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UPDATED – Cabinet approves decree guaranteeing CONI’s independence as Italy risked Olympic Games exclusion

Updated 1145 - Cabinet approves decree safeguarding CONI's independence In his last Cabinet meeting before submitting his resignation, Italian PM Giuseppe Conte has managed to push through legal amendments giving the Italian Olympic Committee the necessary financial and administrative independence as requested by the international body. In particular, the decree ensures that stadiums that have been used for a long time by Olympic athletes, have been transferred to the Olympic committe...

Blatter was in coma after heart surgery, daughter says

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter spent a week in an artificially induced coma after heart surgery last month, his daughter has told Swiss media. “Just before Christmas, he had to go to the hospital for heart surgery,” Corinne Blatter said in an interview with CH Media, adding the operation had been expected to be routine. “But then everything became more complicated and dangerous. In total, he was in an artificial coma for over a week and was no longer responsive.” The 84-year-old ha...

Chelsea sack Lampard from manager after 18 months

London (dpa) - Frank Lampard's reign as Chelsea manager came to an end on Monday as he was sacked after 18 months in the role. The 42-year-old steered Chelsea to a Champions League place in his first season in charge but with the club sitting ninth in the Premier League owner Roman Abramovich decided to act. "This has been a very difficult decision, and not one that the owner and the Board have taken lightly," Chelsea said in a statement on their website. "We are gratefu...

Janet Richard, Luke Farrugia win the Athlete of the Year Award for 2020

Janet Richard and Luke Farrugia scooped the top prizes awarded by Athletics Malta for the best athletes in 2020, while Jordan Gusman and Benjamin Micallef received special accolades for outstanding performances in their sport throughout the year. In an award-giving ceremony held last Sunday at the Cavalieri Art Hotel, the national association awarded a number of athletes in their respective categories. Luke Farrugia and Janet Richard - Athletes of the Year 2020. Credit: Monalisa Camilleri...

Serie A Talking Points

Reuters - Ciro Immobile scored his 13th league goal of the season to seal a 2-1 comeback win for Lazio against Sassuolo on Sunday and clinch a fourth consecutive Serie A win for the Roman club. Francesco Caputo fired the visitors ahead after just six minutes, but Lazio responded strongly and a powerful header from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic drew them level midway through the first half. Simone Inzaghi's side completed their comeback in the 71st minute when Adam Marusic picked out Immobile in...

Fernandes free-kick earns Man United 3-2 FA Cup win over Liverpool

Bruno Fernandes’ superb 78th-minute free-kick knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup fourth round as Manchester United won Sunday's thriller 3-2 at Old Trafford. Mohamed Salah’s chipped finish gave Liverpool a short-lived lead after 18 minutes until Mason Greenwood levelled for United eight minutes later in an even first half, dpa reported. Marcus Rashford stunned Liverpool early in the second half and Salah scored again to restore equal terms until Fernandes fired a direct free-kick i...

Bayern extend lead to seven points with 4-0 win at Schalke

Berlin, Jan.24 (BNA): Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller were again in the goals as Bayern Munich beat bottom side Schalke 4-0 away on Sunday to increase their advantage at the top of the Bundesliga to seven points. RB Leipzig, in second, lost 3-2 at second-bottom Mainz on Saturday when third-placed Bayer Leverkusen also went down 1-0 to Wolfsburg to give Bayern the chance to further pull away. Mueller and Lewandowski struck either side of the break before late goals from Mueller and D...

Atalanta stun winter Serie A champions AC Milan

Atalanta consigned AC Milan to their second league defeat of the season with a 3-0 win at San Siro yesterday, but Stefano Pioli’s side were still named ‘winter champions’ in Serie A. A Cristian Romero header put the visitors ahead at halftime before a Josip Ilicic penalty and Duvan Zapata strike completed a dominant victory for the Bergamo side. Atalanta?s Cristian Romero (C) jubilates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan ...

Aston Villa go eighth by pushing Newcastle towards relegation

London (dpa) - Aston Villa got back to their winning ways on Saturday with a 2-0 home victory over struggling Newcastle United. First-half goals from Ollie Watkins and Bertrand Traore were enough for three points to lift them to eighth place in the Premier League with 29 points after a coronavirus-enforced break. Villa have two games in hand because an outbreak of coronavirus at their training facilities forced manager Dean Smith and many first team players to isolate from ...

Manchester City overcome Cheltenham scare; FA Cup holders Arsenal out

London (dpa) - Manchester City survived a scare against fourth-tier side Cheltenham Town while FA Cup holders Arsenal exited the competition in Saturday's fourth-round ties. Pep Guardiola's City battled back from a goal down to claim a 3-1 away win and Arsenal lost 1-0 at Southampton with Brazilian defender Gabriel scoring an own goal. Alfie May stunned City in the 59th minute when he knocked in Ben Tozer's long throw-in to put Cheltenham ahead, but Michael...

Monaco says F1 grand prix will go ahead this year

Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix will happen this season after being cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers said on Monday in response to speculation the showcase race could be scrapped again. The harbourside race, traditionally a glamour highlight of the year, is scheduled for May 23 as the fifth round on a calendar that was tweaked earlier this month due to the continuing spread of the virus. "Despite the latest rumors circulating ...

Winter athletics season underway as top athletes vie for place at European Championships

Malta’s elite athletes and upcoming youngsters were back on track at the Matthew Micallef St John in Marsa for the first of three pre-season Winter track events organized by Athletics Malta. These events lead up to Malta’s Winter Championships due on 20th February, through which Maltese athletes can qualify for the European Indoor Athletics Championships due in March in Poland. With the current pandemic depriving Malta’s elite runners from the annual Road Running League many of them took to ...

AC Milan regain sole leadership as Ibra double sinks Cagliari

AC Milan took all three points from a tricky Monday night encounter in Sardinia against Cagliari with evergreen striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring a brace. The Swedish striker put the Rossoneri on course for victory slotting home a 7th minute penalty before doubling the lead in the 52nd minute. This was Ibrahimovic's first start since late November when he had picked up a thigh injury against Napoli. The only disappointing aspect to an otherwise comfortable win for Milan was ...

Different moods for Juventus and Napoli as they meet for Super Cup clash

DPA - The Super Cup match pitting Juventus against Napoli on Wednesday in Reggio Emilia comes at a bad moment for the Turin Serie A champions, who are struggling in the league after years of dominance. Their new coach Andrea Pirlo minced no words after a 2-0 loss to Inter Milan that late Sunday dropped his side seven points behind the Nerazzurri, who are second in the table but level on points with leaders AC Milan. "Our attitude was all wrong from the very beginning," Pirlo said, "and wh...

Inter make serious Serie A title statement of intent

Reuters / EPA - Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella scored one goal and set up another to help secure a 2-0 ‘Derby of Italy’ victory over champions Juventus and send his side joint-top of Serie A while putting a major dent in the Turin club's title hopes. Former Juve midfielder Arturo Vidal scored his first league goal for Inter when he headed in an inviting Barella cross after 12 minutes. Antonio Conte’s side grabbed a deserved second after the break when Barella raced onto a long Alessandro Ba...

Bayern go four points clear with scrappy 2-1 win over Freiburg

Reuters, Munich, Germany - Thomas Mueller set up one goal and scored a second-half winner as Bayern Munich struggled past Freiburg 2-1 on Sunday to snap their opponents' five-game winning run and extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to four points. Bayern, who conceded a goal for the 11th straight league game and were far from impressive, are now on 36 points, four ahead of RB Leipzig who drew 2-2 with VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday, and seven clear of Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dort...

Insigne scores twice in Napoli’s 6-0 victory against Fiorentina

MILAN — Lorenzo Insigne scored two and set up another as a stunning first-half performance saw Napoli blow Fiorentina away, winning 6-0 to move into the top four in Serie A on Sunday. Napoli moved third, three points below Inter Milan and six below league leader AC Milan. The Milan teams still have to play this weekend but have played the same number of matches as Napoli. Inter welcomes nine-time champion Juventus later in the headline match of the weekend. If Antonio Conte beats his f...

Man Utd two points clear after draw at Liverpool; Tottenham fourth

London (dpa) - Manchester United held on to top spot in the Premier League after a 0-0 draw at champions Liverpool on Sunday. Alisson made two good saves for Liverpool while Thiago and Roberto Firmino went close for the hosts as United remained top, two points clear of Leicester and three ahead of Liverpool. Manchester City can go second if they beat Crystal Palace in the day's late match. Tottenham Hotspur are fourth after a 3-1 win at bottom side Sheffield United. Vict...

AC Milan Hakan Calhanoglu and Theo Hernandez test positive for Coronavirus

AC Milan’s selection crisis has deepened as Hakan Calhanoglu and Theo Hernandez have tested positive for Coronavirus, the club have confirmed. In a statement on their official website, the club announce that Çalhanoğlu and Theo Hernández tested positive for a molecular swab carried out yesterday by the whole squad, the rest of whom tested negative. The club have informed the competent health authorities, and the two players – asymptomatic – were immediately placed in home quarantine....

Photo Story: Arsenal FC vs Crystal Palace

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal reacts ahead of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace in London, Britain, 14 January 2021. EPA-EFE/Neil Hall

French biker Pierre Cherpin dies in Dakar rally crash

French motorcycle rider Pierre Cherpin has died five days after crashing during the seventh stage of the Dakar Rally, organisers said on Friday. The 52-year-old amateur, who was taking part unassisted in his fourth Dakar rally, had undergone neurosurgery and was placed in a medically induced coma after the crash in Saudi Arabia. "During his transfer by medical plane from Jeddah to France, Pierre Cherpin died from the injuries caused by his fall during the seventh stage...

England all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney retires from football

Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has called time on his playing career after being named as manager of Derby County, the Championship club said on Friday. The 35-year-old had been managing the club on an interim basis while continuing to play but will now concentrate on the role full-time. "To be given the opportunity to follow the likes of Brian Clough, Jim Smith, Frank Lampard and Phillip Cocu is such an honour and I can promise everyone in involved in...

Alex Zanardi speaks to family

AutoSprint - Two-time CART champion, Paralympic gold medalist, and former F1 driver Alex Zanardi has reportedly spoken to his family following a successful, "awake" surgery, reports the Italian news outlet Autosprint. Zanardi suffered a serious hand-cycling crash during a race in the Italian town of Pienza in Tuscany last summer, which left him in a medically induced coma. Multiple brain surgeries over the course of the latter half of 2020 culminated in Zanardi being able to respond to d...

Ferrari’s Leclerc isolating after positive COVID-19 test

Jan 14 (Reuters) - Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc announced on Thursday he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was self-isolating at home in Monaco with mild symptoms. The 23-year-old said he was feeling okay. "I am regularly checked according to my team's protocols. Unfortunately, I learned that I have been in contact with a positive case and immediately went into self-isolation, notifying anyone I had contact with," he said on Instagram. "A subsequent test I took has com...

FA Cup Draws: Man Utd to host Liverpool in Round 4

Manchester United have been drawn to host Liverpool in a mouth-watering clash in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. The two sides are currently separated by goal difference at the top of the Premiership and will be facing each other in the Cup a mere seven days after their direct encounter in the league. The rest of the draw is as follows: Cheltenham Town v Manchester CityBournemouth v Crawley TownSwansea City v Nottingham ForestManchester United v LiverpoolSouthampton or Shrewsbury Town v A...

FA Cup holders Arsenal, Man United through; West Brom lose shoot-out

London (dpa/reuters) - FA Cup holders Arsenal prevailed against Newcastle 2-0 in extra-time on Saturday to continue their defence into the fourth round. Meanwhile, Scott McTominay's fifth minute header was enough for Manchester United to dismiss Watford at Old Trafford in a 1-0 victory. Scott McTominay celebrated captaining Manchester United for the first time by scoring the only goal. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made nine changes to his team, who could go top of the Premier League on Tuesday,...

Serie A Roundup – Milan extend lead at the top

Gianluca Mancini headed in a late equaliser as AS Roma stalled Serie A title rivals Inter Milan with a 2-2 draw in Rome on Sunday. Antonio Conte's second-placed Inter lost further ground after their midweek defeat to Sampdoria to drop three points behind leaders AC Milan who beat Torino 2-0 on Saturday. Roma remain a further three points behind Inter in third. Champions Juventus also benefited from the stalemate, powering up to fourth with a 3-1 win over 10-man Sassuolo....

From the pitch to the park – 3 Serie A legends spotted like never seen before

Former Italian footballers Massimo Ambrosini, Massimiliano Oddo and Christian Vieri were photographed in Parco Sempione in Milan, as they took their children for a walk in their push chairs. Ambrosini shared this unusual photo of the three players on his Instagram account. https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ1BQpXl04u/?igshid=1w5ejmh1gt8l3 In his post the former Milan captain remarked how times changed, when up to few years ago they rand and chased a ball, while today they walk and ‘folllo...

Ski Jumping World Cup in Titisee-Neustadt

Robert Johansson of Norway is airborne during a practice jump of the Men's Single competition at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, 08 January 2021. EPA-EFE/RONALD WITTEK

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter hospitalised as health worsens

Anadolu - Former FIFA president, Sepp Blatter has been in hospital as his health got worse, Swiss daily Blick reported on Friday. "My father is in the hospital. He is getting better every day. But he needs time and rest," his daughter, Corinne Blatter Andenmatten said. The 84-year-old was treated in intensive care in 2015 over an immune system disorder. Blatter was a longtime FIFA chief, he served between the years 1998 and 2015. In December 2015, Blatter was suspended from football...

Zidane in isolation due to contact’s COVID positive

MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is isolating after a close contact of his tested positive for COVID-19, Spanish newspaper ABC said on Thursday. Real did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. The story in ABC said Zidane learned of the contact testing positive on Thursday morning and subsequently did not attend Real Madrid’s training session ahead of Saturday’s La Liga game away to Osasuna. The report added that the Frenchman had undergone ...

Australian GP will be postponed, says F1 team owner Stroll

LONDON (Reuters) - The Australian Grand Prix will be postponed to the back end of the Formula One season with Bahrain replacing it as the opening race in March, Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll told Reuters. The move, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine restrictions, has been widely flagged in the media but is yet to be confirmed by Formula One or local organisers. “Melbourne has been -- it’s not officially announced but it will be -- not cancelled but postponed. We will go...

Messi shines as impressive Barca win in Bilbao

BILBAO, Spain (Reuters) - Lionel Messi was at the top of his game as Barcelona earned a 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday to move up to third in La Liga. Athletic got off to a dream start in their first match under new coach Marcelino when forward Inaki Williams latched on to a low through ball and raced towards goal, beating one defender before firing low into the net in the third minute. Barca quickly responded, however, with a sensational team goal, Messi delivering a superb pass...

Juventus ends Milan’s unbeaten streak

MILAN (Reuters) - Juventus inflicted a first Serie A defeat of the season on league leaders AC Milan as a Federico Chiesa double led the Italian champions to an exhilarating 3-1 win at San Siro on Wednesday. Chiesa fired home a superb opener before makeshift midfielder Davide Calabria equalised for Milan at the end of an eventful, end-to-end first half. But the visitors pulled away after the break as Chiesa curled in his second and substitute Weston McKennie swept in from close range to c...

PSG draw at St Etienne on Pochettino’s first game

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain were held to a 1-1 Ligue 1 draw at St Etienne in coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first game in charge on Wednesday as the French champions failed to make their possession count. Moise Kean cancelled out Romain Hamouma’s opener in the first half but PSG were unable to find the net again as they let Olympique Lyonnais, who beat RC Lens 3-2, open up a three-point lead at the top of the standings. PSG did, however, move up to second on 36 points from 18 games, l...

Stones resurgence at Man City delights Guardiola

(Reuters) - Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said it took defender John Stones a lot longer than expected to rediscover his best form but he praised the Englishman’s perseverance after their 2-0 League Cup win over Manchester United on Wednesday. Centre back Stones has struggled with injuries and poor form in recent campaigns but has found his rhythm this season forging a strong partnership with Portuguese defender Ruben Dias. Stones opened the scoring in the second half against United ...

Juventus vs Milan to be played

Serie A match between Juventus and AC Milan will be played. Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Juventus started their journey to Milan by coach. The match was at risk, due to the fact that on Tuesday Juventus confirmed that Juan Cuadrado has tested positive for COVID-19, the second player from the Serie A champions to test positive this week. Brazilian defender Alex Sandro is already in isolation after testing positive on Monday, with Cuadrado confirmed as having contracted COVID-19 afte...

Football fixtures to go ahead despite national lockdown in UK

Elite sport will be allowed to continue in England despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson announcing a new national COVID-19 lockdown on Monday (January 4) due to surging infections in the country caused by a more contagious variant of the novel coronavirus. The United Kingdom has had more than 2.65 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and recorded over 75,000 deaths. A record 58,784 new cases of the coronavirus were reported on Monday. England have followed neighbours Scotland in implementing ...

Liverpool register second loss of PL season at Southampton

A superb second-minute lob by Danny Ings gave Southampton a surprise 1-0 home win over Premier League leaders Liverpool, with the Reds' attack looking rudderless as they were held scoreless for the second game in a row. With the injury-hit champions fielding a makeshift centre-back pairing of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, striker Ings, who joined Southampton on loan from Liverpool in 2018 before making the transfer permanent a year later, was able to exploit some confusion at ...

Conte wants more, despite Inter’s 6-2 victory

(Reuters) - Not even Sunday’s 6-2 thrashing of struggling Crotone and taking possession of the Serie A top spot could cheer up Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte as he railed against Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal after the home victory. A hat-trick by Lautaro Martinez helped Inter to get their eighth league win in a row but Conte was still smarting afterwards about Vidal conceding a first-half penalty that allowed bottom side Crotone to level at 2-2. “Arturo has significant room for impr...

Dzeko gets late winner for Roma, Zielinski inspires Napoli to victory as Lazio stutter again

Veteran striker Edin Dzeko scored a late winner to earn Roma a battling 1-0 win over Sampdoria in Serie A on Sunday, keeping his side third in the standings, while two fantastic Piotr Zielinski goals steered Napoli to a 4-1 win at Cagliari. Having seen Inter go top of the table with a 6-2 win over Crotone in the day’s early kick-off, Roma looked set to fall behind in the title race as they laboured in torrential rain in the capital, failing to create any real chances in the first half. Ho...

Catalan government gives go-ahead for 2021 Spanish GP

Reuters - The government of Catalonia has given the go-ahead for Spanish Grand Prix organisers to agree a contract extension with Formula One for 2021. The May 9 race at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya is listed as subject to contract on the sport’s record 23-round provisional calendar. The regional government said in a statement it had authorised Circuits de Catalunya SL to sign the renewal. “The signature guarantees the celebration of the 31st consecutive edition of this event at th...

Pope calls Maradona a fragile poet

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis has hailed fellow Argentine Diego Maradona as a “poet” on the pitch, but also acknowledged his frailty away from the sport. In a wide-ranging interview with Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport published on Saturday, Francis recalled his own days playing soccer as a child with a ball made of rags and laid bare his scorn for doping cheats. Francis is a big soccer fan and met Maradona, who died in November, several times after becoming pope in 2013. ...

PSG players must show they deserve to wear the shirt, says Pochettino

(Reuters) - New Paris St. Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino is relishing the opportunity to take charge of a star-studded squad but has warned the club's top players that they must prove they deserve to wear the jersey of the French champions. Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Pochettino was named head coach of PSG on Saturday, with the Argentine replacing Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked on Christmas Eve after a 4-0 victory over Racing Strasbourg as the side sat in third in the league. "In th...

Man United close in on Liverpool with 2-1 Villa win

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Manchester United closed in on the Premier League’s pole position after a 2-1 home win over Aston Villa on Friday put them level on points and games played with champions and leaders Liverpool. United trail their traditional rivals on goal difference with both teams on 33 points from 16 matches. Liverpool travel to Southampton on Monday. United stretched their unbeaten league run to 10 games as Bruno Fernandes capped another fine individual performance with...

Sir Lewis; Formula One champion Hamilton gets his knighthood

Lewis Hamilton capped an incredible record-breaking year by being knighted in the New Year Honours list. Hamilton became the most successful F1 driver of all time after equalling Ferrari great Michael Schumacher’s record seven titles and beating the German’s 91 race wins. The sport’s only Black driver, who grew up in social housing as the grandson of immigrants from the Caribbean, Hamilton has also used his profile to campaign for diversity and speak out against racial injustice. The M...

Fulham’s game at Spurs latest to be postponed over COVID-19 cases

(Reuters) - Fulham’s Premier League match at Tottenham Hotspur that was scheduled to kick off at 1800 GMT on Wednesday has been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the West London club, the league said. The match is the third in the English top flight to be postponed due to COVID-19 cases after Newcastle United’s trip to Aston Villa earlier this month was called off, as was Monday’s match between Everton and Manchester City. "Fulham lodged a request with the Premier League Board to re...

Messi not interested in coaching, prefers sporting director role

Lionel Messi has no plans to become a coach when he retires from playing, saying he is more interested in being a director of football than working in the unforgiving world of football management. The 33-year-old Argentine forward has about six months left on his contract with Barcelona and the football world is on tenterhooks over whether he will stay at the club where he has spent the last 20 years or look for a new challenge. "I don't see myself as a coach, perhaps a spo...

Federer withdraws from Australian Open

Six-times champion Roger Federer has withdrawn from the Australian Open as he continues to work his way back to fitness from two knee operations earlier this year, his agent said. The 39-year-old Swiss last played a competitive match at the season-opening Grand Slam in January before he had to undergo surgery on his knee. He later required a second operation. The start of the 2021 Australian Open has been delayed for three weeks until Feb. 8 due to the countr...

Brazilian soccer star Neymar to throw NYE party for 150 people

A New Year party for 150 people thrown by Brazilian footballer Neymar will be subject to strict health rules to try to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, organisers said. The Paris St Germain forward has come under heavy criticism since details of the event were revealed in a Rio de Janeiro newspaper over the weekend. But the agency organising the party said reports that 500 friends and celebrities were due to attend were not true and that only 150 people would be at the multi-day ...