LONDON – The 10th edition of the Singapore Grand Prix will take place on Sept 15-17 next year, after Formula One’s governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), confirmed the 2017 calendar of races at its annual general assembly in Vienna.

However, Germany will have no Formula One Grand Prix next year, despite the dominance of Mercedes and the country’s new world champion Nico Rosberg, after the race was axed for financial reasons on Wednesday.

While that move will dismay German fans, there was a more welcome change in the renamed Azerbaijan Grand Prix being pushed back to June 25 to avoid a clash with the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar classic.

Races in Brazil and Canada, whose fate had also been left open on the draft calendar, were confirmed on the 20-round official version published by FIA.

There were a record 21 races this year.

Germany’s absence had been expected with the Nuerburgring unwilling to pay hosting fees and Hockenheim, which drew a mere 57,000-strong crowd this year, reluctant to lose money in successive seasons.

Hockenheim, one of the best attended venues in seven times champion Michael Schumacher’s time, does have a contract for 2018 when the race is expected to return.

Azerbaijan’s street race in Baku made its debut this year as the European Grand Prix but organisers had wanted to avoid a repeat of the clash with Le Mans and to remove the logistical challenge of a back-to-back race with Canada.

The races in Austria and Britain are moved back a week to help fill the gap left by Germany, with those grands prix now taking place on July 9 and 16 respectively.

Hungary switches to the July 30 slot that was earmarked for Germany.

Mexico’s race is again paired with the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, at the end of October rather than with Brazil which stands on its own as the penultimate round in November.

Malaysia is paired with Japan rather than neighbours Singapore, which remains in its usual slot after Italy. The draft calendar had envisaged Malaysia preceding Singapore.

Calendar:

March 26 – Australia (Melbourne)

April 9 – China (Shanghai)

April 16 – Bahrain

April 30 – Russia (Sochi)

May 14 – Spain (Barcelona)

May 28 – Monaco

June 11 – Canada (Montreal)

June 25 – Azerbaijan (Baku)

July 9 – Austria (Spielberg)

July 16 – Britain (Silverstone)

July 30 – Hungary (Budapest)

Aug 27 – Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)

Sept 3 – Italy (Monza)

Sept 17 – Singapore

Oct 1 – Malaysia (Sepang)

Oct 8 – Japan (Suzuka)

Oct 22 – U.S. (Austin)

Oct 29 – Mexico (Mexico City)

Nov 12 – Brazil (Sao Paulo)

Nov 26 – Abu Dhabi

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane’s son, Enzo, scored on his senior debut as the European champions brushed aside third tier Cultural Leonesa 6-1 to progress into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey 13-2 on aggregate on Wednesday.

By contrast, Barcelona still have work to do to reach the next round after being held 1-1 at Hercules in the first leg of their last 32 tie.

Enzo, the oldest of Zidane’s four sons, all of whom play at different levels in Real’s youth teams, was introduced by his father, a legendary former player for Real and France, at half-time.

The 21-year-old, who was previously coached by Zinedine at Real’s youth side Castilla before he took the top job at the Santiago Bernabeu in January, showed a glimpse of his father’s talent with a fine low finish from the edge of the area just after the hour mark.

“If I take off my hat as a coach then I am happy for him as a father (too),” said Zidane.

“But, in saying that, I watch what he does on the field as a coach and I am happy with how they all played.”

With the tie over as a contest following Real’s 7-1 first leg win and El Clasico away to Barcelona to come on Saturday, Zidane made nine changes from the side that started the 2-1 win over Sporting Gijon last weekend.

Norwegian starlet Martin Odegaard, 17, was also handed his full debut, but it was Dominican international Mariano Diaz who got Real off to a flying start as he slotted home the first of his hat-trick after just 23 seconds.

James Rodriguez headed home the hosts’ second before Mariano smashed in a third, but Leonesa did have a moment to savour when Yeray Gonzalez fired into the top corner from long range in first-half stoppage time.

Enzo was then handed his long-awaited bow by his father, but ensured there was to be no claims of nepotism when he finished off a flowing team move with a classy right-footed finish.

Mariano completed his hat-trick two minutes from time before a Cesar Morgado own goal.

Barcelona also fielded a side with 11 changes ahead of the Clasico, but were made to pay by third tier Hercules.

David Mainz bundled home at the back post seven minutes into the second-half to give the side form Alicante a shock lead.

However, Manchester United target Carles Alena capped his debut with a wonderful strike from 25 yards to spare Barca’s blushes.

Yannick Carrasco scored twice as Atletico Madrid also hit Guijelo for six in the first leg of their last 32 tie.

A Saul Niguez penalty and Sime Vrsaljko’s first Atletico goal gave the visitors a 2-0 half-time lead before the Belgian struck twice in five second-half minutes.

Angel Correa and Roberto Nunez rounded off the scoring.

Sevilla and Villarreal took huge strides towards the last 16 with comprehensive first leg wins over Formentera (5-1) and Toledo (3-0) respectively.

Second division Cordoba were the only victorious lower league side of the evening with a 2-0 win over Malaga.

LONDON – Accusations that abuse by coaches was covered up have rocked English football, damaging the multi-billion pound sport’s image and earning it comparisons with scandals in the Catholic Church and the BBC.

Over 20 victims have come forward since the floodgates were opened when Andy Woodward spoke out to The Guardian and there is growing incredulity that English football’s governing body the Football Association (FA) was unaware of the rumours and claims the abuse was going on.

British lawmaker Damian Collins, chairman of the influential Culture Media and Sports Parliamentary Committee, told AFP that there was a culture of avoiding the problem at the FA and the clubs.

“A picture is building up of people in football not having addressed the abuse and also may have turned their gaze away from it,” he told AFP.

Giving credence to his view is the fact the FA dismissed with a terse “no comment” claims made by Ian Ackley about the abuse he had suffered at the hands of serial offender and youth coach Barry Bennell in a Channel Four documentary in 1997.

Such disdainful treatment of victims and also whistleblowers is of concern to Collins.

“Abuse is an incredibly serious problem and my concern is how does a victim or a whistleblower report it?” said the 42-year-old.

“Because often they are met with a response of ‘do you have documentary evidence’ and if you don’t you’re told you better keep your mouth shut.” Greg Clarke, the recently elected chairman of the FA, which has launched its own inquiry headed up by an eminent lawyer, does not believe there has been a cover-up but has conceded that a blind eye might have been turned to the stories of abuse.

“I think the moral consequences of failing to deal with some of these issues in the past we must get to the bottom of,” Clarke said on Tuesday.

However, with revelations emerging on a daily basis the FA’s image is taking a pounding.

The BBC revealed on Wednesday the FA scrapped a review into its Child Protection Programme two years into its existence in 2003 and the journalist who made the 1997 Channel Four documentary insists there is a 2005 FA report lying gathering dust which has 250 names of abused under-age footballers on it.

Collins for his part said that if he and his committee are not satsified by the reference points set by the FA for their inquiry then they will summon Clarke in the new year to appear before them.

“I am concerned the inquiry by the FA will be too narrowly focused on the claims themselves and not on the broader picture,” said Collins.

“I am worried the clubs will end up doing their own housework and it won’t look at the broader cultural issues of how people got away with the abuse and will avoid posing difficult and pertinent questions.” The FA are treading a well-trodden path taken in recent years by previously revered pillars or bedrocks of the establishment.

The Catholic Church has been rocked by thousands of reports of sexual abuse by priests and accusations of cover-ups by senior clergy, starting in the Boston archdiocese in the United States in 2002.

Pope Francis last year offered a surprise public apology for paedophile scandals dating back decades and was praised for meeting with survivors in Rome and in Philadelphia during a visit to the US.

But he has come under severe criticism for failing to punish guilty clerics and end a culture of complacency over internal abuse investigations.

In Britain, the BBC was the focus of an inquiry earlier this year that reported a culture of “fear” around whistleblowing that helped late presenter Jimmy Savile hide his crimes for decades.

The report found Savile had abused 72 people – nearly half aged under 16 – in studios, dressing rooms, lifts and canteens between 1959 and 2006.

His youngest victim was aged just eight.

Ackley said he hoped for one outcome above all else at the end of the inquiry.

“Finally someone in authority might say ‘yes, we were at fault. We are accountable’,” Ackley told The Times.