Porsche has insisted that it is not going into Saturday’s World Endurance Championship finale in Bahrain with a conservative approach as it looks to seal the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles. 

The German marque will start the Bahrain 8 Hours “looking to maximise its finishing position” with both its 963 LMDhs, according to Porsche Penske Motorsport managing director Jonathan Diuguid.

That comment comes despite the fact that Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre and Andre Lotterer in the #6 PPM entry only need to finish ninth to secure the title. 

“Our feedback to everyone is: ‘don’t do anything differently to what we have been doing’,” said Diuguid on the eve of the 2024 WEC series finale.

“We haven’t gone points racing at a single event this year and we are not going to go points racing on Saturday either. That’s what’s got us into this position.

“We are going to do what we have been doing the whole season: let’s go out there and try to beat them [the opposition].”

#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Urs Kuratle, head of the LMDh programme at Porsche Motorsport, added that the strategy is “not so different from our normal approach”. 

But he explained that Porsche and PPM could modify its plans over the course of the eight hours.

“We have to be flexible and have to react to whatever the race presents,” said Kuratle. 

Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach suggested that it would be possible to over-think its strategy going into the race in Bahrain. 

“If we tried to predict everything, we would have to go through every scenario, and it would be too much of a puzzle for the team,” he said. 

Porsche will be taking an approach that it described as “situational”. 

“If you are leading the race and your strongest competitor is out, obviously you are not going to take any risks,” explained Laudenbach. 

“And if someone is coming up on you with nothing to lose, you might handle it differently than if you are racing your direct competition for the championship, because they will be making sure they don’t damage their car as well.”

Porsche’s task in the manufacturers’ standings is more difficult than in the drivers’ championship. 

It is only 10 points ahead whereas Vanthoor, Estre and Lotterer have a 35-point advantage with only 38 up for grabs.

A victory for second-placed Toyota would give it the manufacturers’ title even if Porsche finishes second.

Toyota took the point for pole position courtesy of Brendon Hartley in the Japanese manufacturers’ #8 entry, but that will have no bearing on the destination of the title if one of the GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercars wins the race. 

But it could prove crucial in other scenarios, however. 

If the best Toyota takes second and the best PPM entry fourth, for example, the two manufacturers would be tied on 179 points. 

The Japanese manufacturer would then take the title on countback by virtue of more second places.

The drivers of the #6 963 have 150 points going into the race in Bahrain to the 115 of second-placed Ferrari crew of Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina. 

Toyota drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries have 113 points and are also mathematically in with a chance of the title. 

Porsche has 161 points in the manufacturers’ standings to Toyota’s 151, while Ferrari on 134 points is nominally in title contention. 

The Bahrain 8 Hours kicks off at 2pm local time and 11am GMT.

Only two European horses – the French winner Arcangues (1993) and British-trained Raven’s Pass (2008) – have won in 40 runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The three-year-old City Of Troy’s sole defeat came when he disappointed in the 2,000 Guineas earlier this season.

He went on to win the Derby at Epsom, Sandown’s Coral-Eclipse and the Juddmonte International at York.

After that last victory in August, O’Brien – who has saddled 10 Derby winners – said this was the best horse he had trained and confirmed the plan to switch surfaces and head for the Breeders’ Cup.

He set up a special gallop to prepare on the all-weather track at Southwell Racecourse, where American-style starting stalls were used.

A crowd of 1,000 spectators turned up just to watch the horse in a gallop, in a few minutes of action, with 5,000 tuning in for a live stream.

Leading British contenders at the two-day Breeders’ Cup meeting include Bradsell, Believing and Big Evs in Saturday’s Turf Sprint.

Jockey Frankie Dettori, who relocated to the United States earlier this year, will be reunited with Emily Upjohn for trainer John Gosden in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Five days after Spain’s historic victory, a defiant Rubiales repeatedly insisted at a RFEF emergency meeting that he would not resign.

Putellas, who was on holiday at the time of the meeting, said she was “outraged”.

She said: “The lies, the attitude, defending himself, but at the same time he was attacking Jenni.

“Those people knew the truth and they applauded him just to protect themselves.”

It was the turning point. Later that day, 81 Spanish players – including all 23 who went to the World Cup – announced they would not play for Spain’s women’s team until Rubiales was removed from his position.

“We wanted a structural change. We needed a change because the system couldn’t remain like that,” Putellas said.

Putellas, who kickstarted the ‘se acabo’ movement which was followed by both her fellow players and wider Spanish society, added: “It had exploded and there was no way back.”

However, it took more than two weeks after the players’ statement to the RFEF and a wave of further condemnation before Rubiales admitted defeat and resigned his position.

The 47-year-old has since been banned from all football-related activities for three years by Fifa, while it was announced earlier this year that he will stand trial for sexual assault over kissing Hermoso without her consent. He denies the charges, and says he is the victim of a “social assassination”.

The players’ boycott finally came to an end when they reached an agreement with the RFEF, which apologised and committed to “immediate and profound changes”.

“The fact that all of our team, as well as players from all over the world, were willing to take a stand, that gave me so much strength for everything. I think it gave me a superpower to confront it and keep going,” Hermoso said in the documentary.

“As a result of this we’ve sent a precedent, and there are so many women who can feel stronger.”

BBC Sport asked the RFEF for its response to the allegations in the documentary, but has yet to receive a response.

NO ONE is suggesting that a woman should be appointed manager of Manchester United, or any other leading football club, right now.

But it could happen when a candidate is so successful in the women’s game that her skills fit perfectly for the job.

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Male prejudice appears to be a football’s castle wall to us and I found that climbing it was a little tricky when I was appointed managing director of Birmingham City over 30 years ago.

Cheeky players made comments at first and there was an incident of entry to “men only” boardrooms. Not any more.

With the barriers breached, more women moved into executive positions. Now a mix of sexes is commonplace.

But the possibility of a woman managing a Premier League or EFL team is still regarded by many men as an insult, a slap in the face with a wet apron.

Emma Hayes capturing the Ballon d’Or this week for leading the USA to the Olympic gold medal reminds me that the day a woman leads a men’s team is closer than ever though.

Hayes, at Chelsea, won the WSL title five times while Sarina  Wiegman, with England, won the Euros and finished World Cup runner-up.

Similar triumphs in the men’s game would have won a knighthood.

So why wouldn’t a club take on a manager with this record,  regardless of their gender?

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I’ll tell you why. Because they are scared of being laughed at, or  assume men won’t listen to a woman.

Forest Green Rovers briefly appointed Hannah Dingley as interim first-team coach last year.

It certainly wasn’t bigger news than Nancy Astor becoming the first woman to take her seat as an MP.

And while Astor remained in Parliament for 26 years, Dingley lasted two weeks.

It was still a tiny brick removed from the battlements but any pioneering woman will need the strongest support from her chairman and board.

No player wants to work with a manager, female or male, who does not have tactical know-how, game strategy, leadership and decision-making skills, communication skills, modern training techniques, people skills, data analysis and a long-term vision.

My guess is rebellion would evaporate as players realised the manager knew her business in all these areas.

As for supporters, a few quick wins and they wouldn’t much care if Liz Truss were in charge.

It will happen one day because women will make it do so.

Astor has been the touchstone for 263 (40 per cent) of women to win seats in July’s election.

There is no proof men are better team leaders or managers than women.

Results in industry, education and politics are at least the equals of men and in school exams a good deal superior.

So, the day a woman leads a men’s team might be closer than ever.

Until then, we’ll keep cheering as the women’s game grows — bringing the passion, skill and tactical brilliance the men’s leagues could learn a thing or two from.

Ruben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man Utd

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WHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.

Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.

But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.

Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.

He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. 

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The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.

And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.

Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.

Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.

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United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”

And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.

For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.

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Cage Warriors has formed a close relationship with the UFC, in which its shows are broadcast on the UFC’s streaming platform Fight Pass.

Riley was competing at last month’s Cage Warriors 178, with the promotion’s next flagship show taking part in Rome on Saturday.

What is noticeable about many Cage Warriors shows is the amount of children in attendance compared to other promotions, and this is a deliberate ploy by the organisers.

Many of the kids are family or friends of the fighters competing, exemplified by the party-like celebrations which greeted British bantamweight Jack Humphries’ impressive win over Fabian Ufs in Manchester.

“To build talent means bringing local, grassroots gyms into events. Bringing these grassroots guys, their family, the community, the mums, the dads, the kids who are training,” said Boylan.

“If you don’t bring them in and make them part of it, you’re not feeding the younger generation coming through.”

But what do Cage Warriors look for when they sign upcoming athletes like Humphries?

“We normally look for character. The fighting and the skillset, we can see that, but there are hundreds of fighters with skillsets. So we look for that little spark,” said Boylan.

Boylan references Britain’s Joe Fields as an example, who won to extend his record to 3-0.

Fields, nicknamed ‘The Butcher’, arrives wearing a butcher’s apron. He understands a big part of building a fanbase comes from showmanship, but his victory proves he is equally adept as an athlete.

“You just saw Joe Fields, that kid’s going to go far. He’s got the package – he’s got that spark, he’s humble, respectful, well-spoken,” added Boylan.

After beating Junior, Riley celebrated by placing an imaginary phone to his ear, before asking UFC president Dana White to “call him”.

Most promotions would do everything in their power to keep hold of their biggest star, but Cage Warriors are willing to lose fighters like Riley because they are already grooming the likes of Humphries and Fields to step into his shoes.

It is a system which has brought great success since Boylan took over Cage Warriors in 2010 and, if it’s not broken, then why fix it?

“We make jokes all the time that we’re the dream-makers, but there’s a lot of truth to it too,” said Boylan.

“Some you’re like ‘it would be great if we could keep them’, but we know our place in the sport. We understand what we do, it’s that simple.”