Slider1
Slider2
Slider3
Slider4
previous arrow
next arrow

News

Assaulting referees in Italy could lead to prison time

Images courtesy of Getty

In Italy, those who violently abuse match officials could receive a time prison sentence.

On Friday, the Italian government made a change to its penal code to give match officials the same legal protection as police and other government officials.

As a result of the law change, who increased the number of referee assault cases, could face much harsher penalties for beating, punching, or threatening match officials.

“Sport is sharing and loyalty. According to junior justice minister Andrea Ostellari, those who don’t accept it are warned that violent behavior and aggression toward referees will be punished immediately and even be sent to prison.

Since December, the government has been in contact with the ISRA (Italians Soccer Referees Association).

In protest of the increase in abuse that Serie A referees in that month wore black smudges on their cheeks during matches to highlight the situation.

Referee Diego Alfonzetti, 19, was attacked last year in a youth game in Sicily.

related subjects

  • Football in Europe
  • Football

FIRST 11: Messi Not Friends With Ronaldo, Chelsea’s Loss At CWC + Other Stories That Shaped Sports This Week

Football fans may have come to an end, but the sports world may not have been completely quiet during this week. &nbsp,

Some of the discussions revolve around transfer rumors, but the Club World Cup, preparations for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), and a rekindled rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, also made headlines in the last seven days. &nbsp,

This week’s edition of First Eleven will feature a recap of the most talked-about sports headlines of the week and other topics that have shaped discussions.

Ronaldo and I have no connection, Messi.

The long-running conflict between Ronaldo and Messi resurfaced in football this week. &nbsp,

Ronaldo and Messi have drawn comparisons between themselves, stoking heated debates among the fans. Many people consider them to be the greatest footballers to have ever played the game. &nbsp,

Messi claimed that despite having a close relationship with the Portuguese maestro, he is not friends with him. &nbsp,

“The pitch was in the fight with him,” he said. Everything stayed on the field, of course, as always. We are two normal people, Messi told DSsport in an interview.

We are not friends, and we don’t get together, he says. But he claimed that we have always treated each other with respect.

Fans have been debating who is the best football player since his comment once more. No one else comes close to Messi and Ronaldo in terms of winning the Ballon d’Or, which Messi holds just three of. &nbsp,

The Super Falcons are preparing for WAFCON with the addition of a 24-person team for the event scheduled for next month in Morocco, far from Ronaldo and Messi’s conflict. &nbsp,

For WAFCON battle, Nigeria Names Plumptre, Oshoala.

After missing for months, flamboyant defender Ashleigh Plumptre is returning to the side. &nbsp,

The team, which consists of a mix of experience and youth, was unveiled on Friday, roughly two weeks before Morocco’s participation in the World Cup of Africa. Asisat Oshoala, the record African Player of the Year winner, was as expected to be on the list, along with veteran Francisca Ordega, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, captain Rasheedat Ajibade, and Osinachi Ohale.

The Moroccan edition of the WAFCON will take place on July 5 through July 26.

Bayern scuttle Auckland City, PSG Stunned At Club World Cup

In a difficult fight between the reigning champions of Europe and South America, Paris Saint-Germain suffered a shocking defeat to Brazilian side Botafogo.

Igor Jesus’ first-half goal at the Pasadena Rose Bowl sealed Botafogo’s all-but-selection in front of a 53, 699-person crowd that was the difference. &nbsp,

After a fantastic season that ended with a stunning 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final last month, PSG, the reigning champion of France, is widely regarded as one of the favorites for FIFA’s 32-team competition. However, their hopes of winning would have been crushed by the resilient performances of their Rio de Janeiro opponents, who would have made them the first team to advance to the last 16.

In a Group C opener, one of the heaviest defeats in the competition, New Zealand part-timers Auckland City were down by 10-nil by German champions Bayern Munich. The Club World Cup also featured a successful opening for Palmeiras, Chelsea, and Manchester City. &nbsp,

In a game in which Nicolas Jackson received a late red card on Friday, Chelsea were defeated 3-1 by Flamengo of Brazil. &nbsp,

In the EPL opener weekend, Arsenal and Man United square off.

The Premier League’s future is shaping up for the US as the Club World Cup battlerages continue. The upcoming campaign’s fixtures were released earlier this week, and the opening weekend fixture featured a mouthwatering clash between Manchester United and Arsenal, setting the tone for what will be a fascinating season. Here are the full 2025/26 season fixtures. &nbsp,

Osimhen Shines in Turkey

Victor Osimhen, a Nigerian forward, won the Goal of the Season award in Turkey. The Super Lig’s Goal of the Season award was made for the striker’s overhead kick in Galatasaray’s 3-0 victory over Antalyaspor in October 2024. &nbsp,

Osimhen defeated his teammate Kaan Ayhan (34.2%) with a vote of 65.8% of the vote cast, which was a dismal majority. &nbsp,

Why Are EPL Teams Concerned About Osimhen & Orstein?

Premier League clubs are said to be hesitant to sign the Nigerian despite his excellent form in Turkey and reports that point to him to a significant move. &nbsp,

According to football journalist David Orstein, “The biggest sticking point for the Premier League club so far seems to be, one, the salary expectations, and two, maybe he’s not the right person for them… in terms of age, where he fits into the team, and the dressing room,”

Expect more about Osimhen, who is on loan from Napoli, with the transfer window still months away. &nbsp,

Senegal’s women’s basketball team is denied visas by the US.

In the interim, Washington tightens border controls and reportedly considers extending the travel ban, according to Dakar officials, who claim the United States has rejected multiple visa applications for Senegal women’s basketball players who were scheduled to practice in America.

Some athletes and fans who intend to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games in the United States are confounded by the tense border situation. According to a memo from the internal administration, the United States is considering enegal as one of the 36 nations that are included in the travel ban that prohibits entry to its territory.

Sabalenka apologizes to Gauff

Aryna Sabalenka apologized for statements she made after losing to Coco Gauff earlier in June in the French Open final. &nbsp,

Gauff won her first French Open title after coming back from a set down to defeat Sabalenka in three sets at Roland-Garros. &nbsp,

The 27-year-old described the loss as “the worst final I’ve ever played” in a press interview following the loss. She played so well, but I don’t believe she won because I made those errors, not because she did.

The Belarusian, however, claimed on Tuesday that the remarks were “simply completely unprofessional of me.” &nbsp,

I follow my feelings as I go. She continued, “I completely regret what I said back then.”

Oliseh sneers at Super Eagles’ foreign coaches.

Sunday Oliseh, a former Super Eagles coach and player, made headlines during the week for criticizing the senior male national team’s use of a foreign manager. &nbsp,

Oliseh stated on Channels Television’s Sunday Sports that he opposed having foreigners manage the Super Eagles. &nbsp,

The former team captain believes that some skilled local coaches can take the place of the team’s current leader. &nbsp,

Because we have qualified Nigerians who can perform that job, he said, “I am totally opposed to that role not being handed over to a Nigerian.” &nbsp,

Eric Chelle, a former Mali international of French descent, was appointed in January to succeed Augustine Eguavoen, who had been in an interim capacity.

Amusan wins the Diamond League season by clocks

Tobi Amusan, the world record holder, won the 2025 Diamond League in Paris, breaking the season’s best time of 12.24 seconds to finish in second place in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Amusan set a new record for the second-fastest time ever, surpassing her 2022 world record of 12.12 seconds.

Aruna Quadri Drops WTT Tourney

In the end, Japan’s Shunsuke Togami defeated Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna in the round of 32, giving him a premature exit from the 2025 WTT Star Contender in Ljubljana, Slovenia. &nbsp,

Togami won the game 3–2 (8–11, 11–9, 11–7, 5–11, 11–5) to move into the next round of the tournament. &nbsp,

In a further 32 game round, the Japanese star will face his fellow countryman and second-seed Tomokazu Harimoto, who defeated Spaniard Alvaro Robles 3-1 (93), 7-11, 11-7, 12-10).

Alison Hammond defended by fans after truly toxic comment from social media troll

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article35276743.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/1_This-Mornings-Alison-Hammond-nearly-set-kitchen-on-fire-with-easy-to-make-air-fryer-mistake.jpg

Alison Hammond, the star of This Morning, was shocked when a social media troll made offensive remarks about her, but her fans quickly backed her.

Alison Hammond came under attack from an online troll(Image: ITV)

Alison Hammond was defended by her fans after coming under a brutal attack from an online troll. The 50-year-old TV host has been in the spotlight for decades after first finding fame on Big Brother in 2002.

Since then, she has a successful hosting career on a small screen, winning broadcast roles on Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off and ITV’s This Morning. Alison has received fan support and adoration as her workload has increased.

She has even made a name on an international front as her light hearted interviews with major Hollywood stars have gone viral, making her recognisable to many around the world. However, her increased profile has also attracted negative comments and Alison has at times been the victim of toxic online comments.

Alison has a sizable following on social media, with almost 440, 000 people raving about her content on X alone. A video clip from 2021 that shows her casually sitting on a slow-moving mini tractor is at the top of her feed.

“Rolling into My Holidays” is a caption that comes with it! along with an emoji-faced shade. Unexpectedly, a fellow user yelled foul on the star on Friday, saying, “We switch channels whenever we see you on TV because you are so fat and repulsive with a huge mouth.”

Alison Hammond came under attack from an online troll
The TV star was defended by her fans(Image: Alison Hammond/Instagram)
Continue reading the article.

Alison tweeted the post in response, tweeting it, and simply wrote, “Wow!” in shock . Alison quickly found herself on the receiving end of encouraging messages as many fans rallied around her and gave her compliments despite the initial message being cruel.

Extremely rude and mean, one person wrote in response. I adore seeing you, you shine when the bakers are a little stressed out and upset, and you take care of them. Additionally, it was epic when the counter fell off.

Another phrase was written in response to the following: “Alison, you know how special and fantastic you are one of life’s gems, one of which always wants to make people smile, and these disgusting people are not worth airtime to watch as you keep being you xx love you baba.”

And another revealed they often turn to classic clips of the former reality star to help boost their mood, writing: “Their loss! I watch reels of you to pick me up, the Harrison Ford & Ryan Reynolds interview is legendary.”

Alison Hammond.
Alison Hammond defended by fans after truly toxic comment from social media troll(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for #Merky)

Alison revealed last month that she takes pride in the TV work she does and that some of her listeners have benefited from her interviews.

She stated to The Times, “It’s really important to have a little bit of happiness and relief in your life.” Brilliant, I say, if I succeed in taking the mickey out of a big star in an interview, as I did with Harrison Ford and Hugh Jackman.

The TV star continued, stating that fans have informed her of how much they have benefited. She continued, “I frequently receive letters from people who claim to be close to suicide before they watch one of my interviews.”

She also discussed how exercise has benefitted her own mental well-being. She explained that if I’m not filming, I’ll usually do some heavy lifting at the gym before my son [Aidan] awakens.

Continue reading the article.

I’ve been lifting weights for ten years, and I can deadlift 65 kg. It helps my mental well-being and osteoporosis prevention. You must remain on top of things.

‘I was on The Chase Celebrity Special – you’re thrust into an alien environment’

https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article35428902.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/0_Image.jpg

Judge Jules, a well-known DJ, has revealed his involvement with his appearance on The Chase’s Celebrity Specia, which saw a historic victory for him and his co-stars.

Judge Jules had a special connection to Elstree Studios(Image: Supplied)

Judge Jules has revealed that the pressure was eased slightly during his appearance on The Chase Celebrity special, thanks to his connection with the studio. The renowned DJ appeared on the ITV special last year alongside other famous faces, including Lesley Joseph, Jenni Falconer and Patrick Kielty.

In the heated fights, the group eventually faced Shaun “The Dark Destroyer” Wallace, but ultimately all four celebrities were cast together in the finale. They won the battle of Wallace in the final round, winning with a sum of $ 200, 000 to be divided between their chosen charities.

But while some may crumble under the intense pressure of the ITV game show, lawyer and DJ Judge Jules, 58, admits that he didn’t feel too pressured due to a connection with the studios where the show is filmed. “I’m not nervous in my normal activities, before I go on the decks or anything else related to the music business,” he exclusively told the Mirror.

Judge Jules appeared on The Chase last year alongside a string of famous names
Judge Jules appeared on The Chase last year alongside a string of famous names(Image: ITV)

The Londoner went on to add: “It was a little bit nervy because it’s such an unfamiliar environment. The weird thing was, it’s filmed in Elstree Studios where EastEnders is filmed, or it was when I did it anyway. My dad (Shaun O’Riordan) worked there his entire working life, so I’d been to those studios multiple times – my dad was a TV director so I think maybe that eased off the pressure a little bit.”

It’s fast-paced, you meet three people you’ve never met before, all of you are there for a common purpose, it’s quite comedial backstage, but it’s more like an alien environment, according to Jules, who will be DJing across the UK and Balerics this summer.

Continue reading the article.

It becomes more agitated when you’re experienced in one area and are suddenly thrust into an alien environment. We made a ton of money for charity, which was fantastic. It was £200, 00, so it was quite a lot. Fans can catch Judge Jules, the nephew of Rick Stein, at Tom Kerridge’s Pub In The Park Festival, Foodies, and dates throughout Ibiza and Sheffield’s 90s Fest at Don Valley Bowl this year.

The world-renowned DJ will be performing across the country this summer
The world-renowned DJ will be performing across the country this summer(Image: Supplied)

He said, “I’ve attended a number of food-focused festivals. He continued, “I believe the key difference between DJing and the sound stage is that it’s more about what’s happening around the edges.” It’s one of those situations where, as a DJ, I might show up an hour early, do my set, and then likely leave quickly if I have somewhere else to go, but I would make the most of it because there is so much more to do.

After participating in a “very comedic” live cooking demonstration on the stage last year, Jules explained that he had some issues. He and his wife competed on a cocktail-making stage just before he took the stage himself last summer. He joked that it was a special day out.

Away from his music career, Jules is the world's only active entertainment lawyer and artist
Away from his music career, Jules is the world’s only active entertainment lawyer and artist(Image: Supplied)

He said, “It’s the ideal thing to do for the more senior music business person.” Such a varied experience. There are more than just food stands; there is also comedy and music as well. He said, “It’s a different immersive action at a festival, dance, music, with Reading and Leeds Festivals bringing the Chevron Stage back,” in response to dance music taking center stage at festivals this year. I have no idea what it sells, and I’m the best salesperson for it. I’ve been on a lot of dance floors, and I’m truly institutionalized.

It’s fair to say that Jules has had his fair share of odd moments despite having worked in the sector since the 1980s. One clubber flew up to the decks and stole the record before running back through the crowd while the record was actually playing, which is a memory that sticks to him from the vinyl era.

However, his most notable accomplishment is performing a task for himself, which he would pay for. He continued, “I will always pay attention to how fortunate I am.” He continued, “Anyone who has had some fortunate breaks along the way, regardless of whether they choose to admit it or not, will have had some lucky breaks.” And I’m incredibly humbled and appreciative of what I do. Unfortunately, there are many people who don’t enjoy what they do to support themselves.

Jules, however, stated that he had a “slow trajectory” to his success at the age of 16 when he first began. He does, however, have contacts with musicians who have already achieved worldwide fame in their early careers, and he acknowledges that this can be a “challenging process.”

Julius O’Riordan is the only active artist and entertainment lawyer in the country despite his music career, which primarily focuses on electronic music. He said, “It’s a very distinctive viewpoint.” Julia continued, “You need to be a little bit selfish to be successful artists, at least not to a really intolerable degree.

The tables are completely turned when it comes to hiring an entertainment lawyer, despite my work experience in the music business having a lot of work as a lawyer. They don’t care about my war stories, they care about how my experience can be reflected in the guidance I give them, which, in my opinion, has been really beneficial for me personally.

Continue reading the article.

Sick Mbappe Out Of Second Real Madrid Club World Cup Clash

https://www.channelstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/mbappe-2.jpg

Kylian Mbappe, a club source, will not travel to Charlotte for the team’s Club World Cup game against Pachuca, the team’s official source told AFP on Saturday.

After suffering gastroenteritis, the French superstar was taken to a hospital on Thursday for tests and treatment before being released.

Mbappe is “progressing,” according to the club source, but he won’t travel with his team-mates to Pachuca on Sunday.

Amusan Posts Season’s Best Time in Paris Diamond League is available to read as well.

On February 19, 2025, Real Madrid’s French forward #9 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the winning goal in the Champions League play-off game between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP)

In Xabi Alonso’s first season as coach, the 26-year-old was ruled out of the opening game due to an illness that caused Madrid to lose 1-1 to Al-Hilal.

Gonzalo Garcia, a 21-year-old member of the Madrid B team, started for Mbappe and gave Real Madrid the lead in the Saudi Arabian match.

Keith Urban surprises ‘baby girl’ Nicole Kidman with incredible birthday celebration

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article35430868.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/1_MAIN-NICOLE-KIDMAN.jpg

Keith Urban surprised his wife Nicole Kidman by taking a break from his tour and giving her a bouquet of flowers and a trip to a football game to celebrate her 58th birthday.

Nicole Kidman is the birthday present Keith Urban gives his wife.

Keith Urban has now upped the expectation of husbands around thew world after he surprised his wife Nicole Kidman for her 58th birthday. The country singer, 57, took time out of his High and Alive world tour to treat his wife and the mother of his two kids.

The singer stopped his world tour by accompanying Nicole to a soccer game between Los Angeles FC and Esperance Sportive in Nashville at Geodis Park Stadium.

Nicole’s attractive figure was enhanced by wearing a white flower-lace dress. Likewise. A pair of denim jeans and a white and grey checked shirt were on Keith.

The pair appeared to be in full spirits as they enjoyed their time together. Earlier in the day, Nicole shared with fans that she had received a bouquet of flowers from her man. Keith, who is set to resume his tour in a Toronto, Caernatiojnada, paid tribute to his wife on Instagram.

He wrote, “Feeling the love today,” in the caption of the post. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. She wrote, and Keith later said, “HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABYGIRL.”

Nicole received a prize at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January.

Continue reading the article.
Nicole Kidman is the birthday present Keith Urban gives his wife.
Nicole Kidman is the birthday present Keith Urban gives his wife.(Image: Getty Images for ACM)

For her role in Babygirl, she received the coveted International Star Award. Nicole said, “This is for my mom,” before taking to the stage.

However, it appears that his efforts were a little slack given that he turned one on one since losing her mother in September of that year. At the time, she was 84.

Nicole took to social media to express her gratitude for the outpouring of love and kindness felt this week following the passing of her mother.

She continued, “Every message we have received from those who loved and admired our Mother has meant more to us than we can ever express.”

We sincerely appreciate your respect for our privacy as we take care of one another, she continued. My mom and dad, who are no longer with me, have been my main occupations throughout my career. Because I enjoy what I do and am grateful to be a part of this film community, I’m still going to work and give to the world.

Continue reading the article.

The actress said, “I can feel my mother with me right now.” For you, this is.

READ MORE: Ninja’s ‘so quick and easy’ pizza oven that ‘cooks perfectly every time’ now £110 off