The southern Italian city of Naples exploded into what was shaping up to be a long night of celebrations on Thursday as local team Napoli secured their first Serie A soccer title in more than three decades, sweeping away years of disappointment.

Argentine hero Diego Maradona inspired Napoli to its second and last triumph in 1990, but since then, the coveted Scudetto has been won almost exclusively by teams from wealthy northern Italy, such as Juventus, Inter and AC Milan.

Napoli claimed a third crown following a 1-1 draw at mid-table Udinese, giving them an unassailable 16-point lead over second-placed Lazio with only five matches left in the season.

“Yes! We are the champions” supporter Roberto Santoniello told Reuters TV, proudly wearing his club’s shirt while others were screaming, waving flags, lighting flares and firecrackers in the central Trieste and Trento Square.

Udinese are based in Italy’s north-east, more than 800 kilometres away from Naples, so many Napoli fans stayed home and watched the game at their local Maradona stadium, which was specially equipped with eight giant screens.

“Today must be the right day,” one of them, Raffaele Manfredonia, said. Kevin, another fan who declined to give his surname, said of the expected Scudetto party: “It will be chaos, mayhem. We won’t sleep, we won’t work.”

But then he added, with a chuckle: “I am joking”.

The U.S. consulate issued a security alert last week, saying “spontaneous celebrations could last multiple days” and warned of “heavy traffic or road closures, significant use fireworks, and alcohol consumption throughout the city”.

Police had banned fireworks but that did not stop the Neapolitan sky being lit up as soon as the game against Udinese was over. Authorities also banned car and scooter traffic from the city centre in the hope of minimising risk to public order.

“I’ve been waiting for the Napoli Scudetto since I was small,” said a teenage girl out with two friends, her cheeks painted Napoli blue. “It’s a victory for the entire city, it’s wonderful,” she added, declining to give her name.

In Udine, there were post-match scuffles as Napoli fans ran onto the stadium pitch to celebrate with players, but were met by hostile home supporters armed with belts and batons, the ANSA news agency said.

Anti-riot police intervened to break up the fights, and six fans were reported to have sustained non-serious injuries, RAI public television said.

Having enjoyed a stellar season, Neapolitans have been gearing up for weeks for the title celebration, casting aside their usual superstition about claiming victory before it happens.

Streamers, banners, flags, scarves and life-sized cardboard replicas of Napoli’s present-day footballers, including Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, have festooned the city centre.

The late Maradona is also still revered, celebrated on fans’ t-shirts, banners or tattoos, and on a giant mural in Naples’ Miracles Square that has become a major attraction in the countdown to the Scudetto.

Source: Reuters

Hundreds of fans gathered at PSG on Wednesday to protest over the club’s current form and the Messi saga, as the Argentinian superstar’s future at PSG was plunged into doubt following his suspension, after he travelled to Saudi Arabia without the club’s permission.

When Lionel Messi arrived from his beloved Barcelona in 2021, PSG fans hoped he would transform the club into a Champions League powerhouse. But Messi has struggled to reproduce his best form at Qatar-backed Paris – even though he has scored 31 goals in 71 appearances in all competitions.

“We’re fed up with mercenaries! We must sack Messi! We must sack Nasser Al-Khelaifi (the club’s Qatari president),” supporters chanted.

“We are sincerely worried about the future and the sustainability of our club,” the team’s ‘ultras’ supporters said in a statement, adding “is there still a pilot on the plane?”

Meanwhile, several videos posted on Twitter appeared to show a group of supporters, dressed in black gathered in front of the home of Neymar, shouting abuse at their injured Brazilian superstar.

Declining form

This came after Messi was jeered by a section of the PSG support, who see him as a symbol of all the club have done wrong in focusing on superstar signings while failing to build a genuinely competitive team.

Messi’s form since leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar has declined along with that of most of the PSG team.

Their insipid performance against Lorient was a sixth defeat in 17 Ligue 1 matches in 2023.

They remain five points clear of Marseille at the top of the table with five games left, and are therefore still on course for a record 11th French title.

However, they were knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16 by Bayern Munich and also went out of the French Cup at the same stage to Marseille.

A source with knowledge of the disciplinary procedure told AFP that Argentina’s 35-year-old World-Cup winning captain, who is out of contract at the end of the season, would be sidelined for “several days”, while various media in France reported that he would be suspended for two weeks

“He cannot train, cannot play, and will not be paid while disciplinary measures are in place,” the source added.

Another source, also speaking on condition they were not identified, indicated that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner would “probably” be sidelined for a fortnight, noting that “nobody is more important than the club”.

Messi played the whole game in PSG’s 3-1 home defeat by Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

He then travelled to Saudi Arabia to fulfil commercial commitments in his role as a tourism ambassador for the Gulf state.

The Saudi Tourism Authority said in a press release on Wednesday that Messi had “returned to Saudi for a second time, this time with his family” and had been treated to a demonstration of palm weaving and had fed Arabian gazelles.

As a result of the trip, Messi missed a training session scheduled for Monday following the weekend defeat.

The PSG squad were given a day off on Tuesday and Messi did not take part in training on Wednesday either.

‘Fed up with mercenaries’

PSG are due to return to league action away at struggling Troyes on Sunday, a game that Messi may now miss.

If he were to be sidelined for two weeks he would also sit out a home match against Ajaccio on May 13.

The disciplinary measures make the prospect of Messi staying in the French capital after his two-year deal expires at the end of this season even more remote.

Having at one point looked set to extend his stay for another year, a source close to the club told AFP last month that he was now “much more likely” to depart.

Source: AFP

Lionel Messi was suspended by Paris Saint-Germain for taking a trip to Saudi Arabia without the club’s permission, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person would not specify the length of the suspension, though French media reported it to be two weeks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the matter.

A two-week suspension would mean Messi would miss PSG’s next two games. L’Equipe and RMC Sport both reported the suspension without citing sources.

The person told the AP that the World Cup champion won’t be allowed to train or play with the team and won’t be paid during his suspension.

PSG had denied Messi’s request to make the trip, the person said.

Messi has a commercial contract with Saudi Arabia to promote tourism in the Middle Eastern country.

The suspension comes at a delicate time as the French club hopes to extend the Argentine star’s contract beyond this season.

Messi’s trip followed PSG’s surprise 3-1 loss to Lorient on Sunday, leaving the defending champions with a five-point lead over Marseille with five games left in the season. Messi played the full game.

L’Equipe had reported that PSG coach Christophe Galtier pledged to give his players two days off — Monday and Tuesday — if they beat Lorient. Instead, the team trained on Monday and had Tuesday off.

The forward joined PSG from Barcelona two years ago, and there has been speculation about where he would play next.

Source: AP

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said he was sad to see Chelsea’s slump this season, ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday.

The Italian coach led the Blues between 2009-2011, winning a Premier League and FA Cup double in 2010.

Chelsea, 11th in the Premier League, sacked coach Graham Potter at the start of April and hired their former coach Frank Lampard on an interim basis.

“I am sad, yes,” Ancelotti told a news conference on Tuesday before the first leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“I have a fantastic memory of this club, of the people that are still working there.

“I’m a supporter of Chelsea, of course, because I spent two really nice years there.”

Ancelotti, who has a year left to run on his contract with Madrid, said he did not see himself returning to Stamford Bridge for a second stint in charge.

“Be back? No, I hope that Lampard is able to do a fantastic job with them,” added Ancelotti.

The Real Madrid coach did not think his extra years of experience compared to Lampard, whom he managed at Chelsea, would make the difference in the tie.

“He has 20 years less experience, but that will not change what will happen in the game,” continued Ancelotti.

“He was a fantastic player, extraordinary, he knows very well what can happen in these games but experience, in these matches, I don’t think counts for much.

“He arrived at the club a week ago, with a lot of players that he already knew, I think he’ll do well in the time that he’s at Chelsea.”

Madrid, who won the Champions League last season, are looking to lift the trophy for the sixth time in 10 seasons.

Ancelotti said midfielder Fede Valverde was training well, despite the storm brewing around him in recent days.

Spanish reports say he punched Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena after their La Liga clash on Saturday.

Baena said he had reported a Real Madrid player to police after being attacked following his team’s 3-2 win over the Spanish and European champions.

“He was motivated today, like the rest of them, he trained well, I know him very well,” said Ancelotti.

“He has a special human quality, extraordinary, and about what happened, I don’t want to speak about it, but I’m sure tomorrow he’ll give everything, as always.”

Real Madrid defender David Alaba also showed his backing for his team-mate.

“He’s (doing) very good, he’s got all the support from us for sure,” Alaba told reporters.

“He’s training well, he looks sharp and focused for the game tomorrow, but I can’t say more about those things that happened.”

Source: AFP

Several thousand Barcelona fans at Camp Nou chanted Lionel Messi’s name in the 10th minute of the Copa del Rey semi-final Clasico on Wednesday.

The Barcelona club legend and all-time top goalscorer, currently at Paris Saint-Germain, is likely to leave the French side at the end of his contract in June, a club source told AFP on Tuesday.

Some fans sung Messi’s name outside the stadium before the clash with Real Madrid and many joined in after 10 minutes of the match, representing the Argentine’s shirt number at Barca.

“Messi is living history at Barcelona, he’s the best player in the history of football,” said sporting director Mateu Alemany before the Clasico on Wednesday.

“He’s at PSG fighting for titles and we are fighting for ours. In the future we’ll see what happens.”

World Cup winner Messi, who will turn 36 in June, joined PSG in 2021 on a two-year deal which expires at the end of this campaign.

The forward has been whistled in recent weeks by some of PSG’s own fans in Paris, frustrated at the club’s Champions League elimination by Bayern Munich.

His form has dipped since he led Argentina to glory at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year, with some seeing him as a symbol of PSG’s mistakes in signing star names at the expense of building a competitive team.

Barcelona have been openly courting Messi, hoping to persuade the forward to return to the Camp Nou two years after he left the club where he won four Champions League titles.

Messi left Barcelona when the club could not afford to renew his contract.

“I would love it if he returned,” Barca vice-president Rafael Yuste said last week as he admitted there had been “contact” with Messi.

Source: AFP

Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the interest of the Brazilian national team in hiring him and his excitement at the prospect, but said Saturday he wanted to fulfil his contract with Real Madrid.

The Italian said the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) want him to replace Tite, after the coach stepped down following the Selecao’s World Cup 2022 surprise quarter-final exit, with Ramon Menezes currently in charge on an interim basis.

Ancelotti’s contract with Real Madrid ends in June 2024 and the veteran Italian, 63, says he will respect his deal with the Spanish champions.

“Yes, the reality is that the Brazilian national team want me, I love that and it excites me,” Ancelotti told a news conference.

“After that, you have to respect the contract, a contract that I want to see out.”

Ancelotti said he is happy at Real Madrid in his second spell at the club, but that nobody knows what could happen in the future.

“Everyone can say what they want, and then there’s the reality,” added Ancelotti.

“In my case, it’s quite simple. I have a contract and I want to see it out, because I like Real Madrid, I like this club and anything that can happen after that is in the future, and nobody knows the future.”

Madrid are currently second in La Liga, trailing leaders Barcelona by 12 points.

Ancelotti’s side host Real Valladolid on Sunday in the top flight before facing Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg on Wednesday.

Source: AFP

European football’s governing body UEFA said on Thursday it was launching an investigation into claims Barcelona paid for favourable refereeing decisions.

UEFA said its ethics and disciplinary inspectors would probe “a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework by FC Barcelona in connection with the so-called ‘Caso Negreira'”, referring to the Spanish league’s former refereeing chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

Barcelona have already been charged with corruption by Spanish prosecutors for payments between 2001 and 2018 to a company owned by Negreira, totalling around 7.3 million euros ($7.95 million).

The club say they were paying for reports and advice on refereeing but prosecutors have accused the club of seeking to gain favourable decision-making from officials.

Charges were filed earlier this month against the club, Negreira and two former Barcelona presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, among others.

Negreira, a former referee, was the vice president of the refereeing committee of the Spanish football federation between 1994 and 2018.

The investigation began after Spain’s tax authorities identified irregularities in tax payments made between 2016 and 2018 by the company Dasnil 95, owned by Negreira.

Dasnil 95 reportedly received payments from Barcelona between those years.

The last invoice was issued in June 2018. After that the refereeing committee was restructured and Negreira left the organisation.

Joan Laporta, the current Barcelona president, has insisted his club is innocent.

“Let it be clear Barca have never bought referees and Barca have never had the intention of buying referees, absolutely never,” he said.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has previously said Barcelona faced no immediate danger because the governing bodies of Spanish, European and world football all have five-year statutes of limitations.

On the criminal level, the accused could face up to four years in prison.

The case has caused tensions between Barcelona and old rivals Real Madrid, with the latter’s president, Florentino Perez, not travelling to the Camp Nou for last weekend’s Clasico, which was won by the Catalans.

Real Madrid have confirmed they will appear in the case as an “injured party” to defend their interests.

Relations between the two rival clubs seemed to be improving of late, as they looked to launch a European Super League project together in 2021 and remain set on the idea.

Source: AFP

Kylian Mbappe has succeeded the retired Hugo Lloris as France captain, a source close to the team told AFP on Monday.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe, 24, accepted the proposal after discussions with Coach Didier Deschamps earlier in the day.

Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris brought an end to his international career in January after losing the World Cup final a month earlier.

Lloris, 36, had been skipper for more than a decade.

Atletico Madrid attacker Antoine Griezmann was named vice-captain after Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane also hung up his boots following the defeat to Argentina in December.

Mbappe, who has played 66 times for his country, had been heavily linked with the role for weeks and scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final loss after helping Les Bleus to the title in 2018.

The former Monaco attacker is vice-captain at PSG behind Brazil’s Marquinhos and led the side in the defender’s absence during Sunday’s loss to Rennes.

His first game as captain will be Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against the Netherlands at the Stade de France.

Source: AFP

Ireland’s U17 side are off to the European Championship finals after a dramatic finish to their qualifying campaign today, a superb 3-2 win over Cyprus sealed with a stoppage time goal from Bohemians prospect Nickson Okosun.

Having played out a 2-2 draw with Italy and earned a 3-0 win over Ukraine in the first two games of the Elite round of qualification, Colin O’Brien’s side went into the final game, against qualifying tournament hosts Cyprus, aware that a win would seal qualification while they could still make the finals in the event of a draw.

Ireland trailed 1-0 at half time, drew level on 62 minutes through Luke Kehir but fell behind again.

Shamrock Rovers man Naj Razi scored on 82 minutes to make it 2-2.

Okosun came on for Kehit in added time and scored in the 96th minute to give Ireland that 3-2 and a place in the finals, which will be held in Hungary from May 17th to June 2nd.

Source: Independent.ie