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Sports

Paris police arrest brawling Nice fans ahead of French Cup final, relegation showdown

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Sixty-five people were taken into police custody after a huge brawl broke out late on Thursday in Paris involving supporters of OGC Nice, which left six people injured, including one seriously.

The violent clashes involving knifes and broken bottles marred the run-up to the French Cup final against Lens on Friday, compounding Nice’s woes after a nightmare season marked by run-ins with irate fans and an ongoing battle to avoid relegation.

Police said around 100 Nice supporters gathered late in the evening in the Canal Saint-Martin area popular with revellers, in the 10th arrondissement (district) of Paris, “clearly looking for a fight”. Amateur videos on social media showed masked individuals attacking a local bar and hurling chairs at the premises.

Six people were injured, including one person in a serious condition. One victim “was struck in the throat by a shard of glass and (another) was stabbed in the back”, a police source told local daily Le Parisien.

Another source said a bread knife with a 20 cm blade and traces of blood was also found on the ground. The source said some of the victims were bystanders with no connection to the football fan scene.

Police seized knives and other weapons, along with balaclavas and padded gloves.

“These are certainly fringe groups, as the vast majority of Nice supporters are due to arrive in Paris today,” said Philippe Diallo, the head of the French Football Federation, speaking on France Info radio.

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“This is everything we dislike about football – namely violence – when a French Cup final is supposed to be a celebration,” he added.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire accused Nice fans, “some of whom are known to have links to the far right”, of “accosting and violently attacking” Parisians.

Friday’s final at the Stade de France has been labelled “high-risk” due to the animosity between Nice and supporters of local giants Paris Saint-Germain, with over 2,000 police officers deployed.

Disgruntled OGC Nice fans have had run-ins with club staff and players this season.
Disgruntled OGC Nice fans have had run-ins with club staff and players this season. © Valéry Hache, AFP file photo

Pitch invasions, run-ins with fans

The violence has cast a shadow over the final showdown against northern club Lens, whose remarkable season has been a polar opposite of Nice’s.

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Based in the eponymous football-crazy former mining town, Lens finished second to all-conquering PSG in Ligue 1, falling not far short of a first French title since 1998. Now they are hoping to win the French Cup for the first time in their history, having lost all three previous final appearances.

Victory for the “Sang et Or” (Blood and Gold, after their red and yellow jersey) on Friday would complete a superb run which has already seen them qualify for the Champions League.

Read moreArsenal’s trip to Lens evokes glory days in miners’ town hooked to football

Nice, in contrast, ended their Ligue 1 campaign in the relegation play-off place after winning just two of their last 24 games. Last week’s 0-0 draw with bottom club Metz ended with angry fans invading the pitch, throwing smoke bombs and forcing players to run to the dressing room for cover.

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The Riviera club must win a two-legged play-off next week against Saint-Etienne to remain in Ligue 1. They have been ordered to play the home leg behind closed doors as a punishment following the pitch invasion.

Nice supporters invade the pitch at the end of their last home game of the season, on May 17, 2026.
Nice supporters invade the pitch at the end of their last home game of the season, on May 17, 2026. © Miguel Medina, AFP

It’s a sobering finale for a club that has had high ambitions since it was acquired by Britain’s Ineos in 2019 and has had three top-five finishes since then. Nice were dumped out of the Champions League in the preliminary rounds in August and their season quickly went south.

In November, players, staff, and management had a run-in with hundreds of angry fans gathered outside the training centre. The altercation pushed several players to seek an early exit in the January transfer window.

Nobody gives them a chance against Lens, but history could repeat itself here: as well as the year of their last Cup win, 1997 was also the last year they were relegated.

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“It is still a final, so of course we will give our all. But the two matches that come after are more important,” the club’s president Jean-Pierre Rivère acknowledged ahead of the game. “We want to stay in Ligue 1. That is our only ambition.”

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

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Man City’s 2025/26 Puma shirt plummets from £45 to 62p to mark Pep Guardiola’s final game

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Pep Guardiola will step out at the Etihad for the last time as Blues boss against Aston Villa on Sunday and ahead of kick-off we’ve found a way for fans to get a 99% discount on this season’s training jersey.

This weekend marks the end of an era for Manchester City as Pep Guardiola steps out at the Etihad for one last time as boss on Sunday (May 24). Ahead of his farewell appearance against Aston Villa, we’ve discovered an offer that reduces this season’s Man City Puma Training Jersey to pennies.

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The shirt – part of the club’s 2025/26 training collection – has just been slashed from £45 to £15.75 at Kitbag with the discount code SAVE, but there’s a clever method to save more £15 extra by combining two ldeals. When customers register for a free TopCashback account they’ll receive a £15 welcome reward plus cashback on Kitbag orders.

This effectively reduces the Man City shirt to 62p after cashback – a total saving of £44.38 or roughly 99% – when paired with Kitbag’s promotional code. However, the offer will expire when Kitbag’s Bank Holiday ends at 9am on Tuesday (May 26).

READ MORE: Man City fans can get official title-winning shirt for £7 instead of £75 in clever Sports Direct deal

READ MORE: Pep Guardiola response to 115 charges as he leaves Man City speaks volumes

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The deal is only available for new TopCashback members, while existing members will pay £15.62 after cashback. Both options beat rival retailers like Very, which stocks the same jersey at £31.50 (was £45).

The Man City Puma Training Jersey features this season’s distinctive colours with an abstract design across the body alongside the club badge and Puma cat logo on the chest. The slim-fit tee is crafted with Puma’s dryCELL system to draw moisture away and keep the wearer dry, reports the Mirror.

It follows Man City’s unveiling of the new 2026/27 home strip earlier this month, designed in classic sky blue with a gradient descending from the shoulders that becomes lighter as it falls. It also features a metallic monochrome club badge, Puma logo and sponsor branding, with the overall aesthetic said to symbolise ‘progression’.

Get Man City’s Puma Training Jersey for 62p

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£45

62p

Kitbag | TopCashback

Get the deal here

Man City’s Puma Training Jersey is available for 62p when using the discount code SAVE and shopping through TopCashback. By creating a free account, new members will bag a £15 sign-up bonus and cashback on Kitbag orders.

More than 160,000 TopCashback users have left feedback for the brand on Trustpilot, awarding it an average score of 4.6 stars. One customer said: “Always the best cashback site. Reliable, trustworthy and quick to sort out any problems with payments.”

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Another said: “Great service as ever. Been with TopCashback for years. Never disappoint.”

This TopCashback user highlighted the payout time, saying: “Good, but the payouts can take quite a while.”

Nevertheless, another five-star review states: “Simple, easy to use, quick payout. Lots of options and lots of companies involved.”

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Here’s how to get the Man City Puma Training Jersey for 62p.

How to get a 62p Man City Puma Training Jersey

  • Sign up to TopCashback here.
  • Search for Kitbag and click ‘Get Cashback Now’.
  • Shop and checkout as usual.
  • Cashback will track and appear in the TopCashback account within seven working days of purchase.
  • The cashback will become payable and available to withdraw and spend after Kitbag has paid TopCashback the commission for the purchase.

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Cavaliers fall into perilous 3-0 hole as Knicks keep rolling on road in East finals

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CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell has lacked his customary explosiveness and not looked like himself through three games of the Eastern Conference finals. Something seems off with the All-Star guard.

They may soon have time to heal. Like all summer.

Cleveland is on the brink of elimination.

The Cavs couldn’t match New York’s force, firepower or balance despite being on their home floor and lost Game 3 to the Knicks 121-108 on Saturday night to fall into a perilous postseason hole in the best-of-seven series.

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No team in NBA history has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit, and the Cavs aren’t showing signs of becoming the first in 164 tries.

Mitchell did what he could, scoring 23 points. But he didn’t have his burst and committed five of his team’s 18 turnovers as the Cavs couldn’t contain the Knicks, who were cheered on a by a raucous group of New York fans that invaded Rocket Arena.

Following the game, Mitchell sat in a chair behind the table before his media interview and stared blankly at a box score underscoring New York’s dominance.

Asked what it’s going to take to avoid a sweep and win Game 4 on Monday night, Mitchell was succinct.

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“Let’s start with making some shots,” he said. “Let’s start with getting some stops and making some free throws.”

Mitchell’s first trip to a conference final after so many second-round exits hasn’t gone as hoped. The Cavs, who were pushed to seven games by Toronto and Detroit earlier in the playoffs, blew a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost Game 1 at Madison Square Garden.

They battled for much of Game 2 before fading and are now dragging physically after weeks of playing every other day. The Knicks, who had time to rest after sweeping Philadelphia in the second round, are taking advantage of Cleveland’s heavy legs.

“We did it to ourselves,” Mitchell said. “We can’t be mad now.”

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Just as in the first two games, New York was the more aggressive team in the early going, jumping to a 9-1 lead in the opening two minutes and forcing Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson to call a timeout. The Cavs regrouped, but their sloppiness combined with New York’s ability to get out in transition and score proved too much.

“Their physicality and energy level was higher than ours,” Atkinson said. “They were the more physical team and we couldn’t get to that level. Whatever the stats say, they were the better team. They’re playing great basketball. They’re on a hell of a run and we haven’t been able to stop the momentum.”

The Cavs had seized it in the series opener before a stunning collapse that has already provided Mitchell with a lasting lesson.

“Don’t lose Game 1 after being up 22,” he said when asked about what’s soured his conference final debut. “But hey, it happened and now we have to find a way to get back from 3-0. We just have to find a way. We were up 22. It’s on us.”

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In the closing minutes, thousands of blue-and-orange-clad New York fans were hollering “Knicks in 4!” and serenading Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who scored 30 points and added six assists, with chants of “M-V-P” at the foul line.

Those moments normally belong only to Mitchell in Cleveland. But the Knicks are taking everything away from the Cavs. Mitchell said the noise wasn’t unexpected.

“I’m from New York, this doesn’t shock me,” he said. “They do it in every arena. It’s like (Dallas) Cowboys fans. It’s just who they are. It wasn’t just a Cleveland thing. That’s how Knicks fans are. I was one back in the day. That had nothing to do with what’s going on in Cleveland. We didn’t get it done for our home crowd tonight.”

Before the game, Atkinson described Mitchell’s physical issues as merely “bumps and bruises.” The All-Star, who left the floor for treatment in the first quarter, is now dealing with the mental strain of a deficit that’s probably too large to overtake.

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Mitchell, though, isn’t giving up.

“We have an opportunity to get one (win) on Monday,” he said. “Then go back to New York and get one there and come back here.”

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2026 F1 Canadian GP: Race Predictions

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The grid for the F1 Canadian GP is set, and we have the Mercedes pair at the front of the grid. George Russell will be starting the race from pole position and will have Kimi Antonelli right alongside him on the front row.

On the second row, we have the McLaren pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, followed by Lewis Hamilton in P5. There are rumors of rain potentially making an appearance during the F1 Canadian GP and playing a role, but on a race weekend where there have already been a lot of talking points, what can we expect from the main event on Sunday? Let’s take a look.

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#5 If it rains, it’s going to be complete chaos

If we listen to what drivers who have experienced wet-weather running in these cars have to say, then there’s a lot of doom and gloom surrounding what’s going to happen. Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen have expressed concern over how these cars will fare in those conditions, as the electric component certainly complicates things.

With the F1 Canadian GP having a street-track layout, errors are costly, and that will only further complicate the situation.

If we end up with a wet race, stay tuned for quite a few stoppages and crashes as chaos ensues.

#4 The Ferrari-powered power units will rise to the top

One very small indicator that we’ve had so far in terms of wet-weather running has been the characteristic of getting the tires up to temperature quickly. For power units with smaller turbos, this is an added benefit, and we’ve seen Ferraris having the ability to get the tires up to temperature much quicker in China.

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If the F1 Canadian GP ends up being wet, we’re potentially looking at a scenario where the Ferrari-powered cars could potentially have an advantage early in a stint.

#3 The race will not feature much on-track action, similar to the sprint

Irrespective of the track staying dry or it being a wet race, the F1 Canadian GP layout is not too conducive to racing with this specification of cars. The overtakes are made on the start-finish straight or the long straight before the Wall of Champions.

On both of those occasions, you need a bigger delta in terms of performance that comes from the overtake boost.

As we saw in the sprint, even when the cars are within 4-5 tenths of each other at the start of the straight, they are unable to pull off overtakes by the end of it, which is a harbinger of what’s coming in terms of a reduction in on-track action in the upcoming races.

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#2 All top 4 teams are in the battle for the podium

In terms of which teams are potentially in contention for a podium at the F1 Canadian GP, it’s highly likely that Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari drivers are going to be in contention. The sprint showed that the pace ebbed and flowed a little early on, but once it settled down, the gap wasn’t massive.

That’s exactly where the ability to put together the right strategy comes in handy, and we could see the pit-stop timings alone change the complexion of how a race would go.

It does appear that overtaking is going to be a tough ordeal for these cars, and hence track position is king. The team that nails it will eventually come out on top, and you cannot rule out any of the top eight for the podium.

#1 George Russell wins the F1 Canadian GP

In terms of winning the race, it does appear that Mercedes is the car that is fundamentally the fastest. However, we can’t rule out McLaren either at this point, as Lando was quite impressive in the sprint.

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With rain potentially on the horizon, out-and-out speed is maybe not going to get you the win, and there is going to be a measure of calm needed to make the right calls.

Kimi Antonelli might just be the fastest package at the F1 Canadian GP, but if we are making the play for the smartest, it’s probably going to be George Russell, and hence we’re backing the Brit to pick up his second win of the season.