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Martin won’t resign despite Rangers defeat to Hearts

GLASGOW: Rangers manager Russell Martin said he will not accede to fans’ demands to resign after a 2-0 home defeat to Hearts saw the Glasgow giants get off to their worst league start since 1978. A double from Lawrence Shankland delivered a first win at Ibrox since 2014 for top-of-the-table Hearts, who open up a nine-point lead on Rangers. Celtic can also go nine clear of their local rivals should the Scottish champions win at Kilmarnock on Sunday. Martin was hounded with chants for his exit during the 90 minutes after failing to win any of his first five Scottish Premiership matches. “The fans are entitled to their opinion so I can’t come out here and criticize that,” said Martin after replying “no” to whether he will resign. “I don’t think many of them (the supporters) wanted me here in the first place.” The appointment of the former Southampton boss appears to be a misguided first move from Rangers’ new American owners. Despite overhauling the squad with 13 new signings, Rangers’ hopes of adding to their sole league title in the past 14 years are already fading fast. “We have a lot of new guys in there. We have a lot of players trying to feel their way in an environment that’s really difficult to feel their way into,” added Martin. “There’s anxiety at the moment.

Kane hits brace as Bayern thump Hamburg again

BERLIN: Harry Kane scored in each half as Bayern Munich piled the pain on old foe Hamburg in a 5-0 home win on Saturday. Kane brought his Bayern tally to 93 goals in 101 games while Serge Gnabry, Luis Diaz and Aleksandar Pavlovic also scored. Alongside Borussia Dortmund as the only Bundesliga sides to win the European Cup, Bayern and Hamburg have taken different paths since dominating German football in the 1980s. Bayern have won 12 of the past 13 league titles while Hamburg were promoted last season after seven seasons in the second division. Gnabry hammered the ball into the roof of the net just three minutes in. Bayern junior Pavlovic finished off a team move six minutes later. Kane converted a penalty awarded for handball with 26 minutes played. Diaz made it four three minutes later, his fourth goal since joining Bayern in the summer. Nicolas Jackson came on at half-time, making his debut after moving to Bayern on loan from Chelsea in the summer. Bayern open their Champions League campaign at home against Chelsea on Wednesday. The England captain then started and finished off his own move to score Bayern’s fifth and final goal in the 62nd minute. Since Hamburg’s last win in Munich in 2007, Bayern have won 16 and drawn three of their home matches in the series, scoring 76 goals to Hamburg’s seven, a run which includes two 8-0 wins and a 9-2 victory. Bayern moved atop the table as the only side with three wins from three.

Juventus win seven-goal thriller against Inter with late Adzic goal

TURIN, Italy: Juventus snatched a dramatic 4-3 win at home to Inter Milan on Saturday, with Vasilije Adzic netting a stunning added time winner to send the hosts top of the Serie A standings. Juventus took the lead in the 14th minute through Lloyd Kelly. Inter equalized on the half-hour mark with Hakan Calhanoglu’s strike but Juventus were back in front thanks to Kenan Yildiz eight minutes later. Calhanoglu scored another in the 65th minute to draw Inter level again and 11 minutes later Marcus Thuram’s header from a corner put the away side in front but his brother Kephren headed in from a free kick eight minutes from the end to pull Juve level. With the game heading for a draw, substitute Adzic smashed home the winner from distance to put Juventus on nine points, three ahead of Napoli, Cremonese and AS Roma who all have a game in hand. Napoli are at Fiorentina later on Saturday.

Manchester City, United attempt to switch season into higher gear

MANCHESTER: Gianluigi Donnarumma could make his debut in the Manchester City net against visiting Manchester United in Sunday’s Manchester Derby. City (1-2-0, 3 points) completed the move for Donnaruma from Paris Saint- Germain, for a fee reportedly of at least $35 million, just as the primary transfer window closed earlier this month. He’ll be in an open competition for the No. 1 spot with James Trafford after City sold Ederson to Fenerbahce. Trafford started City’s first three matches this season, but back-to-back defeats heading into the international window could cause manager Pep Guardiola to change course immediately. “He’s so tall and so huge.

Iraqi footballer ‘drowned in bid to enter Greece by small boat,’ Naft Al-Basra club says

BEIRUT: Iraqi footballer Basil Saad’s death has been confirmed by his club, Naft Al-Basra, which said the midfielder drowned while crossing the Mediterranean in a bid to enter Greece. News of Saad’s death comes almost a year after Iraqi media reported on the player’s “inexplicable” disappearance. On Friday his club posted an obituary on social media mourning the player. The club wrote: “Naft Al-Basra Sports Club and all its staff extend their deepest condolences and sympathies to the family of our former player Basil Saad, who passed away following a tragic drowning incident in Turkiye.” The 27-year-old footballer was reported to have left Turkiye with 23 other people on a small boat heading toward Greek island of Symi in an attempt to migrate to Europe. There have been no reports on how he reached Turkiye. According to media reports, the boat stopped close to the island and those on board were told to swim to shore. Saad is believed to have drowned 50 meters offshore. His father told Iraqi iNews Channel that his son disappeared on Sept.

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Iraq Sport News

Martin won’t resign despite Rangers defeat to Hearts

Kane hits brace as Bayern thump Hamburg again

Juventus win seven-goal thriller against Inter with late Adzic goal

Manchester City, United attempt to switch season into higher gear

Iraqi footballer ‘drowned in bid to enter Greece by small boat,’ Naft Al-Basra club says

Saudis come from behind to beat North Macedonia 2-1 in friendly in Prague

Green Falcons head to Czech Republic ahead of World Cup qualifiers

Full card revealed for 2025 PFL MENA semifinals