Horseracing: Last News

PARIS: France captain Kylian Mbappe said the national football team wished to remember all the victims of the 2015 Paris terror attacks as they prepare to play on the 10th anniversary of the atrocity. On Friday, November 13, 2015, a series of attacks in Paris and around the Stade de France during a friendly match between Les Bleus and Germany left a total of 130 people dead. “Everyone knows how special tomorrow is,” Mbappe said on the eve of France’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine. “Not in a good way.

RIYADH: Domestic Group Two action headlines this week’s racing at King Abdulaziz Racecourse with a competitive field of 18 for Friday’s SR500,000 ($133,300) HRH Prince Mohammed bin Saud Al-Kabeer Cup.

PRAGUE: The Czech football federation (FACR) announced the sacking of national team coach Ivan Hasek on Wednesday, following a humiliating 2-1 defeat in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands. Seeking their first World Cup appearance since 2006, the Czechs are not even completely sure of a berth in the playoffs next March — a situation compounded by their loss in Torshavn on Sunday. Croatia top Group L, three points ahead of the Czech Republic, and the 2018 World Cup runners-up also have a game in hand on their rivals. The Faroes lie one point behind the Czechs, with both having one match remaining in their campaign. “We have terminated cooperation with Ivan Hasek as of today,” FACR head David Trunda told reporters. Trunda added that the FACR would now look for a new coach, possibly a foreigner. An “interim coach” is meanwhile likely to lead the team in their last World Cup qualifier at home to Gibraltar in November. Hasek started his second stint as national team coach ahead of Euro 2024, at which the Czechs were knocked out in the group stage. Pundits criticized the 62-year-old former midfielder for his unattractive style of play, while he bemoaned having no players coming even close to the level of former Czech greats such as Pavel Nedved or Tomas Rosicky. Hasek came under heavy fire following a 5-1 defeat in a World Cup qualifier in Croatia in June. As a player.

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s rising tennis star Haniya Minhas claimed victory in the Tennis Foundation’s Ghana Open — Accra ITF J100 girl’s singles title last week.

UDINE, Italy: The World Cup qualifier between Italy and Israel took place amid a heavy police presence that included snipers on the stadium roof. Italy won 3-0 Tuesday in a game that soccer and security authorities had placed in the highest risk category despite a breakthrough ceasefire deal that has paused two years of war in Gaza. There were skirmishes between protesters and police nearby on the streets of Udine at a pro-Palestinian demonstration before the match, but no serious disruptions at the venue during the game. Although, stadium staff had to act quickly to prevent some fans from running onto the field carrying Palestinian flags. “Today wasn’t easy for us,” Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said.

RIYADH: Runners in The Saudi Derby will now be eligible to collect points for the Kentucky Derby in an exciting new link announced recently by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia and Churchill Downs Inc.

BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Tuesday if teenage star Lamine Yamal is to improve he must focus on improving his work rate, ahead of the Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain. The holders visit Barcelona on Wednesday and 18-year-old winger Yamal is keen to shine after finishing as runner-up at the Ballon d’Or gala last week, behind PSG’s Ousmane Dembele. Yamal returned from a groin injury on Sunday against Real Sociedad in La Liga and provided an assist a minute after coming off the bench during a bright second-half cameo. “(Calling him) super, super, super... I don’t like this... he’s 18 years old and for me he also has to focus on working hard,” Flick told reporters. “It’s not always easy, with talent you can get to this point, but to reach the next level, one or two steps more — and I think he’s able to do that — he has to work hard.” Last season Barcelona won a domestic treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, but fell just short in the Champions League, beaten in the semifinals by Inter Milan despite two sensational displays by Yamal. Against Luis Enrique’s attacking PSG side Flick demanded Yamal and his team-mates knuckle down when the French champions are in possession. “It’s not only about playing with the ball, it’s also defending,” continued Flick. “This is what we need from every player — even a great player with the ball like him — and this makes the difference.” Flick said to beat PSG his team had to concentrate from “the first second to the end of the match” and play at their highest level.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Kylian Mbappe will come up against Paris Saint-Germain for the first time since leaving the French club a year ago as Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid revolution gets its biggest test yet in Wednesday’s Club World Cup semifinal.