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Thiago Motta Fired as Juventus Coach. Igor Tudor Named as Replacement

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 9, 2025 Juventus coach Thiago Motta REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 9, 2025 Juventus coach Thiago Motta REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo
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Thiago Motta Fired as Juventus Coach. Igor Tudor Named as Replacement

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 9, 2025 Juventus coach Thiago Motta REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 9, 2025 Juventus coach Thiago Motta REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo

Thiago Motta was fired as coach of slumping Juventus on Sunday, with Igor Tudor named as a replacement for the rest of the season.
“The club would like to thank Thiago Motta and all of his staff for their professionalism and for the work they have carried out in recent months with passion and dedication,” Juventus said in a statement. “The club wish them the best of luck for the future.
“Juventus FC also announce that the men’s first team will now be led by Igor Tudor, who will take charge of his first training session tomorrow,” the club added.
Juventus conceded seven goals and scored none in its last two Serie A matches — 4-0 and 3-0 losses to Atalanta and Fiorentina, respectively — leaving the record 36-time champion in fifth place and at risk of not qualifying for the Champions League.
Motta, who was in his first season at Juventus after guiding Bologna to a Champions League spot in the last campaign, reportedly lost support of several key players in the changing room over recent weeks as Juventus was eliminated from the Champions League and Italian Cup.
Juventus was also eliminated by AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup semifinals in January.
Tudor played for Juventus for nearly a decade from 1998-2007 and has previously coached Udinese, Hellas Verona and Lazio in Italy.
Tudor was also an assistant coach to Andrea Pirlo at Juventus in 2020-21. Pirlo and Tudor were fired at the end of the season.
The 46-year-old Tudor will make his debut against Genoa next Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
Juventus will also play in the enlarged Club World Cup in the United States starting in June.
Motta has struggled all season to shed the defensive tactics instilled by his predecessor, Massimiliano Allegri, and Juventus has drawn 13 of its 29 Serie A matches.
Allegri was fired for his ugly outburst toward the referee and others in the Italian Cup final won by Juventus last season.
As a player, Tudor helped Juventus to win two Serie A titles, two Italian Super Cups and an Intertoto Cup — plus the 2007 Serie B title after the Bianconeri were relegated due to the Calciopoli scandal. He was then loaned to Siena before returning to Juventus but didn’t manage to play again for the Turin club due to injury.
Tudor was a starter in the 2003 Champions League final that Juventus lost to AC Milan in a penalty shootout.

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Prince Abdul Mohsin Airport Receives First Dakar Rally 2026 Arrivals

This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA
This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA
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Prince Abdul Mohsin Airport Receives First Dakar Rally 2026 Arrivals

This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA
This comes as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event - SPA

Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Yanbu has received the first arrivals of competitors participating in the Dakar Rally 2026, as part of ongoing preparations to host the global sporting event.

Cluster2 Airports, the operator of Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz International Airport, stated that arrivals will continue from December 28 to December 31, with approximately 17 flights, both private and commercial, designated for the arrival of competitors and participating teams, SPA reported.

The process is being handled with a high level of operational readiness and full coordination among the relevant authorities.

Cluster2 Airports affirmed that operational and service preparations at the airports have been completed to ensure smooth passenger movement and the provision of high-quality services to participating delegations, reflecting the efficiency of the affiliated airports and their ability to accommodate major international events.

Sports

Knee Injury for Shaheen Shah Afridi Forces Early Exit from Big Bash League

Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
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Knee Injury for Shaheen Shah Afridi Forces Early Exit from Big Bash League

Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
Pakistan’s ODI’s team captain Shaheen Shah Afridi attends a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)

A knee injury has forced fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi to return home after playing four games for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

“Due to an unexpected injury; I have been called back by the PCB and will have to take a rehab. Hopefully, I will be back in the fields soon,” Afridi wrote on X on Tuesday.

Afridi limped off the field when he picked up the injury on his right knee while bowling against Adelaide Strikers last Saturday, The AP news reported.

Apparently the Pakistan Cricket Board has called back Afridi as a precautionary step with T20 World Cup due to start from February 7.

“I’m massively thankful to the Brisbane Heat team and fans for showering me with immense love and support,” Aridi said, while adding: “Meanwhile, I will be cheering for the amazing team.”

Afridi had a challenging short stint at Brisbane Heat where he picked up just two wickets in four matches at an expensive economy rate of 11.19. In his first game of the season he was removed from the attack in the 18th over when he bowled to waist-high full tosses to Melbourne Renegades’ batters Tim Seifert and Oliver Peake.

It is not the first time that Afridi has hurt his right knee. He sustained an injury on that knee while fielding during a test match in Sri Lanka in 2022 that also ruled him out from the early stages of the T20 World Cup in Australia.

He returned at the later stages of the tournament, but again picked up injury on the same knee during the death overs of the final against England that let the title match slip away from Pakistan.

Pakistan didn’t name Afridi for next month’s three-match T20 series in Sri Lanka as a rotation policy, but he remains one of the key players for the T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by Sri Lanka and India.

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Injured Aubameyang to Miss International Swansong with Gabon

Gabon's forward #09 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores a goal in front of Mozambique's defender #17 Edson Sitoe during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group F football match between Gabon and Mozambique at Grand Stadium in Agadir on December 28, 2025. (AFP)
Gabon's forward #09 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores a goal in front of Mozambique's defender #17 Edson Sitoe during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group F football match between Gabon and Mozambique at Grand Stadium in Agadir on December 28, 2025. (AFP)
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Injured Aubameyang to Miss International Swansong with Gabon

Gabon's forward #09 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores a goal in front of Mozambique's defender #17 Edson Sitoe during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group F football match between Gabon and Mozambique at Grand Stadium in Agadir on December 28, 2025. (AFP)
Gabon's forward #09 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores a goal in front of Mozambique's defender #17 Edson Sitoe during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group F football match between Gabon and Mozambique at Grand Stadium in Agadir on December 28, 2025. (AFP)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s international career looks to have ended with a whimper as he headed back to France on Tuesday and will miss Gabon’s last game at the Africa Cup of Nations ​finals.

After losing their opening two matches in Group F to Cameroon and Mozambique, Gabon have been eliminated with one match left to play against holders Ivory Coast in Marrakech on Wednesday.

At the age of 36, it was expected the clash against the Ivorians would bring down the curtain on his 16-year international career, but he will skip the last group game as he returns to his club ‌Olympique de Marseille. ‌

A thigh injury on the eve of ‌the ⁠tournament ​in Morocco ‌meant his participation was in doubt, but he came on after 30 minutes against Cameroon in Gabon’s opening game on Christmas Eve and played the full game against Mozambique on Sunday, scoring in the 3-2 defeat.

“Following the established medical protocol between Marseille and Gabon medical staff regarding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, clinical examinations were conducted daily,” said a statement on Tuesday from the ⁠Gabon football federation.

“The most recent examination confirmed the discomfort he experienced in his left thigh ‌the day after the Gabon-Mozambique match. Given the ‍disappointing results, which cut short ‍Gabon’s participation, the medical staff, in consultation with his club, agreed to ‍protect the player's physical well-being by exempting him from the final, inconsequential match."

GABON’S LONG TIME TALISMAN

Aubameyang has long been Gabon’s talisman, electing to play for the team his father had captained, even after playing for France, where he ​was born, at junior level.

He made his debut for Gabon in 2009, scoring against Morocco in a World Cup qualifier, ⁠and went on to win 82 caps and score 39 goals.

Aubameyang helped Gabon reach the Cup of Nations quarter-final when they hosted the tournament in 2012 but was the only player to fail to convert his penalty in a post-match shootout loss to Mali.

The tournament in Morocco was Aubameyang’s sixth Cup of Nations finals appearance. He was African Footballer of the Year in 2015.

Earlier this year, he helped Gabon finish as one of the four best runners-up in the World Cup qualifiers, including four goals in the game against Gambia in October.

Gabon, however, lost in ‌last month’s Africa playoffs, ending hopes of qualifying for a first-ever World Cup finals appearance in North America next June.