VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A 27-year-old Italian man who lives in Germany has been sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to carrying out an armed hold-up at a gaming shop in St Paul’s Bay.

The case dates back to 16 January 2024, when he robbed the gaming establishment and held an employee against his will and stole €2,329.37 in cash. He was also charged with carrying a knife during the robbery.

Court records show that the following day, he committed another robbery inside a hotel in St Paul’s Bay, this time targeting an Italian national from Sardegna who recognised he in the footage as they lived in the same neighbourhood in Sardegna.

The accused had no fixed residence in Malta. He was later arrested in Milan and extradited to Malta under a European arrest warrant. 

He initially denied the charges when he was arraigned in court, but subsequently changed his plea and admitted to the offences as the case was about to be heard before Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi.

In handing down sentence, Magistrate Azzopardi ordered to serve three years in prison. The court also issued a three-year restraining order to protect the three individuals who were present in the shop during the hold-up.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RIYADH (SAUDI ARABIA) (ITALPRESS) – Joao Cancelo’s time at Al Hilal may be coming to an end. After his injury in September, the former Inter and Juventus player was excluded from the list of eight foreign players eligible for the Saudi league, and according to “Al Riyadiyah,” coach Simone Inzaghi has no intention of making any changes for the second half of the season.

Given this situation, Cancelo would have no room except for the Asian Champions League—where he has played three games since November—and the domestic cup. With the risk of missing the next World Cup, Cancelo and his agent Jorge Mendes are reportedly considering a move: the Portuguese full-back’s priority is a return to Europe, with Barcelona and Benfica his most popular destinations.

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Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Barcelona are reuniting with Ronald Araujo. The 26-year-old center-back had a group session after taking a month-long break to unwind. Sent off in the Champions League against Chelsea, the player had requested and been granted time off to recover, especially mentally. This led to a spiritual trip to Israel and a Christmas holiday spent with his family in Uruguay. Now he’s back, although Flick and his staff will try not to rush things given the delicate situation.

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Source: medNews

LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Eight players arrived this summer for a total of around £250 million, but Arsenal could dip their toes in the towel in January. Mikel Arteta, mindful of the numerous injuries that hampered last season and facing a similar situation this season, hasn’t ruled it out.

The Gunners are particularly struggling defensively, so much so that on Saturday against Brighton, Declan Rice was relocated to right-back. Gabriel has just returned, while it’s still unclear when Mosquera, Timber, and Calafiori will be available again.

“We need to understand the situation and the recovery times of certain players,” Arteta said. “We need to actively look around and then evaluate whether we can intervene or not. It’s part of our job to always be prepared, because something can always happen.”

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Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Barcelona is making its first moves on the transfer market regarding the future of its attack and is eyeing Dušan Vlahovic as a potential replacement for Lewandowski.

According to Spanish media, particularly Marca, the Blaugrana have initiated exploratory discussions for the Serbian striker from Juventus, whose contract expires in 2026. The move is being carefully evaluated, especially given Barça’s financial constraints, which are seeking sustainable and long-term solutions. Vlahovic, 25, remains a highly sought-after prospect given his age and skills, although no advanced negotiations have been reported at this time.

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Source: medNews

DUBAI (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) (ITALPRESS) – “In just 15 days, we have received 150 million requests from around the world to purchase World Cup tickets.” This was revealed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the opening session of the World Sports Summit, the two-day event taking place in Dubai.

“Despite all the reports you may have read about prices, ranging from 6,000 to 60 dollars, the truth is that these are the numbers,” added the head of world football. “On each of the 15 days of the pre-sale, we recorded an average of 10 million requests per day, with the United States, Germany and Great Britain leading the way.”

Speaking at a forum that included football legends such as Ronaldo Nazario, Luis Figo, Andrés Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Didier Deschamps, Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Cafu and Alessandro Del Piero, who served as a speaker, Infantino also offered another optimistic statistic.

“In the nearly 100-year history of the World Cup, 44 million tickets have been sold, and we have received requests three times higher than that.” The expansion of the tournament to 48 teams and 104 matches is expected to generate a record 50–60 million tickets sold.

Infantino also announced that the next FIFA “The Best” awards ceremony will be held in Dubai, highlighting the commercial and media success of last summer’s Club World Cup. “It wasn’t just about the 33 million euros generated by each match; it also helped demonstrate the universality of football,” the Swiss official explained. “The final between Chelsea and PSG alone brought together players from 16 countries across five continents.”

Finally, Infantino outlined key principles for the future: “We will work to develop a more attacking and entertaining style of football, and also a fairer one. We must continue to provide referees with the necessary tools to correct any mistakes.”

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Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – The Ligue 1 winter break is set to bring a change on the bench. According to L’Équipe, Franck Haise is no longer the coach of Nice: a year and a half after his arrival, the manager is said to have decided to step down by mutual agreement with the club.

After leading Nice to fourth place last season, Haise has been unable to repeat that success. The Red and Blacks currently sit 13th in the league and only ended a run of nine consecutive defeats thanks to a 2–1 win over Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France. Results have been no better in the Europa League, where the French side have already been mathematically eliminated after losing all six of their matches.

A replacement is already lined up: Claude Puel, who previously coached Nice from 2012 to 2016—guiding the team to fourth place twice—and has been without a club since December 2021, following his dismissal from Saint-Étienne.

This season has already seen two managerial changes in Ligue 1, at Monaco (Pocognoli replacing Hütter) and Nantes (Kantari replacing Castro).

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Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese authorities are facing renewed criticism after allegedly failing to collaborate in at least two migrant distress cases within a single week, according to humanitarian organisations. On 26 December, a group of 34 asylum seekers was rescued within Malta’s Search and Rescue (SAR) zone by the merchant vessel MV MARIDIVE 703.

Nearly 48 hours later, they remain stranded at sea, with no permission to disembark at a safe port. Humanitarian group Alarm Phone said Maltese authorities have refused to provide information on the group’s status, warning they risk being forcibly returned to Tunisia, which is not considered a safe port under international law. The case follows another incident earlier this week in which the Armed Forces of Malta denied receiving distress calls from a migrant boat allegedly attacked by the Libyan coastguard in Malta’s SAR zone, leaving one person dead and three injured. Alarm Phone has repeatedly accused Malta of failing to answer emergency calls.

“When we call Malta, we hear a recorded song or they tell us ‘we are busy,’” said spokeswoman Hela Kanakane. Data from the Malta Migration Archive shows Malta rescued just 2–3% of people in distress in its SAR zone between 2020 and 2024, as returns to Libya increased. The incidents come amid rising deaths in the Central Mediterranean, where at least 1,190 people have died or gone missing in 2025, according to the IOM.

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Source: medNews

DUBAI (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) (ITALPRESS) – “It’s tough to keep playing, but I still have the passion and the motivation to do it. It doesn’t matter where—whether in the Middle East or in Europe—I always want to win more trophies and reach the number everyone knows about. And I’m sure that, if there are no injuries, I’ll get there.”

Honored in Dubai at the Globe Soccer Awards ceremony as Middle East Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer hiding his ambition. The Portuguese forward for Al Nassr, who will turn 41 next February, has scored 956 goals in his career—just 44 short of the 1,000-goal milestone. 

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Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Last summer, despite a slew of offers from Italy, Giacomo Raspadori decided to return to the fold at Atletico Madrid, but his experience with the club has so far been uninspiring: ten appearances for a total of 400 minutes.

At the end of November, during the Champions League match against Inter, the Spanish club reaffirmed their full confidence in him, assuring him that his time would come. Diego Simeone himself reportedly confessed that he hadn’t given him the playing time he deserved, preferring Griezmann and Almada.

In any case, the exchange reassured Raspadori, who never asked to leave, nor did Atletico Madrid ever hint at a move away from him. However, according to “As,” Roma’s pressure hasn’t gone unnoticed by the former Napoli player, who will meet up with Simeone again tomorrow when training resumes. It will be an opportunity for a new discussion and to understand if the conditions are still right to move forward together.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews