Press conference
Manager / player media briefings.
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Alonso calls 2026 F1 cars 'the worst ever' after troubled Monaco practice
Fernando Alonso launched a sharp attack on Formula 1's 2026 regulations after Friday practice at the Monaco Grand Prix, declaring that 'hybrid cars should not be racing' and labelling the current generation the worst he has driven at the street circuit.
Formula 1 -
Russell concedes Ferrari's Monaco dominance is real after Hamilton leads FP2
George Russell admitted Ferrari's pre-race favourite status at the Monaco Grand Prix is fully justified after Lewis Hamilton topped Friday's second practice session, 0.168 seconds clear of Max Verstappen, with Russell fourth and nearly four tenths adrift.
Formula 1 -
Left out of Champions League final by Luis Enrique, Zaïre-Emery pays the price for his versatility at PSG
Despite being PSG's most-used player this season with 54 appearances across all competitions, Warren Zaïre-Emery was not in Luis Enrique's starting lineup for the Champions League final against Arsenal.
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Norway's Viking photo for 2026 World Cup sparks Scandinavian controversy
Qualified for the 2026 World Cup, Norway posed in Viking costumes for its official team photo. Norwegian journalists and academics strongly criticized the staging, which head coach Stale Solbakken refused to comment on.
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England use palm cooling devices and fitness trackers to combat World Cup heat in Florida
Thomas Tuchel's England squad are preparing for the 2026 World Cup at their Palm Beach Gardens base in Florida, deploying palm cooling technology, Whoop fitness trackers and cooling vests to manage temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius during matches.
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Pat Lam calls for EQP injury dispensation after Bristol's bruising season
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has urged the RFU to introduce injury dispensation within English Qualified Player regulations, after navigating a season in which 26 players were unavailable for the final fixture against Sale Sharks.
Rugby -
Norris and Leclerc fined after arriving late to FIA press conference in Monaco
Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have each landed their teams €5,000 suspended fines after arriving late to the FIA's mandatory Thursday press conference at the Monaco Grand Prix, with both drivers citing clashing prior commitments.
Formula 1 -
Potter backs Gyokeres and Isak to fire together for Sweden at World Cup
Sweden manager Graham Potter has spoken openly about his plans to pair Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak for the first time under his tenure, expressing confidence that the two Premier League strikers can complement each other at the 2026 World Cup.
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Baxter on McCall rivalry: Exeter need a draw to reach play-offs against departing Saracens boss
Rob Baxter faces Mark McCall for the final time on Saturday, with Exeter Chiefs needing only a draw at Sandy Park to secure a play-off place for the first time since 2021. McCall is stepping down at the end of the season after a decade defined by Saracens' dominance over the Chiefs.
Rugby -
Deschamps moved by Nantes tribute despite France's defeat to Ivory Coast
France lost 1-2 to Ivory Coast on Wednesday evening at La Beaujoire in Nantes during a friendly match, but Didier Deschamps experienced a deeply personal moment: an ovation from the Nantes crowd in the 7th minute, a reference to his historic number with the French national team.
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Palmer tips Ferrari for Monaco 1-2 and predicts Mercedes will miss the podium
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has predicted a Charles Leclerc victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton second and no Mercedes on the podium — despite the Silver Arrows winning every race so far in 2026.
Formula 1 -
Lizarazu Mixed on France's Friendly Defeat to Ivory Coast
France lost 1-2 to Ivory Coast in Nantes on Thursday, suffering their first warm-up defeat under Didier Deschamps just twelve days before the 2026 World Cup. TF1 consultant Bixente Lizarazu praised a strong first half but criticized a second half that was 'completely lifeless'.
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Cherki scores and shows wit after France's loss to Ivory Coast
France fell 1-2 to Ivory Coast on Thursday in a 2026 World Cup warm-up match in Nantes. Rayan Cherki, the sole French goalscorer, delivered a notable media appearance mixing lucidity about the result with self-deprecating humour.
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Verstappen says Red Bull learned its lesson after Canada set-up disagreement
Max Verstappen has revealed that Red Bull internally discussed his public criticism following the Canadian Grand Prix, where he stated the team had ignored his set-up feedback. The four-time world champion says a lesson has been learned, though he expects another difficult weekend in Monaco.
Formula 1 -
Carragher questions whether Iraola can adapt his Bournemouth style to Liverpool's squad
Jamie Carragher has raised doubts about Liverpool's appointment of Andoni Iraola, questioning whether the Basque coach can convince a high-profile, expensively assembled squad to adopt his pressing-based philosophy after his success with Bournemouth.
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Deschamps warns France over pace problem after 2-1 friendly defeat to Ivory Coast
France fell to a 2-1 defeat against Ivory Coast in a World Cup warm-up in Nantes on Thursday, with Didier Deschamps conceding his side lost control after half-time and warning the same pace-based threat awaits them at the tournament.
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Deschamps reveals Portugal's 2016 Euro winning goal would have been disallowed with VAR
With the 2026 World Cup just weeks away, Didier Deschamps reflects on the Euro 2016 final lost to Portugal (0-1 a.e.t.) and claims to have learned at a FIFA meeting that Eder's goal would have been ruled out if VAR had existed.
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France suffer first friendly defeat under Deschamps as Ivory Coast stun Blues in Nantes
France lost to Ivory Coast on Thursday evening at La Beaujoire, marking the first friendly defeat of the Deschamps era for the World Cup runners-up, just ten days before their Euro 2024 campaign begins.
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FFF needs World Cup 2026 semi-final to avoid losses
French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo acknowledged that the FFF, which posted a deficit of €8.7 million, is counting on a deep run by Les Bleus at the 2026 World Cup to restore its finances.
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Caroline Weir says Fifa and Uefa must answer Israel questions, not Scotland players
Scotland women's captain Caroline Weir has deflected political questions about their upcoming World Cup qualifying double header against Israel to football's governing bodies, saying players are placed in "a very tricky position" by such decisions.
Football