Latest news with #HetNieuwsblad
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Feyenoord one of a number of clubs interested in Gent's Japanese defender
Het Nieuwsblad and others are reporting that Tsuyoshi Watanabe is likely to leave Gent in the summer. The defender, who has been the stand in captain for the club many times this season, is of interest to Eredivisie side Feyenoord. Gent turned down a number of offers for Watanabe in the winter window but it appears that he is certain to be leaving in the summer. However, Feyenoord are not the only side said to be looking to sign the Japanese defender. Previously, Gent had been asking for around €10m for the defender. However, the 28-year-old is likely to cost less in the summer. Gent are under not pressure to sell low though, with his contract still running until 2027. Either way, they will be able to make a profit, having signed the defender form Kortrijk for just €3.5m back in the summer of 2023. Since then, Watanabe has gone on to play 99 games for the club, scoring six goals. He has also been capped at senior level by the Japanese national team. GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson
The Independent
16-04-2025
- The Independent
Man who hurled bottle at van der Poel ‘had too much to drink'
A Belgian man has apologised for throwing a plastic bottle at cyclist Mathieu van der Poel during the Paris-Roubaix race, commenting he had 'drunk a lot'. The 28-year-old, from Waregem, Belgium, expressed remorse in an email to Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, calling his actions "stupid and dangerous". He explained that he picked up a discarded water bottle and impulsively threw it as Van der Poel rode past. "A water bottle was in the grass. I picked it up and threw it when he passed. Without thinking. Half a second later, I realised how stupid and dangerous it was. The man, who admitted to having "drunk a lot" that day, said the incident left him feeling ashamed. He apologised to Van der Poel, his fellow competitors, and cycling fans. He also expressed relief that Van der Poel went on to win the race, despite the disruption. Dutch Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Van der Poel was struck in the face by the bottle while riding solo at high speed over a cobbled section with 33km remaining. Despite the blow, he went on to win the race for the third consecutive year. French prosecutors opened an investigation into "violence with a weapon" shortly after the incident. The Lille public prosecutor, Carole Etienne, confirmed authorities were working to identify and arrest the suspect on Tuesday. The International Cycling Union (UCI) labelled the act "unacceptable behaviour". "Such behaviour cannot be tolerated in the context of a cycling event," the UCI said in a statement. "We express our support for the rider and will explore all legal avenues to ensure such actions are duly and severely punished." Van der Poel himself called the act dangerous and urged tougher consequences for spectators who threaten rider safety. "It's not normal," he told reporters. "It was a full bottle... It was like a stone hitting my face. This is really something we have to take legal action against." His team confirmed plans to file a formal complaint, describing the incident as part of a broader pattern of dangerous fan behaviour often linked to excessive alcohol consumption. "It jeopardises the safety of our riders, overshadows the enjoyment and reputation of genuine cycling enthusiasts, and diverts attention from the sporting achievements," the team said.
Reuters
16-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Man who threw bottle at Van der Poel apologises
PARIS, April 16 (Reuters) - A 28-year-old Belgian man has apologised after hurling a plastic bottle at former world champion Mathieu van der Poel during Sunday's Paris-Roubaix race, an act that led to a criminal investigation by French authorities. In an email released by Flemish daily Het Nieuwsblad on Wednesday, the man from Waregem expressed deep regret for what he described as a "stupid and dangerous" moment of impulsivity. "I am so happy that he crossed the finish line first on Sunday, despite my stupid action," he wrote. "A water bottle was in the grass. I picked it up and threw it when he passed. Without thinking. Half a second later, I realised how stupid and dangerous it was. The man, who admitted to having "drunk a lot" that day, said he felt ashamed for days after the incident and extended an apology to Van der Poel, other riders, and cycling fans. Dutch Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Van der Poel was struck in the face by the bottle while riding solo at high speed over a cobbled section with 33km remaining. Despite the blow, he went on to win the race for the third consecutive year. French prosecutors opened an investigation into "violence with a weapon" shortly after the incident. The Lille public prosecutor, Carole Etienne, confirmed authorities were working to identify and arrest the suspect on Tuesday. The International Cycling Union (UCI) labelled the act "unacceptable behaviour". "Such behaviour cannot be tolerated in the context of a cycling event," the UCI said in a statement. "We express our support for the rider and will explore all legal avenues to ensure such actions are duly and severely punished." Van der Poel himself called the act dangerous and urged tougher consequences for spectators who threaten rider safety. "It's not normal," he told reporters. "It was a full bottle... It was like a stone hitting my face. This is really something we have to take legal action against." His team confirmed plans to file a formal complaint, describing the incident as part of a broader pattern of dangerous fan behaviour often linked to excessive alcohol consumption. "It jeopardises the safety of our riders, overshadows the enjoyment and reputation of genuine cycling enthusiasts, and diverts attention from the sporting achievements," the team said.
The Guardian
15-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Fan hands himself in after bottle thrown at Van der Poel during Paris-Roubaix
French justice officials have launched an investigation after Mathieu van der Poel had a plastic bottle hurled at his face during his triumphant ride to a third consecutive Paris-Roubaix victory on Sunday. 'An investigation was opened into the charge of violence with a weapon in order to identify and arrest the perpetrator,' said the Lille prosecutor Carole Etienne on X. The Dutch Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was struck while powering solo over a cobbled section with 33km remaining in the prestigious one-day classic, often called 'The Hell of the North'. 'It's not normal. It was a full bottle, it's maybe half a kilogram and I rode 50kph, it was like a stone hitting my face,' the visibly angered Van der Poel told reporters in the aftermath of the race. 'This is just not acceptable. If they spit or throw beer, it's also unacceptable but that's a different story. This is really something we have to take legal action against.' Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reported on Monday that the spectator who launched the projectile has since surrendered to Flemish police. And public prosecutor Filiep Jodts told BBC Sport: 'We can confirm that the man presented himself to the police. An official report was drawn up, in which his statement was recorded. The Public Prosecution Service will decide in the coming days what action should be taken.' Cycling's governing body, the UCI, expressed its support for the former world champion. '[We] unanimously condemn, in the strongest terms, the unacceptable behaviour of a spectator during the 122nd edition of Paris-Roubaix from the side of the road on 13 April,' it said in a statement. 'Such behaviour cannot be tolerated in the context of a cycling event. 'The UCI and representatives of cycling's families express their support for the rider and will explore, in conjunction with the competent authorities, all the legal channels at their disposal so that such behaviour is duly and severely punished, as has already been the case in the past. They will take the same action in the future against any act that threatens the physical integrity of riders.' Alpecin-Deceuninck said late on Monday that they were seeking sanctions over the bottle throwing, describing it as 'a dangerous and unacceptable incident'. 'We will be filing an official complaint against the perpetrator to formally denounce this behaviour,' a team statement read. 'This issue goes beyond that single act. Too often, we observe that such misconduct is either caused by or accompanied by excessive alcohol consumption. It jeopardises the safety of our riders, overshadows the enjoyment and reputation of genuine cycling enthusiasts, and diverts attention from the sporting achievements.'
Reuters
14-04-2025
- Reuters
French officials probe bottle attack on Van der Poel
PARIS, April 14 - French justice officials have launched an investigation after cycling champion Mathieu van der Poel had a plastic bottle hurled at his face during his triumphant ride to a third consecutive Paris-Roubaix victory on Sunday. "An investigation was opened into the charge of violence with a weapon in order to identify and arrest the perpetrator," Lille prosecutor Carole Etienne said on X. The Dutch rider was struck while powering solo over a cobbled section with 33 kilometers remaining in the prestigious one-day classic, often called "The Hell of the North". "It's not normal. It was a full bottle, it's maybe half a kilogram and I rode 50kph, it was like a stone hitting my face," the visibly angered Van der Poel told reporters on Sunday. "This is just not acceptable. If they spit or throw beer, it's also unacceptable but that's a different story. This is really something we have to take legal action against." Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reported on Monday that the spectator who launched the projectile has since surrendered to Flemish police.
