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    Michael Schumacher health update as ex-F1 star says horror ski crash injuries are ‘still hard to accept’ 10 years on

    MICHAEL Schumacher’s pal has said the F1 legend’s injuries are “still hard to accept” ten years on from his devastating ski accident in the French Alps.The Ferrari ace, 54, has not appeared publicly nor have details of his health condition been revealed since 2013, when a blow to the head left him in a medically-induced coma for 250 days.
    Timo Glock (pictured), former F1 driver and friend of Michael Schumacher’s, said his injuries are still ‘hard to accept’Credit: Getty
    The fellow German racer had previously said how Schuey’s health must be kept privateCredit: AFP
    In a heartbreaking update, former F1 driver Timo Glock told MegaDice.com: “It doesn’t matter about the tenth anniversary.
    “Every year when that date comes up everyone gets reminded and thinks about it and what would be if things had gone differently a more positive way.
    “That is life but it is hard to accept because he is such a legend for the sport and for sure, for the family, it is not an easy time.”
    He added: “I have a lot of respect for the family and I am not a fan of speculating if you don’t know what is going on in the background.
    Read more on Schumacher
    “How they deal with it is something we can only respect and accept it how it is.”
    Timo revealed is still in “very good contact” with the Schumacher family and the legend’s son, Mick.
    “I met him a lot of times during the season at Grand Prix weekends discussing his future and he was asking me what I would recommend,” he said.
    “I would never be the person to ask anything personal about his father.”
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    The ex-F1 racer went on to say how he believes his father’s crash must take a toll on 24-year-old Mick.
    “Every son who had a father in F1 had a lot of pressure, Alain Prost’s son, Jean Alesi for instance, they all have the pressure of that name,” Timo explained.
    “If you add in what Mick went through with the accident with his dad, he had three or four times more pressure on his shoulders.
    “Having the Schumacher surname – we can’t imagine how hard it would have been for him.”
    Michael Schumacher’s old pal also believed Mick was let down by Haas boss Guenther Steiner when starting F1 career.
    “I hope he [Mick] has the chance to show his real talent, and he was not able to show that in F1 in the circumstances he had with the Haas team,” he said.
    “Guenther Steiner, in my opinion, did not do his job in the right way to support a young driver coming through with such pressure on his shoulders.
    ” I think he could have delivered differently if the people around him in the team had been right. That would have made a huge difference for him.
    Timo added: “After F3 and F2 he went into F1 blind. This would have been the time when Michael, his father, could have been very supportive for him and would have had the right tips and been there to help in both the good and bad situations.
    “How Mick handled the pressure for someone so young was outstanding. The weight on his shoulder was a lot and he still managed to deliver in F1.
    “But it would have been different if the team and Guenther Steiner had been properly behind him.”
    Timo Glock had previously said Schumacher’s health condition must be kept private.
    His heartbreaking update comes after Schuey’s ex-manager said he has no “hope” of seeing the F1 legend again.
    Willi Weber revealed that he had received “no positive news” after allegedly being shut out of the racing star’s life for the last 10 years.
    The long-term manager of the seven-time F1 champion, Weber, 81, has now opened up about how never believes he will see his former protégé again.
    He told the Cologne Express: “When I think of Michael now, unfortunately I don’t have anymore hope that I will see him again.
    “No positive news after ten years.”
    He also recalled how gutted he felt about not being able to see Schumacher immediately after the accident.
    “Of course, I regret that very much and blame myself. I should have visited Michael in the hospital. I mourned like a dog after his accident.”
    After three or four years of allegedly being shut out of Schumacher’s life, Weber said: “For me it was clear: ‘Well, now it’s over. This crap needs to get out of my head'”.
    Back in 2017, Weber extraordinarily accused the racing legend’s family of not being honest to the public about the Schumacher’s condition.
     “I find it very unfortunate that Michael’s fans do not know about his health.
    “Why are they not being told the truth?”
    And in July last year, Weber once again made headlines by demanding that the Schumacher family come out with the truth about his health.
    He said he was still “angry” that he had not been kept informed once since the F1 legend’s ski accident.
    He told Italian sports publication Gazetta dello Sport: “I tried hundreds of times to contact Corinna and she didn’t answer.
    “I called Jean Todt to ask him if I should go to the hospital and he told me to wait – it’s too early.
    “They kept me out, telling me it’s too early, well now it’s too late. It’s been nine years. Maybe they should just say it the way it is.”
    Read more on The Sun
    Weber has been credited with discovering Schumacher in 1989 when he signed him up to his F3 team.
    He has previously said that the racing great was “like a son to me”.
    December 29 will mark 10 years since Michael Schumacher’s fateful ski accident in the French AlpsCredit: Alamy
    Mick Schumacher, 24, followed in his father’s footsteps in Formula OneCredit: Getty More

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    Michael Schumacher’s pal Jean Todt gives update on F1 legend’s condition saying ‘he is no longer the Michael we knew’

    MICHAEL Schumacher’s close friend and former boss Jean Todt has said the F1 legend “is no longer the Michael we knew” in the latest update on his condition.December 29 will mark a decade since the racer’s tragic ski accident in the French Alps that left him in a medically-induced coma for 250 days.
    Michael Schumacher’s fans got another glimpse on the driver’s condition as his close friend and former boss Jean Todt, left, gave the latest updatesCredit: AFP
    The ex-Ferrari and FIA boss said Schumacher is ‘no longer the Michael we knew’Credit: AFP
    Schumacher, now 54, hasn’t appeared publicly ever since as his family provided very few updates on his condition.
    But now, ex-Ferrari and FIA boss Todt has given fans a glimpse into Schumacher’s current state.
    “Michael is here, so I don’t miss him,” he told French paper L’Equipe in a recent interview.
    “He’s just not the Michael he used to be.
    Read more on Schumacher
    “He’s different and he’s wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him.
    “His life is different now, and I am privileged to share moments with him.
    “Unfortunately, fate struck him ten years ago.
    “He is no longer the Michael we knew in Formula 1.”
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    F1 presenter Florian König also revealed the one thing he tells every curious fan asking about Schumacher’s health.
    Speaking to German producers ARD, König said: “Whenever someone speaks to me, at the airport or elsewhere, the question often comes up: ‘Do you know how Michael is doing? Do you know what’s going on now?’
    “I always say the same thing: I don’t ask the family at all.”
    The presenter, 56, explained why he also doesn’t seek answers from the Schumacher family.
    “I absolutely respect the fact that they only gave very sparse information, and I think that’s right,” he said.
    König, one of RTL’s Formula One faces for many years, added: “I notice from these questions that people are still interested and that they still share in his fate.”
    Meanwhile, Schumacher’s F1 pal Mark Blundell shared heartbreaking regrets over the racing legend’s tragic skiing accident.
    The former McLaren driver, who called Schumacher ruthless and brilliant, said he hopes the Ferrari racer is fit enough to understand the sport.
    Blundell, 57, raced in Formula One and competed against the German legend in the 90s.
    Before getting into F1, the two also raced in sports cars.
    And now the former McLaren star has opened up about Michael’s tragic skiing crash which left him in a medically induced coma in December 2013.
    He said: “At the end of the day, what happened to him was incredibly difficult to take.
    “I don’t know where we are today with Michael’s health as he’s rightly guarded.
    “He’s still around, and hopefully he understands what’s going on. That would be a plus. It’s very difficult.”
    Speaking to OLBG, Blundell expressed his regrets over Michael not being able to share amazing anecdotes from his thrilling career – and said it is a “huge loss” for the F1 community.
    “Michael is a big loss for F1 as he had all of those titles under his belt, and we’re sadly not able to hear about those accolades and how he went about getting them.
    “It’s such a shame we missed out on his insight.
    “We also missed on how he could have supported his son and other up-and-coming drivers.
    “That’s a huge loss.”
    It comes as a new five-part documentary by German broadcaster ARD might shed some light on what happened all those years ago and how the former Ferrari and Benetton star is now faring.
    “Being Michael Schumacher”, to be aired on December 28, will explore the driver’s early years including his rise to prominence, from a go-karting background to one of the best drivers in Formula 1 history.
    Read more on The Sun
    The new series will follow a 2021 documentary produced by Netflix in which Schumacher’s wife Corinna remained tight-lipped about her husband’s condition, saying only that he was “different” post-crash.
    Corinna is known to have protected her husband’s privacy to such an extent that only their immediate family and the closest of their friends know any details about how he is doing.
    The Ferrari star won seven world championships in his racing careerCredit: Alamy More

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    Ex-FIA chief claims race that handed Lewis Hamilton F1 title was ‘rigged’

    JEAN TODT has claimed that the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008 was “rigged” and should have “been cancelled”.The result of the race had major consequences as Lewis Hamilton, 38, went on to win the World Championship.
    Jean Todt claims that the 2008 Singapore GP ‘should have been cancelled’Credit: Getty
    Felipe Massa suffered a dodgy pit stopCredit: AP:Associated Press
    Renault’s Fernando Alonso won the race after Ferrari’s Felipe Massa suffered a pit-stop error that saw him drive off with the fuel hose still attached to his car.
    In 2009, it was revealed that during the controversial race, the Enstone team ordered Nelson Piquet Jnr to crash his car, which helped boost Alonso’s strategy.
    Alonso has never given any indication that he had knowledge of the plan.
    Massa, 42, had been leading the race in Singapore but ended up finishing 13th after his pitstop, which would not have happened if it was not for Piquet’s crash.
    READ MORE ON F1
    Hamilton finished third in the race and confirmed his title win in the last race of the season in Brazil.
    Conversation around the controversy has arisen this year after former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone suggested that the FIA and F1 were aware of Renault’s actions before 2009.
    Todt, the former Ferrari Formula 1 team principal, has claimed that the FIA and F1 should have come down harder on the result.
    The 77-year-old told La Stampa: “I don’t get into the controversy.
    Most read in Motorsport
    Lewis Hamilton won the title due to the resultCredit: EPA
    “For him [Massa], psychologically, it was very hard.
    “Maybe we [the FIA] could have been tougher when the story came out.
    “There is no doubt that the Singapore Grand Prix was rigged and should have been cancelled.”
    Massa has since opted to challenge for the title in court by arguing that the GP should have been cancelled.
    If he were to succeed then he would claim the title for that year.
    Hamilton has been urged to speak on the ongoing legal battle.
    Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff fears F1 will be plunged into “disarray” if Massa wins his legal battle.
    However, he does not think the ex-Ferrari man has a case.
    Massa has opened up a legal battle to contest the resultCredit: AP
    Wolff said: “I don’t think he has a case, to be honest. We are signing up to sporting regulations.
    “They’re very clear, and you commit as a licence holder.
    “If everybody were to open up situations, then the sport would be in disarray, and especially when you look at the full championships.
    “There are so many things that have an influence whether you win or lose that I don’t see the case to be honest.
    Read more on The Sun
    “On the civil case side, I don’t know. Let’s evaluate whether there are some damages that could be claimed.
    “This is like watching a soap opera playing out in front of me.” More

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    Penelope Cruz is ‘not bowled over’ by Jude Bellingham despite being a huge Real Madrid fan and ace named Golden Boy

    PENELOPE CRUZ has not been “bowled over” by Jude Bellingham since his arrival at Real Madrid.The Golden Boy Award winner has starred since joining the LaLiga giants from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
    Penelope Cruz has not been ‘bowled over’ by Jude BellinghamCredit: Getty
    The midfielder has starred for Real Madrid since arriving in the summerCredit: Getty
    Jude Bellingham won the 2023 Golden Boy awardCredit: Rex
    Craig Slater spoke to the Spanish actress about BellinghamCredit: Sky sports
    Bellingham, 20, has earned plaudits for his performances for Los Blancos, scoring 15 goals in 17 appearances.
    However, despite growing up in Madrid and being a fan of the club, Penelope Cruz has not become a big fan of the player.
    Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater was at the premiere of the Michael Mann film ‘Ferrari’ and spoke to the Spanish actress about the England international.
    However, the Vicky Cristina Barcelona star was not overly aware of Bellingham due to being immersed in making the film.
    READ MORE FOOTBALL
    He said on Sky: “I got to meet Penelope Cruz, she plays Enzo Ferrari’s wife in this film.
    “Believe it or not Penelope is from Madrid, grew up in Madrid, big Real Madrid fan.
    “I did ask her about Jude Bellingham and the start he’s made at the Bernabeu.
    “Would you believe, she didn’t really know anything about him or have anything to say.
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    “She’s gotta be the only Real fan who is not bowled over by what young Mr Bellingham is doing over there.
    “Maybe she’s been so immersed in this film she hasn’t had time to catch the games.”
    Penelope plays Laura Ferrari in the film alongside Star Wars star Adam Driver who plays Enzo Ferrari.
    The film premiered at Leicester Square, London, with many famous faces making appearances.
    Cruz grew up in MadridCredit: Rex
    She is a fan of Real MadridCredit: Getty
    Penelope Cruz, Adam Driver and Shailene Woodley at the premiere of ‘Ferrari’Credit: Getty
    Bellingham was awarded with the 2023 Golden Boy award at a ceremony in Turin, Italy.
    After collecting his prize, he said: “I’m proud to win the Golden Boy Award.
    “My secret is the responsibility since I was a kid in the Academy. I love that.
    “I want to get better every day and help Real Madrid. My focus is on that.
    Read More on The Sun
    Bellingham only wants to ‘get better’Credit: Rex
    “Real Madrid is the best club in the world. I’m proud to play for Madrid.
    “I want to win all the trophies with my club and England national team” More

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    Sky Sports presenter narrowly avoids being hit by car on red carpet live on TV as studio hosts warn ‘watch yourself’

    SKY SPORTS presenter Craig Slater came perilously close to being hit by a CAR while reporting from the red carpet.The crazy moment occurred on Monday night as Slater delivered a live broadcast from Leicester Square.
    Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater was almost hit by a car while reporting from the red carpet
    The event marked the European premiere of Hollywood blockbuster Ferrari, which stars Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari and also features Penelope Cruz.
    Slater looked thrilled as he gave the latest updates from the glitzy event.
    But he was so engrossed in his reporting that he failed to see a car reverse up the red carpet.
    As Slater talked to the studio, the black vehicle whizzed by him — only missing him by inches.
    READ MORE ON F1
    It brought about astonished gasps from the anchors back at Sky Sports’ base.
    But Slater took it all in his stride as he professionally maintained composure to finish his segment.
    Indeed, he didn’t appear to know too much about the incident.
    And it led to his fellow pundit warning: “Craig, watch yourself, take care!”
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    It’s not the first time Slater has been under the spotlight for a brilliant broadcast.
    Just last month he turned heads while wearing a bizarre jacket at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
    Slater’s glitzy piece was in no doubt chosen to reflect his glamorous setting.
    And even commentator David Croft could not get away from wearing the glittery green-and-silver ensemble. More

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    Spice Girl Geri, much-loved Sky Sports host Anna Woolhouse and Penélope Cruz in stunning outfits for Ferrari premiere

    GERI HALLIWELL-HORNER was one of many celebrities to wow on the red carpet at the Ferrari premiere.The Spice Girl accompanied her husband, Red Bull principal Christian Horner, to the premiere at Leicester Square, London.
    Geri Halliwell-Horner and Christian Horner donned classy outfits at the Ferrari premiereCredit: Getty
    The couple took shelter from the rain under an umbrellaCredit: AFP
    Penelope Cruz also made an appearanceCredit: Reuters
    She is one of the cast members in the filmCredit: Splash
    Geri, 51, looked classy in her white blazer and matching trousers over a low-cut top.
    Horner himself had a dapper attire on, an open-collar shirt under a navy suit.
    The principal completed his look with a smart overcoat.
    Plenty of other famous faces at the premiere, such as Penelope Cruz.
    READ MORE ON F1
    The Spanish actress plays Laura Ferrari in the movie and stunned on the red carpet.
    The 49-year-old rocked a long flowing dress paired with a short blazer.
    Sports fans will also be happy to know that Sky Sports host Anna Woolhouse made an appearance.
    She wowed in a black dress as she was photographed alongside fellow host Rachel Brookes.
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    TV hosts Anna Woolhouse and Rachel Brookes looked glamorousCredit: Getty
    Piero Ferrari and Antonella Ferrari were in attendanceCredit: Getty
    Brookes donned an orange dress and let her hair flow on the red carpet.
    The film ‘Ferrari’ tells the story of the car company as it faced bankruptcy in 1957.
    Owner Enzo Ferrari, played by Star Wars star Adam Driver, puts his hopes on a 1,000-mile race across Italy, the Mille Miglia.
    It was directed by Michael Mann and will be released on December 29.
    Some of the other famous faces on the red carpet included Piero Ferrari, Shailene Woodley, Jessica Creighton and Patrick Dempsey.
    Scroll down for more pictures from the premiere…
    Shailene Woodley is in the movieCredit: Splash
    Jessica Creighton rocked a sparkly outfitCredit: Getty
    Patrick Dempsey and spouse Jillian FinkCredit: Getty
    Nat Pinkham wore red for FerrariCredit: Getty
    Adam Driver wore a tuxedoCredit: Getty
    The film’s main starsCredit: Getty
    Jack O’Connell went for an all black lookCredit: Getty More

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    I made £40,000 a WEEK as a Premier League star and captained my country at World Cup… now I can’t even afford a phone

    A PREMIER league star was raking it in on £40,000 a week during his playing days but now can’t even afford a phone.In the mid 2000s Lucas Neill was a footballing hero as captain of West Ham and played in the 2006 World Cup.
    Lucas Neill played 79 games for West Ham and captained the sideCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    Neill in action for West Ham against Spurs in April 2009Credit: Getty
    He was living the high life too, with a Ferrari in his garage and holidays in the Maldives.
    Nowadays, Neill, 45, lives a very different life having gone bankrupt and was recently facing three years behind bars as he stood trial for failing to declare money he never knew he had.
    He had been accused of concealing more than £2million from creditors.
    As he battled his financial problems the lights would often go out because he didn’t have the money to top up his pay-as-you-go meter.
    Read More on West Ham
    Last Monday though, a jury at Preston Crown Court took just 26 minutes to acquit him of the charges.
    Neill told The Times: “I’ve won my freedom, but I feel like I’ve lost in life.”
    During his financial hardship, his wife Lindsey Morris, a beauty therapist and personal trainer, became the breadwinner, as he only had his £900-a-month footballer’s pension.
    He blames himself completely for his financial ruin.
    Most read in Football
    Neill, who is a dad-of-two, said: “I feel like I didn’t protect my family… And that hurts. I let my family down.”
    The Professional Footballers’ Association has warned that between 10 to 20 per cent of professional players go bankrupt when they retire.
    Nell had been advised to pump vast sums of money into a scheme which gave the promise of investing in British films in return for a huge tax break.
    The scheme appeared to be legitimate and were pushed heavily by accountants and financial advisers and the government had championed the investment tax relief.
    But the taxman eventually came sniffing around and forced those who invested in them to repay the money they claimed, which in many cases totalled up to tens of thousands of pounds.
    Neill said: “People say they want to advise you. Help you. People just constantly want to take a tiny slice out of you. Telling you they’re going to add value to what they’re doing. That’s just a lesson for all footballers.”
    He added: “Do you need these professional financial advisers? I was very successful in the world of football, but I clearly wasn’t ready for this other world — the world of business. And I’ve learnt the hard way.”
    HMRC told him he owed £400,000 and he had to sell seven or eight properties, losing money on each one, to pay it back.
    He then defaulted on a NatWest loan he had taken out to pay for a barn near Newcastle, which was held in an offshore fund.
    Neill was left owing the bank £737,000 – and was declared bankrupt in 2016.
    He said: “People couldn’t believe it, but I had nothing left. That was my rock bottom.
    “After 20 years of a football career and all this hard work, I’ve got nothing to show for it.”
    During a meeting with the insolvency service he was meant to list all his assets, but forgot to mention the 144 acres of land he had bought around the barn.
    The insolvency service investigated Neill for seven years, so he was unable to own his own home, or even take out a mobile phone contract.
    When he went bankrupt, the repossessed 144 acres was sold for £3m by a lender and after the loan was settled, the remaining £2.1m was put into Neill’s offshore trust.
    Neill claims he never knew about this but the insolvency service accused him of hiding the money from his bankruptcy proceedings.
    Now he has been found not guilty he is starting to rebuild his life and he also wants to find out what happened to the offshore funds.
    His defence lawyer, Joseph Kotrie Monson, of Mary Monson Solicitors, said: “Why would somebody ever put their family through all the pressure of bankruptcy, if they knew they had enough money in a bank account to pay off the debt and still have a million left over?”
    He’s now coaching women and girls at a football club and working as a project manager for a local digital firm.
    Neill also captained his national side AustraliaCredit: AFP
    Having been acquitted of the charges, Neill, seen here in 2015, is now rebuilding his lifeCredit: Getty More

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    I was West Ham captain & had a Ferrari on the drive… now I live in rented flat and almost went to jail over bankruptcy

    A FORMER West Ham captain who once had a Ferrari on his drive now lives in a rented flat – and almost went to jail over his bankruptcy.Lucas Neill used to earn £40,000 a week as the Hammers’ skipper between 2007 and 2009.
    Lucas Neill captained West Ham from 2007 and 2009Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    The Aussie in action for the Irons in 2008Credit: Getty
    Neill played for Australia at the World CupCredit: AFP
    The Australian defender starred for the Socceroos at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
    At the height of his success he splashed out on a Ferrari and luxury holidays in the Maldives.
    But last week Neill appeared at Preston Crown Court charged with failing to declare money he never knew he had.
    The trial came after seven years of bankruptcy, with Neill facing three years in prison if convicted.
    Read More Football
    Neill has opened up about his financial ruin after a jury acquitted him in just 26 minutes.
    He told The Times: “Behind my chair in the dock were stairs going to the cells.
    “I’ve won my freedom, but I feel like I’ve lost in life.
    “I feel like I didn’t protect my family. And that hurts. I let my family down.”
    Most read in Football
    Neill was accused of hiding more than £2million from his creditors as his money problems spiralled out of control.
    The star ploughed huge sums into a scheme which he thought would see him get big tax breaks in return for investing in British films.
    But HMRC ordered him to pay back £400,000 after probing the dodgy scheme – which had been touted to footballers by financial advisers.
    Neill was forced to sell over seven properties, losing money on each one.
    He then defaulted on a NatWest loan he had taken out to pay for a barn near Newcastle, which was held in an offshore fund.
    Neill was left owing the bank £737,000 – and was declared bankrupt in 2016.
    He said: “People couldn’t believe it, but I had nothing left. That was my rock bottom.
    “After 20 years of a football career and all this hard work, I’ve got nothing to show for it.”
    Neill forgot to mention 144 acres of land he had bought around the barn when listing his assets for repossession.
    The Insolvency Service probed Neill for seven years, leaving him unable to own a house or even buy a mobile phone contract.
    One morning his kids answered the door to bailiffs demanding a £400 council tax bill.
    But Neill has now been found not guilty of hiding the offshore money.
    He is now coaching women and girls at a football club while working for a tech firm.
    His lawyer Joseph Kotrie Monson said: “Now it’s time for him to enjoy his restored reputation and get back into the world of sport and broadcasting.” More