Dutch Leave de Jong, Van Dijk Out of Last Nations League Clash

Netherlands' Teun Koopmeiners (2ndR) is congratulated by teammates Netherlands' defender #04 Virgil van Dijk (R) and Netherlands' forward #09 Wout Weghorst (2ndL) after scoring a goal during the UEFA Nations League football match between the Netherlands and Hungary at the Johan Cruyff ArenA on November 16, 2024 in Amsterdam. (AFP)
Netherlands' Teun Koopmeiners (2ndR) is congratulated by teammates Netherlands' defender #04 Virgil van Dijk (R) and Netherlands' forward #09 Wout Weghorst (2ndL) after scoring a goal during the UEFA Nations League football match between the Netherlands and Hungary at the Johan Cruyff ArenA on November 16, 2024 in Amsterdam. (AFP)
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Dutch Leave de Jong, Van Dijk Out of Last Nations League Clash

Netherlands' Teun Koopmeiners (2ndR) is congratulated by teammates Netherlands' defender #04 Virgil van Dijk (R) and Netherlands' forward #09 Wout Weghorst (2ndL) after scoring a goal during the UEFA Nations League football match between the Netherlands and Hungary at the Johan Cruyff ArenA on November 16, 2024 in Amsterdam. (AFP)
Netherlands' Teun Koopmeiners (2ndR) is congratulated by teammates Netherlands' defender #04 Virgil van Dijk (R) and Netherlands' forward #09 Wout Weghorst (2ndL) after scoring a goal during the UEFA Nations League football match between the Netherlands and Hungary at the Johan Cruyff ArenA on November 16, 2024 in Amsterdam. (AFP)

Captain Virgil van Dijk and midfielder Frenkie de Jong have both been released from international duty this week and will not travel for the Netherlands' last Nations League group game against Bosnia & Herzegovina, coach Ronald Koeman said.

"For both Frenkie and Virgil, it is better for them to leave the training camp at this time," Koeman said in a statement on Monday.

"That decision was made on medical grounds, with the interests of the players paramount, of course."

The Dutch will not call up any replacements with Koeman still able to pick from 23 players for Tuesday's Group A3 clash in Zenica.

Both De Jong and Van Dijk played in Saturday's 4-0 win over Hungary in Amsterdam which secured second place in the group for the Dutch and progress to the Nations League quarter-finals in March.

Van Dijk played the full 90 minutes while De Jong was substituted after 68 minutes.

It was the first game back in the Netherlands national team in 13 months for De Jong, who last season battled with an ankle injury and missed out on the European Championship in Germany this year.

On Saturday, the Barcelona midfielder said he "still needs some time" before finding his form although his return to the Dutch side drew positive reviews.



Saudi U15 Girls' National Team Begins Training Camp in Jeddah

The camp runs through November 19 as part of the team's preparations for upcoming competitions - SPA
The camp runs through November 19 as part of the team's preparations for upcoming competitions - SPA
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Saudi U15 Girls' National Team Begins Training Camp in Jeddah

The camp runs through November 19 as part of the team's preparations for upcoming competitions - SPA
The camp runs through November 19 as part of the team's preparations for upcoming competitions - SPA

The Saudi U15 girls' national football team begins its training camp today in Jeddah. The camp runs through November 19 as part of the team's preparations for upcoming competitions.

The camp aims to enhance the players' technical and physical readiness and strengthen team cohesion through a training program developed by the coaching staff, SPA reported.

The program is designed to improve performance and prepare the team for the next phase.

The camp is part of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's development plan for the U15 girls' national team.


Sport Ministry Launches Ticketing Platform Accreditation Service Through Riyadhi Platform

Sport Ministry Launches Ticketing Platform Accreditation Service Through Riyadhi Platform
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Sport Ministry Launches Ticketing Platform Accreditation Service Through Riyadhi Platform

Sport Ministry Launches Ticketing Platform Accreditation Service Through Riyadhi Platform

The Saudi Ministry of Sport announced on Sunday the launch of a service to accredit platforms that sell and resell tickets for sports competitions and events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The service is available through the ministry’s Riyadhi Platform (riyadhi.sa) and aims to regulate ticket sales and resale in accordance with ministry-approved regulations while streamlining accreditation procedures for investors and platform operators, according to SPA.

The ministry previously granted ticketing platform operators a 90-day grace period, starting from October 26, when the regulations governing ticket sales for sports competitions and events were issued, to update their systems and align their operations with the approved technical and regulatory requirements.


Sabalenka Apologizes for Outburst During Loss to Svitolina

13 November 2026, US, Indian Wells: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka in action against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina during their women's singles group stage match of the FAGE WTA Finals tennis tournament at Indian Wells. Photo: Charles Baus/CSM via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
13 November 2026, US, Indian Wells: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka in action against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina during their women's singles group stage match of the FAGE WTA Finals tennis tournament at Indian Wells. Photo: Charles Baus/CSM via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Sabalenka Apologizes for Outburst During Loss to Svitolina

13 November 2026, US, Indian Wells: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka in action against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina during their women's singles group stage match of the FAGE WTA Finals tennis tournament at Indian Wells. Photo: Charles Baus/CSM via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
13 November 2026, US, Indian Wells: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka in action against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina during their women's singles group stage match of the FAGE WTA Finals tennis tournament at Indian Wells. Photo: Charles Baus/CSM via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Aryna Sabalenka apologized on Saturday for her angry outburst during her defeat by Ukraine's Elina Svitolina at the WTA Finals.

Television footage appeared to show the Belarusian swearing during Friday's round-robin match, with some social media users interpreting her remarks as being directed at Svitolina or Ukrainians. The loss eliminated Sabalenka from the season-ending tournament.

"My comment was not directed at Elina," Sabalenka said in a social ⁠media post.

"I was ⁠frustrated with a small group of spectators who were aggressively cheering my mistakes, and I reacted emotionally in the moment.

"That said, I should have handled my frustration differently, and I apologize to anyone I offended.

"Elina played a great match, ⁠and I wish her all the best for the rest of the tournament."

Svitolina did not shake hands with Sabalenka after the match, maintaining her policy of not doing so with Russian or Belarusian opponents following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow launched with Belarus as a staging ground.

Asked about her reaction to Sabalenka's apology, Svitolina called for mutual respect, acknowledging that fans' passions ⁠can ⁠sometimes run high.

"We've played many times with Aryna. She has her fans, I have my fans," she told reporters after her semi-final win over Linda Noskova on Saturday.

According to Reuters, she expressed hope that matches between the two of them would be respected, "because yes, sometimes in some matches that we've played, also been not great comments towards me in regards of the war."

Svitolina, the 2018 WTA Finals champion, faces Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in Sunday's final.