MANCHESTER, England -- Pep Guardiola has ruled out the possibility of ever managing Manchester United -- even if it was the only offer on the table.

Guardiola was sounded out about taking over at United by Sir Alex Ferguson at a meeting in New York in 2012.

The Spaniard had already committed to joining Bayern Munich, with David Moyes replacing Ferguson in 2013, before eventually arriving in the Premier League with Manchester City in 2016.

Guardiola has a contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2021 but suggested he would rather retire than move to Old Trafford.

"After training City, I won't train United," said Guardiola.

"It is like I would never train [Real] Madrid. Definitely not.

"I'd be in the Maldives if I don't have any [other] offers! Maybe not the Maldives because it doesn't have any golf courses."

Guardiola has enjoyed a good record against United since moving to England, winning four and drawing one of his eight derbies.

Ahead of the next meeting in the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg at Old Trafford on Tuesday, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became the latest rival manager to raise the issue of tactical fouling, prompting Guardiola to re-issue a firm defence of his methods.

"I have said many times when I was at Barcelona and here I have never in my life have I had a meeting where I have talked to my players about tactical fouls," he said.

"It happens sometimes because you are late and because they are so fast, and they are so quick, that you make a foul.

"You lose the ball and they make incredible fast transitions and sometimes you are late and in that second you make a foul.

"But if the people can judge if our legacy is tactical fouling it is their problem, not ours."

Meanwhile, Guardiola is hopeful of having Leroy Sane available soon after five months out with a knee injury.

The winger has not played since August but is close to returning to full training.

"I think he is close," said Guardiola.

"I spoke with him two days ago and he said to me he is training alone with the ball, he is doing incredibly well, his knee looks really good so I don't think it is going to take too much time to come back to train with us.

"I think in the next few weeks he can come back. I think he is in the last stages."

LONDON -- When you watch Leeds United, it's sometimes hard to imagine that one of the most thrilling, dynamic and relentless teams in the country is managed by a gentle 64-year-old who lives in a flat above a shop in the small Yorkshire town of Wetherby, and sometimes holds coaching meetings in the local Costa coffee house.

Marcelo Bielsa almost walked away from Leeds at the end of last season. Their fading form in the final weeks of the campaign (stream Championship matches on ESPN+) and eventual defeat in the playoff semifinal to Frank Lampard's Derby County meant they missed out on promotion, and it wasn't a given that he would return for a second shot.

But return he did, to the joy of Leeds fans who adore him for obvious reasons, but the rest of us should be pleased he stuck around too. As they showed against Arsenal in their 1-0 FA Cup third-round defeat on Monday, they will not only be competitive should they reach the Premier League, but more importantly for neutrals, they will be thrilling to watch.

This game felt less like a cup tie and more like a rehearsal for Leeds, or perhaps more accurately a mass reassurance that their promotion campaign ultimately won't be for nothing. It's incredibly tough to predict which teams that come up from the Championship will thrive and survive in the top tier: take this season, for example, when last term's Championship winners Norwich are on course for relegation, second-placed Sheffield United are riding high and Aston Villa, who made it through the playoffs, are scrapping but keeping their heads above water.

- Stream a replay of Arsenal vs. Leeds United on ESPN+

Therefore you can't guarantee that, should Leeds hold on (they top the Championship, nine points clear of third place) they will be automatic successes, but you can guarantee that they will enhance the division and everyone should be delighted to have them.

Apart from every team they play, of course.

"They're a nightmare," said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the game. "Playing against them is like going to the dentist. They're a great team. What they have built there is powerful."

Leeds should have been at least 3-0 up at the break. They had taken 15 shots to Arsenal's three and would have been out of sight if they had a better centre-forward than Patrick Bamford. They swarmed an Arsenal team that seemed surprised at how good they were, as if it hadn't occurred to them that a side in the second tier could be quite so dominant.

"I tried to tell them what to expect," said Arteta, who grew more and more agitated as the half progressed. "He shouted a lot," said Alexandre Lacazette about how the Arsenal coach responded at half-time.

From the front to the back of this Leeds team are players who will be, unless something goes wrong, stars in the top flight next season. Centre-back Ben White will play for England before too long. Many think Kalvin Phillips, their ice cool screen at the base of midfield, should already have done so. Jack Harrison is on loan from Manchester City and wouldn't look out of place in their squad. Mateusz Klich is a relentless presence in midfield.

And it's also worth remembering that this wasn't their full-strength team. Bielsa rested keeper Kiko Casilla and captain Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas and Helder Costa were on the bench while playmaker Pablo Hernandez has been injured for a month. There were two debutants in the team, the 20-year-old midfielder Robbie Gotts and 19-year-old stand-in keeper Illan Meslier; both of them were absurdly composed for players so young making their first starts in such circumstances.

A goal felt inevitable as the first half progressed; it didn't come, but both home players and fans were rattled. Not long before half-time, Sokratis Papastathopoulos had to urge a section of the Arsenal support to calm down after they were unhappy with how quickly he was taking a free kick in his own half. Panic was close to setting in. You had to occasionally remind yourself that this was Arsenal facing a team from the Championship.

It helped that Arsenal were initially so passive, and that Granit Xhaka was having the sort of game that inspires harsh opprobrium from the stands. He committed three, maybe four fouls that could easily have earned yellow cards, gave the ball away liberally, was slow to react to passes and generally displayed such a panoply of calamity that you wouldn't have been surprised if his shorts had spontaneously fallen down.

Maybe it's a little unfair to compare the two sides. The first half was a game between a side who have known exactly what they are and what their manager wants from them for the past 18 months, against another who've had three coaches this season and have essentially started from scratch in the past few weeks. Leeds were playing the sort of football that Arsenal aspire to -- or should aspire to.

After the break, things returned to the natural order. Arsenal woke up to the fact they were playing a Premier League side in all but name, and started playing like the Champions League aspirants they should be. Reiss Nelson bundled home what turned out to be the winner, a scrappy goal that you would struggle to say they deserved at the time, but their second-half performance was much more of the calibre you'd expect.

But they weren't the team that most of those present will remember from this game. That was Leeds, who will almost certainly be back here next season. In some respects it didn't matter too much that they lost; it was just as important that they showed they could live with, and even better a team like Arsenal.

Afterwards, Bielsa insisted that he could not "draw conclusions from one match," and pointed to a 4-0 preseason defeat to Manchester United as proof that they won't necessarily be this good in every game against top-class opposition. But he did concede: "We showed we were able to beat our opponent."

As they filed out after the final whistle, defeated but happy, a group of Leeds fans sang, "Leeds are going up." And they did so with gusto, safe in the knowledge that if and when that does happen, they will look like they belong.

Ross Taylor was overcome by emotion after becoming New Zealand's highest Test run-scorer as he recalled a conversation at the start of his career with mentor Martin Crowe.

Taylor moved to the top of the New Zealand list, overtaking Stephen Fleming's tally of 7172, when he lofted Nathan Lyon down the ground on the fourth day of the SCG Test.

He fell in the next over, bowled by Pat Cummins for 22, but when reflecting on the achievement after the match he couldn't hold back the tears as his mind turned to what Crowe, who died in 2016, had told him before his first Test in 2007.

"My goal was to play one Test match. I guess it's an emotional time because my mentor Martin Crowe - that was one of the goals he put down for me was to be New Zealand's highest Test run-scorer," Taylor said after taking time to compose himself. "To be honest I didn't believe him, but I'd have loved for him to be here and help celebrate."

Taylor has often referenced Crowe during his career, notably when he when he scored his 18th Test hundred - passing Crowe's tally - against Bangladesh last March. He admitted he did not believe he had it in him to become a successful Test player early in his career, having made his ODI and T20I debuts in 2006 before a first Test appearance, against South Africa at Johannesburg, in 2007.

"When I first played for New Zealand I'd had a pretty decent one-day career and only scored three or four first-class hundreds. And T20 was just coming through," he said. "I always thought I was good enough to play one-day cricket but Test cricket was something I was never quite sure if I was good enough. That's why I'd seek Martin's help to become a better player than the raw, gay-abandon player that I was as a youngster."

Taylor was pleased to complete the run-scoring milestone before his 100th Test, which is set to be the first match against India at Wellington in February.

"I go back to my 200th [ODI] game. I didn't really enjoy it that much…needing one or two runs that might have been a twitchy game in the 100th. I just want to go out there and enjoy it and India are a fantastic country to play against. And the Basin Reserve, if the body holds up, will be a special moment for my family and friends."

As he did when becoming New Zealand's highest ODI run-scorer last year, Taylor said he had no thoughts of retirement but did not expect his record to last with Kane Williamson set to hunt down whatever figure Taylor is above to leave.

"Records are meant to be broken and Flem [Fleming] set a very high standard, and for me I'm trying to get as many runs before I do retire to give Kane something to chase. He's got a fantastic record and will go down as one of our greatest cricketers but we need him to have something to strive for. Hopefully in however many years, there's a youngster who can chase whatever, nine, ten, eleven thousand runs that Kane gets to.

"I don't want to hang on to just play cricket, I still want to feel I earn the right in this side and am still good enough to play. I didn't score as many runs as I'd like [against Australia], but it wasn't that long ago that I did score some runs. I've still got a lot of cricket to come in the home summer and hopefully I can contribute to a lot more wins."

In terms of marking a the milestone, Taylor was given a special bottle of wine which he will open in due course. "I've got a lovely bottle of Penfolds in the changing room before I'm sure in time I will open up."

And he'll no doubt be raising a glass to his mentor.

The Nashville Predators have fired head coach Peter Laviolette, the team announced Monday.

The Preds are 19-15-7 this season and four points out of the second wild card in the West.

The team also fired associate coach Kevin McCarthy.

"Under the leadership of Peter and Kevin, our organization reached unprecedented heights -- from our franchise-altering run to the Stanley Cup Final to a Presidents' Trophy and our first two Central Division titles," Predators general manager David Poile said. "Their passion for the game, ability to motivate a team and drive to be the best makes this a difficult decision. On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Peter and Kevin for all their contributions to the Nashville Predators over the past five-and-a-half seasons."

Laviolette was in his sixth season with the Predators. He took them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016-17. He had previously taken the Hurricanes and Flyers to the finals. He won it with Carolina in 2006.

"On and off the ice, the Laviolette and McCarthy families have left an indelible mark on the entire Smashville community," Predators president and CEO Sean Henry said. "While Peter and Kevin worked to make our team on the ice one of the elite, their wives, Kristen and Rhonda, spearheaded countless charitable endeavors to Nashville that made a lasting impact, changed lives, and for which we owe them a debt of gratitude."

FRISCO, Texas -- Mike McCarthy's best moment came on Feb. 6, 2011 at AT&T Stadium when the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.

On Monday, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones picked McCarthy to be the ninth coach in franchise history, according to a source, and AT&T Stadium will be McCarthy's new home.

Of the other coaches available, none had a résumé like McCarthy.

He posted a 125-77-1 record in 13 seasons with the Packers and went to the playoffs nine times. He won one Super Bowl and made two more NFC Championship Games. He also ended the Cowboys' season twice in the divisional round of the playoffs (2014 and 2016).

He is one of four NFL coaches to lead a single franchise to at least eight straight playoff appearances, along with Tom Landry, Chuck Noll and Bill Belichick. He won more games with the Packers than anybody but Curly Lambeau.

Things did not end well for him in Green Bay, and no coach has won a Super Bowl with two different teams, but the Cowboys are banking on McCarthy being the guy to take them to places former coach Jason Garrett couldn't.

With McCarthy on board, let's break down what it all means.

What did McCarthy learn from his time in Green Bay?

Clearly, he convinced the Cowboys he has learned some hard lessons. Things grew stale near the end in Green Bay with the Packers missing the playoffs in 2017. He was subsequently fired on Dec. 2, 2018 with four games to play and a 4-7-1 record.

Some will look at a résumé with one Super Bowl win with quarterback Aaron Rodgers as a disappointment. But, have Sean Payton and Drew Brees been a disappointment in New Orleans with one Super Bowl win?

Taking the past year off and away from the NFL likely freshened McCarthy in a number of ways, including his approach.

If there is a comparison the Cowboys would like to make between McCarthy and another coach whose long run in one spot grew stale, it's Andy Reid in Philadelphia.

The Eagles went to the playoffs in nine of Reid's 14 seasons, including a Super Bowl appearance, but it ended poorly with a 4-12 record in 2012.

Reid was immediately hired by Kansas City in 2013 and has not had a losing record in seven seasons with the Chiefs. While he has not been to a Super Bowl yet, Reid has adapted and adjusted to one of the most-potent offenses in the NFL with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.

Also, Reid was 55 when he took over in Kansas City. McCarthy is 56.

What happens to the current Cowboys' offensive coaches, such as Kellen Moore?

In his first year as the coordinator, the Cowboys had the No. 1 offense in terms of yards per game and sixth in points per game. With 4,902 passing yards, quarterback Dak Prescott finished 2 yards shy of setting the team's single-season record for passing yards. Running back Ezekiel Elliott (1,357) ran for more than 1,000 yards, and Amari Cooper (1,189) and Michael Gallup (1,107) each had more than 1,000 receiving yards.

It wasn't all perfect for Moore, but there is something to work with in 2020. The same goes for offensive line coach Marc Colombo. Prescott went from being sacked 56 times in 2018 to 23 times in 2019. Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin were named to the Pro Bowl. Right tackle La'el Collins had his best season. Quarterback coach Jon Kitna also seemed to get the best out of Prescott.

There is a lot to like about the Cowboys' personnel and assistants, but the answer is up in the air as of now because there's uncertainty if McCarthy will want to bring in his own coaches.

McCarthy was the Packers' offensive playcaller until making the decision in 2014 to give up the duty because he felt he needed to spend more time on defense and special teams. But, during the 2015 season and against the Cowboys on Dec. 13, in fact, McCarthy resumed calling the team's offensive plays "because I feel as the leader of this football team I've got to make sure to maximize all the opportunities and resources to [save] and to give our team the chance to win."

During his time away from the NFL, McCarthy spent time doing extensive and high-tech studies on his coaching experiences as well as historical references on what happened week to week around the NFL. He built a warehouse of information and film, including: a blueprint for a coaching staff, a refurbished playbook and new practice schedules, and put together ideas for a heavily staffed team of analytics and football technology departments.

And, moving on to the defensive side of the ball ...

Unlike the offense, most of the current Cowboys' defensive coaches are on contracts that are about to expire or have expired, including coordinator Rod Marinelli and passing game coordinator Kris Richard. There is no way to sugarcoat it -- the defense underperformed in 2019, allowing 327.0 yards per game.

New Orleans Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan will be the Cowboys' defensive coordinator under McCarthy, a source told ESPN. Nolan hired McCarthy as offensive coordinator in San Francisco in 2005.

McCarthy employed both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes during his time in Green Bay. The Cowboys are not built for a switch to the 3-4, but they could be ready for a move from the Seattle-type 4-3 they have used since 2014. Richard has interviewed for the New York Giants' coaching vacancy and could be an option for other franchises. The sense around the team has been that the Cowboys are ready to move on to someone else to control the defense in 2020.

What do the changes mean for Prescott?

Instead of remembering how things appeared to end between McCarthy and Rodgers in Green Bay, choose to look at the successes they had together.

Prescott made strides as a passer in 2019 with career highs in touchdown passes (30) and yards.

"Dak-friendly," has been a term used around the Cowboys the past few years. It's hard to see how this union with McCarthy won't be a "Dak-friendly," situation. Prescott played out his rookie contract, but he will not hit the open market. He is, however, looking at a huge raise, either with the franchise tag, which could run anywhere from $27 million to $33 million in 2020, or a multi-year deal that could guarantee him more than $100 million.

Would McCarthy simply throw out all of the good things the Cowboys have done with Prescott for the sake of running his own system? You would have to think that was a huge part of the interview process.

The Washington Nationals and first baseman Eric Thames are in agreement on a one-year, $4 million contract, a source familiar with the deal told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Thames, 33, batted .247 last season with 25 home runs and 61 RBIs for the Brewers.

The left-handed-hitting Thames will likely share time at first base with righty Howie Kendrick, who was MVP of the NL Championship Series last fall.

The Cincinnati Reds have signed Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama to a three-year, $21 million contract.

The Reds, who announced the contract Monday, reportedly agreed to the deal with Akiyama last week.

Akiyama, 31, needed to travel from Japan to Cincinnati and take a physical before the Reds announced the deal, according to reports.

Akiyama has played parts of nine seasons for Seibu of the Japanese Pacific League. The left-handed hitting Akiyama batted .303 with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs in 143 games for Seibu last season.

Akiyama joins a crowded outfield situation with the Reds, who have young slugger Aristides Aquino, former top prospect Nick Senzel and veterans Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin.

Worcester lock Michael Fatialofa is to undergo surgery on the neck injury he sustained in the Premiership loss at Saracens on Saturday.

The 27-year-old remains in intensive care at St Mary's Hospital in central London after sustaining bruising and swelling on his spinal cord.

He will undergo surgery on Monday evening to relieve the pressure caused by the bruising.

Fatialofa is fully conscious and is being supported by his family.

"Nick Tait, Warriors' club doctor, and the club's medical team are in daily contact with Michael's neurosurgeon," a Worcester statement read.

"Michael and his wife, Tatiana, have been overwhelmed by messages and offers of support from the rugby community across the world.

"Warriors players, staff and club co-owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham, have also been closely involved in supporting Michael and his family."

PARIS – American Julia Landauer will race for PK Carsport full-time during the upcoming NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season in the the EuroNASCAR 2 division.

After testing the Euro NASCAR car during the December session of the NWES Drivers Recruitment Program, Landauer signed a contract with the Belgian team with the goal of becoming the first woman to win a NASCAR Whelen Euro Series title.

A native of New York City, Landauer was the first and youngest female champion in the Skip Barber Racing Series at 14 years of age before becoming the first woman to win a NASCAR track championship at Motor Mile Speedway in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in 2015. Moving to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2016, she grabbed seven top-five finishes and closed the season fourth in points. She was among the drivers selected for the 2016-2017 NASCAR Next class and in the last two seasons, she competed part-time in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, collecting one top-10 finish in nine races.

“My goal for 2020 was to find a series that I could race full time in. A few people told me about the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and how competitive and fun the series is, so I did research and thought it would be an awesome series to race in,” said Landauer, who is the first Recruitment Program participant to announce plans for the upcoming season. “I wanted to race full time for a competitive team and PK Carsport is just that. I was introduced to Anthony Kumpen a few months ago and we had good discussions, so I’m really looking forward to working with him and the team, learning more about the cars, and fighting for wins every race.”

Landauer graduated from Stanford University in 2014, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Technology, and Society. Outside racing she also works as an advisor and a motivational speaker.

Involved in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series since 2014, PK Carsport is one of the powerhouses of the European NASCAR series. The Belgian squad earned two EuroNASCAR PRO titles – both with Anthony Kumpen at the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet – two EuroNASCAR 2 titles with Maxime Dumarey and Stienes Longin and 29 race wins across the two NASCAR Whelen Euro Series championships.

“At PK Carsport are all enthusiastic to have Julia in our team for 2020. She’s a very talented  driver, she proved she can deliver very good results and that’s exactly what we want at PK Carsport: to race at the front with both our cars in both NWES championships,” said PK Carsport team owner Anthony Kumpen. “Expectations will be high for her and we’ll do our best to help her become the first woman to win a NWES championship. We’re very excited about this and we think she’s a perfect fit for our team. We’re looking forward to a great season with Julia at the wheel of a PK Carsport car.”

“I’m really excited to race on road courses all over Europe and I liked how the car handled in the Recruitment Day. My goal is to run up front, win races, and contend for the championship. And to have a lot of fun,” said Landauer. “There are so many great tracks! I’m particularly excited for Valencia and the oval in The Netherlands.”

PK Carsport will announce which car Landauer is going to drive at a later date.

WATERBURY, Vt. – Weekly late model racers around the Northeast will have the opportunity to race for even more during the upcoming season.

The American-Canadian Tour has announced the inaugural New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer to reward the top participating drivers around the region.

Throughout the year, registered late model drivers will earn points towards the New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer based on their performance at participating tracks. A separate point fund has been posted with $3,000 guaranteed to the Challenge Cup champion and additional payouts for other top finishers.

Four tracks are slated to participate in the inaugural Challenge Cup: Vermont’s Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl; New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park; New Hampshire’s Star Speedway; and Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway. Each of the four tracks use ACT late model rules for their weekly racing programs.

All weekly late model features at these tracks will be eligible for New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer points. ACT events at these tracks will not be eligible, even if the event is also awarding weekly championship points.

“Seekonk Speedway is excited to participate in this program and give our Late Model teams a chance to compete in something bigger without having to travel,” Seekonk Speedway Director of Business Development Ed St. Germain said. “The Seekonk Late Model field has produced some exciting young drivers in the last decade and we look forward to seeing them take part in the Challenge Cup. Seekonk is committed to the success of the ACT program and the exciting racing it produces.”

A special Challenge Cup points system will award points based on finishing position and field size. Bonus points will also be awarded for wins and positions gained. Tracks will be responsible for reporting the results of each event to the ACT office, which will oversee the program.

The 10 best weekly performances for each registered driver across all participating tracks will count towards their New England Late Model Challenge Cup total. This means weekly Thunder Road late model competitors can earn New England Late Model Challenge Cup points at White Mountain Motorsports Park events, Seekonk Speedway late model racers can earn points at Star Speedway events, and so on.

To be eligible for the New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer, drivers must register with the ACT office and pay a $100 entry fee. One hundred percent of all registration fees will be added to the New England Late Model Challenge Cup point fund. The fund also includes contributions from American Racer and participating tracks with the final total expected to be well over $10,000.

In addition to the $3,000 guarantee for the New England Late Model Challenge Cup champion, the remainder of the top-10 in the final standings will receive payouts. The champion driver will be honored at their home track’s season-ending banquet.

“We developed the Challenge Cup program as a way to reward weekly racers,” ACT managing partner Cris Michaud said. “Touring racers often get the glitz and glamour, but the weekly racer is what makes local racing work. Without Late Model drivers showing up week after week at their home track all summer, and supporting the ACT Late Model Tour whenever they come to town, there wouldn’t be a Tour. We’re looking forward to the first year of this program and to seeing it grow in the years to come.”

“We’re also excited to have American Racer onboard for the Challenge Cup,” Michaud said. “They understand the value of the weekly racer, too, and they jumped at the chance to support them with this program. We hope to have them as a Challenge Cup partner for a long time.”

The deadline to register for the New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer is Friday, April 24. Final point fund payouts will be announced following the close of registration. The entry form will be available soon at www.acttour.com.