'Kvaradona' Leading Upbeat Napoli's Charge against Liverpool

'Kvaradona' leading upbeat Napoli's charge against Liverpool. AFP
'Kvaradona' leading upbeat Napoli's charge against Liverpool. AFP
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'Kvaradona' Leading Upbeat Napoli's Charge against Liverpool

'Kvaradona' leading upbeat Napoli's charge against Liverpool. AFP
'Kvaradona' leading upbeat Napoli's charge against Liverpool. AFP

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the name dancing around Napoli fans' lips thanks to a stunning start to life in Italy which has swept away the summertime blues ahead of Wednesday's visit of Liverpool.

Kvaratskhelia has been nicknamed "Kvaradona" after scoring four times and setting up another goal in the first five rounds of Serie A fixtures.

The Georgian will be leading Napoli's bid for a big win in their Group A opener at the Stadio Maradona, especially as Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen is a doubt with a muscular problem.

And while comparing him to Napoli's and possibly football's greatest ever player might seem like blasphemy, it is testament to how well he has slotted into a team which until the first day of the Serie A season appeared to be deep in crisis.

Such has been his impact he has also been called the "new KK" after Kalidou Koulibaly, one of four big players to leave the club since their league title challenge collapsed at the tail end of last season.

Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti has been keen to dampen expectations of the 21-year-old, who arrived from Dinamo Batumi in his home country but who had already impressed over three years at Rubin Kazan before leaving following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"He's a really sweet kid, a good kid, one of those who at times doesn't want to be in certain situations because he's so timid," said Spalletti on Saturday after his latest match-winning display at Lazio.

"When you see him walk about he's all floppy like he's on springs, but when you give him the ball he knows how to move.

"He's got a quality in how he strikes the ball and brings down anything you throw at him."

- Bad feeling banished -
Kvaratskhelia smashed home the decisive second in Napoli's 2-1 win at Lazio which put them two points behind Serie A leaders Atalanta, and he could easily have had more.

His beautifully struck effort from distance cannoned off the post in the first half and he should have put Napoli ahead moments before his 61st-minute winner, shaving the bar from an almost identical chance.

His instant impact and obvious delight at playing for such a storied club have been the perfect antidote to the negative vibes which had been almost as suffocating as the heat of a Neapolitan summer.

Fans were livid after seeing some of their crown jewels sold off with few of the replacements seen as adequate for a team who were in last season's exciting Scudetto race until April.

They implored owner Aurelio De Laurentiis to sell the club, using the hashtag "A16" on social media as a reference to the motorway which connects Naples with Bari, another southern city where the film mogul owns the club.

During a summer training camp event organized to present the team Spalletti was interrupted by a enraged supporter who shouted at him to "wake up" from his supposed torpor.

But nine goals from their first two games, Kvaratskhelia's sparkling form in both and the subsequent arrival of Italy starlet Giacomo Raspadori, Giovanni Simeone and Tanguy Ndombele swept away the ill feeling.

A fresh league title bid looks on the cards, but the question is now whether Kvaratskhelia and Spalletti's exciting side can make the sort of impact on the Champions League that Italian clubs have failed to do for too long.



Bayern's Diaz Sidelined with Hamstring Injury after Arsenal Draw

Bayern Munich's Colombian forward #14 Luis Diaz warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League football match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, southern Germany on October 21, 2026. (Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP)
Bayern Munich's Colombian forward #14 Luis Diaz warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League football match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, southern Germany on October 21, 2026. (Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP)
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Bayern's Diaz Sidelined with Hamstring Injury after Arsenal Draw

Bayern Munich's Colombian forward #14 Luis Diaz warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League football match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, southern Germany on October 21, 2026. (Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP)
Bayern Munich's Colombian forward #14 Luis Diaz warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League football match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, southern Germany on October 21, 2026. (Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP)

Bayern Munich forward Luis Diaz will be out of action for the "foreseeable future" after suffering a minor muscle tear in his left hamstring during Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw with visiting Arsenal, the Bundesliga club said on Thursday.

The 29-year-old Colombia international came on in the 68th minute at ⁠the Allianz Arena ⁠but was forced off in stoppage time after suffering the injury.

Examinations carried out by Bayern's medical staff confirmed the hamstring tear, the club said ⁠in a statement.

"The 29-year-old forward will therefore be sidelined for the time being," Reuters quoted Bayern as saying.

Diaz's injury is a setback for Bayern as they enter a busy stretch of the season, with the winger having been a key attacking option since joining the German ⁠champions.

Bayern ⁠and Arsenal shared the spoils in the league-phase encounter on Wednesday, with Declan Rice scoring a late equalizer for the visitors to earn a point.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern next visit third-placed Freiburg, who are a point behind the champions after six games, on Sunday.


ATP Blocks 234,000 Abusive Comments from Reaching Players, Fans

USA's Coco Gauff leaves the court after losing her women's singles match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2026. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff leaves the court after losing her women's singles match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2026. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)
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ATP Blocks 234,000 Abusive Comments from Reaching Players, Fans

USA's Coco Gauff leaves the court after losing her women's singles match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2026. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff leaves the court after losing her women's singles match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2026. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)

Social media abuse was directed at over 85% of men's tennis players attracting engagement online in the past year, with the ATP blocking some 234,000 comments from reaching them or fans, the governing body said on Thursday.

The ATP based the findings on an analysis of more than 3.7 million comments across ATP and player social media channels by its Safe Sport initiative, which uses AI-enabled moderation and specialist threat assessment.

It ⁠said more than ⁠284,000 abusive comments were identified, and over 82% of them were removed in real time. During its first year, the program identified and hid upwards of 162,000 comments containing "severe" abuse.

"Player welfare sits at the heart of the ATP's safeguarding work," Reuters quoted Andrew Azzopardi, the ATP director of safeguarding, as saying.

"Preventing more than 234,000 abusive comments from ⁠reaching players and fans demonstrates the tangible impact the program is having every day. Online abuse has no place in tennis.

"We will keep investing in the technology, expertise and partnerships that protect players, and we will continue working with the authorities to hold those responsible to account."

Tennis players, like many athletes, often have to deal with the wrath of anonymous abusers online, many of whom are bettors, with French player Gael Monfils humorously hitting back at some of them following an early defeat in ⁠Stuttgart last year.

Monfils, ⁠40, said at the time he was surprised people still put money on him to win against much younger opponents.

Online abuse is not confined to angry gamblers, with American Coco Gauff saying earlier this month she received an "insane" amount of racist abuse at the China Open, prompting condemnation from the United Nations Human Rights Office.

World Tennis, the WTA, the All England Club and the United States Tennis Association have launched monitoring services that use a combination of artificial intelligence and open-source data to help protect players.

The French Open has also made AI-powered software available for players to block online harassment and hate speech.


More LaLiga Clubs Join Pact to Cap Ticket Prices for Away Fans

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Sevilla - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 18, 2026 Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen and Sevilla's Kike Salas embrace after the match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Sevilla - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 18, 2026 Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen and Sevilla's Kike Salas embrace after the match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
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More LaLiga Clubs Join Pact to Cap Ticket Prices for Away Fans

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Sevilla - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 18, 2026 Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen and Sevilla's Kike Salas embrace after the match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Sevilla - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 18, 2026 Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen and Sevilla's Kike Salas embrace after the match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

Three more clubs in Spain's top division have joined an agreement to cap away ticket prices at a maximum of €30 ($34), a spokesperson for LaLiga told Reuters on Thursday, meaning 17 clubs in the 20-team league now participate.

LaLiga is strengthening the reciprocal agreement between clubs as ⁠AC Milan fans ⁠boycott their visit to Udinese over away ticket prices of €65 ($73).

The agreement, in place since the 2023-24 season, also ensures a minimum of 300 tickets ⁠are made available to travelling fans.

Away ticket sales have increased by 33% per game on average, according to LaLiga data.

England's Premier League has a cap of £30 pounds ($40) for away fans.

German's Bundesliga guarantees 10% of available capacity for away support, with their ⁠tickets ⁠matched to home prices.

European governing body UEFA's regulations require 5% of stadium capacity to be allocated for away fans with a price cap of €50 ($56,20) in the Champions League.

The LaLiga spokesperson did not name the three additional Spanish teams joining the price cap scheme.