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Bargaining chip in Strasbourg: Chelsea loans out former Dortmund player Anselmino again

Lesley Summerville
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Bargaining chip in Strasbourg: Chelsea loans out former Dortmund player Anselmino again

Aaron Anselmino was not allowed to stay at BVB, but he will not be staying at Chelsea either. The Argentine has become part of a swap deal and will now play for Racing Strasbourg in France.

Aaron Anselmino was not allowed to stay at BVB because the Argentine was unexpectedly recalled by Chelsea FC from his original one-year loan to Borussia Dortmund, even though he had settled in well in Dortmund. The defender, who came to Europe from Boca Juniors, made ten appearances for the Black and Yellows in all competitions, including three Champions League appearances.

However, Anselmino has a contract with Chelsea, and the Blues exercised their right to recall the player early. This would have been a perfectly understandable move if the Blues had considered the 20-year-old for their own squad plans. However, rumors quickly emerged that the center back would not be staying in London for the rest of the season, despite some personnel problems. And so it has come to pass: Chelsea is loaning Anselmino to Racing Strasbourg.

Rosenior pushed for Sarr transfer

Like Chelsea, the French first division club belongs to Todd Boehly’s BlueCo consortium, which is another reason why there is now a swap deal. Anselmino is being loaned to Strasbourg because Chelsea is bringing Mamadou Sarr back from Strasbourg early. The Blues signed the 20-year-old Senegalese player from Racing in the summer of 2025 and gave him a contract until 2033, but immediately loaned him back to their partner club, where he was one of the top performers.

Sarr’s move to Stamford Bridge is said to have come about mainly at the instigation of Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior, who himself only moved from Strasbourg to the Blues at the beginning of January. And Anselmino, as we now know, was merely a piece of the puzzle in the London club’s economic and transfer tactical intrigues.

World Cup dream in jeopardy? Ter Stegen faces another long spell on the sidelines

Jeffrey Gooding
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World Cup dream in jeopardy? Ter Stegen faces another long spell on the sidelines

Marc-André ter Stegen’s injury woes continue. According to unanimous reports in the Catalan media, the German national team goalkeeper is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Will FC Girona have to do without winter signing Marc-André ter Stegen again in their fight against relegation? As the La Liga tenth-placed team confirmed on Monday afternoon, the German national goalkeeper suffered a muscle injury in his hamstring during Saturday’s 1-0 away defeat in Oviedo.

The injury apparently went completely unnoticed during the game and did not immediately raise alarm bells among the coaching staff or ter Stegen himself. However, according to consistent Spanish media reports, initial examinations give no cause for optimism.

How long will ter Stegen be out this time?

There is concern within the club that ter Stegen could be out for up to two months or even longer, which would seriously jeopardize his World Cup dreams. However, the long-time Barcelona keeper must first undergo further medical examinations in order to make a reliable diagnosis. This was confirmed by Girona on Monday.

According to Cadena Ser, even more complex scenarios, including an early return to FC Barcelona, cannot be ruled out at this stage. The medical departments of his loan club Girona and his parent club Barcelona are already said to be in intensive discussions about ter Stegen’s case. In the worst case, the loan could be terminated.

For ter Stegen, who made the move with a heavy heart, it would be a massive setback. After his debut, a 1-1 draw against FC Getafe on January 26, there was high praise from the Spanish press for ter Stegen’s performance.

The 33-year-old Mönchengladbach native’s career was supposed to gain new momentum at Girona. Now, however, his injury history threatens to become even longer: in November 2023, ter Stegen was sidelined for months with a back injury. This was followed by a torn patellar tendon in September 2024, before another back operation became necessary at the end of July 2025.

Atalanta farewell at the third attempt: Lookman moves to Atletico

Sotd Editor
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Atalanta farewell at the third attempt: Lookman moves to Atletico

Ademola Lookman was already keen to leave Atalanta Bergamo in the summer, and now he is finally getting his wish. This is good news for Borussia Dortmund.

With his hat trick in the 2024 Europa League final against Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Ademola Lookman secured his own chapter in the club annals of Atalanta Bergamo. Now it’s finally over: as both clubs announced on Monday evening, Lookman is transferring to Atletico Madrid with immediate effect and signing until 2030. The Nigerian international was already absent from the squad for Atalanta’s away game in Como on Sunday afternoon. According to consistent media reports, the Italians, with whom Lookman was under contract until 2027, will receive a transfer fee of €35 million, with a further €5 million possible in bonuses. In 2022, Atalanta had paid only around €12 million to RB Leipzig to sign the speedy attacker—a real coup. In 137 competitive games, Lookman scored 55 goals—including three in Dublin in the club’s greatest success in its history and its first title since 1963.

First PSG, then Inter—and now Atletico

Nevertheless, the relationship between the London-born dribbling artist and the Bergamaschi was not always a close one. Shortly after the Europa League triumph, Lookman missed the Serie A opener because a move to Paris St. Germain was on the cards, which ultimately did not materialize. A year later, the attacking player was keen to move to Inter Milan, but the clubs could not agree and Lookman complained: “The club is blocking the possibility for reasons I don’t understand.”

Now Lookman’s wish to transfer, as expressed at the time, has been fulfilled. Fenerbahce Istanbul is also said to have sent an offer to Bergamo, but instead Lookman is now heading to Spain, where he is expected to revitalize Atletico’s offense. Most recently, the Colchoneros played to a 0-0 draw against relegation candidates Levante, and since the turn of the year, they have scored more than one goal in only one of eight competitive games. Lookman has scored only two goals in twelve league games for Atalanta this season, but recently impressed with three goals and four assists for Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Lookman’s transfer, who also attracted the interest of FC Bayern last summer, is also good news for Borussia Dortmund. In the Champions League play-offs, BVB will face Atalanta Bergamo, who will now have to compete without their star player.

Eintracht Frankfurt also got a taste of what Lookman is capable of on the big stage in the league: in Atalanta’s 3-0 win in Hesse, the Nigerian shone with a goal and an assist. Instead, Lookman will now face Belgian representatives Club Brugge with Atletico.

Freiburg loans Adamu to Celtic Glasgow

Phil Laffertey
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Freiburg loans Adamu to Celtic Glasgow

On Thursday, Junior Adamu was still playing for SC Freiburg in the Europa League in Lille, but on Sunday, the striker was already missing from the Breisgau squad for the Bundesliga clash at VfB Stuttgart. His move to Celtic Glasgow was already in the works.

On Monday, the sports club made the transfer official. Junior Adamu will join Celtic Glasgow until the end of the season. The Scottish record champions are currently in second place in the league behind Heart of Midlothian. The transfer fee is around five million euros and includes a share for SC Freiburg in any future resale profits.

“Junior has always put himself at the service of the team, but his playing time has recently been unsatisfactory for him and for us – we hope that the loan to Celtic will bring a new dynamic,” said sporting director Klemens Hartenbach, quoted on the Freiburg website.

Difficult situation in Freiburg

Adamu had recently struggled to get playing time at the Sport-Club. In the 0-1 defeat in Lille at the end of the Europa League group stage, the Austrian was allowed to start again, but overall he put in a very weak performance.

After 60 minutes, the 24-year-old was substituted again—a fate he knows only too well. Adamu has not played a single one of his 18 competitive games in full this season, either coming on shortly before the end or being substituted during the game. The striker has been playing in Freiburg since the summer of 2023 and has made 67 appearances and scored seven goals in his two years in the Black Forest – not a good ratio for a striker. Recently, he has been getting less and less playing time—and he is expected to get more of that in Glasgow in the future. The player quickly reached an agreement with the Scots, and the clubs then found common ground.

Sengün saves the Rockets – Sixers win at the Clippers

Lesley Summerville
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Sengün saves the Rockets – Sixers win at the Clippers

The Houston Rockets win in Indiana thanks to Alperen Sengün, even without Kevin Durant. James Harden is once again missing for the L.A. Clippers, and without their playmaker, the Californians lose to the Philadelphia 76ers.

NBA: Sengün records season best

The Rockets struggled to win in Indiana, partly because Kevin Durant was sidelined with minor ankle problems. Alperen Sengün stepped into the breach, with the Turkish player setting a season high with 39 points (13/25 FG). He also added 16 rebounds, seven of them on the offensive board. This is where the game was decided. With Houston leading by three points in the final seconds, the center missed both free throws but then grabbed his own rebound. Amen Thompson (16 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists) then made at least one attempt with four seconds left on the clock, which was enough to secure the victory. Pascal Siakam (27) and Bennedict Mathurin (25) were the top scorers for the Pacers, but they were no match for the Rockets’ size. Indy conceded 30 points off offensive rebounds, which was too much to overcome to win this game.

NBA: Grizzlies end losing streak

There was a minor surprise in Memphis, where the Grizzlies, without six rotation players and a ten-man roster, took the Wolves by surprise. A three-point shooting percentage of 46 percent (19/41) helped enormously, with four players hitting at least three long-range shots. This ended a streak of six consecutive losses; on Saturday night, the Grizzlies had lost decisively to the Wolves at the same venue. Jaren Jackson Jr. led his team with 30 points, and six other players scored in double digits. For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards (39, 13/27) fought hard to avoid defeat, and Jaden McDaniels (29, 11/14) also had a good night offensively. However, when you allow 137 points on the road, you don’t have a good chance of winning the game.

NBA: Sixers win in L.A.

Meanwhile, the Sixers won their first game without Paul George, who is suspended for 25 games. In L.A., Philly was able to rely on Tyrese Maxey (29) and Joel Embiid (24), and Dominick Barlow (26, 16 rebounds) also had an outstanding game under the boards. Things did not go well at all for V.J. Edgecombe, however, with the rookie converting only one of his eleven shots, but the visitors still managed to secure a victory.

Meanwhile, the Clippers were once again without James Harden, with the playmaker reportedly pushing for a trade before Thursday’s deadline. This left Kawhi Leonard (29) somewhat on his own, even though Jordan Miller (21, 9/10) delivered a surprising performance.

5 points missing: Rieck narrowly misses out on World Cup play-ins

Sports Of The Day
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5 points missing: Rieck narrowly misses out on World Cup play-ins

The last of the three FC Pro Open Cups has been played—and now we know who will be participating in the play-ins for the FC 26 World Cup. Levy Finn Rieck narrowly missed out on a ticket. But there is still hope.

There are not many qualifying opportunities left. Tickets for the FC Pro World Championship are now only available through the national leagues or the play-ins. Players were able to earn places in the latter through the FC Pro Open Cups. Points for an overall ranking are collected in three tournaments, both in the Swiss rounds and in the play-offs on the following day. The best players advance to the next round.

A week ago, the quarterfinalists of the FC Pro 26 Open secured their tickets to the World Championship, including Freiburg’s Nassim Dahman and Umut Gültekin. For the RBLZ Gaming pro, this is his first World Championship appearance since his triumph in 2022.

Despite qualifying, Dahman performed particularly well in the Europe East region, leading the table by a clear margin with a total of 1,085 points. In the January Cup, ‘Nassada’ reached the semi-finals, but narrowly lost to Francesco Allocca on penalties. The Dortmund player, on the other hand, ultimately secured first place after defeating another German and VBL colleague, Umut Gültekin (11:7), in the final.

Despite disappointment: Rieck can still hope

For Jonas Wirth of S8UL, the Cup was over after the second round (Razvan Puiu – 11:18) – but without any consequences for the overall ranking. With 670 points, he finished in 6th place and thus qualified for the play-ins. Levy Finn Rieck, on the other hand, narrowly missed out. The Leipzig player was just five points short. Berkay Demirci also narrowly failed to qualify, falling 35 points short.

However, there is still hope for both of them: if some of the play-in participants qualify for the World Cup via their national leagues, there will be replacements. In Demirci’s case, however, the situation is much more complex than for Rieck. It would be enough for the Leipzig player if one player reached this milestone.

For ‘BerkayLion’, on the other hand, it would have to be three. One way would be for Yuval Blizovsky to make it via the Virtual Bundesliga, Samuele Prestigiacomo, who is still ahead of Demirci in the rankings, via the eSerie A, and Wirth via the eLigue 1.

Alex Marquez: “Gresini is the most solid option, but you have to take some risks”

T0m@dmin1
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Alex Marquez: “Gresini is the most solid option, but you have to take some risks”

Alex Marquez talks about his future in MotoGP – Move to KTM team in 2027 imminent – Over half the field may soon be under contract

Alex Marquez, who is currently finalizing his contract with the KTM factory team for 2027, emphasizes that more than half of the riders will have signed their contracts before the first race of the 2026 MotoGP season.

Of course, the runner-up world championship title he achieved last year has caused the younger Marquez brother’s market value to skyrocket. At 29 years of age and after six seasons in MotoGP, now seems to be the right time to capitalize on that value.

According to information from Motorsport.com Spain, the Gresini rider’s future with KTM is practically sealed from 2027 onwards.

Once the contract is signed in the coming days, Alex Marquez will share the Austrian factory team’s pit with Maverick Vinales from next year. Pedro Acosta is set to join the Ducati factory team.

“The goal of every rider is to ride for a factory team,” says Alex Marquez. “But I’m very happy at Gresini. When the time comes, I’ll decide what’s best for my future. But right now, I want to focus on this preseason.”

After a few turbulent days on the rider market, Alex Marquez—like Pedro Acosta and Fabio Quartararo before him—symbolically turned on his answering machine so that no one would misinterpret his words and think he had already made up his mind.

“We are working to have the best options when the moment of decision comes. I won’t deny that Gresini is the most solid option, but it’s true that this may be the moment to take a risk.”

“Because you never know which bike will be the most competitive with the new regulations,” adds the Spaniard, convinced that the rider carousel could already be largely decided before the season starts in Thailand on the first weekend in March.

“More than 50 percent of the riders will have their future sorted before the first race. Many teams and many manufacturers have to commit early so they don’t miss out on the best riders,” says Alex Marquez, convinced of the turbulent transfer merry-go-round. In his best season in the premier class so far, the number 73 rider scored three wins and a total of twelve podium finishes. These results earned him the runner-up title, directly behind his brother Marc, who was unbeatable until his injury in Indonesia. Second place in the overall standings earned him such high regard within Ducati that he will already be riding the current factory bike for the upcoming MotoGP season and will be more closely involved in the evaluation of technical developments.

Few kilometers: The “annoying” problem at McLaren

Sports Of The Day
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Few kilometers: The “annoying” problem at McLaren

McLaren is starting the 2026 Formula 1 season with fewer kilometers than planned: Why downtime during the shakedown says more than lap times

Formula 1 team McLaren has admitted that it did not get off to an ideal start to the 2026 Formula 1 season at the shakedown in Barcelona. Technical director Nick Houldey said after the test drives were completed: “We perhaps felt we were lagging a little behind because we didn’t quite achieve the mileage we had set ourselves on the first and second days.”

Although McLaren covered more than a Grand Prix distance on its first day of driving with 360 kilometers, it only managed another 225 kilometers on the second day. On the third day, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri drove a combined total of almost 800 kilometers for a total distance of 1,360 kilometers. But in the end, that was only the fourth-lowest mileage—around 1,000 kilometers less than front-runner Mercedes. According to Houldey, the deficit was mainly due to “small, annoying problems that took up a disproportionate amount of time.” However, the third day of driving with the McLaren MCL40 was a ray of hope: “Both drivers completed many laps without any problems. That day gave us exactly what we needed. So we went home satisfied.”

How world champion Norris assesses the shakedown

World champion Norris also said he was “generally satisfied.” He said: “From my point of view, it was about getting a good feel for the car again. There are a few minor things I need to adjust here and there, but otherwise it still feels like a real race car—fast and comfortable to drive.”

But other teams seemed faster, especially Mercedes and Ferrari. That didn’t escape Norris’s attention: “Of course, you always look at the others. That’s just part of the sport. And you have to accept that sometimes others do a better job. That’s exactly what you want to learn from.“

And there’s no shortage of lessons at McLaren. Norris’ teammate Piastri, for example, said: ”We’ve started to understand some of the issues, limitations, and differences compared to last year – both with the car and the powertrain. Now we’re going to analyze what worked as planned, what didn’t, and what needs to be adjusted.“

McLaren: Things need to go better at the Bahrain test

Overall, McLaren already feels ”well prepared“ for the upcoming Formula 1 test drives in Bahrain. The bottom line is that the shakedown was a ”successful step in the right direction.” Piastri said he had not noticed “any major surprises” in the car’s handling. “Ensuring that everything works as expected remains our main focus,” he explained. McLaren’s technical director Houldey, however, wants more: “We are traveling to Bahrain with the clear goal of competing there with a faster and more reliable car than at the start of the shakedown in Barcelona.”

Christian Horner considers return to F1—but only under one condition

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Christian Horner considers return to F1—but only under one condition

Christian Horner speaks openly about his future for the first time. A Formula 1 comeback is possible—but only if his sporting ambitions and influence are right.

Former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has clearly signaled for the first time that he can imagine a return to Formula 1.
The Briton said he still had “unfinished business” in the premier class of motorsport, but also made it clear that a comeback would only be possible under certain conditions. Horner led Red Bull to great dominance in two different phases. During his tenure, the team won eight drivers’ titles, four each with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, as well as six constructors’ world championships.
In July last year, his time at Red Bull came to an end after a downward trend in sporting performance and internal power struggles. The group’s management replaced Horner with the then Racing Bulls team boss Laurent Mekies. On Saturday, Horner spoke in detail about his future plans for the first time at the European Motor Show in Dublin. “I feel like I still have unfinished business in Formula 1,” he is quoted as saying by the PA news agency. “It didn’t end the way I would have liked. But I’m not coming back for anything. I’m only coming back for something that can win.”

What Horner misses about Formula 1

Horner went on to explain that he has no interest in returning to the paddock without sporting prospects. “I don’t want to return to the paddock if I have nothing to do. I miss the sport, I miss the people, I miss the team I built. I had 21 incredible years in Formula 1. I had a great time, won many races and championships, and worked with fantastic drivers, engineers, and partners.“

At the same time, the 52-year-old emphasized that he feels no pressure to continue his career. ”I don’t have to come back. I could end my career now. That’s why I would only return for the right opportunity, to work with great people and in an environment where everyone wants to win and shares that desire.“

Horner also hinted that he would be more interested in a partnership role. ”I would rather be a partner than just an employee, but we’ll see how that develops. I’m in no rush.”

Talks with all teams in the paddock

Since his departure from Red Bull, there has been speculation about Horner’s possible return to Formula 1. He would be free to join another team from spring onwards. As Horner is known to be interested in a stake in a team, joining via shares in a racing team is considered a plausible scenario.

Alpine is currently being touted as a possible option. Minority shareholder Otro Capital is said to be willing to sell its 24 percent stake. According to media reports, there have already been contacts with Horner in recent weeks. Alternatively, the Briton could also wait and see how the balance of power develops with a view to the 2026 season.

Horner confirmed that he had held talks throughout the paddock. “What was fascinating was that I left Red Bull on July 8 [2025], and this is the first time I’ve spoken to the media at all,” he said. “I’ve spoken to every single Formula 1 team, from the back of the field to the midfield to the front.”

He views the continued interest in him positively. “There seems to be a lot of curiosity about what I’m going to do next and where I’m going. The reality is that I can’t do anything until the spring anyway. It’s very flattering to be linked with all these different teams over and over again.” Horner had previously been linked with Aston Martin and Ferrari, among others.

More than friends? Lewis Hamilton meets Kim Kardashian

Phil Laffertey
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More than friends? Lewis Hamilton meets Kim Kardashian

A discreet meeting in England puts Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian in the spotlight—despite complete silence on social media.

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton is said to have met US media star Kim Kardashian for a secret date in England over the weekend. This was reported by the British tabloid The Sun, citing several eyewitnesses. There has been no official confirmation from those involved.

Kardashian is said to have flown in from the US especially for the meeting with Hamilton. Hamilton, on the other hand, had a short journey: he arrived by helicopter from London.

Both traveled separately from the local airport near Oxford to the exclusive “Estelle Manor,” a luxury hotel not far from the famous university town. The cost per night in a double room on a weekend: around 1,000 euros and more. According to The Sun, Hamilton and Kardashian not only shared a room, but also rented the entire spacious spa area for themselves. This was followed by dinner for two in a separate dining room, shielded from the other guests.
The following day, Hamilton and Kardashian left together at around 11 a.m.
No word on social media
The two celebrities have a combined total of around 400 million followers on the social media platform Instagram, but have so far made no mention of their meeting in England – or whether it will develop into more than a friendship. Hamilton and Kardashian have known each other for over a decade and spent the last New Year’s Eve at the same party in the US. Hamilton was in a relationship with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger from 2007 to 2015 – his only long-term relationship that was publicly known.
Kardashian, who is four years older, has been married three times and has four children with US rapper Kanye West, from whom she divorced in 2022. Kimberly Noel “Kim” Kardashian is an American media personality, entrepreneur, and reality TV star. She rose to fame in 2007 with the reality series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which spawned numerous spin-offs and huge social media reach. She built successful cosmetics and clothing brands and is now one of the most influential lifestyle entrepreneurs.

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