Italy Beat Turkey in Post-world Cup Disaster Friendly

Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini (R) congratulates Giacomo Raspadori (L) who scored twice against Turkey Ozan KOSE AFP
Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini (R) congratulates Giacomo Raspadori (L) who scored twice against Turkey Ozan KOSE AFP
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Italy Beat Turkey in Post-world Cup Disaster Friendly

Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini (R) congratulates Giacomo Raspadori (L) who scored twice against Turkey Ozan KOSE AFP
Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini (R) congratulates Giacomo Raspadori (L) who scored twice against Turkey Ozan KOSE AFP

Italy won their first match after failing to qualify for a second straight World Cup by beating Turkey 3-2 in Konya on Tuesday.

Bryan Cristante's 35th minute header and a Giacomo Raspadori brace gave the European champions the win after Cengiz Under had given the hosts a fourth-minute lead.

Serdar Dursun pulled one back with seven minutes left but Gianluigi Donnarumma, who had a wobbly evening, stopped the Fenerbahce forward from heading Turkey level moments later with a superb save.

Raspadori, who put Italy ahead in the 39th minute and sealed the win with 20 minutes remaining to take his international tally to three, was one of the young hopefuls who turned out in an experimental line-up, AFP reported.

Roberto Mancini is expected to confirm that he is staying on as Italy coach despite his team being beaten by North Macedonia in Thursday's play-off semi-final and selected a starting XI which featured a clutch of fringe players.

Mancini has a contract which runs until the 2026 World Cup and hinted heavily on Monday that he would not step down.

The 22-year-old Raspadori was making his ninth Italy appearance, in attack alongside his Sassuolo teammate Gianluca Scamacca, 23, had only played twice for his country before Tuesday.

Mancini also selected AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, 21, who has struggled to get past Euro 2020 heroes Jorginho, Marco Verratti and Nicolo Barella while Roma starlet Nicolo Zaniolo performed poorly in a rare appearance for the national team.



Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony: Saudi Team Highlights Cultural Heritage

Saudi athletes wave their country’s flag during the opening parade. (Saudi Olympic Committee)
Saudi athletes wave their country’s flag during the opening parade. (Saudi Olympic Committee)
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Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony: Saudi Team Highlights Cultural Heritage

Saudi athletes wave their country’s flag during the opening parade. (Saudi Olympic Committee)
Saudi athletes wave their country’s flag during the opening parade. (Saudi Olympic Committee)

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and his deputy, Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz, attended the opening ceremony of the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris.

Held outside the traditional stadiums for the first time in history, the ceremony featured a parade of the 206 participating countries on 100 boats traveling approximately 6 kilometers along the Seine River.

The Saudi show jumping team player, Ramzy Al-Duhami, and his colleague, the Saudi Taekwondo champion Dunya Aboutaleb, raised the Saudi flag at the opening of the world’s largest sporting event.

Al-Duhami expressed his pride in raising the Kingdom’s flag alongside his teammate, noting that it was a dream for any Saudi citizen. He wished success for the Saudi athletes in representing Saudi sports with distinction.

Aboutaleb, in turn, said he was honored to carry the Kingdom’s flag at the Olympic Games, stating: “I aspire to perform at a level that reflects the support and attention given to sports in the Kingdom.”

The Saudi athletes’ uniform was admired by the international media and the audience, who applauded the players the moment their boat appeared on the Seine River.

The designs for the opening ceremony were chosen through a national competition organized by the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, with the participation of designers from across the Kingdom.

Out of 128 competing designers, the chosen uniform by Saudi designer Alia Al-Salmi featured traditional men’s thobes and bishts and brightly patterned thobe al-nashal for women, symbolizing the athletes’ pride in their homeland and cultural roots.

Mashael Al-Ayed, 17, will be the first Saudi athlete to compete, taking to the pool for the 200 meters freestyle swimming event on July 28. Al-Ayed is the first female swimmer to represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympics.