Sport Dispatch

Germany becomes first European team to qualify for 2022 World Cup with North Macedonia win

Germany became the first European team to qualify for the 2022 World Cup by crushing North Macedonia 4-0 away on Monday to secure top spot in Group J with two games to spare. A…

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Football: European Qualifiers – Monday’s results

Here's a round-up of Monday's matches. Cover photo via Malta Football Association Facebook

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Real, Barca influence on Spain fades along with club superpower status

While Real Madrid and Barcelona's superpower status a decade ago was reflected in their dominance of Spain's all-conquering national side, their decline can be measured in the very same way:…

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Ferguson says Ronaldo should have started against Everton

Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said Cristiano Ronaldo should have started last weekend's 1-1 home draw with Everton instead of being brought on as a second-half substitute by current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.…

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Nations League final four offers silverware to Europe’s best

Fans of international football can be forgiven if it has slipped their attention that four of Europe's top national teams are about to play off this week for the Nations League title.…

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Watford appoint Ranieri as manager on two-year deal

English Premier League club Watford have appointed former Chelsea and Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri as their new manager on a two-year contract, the Premier League club said on Monday.…

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Man City complain to Liverpool over alleged fan spitting incident

Manchester City have made a complaint to Liverpool after a fan allegedly spat at their backroom staff during Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw at Anfield, media reported. Sky Sports said…

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Shakhtar game not decisive for Inter’s European hopes, says Inzaghi

Inter Milan’s clash with Shakhtar Donetsk will not decide their Champions League fate, coach Simone Inzaghi said on Monday, as he urged his team to take a more balanced approach…

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Zlatan returns to Sweden squad after knee injury

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been named in Sweden's squad to face Kosovo and Greece in their October World Cup 2022 qualifiers, despite concerns over a knee injury that caused him…

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Dybala and Morata ruled out of Juventus’ clash with Chelsea

Juventus forwards Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata will not return from injury until after the October international break, the Italian club said on Monday, ruling the pair out of this week's…

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Liverpool fixing defensive problems ahead of Porto test, says Klopp

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said the defensive issues on display against Brentford are not too much of a concern but they do not want to repeat those mistakes in Tuesday's…

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Athletics Malta looks to the future with its first National Forum

Athletics executives, administrators, coaches, athletes and other stakeholders took part in the first-ever Athletics Forum organised by Athletics Malta this weekend as it seeks to take the sport to the…

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Juve’s post-Ronaldo nightmare showing no sign of abating

(Reuters) - "Life goes on" was the message from coach Massimiliano Allegri after learning of Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to leave last month, but four Serie A games into a future without their…

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Injured Ibrahimovic will miss Milan trip to Liverpool – Pioli

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss AC Milan’s Champions League opener against Liverpool, coach Stefano Pioli said on Tuesday, due to a knock the Swede sustained after making his return from a four-month injury layoff.…

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Juve not among favourites, but we’re in it to win it says Allegri

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said his team are not among the favourites to win this season's Champions League, but insisted that should they reach at least the last eight they have every chance…

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Southgate open-minded about FIFA’s biennial World Cup proposal

England manager Gareth Southgate said he is open-minded about FIFA's proposals to hold the World Cup every two years, though he thought the tournament may lose some of its appeal if it moves…

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Spurs chairman Levy elected to ECA executive board

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has been elected to the executive board of the European Club Association (ECA), the body said on Tuesday. Levy will be joined by Inter Milan…

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Djokovic overcomes flat start to reach U.S. Open quarter-finals

An out-of-sorts Novak Djokovic scraped his way to a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over American wildcard Jenson Brooksby on Monday (Sept 6) to move into the US Open quarter-finals…

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FIFA chief says Brazil game abandonment was ‘crazy’

FIFA is investigating the abandonment of the Brazil-Argentina World Cup qualifier with its president Gianni Infantino labelling the events "crazy", while Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to take disciplinary action against their Argentine…

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Pele recovering in hospital following removal of tumour

Brazil soccer great Pele said on Monday that he was recovering in hospital from surgery to remove a tumour from his colon. Pele, the only player to win three World Cups, did…

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Formula 1 considering easing Covid-19 protocols

Formula One is considering easing some of its strict COVID-19 'bubble' protocols, in force since last year, so teams can entertain sponsors and guests more freely at races. McLaren Racing…

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Spending on international transfer fees nearly tripled in 10 years: FIFA

Spending on international transfer fees over the last decade increased from $2.66 billion in 2012 to a peak of $7.35 billion in 2019, while players' agents received $3.5 billion in…

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Juventus re-sign Moise Kean

Juventus have signed Moise Kean on a two-year loan from Everton, the Serie A club said on Tuesday, as the Italian striker returns to the side where he made his professional…

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Man Utd complete Ronaldo deal on transfer deadline day

Manchester United have completed the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus on a two-year deal, the Premier League side confirmed on Tuesday, as the Portuguese forward returns to the club…

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Paralympics set to open in Tokyo amid worsening COVID-19 crisis

The 2020 Paralympic Games will kick off in Tokyo with the opening ceremony on Tuesday as Japan struggles with its worst COVID-19 outbreak so far, record daily cases and an…

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Roma sign striker Abraham from Chelsea

AS Roma have signed striker Tammy Abraham from Premier League team Chelsea on a five-year deal, the Italian Serie A club said on Tuesday. Roma confirmed the 40 million euro ($47.08 million) deal for the…

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Jeremy Zammit in Kenya for World Under 20 Athletics Championship

Long-jumper Jeremy Zammit will be taking part in the World Under 20 Athletics Championship that will be held in Nairobi at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasaran between tomorrow 18th…

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Malta’s future stars shine bright in Athletics Youth Championships

The Marsa Stadium opened its doors to the younger category National Championships this weekend with Malta’s upcoming athletes taking centre stage. Despite the heat, no less than 60 events were…

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New Zealand mourns death of Olympic cyclist Podmore at 24

New Zealand cycling was plunged into mourning on Tuesday after Olympian Olivia Podmore's sudden death at the age of 24. Podmore represented her country at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth…

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Athletics-Double Olympic champion Jacobs shrugs off doping suspicions

Italy’s double Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs has insisted he is not bothered by suspicions of doping raised by the media, and that hard work is to thank for his record-breaking exploits in Tokyo. Jacobs became the first Italian to win…

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Messi gets hero’s welcome in France after agreeing to join PSG

Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi received a hero's welcome after flying to France on Tuesday to join Paris Saint Germain (PSG) following his shock departure from Barcelona. The agreement to sign…

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Spain’s La Liga attracts $3.2 billion investment from CVC

La Liga, Spain's top soccer league, has agreed in principle to sell 10% of a newly formed company housing most of its business to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for…

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Olympics-Athletes’ village COVID-19 infection bubble already ‘broken’ – health expert

TOKYO (Reuters) -The so-called bubble to control COVID-19 infections at the Olympic athletes' village in Tokyo is already "broken" and poses a risk of spreading infections to the general populace, a…

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Positive results for elite Maltese athletes in EAP International Meeting held in Malta

Malta’s busy athletics Summer continued this past weekend with local club Pembroke Athleta hosting another edition of the EAP International Meeting with the support of Athletics Malta. Facing tough competition,…

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Marcus Rashford ‘sorry’ for missing penalty in Euro final but says ‘will never apologise for who he is’

In a heartfelt Twitter post, England footballer Marcus Rashford said he is 'sorry' for missing the penalty in the shootout against Italy but he will never apologise for who he…

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Athletics Malta National Championships this weekend

The Maltese athletics season reaches its climax this weekend with the National Championships being held at the Matthew Micallef St John Athletics Stadium in Marsa. Following a gruelling year for…

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Brazil beat Peru 1-0 to move into Copa America final

Brazil reached the Copa America final after a first-half goal from Lucas Paqueta -- his second in two games -- gave them a 1-0 win over Peru on Monday. The host nation will…

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England’s Southgate wary of new contract talk ahead of Germany clash

England manager Gareth Southgate has said that "outside backing" will determine his future and dismissed talk of a new deal despite support from his Football Association (FA) bosses ahead of Tuesday's Euro…

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Athletics Malta takes action on Marsa track contract for low-quality works

As part of its efforts to improve the quality of the sporting facilities offered for the organisation of athletics events in Malta, Athletics Malta had in recent months initiated an…

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Ronaldo penalty double rescues Portugal in dramatic draw with France

Cristiano Ronaldo came to Portugal's rescue with two penalties to cancel out a brace from France's Karim Benzema in an enthralling 2-2 draw that sent both sides into the Euro 2020 last…

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Late Goretzka equaliser against Hungary sends Germany into last 16

A late Leon Goretzka goal salvaged a 2-2 draw for Germany against Hungary on Wednesday night, in a whip-saw contest that sets the Germans up for a June 29 Round of 16 match against England at Wembley. The Germans were teetering on…

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Juventus legend and former club president Giampiero Boniperti dies at 92

Giampiero Boniperti, the former Juventus forward and one of Italy's greatest players, has died, the Serie A club said on Friday. He was 92. He spent his entire playing career at…

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Athletics: Malta targets promotion in European Team Championships

The Maltese National Athletics Team will be taking part in the Third League of the European Championships in Limassol, Cyprus, throughout the upcoming weekend. Despite the knowledge of facing stiff…

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Copa America registers another 11 positive COVID-19 tests

The number of COVID-19 cases recorded among people involved in the Copa America rose to 52 on Tuesday, an increase of 11 on two days previously, Brazil’s Health Ministry said. Two of the new…

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Hummels own goal gifts France 1-0 win over lacklustre Germany

Title favourites France launched their Euro 2020 Group F campaign with a 1-0 victory over Germany on Tuesday, courtesy of an own goal by Mats Hummels, as the sluggish-looking hosts lost their opening fixture…

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Ronaldo becomes Euros top scorer as Portugal beat Hungary

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated becoming the first player to appear in five European Championships with a brace as they got their title defence off to a winning start with…

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Eriksen says he feels OK, expresses appreciation towards fans for support

Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen posted his first photo since the terrible episode which last Saturday saw him collapse on the ground after a cardiac arrest during a EURO2020 match against…

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Athletics: Two gold medals for Malta at Championships of Small States of Europe

Malta has won two gold medals at the Athletics Championships of Small States of Europe held in Serravalle, San Marino. A 15-athlete delegation represented the country in this biennial event,…

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Juventus Academy Malta Opening its Doors In September

Malta’s young footballers will soon have the opportunity to join the first Juventus Academy to ever open in Malta. The Juventus Academy Malta, set to open this coming September for…

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Update – Decima’s Conquistador Ancelotti returns to Real for second spell as coach

Carlo Ancelotti has returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as coach, re-joining the club from Everton, both teams announced on Tuesday. The Italian, who was previously in charge…

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Bradley Mifsud breaks Javelin National Record in Andorra

Bradley Mifsud broke the National Record for the Javelin throw during the Andorran National Championships held this weekend. Mifsud, who hails from Pembroke Athleta, had recently returned from an 18-month…

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Trent Alexander-Arnold in provisional England Euro 2020 squad

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been named in England's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2020, but Eric Dier misses out. England manager Gareth Southgate will need to finalise his 26-man team by…

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Eros leads Partita del Cuore boycott after actress told her presence unwelcome for “being a woman”

The traditional end-of-season Partita del Cuore, or Match of the Heart, is usually a celebration of fun and solidarity after an intensive Italian footballing season, involving the National Singers' Team.…

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From Atletico Madrid to Hamrun Spartans: all the teams in next season’s Champions League

With most European domestic competitions coming to an end last weekend, the starting line-up for next season's Champions League is almost set. With Manchester City and Chelsea sparring in an…

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Champions League berth would be ‘massive’ for Liverpool: Klopp

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said qualifying for the Champions League would be one of the club's biggest achievements given how badly their Premier League title defence went this season. Liverpool, who stormed…

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Madrid judge asks top EU Court to decide on Super League legality

A Madrid court has asked the European Court of Justice to establish if FIFA and UEFA, the world and continental soccer governing bodies, are breaching EU competition law by preventing clubs from…

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UEFA formally starts investigation into Real, Barcelona and Juve on Super League attempt

UEFA has appointed disciplinary inspectors to conduct an investigation into Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus over their attempts to launch a breakaway Super League, European soccer's governing body said on…

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