ROME: Juventus clinched a record sixth straight Serie A title with a 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Crotone in the penultimate round Sunday.
Mario Mandzukic gave Juventus the lead 12 minutes in by redirecting a cross from Juan Cuadrado, Paulo Dybala scored with a precise free kick shortly before the break and Alex Sandro added another with a header near the end.
Juventus moved four points clear of second-placed Roma, which last Sunday handed the Bianconeri their first Serie A loss since January.
Since Serie A was founded in 1929, no club had previously won more than five straight titles.
Torino won five consecutive titles from 1943-49 (including a season that was canceled due to World War II), Inter Milan took five straight from 2006-10 and Juventus claimed a handful from 1931-35.
Celtic seals 36-game unbeaten season
Celtic became the first Scottish Premiership club to go unbeaten through a 38-game season when they defeated Hearts 2-0 on Sunday to win the league by a mammoth 30 points.
Second-half goals by Leigh Griffiths and Stuart Armstrong ensured they did not slip up on the last day, as Celtic ended up with a record of played 38, won 34 and drew four.
They plundered 106 goals on the way and under former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers can seal a domestic treble — their first since 2001 — next Saturday if they beat Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final.
Celtic, who were presented with the Premiership trophy for the sixth time in a row after the match, also set a new points record of 106 — their nearest “challengers” were Aberdeen, way back on 76.
Before the match an emotional tribute was paid to Celtic’s 1967 European Cup winning side — affectionately known as the Lisbon Lions — and by kick-off the noise reverberating around Celtic Park was deafening.
Celtic started brightly, Griffiths curling a free-kick into the side netting before a fierce effort from Kieran Tierney dipped just over the bar.
However, it was Hearts who came closest to an opener midway through the half.
Jozo Simunovic’s foul handed the visitors a free-kick on the edge of the box, which was rolled into the path of Alexandros Tziolis and his angled strike flew narrowly over.
A Callum McGregor long-range strike drew a save from Viktor Noring before the Hearts ‘keeper made a superb stop to keep Dedryck Boyata’s point-blank effort out after the defender connected with a Griffiths corner.
Celtic had scored in every domestic fixture under Rodgers so it seemed inevitable they would eventually break Hearts’ resolve.
Juventus clinches record 6th straight Serie A crown
Juventus clinches record 6th straight Serie A crown
Ronaldo penalty and Mane double propel Al-Nassr to 3-1 victory
- After Savior Godwin gave Okhdood an early lead, former Liverpool star Sadio Mane leveled after 29 minutes
- Ronaldo, who signed for Al-Nassr two years ago, put the Riyadh club ahead from the penalty spot three minutes before the break
After Savior Godwin gave Okhdood an early lead, former Liverpool star Sadio Mane leveled after 29 minutes.
Ronaldo, who signed for Al-Nassr two years ago, put the Riyadh club ahead from the penalty spot three minutes before the break.
The 39-year-old Portugal star was top scorer last season and is now one goal behind Aleksandar Mitrovic of Al-Hilal in the current rankings.
Mane added his second in the 88th minute as Al-Nassr moved into third in the standings, six points behind Al-Hilal and eight behind leader Al-Ittihad.
Atletico blast decision to let Barca’s Olmo play as dissent grows
- The Catalans sought and were granted a precautionary measure by the CSD on Wednesday
- Las Palmas were also upset with the decision by the CSD
MADRID: La Liga team Atletico Madrid criticized on Thursday a “dangerous precedent” set by the Spanish national sports council (CSD) to allow Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo to play on a temporary basis after his license expired.
Olmo and forward Pau Victor were unregistered by La Liga after Barcelona failed to get their short-term licenses extended before the end of 2024.
The Catalans sought and were granted a precautionary measure by the CSD on Wednesday, while their case against La Liga and the Spanish football federation’s decision is analyzed, which would allow Olmo and Victor to play until there is a final ruling.
“Atletico Madrid wish to express their deep concern about the situation in Spanish football following the resolution adopted this Wednesday by the (CSD),” said the club in a statement.
“We believe that this decision puts the current system in jeopardy, questioning the rules of the game.
“This government intervention creates a very dangerous precedent, as it opens the door to breaking the rules and making the same serious mistakes of the past.”
Financially-struggling Barcelona were not in a position to register Olmo and Victor under La Liga’s strict financial fair play rules, until they agreed a deal to sell some VIP seats to Middle Eastern investors in late December, with the paperwork not ready until after the deadline.
Without the missing players Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao to reach Sunday’s Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
Las Palmas were also upset with the decision by the CSD.
“We believe that this decision poses a serious threat to the integrity of the competition and sets a worrying precedent that could destabilize the foundations of professional football in our country,” said Las Palmas in a statement.
La Liga president Javier Tebas railed against the decision to let Olmo and Victor play, calling the situation a “tragicomedy” in a post on social media.
Tebas expressed his surprise at the CSD measure and highlighted that it contradicted previous decisions made by the council and some courts.
Continental Europe and Great Britain & Ireland set for Team Cup showdown in Abu Dhabi
- Europe captain Francesco Molinari faces off against fellow major champion and Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose, who leads GB&I
- The event tees off on Friday with a fourballs session, is followed on Saturday by 2 sessions of foursomes and concludes with singles on Sunday
ABU DHABI: Continental Europe, led by captain Francesco Molinari, begin their defense of the Team Cup against Great Britain & Ireland at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort on Friday.
The Italian, who became the first golfer from his country to become a major champion when he triumphed at The Open in 2019, was in charge when the Europeans claimed a 14½-10½ victory over GB&I, captained by Tommy Fleetwood, at the inaugural event (then called the Hero Cup) in 2023, personally contributing three-and-a-half points to the cause.
This time, Molinari is facing face off against fellow major champion, and Ryder Cup teammate, Justin Rose, who is captaining the opposition in an event that serves as an important part of Europe’s Ryder Cup preparations ahead of this year’s contest at Bethpage in New York in September.
The members of the two, 10-man Team Cup squads boast a combined total of 69 DP World Tour titles between them, and include four Ryder Cup players: Molinari, Rose, Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton.
“I think that the experience from two years ago is going to come in handy,” Molinari said. “I think a lot of the stuff that we did worked. I think obviously we were lucky to get the support from my brother and the other past Ryder Cup captains.”
Rose said of his role as captain: “It’s an honor, first and foremost. I think it’s been something that’s sort of been on my mind. Because, obviously, sometimes when you play as a player, you’re obviously preparing all the time for tournaments that come up but when you have something like this looming large, you start thinking about it months in advance.”
The Team Cup is a matchplay contest that tees off on Friday with a fourballs session, is followed on Saturday by two sessions of foursomes, and concludes with singles on Sunday. Every player competes in each of the sessions.
Rose will be in action in the first match on the opening day alongside five-time DP World Tour winner Matt Wallace. They will take on the French pair of Romain Langasque, who won the Amateur Championship in 2015, and Matthieu Pavon, who last season became the first Frenchman for more than 100 years to win on the PGA Tour.
Five-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Hojgaard, who missed the 2023 event as a result of injury, will partner last year’s Challenge Tour Road to Mallorca Rankings winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen against the English pair of Laurie Canter and Jordan Smith.
Alongside the action on the course, there will be a host of activities and events throughout the three days of the event for fans to enjoy. This includes musical entertainment, which begins on Friday with a performance by Irish singer Rory McGettigan. On Saturday, Shades of Jade will take the stage with their dynamic blend of jazz, pop, funk and party classics. After the champions are crowned on the 18th green on Sunday, singer-guitarist The Dazzler will round off the event with an evening of his signature singalongs.
Everton fire manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners
- Everton announced the move just hours before hosting third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup third round
- “The process to appoint a new manager is underway and an update will be provided in due course,” Everton said
LONDON: In the first big call by its new American owners, Everton fired manager Sean Dyche on Thursday with the team just two spots above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Everton announced the move just hours before hosting third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup third round.
The storied club — a nine-time English champion which have been without a major trophy since 1995 — were bought last month by the Texas-based Friedkin Group in a deal reportedly worth in excess of 400 million pounds ($495 million).
Fronted by Dan Friedkin and his son Ryan, the group also owns Italian team Roma and has made itself unpopular with supporters of the Serie A club for making contentious management changes — including firing Daniele De Rossi, the club’s beloved former captain, early this season.
Removing Dyche might have been necessary, however, with Everton having won just one of their last 11 league games and scoring in just three of them. With 15 goals from their 19 games, Everton are the second-lowest scorer in the division and have plunged to just one point above the bottom three.
“The process to appoint a new manager is underway and an update will be provided in due course,” Everton said in a statement.
Dyche was in charge for nearly two years, during which he maintained Everton’s status as an ever-present in England’s top division since 1954. His style of play was pragmatic and often turgid, relying on not conceding goals more than providing entertainment — and that might be something the Friedkins look to change.
Everton said Leighton Baines, a former player and the club’s under-18s coach, and current club captain Seamus Coleman will take charge of the team on an interim basis.
Everton’s next Premier League game is on Wednesday against Aston Villa.
Al-Attiyah and Van Beveren stripped of Dakar Rally stage wins
- American driver Seth Quintero was promoted to first for the second time in a week, beating Al-Attiyah by one second
- French rider Adrien van Beveren also had the motorbike stage win taken from him after he was penalized two minutes for speeding in the Saudi Arabia desert
HA’IL: Five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah was stripped of a smashing stage win in the Dakar Rally because of a missing spare wheel on Thursday.
Instead, American driver Seth Quintero was promoted to first for the second time in a week, beating Al-Attiyah by one second.
French rider Adrien van Beveren also had the motorbike stage win taken from him after he was penalized two minutes for speeding in the Saudi Arabia desert. Instead, Luciano Benavides of Argentina was given first place by 47 seconds from Van Beveren.
Al-Attiyah initially won the fifth stage from AlUla 428 speedy kilometers east to rocky Ha’il after 4 1/2 hours by a whopping 9 minutes, 59 seconds. But the missing spare wheel cost him a 10-minute penalty, dropping the Qatari to second and bumping Quintero to first.
Quintero also was promoted to first on the first stage on Saturday after he was credited time for helping a crashed rival.
The 22-year-old Quintero, who suffered three punctures on Wednesday, was barely helped in the overall standings as he was 1 1/2 hours behind Toyota teammate and race leader Henk Lategan.
But the penalty was a double blow for Al-Attiyah, who made up only 53 seconds on Lategan and was 35 minutes behind the South African leader going into the rest day Friday.
Lategan was fourth on the stage, stretching his overall lead on second-placed Yazeed Al Rajhi to 10 minutes and third-placed Mattias Ekstrom to 21 minutes. None of the leading three drivers have won the Dakar and only Al Rajhi has made the podium, a third in 2022.
“It was the hardest first week of my career on the Dakar,” Al Rajhi said amidst his 11th Dakar and sixth on home ground. “All the stages were long, tough and difficult everywhere.”
Benavides wins motorbike stage
Van Beveren led the motorbike stage for about the last 200 kilometers and thought he had his sixth career stage win, but his second speeding penalty of the race gave Benavides his fourth career stage win.
Benavides, a four-time top-10 finisher in the five Dakars he’s completed, beat Van Beveren by 47 seconds. Jose Ignacio Cornejo of Chile was third.
Benavides was seventh overall, 24 minutes behind his KTM teammate and race leader Daniel Sanders. But he suggested he was being hampered by team orders.
“I hope the strategy is going to be favorable to me in the second week,” Benavides said. “I’m happy with the bike and my pace. I feel better than I ever have. But, on this race, some decisions are made that call into question the strategic choices prepared several days before.”
The overall leaders didn’t change but Sanders’ gap on the shrinking field was cut after he was penalized eight minutes plus for speeding three times.
That reduced his overall lead to seven minutes over Spain’s Tosha Schareina and 18 minutes over Botswana’s Ross Branch. Van Beveren rose from sixth to fourth, another 30 seconds back.
