Atletico's Simeone Puts Real Derby Out of His Mind to Focus on Getafe Clash

Soccer Football - Champions League - Atletico Madrid v Slovan Bratislava - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 11, 2024 Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone before the match REUTERS/Juan Medina/ File Photo
Soccer Football - Champions League - Atletico Madrid v Slovan Bratislava - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 11, 2024 Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone before the match REUTERS/Juan Medina/ File Photo
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Atletico's Simeone Puts Real Derby Out of His Mind to Focus on Getafe Clash

Soccer Football - Champions League - Atletico Madrid v Slovan Bratislava - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 11, 2024 Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone before the match REUTERS/Juan Medina/ File Photo
Soccer Football - Champions League - Atletico Madrid v Slovan Bratislava - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 11, 2024 Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone before the match REUTERS/Juan Medina/ File Photo

A pivotal trip to LaLiga leaders Real Madrid awaits this weekend for Atletico Madrid, who are just a point behind in the standings, but coach Diego Simeone is putting all his focus on Tuesday's Copa del Rey quarter-final against Getafe.

Getafe are 14th in LaLiga, three points above the relegation zone. However, the Jose Bordalas-led team are yet to lose a game this calendar year, and their six-match unbeaten streak includes a 1-1 draw with Barcelona.

"We live from match to match, from day to day. There is no other thought than tomorrow's game," Simeone told reporters on Monday, Reuters reported.

"The profile of the coach and the team is very clear. The last few games they have played, with Real Sociedad, Barcelona and Sevilla, speak of a great intensity of play.

"They know what they are playing for, and when a team knows what they are playing for, they are always dangerous."

Getafe have not beaten Atletico since 2011, but Simeone's side had to dig deep to clinch a 1-0 win in their last meeting in December.

A win over Getafe will mean more matches for Atletico in an already busy calendar as they try to secure their first LaLiga title since 2020-21 and play in the Champions League knockout stage, but the coach said he was not concerned.

"Obviously we all have the objective of going through and reaching the final of the Copa del Rey," he said.

"I can't imagine anything other than trying to take the game to where we can hurt Getafe to stay in the competition."



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.