Sports
Zidane holds the key to defeating racism in football: Ruud Gullit
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Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit has outlined exactly why football is failing to properly address racism within the game in an exclusive interview with Off Script on Dubai Eye 103.8.
The 57-year-old former Ballon D’Or winner says it is only when the game’s influential figures speak out, that the authorities sit up and take notice, adding that complaints made by black players are largely ignored.
During a candid discussion on the increasing incidents of racist abuse both online and at stadiums, Gullit also defended Italian fans, who made headlines recently for directing monkey chants at Romelu Lukaku during Inter Milan’s match at Cagliari on September 1.
Gullit, who played for AC Milan between 1987 and 1994, echoed the claims made by Inter Milan’s fans over the last 24 hours, that the chants amount to gamesmanship and are in fact a mark of respect.
And he is quick to point out that while racism is by no means confined to football, the mob mentality that exists within the game has exacerbated it.
“This is not only an issue in football. This a plague in society,” the two-time European Cup winner told Off Script. “When things aren’t going well people always try and find a scapegoat. And they always point the finger at someone who is in the minority.
“It’s very ignorant to do so, but when people gather around in groups, all of a sudden this [racism] comes out. When you talk to them individually, they probably don’t have an issue.”
Gullit went on to highlight what he believes is the crux of why significant progress to combat racism is not being made.
Gullit on tackling racism
“It’s like cancer. The problem with this is that when a black person talks about it, everyone shrugs their shoulders ‘oh, here’s another one who feels attacked or feels this and that’.
“If someone important, a white person talks about it and says ‘this has to stop’ then more people will talk about it and take action.
“The same thing happened with #MeToo, when women all the time talked about themselves, people after a while say hey ‘always thinking ah, you’re in the minority’.
“But therefore someone opposite says something about it, for example, Zinedine Zidane, all of a sudden people will listen and say ‘this is not good’.
“That’s one thing. But of course, the authorities FIFA and UEFA need to take a stand, and to say what to do when this happens. Do we ignore it? What is the best thing to do?”
Meanwhile, recalling his time spent playing in Italy, Gullit was quick to defend Italian fans.
Ruud Gullit on racism in Italian football
“People had issues because we were good. Of course, they are going to direct abuse at you, but I didn’t see it as personal, I saw it as them wanting to put me off my game.
“The funny thing was that when we played, after the game, they always applauded us.
“For me, to see these things, it’s a little bit odd for Italy. I know the country has issues among themselves between north and south, but in my time, they were abusing you, but just to put you off, and afterwards, they’d applaud you.
“It surprises me because I have a very good memory of Italy. I love Italy. The style and the way Italian people are.”
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The battle for the Norway Chess 2026 title took another dramatic turn in Round Seven as Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu delivered one of the standout performances of the tournament, defeating Alireza Firouzja in a crucial classical encounter that reshaped the leaderboard.
With the competition entering its decisive stages in Oslo, every point is proving vital, and Praggnanandhaa’s victory could have major implications for the title race.
Praggnanandhaa delivers statement victory
Facing one of the tournament favourites, Praggnanandhaa displayed remarkable composure and precision throughout a lengthy battle against Firouzja. After gradually building an advantage, the Indian star converted his position with impressive technique, securing a full classical win and three valuable points.
The defeat marks Firouzja’s second classical loss of the tournament and significantly tightens the race at the top.
For Praggnanandhaa, the result keeps him firmly in contention and reinforces his growing reputation as one of the most dangerous competitors on the global chess circuit.
Carlsen stays within reach
Home favourite and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen remained firmly in the hunt after drawing his classical game against Vincent Keymer.
The Norwegian star was unable to find a breakthrough during the regular encounter, but once again demonstrated his trademark fighting spirit in the Armageddon playoff. Carlsen emerged victorious in the tiebreak, collecting the additional points needed to stay within striking distance of the tournament leader.
With several rounds still to play, Carlsen remains a serious threat as he seeks another Norway Chess title on home soil.
Gukesh claims Armageddon success
The clash between reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and tournament leader Wesley So also went the distance.
After an intense and closely balanced classical game ended in a draw, the players headed into Armageddon, where Gukesh emerged victorious. While So missed out on the extra points, he did enough to retain his place at the top of the standings.
Standings after round seven
Despite the setback, Wesley So continues to lead the tournament with 12.5 points.
Current standings:
- Wesley So – 12.5 points
- Alireza Firouzja – 10 points
- Magnus Carlsen – 9 points
- Vincent Keymer – 9 points
- Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu – 9 points
With only a handful of rounds remaining, the fight for the title remains wide open.
Assaubayeva strengthens grip on women’s tournament
The women’s tournament also produced a pivotal round, with Bibisara Assaubayeva taking a major step towards the title.
Playing with the white pieces against Zhu Jiner, the Kazakh star seized control after a complex middlegame and converted her advantage with confidence. The classical victory earned her the full three points and extended her lead at the top of the standings.
Divya Deshmukh keeps pressure on
Indian talent Divya Deshmukh continued her impressive campaign despite drawing her classical game against Humpy Koneru.
The youngster bounced back strongly in Armageddon, defeating Koneru with the black pieces to secure the additional points and maintain her position as Assaubayeva’s closest challenger.
Muzychuk remains in contention
Another key battle saw Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun face Anna Muzychuk.
After a hard-fought classical draw, Muzychuk claimed victory in the Armageddon playoff, collecting crucial points that keep her firmly in the title race heading into the final rounds.
Norway Chess women’s standings
Following Round Seven:
- Bibisara Assaubayeva – 12.5 points
- Divya Deshmukh – 10 points
- Anna Muzychuk – 9.5 points
A thrilling finish awaits
As Norway Chess 2026 enters its closing stages, both tournaments remain finely poised. While Wesley So continues to lead the open event, challengers led by Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa are closing in.
Meanwhile, Assaubayeva has strengthened her grip on the women’s competition, but with Divya Deshmukh and Anna Muzychuk still within reach, the race for the title is far from over.
With every draw leading to high-stakes Armageddon battles and every point carrying enormous significance, fans can expect even more drama before the champions are crowned in Oslo.
Round three of Norway Chess 2026 delivered another explosive day of elite competition, with Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu scoring one of the biggest wins of his career against World No 1 Magnus Carlsen.
The highly anticipated clash unfolded as a tense strategic battle before turning dramatic in severe time pressure. Praggnanandhaa held the initiative for much of the game and appeared to be steadily outplaying the Norwegian star. Carlsen briefly turned the tables late in the contest, creating hopes of another escape act, but a critical blunder moments later forced the five-time world champion to resign immediately.
The victory marks another significant milestone for the Indian prodigy, who continues to establish himself among the strongest players on the global chess circuit.
Meanwhile, tournament leader Alireza Firouzja faced reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in a hard-fought encounter that ended in a classical draw after a tense positional struggle.
Firouzja later emerged victorious in the Armageddon tiebreak, earning the extra points needed to preserve his lead at the top of the standings.
The third matchup between Vincent Keymer and Wesley So also remained evenly balanced throughout the classical portion before Wesley So claimed victory in Armageddon.
Women’s round
In the women’s tournament, every classical game once again ended level, forcing all three matchups into Armageddon deciders.
Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun and Zhu Jiner produced a tense battle in which Zhu held strong winning chances at one stage but could not fully convert her advantage in classical play. Zhu later recovered to win the Armageddon game and secure the additional points.
Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru also split the point in classical chess before Muzychuk prevailed in the tiebreak.
Another intense matchup saw tournament leader Bibisara Assaubayeva battle rising Indian talent Divya Deshmukh in a complicated struggle that eventually finished drawn. Divya later captured the Armageddon victory to continue closing the gap in the standings.
Despite the strong performances from her rivals, Assaubayeva remains in first place in Norway Chess Women after three rounds of intense competition in Oslo.
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