Blackjack has one of the shortest rule sets in any casino, which is part of why the game of 21 has branched into so many forms. Get closer to 21 than the dealer without going bust, and that idea holds at every table.
What changes between variations is the detail around it, and that is where the arithmetic lives. Irish players will find a dozen or more versions side by side in one lobby, so knowing what separates them turns picking a table into a decision.
What changes from table to table
Almost every variation adjusts one of five things: how many decks sit in the shoe, whether the dealer takes a hole card(dealt face-down and hidden from other players), when doubling and splitting are allowed, whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17, and what a Blackjack pays. That last one matters most. A table paying 6:5 rather than the standard 3:2 costs more across a session than most of the rule tweaks advertised alongside it.
Where the variety sits in Ireland
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Ireland has no conventional licensed casino sector. Land-based gaming runs through private members’ clubs, concentrated in Dublin, whose floors usually carry one or two tables on classic rules. Oversight of the wider sector falls to the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland(GRAI), set up under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. The breadth sits online instead, where an online blackjack lobby stocks software versions and live studio tables at once.
European blackjack
The default across Irish-facing lobbies, and the sensible starting point. Two decks, the dealer stands on soft 17, and doubling is usually restricted to hard totals of nine, 10 or 11.
The defining feature is the missing hole card: the dealer draws a second card only once every player has acted, so a doubled or split stake is lost in full if the dealer then completes a Blackjack. Played with the basic strategy tables, the house edge sits under 0.5%, among the lowest figures in the casino, though no method removes it.
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Blackjack Switch
Two hands are dealt and you may swap the second card of each. Turning 10-6 and 5-10 into 10-10 and 5-6 is a real gift, so the game takes that value back elsewhere: a dealer total of 22 pushes instead of busting, and a blackjack pays 1:1 rather than 3:2. Swap only when both hands improve.
Spanish 21
Played with 48-card decks, all four 10-spot cards removed from each. In exchange the player rules are unusually generous: late surrender, doubling after a split, a bonus for reaching 21 with five cards or more, and a player 21 that always beats a dealer 21. The missing 10s pay for that, because good totals get harder to reach.
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Live dealer formats
Studio tables are where the newer ideas appear. Infinite Blackjack seats any number of players on one hand, so nobody waits for a place.
Speed Blackjack deals to whoever acts fastest, which suits players who already know the tables. Power Blackjack allows doubling, tripling or quadrupling on any two cards, with all nines and 10s stripped from the shoe. Free Bet Blackjack covers certain doubles and splits, offset again by a dealer push on 22. Lightning Blackjack charges a fee on every hand and applies a random multiplier to winning ones.
Side bets and the house edge
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Perfect Pairs pays when your first two cards match, more when the pair is suited. 21+3 pays when your two cards and the dealer’s up-card form a poker hand. Both are optional extras rather than games in their own right, and both carry a house edge several times higher than the hand they attach to. Treat them as decoration.
Choosing a table
Read the rules panel first. Every reputable operator publishes one. Stay with European or classic rules until basic strategy is second nature, then take on one variation at a time so each rule change is visible. Set a deposit limit and a session length before you sit down, use the reality checks your operator offers, and keep in mind that no variation is beatable over the long run. Gaming is for over-18s only.
Manuel Neuer retired from international duty after Germany’s early exit from the 2026 World Cup, opening the door for a new No. 1.
Jonas Urbig appears the obvious choice, but Neuer is still the starter at Bayern Munich, which severely limits Urbig’s playing time. If the 23-year-old was Bayern’s first choice, he would likely be Germany’s number one too. As it stands, though, it appears doubtful that Germany’s new coach Jürgen Klopp will even call him up to his first squad. On September 17, he will announce his squad for four UEFA Nations League games against the Netherlands, Greece, and Serbia. And no position in the current Germany team is more up for grabs than goalkeeper.
Oliver Baumann: The automatic Neuer replacement?
Oliver Baumann represents exactly the kind of selfless No. 2 who could be the next No. 1. The Hoffenheim goalkeeper even commendably dealt with the humiliation of being replaced by Neuer just before the World Cup.
Baumann appears unlikely to be Germany’s new No. 1 under KloppImage: Michael Memmler/Eibner-Pressefoto/picture alliance
Klopp isn’t just tasked with celebrating short-term success with Germany, however. His remit is to bring about lasting change making Germany favorites for a World Cup and a Euros once again. Oliver Baumann turned 36 this summer. The Bundesliga veteran will be 38 at the next Euros, 40 by the 2030 World Cup. His age might count against a sustainable rebirth of the Germany team.
The Hoffenheim goalkeeper, who has 13 caps, spoke to Bild in the days leading up to the squad announcement about his exchange with Klopp: “Yes, I was in contact with him. He’ll say everything else on Thursday. We’ll see about the rest—that’s for him to handle.”
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Ter Stegen: Back in Germany colors via Ajax?
Since Klopp prefers a highly attacking style of play in which all players press high up the field, he might opt for a goalkeeper who can also take on the duties of a field player. Marc-André ter Stegen would fit this profile better than Baumann. Ter Stegen is also two years younger than his competitor, though his career has been hampered by injuries.
Perhaps ter Stegen will find his way back to the Germany team via AjaxImage: Van der Velden/Fotostand/picture alliance
After several serious injuries and a legal dispute with Barcelona, ter Stegen has gone on loan to Ajax, improving his chances of returning between the posts for Germany.
“As far as ter Stegen is concerned, I assume he’ll definitely be in the mix,” Lothar Matthäus recently wrote for Sky. “If he continues to perform well in Amsterdam, he’s a candidate for the number one spot.”
Alexander Nübel: Out of the spotlight in Turkey
Alexander Nübel was Germany’s third-string goalkeeper at the World Cup. He had been consistent at Stuttgart but moved to Besiktas this summer, where he has made a strong start. However, former national team goalkeeper Toni Schumacher sees the move as a disadvantage for the 29-year-old.
“His move to Turkey has taken him out of the spotlight,” Schumacher, who also played for Fenerbahce for three years during his playing days, told Bild. “It simply has a positive effect when you play in your own country week after week and thrill the fans with your saves.”
Loris Karius: History with Klopp at Liverpool
A goalkeeper who has never been called up to the Germany team but shares a history with Klopp is Loris Karius.
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Once considered one of Germany’s most promising goalkeepers, Karius appears to now, aged 33, have a real chance of being in the Germany setup Image: Norbert Schmidt/picture alliance
Back in the Bundesliga aged 33, Karius is delivering consistent performances and may have played his way back into the spotlight.
“When people associate me with that, it’s a testament to the performance I’m putting in. That’s great,” Karius said recently in an interview with Sky.
Keepers who could play for Germany or elsewhere
If none of the obvious candidates gets selected, there are a number of other good goalkeepers who might be considered. First among them is Noah Atubolu. The 24-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt keeper, who has Nigerian heritage, was the number one for Germany’s U21s from 2022 to 2025, and was called up to the senior squad once last October.
Dahmen (left) and Atubolu (right) are both young keepers with potentialImage: Sebastian Räppold/Matthias Koch/picture alliance
Freiburg’s Mio Backhaus is another promising talent. The 22-year-old’s mother is from Japan, meaning Backhaus is also eligible to play for Japan. He even played for the Japanese U15 team, but has since progressed through Germany’s youth teams up to the U21 level.
In addition to Atubolu and Backhaus, there are also Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen (28), Stuttgart’s Dennis Seimen (20) and Diant Ramaj (24), who left recently relegated Heidenheim to join Copenhagen.
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If Klopp wants to rely on one of the five, it might be worth playing them sooner rather than later in a competitive game. After all, just like Atubolu and Backhaus, the other three are also eligible to play for another country due to their heritage. Dahmen could also play for England, Seimen for Romania, and Ramaj for Kosovo.
Köpke: ‘Develop a young goalkeeper as the No. 1’
“I think they need to develop a young goalkeeper as the No. 1 right now,” Andreas Köpke, the goalkeeper on Germany’s 1996 European championship team, told Bild.
Germany’s former goalkeeping coach pointed to Bayern’s backup goalkeeper, Urbig, alongside Backhaus and Atubolu — though only as and when Urbig plays regularly at club level.
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And, given his standing at Bayern, that’s bound to come down to how long Manuel Neuer chooses to continue to play.
An unfortunate injury update was revealed regarding Mercedes Mone on AEW live television.
During the September 16 episode of Dynamite, commentator Excalibur announced that Mercedes Mone is not medically cleared to compete at AEW’s upcoming pay-per-view, All Out 2026, due to her nose injury. However, he added that she would be cleared for their next PPV, WrestleDream, in October, where she will defend her AEW Women’s World Championship against either Thekla or Willow Nightingale.
“Unfortunately, she is not cleared to compete for All Out coming up one week from Sunday in Chicago. However, she will be cleared to compete at WrestleDream coming up in Orlando this October and she will face either former AEW Women’s World Champion, the Toxic Spider Thekla or former champion, Willow Nightingale.”
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Mercedes Mone had challenged Willow Nightingale for the AEW Women’s World Championship at All In 2026 last month. Early in the bout, Nightingale broke her nose, as Mone revealed after the match, and she bled profusely throughout. Despite that, she delivered a hard-hitting showdown and walked away with the title and the victory.
On the next edition of Dynamite, Mone came out to celebrate her title win wearing a big hat that covered her face. However, as soon as she removed it, she revealed her injured, taped nose.
Mercedes Mone’s first PPV title defense will be at AEW WrestleDream 2026
Willow Nightingale and Thekla will square off at All Out 2026 in a singles match. The winner will earn the right to challenge Mercedes Mone for the AEW Women’s World Championship at WrestleDream in Orlando in October. This will mark Mone’s first PPV title defense since winning the gold at All In 2026.
While Nightingale is eyeing a chance to win back the title from Mone, Thekla has had her sights set on regaining the Women’s World title since her AEW return at All In. So, it remains to be seen who will win at All Out and get that title shot against Mone.
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Normally, the nickname that gets assigned is that he’s “The Mad Scientist.” What about being a “psycho?”
Vikings coach Brian Flores took some time to hop onto the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast. Simms, a former NFL passer who is now a prominent NFL commentator, sent along the quip, doing so in praise of Minnesota’s DC being an unusually aggressive guy. That’s an observation that prefigures a Week 2 game against Ben Johnson, a flamethrower of a playcaller with seemingly boundless creativity.
Vikings Coach Brian Flores is a “Psycho”
Lately, the descriptors have been flying.
Rookie fullback Max Bredeson has been generating praise in the Twin Cities. Some of that praise got sent over by head coach Kevin O’Connell, who offered the quip that Bredeson is somebody who is intelligent but who has some “screws loose.” Note (as Will Ragatz does) that the description comes after Bredeson got described by OC Wes Phillips a “meathead” and a “dirt bag” during the summer.
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Sep 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) reacts before a play during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Likewise, WR3 Jauan Jennings got described as a “dirt bag” by Kyler Murray. Doing so came as a compliment due to the physicality and grit behind the way Mr. Jennings blocks. One can only assume that Minnesota’s WR3 felt honored by the description.
Does that clarify how Simms is talking about Flores in the moment?
“You’re a psycho in a good way,” Simms notes, “like I say about most good coaches.” Flores took the comment in a positive way, as his chuckle demonstrated. By this point, Brian Flores has heard it all since his aggression isn’t a new feature of his play calling.
The Simms comment arrived after Flores confirmed that he enjoys going toe-to-toe with football’s foremost architects on offense, such as Ben Johnson, Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, and others. From the outside looking in, the Vikings coach appears to get satisfaction from outwitting these brilliant football minds. Why wouldn’t he?
In Week 1, Coach Flores empowered his guys to fly forward. He has always allowed his guys to do so but the Packers game became a bloodbath toward the end. Dallas Turner and Blake Cashman were particularly effective, but those two weren’t alone. Levi Drake Rodriguez, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jalen Redmond, and several others all had good moments.
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Green Bay crumpled under the pressure, a reality that should be understood in both a literal and metaphorical manner.
Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes against the Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
What’s now of interest is how things will go in Week 2.
To be blunt, Chicago is a clear step ahead of Green Bay and the chasm appears to be widening. Caleb Williams is quickly proving to be the best passer in the division. He’s operating behind a better offensive line and throwing to a better collection of skill. Most important, Ben Johnson is remarkable at what he does (as Chicago’s 59 points in Week 1 demonstrate). Tricking Johnson isn’t easy, so Flores has his hands full.
Stealing a win from inside Soldier Field isn’t going to happen unless the Vikings coaching staff puts together an elite game plan. Both of Kevin O’Connell and Matt Daniels have a major role to play, but Brian Flores may be leading the most important phase as the Vikings try to insulate QB2 Carson Wentz.
Look for the “psycho” to try to make Williams skittish from the beginning of the 1st quarter to the end of the 4th quarter. Doing so means concocting a strategy that proves too much for Johnson to solve.
Week 2 is always fun because you get to see who overreacts to what happened in Week 1. Fantasy managers love to panic, but you shouldn’t rush to judgment after one game. Relax.
For example, you should remain confident in Ja’Marr Chase, Colston Loveland and Jaylen Waddle, among others. As long as they are healthy, they should perform at a high level for the majority of the season.
On the other hand, there’s reason for concern for Drake Maye and Justin Herbert since both quarterbacks could be without their best receivers. Maye won’t have A.J. Brown (ankle) for at least the next four games, and Herbert could be without Ladd McConkey (ribs) in Week 2.
I also hope the Falcons get Cooper Rush off the field in favor of Michael Penix Jr. (knee) or Tua Tagovailoa (oblique). Either quarterback is a boost for Drake London and Kyle Pitts, but you should downgrade both in Week 2 against Carolina if Rush starts again.
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There are plenty of other examples, pro and con, of how to react to what happened in Week 1. Just remember that bad games happen. Great players aren’t always great for every performance.
It just stings a little more when one of your stars struggles in Week 1. We’re all fired up for the start of the season, and then you get a dud — or worse, an injury — and it’s a depressing feeling.
Thankfully, Week 2 is here. You got the chance to alter your lineup with the waiver wire or maybe a trade. Hopefully, your team is ready to go.
We also hope your best players deliver a solid outing, especially if they struggled in Week 1. But just be prepared for more letdowns. It’s a long season, and even if you fall to 0-2, you’ll be OK. You can still recover and make the playoffs and compete for a championship.
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As always, we’re here to help with the starts and sits that you need. So let’s get to it. Week 2 is here. And it’s going to be a lot of fun
The 49ers defense played great in Week 1 against the Rams, holding them to 7 points with one interception, one fumble recovery and just 290 total yards allowed. It’s a big difference when Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are healthy, and San Francisco should dominate the Miami offense in Week 2. The Raiders held the Dolphins to 13 points in Week 1 with five sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. The 49ers DST should be amazing in Week 2.
The Vikings defense came alive late in Week 1 against the Packers and finished with four sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. But the Bears offense could be tough to stop. Chicago just scored 59 points in Week 1 against Carolina, and Caleb Williams was sacked just twice. The Bears also had one fumble. I don’t want to trust the Vikings DST against Chicago in Week 2.
Tiffany Stratton has suffered an accident during a live stream. The star fell on her head, leaving everyone concerned about her well-being.
Tiffany Stratton suffered an accident and was hurt during her live stream
Thanks for the submission!
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Tiffany Stratton was live on Twitch tonight, where she was training and hitting different moves at the WWE Performance Center, and was working on some moves. Unfortunately, while this was happening, she suffered an accident and ended up falling on her neck.
Stratton was doing flips to the outside using the ropes. The star was trying out the move and had previously successfully bounced off the ropes using her knees to hit a senton onto the pad on the outside. However, after the successful attempt, things went wrong. After a few moments, while she was talking, she tried the move again, but this time she didn’t bring up her knees to bounce out.
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Instead, she just went up and over and fell directly on her neck. There was a moment when everyone there was concerned for her, and she stayed down, audibly groaning. It was clear that she was hurt.
Thankfully, it turned out to apparently not be too serious as she stood right back up.
The video of the moment can be watched below.
What made the moment even odder is that Je’Von Evans entered just after this, having missed it. Stratton tried to greet him after standing up, but even then it could be seen that she was in some pain as a result of the botch.
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Hopefully, it was just a botch and the star is not injured. She continued to stream for some time after, but ended it earlier than usual. There are no updates as to her health as of now.
We at Sportskeeda Wrestling send our best wishes to the star.
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The Broncos’ reported attempt to lure Drew Brees out of retirement has raised potential tampering concerns, with Mike Florio suggesting the NFL could investigate Denver.
India women’s kabaddi captain Pushpa Rana is confident the team can successfully defend its gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with the defending champions treating the expectations surrounding them as motivation rather than pressure.
Leading a 12-member squad in her first assignment as captain, Rana said India have prepared by studying opponents, analysing past performances and addressing the areas identified by the coaching staff.
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The team will begin its campaign against Bangladesh on September 21 before taking on Iran and Japan in Group A. Rana said the squad is determined to carry forward the success of previous generations.
Rana sees gold-medal expectations as motivation
India have won 11 Asian Games gold medals in kabaddi, including three in the women’s event, and will enter Aichi-Nagoya as the defending champions. At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, India beat Chinese Taipei 26-25 in a closely fought final.
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Rana said the history created by the senior players has given the current squad an added sense of responsibility, but the players are embracing that responsibility positively.
“When our seniors have already done a good job, they have made their own history, so it is up to us to maintain that momentum. So, we see it as motivation, we don’t see it as pressure. We are also working hard to maintain that momentum,” Rana said.
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India also won the women’s Kabaddi World Cup in November last year, adding to the team’s confidence ahead of the Asian Games.
India step up preparations ahead of campaign
Rana said the team’s preparation has involved both match-specific training and detailed analysis of its opponents. The players have also been working on weaknesses highlighted by the coaching staff from their previous performances.
“First of all, we practise according to the situation. We also analyse the videos of the upcoming matches. Our coaches also tell us about the shortcomings of the past and what needs to be improved. And now we are working on that. I think our team is well prepared,” she said.
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The captain will also have senior players to lean on as she takes charge of the side. Rana has previously served as vice-captain and said the experience of players such as Ritu Negi and Sonali Shingate will be valuable as she settles into the leadership role.
“I rely a lot on the seniors because they are already captains like Ritu Negi and Sonali Shingate. So, their advice is very important to me,” Rana said.
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She also singled out Chinese Taipei as one of the teams India will need to keep an eye on, given their narrow defeat in the Hangzhou final.
Kajla hopes gold can inspire more girls
Pooja Kajla, meanwhile, believes another Asian Games gold would have significance beyond the medal itself. The Arjuna awardee said the success of Indian women across different sports can encourage more young girls to take up sport.
“First of all, it is very important to win gold at the Asian Games. Along with that, as we talk about the girls of the cricket World Cup, there are also juniors who are very inspired by the success of Indian women in sport,” Kajla said.
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“If we bring gold, then small children get inspired by us and they will also ask their parents to let them play,” she added.
Kajla also credited the team’s strength and conditioning camp, organised jointly by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and Mashal Sports, the organisers of the Pro Kabaddi League, for improving the players’ understanding of recovery.
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“They gave us a few more classes on sleep and recovery. So, I got to learn a lot from there,” she said.
India begin title defence against Bangladesh
The women’s kabaddi competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will begin on September 21. India have been placed in Group A and will open their campaign against Bangladesh.
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The defending champions will then face Iran on September 23 before completing their group-stage fixtures against hosts Japan on September 24. The semi-finals are scheduled for September 25, followed by the gold medal match on September 26.
India’s 12-member women’s kabaddi squad is led by Pushpa Rana and includes Ritu Negi, Sonali Shingate, Sanju Devi, Pooja Kajla, Ritu Sheoran, Jyoti Thakur, Pinki Roy, Manisha Kumari, Bhavna Thakur, Raj Rani and Nikita Kumari.
The DP World Tour released its 2027 schedule on Wednesday — and it featured a few notable changes.
There are some big-time additions. The Singapore Open (in April, now presented by Deutsche Bank) and the Hong Kong Open (in October) will be co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour. LIV Golf had played events in both places several times in recent years; their realignment with the DP World Tour is a story in and of itself.
The Open de Portugal (in May) also returns to the schedule for the first time since 2020 and adds to the DP World Tour’s roster of historic national opens. Those national opens have been a major focus of the tour as it seeks to double down on the significance and meaning of its global calendar. (The DPWT has been referring to itself as “Golf’s Global Tour,” including in this new schedule release.)
There also may be some events disappearing from the schedule. There’s a “TBC” as part of the Asian Swing in March, and the Hero Indian Open is no longer on the schedule. There’s also a “TBC” in August, where the Danish Golf Championship has vanished. There’s a final “TBC” in late October, just before the postseason — a spot that had been filled by the Genesis Championship in South Korea. The Austrian Alpine Open and the Nexo Championship (in Scotland) are also missing from the calendar.
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You can read more about those changes here. I’m particularly intrigued, though, by two scheduling specifics.
Introducing the 2027 DP World Tour global tournament schedule 🌍
◾️ Three historic tournaments return ◾️ Hong Kong Open and Deutsche Bank Singapore Open co-sanctioned with Asian Tour ◾️ New dates for Amgen Irish Open, FedEx Open de France and BMW PGA Championship ◾️ 42… pic.twitter.com/mD3QTvJspe
First is the Irish Open, which is moving from its current spot in September back to the first week of July. That means it will kick off a formidable trio of tournaments: the Irish Open, then the Scottish Open, then the Open Championship.
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Fans of links golf have been clamoring for this exact change. There’s a romance to the PGA Tour’s overseas swing, after all; seeing pros chase daylight at North Berwick often serves as a remember to both them and us that they do in fact love this sport. And while it’s worth noting that the 2027 Irish Open won’t be played on a links course — it’s held at the parkland K Club in Co. Kildare — the atmosphere will still contribute to the weekslong build-up to the Open.
Still, unlike the Scottish Open, the Irish is not co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour, so it will be interesting to see how players structure their schedules — most notably the past two Irish Open champs, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry. Playing everything would mean going U.S. Open-Travelers Championship-Irish Open-Scottish Open-Open Championship, an exhausting, though exhilarating five-week jaunt. My prediction? We won’t see McIlroy at TPC River Highlands for that Signature Event, and we may not see Lowry, either. (We definitely won’t see either at the John Deere Classic, which runs opposite the Irish.)
I’ll also be interested to see if any big-time pros opt to play the Irish Open but skip the Scottish; some guys prefer to have a restful week off heading into a major championship. Something to monitor.
The second spot that has my attention is the schedule around the Ryder Cup. The PGA Tour’s season finale, the Tour Championship, runs Aug. 26-29. There are no PGA Tour events in the two weeks that follow, but there are two DP World Tour events, the Omega European Masters (in Switzerland) and the FedEx Open de France.
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Will we see Team Europe convene in the Swiss Alps two weeks ahead of the Ryder Cup for team bonding, fondue and milk chocolate? Will the American side take those two weeks as the appropriate rest before heading to Adare Manor? It’ll be a fascinating dynamic for the captains to work through.
Then there’s the week that follows the Ryder Cup: the BMW PGA Championship, one of the DP World Tour’s flagship events, which will happen just a short flight away from the Ryder Cup at Wentworth in England. I’d expect just about the entire European team will be playing. The question is whether they’ll be coming off a team victory when they do — and how many Americans stay across the pond to play too.
What does any and all of this mean for the future of the DP World Tour? It’s all too murky to say. The timing of the schedule release is particularly interesting in the context of its surrounding tours. Earlier this week, the PGA Tour released its eligibility criteria for the all-new 2028 top-tier Championship Series; buried in that announcement was a giant “TBD” when it comes to the future of the Tour’s relationship and strategic alliance with the DPWT.
There’s also the matter of LIV’s future; the league is going through bankruptcy but is also expected to communicate something about its vision for 2027 to players this week. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp made it clear he doesn’t plan to roll out the red carpet to LIV pros hoping to return; it’s unclear how much softer the landing will be on the DP World Tour.
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So there’s plenty we know, but even more that we don’t. No need to get ahead of ourselves; enjoy this week’s DPWT offering, the BMW PGA Championship. We’ll get to next year when we get there.
Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter have sold their stakes in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital.
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss has also sold his stake, meaning Clearlake – led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano – have now acquired full control of the club.
Boehly, Walter and Wyss each had a 12.8% stake, with Clearlake previously owning 61.5% of the Blues.
American Boehly will leave his role as chairman, a position he has held since 2022, when the consortium bought the club for £2.3bn from Roman Abramovich, who was sanctioned by the UK government in March 2022 over alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin – something he has denied.
Multiple sources said talks started within Chelsea‘s ownership group after a rift, first apparent in 2024, led both sides to explore buying each other out.
Boehly, who is a co-owner of baseball franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, said it had been an “honour” to serve as Chelsea chairman.
“I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans,” he added.
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“I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”
Since the takeover in 2022, Chelsea‘s highest Premier League finish is fourth in 2024-25, with the club also winning the Uefa Conference League and Fifa Club World Cup that season.
The club have also had a remarkably high turnover of players over the past four years, with the initial strategy focusing on signing young players to long-term contracts.
Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and appointed Xabi Alonso as their manager in the summer.
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Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his “time and contribution” as chairman, saying he will “always be a part of the Chelsea story and family”.
They added their focus is to “continue investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for Chelsea and the club’s supporters”.
Chelsea have ongoing plans either to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium, which sources say had created tension at times between Boehly’s camp and Clearlake.
A club statement said there will be “no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club” as a result of Clearlake assuming full control.
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Walter, the co-owner and chief executive of global finance firm Guggenheim Partners, where Boehly also began his financial career, last month sold the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5bn (£9.23bn) – a year after buying a majority stake in the NBA franchise.
Separately, US federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating companies in Walter’s business empire.
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