20/04/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | APR 20, 2026

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R EAL SOCIEDAD coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was elated after his side defeated Atletico Madrid to win the Copa del Rey yesterday, mak ing him the first American coach to claim a major trophy with a club from Europe’s top five leagues. La Real triumphed 4-3 in the shootout following a pulsating 2-2 draw after extra time, to win the trophy for only the fourth time in the club’s history. When Matarazzo was appointed in December the Basque team were hovering above the relegation zone, but he has driven them up the table and now to cup glory. “It’s probably the first (major trophy) for an Italian-American,” said Matarazzo, a New Jersey native born to Italian immigrant par ents. Matarazzo said it was

NAPOLI could concede the Serie A title to Inter Milan as soon as next week after falling to a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Lazio yesterday. With five matches remaining in their respective league seasons the reigning champions trail Inter by 12 points following a poor display in Naples. Matteo Cancellieri’s early tap-in set the tone at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and Toma Basic made sure of a fine win for ninth-placed Lazio with another simple finish in the 57th minute. Lazio’s performance was a good sign for their Italian Cup semifinal against Atalanta, which is delicately poised at 2-2 ahead of Thursday’s second leg in Bergamo. But it leaves Napoli counting the days until they officially concede the Scudetto , as if they fail to beat Cremonese and Inter win at Torino next weekend, the Scudetto will return north to Milan. “We had 70 percent of the possession but didn’t have a single shot on target,” said disappointed Napoli coach Antonio Conte, who was also tight-lipped about rumours of him taking over the national team. Massimilano Allegri ruled himself out of the Italy job earlier on Saturday, and Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis said in a recent interview with The Athletic he wants a quick decision on the matter from his coach. “The less noise made about it the better it is for everyone, at least until the end of the season,” added Conte. Napoli’s title defence might effectively be over but Champions League qualification is still on the cards thanks to an eight-point lead on fifth placed Como and Roma who drew 1-1 with Atalanta. Roma are also off worse in the head to-head record, which decides the positions of teams who finish the season level on points, with Napoli. “We know we’re not already in the Champions League. “There are five matches left and we’re not where we need to be yet,” said Matteo Politano, who also apologised for a “horrible performance”. Mario Hermoso’s superb volley just before halftime meant Roma and Atalanta shared the spoils from an entertaining draw which also gave Juventus the chance to take a big step to securing Champions League qualification. – AFP Napoli’s Serie A title defence nears end after the match, adding “Ultimately, it was all about football, which I was looking forward to. “I was happy to be here today but in the end it was bitter and disap pointing that we’re leaving without any points.” Leverkusen dropped to sixth after losing 2-1 at home to mid-table Augsburg. Elsewhere, Werder Bremen picked up crucial points in the battle to beat the drop, winning 3-1 at home to northern rivals Hamburg, who fin ished the match with nine men. Bremen move five points clear of the bottom three and level with Hamburg. – AFP

Real Sociedad’s play ers, many of them who came through the

SHORTS Marseille lose at Lorient

club’s youth s y s t em , were also overjoyed. “ I ’ v e

MARSEILLE sporting director Medhi Benatia blasted the team’s performance after a 2-0 loss at Lorient in Ligue 1 on Saturday dealt a damaging blow to their hopes of Champions League football. Panos Katseris and Bamba Dieng goals secured victory for Lorient in Brittany and left Marseille in danger of losing more ground in the race for automatic Champions League qualification. Habib Beye’s team are two points behind third-placed Lille, who could only manage a 0-0 draw at home to struggling Nice. However, Marseille might also finish the weekend trailing Lyon and Rennes. Only the top three in France are guaranteed a spot in Europe’s top club competition. Benatia, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, tore into the players as Marseille lost for the third time in four matches. “I didn’t plan on speaking again until the end of the year because I think we’ve talked far too much over the first six months… but when I see the game we played today, even though I don’t want to talk, I have to come before the press, because it’s a scandal. It’s a scandal,” Benatia raged. “You’re playing Lorient, who have nothing left to play for, and you don’t win a single duel, you don’t make a single run forward, you’re not proactive, you don’t try anything, and you just watch them.” Le Havre edged six points clear of the relegation playoff place after a 1-1 draw at Angers. Leeds pull clear of trouble LEEDS beat Wolves 3-0 to open up a nine point cushion in the battle for Premier League survival before Tottenham aim to dig themselves out of trouble at home to Brighton on Saturday. Rooted to the foot of the table, with just three wins from 33 games, Wolves will be mathematically relegated after Spurs drew against the Seagulls. Bournemouth piled more pressure on Eddie Howe’s future as Newcastle manager with a 2-1 win at St. James’ Park. Bournemouth climb to eighth and within four points of the Champions League places. Newcastle, by contrast, remain in 14th with their hopes of European football next season all but over. Brentford blow chance for top six BRENTFORD missed the chance to leapfrog Chelsea into the Premier League’s top six after being held to a 0-0 draw by west London rivals Fulham on Saturday. The Bees could have climbed to within two points of the Champions League places as they aim to qualify for Europe for the first time. But they only really threatened to make the breakthrough in a frantic finale as Dango Ouattara’s effort was brilliantly saved by Bernd Leno. A point does little for Fulham’s own European ambitions as they remain three points behind their opponents, down in 12th. Brentford move level on points with sixth placed Chelsea, who host Manchester United later on Saturday, but remain behind the Blues on goal difference. Keith Andrews’ side are now six games unbeaten in the Premier League, but five consecutive draws has stalled their charge for an unlikely place in the Champions League. The lack of resources at Andrews’ disposal compared to their competitors at the top of the table was shown as the Irishman did not make a single substitution as his side went in search of a winner.

n e v e r walked on water but it has to be like this,” said Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored a penalty to put his team 2-1 up

before halftime. “It’s tricky to win a trophy with the team of your life. After this my career is complete and I can die happy.” Oyarzabal netted from the spot in the 2020 Copa del Rey final to win it for his club but

La Real rewrite history

not until Pablo Marin’s decisive penalty in the shootout hit the back of the net that he

it was without fans in the stadium because of the global pandemic. This time around it was Pablo Marin who converted the decisive penalty in the shoot out. “I tried to leave my mind blank, calm and serene,” he said. “To be able to live through this with these won derful people is incredible.” Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, who last led his team to the Copa del Rey in 2013, rued the opportunities his side wasted to win the game before pen alties. “The chances didn’t want to go in,” said the coach. The Rojiblancos still have a chance to lift a tro phy this year – they face Arsenal in the Champions League semifinals, a com petition they have never won. However Simeone said he needed time to absorb the defeat in Seville. “I’m not thinking about Arsenal, what happens today hurts me a lot. “We needed to l w d i

c o u l d r e a l l y begin to take any thing in. “That was the moment

where I realised this is real. It’s happening,” said the coach. “You visual ise success and you believe in it and you trust the players, but until you cross the finish line you don’t really have the feeling that what is happening (is happening), and then it hap pens. “And with that penalty, it took a couple of moments to realise, but it’s just pure joy.” Matarazzo insisted t t

Matarazzo breaks new ground with landmark Copa del Rey triumph

the team’s success over the past few months was not just down to him but the daily work that everyone put in, and the quality of the players he has available. “We have fantastic players, unbelievable players on this squad with unbelievable char acter,” he said. “(Behind the success is) the daily work, perserverance and the commitment that we all have to this team and for this club.” BORUSSIA DORTMUND lost 2-1 at Hoffenheim on Saturday, while pio neering Union Berlin coach Marie Louise Eta was beaten on her debut. Dortmund’s defeat leaves Bayern Munich 12 points clear and knowing they need just a point at home ahead of ovenight’s match ahainst Stuttgart to claim their 35th German title. Hoffenheim’s club record goals corer Andrej Kramaric converted two penalties, bringing his career total to 156, to help the hosts move past Bayer Leverkusen into fifth spot. “To lose because of two penalties is tough,” Dortmund defender Daniel Svensson said. “We need more intensity – we

Real Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero celebrates after the Copa del Rey Final

triumph over Atletico Madried at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

win and we couldn’t win,” said Simeone. – AFP

Dortmund lose, Eta beaten on debut

placed Hoffenheim. New Union coach Eta, the first female manager of a men’s team in the top five European leagues, suf fered a setback on her debut, going down 2-1 at home to relegation bat tlers Wolfsburg. Appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season, Eta received a rapturous response from the home crowd when her name was announced pre-match. The Berliners remain six points ahead of the relegation play-off spot with four games left to play this sea son. “We talked a lot about many things this week,” Eta told reporters

need to end the season well.” Unlike Dortmund, who have all but locked up second place, Hoffenheim still have plenty to play for as they chase a Champions League berth. Dortmund have now lost their past two matches, having previously suffered just two defeats across the entire campaign. In yesterday’s game, RB Leipzig’s youngsters stole the show in a 3-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt to strengthen their hopes of a return to the Champions League. Leipzig’s first win in Eintracht Frankfurt on their 11th attempt took them to third, five points clear of fifth