Page 30 - Football

Cristiano Ronaldo aiming to end Al-Hilal's dominance in Saudi Pro league

Cristiano Ronaldo is lining up for another Saudi Pro League season with the main aim of helping Al-Nassr end the dominance of Riyadh rival Al-Hilal. Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr in December 2022 and has yet to win a domestic trophy with the club. In a social media post this week, he wrote: New season, same goal. Al-Hilal won the title last season with 31 wins and three draws, finishing 14 points clear of second-place Al-Nassr. Hilal beat Ronaldo's team 4-1 in the final of the Saudi Super Cup last weekend. The 18-team league kicks off its season on Thursday. I'm feeling a lot of apprehension because this season is going to be very difficult, Al-Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who signed from Chelsea last year, told The Associated Press. Last year, it was a tough championship, but we managed to come out on top. This year, all the teams will be gunning to beat Al Hilal." Last summer, a string of big-name stars arrived from Europe's top leagues to join Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. Accord

Bayern loses defender Josip Stanisic for several weeks to knee injury

Bayern Munich and Croatia defender Josip Staniic will miss the start of the Bundesliga season because of a knee injury, the club said Tuesday. Staniic tore a ligament in his right knee during a practice session Monday and will be "sidelined for several weeks, Bayern said. Bayern starts its Bundesliga campaign on Sunday at Wolfsburg and is seeking to reclaim the title from Bayer Leverkusen, where Staniic spent last season on loan. Staniic is likely to miss two Croatia games in the UEFA Nations League, at Portugal on Sept. 5 and home to Poland three days later. Bayern also plays the first two rounds of the expanded Champions League opening league phase scheduled from Sept. 17-19 and Oct. 1-2. The draw for each team's eight games will be made next week in Monaco.

No Messi in Argentina's squad for WC qualifiers against Chile and Colombia

Lionel Messi will not play in Argentina's next two World Cup qualifiers because of injury. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni announced his 28-man squad on Monday for the matches against Chile on September 5 and Colombia five days later. Messi is still recovering from a right ankle injury. The 36-year-old ngel Di Mara, who retired from the national team after winning the recent Copa America, is not on the list either. World Cup champion Argentina leads South American qualifying with 15 points after six matches. Squad: Goalkeepers: Walter Bentez (PSV Eindhoven), Gernimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Juan Musso (Atalanta), Emiliano Martnez (Aston Villa). Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Germn Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Nicols Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martnez (Manchester United), Nicols Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon), Valentn Barco (Brighton). Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Gu

Vardy scores on Premier League return as Leicester hold Tottenham at home

Jamie Vardy still knows how to score in the Premier League. The 37-year-old striker rescued a point for Leicester in its return to the Premier League on Monday by heading home a second-half equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham, which had largely dominated the first half. Tottenham had plenty of opportunities to build a bigger lead but new signing Dominic Solanke was among those guilty of missing chances. Instead it was Spanish defender Pedro Porro who made Tottenham's early superiority count after 29 minutes when he got between two Leicester defenders to head James Maddison's cross into the net at the far post. But Vardy, who was key to Leicester's stunning Premier League title win in 2016 and has remained with the club since then, was left unmarked to head home an equaliser. A corner count of 9-0 gave some indication of Spurs' dominance in the first half but Vardy's goal changed the game completely. Steve Cooper's team suddenly looked a lot livelier and both teams had chanc

Serie A: Debutants grab goals for Juventus and Atalanta in winning starts

It was a good day for debutants in Italy's Serie A as new faces at Juventus and Atalanta gave their teams a winning start to the league season. New Juventus coach Thiago Motta surprised fans by handing a debut to youth academy graduate Samuel Mbangula on Monday and the 20-year-old winger responded by scoring the opening goal in a 3-0 win over Como. Mbangula cut in from the left in the 23rd minute and slotted a low drive into the far corner to give Juventus the lead. US international Timothy Weah scored the second for the Turin club when he smashed a shot in off the underside of the bar just before halftime. It was the American's first league goal for the club. Andrea Cambiaso added a third in injury time to pad the scoreline in Cesc Fbregas' first league game in charge of Como since taking over as head coach this offseason. Atalanta routs Lecce New signings Mateo Retegui and Marco Brescianini both scored twice as Atalanta routed Lecce 4-0 in a blistering start to its ...

Premier League: Leicester sign Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp for $26M

Newly promoted Leicester reached a deal with Tottenham to sign midfielder Oliver Skipp ahead of the teams' meeting in their opening Premier League game on Monday. Leicester said the 23-year-old Skipp signed a five-year contract through the 2028-29 season. The value of the transfer was reportedly more than 20 million pounds ($26 million). Skipp reunites with Leicester manager Steve Cooper, who coached him in England's youth teams. The defensive midfielder played 24 times for the England Under-21s, including in the final of the European Championship last year when it beat Spain 1-0 to win the title. Leicester is back in the Premier League after winning the second-tier Championship last season at the first attempt. The club had been relegated seven years after its stunning Premier League title win as a 5,000-1 outsider in 2016.

Ex-French footballer Henry quits coaching job after winning Olympic silver

After leading France's Olympic team to a silver medal at the Paris Games, Thierry Henry left his coaching job Monday, with the French soccer federation saying he had cited personal reasons for the departure. The France great had a contract through the next season and was due to resume coaching the France under-21 team next month in its qualifying group for the 2025 European Championship. Thanking Henry for his work, federation president Philippe Diallo praised his great professionalism, his rigor and his love of the blue jersey. Henry was hired one year ago with the Paris Olympics in mind and led the team to the final on Aug. 9, losing 5-3 to Spain after extra time at Parc des Princes. After the final, the former Arsenal and Barcelona forward gave an elusive answer about his future plans that suggested he might not stay with the U21 team. "Obtaining the silver medal for my country at the Olympic Games will remain one of the greatest sources of pride of my life," Henry said in a ..

Bagan captain leads protest march against doctor's alleged rape in Kolkata

Keeping their bitter rivalry aside, and braving relentless downpour, thousand of fans of Kolkata's 'Big Three' football clubs -- Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting -- came together to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, here on Sunday. Unprecedented scenes were witnessed outside the Saltlake Stadium as India defender and Mohun Bagan captain Subhasish Bose, accompanied by his wife Kasturi Chetri, and All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey joined the protest march, "demanding justice" for the RG Kar victim. "I've come here as a commoner. Justice is needed to ensure that this incident is never repeated. The culprits should receive proper punishment. We will continue our protests until justice is served," said Bose while his wife was seen showing a placard with 'We want justice. Justice for RG Kar'. "For the first time, fans of Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and Mohammedan Sporting have come together to

No goal for Mbappe on Spanish league debut as Mallorca hold Real Madrid

Defending champion Real Madrid couldn't manage more than a 1-1 draw at Mallorca in Kylian Mbapp's first Spanish league match. In his second game with Madrid after debuting midweek, Mbappe failed to break through on Sunday. The France great had scored in Madrid's 2-0 win against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti started with the same squad that beat Atalanta, with Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Mbapp in attack. "They change position from time to time," Ancelotti said of Vinicius and Mbapp. "Sometimes Mbapp plays more centrally and sometimes one of the two has to occupy this flank, without a particular plan. It depends on how they feel about it." It was Rodrygo who put Madrid ahead against Mallorca 13 minutes into the match, but the hosts equalized with Vedat Muriqi's goal in the 53rd. "We got off to a good start, taking the lead and then had a chance to get the second goal," Ancelotti said. "We didn't find the balance in the second half. We c

Conte has work to do after Napoli 'melted like snow in the sun' at Verona

Antonio Conte has a lot of work to do. Conte became Napoli's fifth coach in little more than a year when he was hired in June and on Sunday he saw his new team crumble 3-0 at Hellas Verona in his first match back in Serie A. "We melted like snow in the sun after the first goal," Conte said. "We should apologise to the Neapolitan people, who follow us with passion. I am the coach and it is right that I take full responsibility. In the second half there was an unacceptable performance. "We should be ashamed, and I have to be ashamed as I am coach. Those who know me know that today my heart is bleeding, and I hope that some of the players are also bleeding so that would mean that at least we are on the right path." Dailon Livramento and Daniel Mosquera twice scored on their league debuts to hand Verona the win on the opening weekend of the Italian league season and there was further bad news for Napoli as it lost key player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to injury. Napoli has been in a slu

Premier League 2024/25 HIGHLIGHTS: Manchester City beat Chelsea 2-0 in campaign opener

Pep Guardiola's men entered the tie hoping to start yet another season dominantly as they aim to win a record-extending 5th title on the trot this year and didn't disappoint either.

East Bengal, Mohun Bagan supporters join hands to protest Kolkata horror

Supporters of arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan gathered near the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata on Sunday evening in an unprecedented show of camaraderie to protest the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The supporters gathered outside the stadium even as a Durand Cup match between the two major Indian football clubs was cancelled amid concerns over the law and order situation. In a rare sight, supporters of the two clubs held each other's flags and raised slogans demanding justice for the victim's family, with a huge contingent of the police keeping a vigil on the situation. Supporters of the Mohammedan SC, another major football club, also joined the protests a while later. Actor Usashi Chakraborty and theatre personality Sourav Palodhi were among the protesters wearing the jerseys of the clubs they support. As the protests spilled onto the busy EM Bypass and blocked the traffic, police chased the agitators in a high-voltage drama and

Bayer Leverkusen beat Stuttgart on penalties to win maiden German Supercup

Bayer Leverkusen is taking its knack for late goals into the new season. Patrik Schick equalized in the 88th minute to secure a 2-2 draw and Leverkusen went on to defeat Stuttgart 4-3 on penalties in the German Supercup on Saturday. Though it's considered the least important title of the season, both teams played as if it were the last. Referee Tobias Stieler issued a host of yellow cards and sent off Leverkusen debutant Martin Terrier in the first half for an ankle-threatening tackle on Stuttgart's Ermedin Demirovic. Victor Boniface gave Leverkusen an early lead but Enzo Millot replied almost straight away and Stuttgart went on to hit the crossbar and the post. Germany forward Deniz Undav put Stuttgart ahead 2-1 in the 63rd, a minute after coming on. Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso sent on Schick, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to boost his team's attacking threat for the final 15 minutes. As so often last season, his move paid off when Schick leveled the score in the 88th. In

Serie A: Late penalty sees Genoa hold defending champion Inter to 2-2 draw

Marcus Thuram's double was not enough to let Inter Milan kick off its title defense with a win as a late penalty helped Genoa draw 2-2 in their Serie A opener on Saturday. Thuram had been a revelation in his first season in Italy with 15 goals and 14 assists across all competitions and he netted once in each half in Genoa to give Inter the lead after Alessandro Vogliacco's surprise opener. However, Genoa was awarded a penalty deep in stoppage time and Junior Messias scored from the rebound after Yann Sommer saved his spot kick. It was a rare Serie A match featuring two coaches who were also in charge of their teams last season. AC Milan is one of 14 teams which have a new coach in the league and Paulo Fonseca's first match in charge saw his team score two very late goals to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Torino. Simone Inzaghi's Inter ran away with the Serie A title last season and looked strong from the start in Genoa, with both Thuram and Hakan alhanoglu having early chances. But

Greenwood stars in Marseille debut; Angel Gomes injured in Lille's win

Mason Greenwood scored twice in his debut for Marseille in a 5-1 victory over Brest in their French league opener Saturday, while Lille's game against Reims was halted for more than 30 minutes after Angel Gomes was knocked unconscious in a collision and needed lengthy treatment. Greenwood, the former Manchester United forward who made a controversial move to Marseille this summer, had a hand in all five goals as he also provided two assists and won a penalty that Elye Wahi converted. Greenwood's first Ligue 1 appearance was greeted with boos that echoed throughout the Francis-Le Bl stadium every time he touched the ball. The 22-year-old forward was arrested in 2022 and later charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault. The case was dropped last year. Brest, which finished third last season and is set to compete in the Champions League, struggled throughout the match. A missed penalty by Romain Del Castillo in the first half highlighted their lack of .

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah breaks Premier League scoring record

Mohamed Salah broke a Premier League scoring record in Liverpool's opening game of the season. By netting Liverpool's second against Ipswich, the Egypt star took his tally of goals in the opening round of a Premier League season to nine more than anyone else. He previously shared the record with Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer. Salah's goal put Liverpool 2-0 ahead at Portman Road.

Premier League 2024/25 HIGHLIGHTS: LIV beat IPS 2-0; ARS bag 2-0 home win vs WOL

Arne Slot's men beat Ipswich 2-0 at Portman Road with Jota and Salah on the scoresheet for the Reds. Arsenal beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Durand Cup derby cancelled amid protests over doctor's rape in Kolkata

The Durand Cup derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, scheduled at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Sunday, has been cancelled because of the prevailing unrest in the city, sources said. The decision was taken following a meeting between the Kolkata Police officials and organisers of the tournament. "Both the teams will be awarded a point each, while the fans will get full refund for the tickets they bought," an official told PTI. It is also learnt that all the Durand Cup matches slated in Kolkata could be shifted to Jamshedpur. An official communication is awaited. There has been widespread protests following the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the city on August 9. On Saturday, the Indian Medical Association called for a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest the rape and murder of their colleague.

Aspas grabs late winner as Celta Vigo beats Deportivo Alaves 2-1 in Spain

Iago Aspas avoided an early red card thanks to a video review, had a goal chalked off just before halftime and then capped an eventful game by scoring Celta Vigo's winner against Deportivo Alaves in the Spanish league on Friday. The 37-year-old Aspas was the focal point for Celta for much of last season and picked up where he left off in its opening game, netting in the 84th minute to seal a 2-1 victory for the hosts. He had been shown a red card after seven minutes when his arm made contact with Antonio Blanco, but it was downgraded to a yellow after a VAR review. Blanco's cross to Kike Garcia then set up the opening goal for Alaves 10 minutes later. Aspas had a goal disallowed for offside before halftime but Celta equalized midway through the second half thanks to Williot Swedberg's superb strike with the outside of his boot. Aspas then received Swedberg's defense-splitting pass to score the winner with six minutes left. Iago is eternal, Alaves coach Luis Garcia said. He gets o

Premier League: Brazil striker Evanilson joins AFC Bournemouth from Porto

Brazil striker Evanilson signed for Bournemouth from Porto on Friday in a deal worth a reported 40 million pounds ($51.6 million), a club record for the English team. The 24-year-old Evanilson scored 13 league goals in Portugal last season and netted a hat trick in the group stage of the Champions League against Royal Antwerp in October. Evanilson will replace Dominic Solanke, who joined Tottenham on Saturday in a deal worth a reported 65 million pounds ($83 million). Evanilson is a hugely sought-after striker," Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake said, and for us to bring him to the club in a record-breaking deal shows our ambition and intent. Tottenham has also bought winger Wilson Odobert, a France Under-21 international, from relegated Burnley for a reported 25 million pounds ($32.3 million) while promoted Ipswich has signed Sam Szmodics, the top scorer in the Championship last season, from Blackburn and Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City. Southampton signed stri