Giroud Scores in His Last AC Milan Match on a Night of Farewells at San Siro

AC Milan's French forward #09 Olivier Giroud (C) makes a heart sign as he celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Salernitana at San Siro Stadium, in Milan on May 25, 2024. as the last match by coach. (AFP)
AC Milan's French forward #09 Olivier Giroud (C) makes a heart sign as he celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Salernitana at San Siro Stadium, in Milan on May 25, 2024. as the last match by coach. (AFP)
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Giroud Scores in His Last AC Milan Match on a Night of Farewells at San Siro

AC Milan's French forward #09 Olivier Giroud (C) makes a heart sign as he celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Salernitana at San Siro Stadium, in Milan on May 25, 2024. as the last match by coach. (AFP)
AC Milan's French forward #09 Olivier Giroud (C) makes a heart sign as he celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Salernitana at San Siro Stadium, in Milan on May 25, 2024. as the last match by coach. (AFP)

Olivier Giroud scored in his final match for AC Milan as the Rossoneri drew with bottom club Salernitana 3-3 on a Saturday night of farewells at San Siro.

The 37-year-old Giroud, who helped Milan to the Serie A title in 2022, is leaving after three years and will join Los Angeles FC.

Giroud was given a standing ovation when he was substituted off six minutes from time, hugging all of his teammates and coach Stefano Pioli as the crowd sang his name.

Milan’s last match of the season was also Pioli’s final match in charge, bringing to an end a five-year stint that included the Champions League semifinal last year as well as the Serie A title.

There were emotional scenes before the match as Pioli was encircled by his players. He had tears in his eyes as he embraced each of them individually as they applauded, while the whole stadium gave him a standing ovation.

Rafael Leão immediately went over to celebrate with Pioli after scoring the opening goal in the 22nd minute following a howler by Salernitana goalkeeper Vincenzo Fiorillo, who dropped the ball at his feet. They were joined by the rest of the Milan team.

Five minutes later it was Giroud’s turn as he acrobatically struck home a corner for his 15th league goal of the season. The France forward has 49 goals for Milan in his three seasons.

Simy pulled one back for Salernitana in the 64th but Davide Calabria restored Milan’s two-goal advantage 13 minutes later.

However, goals from Junior Sambia and Simy in the last three minutes rescued a draw for already-relegated Salernitana in its last top-flight match.

It was also Milan defender Simon Kjær's last match for the club. Pioli, Giroud and Kjær were all celebrated in a special ceremony after the match, and all three struggled to hold back tears.

RECORD-EQUALLING

Alex Sandro made his 327th and final appearance for Juventus as the Brazilian equaled Pavel Nedved’s record for the most matches by a foreign player for the Bianconeri.

Alex Sandro headed in Juve’s second in a 2-0 win over Monza. Federico Chiesa claimed the opener two minutes earlier.

Nicolò Fagioli hit the crossbar in the 16th minute on his first start for Juventus since returning from a seven-month ban for betting violations.

Monza forward Alessio Zerbin was sent off in the final minute following a second yellow card.



Title Beckons for Antonelli but He May Have to Wait a Week or Two

 Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy takes part in the drivers parade ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix race in Singapore, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy takes part in the drivers parade ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix race in Singapore, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP)
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Title Beckons for Antonelli but He May Have to Wait a Week or Two

 Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy takes part in the drivers parade ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix race in Singapore, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy takes part in the drivers parade ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix race in Singapore, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP)

Kimi Antonelli is set to become Formula One's youngest champion, and Italy's first in 73 years, but the 20-year-old Mercedes driver will have to win and hope the stars align if he is to convert his first "match point" in Texas on Sunday.

Four years old when Sebastian Vettel became the hitherto youngest champion at 23 with Red Bull in 2010, the racer from Bologna has a mighty 102-point lead over teammate George Russell ahead of the US Grand Prix in Austin.

There will be a maximum 125 points remaining to win after the chequered flag drops at the Circuit of the Americas, meaning Antonelli -- in his second season at the pinnacle of motorsport -- will clinch the title if he extends his lead by 23.

Only a win would give him that margin, but the ‌Italian will still ‌need Russell and Ferrari's seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton to finish no higher than ‌ninth ⁠or fifth respectively. ⁠Otherwise, the wait to become Italy's first champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953 rolls on to at least Mexico City a weekend later.

"I know it's very close, I know it's there, but I just need to make sure that I keep doing the best I can. You know, the mindset is always the same, to go out there and win and perform the best way I can," Antonelli said after finishing third in Singapore, the race before Austin.

That result was his 14th podium of the season.

ONE-IN-25 CHANCE OF TAKING TITLE IN AUSTIN?

"We're in that very uncomfortable phase ⁠of the season where you have to navigate the Thursday media with everyone ‌saying 'Oh, you could do it... you've got a first match point'," said ‌deputy principal Bradley Lord in a team podcast.

"People love this tennis comparison of match points, don't they? But I think ‌there's something like a one-in-25 chance of that being remotely possible in Austin.

"Our focus is how can we ‌get the car in its sweet spot and then go and score as many points as possible?"

Russell, who crashed in the Singapore sprint and then started the main race at the back of the grid due to an engine penalty, will be thinking exactly that.

Antonelli has won eight of 17 rounds so far, but the momentum has been more with Red ‌Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen, winner of the last two races in Malaysia and Singapore and also last year's winner in Austin from pole position.

"You look ⁠at the recent races and ⁠Red Bull have been very much best. In Baku, Max was a similar level to me. We go to Malaysia, a totally different track, and Singapore another different track, and he's dominated the last two weekends," said Russell.

Verstappen is 119 points behind Antonelli and has said he just wants to have fun for the remaining races, given the championship pressure is off.

Both Mercedes drivers will have the latest upgrade package for the first of three successive race weekends in Texas, Mexico and Brazil.

McLaren's reigning champion Lando Norris was runner-up in Austin last year with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc third and both could be in the mix again while Hamilton's record in the United States is second to none.

"The last few races have not been great for us, but I think we're getting stronger again and Austin is probably a better circuit for our car," said McLaren's chief technical officer Rob Marshall, whose team will also have some upgrades.

The weekend will also see a novel crossover, with four MotoGP riders set to take to the track for a demonstration ride on Saturday. The two-wheeled series and Formula One have a common owner in US-based Liberty Media.


Bayern's Kimmich to Miss Arsenal Clash Due to Family Bereavement

Joshua Kimmich of Munich in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, Germany, 17 October 2026. EPA/RONALD WITTEK
Joshua Kimmich of Munich in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, Germany, 17 October 2026. EPA/RONALD WITTEK
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Bayern's Kimmich to Miss Arsenal Clash Due to Family Bereavement

Joshua Kimmich of Munich in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, Germany, 17 October 2026. EPA/RONALD WITTEK
Joshua Kimmich of Munich in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, Germany, 17 October 2026. EPA/RONALD WITTEK

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich will miss Wednesday's Champions League match against Arsenal after a death in his immediate family, the Bundesliga champions said.

Kimmich, 31, missed Bayern's final training session, with assistant coach Aaron Danks initially citing personal reasons for his absence on ⁠Tuesday.

The club confirmed ⁠on Wednesday that Kimmich would not be part of the squad as he deals with the family bereavement, Reuters reported.

"On behalf of the family, ⁠we ask that his privacy and grief be respected, and that further inquiries and reporting be refrained from," Bayern said in a statement on X.

Kimmich's absence is another setback for Bayern, who are also without suspended winger Michael Olise ⁠for ⁠the group-stage encounter at the Allianz Arena.

The German side will nevertheless take confidence from Saturday's 6-1 Bundesliga win over RB Leipzig as they look to build on last week's entertaining 3-3 draw away to Viking in Europe.


Toulouse vs. Troyes Ligue 1 Game Postponed amid Unrest in France

Protesters march behind French Republican Security Corps (CRS - Compagnies Republicaines de Securite) police officers during a demonstration to protest against the "high cost of living", in Toulouse, southwestern France, on October 17, 2026. (AFP)
Protesters march behind French Republican Security Corps (CRS - Compagnies Republicaines de Securite) police officers during a demonstration to protest against the "high cost of living", in Toulouse, southwestern France, on October 17, 2026. (AFP)
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Toulouse vs. Troyes Ligue 1 Game Postponed amid Unrest in France

Protesters march behind French Republican Security Corps (CRS - Compagnies Republicaines de Securite) police officers during a demonstration to protest against the "high cost of living", in Toulouse, southwestern France, on October 17, 2026. (AFP)
Protesters march behind French Republican Security Corps (CRS - Compagnies Republicaines de Securite) police officers during a demonstration to protest against the "high cost of living", in Toulouse, southwestern France, on October 17, 2026. (AFP)

Toulouse's ‌home Ligue 1 fixture against Troyes has been postponed from Saturday to Sunday at the request of the local prefecture, the French league's governing body LFP said on Wednesday.

France had some ‌of its ‌worst unrest in ‌years ⁠this month, with ⁠thousands of people arrested and shops looted or damaged during protests over high prices and declining public services.

Following ⁠the protests, Toulouse imposed ‌an ‌overnight curfew in parts of the ‌city, which is set ‌to end on Sunday.

"At the request of the Haute-Garonne Prefecture and in agreement with ‌the Ligue1+ broadcaster, the Toulouse FC - ESTAC ⁠Troyes ⁠match ... is moved to Sunday, October 25 at 5:15 PM," LFP said in a statement.

On Monday, Ligue 1 clubs Olympique de Marseille and Lille said their official stores were looted during the unrest.