March Sports Recap

positive impressions to form, according to Michael Skey of the London School of Economics.

The truth behind the bid for Manchester United may eventually be unveiled by new legislation, for which a discussion paper, also known as “white paper,” has been floated by the British government in the last few weeks and described as the most radical overhaul of governance since 1863. Although it is not common practice for the government to regulate football, this is a new set of regulations being discussed in light of the potential for sports washing. The white paper envisages a new regulator that will focus on stronger due diligence and the sources of wealth of club owners. However, given the opacity with which linkages between state and individuals exist in the Middle East, it is more likely that we may never know. But one thing is clear, foreign ownership of football clubs and sports sponsorship have become another frontier of political influence through sports washing.

Athletics

Swedish pole vaulter Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis set a new world record at the All-Star Perche event in France. The Swede, only 23-years-old, broke the pole vault world record for the sixth time in his career. The record now stands at 6.22m.

By Hugo Lagergren, Staff Writer

Football

Sciences Po Menton’s Lions des Alpes cruised to a 16-1 victory over l’ESRA Côte D’Azur during their first home game of the season with impressive showings from all players. The dominant display has filled the team and its fans with a sense of hope for the upcoming MINICRIT: the inter-campus tournament, at which Menton has historically struggled in sports.

A feud between the BBC and Gary Lineker, ex-England striker and now the presenter of the BBC’s flagship sports program, Match of the Day, concerning the pundit’s use of social media, resulted in him being suspended from the program for three days. The suspension was in response to a comment Lineker made on Twitter in response to the government’s new Illegal Migration Bill, in which he compares the language used by the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, to that used by the Nazis in the 1930s.

The move has caused national outrage, with much of the country turning on the BBC. Being a state-funded broadcaster, the BBC and its journalists are subject to a strict policy of impartiality when it comes to British politics. Many have cited the inconsistencies of this policy, notably referencing the behavior of the BBC’s chairman, Richard Sharp, or the incendiary comments made by Lord Sugar, as proof that the BBC is pandering to the government.

After being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich after a humbling 2-0 defeat, PSG announced that one of their star players, Neymar Jr., would need surgery for an injury he sustained during a Ligue 1 game against Lille. The Brazilian will be out for the rest of the season.

The French Ligue 2 side, Annecy shocked French football fans by beating Marseille on penalties, putting them through to the semi-finals of the Coupe de France. Despite a late equalizer from Marseille to send the game into extra-time, Annecy maintained their cool and forced the game into a thrilling penalty shootout, which ended 7-6 after Leonardi Balerdi missed his penalty.

In the Premier League, Liverpool beat their arch-rivals Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield, strongly boosting their waning chances of a top four finish.

Rugby

After stumbling against

Ireland, the French were back to their winning ways as they put an end to Scotland’s hopeful quest for Six Nations glory and demolished a struggling English side. Ireland, however, remains top of the table and hopes to complete the Grand Slam for the first time since 2018. A point in their final match against England will secure this.

Formula 1

The reigning back-to-back World Champion Max Verstappen won the first race of the 2023 F1 season in Bahrain, beating his teammate, Checo Perez, by nearly 12 seconds. The win is Verstappen’s first career victory in Bahrain. On his debut with Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso, age 41, managed to secure his 99th podium finish. Ferrari will be disappointed with themselves as their car struggled to match the pace of the Red Bull and suffered from a number of mechanical issues.

Athletics

Swedish pole vaulter Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis set a new world record at the All-Star Perche event in France. The Swede, only 23-years-old, broke the pole vault world record for the sixth time in his career. The record now stands at 6.22m.