Miguel Angel Jimenez practicing at The K Club today ahead of the start of the Irish Open on Thursday. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

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• Darren Clarke wants Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to aid his team’s preparations for the Ryder Cup by delivering words of inspiration.
  
• Shane Ryan will swim in 100m backstroke final tonight at the European Swimming Championships, while Fiona Doyle cruised through her morning heat.
• Munster have announced two pre-season fixtures ahead of the 2016/17 campaign, one of which will see the province’s most-capped player line up against them.
• Irish 17-year-old Thomas O’Connor has signed his first professional contract with Southampton — a two-and-a-half-year deal for the Kilkenny native.
• Ireland will mostly be in white for the group stages of Euro 2016 after the FAI confirmed which kit Martin O’Neill’s side will wear in each game next month.

The Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling championship launch took place at Kilmacud Crokes today. Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE

Away

• UFC welterweight Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson has warned Conor McGregor that he could get hurt if he fights at welterweight again.
• Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has confirmed that Steffon Armitage has requested a release from the last year of his contract in order to return to England.
• In spite of his injury troubles, Bastian Schweinsteiger has been named in a provisional 27-man Germany squad for Euro 2016.
• Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has left Chelsea striker Diego Costa and Manchester United’s Juan Mata out of his provisional squad for the tournament.
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s agent has cooled talk of the Swedish star moving to Manchester United after claiming reports of an offer from the 20-time English champions are untrue.

The best thing we shared

Paul Fennessy on the Irish players who finished the season at the top of the class for their respective clubs in England.

EMPICS Sport EMPICS Sport

On the record

Some people have us written off and it will be tough, but three or four games is a long time – anything can happen. Every group over there is tough – teams are there for a reason – and we have excellent teams to play over there. But, like I say, with tournament football and such high stakes, anything can happen.”

Robbie Brady is optimistic as Euro 2016 draws near.

Where we were today

It was a busy Tuesday for The42. Fintan O’Toole was at the launch of the Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling championship at Kilmacud Crokes GAA club in Stillorgan. Sean Farrell was at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast to get the latest from the Ulster camp ahead of Friday’s Guinness Pro12 semi-final against Leinster, while Murray Kinsella headed west as Connacht prepare for Saturday’s clash with Glasgow Warriors.

The fixture list

• Liverpool take on Sevilla in the Europa League final tomorrow night, with kick-off at St Jakob Park in Basel at 7.45pm.
• There are also three Leinster JFC quarter-finals down for decision: Kildare v Meath (St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge), Wicklow v Louth (Aughrim), Longford v Cavan (Glennon Brothers Pearse Park) — all 7.30pm.

Showbiz, baby!

Golden State Warriors suffered a rare defeat last night but it still didn’t stop Steph Curry from breaking another record.

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‘There have been more talented teams but no one beat us in terms of team spirit and togetherness’

‘Wonderboy’ interested in McGregor bout but warns: He could get hurt at 170