logo
Soccer-Lorient return to Ligue 1 after one season

Soccer-Lorient return to Ligue 1 after one season

The Star26-04-2025

(Reuters) - Ligue 2 leaders Lorient beat bottom side Caen 4-0 at home on Saturday to seal their promotion back to the French top tier after one season.
Lorient were relegated from Ligue 1 following the 2023-24 campaign when they finished 17th.
The hosts were up 2-0 at the break after striker Mohamed Bamba opened the scoring in the 16 minute and Eli Junior Kroupi, league's leading scorer with 20 goals, doubled the lead seven minutes later. Sambou Soumano added two more goals late on.
Lorient lead the standings on 68 points after 32 games, three points above second-placed Paris FC and seven ahead of Metz in third.
There are two games left in the competition and two top teams earn automatic promotion.
Metz, who were also relegated from Ligue 1 last season, host lowly Rodes on Friday when Paris travel to relegation-threatened Martigues.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Soccer-Mexico City mayor pledges warm welcome for all 2026 World Cup fans
Soccer-Mexico City mayor pledges warm welcome for all 2026 World Cup fans

The Star

time28 minutes ago

  • The Star

Soccer-Mexico City mayor pledges warm welcome for all 2026 World Cup fans

Soccer Football - World Cup - Mexico holds event to mark one year to go until the World Cup - General Prim, Mexico City, Mexico - June 11, 2025 Mexico City Host City Director Felix Aguirre, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, Mexico FIFA Director Jurgen Mainka, Italian former player Alessandro Del Piero and Mexico City's Secretary of Tourism Alejandra Frausto present the countdown clock during the event REUTERS/Raquel Cunha MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexico City will embrace fans from all nations and cultures during the 2026 World Cup, Mayor Clara Brugada said on Wednesday as she unveiled the countdown clock marking one year to the tournament's return to the Mexican capital. As the city prepares to host the World Cup for the third time, Brugada stressed the importance of inclusion and openness, framing a contrast to anti-immigration measures in co-host nation the United States under President Donald Trump "All football fans are welcome here. In this city, no one is a foreigner," Brugada said at the FIFA event. "We will joyfully welcome those who come from all corners of the globe, with their music, their colours, their languages and their passion. We think diversity is our greatest treasure." "Today is a very special day for Mexico City. We are exactly 365 days away from opening our doors to the world and hosting, for the third time, the opening of a World Cup, something that no other city on the planet has ever achieved." Addressing concerns from residents near the Azteca Stadium, Mayor Brugada assured them that they would benefit from over six billion pesos in investments aimed at upgrading public services and infrastructure. "We will strengthen the rights of residents with more water, better public spaces and more services," she said. "We are therefore building a legacy, and that is something that fills us with pride. That is why we have made a historic investment in works, infrastructure, water, security and mobility." In addition, as part of the festivities leading up to the 2026 World Cup, more than 40 buildings and landmarks in Mexico City will be illuminated in green on Wednesday night. (Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Sonali Paul)

Motor racing-Le Mans and F1 in same year? Too much now, says Hulkenberg
Motor racing-Le Mans and F1 in same year? Too much now, says Hulkenberg

The Sun

time33 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Motor racing-Le Mans and F1 in same year? Too much now, says Hulkenberg

NICO HULKENBERG raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a decade ago when the Formula One calendar allowed it, and came away a winner with Porsche. The German could not do that now, with the 93rd edition of the French endurance race clashing with this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix where Hulkenberg, now 37, will be on the starting grid with Sauber. There will be another overlap next year but even if there was not Hulkenberg says trying to do both would be too much today. 'I think everyone was a lot less busy (in 2015), you know, than now,' the German, who finished fifth in Spain two weekends ago, told Reuters in a recent interview. 'Twenty-four races, all the stuff in between, it's a full-time job. I can only talk for myself but, personally, I wouldn't want the extra gig at the moment. I'm fully focused on F1 and for me, I'm happy that way.' Hulkenberg, now one of only two fathers on the F1 grid along with Max Verstappen, was with Force India in 2015 when he got the chance to race Le Mans. The sportscar race chooses its winners, they say, and that weekend he hit the jackpot along with fellow rookie Earl Bamber of New Zealand and Britain's Nick Tandy. Hulkenberg had raced in Canada the weekend before with F1 and went on to Austria immediately after. 'It definitely took some time to first understand the car and get a grip on it and properly get the lap time out of it,' he recalled. 'I was still improving and understanding, I was clicking only really in the night of the race. 'To jump back into Formula One I think was not a problem, because there was so much positivity after a race like this. I remember jumping into Austria and I was owning it and I was boss. It was no problem going back.' The German's Formula One career has taken him from Williams in 2010 to racing for Aston Martin's predecessors Force India and Racing Point as well as Sauber, Renault and Haas with some gaps in between. 'Why am I still here?,' asked Formula One's only current German driver. 'Because they still want me.' Hulkenberg holds the record for most Formula One races without ever standing on the podium but that is also testament to his enduring worth as a driver with engineering and setup skills as well as speed. His 236 starts are way more than the next man on the list without a podium, retired fellow-German Adrian Sutil on 128. On the plus side, Hulkenberg has two fastest laps and a pole position and next year will be in at the start with the Audi factory team when Sauber is renamed. 'I still love what I do. You know, Formula One and racing is my passion. It's what I do best, it's what I love. What else should I do?,' he said. 'I think it's the competition, you know, the thrill of qualifying, the buzz of a race, kicking ass but even the bad days -- just the racing, everything. I love that.'

Nico Hulkenberg: F1 Focus Over Le Mans as Schedule Clashes
Nico Hulkenberg: F1 Focus Over Le Mans as Schedule Clashes

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

Nico Hulkenberg: F1 Focus Over Le Mans as Schedule Clashes

NICO HULKENBERG raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a decade ago when the Formula One calendar allowed it, and came away a winner with Porsche. The German could not do that now, with the 93rd edition of the French endurance race clashing with this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix where Hulkenberg, now 37, will be on the starting grid with Sauber. There will be another overlap next year but even if there was not Hulkenberg says trying to do both would be too much today. 'I think everyone was a lot less busy (in 2015), you know, than now,' the German, who finished fifth in Spain two weekends ago, told Reuters in a recent interview. 'Twenty-four races, all the stuff in between, it's a full-time job. I can only talk for myself but, personally, I wouldn't want the extra gig at the moment. I'm fully focused on F1 and for me, I'm happy that way.' Hulkenberg, now one of only two fathers on the F1 grid along with Max Verstappen, was with Force India in 2015 when he got the chance to race Le Mans. The sportscar race chooses its winners, they say, and that weekend he hit the jackpot along with fellow rookie Earl Bamber of New Zealand and Britain's Nick Tandy. Hulkenberg had raced in Canada the weekend before with F1 and went on to Austria immediately after. 'It definitely took some time to first understand the car and get a grip on it and properly get the lap time out of it,' he recalled. 'I was still improving and understanding, I was clicking only really in the night of the race. 'To jump back into Formula One I think was not a problem, because there was so much positivity after a race like this. I remember jumping into Austria and I was owning it and I was boss. It was no problem going back.' The German's Formula One career has taken him from Williams in 2010 to racing for Aston Martin's predecessors Force India and Racing Point as well as Sauber, Renault and Haas with some gaps in between. 'Why am I still here?,' asked Formula One's only current German driver. 'Because they still want me.' Hulkenberg holds the record for most Formula One races without ever standing on the podium but that is also testament to his enduring worth as a driver with engineering and setup skills as well as speed. His 236 starts are way more than the next man on the list without a podium, retired fellow-German Adrian Sutil on 128. On the plus side, Hulkenberg has two fastest laps and a pole position and next year will be in at the start with the Audi factory team when Sauber is renamed. 'I still love what I do. You know, Formula One and racing is my passion. It's what I do best, it's what I love. What else should I do?,' he said. 'I think it's the competition, you know, the thrill of qualifying, the buzz of a race, kicking ass but even the bad days -- just the racing, everything. I love that.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store