Saturday, October 18, 2025
Home Blog

“Question of weeks”: Ödegaard will be out for Arsenal for a long time

T0m@dmin1
-
0
“Question of weeks”: Ödegaard will be out for Arsenal for a long time

Arsenal will have to wait quite a while before Martin Ödegaard can play again. Coach Mikel Arteta’s words are also resonating in Norway.

Captain Martin Ödegaard will be out of action for Arsenal for even longer and may also miss Norway’s last two group games in World Cup qualifying. “It’s a matter of weeks. There is no date for his return, even though he is making good progress,” Arsenal team manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday, “we have to wait and see how things develop.”

Ödegaard suffered a medial ligament injury to his left knee in a collision during the home game against West Ham United (2-0) at the beginning of the month. The playmaker had already been struggling with shoulder problems on several occasions. After setbacks against Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham, he had to be substituted before halftime in three consecutive games. “He’s had a lot of bad luck with injuries this season,” said Arteta.
Ödegaard has played a total of seven competitive games for the Gunners this season, six in the Premier League and one in the Champions League in the 2-0 win against Olympiacos. He has yet to score in either competition, but has provided one assist in each.

Due to his knee injury, Ödegaard missed Norway’s recent 5-0 win over Israel in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where they are still unbeaten. In the next international break, the Group I leaders will face Estonia (November 13) and second-placed Italy (November 16).

Arteta defends struggling Gyökeres

In their away game at Fulham FC (Saturday, 6:30 p.m.), the Gunners will once again be able to call on Piero Hincapie, Ben White, and Martin Zubimendi, who have recently been struggling with injuries. Viktor Gyökeres will once again try his luck up front. The Swede has been waiting for a goal for six games, and even in the two games with the national team, the €73 million new signing was unable to break his duck. “He brings so much to the team, and when I look back at the games, I’m very happy with what he has given the team,” Arteta defended him.

Top match lives up to its name: PSG and Strasbourg share the points

Andrew Jackson
-
0
Top match lives up to its name: PSG and Strasbourg share the points

PSG and Strasbourg got Ligue 1’s eighth matchday off to a spectacular start. The numerous talents on both sides repeatedly showed their class in the 3-3 draw, including at 1-0 and 1-2.

First against third – Ligue 1 kicked off after the international break with a top match. Right in the middle of it were the Doué brothers, Guela and Desiré – alongside Zabarnyi, one of two new additions after the 1-1 draw in Lille, while Pacho and Ndjantou were only on the bench.

In the brothers’ duel – they often faced each other as right-sided midfielder (Guela) and left-sided midfielder (Desiré) – Desiré took the lead. He played a one-two with Barcola, who then scored in the far corner (6′). Although PSG continued to play confidently with the lead behind them, the class of the equally talented Strasbourg team – at 22 years and 78 days, it was the second-lowest average age of the 22 regulars in Ligue 1 since 1947/48 – flashed again and again. For example, when Panichelli tested Chevalier with a backheel shot (11th minute).

Panichelli scores twice

However, the striker then won the second private duel between the two. He headed in perfectly from eleven meters out – Doué assisted again, this time to Guela. The hosts showed no reaction to the goal, but continued to play their game without any determination. RCS punished them for this, and how: Diego Moreira calmly slotted Barcos’ magnificent lob from the ankle into the far corner to make it 2-1 at half-time (41′).

The 21-year-old not only scored, but also provided the assist. Shortly after the restart, he set up Panichelli, who scored his second goal of the game (49′). Unlike after the previous goals, the capital city team showed more punch this time. Goncalo Ramos missed at first (53′), before scoring from the spot – Penders had fouled Desiré Doué – to reduce the deficit (58′).

As the game progressed, Luis Enrique’s team continued to increase the pressure. However, Goncalo Ramos was unlucky twice in front of goal (72′, 78′) – including a rebound after Lee’s shot hit the post (72′). Instead, Mayulu scored the long-awaited equalizer (79′). Although both teams had chances to snatch a late winner – Kvaratskhelia curled a shot just wide (84′), Panichelli headed over (86′) – the score remained 3-3.

The draw means Marseille could be the laughing third party and take the top spot in the table with a win against Le Havre on Saturday. PSG now travels to Leverkusen for their Champions League away game with two consecutive draws under their belt.

Barca’s trip to Miami sparks player protests in La Liga

T0m@dmin1
-
0
Barca’s trip to Miami sparks player protests in La Liga

FC Barcelona’s controversial “away game” in Miami has sparked the first major protest in Spain’s La Liga. More are expected on this ninth match day.

In the opening match of the ninth match day between Real Oviedo and Espanyol Barcelona on Friday evening (0-2), the 22 starting players, including former Darmstadt player and current Espanyol professional Clemens Riedel, remained motionless on the pitch for 15 seconds after the kick-off.
However, viewers watching on TV did not notice this, as the global broadcast cut to an outside view of the stadium.

Players’ union announces protests for entire match day

The protests did not come as a complete surprise, however. A few hours before kick-off, the Spanish players’ union had announced protests for all matches on the 9th match day from Friday to Monday. The actions are intended to protest against “a lack of transparency and dialogue” regarding the relocation of a league match to the US, the union said.

Specifically, this refers to the match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona, which is to be played on December 20 in Miami, the adopted home of club icon Lionel Messi and former Barça stars Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suárez, as La Liga announced last week. This had provoked widespread rejection from a large part of the fan groups and clubs, who see it as an attack on soccer culture on the one hand and a competitive advantage for Barca on the other, for whom an away game will now feel like a home game. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and midfielder Frenkie de Jong were also not too happy about their “away away game.” “My players are not happy with it, I’m not happy with it, but La Liga has decided that we will play this game,” Flick reiterated at the press conference ahead of Saturday’s game against Girona, where there will be further protests.

Flick patronized by the club? “Anyone who says that is lying.”

Jeffrey Gooding
-
0
Flick patronized by the club? “Anyone who says that is lying.”

Lamine Yamal is available again for FC Barcelona after his injury break in the Catalan derby against FC Girona. Coach Hansi Flick denied a rumor about the 18-year-old in no uncertain terms.

“The rule Flick broke for Lamine Yamal – and why it’s dividing the Barcelona team,” was the headline on the Spanish sports newspaper As’s website on Friday afternoon. The paper was referring to a statement by presenter Manu Carreno, who had spoken on radio station Cadena SER about Lamine Yamal’s alleged tardiness before the Champions League match against Paris St. Germain (1-2).

Barca coach Hansi Flick, for whom discipline undoubtedly plays a major role, had decided to remove the 18-year-old striker from the starting lineup, as he had done a few weeks earlier with Marcus Rashford.

In the case of Lamine Yamal, however, the club intervened in the form of sporting director Deco, as Carreno claims to have learned: “Deco had to mediate so that Lamine could play. Flick did not take this intervention well, as he believes that penalties should apply equally to everyone,” said the presenter.

This is a controversial topic, which was of course also brought up at the press conference ahead of the home game against neighboring FC Girona (Saturday, 4:15 p.m.) and passed on to the head coach himself. He, in turn, made it unmistakably clear: “Excuse my language, but that’s complete bullshit.”

Flick said he “really appreciates how the club believes in our work. We enjoy their full trust and they would never ask us to do something like that. I have nothing to hide because it’s not true. Anyone who says that is lying,” Flick said, denying the rumor with a serious expression.

Ferran Torres and Lewandowski injured

Understandably, the 60-year-old did not radiate any more enthusiasm when he talked about the Catalans’ current personnel situation. The offensive department in particular is suffering from numerous absences – Raphinha, for example, has missed the last three competitive games.

While Lamine Yamal and Fermin are now fit to play again but “can’t play 90 minutes,” Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski returned from their national teams with injuries. The former is hampered by a strain in the back of his left thigh, the latter by a torn muscle in his left hamstring.

“We have to do it, that’s our job,” Flick made clear despite the injury crisis. In the Catalan derby, Barca’s task is to respond appropriately to their recent 4-1 defeat in Seville – and in doing so, possibly keep further unrest from outside the club at bay.

Hamburg brings cup hero Breunig back to the BBL

Sotd Editor
-
0
Hamburg brings cup hero Breunig back to the BBL

Martin Breunig recently turned his back on the BBL and joined French first division club SLUC Nancy. Now he is doing a U-turn. The cup winner is joining Veolia Towers Hamburg.

The center will move to Towers Hamburg after the game against SIG Strasbourg on November 1, both clubs involved in the transfer announced on Friday.

Breunig, who led Syntainics MBC to the final of the BBL Cup Top Four in their own arena last season and then won the title with the club, is an “impact player,” said Towers coach Benka Barloschky: “We were looking for experience and physicality to strengthen our big positions and add depth.”

Breunig (33) played for Ludwigsburg, Bonn, and Oldenburg in the BBL before joining Weißenfels. Hamburg has had a weak start to the season and is last in the standings after four games without a win.

FIFA partnership: FM26 receives license for 2026 World Cup

Phil Laffertey
-
0
FIFA partnership: FM26 receives license for 2026 World Cup

National teams can also be coached in FM26 next year. In addition, a partnership with FIFA will enable the implementation of the 2026 World Cup.

Sports Interactive, the studio behind Football Manager, and FIFA have agreed on a “multi-year partnership.” As the developer announced on Friday, the first collaboration with the world governing body will take the authenticity of the game to a new level—including licenses for the Men’s World Cup, Women’s World Cup, and Club World Cup. Specifically, it has already been confirmed that the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the US will find its way into FM26. But the 2027 Women’s World Cup finals and future editions of the 2025 Club World Cup are also set to be integrated into the simulation and authentically represented. This includes match day graphics as well as the real jerseys of the participants.

Not just the World Cup: national coaches welcome

Sports Interactive’s announcement goes beyond FIFA competitions. From next year, it will be possible to take over national teams not only in official competitions. This option’s implementation was uncertain until recently, as international management will be suspended for the time being.

“With the World Cup year approaching, it was important to revamp international management and turn it into a module with many more features for our players,” said Miles Jacobson, director of Sports Interactive. For him, the collaboration with FIFA is “an honor”: “The announcement of this partnership with FIFA is an incredibly historic moment for the studio.”

In line with the internal importance of the deal, Jacobson wants to get the most out of it. “This is just the beginning of our collaboration. There will be more to come in 2026 and beyond,” he has already announced.

Glock slams McLaren: This drama is complete nonsense

Jeffrey Gooding
-
0
Glock slams McLaren: This drama is complete nonsense

Timo Glock sharply criticizes McLaren’s communication following the collision at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix, describing the aftermath as drama.

The collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix is also the dominant topic in Austin. After McLaren team boss Andrea Stella spoke of “consequences” for Norris, there is now fierce criticism from Formula 1 expert Timo Glock.

He continues his criticism: “I have no idea what this little drama is supposed to achieve. Either I keep my mouth shut or I make myself vulnerable. Everyone else is laughing their heads off. Max Verstappen is delighted and says: ‘Go ahead and argue, guys—I’ll be right there when you crash into each other again.’”

That’s not the only thing he criticizes. He thinks it’s completely ridiculous that such a minor contact was even the subject of a full internal team investigation: “He’s racing for the world championship. So should he just wave him past? This whole ‘we all love each other’ and ‘we’ll talk about it in a circle’ thing… I don’t know—I have to be honest and say that I’m starting to have my doubts. “

”The fact is, the two are competing for the world championship, and everyone will give it their all. Lando Norris has to do that. And then there’s the question of whether Oscar Piastri will think again about what he did at Monza – giving up that position, giving up those points, just because the team made a mistake during the pit stop.”

Glock’s analysis: racing accident

The scene would probably not be blown out of proportion if McLaren weren’t trying to control the World Championship battle from A to Z. Glock ultimately sees the collision as a racing accident: “Lando Norris was next to him and stuck his nose in. The issue, of course, is that it’s always a bit hectic at the start of the race. You can see that the cars were very nervous.“

”From Norris’ point of view: the track was slightly damp, he held his line on the inside but had no other option, was a bit surprised by Max Verstappen’s braking maneuver and then lost the rear. There was actually enough space, but when he loses the rear, there’s contact and Lando Norris is through.“

In the dynamics surrounding the world championship title, Glock sees Singapore as a point victory for Norris: ”In the position Lando Norris is in, as a teammate you have to show: ‘Mate, I’m here, I’m wide awake.’ That’s important.”

“The question is what will happen to Oscar Piastri’s mental strength. You always think he never has a pulse above 100, but you’re slowly noticing—through what has happened in the last few races—that he’s also becoming a little more unsettled.”

The action now continues on the American continent with four races before the decision is made with two races in the Middle East. The question is not only which driver will come out on top, but also how much control McLaren wants to exert in the World Championship battle. Or whether Max Verstappen will be the one laughing in the end…

Brundle: McLaren’s papaya philosophy is “doomed to fail”

Sports Of The Day
-
0
Brundle: McLaren’s papaya philosophy is “doomed to fail”

Formula 1 expert Martin Brundle believes that the World Championship battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at McLaren is “doomed to fail in many ways.”

The two McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, are engaged in an intense battle for their first Formula 1 world championship title. Ahead of this weekend’s US Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, only 22 points separate the two, with Piastri leading the championship.

The “papaya philosophy” that McLaren has been pursuing since the start of the season came under fire for the first time two weeks ago in Singapore. The team has since reviewed the collision between Norris and Piastri in the first lap.

On Thursday in Austin, Norris said that there were consequences for him personally. The current World Championship runner-up did not elaborate on what exactly those consequences were or are. And McLaren team boss Andrea Stella also did little to clarify the situation with his comments. Martin Brundle, a former Formula 1 driver and now a TV expert at Sky, described his view of the McLaren title duel on Friday in Austin: “There’s a title to be won. McLaren has a fantastic car, and Max [Verstappen] is appearing in the rearview mirror pretty quickly.”

“You have two extremely competitive athletes working in a team environment. That’s always going to go wrong. The question is how to deal with it,“ said Brundle, who is convinced: ”This constellation is doomed to fail in many ways.“

The ”papaya philosophy,” which McLaren has been pursuing since the start of the season, came under fire for the first time two weeks ago in Singapore. The team has since addressed the collision between Norris and Piastri in the first lap. On Thursday in Austin, Norris said that there were consequences for him personally. The current World Championship runner-up did not elaborate on what exactly those consequences were or are. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella also did little to clarify the situation with his comments.

Martin Brundle, former Formula 1 driver and current TV expert at Sky, described his view of the McLaren title duel on Friday in Austin: “There is a title to be won. McLaren has a fantastic car, and Max [Verstappen] is appearing in the rearview mirror pretty quickly.”

“You have two extremely competitive athletes working in a team environment. That’s always going to go wrong. The question is how you deal with it,” said Brundle, who is convinced: “This constellation is doomed to failure in many ways.”

When asked what the consequences for Norris might be after the Singapore maneuver against Piastri, Brundle replied: “It’s clear that whatever they do will remain within the team and will have no impact on the overall performance of the team against others.”

And the TV expert also has a very specific idea of what that might look like. “If we were in a development race, Oscar would be the first to get the new parts, for example. Or if it’s a track where you need slipstreaming in qualifying, Oscar would be given priority. It will be some kind of internal team thing that other teams can’t benefit from.”

Jenson Button, 2009 Formula 1 world champion, told Sky: “We all love a good world championship battle. In terms of performance, both are giving their all and going all out. That’s great to see. But when the team gets involved in how hard you can push your teammate, it naturally becomes complicated, especially internally.”

“It’s a little strange because I think what McLaren is doing is actually very good for the sport,” adds Brundle, referring to McLaren’s rule not to drive into each other’s cars. “They can drive freely from start to finish, with one condition: they must not collide with each other.”

“If it hadn’t been Piastri next to him [in Singapore], the team would have cheered Lando for the first few corners. He actually drove brilliantly, he just happened to touch his teammate,” said Brundle.

Symonds: Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1 is “a huge undertaking”

Sports Of The Day
-
0
Symonds: Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1 is “a huge undertaking”

From an empty factory to a Formula 1 team in less than a year: Pat Symonds talks about the enormous pressure involved in setting up the new Cadillac project.

Pat Symonds, Cadillac’s chief technical advisor, describes the development of the new Formula 1 team as “frightening.” The experienced engineer, who previously worked as technical director in Formula 1 and was instrumental in developing the regulations for 2022 onwards, describes the scale of the project as extraordinary – both in terms of the schedule and the complexity.
Cadillac will officially enter Formula 1 in 2026 after General Motors took over the application initiated by Andretti Global. However, the official starting signal was not given until March 7 this year—just 364 days before the first free practice session in Australia in 2026.

“You can’t build a Formula 1 team in 364 days,” says Symonds. “It was impressive how committed Cadillac was even before the official entry was confirmed. Many started at a stage when it wasn’t even clear whether we would actually get approval.”

From nothing to a team of 400 employees

At the beginning of the year, only around 160 people were working on the project, Symonds reports: “When we got the official confirmation, there were already about 200 – and now there are over 420. The growth was rapid, but also incredibly demanding. Recruiting was one of the biggest challenges.“

Symonds is particularly impressed by the quality of the work that has already been accomplished in such a short time: ”I already knew many of the people from before, and what I found was truly top quality – on par with the best teams in the field.”

Infrastructure as the biggest feat

In addition to developing the car, setting up the structures was an enormous task: “Building a Formula 1 car is difficult – I’ve made about 40 of them, so at some point you know what needs to happen and when. But the infrastructure, the processes, the buildings, the logistics – you rarely do something like that, and it’s a huge feat.”

Cadillac has now built a first test chassis to test the homologation and crash test procedures. “This chassis wasn’t a race-ready car because we didn’t know the details of the engine installation at the time,” explains Symonds. “But it helped us verify the necessary processes—also because of the new safety regulations, which are very demanding.”

Cadillac completed all necessary testing with the prototype in the second quarter. “Our first race chassis is already finished, and crash tests are scheduled for the coming weeks. Many parts are now arriving – we are making good progress.“

A mammoth project with a clear goal

Despite the enormous workload, Symonds is optimistic about the future: ”We are on the right track. The team is growing, the quality is right, and we have a clear plan for how to get everything together by the start of the season.”

Added to this are new engine regulations, with electric drive accounting for a higher proportion of the total power output. For Symonds, this is a decisive step: “New aerodynamics, new car, new engine—all at once. It’s not an easy path, but if it works, it will be an extraordinary success.”

Verstappen: Title chances would only have been realistic with a win in Singapore

T0m@dmin1
-
0
Verstappen: Title chances would only have been realistic with a win in Singapore

Max Verstappen believes that his title chances for 2025 have been significantly reduced by his failure to win in Singapore – the Red Bull driver explains what went wrong there.

Ahead of the US Grand Prix in Austin, Max Verstappen has admitted that his chances of winning a fifth Formula 1 world title in 2025 were likely already damaged in Singapore. In his own estimation, Red Bull should have won there in order to put McLaren under serious pressure in the title race. He now puts his chances of winning the world title at only 50:50.

“We really should have won in Singapore,” said Verstappen in Austin. “We’re just not picking up enough points. That was the moment we missed our chance for a really exciting duel.”

Mathematically speaking, the Dutchman is still within reach: with six races to go, he is 63 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. But Verstappen sees the reality soberly. To make up the deficit, he would have to make up an average of more than ten points per weekend – most recently, he only made up six points in Singapore with second place.

“Of course, it was positive that we were ahead of both McLarens there, even though the track doesn’t really suit our car,” says the 28-year-old. “But in the end, it just wasn’t enough.” When asked whether the victory would have been decisive, he answers clearly: “Yes, one hundred percent.”

Red Bull was too conservative

Verstappen does not deny that more could have been achieved in Singapore. After the race, he had already hinted that Red Bull had not made the most of the weekend – an assessment he now confirms. The decisive factor was a setup change before qualifying, which did not have the desired effect but could not be reversed for the race.

“We were just a little too conservative,” he says. “In hindsight, it would have been better to stick with the original setup. But these decisions are made as a team – and at the time, it seemed like the right choice.”

The start also contributed to Verstappen not getting further ahead. Shortly before the start of the race, a rain shower had left the track partially wet, which is why Red Bull opted for soft tires and a “low grip” setting. But by the time the race started, the asphalt was already dry again.

However, Verstappen does not believe this was a misjudgment: “There was around eight percent less grip on the inside, and I immediately lost a car length,” explains Verstappen. “That’s why we started with this setup. Otherwise, I would have had too much wheel spin.”

Looking ahead to Austin – but without any illusions

Verstappen expects a different balance of power in Austin. After recent improved performances in Monza, Baku, and Singapore, Red Bull seems to have a better understanding of the RB21. Nevertheless, the world champion warns: “There is no guarantee that we will be competitive everywhere.”

The medium-speed corners of the Circuit of The Americas are considered a problem area – according to Verstappen, McLaren has been particularly strong there recently. “It was a little better in Singapore, but we’re still lacking something in these corners. We need to keep working on that.”

On the positive side, Red Bull has now developed a much better understanding of the car, which could help during the sprint weekend in Texas. “We now know pretty much exactly what the car needs,” says Verstappen. “It’s more about getting the most out of a weekend. That’s the key if we want to take points off McLaren.”

Despite all the setbacks, Verstappen does not want to write off the world championship battle prematurely – but his words sound more realistic than ever. “We’ll try,” he says. “If you say, ‘Forget it,’ then I might as well stay at home. But honestly, a win in Singapore could have changed everything.”

123...1,662Page 1 of 1,662

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

© 2021 sportsoftheday.com