Lewis Hamilton insists Christian Horner is ‘stirring things’ after the Red Bull team principal claimed the Mercedes driver’s team approached him about a move earlier this year. A representative of Hamilton put out feelers about leaving Mercedes earlier this year, according to a report in the Daily Mail, with Red Bull and Ferrari both approached. However Hamilton, who has won six of his seven world titles at Mercedes, signed a new two-year contract with the Silver Arrows in September and in Abu Dhabi on Thursday denied Horner’s claim. “I know it’s [the story] has come from Christian, I don’t really understand what he’s been talking about,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “No one as far as I’m aware from my team has spoken to him. I haven’t spoken to Christian in years. “However he did reach out to me earlier on in the year about meeting up. But that’s it. I congratulated him on an amazing year and said ‘hopefully soon I’ll be able to fight against you guys in the near future.’ “That was it. I’m not really sure… I think he’s just stirring things. “There aren’t any confidential discussions. You know Christian… he loves that kind of stuff.” Horner told the Mail that he “can’t see Max and Lewis working out together”. Hamilton now has a deal until the end of the 2025 season with Mercedes while Max Verstappen has a long-term contract with Red Bull until 2028. “100% would be more than happy to race against him [Max] in an equal car,” Hamilton added. “Red Bull have done an amazing job and it is an incredible team. Any driver would love to drive with such a great group of people. “Moving from a car that’s not so great to a winning car from my perspective, that’s not a dream. The dream is always to start where we are and to build up to then winning. That’s why I’ve stayed with Mercedes.” Hamilton was heavily linked with Ferrari earlier in the season but put all speculation to bed when he penned a new £50m-a-year extension with Mercedes, a rise of approximately £10m. Hamilton has not won since December 2021 in Saudi Arabia. A week later, he lost the 2021 world championship to Verstappen on the final lap in controversial circumstances in Abu Dhabi. Mercedes have just won one race since, with George Russell’s first F1 victory in Brazil last year, while Hamilton has had 15 podiums since 2021 without a victory. Red Bull, meanwhile, have won 20 of the 21 races this season with Verstappen triumphant a record-breaking 18 times ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Read More Why are Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen missing first practice in Abu Dhabi? Hamilton ‘made contact with Red Bull and Ferrari’ before signing new Mercedes deal Guenther Steiner to produce new hit ‘workplace comedy’ show F1 Juniors broadcast an admirable idea – but all kids want to be is grown up Mick Schumacher returns to racing with Alpine in 2024 Lando Norris posts update from hospital after Las Vegas crash

Academy graduate Jarell Quansah was denied a dream first goal by VAR in the final minute of added time as Liverpool squandered the chance to secure qualification for the Europa League knockout stage with a 3-2 defeat in Toulouse. The 20-year-old, replacing ill captain Virgil van Dijk in the side, poked home in the seventh additional minute to claim what would have been a barely-deserved point in southern France. However, VAR alerted referee Georgi Kabakov to a potential handball after the ball bounced up off Alexis Mac Allister’s chest in the build-up and the Georgian official contentiously chalked it off. Even a draw would have hardly papered over the individual errors and a lack of cohesion throughout a team registering nine changes. Toulouse, who had won only three matches prior to this game, had been thrashed 5-1 at Anfield a fortnight ago but were an entirely different prospect on home turf, although they benefited from some shambolic defending. Liverpool still top the group but their advantage has been cut to just two points and although they have the two weakest sides still to play Klopp’s 450th game in charge was not one to remember as they slipped to their first European defeat this season. The only cause for celebration on the night came a couple of hours before kick-off when news came through from Colombia that Luis Diaz’s father had been released from his 12-day kidnap ordeal. But even that could not ease the pain of Kostas Tsimikas dawdling in possession for Toulouse’s psychologically important first goal, or how easily the visitors conceded two more in the second half. It even took an own goal from Cristian Casseres to get them back into the game at 2-1, only for them to concede again less than three minutes later and it was not until the 89th minute that substitute Diogo Jota set up the late drama. On the back of the Diaz news the game began brightly for Liverpool with Joe Gomez, who has never scored for Liverpool in 188 games, flicking a Cody Gakpo cross onto the bar. Diaz turned Mikkel Desler inside out twice to win a free-kick before his knockdown of Gomez’s cross saw Mac Allister’s volley deflected over, with goalkeeper Guillaume Restes’ parrying Ben Doak’s shot. Toulouse gave Liverpool a warning they did not heed when Gabriel Suazo slid in at the far post to deflect Niklas Schmidt’s cross wide. Seven minutes later Tsimikas was sloppy in possession and robbed by Donnum, who raced into the penalty area to beat Caoimhin Kelleher via a deflection off Quansah’s leg. Midfielder Wataru Endo, who had already been booked, was lucky to escape with a lunge on Casseres but he was not so fortunate in surviving the half-time cull – and neither was Tsimikas. Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold were their replacements, with the unfortunate Doak making way for Mohamed Salah. Toulouse immediately exposed the space behind Alexander-Arnold, as Gomez had switched to left-back, with Suazo breaking forward and cutting inside Quansah before rolling a shot wide of the far post. Thijs Dallinga did beat Kelleher in the 50th minute but referee Georgi Kabakov brought play back for a foul on Joel Matip on the edge of the penalty area. However, Dallinga’s movement got the better of Matip eight minutes later when Diaz lost the ball on the left wing, running in behind to collect Suazo’s cross with his first touch and fire past Kelleher with his second. Liverpool pulled a goal back they barely deserved in fortuitous fashion in the 74th minute when Gomez’s looping header towards the far post was turned into his own net by Casseres. But that luck was short-lived as almost instantly Frank Magri converted Suazo’s cross. Although Jota’s weaving run and shot set up Quansah’s moment in the spotlight late on, the technology denied the young centre-back. Read More Ansu Fati and Simon Adingra guide Brighton to victory at Ajax England’s Ben Stokes has ‘no idea’ if Pakistan clash will be his last ODI Rasmus Hojlund says ‘a matter of time’ until Erik ten Hag improves Man United Gareth Southgate ‘not interested in just racking up games’ as England manager Ali Price joins Edinburgh on loan from Glasgow after input from Scotland How Manchester United managers have fared since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement

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Chiedozie Ogbene has warned the Republic of Ireland they must expect the Netherlands to be every bit as good as France as they head into Sunday’s do-or-die Euro 2024 qualifier in Dublin. The 26-year-old Luton frontman and his team-mates were back on home soil on Friday, still licking their wounds after a 2-0 Group B defeat in Paris in which they were subjected to the full armoury at Didier Deschamps’ disposal. With only three points banked from their first four games – and those from a 3-0 victory over Gibraltar – anything less than a win against the Dutch would leave their qualification hopes in tatters. But asked if they could a least hope Ronald Koeman’s side would not be as powerful as the French, Ogbene said: “I think they will be as good. “The Dutch have good experience in this competition. We’ll take nothing for granted. We’ll do our homework and try and get a positive result because that is what we need right now. Any sort of good result to help us control our destiny in this competition. “Nothing is over until it is over. We like to control our destiny. If we don’t get a positive result, it is out of our hands.” Ireland were taught a brutal lesson at the Parc des Princes by the side ranked second in the world and had to defend for dear life to stay within touching distance. The Netherlands are only five places worse off, while Ireland sit in 53rd place in the table and the trip to Paris proved a bruising one. We all want to qualify for Germany and do well for the nation Chiedozie Ogbene However, Ogbene knows there is only so much time to reflect before minds have to focus once again. He said: “It’s difficult for some players because everyone is emotionally engaged in this competition. We all want to qualify for Germany and do well for the nation. “It’s not as easy as it says, just to move on to Sunday. We have to do it. We have 24 hours (for it) to sink in and let our thoughts run wild. “After 24 hours, you have to move on because we have a big game on Sunday. If we win that, we’re back in the running.” Manager Stephen Kenny is hoping that is exactly what happens with knives being sharpened at the prospect of the campaign effectively ending with three games to go. For a generation of Ireland supporters, memories of a famous 1-0 World Cup qualifier win over a Dutch side which included Edwin Van Der Sar, Jaap Stam, Marc Overmars, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Patrick Kluivert at Lansdowne Road in September 2001 remain vivid and a repeat could hardly be more timely. Kenny said: “I was a supporter in the crowd at that game. It was an unbelievable performance all right and a great win and a famous win, of course. “That team was a really top-class Irish team. But from our point of view, that’s what we need to do. We have got to believe that we can put in the performance that can get the result we need.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Steve Clarke says Ryan Porteous block was highlight of Scotland’s win in Cyprus Harry Kane hopes for club and country delight in bid to end trophy hoodoo Connor Roberts knows Wales may not qualify for every major tournament

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