SOCCER

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Barcelona edged past Real Madrid in a five-goal thriller to win back-to-back Spanish Super Cup finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It marked a 16th triumph in the tournament for Hansi Flick's side, with Barcelona also beating Los Blancos in last year's final.

Brazilian forward Raphinha's floated shot in the 73rd minute proved to be the winner after a frantic ending to the first half.

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Football manager, Xabi Alonso, reportedly accused his players of behaving like they were in a 'nursery' in one training session at Real Madrid, sparking his downfall.

The manager is said to have 'exploded' at his stars in early November, with the relationship already at 'breaking point' two months before he was sacked.

Alonso was relieved of his duties on Monday, just seven months after joining amid rumours of a dressing room rift.

Spanish newspaper MARCA claim that Alonso had already 'begun to leave' Madrid in November at the time of his rant.

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AC Milan extended their unbeaten run in Serie A to 17 games (W11, D6) after a stoppage-time equaliser from Rafael Leao earned the Rossoneri a 1-1 draw at home to Genoa, who missed a 99th-minute penalty to snatch all three points.

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The images circulated quickly. Kylian Mbappe gesturing for his teammates to leave the pitch, Xabi Alonso asking him to stay, Mbappe insisting, and Alonso ultimately turning away. There was no guard of honour for Barcelona after their Spanish Super Cup victory on Sunday. For many, it appeared a lack of sporting courtesy, something unexpected from a manager of Alonso's stature. It also suggested a deeper truth: the team, rather than the coach, was in control.

The match had been tight and decided by a deflection, and it seemed to capture Alonso's growing frustration. This was not a resignation, and it was not planned. Alonso did not anticipate leaving Real Madrid just seven months after his appointment. The club's official statement described the departure as a "mutual agreement," but for many observers, it was inevitable.

After months of disagreements over tactics and approach, the board met Monday afternoon to discuss Alonso's future. The explanations offered were vague. Comments were made that he had been unable to implement the style of football that had brought him success at Bayer Leverkusen, that the team's fitness was lacking, and that players

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The Swedish 20-year old former FC Copenhagen striker, Roony Bardghji, who scored a goal and made two assists in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final on Wednesday has been officially registered as an A-team player in FC Barcelona – and will be given Lamine Yamal's old number, 19.

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Former Manchester City defender João Cancelo is set to return to Barcelona on loan from Al-Hilal until the end of the season. The 31-year-old Portuguese full-back passed a medical on Monday and is expected to be officially announced by the club on Tuesday.

Cancelo previously spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Barcelona after a six-month stint with Bayern Munich in Germany. During his first period at Barcelona, he made 42 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing five assists, earning praise for his attacking contributions from the right-back position and his ability to influence games in both attack and defense. His performances helped the Catalan side maintain a competitive edge in La Liga and European competitions.

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Thirteen-time Supercopa de Espana winners Real Madrid booked their spot in the 2026 final, setting up an El Clasico date with Barcelona by beating city rivals Atlético Madrid 2-1 in the semi-finals.

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso warned Atletico pre-match that they were going to see the best of his side, and Federico Valverde took it upon himself to display that inside two minutes. The Uruguayan stood over a free-kick from all of 35 yards and unleashed a rocket that flew into the roof of Jan Oblak’s goal. Diego Simeone’s men responded well to falling behind, but as they probed for a route back into the game at one end, they were almost undone at the other. A swift Real counter-attack culminated in Rodrygo driving into the area, but after sitting an Atletico defender down, his curling effort was beaten away by Oblak.