Barcelona official relieved from role after Messi comment-Image1

A Barcelona official has been dismissed from an institutional-relations role after he said Lionel Messi would not be as good if he didn’t have great teammates, the club announced on Friday. Barcelona said it relieved Pere Gratacos from his responsibilities because “he publicly expressed a personal opinion that did not coincide with the opinion of the entity.”

Royals, Hosmer agree to $12.25M deal to avoid arbitration

The Royals and All-Star first baseman Eric Hosmer have agreed on a $12.25 million contract for next season, avoiding arbitration with a deal that could take him to free agency. General manager Dayton Moore has long been optimistic that the Royals will be able to sign their homegrown star to a long-term deal, but the price has risen considerably.

49ers interview Cardinals VP Terry McDonough for GM

The San Francisco 49ers have interviewed Arizona vice-president of player personnel Terry McDonough for their general manager’s job. Team CEO Jed York met with McDonough on Friday as part of his search for replacements for fired coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke following a 2-14 season that tied the worst mark in franchise history.

Team News: Portsmouth vs Leyton Orient

Sammy Moore could make his first appearance of the season for Leyton Orient after returning from his loan spell at Dover Athletic this week. After a successful spell with the Whites, Moore is back at O’s and ready to play his part in helping them beat the drop.

Touching all bases

… will be held every Sunday (except Super Bowl Sunday) starting Jan. 8 until Feb. 19 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Sportika Sports in Freehold. Overall, 18 Division II and III programs will be at the event, including recent Division II contenders like Southern …

Mavericks win over Suns was well orchestrated by Deron Williams

Here are the second-chance points worth making about the Mavericks’ successful journey to Mexico City, where they beat the Phoenix Suns 113-108 Thursday night before a crowd of 19,874 at the Mexico City Arena. Running the show: Deron Williams’ numbers were terrific – 23 points, 12 assists and 4-of-5 from 3-point range.

Charles Barkley gloats after Clemson beats Alabama in title game

If South Carolina fans were looking to gloat if the Clemson Tigers lost a second National Championship to the Alabama Crimson Tide, then they forgot to realize the opposite can happen as well. Former Auburn Tigers basketball player and NBA legend Charles Barkley let his appreciation for Clemson beating the Tide show during Thursday night’s episode of Inside the NBA.

O’HARA: Lions’ tough finish ‘eye-opening’ for Quinn

The final numbers helped tell the story on where the Lions stood at the finish of the 2016 season, and the way they added up in the standings told Bob Quinn that there is still a lot of work to do. The final numbers helped tell the story on where the Detroit Lions stood at the finish of the 2016 season, and the way they added up in the standings told Bob Quinn that there is still a lot of work to do after his first season as the team’s general manager.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger ‘relaxed’ about Mesut Ozil’s contract …

‘The pundits who talk… I don’t remember them playing, but they will remember me for the rest of their lives’: Ibrahimovic speaks to Henry ahead of United vs Liverpool Practical jokes, stealing T-Shirts and trainers and a comedy act with a giant phone… how Mourinho has turned United around after worst ever start QUIZ: Know your Leopards from the Panthers? See if you can identify the 16 Africa Cup of Nations team nicknames ‘I’ve been shaped by two greats… Ferguson and Keane’: Fletcher on Manchester United, illness and his Euro dream for West Brom Chelsea in talks over pre-season tour of China and Japan in effort to boost club’s profile in the Far East ‘I want to put my print on this club’: Schneiderlin keen to impress at Everton after sealing A 24m move from United West Ham are not the first club to experience Payet’s petulance… the Frenchman has a history of ill-discipline Super … (more)

Seven stories in the news today, Jan. 13

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau begins the second day of a whirlwind outreach tour at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario this morning, where he will have breakfast with soldiers before moving on to a jam-packed day. Trudeau is set to hold town halls in Peterborough and London, Ont., with a number of photo-opportunities in between including with youth from La Loche, Sask., at the Toronto Raptors training facility.

Review: “The Bye Bye Man”

Amazon will begin collecting tax on its sa… — Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties in the state due to forecasted severe winter weather.

Johanna Konta: Champion in Sydney

Konta triumphed 6-4 6-2 against the Pole to claim only the second WTA title of her career, giving her the perfect platform heading into next week’s Australian Open. The Briton, playing in the city of her birth, will now head to Melbourne where her title bid will get under way against Kirsten Flipkens on Tuesday.

Images of the week

… Bjarnason (L) and Kristinn Jonsson (R) of Iceland during the 2017 China Cup International Championship at Guangxi Sports Center in Nanning, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) Monaco’s players celebrate at the end of the French League Cup …

MFS Pro-Am Squash Tournament

The University Club in Back Bay hosted the International Squash Doubles Tournament over the weekend for the 26th year. The Pro-Am Tournament went from January 4-8 and was sponsored by MFS.

Rob Hall ready to go up another gear for Oxford United

ON THE CHARGE: Rob Hall hits top gear during the win over Scunthorpe – his first 90 minutes for 11 months Picture: David Fleming ROB Hall is confident he will go on to find an extra level after completing his first 90 minutes for almost a year. The Oxford United winger returned from a serious knee injury in November, but it took until Tuesday’s 4-1 win against Scunthorpe United for him to last a full game.

Transfer news LATEST: LIVE Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool FC updates

‘The pundits who talk… I don’t remember them playing, but they will remember me for the rest of their lives’: Ibrahimovic speaks to Henry ahead of United vs Liverpool Practical jokes, stealing T-Shirts and trainers and a comedy act with a giant phone… how Mourinho has turned United around after worst ever start QUIZ: Know your Leopards from the Panthers? See if you can identify the 16 Africa Cup of Nations team nicknames ‘I’ve been shaped by two greats… Ferguson and Keane’: Fletcher on Manchester United, illness and his Euro dream for West Brom Chelsea in talks over pre-season tour of China and Japan in effort to boost club’s profile in the Far East ‘I want to put my print on this club’: Schneiderlin keen to impress at Everton after sealing A 24m move from United West Ham are not the first club to experience Payet’s petulance… the Frenchman has a history of ill-discipline Super … (more)