Sport Dispatch

Muamba worried about Eriksen’s potential return with Brentford

Former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba said he was worried by the prospect of Christian Eriksen signing for English club Brentford following the Denmark international's cardiac arrest on the pitch…

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Real Madrid great Gento dies aged 88

Francisco "Paco" Gento, one of Read Madrid's greatest players and a European champion with Spain, has died at the age of 88, the club said on Tuesday. Having started his…

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Premier League reports third successive weekly fall in COVID-19 cases

The Premier League said on Monday it had reported 33 new infections of COVID-19 in the previous week, continuing a trend of falling positive cases for a third week. The…

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McLaren boss calls for stronger leadership in F1

McLaren boss Zak Brown called on Monday for stronger leadership in Formula One to reduce the power of bigger teams and prevent the pinnacle of motorsport from turning into a…

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Djokovic has to comply with rules to go to Spain, PM says

World men's tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic will have to comply with Spanish health rules to be able to travel to Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday. Answering…

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Robert Lewandowski named best men’s footballer of 2021

Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski won the FIFA Best Men's Player award for 2021 with Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas winning the FIFA Best Women's Player prize at Monday's…

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Spezia strike at the death to stun title-chasing AC Milan

Emmanuel Gyasi scored a stunning 96th-minute winner as relegation battling Spezia beat AC Milan 2-1 at San Siro on Monday to put a dent in the home side's Serie A title hopes. In-form Milan winger Rafael…

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Relegation-threatened Sampdoria sack coach D’Aversa

Sampdoria have sacked coach Roberto D’Aversa, the Italian club announced on Monday, after a run of three consecutive defeats left them at risk of relegation from Serie A. D’Aversa signed…

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Murray finds spark before long-awaited return to Melbourne Park

Tears, pain and a defiant five-set loss marked Andy Murray's last appearance at the Australian Open but the Scot will stroll Melbourne Park's grounds with a positive outlook for the…

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Ancelotti proud after Super Cup win earns him fifth Real trophy

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti hailed a job well done after a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday secured a…

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Milan won’t sign players for the sake of it – Pioli

AC Milan won’t sign players for the sake of it during the January transfer window, coach Stefano Pioli said on Sunday, despite the Italian club’s injury crisis in defence. Simon…

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Global transfer spend decreases for second successive year – FIFA

The amount spent on player transfers in international football fell for a second year in a row to its lowest for five years as the impact of the COVID pandemic…

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Allegri praises Dybala as Inter links intensify

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said Paulo Dybala's value to the club is beyond dispute, but refused to be drawn on whether the Argentine striker would sign a new contract in…

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Pre-Season Track Meeting to launch action-packed athletics season

Senior athletes will be back on track and field this weekend with the first pre-season event, inaugurating another action-packed season for Maltese athletics. Younger athletes will return a week later,…

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Guardiola confirms new COVID-19 cases at City ahead of Chelsea clash

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said there are additional COVID-19 cases at the club following last week's outbreak as they prepare to take on second-placed Chelsea in the Premier League…

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Serie A’s great entertainers face off as Atalanta attempt to derail Inter

Two of Serie A's great entertainers go head to head on Sunday as free-scoring Atalanta look to derail league leaders Inter Milan, who are threatening to pull clear of the…

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Newcastle sign New Zealand striker Wood from relegation rivals Burnley

Newcastle United have signed New Zealand striker Chris Wood from relegation rivals Burnley on a two-and-a-half-year deal, the two Premier League clubs announced on Thursday. The clubs did not disclose…

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Joshua Kimmich named Germany’s player of the year for 2021

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich has been voted Germany's player of the year for 2021 in a poll of fans, the federation (DFB) said Thursday. The 26-year-old took 33.8 per cent…

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Man Utd’s Ronaldo hoping to be fit for Villa clash

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo is hopeful he can recover from a minor muscle injury in time to feature in Saturday's Premier League match against Aston Villa. The Portugal international…

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Djokovic sorry for COVID mistakes, visa for Australian Open still in doubt

World tennis No. 1 and vaccine opponent Novak Djokovic blamed "human error" on Wednesday for a mistake in his Australian immigration paperwork and apologised for breaking isolation for a photoshoot…

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Arsenal trying to adapt as absences pile up, says Arteta

Arsenal are struggling to adapt after losing several players to a combination of injuries, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and COVID-19, but the team is preparing as best they…

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PSG postpone Qatar winter tour amid rising COVID-19 cases

Paris Saint-Germain have postponed their Qatar winter tour as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the French club said on Wednesday. France registered a record of nearly 370,000 infections on Tuesday,…

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Salah ‘not asking for crazy stuff’ in Liverpool contract talks

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah said his contract demands are not "crazy" and that his future at Anfield is not in his hands as talks continue with the Egyptian international over…

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Novak Djokovic: the legal problem of having one rule for some, another for everyone else

by Joshua Jowitt - Lecturer of Law, University of Newcastle Since the start of the pandemic, anyone wishing to enter Australia has had to contend with one of the strictest…

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Kroos set to end his career at Real, 2023 or later

Former Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has reiterated he wants to end his playing career at Real Madrid and is therefore not stressed about contract renewal talks with the Spanish giants.…

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Ronaldo injury not serious, says Rangnick, after missing win over Villa

Cristiano Ronaldo missed Manchester United's 1-0 FA Cup third round win over Aston Villa with muscular problems but manager Ralf Rangnick said on Monday it was nothing too serious. Ronaldo, along with…

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Football: LaLiga talking points

SUPER CUP RETURNS TO SAUDI ARABIA Fans of Spanish soccer will turn their eyes to Saudi Arabia this week as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao compete in…

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230 athletes take part in first track and field meeting by Rush Athletic Club

Over 230 participants gathered at the Matthew Micallef St John Athletics Stadium to participate in the first ever track and field meeting organised by Rush Athletic Club. Despite being the…

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Djokovic free but Australia deportation threat still looms

Novak Djokovic swapped one court for another on Tuesday, hitting a few practice shots at Melbourne Park as he warms up for his bid to win a record 21st tennis…

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Premier League reports second straight weekly fall in COVID-19 cases

The Premier League said on Monday it had reported 72 new cases of COVID-19 in the last week, the second straight week in which there has been a fall in…

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Juve dealt major blow as Chiesa requires ligament surgery

Juventus forward Federico Chiesa will require surgery on a torn ligament injury picked up in his side's win over AS Roma, the Serie A side confirmed on Monday. Chiesa, one…

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Tennis-Covid19: Nadal calls Djokovic controversy ‘a circus’

Rafa Nadal called Novak Djokovic's COVID-19 vaccination controversy in Australia "a circus" and joked that he would prefer that the world number one tennis player didn't play at the upcoming…

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Arsenal ‘really hurting’ after third-round exit from FA Cup: Arteta

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the club's proud history in the FA Cup made Sunday's shock third-round exit all the more difficult to swallow after his side were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest.…

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North Korea says won’t attend Beijing Olympics, blames COVID-19 and ‘hostile forces’

In a letter to China, North Korea blamed "hostile forces" and COVID-19 risks for not being able to attend the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing and accused the United States…

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COVID continues to hamper Cup of Nations preparations

COVID-19 infections continued to disrupt Africa Cup of Nations preparations as Egypt cancelled training and delayed their departure to the tournament in Cameroon while Guinea were forced to leave three…

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Liverpool re-open training ground after COVID shutdown

Liverpool say they have re-opened their training ground after it was closed this week following a COVID-19 outbreak among players and staff. The club's League Cup semi-final, first leg away…

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Spurs coach Conte prepares for Stamford Bridge return

Tottenham Hotspur may not have to face Romelu Lukaku in this week's League Cup tie against Chelsea and while manager Antonio Conte did not want to discuss the under-fire striker's situation he said…

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Djokovic will defend Australian Open title after exemption from vaccination

Novak Djokovic ended speculation over his Australian Open title defence byannouncing on Tuesday that he would compete at the season's opening Grand Slam event after receiving a medical exemption from…

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Shaw questions United togetherness, Rangnick defends Greenwood sub

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has questioned the togetherness and commitment of Ralf Rangnick's squad after Monday's 1-0 home defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers, the latest setback in their troubled season. "We have…

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Premier League reports fall in COVID-19 cases

The Premier League said on Monday it had found 94 new positive COVID-19 cases among players and staff in the last week, the first week-by-week decrease in positive results for…

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Olympics-Team Canada CEO “worried” if Beijing Games can go ahead as planned

ith just over a month until the Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said he is increasingly concerned if the Games can go ahead as…

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Wins for Britain, U.S.A., and Australia at the ATP Cup

Dan Evans proved to be the unlikely hero for Britain in Group C at the ATP Cup when he won two matches, including the crucial doubles rubber with Jamie Murray,…

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Mbappe, Lewandowski say quality will suffer with biennial World Cups

France forward Kylian Mbappe and Polish striker Robert Lewandowski expressed their reservations about a biennial World Cup, saying quality would take a hit if overworked players are forced to play…

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Klopp pessimistic on Premier League clubs agreeing to five substitutions

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp reiterated the need for five substitutions in the Premier League to protect players amid a demanding schedule and rising COVID-19 cases but conceded he did not…

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Premier League had record 103 COVID-19 cases in past week

A record 103 positive COVID-19 cases were found among players and staff in the Premier League over the past week, the league said on Monday following a raft of fixture…

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Cavani salvages point for Man United at Newcastle

Substitute Edinson Cavani scored in the second half to help Manchester United salvage a 1-1 draw at struggling Newcastle United in the Premier League on Monday. The result stretched Manchester United interim…

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Luca Farrugia and Sarah Chouhal awarded Athletes of the Year by Rush AC

National team athletes Luca Farrugia and Sarah Chouhal were awarded the prestigious Athlete of the Year award by Rush Athletic Club, a milestone honour for the pair who successfully represented…

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Arab Cup stress tests Qatar 2022 World Cup preparations

As the final whistle ended the game between Tunisia and Oman, two soccer-mad Brazilian fans set out for the next match of the Arab Cup which was due to start in 90 minutes…

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Inter looking to see out memorable 2021 in style

Inter Milan will look to go out with a bang in the Italian top flight's final round of fixtures before the winter break this week after a year to remember…

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Allegri remains optimistic despite Juve Serie A struggles

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted he is remaining optimistic that the Turin club can still have a successful season despite their struggles in Serie A this term. Serie A's most successful club…

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Football: LaLiga talking points

SEVILLA AIMING HIGH Sevilla strengthened their case as the strongest challengers to LaLiga leaders Real Madrid after beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Sunday. They have lost only two games this…

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Football: Premier League talking points

BAD WEEKEND FOR VAR Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool served up a festive classic on Sunday but sadly it was referee Paul Tierney and VAR that dominated the post-match analysis. Liverpool…

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Aubameyang dropped as Arsenal captain after disciplinary breach

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been dropped as the team's captain following a disciplinary breach last week, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. The Gabon international will also be not considered…

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Villa could consider vaccine status of transfer targets: Gerrard

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard said the club could discuss the vaccine status of signing targets when they look to bolster their squad during the January transfer window, as rising…

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Four Maltese athletes compete with Europe’s elite in European Cross Championships

Two Maltese elite athletes – Dillon Cassar and Lisa Bezzina, together with two of Malta’s upcoming prospects, David Borg and Gabriel Farrugia took part in this year’s SPAR Cross-Country European…

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Man United’s league game at Brentford postponed due to COVID-19

Manchester United's Premier League match at Brentford on Tuesday has been postponed due to a number of COVID-19 cases at the Old Trafford club, the league announced on Monday. United had reported a "small…

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Hamilton told team on radio race was ‘manipulated’

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton said on his team radio, "This has been manipulated," after the Briton was passed by Max Verstappen on the final lap of Sunday's controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.…

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