Author: BLOGGERPARUNG

Alan Jones, Australia’s most recent F1 world champion, says he “just can’t see” his countryman Daniel Ricciardo returning to the fray in F1 in the future.

Ricciardo was dropped by McLaren at the end of the 2022 season, a full year before the end of his contract with the Woking-based outfit, due to the Aussie’s disappointing results with the team.

Ricciardo was subsequently offered a third-driver role with Red Bull, his former team, but team boss Christian Horner has made clear that there are no plans entrust the eight-time Grand Prix winner with one of its cars this season.

Reflecting on Ricciardo’s plight in an interview with theahead of this week’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Jones believes Ricciardo only has himself to blame for dropping off the grid.

“I don’t think he even knows himself [why his form disappeared]. I just think he went off the boil,” Jones said.

“Really, in my own opinion, I think he concentrated and spent a bit too much time for his activities out of the cockpit rather than in it. That’s my opinion.”

Read also: Ricciardo opens up on professional and personal goals for 2023

Jones believes that, barring an unforeseen event, Ricciardo won’t be racing in F1 in 2024.

“I don’t think he will get a drive at Red Bull unless something happens to the two current drivers,” said the former Williams charger.

“I can’t see him doing a Grand Prix. I doubt [he will be on the grid in 2024]. At the end of the day, there is probably no reason why Red Bull won’t re-sign Perez, and obviously, Verstappen.

“I can’t see anybody at Ferrari resigning or going away, so I just can’t see where he can go.

“Obviously, everybody likes to go out on a high note, and it’s just unfortunate that for whatever reason, and I don’t even think he knows himself, why his performance dropped off.

“As I said before, I just can’t see him getting back into Formula 1.”

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Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit is in a race against time to be fit in time for the Six Nations in February, his club confirmed.

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The winger injured his ankle on Christmas Eve in Gloucester’s loss against defending Premiership champions Leicester Tigers.

Out until the Six Nations

Gloucester boss George Skivington revealed that Rees-Zammit would unlikely play for the club again before the Six Nations, meaning there is a possibility the speedster will recover in time for the competition.

“He is walking around at the moment, which is good news, but (he) is definitely not going to be back any time soon,” Skivington said.

“I have not got an exact date of return because it is going to be around that Six Nations period.

“From my point of view, I plan for him not to be here for a few weeks.

“I am not sure exactly what week of the Six Nations it is that he will or won’t get ready for, but he will not be playing for us in the next couple of weeks anyway.

“He has been scanned. The medics are on top of it. I just know he is not going to be here for the Six Nations, and therefore it’s up to Wales to work out whether he is going to play for them.”

Unknown return date

There has been no date given for the Welshman’s return. However, Wales head coach Warren Gatland will be monitoring closely as the wing could be one of his trump cards given the speed threat Rees-Zammit has.

Skivington said: “I am being absolutely honest from my point of view. I know he is not available for me until that Six Nations period, and I am moving on.

“I am hoping he will be available for some point of the Six Nations and beyond that. I have so many things going on with other injuries and people, and I leave it to others.

“Hopefully he will be ready for the start of the Six Nations, but there is no date been given to me.

“Whether it is because it is one of those injuries where it could kick on quicker – he is a young healthy bloke, and hopefully he recovers as quick as anybody – or whether it’s a debate (about) should he play this game or not. I am genuinely not sure about it.”

This article is taken from GFFN’s FREE 2022/23 Ligue 1 Season Preview Guide, which will be available to download in full this weekend. Keep an eye on Get French Football News for our team’s analysis of every team and much more.

Key Man: Rhys Healey – Becoming Ligue 2’s leading scorer last season was, until now, the culmination of a unlikely journey for English striker Rhys Healey. Costing just £500,000, Healey unexpectedly arrived in France two years ago from League One MK Dons after 11 goals in 18 games during the 2019/20 season. Healey had struggled for form across six loan spells away from Cardiff City, taking in Dundee, Torquay and Colchester. Now 27, Healey’s 35 Ligue 2 goals in 65 games, including 20 last term, suggest he’s finally found a home. A poacher with a keenness to think outside the box while usually playing within it, Healey’s eye for space and controlled finishing has made him a menace for Ligue 2 defences. Although he’s clinical in the classical sense, Healey is capable of manufacturing goals his rival couldn’t via a series of flicks and shimmies – he even scored while sitting on the turf. Having already played in the top five English divisions as well as the Scottish and Welsh top flights, in large part thanks to his precise finishing Healey count now add both Ligue 2 and Ligue 1 to his list. More goals will be needed if he’s to avoid another change of divisions.

Signing To Watch: Zakaria Aboukhlal – Although left-back Oliver Zanden (20) has been brought in from Swedish club Elfsborg alongside Dutch second tier Excelsior’s forward Thijs Dallinga (22), both are likely to be little more than cover. As a result, Moroccan international forward Zakaria Aboukhlal is TFC’s only major addition this summer so far. Typically a wide forward, the 22-year-old managed nine league goals in 69 games for AZ Alkmaar who finished fifth in the Eredivisie last season after he graduated PSV’s youth system in 2019. Despite some good European experience and 11 Morocco caps, including four at January’s AFCON, considering the lack of options in the rest of the squad, Aboukhlal’s signing seems odd given he’ll face stiff competition from a host of in-form forwards in the deepest area of the group. However, while it’s likely coach Philippe Montanier intends to strengthen other areas in time too, the Moroccan’s arrival suggests the coach is considering switching to a 4-2-3-1.

Squad Analysis – Toulouse enter the new campaign with an almost identical squad to their promotion season. Although TFC were comfortably the second tier’s most effective side, they won a weak division and Montanier had less to work with than Patrice Garande, who’s incarnation finished third the year before. As such, cover for a stable back four is almost non-existent while Australian international Denis Genreau is the only reliable option off the bench in midfield. There’s more attacking versatility in the forward positions that support striker Healey but Montanier’s squad is precariously thin overall. Unless TFC plan to trust a raft of promising but largely untested youngsters, like 20-year-old high-regarded Cameroonian midfielder Steve Mvoué, signings are desperately needed before September to add depth. However, an eleven which almost picks itself has poise, vision and skill throughout, although holes could quickly start to appear.

Strengths – Despite Healey’s importance as a goal threat for Montanier, three others made double figures in the league last season. Free-kick specialist, technical midfielder and the second tier’s standout player, Branco van den Boomen managed 12, while wide forwards Rafael Ratão and Ado Onaiwu managed 11 and 10 respectively. Rapidly developing winger Nathan N’Goumou (22), who supplanted the skilful pair as Healey’s first choice support act at the end of the campaign, managed eight and will be one to watch this season. Montanier’s fluid and positive 4-3-3 allows for plenty of chance creation via a trio of midfielders with vision and intelligence. Van den Boomen is joined by fellow Dutchman Stijn Spierings and Belgian Brecht Dejaegere, who can be swapped out for another forward or play further up himself. With goal threat and creativity provided by so many sources, Toulouse will be a fun watch this season.

Weaknesses – So few signings means that this TFC squad is largely devoid of Ligue 1 experience which could be exposed defensively at this level. Left-back Issiaga Sylla carries the majority of the squad’s top flight appearances but he’s proven a liability for TFC in Ligue 1 previously, while a loan with Lens also didn’t work out. Goalkeeper Maxime Dupé has seen notable first team action with Nantes but Toulouse were reportedly worried about his suitability for Ligue 1, despite another solid season, and were looking to replace him. Valerenga goalkeeper Kjetil Haug has been added as competition. Toulouse’s eclectic recruitment (they’ll likely pick 11 different nationalities at one point this season) has proven deft in recent years, adding starters from Danish football, the J-League and Slovakia to consistent success. However, whether those players are ready for such a jump in quality of opposition is uncertain.

Verdict – If Montanier can replicate his expansive, attractive style of last season, few will be as fun to watch as Toulouse in France. Led by Healey, Ngoumou and van den Boomen, they have goals, ingenuity and skill but the party could be ended by even a moderate injury crisis due to lack of depth, while even their talented first eleven is almost completely unproven at this level. However, much of the bottom half of the table is in a similar position with three promoted sides replacing the underachieving Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne this year. Within that group of clubs, few have the guile or boldness of TFC and, despite the four relegation places, Montanier will be confident of survival.

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Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko has suggested that AlphaTauri could undergo another name change in the future.

At the end of the 2019 season, the Faenza-based outfit switched its identity from Scuderia Toro Rosso to AlphaTauri, the name of Red Bull’s fashion line affiliate.

However, the clothing line hasn’t encountered the success that was projected by Red Bull, with the F1 team doing little to impact the company’s sales.

With the AlphaTauri brand now only present in just a handful of countries, Red Bull is mulling once again a name change for its sister outfit.

“It is something we are reconsidering,” Marko told Dutch website RacingNews365.

“It is logical too. The branding of AlphaTauri has been scaled back somewhat because only in a few countries where we race AlphaTauri is actually sold. It is about three to four countries only.

“The task is simple. More money must be brought in and results improved.”

Earlier this month, German website Auto Motor und Sport reported that Red Bull’s new top brass who had succeeded Dietrich Mateschitz after the latter’s passing last year were pondering either a relocation of AlphaTauri to the UK or an outright sale of the team.

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko acknowledged that AlphaTauri was under scrutiny by Red Bull’s executives due to the team’s poor campaign in 2022.

A report commissioned by Oliver Mintzlaff, the company’s recently appointed CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, on Red Bull’s marketing investments allegedly shed a dim light on AlphaTauri and on the team’s marketing value.

Read also: AlphaTauri lands new marketing head to boost team fortunes

However, an outright sale of the team is an option that now appears to be off the table according to team boss Franz Tost.

“I had some very good meetings with Oliver Mintzlaff, who confirmed that the shareholders will not sell Scuderia AlphaTauri, and that Red Bull will continue supporting the team in the future,” Tost stated.

As the squad strives to shore up its finances, AlphaTauri announced last week that it had created a new ‘head of commercial’ position within the team’s management, a responsibility entrusted to Lars Stegelmann.

The German was previously chief commercial officer of the Motorsport Network, and later managed the sales team at ITR, the DTM Series organiser until 2022.

He also worked on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the European football association UEFA, and the original sales and marketing concept, development and implementation of the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E championship.

“Interest in Formula 1 has developed extremely well,” Tost explained. “With the support of Lars, we also want to develop our commercial activities,

“He has an exciting mix of strategic know-how, international sales experience and a great understanding of the advertising industry.”

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This article is taken from GFFN’s FREE 63-page 2022/23 Ligue 1 Season Preview Guide, download yours in full right here.

Key Man: Jonathan David – If Jonathan David had sustained his goal-scoring form of late 2021, when he was averaging 0.66 goals-per-game then he would’ve finished last season with around 25 goals. Instead, the Canadian got caught in a dry spell which saw him register just three goals from Christmas onwards, a main reason why Lille’s form collapsed and why the 22-year-old wasn’t sold for big money this summer. Having seemed certain to make a major move this off-season after scoring 12 before the winter break, it’s a little awkward seeing David back in a Lille shirt, especially considering his agent had ‘confirmed’ 21/22 would be “his last season” in northern France. Still, there’s room to be optimistic. After all, in two seasons at Roma new Lille manager Paulo Fonseca mined 21 goals from Edin Džeko, and David definitely has the quality to hit double figures once more. After all, not even Kylian Mbappé beat David for goals in 2021 and the fact those goals came from his head and both feet shows how lethal he is. The former Gent striker also registered the fifth most pressures per 90 minutes for Les Dogues last season, according to FBRef. Fonseca will be counting on David to pull his team up the table this year.

Signing To Watch: Mohamed Bayo – The €14.5m Lille paid for Mohamed Bayo in July was Clermont’s record sale and the sixth-highest Lille have paid in their history. It’s entirely justified, though, as, unlike David, the 24-year-old Guinean international Bayo was a regular scorer throughout last season, with his longest dry spell between any of his 14 league goals being six matches in March and April. Even then, the 6’2 striker was limited by his weak side’s poor form in that period, something Bayo will have to deal with less at Lille. He’s a clear upgrade on the ageing Burak Yılmaz and is able to offer physicality and pace alongside Jonathan David, assuming Fonseca adopts a two-striker system. There’s no excuse for a lack of goals at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Squad Analysis – Les Dogues had a poor season last year, falling from champions to 10th, that’s despite many expecting a bigger exodus last summer than just midfielder Boubakary Soumaré and goalkeeper Mike Maignan. This summer’s transfer window has been more taxing, as president Oliver Létang let go of key starters Sven Botman, Yılmaz, Zeki Celik and Renato Sanches plus left-back Domagoj Bradaric. That’s almost their entire defence while a first-choice goalkeeper is yet to arrive to replace departing loanee Ivo Grbić with talented Valenciennes loanee ‘keeper Lucas Chevalier’s position uncertain upon his return. Arriving alongside Bayo is prospect Alexsandro from Chaves, Jonas Martin from Rennes and Rémy Cabella from Montpellier. Although Lille’s crop of young talent in defender Tiago Djaló and forwards Timothy Weah and Angel Gomes have all grown a year older while Yusuf Yazıcı seems ready to reintegrate into the side after a loan spell at CSKA Moscow, this squad is undeniably weaker than 12 months ago, and presents a daunting task for Fonseca.

Strengths – The biggest strength Lille have going into the new season is incoming coach Fonseca’s experience and need to prove himself. Despite reaching a Europa League semi-final at Roma, the Mozambican left Italy with his reputation damaged, but his penchant for being tactically flexible could be exactly what his new side need to be competitive this season. He’ll also be happy to count on the leadership and influence of José Fonte, after the 38-year-old centre-back extended his contract for another year.

Weaknesses – Amongst Lille’s reconstruction lies a glaring hole, the position of goalkeeper. While Maignan saved eight goals more than FBRef’s post-shot expected-goals model suggested he should have conceded last season, Lille’s men in between the sticks Grbić and Léo Jardim saved 2.8 fewer goals than expected. With the Croatian returning to Spain, Lille’s most senior keeper remains Jardim. With just two seasons of first-team football in Portugal to his name, further pressure could be placed on Fonte and his defence this season. Having impressed on loan with Valenciennes in Ligue 2 last year, 20-year-old Chevalier may be Fonseca’s best option.

Verdict – It’s difficult to understate the damage caused by the financial fallout of Gérard Lopez’s ownership of the club that ended in late 2020. The title-winning eleven of 20/21 is almost completely gone, but at least, in Fonseca, LOSC have a coach who’s able to replicate the successes of other recent foreign managers who recently moved to top French sides like Jorge Sampaoli and Phillippe Clement. Fonseca can count on two of the best strikers in the league and a midfield which contains the ever-consistent Benjamin André and hotshot Premier League target Andre Onana, which should be enough to propel this side up the table without the distraction of European football.

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New Williams team principal James Vowles has admitted that he was wrong to doubt the potential of the team’s rookie signing Logan Sargeant.

The 22-year-old from Florida was the selection of Vowles’ predecessor Jost Capito, who departed from the team over the winter leaving Vowles’ hands tied when it came to driver selection for 2023.

Sargeant was the last full-time driver confirmed for the 2023 season, as he wasn’t assured of the necessary superlicence points to make him eligible to compete in F1 until he finished fourth in last year’s Formula 2 championship.

• Read also: Williams technical structure is ‘number one priority’, says Vowles

There was much talk about how eager Formula 1 was as a whole to recruit an American-born driver to cement the sport’s success in the US, perhaps to the point of rushing him into F1 too soon.

But Vowles said his own initial scepticism about the young driver’s talent had proved ill-founded, and that he had been quickly won over by the way Sargeant performed in pre-season testing and in the season opener in Bahrain.

“From the first laps of testing, immediately you could see that the pace was there,” Vowles acknowledged. “I was a little bit reticent in wondering whether it would take him a little bit of time to get used to it.

“His first Grand Prix, the pressure on your shoulders is enormous and he took it in his stride. He was three-wide through turn 1,” Vowles continued. “Normally in your rookie race, that ends up in disaster.

“He just dealt with it, with enormous amounts of maturity. And from then onwards, and I’m sure as you’ll see throughout the year, he’ll step forward.”

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Sargeant ended up being top of the rookies in Bahrain, finishing that first race in P12 with AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries in 14th and Oscar Piastri failing to finish after suffering an electrical issue on lap 14.

Vowles’ experience at Mercedes means that he’s encountered all three rookies at Brackley.

“[Logan] came to Mercedes as a sim evaluation [driver],” he recalled. “I was interested in looking at him because he had performance, especially when you go back to his Formula 3 performance in an average team.

“He was there with Oscar, and I rate Oscar also highly. At the time in Mercedes we had a good suite of drivers. So that was where my relationship with him ended.”

Piastri won the 2020 Formula 3 title, with Sargeant just four points behind at the en dof the season. he nearly moved to single-seater racing in the US but eventually graduated to F2 and became a Williams test driver.

“Williams funded his Formula 2 career,” Vowles explained. ” Williams funded him because they had deep belief that he was the real deal.

“My reticence came from the fact that prior to [F2] that it’s difficult to really judge him,” he said. “Now he’s been in the car, I now have the ability to look at his data.

“He is here on merit and as a result of Williams investing correctly in him,” he concluded emphatically. “So it just shows you that my previous life I was wrong and Williams were right!”

Although Sargeant had a strong first outing, his performance in Saudi Arabia was more befitting a rookie, with mistakes in qualifying and finishing down in 16th place in the race behind both de Vries and Piastri.

“I just struggled to get comfortable from the get-go,” he said afterwards. “I just felt a bit disconnected to the car; I really struggled through the high-speed [corners].

“The first 30 laps were relatively decent, and then those last 20 laps, I just struggled to keep the tyre alive and it was just falling off towards the end.

“Nevertheless there were positives to take from the weekend,” he insisted. “It’s another great learning day to see why I started to drop at the end there. You’ve got to take the good with the bad.

“I definitely feel more confident ahead of the next race. I showed this weekend that on a difficult track I can be really quick, so I can take that going into Melbourne and hopefully replicate and keep improving.”

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Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie has unveiled a 44-man squad for a training camp on the Gold Coast next week as part of the preparations for this year’s Rugby World Cup in France.

The squad is divided into 25 forwards and 19 backs and there are several players who are currently recovering from injuries who have been named in the group, including the likes of Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi while veteran utility back Kurtley Beale has also been called up.

Shock inclusion

The camp is part of Rennie‘s preparations for this year’s Rugby World Cup in France, which kicks off in September, and a big surprise in the squad is the inclusion of Waratahs back-row Charlie Gamble.

The 26-year-old was born in New Zealand but will be eligible to represent the Wallabies from April. Gamble shot to fame after shining at club rugby level for Petersham in Sydney and made his Super Rugby debut in 2021.

Gamble and Brumbies scrum-half Ryan Lonergan are the only two uncapped players in Rennie’s squad. Lonergan is no stranger to the Wallabies set-up, however, as he has been included in previous training squads and he also captained the Australia ‘A’ side in 2022.

Meanwhile, experienced players like Bernard Foley, Tom Banks and Will Skelton have not been included as they have commitments with their respective clubs in Japan and France.

Most of the players who participated in Australia’s recent end-of-year tour to Europe have been named in this squad although the inclusion of both Cooper and Kerevi is encouraging as they are still in recovery from their injuries and hoping to be in action for their clubs towards the end of the Japan Rugby League One season.

Amongst the other players in the squad, Taniela Tupou, Matt Philip, Rob Leota, Izaia Perese and Angus Bell are also currently injured and continuing their rehabilitation, while Western Force second-row Izack Rodda has also been selected after missing the entire 2022 Test season due to a foot injury.

“What’s exciting for us is that over the past three years we’ve created genuine depth and competition of places,” Rennie said in a statement.

“Of the 44 players all bar two have worn the gold jersey over the past three years and there’s also several fringe players who still have an opportunity to force their way into the next camp through strong Super Rugby form.

“We’ll use the four days to make sure all players head back to their franchises with a clear understanding on what will give them the best chance of representing their country in a World Cup year.”

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Wallabies training squad:

Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Matt Gibbon, Tom Robertson, James Slipper, Sam Talakai, Taniela Tupou, Folau Fainga’a, Lachlan Lonergan, David Porecki, Nick Frost, Cadeyrn Neville, Matt Philip, Izack Rodda, Darcy Swain, Charlie Gamble, Langi Gleeson, Ned Hanigan, Jed Holloway, Michael Hooper, Rob Leota, Fraser McReight, Pete Samu, Rob Valetini, Harry Wilson

Backs: Jake Gordon, Ryan Lonergan, Tate McDermott, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Ben Donaldson, Noah Lolesio, Lalakai Foketi, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Izaia Perese, Samu Kerevi, Kurtley Beale, Jock Campbell, Reece Hodge, Andrew Kellaway, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Jordan Petaia, Tom Wright

According to Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna Napoli are ready to pay up to 50% of Keylor Navas’ current PSG salary in a potential move to the Serie A side. Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti reportedly wants the transfer of the Costa Rican to be completed swiftly before the first day of Serie A next weekend. 

After being confirmed as second choice to Gianluigi Donnarumma between the sticks at PSG, a move has been materialising with the Italian side, which has been discussed separately to the talks between Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain for midfielder Fabián Ruiz – as both parties look for an agreement over a deal after the Spaniard has agreed personal terms with the Parisian side.

Navas made 21 appearances last season, keeping 9 clean sheets as he shared goalkeeping duties with star-signing Gianluigi Donnarumma (23) last season. Navas is looking for a more secure starting spot elsewhere, whilst his competitor Donnarumma  felt that he “could have done more” last season for PSG. With both goalkeepers only playing around half the season each, neither was happy to play second fiddle – and the Italian has been chosen as number 1 for PSG by Christophe Galtier.

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According to L’Équipe Clermont are vying for former player and current Lyon centre-back Damien Da Silva (34). Ligue 2 Metz also approached the player several weeks ago with AEK Athens having also expressed an interest in the defender. Lyon are yet to respond to Clermont’s advances. 

The 34-year old joined Lyon from Rennes last summer and made a total of 20 appearances for the club last season. The Frenchman has had a career which has spanned nearly 15 years since his debut with Chamois in 2006, and has since turned out for FC Rouen, Châteauroux, Clermont, Caen, as well as Rennes. His one piece of silverware came in 2018/19 winning the Coupe de France with Stade Rennais, then moving to Peter Bosz’s Lyon side several years later. 

Clermont will be looking for more defensive resilience and experience, especially following their opener against PSG which saw them concede five goals, albeit against one of the most talented squads in Europe who performed extremely well on the day. 

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According to Foot Mercato Serie A’s Napoli and La Liga’s Villarreal have taken the lead in their interest for Tottenham midfielder Tanguy Ndombélé (25) with both clubs having stepped up talks with the North London side, wanting to take the French midfielder on a loan-to-buy deal. 

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Marseille briefly considered a move for Ndombélé earlier in the window – however the complexities of the deal have swayed the club to look at other options, quickly moving on from the Premier League midfielder who was on loan at Lyon last season. 

Earlier in the window – according to sources contacted by Get French Football News – Lyon declined to enter discussions with Tottenham for the midfielder because the Premier League side were looking for an expensive permanent deal for the Frenchman. 

Tottenham were reportedly offering around the player to a series of clubs to take the former Amiens and OL man on a permanent deal, with the Premier League side hopeful about Villareal as a possible destination – as the player is hoping for Champions League football.

Last year Ndombélé was sent out on loan in the second half of the season where he made 11 appearances for Les Gones in Ligue 1, making two assists. This is after he struggled to feature in Antonio Conte’s plans in the Premier League, where the player only made nine appearances and scored one goal. It was reported in May by TF1 that Lyon chose not to trigger the loan-to-buy option for the midfielder – which was valued at €60m.