Lazio Crowned Italian Supercup Champs after Defeating Juventus in Riyadh

Lazio players celebrate after winning the Italian Supercup. (SPA)
Lazio players celebrate after winning the Italian Supercup. (SPA)
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Lazio Crowned Italian Supercup Champs after Defeating Juventus in Riyadh

Lazio players celebrate after winning the Italian Supercup. (SPA)
Lazio players celebrate after winning the Italian Supercup. (SPA)

Lazio beat Juventus 3-1, their second win over the Turin giants in little more than two weeks, to win the Italian Supercup on Sunday, the annual meeting between the Coppa Italia winners and Serie A champions.

Second-half goals from Senad Lulic and Danilo Cataldi won the match which was being played in Saudi Arabia for the second year running.

Chairman of the General Sport Authority Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal handed the trophy to the Lazio players.

Lazio also beat Juventus 3-1 in Serie A on Dec. 7, handing their opponents their first defeat under coach Maurizio Sarri.

Lazio, the Coppa Italia victors, went ahead after 17 minutes when Sergei Milinkovic-Savic laid the ball off for Luis Alberto to fire into the net.

Paulo Dybala levelled for the Serie A champions at the end of the first-half from a rebound after Cristiano Ronaldo's shot was parried by Thomas Strakosha.

Juventus seemed to be in control in the second half and Ronaldo was close with a shot which went just over but they were caught out when Marco Parolo's cross flew across the face of goal and Lulic volleyed in at the far post in the 73rd minute.

Juventus had midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur sent off in stoppage time and Cataldi curled the resulting free kick into the net with the last action of the game.

"I am super happy," Cataldi said. "I heard so many people say how difficult it would be to beat Juve twice in one season, let alone in a couple of weeks, but instead we lifted a trophy and beat one of the three best teams in Europe.

Juventus can content itself with heading into the winter break joint top of Serie A with Inter Milan, six points above Lazio - which has a match in hand. The Bianconeri are also in the last 16 of the Champions League.

"We came into this game with a deficit of physical and mental energy, this happens," Sarri said. "We are sorry we lost a trophy, but we still have many competitions at stake in the next five months. There is anger but crying over it does not solve the problems."

The Italian league has a contract with Saudi Arabia to play three Supercups in the country over five years.



Tax Evasion Trial for Real Madrid Coach Carlo Ancelotti Opens in Spain

Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti (C) arrives to stand trial over alleged tax fraud, in Madrid, Spain, 02 April 2025. EPA/JJ GUILLEN
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti (C) arrives to stand trial over alleged tax fraud, in Madrid, Spain, 02 April 2025. EPA/JJ GUILLEN
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Tax Evasion Trial for Real Madrid Coach Carlo Ancelotti Opens in Spain

Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti (C) arrives to stand trial over alleged tax fraud, in Madrid, Spain, 02 April 2025. EPA/JJ GUILLEN
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti (C) arrives to stand trial over alleged tax fraud, in Madrid, Spain, 02 April 2025. EPA/JJ GUILLEN

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti arrived at a Spanish court Wednesday for the opening of his trial on tax evasion charges.
Spanish prosecutors have accused the highly successful Italian coach of defrauding the state of 1 million euros ($1 million) in 2014 and 2015. State prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of up to four years and nine months on two counts of tax fraud.
They accused Ancelotti in March 2024 of having used shell companies to hide his true earnings. Prosecutors claimed Ancelotti, for example, used one company that lacked “any real (economic) activity” in the Virgin Islands as part of an alleged scheme.
Ancelotti had denied any wrongdoing before the trial.
He arrived to the Madrid-based courthouse dressed in one of his dark blue suits that he wears while coaching games, The Associated Press reported.
When asked by television journalists if he trusted in the justice system, he responded “I do” as he walked up the courthouse steps.
Ancelotti proclaimed his innocence when first accused last year, arguing he was not a fiscal resident of Spain during part of that time. Prosecutors disagree.
“I already paid the fine, the money is with them, and now the lawyers are talking to try to find a solution,” Ancelotti said in March 2024. “Let’s see what the judge says.”
The 65-year-old Ancelotti is one of soccer’s most successful coaches. He has won the Champions League a record five times, three with Madrid and twice with AC Milan, and is the only coach to have won domestic league titles in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.
He coached Madrid from 2013-15 before starting his current stint in 2021.