MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Everyone is free to relax, but keep an eye on the scales. Manchester City players will be given three days off before beginning preparations for Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest, but anyone who overdoes it will face consequences, Pep Guardiola has warned.

Haaland and his teammates were weighed before last Saturday’s win over West Ham and, upon their return, they will step on the scales again. “When they come back after three days off, I want to see how they return. They can eat, but then I want to check them,” the Spanish coach stressed. “A player might be at his ideal weight today and then come back three kilos heavier: at that point he stays in Manchester, he won’t travel with us to Nottingham.”

Guardiola is uncompromising on this issue. Back in 2016, he excluded some players from training for failing to maintain their ideal weight, and former City defender Gaël Clichy has previously recalled how the coach advised his players to avoid pizza and heavy foods.

On the other hand, the Spanish manager believes it is right to allow players to switch off. “Since I arrived in England I’ve learned that, when possible, it’s right to give them days off. The schedule is very congested and the players need to rest. When it’s match time, they’ll have fresh legs.”

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – There are no major changes in the latest FIFA rankings for 2025. Spain remains the king, closing the FIFA National Team rankings with 1,877.18 points, ahead of world champions Argentina in second place with 1,873.33, having overtaken the Reds last September.

There are no changes in the top ten, with Italy remaining outside the top ten and occupying 12th place with 1,702.06 points, behind 11th-placed Morocco, which has risen sharply over the past two years. Morocco has just won the Arab Cup (Jordan, defeated in the final, moved up two spots to 64th) and is the clear favorite to win the Africa Cup of Nations, which began just yesterday, and which they are hosting.

Returning to the top 10, France sits third, followed by England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia, who have a mere 0.54 point advantage over the Atlas Lions.

RANKING FIFA

1. Spain 1877.18 points (–)
2. Argentina 1873.33 (–)
3. France 1870.00 (–)
4. England 1834.12 (–)
5. Brazil 1760.46 (–)
6. Portugal 1760.38 (–)
7. Netherlands 1756.27 (–)
8. Belgium 1730.71 (–)
9. Germany 1724.15 (–)
10. Croatia 1716.88 (–)

12. Italy 1702.06

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Dani Alves could return to football… for his team. The former Barcelona and Juventus defender is close to finalizing the purchase, along with a group of investors backing him, of a Portuguese third-division team.

Specifically, negotiations are nearing completion with Sao Joao de Ver, a team currently ranked tenth in the Portuguese third-division Serie A, where the Brazilian could end his career. Alves is considering playing for the Portuguese club for six months, years after hanging up his boots due to legal troubles that landed him in prison just a couple of years ago.

Alves recently returned to the spotlight when news broke of his new life as a preacher, and he is reportedly determined to return to the sport at 42 for the club he owns. The former Brazilian international stopped playing in January 2023, when he was accused of sexual assault and put on trial in Spain. Following his acquittal by the Spanish courts last March, the Brazilian would like to retire from football but not before putting on his boots again.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Inflation and the rising cost of living remain the top concern for the Maltese public, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey, with anxiety over prices continuing to grow.

The study shows that 40% of respondents cited rising prices as one of the most important issues facing the country, up five percentage points from March and nine points above the EU average.

On a personal level, concern was even sharper. A striking 61% said the cost of living was among their two biggest challenges, a 16-point increase since March and 13 points higher than the EU average.

Immigration and the environment followed as major national concerns, named by 30% and 26% of respondents respectively, both well above EU averages and significantly higher than earlier in the year.

Government debt (17%), housing (16%), health (12%), education (9%) and threats to democracy (9%) were also cited, though fewer Maltese expressed concern over the economy or security compared to other Europeans.

At EU level, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine emerged as the leading concern, cited by 33% of Maltese respondents.

Trust in the EU rose to 57%, while satisfaction with democracy in Malta reached 50%. Despite a slight dip, overall life satisfaction remained high at 92%, and overwhelming majorities said Malta has benefitted from EU membership.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Kylian Mbappé, on his 27th birthday, scored the 2-0 goal in the match between Real Madrid and Sevilla. The Frenchman scored his 59th goal in 2025: equaling Real Madrid’s record for goals in a calendar year, previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the same number in 50 games in 2013, while Mbappé needed nine more.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – On the eve of the 35th edition which begins today in Morocco, the African Confederation of Nations (CAF) announces that starting in 2028, the Africa Cup of Nations will be played every four years instead of two. This is a small revolution considering that the biennial schedule has been in place since 1968, with the exception of the 2012 and 2013 editions, which were played 12 months apart. The CAF’s decision, announced President Patrice Motsepe, was made in agreement with FIFA to try to concile the tournament with the international calendar.

A first step had been taken in 2019, when the tournament was played in Egypt between June and July, then in 2021 and 2023 – due to Covid and the climate – the tournament returned to being played between January and February, while the edition in Morocco was moved to the end of the year to avoid clashing with the Club World Cup. The dates for 2027 (it will be played in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda) and 2028, whose venue has not yet been chosen, are still to be determined. At the same time, however, the African Nations League will be born, which will be held annually starting in 2029, in which all 54 affiliated federations will participate, divided into four zones: North (6 national teams), East (16), Central-West (16), and South (16). In November, the finals between the local champions will decide the winner.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – Marseille will compete for the Trophée des Champions League against PSG on January 8 in Kuwait without their fans. ICI Provence, the association that brings together OM supporters’ groups, announced today that it will boycott the trip to the Middle East, despite Marseille itself having offered to contribute to the travel expenses. Moreover, both De Zerbi in early November and president Longoria in recent days had expressed their doubts about the League’s decision to take the French Super Cup abroad, even though the trip to Kuwait will bring in approximately €3.5 million.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PORTO (PORTUGAL) (ITALPRESS) – Thiago Silva is officially a Porto player. The Portuguese club has announced the signing of the 41-year-old Brazilian defender, who recently terminated his contract with Fluminense.

The former AC Milan player will therefore be at the disposal of Italian coach Francesco Farioli. “I am happy to announce my return to the Dragão. I want to express my joy and motivation for this opportunity. I want to thank our president, André Villas-Boas, for the opportunity, and coach Francesco Farioli. I can’t wait to wear these colors again. I count on your support and hope to see you at the Dragão,” said Thiago Silva in Porto’s official video. The Brazilian, who played for the club’s B team in 2004, has signed a contract until June with the option for a further season.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

TANGIER (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – Como striker Assane Diao will not be eligible for the Africa Cup of Nations. The Senegalese Football Federation announced in a statement on its website that “following an injury sustained while playing for his club on Monday, December 15, 2025, the player joined the national team in Dakar on December 18, 2025. Medical tests conducted today by the national team’s medical staff revealed a lesion to the biceps femoris in his right thigh, which has led to his withdrawal from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The Senegalese Football Federation wishes Assane Diao a speedy recovery and hopes to see him back on the pitch as soon as possible.” Diao was injured in the match against Roma and was forced off in the 37th minute of the match at the Olimpico.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PALERMO (ITALPRESS) – A golden generation aiming to break a long-standing curse, backed by a nation ready to push its heroes toward glory. But there is more: revamped stadiums, increasingly modern infrastructure and a tournament that represents more than just a test run ahead of the historic 2030 milestone. In Morocco, the countdown is in its final days for the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled from December 21 to January 18. Six host cities—Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier—and nine venues (three of them in the capital) are set to welcome a sea of fans.

“To date, we have sold more than one million tickets,” Omar Khyari, adviser to Moroccan FA president Fouzi Lekjaa, told Italpress. “Thirty percent of those sales come from abroad. Based on these figures, we can expect more than 400,000 attendees. Current projections, which also include those traveling for the year-end holidays, indicate that one million tourists will visit our country. How are we preparing? With the legendary hospitality Moroccans are known for. Our nine stadiums offer all the necessary comfort, as do the eight official fan zones.”

The government has opted for a big-ticket approach, upgrading stadiums—Tangier’s venue had already undergone a first revamp in 2020, with a further renovation completed in September—and investing in transport links, from the expansion of Tanger Med to the high-speed rail line that is expected to extend to Marrakech by 2030. In five years’ time, another major date looms: the World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal, alongside a number of matches in South America. “The Africa Cup of Nations will be a celebration for the whole of Africa, but it will also serve as a crucial dress rehearsal for the 2030 World Cup,” Khyari confirmed. “We will continue to refine our infrastructure.”

The tournament is also expected to act as a powerful economic driver. “It is forecast to generate an immediate financial boost, thanks to the massive influx of fans. Experts estimate additional revenues of between 5 and 12 billion dirhams (roughly €460 million to more than €1 billion).” On the pitch, the host nation are the clear favorites, although there remains a question mark over Achraf Hakimi, who is racing against time to recover from an ankle injury.

The Atlas Lions are enjoying the best period in their history, not only because of their remarkable run to the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Walid Regragui’s side—the first African national team to qualify for next year’s World Cup—boasts quality and talent and has long set its sights on a trophy won only once, in 1976, and narrowly missed in 2004, when Morocco lost the final to Tunisia. Lifting the cup in front of home fans would be the icing on the cake for a movement growing on all fronts, as shown by the Olympic bronze medal in Paris with the Under-23s and recent successes at the Under-17 World Cup and the Arab Cup.

Competition, however, will be fierce: from defending champions Ivory Coast to Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, eager for redemption after his break with Liverpool; from teams set to feature in the United States next summer—Algeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia (with Ghana and Cape Verde failing to qualify)—to those still harbouring hopes, such as Congo, and others seeking consolation after missing out on the 2026 World Cup, like Nigeria with Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, or Cameroon led by Bryan Mbeumo.

“Morocco has now consolidated its place among the world’s top national teams in the FIFA rankings,” Khyari concluded. “The results we have achieved push us to maintain the highest standards of excellence. But while our national team may be the favorite on paper, it will strive to confirm that status with ambition and humility. There are other nations with the talent to succeed, including reigning champions Ivory Coast, as well as Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal and our neighbours Algeria and Tunisia. And then there are formidable sides such as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso.” The time for predictions, however, is over: from tomorrow, the pitch will have its say.

– photo glb/Italpress –

Source: medNews