star guard Stephen Curry as one of the last remaining pieces of Golden State’s dynasty that dominated from 2014-22.Draymond Green is still around, too, of course — when he’s not facing a suspension for turning a game into a cage match.However, this Warriors team is now a shell of what it once was. Kerr has seemingly been carried by Curry, Thompson and at one point, Kevin Durant, for the entirety of his coaching career. With the teams Golden State has had over the past decade, you could throw in a third-grader at coach and they’d probably do just fine.Now Kerr finally has the chance to show that he does know what he’s doing, but if he fails, don’t expect the criticism to be light.Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks credits: Maddie Meyer | source: Getty Based on the way New York fans have been acting this offseason, you’d think the Knicks had already won a championship.New York traded for Mikal Bridges in July, putting him alongside Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson to make up a daunting starting five. On top of that, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo will be coming off the bench, making the Knicks a serious threat in the East.But this team is going nowhere if Thibodeau burns his guys out by mid-March.Thibodeau is notorious for excessively playing his starters, but with New York’s strong second unit, hopefully that changes this year. If it doesn’t, Thibodeau could find himself being deemed Public Enemy No. 1 in the Big Apple.
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Chelsea and Bayern Munich are reportedly both in contact with Spanish midfielder Gavi amid concerns that Barcelona s financial position will mean they are unable to retain him.
Gavi, 18, is one of the top central midfield prospects in the world, having already racked up 87 senior appearances for Barcelona since debuting in the 2021-22 season.
According to AS, the contract extension Gavi signed this season to tie him to Barcelona until 2026 was rejected by LaLiga because of the club s finances and, if they fail to clear enough salary room by June 30, Gavi will be allowed to leave on a free transfer.
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AS reports Chelsea have already met with Gavi s agent in an attempt to convince him of a Pr…
Erik ten Hag lauded Ajax s outstanding achievement after the high-flying Dutch giants capped their group-stage campaign with more Champions League history.
Ajax made it six wins from six games in Group C following Tuesday s 4-2 victory over fellow last-16 bound outfit Sporting CP in Amsterdam.
With the triumph, Ajax became the first Dutch team to win all six of their games in a single Champions League group-stage campaign.
Ajax also won six consecutive matches in the European Cup/Champions League for the first time in their illustrious history.
Ten Hag s men have swept all before them in Europe this season and the Manchester United-linked head coach hailed Ajax.
To win one match in the [UEFA] Champions League is difficult enough, but to win six i…
Newcastle United are interested in signing Nemanja Matic from Manchester United in the January transfer window, according to . It has been reported that Newcastle are looking at a number of players to sign on loan, and Matic is among those they are looking for.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have already asked Premier League rivals Manchester United about signing Matic on loan next month. The 33-year-old has been on the books of the Red Devils since 2017 and has been a key figure in the team over the years.
Matic has made five starts and three substitute appearances in the Premier League for Manchester United so far this season. The Serbian midfielder made one start and five substitute appearances in the Champions League for the Red Devils last season.
…
Aurelien Tchouameni has withdrawn from France s squad ahead of their Nations League fixtures due to a foot injury.
The 24-year-old left camp on Monday and has returned to Real Madrid, where he will undergo further assessment, though the injury is not thought to be serious.
Tchouameni had started all four of Madrid s opening LaLiga fixtures, having also played five times for France at Euro 2024 as they reached the semi-finals, but he will now miss Les Bleus opening fixtures against Italy and Belgium.
The midfielder is the second Madrid player to pull out of Didier Deschamps squad on Monday, with left-back Ferland Mendy also withdrawing due to a shin injury.
Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Digne have been called up as their respective replacements.
It al…
Eddie Howe has vowed to adopt a siege mentality once again as Newcastle prepare for a first Champions League campaign in 20 years.
The Magpies have dragged themselves from the thick of a Premier League relegation fight when the club’s new owners took control in October 2021 to Europe’s top table in the space of a remarkable 19 months.
They have done so with the help of a £250million-plus investment, provided in large part by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which holds an 80 per cent stake, and the source of that wealth has prompted concerted criticism, with human rights campaign group Amnesty International in particular voicing concerns over “sportswashing”.
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Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp says he will treat the Europa League with respect should the Reds qualify for the second tier continental competition.
The 2019-20 Premier League champions are currently sixth on the table, four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the final Champions League qualification spot with five games to play.
As a result, Liverpool appear destined to play in the Europa League in 2020-21 for the first time since 2015-16.
Since I am in England we have only played in the Europa League once and we went to the final [in 2016 against Sevilla], so it was good apart from the final, Klopp said. Last night I saw a Man United team enjoying the Europa League a lot.
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The midfielder’s bold run and curling stoppage-time finish stunned Molineux and secured his boyhood side a much-needed 4-3 victory after they had squandered 2-0 and 3-1 leads.
“I think it’s hard to sum it up,” summer signing Hojlund said after the chaotic clash. “A little bit annoyed because we switch off a little bit but so happy for us in the end. A generational talent in Kobbie Mainoo. He did well.”
It is high praise for a player that Hojlund hopes to join as a bedrock of the United team for years to come.
“We enjoyed things, spending time outside together,” the 20-year-old said of Mainoo. “I think I’ve said before that us young guys, we have a little group and we’re chatting to each other.
Kobbie Time
— Marcus Rashford…
Liverpool took time adjusting to life back in the Europa League but for the fourth time in six matches this season they came from behind to win 3-1 against LASK in Linz.
It had been 2,682 days since they last appeared in UEFA’s second-tier competition, having played in three Champions League finals and won one, and that adaptation to a new reality took a while to bed in.
The Austrians had no such problem in the biggest game in their history as the visit of Manchester United in 2020, when they were hammed 5-0, happened behind closed doors because of the pandemic.
Up and running in the
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It was a modest record for a player as magnificent as Lionel Messi: three games, two final defeats, one red card, no goals.
But the Barcelona great s Copa America performances against Chile prior to Monday s curtain-raising clash were not entirely out of keeping with the rest of his Argentina career.
There have been moments of magic, of course, but just 15 goals across 46 Copa America and World Cup appearances ahead of this game. Meanwhile, not since 2007-08 has Messi fallen short of averaging a goal every two games for Barca, let alone one every three.
Even Messi himself could not reasonably argue his international displays have come close to the standard set at club level.
And while World Cup failures will always remain at the forefront of any such disc…
Market: Stevenage win
Odds: 19/20 @
Hoping to shore up their spot in the play-off chase, Stevenage will welcome Reading to the Lamex Stadium on Tuesday night.
Starting with the hosts, although Stevenage might have only made their League One return this season, the Boro are enjoying what has been a real fairytale. Continuing to receive a string of public praise from across England’s third-tier, it is no secret that Steve Evans’ men have their sights firmly set on securing a shock play-off ticket in 2024. With the mood around the Lamex Stadium at a red-hot high, the former Gillingham boss will be calling on his squad to make another statement in midweek. Last seen over the weekend putting in another eye-catching display as they clinched a 1-0 victory against B…