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Alex Marquez does not see the GP26 as a test for the Ducati factory team

Phil Laffertey
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Alex Marquez does not see the GP26 as a test for the Ducati factory team

Alex Marquez does not see his season with the Ducati GP26 as a test for the factory team, but has nevertheless set himself a high goal after finishing runner-up in the championship

Alex Marquez is optimistic about the future after a strong season in MotoGP. The Spaniard will ride the current Ducati, the Desmosecidi GP26, for the first time in 2026. However, he sees this less as an entrance exam for the factory team and more as a personal performance test.

Starting next season, Ducati will compete with four new prototypes. In addition to official factory riders Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, as well as VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez will also receive the latest GP26 at Gresini.

Since joining the team in 2023, the younger of the Marquez brothers has always ridden last year’s bikes. But his impressive performances on the GP24 this season convinced Ducati to entrust him with the latest equipment.

The move is seen as a logical step forward and allows Ducati to compare Marquez’s performance directly with the factory riders. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old emphasizes that he is not under any particular pressure to prove himself in 2026. “No, I don’t see it that way,” he said at a press conference in Madrid. “I see it more as a test for myself. It’s about getting the best out of your garage so that there are no doubts about what could have happened if you had had the latest bike. And to be honest, that doesn’t make me more nervous, it actually gives me peace of mind,” said Marquez.

From almost out to runner-up in the 2025 world championship

At the Malaysian Grand Prix, the 29-year-old secured second place in the riders’ standings ahead of schedule – a remarkable achievement for a rider who has had to fight long and hard for his future in the premier class in the past.

After difficult years at LCR Honda, where he was hardly competitive, Marquez found his old strength again at Gresini in 2023. With the GP24, he finally took the decisive step in 2024 and established himself at the top. The runner-up title has special significance for him, not only as a symbol of his comeback, but also because his brother Marc won the world championship.

“It’s similar to a title, but not a normal second place for me,” says the younger of the two brothers about finishing second in the world championship. “My path in MotoGP has not been easy. I started very well in 2020 with two podium finishes as a rookie at Repsol Honda, but then I moved to LCR and struggled there for two years.”

“I was almost at home in 2023. It was only through a stroke of luck that I got the chance at Gresini. That’s why this is so special. I’m second, the first of the losers. But the winner is my brother. That’s a different feeling.”

“It was just perfect. It’s special when you consider where we come from. That’s why it’s a really good second place,” Marquez emphasizes.

Looking ahead: Title fight against his brother?

With second place in the World Championship, the Spaniard has achieved the best result of his MotoGP career so far. In 2026, he wants to take the next step and fight for the title. But to do that, he will have to beat his brother Marc on the same bike. “I would never say that Marc is unbeatable, but it’s very difficult,” he admits. “The pressure he puts on, constantly riding at the limit from the first practice session, that’s tough. The difficult thing is to have the precision that he has.”

“No one is unbeatable, but beating him over 22 races is very difficult,” Marquez knows. Despite the competition on the track, he emphasizes that both can benefit from each other, also through their different riding styles: “I lack Marc’s explosiveness, and he lacks the calmness that I have.”

“We’ve both improved, but I envy Marc’s explosiveness more than his calmness. That’s what has earned him more titles. I’m going to stay the same. And if I do change, I hope someone gives me a little nudge.”

Mercedes admits: Should have acted more decisively in Mexico

Sotd Editor
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Mercedes admits: Should have acted more decisively in Mexico

Mercedes acknowledges that the team orders issued in Mexico came far too late – in hindsight, a decision should have been made much earlier.

George Russell finished the Mexican Grand Prix at the weekend in seventh place – but says he could have finished higher up if Mercedes had issued team orders in his favor earlier in the race.

Russell was stuck several laps behind his teammate Kimi Antonelli, and when Mercedes finally instructed the rookie to let Russell pass on lap 41, it was already too late, according to Russell. “There was no point in doing that anymore,” said the Brit.

“Either you do it immediately or you don’t do it at all,” Russell explained after the race, because: “At that point, my tires and brakes were overheated and the engine was also starting to overheat.”

As a result, he was unable to gain any more positions after the swap and ultimately gave sixth place back to his teammate shortly before the end. Mercedes team representative Bradley Lord has since confirmed that the team order came far too late. “In Mexico, it was very difficult to overtake due to the low downforce, especially because of the dirty air phenomenon, which now seems to be more significant than ever since these rules were introduced in 2022,” he explains in a team video.

“So it was a tricky situation, and we probably didn’t handle it quite right,” he admits, explaining: “We let Kimi drive in such a way that he could conserve his tires so he could get through with one stop.”

“He did exactly what was asked of him,” Lord clarifies. Russell, on the other hand, had ‘pressure’ from Oscar Piastri in the McLaren behind his teammate and was also stuck in Antonelli’s “dirty air.” That’s why the Brit repeatedly asked for a position swap over the radio.

“We finally decided to swap, and looking back, I think that regardless of whether we had decided to keep the positions or swap, it was the delay that didn’t work for us,” Lord said.

“The lesson learned is that we should have acted more decisively by either asking to hold the positions or swapping positions instead of waiting as long as we did,” admits the Mercedes man.

In the World Championship, Mercedes slipped to third place behind Ferrari in Mexico after a mixed result with P6 and P7. Charles Leclerc’s second place means that, with four races to go, the Scuderia is now one point ahead of the Silver Arrows again.

“He’s been bullying me for more than 20 years.”

Jeffrey Gooding
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“He’s been bullying me for more than 20 years.”

The former world number one is being harshly criticized by an ex-player. Her response is more than clear. She accuses her critic of bullying.

These are words that make you sit up and take notice: tennis star Caroline Wozniacki has sharply criticized a TV commentator on Instagram. Peter Bastiansen, who once played professional tennis himself, recently criticized the 35-year-old in the Danish tabloid “B.T.”

“She will never play tennis at the top level again. That ship has sailed,“ said the former pro about Wozniacki, who has not yet commented on whether she will continue her career after the birth of her third child in the summer. ”Why doesn’t she just say she’s quitting?“ asked Bastiansen, who commentates on tennis for TV 2. ”There would be nothing wrong with that. All the big sports stars announce something like that, I don’t understand it.“

The 63-year-old also said that he would find it ”ridiculous” if Wozniacki competed in the Australian Open in January. He also couldn’t imagine the Dane receiving a wild card.

Wozniacki now had some strong words for her critic. In her Instagram story, she wrote about him: “For more than 20 years, Peter Bastiansen has been bullying me, attacking me in the media and talking about things he knows nothing about.”

Wozniacki attacks Bastiansen: “You should know the rules”

But Wozniacki’s reckoning went even further. Addressing Bastiansen directly, she said: “Peter, you’re a clown, and as a ‘tennis expert’ you should know the rules. It can be difficult to keep track of things when you’ve never played at a high level yourself.”

Bastiansen reached a career-high ranking of 224 in the world rankings, never climbing higher. Wozniacki, on the other hand, was even number one in the WTA world rankings at one point. She spent a total of 71 weeks at the top. In 2018, she won her only Grand Slam title, the Australian Open. She reached the final of the US Open twice (2009 and 2014).

The tennis player emphasized that she did not need a wild card to participate in the Australian Open. She has a secure ranking as number 71 in the world, which allows her to participate in major tournaments. Wozniacki has a protected ranking due to her pregnancy. This allows her to continue participating in tournaments as a seeded player despite her forced break.

Bastiansen does not want to “get involved in a war of words”

“After many years of hard training and tennis at the highest level, I have the right to do what is best for my family,” Wozniacki also wrote. She also took a shot at the media for giving Bastiansen a platform. “I don’t understand why TV 2, ‘B.T.’ and other media outlets continue to use his quotes when there are many, many better experts in Denmark,” Wozniacki said.
Bastiansen’s response to the attack was not long in coming. “I don’t want to get involved in a war of words,” he told B.T. “I said one thing and now she’s saying something else. She has every right to do so.”

Report: Former German world champion bankrupt

Jason Maverick
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Report: Former German world champion bankrupt

Former boxer Jack Culcay is making headlines more than a year after his last fight. The former German world champion is apparently struggling with financial problems.

Former boxing world champion Jack Culcay is reportedly bankrupt. According to the trade magazine Boxsport, the Potsdam District Court has opened insolvency proceedings against the boxer, who fought under the name “Golden Jack.”

The former light welterweight world champion owes his last employer, AGON Sports, approximately €100,000, among other things. The arrears are said to result from advance payments. He was previously under contract with Universum and Sauerland Event.

“It’s annoying that it has to end this way”

In an interview with Bild, AGON boxing promoter Ingo Volckmann said: “It’s annoying that it has to end this way. I like Jack and gave him a job as a trainer after his career. For an unskilled coach without a coaching license, who only trains one boxer, for a decent salary.”

This amounted to over €2,000 per month, minus advance payments of around €400 to €500. However, Culcay resigned in the summer of 2025 and left the boxing scene.

Culcay also owes money to friends in the boxing world

“The advance payments came once or twice, then no more. What makes me sad is that Jack didn’t seek a conversation with me. I would be the last person not to have made concessions. But you learn from your mistakes. I no longer give advances to my boxers. Culcay was the exception,” the promoter explained.
Jack Culcay became welterweight world champion in 2009. The former amateur and professional champion last stepped into the ring in April 2024. He fought for the IBF world title.

Wagner: “We are not stubborn or naive”

Sotd Editor
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Wagner: “We are not stubborn or naive”

Moping around? Not with coach Sandro Wagner and his FC Augsburg team. He wants to learn from the two recent defeats and surprise Borussia Dortmund on Friday.

However, the coach also knows: “It’s going to be brutal, but also cool.” Why? He referred to the trinity of Friday evening, floodlights, and BVB as the opponent, all in front of a sold-out crowd. The only player FCA will definitely have to do without is captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw. Tests on Chrislain Matsima revealed no structural injury, and the Frenchman is expected to play if possible. There is a contingency plan in place without the defensive leader, but Wagner did not want to reveal it.

Wagner was eloquent at the press conference, argued well on his own behalf, and showed that he was capable of learning from recent setbacks. “Of course we have to change something, we’ve conceded too many goals,” he said, referring to the Bundesliga’s leakiest defense, which has conceded 20 goals. “We’re not stubborn or naive,” he added.

Dahmen remains the clear number 1

Wagner is the focus of attention, and almost everything at FCA revolves around him. Is this an alibi for the players? “They can play freely because the coach is being criticized,” he replied to this legitimate question. The recipe for regaining momentum and success? “We are workers, we have to get back on track through hard work.”

The FCA coach insisted that he himself could cope with the current situation. His state of mind was “completely irrelevant,” he said, adding, “It annoys me more when the players and spectators don’t go home with a smile on their faces. I’m not the type to bury my head in the sand.” Wagner said that the pressure as a coach is greater than when he was a player, but that it’s good for his personal development when the going gets tough.

There is no debate about the goalkeeper position, even though Nediljko Labrovic played well against Bochum and earned his place with good performances in training. “Finn is our number one in the Bundesliga and will clearly remain so,” he said of Dahmen, who – like practically everyone else – had recently made a serious mistake against Leipzig.

Spicy tattoo: Juve announces Spalletti as new coach

Lesley Summerville
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Spicy tattoo: Juve announces Spalletti as new coach

Juventus has been waiting for its next championship title since 2020 and has gone through several coaches during that time. Now, as expected, Luciano Spalletti is set to stabilize the Italian record champions and lead them to new heights.

Juventus Turin last won the Scudetto under Maurizio Sarri, who nevertheless only remained in office between 2019 and 2020. Since then, the 36-time Italian champions have only managed two triumphs in the Coppa Italia.

The sad side effect on the coaching bench: Neither the attempt with World Cup winner Andrea Pirlo, the return of Massimiliano Allegri (championship winner from 2015 to 2019) between 2021 and 2024, nor the appointments of Thiago Motta and, most recently, Igor Tudor have really borne fruit.

Italy commitment most recently

Now it’s up to Luciano Spalletti to fix things. The 66-year-old was presented as the new Juve coach on Thursday, as expected, succeeding former player Tudor, who was recently dismissed after eight winless competitive games.

The common thread between the two parties involved: both the Old Lady, who returned to winning ways this week with a 3-1 victory over Udinese under interim coach Massimo Brambilla, and Spalletti want and need to prove themselves.

After all, the new coach also has his sights set on a turnaround following successful years at Zenit St. Petersburg (2009 to 2014), AS Roma (2016 to 2017), Inter Milan (2017 to 2019) and, above all, Napoli (2021 to 2023).

Contract extension if they finish fourth?

According to Italian media reports, the contract, which is valid until the end of the season, contains a clause stipulating that it will be extended by two years if the club finishes at least fourth this season and qualifies for the Champions League. His salary for the entire season is reported to be three million euros plus bonuses.

Spalletti, who hails from Tuscany, took over the Italian national team at the end of the 2022/23 season after a short break following his famous championship title with the Neapolitans.

The sad result: At the 2024 European Championship, the Squadra Azzurra, as reigning champions, were knocked out of the round of 16 by Switzerland without a fight, and most recently, the team failed to make it past Germany in the quarterfinals of the Nations League. At the beginning of June 2025, Spalletti announced his own dismissal. As is well known, Gennaro Gattuso will now lead the Italians at the 2026 World Cup.

And Spalletti? He brings with him to his new job in Turin a tattoo that is certainly not welcome to some Bianconeri fans. After winning the Scudetto with Juventus’ southern rivals Napoli, who had won the title for the first time in 33 long years, the coach had the logo tattooed on his left forearm.

Luis Diaz would gladly do without this record

Lesley Summerville
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Luis Diaz would gladly do without this record

Luis Diaz has already scored eight goals in 14 competitive games for FC Bayern. That’s a very respectable tally, but it could be much higher. No one in Europe’s top five leagues misses more big chances.

Here are just three examples of Luis Diaz missing an almost certain goal: In Augsburg on matchday 2, the 28-year-old only had to tap the ball into an empty net from close range in the first minute, but instead passed it across. Last Saturday, the Colombian again ran alone towards the Mönchengladbach goal after just a few seconds, but shot wide of the gaping net. On Wednesday evening in Cologne, with the score at 2-1, he had time and space from the halfway line to consider how to shoot the ball into the goal. In the end, his attempt went over.

There are other examples: in the first round of the DFB Cup, for example, Luis Diaz wasted half a dozen good chances against Wehen Wiesbaden. The notable exception to the many chances that often arise at the start of a game was his 1-0 goal in Frankfurt in the first minute of play.

Don’t get me wrong: Liverpool’s new signing has already proven his worth, he plays very well for the team, is resilient, and delivers goals and assists. It’s just that there could be a lot more goals.

The statistics are almost unbelievable: Luiz Diaz has already accumulated 19 big chances this season and missed 14 of them. That’s the highest number in Europe’s top five leagues.

Optimists might say that a professional has to earn those chances first, but realists shake their heads in disbelief. Especially when you look at the other names in the top five:

Kane, Haaland, and Mbappé are also on the list

In second place, with ten big chances each, are Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Dia’s teammate Harry Kane, as well as former Mainz player Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace. The only explanation for this collection of world-class players is that many other players cannot have missed ten big chances because they didn’t even have that many in total…

But back to Luiz Diaz: these misses are not significant yet, as his FC Bayern has won all 14 competitive games this season. On Wednesday evening in Cologne, he missed his best chance, as described, but scored the 1-1 and skilfully set up the final 4-1 by Michael Olise. However, the 1-1 would have been disallowed in the Bundesliga, where VAR would have spotted the clear offside.

Nevertheless, this generosity in missing chances could come back to haunt them at some point—namely when it comes to the decisive knockout games, where chances are fewer and farther between. Because efficiency is what counts, one goal or another. Kane can tell you a thing or two about that: the usually accurate Englishman missed a 100% chance in the Champions League quarter-final against Inter Milan last season when the score was 0-0 in the first leg. Considering the 3-4 aggregate score, it was a very costly miss.

Bosz on star reserve Wanner: “Things are going slower than he had hoped”

Lesley Summerville
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Bosz on star reserve Wanner: “Things are going slower than he had hoped”

Paul Wanner joined PSV Eindhoven in the summer with high hopes, but the 19-year-old has hardly featured so far. Coach Peter Bosz has now commented on the situation of the top talent.

Things are going pretty well for PSV Eindhoven at the moment: the Dutch champions are unbeaten in seven competitive games, celebrating four wins in a row, including an impressive 6-2 victory over SSC Napoli in the Champions League and, most recently, a 3-2 win at the usually tricky away ground of league leaders Feyenoord. In terms of points, PSV is now level with the Rotterdam team, which, however, has a two-goal better goal difference. Nevertheless, for Eindhoven and coach Peter Bosz, it’s safe to say that things are going well.

The same cannot be said for Paul Wanner. The 19-year-old moved from Munich to Eindhoven in the summer for €15 million, one of the top transfers PSV has ever made in its club history – and not without controversy and criticism from Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl. Wanner is not really getting a chance at PSV. Four games in the Eredivisie, only one start and three relatively late substitutions, as well as two appearances as a substitute in the Champions League are the German-Austrian’s record so far.

Apparently a lot to talk about

“Things are certainly going slower than he had hoped,” Bosz said of the 19-year-old’s development to Dutch public broadcaster NOS. “But I know that we are talking about a young man who comes from abroad and first has to adapt. That’s not a bad thing at all – and he’s doing an excellent job, by the way.”

However, Wanner’s problem also has the name Ismael Saibari. The 24-year-old Moroccan is in brilliant form, scoring six times in ten league games and adding two more goals in the Champions League. Wanner “also has Saibari ahead of him, who is playing well,” Bosz attests, emphasizing that he has by no means written off the young midfielder.

Wanner is not the first footballer to need “some time” to “settle in” at a new club, says Bosz, noting that this is actually more common than players making an immediate impact from day one. “I try to convey to him that this is completely normal,” says the 61-year-old: “I try to talk to him about it, so I sit down with him every week. He wants to know from me what he needs to do differently or better.”

PSV seeks tailor-made solutions

Bosz does not reveal what tips the coach gives his protégé, but he does say that PSV tries to “find tailor-made solutions” for players who do not get much playing time—and one thing is particularly important in this regard: “The players must always feel that they have the prospect of making it into the starting lineup at some point.”

In addition to Wanner, this also applies to Adamo Nagalo, who was signed from FC Nordsjaelland in the summer of 2024 for €7 million. In order to get more playing time, both players recently traveled to England with Jong PSV, where they played for at least 90 minutes in a 2-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ U21 team.

In the end, it was clear: Bayern defeats Bologna in Dinwiddie’s debut

Sotd Editor
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In the end, it was clear: Bayern defeats Bologna in Dinwiddie’s debut

FC Bayern narrowly won the rematch with former Munich player Carsen Edwards and Virtus Bologna. The game was dominated by NBA newcomer Spencer Dinwiddie. But it was someone else who made the headlines again.

Just two days earlier, in the surprise victory over Real Madrid, forward Isaiah Mike excelled with 29 points. Against Bologna, the Canadian had another great day, scoring 17 points and missing only two shots (6/8).

New signing Spencer Dinwiddie had a rather inconspicuous evening on his debut for Bayern. After eleven years of NBA basketball, the American clearly had some adjustment difficulties. In the first half, the guard was very cautious and failed to score any points. After the break, he played with a little more courage and scored his first points with a difficult layup.

Jessup seals the deal

It was at this point that the tide turned in Munich’s favor. A 12-2 run gave Munich a double-digit lead for the first time. The strong Jessup ensured that the last-ditch efforts of former Munich players Carsen Edwards and Karim Jallow were unsuccessful. The guard, who came from Ulm in the summer, scored eight of his twelve points in the final quarter alone, pulling the Italians’ teeth. In the final quarter, the visitors finally fell behind – they didn’t score a single point for more than six minutes. Then Andi Obst sealed the deal with his accuracy: the national player scored eleven points in the final quarter alone and was Bayern’s top scorer with a total of 21 points.

Bayern ends the EuroLeague double week with two wins and now has a balanced record of four wins from eight games in the top flight. The Bundesliga continues next Monday, when Munich hosts MLP Academics Heidelberg at 8 p.m.

Olympic Esports Games: IOC and Saudi Arabia part ways

Sports Of The Day
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Olympic Esports Games: IOC and Saudi Arabia part ways

On Thursday, the IOC announced that it had ended its cooperation with Saudi Arabia for the Olympic Esports Games. What does this mean for the Olympic future of esports?

The turbulent history of Olympic eSports enters its next chapter: As announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Esports Games will not take place in Saudi Arabia over the next twelve years as planned.

The decision was made after reviewing the project with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) and the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF). The relevant contracts have been terminated by mutual agreement and partnerships have been dissolved.

New approach, new partners

“For its part, the IOC will develop a new approach to the Olympic Esports Games and pursue a new partnership model, taking into account the feedback from this process,” according to the statement from the world governing body.

This new approach is intended to “better align the Olympic Esports Games with the long-term goals of the Olympic Movement and make the opportunities offered by the Olympic Esports Games accessible to a wider audience.”

The following clause is particularly interesting: the goal is to “hold the first Games as soon as possible.” This sounds very much like the start of the Olympic Esports Games could be postponed again.

2027 unlikely to be met

With the announcement of the Olympic Esports Games 2024, the first games were scheduled for 2025. A few months later, the IOC backtracked and announced that they would take place one or two years later after all.
Shortly thereafter, the date was set for 2027.

Following the split between the IOC and Saudi Arabia, the start date for Olympic esports seems uncertain once again. Those responsible must first work out the new approach and new partners. 2027 currently seems unlikely to be met.
Surprise and opportunity

“The IOC’s latest announcement has surprised many,” says Felix Falk, managing director of the video game industry association game. “It’s good that the IOC is once again emphasizing the great importance of eSports and its plans for the Olympic Esports Games.” However, the scrapping of the previous plans also shows “that eSports and traditional sports function differently in important ways.”

The German eSports Federation (ESBD) emphasizes on LinkedIn the opportunity that the now-canceled cooperation with Saudi Arabia opens up: “The discussion about venues and partners is open again. Among other things, this would be a huge opportunity for Germany and other European countries to successfully address this issue.” The federation will “continue to closely follow developments.”

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