Juventus appoint former Italy manager Spalletti as head coach

ROME: Juventus have appointed former Italy manager Luciano Spalletti as head coach until the end of the season, the Serie A club said on Thursday, following the sacking of Igor Tudor.

Juventus turned to the former Italy, Inter Milan and Napoli manager after parting ways with Tudor following an eight-match winless run in all competitions. They sit seventh in the standings after nine games.

“Luciano Spalletti is the new head coach of Juventus, signing an agreement with the club until June 30, 2026,” Juventus said in a statement.

“We are delighted to welcome a coach with such expertise and experience to the Bianconeri family: welcome to Juventus and good luck, coach!“

Croatian Tudor, who replaced Thiago Motta in March, was the first foreign manager appointed by Juventus since Frenchman Didier Deschamps in 2006-07.

He guided Juventus to a fourth-place finish in Serie A last season and secured qualification for the Champions League.

However, they had not won a game since mid-September with five draws followed by three straight losses in all competitions before Tudor was sacked.

Massimo Brambilla took interim charge and Juve won their next game, beating Udinese 3-1.

Spalletti, 66, led Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years in 2023, after a long club management career that has included spells at AS Roma, Inter, and a five-year stint with Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg.

He was appointed Italy head coach in 2023 and led them to Euro 2024, where they exited in the last 16 after a 2-0 loss to Switzerland.

Spalletti also oversaw an uninspiring World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, leading to his

sacking in June, after less than two years in the job.

BARCELONA: Real Madrid will look to take care of business against a struggling Valencia and maintain their La Liga lead this weekend before turning to their demanding match at Liverpool.

Xabi Alonso’s team visit Anfield in a clash of European title hopefuls next Tuesday in the Champions League.

Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 last weekend to end a run of four clasico victories for the Catalan club from last season. The victory allowed Madrid to open a five-point gap at the top of the league standings over second-placed Barcelona.

Key matches

Madrid are on a five-game winning streak that includes a 1-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League.

Kylian Mbappé struck his 11th goal in the domestic league to help defeat Barcelona. The France striker is also joint top of the Champions League with Harry Kane on five goals each.

On Saturday, Madrid will host a Valencia that were jeered by home fans during a 2-0 loss against regional rival Villarreal in the last round. Valencia are winless in five games and have sunk into the relegation zone.

An injury-hit Barcelona will look to lick their wounds from their clasico defeat when they host Elche on Sunday.

Elche have been the surprise package in the first months. The small southern club were promoted at the end of last season and have so far defied expectations. Coach Eder Sarabia has his team in eighth place after just two losses through Round 10.

Third-placed Villarreal can provisionally move ahead of Barcelona on Saturday if they beat Rayo Vallecano.

Players to watch

All eyes in the Santiago Bernabeu will be on Vinícius Júnior and Alonso.

Vinícius was visibly upset when his coach substituted him with around 20 minutes left in the clasico. He went straight to the changing room before rejoining the bench minutes later.

The Brazil forward later apologized on social media saying that “sometimes my passion gets the better of me.”

Alonso, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti this summer, has given Vinícius less playing time than his predecessor.

Out of action

Midfield leader Pedri González has joined a longlist of injured Barcelona players that already included Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, the team’s top scorers from last season’s championship side.

Pedri, who tore a muscle in his left thigh, played 72 of 73 games since coach Hansi Flick took over Barcelona last season. The Spain playmaker’s vision, control and passing skills are unmatched by his teammates.

Lewandowski and midfielder Dani Olmo rejoined team practice this week but as of Thursday they had not been cleared by team doctors to play.

Barcelona midfielder Gavi Páez and goalkeepers Joan García and Marc-André ter Stegen were also out injured.

Madrid right back Dani Carvajal has been ruled out for several weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week. Fellow defender Antonio Rudiger remains sidelined.

Off the field

Flick will be back in Barcelona’s dugout for the Elche game. He was suspended for the Madrid match after being sent off for protesting in a 2-1 win over Girona two rounds ago.

GUWAHATI, India: Skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s imposing century helped South Africa crush four-time champions England by 125 runs Wednesday to reach the final of the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time.

Wolvaardt hit 169 off 143 balls, the third-highest individual score in the World Cup knockout stages, as South Africa posted their biggest total in tournament history in a dramatic turnaround from its heavy loss to England in the league stage.

The Proteas finished on 319-7 in 50 overs after losing the toss, with Wolvaardt compiling 20 fours and 4 sixes in her 10th ODI century.

Wolvaardt produced the second-highest individual score by a captain in a World Cup match, behind Australian Belinda Clark’s 229 not out against Denmark in 1997.

South Africa had previously lost in the semifinals in 2000, 2017 and 2022.

England was bowled out for 194 in 42.3 overs, with medium pacer Marizanne Kapp picking up 5-20, as it was beaten by South Africa for the first time in the World Cup knockout stages.

Kapp also became the most successful bowler in tournament history with 44 wickets, overtaking India’s Jhulan Goswami (43).

The big turnaround

Wolvaardt reversed South Africa’s disappointing performance against England in the league stage at the same venue, when it was bowled out for 69.

“It still feels a bit unreal,” Wolvaardt said. “That’s the sort of thing you dream as a kid, scoring 100 in a World Cup — a knockout game as well. It’s a very special day.

“It’s probably my top knock, just in the context of the game, a World Cup semifinal.”

Openers on fire

Sent in to bat after England won the toss, Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits opened with a sparkling 116-run stand.

Brits scored 45 off 65 balls, and Wolvaardt reached 50 off 52 deliveries.

Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone pegged South Africa back, bowling Brits and Anneke Bosch (0) in the 23rd over.

Nat Sciver-Brunt made it three quick wickets as she bowled Sune Luus for one, but Wolvaardt then added 72 with Kapp for the fourth wicket.

Kapp scored 42 off 33 balls, including four fours and a six, in a superb all-round effort.

There was a further flurry of three wickets as South Africa slid to 202-6 in 40.1 overs.

But Wolvaardt then changed gears. First she got to 100 off 115 balls, and then hit the next 50 off only 21 deliveries, including four sixes.

One-way traffic

South Africa’s total was the second highest in a knockout game in tournament history, behind Australia’s 356-5 against England in the 2022 final.

The last 10 overs yielded 117 runs, taking the game away from England.

Kapp kept the momentum going with an immaculate opening spell of bowling, including a double-wicket first over to dismiss Amy Jones and Heather Knight for ducks.

Ayabonga Khaka then had Tammy Beaumont caught for a golden duck as England crashed to three wickets down for one run.

It was a mountain to climb thereafter, despite half-centuries from skipper Sciver-Brunt (64) and Alice Capsey (50) in a 107-run fourth-wicket stand.

It was the second-biggest margin of defeat by runs for England in tournament history. Meanwhile, it was a third consecutive final for the Proteas women in ICC tournaments — they reached the finals of the last two T20 World Cups in 2023 and 2024.

Next semifinal

The South Africans were coming off a heavy loss in the last league round to defending champions Australia, who take on co-host India in the second semifinal on Thursday.

RIYADH: A pair of valuable 2-year-old contests headline Friday’s action at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, with the prestigious HRH Prince Saud bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Cup offering total prize money of SR600,000 ($160,000) across the colts’ and fillies’ divisions.

The White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz & Sons looks set for a strong showing, fielding five runners across the two 1,600-meter races. In the colts’ division, the stable will be represented by Aatakum (Saudi Arabia), Yumter (Saudi Arabia), and Al-Aas (Saudi Arabia), the latter partnered by jockey Camilo Ospina.

Al-Aas, among the highest-rated contenders, impressed with a dominant six-length victory in Taif in August. And appears well-placed to challenge top-rated rival Muf Alwa’ayed (Saudi Arabia), trained by Abdulaziz Almosa, who finished third in the Taif Cup Local Bred Open.

In the fillies’ division, White Stable will again feature prominently through Ana Aljonubiyah (Saudi Arabia) and Mutakamilah (Saudi Arabia). Ana Aljonubiyah, runner-up in the Taif Cup Local Bred Fillies Open, will be ridden by Ospina, while Abdullah Alfairouz takes the reins on Mutakamilah.

The Red Stable of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz will rely on a single contender, Leen Almoghtarah (Saudi Arabia), to be partnered by Nawaf Almudiani. The filly will aim to improve on her ninth-place finish in the Taif Cup.

Friday’s card also features a 1,600-meter open race, attracting 10 runners.

The White Stable’s Mayhamah (Saudi Arabia) returns quickly after finishing second in last week’s Africa Cup and will again be ridden by Alfairouz. His main rival appears to be Fighter (Saudi Arabia), one of three Red Stable entrants, partnered by Adel Alfouraidi.

The weekend’s racing continues on Saturday with the SR130,000 Sulaiman Alhasan Award over 1,600 meters, featuring strong representation from both major stables.

The Red Stable’s Bint Farhh (Saudi Arabia), winner of last year’s Africa Cup, leads their duo alongside Hasna’a Alaeredh (Saudi Arabia). The White Stable counters with three runners, including the promising Aethbaaraat (Saudi Arabia), who returns after nearly a year’s absence.

Saturday’s eighth race, an 1,800-meter open contest, shapes as one of the most competitive of the three-day meeting. A full field of 20 is led by Monsieur Jumbo (France), trained by Thamer Aldaihani and ridden by Aseel Alsarhani.

The 8-year-old was last seen winning in March and previously finished runner-up during the Saudi Cup weekend in the International Jockeys’ Challenge.

Among his chief rivals are Thundersquall (Great Britain), returning after a hat trick of wins last season, Badr (US), and My Trinket (Ireland), who placed third in the Tuwaiq Cup and was a recent runner-up in Taif.

Rounding out Saturday’s card, the White Stable appears dominant in the 2,000-meter open (race seven), represented by Kaflahom (Saudi Arabia) and Aelam Beladi (Saudi Arabia) — both looking a class above their opposition.

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