Leverkusen say Boniface will stay amid Saudi bid Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said Wednesday that Nigerian striker Victor Boniface is set to stay at the club following reports of a possible transfer to Saudi Arabia.

Liverpool teen Nallo sees ‘cruel’ red in 4 minutes Liverpool head coach Arne Slot backed teenager Amara Nallo to bounce back from his disappointing senior debut in which he was shown a red card just four minutes after entering the pitch.

Courtois on Madrid-City tie: Not afraid of anyone Thibaut Courtois said Real Madrid “aren’t afraid of anyone” as they await Friday’s Champions League playoff draw, which will see them face Manchester City or Celtic for a place in the round of 16.

Emery wants Watkins stay; Duran exit ‘good news’ Unai Emery said he does not want Ollie Watkins to leave Aston Villa amid interest from Arsenal, but said if Jhon Durán joins Al Nassr then it is “good news.”

Arms prioritized in 1st Athletes Unlimited draft After Lexi Kilfoyl went first overall to the Bandits, fellow pitchers Carley Hoover (Blaze), Megan Faraimo (Talons) and two-way star Rachel Garcia (Volts) were next off the board in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft on Wednesday.

Power Rankings: Could UCLA make the Final Four? UCLA, the only unbeaten Division I team remaining, is on track to continue its best season in program history.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League: The player draft and what else to know Who went No. 1 overall? Where will Maya Brady end up? All you need to know about the first AUSL player draft.

Silver floats idea of 10-minute NBA quarters NBA commissioner Adam Silver told Dan Patrick on Wednesday that he likes the idea of shortening games to 40 minutes by going from 12 to 10-minute quarters.

Sources: Wilks to join Glenn’s staff as Jets’ DC Steve Wilks, who ran the Niners’ defense in 2023 and was head coach of the Cardinals in 2018, has agreed to become the Jets’ defensive coordinator, sources told ESPN.

NFL plans for ‘more visible’ security at Super Bowl The NFL’s security chief said there would be “a lot more visible law enforcement presence” at the Super Bowl after the Jan. 1 attack in New Orleans.

Cook retires after 722 volleyball wins at Nebraska Nebraska women’s volleyball coach John Cook retired Wednesday, and the school hired former player Dani Busboom Kelly to replace him.

Georgia WR Young gets probation in assault case Georgia receiver Colbie Young will serve 12 months’ probation after pleading no contest to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from his Oct. 8 arrest.

City scrape through in UCL; Liverpool top league Manchester City scraped through to the playoff knockout round of the Champions League with a 3-1 win Club Brugge at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday as Liverpool wrapped up top spot in the group phase.

Utah pivots from ‘Yeti,’ to hold vote for 3 finalists Utah Hockey Club will not be moving forward with “Yeti” or “Yetis” as its team nickname following rejection by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The team will hold a new in-arena fan vote to pick a permanent name from three finalists.

WNBA’s Clark passing on NBA ASG 3-point contest Caitlin Clark will not be in a 3-point shootout during NBA All-Star Weekend, with reps saying she wants her first contest to be at WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indy.

Vandersloot set for return to Sky, source says Courtney Vandersloot, who led the Sky to their first and only WNBA title in 2021, is set to return to the franchise on a one-year deal, a league source confirmed to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

Buckeyes assistant on leave, under investigation Ohio State football quality control coach Joe Lyberger has been on paid administrative leave since December while the school’s Office of Institutional Equity conducts an investigation. OSU has declined to comment.

Lawsuit: Coaches overworked, belittled D-II team A group of nine former Western Oregon women’s basketball players are seeking roughly $28 million in a lawsuit that accuses their former coaches of multiple forms of abuse.

‘Adjust and Improvise’: What Buddy Teevens meant to Peyton Manning For Peyton Manning, Buddy Teevens was far more than a coach. On the debut of his documentary “The Buddy Way,” Manning tells the story of the Buddy Teevens he knew.

Report: Miller joining NBC as lead NBA analyst Hall of Famer Reggie Miller will join NBC Sports as its top color commentator when the NBA returns to the network later this year, Front Office Sports reported Wednesday.