May 20, 2021 side Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday named Swiss Gerardo 7 Seoane as their new head coach for next season, AFP wrote.

Benzema recalled to France squad for Euros despite impending trial

Karim Benzema earned a return to the France squad for this is after this summer’s tournament, in late October. summer’s European Championships. The 33-year-old Benzema has been banned from the na- The striker has been in brilliant form for Real Madrid this tional team since November 2015 because of his alleged in- season and was selected by despite a trial volvement in the scandal, despite consistent showings with due to take place later this year for his alleged involvement Madrid. in an attempt to blackmail his former France teammate Mat- The investigators who charged Benzema believe he was thieu Valbuena, theguardian.com reported. approached by a childhood friend that year to act as an in- Benzema is alleged of having pressured his former nation- termediary and convince Valbuena to deal directly with the al teammate to pay blackmailers who threatened to reveal an blackmailers. Instead, Valbuena informed the police. Four intimate video in which Valbuena featured. other people will also stand trial in the case. Benzema de- He will stand trial on the charge of conspiracy to attempt nies any wrongdoing and reacted to the trial date being set blackmail, the prosecutor’s office said. The date for the trial on Instagram earlier this year, posting: “Yes, finally, let’s go. Let the masquerade end for- ever.” Benzema has scored 29 goals in all competitions and was Real Madrid’s standout player in their journey to the Champions League semifi- nals. Real Madrid remains in the La Liga title race al- though its trails rival Atlé- tico Madrid by two points going into the final league game this weekend. Benzema, who has 27 goals in 81 games for France, features in the 26- LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/AFP man squad alongside fellow Manchester United French midfielder (L) and Ivorian winger Amad Diallo hold a Palestinian flag as the players make forwards Antoine Griez- their way around the pitch during the traditional lap of honor after their match against Fulham at Old Trafford, Manchester, England, on May 18, 2021. mann, Kylian Mbappé, , , Ousmane Dembélé, anchester United manager Ole Gunnar Sol- “We have seen that with some of my players before, and skjaer defended Paul Pogba and Amad Diallo that they do care. You see Marcus Rashford, for exam- Marcus Thuram. Mfor holding up a Palestine flag after Tues- ple, the difference he has made. France has been drawn day’s match with Fulham, saying they have a “right to “So, no, we respect their right to have a different in Group F for Euro 2020 have a different view”. view.” alongside Hungary, Por- United midfielder Pogba appeared to be given the Gaza Health Ministry said in its latest report that the tugal, and Germany. Their flag by a fan as the players made their way around Israeli air strikes on Gaza have killed at least 220 Pales- campaign starts in Munich the pitch during the traditional lap of honor after the tinians, including 63 children and 36 women, with over sportsmole.co.uk against Germany on June 15. 1-1 draw in the club’s last home game of the Premier 1,500 others wounded. The ministry said around a third League season, according to AFP. of the wounded are children, according to Press TV. French World Cup winner Pogba and Ivorian winger Pogba and Diallo are the latest footballers to show Diallo, who are both Muslim, displayed the flag in sup- their support for the Palestinians. port of Palestine, with around 10,000 fans at Old Traf- English midfielder Hamza Choudhury and French ford watching on after coronavirus restrictions were defender Wesley Fofana held a Palestinian flag on the lifted. pitch at Wembley after Leicester’s 1-0 win over Chel- Lando Norris signs “We have players from different backgrounds, dif- sea in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday. ferent cultures, different countries and we need to re- Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has also spect their views if they differ from someone else’s,” shown his support for the Palestinian people in a social new McLaren Formula 1 contract said Solskjaer. media post. “If my players think about other things than football, The Egyptian posted on his Twitter account: “My that’s a positive thing. heart and my soul and my support for you Palestine.” Lando Norris signed a new multiyear deal to continue McLarenF1.” racing for McLaren. Norris said, “My commitment to McLaren is clear: The 21-year-old Briton has made a flying start to his My goal is to win races and become Formula 1 world third season of F1 at the team and is fourth in the Driv- champion and I want to do that with this team. Since ers’ Championship after the opening rounds heading into joining in 2017 our progression has been consistent and this weekend’s Monaco GP, skysports.com reported. we have clear ambitions together for the future. Boston Celtics beat Washington Wizards Norris, who joined McLaren’s young driver program “I want to say thank you to Zak [Brown] and Andreas in 2017, claimed his second career podium at Imola last [Seidl] for the belief they’ve shown in me since the be- month — and is confident greater success is on the ho- ginning, and to the whole team for giving me such a to secure NBA playoff berth rizon as the former champion plots its way back to the strong environment to continue my career in. front. “We’ve already had some incredible moments togeth- “I’m really pleased to have extended my relationship er which I’ll never forget — two podiums and securing with McLaren from 2022,” said Norris. P3 in the championship — and together with Daniel and “Having been with the team for almost five years, I the rest of the team I’m looking forward to pushing for feel very much part of the family here and I couldn’t even more success in the years to come.” imagine starting the next phase of my career anywhere New teammate Daniel Ricciardo is in the first year else. McLaren has been a huge support since my days in of his own multiyear deal, meaning McLaren’s driver junior series and I’ve really enjoyed learning and devel- lineup is settled for the foreseeable future beyond 2022. oping as a driver since.” Having returned to the top three of the Constructors’ He wrote in a Twitter post: “So excited to tell you Championship for the first time in eight years last sea- that I’m staying with McLaren. My goal is to win races son, McLaren continues to make strides in closing the and world championships and over the last three years gap to Mercedes and Red Bull. McLaren have shown me that they’re able to build a car The Woking team hold third again in this campaign for me to do that in. Let’s continue what we started @ with two-car points finishes in all four races so far.

CHARLES KRUPA/AP Jayson Tatum struggles to score a two-pointer in Boston’s play-in tournament win over the Washington Wizards in TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, US, on May 18, 2021.

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 50 points as the Boston Celt- 76ers in the first round. ics beat the Washington Wizards 118-100 to secure their place Washington led 56-55 in the opening minute of the third in the NBA playoffs. quarter before Boston, which lost five of its last six games in Boston won the play-in contest on Tuesday to secure the sev- the regular season, scored 14 straight points during a 19-2 burst. enth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, BBC wrote. Tatum scored 23 of his 50 points in the third quarter while They will meet the second-seeded Brooklyn Nets in the first Kemba Walker added 29 points for the Celtics. Bradley Beal round, with game one scheduled for Saturday. scored a team-high 22 for Washington. Washington has one more chance to make the postseason The play-in tournament has been introduced on a one-year when it hosts the Indiana Pacers today. basis for the 2020-21 season, and will determine which teams The winner will secure the eighth and final spot in the East- take the seventh and eighth seeded positions in each conference skysports.com ern Conference playoffs and face the top-seeded Philadelphia for the playoffs.