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Basel presents Lichtsteiner as new head coach

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Basel presents Lichtsteiner as new head coach

FC Basel has appointed Stephan Lichtsteiner as the new head coach of its first team. The former Augsburg player replaces Ludovic Magnin, who left FCB on Monday.

The 42-year-old, who already knows the club well from his time with the red and blue youth team, has signed a contract until summer 2029. Pascal Bader will join FCB as assistant coach alongside Lichtsteiner.

After ending his playing career, Lichtsteiner embarked on a coaching career and gained his first experience as assistant coach for SC Kriens’ U16 team and the Swiss U18 national team. In February 2022, he moved to the Rhine knee for the first time as a coach, where he spent more than two and a half years as head coach of the U15 team, then the U16 team, and at the same time as defensive coach. Since 2024, he has been on the sidelines at FC Wettswil-Bonstetten, continuing his coaching education.

“I am very convinced of the long-term project at FC Basel and am therefore delighted to be able to be part of it with immediate effect. Although the move comes a little earlier than planned, it was obvious to me that I wanted to take on this challenge at this great club now that the situation has arisen. I am sure that we can achieve a lot together at FCB,” Lichtsteiner is quoted as saying in FC Basel’s press release.

Stucki on the new coach

Sports director Daniel Stucki said: “We already know Stephan from the youth department, where I worked directly with him for over two years. He has a strong tactical understanding and has always known how to inspire his teams and make them better as a collective.”

During his active career, Lichtsteiner played for FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga, among others, and previously played for FC Arsenal and Juventus Turin, among others.

McQueen’s death: headers “probably” a factor

Andrew Jackson
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McQueen’s death: headers “probably” a factor

The debate about the harmful effects of headers on health has been reignited. According to a study, the death of former Scottish international Gordon McQueen can be attributed, among other things, to the headers he made during his active career.

There are already discussions in Germany about banning headers in youth soccer, and a case from the United Kingdom is now fueling the debate. According to the results of an investigation published on Monday, repeated heading was “probably” a factor in the death of former Scottish international Gordon McQueen.

The defender died in 2023 at the age of 70, and his family had already made his dementia public in early 2021. After his death, McQueen’s brain was examined at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Chief coroner John Heath now says he is “convinced” that the many headers in McQueen’s career led to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries and can only be diagnosed posthumously by examining the brain. It is particularly common among American football players and boxers. CTE has also been diagnosed in isolated cases among former soccer pros, including Hilderaldo Bellini, captain of the Brazilian World Cup-winning team in 1958. In McQueen’s case, medical examiner Heath stated: “The combination of CTE and vascular dementia led to pneumonia. I determine the cause of death to be pneumonia, vascular dementia, and CTE.“ Neuropathologist Willie Stewart, who was also involved in the investigation, explained that the symptoms of CTE are cognitive decline and changes in nerve behavior that ”cannot be explained by any other disease.“ The symptoms are ”typical of professional soccer and rugby players after a long career.”

Debate also in Germany

McQueen played professional soccer from 1970 to 1985, including for Leeds United and Manchester United, winning the FA Cup with the Red Devils in 1983. In 1974 and 1978, he participated in the World Cup with the Scottish national team, but did not play in either tournament. McQueen played a total of 30 international matches.
“Dad loved everything about soccer, but in the end, soccer killed him,” McQueen’s daughter Hayley told the BBC. “I know many soccer players whose families have come forward with symptoms very similar to my father’s, and I think we will see more and more cases like this.”

At the end of 2019, an initial study in Scotland showed that professional soccer players are at increased risk of dying from dementia. At the time, a link with concussions and heading the ball was suspected. England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland have now banned heading the ball for children under the age of twelve. Although the DFB has not issued a ban, it does recommend “targeted training” because incorrect technique can pose a health risk. For example, heading training should not take place in wet and cold weather.

Liverpool’s dangerous situation: Did someone say luxury squad?

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Liverpool’s dangerous situation: Did someone say luxury squad?

Liverpool FC is in danger of throwing away the Champions League—and repeating a transfer mistake from the summer. A former Stuttgart player has become a symbol of this.

The schedule has no feelings, but it can still be pretty cruel. Next week, Liverpool FC will face Marc Guehi for the fourth time this season, a player the Reds could use now more than ever since they first tried to sign him. But because they were too late in the summer and – obviously – didn’t make a move in the winter, Guehi now plays for Manchester City. And Wataru Endo plays for Liverpool.

On Saturday, the former Stuttgart player and trained defensive midfielder, who had not even played a total of 45 minutes this season, came on as a substitute in the first half of the away game in Bournemouth as Virgil van Dijk’s new partner because Joe Gomez had been injured in a collision with his own goalkeeper Alisson. The fact that Liverpool conceded the 0-2 just before the substitution, while they were briefly a man down, “sums up our season quite well,” said coach Arne Slot, but that wasn’t even the biggest problem at that moment.

It’s more this: there are huge gaps in a squad that was upgraded in the summer for nearly €500 million and the two most expensive players in league history. In Bournemouth, not only was Endo suddenly a sought-after center back, but Dominik Szoboszlai was also back at right back after an hour, even though he is virtually wasted there. None of this was planned.

“It’s safe to say that some of our players ran out of energy,” Slot lamented after the late 2-3 defeat that knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League spots (even if they do manage to clinch fifth place in the Premier League again). Compared to the 3-0 win in Marseille in the Champions League, he had only changed one position “because we only have these players available.” Did someone say luxury squad?

Slot’s complaints do not go down well with the fans

The fact that center back Giovanni Leoni and right back Conor Bradley are out for the rest of the season has hit the Reds surprisingly hard. In addition, Slot will have to do without his hoped-for striker Alexander Isak until at least March, for whom there is no high-quality alternative available apart from Hugo Ekitiké, who was initially rested in Bournemouth.

While rivals from Arsenal to Aston Villa deliberately strengthened their squads ahead of the season, Liverpool’s management chose a different path that has led them into dangerous territory: results are lacking, the Champions League is in jeopardy, and Slot’s complaints are growing louder, which is not going down well with many fans.

No new signings in sight – is Robertson leaving?

When ManCity and Chelsea recently ran out of center backs, one team quickly snapped up Guehi, while the other recalled Aaron Anselmino from Borussia Dortmund. And the Reds? They are also active in the transfer market, but in a different way than expected: they are currently weighing up whether to allow left-back Andy Robertson to move to Tottenham Hotspur six months before his contract expires.

There is no talk of bringing in reinforcements of their own, even though the need for an additional center back was obvious even before Gomez’s injury, which is unlikely to be long-term. In hindsight, not signing anyone in the summer turned out to be a mistake. To repeat this mistake now would be grossly negligent.

Endrick hype in Lyon: “We needed this player”

Phil Laffertey
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Endrick hype in Lyon: “We needed this player”

On Sunday, Lyon striker Endrick scored a hat trick in Metz. The Real Madrid loanee has made a big impact in France, despite playing in an unfamiliar position.

Many Real players have made no secret of the fact that they are not shedding any tears over Xabi Alonso’s departure. Leading the way is Vinicius Junior, who did not attend the coach’s farewell. The former Real coach had repeatedly put his faith in him.

Endrick cannot exactly say the same, as the striker played no role at all under the former Real coach. The 19-year-old missed the start of the season due to a thigh injury, but even after that he was given hardly any opportunities at the Royal Club – no matter how badly Real played. He was allowed to play a total of 99 minutes for Real under Alonso. Nevertheless, Endrick did not want to kick him while he was down. “I learned a lot from Xabi in Madrid,” he praised instead in an interview with Marca. “I benefited greatly from what I heard.”

He is now applying the knowledge he has acquired at his loan club Lyon. The hype surrounding the six-month loan was enormous from the start, with his introductory video being the most viewed ever on the club’s social media channels. But Endrick seems largely unimpressed by the resulting pressure to succeed – at least so far.

The “caged lion” is set free

His debut couldn’t have been more dreamlike. He scored the winning goal in the 2-1 victory in Lille in the Coupe de France, and in his league debut he contributed an assist to the 2-1 win against Brest. Now, in his third appearance, he scored a hat trick in the 5-2 win in Metz. “In his year and a half at Real Madrid, he seemed like a caged lion. But after just three games with Olympique Lyon, it’s clear that his roar can no longer be contained,“ Marca predicted.

At least Endrick is keeping his feet on the ground. ”I’m very happy. It’s my first hat trick and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life,” said the Brazilian, who thanked the team and the coach. His name is Paul Fonseca and he is, of course, extremely satisfied. “Endrick is a special player and we needed him,” praised the Portuguese coach.

Endrick comes in from the right

It is noteworthy that Fonseca is increasingly playing his prominent center forward on the right wing. This is precisely the position that repeatedly caused Alonso headaches at Real. In Madrid, they will certainly take note of Endrick’s explosion in form. The contract of the €47.5 million new signing from the summer of 2024 runs until 2030.

More turmoil at MBC: Coach Ramondino resigns

Lesley Summerville
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More turmoil at MBC: Coach Ramondino resigns

Syntainics MBC must search for a new head coach. As announced by the Weißenfels club, Marco Ramondino offered his resignation after the defeat against Trier, and MBC accepted it.

After seven consecutive defeats and the latest heavy defeat of the season against Trier (84:110), Ramondino asked the Weißenfels club management to terminate his contract, according to a press release.

“I regret Marco’s decision, which came as a surprise to me. He has always been fully committed and deserves great recognition for that,” said sporting director Silvano Poropat, who will now take over responsibility on the sidelines for the time being. The 54-year-old has already coached the MBC three times, between 2011 and 2015, in 2019, and between 2020 and 2021.

However, the Croatian does not intend to fill this position long term, and the search for a successor to the Italian has already begun. Ramondino had only signed a two-year contract in Weißenfels in the summer and took on the difficult legacy of Janis Gailitis, who sensationally led the Wolves to cup victory in their home arena. Among other things, the MBC also beat FC Bayern Munich last February.

MBC still with a cushion above the relegation zone

In the summer, some key players left the club, but others, such as captain Charles Callison and Spencer Reaves, were retained. Nevertheless, there has been some unrest among the Central Germans recently. In addition to the losing streak, the dismissal of BBL legend John Bryant was also a recurring topic, and the decision caused a lot of discussion within the scene. The seven league defeats in a row also meant that the MBC has now slipped to 14th place. With a record of 7-10, however, Weißenfels still has a three-game cushion above the relegation zone. Internationally, things are going better, with the MBC still undefeated after six games in the ENBL and already qualified for the next round. The East Germans have an important game against Oldenburg coming up on Friday.

Back to the 90s: First covers for WWE 2K26 revealed

Andrew Jackson
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Back to the 90s: First covers for WWE 2K26 revealed

Raw vs. Nitro, McMahon vs. Turner, WWF vs. WCW: WWE 2K26 revisits the most legendary rivalry in wrestling history with two special editions.

At least in terms of the two covers, WWE 2K26 takes us back around 25 to 30 years. At that time – between 1995 and 2001 – what is now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) was still known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was engaged in a bitter rivalry with World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

Essentially, it all boiled down to one question: Who would win Monday night? Monday Night Raw (WWF) or Monday Night Nitro (WCW)? At the helm of the two organizations at the time were Vince McMahon on the WWF side and Ted Turner on the WCW side.

Both leagues had plenty of star power. While Monday Night Raw was riding high with stars such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and Mick Foley, WCW countered with names like Hulk Hogan, Sting, and Bill Goldberg.

However, the WWF set a decisive milestone with the Attitude Era: it said goodbye to classic family friendliness and instead focused on provocation: swearing, alcohol consumption, revealing images, complex storylines, and anti-heroes characterized the product. This radical change of course ultimately gave the WWF a decisive advantage over WCW.

Much information still under wraps

These formative years will now be featured in their own special editions for the release of WWE 2K26. Pre-orders will start on January 30, 2026. How much the individual versions will cost is still unknown, as are the bonuses they will include.

However, a look at its predecessor provides some guidance: WWE 2K25’s Deadman Edition cost €100, the Bloodline Edition €130, and the Farewell Tour Edition €150. Accordingly, the Attitude Era Edition is likely to be priced around the €100 mark, while the Monday Night War version will probably be in the €130 range. The specific release date, possible new features, and the superstar on the cover of the standard version are not yet known. The price is also likely to be based on its predecessor and will be around €80.

Is Christian Horner joining Alpine, Flavio?

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Is Christian Horner joining Alpine, Flavio?

Because Otro Capital wants to sell its shares in the Alpine team, a buyer is being sought—one potential interested party is former team boss Christian Horner.

While Alpine officially kicks off the 2026 Formula 1 season in Barcelona today, Monday, reports of Christian Horner’s possible entry are causing a stir. The former Red Bull team boss is looking for a new field of activity in the premier class after his dismissal in the summer and is also being linked with the French team.

The background to this is Otro Capital’s desire to sell its 24 percent stake in the team. Reports are circulating in the paddock that Horner is part of a group of investors that has its eye on this stake. This has since been confirmed by the team.

Flavio Briatore, who plays a central role at Alpine as an advisor, is trying to play down the rumors: “There is a lot of confusion at the moment. A few groups, I don’t know how many, six or seven—every day a new group joins. Every day people call me about Otro, but I’m not interested,” the Italian waves off.

Briatore makes it clear that the process has two decisive hurdles: first, an agreement must be reached with Otro Capital, and then the decision-making power lies with the main owner.

Alpine: Contacted regularly

“First you have to buy Otro, then Renault has to accept the buyer, and then we’ll see what happens,” says Briatore, who emphasizes: “There is no connection to me because he is negotiating with Otro, not with us.”

Due to the persistent rumors, the team itself has now confirmed that Horner is considering an entry: “One of the parties that has expressed interest is a group of investors that includes Christian Horner,” the racing team announced, but also emphasized that it is “regularly contacted by potential investors.”

Alpine makes it clear that talks are being held exclusively with the shareholders—Otro Capital (24 percent) and the Renault Group (76 percent)—and not directly with the team management or Flavio Briatore.

Briatore himself says that he has known Horner for many years and is therefore in contact with him, but that if Horner were to buy shares, it would have nothing to do with him.

Alpine faces an important year in 2026

When asked whether Horner could be an asset to the team, Briatore remains tight-lipped, but leaves the door open for any personnel reinforcements: “I think everyone is an asset to the team, depending on what position you put people in,” he says.

Alpine finished last in the 2025 Formula 1 season and is therefore aiming for a significant improvement in performance this year. That is currently the focus, as the French team emphasizes.

With the new regulations for 2026, Alpine sees a “unique opportunity” to show a sustainable improvement in performance and return to the top of the midfield or beyond.

It remains to be seen whether Horner will actually join the French factory team as a partner – the decision now lies primarily with Renault and Otro Capital.

Aldeguer to miss Sepang: Setback for Gresini at the start of MotoGP testing

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Aldeguer to miss Sepang: Setback for Gresini at the start of MotoGP testing

Fermin Aldeguer will miss the important 2026 Sepang test: Following his thigh fracture, his return remains uncertain – Jorge Martin’s participation is also in doubt

Fermin Aldeguer will miss the important MotoGP test in Sepang. Gresini has confirmed that the 2025 Rookie of the Year will not be able to take part in the three-day test (February 3 to 5) due to his ongoing recovery.

The Spaniard is still recovering from a serious injury he sustained in a training crash in early January. He broke his left thigh bone while preparing for the new season in Valencia.

Aldeguer underwent surgery at the University Hospital in Barcelona on January 9.
According to the team, the procedure went without complications, but the healing process remains uncertain given the severity of the injury. It was clear early on that it would be difficult for him to participate in the Sepang test.
The Buriram test is the target for Aldeguer’s return.

It is now certain that Aldeguer will not be in Malaysia. His return to the motorcycle remains open. Whether the Gresini rider will be able to take his place on the Ducati GP25 at the Thailand test in Buriram (February 21 to 22), one week before the start of the 2026 season, will only be decided in the coming weeks.

In sporting terms, Gresini’s absence comes at a sensitive time. With the Sepang test on February 3 marking the start of the official test phase, Alex Marquez is the team’s only active rider for the time being. Accordingly, all focus is on him and his adaptation to the latest version of the Ducati.

Martin’s participation in the Sepang test also in doubt

Gresini is not the only team that will have to do without a regular rider in Sepang. Aprilia factory rider Jorge Martin is also likely to miss the first official MotoGP winter test of 2026 after recently undergoing another operation.

The procedures were performed on his left scaphoid bone and right collarbone. Both injuries date back to the 2025 season, which was marked by setbacks, during which Martin had to undergo multiple surgeries and only participated in seven of 22 Grands Prix.

Although his current recovery is progressing satisfactorily according to Spanish media reports, it is considered almost impossible that he will be able to take part in the Sepang test in February. Instead, test rider Lorenzo Savadori is likely to step in, while Martin hopes to be back in action himself for the second winter test in Buriram.

Porsche confident after victory: “It looked more dominant than it actually was”

Sotd Editor
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Porsche confident after victory: “It looked more dominant than it actually was”

Porsche wins the 24 Hours of Daytona just ahead of Cadillac: LMDh director Urs Kuratle is therefore convinced that it looked more dominant than it actually was.

Porsche wins the 24 Hours of Daytona, the season opener of the 2026 IMSA SportsCar Championship, for the third time in a row. However, this comes as no surprise, as preliminary testing already indicated that the road to overall victory would once again lead through Zuffenhausen and their dominant 963.

The result of the Rolex 24 is therefore perhaps a little surprising: the winning Penske Porsche (Nasr/Andlauer/Heinrich) crossed the finish line just 1.569 seconds ahead of the second-placed Action Express Cadillac.

The two Penske Porsches had already built up a comfortable 20-second lead in the first stint, which melted away again due to the yellow flag phases. “I think it looked more dominant than it actually was in the end,” says Porsche LMDh boss Urs Kuratle.

“We all know that in the first 22 hours, everyone tries to stay in the lead lap, and that’s what we did,” “So it looked more dominant than it actually was. I’m convinced of that.”

Cadillac only comes into its own in the final stages

The last two hours were even “quite interesting,” adds Kuratle. Suddenly, the Action Express Cadillac, which had been largely inconspicuous for much of the race due to both its starting position penalty and several penalties during the race, came into play.

Cadillac was even a lap behind at times and only benefited from the numerous yellow phases in the final hours of the race. “The entire field improved significantly overall,” emphasized race winner Felipe Nasr in the post-race press conference.

“There were phases in the race when I thought, ‘Okay, we have pretty good pace’. But there were also other phases where, for example, the [Cadillac] was always very fast when you looked at the sector times.“

Nasr speaks of an ”extremely intense“ final phase

Nevertheless, Penske was ”in good shape from start to finish,” according to Nasr. However, the conditions were challenging: “It was a big challenge just to keep the car on the track. You could see how the car was sliding in the bus stop chicane – not just us, but Cadillac too.”

The competition seemed to cope better with this, as Jack Aitken was even able to put pressure on Porsche in the final stages. “I was surprised at how strong they were at the end,” admits Nasr. “They had a lot of pace, especially in the traction zones, where they were very good.”

“That last hour in the car was extremely intense,” reports the Brazilian, who received a lot of information from the team. “The spotters said, ‘He’s taking a different line here, a different line there. As a driver, you had to process a lot of information at the same time.“

The Cadillac came dangerously close to the victorious Porsche several times. ”A few times I had to choose my line and brake as late as possible. He also tried everything,“ Nasr sums up. ”I just drove with my heart and relied on my experience.”

Black interim design: This is what the new McLaren MCL40 looks like!

Phil Laffertey
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Black interim design: This is what the new McLaren MCL40 looks like!

Formula 1 world champion McLaren unveils the new MCL40 for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, but not yet the final color scheme of the car.

Just in time for the start of the 2026 Formula 1 shakedown in Barcelona, world champion team McLaren has released the first images of its new MCL40. The racing team from Woking, England, showed studio photos of the car that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will use to defend their world championship title.

However, the first pictures do not show the final color design of the McLaren MCL40: McLaren will compete in the first test drives of the year in an interim design that is predominantly black. Gray accents and colorful sponsor stickers complement the livery. McLaren plans to reveal the final design on February 9.

The most striking feature of the new McLaren is the shape of its nose, which differs significantly from the Formula 1 cars of its competitors shown so far because it appears longer and is pulled further down. From the side, the design is even reminiscent of the extreme solutions from the 2014 season, which were mocked at the time as “penis noses.”

Massive hood on the McLaren MCL40

McLaren’s wind deflector solution is also interesting: where Ferrari and Red Bull, for example, use a slatted design for the side air deflectors, McLaren uses a one-piece solution on the MCL40 that only has a vertical cut. The struts on the chassis are also different from those used by Ferrari and Red Bull.

From the front, the design of the airbox behind the cockpit is particularly striking: it looks bulky and is reminiscent of Alpine designs from previous years, making it significantly larger than on previous McLaren cars.

In the 2025 season, McLaren won both Formula 1 world championship titles for the first time since 1998. In 2026, the traditional team will also present itself with a new title sponsor.

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