European wrap: Atletico Madrid return to La Liga summit as Real slip up
Julian Alvarez put Atletico Madrid back on top of La Liga as his side put away a wasteful Athletic Bilbao to seal a vital 1-0 win.
La Liga Sport News
Sinner reaches Paris Masters quarterfinals and stays on course to reclaim the No. 1 ranking
PARIS: Jannik Sinner beat Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 in the third round of the Paris Masters on Thursday to extend his indoor winning streak to 23 matches and maintain his chances of reclaiming the No. 1 ranking. The four-time Grand Slam champion needs to win the tournament to take the top spot from Carlos Alcaraz.
Saudi golfer Khalid Attieh makes history at LIV Golf-backed Asian Tour
MANILA: Khalid Attieh tossed a bomb at the Link Hong Kong Open on Thursday, after a quiet display last week in the International Series Philippines.
Juventus appoint former Italy manager Spalletti as head coach
ROME: Juventus have appointed former Italy manager Luciano Spalletti as head coach until the end of the season, the Serie A club said on Thursday, following the sacking of Igor Tudor. Juventus turned to the former Italy, Inter Milan and Napoli manager after parting ways with Tudor following an eight-match winless run in all competitions. They sit seventh in the standings after nine games. “Luciano Spalletti is the new head coach of Juventus, signing an agreement with the club until June 30, 2026,” Juventus said in a statement. “We are delighted to welcome a coach with such expertise and experience to the Bianconeri family: welcome to Juventus and good luck, coach!“ Croatian Tudor, who replaced Thiago Motta in March, was the first foreign manager appointed by Juventus since Frenchman Didier Deschamps in 2006-07. He guided Juventus to a fourth-place finish in Serie A last season and secured qualification for the Champions League. However, they had not won a game since mid-September with five draws followed by three straight losses in all competitions before Tudor was sacked. Massimo Brambilla took interim charge and Juve won their next game, beating Udinese 3-1. Spalletti, 66, led Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years in 2023, after a long club management career that has included spells at AS Roma, Inter, and a five-year stint with Russian club Zenit St.
Real Madrid play struggling Valencia in La Liga ahead of Liverpool trip
BARCELONA: Real Madrid will look to take care of business against a struggling Valencia and maintain their La Liga lead this weekend before turning to their demanding match at Liverpool. Xabi Alonso’s team visit Anfield in a clash of European title hopefuls next Tuesday in the Champions League. Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 last weekend to end a run of four clasico victories for the Catalan club from last season. The victory allowed Madrid to open a five-point gap at the top of the league standings over second-placed Barcelona. Key matches Madrid are on a five-game winning streak that includes a 1-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League. Kylian Mbappé struck his 11th goal in the domestic league to help defeat Barcelona.
Howe glad Newcastle kept hold of ‘complete package’ Osula
LONDON: Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on Tuesday backed William Osula to become “the complete package,” expressing his relief the striker did not leave the club on deadline day. Eintracht Frankfurt were reportedly poised to complete a move for the 22-year-old in the transfer window, but Newcastle called off talks. Osula has enjoyed more game time than expected this season, albeit it largely as a substitute, after big-money signing Yoane Wissa suffered a knee injury on international duty. “Obviously it didn’t happen and much to our relief it didn’t happen because Yoane picked up an injury and Will is vitally important,” Howe said when asked how close Osula came to leaving St. James’ Park. “We believe in his talent.
Champions League winner PSG made nearly $1 billion in club-record revenue last season
PARIS: Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain generated club-record revenue of 837 million euros ($976m) last season. The figures released by the club on Tuesday include 175 million euros in matchday revenue and 367 million euros in commercial revenue, with six new partners joining the club. The figures encompass the men’s and women’s soccer teams as well as handball and judo teams. By comparison, revenue for the 2023-24 season was 806 million euros, which was the third highest in European soccer. PSG’s men’s team won the domestic double and clinched the Champions League for the first time by routing Inter Milan 5-0 in the final, giving the club’s Qatari investor QSI the trophy they craved after taking over the club in June 2011. The club were valued by Forbes at $4.6 billion in May, placing them seventh among the world’s most valuable soccer teams. Real Madrid led with $6.75 billion, followed by Manchester United ($6.6 billion) and Spanish champion Barcelona ($5.65 billion). However, low television revenue in Ligue 1 and the Parc des Princes stadium’s 48,000-capacity — considerably smaller than other leading clubs in Europe — were hampering further financial growth for PSG. The Parc des Princes was owned by Paris City Hall and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo does not want to sell the stadium to the club, which hoped to buy it and expand it rather than go elsewhere. “Our door is always open to expanding the Parc des Princes, which is owned by the City of Paris,” Hidalgo told Le Parisien newspaper in June.
Cummins out of first Ashes test, Smith to captain Australia
SYDNEY: Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins will not be fit for the first Ashes test in Perth next month and will be replaced as captain by Steve Smith, Cricket Australia said on Monday. Cummins has been sidelined by a lower-back issue since July and was already a major doubt for the series opener against England, which starts on November 21. CA said in a statement that Cummins had now resumed running and would be back bowling soon, offering hope the 32-year-old might be fit to take part in the second day-night test in Brisbane from December 4. While losing the captain and top fast bowler for the opening test of a high-profile series, Australia have had plenty of time to make contingency plans as the nation has sweated on the fitness of Cummins. Even if the squad for the series has not been announced yet, Scott Boland is almost certain to replace him in the bowling attack alongside Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc at Perth Stadium. Boland has had infrequent opportunities at test level over the years given Australia’s depth in the fast-bowling department, but he has more often than not produced when called upon. The 36-year-old is particularly effective on Australia’s hard decks and has taken 62 wickets at an average of 16.53 in his 14 previous tests. Cummins has been an ever-present in the Australia side for Ashes clashes since his first test against England in the 2017-18 series, helping Australia first win back and then retain the urn ever since. Smith, who was sacked as captain in 2018 for his part in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, has led the team six times in the absence of Cummins since his rehabilitation. Australia also play tests against England in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney around the New Year as they
Real Madrid defender Carvajal expected to miss a couple of months after knee op
MADRID: Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has undergone arthroscopic surgery and is expected to be sidelined for a couple of months. Madrid said on Tuesday the surgery on his right knee was successful. The club did not give an official timetable for Carvajal’s recovery but he was expected to be out for two to three months. Carvajal replaced Federico Valverde in the 72nd minute of the 2-1 win against Barcelona in the La Liga clasico on Sunday. Carvajal played until the end but complained of knee pain afterward. It was only the eighth appearance for the veteran right back this season.