Controversy shrouded Czechia’s squad announcement for their World Cup playoff date against Ireland, with Celtic striker Tomáš Čvančara the notable omission. Top scorer Patrik Schick of Bayer Leverkusen is a certain starter in attack on Thursday week in Prague against the Irish. However, veteran of the domestic scene Koubek has opted for three strikers from the Czechia league to complete his attacking array. "He (Čvančara) has stated in recent weeks that the national team is not a priority for him,” the 74-year-old pointedly noted when unveiling his 25-man squad. Tomás Soucek, as captain, was ultimately held responsible for the snub by the Czechia FA, who promptly stripped him of the armband.

Mason Greenwood could be on the move this summer, with the Marseille forward linked with a transfer to a European giant. The 24-year-old's form has caught the eye of one club in particular, with two-time European Cup winners Juventus reportedly eyeing up a summer swoop. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Marseille may be forced to sell Greenwood due to financial reasons if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League. The top three teams in Ligue 1 are guaranteed Champions League football next term. If Marseille are forced to sell though, they would expect a fee of at least £43million for his services, reports the the Italian newspaper.

Jimmy Carr has revealed he 'only eats once a day' due to being 'very conscious of weight and very conscious of staying sort of trim.' When asked by Katherine about his image, he said: 'I'm pretty body conscious as it is. I think the sort of body dysmorphia sort of thing was, was always associated with women with, you know, bulimia and anorexia.' ', to which Jimmy responded: 'I sort of naturally do that like I tend to eat once a day. The star has had filler, botox, veneers and went on to discuss his painful hair transplant and what the procedure actually involves.

The US government is committed to working with Ireland to safeguard “the shared security” of the two countries, its top diplomat has said. In a statement to mark St Patrick’s Day, US secretary of state Marco Rubio also acknowledged Ireland was now the fifth-largest investor in the United States. Rubio also said the United States was “committed to advancing fair trade policies that benefit us all”. The United States and Ireland enjoy close co-operation, and we remain committed to working together to safeguard our shared security and address global challenges. However Martin said it was a “two-way street” as Ireland was now the fifth-largest investor in the United States.

Marcus Rashford to Barcelona update as election result sparks instant agreementBarcelona re-elected Joan Laporta last week and he's seen to hand Hansi Flick a new deal at the Nou Camp with Marcus Rashford looking to earn a permanent move to SpainView 2 Images Hansi Flick bought Marcus Rashford to Barcelona on loan - and could yet make his move permanent (Image: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)Barcelona boss Hansi Flick is due to get a new contract just days after the club's presidential election - which could have a knock on effect for Marcus Rashford and his Camp Nou future. One of his first moves has been to confirm that the Barcelona boss will remain in his role until 2028 as he's set to sign a new deal. This year he has Barcelona sat top of the table with Rashford helping spearhead their efforts to retain their Spanish crown. Barcelona can sign him for £26million this summer, which is a relatively modest fee if they can get the player back to his top level. Marcus Rashford Barcelona transfer takes major twist as Man Utd learn election result READ MORE :Marcus Rashford transfer under threat as Barcelona identify Chelsea star as alternative READ MORE :Rashford has scored 10 times in 38 outings for the Spanish giants.

There will be a notable absence during the BBC's athletics coverage this year following their decision to omit one pundit. After that, the four-time Olympic champion began to focus on his work with the Grand Slam Track league (GST) which has since encountered a myriad of issues. Speaking to BBC Sport, Olympic silver medallist Kerr said: 'Of course I'm frustrated - I'm owed a lot of money. Johnson vowed to 'save' track athletics when he launched his league in 2024, with the promise of lucrative prizes and elite billing. However, a key backer withdrew after the first event in Jamaica in 2024 and the plan quickly unravelled, with GST filing for bankruptcy at the end of 2025.

Main PointsTens of thousands of people are expected to attend St Patrick’s Day parades today across the country. And St Patrick’s Day in Killarney would not be St Patrick’s without the Millstreet Pipe band from the Cork border with their rousing renditions of Fáinne Geal an Lae and other tunes. The streets of Dublin were thronged on Tuesday as hundreds of thousands turned out to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. Video: Enda O'DowdWaterford brings it back to the startThe first St Patrick’s Day parade was held in Waterford in 1903 and the theme of this year’s event, St Patrick’s Day: Where it all began, was reflected in the historical allusions of many of the floats, reports Libby Marchant. St Patrick’s Day is acceptable as is Paddy’s Day or even St Paddy’s Day but if you want to given an Irish person the ick you will say St Patty’s Day.

The 10 best Irish TV shows of all time10. The Late Late Show (1962-)The Late Late Show: Gay Byrne and Sinead O'Connor on May 21st, 1999. But in terms of cultural impact it’s impossible to overestimate The Late Late Show. [ The days of families huddling around The Late Late Show or Glenroe are gone – and that’s no bad thingOpens in new window ]5. The five worst Irish TV shows of all time5.

Chelsea receive £104m parting gift as Roman Abramovich ties are cut for goodChelsea have been hit with a huge fine and a transfer ban after an investigation into irregularities involving transfers during Roman Abramovich's tenureView 3 Images Roman Abramovich has left Chelsea the ultimate 'parting gift' (Image: Marc Atkins, Getty Images)On the surface, Roman Abramovich has cost Chelsea £10.75million and a transfer ban. Alongside the financial penalty, the club have received a suspended one-year transfer ban. However, the most significant revelation pertains to the club's involvement in the revamped 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea earned a whopping £85m in prize money and participation fees for the tournament, which unfolded in June and July of last year. Though a suspended transfer ban now looms over the club - as well as a nine-month academy transfer ban - attention at SW19 now turns entirely to what lies ahead, with the Roman Abramovich era officially consigned to the history books.

Isak, who joined Liverpool in a British record transfer back in the summer, was seen training individually on the eve of the Reds' crunch Champions League showdown with Galatasaray. ‌While the sight of Isak back on the grass is a welcome boost for the Premier League champions, Slot was quick to stress a return to first-team action is not imminent. ‌He did, however, offer a more optimistic update on Gomez, who could feature in Liverpool's second leg despite missing training on Tuesday. Slot's men need to overturn a 1-0 deficit if they are to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals. Champions League final 2026 venue, date and ticket ballot information READ MORE :"Alex is not available and Joe we will decide tomorrow," the Liverpool boss said on Tuesday afternoon.

Tánaiste Simon Harris has said that Conor McGregor “represents the very worst of Irish society” but stated that it is up to the US who it invites to the country. He represents the very worst of us.”Tánaiste Simon Harris told reporters in London that Ireland was celebrating Jessie Buckley, 'someone who represents the best of Ireland' while 'Conor McGregor represents the very worst of Irish society'. “Conor McGregor represents the very worst of Irish society. But [St Patrick’s Day in the White House] is a celebration of Irishness, of our values, of inclusion, of the best of us. I don’t think of Conor McGregor.”Last year, Taoiseach Micheál Martin visited the White House the week before March 17, with McGregor visiting US president Donald Trump on St Patrick’s Day.

Key updates Pictures from St Patrick's Day parades around Ireland and the world Alan Caulfield Pictures from St Patrick's Day parades around Ireland and the worldTickaroo Live Blog SoftwareParades were held in Dublin, Belfast, and Cork, while in Jessie Buckley's native Killarney they were marking her Oscars win with a float dedicated to successful people from the Co Kerry town. Anna May said it was her first St Patrick's Day parade, while Primrose, who is an Irish citizen, has been to many. Karal and Karen Van Brakel from Holland said they had planned to be in Dublin for a holiday, and did not realise it was St Patrick's Day. They said Irish people were the reason St Patrick's Day was so popular. "You can be done for treason for wearing the Lord Mayor's necklace, apparently," chief executive of the St Patrick's Festival Richard Tierney told her.

More than a fifth of the country’s electricity is gobbled up by data centres, a share set to rise to nearly a third by 2034. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) said in December that new data centres could go ahead, arguing they are “a core infrastructure enabler of a technology-rich, innovative economy”. Power demand is outstripping supply in the US and Asia too and consultancy McKinsey believes up to a third of global data centre demand is unmet. ‘Over a billion eyeballs will be on the parade’: St Patrick’s festival CEO Richard Tierney Listen | 40:38But Ireland’s new data centre pathway is challenging. UK-based Pure Data Centres Group and its power systems partner AVK-SEG offered one blueprint for a potential solution when it launched Europe’s first off-grid data centre microgrid in Dublin last week.

With war continuing to rage in Iran, president Trump threatening to take over Cuba, and his ongoing dissatisfaction with European leaders, the Oval Office meeting was dominated by international affairs. When this was put to Mr Trump, he did not appear to know who the Irish President was. Mr Martin did not interject to correct Mr Trump on President Connolly’s gender, something later criticised by Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns. Once again, Mr Trump said Mr Starmer was “no Winston Churchill”. “Keir Starmer has done a lot to reset the Irish-British relationship,” Mr Martin told Mr Trump.

They took a couple of offensive boards in the opening minutes and Sarah Hickey scored Ireland's first points from the line. They led 29-8 at the end of the first quarter and extended their lead to 30 during the second quarter. Ireland did manage to cut that slightly and Israel led 48-21 at the break. Ireland went 1/18. Overall, Ireland shot 15/63 from the field while Israel went 31/63.