Isaac del Toro's rise is due to his own merit: Matxín
“He has confidence, courage and character”
Isaac del Toro's rise is due to his own merit: Matxín
▲ Del Toro and Matxín , who discovered the Mexican cyclist and has helped him achieve success. Photo @matxin_
Juan Manuel Vázquez
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, September 18, 2025, p. a11
Never before has a Mexican been so close to the top of the cycling rankings. Baja California native Isaac del Toro, at 21, sits in sixth place in the rankings , just a few steps away from the Olympus of cycling.
The winner of the recent Vuelta a España and world number two, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, said without exaggeration that he saw Del Toro as a cyclist who aspires to the summit dominated by Slovenian Tadej Pogacar.
This wasn't a comment meant to encourage a rookie. Del Toro hasn't even been a professional for two years and he's already been the leader for 11 consecutive days at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, where he finished runner-up, and his winning streak has kept him just a few points off the top five in the standings. He also has the full confidence of his UAE Emirates team, the most successful in the elite, which catapulted him to this success.
“He's where he is right now thanks to his own merits. He has courage and character; he has complete confidence and belief in his talent, and that's what's brought him to where he is today,” says Joxean Fernández Matxín , the scout and sporting director of UAE Team Emirates, who has catapulted Del Toro's brief but dizzying career.
British cyclist Charles Wegelius recounts in his memoir how young aspiring professionals eagerly flock to the team hotels during races. They know the scouts and sporting directors of the major teams will be there, so they must be present and attract their attention to be considered for future signings.
When he was still an amateur, Del Toro did something similar and approached Fernández, who eventually signed him after striking up a virtual friendship on social media. The Mexican cyclist sought him out with the enthusiasm of a young aspirant who wants to soak up the experience of someone already immersed in elite competition.
“He wrote to me from the very beginning. He asked my opinion through social media. I was impressed that he was a Mexican competing in cyclo-cross in Belgium, the birthplace of the sport. How could a Mexican be there? Well, it showed he had a lot of courage, and that really caught my attention,” Matxín says in a video he shared with La Jornada .
Matxín saw him compete against professionals when he was still an amateur, and the results were convincing for a young man who wasn't even 20 yet. So he decided to support him selflessly and promised to find him a place on a team and get him a contract.
Then came Del Toro's breakthrough in 2023 with victory in the Vuelta a l'Avenir, the race organized by the same team as the Tour de France, which serves as a showcase for his professional career. Matxín says that after that victory, the Mexican had received more than a dozen offers from various teams.
"The relationship we had built, both personally and with my team, put us in a privileged position to sign him," says the sporting director.
“He didn't go into the Giro d'Italia as a leader. It was more for tactical maneuvers, something we usually do,” recalls Matxín , who, along with the team, had planned a schedule for Del Toro to participate in different levels of races, gaining experience and adding victories.
In the end, the young man from Ensenada, Baja California, demonstrated that character and today is a cyclist who has earned the respect of even the legendary monsters of the road.
PSG kick off their Champions League title defense with a rout
▲ Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (7), who is vying for the ball with Charles de Ketelaere, contributed a goal yesterday in the Parisian team's 4-0 victory over Atalanta. Photo AFP
AFP
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, September 18, 2025, p. a11
Paris. Paris Saint-Germain confirmed that they are serious contenders to repeat their Champions League title, after beating Atalanta 4-0 yesterday in their tournament debut at the Parc des Princes.
Without the injured Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué, captain Marquinhos, who lifted the club's first ever Big Ears trophy a few months ago, opened the scoring in the 3rd minute with a shot from inside the penalty area past Italian goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.
PSG's attacks continued unabated, and every approach was a constant threat to the opposition's defense. Before the end of the first half, Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave a masterclass with the ball at his feet, eluding five opponents and blasting into the top corner to extend the Parisian side's lead (38).
In the second half, the game remained unchanged. In the 51st minute, Portuguese forward Nuno Mendes fired the ball into the net.
Before the end of the match, forward Goncalo Ramos took advantage of a defensive lapse to score the last goal with a subtle shot (90+1).
“It was difficult at the beginning to overcome Atalanta's pressure. We created many chances and I think we deserved the win. It was a difficult match; with the quality of our players, we have to try to improve in every phase of the game,” summed up coach Luis Enrique.
At Anfield, Liverpool secured a nail-biting 3-2 victory over Atlético Madrid, thanks to a goal from Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk in stoppage time.
Early goals from Andrew Robertson (4) and Mohamed Salah (6) raised fears of a painful defeat for the Colchoneros, but Diego Simeone's team managed to recover with a double from Marcos Llorente (45+3, 81).
However, in stoppage time, Van Dijk (90+2) headed in the Reds ' winning goal.
Argentine Simeone was sent off for confronting a fan in the stands and had to be restrained by members of his coaching staff and stadium security.
In other results, Bayern Munich thrashed world champions Chelsea 3-1 thanks to a brace from English striker Karry Kane, while his compatriot Cole Palmer pulled one back for the Blues . Inter Milan beat Ajax 2-0, and Olympiacos drew 0-0 with Paphos.
▲ Given the risk of increased match-fixing and illegal betting in the context of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA and the United Nations are working on preventative measures in the interest of transparency. Photo @Xolos
Erendira Palma Hernández
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, September 18, 2025, p. a12
The 2026 World Cup presents an opportunity to develop a new strategy to address the risk of escalating illegal betting manipulation and match-fixing in football. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) recently issued a warning about this situation, strengthening laws and raising awareness about the rise in gambling addiction.
Hurtado explained that while both FIFA and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) have created protocols for these risks and can even sanction individuals within the football ecosystem—players and executives—their scope doesn't go beyond that.
He stressed the need to strengthen the common law, but also to work on awareness-raising workshops in collaboration with the FMF and FIFA.
“The issue of education is crucial. Clubs can be required to provide annual integrity workshops to their players, coaching staff, and staff . The Federation and FIFA can do the same with individual teams and federations, respectively. They should even have integrity officers who report these cases (of match-fixing), like those at UEFA. Especially because reporting is so important.”
"There are also preventive measures, such as consulting with companies specializing in data tracking to determine how information is cross-referenced with betting houses. Reviewing the minor leagues: the Expansion League, the Premier League, and the Women's League," the specialist emphasized.
Regarding Mexican legal regulations, he considered that beyond classifying cases of match-fixing, for now the gaming and lottery law could be strengthened to ensure greater transparency.
One aspect he considered relevant was online betting, as it's an industry that has grown in the last decade, including examples like Caliente, which sponsors and owns teams. Hurtado indicated that their influence should be analyzed, not only on their gaming dynamics, but also on the increase in cases of gambling addiction, particularly among young people.
“Social protection is very important. You have to look at the advertising of gambling houses. How minors are understanding it and how they relate to them specifically, because it's a reality. I don't see this sector as an enemy, but certain guidelines need to be strengthened.”
FIFA and UNODC have been working since 2021 on the Integrity Program to address corruption cases in sport. As part of this work, the UN body has recognized the risk of increased match-fixing and illegal betting, which poses a threat ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Some countries have implemented legal measures to criminalize these cases, such as Spain and Italy. Regarding the World Cup hosts, the United States has a law criminalizing bribery in sports, and Canada has a similar criminal code, although neither specifically addresses the concept of match-fixing.
In Mexico, however, there is no legislation specifically addressing cases of match-fixing in sports. "If we want to criminalize it, we must make changes to the regulations. For now, we can resort to the crimes of fraud and bribery," Hurtado noted.
The FMF has revealed several such cases this year, the most significant of which involves seven players from the Liga de Expansión—six from Real Apodaca and one from Correcaminos—two of whom were suspended for up to 16 years.
The Mexican Women's League was also implicated in a similar case, after the Mazatlán club was investigated and the Disciplinary Committee sanctioned a female soccer player for six years for violating the FMF and FIFA codes of ethics.
Dani Alves must compensate Pumas for "damages and losses."
Karla Torrijos
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, September 18, 2025, p. a12
Former Brazilian footballer Dani Alves will have to pay compensation to Pumas, the club he joined in 2022 and where he only played 13 matches after being accused of sexual assault, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of the auriazul team in the context of a contractual dispute between the two parties.
"The CAS ruled in favor of the club, reversing the decision of May 15, 2024, issued by the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber and issuing a new decision in which, in addition to confirming the validity of the club's termination for just cause, it ordered Mr. Alves to pay a sum greater than the amount established by FIFA, as compensation for the damages caused to this institution," the UNAM team reported yesterday in a statement.
On January 20, 2023, while playing for Pumas, Alves was arrested and sentenced to four and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.
Given this situation, the university decided to terminate his employment contract with just cause, effective January 23, 2023.
After spending 14 months in prison (until March 2024), the former Barcelona and Brazilian national team player was released after paying bail of one million euros (1.2 million dollars at the time) and was placed on hold awaiting his appeal.
Finally, in March of this year, the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) acquitted the footballer of sexual assault, finding that the original ruling contained "gaps, inaccuracies, and contradictions regarding the facts."
After the news broke, Pumas sued Alves for $3 million for breach of contract, since the former PSG and Juventus player had requested permission to attend his mother-in-law's funeral in Barcelona when he actually had an arrest warrant for sexual abuse, which is why he did not return to Mexico.
Initially, FIFA ruled in favor of the feline team; however, the case escalated to the CAS after the Brazilian defender countersued Pumas for nearly $2 million for moral damages, defamation, and unilateral termination of his contract.
The SSPC warns of cyber fraud for the World Cup
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, September 18, 2025, p. a12
The Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) issued recommendations to prevent scams in the sale of tickets and tourist packages for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada through fake websites and social media ads.
"Cybercriminals are using fake World Cup websites and fake social media platforms to resell supposedly legitimate tickets," he said.
"In addition, there are fake or cloned websites related to the 2026 World Cup selling tourist packages promoted by supposed travel agencies," he added in a statement.
To avoid falling prey to any type of fraud or scam, the SSCP recommended being wary of advance offers, verifying the authenticity of websites, using secure payment methods with credit cards or platforms that have fraud protection mechanisms, and only purchasing during the times specified by FIFA and through official agencies.
He emphasized that fans interested in purchasing tickets must register for the random draw FIFA will conduct to determine which fans will be eligible to purchase tickets. The official registration site is https://www.fifa.com/tickets .
Ticket sales will be phased, and prices will range from $60 (1,120 pesos) for the group stage to $6,730 (125,960 pesos) for the final.
The first registration period for the lottery for selected fans who will be eligible to purchase tickets will close at 9:00 a.m. Mexico City time on September 19. The second registration window will be from October 27 to 31, while the third and final opportunity will be in December.
Chivas draws with Tigres without goals
Match delayed by thunderstorm
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, September 18, 2025, p. a35
Guadalajara drew 0-0 against Tigres in a matchday 1 of the Liga MX 2025 Apertura tournament yesterday at Akron Stadium. The game was delayed two hours due to a thunderstorm that caused flooding at the stadium, which is one of the venues in Mexico for the 2026 World Cup, along with Azteca Stadium and BBVA Stadium in Monterrey.
After heavy rain and cleanup efforts, the stadium passed the test and was in optimal condition for the match, which was postponed from July due to turf work in preparation for the World Cup being jointly organized by Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Chivas failed to capitalize on its winning momentum—after beating América in the national derby this weekend—to climb into the top 10 of the standings, following a losing start to the tournament in four matches.
In the 62nd minute, the Red and Whites had a chance to take the lead, but Argentine goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán saved a penalty from Efraín Álvarez, who shot at the center of the goal. The felines created several opportunities but failed to breach Raúl Rangel's goal.
The Guadalajara team is in 11th place in the standings with eight points, while the Monterrey team is in fifth place with 15 points.
At closing
From the track to the diamond
▲ Checo Pérez threw out the first pitch in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 5-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. "It's very special for me to be with a team that has given so much to so many Mexicans, especially El Toro Valenzuela, who has been very unique on this team, although all the tricolors who have worn these colors have been a source of pride," said the Cadillac Formula 1 driver; he revealed that starting next week he will be working with the simulator at his new team. Photo AP
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, September 18, 2025, p. a35
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