VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Ħamrun Spartans president Joseph Portelli has revealed plans to acquire an Italian Serie C club, with the aim of securing promotion to Serie A and channeling profits back into the Maltese champions.

The announcement came during a celebratory event marking Ħamrun’s historic qualification to the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League, after defeating Latvian side FC RFS 3-2 on aggregate. A record 1,577 fans attended the dinner, where Portelli unveiled his ambitious project.

“This is an ambitious goal, but I firmly believe I can achieve it,” Portelli said. “All profits from the Italian club will be reinvested in Ħamrun Spartans, as my dream is to see us compete in the League Phase of a UEFA competition every summer.”

Portelli outlined his main challenge: increasing the Italian club’s value and attracting top talent. He also noted the potential advantage of moving players between the two clubs to strengthen Ħamrun ahead of European campaigns.

Should football regulations force him to step down as Spartans president, Portelli said his son Triston is ready to take over, though he stressed he has no plans of leaving.

Portelli’s long-term target is to guide Ħamrun into the knockout stages of the Conference League within five years, cementing their place among Europe’s rising clubs.

The takeover bid also fulfills a personal ambition for Portelli, who first expressed interest in investing in Italian football four years ago. Now, with Ħamrun’s European breakthrough, he sees the timing as perfect to push both clubs toward greater heights.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A Maltese police spokesperson told Newsbook Malta that the 19-year-old Italian woman, who accused five young men of gang rape, declined police assistance while still in Malta. According to the spokesperson, the alleged victim chose to return to Italy before filing a complaint with the Carabinieri in Treviso. Maltese police are now cooperating with Italian prosecutors, who are leading the investigation.

The revelation adds a new element to a case that has dominated media headlines since the young woman claimed she was assaulted on 22 July during a holiday on the island. According to reports, the five suspects, all Italians, met the woman in nightclubs before inviting her to their accommodation. She later alleged she was gang raped and that part of the incident was filmed on a mobile phone.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RIYADH (SAUDI ARABIA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Italpress has announced a strategic partnership with Arab Defense News, the leading defense news platform in Saudi Arabia and across the Arab world, to strengthen its thematic news service “La Voce della Difesa”(The Voice of Defense).

The agreement was signed in Riyadh by Italpress founder and director Gaspare Borsellino and Arab Defense News director Nabil Al Ajal. Under the partnership, the two organizations will exchange editorial content and collaborate on news coverage, providing Italpress with a key strategic partner in a geopolitically crucial region. The collaboration will also enhance coverage of Italian companies active in the Middle East and Gulf markets.

“As the premier defense media platform in the Middle East and North Africa, we are delighted to launch this constructive collaboration with Italpress,” said Nabil Al Ajal. “This partnership marks a strategic step forward in strengthening professional media exchange and delivering trusted content that meets the expectations of audiences on both sides. We also believe it will pave the way for new investments and developments in the defense media sector in the near future.”

Gaspare Borsellino, director of Italpress, echoed this enthusiasm: “We are extremely pleased with this important agreement with the leading defense portal in Saudi Arabia, which also covers the entire Gulf region. This partnership will allow us to further strengthen La Voce della Difesa and, most importantly, provide Italian companies operating in these markets with new opportunities to communicate through local media—supported by our Arabic-language news service, which is already distributed to numerous websites and newspapers across the region.”

– Photo Italpress –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Brazilian sports justice has suspended the 12-match ban imposed in early September on Flamengo star striker Bruno Henrique, accused of favoring friends and family in online betting.

The Superior Court of Sports Justice “accepted the request to suspend” the sanction pending the striker’s appeal, the Rio de Janeiro club announced in a statement. According to the club, Henrique will therefore be eligible to play in upcoming matches for Flamengo, the league leaders.

However, the case is far from over, as the 34-year-old Brazilian striker faces significant risks, not only sportingly but also legally. Henrique is accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card against Santos (1-2) in November 2023, benefiting bettors in his entourage. If found guilty, the player, who maintains his innocence, faces two to six years in prison.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced that the government will present Budget 2026 in parliament on 27 October.

Speaking on Saturday evening, Abela stressed that the budget comes at a time of international economic instability. He pointed to governments in the UK, Germany, and France that are cutting spending and implementing austerity.

By contrast, he said Malta would continue to focus on investment, ensuring that both Malta and Gozo benefit from growth.

Earlier this week, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana outlined government’s fiscal targets. He said the aim is to reduce the national deficit below 3%, putting the country ahead of its Excessive Deficit Procedure correction deadline.

Caruana attributed this projected reduction to the phasing out of restructuring costs for the national airline and a fall in subsidy expenditure.

He added that Malta’s strong economic performance — with a 5.9% real GDP growth rate — will enable the government to reinforce support for families and businesses.

Abela concluded that Budget 2026 would balance fiscal discipline with continued investment, avoiding austerity policies seen elsewhere in Europe.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PORTO (PORTUGAL) (ITALPRESS) – A sour note for Porto. While Francesco Farioli’s side continues its perfect run (1–0 over Nacional, five wins out of five), the Dragões are worried about Nehuén Pérez. The 25-year-old Argentine defender, formerly of Udinese, picked up an injury and the first impressions are not encouraging. “It looks like a serious injury, I think he’ll be out for a long time,” admitted Farioli.

The coach still tried to enjoy the victory: “Sometimes you can’t win the way you’d like. We faced an opponent that played a great game, but in the end we achieved an important result and for the fourth time in five matches we kept a clean sheet,” Farioli added.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Controversy has erupted in La Liga following Huijsen’s sending off and the disallowed goal by Mbappé in Real Madrid’s 2–1 win over Real Sociedad. Through its official channel, Los Blancos announced the preparation of a dossier to be sent to FIFA “highlighting the refereeing mistakes suffered in the first four rounds of La Liga, as well as those from last season.”

The flashpoint came in the 32nd minute when Huijsen was shown a straight red card by referee Gil Manzano for a foul on Oyarzabal, deemed to be the last man despite Militao being nearby. VAR official Figueroa Vázquez did not consider it necessary to call the referee for a review.

During halftime, the club channel broadcasted past controversial episodes involving Gil Manzano and Figueroa Vázquez from last season, before announcing that Real Madrid will submit the complaint to FIFA “so that note is taken and what is happening can be analyzed.”

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – Luis Enrique is ready to return to the bench after undergoing collarbone surgery, but tomorrow against Lens he will have to do without two key players, Dembélé and Doué, both injured while on international duty.

Controversy has not been lacking in recent days: “But nothing I say here, whether positive or negative, will improve the health of injured players. For me as a coach, for my staff, the sporting management, and the medical team, the most important thing is the health of the players. Am I upset with Deschamps for playing Doué and Dembélé? I worry about every injured player, at any time of the season. We remain focused on improving their health. I have nothing more to add.”

FIFA is considering merging the first two international breaks starting next season. “I don’t know if it will be better or worse, but we must try to improve the quality of the game,” the PSG coach responded. “For that, we need to control the number of matches, but it’s difficult because of the many economic interests. Still, any option that helps improve this aspect can be positive.”

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RIO DE JANEIRO (BRAZIL) (ITALPRESS) – “The favorites are always the same: Argentina, the reigning champions, and among the Europeans, Spain, who are doing very well, France with so much individual quality, and England, who haven’t won in a long time. But of course, Brazil are also among the favorites.” Carlo Ancelotti makes no secret of it; after all, the Brazilian FA pursued him for a long time, convinced he was the right man to take them back to the top. The coach from Reggiolo knows that competition at the 2026 World Cup will be fierce (“I’d also include Italy, even if they’re having some trouble in qualifying, and Germany among the favorites”) but insists “we’re ready to compete against anyone.”

Interviewed by ESPN, Ancelotti expressed satisfaction with the progress made in recent months: “Obviously, we need to improve many things. What I liked most in the first three matches is that we defended well, and that’s the key to being successful at the World Cup: if Brazil defend well, with the quality they have, they can win.”

The question remains whether Neymar will still have a role with the Seleção. “I spoke with him, he came to the hotel before the match against Paraguay,” Ancelotti explained. “I see him as a playmaker or forward, but he must play centrally. Everyone knows his talent, but in modern football, to make the most of it, a player needs to be in top physical condition. If he’s at his best physically, he won’t have any problem being part of the national team. I told Neymar this: ‘you have time to prepare in the best possible way to be there and help the national team achieve the maximum at the World Cup.’”

Ancelotti is under contract until the end of the 2026 World Cup, but an extension is not ruled out. “Preparing for the World Cup with Brazil is something special. I signed a one-year contract, after that everything is open. At that moment, it felt right to sign for a year, but I’d have no problem continuing if the federation wanted. I’m very happy here, my family is happy. We’ll think about it. We have time to discuss it, I have no problem staying. It would be nice to remain until 2030.”

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Anthony Martial is headed to Mexico. Bought ten years ago from Manchester United for €60 million but never living up to expectations, the now 29-year-old French striker is leaving AEK Athens after just one season to sign for Rayados Monterrey, the current league leaders. He will share a dressing room with former Real Madrid players Sergio Ramos and Canales, as well as former Sevilla teammates Oliver Torres, Ocampos, and Corona.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews