Friday, 18 April 2025
Thursday, 17 April 2025
VIRGIL VAN DIJK 'AT RISK' AND NEW LIVERPOOL DEAL COULD BACKFIRE OVER TWO ISSUES, DOCTORS WARNS
EXCLUSIVE: After hailing 'machine' Mo Salah's new contract extension at Anfield, Dr Gareth Nye has raised the alarm over Virgil van Dijk following suit because of two key differences
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| Virgil van Dijk has penned a new two-year deal at Anfield but two key problems could make the deal come unstuck (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images) |
Virgil van Dijk has committed his future to Liverpool with a new contract but will the talismanic leader be the same player he has been in his time with the club so far?
Liverpool’s iconic captain has penned a new two-year deal at Anfield after the 33-year-old’s contract had been due to expire at the end of this season. The Dutchman's extension means he could remain at the club until he is 35, and follows hotly on the heels of fellow senior player Mo Salah, who has also just signed on the dotted line.
But one Liverpool-mad doctor has raised some concerns about van Dijk's injury record and longevity at the top level of football.
Dr Gareth Nye, a biomedical science lecturer at the University of Salford - and Liverpool fan - revealed he had more concern about the defender's new contract, when compared to Salah’s.
He was quick to point out that it was “obviously great news” but warned: “Positionally, van Dijk is at more risk of more serious injuries.”
He said this positional concern, tied in with van Dijk’s injury record, left him worried that there was a bigger chance of the contract extension backfiring on Liverpool.
“The way Liverpool play, van Dijk is high up the pitch and spends a significant amount of time in recovery runs.
“Defenders are significantly more likely to suffer ligament injuries in the knee and ankle and van Dijk has already suffered one serious cruciate ligament injury which sidelined him for nearly nine months.
“Once you have one injury like this there is a higher likelihood of reoccurrence – look at Joe Gomez.”
Despite his fears, Dr Nye still had high hopes, but also warned his recovery times could be longer than Salah, who is a year younger and plays in a position less at risk of critical injuries.
“I hope and believe he will continue to be a solid defender and a key component in the LFC team during his extension however, he is at a significantly higher risk of suffering career-ending injuries than Salah for example and any injury will have a longer recovery time due to his key position.”
Despite this difference, however, Dr Nye also flagged that “most” of what he said following Salah’s contract extension also applied to van Dijk.
During that chat, he told the Star: “The biggest challenge in footballers over 30 is the physical demands it puts on the body.
“For most pro footballers like Mo Salah, he will be playing three games a week for most of the season and in some pinch points like the Christmas season where the turn around is only a few days. With training in between it can be physically stressful on the body.
“You are also competing with younger players who may be naturally fitter or quicker which gives a perception that older players have a natural drop off.
“What we do see is the recovery rates are slower as we age, particularly in muscle. The natural reserve of stem cells used to repair tissue runs out and so muscle injuries mxay appear more often and take longer to heal.”
He added: “Essentially it's very individualistic and depends on the player's body, how they train, recover and heal. A big part of this will be avoiding big injuries.
“Mo Salah though is a machine when it comes to fitness and im sure has a great sports science team around him. There is no reason he can't join the likes of Ronaldo and Messi and the great James Milner and play at the very highest level for a very long time to come.”
PIRELLI REVEAL WHEN BRAND - NEW C6 TYRE WILL MAKE F1 DEBUT
Pirelli has announced that its new C6 tyre is to make its F1 debut in May's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend.
For the 2025 season, a new compound has been added to Pirelli's range of options, with the C6 tyre being a step softer than the current C5 softest.
The new compound has been tested on-track but is yet to make its official grand prix debut, which is to come at Imola across the weekend of May 16th-18th.
Carrying the red-marked soft tyre bands, the C6 will be joined at the Italian circuit by the C5 as the medium tyre and the C4 as the hard.
The C4-C5-C6 range will be the softest Pirelli has brought to any grand prix in the 2025 season thus far, with the Italian firm also confirming that the Sprint weekend in Miami will use the C3-C4-C5 tyres, with the C5 serving as the soft for that weekend.
For this weekend's Bahrain GP, Pirelli has gone for the hardest possible range in its catalogue, with the C1-C2-C3 tyres serving as the hard, medium and softs, respectively.
This is because the Sakhir International Circuit is extremely tough on tyres due to its rough track surface and heavy traction zones.
Pirelli has also promised to be "more proactive" following criticisms of its tyres in the Japanese GP, with minimal wear and degradation leading to a relatively straight-forward one-stop race, largely devoid of overtaking action.
- Jake Nichol
START TIME 2025 F1 SAUDI ARABIAN GP - JEDDAH
We’re approaching the final grand prix of the triple-header: the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Check out the start times for all sessions in Jeddah here.
F1 Saudi Arabian GP start time
We’re gearing up for possibly the most spectacular race of the season: the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. On the lightning-fast street circuit in Jeddah, the drivers race at breathtaking speeds, just inches from the wall.
In the past, we’ve witnessed a lot of action on this track, and with three DRS zones, there are plenty of overtaking opportunities. Who will seize the victory in Jeddah?
The 2025 F1 Saudi Arabian GP weekend takes place from Friday, April 18, to Sunday, April 20, marking the fifth race of the season.
On Friday, the first and second free practice sessions will take place. Saturday’s schedule features the third free practice session, followed by qualifying at 18:00 BST. The race itself kicks off on Sunday, April 20, at 18:00 BST.
- RN 365
MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING 3 KILLED IN BOAT ACCIDENT
Three people tragically died in a boating accident at a Major League Fishing event Wednesday, officials announced.
The crash occurred during the second day of the org.'s Tackle Warehouse Invitational -- which was taking place at Lewis Smith Lake in Alabama.
A bass fishing boat collided with another vessel while out on the water, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said, killing three ... and leaving multiple others with injuries.
It's not yet clear what caused the wreck.
58-year-old Joey M. Broom, authorities said, died during the collision. They added 44-year-old John K. Clark and 62-year-old Jeffrey C. Little drowned after they were thrown overboard into the water during the incident.
- TMZ Sports
BUKAYO SAKA REVEALS CHAT WITH ARSENAL LEGEND ON DAY OF FAMOUS REAL MADRID WIN
Gunners winger has also explained his goal celebration that evoked memories of Thierry Henry’s heroics at the Bernabeu
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| ARSENAL HERO: BUKAYO SAKA WAS ONE OF THE STARS OF THE SHOW AS THE GUNNERS BEAT REAL MADRID AGAIN AT THE BERNABEU |
Bukayo Saka has revealed that he spoke to Thierry Henry on the morning of Arsenal’s latest famous victory over Real Madrid, but insists he did not deliberately evoke his famous Bernabeu goal celebration.
Saka set the Gunners on their way to a second successive victory over the current Champions League holders on Wednesday evening, atoning for his early Panenka penalty attempt that was easily saved by Thibaut Courtois as he executed a brilliant lofted finish to put Mikel Arteta’s side ahead on the night and stretch their commanding aggregate lead in the quarter-final tie.
Arsenal eventually won 2-1 in Spain after Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time effort that followed Vinicius Jr quickly responding to Saka’s opener after a blunder from William Saliba, completing an emphatic 5-1 victory overall after Declan Rice had produced two stunning free-kicks to inspire an initial 3-0 first-leg success at the Emirates Stadium last week.
Paris Saint-Germain now stand between them and a place in the Champions League final at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena on May 31, after the reigning French champions just snuck past Aston Villa on Tuesday night despite a rousing second-half fightback that saw Unai Emery’s men win 3-2 on the night but go down 5-4 on aggregate.
Barcelona meet Inter Milan in the other semi-final tie after their respective wins over German giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern.
Saka was once again one of Arsenal’s star performers against Madrid as he made up for his missed penalty with a superb goal and afterwards revealed that he had spoken to club icon Henry ahead of the game.
Asked on CBS Sports if he planned a post-match FaceTime with the French legend - part of the interview as a pundit - Saka said: "100 per cent. I spoke to him this morning already but if he wants to speak again later, I'm going to be up. I'm not going to sleep tonight, let's be real."
Arsenal are the first English team ever to win twice at the Bernabeu, having become the first ever to do it in the Champions League back in the last 16 of the 2005/06 season, when Henry’s second-half goal sealed a 1-0 first-leg victory in Madrid.
A goalless second-leg draw at Highbury then sent the Gunners through and they later beat Juventus and Villarreal before losing in agonising fashion to Barcelona in their first and only Champions League final appearance to date in Paris.
Saka’s “shushing” reaction after scoring on Wednesday was the same as Henry produced at the Bernabeu 19 years ago, with the England winger posting pictures of the two celebrations side-by-side on Instagram after the game.
And while he certainly appreciated the symmetry, Saka insisted he did not deliberately replicate Henry after his own memorable moment at one of European football’s most iconic venues.
"To be fair, not really,” he said. “I just wanted to have my own moment, but of course Thierry has done the same here and it's nice that we can share this picture. It's nice."
- ADAM DAVY/PA WIRE
Wednesday, 16 April 2025
MAVS GM HAS 'NO REGRETS' ABOUT LUKA DONCIC TRADE: 'DEFENCE WINS CHAMPIONS'
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has mostly been unavailable to the media since trading superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, but on Tuesday, he opened himself up to some questions — at least, to a select group of Dallas media, in a conference where there were no cameras present.
In that conference, Harrison reiterated that he has "no regrets" about trading Doncic, and that "defense wins championships," per ESPN.
Harrison used past unpopular trades that worked out as a defense of his moving Doncic for Anthony Davis, a deal which not only caused Mavericks fans to grow angry at the team in a way that the Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford trades did not, but is so much obviously worse given Doncic was a star who helped lead the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024.
Defense wins championships, but not on its own: ask the team that defeated the Mavericks in the Finals a year ago about that, considering their league-high offensive rating of 123.2 in 2023-2024. Defense was vital to that team, as well, but it was paired with a dynamic offense — the kind of dynamic offense that Doncic is capable of generating, especially when paired alongside a player like Irving.
The two are now split up, however, with Doncic scoring 28.2 points per game for the Lakers over 28 games, shooting 38% on 3s and contributing over eight rebounds and 7.5 assists per game to that mix. The Mavs have gone 13-20 after trading Doncic while they were still 26-23 — that initial record was disappointing, yes, but not a lost cause even in the competitive Western Conference, given the duo of Doncic and Irving.
After dealing Doncic, though, Irving then suffered a torn ACL and the end of his own season, and Davis — who played 36, 40, 56, and 76 games over the previous four seasons — has appeared in all of nine games for the Mavs due to his own injuries since the trade. In Harrison's defense, losing Doncic wasn't the only problem, but considering that Davis was the centerpiece of the return, it's not like the GM is fully absolved or dealing with some bad luck here, either.
The Lakers have gone 22-13 in the same stretch, minus one Davis and plus one Doncic, which allowed them to finish with 50 wins and a third-place finish in the West. The Mavericks get a chance to stick around through the play-in tournament, since their skid dropped them to 10th in the West, but it will be very difficult for them to do something with their unfortunate seeding this season if they are to make it out of that tournament, unlike a year ago when they were fifth but with their own 50-win season, and pushed through to the Finals, anyway … which the presence of an explosive player like Doncic on the roster allowed them to do.
Harrison explained that the lack of regrets is due to how unpopular moves come with the territory. "That's my job and I have to stand by it." It's understandable, given that the Mavs might very well make it into the playoffs and the season is ongoing for them, that Harrison would refuse to express regret just yet. However, Mavericks fans are likely hoping that this is all that this attitude is, and not Harrison truly believing that, in the end, shipping Doncic off was no more than an unpopular trade.
- FOX Sports
Tuesday, 15 April 2025
ROME DERBY CLASHES LIKENED TO ‘URBAN WARFARE’ BY CITY’S MAYOR
ROME -- The toll from clashes between violent fans and police at the weekend's Rome derby includes 24 law enforcement officers injured, one arrest and at least 40,000 euros ($45,000) in damaged garbage dumpsters.
Officials in the capital were still trying to sum up the damages after fans on Sunday attacked police in riot gear in a heavily populated area where people had been gathering ahead of the Serie A game between Lazio and Roma.
"I am disgusted," said Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. "It's unacceptable that hooligans transform a day of sport into a scene of urban warfare."
Some 2,000 police officers were stationed at various flashpoints around the Stadio Olimpico and swept into action when Lazio's hard-core "ultra" fans attempted to push through a barred-off area.
Fans reacted to the intervention by launching fireworks and other objects at the police officers. Police then responded with tear gas and water cannons.
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| Fans clashed with police ahead of Sunday's Rome derby between Lazio and Roma. AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia |
Serie A league judge Gerardo Mastrandrea on Tuesday announced that he would wait for a more comprehensive report about the clashes before deciding on any punishment for the clubs. But he did order fines of 6,000 euros ($6,800) for Roma and 4,000 euros ($4,500) for Lazio because supporters of the clubs threw flares toward the field during the game. Seven flares were reported from the Roma end and four from the Lazio end.
The derby was restored to an 8:45 p.m. kickoff this season after six years of earlier start times in order to avoid violence. Now next year's games will likely start earlier again.
Lazio and Roma both expressed solidarity with the injured police officers and denounced the violence.
The game ended 1-1.
The Rome derby has been plagued by violence for years.
In 2004, the derby was suspended due to a false rumor that police had killed a boy outside the stadium.
In January, a car went up in flames outside the stadium before this season's first derby.
- Associated Press
BELLINGHAM: ARSENAL MATCH A NIGHT MADE FOR REAL MADRID COMEBACK
Jude Bellingham insists Real Madrid can produce another historic comeback against Arsenal in the second-leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Wednesday; Carlo Ancelotti called on his side to play with "cojones"; holders trail 3-0 from first leg
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| Getty |
Jude Bellingham has backed Real Madrid to get out of a "hole" in Wednesday's quarter-final second leg against Arsenal on a night "made" for another famous comeback by the Spanish giants.
Champions League holders Real Madrid trail 3-0 from the first leg after Declan Rice's stunning free-kicks and Mikel Merino's goal gave Arsenal a commanding lead at the Emirates Stadium.
The result has left Carlo Ancelotti's side with a mountain to climb but their extraordinary history of European comebacks ensures the mood remains optimistic among players and supporters.
Bellingham helped Real Madrid win the competition for the 15th time last season but, speaking at a press conference in Madrid on Tuesday, he admitted the level of belief has surprised him.
"I did say that to someone the other day that it's been a weird environment in the last few days," he said.
"It's one of the worst results we could possibly imagine away from home and, for some reason, everyone thinks it's nailed on that we'll come back.
"It's a nice feeling, I have to say. It means there's a lot of trust in our talent. It means you're at a club that is unlike any other, the best in the world. That's what it represents and signifies to me.
"There's a pressure in that for sure. We will want to deliver on what everyone thinks, that we can come back. That's the goal for us. There's a pressure but that's what it's all about, isn't it?"
Real Madrid have only come back from a three-goal first-leg deficit once in their history, when they beat Derby County 6-5 on aggregate in 1975/76 following a 4-1 loss in the first game.
But asked for the word he has heard most in the build-up to the game, Bellingham said, "Remontada", the Spanish word for comeback.
"I've heard it a million times since last week," he added. "I've seen a million videos online made by fans and you guys. It's really motivating stuff.
"It's a night that is made for Real Madrid, a night that would go down in history, but also it would be something people are familiar with in this part of the world.
"Hopefully we can add another special night.
"As far as being mentally strong enough, we believe so. You can't come into games like this thinking there isn't going to be anything else other than a comeback. We're ready, excited and looking forward to it."
Real Madrid continued their history of stunning comebacks in last year's semi-final against Bayern Munich, advancing to the final thanks to two late goals from substitute Joselu.
They have also shown their powers of recovery this season, fighting back from two goals down to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 in the league phase, then clinching a dramatic, late 3-2 win away to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
"There's an expectation from Real Madrid that when we get into these holes, that we can come back even if it's a really tough and difficult one," said Bellingham.
"In England, it's not as common - though it has happened. I think Liverpool did it a few years ago in the year they won it.
"It's just because the club have done it so many times, that is what is impressive about the size of this club, the expectations are really huge."
He added: "What makes us confident is the quality we have, the history of the club, the fans that will turn up and give everything on the night, the aura of the Bernabeu in these Champions League nights - that's always something.
"Even though we felt that we played as bad as we possibly could in [the first leg], we still had chances and had moments where we could have capitalised a bit more.
"Normally, when you have your worst games, you feel like you're miles off it and there's no way you can get in the game. But still we had a few chances.
"If we were attentive to the things they did really well, we can be in it. We're not stupid but confident in the ability we have."
Ancelotti: We must play with our heads, hearts... and 'cojones'
Real Madrid boss Ancelotti was similarly optimistic, talking up the power of the fans to help them pull off another historic comeback at the Bernabeu - as long as the team perform at their highest level.
"The fans are very important because they have helped us a lot, especially in the last few years. I hope tomorrow will be the same.
We need a game at our maximum level to try to turn around a tie that, right now, looks very difficult and very complicated.
"Tomorrow we will try to change the mindset a bit and play a serious game with our heads, our hearts, and 'cojones'
"We are motivated and mentally we are good. It is important to have cool heads because we have to control the game."
Asked about the importance of scoring early, Ancelotti added: "Of course, to score early is an important part of the game.
"But the most important part is to have a good control of the game. To try to do your best at the beginning. Then when you have that control in the game, you can score in every minute."
- Nick Wright
UEFA CONSIDER CHANGING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RULE AFTER ARSENAL AND REAL PAIRED
Arsenal claimed a stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, but the Gunners are set to play the second leg at the Bernabeu
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| UEFA are considering Champions League rule after Arsenal drew Real Madrid(Image: James Gill - Danehouse, Getty Images) |
UEFA are reportedly contemplating a significant rule alteration ahead of the next season's Champions League.
This season saw UEFA revamp the format, introducing a league phase where all 36 teams were ranked in a single group instead of separate ones. The top eight teams progressed directly to the last 16, while the subsequent 16 clubs competed in the play-offs for a place in the next round.
The existing rules dictate that those in the top eight are assured of playing the second leg of their last 16 matches at home. However, this does not extend to the quarter-finals or semi-finals, and there has been some criticism over the fact that Arsenal are scheduled to play the second leg of their encounter with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
This is despite Arsenal finishing third in the league table, while Madrid ended up in 11th place.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, UEFA will discuss whether they should amend this next season.
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| Arsenal head to the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg(Image: Justin Setterfield, Getty Images) |
It is suggested that there is a 'growing belief' that merely having seeded second legs for last 16 matches does not sufficiently reward clubs who excelled in the league phase.
Despite these concerns, Arsenal are in a very strong position heading into the second leg of their clash with Madrid. Arsenal dominated the first leg at the Emirates, with two Declan Rice free-kicks and a Mikel Merino goal securing them a 3-0 victory.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is well aware of the challenge Real Madrid presents at the Bernabeu. Reflecting on the first leg, he said: "I'm very proud, we had a very complete and big performance collectively and you need that in the organisation and what we had to do to dominate the game and to create Madrid problems.
"This night is about all two factors, one is the atmosphere that we created 15 minutes before kick-off is something I haven't seen before, so playing with that energy, with that commitment with your crowd makes a huge difference."
"And then magic moments, individual moments that decide all matches and the first two goals of Declan sums up the night. We're going to enjoy the win, because we feel we deserve to do that, but we know it's just half-time, and we're going to have to be even better in Madrid to go through."
- Matthew Cooper and Cameron Winstanley
CARLSEN THWARTS NAKAMURA TO WIN PARIS GRAND SLAM, CARUANA TA
GM Magnus Carlsen has won the 2025 Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam after what he called "a very nice, professional job" secured a draw and a 1.5-0.5 match victory over GM Hikaru Nakamura. The world number-one takes the $200,000 top prize, Nakamura gets $140,000, and GM Fabiano Caruana takes $100,000 and a spot in the Las Vegas Grand Slam after crushing GM Vincent Keymer in the battle for third place.
There were no tiebreaks on the final day, with GM Arjun Erigaisi surviving heavy pressure from GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to take fifth and $50,000, while GM Ian Nepomniachtchi took seventh and $30,000. There was a curious finish there, as GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov resigned in an equal position, though a draw still wouldn't have helped him in the match.
1st Place: Carlsen 1.5-0.5 Nakamura
It's that man again. After finishing a "mere" third in the first Grand Slam in Weissenhaus, Carlsen has won the title in Paris.
He came into the final day of the event after a dramatic win in the first game left him only needing a draw to clinch first place.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the games were very different. Carlsen explained:
Yesterday it could have been a great game, because I was really happy with the way that I judged and played the opening. Of course, what often happens is that you will get mutual mistakes, and toward the end, it was kind of a mess, but I did get the win. Today was very different, of course. Today I just felt that I did a very nice, professional job, and I never really gave him any chances.Today I just felt that I did a very nice, professional job, and I never really gave him any chances.—Magnus Carlsen
As so often in Freestyle Chess, the opening was crucial, with the world number-one surprised to see the less-than-obvious 1.b4 on all but one of the boards.
The key moment of Carlsen-Nakamura arguably came only three moves later, after 3...Nf6.
Here Nakamura played 4.f4?!, while the computer suggests 4.a4!, interfering with the a5-plan that Carlsen had already realized was strong. He noted in the confessional that a5 was "both activating my queen a little bit and making sure it’s not trapped in these situations after Be5, as it would have a7, and opening up for the rook as well."
It wasn't a small nuance, with Carlsen summarizing after the game:
The thing is, this is what’s so difficult about this, after f4 there’s just zero chance! We can make a bunch of moves, but as long as I don’t do anything stupid, I’m not going to lose the game, because it’s solid and relatively easy to play.
Nakamura was informed of the computer verdict by his wife, WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan, and called it "pretty comical to hear!" He summed up, "If after f4 it’s already kind of nothing it’s really, really hard to be unhappy with the result."
If after f4 it's already kind of nothing it's really, really hard to be unhappy with the result.—Hikaru Nakamura
Carlsen admitted he could have been more ambitious, and Nakamura noted his opponent was "a little bit sloppy," but ultimately the Norwegian's plan of swapping off pieces and maintaining piece activity worked to perfection. Near the end, after some study-like chances were missed, Black's restricted army made a sad sight.
Nakamura had spent the game dodging silent draw offers, but by the end, there was nothing to do, and the game reached its inevitable conclusion with Carlsen wrapping up victory, $200,000, and 25 Grand Prix points. He'd gone through the tournament without playing a single tiebreak.
"The result was doubly impressive given Carlsen had been unwell for much of the event, and he noted "no kind of chess is that much fun when you're not feeling great," before reiterating why he enjoys the Chess960 variant:
There’s more of a childish joy of just playing chess rather than being worried about openings, rating points, and all of those things that are important but don’t necessarily equate joy. I want to win as well, but you want to be reminded about why you started playing chess early on, and I am reminded of that when I sit down for a Freestyle Chess game.
You want to be reminded about why you started playing chess early on, and I am reminded of that when I sit down for a Freestyle Chess game.—Magnus Carlsen
3rd Place: Caruana 1.5-0.5 Keymer
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| Caruana got revenge for the Weissenhaus final. Photo: Stev Bonhage/Freestyle Chess. |
Keymer has been the revelation of the Freestyle Chess Tour so far and had been unbeaten in classical chess until just a few days ago. Then he suffered what Carlsen called "one weak moment against Hikaru" to lose a first game, before going on to lose the first game against Caruana. The second was even more disastrous, with the outcome almost inevitable after the first few moves.
Caruana called his position "like a Dutch from heaven!" and criticized Keymer's 1...d5?!, which prevented c6 and left his king trapped, while the e5-square was "just uncontrollable." Everything Caruana foresaw came to pass, with Keymer's coach, GM Peter Leko, happy when his student got to give up his queen for two pieces, to at least get some chance to breathe.
The air was poisoned, however, and only a mercy draw offer saw the game end "peacefully" since that was all Caruana needed to win the match and take $100,000 and, crucially, an automatic invite to the next Grand Slam in Las Vegas in July.
Caruana doesn't seem the vengeful type, but he had made up for losing the Weissenhaus final to Keymer. That's our Game of the Day, which GM Rafael Leitao has analyzed below.
"Keymer had to settle for "only" $60,000, but he's still earned $260,000 for two events on the Tour.
5th Place: Arjun 1.5-0.5 Vachier-Lagrave
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| It was no surprise that Arjun and Vachier-Lagrave combined to produce chaos. Photo: Stev Bonhage/Freestyle Chess. |
It was a day when no one would make a comeback, though local hero Vachier-Lagrave came closest. The Frenchman told the confessional he was happy with his situation early on, since even though he judged "obviously I'm not better," he had a chaotic position he could play for a win. The mere fact that it was playable was a bonus: "I’m pretty happy especially after how the game went yesterday—I was not sure I would get a game!
Arjun stumbled into a tough endgame, but held everything together to snatch fifth place on his Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour debut.
Arjun takes $50,000 while it's $40,000 for Vachier-Lagrave.
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| Arjun earned $50,000 on his Tour debut. |
7th Place: Nepomniachtchi 2-0 Abdusattorov
For much of the day, this looked like it would be the easiest victory, with Nepomniachtchi soon better out of the opening, and well up on the clock. There were twists, however, with Abdusattorov somehow ending up in an endgame where he was the one with any winning chances. Carlsen explained about Nepomniachtchi: "It’s the way he goes! He’s up half an hour on the clock, he blunders, and then he gets back into it."
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| Nepomniachtchi was the only player to wrap up a 2-0 win. Photo: Stev Bonhage/Freestyle Chess. . |
Nepomniachtchi did regain full control, though there was a curious finish, with Abdusattorov resigning in a position that could still be drawn.
"It wasn't the kind of blunder such decisions often are, however. A loss or a draw made no difference to the match outcome, while it was also completely understandable not to realize that Black could survive, with GM Anish Giri calling it "a very unexpected draw."
Nepomniachtchi took $30,000 and Abdusattorov $20,000.
So that's all for the Paris Grand Slam, but as some of the players pointed out, there's not long to wait until the Grenke Freestyle Chess Open in Karlsruhe, Germany, that starts this Thursday, April 17. Carlsen, Arjun, Caruana, Nepomniachtchi, Rapport, and Keymer are set to play, to mention only Paris participants (check out a full list here). It's a classical event with four days of double-rounds, with Carlsen commenting, "That’s going to be a bloodbath!"
It should be a lot of fun, with qualification for the Las Vegas Grand Slam also up for grabs!
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Paris was the second of five events on the multi-million dollar Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. The 12 players first played each other once in 10+10 rapid chess, with the bottom four eliminated from the fight for first and the top players choosing their opponents in the Knockout. Each knockout round consisted of two-game 90+30 matches. In case of a tie, two 10+10 games were played. If still tied, two 5+2 games were played, then a single armageddon game. All games are played in freestyle chess.
Monday, 14 April 2025
PARIS-ROUBAIX SPECTATOR WHO THREW BOTTLE AT MATHIEU VAN DER POEL HANDS HIMSELF IN TO THE POLICE
The spectator, who was accused of "attempted manslaughter" by the incensed winner of the men's race on Sunday, hasn't been identified but reportedly expressed regret for his actions...
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| Mathieu van der Poel hit by bottle at Paris-Roubaix (credit: TNT Sports) |
A man has turned himself in to the police after Mathieu van der Poel was hit in the face by a bottle thrown from the crowd during his Paris-Roubaix win yesterday.
As the Dutchman soloed to a third successive victory at the Hell of the North he was struck by an item thrown from the crowd on a sector of cobbles, the bottle appearing to be a Visma-Lease a Bike-branded water bottle.
This morning Belgian news outlet Nieuwsblad(link is external) has reported a man turned himself in to the police in West Flanders and has expressed regret at his actions. He is yet to be identified but the report suggests he turned himself in in Mira, a spokesperson for the West Flanders public prosecutor's office confirming the news and a source suggesting: "He is said to be very ashamed of what he did on impulse on Sunday."
Bizarrely, the report also suggests the spectator travelled to the race on a supporters' bus of the Matej Matjes, a Flemish fan club for Slovenian cyclist Matej Mohorič. The board of the fan club declined to comment officially, but was keen to stress that the man is not a member of the club and the bus was open to the public.
The bottle-thrower was reportedly not known to the fan club's board and members have been told this morning that he is no longer welcome at any club activities.
The incident happened on the Templeuve-en-Pévèle sector, a bottle, which appeared to be a Visma-Lease a Bike-branded one, thrown at him from the crowd, the item striking him in the face.
Speaking to Sporza's TV cameras afterwards, Van der Poel called the attack "attempted manslaughter" and demanded the perpetrator face legal action.
"We can't let this pass," he said. "It was a full water bottle and it hurt a lot. If I get that water bottle on my nose, it's broken. Hopefully the police can identify the man, because there has to be a trial for this. This is attempted manslaughter. If the UCI does not take action, then we will do it with the team. This is something different than throwing beer."
Taking a somewhat different line to Van der Poel, Alpecin-Deceuninck team manager Philip Roodhooft suggested the bottle's thrower deserved "as little attention as possible".
"We will first see if the authorities can identify someone. But we shouldn't give it too much attention, when you see how many tens of thousands of people do appreciate what Mathieu and others are achieving here," he said.
The bottle appeared to be a Visma-Lease a Bike-branded item, the team of Wout van Aert taking to social media to express their disgust at whoever threw it.
"Throwing objects at riders who are giving their all — stop it immediately," the team said on social media. "Just enjoy the beauty of the race."
It comes after a spectator was caught on camera spitting at Van der Poel as he soloed to victory at E3 Saxo Classic — the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider also having a hat thrown at his bike by a spectator at last year's Paris-Roubaix, an incident which saw the woman responsible accused of intentional assault and battery.
The lawyer of the spectator involved in last year's incident claimed she "never [had] any intention to harm" to Van der Poel. To avoid prosecution she was offered a deal which would require her to admit wrongdoing and volunteer with Les Amis de Paris-Roubaix (The Friends of Paris-Roubaix organisation).
As with the 2024 incident, Van der Poel was unperturbed by the bottle throwing, continuing his charge to an eighth Monument win of his career, that despite a puncture on the Carrefour de l'Arbre. He and Tadej Pogačar had proved themselves the strongest in the race, distancing Van der Poel's teammate Jasper Philipsen on an earlier sector.
However, a crash saw the world champion cut adrift from Van der Poel, a later mechanical seeing the gap rise to over a minute as the two-time winner added a third cobblestone to his palmares.
- Dan Alexander
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