Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted “the whole thing should never have happened” as he explained his part in the row which has blown up between him and referee Paul Tierney.

The Football Association is investigating comments by the Reds boss which appeared to call into question the integrity of the official following Sunday’s dramatic 4-3 win over Tottenham.

After his side’s late winner, Klopp ran down the touchline to celebrate in front of fourth official John Brooks and received a yellow card from Tierney.

“The whole situation shouldn’t have happened at all. It was out of emotion, out of anger in that moment. That’s why I celebrated the way I celebrated,” Klopp said.

“I didn’t say anything wrong. I couldn’t get close to the fourth official and I didn’t want to get close to him.

“Paul Tierney came over and I didn’t expect a red card I expected a yellow. He said to me: ‘For me it’s a red card,’ but he gave me a yellow.

“After the game I tried to calm down and didn’t properly. I said (in TV interviews): ‘What he said to me was not OK’. I opened the box which I didn’t want to open.

“The rest was things I said about how I felt in that moment and Paul Tierney doing our games. I’m not a resentful person but these things which happen in the past happens, not intentionally but they are there.

“Obviously the refs are really angry about what I said. I did a lot of things that day but I didn’t lie.”

Klopp said after the game that he did not know what the official “has against us”.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s home match against Fulham, Klopp added: “With all the things I maybe expect a punishment. Refs think I questioned their integrity, which if I am sitting here now calm, I don’t do. We have to wait to see what they come back with.”

Shortly after the Spurs game the Professional Game Match Officials Limited responded.

Its statement read: “PGMOL is aware of the comments made by Jurgen Klopp after his side’s fixture with Tottenham Hotspur.

“Match officials in the Premier League are recorded in all games via a communications system and having fully reviewed the audio of referee Paul Tierney from today’s fixture, we can confirm he acted in a professional manner throughout including when issuing the caution to the Liverpool manager so, therefore, we strongly refute any suggestion that Tierney’s actions were improper.”

Six former Yorkshire players are set to be sanctioned on Wednesday for using racist language.

Five individuals – John Blain, Tim Bresnan, Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard and Richard Pyrah – were found to have used the word ‘P***’ towards former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq or other people of Asian ethnicity in an independent Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) panel decision issued on March 31.

All five had withdrawn from the disciplinary process prior to a hearing taking place in early March to determine liability, with the cases against them heard in their absence.

A further ex-Yorkshire player, Gary Ballance, admitted a charge of using racist and/or discriminatory language prior to the hearing and did not appear. He too will be sanctioned on Wednesday.

The CDC panel cleared former England captain Michael Vaughan of using racist and/or discriminatory language.

Yorkshire admitted four charges in the case, which stemmed primarily from allegations made by Rafiq and the club’s handling of those allegations.

A separate hearing will deal with the sanctions the club will face on June 27.

Former England international Hoggard was found to have used the term “P***” towards Rafiq and other Asian players during the 2008 season, and the term ‘Rafa the Kaffir’ towards Rafiq.

It also found he had used the term “token black man” or “TBM” towards former Yorkshire team-mate Ismail Dawood, and dismissed Hoggard’s assertion that Dawood had created the nickname himself.

Gale, a former Yorkshire captain and head coach, was also found to have used the term “Rafa the Kaffir” towards Rafiq and the term “P***” towards Rafiq and Yorkshire academy player Mosun Hussain.

Blain was found to have used the term “P***” in 2010 and/or 2011 while at Yorkshire, while Bresnan and Pyrah were found to have used the term “fit P***” or “FP” about Asian women.

The panel will issue sanctions after considering any written submissions and verbal representations put before it by the six individuals.

The PA news agency understands as of Tuesday afternoon written submissions had only been received on behalf of Ballance.

The six individuals were charged with breaching England and Wales Cricket Board Directive 3.3.

The Directive states: “No such person may conduct themself in a manner or do any act or omission which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.”

Among the panel’s sanctioning powers are the imposition of suspensions and fines, and ordering an education or training course be completed.

When Luca Brecel burst onto the Crucible stage as a history-making 17-year-old in 2012 he was still putting in arduous hours on the practice table and had never taken so much as a sip of beer.

“I really don’t know what it tastes like,” Brecel told the Belgian website Humo as he prepared to become the youngest ever player in the first round of the tournament. “It doesn’t really interest me that much.”

Fast forward 13 years and the angel-faced teen who also admitted he had no time for chasing girls is a beer-swilling, party-loving champion of the world, having fended off Mark Selby to claim the crown in thrilling style in Sheffield on Monday.

Victory capped a remarkable, and some would say belated, journey to the sport’s summit for Brecel, whose momentum from an astounding junior career had threatened to stall upon his arrival in the professional ranks.

Brecel first clasped a cue during a family holiday in Italy at the age of nine, and upon returning to the family home in Maasmechelen he and his father sought out their closest club to nurture his early enthusiasm.

His interest in the sport sky-rocketed the following year when Brecel switched on his TV to get a taste of World Championship action for the first time – and in the very first frame he watched, Mark Williams proceeded to rifle in a 147 in his 10-1 drubbing of Robert Milkins.

“I thought I would never be able to do that,” recalled Brecel, who actually went on to do just that in a tournament in Belgium two years later, by which time his parents had taken note of his talent and knocked down a wall in order to install a full-size table in their family home.

“From then on he really started training like a man possessed – sometimes up to 15 hours a day on weekends,” his dad Carlo told Humo.

Plaudits and titles were not long in coming. Brecel beat Stephen Hendry in an exhibition in 2010, the same year in which he became Belgian senior champion for the first time at the age of just 15.

He received a wild card for the main tour in 2011, arrowing his way straight into the top 100, and the following year he fought through four qualifying rounds to become the youngest ever Crucible qualifier, acquitting himself well in a 10-5 first-round defeat to Stephen Maguire.

Despite reaching the last eight of the UK Championship the following year, however, Brecel’s early momentum began to stall. He floated on the periphery of the big time and it was not until he triumphed at the China Championship in Guangzhou in 2017 that he finally got his hands on some silverware.

He was having no luck at the Crucible, where four subsequent visits following his debut would yield four straight losses, and only a stirring end to his 2021 campaign, when he followed up a final appearance at the UK Championship with his second ranking title at the Scottish Open, reignited that flicker of promise.

Brecel – resplendent in knuckle tattoos reading “free bird” and “La Vida Loca” – arrived for his sixth crack at the Crucible truly off the radar – and resolutely off the practice table.

“I haven’t really practised for this tournament,” Brecel insisted after a thoroughly underwhelming 10-9 first-round win over Ricky Walden.

“I think I’ve maybe had only 15 minutes of practice in three weeks. Many people ask me why – I don’t know. I’m at home. I’ve got a good life. I do so many things in my life that I almost forget to play snooker.”

From 15-hour sessions to 15-minute fleeting visits, from soft drinks to boozy late-night sessions, Brecel has tried it all. On Monday night at the Crucible he finally alighted on a winning formula that carried him over the line and towards a lucrative and party-loving future.

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall finds it fruitless to start contemplating next season’s Women’s Champions League title chances before the Gunners have even qualified.

Eidevall’s side were knocked out of the competition by two-time champions Wolfsburg in Monday night’s semi-final second leg, the 3-2 loss halting Arsenal’s hopes of advancing to the showpiece game for the first time since they achieved an historic quadruple in 2007.

While mostly fit Wolfsburg benefitted from the return of Alexandra Popp, who netted her side’s second goal, Eidevall’s long-term injured cohort includes the Women’s Super League’s all-time leading goal-scorer Vivianne Miedema, Euro 2022 player of the tournament Beth Mead, Arsenal captain Kim Little and England skipper Leah Williamson.

Asked if his diminished team’s largely toe-to-toe effort was a sign that a fully fit squad could go all the way, Eidevall replied: “First and foremost we need to try and qualify for the competition next season.

“We’re in a tough situation for the remainder of the season to get both our feet and heads back from here. We’re hurting, but already on Friday we have a really important game against Leicester who have really picked themselves up.

“I think that the way the team works, if that can be the standard for the way that teamwork is applied for us as a team, that’s a really, really good foundation to get future success. But we need to put focus on the next game, on Leicester, and we need to get the focus on finishing this WSL season as strongly as possible.

“I know we have done some great things this season. We won the Conti Cup, we were so close to a Champions League final, but I think you guys know me well enough to see that I’m always thinking about the next game, and that’s what we need to do.”

The top three teams in the WSL will book places in Europe next season.

Arsenal currently sit fourth with 38 points, having played one game more than third-placed Chelsea who are on 40 points from 16 matches.

Manchester United top the table with 47 points from 19 games, three points clear of Manchester City who have played the same number.

Arsenal will meet relegation-battling Brighton following their Leicester encounter before taking on Everton, defending champions Chelsea and closing their campaign at home against Aston Villa on May 27.

Eidevall could face an even shorter bench on Friday after defender Laura Wienroither was carried off on a stretcher during the Wolfsburg contest and later appeared on crutches, while key forward Stina Blackstenius also appeared to sustain a problem.

On how the Gunners can earn their shot at Champions League redemption, Eidevall said: “I need to push, and everyone needs to come together, and we need to finish as strongly as possible here in the league, and that is going to be a tough challenge with all the players we have away. And we really need to focus on and attack every game 100 per cent.”

Arsenal’s 2007 triumph remains the only time an English side has lifted the Women’s Champions League trophy.

Chelsea, beaten by Barcelona in the 2021 final, were knocked out of this year’s final four by the same Primera Division Femenina side, who will now face Wolfsburg in the June 3 title contest in Eindhoven.

Former Gunner Jill Roord, who also netted to send her second-placed Frauen-Bundesliga team to a sixth final, told her club website: “I’m overwhelmed. It was such a tough match. I thought it would go to penalties, but thankfully we won.

“Arsenal deserve credit, they made life really difficult for us. They could have won it at the end, but we’re the lucky ones today.”

England and Scotland will meet in the inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League.

The nations met at the 2019 World Cup in France when goals from Nikita Parris and Ellen White gave England a 2-1 victory, with Claire Emslie replying for Scotland.

The Nations League draw in Nyon saw Netherlands and Belgium join European champions England and Scotland in League A1 .

England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman will come up against her native country when the competition kicks off.

Wales were drawn in League A3 alongside Germany, Denmark and Iceland.

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were paired in League B1 with Hungary and Albania.

The competition will be played in a similar format to the men’s Nations League with the 51 competing nations divided into two leagues of 16 and one of 19.

The four League A winners will progress to the finals, which will also act as Europe’s 2024 Olympic qualifiers.

There will also be promotion and relegation between the leagues ahead of the start of qualifying matches for the 2025 European Championship.

Games across all three leagues will be played in September, October and November with the finals held in February 2024.

Newly-crowned world champion Luca Brecel has been backed to spearhead a new golden generation of snooker superstars so talented they could even go on to rival the exploits of the fabled ‘Class of ’92’.

That is the opinion of WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson who watched the Belgian hold true to his swashbuckling style to sink Mark Selby 18-15 and become the first player from continental Europe to claim the Crucible title.

Coupled with the high-octane potting approach of vanquished semi-finalist Si Jiahui, Ferguson believes this year’s tournament offered an ideal blueprint for future players to emulate the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams, who have dominated well into their 40s.

“I often hear about the ‘Class of 92’ and people constantly saying you’ll never replace them, but I can tell you the class that is coming through now is really going to push on the sport,” Ferguson told the PA news agency.

“The way Luca and Si played is the way the game is supposed to be played. It’s magical watching them score. There was point yesterday where Luca started taking on some big shots and missing them, and Mark kept coming back, but Luca didn’t stop going for them.

“It just shows you can play that slightly more open attacking game even against the very best, and you can go the distance. Some of those matches were just unbelievable.”

Brecel, who had fought back from behind to beat O’Sullivan and Si in previous rounds, was threatened with a taste of his own medicine as four-time champion Selby fought back from 16-10 down to move within a single frame of levelling at 16-16.

But Brecel, who had started the biggest session of his life by rifling three centuries in four frames in less than an hour, capitalised on a rare missed black off its spot in the next frame to nudge one from victory, and fittingly sealed his £500,000 windfall via a nerveless fifth century of the match.

Brecel’s victory, coming 11 years after he became the youngest Crucible debutant at the age of 17, and after five previous failed attempts to get beyond the first round, was all the more remarkable for the 28-year-old’s insistence that lack of practice and lots of parties were the key to success.

Brecel played down the impact of his unorthodox blueprint moments after his win, but did indicate that he will change little in his approach when he returns next season as the reigning world champion and newly-installed world number two.

“I’m not a party guy, to be honest,” insisted Brecel. “It’s just a coincidence that it happened before this World Championship – I’ve just been partying a lot, going out and having lots of late nights and no practice.

“I don’t think you need much practice, but I think you need a couple of hours a day probably. Maybe one hour is enough. I’m not going to think about practice now.”

Brecel is one of only four players from continental Europe – including three Belgians – in the current world’s top 100, and Ferguson believes his success will send a further message that geography is no barrier to success.

“What Luca’s done is show those players that it is actually possible, you don’t need to live in England, you can do this from anywhere in the world,” added Ferguson.

“It will no doubt inspire millions of people around the world, especially in Europe. Even before this Championship, when Luca played almost half the population of Belgium would watch him.

“What he has done and could do for snooker in mainland Europe now is terrific.”

Luca Brecel’s stunning World Snooker Championship final win over Mark Selby at the Crucible could herald an exciting new era for the sport.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at five leaders of the next generation who will be looking to follow in the Belgian’s footsteps.

Si Jiahui

The 20-year-old Si proved a revelation on his World Championship debut, and was only denied a place in the final by Brecel’s brilliant comeback. Si’s fearless approach won praise from the pundits and the Chinese player, who has hurtled into the world’s top 50 on the back of his success, showed all the signs of sticking around at the top level.

Ben Mertens

Mertens emulated his compatriot Brecel by cleaning up at junior levels, and in 2020 he beat James Cahill to become, at the time, the youngest ever winner of a World Championship qualifying match. The 18-year-old adapted well on his debut year on the circuit, and beat David Gilbert en route to the last 16 of this year’s Welsh Open.

Stan Moody

Regarded as Britain’s best long-term prospect, the 16-year-old from Sowerby Bridge clinched a two-year tour card after winning the WSF World Junior Championship in Sydney this season. Moody, whose game has earned praise from stars including Jimmy White, made a memorable debut in Crucible qualifying by knocking in a century in a 10-7 win over Andres Petrov.

Pang Junxu

The Chinese 23-year-old is no longer such a secret after gamely pushing Ronnie O’Sullivan on his Crucible debut. Pang enjoyed a breakthrough 2023, reaching the final of the WST Classic and the last four of the Welsh Open, propelling him into the world’s top 50 and making him a man the big names will want to avoid in 2024.

Julien Leclercq

The 20-year-old Leclercq, who plays a similar game to Brecel, is the third Belgian player in the world’s top 100. He made a significant impact in 2023, winning six matches to reach the final of the Snooker Shoot-Out, and also making the second round of the Welsh Open after a fine win over former champion Jordan Brown.

David Moyes labelled Erling Haaland as the icing on the cake for Manchester City as West Ham brace themselves to face the Premier League leaders on Wednesday.

Haaland’s penalty during City’s 2-1 win over Fulham on Sunday made him the first player in top-flight English football since 1931 to score 50 goals in all competitions during a season.

The Norwegian’s brace in City’s 2-0 win over the Hammers in August is fresh in the memory of Moyes who anticipates another challenging task when the sides meet.

“They have got a great team and I think that’s topped off by Haaland,” Moyes said.

“He’s the icing on the cake for them. I think they’ve got so many good players who can create chances, he’s such a good finisher and if you get him in those right positions he’s capable of scoring.”

Haaland’s debut Premier League season has seen him score a record-equalling 34 goals with six games still to go.

Moyes lauded the 22-year-old’s wide range of physical and technical attributes which have contributed to his success since his move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

“I think anybody can come into the Premier League and do well, but as well as that… it’s incredible,” Moyes said.

“I think they’ve got a team which can give this player great opportunities.

“He’s a terrific finisher, whether it’s his head or his feet, running in behind or scoring inside the box, he certainly has all the attributes as a really top goalscorer.

“He’s got a team behind him that quite often try to make it easy for him to score.”

Moyes is hoping VAR decisions are kinder to his side in the run-in after admitting recent decisions had seem him lose some faith in the system.

The Hammers boss questioned why his side were not awarded a late penalty during their 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool last week where it appeared Reds midfielder Thiago handled the ball in the box.

And his frustrations doubled after Nayef Aguerd’s challenge on Eberechi Eze saw Palace given a contentious penalty during their 4-3 victory over West Ham on Saturday.

“I’d have to say yes on that (losing faith in VAR) but I would say I hope it doesn’t all go one way and it changes around a little bit by the decisions going in your favour,” Moyes said

“The last couple have been difficult to take I must say.”

Prior to those setbacks against Liverpool and Palace, the Hammers had gone on a five-match unbeaten run that boosted their survival hopes and earned them a place in the Europa Conference League semi-finals.

And Moyes, whose side sit four points above the relegation zone, said: “Recently we’ve had a very good run.

“The players have been trying to get back at it, they’re doing a good job.

“A week or so ago we had one of the best weeks we’ve had for a while so we’re trying to build and continue on that. Overall I’ve been pleased with how the players are performing.”

Leeds have parted company with director of football Victor Orta by mutual consent – and manager Javi Gracia could soon follow him out of the exit door, with Sam Allardyce replacing him for the run-in.

This has been a poor season at Elland Road, with the club languishing 17th in the Premier League as only goal difference keeps them out of the relegation zone.

Leeds have lost four in a winless run of five matches and have made the first move of what is shaping up to be a dramatic day in West Yorkshire.

It has been reported that manager Gracia is set to be replaced after just two months in charge, with Allardyce – out of work since being relegated with West Brom in 2021 – the frontrunner to replace him.

Confirmation is expected later in a day that started with departure of divisive director of football Orta.

The Spaniard took up the post at Elland Road in 2017 and helped the West Yorkshire side make their long-awaited return to the Premier League three years later.

But things have gone awry of late and embattled Leeds have confirmed Orta’s exit by mutual consent.

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani said: “I am deeply saddened by the way that this chapter closes as Victor has been responsible for some of the best moments of my time as owner of Leeds United and I thank him and his people for all they have done in the past six years.

“However, it is clear that it is time to change direction and therefore we have agreed that Victor will leave the club.

“I understand supporters are hurt and upset, but now is a time for unity.

“We have four cup finals left to play this season and, working together, I believe we can survive.”

Allardyce looks set to be the man charged with overseeing those four matches.

Leeds travel to leaders Manchester City on Saturday, before hosting third-placed Newcastle. A trip to West Ham and an Elland Road encounter with European hopefuls Tottenham rounds out the season.

Allardyce would take charge after suffering his first Premier League relegation with West Brom in 2021, when he left six months into an 18-month contract.

The 68-year-old would be Leeds’ third permanent manager of the season after Jesse Marsch and Gracia.

The latter was given a deal until the end of the season in February, leading Leeds from the bottom three to 13th by winning three of his first six games in charge.

But things unravelled under the former Watford boss during a dreadful April, which saw them lose successive home games to Crystal Palace and Liverpool 5-1 and 6-1 and concede 23 goals.

Sunday’s 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth leaves Leeds 17th and just outside the bottom three on goal difference.

Gianni Infantino says FIFA will be “forced not to broadcast” this summer’s Women’s World Cup in the ‘big five’ European countries if bidding outlets do not improve on “disappointing” and “unacceptable” offers.

England’s quest for a first world title begins in Brisbane on July 22, but so far no deal has been announced for the European champions’ broadcast rights in the UK, with Spain, France, Italy and Germany also among those singled out by FIFA president Infantino.

Infantino made similar statements at FIFA’s 73rd congress last month, and on Monday reiterated his critique at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, later branding the offers as “a slap in the face of all the great FIFA Women’s World Cup players and indeed of all women worldwide” in an Instagram post.

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A post shared by Gianni Infantino - FIFA President (@gianni_infantino)

Infantino wrote: “Today, I have repeated my call for broadcasters to pay a fair price for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™️ media rights. We did our part: FIFA has raised the prize money to USD 152 million, treble the amount paid in 2019 and 10 times more than in 2015 (before I became FIFA president).

“However, the offers from broadcasters, mainly in the ‘Big 5’ European countries, are still very disappointing and simply not acceptable, especially considering that:

“1) 100% of any rights fees paid would go straight into women’s football, in our move to promote actions towards equal conditions and pay;

“2) Public broadcasters in particular have a duty to promote and invest in women’s sport;

“3) The viewing figures of the FIFA Women’s World Cup are 50-60% of the men’s FIFA World Cup (which in turn are the highest of any event), yet the broadcasters’ offers in the ‘Big 5’ European countries for the FIFA Women’s World Cup are 20 to 100(!) times lower than for the men’s FIFA World Cup; and

“4) concretely, whereas broadcasters pay USD 100-200 million for the men’s FIFA World Cup, they offer only USD 1-10 million for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. This is a slap in the face of all the great FIFA Women’s World Cup players and indeed of all women worldwide.

“So, to be very clear, it is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Therefore, should the offers continue not to be fair (towards women and women’s football), we will be forced not to broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup into the ‘Big 5’ European countries.

“I call, therefore, on all players (women and men), fans, football officials, Presidents, Prime Ministers, politicians and journalists all over the world to join us and support this call for a fair remuneration of women’s football.

“Women deserve it! As simple as that!”

The tender process for UK broadcasting rights to the tournament, hosted by Australia and New Zealand between July 20-August 20, opened in June 2022 with a bid deadline of July 12 that year.

It followed the government’s April 2022 announcement that both the Women’s World Cup and UEFA Women’s EURO would be added to the Listed Events Regime, “crown jewels” sporting events that must be offered to free-to-air broadcasters, limiting potential bidders.

The PA news agency understands that there are positive discussions ongoing with potential UK broadcasters but no concrete deal has been agreed.

The 2023 tournament will also be the first Women’s World Cup to take place under FIFA’s overhauled commercial structure, announced in 2021, which for the first time “unbundled” the women’s game from the men’s, allowing brands to take up dedicated partnerships exclusively for its women’s football programmes.

Newly-crowned world champion Luca Brecel has been backed to spearhead a new golden generation of snooker superstars so talented they could even go on to rival the exploits of the fabled ‘Class of ’92’.

That is the opinion of WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson who watched the Belgian hold true to his swashbuckling style to sink Mark Selby 18-15 and become the first player from continental Europe to claim the Crucible title.

Coupled with the high-octane potting approach of vanquished semi-finalist Si Jiahui, Ferguson believes this year’s tournament offered an ideal blueprint for future players to emulate the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams, who have dominated well into their 40s.

“I often hear about the ‘Class of 92’ and people constantly saying you’ll never replace them, but I can tell you the class that is coming through now is really going to push on the sport,” Ferguson told the PA news agency.

“The way Luca and Si played is the way the game is supposed to be played. It’s magical watching them score. There was point yesterday where Luca started taking on some big shots and missing them, and Mark kept coming back, but Luca didn’t stop going for them.

“It just shows you can play that slightly more open attacking game even against the very best, and you can go the distance. Some of those matches were just unbelievable.”

Brecel, who had fought back from behind to beat O’Sullivan and Si in previous rounds, was threatened with a taste of his own medicine as four-time champion Selby fought back from 16-10 down to move within a single frame of levelling at 16-16.

But Brecel, who had started the biggest session of his life by rifling three centuries in four frames in less than an hour, capitalised on a rare missed black off its spot in the next frame to nudge one from victory, and fittingly sealed his £500,000 windfall via a nerveless fifth century of the match.

Brecel’s victory, coming 11 years after he became the youngest Crucible debutant at the age of 17, and after five previous failed attempts to get beyond the first round, was all the more remarkable for the 28-year-old’s insistence that lack of practice and lots of parties were the key to success.

Brecel played down the impact of his unorthodox blueprint moments after his win, but did indicate that he will change little in his approach when he returns next season as the reigning world champion and newly-installed world number two.

“I’m not a party guy, to be honest,” insisted Brecel. “It’s just a coincidence that it happened before this World Championship – I’ve just been partying a lot, going out and having lots of late nights and no practice.

“I don’t think you need much practice, but I think you need a couple of hours a day probably. Maybe one hour is enough. I’m not going to think about practice now.”

Brecel is one of only four players from continental Europe – including three Belgians – in the current world’s top 100, and Ferguson believes his success will send a further message that geography is no barrier to success.

“What Luca’s done is show those players that it is actually possible, you don’t need to live in England, you can do this from anywhere in the world,” added Ferguson.

“It will no doubt inspire millions of people around the world, especially in Europe. Even before this Championship, when Luca played almost half the population of Belgium would watch him.

“What he has done and could do for snooker in mainland Europe now is terrific.”