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| Johann Zarco crashes at the 2026 Catalan MotoGP © Gold and Goose |
LCR MotoGP team boss, Lucio Cecchinello, says Johann Zarco has pain “in the femur area” after a scary incident during Sunday’s Catalan Grand Prix.
The race was red-flagged on lap 12 of 24 for a terrifying collision involving Pedro Acosta, whose KTM encountered an issue, and Gresini’s Alex Marquez on the back straight between Turns 9 and 10.
Alex Marquez was taken to hospital for checks, while the race was restarted again.
On this restart, Johann Zarco collided with Luca Marini and Pecco Bagnaia at Turn 1 at the start, and got tangled up with one of the bikes.
A red flag was flow again while Zarco received medical attention, with the Frenchman taken to hospital for further checks.
Replays of the second Red Flag crash 🚩
All riders conscious 🙌#MotoGP | #CatalanGP | Live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/1KQt78sk8j
— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) May 17, 2026
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| 2026 Catalan MotoGP incident © Gold and Goose |
Speaking to TNT Sport, Cecchinello offered an update on Zarco’s condition.
“Well, at the moment, he’s been taken to the local hospital,” he said.
“They will perform an MRI and scan to check exactly what he has.
“He has pain in the left leg. He has pain around the knee.
“But, fortunately, he has no concussion, he has no injuries in the upper part of the body, in the feet, in the ankle.
“Looks like he has pain, just in the femur area. I really hope there will be no bad news coming.”
Zarco had been having a strong weekend up to that point, qualifying fifth and finishing there in the sprint.
Prior to the first red flag, Zarco was inside the top six.
“Look, I was commenting that it was a perfect weekend for us: fifth in Friday practice, fifth in qualifying, fifth in the sprint, sixth with 2.8s after half a race,” Cecchinello added.
“It was really, really a pity that our weekend ended like this.”
Zarco suffered bruising on his foot from hitting debris when Marquez and Acosta collided, but was cleared to restart.
The FIM stewards' document notes that Zarco is due to face a hearing on the incident, but will only do so once he is available.
- Lewis Duncan
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| Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) |
Real Madrid players Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni were reportedly involved in a heated bust-up in the club’s locker room that has led to the Uruguayan being treated in hospital.
Valverde is said to have suffered a cut to his head after hitting the table during a physical altercation with Madrid teammate Tchouameni.
This is not the first time the pair have come to blows, according to Marca, but it seems to be the most serious incident yet, with a maximum punishment thought to be awaiting the players.
It seems disciplinary proceedings are now set to go ahead, with this really being far from what Real Madrid needed after some disappointing results in a frustrating season, and with a huge game against rivals Barcelona coming up next.
Speaking to CaughtOffside, Spanish football expert Ruairidh Barlow, editor of Football Espana, provided some background to this crazy story coming out of Madrid.
“The Valverde-Tchouameni tension is not something that we have heard about before this week, but it is symptomatic of a volcanic dressing room right now,” Barlow told us.
“In that specific incident, after a fight on Wednesday, Valverde reportedly refused to shake Tchouameni’s hand, which led to another training session of intense tackles, and culminated in the fight.
“More widely, it’s just the latest incident in a number of feuds ongoing. As many as six players are supposedly not talking to manager Alvaro Arbeloa. Dani Ceballos, Raul Asencio and Dani Carvajal have all fallen out with Arbeloa, and the latter’s frustration led to an injury to a youth player after a rash tackle.
“In the past week, we’ve heard about Kylian Mbappe getting angry at a member of the coaching staff, and Antonio Rudiger getting physical with Alvaro Carreras too.
On the whole, the consensus is that this is the product of a dressing room that has been without leaders for some time, and without a manager to impose authority. With President Florentino Perez backing his stars over managers, and doing little to curb their behaviour himself, the lack of discipline has descended into the chaos we’re seeing this week.”
At least Kylian Mbappe seemed in a good mood as he was pictured laughing on his way out of Real Madrid training today.
See below for footage originally captured by El Chiringuito, which shows Mbappe in good spirits despite the apparent chaos unfolding behind the scenes…
Mbappe himself has been at the centre of some controversy recently as Madrid truly enters meltdown mode.
The France international recently had an injury problem that saw him given permission to take a holiday, but this did not go down well with some fans, as a petition pushing for him to leave the club is rapidly gaining momentum.
A video explainer below from Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol sums everything up nicely, with the feeling being that Mbappe is being made a scapegoat for the team’s problems, and, honestly, when you hear about the incident between Valverde and Tchouameni it’s hard not to agree that there are bigger problems at the Bernabeu right now…
Real are known for being a club of superstars with big egos, but that has usually helped them to great success throughout their history.
At the moment, though, they’re going through a difficult period, with the team set to finish trophyless this season, while they’ve gone out of the Champions League early both this year and last.
With Xabi Alonso leaving his position as manager earlier this season, Alvaro Arbeloa has been unable to steady the ship during his time as interim manager.
A new long-term appointment will be needed this summer, and it may be that a strict disciplinarian like Jose Mourinho is needed to put things in order.
Having said that, the Portuguese tactician is also known for being a bit of a difficult character himself, so that could perhaps just make things worse.
Los Blancos fans will surely want the legendary Zinedine Zidane back, but ESPN have reported on him agreeing to become the next manager of the French national team…
- REAL MADRID CF
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| Getty Images Sport |
Michael Owen has opened up on his "shock" after learning that Sir Alex Ferguson had been taken to hospital, revealing he had spoken to the Manchester United legend just 24 hours earlier. The iconic former manager fell ill shortly before the Red Devils' Premier League victory over Liverpool, sparking concern across the football world.
The legendary manager was reportedly present at Old Trafford preparing to watch United take on their historic rivals when he began to feel unwell. Reports indicate that Ferguson was moved to medical care more than an hour before the scheduled kick-off on Sunday afternoon. The decision was described as a precautionary measure to ensure the well-being of the club's most successful manager ever.
While the sudden nature of the incident caused immediate worry among the United faithful, more positive news has since emerged. According to talkSPORT, Ferguson has already been allowed to return home to continue his recovery, with the situation deemed less serious than initially feared by some observers.
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| Getty Images Sport |
Former Manchester United striker Owen was among those surprised by the swift turn of events, sharing details of a lengthy phone conversation he had with Ferguson just a day before the Scotsman was hospitalised. Speaking on talkSPORT, Owen explained that the 84-year-old seemed in excellent spirits and perfect health during their Saturday morning catch-up.
"I spoke to him, I was on the phone to him for 40 minutes that morning," Owen revealed. "We're talking about football. We're talking about horses. As I say, he's got horses here [at Manor House Stables]. Most Saturday mornings, he gives me a call, and we go through all the horses for the day, and we share what we know and things like that."
Owen, who spent three seasons under Ferguson at Old Trafford, noted that there were no warning signs regarding his former boss' condition. "I speak to him regularly, and he sounded absolutely brilliant, sharp as a tack as normal," he added. "We were talking a lot about Scottish football and what was happening up there. So it was such a shock to hear, obviously, that the next day he was taken unwell, but hopefully it's not too serious."
The bond between Owen and Ferguson has remained strong long after their professional relationship ended in 2012, largely due to their mutual love for horse racing. Owen even joked that he expects a call from the former manager very soon to discuss upcoming races at Chester.
"I haven't [had the chance to speak with him] since, but I would expect a message on my phone any time now because he'll see that we've got four or five runners today at Chester and he'll be wondering what's going on. Which horse should he be looking at?" Owen said.
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| Getty |
Despite no longer holding a formal ambassadorial role at the club, Ferguson remains a constant presence at home matches. He is frequently seen in the directors' box, supporting the team he managed for over 26 years. His health has been a subject of public interest since he underwent emergency surgery following a brain haemorrhage in 2018, though this latest incident is not thought to be related.
The Manchester United community continues to hold the 13-time Premier League winner in the highest regard, and fans and former players alike will be heartened by Owen's account of the manager's mental sharpness as he prepares to return to his usual routine.
- Muhammad Zaki
The former Manchester United boss was at the ground ahead of the Red Devils' showdown with Liverpool in the Premier League.
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| Ferguson was taken to hospital as a precautionCredit: Getty |
The 84-year-old was taken to hospital as a precaution and it is not believed to be serious.
He was believed to have been taken to hospital more than an hour before kick-off.
talkSPORT's Adrian Durham reports that Ferguson has since been taken home to recover.
Man United take on Liverpool in Sunday's 3:30pm kick-off.
The game sees third take on fourth as Michael Carrick's side look to cement their hold on the top three.
The Red Devils can open up a six point gap on Arne Slot's team with a win, with just three games remaining after Sunday's clash.
Since retirement more than a decade ago, the former Red Devils boss has been a regular spectator at both home and away games.
He was a club ambassador for 12 years following his retirement, before his £2m-a-year arrangement was ended by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe last year.
Ferguson is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time.
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| Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles at Old TraffordCredit: Getty |
He took charge of Man United between 1986 to 2013 and made them into one of the powerhouses of world football.
Fergie won a staggering 38 trophies in his time at the club, including 13 Premier League titles.
Alongside the 11 trophies he won in Scotland, he is the most decorated manager in the history of the game.
Ferguson suffered a brain haemorrhage in May 2018 and was rushed to hospital.
However, he made a full recovery and returned to Old Trafford in September the same year.
He would later reflect on how lucky he was to survive the incident.
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| Ferguson retired as Man United boss 13 years agoCredit: Getty |
In his 2021 movie ‘Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In’, he said: “There were five brain haemorrhages that day.
“Three died. Two survived. You know you are lucky.”
- Josh Fordham
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| Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to hospital(Image: AP) |
Lindsey Vonn's sister has spoken out after the American skiing legend's terrifying crash at the Winter Olympics, which required her to be airlifted to a hospital.
She revealed that Vonn's surgeon is present and will be heading to the medical facility. Competing in her first Olympics in eight years at Milan Cortina, the 41-year-old Vonn had only recently suffered a complete rupture of the ACL in her left knee.
Despite making a remarkable comeback to competition last year following a five-year hiatus, Vonn's Olympic dreams were shattered during the downhill alpine event on Sunday morning.
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| Lindsey Vonn suffered a shocking fall on Sunday(Image: GETTY) |
Her anguished cries filled the unsettling silence, prompting organisers to play background music to mask the eerie quiet, as stunned spectators sat frozen in the stands.
After what felt like an eternity, Vonn was carefully placed into a medical bag and then transported to the hospital via helicopter, reports the Mirror.
The stark image of the yellow helicopter and Vonn's red bag against the snow-covered mountains' white backdrop left viewers worldwide watching in horror.
Speaking to USA Today, Vonn's sister Karin Kildow revealed that she was aware of all the risks and was simply pushing her limits. Kildow also reassured fans that Vonn was in the hands of the best medical team possible.
"I mean that definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you're just immediately hoping she's okay," she expressed.
"And it was scary because when you start to see the stretchers being put out, it's not a good sign. But she really...she just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it's really hard to see but we just really hope she's okay.
"She does have all of her surgeons and her PT staff here and her doctors, so I'm sure they'll give us a report and we'll meet her at whatever hospital she's at."
- Daniel Blackham, Mikael McKenzie and Will Schofield
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| Jake Paul IG |
Jake Paul showed his heart against Anthony Joshua, but it came with a cost.
On Friday night, Paul faced former unified heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist Anthony Joshua in an eight-round boxing match in Miami, live on Netflix. The bout did not last eight rounds. After a slow start, where Paul avoided Joshua and repeatedly attempted to wrestle him, “AJ” finally stopped Paul in the sixth round with a vicious right hand to the jaw. Afterward, Paul said he thought his jaw was broken and showed a gruesome photo of it, but “The Problem Child” was apparently still tough enough to drive himself to the hospital anyway.
“We think he broke his jaw,” Paul’s business partner with Most Valuable Promotions, Nakisa Bidarian, said at the post-fight press conference. “He’s fine. We met with Netflix afterwards. He took a shower, he drove himself to the hospital. A broken jaw is very common in sports, particularly in boxing or MMA. I think the recovery time from the doctors and surgeons we’ve already talked to is four to six weeks.”
Paul later confirmed that he broke his jaw, posting a video of himself in the hospital with his brother, Logan Paul, and the caption, “Broken jaw guys, thanks for all the support, I’m OK.”
Despite the loss and the difficult injury, Bidarian could not have been more pleased with Paul’s performance against one of the most dangerous boxers in the world.
“Ultimately, Jake Paul lasted a lot longer than anyone said he was going to,” Bidarian said. “And I haven’t seen the official scorecards, I don’t know if anyone else has, but I think he might have won a round or two, or three. He was doing tremendously well in there against a person who is vastly more skilled, vastly larger, vastly more powerful, and he did it on four weeks’ preparation. …
“I think a great, great game plan and preparation, unbelievable heart,” Bidarian added later. “And the reality is, Jake lost because of the size difference, not because of the skill difference. AJ was hanging on that neck, pushing him down, and when you have someone that heavy constantly doing that, it does suck the energy out of you. AJ talked about taking out the man’s soul; he didn’t take out his soul. He did take out his energy, and that’s when he was able to get the finish.”
- Jed Meshew
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| Luis Enrique is to have surgery, PSG have confirmed(Image: Sylvain Thomas/FEP/Icon Sport via Getty Images) |
Luis Enrique suffered an injury while out on his bike, forcing the Paris Saint-Germain boss to go to hospital for surgery with little over a week until their next game
Paris Saint-Germain have announced that Luis Enrique will have surgery, having been rushed to hospital after a cycling accident. Enrique, 55, suffered an injury while out on his bike on Friday.
The Spaniard was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered that he'd fractured his collarbone. Fortunately, Enrique hasn't suffered any other serious injuries.
It's not yet known what caused the accident. PSG, who won their first Champions League under Enrique last season, announced the news in a statement.
It read: "Following a cycling accident on Friday, Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique was treated by the emergency services and will undergo surgery for a fractured collarbone.
"The Club expresses its full support and wishes him a swift recovery. Further updates will be shared in due course."
Enrique was enjoying time off during the international break. After losing the Club World Cup final to Chelsea in July, PSG have won their first four games of the season.
It hasn't been smoothing sailing, though, having gone 2-0 down to Tottenham in the Super Cup final last month. The European champions staged a late comeback and claimed victory in the penalty shootout.
PSG then won their opening two league games 1-0. They continued their perfect start to the Ligue 1 campaign with a 6-3 romp away to Toulouse on Saturday.
Only Lyon have also won their first three matches in the French top flight, putting both teams on nine points. PSG welcome Lens to the Parc des Princes after the international break before starting their defence of the Champions League at home to Atalanta.
Their European campaign includes a mouth-watering trip to face Enrique's former club, Barcelona, as well as home games against Bayern Munich, Tottenham and Newcastle. The 55-year-old took charge of PSG in the summer of 2023, having left his position as Spain manager following the 2022 World Cup.
Enrique has led the Parisians to the Ligue 1 title in both of his seasons and his finest hour came in the Champions League final earlier this year. PSG hammered Inter Milan 5-0, making Enrique a two-time European champion after also winning the competition with Barcelona in 2015.
"The goal [this season] is first and foremost to improve as a team, both in attack and defence," he recently said. "We can still identify areas of our game where we can improve.
"In terms of titles, we want to be ready to compete for them all. We all believe we can win them and repeat the feat this season, which would make us go down in history in spectacular fashion. That's what motivates us the most."
- Nathan Ridley
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| Celine Haidar, a ray of light on and off the pitch, always ready to give her best. ©Photo courtesy of Celine Haidar's Instagram page |
Leading Lebanese footballer Celine Haidar is in a medically induced coma after she was critically wounded in an Israeli strike near her home in Beirut's southern suburbs, putting her international championship prospects on hold.
Captain of her club team and already included in the national youth team twice, the 19-year-old didn't allow her training to be interrupted by Israel's bombardment, as her family fled to a mountain town east of Beirut.
She assured her family she would leave every time the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for a neighbourhood it was intending to bomb.
But on Saturday, she was asleep when the Israeli military spokesman posted an evacuation warning for her neighbourhood. Her parents called and urged her to leave immediately, but time was short.
An Israeli warplane struck as she leapt onto her motorbike. She was hit by shrapnel, which left her with severe brain injuries, including multiple skull fractures and brain bleeding.
The Israeli military was not immediately available to comment on the strike.
She is now in an intensive care unit at Saint George Hospital in Beirut, according to her coach, Samer Barbary.
Her parents, Abbas Haidar and Sanaa Shahrour, stand watch over her.
"I never thought I would have a daughter like her," her father said. "She has dreams and strength. She always told me: 'You'll see what I will accomplish tomorrow.'"
She is among over 15,000 people wounded by Israeli strikes over the past year, with bombardment of Beirut's suburbs escalating dramatically over the past two months.
The Israeli military says it is striking infrastructure belonging to armed group Hezbollah, which counted the suburbs, as well as south and east Lebanon, as its strongholds.
More than 670 women and 230 children are among the more than 3,500 people killed, Lebanon's health ministry says.
Haidar's teammates have hung a poster at their training field saying: "We are waiting for you."
"She is the cornerstone of our team," her teammate Lama Abdin, 18, said. "But we will play for her. We will achieve her big dreams."
Barbary said Haidar had already represented Lebanon twice with the under-19 national team, which won the 2022 West Asia cup that was held in Lebanon. She was already selected for the senior national team and was expected to be selected for the upcoming West Asia championship, he said.
Even though doctors say they do not know when she will wake up again, her mother, Sanaa, has refused to give up hope.
"I am waiting for you. Don't give up. You are a hero. Every night, I see you in my dreams, coming back to me," she told Reuters.
- Reuters
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| Lamine Yamal with his father Mounir Nasraoui after Spain won Euro 2024 this summer. Jean Catuffe/Getty Images |
The father of 17-year-old Barcelona and Spain star Lamine Yamal has been hospitalised after being stabbed in a parking lot near Barcelona, according to multiple reports in Spain.
Citing unnamed official sources, Spanish paper La Vanguardia and news agency EFE said Mounir Nasraoui was stabbed multiple times in the Rocafonda neighborhood of the town Mataró, 30 kilometers (19 miles) outside Barcelona.
Nasraoui, EFE reported, was transferred to the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital in Badalona, Can Ruti, with various injuries.
La Vanguardia said Nasraoui was in serious but stable condition.
Barcelona police have started an investigation into the incident, in which several people are believed to have participated, and have already made several arrests, EFE reported.
Local police did not immediately respond to requests for comment from ESPN.
Spain won the European Championship in July with Yamal part of the winning team. He set up Nico Williams' opening goal in a 2-1 win over England and also won the tournament's best young player award just a day after he turned 17.
Information from The Associated Press and ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens contributed to this report.
- ESPN News Services
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| USA TODAY Sports |
Bordeaux forward Alberth Elis is recovering after undergoing surgery and being placed in an induced coma following a serious head injury during a league match, his family said in a statement shared by the Ligue 2 club.
The 28-year-old Honduras international collided with Guingamp defender Donatien Gomis just 40 seconds into the game at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux on Saturday, after which he was forced off on a stretcher.
On Sunday, Bordeaux said Elis was rushed to the hospital after the incident and underwent surgery during the night, adding that the forward had to be placed in a protective artificial coma.
"We are pleased to share with you the first encouraging signs, Alberth is waking up and seems to be gradually recovering," his family said on Wednesday.
"However, we would like to remain cautious about the progress of his condition, as the next few days will be crucial ... Alberth is a fighter and we will keep you updated on his condition shortly."
- Reuters
