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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:
1. Super talk: From the moment he arrived in 2019, linebacker C.J. Mosley has been on a mission to change the way the Jets are perceived around the league — i.e. a lack of respect from opponents. Remember the blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, when Mosley ranted about how the Eagles were laughing at them?
That narrative has flipped, according to Mosley, who now believes the Jets have a target on their backs.
“That’s exactly what we want,” he said. “We want people to give us everything they have. We want to go to other people’s stadium and hear every single thing they have to say so we can shut them up after the game is over. That’s what it’s going to take to win a Super Bowl. That’s what it’s going to take to grow as a team.”
If Mosley’s perception is accurate, it’s because of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose presence has raised outside expectations and the confidence level within the locker room.
Taking a cue from Rodgers, who talked in his introductory news conference about adding another Lombardi Trophy to the “lonely” Lombardi from Super Bowl III in the team showcase, players haven’t been bashful about expressing their opinions about the team’s potential. They haven’t had this kind of bravado since the Rex Ryan days. Even low-key guard Laken Tomlinson joined the hype parade, saying, “If we’re blessed with some health this year, we’re going to be a scary team.”
Can one player in a 90-man locker room really make that much of a difference? That question was posed to a couple of players, and they both replied with a smile and quick “yes.”
Mosley has no problem with the newfound confidence. After all, if the Jets don’t believe in themselves, how can they expect others to take them seriously?
Manchester City beat Inter Milan 1-0 on Saturday to capture their first Champions League title and complete their quest to win a historic treble.
Rodri’s second-half goal was the difference in the tightly contested match, as the Spanish midfielder broke the deadlock in the 68th minute with an unstoppable strike inside the Inter box.
In conquering Europe, Manchester City became the 10th different team – and eighth different club – to claim a continental treble after winning the Premier League and FA Cup earlier this season.
“I’m emotional, it’s a dream come true. All these guys (the fans) around here waiting 20, 30, 40 years,” Rodri told BT Sport after the match. “I’ve been here just four years but we deserve it. We were so close these last years but when you go to semifinals, finals, finally God gives you this present … It’s a dream for all of us.”
Manchester City didn’t have a straightforward path to immortality.
Inter played inspiring football in their attempt to produce an unlikely win against a heavily favored Manchester City side at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.
The Italians continuously disrupted City’s attempts to find a rhythm throughout the contest and employed an aggressive attacking scheme despite the threat posed by their opponents on the counter.
Though chances were few and far between in the opening 25 minutes, Ederson didn’t do his defense any favors after multiple gaffes invited pressure against City that Inter ultimately failed to capitalize on.
Erling Haaland came close to scoring with a close-range effort that Andre Onana saved before Manchester City suffered an injury blow at the half-hour mark. Star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne tried to play through a hamstring problem, but was replaced minutes later by Phil Foden.
After halftime, both sides continued to press for the opening goal. Inter came close after a miscommunication between Manuel Akanji and Ederson almost gifted a goal to Lautaro Martinez, whose shot from a tight angle was saved by the Brazilian goalkeeper.
With the prospect of extra time on the horizon, Manchester City struck with just over 20 minutes remaining. Akanji’s through ball to Bernardo Silva led to a cut-back that was deflected into the path of Rodri, who unleashed a powerful strike into the Inter goal before celebrating wildly with teammates.
An urgent Inter Milan tried desperately to score an equalizer after Rodri’s goal, with Romelu Lukaku coming agonizingly close in the 88th minute with a header from six yards that Ederson saved with his knee on the goal line.
The Manchester City goalkeeper was called into action again in injury time, making an important finger-tip save to maintain his team’s advantage seconds before the final whistle.
Rodri was named Man of the Match. Erling Haaland, who had 52 goals in all competitions this season, was held scoreless for the fifth game in a row to end his record-breaking first season at City.
Pep Guardiola now joins a select group of managers to win the Champions League title three times. Carlo Ancelotti, Bob Paisley, and Zinedine Zidane are the only other men’s coaches to accomplish the feat. The Spaniard also became the first men’s head coach to win multiple trebles in his career, having previously done so with Barcelona.
“We managed to win in Europe – suffering, but it’s normal. Sometimes you need this luck that we didn’t have in the past,” Guardiola said.
“This competition is a coin. It was written in the stars.”
Manchester City are the first English team to win such a treble since Manchester United in 1999.
Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has reached an agreement to sell his stake in the club to 49ers Enterprises, the second-tier English side said Friday.
49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, has been a shareholder at Leeds, recently relegated from the Premier League, since its initial investment in May 2018.
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Over the past few years, its stake increased to 44%, while Radrizzani’s Aser Ventures owned the remaining 56%. Leeds said that a purchase has now been agreed.
“Both parties continue to work through the details, and further updates will be provided soon,” they said in a statement.
Earlier this season, Radrizzani and partner Matteo Manfredi made a purchase of the relegated Serie A club Sampdoria.
Leeds were relegated from England’s top tier after a roller-coaster season under four different managers. They finished second from bottom in the standings on 31 points and will now compete in the EFL Championship next season.
“All of our focus remains on a quick return to the Premier League,” the statement added.
