Ducati racer Marc Marquez won the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday, taking him to the top of the overall standings of the World Motorcycle Championship, after Aprilia racer Marco Betsicki withdrew following a fall accident while leading the race on his home circuit in Misano.
Ptsiki, who came in pole position, had finished the sprint race on Saturday in second place, but the Italian racer fell on the first lap, causing great shock and disappointment among the local fans.
This victory is Marquez's fifth this season. The seven-time world champion in the first category crossed the finish line, topping the standings for the first time this season.
His brother Alex, a Gresini Racing racer, came in second place, while Pedro Acosta, a KTM racer, came in third.
This victory raised Marquez's tally to 274 points, equal to Aprilia's Jorge Martin, who finished the race in fifth place, but the world champion and future title holder from the Ducati team took the lead thanks to his advantage in the number of race victories this season.
Competition is escalating between Spain and Morocco to host the final match of the 2030 World Cup, at a time when FIFA is still far from officially settling the issue, as the process of making the final decision will not begin until at least next year, and may extend to 2028. However, the features of the scene appear clear, as the data circulating within the corridors of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) indicate that the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid is progressing to host the most important match in the tournament, with one of the two semi-final matches being held in Casablanca, The other is in Barcelona.
According to the Spanish newspaper AS, nothing has changed yet in the proposed scenario for hosting the 2030 World Cup final, despite the mounting media and public tension between Spain and Morocco regarding the identity of the city that will host the match. The newspaper believes that Spain still has great influence in the world of football, while Morocco has achieved remarkable progress at various levels in recent years, but it is still far from the extent of Spanish influence within the game system.
The “Bernabeu” file is also linked to a previous relationship between Real Madrid and Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, as “AS” indicates that there has been an unwritten understanding between the two parties for a long time, based on the idea of holding the final in the Madrid club’s stadium. Although relations between Infantino and Real Madrid have cooled over the past period, this does not mean, according to the newspaper, that the previous scenario has been cancelled.
These developments come in light of a state of uncertainty within FIFA, many of the details of which will not become clear before the next presidential elections, scheduled for March, in which Infantino is running in pursuit of a new term, or at the end of November when the picture becomes clear regarding the presence of a competitor to him in the electoral race. AS believes that the results of this process may affect a number of outstanding issues within world football, including the arrangements for the 2030 World Cup.
The file of hosting the final has repeatedly returned to the forefront during the recent period, with the exchange of statements and signals from the Spanish and Moroccan sides regarding the city nominated for the match. This competition reveals, according to the Spanish newspaper, that the level of coordination and cooperation between the three parties involved in organizing the tournament is still far from ideal, even though the joint project includes Spain, Morocco and Portugal.
Morocco currently has an increasing political and sporting presence, in conjunction with campaigns to promote the readiness of its stadiums and the infrastructure for the tournament, in addition to signs described as supportive by Infantino, which contributed to increasing speculation about the possibility of moving the final to Morocco. But the file, according to “AS”, had included, since the nomination stage, an initial scenario stipulating that the final would be held in the “Santiago Bernabeu” stadium, without this turning into a binding agreement, given that “FIFA” is the body that has the final decision regarding organizing the World Cup.
In the coming months, FIFA is expected to begin a new phase of preparation for the tournament, including establishing the company that will manage World Cup operations, a step that has not yet officially begun. After launching this process, the International Federation will begin reviewing the files of the nominated cities and stadiums, in addition to conducting field visits and assessing the readiness of the new facilities, and the required updates to the existing stadiums in accordance with the tournament standards.
The final stadium will be one of the most prominent files that will be subject to this evaluation, especially since the recent World Cup experience showed that FIFA may make amendments to the venues for holding matches even after they have been initially determined. The 2026 World Cup final was initially scheduled in Dallas before the match was moved to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in 2024.
Accordingly, the Spanish-Moroccan conflict over the 2030 World Cup final is still in its early stages, while the Santiago Bernabeu remains the most prominent candidate in the current scenario, until FIFA officially begins the process of evaluating the cities and stadiums and making the final decision regarding the distribution of matches.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho praised the potential of a number of his team's players, led by the young Ivorian Diomand and the Turkish Arda Guler, after leading his team to a 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano, on Saturday, in the Spanish League, in a match that witnessed a clear discrepancy in the team's performance between its two halves.
Real Madrid returned to winning ways in the league after a strong display during the first half, before its level declined physically and mentally in the second half of the match. Mourinho acknowledged that his team was unable to maintain the same rhythm throughout the match, noting that the decline was expected in light of the players' physical conditions.
The Portuguese coach said in the press conference after the match, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca: “I can describe the match as being 45 minutes long. During this period, it was all over. “I knew that the team did not have the physical and mental strength to play the second half the way it played the first, and I expected things to go this way.”
Mourinho gave the example of Englishman Jude Bellingham, who suffered from a decline in performance in the last minutes, explaining that the player made several mistakes in building the game, and the team’s ability to press and shoot on goal also declined. He added: “The picture that sums everything up is the way Bellingham played the last ten minutes. He almost made mistakes in all his attempts to build, and there was difficulty applying pressure and shooting on goal.”
Speaking about the competition for the starting lineup positions, Mourinho praised the level presented by Arda Guler, stressing that the Turkish player leaves a clear positive impact when he is on the field, and that his entry against Rayo contributed to restoring the stability of the team’s performance.
Mourinho said: “Arda plays a lot when he is on the field. I will definitely say that if Diomand had not started today, the first question I would face would be: Why isn’t Diomand playing? “On the bench, you only see quality.” He explained that substitutions will vary from one match to another, noting that Guler “has a very positive influence on the way the team plays,” and that “when he entered, he made the difference in the stability of the game.”
Diomand received special praise from the Portuguese coach, who confirmed that the player is still in the development stage, but he has great potential that qualifies him to occupy more than one attacking position. “I'm a little too old to feel pressure,” Mourinho said. There are different formations; Sometimes you have to pray that no one gets hurt, and sometimes you have many solutions.”
He added: “It will improve gradually.” He doesn't have much time at the top level, and he still has a lot to learn tactically, but he has amazing potential. “In individual confrontations, passing and shooting, it gives us many options.”
Mourinho revealed his ability to employ Diomand in more than one position, explaining: “He can play in Vinicius’s position, or on the right side, and Arda can also play there or in Bellingham’s place. “Right now, I want to help him develop.”
Regarding the Brazilian Vinicius Junior, Mourinho expressed his confidence in the player’s ability to regain his best scoring levels, stressing that his physical condition is better than ever, despite his need to regain a small part of his maximum speed.
He said: “Physically, Vinicius is better than ever. It is one millimeter short of reaching its maximum speed. His ability to repeat efforts is tremendous, and he is going through the process of understanding that.” He added: “He is very mentally strong, and knows Real Madrid more than anyone else. He plays with great responsibility, which is the responsibility of playing for Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. "He is calm, and the goals will come."
Regarding his satisfaction with the work provided by the team since he took over the job, Mourinho stressed that there are many positive aspects, pointing out that harmony requires time, especially since the group was not completed until a short period ago.
He said: “I am happy, because we have been working together for three months, although we can only calculate the period since the group was completed. What we are doing carries many positive things, and we are progressing step by step, and always trying to improve.”
The Portuguese coach touched on his decision to end the match in a more conservative manner after Real Madrid advanced 3-1, explaining that he preferred to secure the result rather than looking for more offensive display, before his team succeeded in scoring the fourth goal.
“It's simple,” Mourinho said. I want to win, and I want to score as many goals as possible. But when you are ahead 3-1, and there are only five minutes remaining, and you have a very strong full-back in Rayo who is capable of creating danger, I felt that the best thing was to close the door.”
He concluded by talking about the last goal scored by the team: “For me, the time for dribbling and scoring goals is over. “And then we scored the fourth goal, and that was even better.”
