Chris Froome releases performance and blood data to satisfy Tour de France doubters December 4, 2015 Chris Froome hopes doubts over his two Tour de France wins can be put to rest after releasing physiological data which suggests his success in recent years can be attributed to weight loss. Three sets of data, from 2007, this year's Tour and independent tests in August have been published in this month's edition of [...]
Arsene Wenger feud is all in the past, says Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce December 3, 2015 Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has insisted that his feud with Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger is consigned to history as the pair prepare to reignite their Premier League duel at Emirates Stadium tomorrow. Allardyce and Wenger endured a combustible relationship when the former was manager of Bolton between 1999 and 2007, a team which the Frenchman [...]
Gary Neville on Valencia move: “I’ve been on TV for a few years now; the time was right to stand up” December 3, 2015 Valencia head coach Gary Neville accepted a surprise move to Spain because he felt ready to leave the comfort of the television studio for the crucible of the dugout, he said on Thursday. The former Manchester United and England defender was appointed to his first managerial role on Wednesday by the La Liga club and [...]
Victor Frankenstein movie review: Paul McGuigan’s film is every bit as dead-eyed as the monster it portrays December 3, 2015 Cert 12A | ★☆☆☆☆ Paul McGuigan’s Victor Frankenstein is so desperate to avoid comparisons with other, better, retellings of Mary Shelley’s tale that it jettisons almost everything that’s interesting about the mythos, setting out to answer a series of questions nobody has ever asked about the protagonist’s butler. The result is a lumbering comedy-horror that’s every bit as [...]
Tyson Fury v Wladimir Klitschko rematch: New champion will lose IBF heavyweight world title belt if fight goes ahead December 3, 2015 Tyson Fury looks set to lose one of his heavyweight world titles just days after defeating Wladimir Klitschko to claim the WBA, WBO and IBF belts. A rematch clause negotiated into the contract for the fight has been activated by Klitschko, who lost for the first time in 11 years in a surprise defeat to Fury on [...]
World Cup team expansion: Fifa suggest 40 teams December 3, 2015 Fifa has proposed expanding the World Cup from 32 teams to 40 today in discussions over reforms at world football's governing body. The expanded tournament could come into effect as soon as 2026 if approved by Fifa's executive committee. It would extend the group stage of the competition by a week to accommodate 32 additional [...]
Fifa arrests: High-ranking officials arrested on suspicion of accepting millions of dollars in bribes December 3, 2015 Senior Fifa officials have been detained in morning raids on a Zurich hotel, accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes. Read more: Sponsors call on Fifa to accept independent oversight US officials targeted current and former high-ranking Fifa directors at the luxury Baur au Lac hotel as part of the Department of Justice's investigation into corruption [...]
England know 90 per cent of their best World Twenty20 side – now it’s time to nail down roles in the team December 2, 2015 Much has been made of skipper Eoin Morgan saying he doesn’t know his strongest side despite only being a matter of months away from the ICC World Twenty20 in India. I think that was a throwaway comment and in reality England are about 90 per cent sure of their best XI. All 15 members of [...]
Gary Neville at Valencia is not the first: British managers who have prospered – and flopped – in Spanish football December 2, 2015 Pre-civil war trailblazers British managers have a long and rich tradition of success in Spanish football, not least in the pre-Civil War years. Two league and cup doubles with Athletic Bilbao were the highlight of Fred Pentland’s 15-year stint in Spain, while William Garbutt, hugely influential in Italy, also enjoyed success with the Basque club. [...]
Who is Peter Lim? The billionaire behind Manchester United legend Gary Neville’s role as Valencia manager December 2, 2015 Peter Lim is the Singaporean billionaire and owner of Valencia responsible for giving Gary Neville his first senior job in football as the Spanish club's new head coach. Lim has an estimated worth $1.9bn (£1.3bn) having made his fortune through investments in palm oil producers, but in recent years has increased his interest in football [...]