Former France manager Gerard Houllier, who also coached Olympique Lyonnais, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, has died, local media reported on Monday.

RMC sport and sports daily L’Équipe said he had died aged 73 after having a heart operation in Paris.

Houllier had a long history of heart problems, dating back to when he was rushed to hospital at halftime of a Premier League game between Liverpool and Leeds United in 2001.

After an insignificant playing career in France’s lower leagues, Houllier began coaching in 1973, earning his first big job with Lens before taking over at Paris Saint-Germain.

He became France’s assistant coach in 1988 and then manager in 1992 but had a short, unsuccessful spell in charge and resigned after failing to take the team to the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

France have qualified for every World Cup since then, lifting the trophy in 1998 and 2018.

Houllier focused on youth coaching immediately after the World Cup debacle but rebuilt his reputation at Liverpool, where he won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup in 2001.

He also had success back in France with Lyon, leading them to back-to-back Ligue 1 titles.

He returned to management after taking a break in 2010 with Aston Villa but left the role the following year following further heart troubles.

Source: REUTERS

Former England midfielder Steve Hodge has insisted the shirt worn by Diego Maradona in scoring two iconic goals against the Three Lions in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final is not for sale.

Hodge swapped shirts with Maradona, who died last week at the age of 60, at the end of the match in which the Argentine legend punched home what became known as the “Hand of God” goal and then ran from inside his own half to score a stunning second as Argentina won 2-1.

The shirt is now on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester.

Hodge said he had been inundated with enquiries over the shirt in recent days and dispelled rumours he was looking for a seven-figure sum to sell it.

“I have had it for 34 years and have never once tried to sell it,” Hodge, 58, told the BBC. “I like having it. It has incredible sentimental value.

“I’ve had people knocking on my door non-stop and the phone’s constantly ringing from every TV and radio station, and even foreign stations.

“It has been uncomfortable and it hasn’t been nice. I have seen articles on the internet and there has been a bit of flak flying around saying I wanted a million or two million and am hawking it around for money.

“I find it disrespectful and totally wrong. It’s not for sale. I am not trying to sell it.”

Hodge paid tribute to the “genius” of one of the greatest players the game has ever seen and said he never blamed Maradona for taking the chance of scoring with his hand.

“I have to say I have never once blamed him for the handball. Not once,” he added. “It was out of order but people who play football know that you try things now and again.

“From every corner of the globe he was respected and people appreciated the genius he had. That game will never be forgotten in the history of football.”

Source: AFP

World champion Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, Formula One’s governing body FIA announced Tuesday.

“In accordance with COVID-19 protocols and public health authority guidelines in Bahrain he (Hamilton) is now isolating,” said an FIA statement.

“The procedures set out by the FIA and Formula 1 will ensure no wider impact on this weekend’s event.”

Hamilton who on Sunday won the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of back-to-back races in the Gulf state, has already secured a record-equalling seventh world championship this season.

“He woke up on Monday morning with mild symptoms and was informed at the same time that a contact prior to arrival in Bahrain had subsequently tested positive,” a statement from Hamilton’s Mercedes team said.

“Lewis therefore took a further test and returned a positive result. This has since been confirmed by a retest.

“Lewis is now isolating in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and public health authority guidelines in Bahrain.

“Apart from mild symptoms, he is otherwise fit and well, and the entire team sends him its very best wishes for a swift recovery.”

The team added that Hamilton had been tested three times last week and returned a negative result each time as part of the sport’s strict anti-virus protocols, the last of which was on Sunday afternoon at the Bahrain circuit.

Source: AFP

Mike Tyson’s return to boxing at age 54 ended in a draw with 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday in an eight-round exhibition battle of former heavyweight champions.

Fifteen years after retiring with a 2005 loss to journeyman Kevin McBride, Tyson made his comeback at Staples Center in Los Angeles without spectators in a pay-per-view matchup that mixed curiosity and nostalgia.

California State Athletic Commission officials required two-minute rounds instead of the usual three-minute rounds, mandated larger than normal 12-ounce gloves, said neither fighter could seek a knockout and declared there could be no official winner in safety moves for the over-50 fighters.

“Sometimes that two minutes felt like three minutes,” Tyson said. “I’m glad I got this under my belt and I’m looking forward to doing it again.”

An “unofficial” panel of former World Boxing Council champions at ringside scored the bout a draw, an outcome that Tyson applauded despite appearing to dominate.

“I’m good with that,” Tyson said, admitting he thought he had won the fight. “Yeah, but I’m good with a draw. The crowd was happy with that.”

Jones, who looked tired and grabbed Tyson much of the fight, was unhappy at a draw.

“I ain’t never happy with a draw. I don’t do draw,” Jones said, admitting that Tyson hurt him throughout the bout, particularly with body blows.

“If he hits you with his head, punches, body shots, it don’t matter, everything hurts. Body shots definitely took a toll. Body shots are what makes you exhausted.”

Tyson, who entered 50-6 with 44 knockouts, lost 100 pounds and began training again, his desire to get back in shape becoming a hunger to strap on the gloves once more.

Jones, who entered 66-9 with 47 knockouts, had not fought since a February 2018 cruiserweight victory. He hoped a solid effort against Tyson might set up a fight with 45-year-old Brazilian mixed martial arts star Anderson Silva.

‘It’s going to hurt’

Tyson came out aggressive and fast, swinging and connecting often to the body of Jones, who was able to hit and evade at times, then hugging Tyson often when all else failed.

“You came back. I hit you with good shots and you took it,” Tyson told Jones. “We have to do this again.”

A hard left to the head stung Jones in round two and he spent much of the third and fourth rounds holding and moving into clenches with Tyson.

“It’s something in there taking punches from Mike,” Jones said. “Once I go in there, I’m game. I’ll go to the end. I know when he hits me it’s going to hurt.”

Tyson landed an inside right and a hard left to the head of Jones in the fifth round, then connected to the body with a solid right and left in the sixth, Jones evading a right uppercut and tying up Tyson before he could land major combinations.

Tyson stung the midsection of Jones in round seven but was held before he could press the advantage.

In the eighth and final round, Tyson pounded a pair of left hooks to the body but Jones tied him up and they finished trading inside punches.

“I was very happy to go the eight rounds,” Tyson said. “I’m more happy with going the distance.

 “I was afraid I might get hurt. Why is nobody worried about my ass? I haven’t done this in 15 years.

Tyson ruled the heavyweight division in overwhelming fashion in the late 1980s but struggled through the 1990s, losing his title, being convicted of rape and serving a ban after biting a chunk out of Evander Holyfield’s ear.

He faded from the scene after a 2002 world title loss to Lennox Lewis and has returned now to help launch his Legends Only League for over-age star athletes.

“This is bigger than fighting for championships,” Tyson declared. “I’m helping people now.”

Source: AFP

Argentina’s Diego Maradona, one of the world’s greatest football players, was buried on Thursday amid a global outpouring of grief from the streets of his hometown Buenos Aires to Naples, Italy.

The death of Maradona at the age of 60 on Wednesday, following a heart attack, has sparked both mourning and celebrations of a true sporting star, who was a genius on the football field but lived a life marred by struggles with addiction.

In a day of high emotion, the World Cup winner was taken by hearse late on Thursday to the Bella Vista cemetery on the outskirts of Buenos Aires – where his parents are also interred – for a small private ceremony of his family and close friends.

Thousands of Argentines lined the roads as the procession passed on the hour-long journey from the presidential palace in central Buenos Aires, where Maradona had lain in state during the day.

Earlier, there were clashes between police and fans and a febrile atmosphere more akin to a rowdy football game than a wake, with fans clambering up the palace gates to get as close as possible to their hero.

In Italy, crowds tied hundreds of blue and white scarfs to the railings outside his former club Napoli, while in France, sports paper L’Equipe’s front page blared out: “God is dead”.

In Argentina, three days of national mourning were called for the player who led the country to a 1986 World Cup win and is revered with cult-like status. Tens of thousands took to the streets, not all wearing masks, despite fears over the COVID-19 pandemic. Some left flowers and messages at his childhood home.

“Maradona for me is the greatest thing that happened to me in life. I love him as much as my father and it’s like my old man died,” Cristian Montelli, 22, a supporter of the star’s former club Boca Juniors said with tears in his eyes after he had filed past the coffin.

“If I die young, hopefully upstairs I can play ball and watch a Boca game with him,” added Montelli, who had a tattoo of Maradona’s face on his leg.

Mile-long lines

During the day, Maradona’s body lay in state in a closed casket at the Casa Rosada presidential palace on the central Plaza de Mayo. It was covered with the blue and white national flag and an Argentina football jersey with the number 10 that had been part of his nickname “D10S” – a play on “dios”, the Spanish word for God.

Starting at dawn on Thursday, thousands of fans had formed a snaking line estimated at over a mile (1.6 km) long through the streets of Buenos Aires near the plaza, after a night of mourning and reminiscing.

Fans who got inside the palace – many missed out – threw football shirts, flowers and other items towards the casket.

“He was someone who touched the sky with his hands but never took his feet off the ground,” President Alberto Fernandez said. He visited the casket on Thursday.

As authorities started to close down access to the central square on Thursday afternoon, scuffles broke out, with police using rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse the unruly crowds.

The tensions eased after Maradona’s body was transferred to the cemetery, surrounded by a huge procession of police and others on motorbikes and cars.

In Naples, meanwhile, fans laid out flowers, children’s pictures, candles and even a bottle of wine in a rapidly expanding, makeshift shrine.

“Diego belongs to the people”

Major athletes and world leaders, including Argentina-born Pope Francis, have paid their own tributes.

“Diego belongs to the people, Diego belongs to Argentina, Diego belongs to the country,” said Dario Lozano, waiting in line to view the casket.

Beloved in his homeland after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 and adored in Italy for taking Napoli to two Serie A titles, Maradona was a uniquely gifted player who rose from the tough streets of Buenos Aires to reach the pinnacle of his sport.

The 1986 World Cup included a quarter-final game against England where Maradona scored two of the tournament’s best-known goals ever – an illicit “Hand of God” goal and one that followed an incredible swerving, dribble.

Maradona also battled various health problems over the years as a result of his addictions. Earlier this month, he was hospitalised for symptoms including anemia and dehydration and underwent emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma – a blood clot in the brain.

On Thursday, Maradona’s lawyer, Matías Morla, said he would ask for a full investigation into the circumstances of the death, and criticised what he said was a slow response by emergency services.

In Italy, Massimo Vignati, owner of a Maradona museum in Naples, said the player had become almost like family.

“My mother was the Neapolitan mother of Maradona. He was our twelfth brother,” he told Reuters, surrounded my memorabilia of the player. “We must remember him with his smile as always. He made his last dribble and left us suddenly.”

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

The former Argentina attacking midfielder and manager had successful surgery on a brain blood clot earlier in November.

It was then announced he was to be treated for alcohol dependency.

One of the greatest players of all time, Maradona was captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, producing a series of sublime individual performances.

He played for Barcelona and Napoli during his club career, winning two Serie A titles with the Italian side.

Maradona scored 34 goals in 91 appearances for Argentina, representing them in four World Cups.

He led his country to the 1990 final in Italy, where they were beaten by West Germany, before captaining them again in the United States in 1994, but was sent home after failing a drugs test for ephedrine.

During the second half of his career, Maradona struggled with cocaine addiction and was banned for 15 months after testing positive for the drug in 1991.

He retired from professional football in 1997, on his 37th birthday, during his second stint at Argentine giants Boca Juniors.

Having briefly managed two sides in Argentina during his playing career, Maradona was appointed head coach of the national team in 2008 and left after the 2010 World Cup, where his side were beaten by Germany in the quarter-finals.

He subsequently managed teams in the United Arab Emirates and Mexico and was in charge of Gimnasia y Esgrima in Argentina’s top flight at the time of his death.

Source: BBC

Lewis Hamilton cemented his position as one of Formula One’s true greats when he equalled Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of seven world titles on Sunday, another staggering achievement for a boy who grew up in modest circumstances.

Hamilton’s victory in Istanbul — the 94th of his career — allowed him to add the 2020 title to his championships of 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The son of a black father and a white mother, whose parents separated in his youth, Hamilton, 35, grew up on a municipal housing estate. His father Anthony at one time held down three jobs to fund his son’s embryonic racing career in karting.

Hamilton’s journey was unprivileged and without luxury, but it was clear from an early age that he had an outstanding gift for speed and all the gutsy natural instincts of a born racer.

In 1995, aged 10, and wearing a jacket and shoes borrowed from his predecessor as British Formula Cadet karting champion, he went to a glittering awards ceremony in London where he met McLaren’s then-boss Ron Dennis.

Source: France 24

Former Argentina legend Diego Maradona has been hospitalized due to poor health conditions.

Maradona was reportedly taken to a clinic in La Plata to undergo tests. His hospitalization was not related to the coronavirus pandemic, as he had tested negative in recent days.

He will be held under observation for at least three days. The specific details of his ailment was not revealed.

The 1986 World Cup winner who celebrated his 60th birthday last week has suffered frequent periods in hospital over the years mainly due to drug and alcohol abuse and poor health.

Lewis Hamilton became Formula One’s record all-time race-winner on Sunday when he claimed his 92nd victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix to pass Michael Schumacher at the top of the list.

His win lifted him one clear of Schumacher’s 14-year-old record of 91 triumphs after a thrilling inaugural F1 race at the Algarve International Circuit.

After a long hug with his father Anthony who, together with step-mother Linda, had witnessed his historic achievement, Hamilton heaped praise on his Mercedes before joining his race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington and Bottas on the podium.

“I owe this and so much to all these guys here and the team at the factory,” said Hamilton.

“For their tremendous work, they are always pushing the barrier higher and higher. It is a privilege working with them… Working with them is inspiring.”

Hamilton fought back after an early scare, when he led but dropped to third after a rain shower, to demonstrate impeccable tyre management and flawless judgement as he claimed an eighth win in 12 races this year.

The six-time world champion finished 25.5 seconds clear of his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen a familiar third.

Hamilton’s triumph added another unprecedented feat to his roster of records. He now has the most wins, a record 97 pole positions, a record 161 podium finishes and a record 45 consecutive points finishes.

The 35-year-old Briton extended his championship lead over Bottas to 77 points.

A seventh world title, which would equal another Schumacher record, now looks all but inevitable with only five races remaining this year.

The 35-year-old Hamilton said the race had been “tough” and he had suffered cramp.

“Yes, it’s a very physical sport and I had it in my right calf. I was lifting down the straights and it was painful.”

Sainz claims early lead

Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari ahead of a surging Pierre Gasly after an excellent drive in his Alpha Tauri.

Carlos Sainz came home sixth for McLaren to beat Sergio Perez, who recovered from a first lap clash with Verstappen, to finish seventh for Racing Point ahead of the two Renaults of Esteban Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, in his final season at Ferrari, finished 10th.

On a cool and breezy day, with light rain forecast, an appreciative crowd of 27,500 were scattered around the new 90,000-capacity circuit, hosting the first Portuguese Grand Prix since 1996, as the drivers completed the pre-race ceremonial, including an anti-racism salute led by Hamilton, in a Black Lives Matter t-shirt, taking a knee.

At the start, Hamilton led away from his record 97th pole while, from third, Verstappen passed Bottas before the Finn surged back to pass him and his team-mate to take the initiative.

As gentle rain fell, Hamilton slithered, while Sainz, on softs, found grip to take the lead, evading a Verstappen-Perez collision, which sent the Racing Point car spinning. Briefly, it was wild stuff.

In the “ice-rink”-like conditions, the Mercedes men, on mediums, needed time to warm their tyres before catching and passing Sainz on laps six and seven respectively.

By lap eight, Bottas led Hamilton by 1.8 seconds and Verstappen, third, by four.

Despite the blustery conditions, normal service was, it seemed, resuming.

Raikkonen, in his record-increasing 324th race, was first to pit from softs to mediums, prompting a series of stops as grip diminished.

“Left front is dead, mate,” reported Verstappen before Hamilton echoed that sentiment within two laps.

Almost immediately, he set a fastest lap and by lap 20 had closed on Bottas, passing him with a bust of DRS on the straight. Verstappen pitted and re-joined sixth as Hamilton pulled clear.

All this left Hamilton leading his team-mate by 7.3 seconds on lap 30 with Leclerc third, adrift by 27 seconds.

Hamilton pitted after 40 laps, taking hards and slotting in behind Bottas who led again. The Finn suggested a switch to softs, but when he came in Mercedes gave him the white-walled hards.

For the Englishman, recovered from the early dramas, it was almost a Sunday stroll in the park.

He led by 12 seconds with 21 laps to go, with little more than light rain threatening his progress on another record-breaking day.

(AFP)

Rafael Nadal demolished Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to win his 13th French Open and equal Roger Federer’s all-time record of 20 Grand Slam titles on Sunday.

For world number one Djokovic, the defeat ended his hopes of an 18th Slam and of becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four majors twice.

Nadal, 34, claimed his 100th match win at Roland Garros against just two defeats since his 2005 debut.

The Spaniard, the oldest champion in Paris since Andres Gimeno in 1972, claimed the title without dropping a set.

He finished the one-sided affair with just 14 unforced errors to his opponent’s 52.

“Congrats to Novak for another great tournament. Sorry for today. We’ve played plenty of times together – one day one wins, another the other,” said Nadal.

“After all the things I have been through in my career with injuries, I could not have done it without my family.”

Nadal said he wasn’t even thinking about matching Federer’s record.

“It’s been a very tough year. Winning here means everything to me so it’s not about equalling Roger on 20, for me today it’s just a Roland Garros victory,” said Nadal who had skipped the US Open due to the global health crisis and was playing just his second tournament since February.

“Roland Garros means everything to me. I spent most of the most important moments of my tennis career here.

“Just playing here is a true inspiration. The love story I have with this court and city is unbelievable.”

Federer, who sat out the tournament to recover from knee surgery, hailed Nadal’s 13th French Open victory as “one of sport’s greatest achievements”.

“I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and a champion,” Federer tweeted on Sunday.

“As my greatest rival over many years, I believe we have pushed each other to become better players. Therefore it is a true honour for me to congratulate him on his 20th Grand Slam victory,” Federer wrote.

“It is especially amazing that he has won Roland Garros an incredible 13 times which is one of the greatest achievements in sport. I hope the 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us,” the Swiss player added.

‘King of clay’

For Djokovic, it was just his second loss of 2020 following his default at the US Open.

“Today, Rafa showed why you are the king of clay. I was out-played by a better player.”

Nadal also used his victory speech to thank organisers for staging the tournament, pushed back from its traditional May-June slot due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I want to send a message to everyone around the world. We are facing one of the worst moments that we remember in this world, fighting against this virus. Keep going, stay positive.

“We will get through this and we will beat the virus soon.”

The 56th meeting between the world’s top two started under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier, intensifying the echo of a crowd limited to 1,000 due to the pandemic.

Conventional wisdom suggested that would favour Djokovic but nobody told Nadal who broke three times in the 45-minute opening set.

The Spaniard hit 10 winners and just two unforced errors.

Djokovic’s error count was 13 with the out-of-sorts Serb even squandering three break points of his own in the fourth game.

More worrying for the world number one—Nadal improved to 111-0 when winning the first set of best-of-five matches on clay in his career.

It was the first opening set ‘bagel’ in a Roland Garros final since 2004 when Gaston Gaudio recovered to defeat Argentine compatriot Guillermo Coria in five sets.

Djokovic finally got on the board with a service hold in the first game of the second set but Nadal maintained his relentless push, going to a double break for 4-1 as even the Serb’s usual deft touches on the drop shot deserted him.

Nadal wrapped up a two-set lead with his unforced error count at just six to Djokovic’s 30.

Nadal broke for the sixth time for a 3-2 lead in the third before Djokovic suddenly restored his reputation as the sport’s best returner by carving out his first break of the afternoon for 3-3.

However, there was to be no miracle recovery as a double fault handed Nadal a 6-5 lead and he took the title with an ace.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)