The original designer of the widely criticized Madring circuit blamed minor changes made after his company was excluded from the project for the lack of overtakes during this weekend's lackluster Spanish Grand Prix, and stressed that there was little that could be done to improve the circuit's design in the future.
Garneau Zavelli told the Associated Press on Tuesday that changing the locations of the barriers, the choice of the track surface, and the new Formula 1 regulations were all factors that contributed to the lack of excitement in Sunday’s race, which witnessed Madrid’s return to Formula 1 after an absence of 45 years.
There were only a few overtakes during the race, which was won by Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, on the 5.4 km (3.3 mile) urban circuit, which combines existing roads with purpose-built sections in the Spanish capital. Drivers praised the atmosphere of excitement and suspense that characterizes the circuit, but strongly criticized the lack of overtaking opportunities.
Zavelli was the original designer of the arena, but is no longer involved in the project. He noted that his contract was illegally terminated by organizers last year, and said that police accompanied him when he arrived at the track for this weekend's race. Legal proceedings are still ongoing.
Zavelli said the original circuit design had generally been preserved, but minor modifications had contributed to fewer overtaking opportunities. He added that the changes he had planned to make during the final phase of construction of the circuit were ultimately not implemented.
He said: “If you start changing some inclinations, even a few centimeters in turns, or change the type of asphalt, or the position of some barriers, the purpose of the original design will be affected.”
Sunderland, one of England's three representatives in the Unified Group League of the European League (Europa League), will begin its first continental participation in 53 years, facing AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands in 9 matches in the first round today, the most prominent of which is the meeting between Italian Milan and Portuguese Benfica.
After decades of decline, Sunderland returns to European participation at its home stadium, the “Stadium of Light,” in a new stop in an exceptional recovery process for a club that has spent many decades in a spiral of decline.
A little more than four years ago, the team nicknamed the “Black Cats” was in the English third division (League One).
But the team rose to the second level (Championship) in 2022, then returned to the Premier League via the playoffs in May 2025, before achieving a surprise by finishing in seventh place during its first season after returning to the top flight.
The North East England Club has a long history. Only 6 clubs surpass him in the number of Premier League titles, but his sixth and final title dates back to 1936.
Sunderland was synonymous with glamor in the 1950s, even being called the “Bank of England Club” because of its lavish spending, but the club did not reap much in return for those expenses, and its last major coronation was in 1973 when it defeated Leeds United in the FA Cup final.
Despite long years of stagnation, the club, located about 12 miles (19 km) from its arch-rival Newcastle United, remained among the most popular in England. It attracted more than 30,000 spectators even when it was playing in the third division.
Now, the “Stadium of Light”, which has a capacity of 49,000 spectators and was opened in 1997, hosts Premier League matches again, and is preparing to welcome European football for the first time.
This European trip is a great reward for the Swiss-French Cyril Louis-Dreyfus, the son of the late Marseille owner and billionaire Robert Louis-Dreyfus, who bought a stake in the club in 2021 and has since increased his ownership percentage.
The appointment of Reggie Le Pre as coach of the team in June 2024 proved to be a very successful decision, after the Frenchman returned the club to the Premier League on the first attempt, before the team defied all expectations last season.
Sunderland, led by its inspiring Swiss international captain Granit Xhaka, is preparing to face AZ Alkmaar after a shaky start to the season.
Le Berre said: “Xhaka is a symbol of the club.” “We are improving, the momentum is great, and frankly, it will be a crazy experience for our fans.”
He added: “We are very proud to be in this location. We deserve this opportunity thanks to a great season last year. We went through difficult moments, but in the end we maintained our level of stability. It is important that we show our desire, and show the city our unity, our interconnectedness, and our relationship with our fans.”
It is noteworthy that Sunderland is one of 3 English teams, along with Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, in the European Championship.
A seventh clash between Milan and Benfica
All eyes are on the San Siro Stadium, where Milan begins its campaign in front of its fans against Benfica, in the strongest matches of the opening round.
Milan is seeking to take advantage of playing in front of its fans to continue its historic unbeaten record against Benfica. The two teams met 6 times on the continent, and Milan did not lose in any of them (4 wins and 2 draws), including winning the Champions League final in 1963 (it was called the Champion Clubs Cup) and 1990. However, this will be their first confrontation since 2007.
Milan came back from a two-goal deficit in the first half and tied with Lazio 2-2 last weekend, a result that allowed it to maintain its unbeaten record in the Italian League this season (two wins and two draws), before returning to European competitions after one season's absence.
The club will participate in the European League instead of the Champions League, which it has won seven times, after squandering its opportunity in the exciting final round of last season.
The new Portuguese coach of Milan, Ruben Amorim, has extensive experience in this tournament, having led Sporting Lisbon to the final 16 in the 2023-2024 season, and then Manchester United of England to the final in the 2024-2025 season.
Starting the journey at home may be ideal for starting its quest for the title with a positive result, especially since Milan did not lose in the last 4 European matches it played at the San Siro Stadium (3 wins and a draw).
For its part, Benfica defeated Gil Vicente 3-1 last weekend, achieving its seventh consecutive victory in all competitions.
This series includes an aggregate victory over Aarhus of Denmark 6-2 in the qualifying playoff for the second continental competition, and it also raised the team’s number of victories to 4 in the last 5 qualifying matches this season (one draw).
After starting its journey in the second preliminary round, coach Marco Silva's team reserved its place in the new version of the European League with the league stage system.
The “Eagles” are embarking on this journey after winning their last 4 matches away from home, but their mixed record away from home during the European qualifiers (wins, draws and losses) suggests that the task in Milan may not be easy for the Portuguese team.
Milan is counting on its newly arrived Portuguese striker from Paris Saint-Germain, Frenchman Gonzalo Ramos, who will score his 16th goal in European Union competitions, knowing that 8 of his previous 15 goals came in a Benfica shirt. As for Rafa Silva, he may spoil the atmosphere of returning to his former stadium with a strong start. He scored 3 of his last four goals this season during the first 15 minutes of matches, giving Benfica the lead, or strengthening their superiority.
In another match that is not devoid of importance, the Italian Juventus collides with its Dutch guest, Nijmegen, at the Allianz Stadium. After reaching the qualifying rounds of the Champions League during the past two seasons, the Italian giant is shifting its focus to the second most important European competition, hoping to win its first major continental title since 1996.
Juventus is looking forward to reconciling with its fans after Sunday’s loss (its first in the Italian League) to Sassuolo 2-3, while the guests are seeking to overcome a period of decline in results.
Suffering from the loss after two wins and a draw, Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti is looking forward to finding solutions to compensate for the numerous injuries in his ranks, most notably those of his captain, Manuel Locatelli, and American international Weston McKennie.
For its part, Nijmegen returns to one of the major European competitions for the first time since the 2008-2009 season, but it expects a difficult test in Turin.
The Dutch club is participating in the European League after its disappointing exit from the second preliminary round of the Champions League against Bodo-Glimt, and it has achieved only one win in its last 6 official matches.
As part of today’s program, German Bayer Leverkusen will meet Slovenian Dinamo Celje, in a match that seems within the reach of the former, which returns to the competition that reached its final match in the 2023-2024 season, before losing to Italian Atalanta.
Leverkusen seeks to avoid any surprise at the beginning of its campaign against the mysterious Slovenian champion for its competitors. Leverkusen did not make the expected start in the German League this season, as it occupies seventh place with 4 points, and had begun the season with a surprise defeat against the promoted Elfersberg.
In the remaining matches, Anderlecht of Belgium will meet Lyon of France, Rennes, the leader of the French league, will be a guest of Sturm Graz of Austria, and his compatriot Marseille will be a guest of Besiktas of Turkey.
Sunderland appears for the first time in the European continental championships in 53 years, looking forward to a strong start
