Atletico Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao latest news
Club Atletico de Madrid and Athletic Club Bilbao meet in the all-Spanish 2012 UEFA Europa League final in Bucharest.
Whoever wins this game will chalk up Spain’s seventh success in this competition, and the fifth in the last nine editions. Only Italy boasts more triumphs, nine.
Atletico Madrid are appearing in their eighth major UEFA final (including the 2010 UEFA Super Cup and 1975 European/South American Cup). Their first appearance resulted in 1961/62 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup success after a replay against ACF Fiorentina in Stuttgart, while they also won the inaugural UEFA Europa League in 2009/10, where Quique Sánchez Flores’s side beat Fulham FC in Hamburg.
Atletico’s squad includes five players who featured in the 2010 UEFA Europa League final.
The team for that game on 12 May 2010 was:
Atletico: De Gea, Antonio Lopez, Forlan, Raul Garcia, Aguero (Juan Valera 119), Paulo Assuncao, Ujfalusi, Alvaro Dominguez, Reyes (Eduardo Salvio 78), Simao (Jurado 68), Luis Perea.
Unused substitutes: Joel, Camacho, Juanito, Leandro Cabrera.
They lost the 1973/74 European Champion Clubs’ Cup final and the 1962/63 and 1985/86 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup deciders.
Falcao is also a former winner, having won the 2011/12 final with Porto.
Atletico’s Diego helped SV Werder Bremen reach the 2008/09 UEFA Cup final, but was suspended for the game as his side lost 2-1 to FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
Athletic’s only previous European final brought defeat on away goals by Juventus in the two-legged 1977 UEFA Cup decider.
talkSPORT Announces Plans to Launch in Asia
UK based talkSPORT, the world’s biggest sport radio station, has announced plans for its expansion into Asia.
Speaking to an audience of public and commercial broadcasters from across Asia at Radio Asia 2012 in Jakarta, talkSPORT Director of Strategy Jimmy Buckland announced that the talkSPORT team aims to work collaboratively with Asia’s leading radio broadcasters to deliver the brand to sports fanatics across the continent.
The announcement follows talkSPORT’s recent agreement to become the official Global Audio Partner of the Barclays Premier League for the next four football seasons (2012/13 – 2015/16).
The deal grants talkSPORT an exclusive package of audio rights outside Europe for the next four seasons, with internet users across Asia gaining access to an innovative new service from August 2012, offering commentary on all 380 Barclays Premier League games in English, Spanish and Mandarin. Read more
Yahoo! Goes Beyond Gold With Global Programming Coverage of 2012 Summer Olympics
Yahoo! announced its Summer Games programming efforts bringing Yahoo!’s over 700 million global users closer to the events than ever before, in dozens of languages and regions, across multiple screens and digital platforms.
Yahoo!’s coverage will include original video programs, breaking news, expert analysis from Gold Medal Olympians Dan O’Brien (Track and Field), Summer Sanders (Olympics), Shannon Miller (Gymnastics), and the award-winning team of writers from Yahoo! Sports, as well as social integration programs, and for the first time Yahoo! will reveal its “Memorable Moments” editorial series to build excitement for the Games. All the exclusive content will live across the Yahoo! Media Network in addition to the Yahoo! hub dedicated to coverage of the Games (http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/) and Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/), the No. 1 global sports destination online with over 104 million unique visitors a month.*
“As the No. 1 global destination online for Olympics coverage for the past three Games, Yahoo! dominates Olympics coverage with our unique storytelling; this year will be no exception and we will be bigger and better than ever before,” said Ross Levinsohn, executive vice president, head of global media. “We’re programming immersive digital experiences for a global audience and delivering a locally relevant editorial voice in each market. Our angle is to cover the stories behind the stories with our own exclusive talent, including multiple former Olympians – across screens, across the globe.” Read more
Registration Open for the 2012 St. Jude Memphis Marathon
Registration is now open for the 2012 St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend that takes place Nov. 29-Dec. 1.
The St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend is one of the only major marathons where the funds raised go to a single charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude treats children fighting cancer and other deadly diseases with pioneering research and exceptional care. It costs more than $1.7 million to operate St. Jude and thanks to public donations and fundraising, no family every pays St. Jude for anything.
Participants can “Run for a Reason®” by fundraising as a St. Jude Hero. The St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend raises funds primarily through the St. Jude Heroes program. This year’s fundraising goal is $5 million.
“Participating in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend as a St. Jude Hero is an incredibly fun and meaningful way for people to combine their pursuit of personal fitness with their passion for making a difference in the lives of others,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “The money raised by our Heroes helps St. Jude give hope to children fighting cancer and other deadly diseases, all while ensuring that no family ever pays St. Jude for anything.” Read more
SiriusXM to Offer Live Coverage of 2012 Triple Crown Races
Sirius XM Radio announced an agreement with Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) to broadcast all three races of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown to SiriusXM subscribers nationwide.
SiriusXM listeners will hear HRRN’s broadcast of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 5, the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 19, and the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 9. All three race broadcasts will air live starting at 5:00 pm ET on Sirius channel 93 and XM channel 209 and can also be heard on the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other mobile devices and online at SiriusXM.com.
“Every May and June, the Triple Crown captures the attention of sports fans everywhere and SiriusXM listeners will have access to all the exhilaration of these events before, during and after each race,” said Steve Cohen, SiriusXM’s Senior Vice President of Sports Programming. Read more