Saturday, 5 September 2026
Friday, 4 September 2026
RED BULL ISSUE STATEMENT AFTER MAJOR FIA COURT SUCCESS
Red Bull has reacted to the reinstatement of Isack Hadjar's Monaco podium.
 |
| © XPBimages |
Red Bull has issued a statement following the reinstatement of Isack Hadjar’s Monaco Grand Prix podium after the FIA International Court of Appeal’s (ICA) verdict.
It was announced early Friday morning in Monza, ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, that Red Bull’s and McLaren’s protest against the results of the Monaco GP had been upheld, with Pierre Gasly’s two five-second time penalties reinstated after initially being rescinded following an earlier Right of Review by Alpine.
It demoted Gasly back to seventh, with Hadjar returning to third, ahead of Oscar Piastri, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
Following the conclusion of the opening day in Monza, Red Bull released a statement expressing its delight at the ICA’s decision.
"It is, first and foremost, the right outcome for the integrity of the sport and the principles of sporting fairness. Motorsport is at its best when outcomes are decided on the track, which is what fans, teams and competitors all want to see.
"Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing is thrilled that Isack's outstanding performance in Monaco has now been reinstated, securing his first podium finish with the team."
- Nick Golding
BRITISH OPEN SNOOKER 2026: FRIDAY ORDER OF PLAY: PRIZE MONEY, TODAY’S QUARTER-FINAL SCHEDULE, FORMAT, HOW TO WATCH FOR FREE, WHEN IS STAN MOODY PLAYING?
By the end of the day, we’ll be down to our final four.
t’s quarter-finals day at the British Open snooker - the fourth tournament of the 2026/27 season.
 |
| Teenager Stan Moody is playing for a place in the semi-finals today. | Getty Images |
First held as a ranking tournament in 1985, it disappeared from the professional snooker schedule in 2005, before returning in the 2021/2022 season.
Shaun Murphy was triumphant last year, beating Scotland’s Anthony McGill 10-7 in the final, and returned to defend his title, only to lose to David Gilbert in the second round.
Scotland’s John Higgins was in the hunt for another win to tie Steve Davis’ record of five titles,but crashed out in the fourth round yesterday to teenage sensation Stan Moody.
Here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening today.
What is the format of the British Open?
The competition is open to all tour card holders, with 128 players entering the first round.
The draw is completely random, meaning there are no seeds and high-ranked players can meet each other at any stage.
Many of the first round qualifying matches took place at the Leicester Arena between July 23-24, but those involving the best known players (including the world top 16) are played in the first couple of days of the competition itself before the second round matches.
The first four rounds are the best of seven frames (first to four), with the quarter-finals the best of nine frames (first to five), the semi-finals the best of 11 frames (first to six) and the final the best of 19 frames (first to 10).
Who is playing today at the British Open snooker?
Here’s who is playing today, Friday, September 4, in the quarter-finals.
1pm
Jack Lisowski vs Mark Selby
Stan Moody vs Liam Highfield
7pm
Jak Jones vs Aaron Hill
Judd Trump vs Zhao Xintong
What is the prize money at the British Open snooker?
There’s a total prize pot of £502,000 up for grabs, broken down as follows:
Winner: £100,000
Runner-up: £45,000
Semi-final: £20,000
Quarter-final: £12,000
Last 16: £9,000
Last 32: £6,000
Last 64: £3,000
Highest break: £5,000
What is the schedule for the British Open snooker?
Here’s how the competition will play out:
Monday, August 31 - Tuesday, September 1: Qualifying round
Wednesday, Setember 2: 2nd round
Thursday, September 3: Third round/Fourth round
Friday, September 4: Quarter-finals
Saturday, September 5: Semi-finals
Sunday, September 6: Final
Is Ronnie O’Sullivan playing in the British Open 2026?
Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew from the tournament for medical reasons and was replaced in the draw by Mark Joyce.
When is Stan Moody playing his quarter-final match?
Stan Moody will play world number 69 Liam Highfield at 1pm today.
What trophy is awarded at the British Open Snooker?
In 2022 the tournament trophy was renamed the Clive Everton Trophy in tribute to the popular commentator and longtime editor of Snooker Scene magazine.
How can I watch the British Open Snooker?
Zhao Xintong is the 9/4 favourite, followed by Judd Trump (3/1), Mark Selby (7/2) and Jack Lisowski (10/1).
- David Hepburn
NICK KYRGIOS ACCEPTS ONE-MONTH TENNIS SUSPENSION FOR 'SOCIAL' COCAINE USE
Kyrgios has agreed to attend a treatment programme after the ITIA found he had use cocaine ‘during a night out’, which was therefore considered to be outside of competition
 |
| Nick Kyrgios has served a one-month ban, but is now free to return to tennis (Reuters) |
Nick Kyrgios has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for cocaine, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.
The Australian, 31, failed a drugs test during an ATP Tour event in Mallorca in June 2026. The former Wimbledon finalist was provisionally suspended last month.
The ITIA said Kyrgios had agreed to attend a treatment programme approved by the ITIA, which has lowered Kyrgios’ suspension from three months to one month.
As a result, Kyrgios’ suspension is already over, as the ITIA said his provisional ban began on 4 August 2026 and ended on 3 September 2026.
The ITIA said Kyrgios’ explanatation that he had used cocaine “socially during a night out” was “consistent with the level of cocaine found in his sample”.
As a result, the ITIA accepted his use of cocaine was outside of competition and subject to a lighter penalty.
After his provisional suspension was announced last month, Kyrgios said he had made “a huge mistake”.
He wrote on Instagram: “I wanted you to hear this from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine.
“I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it. I’m sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me.
“I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.”
His first-round loss to fellow Australian Adam Walton in Majorca was his last competitive singles outing and one of only four singles matches he has played this season.
Kyrgios’ career has been blighted by knee and wrist problems since his run to the Wimbledon showpiece in 2022 and his ranking has slipped to 919 in the world.
He said he would not make “excuses” for the positive test but cited the toll of his physical issues.
“My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined,” he said.
“At times I’ve felt hopeless and alone. However, the good news is that this has given me a wake-up call.”
Kyrgios added he would be taking a 28-day break from social media to focus on “getting myself right”, concluding: “I’m sorry, I’ll come back better.”
Britain’s Dan Evans was banned for a year for taking cocaine out of competition in 2017 but the rules changed in 2021, with the penalties reduced.
Includes reporting from PA
-
'A BIT ABNORMAL': AFTER SHOCK SECOND-ROUND EXIT AT US OPEN, AUGER-ALIASSIME REVEALS HE 'WAS SEEING SPOTS'
 |
| Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Canada, serves the ball to Karen Khachanov, of Russia, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo) |
Karen Khachanov knocked out third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime from the US Open on Thursday, winning 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the third round.
The Russian, ranked No. 50 in the world, came into the tournament after losing the opening match in all three of his US Open warm-up events.
But he took advantage of an off-colour Auger-Aliassime, whose level dropped as the match went on at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
After the match, Auger-Aliassime said he started feeling unwell during the contest and struggled to recover.
"After a set and a half, I just couldn't feel well and was dizzy and seeing spots and couldn't recover," he said, as quoted by BBC. "I thought maybe it would pass, but it didn't.
"I've never felt quite like that. I've had cramps before. I've felt tired towards the end of matches, but in a normal way.
"This was abnormal a little bit, and there were no signs in the last couple of days and no signs this morning, as well."
The defeat made Auger-Aliassime the highest-ranked player to exit the men's singles draw so far in New York.
Khachanov, who reached the US Open semi-finals in 2022, broke the Canadian's serve seven times during the match. He also saved seven of the nine break points he faced.
The win is only Khachanov's second victory over a top-10 player at a Grand Slam and sends him into the third round in New York.
The result meant Khachanov has now reached the third round of all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single calendar year for the first time.
- Shubhanshu Dwivedi
MANCHESTER UNITED CONFIRM 25-MAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SQUAD
Man United will return to the Champions League this season and they have named their European squad ahead of the competition starting next week.
 |
| The 2026/27 Champions League league phase starts next week |
Manchester United have named their 25-man Champions League squad as they prepare for their return to the competition.
United kick off their European campaign next week with a home game against Sabah FK. The other seven sides the Reds will face in the league phase of the Champions League are Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Sporting, RB Leipzig, Villarreal and Como.
Teams competing in this season's Champions League had until Wednesday evening to submit their squads. There are a number of high-profile names not included on United's 25-man list, including Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro. However, both will still be eligible to play in the Champions League.
Teams are required to submit an 'A list' of players who can play in the Champions League, which is the list that has now been confirmed.
There is no requirement to include any player on the 'A list' who was born on or after 1 January 2005 and has been eligible to play for the club for two consecutive years since turning 15 (or three years including a loan spell). Any player who falls into this category is added to a 'B list', and this is submitted to UEFA either on or before the day prior to a Champions League match.
The 'A list' that has been submitted to UEFA is now locked in for the league phase of the competition. However, should United reach the knockout rounds, they will have until 4 February 2027 to register a maximum of three new players.
United's 25-man Champions League squad:
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow, Tom Heaton, Senne Lammens, Dermot Mee
Defenders: Patrick Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven
Midfielders: Carlos Baleba, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Manuel Ugarte
Forwards: Amad, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Sesko, Joshua Zirkzee, Tynan Thompson
- Ross Jackson
FIFA HITS BACK AT UEFA OVER 'SMEAR CAMPAIGN' AGAINST INFANTINO
Gianni Infantino remains under pressure as FIFA boss
 |
| Gianni Infantino became Fifa president in 2016 AFP |
Dubai: FIFA has accused UEFA of a “smear campaign” against the organisation and Gianni Infantino, intensifying their dispute over a scrapped plan to sell a stake in FIFA’s commercial rights.
UEFA last week filed an emergency application in a New York federal court seeking access to testimony and documents from US-based organisations that could be used in potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland.
"While these applications are styled as legal pleadings with captions and docket numbers, they are little more than press releases in further support of UEFA's smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership," FIFA said in the filing.
UEFA said it was weighing criminal action against Infantino and other FIFA officials over FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a proposed company that would have controlled commercial rights associated with the men’s and women’s World Cups.
The governing body of football in Europe alleged the proposal was developed without adequate consultation with FIFA's governing bodies and 211 member associations.
In a motion to intervene FIFA asked the court to defer ruling on UEFA's application or allow it to oppose the request.
FIFA claimed UEFA was seeking access to information for “purportedly contemplated” Swiss criminal proceedings that, it argued, did not actually exist. It also accused UEFA of opposing the FFE proposal from the very beginning.
The proposal was ultimately withdrawn on July 31 following resistance from UEFA and several other regional football governing bodies.
"Rather than participate in that democratic process, UEFA issued a press release, the beginning of a weeks-long smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership," FIFA said in the filing.
FIFA also claimed UEFA was seeking to protect Europe’s dominance of football.
Infantino, who continues to enjoy backing from the African and South American confederations, has increasingly looked to bypass the confederations and build support directly among individual member associations.
In a statement last week, UEFA said it would work alongside other confederations to provide member associations with a “credible alternative” focused on reform should Infantino decide to seek another term as FIFA president.
UEFA has also temporarily put its proposed boycott of FIFA competitions on hold, allowing all qualified teams to take part in next month’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. The tournament was the first major event that could have been impacted by the dispute.
However, UEFA said its members had unanimously instructed the confederation to explore “every available institutional, political and legal avenue” to push through reforms and re-establish limits on the powers of the FIFA president.
The governing body also demanded “a genuinely independent external review” into the failed FIFA proposal, arguing that FIFA should not be responsible for investigating itself and then expect the wider football community to accept its findings.
- Robert Ilsley
Thursday, 3 September 2026
FABRIZIO ROMANO PROMOTES NEW YOUNG AFRICANS' NEW JERSEY | TANZANIA PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Young Africans Sports Club has paid the world's sports news guru, Fabrizio Romano, who is an Italian citizen, more than $10,000 USD, which is equivalent to 25 million Tanzanian shillings, to promote their new jerseys.
According to Google, Fabrizio Romano charges $10,000 for each Instagram post that is published on his special #HereWeGo page dedicated to hot sports news.
Although there is still no public rate card from Fabrizio, it is estimated that he charges that amount for each post made on that page, according to investigative reports.
#AnothPaul #FabrizioYangaSC #NewJersey #CostsIncurredByYangaSC
ARYNA SABALENKA DRAMA AT US OPEN PRESS CONFERENCE
Aryna Sabalenka was not happy with a question she received during her U.S. Open press conference, ‘Think before you say stuff’
“How are you finding your mood now that the tournament has started? Obviously last week it’s lots of parties and fun and stuff like that..”
Aryna: “You guys are like a joke. Parties. Fun. Why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? Like, what kind of question is that? Just because I posted some activities with brands and you think that I’ve been partying?”
“I’m not suggesting you were partying… I’m saying there are a lot of events and things like that. I’m not saying you go to the parties.”
Aryna: “You literally said that.”
“Excuse me? For everyone who’s unclear, I’m not suggesting that Aryna is having fun at these parties. I’m saying she makes a lot of appearances and there’s a lot to do.”
Aryna: “Mhmm. Okay.”
“Now that the tournaments started, do you find you’re getting quite serious and combative?”
Aryna: “Oh yeah, I wasn’t serious before that. Next question. Think before you say stuff.”
(via US Open Press)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)