Sports
China teen takes record javelin gold to light up ‘sad’ Asian Games
China’s 18-year-old Yan Ziyi shattered the Asian Games record to win javelin gold, showcasing her rare talent on a day marked by a medalist’s failed doping test and a decorated badminton player calling the event “sad.”
Day eight saw golds awarded in athletics, diving, skateboarding, squash and weightlifting.
On another wet day in Aichi-Nagoya, Yan dominated the women’s javelin with her first and only throw of 70.46 meters.
The throw set a new Games record, surpassing the 66.09-meter mark by compatriot Liu Shiying in 2018 and placing Japan’s reigning Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi in a distant second with 62.70 meters.
Yan’s remarkable throw was the sixth-best of all time. The world record of 72.28 meters was set by Barbora Spotakova in 2008.
Yan is closing in. She hurled 71.74 meters in May, the second-best throw of all time.
On the track, Thailand’s Puripol Boonson completed a sprint double, winning the men’s 200-meter after his 100-meter victory.
His time of 19.88 seconds equaled the Asian record.
Asked how much faster he can run, the 20-year-old said: “I can’t say how fast it’s going to be, but it’s going to be more records and faster.”
By the end of day eight, China topped the medals table with 119 golds, followed by Japan with 37 and South Korea with 20.
North Korea had more record-setting success in weightlifting, bringing its total to six golds out of 10 available in the sport so far.
China maintained its unbeaten start in diving, while two teenagers won gold in the street skateboarding finals.
China’s Zhu Yuanling, 15, won the women’s event, and South Korea’s Juni Kang, 17, won the men’s title.
Kang aims for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“I want to be No. 1 in LA,” he said.
Malaysia dominated the squash, with Ng Eain Yow winning the men’s event and compatriot Sivasangari Subramaniam winning the women’s singles.
Both secured spots at the Los Angeles Games.
‘Disappointing experience’
To save money, organizers in Aichi-Nagoya did not build a traditional athletes’ village. Competitors instead stayed in hotels, temporary wooden units or on a cruise ship.
India’s multiple badminton medalist H.S. Prannoy said that made for a disappointing experience.
“It was sad,” said the 34-year-old, who won team bronze, in a YouTube video published by the Badminton Association of India.
The Games have experienced problems, including a shortage of rooms, long delays at the airport and poor transport services.
Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Shavkatov became the first medalist at the Games to test positive for doping.
Shavkatov, who won bronze in mixed martial arts, was provisionally suspended after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium, the International Testing Agency said.
The drug is a prescription heart medication that improves endurance and accelerates muscle recovery.
Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winner as the world champions capitalized on two costly England defensive errors to beat the hosts 3-2 at Wembley Saturday in the standout Nations League opener.
Less than 10 weeks after lifting the World Cup, Spain, unbeaten in 39 games, made England pay in scoring their first two goals.
Teen sensation Lamine Yamal struck in the second minute when Marc Guehi was caught in possession deep inside his own half. Alex Baena scored on the hour after Nico O’Reilly’s misplaced pass handed possession back to the visitors.
Oyarzabal, who also got the winner against England in the 2024 European Championship final, struck the decider in the 74th minute with a clever dink over goalkeeper James Trafford.
“There are many matches within a match and we’ve known how to play them all at every moment,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “England has a lot of talent to hurt at any moment, but we’ve controlled the game.”
Spain’s victory spoiled what had briefly looked like being a memorable England comeback – and a small measure of redemption after their heartbreaking World Cup semifinal loss to Argentina.
England had turned the game on its head in a thrilling four-minute span, with Anthony Gordon’s 36th-minute equalizer sparking a blistering spell that culminated in captain Harry Kane heading the hosts in front.
“We’re playing against the world champions, the European champions, and we went toe-to-toe,” Kane told ITV. “On another day for sure we’d have won that game.”
Kane was left shaking his head though after firing a second-half penalty off the inside of the crossbar when his left foot slipped upon planting.
“Terrible start, the worst start possible,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said. “Makes it so, so difficult to be behind against this kind of team. The reaction was very good, very good.”
“The third goal was the only one they really scored – the others were from individual, big mistakes,” he added.
England and Spain had arrived at Wembley with very different World Cup memories.The Spaniards looked to build on their triumph, while Tuchel’s men were still feeling the scars of defeat and aiming to show they could narrow the gap.
Evergreen Modric
In Saturday’s other Group A3 game, Croatia gave new manager Slaven Bilic a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic as evergreen captain Luka Modric once again proved influential before Marco Pasalic struck the decisive goal.
The 41-year-old Modric, still the heartbeat of the Croatia side more than two decades after his international debut, put the visitors ahead two minutes after the break.
The Czechs responded through Adam Karabec in the 54th minute but Pasalic restored Croatia’s advantage with 13 minutes remaining to secure all three points.
The game marked a new start for both sides.
Bilic is back in charge of Croatia after Zlatko Dalic’s departure following their Round-of-32 World Cup defeat by Portugal, while Spaniard Santi Denia was appointed the Czechs’ boss after their group-stage exit.
Scotland began life under Sebastien Pocognoli with a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia in Group B1, offering glimpses of the more attacking style the Belgian hopes to implement following manager Steve Clarke’s departure after Scotland’s World Cup exit.
Oli McBurnie, back in theScotland fold after a five-year absence, had some of the best chances but a string of brilliant saves from Jan Oblak had the Scots settling for a point.
Switzerland made an impressive start to their first League B campaign, with Remo Freuler opening the scoring and Zeki Amdouni netting the first of his two goals before halftime en route to a 3-0 win away to North Macedonia.
Finland’s Joel Pohjanpalo scored a hat trick to help his country to a 7-0 thrashing of San Marino in Group C1.
Türkiye and Italy seek to bounce back from opening-day defeats when they clash in a crucial UEFA Nations League A Group 1 fixture at Bursa’s Yüzüncü Yıl Atatürk Stadium Monday night.
Both nations find themselves playing catch-up early in the campaign following far from ideal starts. Türkiye made their debut at the League A level Friday after consecutive promotions from Europe’s third tier, but suffered a 1-0 defeat against France in Kocaeli.
Italy, meanwhile, fell 2-0 to Belgium in Rome, marking a frustrating return to the bench for head coach Roberto Mancini.
With early group leaders France and Belgium meeting simultaneously in Brussels, both Türkiye and Italy face mounting pressure to pick up points in the second of four rapid-fire fixtures during the current international window.
The match features a compelling subplot on the touchline as Türkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella faces his former Sampdoria and Italian national team colleague, Roberto Mancini.
Montella, who earned 20 caps and scored three goals for Italy during his playing career, is aiming to steady his side after a difficult run of results.
Following a group-stage exit at the 2026 World Cup, where the Crescent-Stars lost to Austria and Paraguay before defeating the United States, Friday’s loss to France marked Türkiye’s third defeat in four matches.
For Mancini, the fixture represents an immediate test after returning to lead the Azzurri following a three-year stint in Saudi Arabia.
He was reappointed in July, taking over from Gennaro Gattuso after Italy suffered an unprecedented third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup.
Mancini replaced Gattuso following another playoff disaster, while interim manager Silvio Baldini had previously overseen a youthful squad in summer friendlies.
He named an expanded 34-man squad featuring several fresh faces, but Italy’s tactical overhaul yielded immediate frustration. Conceding goals midway through each half against Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico, Italy suffered their first competitive loss to the Belgians since 1972.
Tactical Selection
Türkiye will be forced to make a change in goal after starting goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was shown a straight red card following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review in the second half against France.
Çakır, who held France goalless for nearly an hour before Kylian Mbappe scored the opener, will serve a suspension, handing the starting gloves to Altay Bayındır.
Montella remains severely depleted in midfield and attack. Italy-based stars Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kenan Yıldız are sidelined with injuries, while midfielder Orkun Kökçü remains out with an ongoing toe problem after missing the opener against France.
Former Juventus defender Merih Demiral will captain Türkiye, with Real Madrid’s Arda Güler expected to direct the attack.
Italy also enter the contest with significant squad absentees. Defender Federico Dimarco, midfielder Bryan Cristante, and Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli are out injured.
While defender Alessandro Bastoni returns from a suspension, forward Mateo Retegui was omitted from the selection. Moise Kean and Gianluca Scamacca are vying with brothers Sebastiano and Pio Esposito for starting positions up front.
Mancini’s squad options also include new additions Alessandro Romano, who chose Italy over Switzerland, and Brentford defender Michael Kayode. Italy will be captained by 27-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who brings 84 senior international caps to the side.
Monday’s encounter marks the 17th meeting between Türkiye and Italy in international football. Türkiye remain winless against the Azzurri, holding a record of five draws and 11 defeats while being outscored 29 to 10. The two sides last met in an international friendly on June 4, 2024, playing to a 0-0 draw.
The fixture represents Türkiye’s 656th senior international match. Across 655 previous matches (366 competitive, 289 friendlies), Türkiye have posted 260 wins, 244 losses, and 151 draws, scoring 906 goals while conceding 933.
Montella will take charge of his 38th match as Türkiye head coach. Across his previous 37 games (28 competitive, nine friendlies), Montella has guided the national team to 21 wins, 11 losses and five draws.
The match will mark Türkiye’s 11th international fixture hosted in Bursa, where they hold a record of four wins, two draws, and four losses.
It will be their third match at the Yüzüncü Yıl Atatürk Stadium since Bursaspor moved to the venue in 2016, following a 2-0 victory over Bulgaria in November 2025.
English referee Michael Oliver will officiate the match, assisted by Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, with Darren England serving as the fourth official. Stuart Attwell will oversee Video Assistant Referee duties, supported by AVAR Matthew Donohue.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 9:45 p.m. local time (6:45 p.m GMT) and will be broadcast live on ATV.
Formula One has crowned 35 different world champions since the inaugural championship in 1950, with the sport’s greatest names spanning eight decades of changing cars, circuits, regulations and rivalries.
The latest addition to that list came in December 2025, when McLaren’s Lando Norris secured his first Drivers’ Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris finished third in the season finale to edge reigning champion Max Verstappen by two points and become the 35th different driver to win the title.
The Drivers’ Championship has been awarded every season since 1950. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton share the record with seven championships apiece, while Juan Manuel Fangio is next with five.
Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen have four championships each.
The separate Constructors’ Championship began in 1958. The list below focuses on the Drivers’ Championship and identifies the constructor associated with each title.
Complete list of Formula One world champions
1950: Giuseppe Farina, Italy, Alfa Romeo
1951: Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentina, Alfa Romeo
1952: Alberto Ascari, Italy, Ferrari
1953: Alberto Ascari, Italy, Ferrari
1954: Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentina, Mercedes/Maserati
1955: Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentina, Mercedes
1956: Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentina, Lancia/Ferrari
1957: Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentina, Maserati
1958: Mike Hawthorn, United Kingdom, Ferrari
1959: Jack Brabham, Australia, Cooper
1960: Jack Brabham, Australia, Cooper
1961: Phil Hill, United States, Ferrari
1962: Graham Hill, United Kingdom, BRM
1963: Jim Clark, United Kingdom, Lotus
1964: John Surtees, United Kingdom, Ferrari
1965: Jim Clark, United Kingdom, Lotus
1966: Jack Brabham, Australia, Brabham
1967: Denny Hulme, New Zealand, Brabham
1968: Graham Hill, United Kingdom, Lotus
1969: Jackie Stewart, United Kingdom, Matra
1970: Jochen Rindt, Austria, Lotus
1971: Jackie Stewart, United Kingdom, Tyrrell
1972: Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazil, Lotus
1973: Jackie Stewart, United Kingdom, Tyrrell
1974: Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazil, McLaren
1975: Niki Lauda, Austria, Ferrari
1976: James Hunt, United Kingdom, McLaren
1977: Niki Lauda, Austria, Ferrari
1978: Mario Andretti, United States, Lotus
1979: Jody Scheckter, South Africa, Ferrari
1980: Alan Jones, Australia, Williams
1981: Nelson Piquet, Brazil, Brabham
1982: Keke Rosberg, Finland, Williams
1983: Nelson Piquet, Brazil, Brabham
1984: Niki Lauda, Austria, McLaren
1985: Alain Prost, France, McLaren
1986: Alain Prost, France, McLaren
1987: Nelson Piquet, Brazil, Williams
1988: Ayrton Senna, Brazil, McLaren
1989: Alain Prost, France, McLaren
1990: Ayrton Senna, Brazil, McLaren
1991: Ayrton Senna, Brazil, McLaren
1992: Nigel Mansell, United Kingdom, Williams
1993: Alain Prost, France, Williams
1994: Michael Schumacher, Germany, Benetton
1995: Michael Schumacher, Germany, Benetton
1996: Damon Hill, United Kingdom, Williams
1997: Jacques Villeneuve, Canada, Williams
1998: Mika Hakkinen, Finland, McLaren
1999: Mika Hakkinen, Finland, McLaren
2000: Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari
2001: Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari
2002: Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari
2003: Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari
2004: Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari
2005: Fernando Alonso, Spain, Renault
2006: Fernando Alonso, Spain, Renault
2007: Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Ferrari
2008: Lewis Hamilton, United Kingdom, McLaren
2009: Jenson Button, United Kingdom, Brawn
2010: Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Red Bull
2011: Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Red Bull
2012: Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Red Bull
2013: Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Red Bull
2014: Lewis Hamilton, United Kingdom, Mercedes
2015: Lewis Hamilton, United Kingdom, Mercedes
2016: Nico Rosberg, Germany, Mercedes
2017: Lewis Hamilton, United Kingdom, Mercedes
2018: Lewis Hamilton, United Kingdom, Mercedes
2019: Lewis Hamilton, United Kingdom, Mercedes
2020: Lewis Hamilton, United Kingdom, Mercedes
2021: Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull
2022: Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull
2023: Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull
2024: Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull
2025: Lando Norris, United Kingdom, McLaren
The drivers with multiple championships
Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton sit level at the top with seven championships each.
Fangio follows with five, while Prost, Vettel and Verstappen have four apiece. Verstappen completed his fourth consecutive championship in 2024 before Norris ended his reign in 2025.
Drivers with three titles are Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna.
Two-time champions are Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mika Hakkinen and Fernando Alonso.
Every other champion in F1 history has won the title once.
From Farina to Fangio
The championship began in 1950 with Alfa Romeo’s Giuseppe Farina becoming the first Formula One world champion.
The early years belonged largely to Italian teams and Fangio, who won five championships between 1951 and 1957. Fangio’s titles came with Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, Ferrari and Maserati, an extraordinary run that established him as the dominant driver of the sport’s formative era.
The 1950s also produced one of F1’s most unusual championship records. Fangio’s five titles were followed by Mike Hawthorn in 1958 and Jack Brabham’s first two championships in 1959 and 1960.
British influence takes hold
The 1960s and 1970s brought a growing British presence among both drivers and constructors.
Jim Clark won two titles for Lotus, Graham Hill became a two-time champion and Jackie Stewart collected three championships. Brabham also became a major force, with Australian driver Jack Brabham winning the 1966 title in a Brabham-built car.
The era also produced one of the sport’s most remarkable championship stories. Jochen Rindt became the only driver to win the Formula One world title posthumously after his fatal crash during qualifying for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix. He had built an insurmountable points advantage before his death, allowing Lotus to claim the championship in his name.
The Prost, Senna and Piquet era
The 1980s and early 1990s were shaped by fierce competition between Prost, Senna and Piquet.
Prost won four championships across 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1993. Senna captured three titles with McLaren in 1988, 1990 and 1991, while Piquet won three championships in 1981, 1983 and 1987.
The Prost-Senna rivalry became one of the defining chapters in F1 history, with the two McLaren teammates battling for championships and producing a series of controversial clashes.
Senna’s death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix marked a major moment in Formula One’s safety history and was followed by sweeping changes aimed at improving driver protection.
Schumacher’s Ferrari dynasty
Michael Schumacher emerged as the dominant figure of the second half of the 1990s and the early 2000s.
After winning back-to-back titles with Benetton in 1994 and 1995, Schumacher moved to Ferrari and eventually delivered an unprecedented run of five consecutive championships between 2000 and 2004. That remains the longest uninterrupted championship streak by a driver.
Fernando Alonso ended Schumacher’s run by winning consecutive championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006.
The following season brought another dramatic change. Kimi Raikkönen won the 2007 championship with Ferrari before Lewis Hamilton claimed his first title with McLaren in 2008.
Hamilton and the Mercedes era
Hamilton’s career would eventually take him into the record books.
His 2008 McLaren championship was followed by six titles with Mercedes between 2014 and 2020, giving him seven overall and putting him level with Schumacher for the record.
Sebastian Vettel dominated the opening years of the 2010s, winning four consecutive championships for Red Bull from 2010 through 2013.
Nico Rosberg briefly interrupted Hamilton’s Mercedes run by winning the 2016 championship, before Hamilton returned to the top in 2017 and went on to add three more titles through 2020.
Verstappen’s four-year reign
The next major shift came in 2021, when Max Verstappen won his first championship after a season-long battle with Hamilton.
Verstappen followed that breakthrough with three more titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024, becoming a four-time world champion and joining an elite group that includes Prost and Vettel.
His fourth title marked the end of another dominant period before McLaren emerged as the leading force of the 2025 season.
Norris ends McLaren’s long wait
Norris became the latest name on the championship roll of honor in 2025.
The Briton entered the Abu Dhabi finale in a three-way title fight with Verstappen and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris finished third while Verstappen won the race, but the result was enough for Norris to secure the championship by two points.
Norris became the 35th different Formula One world champion and the 11th British driver to win the title. His championship also ended McLaren’s 17-year wait for a Drivers’ Championship, following Hamilton’s 2008 success.
McLaren completed the 2025 double by also winning the Constructors’ Championship.
The final margin was one of the closest in modern F1 history. Verstappen finished just two points behind Norris, while Piastri ended the season third.
Which countries have produced the most champions?
Britain leads the nationality table with 21 Drivers’ Championships won by 11 different drivers, including Norris in 2025.
Germany is next with 12 titles, followed by Brazil with eight and Argentina with five.
Finland, Australia, Austria, France and the Netherlands have each produced four championship-winning campaigns. Italy, the United States and Spain have each produced two.
New Zealand, South Africa and Canada have each produced one world champion.
In total, Formula One’s 35 champions have represented 15 different countries, underlining the global reach of a championship that began with a small European core in 1950 and has since become one of the world’s most international sporting competitions.
The championship in numbers
76: Drivers’ Championships awarded through 2025
35: Different world champions
15: Countries represented by champions
7: Titles each for Schumacher and Hamilton
5: Fangio’s championships
4: Titles each for Prost, Vettel and Verstappen
21: Championships won by British drivers
11: British drivers who have become world champions
5: Schumacher’s consecutive titles from 2000-04
2: Points separating Norris and Verstappen in 2025
The 2026 Formula One season is currently underway, but its championship has not yet been decided. The historical list above therefore runs through the conclusion of the 2025 season, when Norris became the sport’s 35th world champion.
George Russell converted pole position into a dramatic victory in Baku on Saturday, holding off Max Verstappen by just 0.196 seconds as the Mercedes driver cut into Kimi Antonelli’s Formula One championship lead.
Russell led all 51 laps around the 6.003-kilometer Baku City Circuit after producing one of his strongest qualifying performances of the season Friday. His 1:42.526 lap put him 0.837 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc and gave Mercedes a clear advantage heading into the race.
The victory was Russell’s second of the 2026 season and his first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June. He had entered the Azerbaijan weekend 81 points behind teammate Antonelli in the drivers’ championship, but his win and Antonelli’s fifth-place finish allowed him to make significant progress in the standings.
Russell appeared to have the race under control for much of the afternoon, building a lead of more than 10 seconds before safety-car periods repeatedly brought the field back together.
That opened the door for Verstappen.
Verstappen charges from eighth
Verstappen started eighth after being outqualified by Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar, but the four-time world champion produced a fierce recovery drive to move through the field and finish second.
The Dutchman put Russell under intense pressure in the closing stages, closing to within striking distance as the Mercedes approached the final laps. Russell held his nerve, however, and Verstappen could not find a way past despite a final charge toward the finish.
The result leaves Verstappen still searching for his first victory of the season. It is the first time since his rookie campaign in 2016 that he has gone this deep into a season without winning a Grand Prix.
Hadjar completes Red Bull double
Hadjar capped his return from a wrist injury with an impressive third-place finish, giving Red Bull two cars on the podium.
The Frenchman had qualified fourth and remained near the front despite the disruption caused by the safety-car periods. His podium also marked a strong return to competition after his absence.
Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, while Antonelli completed a remarkable recovery in fifth.
Antonelli limits the damage
Antonelli’s weekend looked to be heading toward disaster after he crashed at Turn 1 during Q1 on Friday, leaving him 16th on the starting grid and ending his qualifying session prematurely.
Instead, the championship leader fought his way into the points and finished fifth.
The Italian avoided a three-car incident ahead of him and later passed Lewis Hamilton as he climbed through the field. The recovery was particularly valuable given that Antonelli had entered Baku with an 81-point advantage over Russell after winning the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks earlier.
Antonelli’s result prevented Russell from making an even larger dent in the championship battle, while Mercedes continued its strong season under the 2026 regulations.
Chaos reshapes the midfield
Baku once again delivered the unpredictability that has become synonymous with its narrow streets and unforgiving walls.
A collision involving Lando Norris, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly disrupted the race, while Alexander Albon later crashed at Turn 6 and triggered another safety-car period. The interruptions erased much of Russell’s advantage and gave Verstappen and the rest of the field opportunities to close the gap.
Oscar Piastri also lost ground after locking up during a restart, while Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were among the other drivers who failed to finish.
Behind the podium, the points went to Leclerc, Antonelli, Hamilton, Arvid Lindblad, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz.
Russell strengthens Mercedes’ title push
Russell’s victory underlined Mercedes’ strength at a circuit that rewards straight-line speed, precision and confidence close to the walls.
The British driver had already taken pole for the fifth time this season, and his commanding qualifying lap gave him the platform to control the race.
His ability to maintain the lead through two safety-car restarts proved decisive, particularly once Verstappen emerged as his main challenger.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was staged on Saturday, rather than the traditional Sunday slot, as part of a weekend schedule that accommodated Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day on Sept. 27.
The race was the 15th round of the 23-race 2026 championship.
Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of the 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, The Athletic reported Friday, in a potentially seismic development in a case that has cast a shadow over English football for years.
The club are expected to appeal, meaning the legal process is not yet complete. City have consistently denied any wrongdoing.
“The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality,” the club said in a statement to British media.
“As such, Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.
“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”
The Premier League declined to comment on the reported verdict.
“It’s a confidential process. We’re not commenting at all,” a league spokesperson said.
A final ruling against City would mark one of the most significant decisions in English football history, bringing a dramatic new chapter to a case that has hung over the Premier League for more than three years.
The proceedings have raised questions about financial regulation, competitive integrity and how the league enforces its rules against its most successful clubs.
Allegations spanning more than a decade
The Premier League referred City to an independent commission in February 2023 over alleged breaches of financial rules spanning the 2009-10 to 2022-23 seasons. The club have consistently denied wrongdoing.
Among the most serious allegations was that City failed in each season from 2009-10 to 2017-18 to provide accurate financial information giving a “true and fair view” of revenues, including sponsorship income, and operating costs.
City hired lawyer David Pannick to lead their defense, while the Premier League was represented by Adam Lewis, according to British media reports.
The hearing began Sept. 16, 2024, and concluded nearly three months later on Dec. 6. The case was heard by an independent commission composed of three people appointed by the independent chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel.
Former City midfielder Rodri said Friday he had always trusted the club’s insistence that it had done nothing wrong and said the players had shared that belief throughout the case.
“Hopefully, justice can be done, whatever happens obviously, but I trust in the impunity of that club which I know very well. And they always transmitted their confidence that they’d done everything correctly,” he told a news conference on the eve of Spain’s Nations League game against England at Wembley.
“Until the moment they’re proved wrong, we will believe the club and I’ve been there and I know how they work and how they cooperate,” said the midfielder, who now plays for Barcelona.
European football’s governing body UEFA banned City from the Champions League for two years in 2020 after finding the club had overstated sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016.
City, however, successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which overturned the ban.
Since Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group bought the club in 2008, City have won eight Premier League titles, the Champions League, four FA Cups and seven League Cups.
City currently top the Premier League after winning each of their opening five matches.
Rodri believes nothing can diminish City’s achievements.
“What we did, they cannot take out of us. It’s something that is not paid by money, it’s paid with effort, with partnership, with being shoulder to shoulder every day,” he said.
“We had a lot of successful years and here in Wembley, so I can only tell you that everything was deserved and I’m glad I could live one of the best eras of English football in here,” he added, referring to City’s cup triumphs at the stadium.
High stakes
The stakes are particularly high because other clubs have already faced sporting sanctions for breaching financial regulations.
Everton were docked a total of eight points during the 2023-24 season after two separate breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, while Nottingham Forest were deducted four points for a breach of the same rules in March 2024.
Newcastle United narrowly avoided potential sanctions after selling players before the June 30, 2024, financial reporting deadline to comply with spending regulations.
The allegations against City are far broader and cover more than a decade, making the case unprecedented in scale. Lawyers, club executives and supporters across the league have spent years awaiting a verdict.
Ian Hargreaves, a partner at specialist disputes firm Quillon Law, said the “rumoured verdict is not the end of the story but the beginning of a new phase in what has become one of the most closely watched legal battles in global sport.”
The key questions raised, he said, are what sanctions the panel considers proportionate and what guidance can be drawn from previous cases.
“There is a wide range of options, with a transfer ban at the more moderate end of the spectrum and expulsion from the league the most severe repercussion,” Hargreaves said.
“There is also the question of whether the panel’s decision can withstand a hard-fought appeal, and on what grounds any challenge might be brought. Much will depend on the detail of the panel’s findings and reasoning, which will inevitably be closely scrutinized by both sides.”
Responding to the reports, Caroline Dinenage, chair of Britain’s Culture, Media and Sport select committee, urged that due process be followed while calling for the case to be concluded as quickly as possible.
“The reports … have profound implications for our national game,” Dinenage said in a statement.
“The extraordinary length and cost of this process raise serious concerns, and the affair again gives rise to questions about financial fairness across the football pyramid.
“The matter must be allowed to take its course and due process must be followed, but I sincerely hope any further stages are completed as swiftly as is reasonably possible.”
Turkish boxing star Busenaz Sürmeneli added another continental crown to her decorated career Friday, defeating Britain’s Chantelle Reid to win gold at the 2026 European Boxing Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Sürmeneli claimed the women’s 70-kilogram title on the final day of competition at the Asics Arena, securing her second consecutive European championship.
The Olympic champion and three-time world champion now has four European Championship medals in her career, including two golds and two bronzes.
Her latest triumph further adds to a career that has established Sürmeneli among Türkiye’s most successful boxers.
Meanwhile, Türkiye’s Büşra Işıldar took silver in the women’s 75-kilogram division after losing to Ireland’s Aoife O’Rourke in the final.
The 24-year-old Işıldar, a former world and European youth champion, had previously won silver at the senior World Championships and bronze at the European Championships.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Sürmeneli following her victory, speaking with the Turkish boxer by phone through Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Hamza Yerlikaya, who watched the final in Sofia.
“Congratulations, well done. Hopefully, I expect success at the Olympics as well. Congratulations, and send my regards to your family,” Erdoğan told Sürmeneli.
Sürmeneli thanked the president for his congratulations.
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