Morning,

Loads to get through this morning, lets get stuck in...

In today's edition of Sport Journal;

🎾 Players collapse and struggle to breathe

🏏 Australia hammer India

⚽️ EPL top earners

Quote of the Day...

⚽️ Football

Barcelona sack Ernesto Valverde and appoint Quique Setien

Valverde, 55, helped the club to two successive La Liga titles and they lead on goal difference this season.

Setien, 61, led Betis to their highest finish since 2005 and to the Copa del Rey semis before leaving in May. (bbc)

Not Fair: Imagine going to play 5-aside after work and Roma legend Francesco Totti (43) turns up and starts hitting bangers like this...

🗣 Gossip: Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, 62, says he is looking to buy Arsenal in 2021. (Evening Standard)

🔁 Sydney FC star Brandon O'Neill has played his final game for the club after sealing his long-awaited move abroad by signing with K-League giants Pohang Steelers.

🔁 Manchester United have reportedly completed a deal to sign Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly in a deal worth just over £60m. Likely to join in the summer. (express)

The Premier League's Top 3 Earners In Every Position Revealed

The Premier League's highest earners in each position have been revealed and its Manchester United stars that dominate the rankings.

Of the nine positions listed by Spotrac, a United player features eight times with the only position missing a Red Devils representative being right wing (sportbible).

Some of the highest paid players, for their position:

Goalkeeper - David De Gea - £375,000 per week

Central Midfield - Kevin de Bruyne - £320,833 per week

Central Attacking Midfield - Mesut Ozil - £268,750 per week

Left-Wing - Marcus Rashford - £200,000 per week

Right-Wing - Raheem Sterling - £300,000 per week

Striker - Anthony Martial - £250,000 per week

🏏 Cricket

Warner and Finch blast hundreds, as Australia crush India

Warner and Finch smoke tons as Australia hand India record-breaking defeat.

Australia has crushed India by 10 wickets in the first one-day international in Mumbai after centuries from David Warner and Aaron Finch.

It is the first time Australia has ever beat India in an ODI by 10 wickets.

Australia chased down the target of 255 with 12.2 overs to spare, with Warner not out on 128 and Finch on 110.

Earlier, Adam Zampa claimed Virat Kohli’s wicket for the sixth time in international cricket with a return catch from the Indian captain on 16 as part of a mini collapse.

David Warner with 43 centuries as opener in international cricket, is now just two shy of @sachin_rt record of 45 tons as an opener.

Only Ricky Ponting has made more centuries for Australia in this format.

If Warner continues like this, can he be considered one of the b.o.a.t. 🚤?

*( b.o.a.t = best of all time, eh? not having it?, I don't blame you)

🏏 Big Bash

Brisbane Heat bt Adelaide Strikers by 7 wickets, with 28 balls to spare. AB de Villiers entered the fray, hitting 40 on debut. Man of the Match, James Pattinson returned to BBL with a top drawer 5/33.

🎾 Tennis

Players collapse and struggle with breathing

Jakupovic retired and had to be helped off the court from her Australian Open qualifying match because of the "unhealthy" air quality from ongoing bushfires.

Australian Open organisers have come under heavy criticism from players after deciding to go ahead with the first day of qualifying despite bushfire smoke engulfing Melbourne.

"It was really bad. I never experienced something like this," Jakupovic said.

"I was really scared I would collapse because I couldn't walk any more."

Organisers said the conditions were expected to improve and would be "monitored constantly".

Bernie dumped in first round of qualifying in just over an hour

If you thought we were going to see more of Bernard Tomic this Australian Open, think again. The fallen star has been beaten in the first round of qualifying. And in just over an hour. (foxsports)

🇦🇺 AFL

Hawks and Saints lock in scratch match for bushfire appeal

Hawthorn and St Kilda will play each other twice in eight days after coming together to arrange a practice match and fundraiser for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal in Morwell.

The two clubs are scheduled to meet in the first week of the Marsh Community Series on Thursday, February 20, before the scratch match in the state's bushfire-hit east on Friday, February 28. (afl.com)

🏌🏻‍♂️ Golf

Abu Dhabi Championship, HSBC Challenge

Tommy Fleetwood (twice champion) and the ultra consistent Patrick Cantley lead the field, both (7.0).

We've selected 4 at a bigger price to take on the field:

Sergio Garcia (36.0) - He nabbed a win in the Dubai Desert a few years ago. Marry that with a win in Qatar and we have the perfect CV to go well on a track like this.

Bernd Wiesberger (41.0) - The Austrian bounced back to his best and more so upon winning 3 times in 2019. No reason why that won't continue this year and bigger prizes may be on the horizon.

Bryson DeChambeau (21.0) - Having missed the tournament last year. With five PGA Tour victories, DeChambeau will be eager to make his mark in the Middle East

Vicktor Hovland (36.0) - Morikawa couldn't quite get it done last week after leading the first round. One player that joined the tour the same time is, Viktor Hovland. He's another with a big future.

🏆 ICYMI: Cam Smith picked up $2.2m Hawaii win for first individual PGA Tour title

Australian, Cameron Smith sat four over through his first two holes at the Sony Open in Hawaii but fought hard to eventually win in a play off, on Monday.

🇺🇸 'Merica

Next NFL Draft No.1 pick just led his college team to the perfect season

In front of a pro-LSU crowd -- as well as President Donald Trump -- the Tigers of Baton Rouge capped off a dominant season, winning the College Football Playoff national championship game, beating last year's champion, Clemson, 42-25 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to finish 15-0.

With Lawrence returning for his junior season and the nation's best recruiting class on the way, Clemson (2.0 odds) opened as the favourite to win the 2020 title, followed by Alabama (4.0), LSU (5.5) and Ohio State (8.0). While Burrow will be the #1 draft in April, a pick owned by the Bengals.

⚾️ MLB

MLB finds team guilty of electronic sign stealing

Houston Astros fired the team's manager and general manager after Major League Baseball found the Astros illegally created a system that decoded and communicated the opposing teams' pitching signs during their 2017 championship season.

The team must forfeit its regular first- and second-round selections in 2020 and 2021 drafts and pay a $5 million fine.

Sign stealing among teams is almost as old as the game itself. Base runners at second base have been known to relay pitch selection to hitters.

But MLB rules prohibit the use of electronic devices to steal signs. (CNN)

📺 Today's sport

⚽️ FA Cup, third round fixtures (from 6am)

🎾 ATP ASB Classic, Round 2 (10am)

🎾 WTA Hobart International, Round 2 (11am)

🎾 ATP Adelaide International, Round 2 (11:30)

🏀 NBA Regular Season games (from 11:30)

🎾 WTA Adelaide International, Round 2 (11:30)

🏏 Big Bash - Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades (6:10pm)

🎗 AO Rally for Relief (7pm)

🏏 Big Bash - Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars (9:10pm)

We'll be back on Friday!

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