MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – “I hope Rodri stays at City for as long as possible, but as I always say, if a player isn’t happy, in my opinion he’s free to leave. I think he’s happy to be here, so I don’t know if anything will change. Of course, no player would ever turn down the chance to play for Real Madrid.” These are the thoughts of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Rodri’s future ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final match against Liverpool. “I know what the club wants, and that’s for Rodri to stay, but no one knows the future,” added the Catalan manager.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

NAPLES (ITALPRESS) – “I think the level in Europe is increasingly higher. It’s not easy to win every match, and even small national teams can build a decent team and get results. Of course, missing out on the World Cup is a huge loss for a country like Italy. But there’s nothing we can do about it.” Kevin De Bruyne doesn’t have this problem. His Belgium team will be at the World Cup, while for the third consecutive year, the four-time World Cup winners, the Azzurri, will be missing. “Is Italian football in crisis? Maybe. If you don’t make it to the World Cup three times in a row, maybe you are. But I don’t know the details, I don’t know the structure and philosophy, starting from the youth teams up to the highest level. So I don’t know…”, the Napoli midfielder said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

And Belgium? “Everything is going in the right direction. Representing your country is an honor. I know people expect a lot from me. I have to help this new generation grow and go far. It’s different from the past, but I like it. I don’t know what to expect from the World Cup. I think there’s less anticipation than before. We had a very special group in 2018, now there are many new players. We’re starting to get through the group (with Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand), then it depends on who we face. We want to play good football and go as far as possible. We hope to do something good.”

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LIMA (PERU) (ITALPRESS) – A celebration turns into tragedy. It happened in Lima, on the eve of one of the most hotly contested matches in Peruvian football, the Peruvian capital derby between Alianza and Club Universitario de Deportes. One person died and 47 were injured.

The causes of the chaos that erupted at the Alianza stadium, where home fans had gathered to cheer on their team (leading the league with 20 points from eight games, five points ahead of rivals Udinese) on the eve of the derby, are still unclear. There had been talk of a collapse of part of the stands, a hypothesis denied by both the club and the fire department, who assured that there were no “collapsed walls or structural failures.” Therefore, there was no problem with the stadium, and the causes are still unclear, although the South American press is reporting possible disturbances among attendees. In addition to the person who lost his life (Alianza expressed its condolences to the family in a statement and expressed its sorrow for what happened), three other fans are in intensive care, according to local authorities. Furthermore, three of the 47 injured are minors. Meanwhile, the Lega Calcio has confirmed that the Lima derby will be played as scheduled at the “Monumental,” the Universitario stadium.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta’s agriculture ministry is closely tracking international developments as concerns grow that the ongoing Iran conflict could push up fertiliser prices. A ministry spokesperson said Malta’s heavy reliance on imported artificial fertilisers leaves the sector particularly exposed to global market shifts.

“The sector is inherently influenced by international market developments but it is still too early to predict whether the situation will lead to price increases,” the spokesperson said.

Fears have intensified as Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz disrupt shipping routes, raising the risk of supply shortages.

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – The British government reiterated yesterday its support for the autonomy plan presented by Morocco, according to the Moroccan news agency Map. The agency adds that London considers the plan “the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting solution to the conflict surrounding Moroccan Sahara”.

This position, according to Map, was reaffirmed by Hamish Falconer, British Foreign Office minister for the Middle East and North Africa, during a speech in the House of Commons, the lower house of the british Parliament. The United Kingdom advocates a lasting solution to the Sahara issue, Falconer stated.

– Photo Map Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – “The Italian Football Federation and Gennaro Ivan Gattuso have mutually agreed to terminate the contract that bound the Calabrian coach to the Italian national team bench. The FIGC thanks Gattuso and his entire staff for the professionalism, dedication, and passion with which they worked over the past nine months and wishes them every success in their future careers.”

This is the statement with which the FIGC officially announced the split with Gattuso, which comes a day after the resignations of Gravina and Buffon, following Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup.

“With a heavy heart, having not achieved the objective we had set ourselves, I consider my experience as head coach of the national team to be over,” said Gattuso. “The Azzurri jersey is the most precious thing in football, which is why it is right to immediately facilitate future technical evaluations. I would like to thank president Gabriele Gravina and Gianluigi Buffon, and with them all the Federation’s staff, for the trust and support they have always shown me.”

“It has been an honor to lead the national team and to do so with a group of players who have shown commitment and attachment to the shirt. But my biggest thanks go to the fans, to all Italians who in recent months have never failed to show their love and support for the national team. Always with blue in my heart.”

“I would like to once again thank Gattuso,” said Gravina, “because, in addition to being a special person, as a coach he made a valuable contribution, managing in just a few months to restore enthusiasm around the national team. He instilled in the players and the entire country a great pride in the Azzurri jersey.”

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LIVERPOOL (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – “What he has done for this club over so many years is incredible: every three days, scoring the goals he has scored, providing all those assists, having the impact he has had on this club, winning trophies. I can only hope he manages to add two more.”

Arne Slot spoke for the first time about Mohamed Salah’s announced departure at the end of the season, expressing his hope that the Egyptian forward can bid farewell to Liverpool by adding the FA Cup and the Champions League— the last two competitions in which the Reds are still involved.

“He has always given everything he had for this club, in all the years he has been here. He will continue to do so until the end of the season. And if we have the Salah of recent years, he will be a great help for the run-in.”

In the coming days, Liverpool will have everything at stake: tomorrow the FA Cup quarter-finals against Manchester City, followed by the Champions League double-header against PSG.

“It’s up to us to show that we are ready for this demanding schedule—demanding in terms of the opponents we face, which is completely normal if you are still competing in the FA Cup and the Champions League. But also demanding because there are many matches with very little rest in between. However, 8–9 months have already passed since the start of the season, and I believe more and more players are ready for this rhythm,” Slot added.

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BUCHAREST (ROMANIA) (ITALPRESS) – Mircea Lucescu has suffered an acute myocardial infarction and is hospitalized in intensive care at Bucharest University Hospital. The 80-year-old coach “is currently undergoing specialized cardiology treatment, with no new pathological findings. The patient is stable, conscious, and cooperative,” according to the hospital’s medical bulletin.

However, it makes no mention of a second heart attack, as reported by the Romanian press. Lucescu, who officially completed his second term as Romania coach yesterday, had felt unwell last Sunday during a technical meeting ahead of the friendly against Slovakia, where assistant coach Ionel Gane subsequently took over.

A defibrillator was implanted on Tuesday, and his discharge was scheduled for today, as confirmed by Mihai Stoichita, technical director of the Romanian Football Federation: “I’m very worried about what happened to Lucescu. Yesterday, the president and I visited him; he told us he was fine, and he was happy to be released from the hospital today; everything seemed fine. He was saddened to have to end his collaboration with the Federation due to health problems, and that’s why we proposed that he return to another role; it was important for both us and him.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RIO DE JANEIRO (BRAZIL) (ITALPRESS) – A key figure on and off the pitch. Decisive with an assist in Santos’ 2-0 victory over Remo and a superb performance, Neymar was booked in the closing stages after another foul, for a rude attack on an opponent.

A serious yellow card will mean he will miss the match against Flamengo. Post-match, the former Barcelona and PSG player took issue with referee Savio: “This card is unfair. I was tackled in a dangerous manner; it wasn’t my first, but my third or fourth. I went to protest and got a yellow. Savio is like that; he woke up in a bad mood; he wants to be the star of the match.”

However, Neymar used the phrase “acordou de chico,” a Portuguese expression that associates menstruation with something dirty and has clear sexist connotations. Hence the controversy that has put the player at the center of debate on social media and in the media.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Following last Sunday’s friendly against France in Landover, James Rodriguez was hospitalized for 72 hours as a precaution for “severe dehydration.” This was announced by the Colombian Football Federation, which managed the situation in collaboration with Minnesota United, where the 34-year-old former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich attacking midfielder plays.

James, who was substituted in the 63rd minute of what was his 122nd match for the Colombian national team, is not a cause for concern: “The medical report indicates favorable developments and constant improvement.”

The former Real Madrid player, who turns 35 in July, will play in what will likely be his final World Cup this summer. Colombia is in the same group as Cannavaro’s Uzbekistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Portugal.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews