Showing posts with label Monaco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monaco. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 September 2026
Monday, 31 August 2026
EVERTON MAKE BID FOR MONACO STRIKER BALOGUN
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| Balogun joined AS Monaco from Arsenal in 2023 |
Everton have made an offer for Monaco forward Folarin Balogun - who is valued at £40m by the French club.
The Toffees want to strengthen their forward line before Tuesday's transfer deadline, with Balogun and Tottenham attacker Richarlison among their targets.
Richarlison is believed to have reservations about returning to Everton, the club he left to join Spurs in 2022.
But Everton are pressing ahead with their interest in United States striker Balogun and have made a bid for the 25-year-old.
Whether the offer is enough for Monaco to part with Balogun remains to be seen.
But the former Arsenal player has emerged as a key target for Everton ahead of the deadline.
Balogun was at the centre of a major controversy during this summer's World Cup.
He was dismissed for serious foul play against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the last 32 match and should have received an automatic suspension.
However, Fifa's disciplinary committee suspended his ban for a year - a decision that prompted widespread condemnation, particularly when it emerged US President Donald Trump and White House officials had lobbied football's world governing body about the American's sanction, external.
Balogun, who scored three goals at the World Cup, was able to start the USA's last-16 defeat by Belgium - a decision European football's governing body Uefa called "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable".
The head of Fifa's disciplinary committee refused to answer BBC questions about the decision-making process which led to Balogun avoiding a ban.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino denied having influence over disciplinary decisions.
England's Jarell Quansah was similarly shown a red card in England's 3-2 win over Mexico following a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo, and the same committee ruled he should serve a two-match ban.
It was classed as serious foul play, meaning the Bayer Leverkusen player was handed an extra match on top of the automatic one-game suspension by Fifa.
- Sami Mokbel
Saturday, 11 July 2026
THE MAN FROM ANOTHER PLANET 🌍 | EMMANUEL WANYONYI BREAKS 1000M WORLD RECORD
🇰🇪’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi delivered a performance for the ages in Monaco, running a sensational 2:11.83* to set a new 1000m world record at the #DiamondLeague 🔥
The Kenyan lowered a mark that had stood for almost 27 years by just 0.13 seconds 😮💨
WR flash report 🔗 bit.ly/4aNZWh8
*Pending the usual ratification procedures
- World Athletics
Monday, 6 July 2026
FIFA 'CROSSED A LINE' OVER DECISION TO REVERSE STRIKER FOLARIN BALOGUN' ONE-MATCH BAN, SAYS UEFA
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| United States' Folarin Balogun was given a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Credit: AP |
Uefa hit back at Fifa’s ruling to suspend a red card shown to United States striker Folarin Balogun against Bosnia and Herzegovina after reported intervention from Donald Trump, saying it "crossed a red line".
Fifa has allowed Balogun to play against Belgium in the knock-out clash on Monday evening despite receiving a red card and a one-match ban last week, a move that led to a furious response from Uefa and praise from the US president.
If Fifa's decision stands, it will be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup did not result in a suspension.
The Monaco forward, who has scored three goals at the tournament, was dismissed for his challenge on Tarik Muharemovic during the second half of their 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But his single-match ban has now been suspended for a probationary period of one year.
In response, the European football governing body said on Monday: “Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line."
Trump called Fifa President Gianni Infantino after the Bosnia game, asking the football body to review the red card, according to AP, who spoke to a person familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity.
On Sunday, Trump hailed the decision by Fifa's disciplinary committee to allow Balogun to participate in the World Cup co-hosts' last-16 clash.
Writing on his Truth Social account, President Trump said: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
According to Fifa's disciplinary code, should the 25-year-old commit "another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement".
A Fifa disciplinary committee statement read: “By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year.”
The Belgian football federation was preparing an appeal in Seattle in the early hours of Monday to challenge the Balogun ruling before a Fifa-appointed appeals judge.
- itvX
Wednesday, 10 June 2026
Sunday, 7 June 2026
MONACO GP PLUNGED INTO CHAOS WITH RED FLAG TARMAC INSPECTION
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| Photo: Race Pictures |
Charles Leclerc crashed out of the Monaco Grand Prix ahead of the Safety Car restart. After the drivers did a couple of laps on the circuit, the race was stopped with a red flag for tarmac inspection.
That is for inspecting a track break-up at Turn 19, with 10 laps to go. Kimi Antonelli currently leads ahead Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar.
The race will restart at 17:12 local time (16:12 GMT). Follow the Monaco Grand Prix with GPblog's liveblog here!
More drama for Leclerc and Russell
The Ferrari driver was in third place ahead of the Safety Car restart following Lance Stroll's incident, but crashed into the barrier in the last corner. Over the radio, the home favourite was fuming. He said: "I'm not even going to take the blame! These brakes!"
George Russell could also lose further positions after failing to serve his five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane during his second stop of the day. The Briton is now under further investigation.
- Kada Sarkozi
KIM KARDASHIAN BLANKS MARTIN BRUNDLE DURING MONACO GP GRID WALK
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| Photo: Race Pictures |
Martin Brundle's famous pre-race grid walk roduced another awkward celebrity encounter at the Monaco Grand Prix, with reality TV star Kim Kardashian appearing to blank the Sky Sports F1 presenter moments before the start of the race.
The Ferrari guest was one of the biggest names in attendance in Monte Carlo, attracting significant attention throughout the weekend as she spent time in the paddock alongside sister Khloe Kardashian and visited Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari garage.
As Brundle made his way through the packed Monaco grid, he spotted Kardashian and attempted to secure one of his trademark interviews. However, the television personality appeared unwilling to stop, with her entourage continuing to move her through the crowded pre-race scene.
The brief exchange quickly circulated on social media, with fans comparing it to several previous celebrity snubs that have become synonymous with Brundle's grid walk over the years. Despite the apparent rejection, the former F1 driver continued on without issue as he searched for other interview opportunities before lights out.
Kardashian's appearance marked her first high-profile visit to a Formula 1 paddock and generated widespread interest throughout the weekend. The American businesswoman and media personality was frequently shown on television coverage and was also seen watching events unfold from the Ferrari garage as Hamilton secured a strong grid position.
The incident adds another chapter to Brundle's long history of memorable grid walk moments. The Sky Sports commentator has become renowned for approaching celebrities regardless of their willingness to speak, creating a segment that many fans consider one of Formula 1's most entertaining pre-race traditions.
Brundle's persistence has previously led to awkward encounters with stars from the worlds of sport, film and music, particularly at glamour events such as Monaco where the grid is packed with VIP guests.
While Kardashian may not have provided Brundle with the interview he was looking for, the moment nevertheless became one of the most talked-about off-track incidents of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, proving once again that the grid walk can be almost as entertaining as the race itself.
- Ben Hunt
Saturday, 6 June 2026
FP3 REPORT: WHAT HAPPENED IN FINAL PRACTICE AT THE MONACO GP
Kimi Antonelli transformed the picture at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix by topping final practice for Mercedes ahead of qualifying, as Ferrari suddenly found themselves chasing rather than leading.
After Ferrari dominated Friday practice, Antonelli delivered the clearest sign yet that Mercedes had found performance overnight. The championship leader set a 1m 12.720s to finish 0.327 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton third, just 0.004 seconds behind his team-mate.
George Russell was fourth in the second Mercedes, while Max Verstappen completed the top five for Red Bull.
The final Formula 1 practice hour suggested qualifying may not be the Ferrari walkover many had expected after Friday. Antonelli looked confident from the moment the soft tyres went on, and his pace was strong enough to leave the rest of the field with serious work to do before the most important qualifying session of the season.
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| Kimi Antonelli during practice for the 2026 F1 Monaco GP | Mercedes |
Antonelli takes control as Ferrari chase answers
Ferrari had looked like the team to beat after finishing one-two in both FP1 and FP2, but FP3 gave Mercedes a major boost.
Antonelli found time early on the soft tyre and then stayed clear of the field, while Leclerc and Hamilton were unable to match his benchmark when the final qualifying simulations began. Traffic played a role, as it always does in Monaco, but the gap to Antonelli was large enough to suggest Mercedes have made genuine progress overnight.
Leclerc still ended the session second, but the Monegasque driver continued to sound uncomfortable over team radio, with the brake issue he revealed on Friday still appearing to be a concern. That could be crucial at Monaco, where confidence under braking is everything.
Hamilton was third and remained close to Leclerc, but neither Ferrari driver could land a response to Antonelli before the late red flag disrupted the final runs.
Bearman crash interrupts final laps
The session was stopped late on after Oliver Bearman crashed his Haas at Massenet. Bearman lost the rear while climbing the hill, shortly after passing Russell, who had moved as far aside as possible to stay out of the way. The Haas driver clipped the barriers and left debris on the track, bringing out the red flag.
“Sorry guys, it’s the ***** bottoming. I’m so sorry,” Bearman said over team radio.
He climbed out of the car unharmed and later returned to the pit lane, but Haas will need to check the car carefully before qualifying, particularly around the rear and gearbox after the impact.
The marshals cleared the car quickly, but barrier checks meant the session resumed with only four minutes remaining. That gave some drivers time for one final run, although out laps were heavily compromised as the field queued up in classic Monaco fashion.
McLaren still searching before qualifying
McLaren still looked short of the very front after a difficult Friday. Oscar Piastri finished sixth, 0.978 seconds off Antonelli, while Lando Norris was ninth after continuing to play catch up following his FP2 stoppage.
McLaren confirmed before the session that it had broken curfew after Norris stopped at the Nouvelle Chicane on Friday. The team replaced the wiring harness and changed the ESME pack within the permitted allocation as part of its investigation into the issue.
Team CEO Zak Brown admitted a second row start might already be an optimistic target, with McLaren still trying to understand its pace before qualifying.
There was also a late traffic moment between Norris and Hamilton, with neither driver sounding impressed over the radio. The incident was not noted by Race Control, but it served as a reminder of how tense qualifying could become when 22 cars fight for space around the narrowest circuit on the calendar.
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| Nico Hulkenberg during practice for the 2026 F1 Monaco GP | Audi F1 Team |
Audi impress again as Cadillac suffer more issues
Audi continued their strong Monaco weekend, with Gabriel Bortoleto seventh and Nico Hulkenberg 10th.
Both Audi cars had finished inside the top 10 in FP1 and FP2, and their FP3 pace suggested the team could be genuine contenders for Q3 if they execute qualifying cleanly.
Isack Hadjar was eighth as he continued to rebuild confidence after his FP1 crash at the Swimming Pool section. Liam Lawson also had another nervous moment at the same part of the track, catching a slide after the rear stepped out.
Cadillac had more brake trouble after Sergio Perez suffered a brake fire in FP2. This time Valtteri Bottas reported smoke and limped back to the pits, avoiding a stoppage but raising fresh concerns for the team.
The final practice message was clear. Ferrari still have pace, Verstappen remains close enough to threaten, and McLaren are not out of the picture. But heading into qualifying, it is Antonelli and Mercedes who suddenly look like the combination to beat.
- John Smith
Friday, 5 June 2026
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