Inter Beat Lecce 2-0 in Serie A Home Opener

Soccer Football - Serie A - Inter Milan v Lecce - San Siro, Milan, Italy - August 24, 2024 Inter Milan's Matteo Darmian celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Alberto Lingria Purchase Licensing Rights
Soccer Football - Serie A - Inter Milan v Lecce - San Siro, Milan, Italy - August 24, 2024 Inter Milan's Matteo Darmian celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Alberto Lingria Purchase Licensing Rights
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Inter Beat Lecce 2-0 in Serie A Home Opener

Soccer Football - Serie A - Inter Milan v Lecce - San Siro, Milan, Italy - August 24, 2024 Inter Milan's Matteo Darmian celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Alberto Lingria Purchase Licensing Rights
Soccer Football - Serie A - Inter Milan v Lecce - San Siro, Milan, Italy - August 24, 2024 Inter Milan's Matteo Darmian celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Alberto Lingria Purchase Licensing Rights

Champions Inter Milan beat Lecce 2-0 at home in Serie A as goals from Matteo Darmian and Hakan Calhanoglu secured Simone Inzaghi's side their first win of the season.

Inter, who were held to a 2-2 draw at Genoa last weekend, were well in control of the match and provisionally moved top of the table with four points, Reuters reported.

Darmian gave Inter the lead inside five minutes after the ball bounced up in front of the defender who headed it into the net.

Calhanoglu doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 69th minute, after Inter were awarded a spot-kick for Kialonda Gaspar's foul on Marcus Thuram.

Calhanoglu converted his 17th penalty out of 17 in the Italian top flight.

Inter were without captain Lautaro Martinez, last season's top scorer, who was sidelined with a muscle problem.

Lecce, who kicked off their third consecutive season in Serie A with a 4-0 home defeat by Atalanta last week, play Cagliari on Aug. 31.

Rivals AC Milan were stunned in a 2-1 loss at promoted Parma earlier on Saturday, and 10-man Udinese beat Lazio 2-1 before Genoa earned a 1-0 win at Monza to move up to second in the standings.



Struggling Valencia Hires West Brom Manager Carlos Corberan as Its New Head Coach

15 December 2024, United Kingdom, Watford: West Bromwich Albion coach Carlos Corberan, reacts during the English Football League championship soccer match between Watford and West Bromwich Albion at Vicarage Road. (Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa)
15 December 2024, United Kingdom, Watford: West Bromwich Albion coach Carlos Corberan, reacts during the English Football League championship soccer match between Watford and West Bromwich Albion at Vicarage Road. (Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa)
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Struggling Valencia Hires West Brom Manager Carlos Corberan as Its New Head Coach

15 December 2024, United Kingdom, Watford: West Bromwich Albion coach Carlos Corberan, reacts during the English Football League championship soccer match between Watford and West Bromwich Albion at Vicarage Road. (Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa)
15 December 2024, United Kingdom, Watford: West Bromwich Albion coach Carlos Corberan, reacts during the English Football League championship soccer match between Watford and West Bromwich Albion at Vicarage Road. (Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa)

Relegation-threatened Valencia has hired West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan as its new head coach through June 2027.

Valencia fired Rubén Baraja on Monday after another setback in La Liga left the Spanish club stuck in the relegation zone and sparked renewed protests against Singaporean owner Peter Lim.

"Carlos Corberan has been appointed as coach of Valencia CF, signing a contract through to 2027," a statement on Valencia’s website said early Wednesday. "A buy-out option in his contract with West Bromwich Albion was taken up to allow him to leave."

No official figure was given but the compensation for the former Valencia youth player was reported to be in the region of $3 million.

The Spaniard, who also briefly coached Greek side Olympiakos, led West Brom to its current seventh place in England's second-tier Championship. He worked in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr before making his debut as a first-team manager with Doxa Katokopias of Cyprus.

West Brom earlier said in a statement that the 41-year-old Corberan "is set to return to his homeland with the club’s gratitude and best wishes following a two-year tenure at The Hawthorns."

Chris Brunt, Damia Abella and Boaz Myhill "will oversee first-team duties until further notice."

Valencia’s next Spanish league match will be against Real Madrid at home on Jan. 3 in a game postponed from October because of the deadly floods that hit Valencia.

Valencia is winless in its last four matches.

Corberan wrote on X that "the decision to leave (West Brom) has been the hardest of my life."

"There will ALWAYS be a place in my heart for this special club and I hope one day I can return to thank you all for your incredible support," he said.