Month: May 2024

AS Monaco celebrated their Champions League qualification with a 4-0 hammering of FC Nantes at a festive Stade Louis II on Sunday. 

Football took a back-seat role as Monaco hosted Nantes on the final day of the season. Neither side had anything to play for: the Principality side were assured of second place, whilst Les Canaris had already ensured their safety for next season.

Monaco’s Ultras’ 30th birthday celebrations only heightened the feeling that attention was elsewhere – the 9,150 that packed into the Louis II, including Prince Albert II and owner Dmitry Rybolovlev, were there to celebrate.

However, Les Monégasques did well to capture fans’ attention, putting on an attacking spectacle, and blowing Nantes away in 23 minutes.  Wissam Ben Yedder, in what may very well be his final game as a Monaco player, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a deft close-range finish.

Kehrer celebrates permanent Monaco move with a goal

Thilo Kehrer also had something to celebrate on the night. The German’s permanent move from West Ham United to ASM was made official on Friday and to cap the occasion, he got on the scoresheet just four minutes later. When Mohamed Camara scored Monaco’s third in just the 23rd minute, Nantes did have something to play for – pride.

“It was a catastrophic start to the match,” admitted Nantes manager Antoine Kombouaré. “When you defend like this, you run into big problems. We’re disappointed, very disappointed,” he added.

Fearing a drubbing, Nantes closed up defensively for the rest of the half, offering few chances, bar a Folarin Balogun shot on the swivel that struck the foot of the post. However, the Principality club were always the more threatening against an impotent Nantes attack.

Rybolovlev on Champions League qualification – “It’s a beautiful gift”

They deservedly got a fourth after the break through Eliesse Ben Seghir. Nantes never pushed for a consolation, Monaco were content to keep their opponents at arms and that’s exactly what they did until the final whistle, which was met with celebratory scenes as the stress and physical and mental exertion of a difficult season seeped out.

“It’s a beautiful gift for the Monégasques and for the AS Monaco fans on the dawn of the club’s centenary,” reacted owner Dmitry Rybolovlev post-match. “I want to congratulate the whole group, all of the staff, and those that work at the club for this result and thank them for the work that they have done during this season in which we finished on the podium for the third time in four years,” added the Russian.

“We wanted a good win in from of our fans in the last game. The 4-0 win, we deserved it,” added Adi Hütter, who stated that pre-season will begin on 25th June. For now, AS Monaco and their players will enjoy a “hard-earned” rest before what promises to be an enthralling season, with the return of Champions League group-stage football for the first time since the 2018/19 season.

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Main photo: AS Monaco

What a difference a year can make. Cancelled last year due to widespread flooding in the region, the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix took place on the famous Imola Circuit under a near cloudless sky and in glorious sunshine.

Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc initially qualified in P4, but due to a three-place grid penalty for McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who had taken P2, the Monegasque was able to advance one place to start in P3 on the second row alongside his teammate, Carlos Sainz, who began the race in P4. 

See more: Charles Leclerc auction raises nearly €430,000 for Italy’s flood victims

Leclerc’s race was relatively smooth and steady, despite his attempts to chase down McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. 

The race was ultimately all about these two drivers. The latter stages saw Norris free himself of Leclerc and increase his pursuit of Verstappen, who won his third consecutive Emilia Romagna Grand Prix by just 0.725 seconds.  

The biggest cheers from the local crowds that had gathered to watch the racing at the Imola Circuit, officially known as the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, were reserved for fan favourite Leclerc, who made sure to thank the tifosi in a gracious post-race speech – in Italian.  

“Today’s race went well and we got even closer to our rivals,” he later told reporters. “If we had qualified higher up, we could have presented our fans with an even better result. Overall, there are plenty of positives to take away from this race: the upgrades worked as expected and we are more competitive. We must continue to work to close the gap, which although small, still separates us from the race winner. Obviously, we dedicate this result and our performance to the tifosi who are the best fans in the world and they always support us come what may. I’m sure we’ll soon be able to pay them back with a win.”

Leclerc will now have just one thing on his mind: the imminent Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday 26th May. Not only is it the biggest event of the year in the Principality, but Leclerc has never won on his home track. He will no doubt be hoping that will all change at the 81st edition of the Monaco Grand Prix, and he will have all the support of the Principality behind him.  

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Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre