Pirlo Wins 1st Trophy as Juventus Beat Napoli in Italian Super Cup

Soccer Football - Italian Super Cup - Final - Juventus v Napoli - Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy - January 20, 2021 Juventus players celebrate with the Italian Super Cup REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
Soccer Football - Italian Super Cup - Final - Juventus v Napoli - Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy - January 20, 2021 Juventus players celebrate with the Italian Super Cup REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
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Pirlo Wins 1st Trophy as Juventus Beat Napoli in Italian Super Cup

Soccer Football - Italian Super Cup - Final - Juventus v Napoli - Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy - January 20, 2021 Juventus players celebrate with the Italian Super Cup REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
Soccer Football - Italian Super Cup - Final - Juventus v Napoli - Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy - January 20, 2021 Juventus players celebrate with the Italian Super Cup REUTERS/Alberto Lingria

Andrea Pirlo won his first trophy as a coach on Wednesday as Juventus beat Napoli 2-0 in the Italian Super Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo blasted in his 20th goal of the season following a corner on 64 minutes in Reggio Emilia, before Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne missed a penalty and Alvaro Morata added a second deep into injury time.

Pirlo, 41, clinched his first silverware five months after taking over at his former club where he won four league titles.

"Winning a first title (as a coach) is a great joy, different from that felt as a player, it's even more beautiful," said Pirlo, who lifted the trophy three times as a player with Juventus and AC Milan.

Juventus won the annual trophy, played between the league champions and Italian Cup holders, for the ninth time, having finished runners-up last year to Lazio.

"This trophy is very important because it can give us confidence for the rest of our season," said Ronaldo.

Juventus sit fifth in the league, 10 points behind leaders AC Milan, after losing 2-0 to second-placed Inter Milan last weekend.

"The Scudetto is possible, Milan and Inter are very strong, but there are still a lot of games to be played and we can still do it," added Ronaldo.

It was the first meeting between Pirlo and Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso, who won the 2006 World Cup together and spent a decade as AC Milan teammates, winning two Serie A titles and two Champions League crowns together.

They have not faced off this season after Napoli refused to travel to Turin for their October league match because of coronavirus cases -- a fixture which has still to be played.

"I'm sorry for Gennaro Gattuso, but we wanted to react after the defeat against Inter Milan," said Pirlo.

"We bet a lot on the pride of the players, we wanted to show that we were a team."

Juventus received a boost hours before kick-off with Juan Cuadrado recovering from coronavirus and starting for the first time in two weeks.

Napoli had the best chance of the first half in the Mapei Stadium, with Juve keeper Wojciech Szczsesny demonstrating quick reflexes to save Hirving Lozano's diving header just before the half-hour mark.

Federico Bernardeschi came off the bench after the break in place of Federico Chiesa and immediately had an impact.

Juventus piled on the pressure after an hour when Ronaldo was sent through on goal and defender Kostas Manolas almost deflected the ball into his own net.

But the five-time Ballon d'Or winner made the most of the resulting corner, with the ball bouncing off Tiemoue Bakayoko and into the path of the unmarked Portuguese forward to fire in his 20th goal of the season.

Napoli had a chance to equalize from the spot after Weston McKennie fouled Dries Mertens, but Insigne wasted the opportunity by dragging a woeful effort wide.

Szczsesny pulled off another late save before a last-gasp Morata goal sealed victory.

"We all lost together, not because of Lorenzo's penalty. Let's move on," said Gattuso, 43, whose side beat Juventus in last season's Italian Cup.

"In the first half there was a bit of fear. I don't remember Juve's serious chances today.

"We could have done better, but the match is very similar to the one seven months ago. In fact, we suffered more seven months ago than today."



Tottenham Hotspur Sack Head Coach Thomas Frank

(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/
(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/
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Tottenham Hotspur Sack Head Coach Thomas Frank

(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/
(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/

Thomas Frank was fired by Tottenham on Wednesday after only eight months in charge and with his team just five points above the relegation zone in the Premier League.

Despite leading Spurs to the round of 16 in the Champions League, Frank has overseen a desperate domestic campaign. A 2-1 loss to Newcastle on Tuesday means Spurs are still to win in the league in 2026.

“The Club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today,” Tottenham said in a statement. “Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together.

“However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.”

Frank’s exit means Spurs are on the lookout for a sixth head coach in less than seven years since Mauricio Pochettino departed in 2019.


Marseille Coach De Zerbi Leaves After Humiliating 5-0 Loss to PSG 

Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 
Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 
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Marseille Coach De Zerbi Leaves After Humiliating 5-0 Loss to PSG 

Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 
Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 

Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi is leaving the French league club in the wake of a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of PSG in French soccer biggest game.

The nine-time French champions said on Wednesday that they have ended “their collaboration by mutual agreement.”

The heavy loss Sunday at the Parc des Princes restored defending champion PSG’s two-point lead over Lens after 21 rounds, with Marseille in fourth place after the humiliating defeat.

De Zerbi's exit followed another embarrassing 3-0 loss at Club Brugge two weeks ago that resulted in Marseille exiting the Champions League.

De Zerbi, who had apologized to Marseille fans after the loss against bitter rival PSG, joined Marseille in 2024 after two seasons in charge at Brighton. After tightening things up tactically in Marseille during his first season, his recent choices had left many observers puzzled.

“Following consultations involving all stakeholders in the club’s leadership — the owner, president, director of football and head coach — it was decided to opt for a change at the head of the first team,” Marseille said. “This was a collective and difficult decision, taken after thorough consideration, in the best interests of the club and in order to address the sporting challenges of the end of the season.”

De Zerbi led Marseille to a second-place finish last season. Marseille did not immediately announce a replacement for De Zerbi ahead of Saturday's league match against Strasbourg.

Since American owner Frank McCourt bought Marseille in 2016, the former powerhouse of French soccer has failed to find any form of stability, with a succession of coaches and crises that sometimes turned violent.

Marseille dominated domestic soccer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was the only French team to win the Champions League before PSG claimed the trophy last year. It hasn’t won its own league title since 2010.


Olympic Fans Hunt for Plushies of Mascots Milo and Tina as They Fly off Shelves 

Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
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Olympic Fans Hunt for Plushies of Mascots Milo and Tina as They Fly off Shelves 

Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)

For fans of the Milan Cortina Olympic mascots, the eponymous Milo and Tina, it's been nearly impossible to find a plush toy of the stoat siblings in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Many of the official Olympics stores in the host cities are already sold out, less than a week into the Winter Games.

“I think the only way to get them is to actually win a medal,” Julia Peeler joked Tuesday in central Milan, where Tina and Milo characters posed for photos with fans.

The 38-year-old from South Carolina is on the hunt for the plushies for her niece. She's already bought some mascot pins, but she won't wear them on her lanyard. Peeler wants to avoid anyone trying to swap for them in a pin trade, a popular Olympic pastime.

Tina, short for Cortina, is the lighter-colored stoat and represents the Olympic Winter Games. Her younger brother Milo, short for Milano, is the face of the Paralympic Winter Games.

Milo was born without one paw but learned to use his tail and turn his difference into a strength, according to the Olympics website. A stoat is a small mustelid, like a weasel or an otter.

The animals adorn merchandise ranging from coffee mugs to T-shirts, but the plush toys are the most popular.

They're priced from 18 to 58 euros (about $21 to $69) and many of the major official stores in Milan, including the largest one at the iconic Duomo Cathedral, and Cortina have been cleaned out. They appeared to be sold out online Tuesday night.

Winning athletes are gifted the plush toys when they receive their gold, silver and bronze medals atop the podium.

Broadcast system engineer Jennifer Suarez got lucky Tuesday at the media center in Milan. She's been collecting mascot toys since the 2010 Vancouver Games and has been asking shops when they would restock.

“We were lucky we were just in time,” she said, clutching a tiny Tina. “They are gone right now.”

Friends Michelle Chen and Brenda Zhang were among the dozens of fans Tuesday who took photos with the characters at the fan zone in central Milan.

“They’re just so lovable and they’re always super excited at the Games, they are cheering on the crowd,” Chen, 29, said after they snapped their shots. “We just are so excited to meet them.”

The San Franciscan women are in Milan for the Olympics and their friend who is “obsessed” with the stoats asked for a plush Tina as a gift.

“They’re just so cute, and stoats are such a unique animal to be the Olympic mascot,” Zhang, 28, said.

Annie-Laurie Atkins, Peeler's friend, loves that Milo is the mascot for Paralympians.

“The Paralympics are really special to me,” she said Tuesday. “I have a lot of friends that are disabled and so having a character that also represents that is just incredible.”