How Augusta National outwitted ticket resellers and kept door closed on Trump | Andy Bull

One of the great lessons of the Masters is money only goes so far, with strict rules designed to keep out ticket touts

Jeffrey Epstein’s web of influence stretched from European palaces to Ivy League universities and Wall Street banks, but there was apparently at least one little corner of the establishment that seems to have been beyond his reach: Augusta National. In July 2019, Epstein sent an iMessage to Steve Bannon asking for his help with a particularly difficult problem. “Need to work magic to get brad Karp admitted to augusta golf club,” Epstein wrote. “The head of Paul Weiss Brad Karp?” Bannon replied. “Yes.”

Karp, the former chair of the legal firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, stepped down from his position in February because of his ties with Epstein.

Published: April 8, 2026, 8:00 pm

Kvaratskhelia caps victory for dominant PSG as cautious Liverpool cling to hope

The rout anticipated at Parc des Princes did not materialise, at least not in terms of the scoreline, but the gulf in quality between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool was laid bare all the same. Arne Slot’s side leave Paris with a scintilla of hope, having arrived with none, and will need to conjure a stunning Anfield recovery on Tuesday just to lay a glove on European champions worthy of the name.

A deflected strike from Désiré Doué plus a superb second from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave the holders a deserved advantage in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. It should have been much more. Ousmane Dembélé missed a hat-trick of openings, striking the outside of a post with his final effort, Nuno Mendes and Doué squandered gilt-edged chances and Liverpool survived two penalty claims. A fine display from the visiting goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili also helped keep the margin of defeat respectful.

Published: April 8, 2026, 9:07 pm

Nike’s high-tech 2026 World Cup jerseys have a shoulder problem

The sportswear giant says it’s aware of the strange seam on some of the new shirts, and is looking into how to address it

When Nike rolled out its collection of World Cup kits in late March, fans and pundits alike largely approved. The US men’s national team got arguably their most distinctive pair of shirts in decades, while other federations – France, England, Canada and Uruguay among them – earned strong reviews.

Over the last international break, when players took the field in the kits for the first time, many fans couldn’t help but become fixated on one singular detail of the new shirts: a somewhat unsightly bulge along the shoulder seam.

Published: April 8, 2026, 11:00 am

Barcelona on the brink after red card and Alvarez stunner sparks Atlético win

When the final whistle went, the man in black disappeared out of sight and set off running up the tunnel. For the first time since he took over at Atlético Madrid 15 long, transformative years ago, Diego Simeone had just led his team to a victory at the Camp Nou, reviving the dream of taking them back to a European Cup final a decade later.

In 2014 and 2016 Atlético knocked out Barcelona en route to Lisbon and Milan and while there is much to be done at the Metropolitano in six days’ time, they have put themselves in a superb position to repeat that in 2026, maybe even to finally lift the trophy that resists them.

Published: April 8, 2026, 9:30 pm

Medvedev smashes racket then bins it during 6-0, 6-0 loss in Monte Carlo

• World No 10 suffers heavy loss to Matteo Berrettini

• Russian committed 27 unforced errors

Daniil Medvedev smashed his racket several times and placed the remnants in a courtside dustbin during his humbling 6-0, 6-0 loss to the Italian wildcard Matteo Berrettini at the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday.

It was the world No 10’s first tour-level defeat without winning a game and he capitulated in 49 minutes, failing to earn a game point on his own serve and committing 27 unforced errors. Berrettini will face João Fonseca in the last 16 after the Brazilian teenager beat Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Published: April 8, 2026, 10:53 pm

‘Every accident at high speed is a shock’: F1 rules guru on response to Bearman crash

As talks begin over fixing the controversial regulations, the FIA’s Nikolas Tombazis says changes to ‘specific aspects’ are needed, not a total overhaul

Formula One has endured a somewhat turbulent opening this season under the sport’s new regulations. Amid the sound and fury of some driver dissatisfaction with the new formula and safety concerns brought sharply into focus by a huge accident at the Japanese Grand Prix, three races in there is now an opportunity to propose changes, with the man who has been at the heart of the process since it began quietly confident that F1 can adapt successfully.

Nikolas Tombazis is the single-seater director for F1’s governing body, the FIA, and has been with the organisation since 2018. He was there when the very first discussions of the 2026 regulations took place in January 2021 and has been central to their evolution since. In his calm and articulate fashion, Tombazis says the noise around the new regulations is overstated.

Published: April 8, 2026, 5:08 pm

Unai Emery warns Aston Villa to respect Bologna before Europa League battle

• Italian side defeated Roma in Europa League last 16

• Emery has won competition four times as a manager

Unai Emery has warned his Aston Villa side to respect Bologna, and the Europa League itself, if they are to continue their progress in the competition with victory over their Italian opponents.

Describing the Serie A side as “a winner team”, Emery said Villa could not be considered favourites for this quarter-final as he sought to ensure his players’ heads are in the game following the extended international break that means Villa haven’t played a competitive match since 22 March.

Published: April 8, 2026, 7:52 pm

Calafiori channels pain of Italy World Cup misery to fuel Arsenal trophy push

• Win over Sporting comes after back-to-back cup defeats

• ‘It’s been tough but that’s the beauty of football’

After everything Riccardo Calafiori has been through over the past couple of weeks, Tuesday night was exactly what he needed. The Italy defender was still buzzing from Kai Havertz’s late winning goal against Sporting in the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final when he reflected on a fortnight during which his club suffered successive defeats either side of the Azzurri again failing to qualify for the World Cup.

“It’s been tough, but that is the beauty of football: it is 100% better now,” Calafiori said, before reflecting first on Saturday’s shock FA Cup loss at Southampton, then on the wider pain of the period. “This chance to play three days later rather than just stay home and think about it [was welcome]. Of course I’m really disappointed, but I’ve got a lot to play for with Arsenal.”

Published: April 8, 2026, 4:00 pm

Leicester lose appeal over six-point deduction in blow to survival hopes

• Sanction for financial breach has led to a relegation fight

• Leicester now ‘fully focused’ on final five games of season

Leicester have announced defeat in their appeal against a six-point deduction for breaching English Football League financial rules. An independent commission imposed the sanction on Leicester in February, which dropped the club from 17th to 20th in the Championship.

They appealed against the decision and have subsequently fallen to 22nd, a point adrift of safety with five fixtures remaining. It is very possible the club, currently managed by Gary Rowett, could be relegated to League One a decade after winning the Premier League.

Published: April 8, 2026, 3:58 pm

Football Daily | Madrid and Bayern burn rubber in fast and furious show at Bernabéu

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While Arsenal were busy Arsenaling their way to a worthy but dull Bigger Cup quarter-final first leg win at Sporting on Tuesday, the players of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich released the collective handbrake and performed many high-speed donuts, wheel spins and Rockfords as a pleasing counterpoint to the careful mirror-signal-manoeuvring on display at Lisbon’s Estádio José Alvalade. Like a couple of stolen supercars racing each other around a shopping mall in The Fast and the Furious: Bicester Village, these two European heavyweights massively committed to the bit, not unlike a daily football email bogged down in a laboured motoring metaphor. “When I see the chances we had, that has to give us confidence that we can score more goals,” whooped Vincent Kompany following a hi-octane Bernabéu white-knuckle ride from which his team emerged deserving winners, even if it was their 40-year-old goalkeeper who took home the gong for player of the match.

A doff of the Romanian cap to the great Mircea Lucescu. As a player, he captained his national team against World Cup holders England and eventual World Cup winners Brazil at the tournament in 1970, after which Pelé wanted to exchange shirts with him. And, as a manager, apart from all his domestic success, he was the first manager to get Romania to qualify for the Euros in 1984 and nearly led a poor Romania team to the World Cup in 2026, a couple of weeks ago, while very sick. What a football man, what a tremendous football man …” – Noble Francis.

Interesting to see the report about Nike’s new Geopolitics World Cup kits bunching up ridiculously at the shoulder seams. You never got problems like that back in my day, principally because, on the massively oversized kits of the 90s, the shoulder seam was positioned halfway down the arm. The tendency of these kits to make even professional athletes look like Sunday pub league players is exemplified by the photo of Blackburn’s relegated 1999 team in today’s edition of The Knowledge – an effect amplified by the fact one of them seems to have been playing in tracksuit bottoms, and another in sliders” – Phil Taverner.

After being emotionally blackmailed into running the LLHM by my friend and broadcasting colleague Max Rushden, I began training in late October. Having done little or no exercise beyond nimbly climbing on and off bar stools for almost 30 years, I was heroically unfit and literally couldn’t jog 100 metres without stopping to catch my breath. Reader – I had bitten off more than I could chew. At the start line I will be 53 years old and I remain overweight despite all my training. I still drink too much and have resigned myself to the fact that I won’t win the race, but I plan to enjoy a unique day. If you’d like to add to the already huge sum raised, every little helps. It would be absolutely magic to hit the £60,000 mark before race day. With that in mind, please give anything you can, safe in the knowledge that I’ll be enduring a world of pain to try to alleviate that of that experienced by so many wonderful and brave kids.” Donate here.

Published: April 8, 2026, 2:52 pm

‘Absolute disgrace’: FA’s plan to restructure Women’s National League criticised

• WSL academy teams would play in third tier

• Previous FA expansion plan was withdrawn last year

Plans to include four Women’s Super League academy sides in the third tier of the English women’s football pyramid from 2027 have been criticised as an idea based around “repackaged B teams” and received a mixed reaction from club staff and supporters.

The changes to the Women’s National League, put forward by the Football Association, would also introduce a mid-season split similar to that used in Scotland, as well as a potential investment package of about £1m and enhancements to legal and medical support in the loan system. They have not yet been formally ratified, but consultations are continuing.

Published: April 8, 2026, 12:07 pm

Which team has gone furthest in Europe while being relegated in the same season? | The Knowledge

Plus: teams who went out of Europe without losing a game, and rare competitive meetings

• Mail us with your questions and answers

“What’s the furthest a team has gone in Europe while being relegated in the same season?” wonders Matt Reilly.

This question was probably asked in reference to Tottenham, who were still in the Champions League at the time, but it’s still relevant to some of this year’s quarter-finalists. Nottingham Forest are three points above the relegation places in the Premier League; Fiorentina only have a five-point cushion in Serie A.

Real Zaragoza 2001-02, first round; 2007-08, first round

Alavés 2002-03, second round

Celta Vigo 2006-07, last 16

Real Zaragoza 2007-08, first round

Real Betis 2013-14, last 16

Espanyol 2019-20, last 32

Blackburn Rovers 1998-99, Uefa Cup first round

Bradford City 2000-01, Intertoto semi-final

Ipswich Town 2001-02, Uefa Cup third round

Ruda Hvezda Brno 1960-61, Cup Winners’ Cup

Dynamo Zilina 1961-62, Cup Winners’ Cup

Espanyol 1961-62. Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Napoli 1962-63, Cup Winners’ Cup

Bayern Munich 1962-63, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

1. FC Magdeburg 1965-66, Cup Winners’ Cup

Lyn 1968-69, Cup Winners’ Cup

Beroe Stara Zagora 1973-74, Cup Winners’ Cup

Real Betis 1977-78, Cup Winners’ Cup

Bologna 1990-91, Uefa Cup

First round Artmedia Bratislavia (2-2 away, 3-1 home)

Group stage Sparta Prague (2-0 away), Zulte Waregem (6-2 home), Ajax (2-0 away), Austria Wien (1-0 home)

Last 32 Livorno (2-1 away, 2-0 home)

Last 16 Maccabi Haifa (0-0 away, 4-0 home)

Quarter-final Benfica (3-2 home, 0-0 away)

Semi-final Werder Bremen (3-0 home, 2-1 away)

Final Sevilla 2-2 (1-3 pens)

Published: April 8, 2026, 7:00 am

Arne Slot says Liverpool ‘need our fans’ to help turn PSG tie around at Anfield

• Slot admits team ‘were in survival mode’ during first leg

• ‘Football has shown many times everything is possible’

Arne Slot admitted Liverpool were in survival mode against Paris Saint-Germain and will need the backing of Anfield to raise their level against the European champions in next week’s Champions League quarter-final second leg.

Liverpool were fortunate to escape with a 2-0 defeat at Parc des Princes where Ousmane Dembélé, who missed a crucial chance for Barcelona in their 2019 semi-final against Jürgen Klopp’s eventual champions, squandered several opportunities for Luis Enrique’s star-studded side.

Published: April 8, 2026, 10:51 pm

Barcelona 0-2 Atlético Madrid: Champions League quarter-final, first leg – as it happened

Julián Alvarez’s fine free-kick against 10-man Barça sparked Diego Simeone’s first managerial win at Camp Nou

“Diego Simeone has never won at Camp Nou,” says Karen Carney, alongside Cole on pundit duty. And there you have it. No time like the present, that’s what I say.

“It’s beauty and the beast,” says Joe Cole on TNT Sports of the contest that awaits. “We know what Atlético are going to do tonight, they’ll “bank in”, make it nasty, they’ll be aggressive, and there’ll be all sorts of shenenigans going on.”

Published: April 8, 2026, 9:28 pm

PSG 2-0 Liverpool: Champions League quarter-final, first leg – as it happened

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s delightful goal was the highlight of a dominant performance from the European champions

“I am beset by dread,” writes Joe Pearson, “and not in the ‘I am the law’ kind of way. Although admittedly PSG are giving off ‘You’re next, punk!’ vibes. IYKYK.”

While Arsenal were busy Arsenaling their way to a worthy but dull Bigger Cup quarter-final first leg win at Sporting on Tuesday, the players of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich released the collective handbrake and performed many high-speed donuts, wheel spins and Rockfords as a pleasing counterpoint to the careful mirror-signal-manoeuvring on display at Lisbon’s Estádio José Alvalade.

Like a couple of stolen supercars racing each other around a shopping mall in The Fast and the Furious: Bicester Village, these two European heavyweights massively committed to the bit, not unlike a daily football email bogged down in a laboured motoring metaphor.

Published: April 8, 2026, 9:20 pm

England full-back George Furbank heads for Harlequins in lucrative switch

• Northampton struggle to meet offer

• Smith and Mitchell fit for Saints quarter-final

Underperforming Harlequins have confirmed the signing of England’s full-back George Furbank as they seek to rebuild their squad for next season.

The 29-year-old Furbank has been an influential figure at Northampton, the league leaders, but a lucrative contract offer has persuaded him to try his luck in south-west London.

Published: April 8, 2026, 4:46 pm

Racing open to more direct protests in campaign against affordability checks

• BHA chief executive hails ‘Axe the Racing Tax’ campaign

• Dunshea surprised by RSPCA comments on welfare

The chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, Brant Dunshea, has revealed the sport will consider more direct action protests as they continue to battle against government plans to introduce affordability tests for punters. A one-day strike last September that led to four scheduled meetings being cancelled played a pivotal role in the government abandoning the increase in tax on betting from 15% to 21%, which the BHA estimated would have cost £330m to the industry.

The BHA have followed their “Axe the Racing Tax” campaign with a coordinated attempt to persuade the government to think again about affordability checks, which, if introduced, would require up to 120,000 regular gamblers to provide personal documentation in order to continue betting, according to research from the Betting and Gaming Council.

Published: April 8, 2026, 9:29 am

MLB bans Jorge Soler, Reynaldo López seven games for Braves-Angels brawl

• Benches and bullpens cleared in fifth inning

• Players will appeal suspensions and fines

• The two had played together on the 2024 Braves

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López each received seven-game suspensions from Major League Baseball on Wednesday, a day after they were ejected following their participation in a brawl.

Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice-president for on-field operations, also announced that the players received undisclosed fines. The suspensions were scheduled to begin with Wednesday’s game but will be on hold as each player is appealing.

Published: April 8, 2026, 8:47 pm

Rahm stands out as Masters favourite as Augusta adjusts to post-Tiger world | Ewan Murray

Spaniard is seeking his second Green Jacket at first Masters since 1994 without Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson

Half a mile from the gates of Augusta National, at the foot of Washington Road, sits a keyboard and piano store. It closes on Masters week every year. “Spring has sprung and so have we,” reads a sign in the forecourt. Clearly there is insufficient correlation between golf fans and those with a tendency to tinkle the ivories (or similar) for the business to remain open.

Masters mania is not for everyone. This feels a pity; almost nine months since the last putt dropped on the final major of 2025 and 27 weeks on from the Ryder Cup rumpus of Bethpage, golf is back at the forefront of the sporting world. Another date reference is significant. This Masters, the 90th edition, will be the first since 1994 without either one or both of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on the draw sheet. Rather than cause for a golfing lament, this provides opportunity. The post-Tiger world need not be as scary a place as so many seem to believe.

Published: April 8, 2026, 7:11 pm

Gnome unknowns: Masters chair Ridley in dark about ornaments’ Augusta future

• Internal secrecy appears to stretch to Augusta chairman

• ‘It’s not a trivial question … they won’t tell me the answer’

The Masters gnome drama has taken another twist after the chair of Augusta National admitted he is in the dark as to the must-have items’ future. Fred Ridley has repeatedly asked whether 2026 will be the final year ­for gnomes being on sale – as has been widely speculated – but revealed there is internal secrecy even towards him.

Ridley’s annual Masters media address took an amusing turn when a questioner put what was ­suggested as a “trivial” poser towards him: are reports of the gnomes’ demise ­correct? “Number one, the question is not trivial,” he said. “Number two: I’ve been asking that question for ­several years and they won’t tell me the answer. So I can’t help you.”

Published: April 8, 2026, 4:26 pm