Snooker star Luca Brecel jokes ‘it should be illegal’ as he opens up on antics

LUCA BRECEL joked “it shouldn’t be legal” when describing how he’ll celebrate his World Snooker Championship victory.

The Belgian overcame Mark Selby 18-15 at the Crucible to claim his first world title.

4

4

Brecel, 28, sent a classy message to Selby and his wife Vikki amid her health concerns – in addition to admitting he’ll be partying hard to celebrate his win.

He said: “It is amazing. I cannot see through the tears.

“Mark made it so tough, he is the worst opponent to have, he just keeps coming back. He is such a fighter. I don’t know how I did.

“Snooker is a mental sport. I could have lost in the first round. If I had, people would have said again, ‘he has lost first round’. Now I am the winner. Snooker is all about the small margins. It is crazy.

“I have the best team, best friends, parents and girlfriend. If you don’t have the team it makes it difficult to play the game.

“I won’t practice for a couple of weeks and months. I will enjoy this. It has been a cray week. No practice, just partying. It shouldn’t be legal.

“I want to say to Mark and Vikki: Please stay strong.

“It will now explode in Belgium snooker. I am just so happy.”

BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK

4

Brecel, who prepared for the tournament by going on an all-day bender, defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals and Si Jiahui in the semis before his triumph over Selby.

Gracious in defeat, Selby said of his wife: “She has been poorly but is coming out of the other side of it now. Hopefully things will be okay.

“It was nice what Luca said. He didn’t know. I spoke to him on Sunday and told the situation. He has mentioned it. He didn’t have to – fair play to him.

“It’s been tough with things going on with Vikki.

“Since January, I’ve not really been practising. For a few weeks it was tough, coping and managing my own mental health and what’s been going on with Vikki.

“Hopefully we are out of the other side of it.”

4