Bottas produced his quickest lap in the day’s afternoon session, a time of one minute 17.284 seconds after a 1:17.951 in the morning. Five-times world champion Hamilton was second on the timesheets, 0.049 slower than Bottas, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third and three tenths adrift but still ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel who lapped in 1:17.673 on the same soft tyres. * Chelsea defender David Luiz has signed a two-year contract extension until 2021, the Premier League club announced on Friday. Brazil international Luiz has made 48 appearances across all competitions this season, helping the London club secure a top-four finish and reach the Europa League final where they face London rivals Arsenal. * Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has criticised the choice of Baku as the venue for this month's Europa League final and said soccer's European governing body UEFA needed to address the way it selected host cities. Fans of London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea face a … [Read more...] about Bottas leads Mercedes one-two in Spanish GP practice
Concussions football players
Referee saves Vietnamese footballer’s life
Nguyen Hung Thien Duc suffered a sickening injury on Sunday afternoon during a V. League 1 match between Becamex Binh Duong FC and Hanoi FC in Go Dau Stadium in the southern Binh Duong Province. After a strong collision in the air with Hanoi FC’s Pape Omar, Binh Duong’s Duc was dazed and showed signs of losing consciousness. He sat on the field without responding. Realizing how dangerous the situation was, referee Ngo Duy Lan stopped the game immediately and called out to the medical team. While the players were panicking, Lan laid Duc down gently to avoid any shock and put one hand between Duc’s jaws to prevent any tongue biting or swallowing that could endanger his life. He kept his hand despite being bitten hard, until the medical team came and put Duc on the stretcher. "When he showed some unusual signs, I had to intervene immediately. I just followed my instinct. I have witnessed a similar situation before in another tournament. FIFA has also trained referees … [Read more...] about Referee saves Vietnamese footballer’s life
Xavi to retire at end of season
Xavi, who has made a record 767 appearances for Barca and 133 for Spain, confirmed his retirement plans in an open letter sent to members of the Spanish media on Thursday. * Kaetlyn Osmond announced her retirement from competitive figure skating on Thursday, ending her career as Canada's most decorated women's skater during which she won Olympic and world titles. Osmond represented Canada at two Winter Olympics, winning gold in the team event and bronze in the women's individual competition at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games along with a silver in the team event in 2014 in Sochi. The 23-year-old skater was crowned world champion in 2018, becoming the first Canadian woman to capture the title in 45 years. * Eighteen women racers will line up on the starting grid at Germany's Hockenheim circuit on Saturday for the debut of W Series, the first all-female championship that could ultimately help break Formula One's male monopoly. More than 100 women, ranging in age from 17 to 33, applied … [Read more...] about Xavi to retire at end of season
Former Russia stars facing ‘lifetime ban’ over assault on officials
Russian Premier League chiefs have requested a lifetime ban for disgraced footballers Pavel Mamaev and Alexander Kokorin following an unprovoked attack on two government officials. Krasnodar forward Pavel Mamaev in action against Nolito of Spanish side Sevilla. AFP/STRINGER Krasnodar midfielder Mamaev and Zenit Saint Petersburg forward Kokorin are facing a five-year jail term after video footage caught them attacking two Russian trade ministry officials in an upscale Moscow cafe. The footage showed one of the officials, Denis Pak, an ethnic Korean, being hit with a chair while eating a meal. Now the former Russian international players, who have courted controversy in the past, could be banned for life from playing in Russia. "This case is unusual in terms of our football and the league has addressed a request to the ethics committee of the Russian Football Union to impose a lifetime ban on Mamaev and Kokorin," Premier League spokesman Sergei Alekseyev said Wednesday. … [Read more...] about Former Russia stars facing ‘lifetime ban’ over assault on officials
World Cup: Ronaldo earns Portugal 1 0 win as Morocco’s hopes end
Cristiano Ronaldo powered-home a fourth-minute header to give Portugal a 1-0 World Cup victory over Morocco that took them top of Group B on Wednesday (Jun 20) and meant the unlucky North African side become the first to be eliminated from the tournament. Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his opening goal for Portugal during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B football match between Portugal and Morocco at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Jun 20, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Juan Mabromata) Ronaldo's fourth goal of Russia 2018, following his hat-trick in the 3-3 draw with Spain, took the European champions to four points. Iran have three points and Spain one ahead of their meeting later on Wednesday. Morocco, who had a real go at the Luzhniki Stadium but failed to convert their chances, are pointless having also lost 1-0 to Iran and cannot progress to the second round. Portugal struggled to impose themselves and ended up defending for long spells, leaving coach Fernando … [Read more...] about World Cup: Ronaldo earns Portugal 1 0 win as Morocco’s hopes end