HOPEFULLY Evangelos Marinakis will not be watching Nottingham Forest’s game at Leicester from home tonight.
Or if so, pray he has a Kleenex handy in case that terrible hacking cough suddenly resurfaces and he gets an uncontrollable urge to gob all over the luxury shag-pile.
More importantly, Forest needs its owner to be in good health.
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The cigar-chomping billionaire has done wonders for the club in his seven years as majority shareholder.
He has turned things around at almost every level, establishing them as a Prem club, integrating the women’s team into the fabric of the business, looking to invest in the Trent Rockets.
For a Greek to take a serious interest in cricket is remarkable in itself.
Yet all that admirable effort reviving a football team with a proud history – especially under legend Brian Clough – is being undone by the toilet behaviour of the man at the top.
The barely credible excuse that he suffers with a smoker’s cough, forcing him to launch a globule of tobacco-infused phlegm on the floor of the tunnel as he passed by Josh Smith, Tim Robinson and James Mainwaring, is irrelevant.
Marinakis and Forest need to learn to swallow sometimes. Spitting is unpalatable even when players do it.
They had seen two penalty appeals turned down, while Fulham won it with a debatable spot-kick of their own.
Annoying yes, but no cause is good enough to warrant that kind of reaction.
Do it in the street when a copper walks past and see what happens.
Jamie Carragher is lucky to still have a career in television after letting fly with a large amount of spittle at a mickey-taking bloke sitting in the car next to his in a traffic jam.
Mates of mine who support Forest have embraced the commitment and love the passion of Marinakis.
It’s never a dull moment with him in charge, they say. But even they are disappointed in this latest episode.
And that includes the Premier League, which is making a number of tweaks this season.
Team news will now be released 75 MINUTES before kick-off, 15 minutes earlier than had been the case before.
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Things could get crowded on the touchline, with the number of substitutes permitted to warm-up boosted from three players per team to FIVE.
There’s also a change to how added time is calculated when a team scores a goal, an update to the ‘multiball’ system and the introduction of semi-automated offsides – but not straight away.
But the serial complaining at every injustice is already overshadowing the reconstruction of Nottingham Forest into a formidable football team.
If it’s not the owner, then it’s the manager Nuno Espirito Santo, or the coaches giving it to the referees in brutal and undignified terms.
All the while unravelling all the positive PR that the club deserves for the cracking job of remodelling Forest as a team capable of pushing for a return to Europe.
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And it’s naive to believe the officials don’t remember. As human beings, the subconscious memory bank will kick into action next time Forest needs the benefit of the doubt.
Gobbing off about things you don’t agree with, or simply gobbing in front of other people might make you feel better there and then.
But it’s a distasteful business that can leave a nasty stain on a club’s otherwise good character.
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Incidentally, the City Ground, like all others, is a no-smoking stadium.
So isn’t it the perfect place for Marinakis to start kicking the habit anyway?
TV gold Capers
FAREWELL Geoff Capes, shot put legend and symbol of childhood in the 70s and 80s.
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Christmas back then wasn’t complete without the one-time policeman filling the no-man’s land of TV time between festive movies by holding ten car batteries at arm’s length for half an hour.
Or perhaps pulling a juggernaut along by rope as he bossed it in the Useless Sport Olympics, otherwise known as World’s or Europe’s Strongest Man.
I once got fairly close to England’s 6ft 5in man-mountain at the Crieff Highland Games when I was 11 and on holiday in Scotland.
He was tossing the caber in full kilt regalia and looked every inch the gladiator of his time.
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Mum even urged me to get his autograph, which he was only too happy to sign on a scrap of paper.
But I have always suspected it was more for her than for me.
Fifa right this time
FIFA have been accused of showing preferential treatment to David Beckham’s Inter Miami when it comes to next summer’s Club World Cup.
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There is outrage in the US that the MLS leaders have been given a golden ticket to join the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich at the expanded tournament on American soil.
Critics say Miami have only been invited because Lionel Messi is in their squad – you know, arguably the greatest player ever.
Columbus Crew, currently second in MLS, have such luminaries as ‘Cucho’ Hernandez – who scored five goals in five years at Watford – and Christian Ramirez, formerly of Aberdeen, on their ‘roster’.
Who would you rather pay to see? Not everything Fifa does is completely insane.
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MOHAMMED KUDUS has already had one ruck with West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui after being subbed at half-time against Brentford.
Now he faces a three-game ban for violent conduct, plus further punishment for his actions after the red card incident in the 4-1 debacle at Spurs on Saturday.
I can’t help but suspect there is a very talented but highly frustrated young man there who feels he isn’t getting what he deserves in a team that is massively underperforming.
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West Ham always looked like a stepping stone to bigger things for the ambitious 24-year-old Ghana midfielder.
Fans could be heading for another Dimitri Payet or Marko Arnautovic situation unless Lopetegui turns things around soon.
FANS are revolting at the increasing price of season tickets and it’s all admirable to see…
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West Ham supporters can release as many black balloons as they like – and hard-pressed punters can wave placards and banners until the cows come home.
But I have said it before that only when they make a real stand by getting up out of their overpriced seats and walking out of a game halfway through, or by refusing to renew at the end of the season, will Premier League clubs listen.
Liverpool fans did it brilliantly with their 77th-minute walkout some years back when the owners threatened to raise prices to £77 – it stopped the plan dead in its tracks.
AFTER his Arsenal side had beaten Shakhtar Donetsk, Oleksandr Zinchenko made a point of saluting the away fans.
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The proud Ukrainian practically stripped naked handing over his kit as souvenirs while he and his countrymen recognised the hell that is their war with Russia.
Not one Arsenal fan begrudged Zinchenko that touching moment after Tuesday’s Champions League clash.
Max Verstappen feels the current Formula 1 racing guidelines are overregulated, as he refutes claims that he never intended to make Turn 12 in his United States Grand Prix fight with Lando Norris.
Both Verstappen and Norris went off at Turn 12 on the 52nd lap of the race at Austin when Norris was attempting to overtake the Red Bull driver, and Norris stayed ahead despite getting the change of position completed off-track.
Norris suggested that Verstappen was quite happy not to make the corner and simply aimed to follow a line in the racing guidelines that the car ahead at the apex was entitled to the position.
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Verstappen countered his point of view and stated that he always wanted to take the corner correctly, and that it was simply a showcase of hard racing between the two drivers.
He added that defending was made more difficult with the hard tyres, which shifted the grip away from his front axle and made him more cautious on the brakes.
“It’s quite impressive that people can read my mind [with apex tactics]. It’s crazy,” Verstappen said.
“I always try to make the corner, I didn’t want to look for a shortcut, so I don’t even know what to answer to this one. We’ve always said we wanted to race each other hard, that’s what we like to do.
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“It was quite a difficult second stint. I lost a lot of grip on the front axle, it’s very difficult to brake. That’s what made my defence more difficult, because I know that if I braked a little bit too late, I would lock up and I really didn’t have the front grip.
“It wasn’t easy for me out there. I think all in all we still had a positive weekend for us, but still a few things of course that we want to do better, to be in that fight.
“I honestly believed, going into the race, that I would be in the fight, and we weren’t, so that wasn’t ideal. But at least it did show some promising signs that maybe we could be back in the fight.”
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Verstappen joked that the rules of engagement were becoming so complex that he needed the handbook with him during the race, noting that it was becoming much more involved in recent years.
However, he accepted that removing the rules would result in calls for greater vigilance from the stewards over potential incidents. He added that he had “no concerns” about his driving being addressed in a future meeting with the other drivers.
“I think we are getting to a stage where I always need the book in the car! If you look of course over the years, the book has grown quite a lot,” Verstappen said.
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“It is definitely overregulated, but then I can see the other point of if we take rules away, and there’s again an incident… ‘Oh, you need more rules! We need to be strong about this!’
“It’s always the same thing. In the past, we have maybe less rules, and you have the same argument: ‘You know, we need to be strong on this, on that’. It’s always the same story.”
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is crossing over to Hollywood with his first major acting role booked in upcoming film directed by Adam Wingard, who is also responsible for Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Pereira is expected to portray the villain in the movie Onslaught, which is described as a “gonzo action horror thriller” with DNA similar to some of Wingard’s early films such as You’re Next and The Guest. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the casting news with additional sources confirming Pereira’s casting to MMA Fighting on Thursday.
Pereira is expected to star alongside Adria Arjona (Hit Man) playing “a mother who falls back on a particular set of skills in order to protect her loved ones after she runs afoul of a threat that has escaped a secret military base,”
Pereira plays that threat as a character called The Butcher and he’s expected to incorporate some of his fighting skills in the featured role for the project.
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Wingard is set to direct Onslaught with a script from longtime collaborator Simon Barrett, who just recently penned the screenplay for the Samara Weaving led horror film Azrael. The film is being produced by A24, Lyrical Media and Ryder Picture Company.
The role is a first for Pereira, who has quickly become one of the biggest stars on the entire UFC roster after he conquered both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions in record time. Most recently, Pereira dispatched Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, which was the third defense of his title in 2024.
Following the fight, Pereira said he had some commitments to fulfill but hoped to return to action in early 2024. It appears playing a villain in the upcoming film Onslaught is one of those obligations now.
SARINA WIEGMAN wants England to avoid getting swept up in Euros glory nostalgia, when they face Germany for the first time since the 2022 final.
This evening her Lionesses return to Wembley for a friendly against the side they beat to become European Champions.
Both teams, who have qualified for next Euros and are ranked among the world’s top four sides, have undergone some changes since that 2-1 victory for Wiegman’s players.
Aston Villa skipper Rachel Daly called time on her international career in April.
The 84-capped Leeds-born striker, 32, who won the WSL’s Golden boot in the 2022-23 season, started in every single game for England at the last Euros.
Meanwhile Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, 56, who guided Germany to the final, left her job as head coach by mutual consent last November.
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Her departure followed their shock exit from the Women’s World Cup group stage last July.
The team will also be without the services of long-serving striker Alexandra Popp for tonight’s game which kicks off at 7:30pm,
The prolific forward, who has scored 66 international goals, will play her 145th and final game for her country next month when they face Austria.
And while Wiegman sees England’s Euros win against Voss-Tecklenburg’s former side as a moment to cherish, her sole focus is on preparation for next year’s contest.
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The Lionesses chief said: “It was one of the biggest moments of my career and of my life. We will always cherish that.
“But moving forward it’s a totally different Germany team and we are a different team because we’ve moved on too.
“It’s the start of [going into] the next Euros, next summer.
“We always want to go faster but I think the game has increased, the level of the leagues in international football has increased and developed.
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“That’s what we want so that means we have to develop too.”
England’s results have at times been mixed since reaching last year’s World Cup final in August where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Spain.
Three of the six qualifiers that saw them secure their spot at next year’s Euros resulted in two draws and one defeat in addition to three wins.
Wiegman expects to face a powerful and physical test from Germany who are now managed by head coach Christian Wuck.
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They have won four of their last six competitive games.
She adds: “Germany have always been a powerful team, very physical and one that wants to play a possession game, but doesn’t hesitate to play long balls either
“They have a new coach now, so they will probably do some other things too and that’s a challenge for us but a nice one.”
Tonight’s game could see Wiegman contend with a central defender selection headache.
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While Leah Williamson missed Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat of West Ham last Sunday with her club wanting to manage her load, the England skipper is in the running to start for the Lionesses.
Her fellow centre-backs Millie Bright, Alex Greenwood and Jesse Carter are all in solid form for their clubs Chelsea, Man City and Gotham FC.
Wiegman said: “That is absolutely a headache because they’re all really good and really competing for minutes.
“But these are absolutely the headaches I want to have and it’s a hard decision to make.”
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England’s first friendly fixture this season in the run-up to next year’s Euros follows a mixed start to the season for Williamson’s club side who are currently fifth in the WSL.
The Gunners are currently on the hunt for a new women’s head coach following Jonas Eidevall resigning earlier this month.
His departure followed the team picking up one win from their first four WSL games this term and suffering a 5-2 loss to Bayern Munich in their Champions League group stager opener
And former Man City Women’s boss Nick Cushing has reportedly been linked with the vacant role.
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When ask if her confidence, ahead of England’s upcoming games, had been affected by Arsenal’s recent results, Lionesses skipper Williamson said: “There’s no difference in the confidence levels.
“We are all footballers and deal with different scenarios.
“Now we are here with England and it has been a consistent environment, at least for the last couple of years, so now we’re back and it’s nice.
“It’s been a different start to the season.
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“Results tell a story but I think (from) the work that I’ve seen going on, especially from my club and I can only speak for that.
“But you can see again that the level of the whole world of football has gone up and everyone is enjoying that challenge.
It’s tough to stand out in combat sports for the right reasons. Yet, with so much going on, Franco Tenaglia left his mark on 2024.
Tenaglia, along with Tony Soto, put on one of the wildest fights of the year as they went toe to toe for the vacant lightweight title in the BKFC Marbella main event in Spain. After a thrilling and destructive affair, Tenaglia got his hand raised to be crowned champion.
“It’s almost like a religious experience,” Tenaglia told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “It’s something extremely energetic. Every fighter has their own life. Every fighter has their own thing they fight for. I respect all fighters. I respect everyone in general; I’m a very respectful person and very humble, but I obviously have a maximum respect for him.
“Obviously, after what we shared, he’s going to be part of my life forever. For me, it was an incredible experience and people saw the battle of who wants it more, which made it insane. This was better than ‘Rocky’ because this was without gloves, real, and even more punches.”
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Tenaglia impressed many, including BKFC co-owner and UFC star Conor McGregor who was in attendance. After the fight, McGregor jumped in and grabbed the microphone, not only to announce that Tenaglia and Soto were getting bonuses, but also double their base pay.
“That, to me, meant more. I don’t care about the money,” Tenaglis said. “That Conor McGregor, your idol, tells you that you’re incredible and congratulates you on the fight and tells you that the world is yours, someone that’s an icon in MMA telling you something like that, it’s priceless. It’s worth more than the double pay, but obviously I’m happy about it because, as you know, us fighters don’t make as much compared to other athletes.”
As far as what’s next, the Argentine fighter, who trains out of Climent Club with UFC champion Ilia Topuria, wants to remain as active as possible.
“I”ve done it my whole career. I usually fight six or seven times a year because I combine it with MMA, bareknuckle MMA, and bareknuckle boxing,” Tenaglia explained. “So I fight at least seven times a year, and I want to keep it that way, This is therapy for me. If I don’t have a fight, I sometimes feel like I’m training for nothing. I want to defend the belt many times and make it clear that I’m the best bareknuckle boxer in the world.”
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Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of combat sports.
McLaren has instigated a right of review request into Lando Norris’s penalty in Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix – the first step in trying to get the sanction overturned.
Norris was hit with a five-second penalty for overtaking Red Bull’s Max Verstappen off the track as they duelled late in the race at Austin.
The right of review hearing will take place at 14:30 Mexico City time on Friday, ahead of this weekend’s race in the Mexican capital, where McLaren will have to show the FIA that there was new, significant and relevant evidence that had not been available at the time of the decision.
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