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Manchester United thrashed by Brentford, bottom of the ladder for first time in 30 years, crisis

Manchester United thrashed by Brentford, bottom of the ladder for first time in 30 years, crisis

Erik ten Hag’s bad start as Manchester United manager descended into an embarrassment as a 4-0 thrashing by Brentford on Saturday left the Red Devils bottom of the Premier League.

The former Ajax boss’ reign began with Brighton’s first ever win at Old Trafford last weekend, but much worse was to come as the Bees punished a series of errors to score four times in the first 35 minutes.

Josh Dasilva’s strike slipped through David de Gea’s grasp to open the floodgates before Mathias Jensen pounced on United’s attempt to play out from the back to make it 2-0 inside 18 minutes.

Ben Mee then exposed the visitors’ frailty from set-pieces for his first Brentford goal and Bryan Mbuemo rounded off a stunning counter-attack 10 minutes before halftime to sink United to the bottom of the table for the first time in 30 years.

The jubilant home support taunted Ten Hag with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning.”

But the Dutch coach has inherited a rabble rather than being the root cause as United lost a seventh consecutive away league match for the first time since 1936.

“We all have seen the game. I think Brentford were more hungry and we conceded goals to individual mistakes,” Ten Hag said.

“You can have a good plan but that puts the plan in the bin.”

United have now conceded four goals or more seven times in the Premier League since the start of last season.

The arrival of £57 million ($A97 million) centre-back Lisandro Martinez from Ajax has done little to shore up United’s leaky defense and questions will be asked of why Ten Hag has left Raphael Varane on the bench in favor of the Argentine and the out-of-sorts Harry Maguire.

Ten Hag did recall Cristiano Ronaldo to the starting line-up, but the wantaway five-time Ballon d’Or winner played a part in the opening goal.

Ronaldo went to ground too easily seeking a foul as he was surrounded by Brentford bodies. Dasilva’s shot should still have been a comfortable save for De Gea, but the ball squirmed underneath the Spaniard.

“It was a horrible day,” De Gea said. “I feel like I cost the team.”

De Gea compounded that mistake eight minutes later with an attempted pass to Christian Eriksen, who was outmuscled by his former teammate Jensen, and the Dane coolly slotted home to double Brentford’s lead.

Martinez’s 1.8m frame was raised as a red flag for his ability to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League.

And the Argentine was beaten at the back post by Mee for the third goal after Ivan Toney headed a corner across goal.

Credit to Brentford in just their second season in the English top-flight for 75 years may get swept away in the waves of criticism coming United’s way.

But Thomas Frank’s men produced a stunning move to tear United open again for their fourth goal.

Toney was released down the left wing and picked out Mbuemo with a precise first-time pass for the Frenchman to race in behind Luke Shaw and finish low past De Gea.

“These players keep giving me and the fans memories for life,” Frank said. Ten Hag made his feelings clear at the break with a triple substitution with Shaw, Martinez and Fred the scapegoats.

United did at least stop the bleeding after the break and should have had at least one consolation as Ronaldo looped a header over before Eriksen’s effort lacked the power to beat David Raya.

The damage, though, was long since done for Ten Hag and worse could still be to come.

United host Liverpool, who beat their historic rivals 5-0 and 4-0 last season, in their next game on August 22.

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F1 2022: Motorsports world stunned by ‘incredible’ eight-car crash in Formula E at Seoul Grand Prix

F1 2022: Motorsports world stunned by 'incredible' eight-car crash in Formula E at Seoul Grand Prix

An extraordinary eight-car crash has brought the second last race of the Formula E championship to a halt in Seoul on Saturday.

The chaos occurred on the opening lap of the Seoul E-Prix as the field went into the last corner, led by Jaguar driver Norman Nato.

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After Nato came Sebastiaen Beumi, who was then followed by Nick Cassidy, Dan Ticktum, Oliver Askew, Andre Lotterer, Nyck De Vries and Oliver Turvey.

Nato and Cassidy were the only drivers able to continue their race after they managed to remove themselves for the messy pileup.

The race was red flagged but motorsport fans couldn’t believe their eyes as a car became perched on top of the Mercedes of De Vries, who was protected by the halo.

“A couple of big hits at the back,” the commentator said.

“Everyone piles into the back, a really weird accident that. Very strange incident there.”

Motorsport writer Hazel Southwell tweeted: “Buemi, Askew, Lotterer, Ticktum, Turvey, Cassidy, Nato and De Vries in the wall. Buemi also on the Mercedes. simply incredible Formula E stuff (red flag, they all seem to be OK, just no one seemed to be able to brake).”

Several of the cars had to be taken away on the back of trucks, much to the amusement of viewers.

Nato said the slippery surface on the wide part of the track, which weaves through Seoul’s Olympic Stadium, was his undoing.

“In the middle of the pack the visibility in the last sector was quite poor,” said Nato, who was able to restart the race.

“One guy in front of me, I don’t even know who he was to be honest because I couldn’t really see, he was really cautious and braked.

“The two cars in front of me, they tried to avoid him and when I arrived I got a bit surprised and I had to avoid, going on the left-hand side of the apex.

“The tarmac is really different at this part and that’s why we saw so many cars (in the wall) because so many people tried to do the same to avoid the inside because of one car.

“On the outside, you have no chance to turn. Six cars or seven cars out in one corner is not what we expected.”

Lotterer added: “Basically, it was super slippery out there.

“Same, like the other guys, just touched the brakes and it was just like ice. Nothing you can do from that point on.

“I don’t think it’s braking too late, it was where there was paint, maybe some cars just happened to be on those patches of paint and lock up and that’s it.

“I managed to find a little gap and not hit another car but I still hit it, but not full on.”

The race restarted with Mitch Evans in the lead, who went on to claim victory in the penultimate race of the season ahead of Oliver Rowland and Lucas di Grassi.

It means the championship battle will go down to the last race of the season as Evans attempts to chase down Stoffel Vandoorne.

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Wife catches husband with mistress at Singapore Airport | Video

Wife catches husband with mistress at Singapore Airport | Video

Imagine not knowing where your husband is for six months, only to find him returning from a trip with his mistress.

That was the unfortunate reality for a wife who claims her husband cheated on her after busting him at Singapore’s Changi Airport with another woman.

In a viral clip that has been circulating since June, the furious wife can be seen confronting her husband at the airport as he walked through the arrivals gate hand-in-hand with another woman.

“Excuse me; I’m talking with my husband. Quien eres?” the angry wife can be heard saying according to local media, before the “mistress” walks off.

The wife continued to berate her husband in front of onlookers at the airport demanding he answer where he was as she accused him of neglecting her and their four-year-old son.

“For the past six months, where were you?” she asks.

She can also be heard saying, “I’m still your legal wife, remember that”, according to Singapore outlet The Independent.

In a separate video, the husband reportedly told his wife he was going to see his father in Malaysia and had left. But later, the man’s father called the wife, asking where his son was.

The mother-of-one posted details of the incident to Facebook, noting she was a full-time housewife since their son’s birth, leaving her with no income.

In a lengthy post, she claimed her husband was uncontactable after struggling to get through to his mobile number.

“No video call and his contact number cannot be contacted for the past 6 months,” she wrote.

It appears that the couple has been together for 11 years, with the wife following her husband from Kuching to Singapore when he decided to get a diploma.

She claimed things “changed” in 2021 when she left to Singapore for a job interview.

The woman said she contacted her husband to discuss their son’s schooling just a few weeks after he left in December.

“I try to call just to discuss about the school, unfortunately call cannot get through also fail to get through to him. He should not forget he has a son and wife waiting for him in Malaysia,” she wrote.

“My child keeps asking me. ‘Why didn’t my father call me?’ ‘Why didn’t my father come to see me’. I keep telling my child that his father is working hard in Singapore to earn money

“I took out medical check-up (ultra sound scan /colonoscopy) and I’m found out I have health issue here need immediate medical attention. But the phone still can’t even get through.”

She planned to visit their house in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, but discovered that the door lock had been changed, forcing her and their child to stay at a hotel.

She then decided to enter Singapore to search for her husband, seeking assistance from the police.

“The police dialed your Singapore number which was not available and found out from a friend that you were going to Thailand,” she wrote.

“These days me and my child have been going back and forth from the hotel and Singapore airport wait for the flight from Thailand to Singapore.

“Thank you god! My child and I stood at the arrival gate and saw my husband holding hand-in-hand with his female student walking out wearing couple clothes. At that moment, my heart hurt and broken.”

She realized the woman he was with was his violin student. The wife is reportedly urging her and her husband to meet to discuss divorce.

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Wallabies vs Argentina, Lalakai Foketi, Giteau Law, World Cup, LIV golf, video

Wallabies vs Argentina, Lalakai Foketi, Giteau Law, World Cup, LIV golf, video

Amid golfer Cameron Smith’s rumored decision to take the money and run to LIV, Lalakai Foketi – the relatively unknown Test center – showed that there are still some things in professional sport that money can’t buy. In his case of him, a Wallabies jersey.

The question, however, is for how long, particularly with chatter that Rugby Australia’s eligibility laws will be blown up for next year’s World Cup.

It’s understood in March that Foketi, 27, turned down hundreds of thousands of dollars for the chance to continue his career for the Wallabies.

With his career progression at the Waratahs slowed by injuries, he was offered a large contract worth more than $500,000 to join French Top 14 club Clermont.

He turned it down, but not long after fellow Australian Irae Simone took the money and, therefore, will unlikely ever play for the Wallabies again based on Rugby Australia’s new Overseas Player Selection Policy.

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Lalakai Foketi opted to stay in Australia for the chance to play for the Wallabies instead of taking up an offer overseas. Photo: Getty Images
Lalakai Foketi opted to stay in Australia for the chance to play for the Wallabies instead of taking up an offer overseas. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Foketi, who made his debut against Wales last November, will start for the first time in the No.12 jersey in the absence of Samu Kerevi and Hunter Paisami.

Simone is in-line to play his third Test, after curiously being named on the bench ahead of Noah Lolesio.

You wonder what Lolesio, who played all three Tests against England, and Suliasi Vunivalu, the two-time NRL premiership winner, must be thinking after being left out?

After all, it was only recently the duo re-signed with Rugby Australia.

Now both are seemingly sliding down the pecking order, while in the case of Vunivalu, the high-profile recruit has only been afforded a couple of minutes off the bench at the SCG.

Yet the decision by Foketi to turn down the money is curious.

He is not the only Australian player to turn down overseas offers, or indeed return home, for the lure of the gold jersey.

Nic White and Matt To’omua craved the chance to play for the Wallabies and returned home ahead of the 2019 World Cup to pursue their international debuts.

Others. like James O’Connor, followed suit.

Rising star Nick Frost managed to recently get out of a deal to join Robbie Deans at Panasonic. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Nick Frost, the 22-year-old rising star, also reneged on a deal to join Robbie Deans’ Panasonic Wild Knights in the Japanese League One competition.

After a cracking game for the Brumbies, Frost’s coach Dan McKellar raised the possibility of him opting out. RA, along with his management of him and the blessing on the Japanese club, skilfully managed to get the second-rower out of the deal.

It’s a different story for Foketi because as talented as the center is, he still did not make Rennie’s initial squad for the England series. Only injury, as well as Kerevi’s desire to represent Australia in the Commonwealth Games, saw the Waratah called up.

Players like Foketi, as well as Hamish Stewart who too craves a Wallabies cap, are the bread and butter of domestic rugby. Without them, the game Down Under would have invested too much in too few leaving too little for the raw talent underneath.

“I went away after I finished school. I debuted for the Rebels and then went to France when I was young and quickly realized that this is the dream and this is what I wanted to do my rugby career,” Foketi said on Friday.

“I’m grateful that I’m here and I’ve just been working hard to get to this point.

“With other options and stuff, (they) haven’t really been at the forefront of my mind. My family’s happy in Sydney, and that’s another big reason, but this is always the pinnacle of rugby, for me.”

READ MORE

O’Connor’s moment of truth as Rennie names veteran Wallaby at 10 for crunch TRC Test

Quade’s RWC dream in doubt after devastating injury blow leaves No.10 jersey wide open

Lalakai Foketi celebrates a try at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the Waratahs. Photo; Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

It is why RA, privately and publicly, will not entertain opening the floodgates and pick widely from overseas because the fear is it will decimate Super Rugby and cripple their stakeholders, namely the Super Rugby franchises, especially in non-World Cup years.

Next year will be the litmus test. Even after Rennie floated the idea of ​​raising the possibility of adding an additional fourth “overseas” pick for the Rugby Championship before their tour of Argentina, RA was privately shutting down any hope of the third-year international coach being able to pick Rory Arnold, Kerevi, Marika Koroibete and Quade Cooper in the same squad.

Season-ending injuries to Cooper and Kerevi have saved Rennie from an intriguing decision.

Yet for months talk has bubbled under the surface that the eligibility criteria will be scrapped for the World Cup year, with as many as five or six players in the mix.

Whether that occurs remains to be seen and injuries could yet have a telling impact.

Japan-bound Rory Arnold will play for the Wallabies against Argentina. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

But as world No.2 golfer Smith sits on a reported $140 million deal to join the LIV Golf Series, sports stars across the world are increasingly choosing money over legacy.

Who can blame them? Private equity, and new found success, seems like the only way to put a lid on Wallabies heading overseas.

How sustainable it is remains questionable, but given Australia is hosting a World Cup in 2027 (men’s) and 2029 (women’s) the governing body will do everything it can to keep players at home.

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Business

Disney passes Netflix in streaming war, but there are two catches

Disney passes Netflix in streaming war, but there are two catches

Disney has overtaken Netflix in the global race for streaming customers. But there’s a catch. Actually, there are many catches.

The headline numbers are that Disney as an entertainment megalith now has 221.1 million subscriptions to Netflix’s 220.6 million accounts.

While that looks like Disney has surpassed Netflix in the streaming wars, that 221.1 million number is a combined figure of Disney+ customers as well as US services Hulu and ESPN. Netflix only has the one brand so it’s not a like-for-like comparison.

Of that total figure, Disney+, which launched in late-2019, has amassed 152.1 million subscribers worldwide. It increased its membership by 14.4 million subscribers, more than the 10 million that was forecast.

That’s catch number one in the Disney versus Netflix narrative.

The more revealing asterisk comes when you drill down into the numbers around average revenue per user (ARPU), as industry publication Variety you have donated

ARPU is an important measure for finance types because it reflects how much each customer is worth to a business. The higher the ARPU, the more money each customer is spending with the business.

According to Variety, Disney’s ARPU in the US and Canada was $US6.27 per customer per month compared to Netflix’s $US15.95 for the same region. Disney’s subscription price in the US and Canada is significantly lower than Netflix’s.

The difference in ARPU is even more glaring in India and Southeast Asia where Disney is only making $US1.20 per month to Netflix’s $US8.83 in APAC.

While it may seem like ARPU is something that investors and money people care about, ultimately it will affect audiences.

In a bid to increase that ARPU, there’s currently a lot of movement around pricing.

Disney has announced US prices for Disney+ will increase by 38 per cent in December, from $US7.99 to $US10.99 per month, at the same time as the introduction of an ad-supported membership tier which will be priced at $US7 .99.

Disney+ will roll out the ad-supported option globally in 2023.

In Australia, Disney+ is priced at $11.99 a month. It launched at $8.99 a month but increased the cost in February 2021 when it added the Star sub-brand to its platform.

Locally, Star houses Disney’s more adult-oriented programming and includes many of the exclusive movies and shows that are made for Hulu in the US. This has included series such as dopesick, WeCrashed and the upcoming critical sensation Bear.

Netflix will also introduce an ad-supported membership tier from 2023.

Netflix had previously eschewed introducing advertising on its platform with co-chief executive and co-founder Reed Hastings rejecting the idea.

The company did an about-face in April when it revealed it had for the first time in a decade gone backwards in its subscription numbers.

An ad-supported tier is one of two main tactics Netflix is ​​deploying to arrest its declining membership. A cheaper subscription option could be attractive to existing and potential customers feeling the pinch of global economic and inflationary pressures.

And advertising revenue from brands may increase Netflix and Disney’s ARPU.

Netflix’s other plank in boosting its subscriber numbers is to crackdown on password, a common practice which is a violation of its terms and conditions but is done by 100 million of its customers.

Netflix is ​​trialling two forms of a crackdown in smaller territories in Latin America, both of which means charging customers an extra fee for sharing their login details beyond their residence.

The American streaming market is going through a tumultuous period due to increased competition and economic conditions.

Earlier this month, Warner Bros Discovery announced it will combine its two streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+ following its merger. The Warner Bros Discovery move could signal the long-awaited consolidation many in the industry have flagged for some time.

In Australia, there are more than a dozen paid streaming platforms, ranging from broad appeal brands such as Binge*, Netflix, Stan and Amazon Prime Video to niche products such as Shudder, Hayu and Shelter.

According to Roy Morgan data published in February, 74.5 per cent of Australians accessed a subscription video-on-demand platform across an average of four weeks in the three months to December 2021, an increase of 2.5 per cent.

The most popular service remains Netflix, followed by Foxtel Group*, which owns Foxtel, Binge, Kayo and Flash.

Roy Morgan estimated Australians use on average 2.7 subscription video-on-demand services, up from 1.8 a year earlier.

*Foxtel Group is majority owned by News Corp, publisher of this website

Read related topics:Netflix

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Oscar Piastri contract, latest, news, Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer, Fernando Alonso leaves Alpine, McLaren, Flavio Briatore, Mark Webber

Oscar Piastri contract, latest, news, Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer, Fernando Alonso leaves Alpine, McLaren, Flavio Briatore, Mark Webber

An infamous F1 villain has been called out over possible collusion in the ongoing Oscar Piastri contract saga at Alpine.

Piastri’s future is up in the air after Fernando Alonso declared he would be leaving Alpine for Aston Martin next season. Alpine quickly announced that their long-time junior prospect Piastri would replace Alonso for 2023 – only for Piastri to reject their statement about him in a public bombshell.

Alpine believe their contract with Piastri will force him to race for them next year, though the young Aussie has also signed a deal to replace Daniel Ricciardo McLaren next season.

F1’s Contract Recognition Board this week reportedly found both Piastri’s Alpine and McLaren contracts are valid, according to Auto Hebdo of France.

Alpine is now threatening to take Piastri and McLaren to court to seek compensation for their huge investment in Piastri’s years of training – and Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer’s bold claims didn’t stop there.

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‘Expected more loyalty… it’s about integrity’: Alpine boss shreds Piastri in brutal spray

Fernando Alonso (l) and Nelson Piquet Jr (r) with team boss Flavio Briatore (c) ahead of the 2008 F1 season… a year that would end in dramatic controversy.
Fernando Alonso (l) and Nelson Piquet Jr (r) with team boss Flavio Briatore (c) ahead of the 2008 F1 season… a year that would end in dramatic controversy.Source: News Limited

“Going to the High Court is over 90 per cent certain that’s what we’ll do,” Szafnauer told Reuters.

“If the CRB (Contract Recognition Board) says ‘Your license is only valid at Alpine’, and then he (Piastri) says ‘That’s great, but I’m never driving for them, I’ll just sit out a year’, then you’ve got to go to the High Court for compensation.”

The Alpine boss also hinted at potential collusion between Piastri’s manager Mark Webber, Alonso and his manager Flavio Briatore.

Alpine’s big Piastri admission as Aussie rising star’s F1 standoff takes another twist: Pit Talk

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Daniel Ricciardo seeking eye-watering payout as ugly McLaren exit nears

Briatore is one of the most controversial figures in F1, due to his renegade management of the Enstone squad now known as Alpine, having spent years overseeing the team in its former guises as Benetton and Renault. He also managed Mark Webber at one point and remains close to his former charge from him, while he continues to manage Alonso.

“Look, I have no record of it, but this is Formula 1 and maybe in a couple of years someone says that they have evidence of shared information, I would not be surprised,” Szafnauer said.

“I always tell everyone that in Formula 1 you have to act as if everyone knows everything. That there are no secrets in these things. When you ask someone not to say anything, they act like everyone knows.

“That’s how I’ve run my business in Formula 1 for 25 years. And if this (information sharing) has happened, you should not be surprised.”

Mark Webber and his then-manager Flavio Briatore at the Australian GP in 2007.Source: News Corp Australia

Christian Danner, a German F1 driver from the late-1980s who is now a pundit in his native country, also declared Piastri’s actions bear Briatore’s trademark.

“It’s classic Flavio. There was certainly a (Alpine) contract for Piastri that Flavio has skimmed over … there was definitely a clause,” Danner told Motorsport Magazine.

“When he believes in someone, he has the foresight to plan in a positive sense – and not just ruthlessly, which is logically the case in this business.

“I could imagine Piastri (using Briatore) to free himself from Alpine’s grip, so that he can hopefully drive for McLaren for the next two years and then be free for a big deal.

“That definitely has Briatore’s signature.

“It can all go wrong, of course, but if it works out, then he (Briatore) has done everything right.”

Ricciardo set to be replaced by Piastri | 00:32

72-year-old Briatore’s Renault team was charged with race fixing in 2008 at the Singapore Grand Prix, after their driver Nelson Piquet Jr. claimed he had been ordered to deliberately crash his car. Teammate Fernando Alonso had just pitted, and the resulting safety car helped him go on to win the race.

Briatore and Renault engineering chief Pat Symonds were both indefinitely banned from all elite motorsport categories before a French court later overruled the ruling.

It wasn’t the only Briatore scandal, with his Benetton team in 1991 remarkably sacking driver Roberto Moreno in order to sign Michael Schumacher after his debut race.

Moreno successfully appealed to a court – which found his contract was valid – but was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to leave the team and allow Schumacher to join.

The young Schumacher would subsequently win his maiden title at the Benetton franchise.

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Matt To’omua spills on divorce from Ellyse Perry, engaged to Naomi Cameron

Matt To'omua spills on divorce from Ellyse Perry, engaged to Naomi Cameron

Former Wallabies fly-half Matt To’omua has opened up about his “brutal” divorce from Australian cricketer Ellyse Perry, admitting the taxing order was “not fun at all”.

The sporting power couple, who tied the knot in 2015, announced their divorce in July 2020, confirming the news in a joint statement.

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“It’s with the greatest of respect for one another that we decided to separate earlier this year,” the pair said at the time.

“We felt this was the right course of action and is in the best interests of each other and our current lives. This is something that has evolved and is a mutual decision.

Throughout our relationship we have remained private and we ask that our space and privacy continue to be respected during this difficult time for both of us.”

The couple went public in 2013 when they appeared at the John Eales Medal awards night together before getting engaged the following year.

Ellyse Perry and ex-husband Matt To'omua.
Ellyse Perry and ex-husband Matt To’omua.Source: Instagram
Ellyse Perry and ex-husband Matt To’omua. AAP Image/Scott BarbourSource: AAP

speaking to the Sydney Morning HeraldTo’omua revealed he had not spoken to Perry in more than a year,

“It was tough,” he confessed. “Not fun. Not fun at all. It sucks.

“You can see why it breaks people. I’m very lucky that I’ve found someone now who’s amazing, but at the time, it was brutal.

“I’m very fortunate that we had no children and, of the divorces, it was a good one in the sense of the separation of those things. The one unique thing being it was public. Getting sprayed while I’m goalkicking or getting abused on some social media platform isn’t great, but they’re minor things.”

Matt To’omua of Australia. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

To’omua has since started dating forensic psychologist Naomi Cameron, who he met in 2020. They recently got engaged.
Earlier this year, the 32-year-old announced he would head overseas and join Japan’s League One, signing with an unnamed club.

To’omua represented the Wallabies in 59 Tests after making his international debut in 2013, also playing 130 Super Rugby games for the ACT Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels.

Meanwhile, rumors emerged last year that Perry was dating Fremantle Dockers captain Nat Fyfe.

The 31-year-old was part of the Australian squad for this year’s triumphant Cricket World Cup campaign in New Zealand.

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FIFA World Cup 2022 match schedule changed so Qatar opens tournament

FIFA World Cup 2022 match schedule changed so Qatar opens tournament

FIFA has officially brought forward the opening match of this year’s World Cup by one day to November 20 in a rare change so that hosts Qatar feature in the gala game.

Football’s top officials universally approved the decision, FIFA said in a statement while Qatar said it would give unspecified help to fans affected by the change.

On the old schedule, Qatar against Ecuador was to be the official inauguration match on November 21 but Senegal against Netherlands would be the first match of the day. England against Iran would have been second.

RELATED: Qatar pushes for late World Cup change

Qatar had also been frustrated as it has invested in a huge opening ceremony show.

“Host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday 20 November as part of a stand-alone event,” said FIFA.

“The opening match and ceremony of this year’s tournament at Al Bayt Stadium have been brought forward one day following a unanimous decision taken by the bureau of the FIFA Council today.”

The bureau is made up of FIFA leader Gianni Infantino and the six heads of the continental confederations.

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‘Smooth tournament’ vow

“The change ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition of marking the start of the World Cup with an opening ceremony on the occasion of the first match featuring either the hosts or the defending champions,” added FIFA.

Under the new plan, the Group A game between Senegal and the Netherlands has been shifted from 1pm on November 21 to a 7pm start. There is no change to England’s opening Group B clash against Iran.

Qatari organisers, who have spent billions of dollars preparing for the event, immediately welcomed FIFA’s gesture.

“Opening the first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East and Arab world is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Qatar,” said the organizing committee in a statement.

“The impact of this decision on fans was assessed by FIFA. We will work together to ensure a smooth tournament for the supporters affected by the change,” they added without giving details.

Some Ecuador fans may have to change flights to arrive in Qatar earlier and football sources said the date switch could force changes to some World Cup contracts.

But many companies linked to the World Cup expressed confidence that disruption would be overcome.

“It is something we will deal with,” said Jaime Byrom, chairman of Match Hospitality, which has a deal with FIFA to organize hospitality packages for World Cup matches and has locked in 450,000 tickets for the tournament.

“It is really not – compared to the other challenges that we could have faced or have faced in the past – a particularly large problem,” Byrom told AFP.

“We have to focus on those customers who are most affected and I guess in this case we will be looking at our Ecuadorean customers who are traveling from overseas, and making sure that they are on time for the match.”

Official countdown clocks for the event were quickly changed. The 100 day countdown to the opening match will now start on Friday, instead of Saturday.

The decision was also announced as Qatar staged the first official match at the Lusail stadium which will host the December 18 World Cup final.

Before more than 10,000 fans, and with players engulfed in airconditioning to ward off stifling summer heat, Al Arabi beat Al Rayyan 2-1 in the Qatar championship.

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Business

Evergrande investor Lin Ho Man takes collapsing company to court over $158m debt

Evergrande investor Lin Ho Man takes collapsing company to court over $158m debt

A young millennial is threatening the existence of a multi-billion dollar Chinese property developer.

In 2021, real estate heavyweight Evergrande earned the unwelcome title of the world’s most indebted real estate firm after racking up staggering debts of around $A408 billion.

Evergrande’s share price tanked and the firm missed a string of payment deadlines, which eventually saw it officially declared in default for the first time in December.

And now a young 30-year-old investor — who Bloomberg reported is “politically connected” — is taking the conglomerate on in the High Court of Hong Kong.

Lin Ho Man claims Evergrande owes him HK$862.5 million ($158 million) because of money he invested through his business.

He has applied for a winding up order, calling for the company to be wound up unless they cough up the funds to pay him back.

In order for Evergrande’s shares to be able to trade, Mr Lin’s lawsuit has to be resolved, either by being mediated to lead to dismissal, or for him to withdraw the case.

Although Evergrande has been in hot water with creditors and customers in recent months, nobody has reportedly gone as far as demanding the company be liquidated.

Mr Lin runs a fintech company called Top ShineGlobal which invested millions for a 0.46 per cent stake in Fangchebao, Evergrande’s automobile and real estate arm in March 2021.

Then Triumph Roc International, another one of Lin’s investment holding companies which he acted as guarantor for, invested the same amount for a separate 0.46 per cent stake.

Just a few months later, the extent of Evergrande’s financial woes became well-known.

Evergrande said it will oppose the legal case “vigorously” and added that this shouldn’t impact the company’s restructuring plans or timetable.

Mr Lin’s case has already had a preliminary hearing earlier in August and the next court session is happening later this month.

Evergrande, one of China’s biggest developers, has scrambled to offload assets in recent months, with chairman Hui Ka Yan paying off some of its debts using his personal wealth.

Its troubles are emblematic of the problems rippling across China’s massive property sector, with smaller companies also defaulting on loans and others struggling to raise cash.

Chinese creditors have sued Evergrande for more than $US13 billion in allegedly overdue payments, the Financial Times reports.

According to documents seen by the publication, a Chinese court has accepted a whopping 367 cases against Evergrande.

Insiders claiming it is one of the biggest indicators yet that local creditors have lost confidence in the firm’s ability to handle the ongoing crisis.

Shares in the company have been halted since March.

— With Alexis Carey

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Categories
Sports

Piastri’s stance has knock-on effects for other teams

Piastri's stance has knock-on effects for other teams

LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) – Oscar Piastri’s rift with Alpine has also forced a change of plan at Williams and could have a knock-on effect around the Formula One paddock.

While the main focus has been on Renault-owned Alpine and McLaren, who both want the 21-year-old Australian to drive for them next season, tail-enders Williams have had to reassess their next step.

Alpine’s original plan was to loan their reserve, and last year’s Formula Two champion, to Williams for at least a year and possibly more until he returned as Fernando Alonso’s replacement.

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The principle was the same as when Mercedes placed George Russell for three seasons at Williams to learn the ropes before bringing him back as team mate to seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Talks were so far advanced that the Australian had a seat fitting at Williams and a contract for 2023 was drawn up between the two teams, with Alpine having already agreed on Piastri’s salary.

Then Alonso decided to race for Aston Martin next year and Piastri, offered the Alpine seat, said no — with a McLaren deal apparently more tempting. read more

Piastri would have replaced Canadian Nicholas Latifi at Williams, the only driver on the starting grid who has yet to score a point in 13 races this season, alongside British-born Thai Alexander Albon.

Latifi brings sponsorship and could potentially retain the seat, with many of the potential replacements lacking such financial clout.

With Alpine currently fourth in the championship and Williams last, the seat spurned by Piastri is the most attractive.

If Alpine do not take McLaren’s soon-to-be-discarded Australian Daniel Ricciardo, then they may be in the same market as Williams.

One possibility who stands out is current Formula E champion and 2019 Formula Two title-holder Nyck de Vries, a Mercedes F1 reserve who has already taken part in Friday first practice with Williams.

De Vries, 27, is also looking for a seat for 2023, with Mercedes pulling out of Formula E after selling their championship-leading team to McLaren.

Williams have 21-year-old American Logan Sargeant on their books, with team boss Jost Capito saying last month that he saw the F2 driver as a prospect for the future, but it may be too early for him. read more

The future of Mick Schumacher, currently with Ferrari-powered Haas, has yet to be determined while China’s former Alpine academy driver Guanyu Zhou is having a solid first season at Alfa Romeo.

Alfa, run by Swiss-based Sauber with former Renault team boss Fred Vasseur at the helm, have 18-year-old French F2 prospect Theo Pourchaire on their books as a talent for the future.

Beyond that there are racers looking for a way back into Formula One and others, such as India’s Jehan Daruvala, hoping for a door to open from the junior series.

“I’ve had all sorts of people (calling),” Alpine principal Otmar Szafnauer told Reuters this week. “Some of the guys in the junior formulas, some of the Formula E guys. Maybe eight or 10.”

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Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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