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Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia Carrying Napoli to New Heights

Football - Serie A - Torino v Napoli - Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, Turin, Italy - March 19, 2023 Napoli's Victor Osimhen applauds fans after being substituted. (Reuters)
Football - Serie A - Torino v Napoli - Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, Turin, Italy - March 19, 2023 Napoli's Victor Osimhen applauds fans after being substituted. (Reuters)
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Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia Carrying Napoli to New Heights

Football - Serie A - Torino v Napoli - Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, Turin, Italy - March 19, 2023 Napoli's Victor Osimhen applauds fans after being substituted. (Reuters)
Football - Serie A - Torino v Napoli - Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, Turin, Italy - March 19, 2023 Napoli's Victor Osimhen applauds fans after being substituted. (Reuters)

Victor Osimhen combines the characteristics of a classic No. 9 with the talents of a modern striker.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s dribbling wizardry and passing abilities befuddle defenders in Italy and beyond.

Individually, Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia are devastating enough. Together, they are leading Napoli to new heights game after game.

The latest demonstration came when Osimhen scored a brace of headers and Kvaratskhelia earned and converted a penalty and set up two goals in Napoli’s 4-0 win at Torino in Serie A on Sunday.

The victory moved the runaway leader a staggering 21 points ahead of second-place Inter Milan and a step closer to Napoli’s first Serie A title since Diego Maradona led the club to its only two Italian league championships back in 1987 and 1990.

Osimhen started it off midway through the first half when he leaped above the defense to redirect in a corner with a towering header.

After a couple of key saves from Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret — who is also quietly having a standout season — Kvaratskhelia doubled the advantage with a penalty.

But that was just the warmup.

The main act was Napoli’s third goal, a full team move with Kvaratskhelia providing a backheel flick to Mathias Olivera, who floated in a cross for Osimhen to head in at the far post.

Osimhen became the first player to score two headed braces in the same Serie A season since former Italy striker Alberto Gilardino accomplished the feat in 2009-10 with Fiorentina.

Osimhen has a league-best 21 goals in 27 matches, while Kvaratskhelia has 12 goals and 10 assists — the first player with such production in their first season in Europe’s big five leagues since Diego scored 13 and provided 13 assists for Werder Bremen 16 years ago.

Kvaratskhelia also set up Tanguy Ndombole’s first Serie A goal midway through the second half.

Osimhen also scored twice when Napoli beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 on Wednesday to secure a 5-0 aggregate victory and reach the Champions League quarterfinals.

Also Sunday, Fiorentina moved into the top half of the table by beating Lecce 1-0 with an own-goal from Antonino Gallo and Sampdoria defeated Hellas Verona 3-1 with a brace from Manolo Gabbiadini in a matchup of two teams in the drop zone.

Meanwhile, fans clashed with police outside the Stadio Olimpico before the Rome derby between Roma and Lazio.

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Saudi National Team Coach: We Aim to Conclude Our Participation in the Best Possible Manner

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
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Saudi National Team Coach: We Aim to Conclude Our Participation in the Best Possible Manner

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA

Saudi national team head coach Hervé Renard affirmed during a pre-match press conference ahead of the team’s encounter with the UAE that the squad aims to conclude its participation in the tournament in the best possible manner. He noted that reaching this stage was not the desired objective, but focus and readiness remain essential requirements.

Renard explained that preparations for the match against Jordan were solid and that statistics reflected the Saudi team’s superiority in terms of possession and presence in the opponent’s half, as well as prior understanding of the opponent’s strategy, SPA reported.

However, he said that failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities prevented goals, while Jordan’s team succeeded in converting its chances.

He stated that exiting the semifinals is a difficult challenge for everyone, emphasizing the need to maintain professionalism and prepare well to secure victory in tomorrow’s match. He noted that the team delivered strong performances in previous matches, but effectiveness in front of goal remains a decisive factor that must be further developed in the next phase.

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions, emphasizing that preparation for the World Cup requires higher readiness and a more competitive level to present the image expected on the global stage.

Saudi national team player Abdulrahman Al-Aboud said the ambition had been to win the title, but that was not achieved, noting the players’ readiness to compete for third place against the UAE national team.

Sports

Carlos Alcaraz Ends 7-year Partnership with Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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Carlos Alcaraz Ends 7-year Partnership with Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz is parting ways with his longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Alcaraz announced their decision to end a seven-year partnership on Wednesday in a message on his social networks, The AP news reported.

With Ferrero, Alcaraz has claimed six Grand Slam titles __ two French Open titles, two Wimbledon crowns and two US Opens.

“After more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to bring our chapter together as coach and player to an end,” Alacaraz wrote. Thank you for turning childhood dreams into reality. We started this journey when I was barely a kid, and throughout all this time you’ve accompanied me on an incredible journey, on and off the court. I’ve enjoyed every single step with you immensely."

Sports

FIFA Launches $60 Ticket Tier amid Criticism of 2026 World Cup Pricing 

13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)
13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)
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FIFA Launches $60 Ticket Tier amid Criticism of 2026 World Cup Pricing 

13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)
13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)

FIFA introduced on Tuesday a small number of $60 "Supporter Entry Tier" tickets, aiming to make next year's World Cup more affordable for fans of qualified teams.

Football's governing body said that the discounted tickets would cover all 104 matches of the tournament, including the final.

The cheaper tickets will make up 10% of Participating Member Associations' (PMAs) allocations.

The PMAs, which represent competing national teams and manage dedicated fan ticket programs, will handle the ticket allocation process.

They will also define their own criteria to prioritize tickets for "loyal fans" closely connected to their national teams.

"In total, half of each PMA's ticket allocation will fall within the most affordable categories: 40% under the Supporter Value Tier and 10% under the new Supporter Entry Tier," FIFA said in a statement.

"The remaining allocation will be split evenly between the Supporter Standard Tier and the Supporter Premier Tier," it added.

Fans who apply through PMA ticketing programs and whose teams fail to progress to the knockout stage will have administrative fees waived for refund requests.

The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of ticket pricing ahead of the 2026 tournament, set to take place from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Last week, Football Supporters Europe (FSE) accused FIFA of imposing "extortionate" ticket prices that could prevent average fans from attending the event.

'STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION'

FSE director Ronan Evain told Reuters on Tuesday that while the new pricing was a step in the right direction, it was "clearly not sufficient".

He noted that following a team to the final would cost $480 under category four, but jumps to $6,900 for category three, meaning one fan "sitting in the same section" as another could pay 15 times more.

Evain also said there was a lack of transparency around ticket distribution.

"FIFA doesn't provide any guidelines or obligations for the PMAs. They have the freedom to choose how they distribute the tickets," he said.

According to the BBC, this will mean about 400 of the cheaper tickets will be available for England and Scotland in their group games, yet Evain said that most PMAs don't disclose the number of tickets.

FIFA said in its statement on Tuesday that PMAs were requested to ensure that these cheaper tickets were "specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams".

Evain also raised concerns about accessibility for fans with disabilities. "The cheapest they can get all the way to the final is $7,000 and they also must pay full price for companion seats, meaning that following a team to the final could cost $14,000," he said.

Reuters has put Evain's points to FIFA for comment.

Despite the backlash, FIFA reported strong interest in the sale's third phase draw, which began on December 11 and will remain open until January 13, driven by the release of match schedules, venues and kick-off times.