Category: 6. Sports

Thiago and Roberto Martín both made their Real Madrid debuts in the win over WSG Tirol. The two academy graduates came off the bench with 83 minutes on the clock, replacing Mbappé and Arda Güler. Thiago, who plays for the club’s Under-18s, joined the club in 2023. Roberto Martín celebrated his 19th birthday with his first ever first-team appearance, and currently plays for our U19s, having joined the youth set-up in 2020, with the U14s.

Thiago: “It’s an honour to play in this jersey”
“It’s an honour to make your debut and play in this jersey. It’s every kid’s dream come true, to play for the best club in the world. There’s not much more I can say about it.”
“The coach told us to go out there and enjoy it, and play how we know. It’s amazing to speak to Xabi Alonso, who was such a top player as well. We used to watch him on TV, and having him here with us now is an honour.”

His playing style
“I’m an intense player, gritty and I have a good attitude, I cover a lot of ground on the pitch, aside from my technical qualities.”

Roberto Martín: “I’ve been playing with the best in the world”
“I really can’t put it into words. It’s an honour to be here and to be fulfilling a dream I had ever since I was a kid. It was crazy when they told me I’d be in the first-team squad. There is no better gift that making your debut for the best club in the world.”

Feelings during the game
“What can I say? I’ve been playing with the best in the world. I was out on the pitch, I couldn’t believe what was happening. It was madness, I’m so happy.”

Playing style
“I always try and give it everything, I chase every ball like it was the last, I try and play lots of long balls, turn on the ball and create space.”

The experienced midfielder added that the Boks are ready to return to the standard of play that has earned them immense support in South Africa and certain places abroad.

The Springboks will start this year’s competition unbeaten, having beaten Italy and Georgia in the Castle Lager Incoming Series, as well as winning their match against the Barbarians.

Australia, however, come off a tough series against the British & Irish Lions, where they finished strong after losing the first two Tests. Despite the series defeat, both Kriel and Springbok assistant coach Jerry Flannery expressed respect for the visitors.

“We have very high standards in this environment and there is also good competition in each position, so we spent the last few weeks working on our conditioning and match detail, and we are confident about our level of our preparation going into the game,” said Kriel.

Kriel played down suggestions that Australia were more battle hardened than the Springboks and said: “Everyone is entitled to their opinions about what battle hardened is, but for us it’s about how you pitch up at training every day, and we are excited about the match.”

Kriel will link up with Andre Esterhuizen in the midfield this week as Damian de Allende returns to full recovery from a niggle, and the star outside centre was thrilled about the prospect.

“It’s no secret that Andre is devastating with ball in hand, and he also has a great understanding of the game,” said Kriel. “It’s been great to see how he and Damian have been working together and trying to help one another become better. He’s a great guy to get us moving forward and trying to get us on the front foot.”

Flannery, who took over the role as Springbok defence coach following the team’s triumphant 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign, spoke highly of Australian coach Joe Schmidt and what he is achieving with his team.

“We played against Australia when Joe came in after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and one could pick up more about his coaching philosophy,” said Flannery.

“We know the breakdowns are a big part of their game. Most teams want quick ball on attack, and that has been a key area for them, especially because Joe is so meticulous and he has players aligned to their plan.

“His detail is great, and he’s been able to get his players to play their potential and fire.”

The former Ireland and Munster hooker thoroughly enjoyed the Castle Lager Rugby Championship and said it was a proper test for every team week in and week out.

“It’s a phenomenal competition,” said Flannery. “One only has to look back at last year, where Argentina were the dark horses by shocking New Zealand and beating us.

“There are no weak teams in this tournament, and it’s great because we want to play the best teams in the world when they are at their best.”

The match kicks off at 17h10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.

LIMASSOL (Cyprus) – Cyprus will be one of the biggest underdogs in FIBA EuroBasket history, having never qualified for the continental showcase. But their fans will be thrilled to see their heroes playing against some of the best teams in Europe.

Cyprus have won only five of 36 games in the qualifying campaigns for the last three EuroBaskets. That being said, head coach Christophoros Livadiotis’ team will go into the tournament with zero pressure of high expectations whereas all of their group opponents will be favored to win – and essentially needing to be the co-hosts to advance to the knockout stage.

Schedule

August 28: vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (17:15 CET)
August 30: vs Greece (17:15 CET)
August 31: vs Spain (17:15 CET)
September 2: vs Georgia (17:15 CET)
September 4: vs Italy (17:15 CET)

Star Player

The naturalized Darral Willis has been part of the Cyprus national team since the beginning of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, receiving his passport shortly before the games started. The American had a strong debut with 22 points and 13 rebounds against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Wisconsin native ended up playing five games and averaged 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in the qualifying campaign. Willis will be playing his first national team competition this summer but he already had a history with Cyprus head coach Christophoros Livadiotis. Willis’ first club as a professional in 2018-19 was Keravnos in Cyprus and Livadiotis was the head coach and one of the Cyprus team leaders Nikos Stylianou was on the club as well. Willis ended up winning the MVP of the Cypriot Cup after the team won the trophy that season.

The 29-year-old Willis has also played in Russia, France, Italy, Puerto Rico, Korea, Japan and Greece. He is a power forward who can also shoot from the outside and rebounds the ball well. As the team’s naturalized player, Cyprus will desperately need Willis to play well to have a chance to win.

History

Cyprus will be welcoming the continent to Limassol and are aiming to challenge the best that Europe have to offer in their first appearance. The island nation played the Division B from 2005 to 2013 before entering the qualification for the Division A starting in 2013.

The country managed five victories in the qualifying campaigns for the 2017, 2022 and 2025 EuroBaskets, the latter of which Cyprus had already booked a ticket as co-hosts. The country has taken the title at the Games of the Small States of Europe nine times, the most recent coming in 2017.

How they qualified

Gameday 1: CYP 66-99 BIH
Gameday 2: CRO 92-63 CYP
Gameday 3: CYP 59-75 FRA
Gameday 4: FRA 85-70 CYP
Gameday 5: BIH 108-62 CYP
Gameday 6: CYP 67-104 CRO

Poll: Where will they finish?

Tickets

FIBA

The Cincinnati Open is famously known for its unparalleled access to players, but this is taking it to a whole different level.

This week at the WTA 1000 event in Mason, Ohio, a select number of lucky fans were given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to record messages for their favorite players on the Fan Cam.

Little did they know, the players — World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 3 Iga Swiatek and the top two men’s players in the world, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz — were standing 5 yards away from them, listening closely to every word they were saying.

The tennis stars got a kick out of the fan comments, with Sabalenka showing a heart sign upon hearing the fans praise her authenticity and Swiatek playfully growling after hearing that she’s an “animal.”

Given an opportunity to ask questions — which they presumably would never hear the answers to, or so they thought — the fans were floored when the players immediately answered them in real time.

“It’s pretty cool, to be honest,” Sabalenka casually answered a young girl, who asked her what it’s like to be the No. 1 player in the world. 

“Oh my gosh, you’re live?” a diehard Swiatek fan said, bewildered and looking like she was about to come out of her shoes. 

And as if that wasn’t epic enough, there was a second surprise, and this one was even more special.

Swiatek and the others informed the fans that they had a little gift for them, at the back of the room. When they headed there, they were blown away to find their favorite players in the flesh, quietly standing behind them and photobombing. The fans got some hugs and a bit of conversation — Sabalenka called one of her young fans a “future superstar” — the perfect bow on the ultimate tennis bucket-list moment, one they’ll surely never forget.

Sabalenka, the defending champion in Cincinnati, is into the fourth round after a thrilling three-hour, three-set win over 30th seed Emma Raducanu. She’ll play Jessica Bouzas Maneiro for a spot in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Swiatek is also in the fourth round after 25th seed Marta Kostyuk withdrew with a right wrist injury. She’ll play Sorana Cirstea on Wednesday.

 

ROME (Italy) – Italy have long been one of the most respected basketball countries with two FIBA EuroBasket titles and 10 total podium finishes among their 38 appearances. But the Italians’ glory days are a bit removed and they hope a major obstacle overcome in 2023 can be matched this summer.

Italy reached the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 for their first top eight result in that competition in 25 years since 1998. The Quarter-Finals in Europe have become common for Italy – getting there in the last four editions. None have produced a victory though, and Italy’s last top-three showing was third place in 2003.

Italy have already started to see the results of a generational change. The likes of Gabriele Procida and Matteo Spagnolo have grown in stature to help star Simone Fontecchio and veterans Danilo Gallinari and Nicolo Melli take the next step towards their previous glory days.

Schedule

August 28: vs Greece (20:30 CET)
August 30: vs Georgia (14:00 CET)
August 31: vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (20:30 CET)
September 2: vs Spain (20:30 CET)
September 4: vs Cyprus (17:15 CET)

Star Player

Simone Fontecchio has turned into the face of the Azzurri since he has established himself in the NBA, having completed his third season in the league. And he has truly excelled with the national team – scoring at least 18 points in three consecutive major competitions.

Fontecchio really can take over games from the outside with his shooting but he can drive to the basket too. Plus his good size and strength allow him to rebound well. The new Miami Heat forward has good game understanding so he can play well in a system at both ends of the court. Now at 29, Fontecchio has gained enough experience to really take on some leadership within the team as well.

The Pescara native’s first major event was the 2020 Olympics and he poured in 19 points per game. He followed that up with 19 points and 4 rebounds a game at FIBA EuroBasket 2022 before collecting 18 points and nearly 6 rebounds at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Fontecchio will be needed to score the ball this summer and the rest of his game will help out where needed.

History

Italy’s qualification for FIBA EuroBasket 2025 marks their 39th overall appearance in the continent’s flagship event, making them one of the most storied countries in European basketball. Of the 41 past EuroBaskets, Italy have only missed the competitions in 1949, 1961 and 2009. Italy claimed two European titles – in 1983 and 1999 – and those two crowns were part of the country’s best stretch with six podium finishes in a span of 11 editions from 1983 to 2003, including a total of nine top eight finishes. But Italy’s last top three result came in 2003.

Champions: 1983, 1999
Runners-up: 1937, 1946, 1991, 1997
Third Place: 1971, 1975, 1985, 2003

EuroBasket Top Scorers

How they qualified

Gameday 1: ITA 87-80 TUR
Gameday 2: HUN 62-83 ITA
Gameday 3: ISL 71-95 ITA
Gameday 4: ITA 74-81 ISL
Gameday 5: TUR 67-80 TUR
Gameday 6: ITA 67-71 HUN

Poll: Where will they finish?

Tickets

FIBA

Real Madrid were in fine scoring form, as they gear up for the start of their 2025/26 campaign. Goals by Militão and Mbappé in the first half set them on the way to victory, before the Frenchman doubled his tally after the break, and Rodrygo rounded off a fine madridista display at Innsbruck’s Tivoli Stadion. Carreras played from the start, making his Madrid debut.

The team flew out the blocks in dominant fashion and Mbappé fired off an early warning shot, when he struck across goal and forced the hosts’ goalkeeper to punch clear (8’). Shortly afterwards, Arda Güler could have opened the scoring when his left-footed drive from the edge of the box smashed off the crossbar. Madrid were relentless in their attacking play and, following two decent shots on goal by Tchouameni that were kept out by Turkish international Stejskal, Militão broke the deadlock on 10′ with a superb header from Brahim’s cross.

Total dominance
The second was not long in coming, either. Three minutes later, Arda Güler threaded a lovely pass into the box for Mbappé, who brought the ball masterfully under his spell and beat the goalkeeper with a powerful left-footed effort. With 20 minutes played, Brahim came within a whisker of making it three, when his shot from the right-hand side skimmed wide of the post. The minutes ticked by, and our team were still dominating the ball, despite the Austrian outfit presenting a slightly greater threat in opposition territory.

Mbappé at the double
Four minutes after the restart, the impressive Arda Güler curled a beautifully measured left-footed free-kick towards goal, only to see it come back off the bar once more. With the hour-mark ticking around, Mbappé notched up the third goal of the evening. Tchouameni’s deep ball in behind found his compatriot, who stepped sweetly around the onrushing goalkeeper to stroke into an empty net.

At 0-3, Xabi Alonso brought on Lunin, Carvajal, Rodrygo, Gonzalo, Alaba, Rüdiger and Fran García. Gonzalo could have put his name on the scoresheet just moments after coming on, but his header from Güler’s cross failed to find the target (68’). A minute later, WSG Tirol enjoyed their best chance of the game, from the boots of Anselm, but Lunin came out on top in the one-on-one, showing some sublime reflexes. Eckmayr then did brilliantly to deny Mbappé his hat-trick, keeping out his rasping strike, before Asencio and Yáñez came off the bench. With 78 minutes on the clock, Mbappé once again forced the keeper into a good diving stop, but the madridista insistence did finally bear fruit on  81’, thanks to Rodrygo. Linking up nicely with Mbappé, the Brazilian unleashed that fierce right foot to make it 0-4. In the closing stages, our coach handed debuts to Thiago, who came close to getting a goal, and Roberto Martín. Xabi Alonso’s boys now turn their attentions to their LaLiga opener, set for Tuesday, 19 August, against Osasuna at the Bernabéu (9:00pm CEST).

SARAJEVO (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Bosnia and Herzegovina are making their 11th appearance at the FIBA EuroBasket this summer. And the they would love to re-live the experience from their debut back in 1993 – the only time they finished in the top eight.

After missing the 2017 edition, Bosnia and Herzegovina were back on the continental stage in 2022 in Germany. The Dragons defeated Hungary and Slovenia but then lost their final game to Lithuania to miss a chance to advance from the group stage for the first time since 1993.

Jusuf Nurkic, Dzanan Musa and their teammates will have that loss on their mind when fight to finally feel the experience of playing in the knockout stage again.

Schedule

August 28: vs Cyprus (17:15 CET)
August 30: vs Spain (20:30 CET)
August 31: vs Italy (20:30 CET)
September 2: vs Greece (14:00 CET)
September 4: vs Georgia (14:00 CET)

Star Player

Jusuf Nurkic makes up with Dzanan Musa the heart and soul of this Bosnia and Herzegovina team. This will be the center’s second FIBA EuroBasket and actually only his second major event – having participated in qualifying campaigns for two EuroBaskets, two FIBA Basketball World Cups and the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 Poland-Estonia.

The Charlotte Hornets big manjust completed his 11th season in the NBA, still a major contributor as he turns 31 on August 23. He is always a threat for a double-double with his size but he also can pass the ball. Nurkic will not win a three-point shooting contest but he cannot be left alone on the outside.

Nurkic delivered a double-double average of 15.4 points and 10 rebounds plus 3 assists per game in the 2023 Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. The Dragons know they will have a chance to finally break their streak of not advancing if Nurkic can produce like that again in Cyprus.

History

Bosnia and Herzegovina were there in 2022 too, getting two wins in five games, but not advancing as Lithuania had the head-to-head going their way in Group B in Cologne, Germany. BIH finished 18th in their 10th FIBA EuroBasket appearance, still unable to repeat their best result, from their maiden event back in 1993. Dino Bilalovic led them to eighth spot back then as the tournament top scorer with 24.6 points per game to his name. Since the format changed in 2015, they have not made the Round of 16 yet.

Best finish: 8th in 1993

EuroBasket Top Scorers

How they qualified

Gameday 1: CYP 66-99 BIH
Gameday 2: BIH 64-74 FRA
Gameday 3: CRO 89-76 BIH
Gameday 4: BIH 110-90 CRO
Gameday 5: BIH 108-62 CYP
Gameday 6: FRA 76-74 BIH

Poll: Where will they finish?

Tickets

FIBA

A mixed martial arts fight card to be held next summer at the White House is “absolutely going to happen,” Ultimate Fight Championship Chief Executive Dana White said Tuesday.

White said the UFC will stage the event July 4 to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. He added that he spoke to President Trump on Monday and is scheduled to meet with him and his daughter Ivanka in two weeks to solidify the plan.

Trump mentioned last July 4 during a kickoff of events centered on the country’s 2026 birthday celebration that he wanted to stage a UFC match on the White House South Lawn with 20,000 spectators.

“We have a lot of land there,” said Trump, who has attended several UFC matches and considers White a friend.

Now it has gone from a notion into the planning stages, which is the second thrill of the week for White. On Monday he announced that the UFC has finalized a seven-year streaming agreement with Paramount worth an average of $1.1 billion a year. The deal represents a departure from UFC’s traditional pay-per-view model.

Thirteen marquee UFC events and 30 fight nights will be televised on the Paramount+ streaming platform, with some events also planned to simulcast on CBS. Plans for UFC events in other countries are also on the table, according to Paramount.

“You have the NFL, the NBA, the UFC and soccer globally,” White told the Associated Press. “We’re coming. We’re coming for all of them.”

White, 56, has been the driving force behind the enormous growth of the UFC, which he purchased in 2001 for $2 million. He negotiated broadcast-rights deals with Fox and ESPN, then spearheaded a $4-billion sale in 2016 to TKO Group Holdings, a group led by the Hollywood talent agency WME-IMG. White remained as president and retained a stake in the new company.

The Paramount-UFC deal came on the heels of Skydance and Paramount closing their $8-billion merger — a complicated negotiation that resulted in the creation of an entertainment giant. White said he was impressed with Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison’s vision for UFC and how the plans could be activated now that Ellison is chairman and chief executive of Paramount.

“Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy — driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty,” Ellison said in a statement. “The addition of UFC’s year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win.”

The debut Paramount fight card is in the planning stages, with UFC officials meeting this week to arrange bouts. White said it is too early to discuss a main event for the White House card.

Two-time Grand Slam tennis champion Coco Gauff of the United States is through to the final 16 at the Cincinnati Open.

The 21-year-old had been scheduled to take on Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, who dismissed Gauff in the opening round of Wimbledon, but illness forced Yastremska to withdraw and hand Gauff the walkover.

The world No. 2 now waits to learn her opponent: the winner between 23rd seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and Italian Lucia Bronzetti.

That match will be contested on Wednesday (13 August).