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Real Sociedad Fans Attacked in Rome Ahead of Europa League Match at Lazio

Lazio's fans support their team before the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Como at Rome's Olympic stadium, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Lazio's fans support their team before the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Como at Rome's Olympic stadium, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
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Real Sociedad Fans Attacked in Rome Ahead of Europa League Match at Lazio

Lazio's fans support their team before the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Como at Rome's Olympic stadium, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Lazio's fans support their team before the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Como at Rome's Olympic stadium, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Nine Real Sociedad fans were injured in central Rome during clashes with Lazio supporters on the eve of Thursday's Europa League match between the two teams, police said.
About 70 Spanish supporters were attacked by around 80 Lazio supporters in Via Leonina, near the Colosseum, at about 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, a Rome police spokesperson said.
Six of the nine people wounded were taken to hospital, and four were discharged overnight. Of the two still hospitalized, one was in critical, but not life-threatening condition, police said.
Attackers used blunt objects and knives, police added, releasing a picture of weapons presumed to have been used, including a hammer, sticks and batons, wrenches and a chain.
The attackers fled as the police arrived, the spokesperson said.

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Australia Boss Popovic Calls on Players to Prove they Are Worthy of World Cup

Australia's football coach Tony Popovic speaks to the media in Melbourne on March 30, 2026, ahead of their international friendly football match against Curacao. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)
Australia's football coach Tony Popovic speaks to the media in Melbourne on March 30, 2026, ahead of their international friendly football match against Curacao. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)
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Australia Boss Popovic Calls on Players to Prove they Are Worthy of World Cup

Australia's football coach Tony Popovic speaks to the media in Melbourne on March 30, 2026, ahead of their international friendly football match against Curacao. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)
Australia's football coach Tony Popovic speaks to the media in Melbourne on March 30, 2026, ahead of their international friendly football match against Curacao. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)

Australia coach Tony Popovic has called on the new faces in his squad to seize their chance with a performance against Curacao as he looks to bed down his World Cup roster.

Tuesday's friendly at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium is the Socceroos' last warmup on home soil before the June 11-July 19 finals and follows a labored 1-0 win over Cameroon in Sydney last Friday.

While the Cameroon win did little to ease concerns around Australia's attacking fluency, right back Jacob Italiano and 18-year-old debutant center back Lucas Herrington impressed with their poise in defense.

Popovic hoped others would add to his selection burden with a good showing against Curacao, the smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup, ⁠which is being ⁠co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

"Obviously (we're) having a look at a few of the other boys that have been here in camp who have now settled and are more accustomed to the environment, and hopefully they can get some minutes tomorrow," Popovic told reporters on Monday.

"It's a World Cup, and anyone that's here now feels they're so close, they're in the ⁠final camp before we go to the World Cup to prepare.

"So you have to believe, as a player, you're in the mix. And then they have to obviously try and perform to their maximum and really show that they deserve to be on that plane."

That may mean a chance for uncapped Croatia-born striker Ante Suto, who plays for Scottish side Hibernian and had never set foot on Australian soil until this camp.

Cardiff City midfielder Alex Robertson, whose father and grandfather both represented Australia, may also hope to add to his two caps with a first appearance under Popovic, having ⁠last played under ⁠Graham Arnold in 2023.

The Socceroos will face something a bit different in world number 82 Curacao, a Caribbean side with Dutch roots eager to hit back after their 2-0 defeat by China in Sydney last week and build momentum for their World Cup debut.

"Such a small nation ... it’s an amazing achievement," Popovic said of the country of 156,000.

"Two nations going to the World Cup up against each other — we're taking it very seriously."

After Curacao, Australia head to a training camp in Florida before meeting Mexico in a May 30 friendly at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.

Australia face the US, Paraguay and either Turkey or Kosovo, who meet in a qualifying playoff on Tuesday, in Group D at the World Cup.

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Youngest F1 Title Leader Antonelli to Keep ‘Raising Bar’ After Japan Win

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course racetrack in Suzuka, Japan, 29 March 2026. (EPA)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course racetrack in Suzuka, Japan, 29 March 2026. (EPA)
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Youngest F1 Title Leader Antonelli to Keep ‘Raising Bar’ After Japan Win

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course racetrack in Suzuka, Japan, 29 March 2026. (EPA)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course racetrack in Suzuka, Japan, 29 March 2026. (EPA)

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli vowed to "keep raising the bar" after winning Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings.

The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Antonelli's Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell.

Mercedes are struggling to contain the excitement building around their young driver, even if Antonelli said he was "not thinking too much about the championship".

"Of course it's great but it's still a long way to go and I need to keep raising the bar, because George is very quick," he said.

"For sure he's going to be back at his usual level and also competitors will eventually get closer."

Antonelli led home Piastri by 13.722sec, with Leclerc a further 1.548sec back in third.

Russell finished fourth to drop to second in the championship standings on 63 points. Leclerc is third on 49.

Russell battled Piastri for the lead over the first half of the race but pitted just before the safety car which dropped him out of contention for the win.

Piastri secured second in his first grand prix start of the season, after crashing on his way to the grid in the opener in Australia and missing the race in China because of a technical problem.

Piastri led for the first half of the race before the safety car gave Antonelli his chance.

"It would have been really interesting to see what would have happened without that," said Piastri.

"A shame that we never got to see what would have happened, but I think for us to be disappointed at this point about finishing second is a pretty good place to be."

- Poor starts 'making life harder' -

McLaren's world champion Lando Norris was fifth ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Alpine's Pierre Gasly.

Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen, the winner in Japan for the past four years, was eighth after starting from 11th on the grid.

Antonelli had become the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history in China and again was at the head of the grid.

But he suffered a shocking start and was down in sixth by the first corner.

Piastri took the early lead ahead of Leclerc, with Norris, Russell and Hamilton all sweeping past Antonelli.

"It's an area where I need to work a lot because it's definitely not good enough," said Antonelli.

"I'm just making my life a lot harder."

The young Italian had made up some of the lost ground when a crash by Haas driver Ollie Bearman brought out the safety car during the pit stop window.

Piastri had already pitted but Antonelli was able to dive in for fresh tires moments after the safety car was deployed and emerged in front of the Australian, a stroke of luck that effectively won him the race.

"I was very lucky with the timing of the safety car," said Antonelli.

Bearman got out of his car unaided but was limping badly as race marshals helped him off the track.

Haas later said he had "a right knee contusion" and initial X-rays showed no fractures after hitting the barrier at high speed.

Formula One now takes an extended break until the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races scheduled for April have been cancelled because of the war in the Middle East.

Sports

Mexico, Portugal Draw 0-0 as Azteca Stadium Reopens After World Cup Renovations

Mexican fans cheer for their team during a friendly football match between Mexico and Portugal at the Banorte (formerly known as Azteca) Stadium in Mexico City on March 28, 2026. (AFP)
Mexican fans cheer for their team during a friendly football match between Mexico and Portugal at the Banorte (formerly known as Azteca) Stadium in Mexico City on March 28, 2026. (AFP)
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Mexico, Portugal Draw 0-0 as Azteca Stadium Reopens After World Cup Renovations

Mexican fans cheer for their team during a friendly football match between Mexico and Portugal at the Banorte (formerly known as Azteca) Stadium in Mexico City on March 28, 2026. (AFP)
Mexican fans cheer for their team during a friendly football match between Mexico and Portugal at the Banorte (formerly known as Azteca) Stadium in Mexico City on March 28, 2026. (AFP)

Mexico and Portugal played to a scoreless draw on Saturday night in a warm-up match that marked the reopening of the Azteca Stadium after nearly two years of renovations for the 2026 World Cup.

Goncalo Ramos had the best scoring chance in the match when he rattled the goalpost in the 26th minute.

The iconic Azteca stadium, which hosted the finals of the 1970 and 1986 World Cup tournaments, has been closed since May 2024 for renovations for the upcoming World Cup, where it will host five matches: three first-round matches and two for the knockout stages.

On Saturday, the Mexicans were without 12 players through injury, including six starters that helped the team win the CONCACAF Nations League and the Gold Cup last year.

The Portuguese also faced the match with absences, most notably those of forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Leão.

Mexico opens its tournament June 11 in Mexico City against South Africa in the opening match of the tournament.

The Mexicans will play against Belgium next Tuesday at Soldier Field in Chicago, while Portugal face the United States at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Portugal will make its debut in the World Cup on June 17 against the winner of the intercontinental playoffs match between Jamaica and Congo.