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After 13 games without defeat: Milan loses in Rome and is eliminated from the cup

Jason Maverick
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After 13 games without defeat: Milan loses in Rome and is eliminated from the cup

In the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia, Milan lost 0-1 to Lazio Rome. As a result, AC was not only eliminated from the cup, but also had to say goodbye to its 13-game unbeaten streak. Lazio captain Zaccagni became the match winner.

Lazio and Milan had only met last Saturday in Serie A, where Milan came out on top with a 1-0 victory. Maurizio Sarri made two changes to Lazio’s line-up compared to that game (Mandas for Provedel and Castellanos for Dia). Massimiliano Allegri, on the other hand, rotated his squad: Gabbia, Bartesaghi, Modric, Fofana, and Nkunku were replaced by de Winter, Estupinan, Ricci, Jashari, and Loftus-Cheek. These players were expected to help Milan avoid defeat for the 14th consecutive game.

A tough affair in the first half

At the start of the game, there was no danger of that happening, as both teams entered into an unspoken non-aggression pact. For around 20 minutes, the ball was simply pushed back and forth without any sign of goal-scoring danger. That only changed in the 25th minute when Basic shot just wide of the Milan goal on the counterattack. The game then picked up pace briefly, but quickly flattened out again. The last highlight belonged to the slightly superior home side: Isaksen failed to beat Maignan after a corner (45′). The game remained goalless at the break.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Milan looked like a different team. Suddenly, the visitors were playing with purpose going forward and had a good chance to take the lead in the 51st minute through Loftus-Cheek. However, Lazio then regained control of the game and it became a tough affair once again. Around the 70th minute, AC had two chances to take the lead: Loftus-Cheek had another chance with a header (69′) and Rafael Leao shot over the bar from a central position in the penalty area (71′).

Lazio captain Zaccagni is left criminally unmarked

Towards the end of the game, however, the home side appeared more frequently in front of the Milan goal, resulting in a corner in the 80th minute. Nuno Tavares brought the ball in from the left and found Lazio captain Zaccagni, who was completely left unmarked by the AC defense. He headed the ball into the right side of the goal, leaving Maignan with no chance – giving the home side the lead (80′). The Romans could have pushed the door to the quarterfinals even further open, but Noslin’s volley was denied by a strong save from Maignan (85′). In the final minutes, Milan threw everything forward to avert their first defeat in 13 games, but it was not to be on this evening.

Lazio thus advanced to the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia, and Serie A leaders Milan have one less wedding to dance at in the coming weeks. Lazio’s next league game is at home against Bologna on Sunday (6 p.m.). AC have an extra day’s break and face FC Turin away on Monday (8:45 p.m.).

Why Nagelsmann’s World Cup wish formula is “CEHIL”

Phil Laffertey
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Why Nagelsmann’s World Cup wish formula is “CEHIL”

The assigned venues are almost more important to national coach Julian Nagelsmann at Friday’s World Cup draw in Washington than the preliminary round opponents—for several reasons.

The DFB has been planning for this World Cup draw day for months, and on Friday and Saturday, everything will finally be clear. Julian Nagelsmann will then know which group opponents he needs to prepare his team for in the coming months, and where and when the national team will face its three opponents in the preliminary round.

The DFB delegation is expected in Washington this Thursday. It will be led by President Bernd Neuendorf, Managing Director of Sport Andreas Rettig, Director of Sport Rudi Völler, and the national coach, who is looking forward to Friday’s show at the Kennedy Center “with a tingling sensation in his body.”

For good reason, Nagelsmann has been very reluctant to publicly name his dream group, emphasizing instead that each of the 42 teams that have qualified so far and the six teams still to be determined in the playoffs deserve to be part of this mammoth World Cup in Mexico, Canada, and the USA. Behind closed doors, however, there are precisely these desired scenarios that the DFB would very much like to see drawn on Friday by the four sports legends Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O’Neal, and Aaron Judge.

They are not focusing so much on the opponents, although of course a potentially tough group against Colombia, Ivory Coast, and playoff candidate Italy, for example, should be avoided.

However, the probability that the national team will find itself with a feasible, if not grateful, constellation of opponents at the end of the draw ceremony is much greater.
Nagelsmann and his team laid the foundation for this themselves two and a half weeks ago in Leipzig with a convincing 6-0 win in their last World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, which saw them climb to ninth in the world rankings and just make it into the top twelve groups.

The fact that this rules out explosive matches against top nations such as Spain, France, England, Argentina, or Brazil in the preliminary round is undoubtedly a major advantage. And even though Neuendorf understandably called for “a degree of humility” ahead of this draw and diplomatically avoided talking about easy or difficult groups, the fact remains that Despite the extremely bumpy last six months of international matches, any constellation should be a feasible task for Nagelsmann and his team, given that even the eight best third-placed teams qualify for the knockout stage of the last 32 teams.

Even in a supposedly tough group, this must be the goal for the four-time world champions, who were eliminated without fanfare in the preliminary round twice in a row in Russia and Qatar. A third consecutive elimination would be disastrous.

Desired accommodation in the southeastern United States

The big and significant unknowns ahead of the draw are the future venues. Not only for the DFB, but for all participants, this World Cup in three countries is a huge and costly challenge due to the vast distances, different time zones, and climatic conditions.

In months of meticulous work and many trips, a team led by team manager Markus Löw has tried to develop the best possible accommodation solutions for all possible scenarios. And they have found a base camp that Nagelsmann has also visited and apparently appreciated – and to which the DFB has first refusal.

As always before tournaments, the DFB is keeping the exact location of this accommodation a closely guarded secret so as not to give away its knowledge advantage. It is said to be located in the southeastern United States – in a place that is within easy or at least reasonable reach of the venues in Kansas City, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Toronto, Houston, and Dallas. Of the nine groups not already occupied by the three host countries, five would certainly offer the conditions necessary to maintain the desired accommodation. Nagelsmann’s desired formula is therefore: C, E, H, I, or L!

Group G would ruin all plans

In three other groups, the conditions would also be met under certain circumstances, but FIFA would have to play along when selecting the venues there. This is because in those three groups (F, K, J), there is also the threat of trips to Mexico, which Nagelsmann would like to avoid due to the distances involved, but above all because of the climatic conditions. A placement in Group G with venues in Vancouver, Seattle, and Los Angeles would throw all of the DFB’s plans into disarray from the outset.

The exact venues and kick-off times are to be announced in another show on Saturday (6 p.m. CET) following negotiations with the TV rights holders. This will also determine whether Nagelsmann and Völler will continue their logistical preparations in the USA or fly straight back home.

Buzzer beater in Toronto: Hachimura and Lakers shock the Raptors

Sotd Editor
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Buzzer beater in Toronto: Hachimura and Lakers shock the Raptors

The Los Angeles Lakers snatch victory from the Raptors at the last second: a buzzer beater from Rui Hachimura gives the Californians an away win in Toronto. While Austin Reaves leads the offense, LeBron James puts the finishing touches on a wild evening with the final assist.

The Japanese player took off at the last moment and, as the buzzer sounded, landed gently in the net – a three-pointer that secured the Lakers a 123-120 away win. The assist came from LeBron James, who, despite an unusually weak night (8 points, 4/17 FG), initiated the decisive play with his pass and thus contributed significantly to the ninth away win.

However, the focus was on Austin Reaves, who carried the offensive load almost single-handedly. With 44 points – including 22 in the third quarter – he kept the Lakers in the game despite the absence of Luka Doncic. Reaves controlled the tempo, dished out ten assists and made 13 of his 15 free throws. Support came from Deandre Ayton (17 points) as well as Jake LaRavia and Hachimura, who scored in double figures.

Toronto showed resilience for long stretches, led by Scottie Barnes with 23 points and Brandon Ingram with 20. But after Ingram missed a layup with 23 seconds left, the door opened for the Lakers. James found Hachimura in the corner – Hachimura’s only basket in the final quarter, but the most important one of the night.

NBA: The Lakers and Raptors’ next games

Both teams are back in action on Friday: The Lakers travel to Boston, while the Raptors host Charlotte.

MotoGP manager Dan Rossomondo to leave Dorna Sports in early 2026

T0m@dmin1
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MotoGP manager Dan Rossomondo to leave Dorna Sports in early 2026

Dan Rossomondo to leave Dorna Sports in January 2026 – CCO modernized key areas of MotoGP business – Successor not yet known

MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports announced on December 4 that Dan Rossomondo will leave the company in January 2026. The American took over the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) in spring 2023.

Rossomondo was responsible for the global commercial direction of MotoGP. He brought with him many years of experience from the NBA as well as in the areas of media rights, partnerships, and global sports marketing.

During his tenure, Rossomondo restructured key business areas, including sponsorship, hospitality, digital platforms, and international marketing. The goal was to strengthen MotoGP as a global entertainment brand and appeal to new target groups. He also established organizational foundations to ensure the series’ sustainable growth. Rossomondo will oversee the handover until January and ensure the orderly transfer of ongoing projects.

“Dan has been an important part of the commercial development of MotoGP and a trusted member of our management team,” Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta is quoted as saying in a statement.

“We are grateful for his dedication and the positive influence he has had on the sport. We wish him all the best for the future.” Dorna Sports has not yet announced a successor.
“I would like to thank Carmelo and the team for all their support over the past three years,” Rossomondo is quoted as saying. “I loved getting to know this fascinating sport and have become a real fan.”

“In the future, I will continue to follow its successful development from the US when I return to my home country to spend more time with my family.”

Liberty Media acquired a majority stake in Dorna Sports this year and will also have a stronger presence in terms of personnel in the future.

“I would never do something like that” – Antonelli settles scores with Qatar after social media storm

Sports Of The Day
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“I would never do something like that” – Antonelli settles scores with Qatar after social media storm

Andrea Kimi Antonelli speaks in detail for the first time about the social media storm after Qatar – and reveals how Verstappen and Lambiase supported him afterwards.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has spoken openly for the first time about the social media storm that hit him after the Qatar Grand Prix. The young Mercedes driver was accused on social media of deliberately making room for Lando Norris – an accusation he now clearly rejects. “It wasn’t easy to get all those comments after the race, especially for something I would never do. I would never deliberately make room for a competitor,” he says.

He describes the moment when he made the decisive mistake. “I was fighting for P3. I was pushing hard, trying to get into Sainz’s DRS. After so many laps in dirty air and constant pushing, the mistake eventually came. I was pushing a little harder every lap, and then the tires were just gone. That’s when I made a mistake and Lando passed me.“

Nevertheless, the insinuations hit him hard: ”Reading those kinds of comments after the race definitely hurt.” He felt he had been treated unfairly—especially because the mistake was purely down to his driving and understandable.
Antonelli receives support in the paddock

It was the reactions from the paddock that helped Antonelli calm down again. “It was nice to see the statement from the management,” he says of the public clarification that he had not wanted to wave anyone past. “GP [Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer] also came up to me and talked to me, and I cleared everything up with Max as well. That was good.“

Antonelli speaks openly about how much the encouragement built him up: ”After that, I received a lot of support, which was very nice. That helped me to forget about it all for a while and concentrate on this weekend again.”

However, he can’t completely switch off from social media – and he doesn’t want to either. “Interacting with people is important,” he says. “But during the weekend, I try to look at it as little as possible. I don’t want any distractions. After the race, I got a lot of messages from friends showing me what was going on. At first, I didn’t know anything about it.” Only then did he look it up himself – and was shocked.

Verstappen immediately stood behind him

Particularly noteworthy: Max Verstappen himself sought out Antonelli to talk to him. According to his own statement, the four-time world champion clearly defended him. Antonelli sums up the scene: “He saw what happened, so nothing bothered him. He even showed me support, which was really nice of him.”

Antonelli does not want to repeat exactly what Verstappen said to him. “I can’t repeat everything because there were a few swear words,” he says with a smile. “But basically, he said: Don’t worry about people like that, they’re brainless. Focus on the job.”

Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase also sought out Antonelli—but not immediately after the race. “No, that was this week. Not immediately after the race.”

Nico Hülkenberg celebrates Formula 1 anniversary with gladiator helmet

Andrew Jackson
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Nico Hülkenberg celebrates Formula 1 anniversary with gladiator helmet

Nico Hülkenberg will contest his 250th Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi – an anniversary that the German himself never planned for.

Nico Hülkenberg himself would never have imagined that he would one day compete in his 250th Formula 1 Grand Prix. For him, this anniversary at the final race in Abu Dhabi is confirmation of a career that has rarely been linear.

Between breaks, comebacks, and last-minute appearances, the German has nevertheless become one of the most consistent faces in the premier class over the years. He is celebrating the milestone of 250 races with his usual calmness.

When asked about his memories of his debut in Bahrain in 2010, Hülkenberg has to smile. “They’re not great, just fragments,” he says. Individual scenes are still there, but no clear memories. For him, it’s the moment that counts anyway. “It’s a nice anniversary, a nice achievement for me personally, for my career. I’m happy to still be here, living my dream and enjoying it.”

The “Gladiator” helmet: a symbol of fighting spirit

His career provides plenty of material for this moment: his Williams debut, the sensational pole position at Interlagos in 2010, strong years at Force India, his time at Renault, his departure after 2019, and the spectacular “super sub” appearances between 2020 and 2022, which ultimately led to his full-time comeback at Haas in 2023.

For his 250th race, the last with Sauber before Audi takes over, Hülkenberg is wearing a helmet with the word “Gladiator” on it. The design was not chosen at random.

“It kind of represents what you need in this sport: resilience, fighting spirit, endurance. All the qualities you need to survive in this industry for so long,” he explains. A fitting motto for someone who never gave up, even when his career took a surprising turn.

A career without a fixed plan, yet 250 races

Did he ever believe he would reach 250 Grands Prix one day? Hülkenberg waves it off: “To be honest, it wasn’t something I actively thought about.” The German describes his career path as a kind of continuous flow. “I was there from 2010, then out for a year in 2011 and back again. It was a steady ride and quite comfortable and secure. At the end of 2019, or rather throughout 2019, I needed and wanted a break. Again, I didn’t think too much about the future,“ Hülkenberg recalls.

His return to the premier class as a regular driver in 2023 was therefore not planned either: ”It just developed and somehow happened.”

The 38-year-old continues to trust in this approach. Hülkenberg remains true to himself when asked whether he—now a family man—is already thinking about life after Formula 1. His answer is short and clear: “No, I’m not.”

Why Bernie Ecclestone continues to back Max Verstappen

Jeffrey Gooding
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Why Bernie Ecclestone continues to back Max Verstappen

Bernie Ecclestone sees Max Verstappen in the lead in the battle for the world championship title despite falling behind – He questions Norris’ mental stability and McLaren’s internal course

Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone continues to back Max Verstappen as world champion ahead of the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi. “I said before the season started that Max would do it in the end, and I still believe that. He deserves it,” Ecclestone said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

“You can never bet against Max. He’s extraordinary—one of a kind,” Ecclestone said. What’s more, the former Formula 1 official even considers Verstappen “the best I’ve ever seen. I used to say that Alain Prost was the best driver of all time—one who did everything on his own, without a radio to the pit wall telling him what to do. Now I think Max stands on his own.“

That’s why Ecclestone has Verstappen on his list for the Formula 1 finale. But from his point of view, there’s even more to be said for the Red Bull driver: ”Max has nothing to lose. That’s also an advantage.” Incidentally, Verstappen himself sees it similarly.

Why Ecclestone is not betting on Norris

However, McLaren driver Lando Norris is the favorite to win the title due to his lead in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings. But Ecclestone has a less high opinion of Norris: “Lando is okay, a really good driver, but he’s overly confident, too cocky, believes in his own hype. In the crucial moments, he gets nervous and can’t quite deliver like Max when the pressure mounts.”

Ecclestone also criticizes the McLaren team and its attitude toward its two drivers, Norris and Oscar Piastri. Ecclestone sticks to his theory that McLaren could be favoring Norris. He says: “McLaren has been very helpful to Lando—more so than to Oscar. Maybe this approach will work out well for the team in the end—I don’t know. But I wouldn’t have done it that way.”

Tennis star changes nationality

Andrew Jackson
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Tennis star changes nationality

The Austrian Tennis Association welcomes the decision of Russian-born Anastasia Potapova.

Russian-born Anastasia Potapova will play for Austria starting in 2026. The tennis player announced this on Thursday. “Austria is a country that I love, that is incredibly hospitable and where I feel at home. I love being in Vienna and look forward to finding my second home there,” the 24-year-old wrote on Instagram.

The Austrian Tennis Association (ÖTV) welcomed the decision. “We warmly welcome her to the Austrian tennis family,” said ÖTV President Martin Ohneberg: “She is an asset to the sport and we look forward to her contribution to the further development of our team.”

Potapova directly becomes the Austrian number one

Potapova is currently ranked 51st in the world. At the end of November, she was still competing for her home country in St. Petersburg, Russia, together with her boyfriend Tallon Griekspoor. In his home country of the Netherlands, her participation had caused criticism due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, with even Foreign Minister David van Weel speaking out.

Potapova will now be competing on the tour as Austria’s number one. Julia Grabher (94th) is currently the only Austrian woman in the top 100.

It was only in March that Russian top player Daria Kasatkina turned to the Australian Tennis Association.

Müller ahead of MLS final in Miami: “That’s how I know it from FC Bayern”

Jason Maverick
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Müller ahead of MLS final in Miami: “That’s how I know it from FC Bayern”

In his very first season in Vancouver, Thomas Müller has the chance to win the championship. The 36-year-old is looking forward to the final and sees parallels with FC Bayern.

Of course, the Vancouver Whitecaps are delighted with their 3-1 win in San Diego and winning the Western Conference, and Thomas Müller makes no secret of that, but he also emphasizes that the team in Canada remains fully focused on the big goal of winning the championship. “We won the conference, and of course we celebrated as a team,” Müller wrote via “esmuellert,” adding: “But you know what? It was immediately clear: the job isn’t done. There’s still one step left. I liked that. That’s how I know it from FC Bayern—a semifinal is nice, but logically, it’s always about the whole thing.”

The veteran also touched on the qualities of the Whitecaps, who not only “have a lot of really good players in all positions,” but are also mentally very strong. “What makes us strong is how we deal with pressure situations, the comebacks in extra time, the penalty shootouts we’ve won. We’ve been through a lot together in recent months. And so the mutual trust in our team isn’t just talk—we’ve earned it and proven it many times over.“

”When you’re the best, you’re the one being hunted”

That’s what it will take in Saturday’s final, because Vancouver is likely to be the underdog against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in Florida. “Now it’s about finding the right mix of focus and relaxation,” Müller reveals what is needed now and emphasizes: “Of course, we are fighting for the MLS title, but above all, we want to show that we play the best soccer. Content over results.”

Müller is very much looking forward to the final. “Since I started in the MLS, this has been the final everyone has been talking about. And now the time has come. It’s going to be a madhouse in Miami, a real soccer festival to my liking,“ said the 2014 World Cup winner, who is also looking forward to facing Lionel Messi. ”What could be better than playing against the GOAT, against Messi – and beating him? When you’re the best, you’re the one being hunted,“ Müller knows, but he also emphasizes that ”it’s clear: we’re playing against a team, not against one player.“

He expects a balanced match, as two teams are facing each other ”who like to have the ball and score a lot of goals. I hope we get off to a similarly good start as we did in the Conference Final against San Diego.“ He is also encouraged by the fact that Vancouver has already proven that it can take on Inter. ”The Whitecaps beat Inter Miami before my time, even with Messi. That gives us confidence.”

Arsenal consolidates its lead at the top of the table: Merino and Saka break down a harmless Brentford

Phil Laffertey
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Arsenal consolidates its lead at the top of the table: Merino and Saka break down a harmless Brentford

Arsenal FC maintains its lead at the top with a mature performance against Brentford. In the style of a top team, the Gunners showed their guests their limits, especially in the first half.

Gunners coach Mikel Arteta changed his starting lineup in three positions after the 1-1 draw in the city derby at Chelsea FC, sending Ödegaard, White, and Madueke into the fray for Eze, Timber, and Saka.

Brentford coach Keith Andrews rotated his squad after the 3-1 win over Burnley FC: Ajer, Pinnock, Henry, former Bochum player Janelt (54 games for VfL) and Yarmolyuk replaced Collins, Hickey, Henderson, Damsgaard and Igor Thiago.

Merino heads Gunners into the lead

The Gunners took control from the start and repeatedly threatened Kelleher’s goal. Much of the league leaders’ play came down the right flank. Ben White and Noni Madueke repeatedly combined behind the defensive line. This was the case with the home side’s early goal: White was set up on the right wing by Madueke with a backheel and then delivered a pinpoint cross to Merino’s head. He effortlessly headed the Gunners into the lead (11th minute).

The Gunners then had a scare in the 28th minute when Schade was completely unmarked and got his head to a Jensen corner. Raya showed great reflexes to tip the former Freiburg player’s effort onto the bar. The attacking move turned out to be a flash in the pan, as the Londoners were much closer to making it 2-0 than the visitors were to equalizing. However, Martinelli (28th minute) from the back and Madueke (37th minute) from a tight angle both missed their chances, meaning the Gunners only took a narrow half-time lead into the break.

Gunners don’t let anything slip

The visitors came out of the dressing room with plenty of momentum. However, their mini-surge, which included numerous corners, did not result in any real scoring chances. A good ten minutes after the restart, the Londoners took control again and kept the ball moving.

Arsenal remained the dominant team, but did not do more than was absolutely necessary.
Merino could have sealed the deal, but failed to convert two rebounds after Kelleher’s saves (66th & 69th). Arsenal then played out the game in the style of a top team, stifling the visitors’ attacks by repeatedly maintaining possession.
Saka seals the deal

Shortly before the end, substitute Saka sealed the deal: Merino picked apart the Brentford defense with a clever through ball, leaving Saka free to shoot. Although the in-form keeper Kelleher got his hand to the ball, he couldn’t prevent it from going in (90+1).

This result cemented the Gunners’ lead at the top of the table and restored their five-point lead over ManCity. Next Saturday (1:30 p.m.), Arsenal will travel to Aston Villa, while Brentford will face Tottenham Hotspur in the afternoon (4 p.m.).

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