ROME (ITALPRESS) – Luis Castro is no longer the coach of Gremio. The Portuguese manager was dismissed just hours after a second consecutive home defeat—this time against Pedro Emanuel’s Vasco da Gama—during Matchday 27 of the Brasileirão. Castro leaves the Porto Alegre club after 50 matches, with a record of 19 wins, 14 draws, and 17 losses. In the league, Gremio finds itself in a precarious position with 28 points, embroiled in the fight to avoid relegation from the top flight.

The team will be placed in the interim care of Luiz Felipe Scolari, the club’s current technical coordinator and former head coach of Brazil and Portugal. His debut is scheduled for Wednesday against Botafogo, in a rescheduled Matchday 21 fixture. The dismissal comes just two days after CEO Alex Leitao publicly reaffirmed the club’s confidence in Castro: “Yes, of course he is staying. Luis Castro is our coach and has the management’s confidence.” That confidence, however, lasted only 48 hours.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALENCIA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Valencia is turning the page after a nightmare start to the season. The Spanish club has announced the dismissal of Carlos Corberan and the simultaneous departure of CEO of Football Operations Ron Gourlay, along with sporting staff members Lisandro Isei, Hans Gillhaus, Andres Zamora, and Malek Shafei. The decision follows the first five matchdays of the league season, during which Valencia secured just one point, leaving them at the bottom of the standings. Corberan’s position was also undermined by recent results and performances, ranging from the defeat in Seville to poor showings against Deportivo La Coruña and Barcelona. The coach—whose contract had been extended until 2028 in June—had taken charge of Valencia on December 25, 2024, replacing Ruben Baraja. While he had managed to revive a team in crisis during the second half of the previous season and steer them to safety, he failed to maintain that momentum into the new campaign. At the same time, the sporting structure established by Gourlay—who arrived in May 2025 with the aim of reorganizing the football operations—has also been dismantled. The former executive had chosen to bring in Isei, Gillhaus, Zamora, and Shafei following the departures of Miguel Angel Corona and Carmelo del Pozo. However, poor on-field results and criticism from the fanbase led the club to part ways with the entire group.

Pending the finalization of the new structure, Oscar Sanchez—coach of Valencia Mestalla—will take interim charge of the first team. He is set to make his debut on Tuesday at Mendizorroza against Alavés, while on Sunday Valencia will face Real Sociedad before the international break. It is a decisive week for a club now called upon to start virtually from scratch.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese 15-year-olds have recorded significant declines in reading, mathematics and science, according to the latest PISA international assessment.

Reading suffered the sharpest drop, with Malta’s average score falling by 30 points from 445 in 2022 to 415 in 2025.

Mathematics also declined, from 466 points in 2022 to 439 in 2025, while science fell from 466 to 453.

All three results were below the OECD average, which stood at 463 for mathematics and 463 for science in 2025.

The PISA assessment, organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), measures how well 15-year-olds apply their knowledge in reading, mathematics and science.

A total of 3,680 students from 46 Maltese schools took part, representing around 95 per cent of the country’s 15-year-old population.

The results showed Malta had a lower-than-average proportion of high-performing students and a higher-than-average share of low performers.

PISA uses an international benchmark of 500 points, with results grouped into different skill levels according to the tasks students can complete.

Students sat a two-hour assessment covering two subjects, with different groups receiving different combinations of questions.

The test included both multiple-choice questions and tasks requiring students to construct their own answers.

The OECD report also examined students’ school experiences, including bullying, school resources, digital tools and family support.

It found that 91 per cent of Maltese students had used AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini.

Maltese students reported using AI chatbots more frequently than the OECD average for learning, preliminary research, summarising texts and drafting writing assignments.

Family engagement also declined, with 66 per cent saying parents or guardians asked weekly about their school day in 2025, down from 73 per cent in 2022.

Weekly discussions about school-related problems fell from 58 per cent to 46 per cent.

Meanwhile, 23 per cent of Maltese students said they had been bullied, compared with an OECD average of 20 per cent.

Internationally, Singapore recorded the highest reading scores, while China led in mathematics and science. Rwanda recorded the lowest scores.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Following the crushing 5-0 defeat suffered by Mönchengladbach at Freiburg, the German club—currently bottom of the Bundesliga with zero points after three matchdays (having scored three goals and conceded twelve)—announced this morning the dismissal of head coach Eugen Polanski. A product of the club’s youth system, the 40-year-old former midfielder—whose contract ran until 2028—had taken charge of the team in September 2025, successfully steering them to safety last season (finishing 12th). His assistant, Tobias Trulsen, has also been relieved of his duties.

“Despite a solid pre-season and encouraging signs, the team has failed to achieve the desired results in the Bundesliga,” stated Gladbach sporting director Rouven Schröder. “Recent performances led us to conclude that a change was necessary; we have therefore relieved Eugen of his duties with immediate effect.” Jan-Moritz Lichte (46), the former Mainz coach, will lead the team on an interim basis while the club searches for a new head coach.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS):

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – “I was very pleased with what I saw in the first three matchdays; we deserved more points. But clearly, when you don’t win three games in a row, there are things to improve. And we have done so: we’ve refined certain details, especially defensively. The team is ready to overcome this league position, which is something we aren’t used to. We need points; we need to be closer to the top teams.” Following an excellent Champions League opener—a 6-1 victory over Slovan—Luis Enrique is calling on Paris Saint-Germain to shift gears in Ligue 1, where the team has picked up just two points from three matches.

Despite the slow start, however, tomorrow’s game against Brest will see “rotations across all areas of the pitch compared to the midweek match. This is the most balanced squad I’ve ever had as a coach. If I have three injured players—regardless of the position—I have solutions. Last season, at one point, we had injuries in midfield and struggled. This year, we have the solutions to overcome situations like that,” Luis Enrique assures.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BEIRUT (LEBANON) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A U.S. official stated that the next round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, scheduled to take place in Rome, has been postponed to October. Lebanese media reported the news. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said that although the talks will not be held in September as planned, the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors will meet at the State Department in Washington next week “to discuss ongoing developments and continue implementing” the framework agreement reached in June.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Hansi Flick looks ahead to Barcelona’s next challenge with confidence. On the eve of the match against Levante—part of the fifth round of La Liga—the German coach analyzed the team’s current form, stressing the need to maintain high intensity and continue improving. “We are very happy to be playing at this level, but we know we have to prove it in every match. We are aware of our quality, but we must maintain the right mindset, focus, and intensity,” Flick declared. The coach then defended his decision to continue rotating the squad, a strategy considered crucial in a season packed with closely spaced fixtures: “I have two or three options for every position. Players have to accept that, at times, others will play. We must keep capitalizing on this good run of form.” Flick urged the team to focus exclusively on the Levante match, without looking ahead to future fixtures: “We are in a great moment, but there is still a long way to go. The next match is what matters.” The coach also highlighted the squad’s growth compared to last season, specifically pointing to the performance of the defense and the development of young players like Cubarsí. “It is a balanced squad. Looking at the matches, we are better than last season, both in attack and defense,” he explained.

Finally, Flick clarified that Barcelona’s objective is not limited to the Champions League. The European dream remains alive, but La Liga also holds a significant place in the Blaugrana’s ambitions: “Everyone wants to win the Champions League—it’s our dream—but winning three consecutive league titles is just as important. It would be incredible, even though we still have a long way to go.” According to Flick, success in this challenge will also depend on the team’s ability to manage energy levels and recovery effectively: “There are matches every three days. Recovery, good sleep, and proper nutrition are crucial. We need to help the players get back to their best level.” Responding to praise from Como manager Cesc Fàbregas, Flick preferred to keep his focus on the present: “Did Fàbregas call Barcelona a ‘frightening’ team? I’m impressed by what Cesc is doing; his team is playing excellently, at a very high level. But my attention is focused entirely on the next match. We’re on the right track, but there is still a long way to go before the season ends.”

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ASUNCION (PARAGUAY) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Gustavo Alfaro will serve as Paraguay’s head coach until 2030. Having arrived in 2024, the 64-year-old Argentine manager has extended his contract for the next four years and will be at the helm for the upcoming World Cup, when Paraguay hosts a group-stage match as part of the tournament’s centenary celebrations. At the previous World Cup, La Albirroja reached the Round of 16, eliminating Germany before narrowly losing to France.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Ten years after the air tragedy that claimed the lives of 71 people—including nearly all the Chapecoense players—the Brazilian club and Atlético Nacional will meet on the pitch for a friendly match in memory of the victims. The game is scheduled for September 26 at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín, the home ground of Atlético Nacional.

On November 28, 2016, the plane carrying the Chapecoense delegation to Colombia for the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional ran out of fuel and crashed into a hillside. At the request of the Colombian club, Chapecoense was subsequently declared the winner of the competition. “Two jerseys, a story that transcends football,” the Brazilian club wrote on social media. Both teams wear green and have maintained a special bond since the tragedy. Among the six survivors were three footballers: Alan Ruschel, Neto, and Jakson Follmann.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Nationalist Opposition will present an “Omnibus Bill” containing 10 major reforms aimed at implementing recommendations from the public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The proposals include constitutional protection for journalists, a new offence of obstruction of justice and a legal framework regulating caretaker governments.

PN Leader Alex Borg announced the plans during a meeting with stakeholders, NGOs and civil society organisations ahead of Parliament’s return from its summer recess.

Other measures seek to introduce criminal liability for public officials who deliberately fail to perform their duties, tackle abuse of public authority and unauthorised use of electronic systems, and criminalise participation in mafia-style organisations.

The package would also introduce unexplained wealth orders and strengthen protection against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

Borg said the reforms were intended to rebuild public trust in politicians and state institutions.

He said the PN would focus on comprehensive reform and achieving justice for Caruana Galizia, nine years after her assassination.

Borg said those who commissioned the murder had still not been held accountable, describing the situation as worrying for Malta and Europe.

PN Deputy Leader Alex Perici Calascione said evidence emerging during the murder trial had exposed a serious national reality and undermined trust in institutions.

“We cannot think that after everything that emerged, the country can simply continue with ‘business as usual’,” he said.

Shadow Justice Minister Joe Giglio said the proposed amendments were intended to strengthen the rule of law and restore Malta’s credibility.

The proposals are not yet final, with the PN saying stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide input before the legislation is formally presented.

The initiative follows the government’s rejection of a motion calling for the public inquiry’s recommendations to be implemented by the end of October.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews