Luis Suárez’s season started with a ban for biting an opponent and ended with the critical second goal in the Champions League final, crowning another bizarre but triumphant chapter in the Barcelona striker’s eventful career. Barça’s 3-1 win over Juventus in Berlin was their fifth European title as well as the culmination of a Spanish league, cup and Champions League treble. “Juventus caused us a lot of trouble but we have written history again for Barcelona. This is one of the best seasons of this great club,” said Barça coach Luis Enrique, who nonetheless refused to confirm whether he would still be at the club next season. Elsewhere the Women’s World Cup kicked off in Canada, the host nation winning a nervy opening encounter against China courtesy of an injury-time penalty.
Australia on song in Roseau
Australia’s cricketers fired off an Ashes warning to England with a crushing nine-wicket win over West Indies in the first Test in Roseau, largely thanks to debutant Adam Voges’s 130 not out in the first innings. England, meanwhile, fired off an Ashes warning to themselves, getting blitzed by New Zealand’s batting at Headingley to round off their Test series at 1-1. Warm tributes were also paid to England’s 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter, who retired from the game after failing to fully recover his vision after being hit in the eye by a ball during a county championship match in 2014.
Farah’s stressful week
Like an Olympic gold medal-winning runner being pursued by an unexpectedly perky opponent, Mo Farah struggled to escape the pong of allegations that his coach, Alberto Salazar, had supplied performance-enhancing drugs to the Briton’s training partner Galen Rupp. Farah insisted he personally was “100% clean” but withdrew from a Diamond League meet in Birmingham and flew back to the US for discussions with Salazar after what he called “a stressful week”. Salazar and Rupp deny all the allegations.
Rugby mourns Jerry Collins
The rugby world was in mourning after the former New Zealand international Jerry Collins was killed along with his wife, Alana Madill, in a road accident in France. Their three-month-old daughter survived but was in critical condition. Collins, who was 34 and had been playing club rugby for Narbonne, made his All Blacks debut aged 20 in 2001 and played 48 Tests, three as captain.
Hamilton roars on
Formula one took its eco-calamitous hydrocarbon-powered roadshow to eco-calamitous hydrocarbon-producer Canada, where Lewis Hamilton reeled off another routine win in Montreal to consolidate his drivers’ championship lead. “I love Montreal, I love the track, I love the city,” said Hamilton, before donning sunglasses and boarding a flight to somewhere else.
