ROME (ITALPRESS) – On the eve of his 41st birthday, Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to training with Al Nassr. This is a U-turn for the Portuguese, who had been in conflict with his club for several days over recent transfer decisions. Al Nassr, battling for the Saudi Pro League title, with Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal leading the way with 47 points, followed by CR7’s club, during the January transfer window only signed Haydeer Abdulkareem, a 21-year-old midfielder who arrived from Iraq. The friction between the club and the Portuguese striker now seems to have subsided.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – The 2026 Copa Libertadores has begun: this year’s edition introduces a significant innovation. CONMEBOL has introduced a refreshment break, which will take place during all matches, regardless of weather conditions.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

GIRONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Marc-André Ter Stegen’s season at Girona could be over already, potentially leading to him not being able to play this summer’s World Cup. As Girona announced, during the match against Real Oviedo on January 31, the former Barcelona player suffered a hamstring injury and will require surgery, which will keep him out of action for some time.

Having been sidelined at Barça and arrived at Michel’s club to find a place, after overtaking Gazzaniga in the pecking order, Ter Stegen played both games with his new team, exactly what he was looking for after a period of inactivity at Barcelona.

As reported by the Catalan newspaper Sport, in the worst-case scenario, the German goalkeeper will be sidelined for four months, ending his season and also missing out on a possible call-up to the national team for the World Cup in America, the very goal Ter Stegen was pursuing and which had pushed him to accept Girona’s offer.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ALGIERS (ALGERIA) (ITALPRESS) – Washington may impose sanctions on Algeria over its purchase of Russian fighter jets. Robert Palladino, head of the US State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, said this in a statement before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in response to a question on the matter. “We have also seen these media reports, and they are cause for concern,” he said. “The State Department is determined to apply the law to counter America’s adversaries through sanctions, and transactions of the type you described could lead to the activation of such measures,” he added, according to Le Matin D’Algerie.

Palladino specified that a more in-depth discussion could take place behind closed doors with members of the Senate. Palladino also responded to a question about the US administration’s efforts to dissuade Algeria from purchasing Russian-made military equipment. “We work closely with the Algerian government on issues where we find common ground. Of course, we disagree on many issues, and this is an example of an area
where the United States will face a challenge,” he said. “We use the influence we have, often out of the spotlight, to advance our interests and put an end to unacceptable behavior,” he added.

In February 2025, Algeria announced it would receive Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighters, becoming the first foreign country to acquire this type of advanced military aircraft. At the time, it was also reported that Algerian pilots were in Russia training on these aircraft.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Juventus tried, but the player was neither convinced nor satisfied with the formula chosen by Bianconeri. His requests were fully accepted by Al-Ittihad, and thus, Youssef En-Nesyri officially moved to Saudi Arabia. The Moroccan striker left Fenerbahce, as part of the negotiations that led Kanté to make the reverse move, from Jeddah to Istanbul.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – It didn’t go as hoped or expected. Noa Lang’s experience came to an end after just six months, despite the significant investment made by the Campania-based club to sign him from PSV. He moved to Galatasaray, a club that in June will have the option to turn the loan into a permanent transfer, but for now he remains a Napoli-owned player.

In an interview with ESPN Nederland’s Transfer Deadline Show, the Dutch winger spoke again about his split with the Italian champions and the reasons that pushed him to change teams. “I’ll try to explain the reason in a simple way: I didn’t find the right chemistry with the coach, but it’s better to let it go,” Lang said, referring to Antonio Conte, as reported by ESPN Netherlands. “I know that in the Netherlands people think it was my fault, but one day everything will come out. Right now I have a lot of respect for the club I’m under contract with. I have a good relationship with almost everyone at Napoli.”

His decision to join Galatasaray was not immediate. “Yes, honestly it took some time, even though the stature of the club speaks for itself, but I’m not someone who leaves lightly after just six months.”

“Also,” Lang continued, “nine out of ten people didn’t want me to leave. I was well integrated into the group, I trained well every day, even if when I did get to play people spoke badly about me and I didn’t agree with certain criticisms. As far as I’m concerned, and considering the team’s style of play, I think I did well. The problem is that you need to be treated fairly, and I didn’t have that feeling at all. At first I thought about staying and fighting for a place, but there will be a World Cup in the summer and the decision to leave was mainly due to that.”

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Lionel Messi could return to his childhood team. This is the desire of Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys, where the 38-year-old South American star played from the ages of 7 to 13. “We are working to have Leo play for Newell’s in the first half of 2027, but for now there’s nothing else to say,” explained Juan Manuel Medina, vice president of the Rosario-based club.

The dream of the world champion returning home isn’t just that of a single club, but of an entire city, the one where the Argentina national team captain was born in 1987. “It’s a project that goes beyond Newell’s. It’s a project for the city of Rosario, the province, and Argentine football. It all depends on what we can offer in terms of infrastructure and a competitive sports program,” added the club director.

Newell’s Old Boys is aiming for the Barcelona legend’s return in the first half of 2027 on a six-month loan.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ISTANBUL (TURKEY) (ITALPRESS) – N’Golo Kanté is officially a new player for Fenerbahce, coached by Domenico Tedesco.

Just over four months before the start of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the 34-year-old French midfielder of Malian origins is leaving Al-Ittihad to play in Turkey, where the transfer window is open until Friday. Since moving to Saudi Arabia from Chelsea in July 2023, Kanté won the league and cup double last season. In total, he has played 105 matches in all competitions for Al-Ittihad, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists.

Now, the French international (65 caps, 2 goals), a World Cup winner in Russia (2018) and European silver medalist in France (2016), returns to European competition, as Fenerbahce is still in the Europa League and will face Nottingham Forest in the playoffs. In his long career, Kanté, who played for Boulogne and Caen in his homeland, was one of the key architects of the 2016 Premier League title won by Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PALERMO (ITALPRESS) – A Maltese delegation made up of seven surgeons, one anesthesiologist, two nephrologists and two pediatricians, along with officials from the Government of Malta and executives from Mater Dei Hospital—the main general hospital in Valletta— is visiting ISMETT with the aim of deepening its understanding of the centre’s best practices in transplant medicine and high-complexity care pathways.

The visit is part of a collaboration that has been active for more than 14 years, producing outstanding results and helping to consolidate a successful model of healthcare integration in the Mediterranean basin. The exchange reaffirmed ISMETT’s role as a highly specialised hub for expertise transfer, capable of promoting shared clinical standards and transnational care networks.

Over the course of two days, the delegation toured hospital departments and met with the institute’s clinical and organisational teams, focusing on advanced technologies, multidisciplinary protocols, patient management and continuity of care. Technical sessions explored key topics in contemporary transplant medicine, including perfusion techniques in organ retrieval from non–heart-beating donors and pediatric liver transplantation.

“The relationship between ISMETT and Malta,” said ISMETT Director Angelo Luca, “is built on 14 years of continuous collaboration that has, over time, ensured highly specialised care and life-saving procedures for many Maltese patients. At the same time, thanks to organ donations from Maltese citizens, it has also offered new treatment opportunities to Sicilian patients with end-stage organ failure.”

“This visit,” Luca added, “confirms the depth of the bond between us and represents an operational opportunity to define the next steps in our cooperation. Direct dialogue among professionals is the driving force that allows us to continually raise transplant quality and safety standards, for the benefit of patients throughout the Mediterranean.”

ISMETT, a highly specialised treatment and research centre affiliated with UPMC, reaffirmed its commitment to promoting partnerships focused on training, clinical innovation and improving the patient care experience.

Today’s meeting at ISMETT carries a meaning that goes beyond numbers and beyond the clinical dimension, Giacomo Scalzo, Director General of the Regional Department of Health, emphasised.

The presence of the Maltese delegation, he said, acknowledges a model of highly specialised healthcare that places the person at its centre above all else: listening, welcoming, clarity in communication, and continuity of care.

At ISMETT, the most advanced technology and outstanding transplant programmes do not replace the human relationship but rather strengthen it. Innovation, Scalzo noted, has value only if it helps provide better care; safer and more accessible care.

“This is the message we are sharing today,” he added, “a healthcare system that combines international cooperation with quality of care, in full respect for the dignity of every individual.”

– ISMETT press office photo –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has unveiled its first National Fisheries Strategy, setting out a ten-year roadmap aimed at building a sustainable sector for future generations.

The strategy introduces 86 measures structured around four main pillars: sustainable fisheries management, generational renewal, fisheries infrastructure, and education and training. Together, these pillars outline 20 objectives intended to guide the sector’s long-term development.

Director General within the Ministry for Fisheries, Bjorn Azzopardi, said the plan followed an extensive consultation process involving 37 meetings with 282 fishers. The document has now been opened for public consultation.

Azzopardi noted that the sector faces significant challenges, including an ageing fishing fleet and a rising average age among fishers, with fewer young people entering the profession. Despite its relatively small economic share, he said fisheries remain strategically important for national food security.

Gerald Vella, President of the Malta Fishermen’s Federation, highlighted the role of sustainable practices among recreational fishers, most of whom do not sell their catch.

He said the majority already operate responsibly but stressed the need for the strategy to remain effective over time, taking into account fish stocks, seasonal changes and broader national circumstances.

Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture Alicia Bugeja Said described the strategy as a document “created by fishers for fishers,” the result of four years of consultations held across every fishing port. She said it clearly defines the sector’s current position and its goals for the next decade, with a strong focus on people.

Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Anton Refalo called the strategy a national legacy that should be upheld regardless of the government in power.

He said that while the sector faces pressures such as climate change, clear planning and vision can ensure sustainability, attract younger generations, and preserve the identity, culture and traditions of the Maltese and Gozitan communities.

-Photo Ministry of Fisheries-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews