Miretti Scores Landmark Double as Genoa Beats Lecce

Genoa's Fabio Miretti celebrates after scoring a goal for his team during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Lecce at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, Italy, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Genoa's Fabio Miretti celebrates after scoring a goal for his team during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Lecce at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, Italy, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
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Miretti Scores Landmark Double as Genoa Beats Lecce

Genoa's Fabio Miretti celebrates after scoring a goal for his team during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Lecce at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, Italy, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Genoa's Fabio Miretti celebrates after scoring a goal for his team during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Lecce at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, Italy, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)

A first-half double from Fabio Miretti, his first brace as a professional, gave Genoa a 2-1 win over Lecce in Serie A on Friday.
The midfielder scored two exceptional goals to lift 12th-placed Genoa to equal on points with Torino, which has a game in hand, The Associated Press reported.
The first was a volley taken over his shoulder and from a tight angle after 16 minutes. The second, in first half stoppage time, came when he took an excellent pass from Rusian Malinovskyi and spun inside the box before firing home.
Nikola Krstović pulled a goal back from the spot for Lecce midway through the second half but Lecce remained 16th, just two points ahead of the relegation zone.
The southern club is winless since the last day of January, a run dating back six games.



Real Sociedad Appoint Francisco to Replace Alguacil as Manager from Next Season

Real Sociedad's head coach Imanol Alguacil gestures during the Spanish LaLiga match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Sociedad, in Vitoria, Spain, 13 April 2025. (EPA)
Real Sociedad's head coach Imanol Alguacil gestures during the Spanish LaLiga match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Sociedad, in Vitoria, Spain, 13 April 2025. (EPA)
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Real Sociedad Appoint Francisco to Replace Alguacil as Manager from Next Season

Real Sociedad's head coach Imanol Alguacil gestures during the Spanish LaLiga match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Sociedad, in Vitoria, Spain, 13 April 2025. (EPA)
Real Sociedad's head coach Imanol Alguacil gestures during the Spanish LaLiga match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Sociedad, in Vitoria, Spain, 13 April 2025. (EPA)

Real Sociedad have appointed their reserve team coach Sergio Francisco as manager from next season to replace Imanol Alguacil who is stepping down at the end of the current campaign, the LaLiga club said on Friday.

Alguacil, in charge since 2018, won the Copa del Rey in 2020 and took Real to European football for five successive seasons. He informed the club on Thursday that he will leave the role at the end of the season, when his contract expires.

The club have again decided to appoint from within, and Francisco, who like Alguacil, began his playing career at Real, has managed their C and B teams since 2017, having previously taken charge of Real Union in Spain's third tier.

Francisco, 45, has signed a deal until 2027, and will take charge of the reserves for the final time on Saturday before dedicating himself to planning for next season.

Real are 10th in the LaLiga standings on 42 points and still in with a chance of qualifying for Europe once again.