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Max Verstappen’s unprecedented winning streak in Formula One could be under threat after the Red Bull driver finished only eighth in practice for the Singapore Grand Prix. Verstappen romped to victory in Italy a fortnight ago to become the first driver in the sport’s 73-year history to win 10 consecutive races as he closes in on a hat-trick of world championships. But under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Verstappen ended the day more than seven tenths behind Ferrari pace-setter Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard who took pole position in Monza. Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari as the Italian team completed a practice one-two, with George Russell third for Mercedes, 0.235 sec adrift. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was fourth, with Lewis Hamilton fifth in his Mercedes, one place ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. Red Bull are unbeaten this season, but they did not have a car inside the top six on Friday, with Sergio Perez, who triumphed here last year, seventh. Verstappen, who has won 12 of the 14 rounds so far, has not lost a race since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30. But the Dutch driver has never triumphed in Singapore and he suggested ahead of Friday’s running that the high-downforce, low-speed nature of the city-state track could play into the hands of Red Bull’s rivals. While times in practice must be treated with caution as teams trial varying fuel loads and tyre strategies, it is Ferrari who hold the upper hand heading into qualifying on Saturday at a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Indeed, eight of the 13 races here have been won from pole. Although the removal of turns 16 to 19 in favour of one long straight could improve the action for Sunday’s 62-lap race. “Ferrari are fast and we are just way worse than we expected,” said Verstappen. “We were struggling with the balance, and we never got the car together so there are a few things for us to figure out. We will try to improve but it is a big gap.” While the second running passed off without major drama, the opening session was disrupted on three occasions when a lizard invaded the three-mile circuit. Verstappen was the first to report the reptile at turn nine midway through the running. “There is a lizard on track again,” said the Red Bull driver, who had a similar encounter here back in 2016. “It is a smaller one this time.” Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase replied: “Maybe Godzilla has had a kid.” There was a second interruption, and then a third, as yellow flags were deployed. “Another lizard, but a different one this time,” said Russell. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On this day in 2021: George Russell joins Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gets goosebumps after landing pole for Italian Grand Prix Carlos Sainz’s pace in practice gives Ferrari fans hope for Italian Grand Prix

Helmut Marko has received a written warning from the FIA and was “reminded of his responsibilities as a public figure in motorsport” after his ”offensive remark” about Sergio Perez. The 80-year-old, who works as a special advisor for Red Bull, apologised after comments made after the Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago. Marko referred to Perez’s background when discussing his poor form, saying: “Let’s remember that he (Perez) is South American and so he is not as focused as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel was.” While Marko apologised for the “offensive remark”, with Perez accepting the apology, Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff were among the figures to condemn Marko’s actions when speaking this weekend in Singapore. Now, the FIA have confirmed that Marko has "received a written warning and been reminded of his responsibilities as a public figure in motorsport in line with the FIA Code of Ethics." Hamilton, 38, labelled Marko’s comments as “completely unacceptable” on Thursday. “This is not something you just apologise for and it is all OK,” the seven-time world champion said. “Whilst we say there is no room for any type of discrimination in this sport – and there should be no room for it – to have leaders and people in his position making comments like this is not good for us moving forward. “There are a lot of people in the background that really are combating these kind of things, but it is hard to manoeuvre if people at the top have mindsets which stop us from progressing. “But it is not my team and not how we move as a team. We still have a lot of work to do to make this a more inclusive environment.” Mercedes boss Wolff added: “That thing is so embarrassing for Formula 1., overall. “It’s not even saying it, it’s to have the mindset. To come up with these things. We are trying to do so much on diversity and equality, not only because we need to it’s because it needs it. “This is a role model environment, we are a global sport, we are going to every country, we are embracing the cultural differences. That hasn’t got any place in Formula 1. Not now and not in the future.” Read More Red Bull chief apologises to Sergio Perez over ‘offensive remark’ Sergio Pérez says he received personal apology from Red Bull boss over heritage comments Lewis Hamilton labels Helmut Marko’s comments about Sergio Perez ‘completely unacceptable’ F1 Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Practice updates and lap times at Marina Bay Zhou Guanyu interview: ‘There is a lot of pressure – only winners stay in F1’ Max Verstappen tells Toto Wolff to focus on Mercedes after snipe

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Twenty-one of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad have issued a statement saying the resignation of Luis Rubiales is “not enough” to trigger their return to national team duty. A group of 81 players, including all 23 members of the World Cup squad, released a statement last month indicating they would not play for Spain again while Rubiales remained in post. He finally announced his resignation as the Spanish federation (RFEF) president last Sunday after weeks of criticism over his behaviour at the World Cup final, where he kissed Spain player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the medal presentation. Hermoso insists she did not consent to the kiss. However, the large majority of the victorious squad remain unavailable for this month’s Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland, saying they are not yet “in a safe place” to return and that the problems at the RFEF run far deeper than Rubiales. The statement, which includes the signatures of star names such as Hermoso, Alexia Putellas, Olga Carmona and former Manchester United player Ona Batlle, said: “Today, as we have transmitted to the RFEF, the changes that have occurred are not enough for the players to feel in a safe place, where women are respected, where there is a commitment to women’s football and where we can give our maximum performance. “The players of the Spanish team are professional players, and what fills us most with pride is wearing the shirt of our team and always leading our country to the highest positions. “For this reason, we believe that it is time to fight to show that these situations and practices have no place in our football or in our society and that the current structure needs changes. We do it so that the next generations can have a much more equal game that we all deserve.” The statement calls for a restructuring of the women’s football department, the RFEF’s presidential cabinet and general secretariat, the communications department and the integrity department. The statement is also signed by a number of players who withdrew from the Spain squad last year over conditions within the national team set-up, including Mapi Leon and Patricia Guijarro. In all, 39 players were signatories to the statement. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Twenty-one of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad have issued a statement saying the resignation of Luis Rubiales is “not enough” to trigger their return to national team duty. A group of 81 players, including all 23 members of the World Cup squad, released a statement last month indicating they would not play for Spain again while Rubiales remained in post. He finally announced his resignation as the Spanish federation (RFEF) president last Sunday after weeks of criticism over his behaviour at the World Cup final, where he kissed Spain player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the medal presentation. Hermoso insists she did not consent to the kiss. However, the large majority of the victorious squad remain unavailable for this month’s Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland, saying they are not yet “in a safe place” to return and that the problems at the RFEF run far deeper than Rubiales. The statement, which includes the signatures of star names such as Hermoso, Alexia Putellas, Olga Carmona and former Manchester United player Ona Batlle, said: “Today, as we have transmitted to the RFEF, the changes that have occurred are not enough for the players to feel in a safe place, where women are respected, where there is a commitment to women’s football and where we can give our maximum performance. “The players of the Spanish team are professional players, and what fills us most with pride is wearing the shirt of our team and always leading our country to the highest positions. “For this reason, we believe that it is time to fight to show that these situations and practices have no place in our football or in our society and that the current structure needs changes. We do it so that the next generations can have a much more equal game that we all deserve.” The statement calls for a restructuring of the women’s football department, the RFEF’s presidential cabinet and general secretariat, the communications department and the integrity department. The statement is also signed by a number of players who withdrew from the Spain squad last year over conditions within the national team set-up, including Mapi Leon and Patricia Guijarro. In all, 39 players were signatories to the statement. PA Read More Spanish women’s football league calls off strike after wage agreement Rubiales could face criminal charges after sexual assault filing Sacked Jorge Vilda defends clapping Luis Rubiales’ ‘I will not resign’ speech

Mikel Arteta admitted he has an emotional connection with Everton and expects his former side to put up a battle when Arsenal travel to Goodison Park in the Premier League on Sunday. Arsenal reignite their Premier League bid with a trip to Merseyside where they face Sean Dyche’s Everton, who are unbeaten at home against the Gunners since 2017. Arteta praised his former side’s attributes and highlighted the special connection between himself and the Toffees. “I’m really excited about it, the last six years we have not won there so we are going to have to earn it,” Arteta said. “We know we are going to have to be at our best to beat them there and that’s something we haven’t managed to do so that’s where we are going to start. “It is a big emotional connection I have to that football club with many years I spent there, the incredible memories that I have so I’m always grateful. It’s a big part of my playing career and as a coach I have to play against them and we have to beat them. “We’ve been here and we’ve been to grounds before where we haven’t won before and we’ve done it so it’s about understanding the importance and knowing what we lacked in those games and putting it right. “Sometimes you cannot avoid a battle (with Everton), the style of play they have is very clear and they’re very good at that. “We have a different one and it’s about trying to impose your way of playing and the tactic is just to make sure your opponent’s strengths are hiding and that ours are coming out every single time to fulfill the potential of your players, and that’s what I think both managers and players will try to do.” Arsenal’s Champions League opener against PSV next week is their first time back in the competition since the 2016-17 season. The Spaniard embraced the challenge of a difficult schedule alongside another battle with Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League this season. “We played three games a week last year, but the Champions League is obviously different with the expectations and that we’ve been away from it for seven years,” he added. “It’s excitement, this is where we want to be and when you look at the fixtures and the games we are going to have to play, I think everyone is really looking forward to it.” Arsenal terminated Nicolas Pepe’s contract on Saturday after the Ivorian failed to hold down a starting role at the Emirates since his reported £72 million move – then a club-record fee – in 2019. Arteta said: “What I can say is that he’s a phenomenal boy, he trained really hard, it’s not his fault that the amount of money we paid at the time. “When things aren’t working out you have to move on and there’s no point when things aren’t working either way. “The decisions has been made and I think it’s in the benefit of both parties.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham will give support to troubled Richarlison Ireland braced for ‘big step up’ ahead of facing Tonga’s ‘serious threats’ Erik ten Hag says he inherited Manchester United with ‘no good culture’

Real Madrid face Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday. Preview includes team news, predicted lineups, how to watch on TV and live stream and more.

Spanish prosecutors have issued a restraining order against ex-football boss Luis Rubiales, barring him from going within 500 metres of player Jenni Hermoso. She has made complaints of sexual assault and coercion over a kiss following the team’s Women’s World Cup final victory. The former president of the country’s football federation was ordered to appear before Spain’s National Court to answer questions after prosecutors asked the judge to summon him to give preliminary testimony. The proceedings could lead to a formal court investigation that will end with a recommendation for the case to either be dismissed or go to trial. In a preliminary hearing on Friday he denied the claims, the prosecutor leading the case said. Rubiales, 46, has insisted the kiss was consensual. Hermoso has denied that in statements issued by her and her players’ union. According to a sexual consent law passed last year, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault. He was suspended from his post by Fifa on 27 August, a day after he refused to step down when he delivered a defiant speech to the general assembly of his federation in which he said he was victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists”. A government legal panel overseeing sports has opened a probe to determine if he abused his authority by kissing Hermoso or tainted the image of Spain with his conduct. On Friday the football federation said the cup-winning players were still refusing to play for the women’s national team – just hours before new coach Montse Tomé was set to announce her first squad. When Rubiales refused to quit amid uproar over the kiss, the squad announced that they would not be playing for Spain again unless deep reforms including new leadership, were carried out at the federation. Tomé must now decide whether to still call up the striking players or select a completely different team for Nations League games against Sweden and Switzerland beginning a week today. Additional reporting by Reuters Read More Watch Luis Rubiales arrive at Spanish court over Jenni Hermoso kiss at Women’s World Cup Spanish women’s football league calls off strike after wage agreement

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says he inherited a club with “no good culture” after Jadon Sancho was told to train away from the first team. Sancho is being disciplined after claiming on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” following his omission from the Arsenal defeat before the international break. Ten Hag declined several opportunities to discuss the winger when he was asked ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Brighton at Old Trafford. Sancho’s misstep is the latest in a long line of off-field disciplinary issues that the Dutchman has had to deal with since his appointment last summer and he said part of his brief was to instil better discipline at the club. Ten Hag said: “Strict lines is what the club asked me because there was no good culture before I entered last season, so to set good standards, that is what I did and it is my job to control the standards. “Of course, it is never someone only makes one mistake, it is a whole process before you come to a certain outcome about strict lines. “If staff or players or whoever, there is a structure to cross lines so you have to be strong.” Despite Sancho’s long-term future at the club appearing to be up in the air and Antony currently away from the club while he deals with allegations of being violent towards women, Ten Hag claims the United squad is in good fettle. “I think everything is said. So the squad is strong, the squad is in good spirits and good mood going into the game,” he said. “You have sometimes setbacks in seasons, players are injured or for other reasons are not available, so you construct a squad and the squad is very good and the players who are available are very motivated to give a good performance.” Asked whether he knew how long Antony would be away, he replied: “I have no idea. Of course he is disappointed, but he is OK.” Ten Hag has also leapt to the defence of defender Harry Maguire, who was on the end of abuse from Scotland fans during England’s midweek friendly win. Maguire, who could have left United in the summer, described it as “banter” but his mother came out in support of him on social media. And Ten Hag added: “I have said many times, it is disrespectful, he doesn’t deserve it, he is a great player, gives great performances. It’s crazy but it’s how it works and Harry has to block this by performances. “It’s unjustified when you see his career, it’s a great career and it has a lot to come but he has to block it by good performances.” Ten Hag revealed Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof are fit to face the Seagulls, but Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Raphael Varane are still injured. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Scorer who racially abused umpire Majid Haq handed lifetime ban Wales taking heed of France-Uruguay battle as they prepare for minnows Portugal England will gain full value with Nat Sciver-Brunt as an all-rounder – Jon Lewis

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Today's Premier League gossip includes Jesse Lingard in contention to sign for West Ham, Reece James linked with Real Madrid and Joao Palhinha could be on his way to Bayern Munich.