TUNIS: After a riot sparked by a contested penalty and a flurry of red cards left 19 police officers hospitalized, Etoile Sahel said Sunday they were ready to go to court over their 3-2 defeat by bitter rivals Esperance.
Thirty-eight police officers were injured when they were pelted by smoke bombs, stones, chairs and pieces of metal at Thursday’s Tunisian league match in Rades, on the outskirts of Tunis.
The local football authorities also suspended the match referee Karim Khemiri until the end of the season, citing serious mistakes.
Etoile said on their website they “suspect match fixing in the match against Esperance,” and will be handing a dossier of information to government officials.
The penalty award came late in the second half with Etoile leading 2-1 and there were three red cards in the final 10 minutes.
Esperance will play their next three games behind closed doors after dangerous levels of smoke bombs and running battles on the terraces saw the match twice interrupted.
After this weekend’s games Esperance lead the Tunisian league on 44 points with Etoile in third on 36.
The visitors have been ordered to pay compensation for damage caused to the stadium, a venue often used to stage national team matches.
Football in Tunisia is regularly plagued by violence especially when the country’s top clubs clash.
In recent years, violence has escalated so much that sports minister Majdouline Cherni described the outbreaks as “stadium terrorism.”
Referee suspended and claims of match fixing after fans riot in Tunisia derby match
Referee suspended and claims of match fixing after fans riot in Tunisia derby match
LIV Golf to increase regular season field size to 57, adds third qualifying spot for LIV Golf Promotions
- LIV Golf Promotions will now reward the top three finishers with full-season wild card spots in the 2026 LIV Golf League
NEW YORK: LIV Golf on Tuesday announced it has increased its regular season field size and enhanced the qualifying opportunities for 2026 in the third edition of LIV Golf Promotions, set for Jan. 8–11 at the acclaimed Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida.
The four-day, 72-hole stroke play event presents one of the most dynamic entry points into the global golf ecosystem, offering spots in the 2026 LIV Golf League and The International Series, sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
Beginning this February, LIV Golf’s regular season field size will increase to 57 players, with 13 four-player teams and five wild card players competing throughout the League’s global schedule.
LIV Golf Promotions will now reward the top three finishers with full-season wild card spots in the 2026 LIV Golf League, an increase from the two spots previously announced.
The top 10 finishers, including ties, will earn full exemption into the 2026 International Series, the set of elevated events sanctioned by the Asian Tour. The move further enhances the pathways into LIV Golf from 2025 to 2026, with an increase in exemptions from one to two players through The International Series and an increase from one to three players through LIV Golf Promotions. The five qualifying players will compete independently as wild cards in 2026 with guaranteed spots in the League’s 13 regular season events.
“LIV Golf is committed to moving the sport forward by expanding opportunity and access,” said LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil. “We are opening pathways — creating more chances for top talent to compete in the world’s golf league. Adding another qualifying spot strengthens our field and adds excitement to a season built on opportunity, competition, and growth.”
The top three finishers in LIV Golf Promotions will enter the 2026 LIV Golf League alongside Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji, who sealed their spots as the top two players in the final rankings of the 2025 International Series, which concluded last month at the 2025 PIF Saudi International at Riyadh Golf Club.
