ROME: Juventus have been readmitted to the European Club Association (ECA) after the Serie A club’s failed bid to create a continental Super League, the organization’s chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi said on Thursday.
Italy’s most successful club, Juve abandoned the ECA in order to push for the so-called European Super League, which was launched in April 2021 but quickly collapsed after fan anger and threats from governing bodies UEFA and FIFA.
“I am pleased to welcome Juventus back to our family. Now, all top division clubs in over 20 countries are ECA members,” Al-Khelaifi, who is also president of Paris Saint-Germain, said during the ECA’s General Assembly in Athens.
Juve, then chaired by Super League crusader Andrea Agnelli, intended to be one of 12 founder clubs alongside the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and a clutch of teams from England’s Premier League.
Since the original Super League project failed, Agnelli has been hit with two lengthy bans from Italian football after the country’s football federation found him and Juventus guilty of a series of financial offenses.
The project is still technically alive and being pushed by A22 Sports Management, who are promoting a redesigned version of the breakaway continental competition with 64 teams playing in three divisions.
In December last year the European Union’s Court of Justice ruled that a ban of the Super League enforced by the sport’s existing governing bodies was against EU law.
Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt
https://arab.news/czn3e
Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt
- Juve abandoned the ECA in order to push for the so-called European Super League
- “I am pleased to welcome Juventus back to our family. Now, all top division clubs in over 20 countries are ECA members,” Al-Khelaifi said during the ECA’s General Assembly
South Korea down Jordan to remain unbeaten in World Cup qualifying
- Goals from Lee Jae-sung and Oh Hyeong-gu gave underfire coach Hong Myung-bo his second win in a row
HONG KONG: South Korea beat Jordan 2-0 in Amman on Thursday to move top of Group B in the third round of Asia’s World Cup preliminaries as Australia won their first match under new coach Tony Popovic.
Goals from Lee Jae-sung and Oh Hyeong-gu gave underfire coach Hong Myung-bo his second win in a row and lifted the Koreans on to seven points from three matches.
Hong had been booed after Korea’s opening 0-0 draw with Palestine in Seoul but back-to-back wins mean the Taeguk Warriors are in a strong position to continue their record of qualifying for every World Cup since 1986.
Australia revive World Cup hopes with 3-1 win over China
- The Socceroos had picked up just one point from their opening two Group C games in September
- Popovic was hired last month after the resignation of Graham Arnold as head coach
ADELAIDE: Australia got their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign back on track by beating China 3-1 on Thursday in coach Tony Popovic’s first game in charge.
The Socceroos had picked up just one point from their opening two Group C games in September, and they feared the worst after 19 minutes at the Adelaide Oval.
Xie Wenneng ran onto a Zhang Yuning header to shoot powerfully into the net and silence the majority of the 46,000 crowd.
Australia, going for a sixth straight World Cup appearance, struggled to turn possession into clear chances but just before the break, Lewis Miller headed Craig Goodwin’s free kick into the net for his first international goal.
Goodwin fired home a spectacular second from outside the area eight minutes after the restart to put Australia ahead 2-1. Nishan Velupillay added a third in stoppage time in his debut international appearance to seal the win and condemn China to a third loss in three games.
Popovic was hired last month after the resignation of Graham Arnold as head coach.
Australia are second in the group above Saudi Arabia, which takes on leader Japan later Thursday in Jeddah.
The top two from each of the three six-team groups qualify directly for the World Cup while the third- and fourth-place finishers advance to a fourth stage of qualification to compete for Asia’s two remaining automatic berths.
Triple centurion Brook happy to break Dad’s club record
- 25-year-old smashed a career best 317 that, coupled with Joe Root’s 262, helped visitors pile 823-7
- With a big 267-run lead over Pakistan in first innings, England then caught the home team napping at 152-6
MULTAN, Pakistan: England’s rising batting star Harry Brook said he was delighted he had finally eclipsed his father’s highest club score, when he hit a triple hundred against Pakistan in Multan on Thursday.
The 25-year-old smashed a career best 317 that, coupled with Joe Root’s 262, helped visitors pile 823-7 declared — fourth highest total in all Test cricket — England’s third best.
With a big 267-run lead over Pakistan in the first innings, England then caught the home team napping at 152-6. At close, Pakistan still needed 115 to avoid an innings defeat on the final day Friday.
Brook said his father’s highest score was the target.
“I just wanted to get past my dad’s high score 210,” said Brook of his father David’s score in a club match for Burnley in 2001.
Brook had missed a chance of surpassing dad’s best when he scored 186 against New Zealand at Wellington last year.
“I said that to you guys before, I was pretty happy when I got past his score, to be honest.”
Brook said he was satisfied to contribute in team’s strong position.
“I am lost for words, to be honest, I’m just happy that the team’s in a in a strong position to win the game tomorrow morning. It’s an incredible thing.”
Brook and Root enjoyed a run feast on a flat Multan stadium pitch, adding a big 454 for the fourth wicket, England’s highest partnership in Tests.
It eclipsed the 411-run fourth-wicket partnership by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against the West Indies at Birmingham in 1957.
“It was wonderful batting with Rooty,” said Brook. “We spoke about the game moving forward and going out there after lunch to try and put the foot down and get a decent lead.”
“It makes you feel so comfortable when you’re watching him at the other end, he makes the game look so easy, and he’s playing the ball so late and making the balls look slow.”
Brook completed his triple century with a boundary off part-timer Saim Ayub, reaching the mark off 310 balls before he top-edged a sweep off the same bowler and was caught by Shan Masood.
Brook cracked 29 fours and three sixes in his 439-minute stay at the crease.
It was Brook’s sixth Test century and his fourth against Pakistan following his three in as many Tests when England routed Pakistan 3-0 in 2022.
Saudi Logistics Services partners with Jeddah GT Race 2024
- SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024 will take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Nov. 29 and 30
- SMC’s acting CEO, Mansour Almokbel said: ‘This partnership represents a significant step toward fulfilling our common goals’
JEDDAH: Saudi Motorsport Co. and Saudi Logistics Services have signed a partnership agreement, making SAL the title partner of the inaugural 2024 Jeddah GT Race, it was announced on Thursday.
According to the partnership, SAL will become the main partner for the race that will be renamed SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024 scheduled to take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Nov. 29 and 30.
The six-hour race will be the longest circuit motor race to be staged in Saudi Arabia.
The agreement reaffirms SAL’s commitment to social responsibility and its dedication to supporting the community and the national economy through various initiatives, programs, and collaborations with different entities, such as the SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024.
SMC’s acting CEO, Mansour Almokbel said: “This partnership represents a significant step toward fulfilling our common goals, contributing to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and improving the quality of life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Thunyan Al-Thunyan, president of logistics solutions at SAL, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Jeddah GT Race 2024 as the title sponsor, in which we collaborate to reflect SAL’s ongoing commitment toward supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, while also showcasing our dedication to excellence and innovation in logistics, by contributing to the success of the motorsports races and other international mega events happening in Saudi Arabia.”
The collaboration will contribute to the advancement of motorsports in Saudi Arabia and further strengthen SAL’s strategic partnership with SMC, which plays a pivotal role in the comprehensive development of motorsports in the region.
The SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024 will feature two major global races the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS, and the exciting GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club, which will also include the longest racing event in Saudi Arabia’s history.
Former England manager Gareth Southgate says he won’t coach in the next year
- “I won’t coach in the next year, for sure. I’m certain of that,” Southgate said
- “I need to give myself time to make good decisions”
ATHENS: Former England coach Gareth Southgate said Thursday he will be taking a year away from a club or national team job, after speculation he could be a target for Manchester United.
“I won’t coach in the next year, for sure. I’m certain of that,” Southgate said during an on-stage interview to an audience of hundreds of soccer officials at a European Club Association meeting.
Southgate stepped down from the England job in July, two days after losing in the final of the European Championship for the second straight tournament. England lost 2-1 to Spain in Berlin, three years after losing the title match to Italy in a penalty shootout at its home Wembley Stadium in London.
His eight years in the job transformed England’s record and reputation in international soccer, also reaching a semifinal and quarterfinal at back-to-back World Cups.
Criticized by some fans for being too cautious, Southgate won praise for restoring his players’ enjoyment of being with the national team, protecting them from criticism, and being a thoughtful commentator on social issues during a polarizing period in British society.
“I need to give myself time to make good decisions,” Southgate said. “I’m fortunate that there are lots of opportunities presenting themselves.”
Southgate distanced himself even before Euro 2024 from speculation he could be a target for Man United, which has made a poor start to the season under coach Erik ten Hag.
“Clubs can only be successful if everything is aligned right the way through the club,” said Southgate, whose previous experience of club management was with Middlesbrough, for three years after he finished playing there in 2006.
“And I also know that maybe the smarter people sit in the boardrooms and the coaches are a little bit more dispensable than you think when you’re there,” he said.
The 54-year-old former England defender said he was “at an age where I want to work with good people” and was interested by the business side of soccer.
“I am not just set on being a coach moving forward,” Southgate said, adding he had been asked to speak at Harvard.
