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Benfica, Malmö, Young Boys Advance to Champions League

Malmo's Veljko Birmancevic celebrates after scoring during the Champions League play-off second leg match between Bulgaria's PFC Ludogorets 1945 and Sweden's Malmo FF at the Ludogorets Arena stadium in Razgrad, Bulgaria, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. (AP)
Malmo's Veljko Birmancevic celebrates after scoring during the Champions League play-off second leg match between Bulgaria's PFC Ludogorets 1945 and Sweden's Malmo FF at the Ludogorets Arena stadium in Razgrad, Bulgaria, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. (AP)
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Benfica, Malmö, Young Boys Advance to Champions League

Malmo's Veljko Birmancevic celebrates after scoring during the Champions League play-off second leg match between Bulgaria's PFC Ludogorets 1945 and Sweden's Malmo FF at the Ludogorets Arena stadium in Razgrad, Bulgaria, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. (AP)
Malmo's Veljko Birmancevic celebrates after scoring during the Champions League play-off second leg match between Bulgaria's PFC Ludogorets 1945 and Sweden's Malmo FF at the Ludogorets Arena stadium in Razgrad, Bulgaria, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. (AP)

Malmo's Veljko Birmancevic celebrates after scoring during the Champions League play-off second leg match between Bulgaria's PFC Ludogorets 1945 and Sweden's Malmo FF at the Ludogorets Arena stadium in Razgrad, Bulgaria, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. (AP)

Benfica returned to the Champions League group stage on Tuesday, playing the last hour with 10 men at PSV Eindhoven to hang on for a 0-0 draw.

A 2-1 win in the home leg last week was enough to lift coach Jorge Jesus’ team back into the Champions League elite after a one-year absence.

Benfica defender Lucas Verissimo was sent off in the 32nd minute and the two-time European champion held out with a veteran back-line pairing of captain Nicolas Otamendi and Jan Vertonghen.

PSV, the 1988 European Cup winner against Benfica in the final, wasted its best chance in the 62nd when Israel forward Eran Zahavi struck the bar with a close-range shot.

Malmö’s Veljko Birmančević has been a star of the Swedish champion’s progress through four qualifying rounds.

The Serbia international’s fourth goal in five games — a free kick from distance — was key in a 2-1 loss at Ludogorets that carried Malmö through 3-2 on aggregate.

Young Boys advanced with a second 3-2 win against Ferencváros to repeat the first-leg result in Switzerland last week.

The Swiss champion led early through defender Cédric Zesiger’s goal, then leveled at 2-2 early in the second half with Christian Fassnacht’s goal.

Ferencváros had defender Aïssa Laïdouni sent off before Young Boys’ United States forward Jordan Siebatcheu saw his penalty saved. The win was sealed in stoppage time by substitute Felix Mambimbi.

Young Boys coach David Wagner, the former US international, will lead his team back into the Champions League less than one year after being fired by Schalke during a Bundesliga-record winless run of games.

Three more second-leg games are scheduled Wednesday to complete the 32-team lineup for the groups. The draw will be made Thursday in Istanbul, Turkey.

PSV, Ludogorets and Ferencváros switch across to the Europa League groups which will be drawn on Friday.

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Saudi Crown Prince Meets FIFA President

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. (SPA)
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Saudi Crown Prince Meets FIFA President

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Jeddah on Friday to review areas of mutual sports cooperation and explore promising opportunities for further development, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

Saudi Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal and President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal attended the meeting.

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Gattuso Out as Italy’s Coach After Team Failed to Qualify for World Cup

Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso greets supporters after winning the playoff FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification semifinal football match between Italy and North Ireland at the Gewiss stadium in Bergamo, on March 26, 2026. (AFP)
Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso greets supporters after winning the playoff FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification semifinal football match between Italy and North Ireland at the Gewiss stadium in Bergamo, on March 26, 2026. (AFP)
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Gattuso Out as Italy’s Coach After Team Failed to Qualify for World Cup

Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso greets supporters after winning the playoff FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification semifinal football match between Italy and North Ireland at the Gewiss stadium in Bergamo, on March 26, 2026. (AFP)
Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso greets supporters after winning the playoff FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification semifinal football match between Italy and North Ireland at the Gewiss stadium in Bergamo, on March 26, 2026. (AFP)

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso left his role by mutual consent on Friday, three days after the national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

The Italian football federation announced the news in a statement thanking Gattuso "for the dedication and passion" during his nine months in charge.

Italy’s chances of reaching this year’s tournament in North America ended on Tuesday after a penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff.

"With pain in my heart, not having achieved the goal we had set ourselves, I consider my experience on the national team bench to be over," Gattuso said.

Gattuso’s departure comes a day after Italy’s football federation president Gabriele Gravina resigned along with Gianluigi Buffon, who was the national team’s delegation chief.

The defeat to Bosnia added more misery for four-time champion Italy after being eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively, in the qualifying playoffs for the last two World Cups.

Gattuso took over from the fired Luciano Spalletti in June with the squad already in crisis mode following a defeat at Norway in its opening qualifier.

Spalletti had also overseen a disappointing European Championship campaign in 2024, when titleholder Italy was knocked out in the round of 16 by Switzerland.

"I would like to thank Gattuso once again," Gravina said. "Because, in addition to being a special person, as a coach he has offered a valuable contribution, managing to bring enthusiasm back to the national team in just a few months.

"He has conveyed great pride in the national team jersey to the players and to the whole country."

Under Gattuso, Italy went on a six-match winning streak before another loss to Norway in November to finish second in their group and end up in the playoffs again.

Gattuso had been given a contract until the end of this summer’s World Cup, with an automatic renewal until 2028 if Italy returned to football’s biggest stage.

"The Azzurri shirt is the most precious asset that exists in soccer, which is why it is right to immediately facilitate future coaching staff decisions," Gattuso said.

"It was an honor to be able to lead the national team and do so also with a group of boys who have shown commitment and attachment to the shirt. The biggest thanks go to the fans, to all the Italians who have never failed to show their love and support for the national team in recent months."

Among those being mentioned to replace Gattuso are Roberto Mancini, Simone Inzaghi, Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri.

Mancini coached Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 then failed to get the Azzurri to the next year’s World Cup before bolting to take over Saudi Arabia’s national team. He left that role in October 2024 and is currently coach at Al-Sadd in Qatar.

Inzaghi steered Inter Milan to the Serie A title in 2024 and now manages Saudi club Al-Hilal.

Conte coached Italy at the 2016 European Championship and is currently at Napoli.

Allegri is coach at AC Milan.

Italy will play two friendly matches in June but is unlikely to have a new coach by then, given that the election for a new FIGC president won't take place until June 22.

Sports

Liverpool’s Alisson to Miss Man City, PSG Matches, Says Slot

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. (Getty Images)
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. (Getty Images)
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Liverpool’s Alisson to Miss Man City, PSG Matches, Says Slot

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. (Getty Images)
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. (Getty Images)

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker will miss their FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City and both legs of the Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain, manager Arne Slot said Friday.

The Brazilian suffered an injury during Liverpool's win over Galatasaray in the Champions League last-16 second leg last month.

The Reds visit Man City on Saturday before taking on reigning European champions PSG at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, with the quarter-final return leg six days later.

"He will not be part of the Paris Saint-Germain games as well," Slot told reporters.

"He will be out for a bit longer. Towards the end of the season, we expect him to be fit again."

Alexander Isak may be fit to play a part against City, though, having returned to training after breaking his leg in December.

"It will take a bit of time to give him a lot of minutes," Slot said of Isak.

"We will make sure we do the right thing in terms of building him up in minutes, but it's a very good thing to have him on the training ground again.

"It would be even better to have him available for games, that's for sure."

Mohamed Salah is ready to play after hobbling off against Galatasaray and then missing Liverpool's loss at Brighton before the international break.

The Egyptian announced last week he will leave Anfield at the end of the season.

Liverpool have endured a tough campaign in the Premier League after winning the title last season and sit in fifth place, battling for a spot in next season's Champions League.

But they remain in the hunt for a seventh European crown, facing a rematch against PSG after a last-16 penalty shoot-out defeat by the French champions last year.

Alisson starred in that tie with a spectacular display in Liverpool's 1-0 first-leg victory in Paris.

Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to deputize for Alisson at the Etihad against City on Saturday, as Liverpool bid to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2022.