Sports

Napoli’s Nightmare Continues After Crumbling At Torino

Published

2 years ago

January 7, 2024

Napoli plunged deeper into crisis on Sunday after crashing to a 3-0 defeat at Torino which ended with fiery protests from fans and humiliation for the troubled Serie A champions.

Furious supporters launched flares onto the pitch at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino during the latest embarrassing loss which left Napoli languishing in ninth place.

Last season’s historic Scudetto has now been forgotten as Napoli sink further into the abyss with each passing week, their third defeat in four matches in all competitions fully deserved after a shambolic display in Turin.

Without Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, Walter Mazzarri’s side failed to score for the fourth straight match and are completely unrecognisable from the team which charged to title glory last term.

“We have to apologise to the fans for the performance… we’re trying to find ways to stimulate the team and get back to some sort of normality,” said Napoli’s sporting director Mauro Meluso.

Meluso spoke to DAZN after a series of post-match summits with Mazzarri and the team, and insisted that the coach — who was suspended for Sunday’s match — would not be sacked.

“I, the club and the team have total faith in the coach, so we’re not having thoughts in that direction,” he added.

Mazzarri was brought in to clean up the mess left by predecessor Rudi Garcia but Napoli are now a full 20 points behind league leaders Inter Milan and closer to the relegation zone than the top of the table.

Antonio Sanabria got the ball rolling two minutes before the break when he scored from close range, and things went from bad to worse in the 50th minute when debutant Pasquale Mazzocchi was sent off for a wild challenge on Valentino Lazaro.

Mazzocchi, who signed from Salernitana on Friday, had only been on the field since the start of the second half and two minutes later Nikola Vlasic doubled Torino’s lead with a brilliant low strike from outside the area.

Napoli were all over the place and they should have been three down just after the hour mark when Sanabria hit the post and Duvan Zapata somehow didn’t finish on the rebound.

However Alessandro Buongiorno made sure of an emphatic victory in the 66th minute when he thumped a bullet header past Pierluigi Gollini.

– Milan cruise –

A sumptuous early strike from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Olivier Giroud’s 31st minute penalty set third-placed AC Milan on the way to a 3-0 win at Empoli which was sealed by Chaka Traore with two minutes remaining.

Missing a host of players to injury and the Africa Cup of Nations, Milan took advantage of their closest rivals for the top four dropping points.

Stefano Pioli’s team are six points ahead of fourth-placed Fiorentina who lost 1-0 at Sassuolo on Saturday, and a further point in front of Bologna in fifth following their draw at Genoa.

Milan have had a bumpy campaign riddled with injuries and questions over Pioli’s future but Sunday’s win was their fifth in six matches in all competitions.

“We went through a bit of a difficult period… We never listened to what other people were saying, we got down to hard work and that’s why we won today,” said Theo Hernandez, who was again deputising at centre-back.

France international Hernandez is a buccaneering left-back by trade but has been forced to move to the centre of defence by an injury crisis which has left Pioli without defenders Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw and Pierre Kalulu.

“It’s in the difficult moments that you learn if people have given up on you, and that wasn’t the case here,” said Pioli.

“When things don’t go well we stay together and we give each other a hand.”

Milan trail city rivals Inter by nine points and are four behind second-placed Juventus, who play Salernitana later on Sunday.

Lazio warmed up for their midweek derby with Roma in the Italian Cup quarter-finals by winning 2-1 at Udinese and moving up to sixth.

Sports

AFCON 2025: Lookman Scores Winner As Super Eagles Start Campaign With 2–1 Victory Over Tanzania

Published

2 days ago

December 23, 2025

Editor

Ademola Lookman scored what proved to be the decisive goal as Nigeria beat Tanzania 2-1 in their opening game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles came into the match as heavy favourites to win and dominated the opening exchanges.

After coming close a few times, the three-time champions took the lead through Semi Ajayi.

The ball was recycled following a corner-kick, before Alex Iwobi crossed it into the area for Ajayi to head home.

Tanzania equalized after Charles M’Mombwa found himself unmarked inside the area.

But two minutes later, Nigeria struck the winner through Lookman, who took a few touches and finished with his left foot.

Sports

JUST IN: Dembélé Named FIFA Best Men’s Player, Bonmatí Wins Women’s Award

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2025

Editor

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé has been awarded the FIFA Best Men’s Player for 2025, following a season in which he contributed significantly to both his club and the France national team.

Dembélé, known for his pace, creativity, and goal-scoring ability, played a central role in Paris Saint-Germain’s campaigns across domestic and European competitions. His performances for the national team also helped France secure notable results in international fixtures.

Speaking on the recognition, Dembélé said, “It is a great honour to receive this award. I could not have achieved this without my teammates at PSG and in the national team, whose support has been invaluable.”

In the women’s category, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was named FIFA Best Women’s Player for 2025. Bonmatí was influential in Barcelona’s domestic and European campaigns, providing leadership, vision, and creativity in midfield. She also played a key role in Spain’s international successes.

“This award reflects the hard work of my teammates and coaches,” Bonmatí said. “I am grateful for their guidance and support throughout the season.”

The announcements reaffirm FIFA’s recognition of individual excellence in football while highlighting the contributions of players to both club and country.

Sports

Court Fixes Date To Hear Sala Compensation Dispute

Published

2 weeks ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

A commercial court examining the long-running dispute between Cardiff City and French club Nantes over compensation for the death of Emiliano Sala in a plane crash said Monday it would give its decision on March 30 next year.

Sala, a 28-year-old Argentine striker, died when the light aircraft taking him to the Welsh capital came down in the English Channel on January 21, 2019, two days after he had signed for the then-Premier League side. He and pilot David Ibbotson were killed.

The Welsh club took the case to the Nantes commercial court in 2023 to claim compensation for loss of income and other damages suffered by the club as a result of the player’s death.

Following an analysis conducted by an expert appointed by Cardiff City, the club estimated their losses at over 120 million euros ($139.5 million). Lawyers for both clubs made their cases at Monday’s hearing.

The Welsh club argue that Nantes, through their intermediary, agent Willie McKay, were the organisers of the private flight on which the footballer was travelling and that, if the transfer was effective at the time of the accident according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it is the organisation of this flight that is at issue.

Cardiff City’s lawyer, Olivier Loizon, told the court Monday, Willie McKay “could not have been unaware of the illegality of the flight”, and argued that the agent had acted with “negligence”.

“Whatever the ultimate cause of the accident, (Sala) should not have been on the flight,” he added.

Nantes’ lawyer, Jerome Marsaudon, insisted Monday the only agent authorised by the club in connection with the transfer was Mark McKay, the son of Willie McKay.

The elder McKay “was simply helping his son, given his extensive experience”, the lawyer said.

“It is sad to see that Cardiff have exploited this tragedy and turned it into a genuine legal farce,” he added. “Nothing in this case justifies holding FC Nantes liable.”

Prior to the start of the hearing, a Nantes representative said the club “have no doubt that Cardiff’s claims will be rejected outright, just like all the others”.

In another case related to the dispute between the two clubs, CAS ruled in 2022 that Sala’s transfer had definitely been finalised at the time of his death.

In 2023, world football’s governing body FIFA ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes the balance of Sala’s transfer fee, which at the time amounted to just over 11 million euros out of a total of 17 million euros.