Roma Unhappy with Rescheduling of Interrupted Udinese Match

AS Roma's supporters cheer during the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, 2nd leg soccer match between AS Roma and AC Milan in Rome, Italy, 18 April 2024. (EPA)
AS Roma's supporters cheer during the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, 2nd leg soccer match between AS Roma and AC Milan in Rome, Italy, 18 April 2024. (EPA)
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Roma Unhappy with Rescheduling of Interrupted Udinese Match

AS Roma's supporters cheer during the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, 2nd leg soccer match between AS Roma and AC Milan in Rome, Italy, 18 April 2024. (EPA)
AS Roma's supporters cheer during the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, 2nd leg soccer match between AS Roma and AC Milan in Rome, Italy, 18 April 2024. (EPA)

AS Roma said Serie A's decision to schedule the remaining 18 minutes of their suspended fixture against Udinese for April 25 is unfair as it puts the club at a disadvantage in their Europa League semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen.

The April 14 match at Udinese was suspended in the second half after Roma defender Evan Ndicka collapsed on the pitch and Serie A said the remainder would be played on Thursday.

Roma are also scheduled to play Bologna and Napoli this week before hosting Bayer Leverkusen on May 2 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.

"AS Roma with its results and four consecutive European semi-finals contributed to UEFA ranking and thus five slots for Italian teams in the next edition of the Champions League," the club said on Friday.

"Despite that, (Serie A) President (Lorenzo) Casini took today an unfair decision, as it holds, against AS Roma forcing us to face Bayer 04 Leverkusen at disadvantage," it added.

"This is a clear backwards step for the whole of Italian football."



South Korea Expresses Regret after Its Athletes Introduced as North Korea at Opening Ceremony

 Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
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South Korea Expresses Regret after Its Athletes Introduced as North Korea at Opening Ceremony

 Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)

South Korea expressed regret that its delegation of athletes at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday was introduced as from rival North Korea and has demanded assurances from organizers the mistake will not happen again.

As the boat carrying South Korean athletes passed on the Seine, the announcer introduced them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" - the official name of North Korea - in French and English.

The announcer used the same introduction when the North Korean delegation passed.

South Korea's vice minister for sports and culture, Jang Mi-ran, who was in Paris, had requested a meeting with International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach, the ministry said in a statement.

"We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering," it said.

South Korea's National Olympic Committee immediately referred the incident to the Games' organizers and requested that the error will not be repeated.

South Korea's delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events. North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes.