Mallorca Beats Real Sociedad on Penalties to Return to Copa Del Rey Final Two Decades Later 

RCD Mallorca's players celebrate after the Spanish King's Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca at Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, 27 February 2024. (EPA)
RCD Mallorca's players celebrate after the Spanish King's Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca at Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, 27 February 2024. (EPA)
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Mallorca Beats Real Sociedad on Penalties to Return to Copa Del Rey Final Two Decades Later 

RCD Mallorca's players celebrate after the Spanish King's Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca at Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, 27 February 2024. (EPA)
RCD Mallorca's players celebrate after the Spanish King's Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca at Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, 27 February 2024. (EPA)

More than two decades later, Mallorca is back in the Copa del Rey final.

The Spanish club partly owned by Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and former NBA great Steve Nash defeated Real Sociedad 5-4 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to make it to the final 21 years after it won the competition for the only time.

Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif saved the opening penalty by Mikel Oyarzabal, then Sergi Darder converted the decisive kick to put Mallorca in the final. The teams drew 1-1 in regulation and were scoreless in extra time at Sociedad's Reale Arena.

The teams had drawn 0-0 in the first leg in Mallorca on Feb. 6.

Mallorca will play the April 6 final in Seville against either Atletico Madrid or Athletic Bilbao, which will play the second leg of the other semifinal on Thursday in Bilbao. Athletic won the first leg 1-0 in Madrid.

It will be the fourth Copa final for Mallorca, which hadn't made it the title game since it won the tournament in 2003 against Recreativo Huelva. Its other final appearances were in 1991 and 1998. It hadn't made it to the semifinals since 2009.

Mallorca's Mexican coach Javier Aguirre had taken Osasuna to the 2005 final, when it lost to Real Betis.

Sociedad was trying to return to the Copa final for the first time since it beat rival Athletic to lift the trophy in the 2019-20 season.

Vedat Muriqi, Manu Morlanes, Omar Mascarell and Nemanja Radonjic also scored for Mallorca in the penalty shootout. Beñat Turrientes, Jon Ander Olasagasti, Martín Zubimendi and Sheraldo Becker scored for Sociedad.

Mallorca took the lead in the 50th with a header by Gio González into the far corner in what was the visitors' only attempt on target during regulation. There was a long delay before the goal was confirmed as video review looked for a possible offside in the buildup.

The hosts, which had nearly 30 attempts throughout the match, equalized in a breakaway in the 71st with Oyarzabal finding the net with a low shot after a nice through ball by Brais Méndez.

Mallorca, which sits just outside the relegation zone in the Spanish league, had won only one of its last six games.

Sociedad, seventh after 26 league rounds, had one win in its last seven matches across all competitions. The Basque Country club is in the round of 16 of the Champions League, having lost the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 in France.



Bayern's Diaz Sidelined with Hamstring Injury after Arsenal Draw

Bayern Munich's Colombian forward #14 Luis Diaz warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League football match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, southern Germany on October 21, 2026. (Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP)
Bayern Munich's Colombian forward #14 Luis Diaz warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League football match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, southern Germany on October 21, 2026. (Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP)
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Bayern's Diaz Sidelined with Hamstring Injury after Arsenal Draw

Bayern Munich's Colombian forward #14 Luis Diaz warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League football match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, southern Germany on October 21, 2026. (Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP)
Bayern Munich's Colombian forward #14 Luis Diaz warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League football match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal FC in Munich, southern Germany on October 21, 2026. (Photo by Karl-Josef HILDENBRAND / AFP)

Bayern Munich forward Luis Diaz will be out of action for the "foreseeable future" after suffering a minor muscle tear in his left hamstring during Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw with visiting Arsenal, the Bundesliga club said on Thursday.

The 29-year-old Colombia international came on in the 68th minute at ⁠the Allianz Arena ⁠but was forced off in stoppage time after suffering the injury.

Examinations carried out by Bayern's medical staff confirmed the hamstring tear, the club said ⁠in a statement.

"The 29-year-old forward will therefore be sidelined for the time being," Reuters quoted Bayern as saying.

Diaz's injury is a setback for Bayern as they enter a busy stretch of the season, with the winger having been a key attacking option since joining the German ⁠champions.

Bayern ⁠and Arsenal shared the spoils in the league-phase encounter on Wednesday, with Declan Rice scoring a late equalizer for the visitors to earn a point.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern next visit third-placed Freiburg, who are a point behind the champions after six games, on Sunday.


ATP Blocks 234,000 Abusive Comments from Reaching Players, Fans

USA's Coco Gauff leaves the court after losing her women's singles match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2026. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff leaves the court after losing her women's singles match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2026. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)
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ATP Blocks 234,000 Abusive Comments from Reaching Players, Fans

USA's Coco Gauff leaves the court after losing her women's singles match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2026. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff leaves the court after losing her women's singles match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2026. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)

Social media abuse was directed at over 85% of men's tennis players attracting engagement online in the past year, with the ATP blocking some 234,000 comments from reaching them or fans, the governing body said on Thursday.

The ATP based the findings on an analysis of more than 3.7 million comments across ATP and player social media channels by its Safe Sport initiative, which uses AI-enabled moderation and specialist threat assessment.

It ⁠said more than ⁠284,000 abusive comments were identified, and over 82% of them were removed in real time. During its first year, the program identified and hid upwards of 162,000 comments containing "severe" abuse.

"Player welfare sits at the heart of the ATP's safeguarding work," Reuters quoted Andrew Azzopardi, the ATP director of safeguarding, as saying.

"Preventing more than 234,000 abusive comments from ⁠reaching players and fans demonstrates the tangible impact the program is having every day. Online abuse has no place in tennis.

"We will keep investing in the technology, expertise and partnerships that protect players, and we will continue working with the authorities to hold those responsible to account."

Tennis players, like many athletes, often have to deal with the wrath of anonymous abusers online, many of whom are bettors, with French player Gael Monfils humorously hitting back at some of them following an early defeat in ⁠Stuttgart last year.

Monfils, ⁠40, said at the time he was surprised people still put money on him to win against much younger opponents.

Online abuse is not confined to angry gamblers, with American Coco Gauff saying earlier this month she received an "insane" amount of racist abuse at the China Open, prompting condemnation from the United Nations Human Rights Office.

World Tennis, the WTA, the All England Club and the United States Tennis Association have launched monitoring services that use a combination of artificial intelligence and open-source data to help protect players.

The French Open has also made AI-powered software available for players to block online harassment and hate speech.


More LaLiga Clubs Join Pact to Cap Ticket Prices for Away Fans

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Sevilla - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 18, 2026 Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen and Sevilla's Kike Salas embrace after the match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Sevilla - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 18, 2026 Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen and Sevilla's Kike Salas embrace after the match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
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More LaLiga Clubs Join Pact to Cap Ticket Prices for Away Fans

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Sevilla - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 18, 2026 Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen and Sevilla's Kike Salas embrace after the match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Sevilla - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 18, 2026 Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen and Sevilla's Kike Salas embrace after the match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

Three more clubs in Spain's top division have joined an agreement to cap away ticket prices at a maximum of €30 ($34), a spokesperson for LaLiga told Reuters on Thursday, meaning 17 clubs in the 20-team league now participate.

LaLiga is strengthening the reciprocal agreement between clubs as ⁠AC Milan fans ⁠boycott their visit to Udinese over away ticket prices of €65 ($73).

The agreement, in place since the 2023-24 season, also ensures a minimum of 300 tickets ⁠are made available to travelling fans.

Away ticket sales have increased by 33% per game on average, according to LaLiga data.

England's Premier League has a cap of £30 pounds ($40) for away fans.

German's Bundesliga guarantees 10% of available capacity for away support, with their ⁠tickets ⁠matched to home prices.

European governing body UEFA's regulations require 5% of stadium capacity to be allocated for away fans with a price cap of €50 ($56,20) in the Champions League.

The LaLiga spokesperson did not name the three additional Spanish teams joining the price cap scheme.