Fiorentina Takes Security Measures After Players Receive Threats
Sassuolo's Nemanja Matic (L) and Fiorentina's Cher Ndour in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match US Sassuolo vs ACF Fiorentina at Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia, Italy, 6 December 2025. (EPA)
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Fiorentina Takes Security Measures After Players Receive Threats
Sassuolo's Nemanja Matic (L) and Fiorentina's Cher Ndour in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match US Sassuolo vs ACF Fiorentina at Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia, Italy, 6 December 2025. (EPA)
Fiorentina said they have stepped up security and contacted authorities after players, staff and their families received threats following Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Sassuolo that left the club winless after 14 games and bottom of Serie A.
Fiorentina condemned the "unacceptable and shameful" threats and offered their full support to all members of the club.
"Behavior of this kind has no place in football or in any area of our society," the club said on their website.
"ACF Fiorentina, while thanking the many supporters who have already shown affection and support regarding these regrettable events, reiterates that there will never be any room for intimidation, hatred or violence."
Fiorentina next host Dynamo Kyiv in a Europa Conference League fixture on Thursday before welcoming Hellas Verona in Serie A on Sunday.
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 12: Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand against Victoria Mboko of Canada in their quarterfinal match of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 12, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP
Sabalenka and Sinner Move to the BNP Paribas Semifinals
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 12: Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand against Victoria Mboko of Canada in their quarterfinal match of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 12, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP
Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka — the world's top-ranked men's and women's tennis players — both won quarterfinal matches in straight sets during an eventful Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open.
Sabalenka held off Victoria Mboko, 7-6 (0), 6-4 to keep her in the running for her first title at Indian Wells. Alcaraz — who has opened 2026 by winning 16 straight matches — topped Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4 to move within two rounds of his third title in four years at the ATP Masters 1000 event just outside of Palm Springs.
Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev also advanced to the men's semifinals, with Medvedev benefiting from a disputed, overturned point late in his 6-1, 7-5 victory over defending champion Jack Draper.
Draper momentarily threw his arms to his side to signal he thought Medvedev's deep forehand had landed long during a rally that ended several shots later when Medvedev's backhand went into the net. Medvedev, already up one set, asked chair umpire Aurelie Tourte for a video review.
Tourte said that by rule, Draper's gesture was “something different than you would do normally,” and that she felt compelled to award the point to Medvedev.
“We played two shots afterwards,” Draper protested calmly. “I get it if he missed the next ball, but he didn't.”
The ruling, which drew boos from the crowd, put Medvedev up 0-30 en route to a break that allowed him to serve out the match one game later, setting up his semifinal showdown with Alcaraz on Saturday.
According to The Associated Press, Medvedev said he would have accepted whatever ruling Tourte made and merely requested the review because the rules allow it.
“I don't feel great” about it, Medvedev told Draper on the court moments after the match. Draper told Medvedev that he ”won the match fair and square," but didn't think his gesture distracted Medvedev enough to warrant the review.
Jannick Sinner of Italy (R) greets Learner Tien of the US (L) after winning their men’s singles quarterfinals match on day 9 of the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 12 March 2026. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO
Sinner and Zverev will meet in the other men's semifinal.
Sabalenka plays her semifinal on Friday against 14th seed Linda Noskova of Czechia, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 winner over unseeded Australian Talia Gibson.
Sabalenka hasn’t lost a set in the tournament, but was pushed by the 10th-seeded Mboko, a 19-year-old Canadian who won the 2025 Canadian Open — and whom Sabalenka defeated 6-1, 7-6 (1) in the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year.
“That was a tough battle today,” Sabalenka said. “Happy with the level I played in those key moments in each set.
After winning every point in a first-set tiebreaker, Sabalenka got the one break she needed to vanquish Mboko in two sets.
Also advancing to the semifinals for just the second time at Indian Wells was ninth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who knocked off second-seeded Iga Swiatek, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Svitolina broke to go up 5-4 in the third set and held serve for the match. She'll play Friday against Elena Rybakina, who beat American Jessica Pegula, 6-1, 7-6 (4).
Sinner served 10 aces while defeating 25th-seeded Learner Tien, 6-1, 6-2. The second-seeded Italian's victory ended the run of the youngest American — at age 20 — to play in a quarterfinal at Indian Wells since his coach, Michael Chang, won the tournament in 1992.
Zverev put 72% of his first serves in play during his 6-2, 6-3 victory over France's Arthur Fils.
Alcaraz was broken twice by Norrie, but broke back four times.
Solanke Says Tottenham's Madrid Meltdown One in a Millionhttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5250572-solanke-says-tottenhams-madrid-meltdown-one-million
Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke celebrates scoring the 1-0 goal during the English Premier League soccer match of Tottenham Hotspur against Crystal Palace, in London, Britain, 05 March 2026. EPA/DANIEL HAMBURY
Solanke Says Tottenham's Madrid Meltdown One in a Million
Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke celebrates scoring the 1-0 goal during the English Premier League soccer match of Tottenham Hotspur against Crystal Palace, in London, Britain, 05 March 2026. EPA/DANIEL HAMBURY
Tottenham Hotspur's meltdown against Atletico Madrid in Tuesday's Champions League last-16 clash was a one-in-a-million occurrence, according to forward Dominic Solanke.
Igor Tudor's side conceded three times in the opening 15 minutes, two of the goals following calamitous errors by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky who was immediately substituted.
A slip by Micky van de Ven also led to Atletico's second goal as Tottenham imploded before staging something of a comeback to eventually lose 5-2.
Solanke's goal at least gave Tottenham a glimmer of hope before next week's second leg in London, but he said it had been hard to recover from such a dreadful start.
"Obviously the first 20 minutes was difficult, very difficult circumstances which are one in a million," Solanke told Sky Sports on Thursday. "You never prepare for that. You prepare all week to go into a game, have a game plan and then stuff like that can happen, which is rare.
"That gave us a bit of mountain to climb, but I think overall, we try to take some positives. We know we've still got another game,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
Kinsky's slip for the first goal and then stray pass for the third saw him hauled off by Tudor, who has found himself under an intense spotlight after losing all four games since being named as interim manager after the sacking of Thomas Frank.
He will still be in charge for Sunday's away trip to Solanke's old club Liverpool when Tottenham will be desperate to avoid a seventh successive defeat in all competitions -- a run that has left them hovering just above the Premier League relegation zone.
"We've been so good in the Champions League this year but we know we haven't been anywhere near good enough in the league," Solanke said. "It's hard to put a finger on it, just changing one thing. I think we need to be better in every department. We're trying to stay positive and want to change it around.
"We need to be brave, we need to be strong and have full belief."
Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League table, one point above West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.
Bayern Faces Tough Leverkusen Test in Bundesliga after 6-1 Win and Injury Concernshttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5250361-bayern-faces-tough-leverkusen-test-bundesliga-after-6-1-win-and-injury-concerns
Bayern Munich's players celebrate at the end of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 1st leg soccer match between Atalanta BC and FC Bayern Munich at the Bergamo Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, 10 March 2026. EPA/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA
Bayern Faces Tough Leverkusen Test in Bundesliga after 6-1 Win and Injury Concerns
Bayern Munich's players celebrate at the end of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 1st leg soccer match between Atalanta BC and FC Bayern Munich at the Bergamo Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, 10 March 2026. EPA/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA
Bayern Munich is heading to Bayern Leverkusen in the Bundesliga after contrasting Champions League games in midweek for the two clubs.
Bayern was on rampant form in a 6-1 win at Atalanta overshadowed by injuries in the first leg of their round of 16 matchup, while Leverkusen had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Premier League leader Arsenal which kept its hopes alive.
Bayern leads the Bundesliga by 11 points with nine games remaining, The Associated Press reported.
Key matchups There aren't many tricky away trips for Bayern in the Bundesliga these days, but Leverkusen is one of them. Bayern hasn't won there in the league since October 2021, though Vincent Kompany's team did get a victory in a Champions League playoff last year.
Hoffenheim is flying high in third, which would be its best finish since Julian Nagelsmann coached the team in 2017-18. Saturday's opponent Wolfsburg is having a nightmarish campaign in the relegation zone as Dieter Hecking becomes the team's third coach of the season.
In a tight Champions League qualification fight, fourth-place Stuttgart is unbeaten in four Bundesliga games as it takes on fifth-place Leipzig, which is unbeaten in five, on Sunday.
Players to watch Deniz Undav has scored in his last four Bundesliga games to take him to 15 goals for the season. Even if he's got half of Kane's tally of Bundesliga goals for Bayern, it's enough for second in the standings. Undav's run of form could help him make his case for a return to the Germany squad in time for the World Cup.
Nico Schlotterbeck could be one of the most in-demand defenders on the transfer market this off-season, with no obvious progress on renewing a Borussia Dortmund contract which expires next year, though a decision to let midfielder Julian Brandt leave might free up some funds. Dortmund plays Augsburg on Sunday.
Who's out Manuel Neuer's return from a calf injury lasted just 45 minutes last week before the Bayern goalkeeping great picked up another calf injury which kept him out of Tuesday's Champions League win at Atalanta. Jonas Urbig stepped in but was hurt in a heavy collision with an opponent, so third-choice Sven Ulreich may start.
Kane has missed two games with a calf issue but is set to return, though Alphonso Davies has pulled a hamstring and Bayern said Jamal Musiala was experiencing pain related to an ankle injury from last year. It wasn't immediately clear how seriously that would affect Musiala.
Off the field Two bizarre disciplinary cases are getting German fans talking. The national soccer federation is investigating Cologne for its announcer making comments over the PA system loudly condemning refereeing decisions that went against the team.
Second-division Preussen Muenster faces a disciplinary case over a masked fan who unplugged the referee's video monitor during a penalty review against the team.
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