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Ronaldo Is Rested and Returning His Attention to an Asian Champions League Title 

Cristiano Ronaldo. (Reuters)
Cristiano Ronaldo. (Reuters)
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Ronaldo Is Rested and Returning His Attention to an Asian Champions League Title 

Cristiano Ronaldo. (Reuters)
Cristiano Ronaldo. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo has rested and now is returning his attention to winning his first major trophy in Saudi Arabia.

Despite breaking the Saudi Pro League’s scoring record last season with 35 goals and leading the standings in this campaign, the 40-year-old Ronaldo is yet to collect any silverware since signing for Al-Nassr in December 2022.

On Saturday, he’ll be leading Al-Nassr against Japan-based Yokohama F.Marinos in the Asian Champions League Elite quarterfinals.

The Riyadh club, still yet to win a continental championship, is expected to progress to the last four, particularly after Ronaldo was rested this week for Al-Nassr's domestic league win over Damac.

Even without the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, coach Stefano Pioli has a star-studded roster at his disposal. It includes Jhon Duran, signed from Aston Villa in January for over $100 million, former Liverpool star Sadio Mane and Spanish international defender Aymeric Laporte.

Al-Nassr also has the advantage of not having to travel far, as all playoff games are taking place in Jeddah along the Red Sea coast.

“We're now fully focused on Asia,” Pioli said Tuesday. “We have been working hard to prepare for it and I'm satisfied with the performance of the players.”

Yokohama was a beaten finalist last season but is struggling in last place in Japan's domestic league after collecting just two points from the last seven games. The club last week fired Steve Holland, a former England national team assistant to Gareth Southgate, after just four months as coach.

“To fill the void,” the club said in a statement, Australian “Patrick Kisnorbo will serve as an interim manager for the time being.”

Nassr’s Riyadh rival Al-Hilal has won a record four Asian titles and plays Friday against Gwangju FC, a South Korean club making its first appearance in the tournament.

Hilal was the best performer in the ACL group stage and, as it is unlikely to catch Al-Ittihad at the top of the Saudi Pro League, is focused on its bid for a fifth continental championship.

“The Asian Champions League is a personal dream for me, as I have not yet achieved it with the team,” Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said. “It is also a dream for the fans and the club president, and we will continue to play to win every match.”

Al-Ahli is the third contender from Saudi, and the two-time finalist is determined to lift the trophy in its home stadium in Jeddah on May 3. First, though, it must win a quarterfinal against Thai powerhouse Buriram United.

The only one of the four ties not to feature a Saudi club takes place on Sunday when two-time champion Al-Sadd of Qatar takes on Kawasaki Frontale, a Japanese club looking for a first title.

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Sports

Romania Great Gheorghe Hagi Returns for Second Stint as National Team Coach After Lucescu’s Death

Gheorghe Hagi attends a press conference after being appointed as the new manager of the Romanian national team, in Bucharest, Romania, April 20, 2026. (EPA)
Gheorghe Hagi attends a press conference after being appointed as the new manager of the Romanian national team, in Bucharest, Romania, April 20, 2026. (EPA)
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Romania Great Gheorghe Hagi Returns for Second Stint as National Team Coach After Lucescu’s Death

Gheorghe Hagi attends a press conference after being appointed as the new manager of the Romanian national team, in Bucharest, Romania, April 20, 2026. (EPA)
Gheorghe Hagi attends a press conference after being appointed as the new manager of the Romanian national team, in Bucharest, Romania, April 20, 2026. (EPA)

Romania great Gheorghe Hagi has been hired as national team coach for the second time. He was appointed to replace Mircea Lucescu, who died two weeks ago.

The 61-year-old Hagi is widely regarded as Romania’s greatest ever football player, having led the country to the World Cup quarterfinals in 1994. He also played for Barcelona and Real Madrid as a creative attacking midfielder.

His first stint as Romania coach was in 2001 and lasted three months, ending after failing to get the team through the playoffs for the 2002 World Cup.

Hagi has since coached clubs in Romania and Türkiye, including Galatasaray and Steaua Bucharest, but is back in charge of the No. 56-ranked national team, which will not be at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Romanians lost to Türkiye in the playoffs, after which Lucescu fell ill and stepped down as coach. He died April 7, at the age of 80.

“It is an honor and a great responsibility to represent Romania once again, as I did as a player,” Hagi said in a statement released by Romania’s football federation.

“I am convinced,” he added, “that we can achieve beautiful things. I hope that the performances I had as a player, I will also have as a coach. I am convinced that we can become the best.”

Romania last played at the World Cup in 1998. It reached the round of 16 at the European Championship in 2024, losing to the Netherlands.

Hagi’s first games in charge will be friendlies against Georgia and Wales in June. Romania is in a Nations League group with Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Poland starting in September.

He has signed a contract through to the 2030 World Cup, with the task of “bringing the national team back into the elite of world football,” the federation said.

Federation president Răzvan Burleanu said his organization has made “several attempts over time” to get Hagi to become coach again.

Sports

Di Matteo Says ‘Vital’ for Faltering Chelsea to Add Experience

Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Manchester United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - April 18, 2026 Chelsea's Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo react. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Manchester United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - April 18, 2026 Chelsea's Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo react. (Reuters)
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Di Matteo Says ‘Vital’ for Faltering Chelsea to Add Experience

Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Manchester United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - April 18, 2026 Chelsea's Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo react. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Manchester United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - April 18, 2026 Chelsea's Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo react. (Reuters)

Chelsea great Roberto Di Matteo told AFP on Tuesday it was "vital" that the faltering Premier League side add experienced players and backed Liam Rosenior to still be in charge next season.

The London club are in the midst of an alarming slump, sixth in the table after four defeats in a row and in serious danger of missing out on Champions League football.

Boos greeted the full-time whistle following Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Manchester United at Stamford Bridge after some supporters staged a street protest against owners BlueCo ahead of kick-off.

Former midfielder Di Matteo, who guided Chelsea to Champions League glory as manager in 2012, said "inconsistency" was understandable given the young age of the squad.

"I think the owner just said it last week. On the weekend he said that they're probably going to look at changing the transfer policy a little bit," Di Matteo said at the launch of the "Hong Kong Football Festival" featuring Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus in August.

"I think it's vital. If you want to have a little bit more consistency, if you want to be able to challenge, maybe for the Premier League, you need to have a good balance.

"You need very good, young, talented players, but you also need a little bit of experience within the team."

The 55-year-old Italian, who was a mainstay of the Chelsea team from 1996 to 2002, said allowances needed to be made for under-pressure Rosenior given he only replaced Enzo Maresca in January.

"You take over a team that was built for a different coach, with a different system," he said.

"It's always hard to be able to put your print on the team during mid-season. Everybody expects you to get it going straight away.

He added: "I guess next season we'll be able to see his team make some adjustments to the way the team (plays) or (bring in) the players to play his system."

Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali last week said the club were still behind Rosenior and remained optimistic about long-term success under his management.

Sports

Alcaraz Awaiting Test Results with French Open Defense at Risk

Laureus World Sports Awards - Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain - April 20, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz poses on the red carpet ahead of the awards ceremony (Reuters)
Laureus World Sports Awards - Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain - April 20, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz poses on the red carpet ahead of the awards ceremony (Reuters)
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Alcaraz Awaiting Test Results with French Open Defense at Risk

Laureus World Sports Awards - Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain - April 20, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz poses on the red carpet ahead of the awards ceremony (Reuters)
Laureus World Sports Awards - Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain - April 20, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz poses on the red carpet ahead of the awards ceremony (Reuters)

Carlos Alcaraz ‌is awaiting the results of tests on his injured wrist before making a decision about defending his French Open title next month, the world number two said.

The seven-times Grand Slam champion picked up the injury in the first round of the Barcelona Open earlier this month ‌before withdrawing from ‌the tournament.

Scans showed the ‌issue ⁠was more serious ⁠than initially thought and he then skipped the Madrid Open.

"The next test will be crucial," Alcaraz told Spanish television channel TVE.

"We've been trying to do everything we can ⁠do to make sure that ‌this test ‌goes well. I'm trying to be very ‌patient. But we are good, we ‌are just waiting a little bit.

"We have a few tests in the next few days and then we will ‌see how the injury is, and what the next steps ⁠will ⁠be," the 22-year-old added.

Alcaraz, who was crowned Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus Awards on Monday, surrendered the world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner after losing to the Italian in the Monte Carlo Masters final days before his Barcelona opener.

The French Open will start from May 24 in Paris.