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Friday, 5 December 2025
TERENCE CRAWFORD RESPONDS TO BEING STRIPPED
Terence Crawford his next move remains uncertain, Terence Crawford will not defend all four major titles at 168 lbs following the WBC’s decision to strip him of the belt, delivered by President Mauricio Sulaiman.
Crawford addressed the situation on Instagram, making his frustration with the decision clear.
“I saw Mauricio had a lot to say about me not paying him $300,000, plus another $100,000 something for sanctioning fees. Then he gonna tell me I ain’t apologise? Who the f**k do you think I am? Boy, you better slap yourself. I ain’t paying your ass s**t.
“What makes you so better than any of the other sanctioning bodies? Answer that question. Everybody accepted what I was giving them and the WBC think you are better than everybody. You have the green belt, which don’t mean f***ing s**t. You want me to pay you more than the other sanctioning bodies because you feel like you’re better than them.
“You can take the f***ing belt. It’s a trophy anyway. The f**k am I paying you every time I step foot in the f***ing ring? I’m the motherf***er that’s putting my life on the line, not you … You should be paying me. This dude gets on a plane, gets a hotel suite. Him and his buddies, they go out for five-star meals and all that. Guess who got to pay for it? Us fighters.”
“Mauricio, everybody in the world know you was going for Canelo. You was mad that I beat Canelo. It’s okay. It happens. Say congratulations instead of having that little smirk on your face, all mad an pouting. You should’ve took the money and you should’ve been grateful that I was rocking the belt around as your champion … I been stripped before, it doesn’t matter, I’m still considered the undisputed champion.”
Thursday, 4 December 2025
MCLAREN INTRODUCE SPECIAL LANDO NORRIS-OSCAR PIASTRI RULES FOR F1 DECIDER
As Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri bid to become the newest F1 champion this weekend, RacingNews365 technical expert Paolo Filisetti explains the state of play from a technical standpoint
The season finale in Abu Dhabi marks the end of the title fight that has been simmering between the McLaren drivers, and more recently, Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are looking to end the weekend as McLaren's first champion since 2008, while Verstappen is seeking to upset McLaren's party.
As they look to fend off the threat posed by Verstappen, McLaren will not change anything regarding the rules of engagement of their drivers.
In fact, the drivers will have complete independence to play their own cards, as RacingNews365 understands there will not be any exchange of set-up data between the two drivers.
After the Qatar race, several simulations were run at the Woking factory, including the dynamic simulation to determine the two basic set-ups chosen by the drivers and the possible variations to optimise them.
A factor that is different from previous races, however, is that an effort to avoid giving either driver any advantage, all data from the dynamic test bench and the simulator have been kept deliberately separate, and provided only to the respective race engineers.
It has also been decided that this approach will be maintained throughout the weekend - or at least, until the set-up for qualifying is finalised.
There will therefore be no technical exchanges at all during the technical briefings, which will be held completely separately in the team's hospitality with their own engineers.
This kind of rule has never been introduced at McLaren before, but the team has a clear reason: to provide both drivers with the best conditions to get the most out of their own cars.
In terms of team orders, RacingNews365 understands there will be no interventions after the start of the race, and this will remain the case if - and only if - Piastri is not in a position to win the championship in the final stint.
McLaren is keen to give both of its drivers enough opportunity to seal the title this weekend - but it is unafraid to make a call late in the race in order to ensure it ends the season with the drivers' championship in hand.
- Paolo Filisetti & Fergal Walsh
RUBEN AMORIM FIRES UNUSUAL WARNING TO LENY YORO
The Man Utd boss also had some choice words for returning striker Matheus Cunha.
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| Leny Yoro had a day to forget against Crystal Palace. / James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images |
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim warned Leny Yoro that his visible devastation towards his performance against Crystal Palace last time out cannot be allowed to happen again.
The Red Devils endured a nightmare first half against Palace. While the entire team underperformed, Yoro attracted significant criticism after giving away the penalty from which Jean-Philippe Mateta put the Eagles ahead.
Yoro was replaced in the 54th minute, just seconds before United began their two-goal comeback, and looked incredibly upset as he arrived at the bench. Even after the game, when United were applauding their travelling fans, an evidently emotional Yoro had to be comforted by Mason Mount.
As he thanked Mount for his show of support, Amorim admitted: “I also spoke with [Yoro] because he thinks too much. He makes a mistake in the game and then he struggles because he’s too young and he wants to do everything so well. He’s growing with games and with setbacks; it’s not easy for him as a young guy.
“He cannot give that [reaction] to the people, the way he came to the bench. He understands that, but he was really frustrated. It shows he cares. He knows it wasn’t his best game, but he did some things well and I showed him that. He’s fit and ready for the next challenge.”
Amorim: Pressure Also Weighing on Matheus Cunha
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| Matheus Cunha is nearing a return from a head injury. / Alex Pantling/Getty Images |
United’s manager has taken a particularly harsh approach to man management in recent weeks. Left back Patrick Dorgu was brutally challenged over his perceived anxiety on the ball before being dropped for the Palace game, and Amorim also had some stern words for the returning Matheus Cunha.
The Brazil international, a £62.5 million ($83.2 million) signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer, has netted just once in his first 11 appearances for United and will be hoping to add to that tally in his expected return from a head injury against West Ham United on Thursday.
“[Cunha] was struggling because he was not scoring and he was thinking too much about the numbers,” Amorim said. “The influence that he has in the team is so important for us, but I think Cunha has so much to grow defensively and offensively.
“I think he has more levels to go. He’s in a different club, different pressure. He coped with that really well, but he feels that he wants to score, he wants to assist.”
Amorim concluded: “I think he struggled with these two games out. He was struggling because he wants to play and he has fun playing the game and that is so important in our team—he wants the pressure, the challenge, so I think it was not a good thing for him to stop playing. He watched a lot of players playing well, especially in his position, so he is not happy.
“On Thursday maybe he will have the opportunity to come back and to score again or assist.”
- Tom Gott
DIOGO JOTA TRANSFER PLAN WAS IN THE WORKS BEFORE TRAGIC DEATH
Porto president Andre Villas-Boas revealed a plan was in place to sign Diogo Jota, who would have turned 29 this Thursday
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| Diogo Jota could have made a sensational return to his homeland before his tragic death(Image: Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) |
Diogo Jota was in talks with Porto about a potential return before the Liverpool star's fatal car accident. The Portuguese forward, who would have celebrated his 29th birthday today, was travelling with his brother Andre Silva in Zamora, Spain, when Jota lost control of his Lamborghini and crashed, killing both of them.
The incident sent shockwaves through the footballing world and happened just 11 days after Jota married long-term partner Rute Cardoso. During his time at Anfield, Jota scored 65 goals in 182 appearances, helping Liverpool win the FA Cup, League Cup and Premier League. He remained an integral member of the team but was offered a move back to Portugal.
Former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas, who is now the president of Porto, revealed that a plan was in place for Jota to return to the club where it all began, prior to his tragic death.
Speaking at the funeral of the two young men, Villas-Boas said: "Unfortunately, we were working with agent Jorge Mendes on Diogo Jota's return to FC Porto, and it won't be possible.
"It would be from 2026-27, and we had discussed the possibility. I made a point of conveying that message to Diogo, through Jorge Mendes, at his wedding, and it was a dream for all the Porto fans that it would happen."
Paying tribute, he added: "Diogo has a history in the senior ranks, and Andre has many years from the children's ranks to the under-19s. They were much loved. We've come to pay our respects to the family. Diogo, especially as the greatest public figure, was a silent hero. We all appreciated him for everything he stood for, not only on the pitch but also off it."
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| Andre Villas-Boas arriving at Diogo Jota and Andre Silva's funeral(Image: Photo by FILIPE AMORIM/AFP via Getty Images) |
He continued: "He was a partner of FC Porto with its Esports team. Someone who will be remembered fondly, just like his brother. Diogo wasn't a member [of the club], but he became one today. I hope that all FC Porto members understand this move.
"In Andre Silva's case, we symbolically recovered his membership fees and gave them to his family. We intended to leave the two membership cards here. I did it as chairman of the board.
"Condolences to everyone, to the team-mates from Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Gondomar and P. Ferrreira. And Penafiel, who also lost a great mate. It's tragic and deserves a moment of reflection."
- Dylan James
Wednesday, 3 December 2025
FIFA GIVES CLUBS AN EXTRA WEEK BEFORE RELEASING AFCON STARS
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| Liverpool could be without Egyptian forward Mohamed for several English Premier League matches during the Africa Cup of Nations tournament (PETER POWELL) |
Star players such as Mohamed Salah, Bryan Mbeumo and Achraf Hakimi will be able to play for their clubs for an extra week until December 15 before joining their national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations, FIFA said on Wednesday.
Top European clubs such as Salah's Liverpool, Mbeumo's Manchester United and Hakimi's Paris Saint-Germain face losing key players for up to five weeks for the 24-nation tournament in Morocco from December 21 to January 18.
But they had feared it could be even longer until FIFA amended its rules to soften the blow for clubs by delaying the release date by a week.
The decision came after "fruitful consultations led by FIFA with key stakeholders and thanks to the spirit of solidarity demonstrated by CAF to reduce the impact on various parties," FIFA said in a statement, referring to the tournament organisers, the Confederation of African Football.
"It was also decided to encourage member associations participating in the 2025 AFCON and clubs releasing players... to engage in good faith bilateral discussions in order to find appropriate individual solutions," FIFA added.
Before FIFA's ruling, players had been required to show up for international duty by December 8, meaning that English Premier League clubs could have been without vital players for up to seven or even eight league matches during a particularly busy part of the season.
The competition falls at an awkward moment for the likes of high-flying Sunderland and rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers who could be without up to seven and five players respectively.
Liverpool will be without Egypt forward Salah, Manchester City will have to do without his international team-mate Omar Marmoush and Algeria's left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, while United will lose Cameroon's Mbeumo, Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo and Morocco full-back Noussair Mazraoui.
On the other hand, league leaders Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds will be unaffected.
French and European champions PSG will lose Hakimi, the reigning African player of the year, but other European giants such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Juventus will not see any players involved.
Bayern Munich's Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson, on loan from Chelsea, will be at the tournament but will not miss many Bundesliga games as the league will be on its winter break from December 22 to January 8.
Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Senegal are amongst the tournament favourites.
- AFP
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