MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – “The moment has come. A moment that I never wanted to come but football is like that”. After the rumors that appeared in the Spanish media, here is the confirmation: Luka Modric will not wear the Real Madrid jersey next season.

Arriving in 2012 from Tottenham, the 39-year-old Croatian midfielder confirms on social media that on Saturday, against Real Sociedad, he will play his last match at the Bernabeu while his farewell to the blancos will come after the Club World Cup.

“In life, everything has a beginning and an end – he writes – Playing here has changed my life, as a footballer and as a person. I am proud to have been part of one of the most successful periods of the best club in history. I leave with a heart full of pride, gratitude, indelible memories. And even if after the Club World Cup I will no longer wear this shirt on the pitch, I will always be a Madridista. Real will always be my home. For life”. For Modric, 28 trophies won in Madrid, including six Champions Leagues, collecting 590 appearances to date.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

TUNISI (TUNIS) (ITALPRESS) – Today, on the occasion of World Biodiversity Day, the new farmers market was inaugurated in Tunis, part of the Campagna Amica circuit and the global Farmer Market Coalition, in the presence of the Tunisian Secretary of State for Agriculture Hammadi lahbeeib, the Italian Ambassador to Tunis Alessandro Prunas and the former Minister of Agriculture and President of the UniVerde Foundation, Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio. The ambassadors of Senegal and Egypt were also present.

“I am particularly proud of this organic market – said Pecoraro Scanio – because it represents a concrete result of the agricultural orientation law that I signed in 2001 in Italy, thanks to which many young people and women have returned to being protagonists in the relaunch of agriculture, protecting biodiversity and promoting organic farming”.

The new market hosts exclusively local farmers, promoting organic and sustainable production in the Tunisian territory, and is a model of agricultural multifunctionality, supporting farmers’ income and promoting social cohesion.

“I spoke about it today with the Tunisian Undersecretary of State and the President of the farmers’ association Moez ben Zaghden – continued the former Minister – because we believe that the Italian law on agricultural orientation can also be an inspiration for Tunisia. It is an opportunity to consolidate international cooperation and to extend the multifunctional agriculture model also recognized by the FAO to new countries”.

The initiative is part of a network of farmers’ markets promoted by the Farmer Market Coalition that already includes positive experiences in Nairobi, Tyre (Lebanon) and Alexandria, Egypt. “The Tunis market – underlined Pecoraro Scanio – takes on a strategic significance, due to its position as a hinge between Africa and Europe.”

Finally, Pecoraro Scanio launched a proposal in the spirit of UNESCO: “Tunisia must become one of the countries recognized for the Mediterranean Diet as an intangible heritage of humanity. The Tunisian food tradition is fully part of that diet that is good for health, the environment and local agricultural economies. We must fight the industrial food of multinationals that threatens food cultures and impoverishes family agriculture”.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has officially announced it will ratify the High Seas Treaty at the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice next month, joining a global push to safeguard marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions.

The commitment was confirmed on Thursday by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ian Borg during a high-level seminar in Valletta themed “Towards the Third UN Ocean Conference: Policy, Science & Blue Economy – A Common Ambition for Malta and France”. The event was co-organised by Malta’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the French Embassy, and the Maltese French Chamber of Commerce (MFCC).

“It is time to change course”, Borg declared. “The ocean is a common good for humanity and essential to Europe’s sustainable, secure, and competitive future… We must be the generation that chose to act”.

The High Seas Treaty aims to close a critical gap in international ocean governance. It provides a legal framework to establish marine protected areas in international waters, regulate environmental impact assessments, and ensure fair access to and sharing of marine genetic resources.

The treaty will enter into force once 60 nations ratify it. To date, only seven have done so, while 89 countries, including Malta, have signed on.

Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Christopher Cutajar confirmed Malta is in the final stages of the ratification process. “This reaffirms our commitment to being an active player in ocean governance,” he said, referencing Malta’s historic 1967 UN initiative that enshrined the oceans beyond national borders as the “common heritage of mankind.”

MFCC President Joseph Bugeja noted that the region is warming at nearly twice the global ocean average, with sea surface temperatures rising by 1.4°C since 1982. Bugeja emphasised the potential of the blue economy, which already contributes €590 billion to the EU economy and supports 4.8 million jobs.

As momentum builds ahead of the Nice conference, Malta is positioning itself as a strong advocate for ocean sustainability and global cooperation.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

BILBAO (SPAIN) – When he was called in November to take Ten Hag’s place, Ruben Amorim was seen as the man of Providence but Manchester United, after having experienced one of the worst seasons ever in the Premier League, finds itself out of the next European cups after losing the final in Bilbao against Tottenham.

A result that could also call into question the position of the Portuguese coach himself who, however, is going straight on his way. “I continue to think I am the right man for this club, even more than before,” he assured in the post-Europa League match.

“I know that the patience of the fans will be short next season but I assure you that I will not resign or leave. I know what it means to coach United and what this team needs. If they then tell me that it is better to change, I will leave. But I have a lot of faith in myself and in carrying on with my work if the club wants me to. I will not look for excuses but it is about having a bit of faith. If the club and the fans believe that I am not the right person, the next day I will pack my bags. But I will not be the one to give up, I believe in my work and I will not change anything in the way I do things.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BILBAO (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – “I have always been honest. If the club thinks it is time to sell me because they want to make money, that’s how it will be, it happens in football. I will stay until the club tells me it is time to leave”. Bruno Fernandes, in the post-match of the Europa League final lost to Tottenham, leaves Manchester United the final say on his future.

The Portuguese midfielder defends Amorim: “I think he is the right man. I don’t think what happened this season shows his value as a coach. I think he is the right coach for the future of this club, whether with me or without me”.

– Foto IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Luka Modric will not wear the Real Madrid jersey next season. According to Spanish media, Florentino Perez and the management of the Blancos have decided not to renew the contract of the 39-year-old Croatian midfielder, which expires at the end of the season.

Initially, Xabi Alonso, the future coach of Real, had asked to continue counting on Modric, considering his experience and leadership important for the new project, but the club would prefer to immediately rejuvenate the midfield.

Saturday’s match against Real Sociedad could therefore be Modric’s last match at the Bernabeu, with Nico Paz – currently at Como but owned by the Blancos – and Angelo Stiller – a Stuttgart player recommended by Kroos – as the main candidates to take up his legacy. Having arrived from Tottenham in 2012 and since then won 28 trophies with the Merengues, making 590 appearances with 43 goals and 90 assists, Modric does not seem to be willing to stop: his goal is to play in the 2026 World Cup with Croatia.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has hinted that new developments concerning Malta’s recognition of the Palestinian state are expected next month, amid growing political pressure both from within the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party Opposition.

The announcement came during a heated parliamentary session following a ministerial statement, where Opposition MPs questioned why Malta has not yet officially recognised Palestine despite a joint declaration made in March 2024.

Abela has consistently claimed Malta will act “when the conditions are right” but has yet to clearly define what those conditions are. The lack of clarity has drawn criticism from all sides, including Labour Deputy Leader Alex Agius Saliba, who publicly called on the government to recognise the Palestinian state “immediately.”

The Nationalist Party has stepped up its calls for immediate recognition of Palestine. In a strongly worded statement, the PN condemned the “indiscriminate killing of thousands of innocent Palestinians,” including children, and urged the government to act without delay.

As calls for action grow louder, Abela is now under increasing pressure to clarify what is preventing Malta from moving forward on a commitment his government has already endorsed in principle. The coming weeks are expected to be decisive for Malta’s stance on Palestinian statehood—both at home and on the international stage.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – A large crowd of people gathered yesterday in Rome, in the gardens of Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, for the public event “Voting is Freedom – Marathon against Abstention”, promoted by the Referendum Committee and supported by CGIL, ahead of the referendum on labor and citizenship scheduled for June 8 and 9.
The event also saw the participation of several political leaders, including Elly Schlein, Secretary of the Partito Democratico, Angelo Bonelli, co-spokesperson of Verdi, Nicola Fratoianni, Secretary of Sinistra Italiana, Giuseppe Conte, Leader of M5S and the Secretary of Più Europa Riccardo Magi.
“Reaching the quorum is possible, but we have to win every single vote—polling station by polling station, town by town,” stated Maurizio Landini, CGIL’s General Secretary during the initiative. “Voting is an act of freedom and a peaceful democratic uprising: all it takes is going to the polling place and making a choice for change”.
CGIL strongly denounced the attempt to suppress the national referendum: “There has been an effort to silence this vote, but it will not succeed. Those who tell people to stay home simply want everything to remain as it is. But we want a fairer country—where jobs are not precarious, rights are protected, and citizenship is granted to those who work, study, and live by our laws”, added Landini.
CGIL renews its appeal to all democratic, social, and cultural forces: let’s break the silence and mobilize for participation in the referendum on Sunday, June 8 and Monday, June 9.

– photo Q10MEDIA SRL –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Hansi Flick and Barcelona together until 2027. The Blaugrana club has announced the contract renewal of the German coach, who in his first season in Spain won La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. Only four other coaches in history have won a league and cup in their debut in Blaugrana: Van Gaal, Valverde, Guardiola and Luis Enrique. “Hansi Flick is writing the history of FC Barcelona and we are sure that he will continue to do so in the coming seasons”, reads the club’s note.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

BILBAO (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – The UEFA Executive Committee met today in Bilbao ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final and took some decisions about Euro 2028 qualification system. The UEFA Executive Committee has confirmed the qualification format for UEFA EURO 2028, to be held across nine venues in the UK and Ireland with 24 participating teams.

As in the current 2024-26 European Qualifiers, twelve qualifying groups will be formed of four or five teams. Hosts England, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales will also participate in qualifying, drawn into separate groups. The 12 group winners and 8 best runners-up (20 teams) will advance directly to the EURO 2028 final tournament.

Two spots in the final tournament will be reserved for the two best ranked host nations who are not qualified as group winners or best runners-up after the completion of the qualifying group stage. The remaining spots will be assigned via play-offs between the remaining runners-up in the qualifying groups and the best ranked 2026-27 UEFA Nations League non-qualified group winners.

Depending on the number of spots used by the host nations, the number of final tournament spots decided by play-offs may vary between two and four, in one of the three following scenarios: Both reserved qualifying slots for the hosts used: Eight teams compete in two paths for two final tournament spots, with single-leg semi-finals and finals. One reserved qualifying slot for the hosts used: Twelve teams compete in three paths for three final tournament spots, with single-leg semi-finals and finals. No reserved qualifying slot for the hosts used: Eight teams contest four home-and-away play-off ties, with the winners advancing to the final tournament.

The tournament schedule is expected to be released in autumn 2025. The tournament regulations with all remaining details will be published by the end of the year.

The next meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee will take place in Tirana, Albania on 11 September 2025.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews