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In the world of football, Al-Ittihad has signed the Argentine Marcelo Gallardo as the new manager of the club for a contract that runs until 2025. Football presenter Joe Morrison hit at Mukesh Ambani and his family for gifting a cricket jersey to David Beckham during the latter's visit to India. Paul McNamee shares his disappointment with ATP for laying a quick surface where Novak Djokovic achieved an easy win over Carlos Alcaraz during the World Tour Finals 2023.
A lot more happened in the sporting world in the last 24 hours, and we have covered all of it in our sports wrap. Have a read.
Football
Al-Ittihad sign Marcelo Gallardo as their new manager
Al-Ittihad, the reigning Saudi Pro League champions, have signed the former Argentine international, Marcelo Gallardo, as their new manager for a contract until 2025, replacing the former boss Nuno Espirito Santo. The 47-year-old, who guided River Plate to a league title in the 2020-21 season, is going to manage the star-studded lineup of Al-Ittihad, which includes the captain Karim Benzema, Fabinho, and N’Golo Kante, among others.
Didier Deschamps praises Kylian Mbappe after France registers 14-0 win
After France registered a thumping win of 14-0 against a 10-man Gibraltar in their UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifier, the manager Didier Deschamps praised the captain Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick on the night. He was quoted as saying, “In his role as captain, he (Kylian Mbappe) is perfect. He is an extraordinary player. Everything. He can bring in serenity to the group, not only on the field.”
Inter Miami to offer David de Gea new contract: Reports
David de Gea, the Spanish goalkeeper, who is currently a free agent, is reportedly getting a contract offer from Inter Miami to join the Major League Soccer (MLS) next summer. As per the report from the Daily Star, the 33-year-old is considering a number of potential moves, including one from Inter Miami to join the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi in the USA.
Luka Modric decides to move to Saudi Pro League next summer: Reports
Luka Modric, the Croatian midfielder, has reportedly decided to move to the Saudi Pro League next summer after his contract with Real Madrid runs out, according to a report from the Sport. The 38-year-old, who has enjoyed a glittering 12-year career with the Galacticos, could close out his footballing journey in Saudi Arabia if the proposed €120 million contract for three years goes through.
Joe Morrison hits out at Mukesh Ambani and family for their gift to David Beckham
Football presenter Joe Morrison hit out at Mukesh Ambani and his family for their gift to former footballer David Beckham. Beckham visited India as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF during the ODI World Cup 2023. The former English footballer visited Gujarat before he was hosted by Mukesh Ambani and his family. He was gifted a Mumbai Indians jersey, to which Joe Morrison hit out at the Ambanis.
Morrison took to Twitter to say, "Why have the Ambani's given him a Cricket shirt? Why not a @MumbaiCityFC shirt for example?"
Sergio Ramos hits back at trollers for not signing Real Madrid shirts
Spanish footballer Sergio Ramos hit back at trollers after receiving criticism for not signing Real Madrid shirts. Recently, a video emerged on social media where the footballer could be seen signing jerseys for fans. However, he refused to sign a Real Madrid shirt, drawing criticism from fans on social media. However, the veteran quickly defended himself and explained why he refused to sign the Real Madrid jersey.
Jack Grealish interacts with specially-abled fan at Wembley Stadium after England’s victory over Malta
England football star Jack Grealish interacted with a specially-abled wheelchair-bound fan after their 2-0 victory over Malta in EURO Qualifiers. Grealish, an unused substitute for the Euro 2024 qualifier at Wembley, took time to speak to journalism student Jack Horn in the mixed zone. England locked horns with Malta in an EURO Qualifier match on November 18, Saturday (IST), and secured a 2-0 win.
Some major results in football are as under:
UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying
France 14-0 Gibraltar
Netherlands 1-0 Ireland
Latvia 0-2 Croatia
Israel 1-2 Romania
Switzerland 1-1 Kosovo
International Friendlies
Germany 2-3 Turkey
CAF World Cup 2026 Qualifying
Senegal 4-0 South Sudan
South Africa 2-1 Benin
FIFA Under-17 Men’s World Cup 2023
Burkina Faso 1-0 South Korea
USA 0-3 France
Germany 3-0 Venezuela
New Zealand 0-4 Mexico
Tennis
ATP have themselves to blame: Paul McNamee on Novak Djo kovic’s win over Carlos Alcaraz in ATP Finals 2023 semifinal
Paul McNamee found the ATP Finals 2023 semifinal clash between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz disappointing. After Djokovic’s 6-3, 6-2 win over Alcaraz, McNamee said, "6-3 6-2 was a masterclass by Djokovic over Alcaraz, the second-best player in the world. Ultimately though an anti-climax…. but ATP have themselves to blame by laying such a quick surface…imo not a way to showcase the two best players.”
F1
Max Verstappen wins Las Vegas Grand Prix
Max Verstappen, the reigning two-time F1 world champion from Red Bull, has won the Las Vegas Grand Prix after getting a five-second time penalty for forcing Charles Leclerc off the track. The action-packed race at the Las Vegas Street Circuit saw a lot of incidents and Safety Car periods, but at the very end, the 26-year-old managed to pip Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and his fellow teammate Sergio Perez to register his 18th victory of the 2023 season.
Others
AIFF to introduce VAR in domestic competitions from 2025-26 season: Reports
The All India Football Federation is likely to introduce a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in domestic club competitions from the 2025-26 season. The introduction of VAR will bring a revolution in the decision-making process in both the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League. The acting secretary general of All India Football Federation, M Satyanarayan dropped hints about the potential introduction of VAR in domestic games.
