Roma Coach Relieves Pressure with Team's 1-0 win over Torino in Serie A

AS Roma's head coach Ivan Juric reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and FC Torino at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 31 October 2024.  EPA/ETTORE FERRARI
AS Roma's head coach Ivan Juric reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and FC Torino at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 31 October 2024. EPA/ETTORE FERRARI
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Roma Coach Relieves Pressure with Team's 1-0 win over Torino in Serie A

AS Roma's head coach Ivan Juric reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and FC Torino at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 31 October 2024.  EPA/ETTORE FERRARI
AS Roma's head coach Ivan Juric reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and FC Torino at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 31 October 2024. EPA/ETTORE FERRARI

Roma coach Ivan Juric may have saved his job with a 1-0 win over Torino in Serie A on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
Juric had been under pressure after Roma was routed 5-1 by Fiorentina on Sunday.
But Paulo Dybala scored a first-half goal for Roma and the Giallorossi hung on to end a three-game winless streak in the Italian league.
Juric replaced the fired Daniele De Rossi last month.
Roma moved up to 12th while Torino remained ninth.
Fiorentina moves up to 4th place Fiorentina moved up to fourth place with a 1-0 victory at last-place Genoa for its sixth straight win across all competitions.
Robin Gosens scored midway through the second half and Fiorentina goalkeeper David De Gea made a leaping save in the final minutes.
Mario Balotelli, who signed with Genoa on Monday, wasn’t ready to play yet.
Also, fifth-place Lazio won 5-1 at promoted Como with two goals from Valentin Castellanos as both sides ended with 10 men.
Luca Mazzitelli scored for Como with a spectacular bicycle kick.



No Concerns about Hamilton’s Speed, Says Ferrari’s Vasseur

 Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)
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No Concerns about Hamilton’s Speed, Says Ferrari’s Vasseur

 Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)

Lewis Hamilton's struggles at Mercedes are not giving his future employers Ferrari any concern, according to team boss Fred Vasseur.

The seven-times Formula One world champion finished only 12th in Qatar on Sunday, the 39-year-old Briton's last race before his farewell to Mercedes in the Abu Dhabi season-ender next weekend.

He also finished 10th in Brazil last month, and 11th in the Saturday sprint there.

Asked after the race at Lusail if he was worried about Hamilton's form going into next year, Ferrari's Vasseur replied: "Not at all.

"I have a look at the 50 laps that he did in Vegas, starting in P10 (10th place), finishing on the gearbox of Russell, I'm not worried at all."

Hamilton finished second in a Mercedes one-two with winner George Russell, who started on pole position, in Las Vegas on Nov. 24.

Hamilton collected two penalties on Sunday -- a five second one for a false start and the other a drive-through for speeding in the pit lane -- as well as a puncture.

At one point, clearly fed up, he sought to retire the car but his race engineer refused the request because the drive-through penalty would have been carried over to Abu Dhabi if left unserved.

The Briton, who turns 40 in January, has been out-qualified 18-5 by Russell this season and 5-1 in the sprints but has also won two grands prix.

"I know I've still got it," Hamilton said on Saturday. "It's just the car won't go faster. But I definitely know I've got it. It is not a question in my mind."

On Sunday he was prepared for one last push.

"I'm still standing, it's not how you fall, it's how you get back up, so I'll get back up tomorrow and give it another shot next week," he said.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff rejected any suggestion Hamilton was losing his speed.

"I'm certain that it's not true. It's just this generation of cars, particularly how the car is now," said the Austrian. "He's a late braker, he carries a lot of speed on the entry to the corner and the car doesn't take it."