Jetlagged Ronaldo can’t break Riyadh stalemate as Al-Nassr and Al-Shahab draw in King Salman Club Cup

The draw leaves both the Riyadh clubs two points behind Zamalek in Group C. (Al-Nassr)
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Updated 29 July 2023
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Jetlagged Ronaldo can’t break Riyadh stalemate as Al-Nassr and Al-Shahab draw in King Salman Club Cup

There can’t have ever been a substitute bench in Saudi Arabian football with the collective talent of Cristiano Ronaldo, Seko Fofana, Anderson Talisca, Alex Telles and Abdulrahman Ghareeb but there they were sat on Friday as Al-Nassr drew 0-0 with Al-Shahab in their opening game of the King Salman Club Cup.  The result means that both sides from Riyadh are still very much in this 16-team tournament, known in the past as the Arab Club Champions Cup, but the team in yellow will surely be more satisfied given the team that started the game in the south-western city of Abha.

Those big stars had been in action on Thursday against Inter Milan in a very creditable 1-1 that had taken place on the other side of the continent in the Japanese city of Osaka. The players had endured a lengthy journey back from the Land of the Morning Calm and arrived only on the day of this game. It was a testament to their desire to win that they even made the bench.

And Talisca and Telles, a recent signing from Manchester United, also made the pitch at the start of the second half. This was quite incredible given that they had been in action five time zones to the east little more than 24 hours previously. The Brazilian duo were unable to break the deadlock, though Talisca looked dangerous early in the second half, that had been firmly in place throughout the first 45 minutes. Al-Shabab, who finished two places below their neighbours in fourth in the league last season, had  a point to prove given that they have had to sit back and watch their title rivals bring in some big names in the summer, but they struggled to break down the Nassr backline. 

Then just after the hour came a certain five-time Ballon D’Or winner emerging from the sidelines with plenty of purpose. Ronaldo came close with 20 minutes remaining as his shot from outside the area took a deflection and almost wrong footed Kim Seung-gyu in the Al-Shabab goal. 




Al-Nassr rested a number of players after their match against Milan in Osaka, Japan, on Thursday. (Al-Nassr)

Soon after, the Portuguese star had the ball in the net, finding a huge amount of space in the area to collect a pass and then turn to shoot home. The assistant’s flag was raised but it was soon clear that the call was closer than many realised as it turned out, after a VAR check, that those valuable Portuguese toes were the only body part that had strayed offside.

That seemed to add extra impetus to the game and soon after the dangerous Ever Banega, Hattan Bahebri and then substitute Turki Al-Ammar all forced saves from the impressive Nawaf Al-Aqidi who has had a great few games against Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and now Al-Shabab/ In a game that was short of clear chances, Al-Shabab were left to rue such misses.

The draw leaves both the Riyadh clubs two points behind Zamalek in Group C as the Egyptian giants, who take on Shabab next, thrashed Monastir of Tunisia 4-0 earlier in the day. 

Al-Wahda and Raja Casablanca are both top of Group D. The teams from the United Arab Emirates and Morocco respectively picked up 2-1 wins. The Abu Dhabi club downed Al-Kuwait while the North Africans defeated Belouizdad of Algeria.

The top two teams of each of the four groups progress to the quarter-finals.


Bellingham leads Madrid past Mallorca to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona

Updated 10 January 2025
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Bellingham leads Madrid past Mallorca to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona

  • Bellingham blasted in the third shot in a row by Madrid after Rodrygo initially hit the post
  • Madrid tacked on two goals late in stoppage time

JEDDAH: Jude Bellingham scored again to lead Real Madrid into the Spanish Super Cup final with a 3-0 win over Mallorca in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The England midfielder, who led Madrid in scoring last season, started this campaign slowly but has netted seven goals in his last eight Spanish league games.
He notched another goal in 63rd minute of the Super Cup semifinal when he finally broke down a tough Mallorca that until his goal had imposed their defensive style on the star-studded Madrid.
Bellingham blasted in the third shot in a row by Madrid after Rodrygo initially hit the post and goalkeeper Dominik Greif blocked a follow-up by Kylian Mbappé.
Bellingham collected the rebound and slotted his shot from just outside the six-yard box under the on-rushing Greif and past three defenders who were trying to protect the goalmouth.
Madrid tacked on two goals late in stoppage time. Mallorca’s Martin Valjent scored an own goal when he inadvertently turned a pass by Brahim Díaz into his net. Rodrygo then took Madrid’s third.
The match ended with a short scuffle after the final whistle before calm was restored.
Barcelona await Madrid in Sunday’s final.
Madrid lost Aurélien Tchouaméni, a midfielder playing as a central defender, in the 54th after he took a hard knock to the head during a collision with a Mallorca player.
Youth player Raúl Asencio replaced him.
Madrid were competing as last season’s Spanish league champion, while Mallorca were invited as the runner-up in the Copa del Rey.
Former Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who now plays in the Saudi Arabian league, was in attendance.
The minor trophy has become a major cash maker for the federation and competing clubs since the federation struck a deal in 2019 to hold it in the Middle Eastern kingdom.


Ronaldo penalty and Mane double propel Al-Nassr to 3-1 victory

Updated 10 January 2025
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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

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 11th goal of the season to help Al-Nassr defeat Al-Okhdood 3-1 on Thursday as the Saudi Pro League restarted after a month’s 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

Updated 10 January 2025
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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

Updated 10 January 2025
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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

Updated 09 January 2025
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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.