MILAN: Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought the curtain down on a long, trophy-packed career on Sunday when he unexpectedly announced his retirement from football.
Veteran striker Ibrahimovic revealed his decision to quit the game during an on-pitch ceremony following AC Milan’s 3-1 win over Verona.
“It’s the moment to say goodbye to football, not just to you,” said Ibrahimovic on the San Siro pitch.
“There are too many emotions for me right now. Forza Milan and goodbye.”
LONDON: Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to stretch his Formula One championship lead to 53 points and continue Red Bull’s sweep of the season with the team’s seventh success in as many races.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was second for Mercedes, but a distant 24.090 seconds behind, with team mate George Russell completing the podium on a cloudy but dry afternoon at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s U-23 football team on Saturday and Sunday held the final sessions of their training camp ahead of their opening match in the Maurice Revello Tournament, which runs from June 5 to 18.
The Toulon tournament, as it is also known, forms part of their preparation program for qualifiers for the 2024 AFC U-23 Cup later this year.
The Green Falcons conducted their training session under the supervision of head coach Saad Al-Shehri and technical staff, during which they went through physical drills, followed by work on the tactical aspects of play.
RIYADH: Talent scouts from Saudi and European football federations and clubs are among those watching the Kingdom’s Elite Championship for the Schools Football League for Boys as its fourth edition is held in the King Abdullah Sports City stadiums in Jeddah.
A total of 32 school teams are competing in the championships as part the national sports project implemented by the Ministry of Sports in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, to develop school sports and strengthen competition among students.
DENVER: Miami are confident they can turn up the Heat against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
The Nuggets dominated in a 104-93 Game 1 triumph in the best-of-seven series on Thursday, when Miami’s chances were doomed by their inability to connect on shots — including a 33.3 percent success rate from three-point range.
Max Strus was 0-for-10 from the field, Caleb Martin 1-of-7 and Duncan Robinson 1-of-6.
BERLIN: A Christopher Nkunku-inspired RB Leipzig won their second straight German Cup title on Saturday, beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 in Berlin.
A year after scoring a second-half goal which sent the 2022 final to penalties, Nkunku broke the deadlock after 71 minutes, his low shot taking a deflection and into the goal against the run of play.
A shellshocked Frankfurt, who had the better of the second half looked to equalize but Leipzig scored again, Dominik Szoboszlai sweeping in an Nkunku pass on the counter.