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Rodgers Takes Charge of Saudi Team Al-Qadsiah After Departure from Celtic 

Then-Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers greets supporters after a Europa League soccer match between Red Star and Celtic at Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP)
Then-Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers greets supporters after a Europa League soccer match between Red Star and Celtic at Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP)
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Rodgers Takes Charge of Saudi Team Al-Qadsiah After Departure from Celtic 

Then-Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers greets supporters after a Europa League soccer match between Red Star and Celtic at Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP)
Then-Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers greets supporters after a Europa League soccer match between Red Star and Celtic at Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP)

Brendan Rodgers has returned to football as the coach of Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah, six weeks after resigning from Scottish champion Celtic.

Al-Qadsiah, whose squad includes Italian striker Mateo Retegui and former Real Madrid defender Fernandez Nacho, is in fifth place in the Saudi Pro League in its first season after promotion.

Rodgers departed Celtic on Oct. 27 and has opted to continue his managerial career outside Britain for the first time, having previously coached Liverpool, Leicester and Swansea.

In its statement announcing the hiring of Rodgers on Tuesday, Al-Qadsiah described him as a “world-renowned coach” and said his arrival “reflects the club’s ambitious vision and its rapidly growing sporting project.”

Aramco, the state-owned Saudi oil giant, bought Al-Qadsiah in 2023 in a move that has helped to transform the club’s status.

“This is a landmark moment for the club,” Al-Qadsiah chief executive James Bisgrove said. “The caliber of his experience and track record of winning reflects our ambition and long-term vision to establish Al-Qadsiah as one of Asia’s leading clubs.”

Rodgers is coming off winning back-to-back Scottish league titles with Celtic, where he won 11 major trophies across his two spells. He also won the FA Cup with Leicester.

Al-Qadsiah's last two coaches were former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler and former Spain midfielder Michel.

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Sunderland Worst Hit by Losing Players to African Cup of Nations 

14 December 2025, United Kingdom, London: Sunderland's Habib Diarra (L) and Leeds United's Gabriel Gudmundsson battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Leeds United at the Gtech Community Stadium. (dpa)
14 December 2025, United Kingdom, London: Sunderland's Habib Diarra (L) and Leeds United's Gabriel Gudmundsson battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Leeds United at the Gtech Community Stadium. (dpa)
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Sunderland Worst Hit by Losing Players to African Cup of Nations 

14 December 2025, United Kingdom, London: Sunderland's Habib Diarra (L) and Leeds United's Gabriel Gudmundsson battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Leeds United at the Gtech Community Stadium. (dpa)
14 December 2025, United Kingdom, London: Sunderland's Habib Diarra (L) and Leeds United's Gabriel Gudmundsson battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Leeds United at the Gtech Community Stadium. (dpa)

Premier League Sunderland will have to do without six players over the next few weeks and are the club worst hit as the Africa Cup of Nations takes its toll on European clubs competing over the holiday season.

Sunderland, eighth in the standings, had four of their African internationals in action when they beat Newcastle United on Sunday, but like 14 other English top-flight clubs will now lose those players to international duty.

The timing of the African championship, kicking off in Morocco on Sunday and running through to January 18, has long been an irritant for coaches, with leagues in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain also affected.

Hosting the tournament in the middle of the season impacts around 58% of the players at the Cup of Nations, though the Confederation of African Football did try to mitigate the impact by moving the start to before Christmas, so it is completed before the next round of Champions League matches.

The impact on European clubs was also lessened by allowing them to release players seven days, rather than the mandatory 14 days, before the tournament, meaning they could play for their clubs last weekend.

Sunderland's Congolese Arthur Masuaku and Noah Sadiki, plus full back Reinildo (Mozambique), midfielder Habib Diarra (Mali), and attackers Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco) and Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso) have now departed for Morocco.

Ironically, Mohamed Salah’s absence from Liverpool to play for Egypt should lower the temperature at the club after his recent outburst against manager Arne Slot, but Manchester United will lose three players in Noussair Mazraoui, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, who scored in Monday’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth.

France is again the country with the most players heading to the Cup of Nations, and with 51 from Ligue 1 clubs. But their absence is much less impactful than previously as Ligue 1 broke after the weekend’s fixtures and does not resume until January 2, by which time the Cup of Nations will be into its knockout stage.

There are 21 players from Serie A clubs, 18 from the Bundesliga, and 15 from LaLiga teams among the 24 squads at the tournament in Morocco.

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Portugal to Return to F1 Calendar in 2027 and 2028 

12 July 2025, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen leads into turn one during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi. (dpa)
12 July 2025, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen leads into turn one during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi. (dpa)
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Portugal to Return to F1 Calendar in 2027 and 2028 

12 July 2025, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen leads into turn one during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi. (dpa)
12 July 2025, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen leads into turn one during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi. (dpa)

Formula One will return to Portugal's Portimao circuit in 2027 and 2028 after the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort drops off the calendar.

Formula One announced a two-year deal in a statement on Tuesday.

The 4.6-km Algarve International circuit in the country's south last hosted the Portuguese Grand Prix in 2020 and 2021, both seasons impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with stand-in venues.

In 2020, seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton took his 92nd career win at Portimao, breaking the record previously held by Michael Schumacher. Hamilton also won in 2021.

"The interest and demand to host a Formula One Grand Prix is the highest that it has ever been," said Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali, thanking the Portuguese government and local authorities.

The financial terms of the deal were not announced.

"Hosting the Grand Prix in the Algarve reinforces our regional development strategy, enhancing the value of the territories and creating opportunities for local economies," said Economy Minister Manuel Castro Almeida.

Portugal first hosted a grand prix in Porto in 1958, with subsequent races at Monsanto and Estoril near Lisbon. The late Brazilian great Ayrton Senna took his first grand prix pole and win at the latter circuit in 1985.

Formula One announced last year that Zandvoort, a home race for four-times world champion Max Verstappen, would drop off the calendar after 2026.

The championship already features a record 24 races and Domenicali has spoken of European rounds alternating to allow others to come in.

Belgium's race at Spa-Francorchamps is due to be dropped in 2028 and 2030 as part of a contract extension to 2031 announced last January.

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ATP to Introduce New Heat Policy from 2026 Season 

Novak Djokovic of Serbia cools himself with water during the men's singles semifinal match with Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (AP)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia cools himself with water during the men's singles semifinal match with Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (AP)
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ATP to Introduce New Heat Policy from 2026 Season 

Novak Djokovic of Serbia cools himself with water during the men's singles semifinal match with Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (AP)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia cools himself with water during the men's singles semifinal match with Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center, in Shanghai, China, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (AP)

The ATP Tour said it will introduce a new heat policy that will come into effect from 2026 after a string of retirements due to soaring temperatures and punishing humidity at the Shanghai Masters earlier this season.

The governing body of men's tennis said the rule, based on the internationally recognized Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index used to measure human heat stress in direct sunlight, had "clear thresholds" for cooling measures and suspension of play.

"The new heat rule provides a structured, medically supported approach to managing extreme heat, with the objective of safeguarding player health," the ATP said on Monday.

It added the rule would also improve conditions for fans, officials, ball persons and tournament staff.

If the WBGT reaches 30.1 C (86.18 F) or higher in the first two sets of a best-of-three-set singles match, a 10-minute cooling break after the second set can be requested by either player and will apply to both competitors.

During breaks, players can hydrate, change clothing, shower and receive coaching under the supervision of ATP medical staff, the governing body added. Play will be suspended when the WBGT goes past 32.2 C.

World number two Jannik Sinner's Shanghai title defense ended in agony in October when the Italian struggled to walk due to cramp in his right thigh before he retired in the deciding set of his third-round clash with Tallon Griekspoor.

At the same event, Novak Djokovic vomited during his encounter with Yannick Hanfmann while Holger Rune was heard asking an official during a medical timeout in his meeting with Ugo Humbert if players had to "die on court" amid the heat and humidity.

The need for a formal ATP heat rule had sprung up in August in Cincinnati when Arthur Rinderknech collapsed on court during a match in sweltering conditions, before handing Felix Auger-Aliassime the victory.

Previously, ATP regulations stated that decisions on the suspension of play due to adverse weather conditions - including extreme heat - lie with an onsite ATP supervisor who coordinates with medical teams at the venue as well as local authorities.

The new rule aligns the ATP with the WTA. The four Grand Slams have also formally implemented the rules that allow for extended breaks and match suspensions.

Several professional sports including football, Formula One and cycling have formal policies to deal with extreme weather.