Griezmann in PlayStation form has steered Atletico Madrid back on track

Griezmann in PlayStation form has steered Atletico Madrid back on track
Atletico Madrid’s French forward Antoine Griezmann celebrates scoring his team’s second goal, with Spanish midfielder Pablo Barrios and Argentine forward Giuliano Simeone during their UEFA Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on Dec. 11, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 12 December 2024
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Griezmann in PlayStation form has steered Atletico Madrid back on track

Griezmann in PlayStation form has steered Atletico Madrid back on track
  • Griezmann and fellow forward Julián Álvarez have returned to form to lead Atletico on a 10-game winning streak
  • Atletico trail leader Barcelona by three points and are one point behind second-placed Real Madrid

MADRID: Antoine Griezmann wishes he was as good in the real world as he is on PlayStation. Based on his performances with Atletico Madrid, he must be really good on the video game.

Griezmann and fellow forward Julián Álvarez have returned to form to lead Atletico on a 10-game winning streak that has put the club back on track in the Champions League and Spanish league, where on Sunday they host Getafe with a chance to reach the top of the standings.

Atletico trail leader Barcelona by three points and are one point behind second-placed Real Madrid. Atletico and Madrid have a game in hand compared to Barcelona. The Catalan club host Leganes on Sunday, while Madrid visit Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.

Griezmann scored his sixth and seven goals in his last five matches in Atletico’s 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Álvarez scored his fifth goal in five matches.

Griezmann is a long-time fan of video games and used to make headlines for his Fortnite celebrations during that game’s hype a few years ago. The France star celebrated one of his goals at Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday alongside Pablo Barrios and Giuliano Simeone, two of his PlayStation playing partners, imitating the moves they make on the video game.

“We play FIFA a lot and that’s the celebration we usually do when we play together,” Griezmann said. He quickly added, “We are better on the Play than we are on the field.”

Griezmann, named the man of the match against Slovan, scored his goals in the 42nd and 57th minutes, after Álvarez — who arrived from Manchester City for more than $100 million in August — put Atletico ahead with a nice curling finish to open the scoring in the 16th. Slovan’s lone goal came in the second half.

Atletico’s attack has been key for the team’s resurgence since an October loss at Real Betis in La Liga. Since then, Diego Simeone’s team have outscored opponents 30-7 across all competitions. They have scored three or more goals in each of their last five games, something that hadn’t happened since 1950, according to UEFA.

“We’ve been playing really well, and the team as a whole are performing excellently,” Álvarez said. “Everyone, even those coming off the bench, has been contributing to the team. We are on the right path, and we have to keep working this way. All the competitions are very challenging but we’ve been doing really well.”

The victory against Slovan moved Atletico to 11th place in the Champions League standings, in position to try to grab one of the top eight spots in the league phase.

“We needed the points. They were very important for us to carry on with this dynamic,” coach Simeone said. “The team is responding to the situations we find ourselves in in these games. This reflects well on the team.”


Cassidy seals round 15 win in London E-Prix as Porsche lead team and manufacturer standings ahead of season finale

Cassidy seals round 15 win in London E-Prix as Porsche lead team and manufacturer standings ahead of season finale
Updated 10 sec ago
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Cassidy seals round 15 win in London E-Prix as Porsche lead team and manufacturer standings ahead of season finale

Cassidy seals round 15 win in London E-Prix as Porsche lead team and manufacturer standings ahead of season finale
  • The New Zealander, competing in his final weekend for Jaguar, crossed the line ahead of Mahindra Racing’s Nyck de Vries

LONDON: Nick Cassidy claimed victory in the London E-Prix on Saturday in Round 15 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

He delivered Jaguar TCS Racing a third consecutive win and put the team back in title contention ahead of Sunday’s season finale.

The New Zealander, competing in his final weekend for Jaguar, crossed the line ahead of Mahindra Racing’s Nyck de Vries and TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein, after a dramatic mid-race battle that saw Cassidy time his overtakes and strategy to perfection.

Cassidy, who started fifth on the grid, used a combination of strategic Attack Mode deployment and a perfectly timed Pit Boost to move past de Vries exiting the final turn on Lap 27, holding on for the remainder of the race despite the Dutchman’s pressure.

His win followed Jaguar’s double triumph in Berlin and made the British outfit only the fifth team in Formula E history to notch up three straight victories.

It was a particularly emotional result for Jaguar Team Principal James Barclay, who is stepping down after overseeing the team’s resurgence on the global motorsport stage.

Cassidy’s second consecutive win ensured Barclay’s final race weekend in charge came with silverware.

Wehrlein secured third place and the fastest lap of the race, banking valuable points for Porsche in both the Teams’ and FIA Manufacturers' World Championships.

Season 8 champion Stoffel Vandoorne finished fourth for Maserati MSG Racing, while Britain’s Jake Dennis took fifth and DS PENSKE's Jean-Eric Vergne rounded out the top six.

The result elevated Cassidy to third in the Drivers' Championship standings, just behind newly-crowned champion Oliver Rowland – who could only manage 11th – and Wehrlein.

In the Teams’ standings, Porsche now lead Nissan Formula E Team by 39 points with only 47 left on the table, while the German manufacturer also leads Nissan in the Manufacturers’ race by a margin of 367 to 338.

Reflecting on the win, Cassidy said: “It’s unbelievable. To win here at home for Jaguar and our team in front of a lot of our friends, family and partners who are here today, is incredible. I wasn’t the happiest guy this morning but that was for a reason, and I knew we had good potential in the car. In that race I was able to show that, which is pretty cool. To be honest it was a little bit fluid – a huge shout out to my strategy team, I was really scared about not coming out of the pits after Pit Boost in the lead of that second group, and it was tight but I was able to hang on there and that’s what made the race. It meant that we could do the Attack Modes later which was really powerful.”

Second-place finisher de Vries praised his team after a strong performance. 

“We certainly are happy to be back and give the team a result they definitely deserve. In Jakarta we were on course for a great race but for various reasons we weren’t able to bring home a podium. I’m very pleased to get it on the front row and execute a good race, so thank you very much to the entire team for giving me a great car today,” he said.

Wehrlein, who retains an outside shot at the Teams' and Manufacturers' titles with one race remaining, added: “I’m quite happy, I would have wanted more of course but more wasn’t possible. That was what we had today and our goals are clear: we want to win the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships so the points are very important for us. Nevertheless, I always want to win – every time I race – and today it was not possible. We take the positives and one more race to go tomorrow – I’m looking forward to that.”

The season concludes on Sunday with Round 16 of the double-header finale in London.


FIFA launches first N.African office in Morocco ahead of 2030 World Cup

FIFA launches first N.African office in Morocco ahead of 2030 World Cup
Updated 37 min 4 sec ago
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FIFA launches first N.African office in Morocco ahead of 2030 World Cup

FIFA launches first N.African office in Morocco ahead of 2030 World Cup
  • Morocco will be the second African nation to host the World Cup in 2030
  • FIFA’s other African offices are located in Senegal, Congo, Rwanda, and South Africa

RABAT: FIFA inaugurated Saturday a regional office in Morocco — the first in North Africa and fifth in the continent — as the kingdom ramps up preparations for the 2030 World Cup which it will host jointly with Spain and Portugal.

“This is a day that will be written in golden letters in the magnificent history of FIFA, African football, Moroccan football, and world football,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the inauguration ceremony.

The inauguration, also attended by the head of the African Football Confederation, Patrice Motsepe, took place hours before the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, the capital where Morocco face Nigeria.

Morocco will be the second African nation to host the World Cup in 2030, following South Africa’s edition in 2010. This follows five unsuccessful bids by the kingdom.

FIFA’s other African offices are located in Senegal, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and South Africa.


Cycling great Vos wins 1st stage of women’s Tour de France with brilliant late attack

Cycling great Vos wins 1st stage of women’s Tour de France with brilliant late attack
Updated 44 min 53 sec ago
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Cycling great Vos wins 1st stage of women’s Tour de France with brilliant late attack

Cycling great Vos wins 1st stage of women’s Tour de France with brilliant late attack
  • Ferrand-Prévot looked set to win the stage, but the Frenchwoman attacked too early from 600 meters
  • Moments later, Vos hugged an exhausted-looking Ferrand-Prévot, the Paris-Roubaix winner

PLUMELEC, France: Cycling great Marianne Vos won the opening stage of the women’s Tour de France with a brilliant late attack on Saturday.

The 38-year-old Dutchwoman overtook her Visma–Lease a Bike teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot approaching the line, and then held off Mauritian rider Kim Le Court in the closing meters of a grueling uphill finish.

Ferrand-Prévot looked set to win the stage, but the Frenchwoman attacked too early from 600 meters and could not withstand the late surge from Vos, who punched the air with her left fist as she crossed the line.

Moments later, Vos hugged an exhausted-looking Ferrand-Prévot, the Paris-Roubaix winner.

“I didn’t now if Pauline was still hanging in the finish, but in the end I sprinted a bit with Kim,” Vos said, praising her teammate’s effort. “I’m really grateful to the team and to Pauline.”

The hilly 78.8-kilometer (48.9-mile) route from Vannes to Plumelec in Brittany featured two small climbs and was completed in 1 hour, 53 minutes, 3 seconds by Vos — a multiple world champion, a former Olympic road race champion and a silver medalist at last year’s Paris Games.

Former Olympic time-trial silver medalist Marlen Reusser was one of 10 riders to crash some 30 kilometers from the end. She continued for a while but was clearly struggling and had to abandon the stage.

Sunday’s second stage from the port city of Brest to Quimper stays in Brittany and is slightly more hilly and longer at 110.4 kilometers.

The nine-stage race, which ends Aug. 3, began a day before the end of the men’s Tour, set to be won for a fourth time by Slovenian star Tadej Pogačar by a comfortable margin.

The women’s race could be far closer.

Last year provided the smallest winning margin in the history of the women’s and men’s races, with Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma beating 2023 champion Demi Vollering by four seconds, and Pauliena Rooijakkers only 10 seconds off the pace in third place.


Liverpool fans, Dalglish pay tribute to Jota in Hong Kong

Liverpool fans, Dalglish pay tribute to Jota in Hong Kong
Updated 26 July 2025
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Liverpool fans, Dalglish pay tribute to Jota in Hong Kong

Liverpool fans, Dalglish pay tribute to Jota in Hong Kong
  • Ahead of kickoff, supporters raised a mosaic depicting “DJ 20” and Dalglish laid a wreath in memory of former Liverpool forward Jota
  • Liverpool players will wear a “Forever 20” emblem on their shirts during the next EPL season

HONG KONG: Liverpool supporters and their former forward and manager Kenny Dalglish led tributes to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva before a pre-season friendly against AC Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday.

Ahead of kickoff, supporters raised a mosaic depicting “DJ 20” and Dalglish laid a wreath in memory of former Liverpool forward Jota, who died along with his brother in a car accident in Spain this month.

The Liverpool players wore “Diogo J 20” patches on their shirts and black armbands. AC Milan winger Rafael Leao paid tribute to his Portugal teammate by making a “2” and “0” sign with his fingers after scoring an early goal in the Italian team’s 4-2 win.

Liverpool fan Zoe Leung and her family made a placard in Jota’s memory.

“I think Jota’s death is sad and I was really shocked when I watched the news. I made this with my family to show some respect to Jota,” the 24-year-old Leung said.

Liverpool players will wear a “Forever 20” emblem on their shirts during the next Premier League season. Supporters can have “Diogo J. 20” printed on shirts in club stores, with the profits going to LFC Foundation, the club’s official charity.

Liverpool fans vastly outnumbered AC Milan supporters at the 50,000 capacity Kai Tak Stadium, many bringing placards, scarves, flags and banners to cheer on their team.

Liverpool travel to Japan next to take on Yokohama FM in the J League World Challenge on Wednesday. They begin their Premier League title defense at home to Bournemouth on August 15.


Hamilton holds hands up after ‘unacceptable’ qualifying

Hamilton holds hands up after ‘unacceptable’ qualifying
Updated 26 July 2025
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Hamilton holds hands up after ‘unacceptable’ qualifying

Hamilton holds hands up after ‘unacceptable’ qualifying
  • Team-mate Charles Leclerc qualified third after Hamilton had exceeded track limits in Q1
  • “It was the same today as it was for the rest of the weekend,” said Hamilton

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium: Lewis Hamilton blamed himself and said he would apologize to Ferrari for an “unacceptable” performance on Saturday after he suffered another qualifying flop, his second in two days, at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The 40-year-old seven-time world champion, who was eliminated in first sprint qualifying on Friday when he spun at the chicane, repeated his disappointment as he qualified in a forlorn 16th place for Sunday’s race.

Team-mate Charles Leclerc qualified third after Hamilton had exceeded track limits in Q1 and had his best lap deleted.

“It was the same today as it was for the rest of the weekend,” said Hamilton.

“We made some changes and the car didn’t feel terrible.

“It was tough for us. We had to put on our set of tires just to try to get through Q1 so it’s not great.

“From my side, I made a mistake so I’ve got to look internally and I’ve got to apologize to my team because that is just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s. It’s a very poor performance from myself.

“I will start from where I am and see what I can do to achieve the best I can with what we have. This season has been a tricky one.”

Hamilton has won the Belgian race five times including inheriting victory last year when his then-Mercedes team-mate George Russell was disqualified after winning in an underweight car.

Leclerc was upbeat and surprised to be third on the grid.

“I’m very happy today and it’s strange to say that because it’s still three-tenths and it’s only third place, but I did not expect it,’ he said.

“I think we thought we were quite a lot more behind (the McLarens). We knew we had something more in the car and obviously we had the upgrade this weekend, but we still struggled yesterday.

“I had a really good lap and I’m happy with the car. It takes time to maximize the upgrades that we put on the car.2

Hamilton’s success last year was the last of his record 105 wins from 368 race starts in arguably the most successful career of all time, but since leaving Mercedes for Ferrari this year he has struggled and has yet to claim his first podium for the Italian team.