Tuesday, January 6, 2026
spot_img
Home Blog

UEFA imposes harsh penalties on Bayern and Frankfurt fans

Andrew Jackson
-
0
UEFA imposes harsh penalties on Bayern and Frankfurt fans

The massive use of pyrotechnics by some supporters has now had repercussions: FC Bayern will have to play its next Champions League home game without some of its fans, while Eintracht Frankfurt has even been banned from welcoming away fans.

Bayern Munich will have to play its Champions League home game against Union Saint-Gilloise on January 21 (9 p.m.) in front of a partially empty fan section. In response to the massive use of pyrotechnics in the home game against Sporting Lisbon on December 9 (3-1), UEFA ordered the closure of blocks 111 to 114 in the lower tier of the south stand. This penalty had already been imposed on Munich on probation after similar incidents last season – now it has been enforced.

Bayern has been spared a complete closure of the south stand for the time being, but UEFA has imposed a two-year suspended sentence, which will come into effect if the fans cause trouble again. In addition, the Munich club must pay a fine of €30,000, plus €16,000 for blocking passageways.

Bayern were also fined €70,000 for the match at Arsenal on November 26 (1-3). In London, Munich fans clashed with security forces who were trying to prevent them from hanging a banner.

SGE without away fans at least once – Reschke announces “adjustments”

Eintracht Frankfurt was also punished. The Hessians will have to play their away game at Qarabag Agdam in Azerbaijan on January 21 (6:45 p.m.) and another international away game without their own fans. In addition, they were fined €38,000. According to the ruling, Eintracht fans set off pyrotechnics, damaged the toilets in the visitors’ area, and threw objects during the game against FC Barcelona on December 9 (1-2). SGE has been in contact with Barca to settle the damages caused by its fans in the away section toilets.

Frankfurt was under observation after an incident at the beginning of the year during the Europa League away game at AS Roma, and UEFA had imposed a two-year suspended sentence. The probation has now been revoked, and a fan ban has been imposed for another international away game. “We have requested the reasons for the judgment and reserve the right to appeal with regard to the additional away game ban,” said Eintracht’s board member, announcing: “However, it is now also clear that after the third penalty of this kind since 2019, things cannot continue like this. We will make significant and targeted adjustments, which we will define in detail very soon.”

VfB rejects €40 million offer for Leweling

Andrew Jackson
-
0
VfB rejects €40 million offer for Leweling

VfB Stuttgart has rejected a lucrative offer for Jamie Leweling and has no interest in letting the national team player go. Sebastian Hoeneß has also commented on the matter.

Jamie Leweling was also present when VfB Stuttgart played a friendly match against Swiss first division club FC Lucerne on Monday afternoon. And the 24-year-old winger is set to continue wearing the jersey with the red chest ring in the future.

As Sky reported during the closed-door match and kicker can confirm, VfB rejected a lucrative offer for Leweling: AFC Bournemouth was prepared to offer €40 million for the national team player. However, the Stuttgart management team led by sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth has no interest in letting Leweling go, especially not in the middle of the season.

Leweling no longer has an exit clause

As with Nick Woltemade and his €75 million transfer to Newcastle United in the summer, VfB would be open to talks again if an “immoral” offer were made. However, a sudden departure of the key player is not in the club’s interest. In December 2024, he extended his contract early by another year until 2029 and also had a release clause of €25 million bought out. So VfB holds all the cards.

“Jamie is one of our most important offensive players; he gives us something we can really use,” said coach Sebastian Hoeneß after the 3-2 win against Lucerne, in which Leweling was substituted at half-time along with nine other field players, highlighting his “speed” and ‘straightforwardness’ in particular. He also said that he is “completely integrated into the team.” When asked whether he was firmly planning with him regardless of a financially attractive offer, Hoeneß replied: “I’m counting on it.”

Leweling has had a more than decent six months. He has collected seven points (one goal, six assists) in 14 Bundesliga appearances, two (0/2) in six Europa League appearances, and two (0/2) in three DFB Cup appearances. He particularly impressed in the 4-0 away win in Bremen in mid-December, contributing to three goals, including a thunderous long-range shot to make it 2-0 at half-time.

If he can maintain this form in the new year, he has a good chance of being included in Julian Nagelsmann’s World Cup squad. Leweling has made four senior international appearances to date.

Bournemouth, who have slipped to 15th place in the Premier League after a strong start to the season, are looking for a replacement for rising star Antoine Semenyo, who is set to join Manchester City in the winter transfer window. The 25-year-old Ghanaian can leave for a fixed fee of €74 million.

Gvardiol needs surgery: Defensive center causes ManCity concern

Jeffrey Gooding
-
0
Gvardiol needs surgery: Defensive center causes ManCity concern

Manchester City got off to an extremely unfortunate start to the new year. In addition to two draws, the Skyblues are growing increasingly concerned about their central defense. Among other things, Josko Gvardiol suffered a broken shin against Chelsea.

With only two points from two games, Manchester City started 2026 and had to let Arsenal pull six points ahead. In an attempt to make up the deficit, Pep Guardiola will have to do without his regular center-backs, at least for a while: the Catalan had to substitute both Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias in the second half of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea. “It doesn’t look good for him or Ruben,” Guardiola was quoted as saying in a statement released by the club on Sunday. A day later, the diagnosis confirmed the worst – at least for Gvardiol, who was injured in a challenge with Malo Gusto shortly after the restart. As the Skyblues announced on Monday evening, the Croatian suffered a broken right tibia and will undergo surgery later this week. Further tests will determine how long the 23-year-old will actually be out of action. The club has not yet provided an update on Ruben Dias, but Guardiola suspects that it is a muscle injury. “We have a lot of injuries. John Stones will be out for I don’t know how many months. Ruben will now be out, Josko will be out,” said the Cityzens coach.

Will City respond with the transfer of Guehi?

Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Aké replaced the duo in central defense in the final stages against Chelsea. Guardiola has rarely used either player so far this season. Khusanov has started three times in the league, Aké only twice. However, they are likely to improve their statistics on Wednesday evening (8:30 p.m.) against Brighton. Max Alleyne, who played 90 minutes for Watford on January 1, is also likely to be included in the matchday squad. Manchester City terminated his loan with the Hornets early due to the shortage of central defenders.

If Ruben Dias is also out for a longer period, the Premier League’s second-placed team could also become active in the transfer market.
According to a BBC media report, there is interest in Marc Guehi, who will be available on a free transfer next summer and almost joined Liverpool FC last summer. A move for the Crystal Palace defender to Manchester would therefore not be out of the question in the current transfer window.

Rami also wanted Boavista to refund his taxes

Jeffrey Gooding
-
0
Rami also wanted Boavista to refund his taxes

Soccer players and taxes, chapter X: Back in 2022, Adil Rami had already secured a payment from his former club Boavista, and three years later he also wanted to be refunded the tax burden he allegedly incurred as a result. And he failed.

As Emmanuel Macron was praising the French 2018 World Cup winners in the dressing room after their 4-2 final victory over Croatia, Adil Rami caused a laugh. “I would like to thank…” the president had just begun when the center back cheekily interrupted: “…for the taxes.”
A ruling by the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber in 2025 also shows that Rami is clearly very aware of the issue.
The Portuguese paid, then the tax authorities demanded a good €40,000.

For some background, we need to go back a few years, to 2022. A year earlier, in July 2021, Rami and Boavista Porto had mutually terminated the Frenchman’s contract with the cash-strapped Portuguese club, which was due to run until 2022, and agreed on a residual payment. However, the club failed to comply. FIFA finally ordered it to pay around €200,000 net plus interest, which Boavista actually did in July 2022 with a transfer of €216,115.74 to the now 40-year-old. In October 2022, the Portuguese tax authorities contacted Rami and demanded €41,519.26 for the 2021 tax year.

The defensive specialist, who had played for AC Milan, Sevilla FC, Olympique Marseille, and Fenerbahce, among others, wanted to sue the Portuguese for this sum, so he turned to FIFA again in October 2024. By this time, Boavista had long since fallen into considerable financial difficulties. The club has since been relegated to the fifth division (!), with chaos clearly reigning under Luxembourg-Spanish businessman Gerard Lopez.

FIFA dismisses defender’s lawsuit

At least the 2001 Portuguese champions were spared from having to pay the former defender’s taxes. This was because the judges of the world governing body felt that Rami had failed to provide evidence that the tax claim was specifically based on the payment made in 2022.
They also considered it questionable that the claim related to the 2021 tax year, but the payment had been ordered in 2022. FIFA dismissed the 1.90-meter man’s lawsuit.

Dinwiddie replacement found: Bayern signs playmaker from Russia

Jason Maverick
-
0
Dinwiddie replacement found: Bayern signs playmaker from Russia

FC Bayern Munich has responded to the departure of Spencer Dinwiddie. Nenad Dimitrijevic is coming to Munich as his replacement.

The playmaker most recently played for Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia. In 2024, the 27-year-old, then still playing for Unics Kazan, was named MVP of the Russian league.

“With Neno, we are expanding our squad in a position where we have had several injuries and after Spencer was unable to return,” said sporting director Dragan Tarlac. “As the most valuable player in the VTB League, through his years of development in the strong Spanish ACB and his season in Milan, he brings a lot of experience to our guard rotation in addition to his dynamism and power. Lots of energy, defense and, on offense, the ability to force solutions, for himself or for others – we are looking forward to these strengths.”

Last season, the North Macedonian international played for Olimpia Milan, but was only able to meet expectations to a limited extent. In his first EuroLeague season, the playmaker averaged 7.6 points and 2.9 assists for the Italians, who once again missed the playoffs. Dimitrijevic will wear the number 0 jersey in Munich. “Munich is a great and highly respected organization, and when Coach Pesic calls you, it’s an honor and a no-brainer,” said the newcomer.

Bayern signs Dinwiddie replacement

In twelve competitive games for Zenit, the guard averaged 12.1 points and 5.8 assists. Dimitrijevic was trained at Joventut Badalona, and the North Macedonian also spent a season in Valencia when they were still competing in the EuroCup.

In Munich, the 27-year-old now fills the gap left by Spencer Dinwiddie. The American agreed to an early termination of his contract with Bayern on Sunday and had already returned to the US at Christmas due to a serious illness in the family.

In the EuroLeague, Munich currently ranks only 18th with a record of 6-13, while in the Bundesliga, the reigning German champions have suffered only one defeat (in Berlin). Munich will be back in action in the EuroLeague on Wednesday, playing at home against Baskonia, before traveling to Olympiakos Piraeus on Friday.

“Lost my temper”: Former Top Gear producer on Räikkönen’s lack of enthusiasm

Sports Of The Day
-
0
“Lost my temper”: Former Top Gear producer on Räikkönen’s lack of enthusiasm

A former producer of the cult TV show Top Gear once gave Kimi Räikkönen a dressing-down for his lack of enthusiasm – but in the end, the “Iceman” got his act together.

Kimi Räikkönen was known in the paddock for doing things his own way. Or not at all, if he didn’t feel like it. But as Andy Wilman, former executive producer of the cult British show Top Gear, has now revealed, the Finn once hit a brick wall with this attitude. Wilman revealed in a podcast that he even had to loudly reprimand the 2007 Formula 1 world champion because his performance on set left something to be desired.

The incident occurred during Räikkönen’s return to Formula 1 with Lotus, when he was scheduled to appear as a guest star in the “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” segment on the in-house test track in Dunsfold. The conditions were typically British: wet and uncomfortable.

“Räikkönen came to the show,” Wilman recalls in the Midweek F1 podcast. “Everyone else did their laps, but when it was his turn, the track was wet. At first we thought, ‘Oh, this isn’t going to work.’ But then we said, ‘Okay, he’ll kick the car properly, it’s Kimi after all.’” But the reality was different.

Disillusionment at the stopwatch

Wilman wanted to know how the Finn was doing, so he went to Nick Dalton, the man in charge of timekeeping. “I asked him, ‘How’s he doing? How’s he getting on?’ And Nick just replied dryly, ‘Not great.’”

Räikkönen had apparently seen enough. The Finn headed straight for his motorhome and made preparations to end the working day early. “He disappeared into his trailer and just said, ‘That’s it, I’ve done enough laps,’” Wilman continued. “He wasn’t unfriendly, but his attitude was clear: ‘It’s raining, time to call it a day.’”

The problem for the producer was that the track was just starting to dry out: the ideal opportunity to significantly improve the time once again. But Räikkönen had already made himself comfortable.

“Iceman” in a recliner

When Wilman went to see the F1 star, he found him in a state of total relaxation. “I came in a little late, and there he was, stretched out in this huge TV chair like Joey from the TV series ‘Friends,’ and it was nice and warm inside,” Wilman describes the scene.

The producer initially tried to be diplomatic: “Kimi, it’s drying up outside. I can’t tell you your time, but it wasn’t brilliant and we both know you can go faster.” The Finn’s response was short and sweet: “No, I can’t.”

Even the suggestion that a glance out of the window would confirm the improved track conditions fell on deaf ears. “In an extremely bad mood, he hoisted himself up, looked out and said, ‘No, it’s not,’ before lying back down again,” Wilman recounts.

When the boss loses his temper

At that moment, the producer lost his patience. “I kind of lost my temper and really gave him a piece of my mind,” Wilman admits. He appealed to Räikkönen’s sense of honor and the expectations of the fans: “I told him, ‘There are so many people out there waiting for your comeback… and it will reflect on you if you don’t deliver here.’”

The dressing-down had the desired effect. The usually stoic Finn actually got out of his chair again. “He got up, went out, did a few more laps and was a good bit faster,” Wilman sums up with satisfaction. “That was the day I gave Kimi Räikkönen a piece of my mind.”

Pol Espargaro: Good starts are “part of KTM’s DNA”

Jeffrey Gooding
-
0
Pol Espargaro: Good starts are “part of KTM’s DNA”

Pol Espargaro recalls the first official MotoGP test of the KTM RC16 in November 2016 and the detail that amazed him even then.

KTM’s MotoGP history now spans nine full seasons plus one race.
The Austrian manufacturer made its debut in the premier class of the Motorcycle World Championship in November 2016 at the season finale in Valencia. Test rider Mika Kallio was the first to pilot the first version of the KTM RC16 in a race as a wildcard entry. The result was a retirement due to an electrical problem.

Two days after the Valencia race, Pol Espargaro sat in the saddle of the RC16 for the first time. The Spaniard was one of two regular riders for the Austrian MotoGP newcomer in its debut season in 2017. His teammate was Briton Bradley Smith. Kallio remained with the KTM program for years as a test and reserve rider.

As for Espargaro, he remembers the 2016 Valencia test very clearly: “I remember how the bike was a disaster during the first test in Valencia. Everything vibrated. The engine wasn’t right yet. But my start was immediately a tenth of a second faster than with the Yamaha.”

Before the younger of the two Espargaro brothers joined KTM in the winter of 2016/17, he had completed three MotoGP seasons with the then Yamaha satellite team Tech3. The power of the KTM RC16 at the start really blew him away at the time.

“As I said, it was the first start. I said to the guys in the pit: ‘Okay, the bike is rubbish, but the start is outstanding. Just replace everything except the clutch.’ And as the bike developed, the engines and everything else were changed. But the starts remained outstanding.”

“It was like that from day one. I think it’s crazy,” Espargaro marvels, concluding that the RC16’s good starts are “part of KTM’s DNA.” “They are one of the greatest strengths of this bike and one that has never been changed. But that’s not just because of the clutch.”

Espargaro doesn’t want to reveal the other, or the real, secret behind KTM’s strong starts over the years. He knows it, though. After all, he was a regular rider in the Mattighofen manufacturer’s factory team for four years (2017 to 2020).

After two years with the Honda factory team, Espargaro returned to the KTM camp for the 2023 season, joining the Tech3 team. And he continues to race for this team. In the 2025 MotoGP season, he raced five times as a replacement for injured regular rider Maverick Vinales.

Espargaro sums up KTM’s strength at the start as follows: “In the second or third year, we really started to gain a lot of positions at the start. It’s just so much fun to get off to a good start with this bike. It always has been.”

Did Horner knowingly burn out his drivers? Perez settles scores with Red Bull

Lesley Summerville
-
0
Did Horner knowingly burn out his drivers? Perez settles scores with Red Bull

According to statements made by Perez in a podcast, Horner openly admitted that neither Lawson nor Tsunoda would be able to cope with the pressure in the second cockpit.
Sergio Perez is about to make his Formula 1 comeback with Cadillac, but he can’t seem to let go of his time at Red Bull. In a recent interview, the veteran driver once again settled scores with the team’s working methods. His damning verdict: he felt he could never please those in charge, regardless of his performance compared to Max Verstappen.

In the Oso Trava podcast, the Mexican vividly described how he was worn down by the team’s unattainable expectations.

“The team found fault with everything. At Red Bull, everything was simply a problem,” said the driver, whose contract was terminated at the end of 2024 despite a previously signed two-year extension.

Perez couldn’t please Red Bull

“If I was faster, that was a problem and caused tension. If I was slower than Max, it was just as much of a problem,” Perez explained. “At some point, I realized that those were the conditions. Instead of complaining, I tried to make the best of it.”

Perez admitted that he knew what he was getting into. Nevertheless, he had hoped to be more involved in the development of the car instead of sitting idly by and watching the entire package being tailored exclusively to Verstappen.

“Christian [Horner] was completely honest with me during our first conversation. He said, ‘We’re fielding two cars because we have to. But this project was created for Max—he’s our talent.’” Perez replied at the time that he didn’t care as long as he had a say in the development and was given a real sporting chance.

His summary today is bitter: “I was in the best car, but in an extremely complicated team. Being Max’s teammate is hard enough. But being his teammate at Red Bull? That’s the most thankless job in all of Formula 1.”

Perez’s descriptions of his last conversation with then-team boss Christian Horner are particularly explosive. In it, he warned his boss urgently about the problems that any successor would face. According to Perez, Horner admitted that the situation would be almost impossible for other drivers to cope with—but that he would be prepared to change the personnel if necessary.

The last conversation: “You’re going to burn them all out”

“I asked him at the time, ‘Christian, what are you going to do if it doesn’t work out with Liam [Lawson]?’ He just said, ‘Well, then there’s Yuki [Tsunoda].’ ‘And if it goes wrong with Yuki too?‘ ‘We have enough drivers.’ I then said to him, ‘You’re going to burn them all out.’ And his answer was simply, ‘Yes, I know.’”

These statements suggest that Lawson’s promotion was more of an act of desperation because no better option for the second cockpit could be found at short notice. Especially since the decision was only made late in the 2024 season.

In the end, both were right: none of the successors could cope with the package. Isack Hadjar will now be in the second Red Bull for 2026. Even though Perez emphasizes that Horner was aware of the risk, it remains to be seen whether a new wind will blow under the new leadership of Laurent Mekies and whether Verstappen’s new teammate will find more balanced conditions.

After 22 years at Red Bull: Courtenay becomes new sporting director at McLaren

Sotd Editor
-
0
After 22 years at Red Bull: Courtenay becomes new sporting director at McLaren

Head of Strategy Will Courtenay is leaving Red Bull earlier than planned and started his new role as sporting director at McLaren at the turn of the year.

Red Bull has to cope with the loss of another high-ranking employee: Strategy chief Will Courtenay, who had already announced his move in the 2024 season, is now leaving the team earlier than expected and will take up his new position as sporting director at McLaren this season.

However, the Briton’s departure comes as no surprise, as it had been planned for a long time. Unlike Jonathan Wheatley, who was allowed to move to Sauber earlier, Courtenay was unable to terminate his contract with the Bulls prematurely, at least not last year. Nevertheless, the move is now taking place earlier than planned.

The Brit was actually supposed to spend the rest of his contract, which ran until mid-2026, on “gardening leave.” On Sunday, however, Courtenay announced on his LinkedIn profile that he has already started working at McLaren. “After 22 years at Red Bull Racing, the last 15 of which as Head of Race Strategy, I am delighted to announce that I am now taking on a new challenge and joining the McLaren Racing Formula 1 team as Sporting Director,” Courtenay writes.

Will Courtenay spent 22 years at Red Bull

He continued: “I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Red Bull with whom I have worked. I have made so many great friends there and hope to continue to see many of you in the paddock. It has been an incredible two and a half decades.”

“Now I’m looking forward to settling into my new role and new team, and hopefully making lots of new friends as I do my best to support McLaren in its recent success in the coming years.”

Courtenay continues a wave of departures from Red Bull, which in the past twelve months has also included technical genius Adrian Newey, former team boss Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley. The Bulls are undergoing a generational change and are planning further restructuring within the team.

Gianpiero Lambiase is expected to take on more senior roles in the 2026 season, as Red Bull is primarily planning internal promotions. However, it is also known that Williams and Aston Martin are interested in the successful Verstappen engineer. So Courtenay may not have been the last departure…

Record prize money at Australian Open

T0m@dmin1
-
0
Record prize money at Australian Open

The prize money for singles winners will increase by 19 percent.

The Australian Open will once again award record prize money this year. As the organizers of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year in Melbourne announced on Tuesday, the total prize money will increase by 16 percent to 111.5 million Australian dollars (around 64 million euros). The winners of the singles competitions will each receive 4.15 million Australian dollars (2.58 million euros) – an increase of 19 percent over last year.

Participation is also worthwhile for professionals who are eliminated early on: those who lose in the first round receive 150,000 Australian dollars (86,000 euros) – and even tennis pros who fail to qualify are rewarded with the equivalent of 23,000 euros.

Tournament director Craig Tiley sees this as an important adjustment: “By supporting players at all levels, we are creating broader talent pools and more exciting stories for the fans.”

The tournament at Melbourne Park begins on January 18. The defending singles champions are Italy’s Jannik Sinner and the US’s Madison Keys.

123...1,747Page 1 of 1,747

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

Sports of the day is your sports news website. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the sports industry.

Contact us: [email protected]

FOLLOW US

Responsible Gambling, when the fun stops, stop.

© 2021 sportsoftheday.com