Real Madrid clip Espanyol 3-1, eye Liverpool and clasico

Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior (C) shoots to score during the Spanish league between Real Madrid CF and RCD Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on March 11, 20223. (AFP)
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Updated 12 March 2023
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Real Madrid clip Espanyol 3-1, eye Liverpool and clasico

  • Carlo Ancelotti’s team reduced Barcelona’s lead to six points before the front-runner visits Athletic Bilbao on Sunday

BARCELONA: Vinicius Junior sparked Real Madrid’s 3-1 comeback win over Espanyol in the Spanish league on Saturday, keeping leader Barcelona within reach before the rivals meet next weekend.

Joselu Mato put Espanyol ahead at the Santiago Bernabeu in the eighth minute. But Vinicius equalized in the 22nd and Eder Militao headed Madrid in front for good minutes before halftime.

Substitute Marco Asensio added a third goal in stoppage time as Madrid ended a three-game winless run across the league and the Copa del Rey.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team reduced Barcelona’s lead to six points before the front-runner visits Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Karim Benzema missed the game as he rested to recover from an ankle problem. Before the game, Ancelotti said he expected his striker to be ready to face Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday. Madrid holds a 5-2 advantage from the first leg of the round of 16.

Madrid will then visit Barcelona on March 19 in a clasico that will likely weigh heavily on the title fight.

“It was a game we had to win at any cost,” Ancelotti said. “This week is important with the Champions League and the clasico, and now we can face it with good momentum.”

Ancelotti insisted his players quickly turn their focus on Liverpool. Even though his team has a three-goal cushion, the coach said the rematch of last season’s European final could be a game “full of traps.”

MERCILESS MADRID

Espanyol, who were left in 13th place, took the lead when Joselu scored with a fine touch of his left boot. Joselu became the league’s second-leading scorer, along with Getafe’s Enes Unal, with 12. Only Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski has more at 15.

But when Madrid’s Vinicius got going, Madrid never gave Espanyol much of a chance to pull off the upset.

The Brazil forward looked hemmed in by Espanyol when he received the ball on the left side of the area. But a quick change of direction toward the center opened up just enough of a window for him to thread a shot between four defenders before it went in off the post.

“We were calm enough to come back from a goal down,” Vinicius said after his team-best 19th goal across all competitions.

When Madrid had Espanyol scrambling again, Militao jumped over his marker at the near post to head in a short cross by Aurélien Tchouameni.

Diego Martinez sent on extra attackers for Espanyol in the second half, but Madrid went closest to another goal when Rodrygo struck a free kick off the crossbar in the 75th.

Asensio rounded off the win after defender Nacho Fernandez dribbled forward and set him up.

“We were in the match until the final minutes,” Joselu said. “We gave it all we had, but Real Madrid shows no mercy.”

DOWN TO EIGHT

Last-placed Elche grabbed a point in stoppage time when Tete Morrente scored to draw 1-1 against a Valladolid that finished with eight players.

Cyle Larin struck in the fourth minute for his fourth goal in seven appearances for Valladolid since the Canada forward arrived in January.

But Valladolid lost their hold on the game when Darwin Machis was injured and had to leave after coach José “Pacheta” Rojo made all his substitutions.

After Morrente scored, two Valladolid players — Roque Mesa and Martin Hongla – were sent off for second bookings.

Iago Aspas scored his 10th and 11th league goals to lead Celta Vigo to 3-0 over Rayo Vallecano. His second goal was superbly executed by a touch of the outside of his left foot to float the ball over the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

Justin Kluivert’s goal in the 74th minute gave Valencia a 1-0 win over Osasuna and helped to lift it out of the relegation zone. Osasuna Sergio Herrera goalie saved a penalty by Hugo Duro in injury time


Mbappe returns to Real Madrid training at Club World Cup

Updated 1 min 5 sec ago
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Mbappe returns to Real Madrid training at Club World Cup

  • The French superstar was taken to hospital last Thursday
  • Alonso said: “He is doing better, he is recovering“

PHILADELPHIA: Kylian Mbappe returned to training on Wednesday after missing Real Madrid’s first two matches at the Club World Cup in the United States due to illness, the Spanish giants confirmed to AFP.

The French superstar was taken to hospital last Thursday for tests and treatment after suffering gastroenteritis, before later being released.

He played no part in Real’s opening game at the tournament, a 1-1 draw with Saudi side Al-Hilal in Miami, or the 3-1 defeat of Mexico’s Pachuca at the weekend.

Coach Xabi Alonso did indicate after the latter game that Mbappe was on the mend, saying: “He is doing better, he is recovering.”

Real posted images of Mbappe in training on Wednesday on their website, as the squad worked out at their Florida base before traveling north in the afternoon to Philadelphia.

That is where Madrid will take on Red Bull Salzburg of Austria on Thursday in their last Group H match and will be looking for a victory which will confirm their progress to the last 16 in first place in the section.

A draw can also take them through to the next round, with Manchester City and Juventus the possible opponents in the last 16.

Mbappe has scored 43 goals in 56 appearances since joining Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain
last year.

His last game was for France in a 2-0 win away to Germany in the UEFA Nations League on June 8.


German Court fines FA over 2026 World Cup-related payment

Updated 56 min 28 sec ago
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German Court fines FA over 2026 World Cup-related payment

  • The DFB said it took note of Frankfurt Regional Court’s decision on Wednesday
  • An appeal was possible but it would first study the written verdict once published

FRANKFURT: A German Court on Wednesday fined the German Football Association (DFB) just over 100,000 euros in relation to a World Cup 2006-related payment which had been at the heart of a years-long scandal that tarnished the reputation of the tournament.

The DFB said it took note of Frankfurt Regional Court’s decision on Wednesday, adding that an appeal was possible but it would first study the written verdict once published.

The case regarding a payment of 6.7 million euros ($7.8 million) made two decades ago damaged the image of the global showpiece event held in Germany.

At the heart of the case that dragged through the legal system and involved several other separate investigations is the payment linked to a 2006 World Cup-related event that never took place.

The tax return included a 6.7 million euro payment from the DFB to world soccer’s governing body FIFA for the 2006 World Cup, although the funds were actually used for another purpose and should not have been offset against tax, prosecutors had said.

“According to the ruling, the court assumes that the DFB fully declared and taxed its income from the 2006 World Cup. However, it believes that the 6.7 million euros should have been deducted for tax purposes in 2002, not in 2006,” the DFB said in a statement.

“The Regional Court imposed a fine of 130,000 euros on the DFB because it ruled in isolation on the year 2006 and did not take into account the excessive tax paid for 2002,” the DFB said.

“The DFB only has to pay 110,000 euros because the court deducted 20,000 euros due to the excessive length of the proceedings.

In April, the same court had discharged former DFB President Theo Zwanziger after ordering him to pay a 10,000-euro fine.

The payment in question had triggered investigations over allegations it had been used as a slush fund to buy votes in favor of Germany’s bid to host the 2006 tournament.

A DFB-commissioned investigation in 2016 had said the sum was the return of a loan via FIFA from former Adidas chief Robert Louis-Dreyfus.

The German tax office ordered the DFB in 2017 to pay more than 20 million euros in back taxes related to the year 2006.

The tournament was nicknamed the “summer fairytale” because of the home team’s run to the semifinals, and the sold-out stadiums and outdoor viewing areas across the country which attracted hundreds of thousands of fans.


Players and fans at the Club World Cup are coping with high temperatures as a heat wave hits US

Updated 25 June 2025
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Players and fans at the Club World Cup are coping with high temperatures as a heat wave hits US

  • The gruelling conditions could also be a preview of what’s to come next summer when the United States, Canada and Mexico host soccer’s premier event, the 2026 World Cup
  • A “heat dome” of high pressure has settled in over the central and eastern US

TEXAS: Substitutes who watch from the locker room, abandoned practice sessions and sweat-soaked jerseys. A heat wave hitting a wide swath of the country is taking a toll on players at the FIFA Club World Cup.

The gruelling conditions could also be a preview of what’s to come next summer when the United States, Canada and Mexico host soccer’s premier event, the 2026 World Cup.

“It’s impossible, it’s terribly hot. My toes were sore, even my toenails were hurting, I couldn’t stop or start. In the end, it’s incredible, but since it’s the same for everyone, there’s no excuse,” Atlético’s Marcos Llorente said following a match against Paris Saint-Germain.

A “heat dome” of high pressure has settled in over the central and eastern United States, sending temperatures soaring into the 90s in Fahrenheit and above in many areas.

That’s rough on both Club World Cup players and fans, who can potentially experience dehydration and cramps, or more serious conditions like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

“In Europe it’s more of a dry heat and this is more of a humid heat. I think it’s going to hit them twice as hard,” fan Tyler Fernando said before Bayern Munich’s match against Benfica on Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the temperature was 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 Celsius) at game time.

Those at the Auckland City match against Boca Juniors in Nashville on Tuesday braved temperatures in the upper 90s. Male spectators went shirtless and fans sought sections where there was shade.

Heat is of particular concern during big tournaments like the Club World Cup because the players don’t have much time off to recover between games. And in the group stages, matches are usually staggered each day, meaning some teams play in the midday sun.

Chelsea cut short a practice session in Philadelphia, where temperatures reached the 90s.

“I always try to avoid excuse, I always try to be honest. It’s not about excuses, it’s about reality. It’s an excuse when it’s not hot, and we say it’s hot. That’s an excuse. But if it’s hot, it’s hot. But we are here, and we’re trying to do our best,” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said.

During a match between Borussia Dortmund and the Mamelodi Sundowns, Dortmund posted on social media: “Our subs watched the first half from inside the locker room to avoid the blazing sun at TQL Stadium — never seen that before, but in this heat, it absolutely makes sense.”

“We always think about how we can help the team, how we can minimize a negative influence. And it was just very, very hot. We had cooling sticks in order to cool the players down. We had them waiting in the dressing room with the air conditioning,” Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said through an interpreter. “This was very important for all of us. It’s not only about tactics, but it’s also about minimizing the load, minimizing the stress. The stress is already high enough.”

FIFA guidelines mandate breaks when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature — a composite of factors including temperature and humidity — reaches 89.6 degrees. The breaks usually occur around the 30th and 75th minutes.

Cooling breaks were initially used at the 2008 Olympic final between Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Nigeria at Beijing’s National Stadium, where the on-field temperature reached 107 degrees.

But at the time, such breaks were rare. They became more commonplace following the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where a Brazilian labor court ordered hydration breaks when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature reached 89.6 degrees.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue went to social media to urge Club World Cup fans to exercise caution in the heat before Inter Miami’s match against Palmeiras on Monday night, and Chelsea posted “heat mitigation” guidelines on their official website before the Blues’ match against Esperance on Tuesday.

It’s not just high temperatures that can impact summer tournaments: Five Club World Cup matches have been delayed by thunderstorms.

The climate is going to be an increasing issue for FIFA as global temperatures rise. Sixteen cities will host World Cup games next year. Five of the stadiums that will be used have roofs to provide some sun protection.

At Mexico’s venues, Mexico City and Guadalajara could be impacted by the summer’s hurricane season, and in Monterrey, summer temperatures average in the 90s.

After the 2026 World Cup, the 2030 edition will be held in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. And the problem isn’t just on the men’s side: The 2027 Women’s World Cup is set to be played in Brazil.

Peter Crisp from Fossil Free Football said: “Scheduling matches in no-shade stadiums in the middle of the day and promoting oil-dependent sponsors shows FIFA is dangerously out of touch with the threat extreme heat poses to its major summer tournaments.”


Pioli quits as coach of Saudi side Al-Nassr

Updated 25 June 2025
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Pioli quits as coach of Saudi side Al-Nassr

  • No official reason was given for the split
  • “We would like to thank Mr.Pioli and his staff for their work last season,” said Al-Nassr

PARIS: Al-Nassr have parted company with their Italian coach Stefano Pioli, the Saudi side announced on Wednesday.

No official reason was given for the split after only nine months in the post but Pioli’s name has been linked with joining Fiorentina for a second spell in charge of the Serie A side.


“Al-Nassr announce that Mr.Pioli and his staff no longer coach the first team,” Cristiano Ronaldo’s club posted on social media.

“We would like to thank Mr.Pioli and his staff for their work last season,” added Al-Nassr, who finished third in the Saudi Pro League.

Pioli, who guided AC Milan to the 2022 Serie A crown, only joined Al-Nassr in September 2024.

Prior to his near five-year stint at AC Milan, the 59-year-old coached several other Italian sides including Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Lazio and Bologna.


FIFA investigates if Real Madrid’s Rüdiger was racially abused by opponent at Club World Cup

Updated 25 June 2025
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FIFA investigates if Real Madrid’s Rüdiger was racially abused by opponent at Club World Cup

  • FIFA confirmed late Tuesday it is formally investigating
  • A verdict is likely before Pachuca play Thursday in their final Group H game

MIAMI: FIFA has opened a disciplinary case at the Club World Cup after Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger claimed he was racially abused by Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral.

Rüdiger, who is Black, and Cabral clashed in the final minutes of Madrid’s 3-1 win Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

After the German player spoke to referee Ramon Abatti, the Brazilian match official made the FIFA-approved signal with raised arms crossed to start an anti-discrimination protocol.

FIFA confirmed late Tuesday it is formally investigating.

“Following an assessment of the match reports, the FIFA disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against Pachuca player Gustavo Cabral in relation to the incident involving him and Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger,” the soccer body said.

A verdict is likely before Pachuca play Thursday in their final Group H game, against Al Hilal in Nashville.

It will be Pachuca’s last game at the Club World Cup because the Mexican team cannot finish higher than third in the standings and will not advance to the round of 16.

The 39-year-old Cabral has denied the racism allegation and said he used an insult that is common in his native Argentina.