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Madrid Begins Defense of Super Cup Title in Saudi Arabia 

Football - Spanish Super Cup - Real Madrid Training - Al-Nassr Saudi Club, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 10, 2023 Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti talks with the players during training. (Reuters)
Football - Spanish Super Cup - Real Madrid Training - Al-Nassr Saudi Club, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 10, 2023 Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti talks with the players during training. (Reuters)
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Madrid Begins Defense of Super Cup Title in Saudi Arabia 

Football - Spanish Super Cup - Real Madrid Training - Al-Nassr Saudi Club, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 10, 2023 Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti talks with the players during training. (Reuters)
Football - Spanish Super Cup - Real Madrid Training - Al-Nassr Saudi Club, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 10, 2023 Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti talks with the players during training. (Reuters)

The Spanish Super Cup is returning to Saudi Arabia with defending champion Real Madrid and Valencia looking to get back on track and Barcelona and Real Betis hoping to maintain momentum. 

The first semifinal game on Wednesday features Madrid and Valencia with both teams coming off weekend losses in the Spanish league. Madrid has dropped three points behind league leader Barcelona after a 2-1 defeat at Villarreal. Valencia lost 1-0 to Cádiz at home — its second straight league loss — and is four points from the relegation zone. 

Barcelona and Betis meet on Thursday following victories back home. Barcelona rebounded from recent poor results with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Atlético Madrid, while Betis continued its good start to the year with a 2-1 win at Rayo Vallecano to stay in the Champions League spots. 

The final is on Sunday at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh. 

“We are upset about the game against Villarreal,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We have to see how the team will react in these next matches. The Super Cup is an important test for us.” 

This is the fourth edition of the revamped Super Cup, which used to be played only between the Spanish league champion and the Copa del Rey winner. Now the runners-up in both competitions also participate, forming a Final Four tournament. Madrid clinched the league ahead of Barcelona last season, while Betis won the cup final against Valencia. 

Madrid won the revamped Super Cup in 2020 and 2022. Athletic Bilbao won in 2021, when the tournament was played back in Spain because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Last year's title gave us confidence for the rest of the season,” Ancelotti said. “It's important to do well, to do better than we did in the last few matches.” 

Madrid will be without defender David Alaba and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni because of injuries. The regular starters did not travel with the rest of the squad to Saudi Arabia. Dani Carvajal, who had been sidelined recently because of a muscle problem, will be available for Ancelotti. 

Barcelona coach Xavi will be able to count on Robert Lewandowski again after the striker missed the league game against Atlético while serving the first of a three-game suspension. He is allowed to play in the Super Cup, though, and is set to start against Betis. 

Betis enters the Super Cup boosted by consecutive wins to start the year. The results left the Seville club in fourth place in the Spanish league and with a spot secured in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. 

“It was important to win going into the Super Cup,” Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini said. “We will go with a lot of confidence.” 

The team coached by Gennaro Gattuso and led by veteran forward Edinson Cavani arrives in Saudi Arabia having won only one of its last eight league games. 

“We are going through a tough moment and I’m the first responsible for it because I’m the coach,” Gattuso said. “We have to keep working hard, it’s the only solution.” 

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Sports

KFSH Performs World First Single-Port Robotic Living Donor Liver Resection

‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA
‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA
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KFSH Performs World First Single-Port Robotic Living Donor Liver Resection

‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA
‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH) has performed the world’s first series of single-port robotic liver resections from living donors, marking a major advancement in organ transplantation.

The procedures were conducted through a single incision not exceeding 3.5 cm, replacing the multiple incisions required in conventional robotic surgery, reducing surgical pain and accelerating recovery while maintaining high safety standards, SPA reported.

‏The milestone, said a KFSH press release issued today, is particularly significant for donor safety, as living donors are healthy individuals undergoing surgery for the benefit of others. Procedures performed on six donors resulted in minimal blood loss without complications, with low pain levels and discharge within two to three days.

‏The approach also makes liver donation safer for pediatric recipients, as it typically involves the left lateral segment, which represents around 20% of total liver volume, making it well suited for single-port access while minimizing surgical burden on the donor.

Executive Director of the Organ Transplant Center of Excellence ‏Prof. Dieter Broering said the development reflects a structured expansion of robotic liver surgery built on extensive experience.

He noted that KFSH has performed more than 1,600 robotic living donor liver resections, the highest volume globally, supported by a progressive model integrating training, simulation, and phased clinical implementation.

‏The achievement, added the release, further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery and organ transplantation, advancing care models that balance innovation with patient and donor safety, in line with the Health Sector Transformation Program and the hospital’s vision to deliver world-class specialized care.

‏King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center ranks first in the Middle East and North Africa and 12th globally among the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centers in 2026, and is the most valuable healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East according to Brand Finance 2025.

It is also listed by Newsweek among the World’s Best Hospitals 2026, World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2026, and World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026.

Sports

Sputtering Arsenal Face Test of Character in Sporting Clash

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on April 4, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on April 4, 2026. (AFP)
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Sputtering Arsenal Face Test of Character in Sporting Clash

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on April 4, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on April 4, 2026. (AFP)

Mikel Arteta has urged shell-shocked Arsenal to embrace a major test of their character as they seek to recover from a pair of devastating defeats in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final at Sporting Lisbon.

Arteta's side suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at second tier Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, a fortnight after losing 2-0 to Manchester City in the League Cup final.

The Gunners had been chasing an unprecedented quadruple until their domestic cup dreams were demolished in painful fashion.

The chastening loss to Southampton was only Arsenal's fifth defeat this season and marked the first time they have been beaten in successive games in this campaign.

Arsenal's slump has plunged the club's long-suffering fans into a bout of soul-searching.

The north Londoners haven't won a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup and three consecutive runners-up finishes in the Premier League have raised doubts about their ability to finally land silverware.

Arteta is convinced Arsenal can handle the mounting pressure of bidding to win the Champions League for the first time, while aiming to finally lift the Premier League trophy after a 22-year wait.

"In the season, you always have moments, normally two or three. This is the first moment that we have with a certain level of difficulty," Arteta said.

"We're going to say difficulty when we're going to play the Champions League quarter-finals and the run-up for the league.

"If this is a difficult period, I believe there are many other ones that are much more difficult, so let's stand up, make yourself comfortable and deliver like we've been doing all season."

- 'Beautiful period' -

Arteta knows Arsenal are in a strong position in both competitions, travelling to Lisbon as favorites to dispatch Sporting and holding a nine-point lead over second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League.

"I love my players. What they have done for nine months, I'm not going to criticize them because we lost a game in the manner that they are putting their bodies through everything," Arteta said.

"I'm going to defend them more than ever. Someone has to take responsibility. That's me and we have the most beautiful period of the season ahead of us."

Arsenal will also take heart from their 5-1 rout of Sporting in the Champions League group stage last season, when their Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres was playing for the Portuguese club.

Gyokeres endured a difficult start to his first season with Arsenal following his move to the Emirates Stadium last year.

But he has emerged as an influential presence in recent weeks, scoring their equalizer against Southampton and netting twice in the north London derby win at Tottenham.

Gyokeres also bagged Sweden's late play-off winner against Poland to book their place at the World Cup.

But Arsenal's double bid is in danger of being derailed by injuries, with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka is a race to be fit to face Sporting after missing the Southampton game and England's recent friendlies.

Gabriel Magalhaes is also a doubt after the center-back was forced off with a knee injury against Southampton.

Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard struck an upbeat note in the face of adversity.

"The message is to have a positive body language, to talk with your team-mates, with the coaching staff. Now is not the time to go with our heads down for too long," Norgaard said.

"It's fine to be frustrated and also to analyze what went wrong, but then we also have to look forward because there are so many big games coming up for this club."

Sports

Alcaraz Ready to Get His Socks Dirty with Return to Clay

Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz poses for a selfie with a fan after his training session held at Murcia Royal Tennis Club 1919 in Murcia, Spain on 31 March 2026. (EPA)
Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz poses for a selfie with a fan after his training session held at Murcia Royal Tennis Club 1919 in Murcia, Spain on 31 March 2026. (EPA)
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Alcaraz Ready to Get His Socks Dirty with Return to Clay

Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz poses for a selfie with a fan after his training session held at Murcia Royal Tennis Club 1919 in Murcia, Spain on 31 March 2026. (EPA)
Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz poses for a selfie with a fan after his training session held at Murcia Royal Tennis Club 1919 in Murcia, Spain on 31 March 2026. (EPA)

Carlos Alcaraz said he ‌was eager to get his socks dirty on clay again as the world number one returned to his preferred surface in Monaco this week to build momentum for his French Open title defense.

Alcaraz won his fifth Grand Slam title by beating Jannik Sinner in an epic final at Roland Garros last June, adding to his 2025 clay court triumphs in Monte Carlo and Rome and a runner-up finish in ‌Barcelona.

"This is probably ‌one of the best times ‌of ⁠the season for me," ⁠Alcaraz told reporters in Monaco on Sunday.

"I miss clay every time the clay season is over. It's been a long time since Roland Garros that I haven't touched clay. In my first practices, I said to my team that it's time to ⁠get the socks dirty again. It feels ‌amazing to be back ‌on clay."

Alcaraz, who missed last year's Madrid Open due to ‌injury, hoped to play a full schedule before ‌Roland Garros, where the main draw begins on May 24.

"Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome ... that's the plan," said the 22-year-old.

"It's very demanding physically and mentally. The week in ‌Barcelona is perhaps when I should rest, but Barcelona is a very important tournament ⁠for ⁠me.

"My plan is to take care of my body as much as possible during matches and tournaments."

The seven-times Grand Slam champion said winning the Monte Carlo title proved to be a turning point last season.

"After the feeling that I got here, I just got better and better," he added.

"I understood and I realized how I should play after this week. That's why I did an exceptional year."

Alcaraz will open his campaign against either Stan Wawrinka or Sebastian Baez in the second round.