Milan's New Signings Help the Rossoneri Beat Roma 3-1 to Reach Italian Cup Semifinals

Soccer Football - Coppa Italia - Quarter Final - AC Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - February 5, 2025 AC Milan's Joao Felix celebrates with Rafael Leao after the match REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
Soccer Football - Coppa Italia - Quarter Final - AC Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - February 5, 2025 AC Milan's Joao Felix celebrates with Rafael Leao after the match REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
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Milan's New Signings Help the Rossoneri Beat Roma 3-1 to Reach Italian Cup Semifinals

Soccer Football - Coppa Italia - Quarter Final - AC Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - February 5, 2025 AC Milan's Joao Felix celebrates with Rafael Leao after the match REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
Soccer Football - Coppa Italia - Quarter Final - AC Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - February 5, 2025 AC Milan's Joao Felix celebrates with Rafael Leao after the match REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

AC Milan’s new signings had an immediate impact Wednesday as they helped send the Rossoneri into the Italian Cup semifinals.
Milan beat Roma 3-1, with debutants João Félix and Santiago Giménez combining for their new team’s third goal. The Rossoneri will face either city rival Inter Milan or Lazio in a two-legged semifinal in April, The Associated Press reported.
Inter hosts Lazio in their quarterfinal on Feb. 25.
Milan had a busy final day of the transfer window as it brought in Félix, Giménez, Riccardo Sottil and Warren Bondo on Monday — to add to Kyle Walker, who it had signed last month.
Walker, who had already made his debut in Sunday’s Milan derby, was the only one of the new signings to start.
Former Roma forward Tammy Abraham scored twice in the first half — both set up by precise balls from Theo Hernández — but halftime substitute Artem Dovbyk pulled one back for the visitors in the 54th minute.
Milan coach Sérgio Conceição rang the changes shortly afterward, bringing on Félix and Giménez for Abraham and Christian Pulisic.
It took the duo less than 15 minutes to make their mark when Giménez threaded a delightful ball through for Félix to chip the goalkeeper.
Félix was signed on loan from Chelsea, while Milan paid Feyenoord a reported 30 million euros ($31 million) plus bonuses for Giménez — who could face his old club next week in the Champions League.
Bologna beat Atalanta on Tuesday to reach the semifinals for the first time in 26 years. It will face either holder Juventus or Empoli, who play their quarterfinal on Feb. 26.



Italiano Appointed Besiktas Coach

Italian Vincenzo Italiano named Besiktas coach. (Reuters)
Italian Vincenzo Italiano named Besiktas coach. (Reuters)
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Italiano Appointed Besiktas Coach

Italian Vincenzo Italiano named Besiktas coach. (Reuters)
Italian Vincenzo Italiano named Besiktas coach. (Reuters)

Vincenzo Italiano has been appointed coach of Turkish side Besiktas, the Istanbul-based club announced on Saturday.

The 48-year-old Italian will coach the club until the end of the 2027-2028 season, Besiktas said in a statement, AFP reported.

The former coach of Serie A clubs Fiorentina and Bologna, becomes the 11th manager at Besiktas in the past five years, following Frenchman Valerien Ismael, Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Crowned Turkish champions for the 16th time in 2021, Besiktas have since struggled to compete with Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, the two other big Istanbul clubs.


AlUla Designates Scenic Open-Air Venues for 2026 FIFA World Cup Screenings

Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures - SPA
Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures - SPA
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AlUla Designates Scenic Open-Air Venues for 2026 FIFA World Cup Screenings

Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures - SPA
Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures - SPA

AlUla Governorate has prepared several open-air fan zones for residents and tourists to watch 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, blending international football excitement with the region’s renowned natural beauty and unique rock formations while catering to a growing influx of summer visitors.

Fans can watch all Saudi national team matches alongside prominent international, Arab, and Gulf fixtures.

The tournament’s timing in summer boosts AlUla’s appeal, allowing visitors to combine the global sporting event with exploring local heritage sites and participating in outdoor recreational activities during the cooler evening hours, SPA reported.

This viewing experience is fully supported by diverse hospitality options, ranging from luxury resorts and desert accommodations to heritage hotels situated in AlUla Old Town.

These integrated facilities reinforce the region's strategy to expand its tourism and entertainment portfolio, positioning AlUla as a preferred year-round destination.


Iran World Cup Squad Heads to Mexico as US Visa Row Erupts

Iran's Mehdi Torabi, right, poses for a photo with fans after a friendly soccer match between Iran and Mali, in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Iran's Mehdi Torabi, right, poses for a photo with fans after a friendly soccer match between Iran and Mali, in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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Iran World Cup Squad Heads to Mexico as US Visa Row Erupts

Iran's Mehdi Torabi, right, poses for a photo with fans after a friendly soccer match between Iran and Mali, in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Iran's Mehdi Torabi, right, poses for a photo with fans after a friendly soccer match between Iran and Mali, in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Thursday, June 4, 2026, ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Iran lashed out at the United States on Saturday for refusing visas to some of its World Cup squad support staff as the players were to leave Türkiye for Mexico.

The row erupted just days before the June 11 start of the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The Iranian players, who have been at a training camp in the southern Turkish resort of Antalya since May 18, received their visas late on Friday, Washington's envoy to Türkiye Tom Barrack said on X, hailing the work of the US embassy in Ankara in "processing visas for Iran's national football team".

But Iran's embassy to Türkiye hit back Saturday with a furious response, saying a "large" number of managerial and executive staff and others had been denied visas.

"You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level," the embassy wrote on X.

"FIFA must hold the US accountable for violations of its rules and for the discriminatory treatment of Iran's national football team."

Iran's Football Federation, whose chief Mehdi Taj was reportedly among those denied a visa, also hit out, describing the decision as "political interference in sport in its worst form".

"By extending its hostile behaviour towards the Iranian nation into the field of sport, the ... US government has deprived Iran's national team of.. the opportunity to compete without discrimination," it said, pledging to pursue the matter with FIFA.

Iranian state TV's correspondent in Antalya said the players and their technical staff had received visas, but 15 others on the administrative and management side had not.

It said the matter would be followed up in Mexico.

In April, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any problem would not be with the Iranian players but "some of the other people (they) would want to bring with them", suggesting they may have ties to the Revolutionary Guards, a group on the US terror blacklist.

Taj himself is a former Guards member, Iranian media in the diaspora have said.

Team Melli were scheduled to leave Antalya for Mexico on a 3:20 pm (1220 GMT) flight that Taj said earlier this week would include a stopover in Spain before arriving in Mexico early on Sunday.

But Iran's state TV gave a later departure time of 5:30 pm.

The team will be based in the northwestern border city of Tijuana for the duration of the tournament, but all three of their group stage matches are due to be held in the United States.

Iran, who are in Group G, will play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, followed by a game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Ahead of their departure on Saturday, Iran played a final friendly against Mali in Antalya on Thursday which they won 2-0. They played a first match on May 29, beating Gambia 3-1.