ROME (ITALPRESS) – As the saying goes, “a promise made is a promise kept.” That certainly appears to be the case in Spain, where national team left-back Marc Cucurella has followed through on a pledge he made in the event of Spain winning the FIFA World Cup.

The newly signed Real Madrid player revealed on his social media accounts that he has had a tattoo of Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente’s face inked on his arm, alongside the FIFA World Cup trophy.

Among the first to react to the post were Spain teammates Dani Olmo, who commented “Historic,” and Borja Iglesias, who responded with a heart emoji.

– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Business confidence in Malta increased in the second quarter of 2026, although growing concerns over the conflict in the Middle East are casting a shadow over the economic outlook. This is the analysis contained in the latest Business Dialogue publication from the Central Bank of Malta. More than half of the companies surveyed, 53%, reported an improvement in business conditions, while 12% reported a deterioration. The net positive balance of 41% was eight percentage points higher than the previous quarter.

– Photo Ipa Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) – Joško Gvardiol will remain at Manchester City until 2031. The club has announced that the 24-year-old Croatian defender has signed a contract extension, having joined the Etihad Stadium from RB Leipzig in 2023.

Since arriving in Manchester, Gvardiol has made 122 appearances and scored 13 goals for the Citizens, while helping the club win six major trophies: the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Community Shield.

“This is exactly what I wanted,” said Gvardiol. “The fans have been incredible with me from day one, and the club provides everything a player could need. It is the best club in the world to play for. I have received so much love and respect during my three years here, and I never take that for granted. The players we have are outstanding. This is a world-class team, young and full of potential. I believe we will achieve many more successes together.”

Sporting director Hugo Viana also welcomed the extension: “Joško is a player we have tremendous faith in. He is young, an outstanding professional, and already one of the best defenders in the world. He perfectly embodies what we look for in our defenders: he can play in multiple positions, he is quick, strong, and excellent going forward. He is an exceptional footballer, and his attitude is equally impressive.”

– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – Zinedine Zidane is officially the new head coach of France. It had been in the air, and now the announcement has been made by the president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, during the introductory press conference: “Zidane will be the next head coach of the French national team for the next four years.” He then revealed: “I first met and contacted him back in February 2025 to offer him the role of head coach of our national team. Since then, we have met several times to plan his arrival. It was the meeting of two desires. On one hand, because Zinédine is a legend of French football and had made it known that coaching the national team was one of his dreams. On the other, the Federation wanted someone with the aura, expertise, and passion of our fans to lead one of the best teams in the world,” said the federation’s chief. Zidane’s staff will be unveiled in early September.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – “Gianni Infantino has written a pathetic message.” Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, has once again attacked the FIFA chief, who had used his channels to urge critics to “reflect, pray, or watch a football match” instead of “spreading hate.” “No one disputes that football is about emotion and unity,” Tebas wrote on X.

“But transparency, good governance, and accountability are never hate; they are an obligation. Strong institutions do not discredit those who ask questions; they answer them. And a thought for you, Gianni: when an executive devotes an entire message to discrediting those exercising legitimate oversight, one inevitably asks… why now? Is there something that explains such a defensive tone? Is something happening that we don’t know about?” Tebas asked.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – The French Football Federation (FFF) will “mobilize the necessary support mechanisms to rapidly provide an appropriate response to the clubs most severely affected” by the wildfires currently impacting various parts of the country. This was announced in a statement from the FFF, which expressed “its solidarity and support for the affected communities, as well as for all members of the football community facing the consequences of these events.”

“The FFF’s emergency aid fund—announced in November 2025 at the National Football Conference—will be mobilized based on the damage and needs identified. The Federation will also examine, in conjunction with the leagues and districts, other support mechanisms that could be activated to assist the affected clubs,” the statement read.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Chelsea is in advanced talks to sign Brighton forward Danny Welbeck, the BBC reports. The 35-year-old has indicated his willingness to make the move, and the Blues are optimistic about finalizing the deal. Last season, Welbeck set a personal record of 13 league goals in 37 matches.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Slavko Vincic is retiring from refereeing. The Slovenian official—one of the most highly regarded figures on the international stage over the past decade—has announced his retirement following a career that culminated in him officiating the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New York. The Slovenian Football Association (NZS) officially announced the decision, celebrating the career of its top referee and highlighting his contribution to the growth of the refereeing community at both national and international levels. With his retirement, UEFA loses one of its most experienced and reliable officials, a key figure in the most prestigious competitions of recent years. His appointment to the World Cup final marked the pinnacle of a career that had already seen him officiate numerous high-profile European matches. Over the years, he officiated both Champions League and Europa League finals and was selected for four editions of the European Championship, consistently establishing himself as a leading referee.

Significant individual accolades have also been received. The IFFHS named him the best referee of the most recent World Cup, a testament to the quality of his performances during the global tournament. At the age of 46, he thus concludes a career built over sixteen seasons at the highest levels of European and international football. A tribute is expected from the national federation in Slovenia, as it prepares to honor a career destined to remain among the most significant in the country’s refereeing history.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has instructed Enemalta, the national energy provider to speed up work on strengthening Malta’s electricity distribution network following recent power cuts, describing the disruptions as unacceptable.

Speaking during a radio interview, Abela said Enemalta had been ordered to accelerate works from this week to improve the resilience of the power grid.

He said the outages were caused by prolonged temperatures above 43°C, which drove electricity demand to record levels as air-conditioning use increased. The extreme heat also prevented cables from dissipating heat efficiently, placing additional strain on the network.

He pledged that the government would do everything possible in the coming months to reduce the risk of similar disruptions, insisting that climate change could not be used as an excuse for recurring power cuts.

“My job is not to identify problems; it is to offer solutions,” Abela said.

The prime minister said the government had invested €160 million in the electricity distribution network over the past three years following the widespread outages of 2023. However, he acknowledged that further investment was needed to prepare for more frequent and prolonged heatwaves.

Abela said the government’s long-term strategy also included completing a second interconnector with Sicily by the end of the year and increasing the share of electricity generated from renewable sources, which has risen from 3% to 17%.

Abela added electricity consumption would continue to rise as Malta advances in digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence, requiring further investment in the grid.

– Photo Laburist Party –
(ITALPRESS).

 

Source: medNews