Roma Players Disappointed by de Rossi Sacking, Juric Says 

Roma’s head coach Ivan Juric looks on during the Italian Serie A match between AS Roma vs Udinese Calcio at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 22 September 2024. (EPA)
Roma’s head coach Ivan Juric looks on during the Italian Serie A match between AS Roma vs Udinese Calcio at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 22 September 2024. (EPA)
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Roma Players Disappointed by de Rossi Sacking, Juric Says 

Roma’s head coach Ivan Juric looks on during the Italian Serie A match between AS Roma vs Udinese Calcio at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 22 September 2024. (EPA)
Roma’s head coach Ivan Juric looks on during the Italian Serie A match between AS Roma vs Udinese Calcio at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 22 September 2024. (EPA)

New AS Roma coach Ivan Juric said his players were disappointed by the sacking of Daniele De Rossi, but he was pleased with their performance as they clinched their first Serie A win of the season by beating Udinese 3-0 on Sunday.

De Rossi, who spent nearly two decades at Roma as a player, was sacked on Wednesday after his team failed to win any of their first four league games. Former Torino coach Juric was appointed as his replacement.

Roma's CEO Lina Souloukou stepped down on Sunday due to the fans' anger over De Rossi's sacking.

"Upon becoming coach, I saw that some of the guys here were extremely disappointed about Daniele´s sacking," Juric told Sky Sports.

"They were very honest with me in telling me that they were very upset about him being fired. It's something I really appreciated, because sometimes players hide such emotions.

"In the last few days they have worked well and put in many hours... I really liked how the team responded, especially in the first half."

Roma, who have six points from five matches, host Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League on Thursday, before facing Venezia in Serie A on Sunday.

"We’ve got a large squad which allows me to shake things up. In the next two weeks we'll see a lot of rotation," Juric added.



Neymar Available for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal Next Week after Year-Long Recovery from ACL Injury

Tennis - 6 Kings Slam - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - October 16, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar is pictured at the quarter final match between Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Denmark's Holger Rune. (Reuters)
Tennis - 6 Kings Slam - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - October 16, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar is pictured at the quarter final match between Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Denmark's Holger Rune. (Reuters)
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Neymar Available for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal Next Week after Year-Long Recovery from ACL Injury

Tennis - 6 Kings Slam - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - October 16, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar is pictured at the quarter final match between Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Denmark's Holger Rune. (Reuters)
Tennis - 6 Kings Slam - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - October 16, 2024 Al-Hilal's Neymar is pictured at the quarter final match between Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Denmark's Holger Rune. (Reuters)

Neymar is available to play for Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal in an AFC Champions League Elite match next week after one year on the sidelines due to injury.

His marketing company NR Sports said in a statement on Saturday that the Brazilian's love for soccer and his hope to play in the next World Cup were bringing him back to action.

“Though there's no final decision for his return, the number 10 will be able to play on Monday to carry on with his remarkable trajectory,” the statement said, in a reference to Al-Hilal's match against Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates.

Neymar signed for the Riyadh team in August 2023 and played just five games when he underwent surgery after rupturing his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty in October last year.

“These were days of pain, anguish, and a lot of longing for soccer, which were overcome with the help of family and friends, always present for our number 10. And all the fans around the world who gave him all support in social media networks,” the statement added. “The wait is over.”

A social media posting also published on Saturday showed the 32-year-old speaking about his recovery and displayed footage of his efforts to come back.

“Every time I get injured, I come back. But I don't come back halfway,” a tearful Neymar said in a video.

Neymar returned to training in July, but in September his club coach Jorge Jesus dampened expectations of an immediate comeback. The Portuguese coach did not confirm Neymar will play on Monday.

Neymar, whose two-year contract ends next August, is eligible to appear in AFC Champions League Elite matches as the continental competition has no restrictions on the number of foreign players allowed. That is not the case in the Saudi Pro League, which will see him back only in January.

If fit, Neymar could return to Brazil's national team in two rounds of South American World Cup qualifying scheduled for November.