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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)
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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.

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African Players in Europe: Rare Marmoush Goal Clinches City Win

Omar Marmoush (C) of Manchester City celebrates his goal during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford FC, in Manchester, Britain, 09 May 2026. (EPA)
Omar Marmoush (C) of Manchester City celebrates his goal during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford FC, in Manchester, Britain, 09 May 2026. (EPA)
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African Players in Europe: Rare Marmoush Goal Clinches City Win

Omar Marmoush (C) of Manchester City celebrates his goal during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford FC, in Manchester, Britain, 09 May 2026. (EPA)
Omar Marmoush (C) of Manchester City celebrates his goal during the English Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford FC, in Manchester, Britain, 09 May 2026. (EPA)

A rare Omar Marmoush goal sealed a 3-0 win for second-placed Manchester City over Brentford in the Premier League at the weekend.

It was only the second league goal this season for the 27-year-old Egypt striker, who ran on to an Erling Haaland pass and fired past goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

City trail Arsenal by five points with a game in hand. The Gunners edged West Ham United 1-0 and can clinch the title with victories at home to Burnley and away against Crystal Palace

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

OMAR MARMOUSH (Manchester City)

The Egyptian was sent on to partner Haaland up front as Pep Guardiola chased goals at 0-0 early in the second half and the two combined as Marmoush produced a clinical finish from the Norwegian's pass.

YANKUBA MINTEH (Brighton)

Minteh helped fire in-form Brighton into the top six with the third goal in a 3-0 rout of already-relegated Wolves. The Gambia international started and finished a flowing team move before blasting in at the near post for his third goal of the season.

ISMAILA SARR (Crystal Palace)

Sarr took his tally for an impressive season to 20 goals as Palace secured survival in a 2-2 draw with Everton. The Senegal international blasted home at the second attempt after his initial effort was blocked.

BETO (Everton)

Beto was also on target at Selhurst Park with a brilliant individual run and finish past Dean Henderson. The Guinea-Bisseau international's 10th goal of the season put the Toffees in front, but they could not hold on as a draw dented their push for European qualification

SPAIN

EZ ABDE (Real Betis)

The Morocco winger scored with a superb finish into the top corner after bursting down the left and into the box as his Betis side drew 2-2 at Real Sociedad. Abde, 24, has been in brilliant form with five goals in his last six appearances for the Andalucian side.

AKOR ADAMS (Sevilla)

Nigeria striker Adams grabbed a vital goal in stoppage time to claim Sevilla a 2-1 win over Espanyol, which could help them avoid relegation. The 26-year-old has scored twice in his last four matches to help Sevilla climb away from danger.

GERMANY

BAZOUMANA TOURE (Hoffenheim)

Ivory Coast striker Toure scored the only goal in a crucial 1-0 win over Werder Bremen that saw Hoffenheim stay in the race for Champions League qualification. Toure curled in a smart finish on 25 minutes to score his third goal in five games and keep Hoffenheim level on points with fourth-place Stuttgart going into the final day of the season.

EDMOND TAPSOBA (Bayer Leverkusen)

Burkinabe defender Tapsoba conceded a decisive penalty in a 3-1 defeat to Stuttgart that dashed Leverkusen's hopes of Champions League qualification. Tapsoba tripped Ermedin Demirovic in the box shortly before half-time, allowing Maximilian Mittelstadt to put Stuttgart 2-1 up after Leverkusen had taken an early lead.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy scored the leveler as Dortmund came from a goal down to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 to lock in second spot. The Guinea international got just enough onto a Julian Ryerson assist to flick it into the corner of the goal for his 16th strike of the Bundesliga campaign.

Sports

Ukraine’s Svitolina Saddened by IOC Decision on Belarus Athletes

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina serves a ball to United States' Hailey Baptiste during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina serves a ball to United States' Hailey Baptiste during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)
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Ukraine’s Svitolina Saddened by IOC Decision on Belarus Athletes

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina serves a ball to United States' Hailey Baptiste during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina serves a ball to United States' Hailey Baptiste during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP)

Ukrainian tennis player Elina ‌Svitolina said it was painful to see the International Olympic Committee (IOC) clear the path for Belarusian athletes to return to the global stage under their own flag while Russia's war against her country rages on.

The IOC had recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be banned from events since 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Belarus has been used as a staging ground for the invasion.

However, the IOC ‌said last week ‌it no longer recommended restrictions on ‌the ⁠participation of Belarusian ⁠athletes and teams in events governed by international federations and international sports event organizers.

Svitolina, who has continued to boycott the post-match tradition of shaking hands when she faces Russian and Belarusian opponents, said the decision was difficult to process given the ongoing ⁠conflict.

"Rockets are still going to Ukraine. ‌Those two countries are ‌still considered aggressors," she told reporters at the Italian Open ‌in Rome on Sunday.

"For us it's very sad ‌and very painful to see this even considered, they're talking about it.

"It's a very heavy topic. I have a lot to say. I think now isn't the ‌best time. I'm definitely not supporting the talks."

While they are banned from team ⁠competitions, Russian ⁠and Belarusian tennis players have continued competing on the professional tours as neutrals, without national flags or anthems.

The governing International Tennis Federation said on Friday that the IOC's announcement did not change its position regarding the suspensions of the Belarus and Russian tennis federations.

However, the membership status of Belarus will be considered at its October annual general meeting by voting member nations.

Belarusian world number one Aryna Sabalenka said last week she hoped tennis governing bodies would "give us our flag back".

Sports

Ducati’s Marquez Undergoes Successful Double Surgery After French GP Crash

Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Alex Marquez of Spain is helped after crashing during the MotoGP race at the French Motorcycling Grand Prix in Le Mans, France, 10 May 2026. (EPA)
Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Alex Marquez of Spain is helped after crashing during the MotoGP race at the French Motorcycling Grand Prix in Le Mans, France, 10 May 2026. (EPA)
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Ducati’s Marquez Undergoes Successful Double Surgery After French GP Crash

Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Alex Marquez of Spain is helped after crashing during the MotoGP race at the French Motorcycling Grand Prix in Le Mans, France, 10 May 2026. (EPA)
Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Alex Marquez of Spain is helped after crashing during the MotoGP race at the French Motorcycling Grand Prix in Le Mans, France, 10 May 2026. (EPA)

Reigning ‌MotoGP champion Marc Marquez underwent successful double surgery on Sunday in Madrid following his crash in Saturday's French Grand Prix sprint, Ducati announced.

Marquez suffered a nasty highside crash at Le Mans where the Spaniard fractured his foot and was thrown off his bike, which cartwheeled through the air before landing beside him.

The 33-year-old had also planned to undergo ‌shoulder surgery ‌after the Catalan Grand Prix ‌next ⁠weekend before the ⁠crash changed the timeline and he opted to get both surgeries done together.

"The medical team... successfully stabilized the fracture in the fifth metatarsal of the rider's right foot," Ducati said in a statement.

"Simultaneously, Marquez underwent a ⁠second, pre-planned surgical procedure to ‌fix a past injury ‌in his right shoulder. This previous trauma had ‌become painful again following the violent crash ‌at last year's Indonesian Grand Prix.

"The doctors removed two screws and a bone fragment from a previous Latarjet surgery (in December 2019) that had shifted, ‌compressing the radial nerve."

Ducati said Marquez would remain in the hospital ⁠overnight and ⁠his progress over the upcoming weeks would determine his return to racing.

He was set to miss next weekend's Catalan Grand Prix and will now target a return at the Italian Grand Prix scheduled for May 29-31 at Mugello, Ducati's home turf.

Marquez, who has yet to secure a podium finish this season, has now dropped to seventh in the standings -- 71 points behind Aprilia's championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.