Tuesday, 26 May 2026
'FANTASTIC COACH': SPAIN MANAGER WELCOMES JOSE MOURINHO'S IMMINENT RETURN TO REAL MADRID
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| Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images |
While the upcoming presidential elections might have slowed things down, it appears only a matter of time that Real Madrid announce the appointment of Jose Mourinho as the new manager.
With Alvaro Arbeloa having left, Los Blancos have already secured an agreement with the Portuguese tactician to take over.
However, the elections, where Florentino Perez is facing competition from Enrique Riquelme, has led to a brief pause on any movement.
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| Mourinho’s return is imminent. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) |
Spain manager welcomes Mourinho return
In the unlikely event of Riquelme winning the elections, things could end up changing, but as things stand, Perez is expected to return as president and go ahead with Mourinho’s appointment as manager.
And, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has shared his opinion about the Portuguese’s imminent return to the Santiago Bernabeu.
“I have a lot of respect for what clubs do. I don’t know the inner workings of a club like
Real Madrid or others,” De la Fuente told RTVE (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
“I have total and absolute respect for the decisions clubs make. He’s a fantastic coach with a very important history at Real Madrid. I think the idea is excellent,” the Spain manager further stated.
Mourinho has already made demands
As reported earlier today, Mourinho has already made several demands with the Real Madrid board ahead of his impending return.
The former Real Madrid boss is seeking full control of transfers ahead of his second stint with the club and has identified four key areas of the squad that need to be strengthened – centre-back, full-back, central midfield, and playmaker.
- Raghavendra Goudar
FORMER F1 BOSS ROSS BRAWN GETS MOTOGP ROLE
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| Ross Brawn, Managing Director of Motorsports, FOM Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images |
Brawn will strengthen the Pramac leadership as an advisor to team director Paolo Campinoti
The Pramac Racing MotoGP team has announced it has signed Ross Brawn onto its board of directors.
In this role, Brawn will act as a strategic advisor to owner and team director Paolo Campinoti, bringing extensive experience from the Formula 1 world championship.
Brawn’s career in motorsport has spanned more than four decades, during which he has contributed to a total of 22 world titles – 11 apiece in the constructors’ and drivers’ standings. He left the Mercedes team in 2013, before taking on a management role within the F1 entity from 2017 to 2022.
“His appointment reflects a shared competitive trajectory and an approach that aligns with Pramac Racing’s position in MotoGP.
“This addition further strengthens the company’s organizational structure, which continues its development in the premier category of motorcycle racing,” the team explained in a statement.
“I am very proud to welcome Ross to Pramac Racing,” said Campinoti. “Beyond his extraordinary career and achievements in Formula 1, Ross is a person with whom I have shared a friendship and a relationship of great respect for many years. I believe that his vision, knowledge and winning mentality will contribute in a valuable way to the continued growth and development of Pramac Racing.”
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| Ross Brown, Paolo Campinoti, Pramac Racing Photo: Pramac Racing |
“I am pleased to join the board of directors of Pramac Racing Limited as a non-executive member,” Brawn added. “Motorsport has always been about people, teamwork and continuous improvement, and I look forward to supporting Paolo and the team, as well as contributing my experience wherever it may be useful.
“Pramac has built an impressive organization with great spirit and ambition, and I am excited to be part of its future.”
- Germán Garcia Casanova
IRAN MOVES WORLD CUP BASE TO MEXICO AND WANTS GUARANTEES ON VISAS AND SECURITY
National team will fly to the US on day of games after Washington refuses to host squad
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| Iran's players training in Antalya, Turkey, as they prepare for the World Cup. AFP |
Iran's national team will base themselves in Mexico and travel to the US on the days of its three World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday.
Sheinbaum said Fifa approached her government after US authorities said they did not want Iran staying in the country throughout the June 11-July 19 competition, even though Iran are scheduled to play three Group G matches there.
"We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico," Sheinbaum told her daily press conference.
Iran are currently preparing for the tournament in Antalya, southern Turkey.
They are set to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. US President Donald Trump said in March that Iran were welcome to participate in the World Cup but that he did not believe it was appropriate for them to be in the United States "for their own life and safety".
Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, said on Saturday the team's base would be moved from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the tournament. Fifa confirmed the move on Monday. Taj added that the swap would help avoid visa-related complications and allow direct Iran Air flights to Mexico.
Iran's World Cup plans have been under scrutiny since late February, when the United States joined Israel in attacks on Iran, triggering a war that raised doubts over whether Tehran would send its team to play in one of the host countries.
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| Members of the Iranian national football team camp arrive at the US Embassy in Ankara for their visa application on May 21. AFP |
In March, Taj said Iran were in talks with Fifa about moving its group matches to Mexico on safety grounds, and Sheinbaum said Mexico would be open to hosting them. Fifa refused the request.
The uncertainty fueled wider speculation about Iran's place at the tournament. Iran qualified for a fourth consecutive World Cup by topping their group in the third round of Asian qualifying last year.
Visas and enhanced security
According to various reports at the start of May, Iran had asked Fifa for several guarantees. The demands came after Taj was denied entry to Canada for last month's Fifa Congress.
Chief among them was that their players, coaches and other officials will receive visas to attend the tournament.
That included visas for those on the team who have completed military service with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is listed as a terrorist organisation in Canada and the US.
“All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems,” Taj, a former commander of Iran's IRGC, told Iranian media.
According to a report from the BBC, the Iranian Football Federation also wants assurances that its team will receive enhanced security during the tournament and that respect for the Iranian flag and national anthem will be maintained.
Iranian officials have also reportedly asked for journalists to avoid questions beyond "technical football matters".
- The National
Monday, 25 May 2026
CHELSEA 2026/27 JERSEY LAUNCH UPDATE! | DRAKE, CENTRAL CEE AND DJ KHALID DROPPING VIDEO SOON
💙 CHELSEA 2026/27 JERSEY LAUNCH UPDATE!
"According to reports, global superstars Drake, Central Cee, and DJ Khaled are teaming up with Chelsea for the official 2026/27 jersey launch video — dropping by the end of this season!."
#CFC #goviral #highlights #Chelsea #CentralCee #DJKhalid, #Drake
PRE-TT RIDER ALAN OVERSBY DIES DURING 400CC RACE
The road racing community has lost Alan Oversby.
Alan, 68, from Bolton-le-Sands in Lancashire, passed away following an incident during the 400cc race at the Pre-TT Classic Road Races on Sunday. He first competed at the Pre-TT Classic in 2005, took his first win in 2006 and had 16 victories to his name, including two on the day he was taken from us.
Our thoughts are with his wife Julie, his family, his team and everyone who knew him.
Rest easy, Alan. 🙏
#thebikersblog #racing60 #motogp
#iomtt
📸IOMTTPICS/
ENHANCED GAMES: DOPED ATHLETES LARGELY TRAIL BEHIND WORLD STANDARDS AS CLEAN WINS MAKE HEADLINES
The inaugural Enhanced Games were anticipated to feature record-breaking feats with athletes allowed to use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). But most doped competitors failed to surpass existing world standards, while clean athletes stole the spotlight.
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| The Enhanced Games took place on Sunday at a 2500-seater arena at Resorts World in Las Vegas. Image: Reuters |
The inaugural Enhanced Games in Las Vegas carried major expectations that world records would be broken. The one-day sporting event, which took place on Sunday, allowed athletes to compete using drugs and other performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).
The concept of Enhanced Games was controversial as it broke traditional barriers, drawing sharp criticism from WADA, USADA, World Athletics, and the IOC over health risks and fair play concerns.
A total of 42 athletes signed up for the disputed sporting event, with anticipation rising for a record-setting spectacle.
Did Enhanced Games deliver up to expectations?
Despite all the hype, most doped athletes failed to break existing world record marks in sprint, swimming and weightlifting. The anticipated breakthroughs never happened, leaving the organisers under pressure as the event progressed.
But one highlight did emerge: Towards the end of the day, Kristian Gkolomeev shattered the men’s 50m freestyle record, clocking 20.81 seconds to break Australia’s Cameron McEvoy’s official record of 20.88. The remarkable feat, however, would not be recognised due to the Enhanced Games’ drug policy.
Gkolomeev still earned USD 250,000 for finishing first and a USD 1 million bonus for breaking the non-enhanced world record.
Clean athletes steal the show
One of the Enhanced Games’ standout performances came from an athlete who took part without any enhancement. Olympic gold medallist Hunter Armstrong won the 50m backstroke in 24.21s. The American swimmer competed ‘clean’ and also underwent testing by USADA and WADA after finishing first.
Similarly, Fred Kerley clocked 9.97 seconds to win the men’s 100m track, and Tristan Evelyn won the women’s event in 11.25 seconds. But both athletes failed to threaten world records.
Ben Proud, who enhanced himself with drugs, won the men’s 50m butterfly in 22.32 seconds but fell just short of the world record set by Ukraine’s Andriy Govorov (22.27).
The inability of steroid-laced athletes to dominate and trail clean competitors raises questions about whether science delivered the edge it promised. The Enhanced Games highlighted the resilience of natural performance and the limits of enhancement.
- FP Sports Desk
OSCAR PIASTRI DELIVERS DAMNING MCLAREN F1 CANADIAN GP VERDICT: 'WE LOOK LIKE IDIOTS'
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| Oscar PIastri has slammed McLaren's decision to start the F1 Canadian GP on hard tyres |
Oscar Piastri has lambasted McLaren’s decision to start the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix on intermediate tyres, resulting in a miserable afternoon.
McLaren attempted a radical strategy at the start of the F1 Canadian GP, opting to put Piastri and teammate Lando Norris on intermediate tyres.
The track, while not dry, also did not warrant intermediates, forcing both drivers to pit for dry tyres in the opening two laps.
Now back in the midfield, Piastri suffered a disastrous afternoon and finished outside the points after incurring a ten-second time penalty for crashing into Alex Albon.
Speaking after the race. Piastri revealed how the decision quickly unravelled as the formation lap began.
“There was definitely no standing water, but you could clearly tell where it was wet and where it was dry, and getting to the grid was not easy on slicks; getting to full throttle was pretty tough.
“Unfortunately for us, it stopped raining as the formation lap started, basically. Just one of those things where if it had rained a little bit more, we would have looked like heroes, but it didn’t, so we looked like idiots. So just one of those things.”
Oscar Piastri apologises for Alex Albon crash
Apologising for his crash with Albon, Piastri admitted to driver error, describing the incident as “not my finest moment”.
“It was just so, so difficult out there.
“I felt like I was going into the corner pretty carefully, but locked the front, and that was it. It was not my finest moment.
“Apologies to Alex and Williams, because it was unnecessary damage for both of us, especially for them. So just one of those things.”
McLaren and Piastri will need to deep dive urgently as to how a front row and top six start led to no points.
- James Phillips
ULI HOENEẞ ON HARRY KANE
🚨 Uli Hoeneß on Harry Kane:
🗣️ Hoeneß: "Harry is the best transfer we've ever made. Barcelona are interested? Well Bayern is a buying club not a selling club, and Barca have no money anyway."
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