sporting

When public prosecutors tapped telephone calls at Italian football giants Juventus in 2004, they were hunting for evidence of doping.

What they believed they found was corruption on a far more systematic scale.

They thought they had evidence of Juve general manager Luciano Moggi pressurising referee officials to favour certain clubs, including his own. Moggi denied the claims.

However, Juve, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina were all implicated in influencing referees.

All were given points deductions, but only Juventus ultimately dropped into the second tier of Italian football.

There was a split in the club’s superstar squad.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Patrick Vieira joined rivals Inter Milan for a combined £23m, Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson went to Real Madrid for £13.7m, Lilian Thuram and Gianluca Zambrotta joined Barcelona for £13m, and Adrian Mutu went to Fiorentina for £5.5m.

But other key players – notably Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro del Piero, Giorgio Chiellini, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet – remained with Juve in Serie B.

Despite beginning the season with a nine-point penalty and an opening-day draw with minnows Rimini, Juventus were promoted at the first attempt.

The club still lay claim to the 2004–05 and 2005–06 titles that were stripped from them, counting 38 rather than the official 36.

Julian Ward’s appointment gives Liverpool‘s hierarchy some much-needed stability after a summer of transition.

Ward has done the sporting director job before – and bar a spell between the summers of 2023 and 2024, has been at the club since 2012.

Liverpool did speak to external candidates but Ward was seen as the stand-out choice.

One source described him as: “Calm, well-spoken and with a clear opinion and vision.”

Ward’s previous spell as sporting director came under Jurgen Klopp, where he oversaw the signings of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez – he has a global contacts network and plenty of experience when it comes to negotiations.

He was also influential when Mohamed Salah renewed his contract in 2022 – flying to see Salah on holiday to seal the deal – and his relationship with the agent Jorge Mendes helped Liverpool in their pursuit of Diogo Jota.

There will be plenty of jobs for Ward to tackle – including the securing of Rio Ngumoha on a long-term deal now that he is 18 and determining whether new contracts are offered to Alisson and Virgil van Dijk before their current agreements expire this summer.

As FSG’s technical director, Ward played a role in Liverpool‘s push to recruit younger talent. And he has a good relationship with Mike Gordon, who oversees the day-to-day running of the club.

Under Klopp, Ward left 12 months into a three-year deal, but should have more of a say now, given how the head coach role has been structured under both Arne Slot and his successor Andoni Iraola.

Time will tell if Ward’s appointment proves successful – but in the here and now, he looks a more-than-sensible choice.

Barcelona’s sporting director Deco said the club has no interest in pursuing Manchester United teenager JJ Gabriel.

Gabriel, 15, travelled to the Spanish city after informing United that he wanted to leave Old Trafford earlier this month.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain are among the clubs reportedly keen on securing his signature.

“There’s nothing to say about this boy,” Deco said at a news conference.

“It’s normal we always have players linked with us. There’s a huge market for that, even when they are young.

“We are not interested in any player in his situation. I’m not sure what’s happening, and if he’s still a Manchester United player. We are not involved in that.

“First of all, we need to understand how the situation is before we try to do something. To speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.”

Gabriel has not trained at United since scoring a hat-trick on his Uefa Youth League debut on 10 September.

Tournament rules prevent him from playing for a side other than United in this season’s competition.

But if he obtains a European Union passport through either his father – a former Republic of Ireland international – or mother, who has Greek-Cypriot heritage, he could join a club in the EU when he turns 16 on 6 October.

Last week, United manager Michael Carrick urged for people to be “careful and sensible” about the amount of exposure and scrutiny given to the youngster.

VISITING one of Portugal’s top golfing regions without an ounce of experience of the game was certainly a nerve-racking move.  

But I needn’t have worried. 

The Algarve is so much more than a golfer’s paradise — but it’s also the perfect place to learn.  

With a nature park that’s home to a 37-mile lagoon and salt marshes frequented by flamingos, otters and Mediterranean chameleons — plus breathtaking island beaches reminiscent of the Caribbean — this beauty spot is a haven for anyone seeking R&R. 

I was staying at the 4H Magnolia Hotel in Quinta do Lago, a lavish complex tucked away within the Ria Formosa Nature Park that features four hotels and a private villa estate spread across 2,000 acres. 

While the complex may be luxury, the price tag needn’t be. The Magnolia, one of the entry-level hotels, is affordable yet stylish and oozes retro glamour with its Palm Springs theme.  

AND RELAX

I stayed at the countryside spa hotel loved by WAGs with £50pp rooms

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Is this village the most autumnal English destination EVER?

A bright pink, neon ‘Welcome’ sign sits above the entrance, which is flanked by two cactus plants. Outside you’ll find a pool around which palm trees and stripey yellow sun loungers are dotted. Inside, the rooms are light, airy and unfussy.  

Staying here means you’ll also get access to the same shared facilities as the fancier hotels within Quinta do Lago, like the 5H Conrad.

This includes a gigantic lake with an inflatable obstacle course and watersports galore, plus a beach boardwalk that leads you straight down to the turquoise sea.

While golf is far from the only activity available to guests, the three championship courses are undoubtedly a big selling point to many.  

The legendary South Course has hosted the Portuguese Open eight times and each of the pristine fairways is backed by wildflowers and umbrella pines — pretty hard to resist. 

So it wasn’t long until I found myself at the driving range, picking up a club for the first time.  

Confronted with pyramids of perfectly-stacked golf balls, I wondered how many I would get through before I made a decent shot.  

But a beginner’s lesson from coach Callum had me swinging like a pro in no time, with simple drills and explanations that I could take away with me.  

If golf isn’t your sport, though, you can also try your hand at tennis, cycling, padel and Pilates. 

Many of these activities are at The Campus, which looks more like a glam beach club.  

It has a flawless football pitch on one side, and a patchwork of blue and orange sports courts on another.  

These grounds have been run on by elite athletes, including Chelsea and Everton footballers, during warm weather training camps, so you can be sure that the facilities here are top-notch. 

But despite its championship status and the reel of famous faces that have visited, I soon came to understand that Quinta do Lago is a place to relax and try new things, not one where you’re expected to step up to the plate and perform. 

If your aching muscles need soothing, then head to the wellness centre, which offers a sauna, steam room and plunge pool.  

There’s also Dano’s Sports Bar, a chillout spot where you can order wings and beers then sink back into a beanbag to catch a game on the big screen. 

I fuelled up on Caesar salad and bites of pizza before trying my hand at padel, which is basically tennis’s cooler, younger sibling. It’s a lot less strenuous and makes for easy rallies — ideal for beginners. 

My days at Quinta soon fell into a relaxed routine: wake up, spend the morning and afternoon trying new sports, go for a dip, then relax with dinner and cocktails. 

To fuel the body for all that sport, guests can pick from 14 dining spots spread across the resort and available to all guests. 

For an unbeatable breakfast, Pure backs on to the eighth hole of the North Golf Course and serves up freshly-squeezed juice and protein pancakes on a sun terrace shaded by pines.  

For lunch by the lake, stroll over to The Shack, where you can grab bites such as burgers and crispy fish tacos.  

And for a classy evening meal, I recommend Casa do Lago or Bovino — the former offers delicious fish from local markets, while the latter serves up juicy steaks and bold Portuguese red wines to match. 

Looking for the perfect way to end your night? Follow the boardwalk to its end to find Gigi’s, a cocktail bar that will happily shake up anything you like, and enjoy views of birds dipping down into the marshland. 

I left Quinta do Lago with not just a golden tan, but some muscle definition that I hadn’t seen in a while (a pleasant change from the usual extra holiday pounds) and a newfound love for golf — if you can’t beat them, join them. 

Holidays here feel like a health retreat that is actually fun and the exercise feels easy. There’s zero pressure to be perfect.  

Whether you want to spend your days down at the driving range, sipping cocktails by the beach or trying to master the splits in Pilates, this Portuguese playground is the place to do so.  

Who knew breaking a sweat could feel so incredibly glamorous?