Milan coach Stefano Pioli extends contract until ’25
MILAN, Nov 1: AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli has been rewarded for his title-winning exploits with a two-year extension to his contract at the defending champion. Milan announced on Monday that the 57-year-old Pioli has signed a new contract until June 2025. His previous deal was set to expire at the end of this season. “Having begun this virtuous path, which led to the 2021-22 Serie A title, AC Milan and Stefano shall continue to work on this ambitious project which reflects the club’s history and values,” Milan added in the statement. It is a far cry from the beginning of 2020 when Pioli was almost fired — just a few months into his tenure — and replaced by Ralf Rangnick. Milan was in advanced negotiations with the German coach before changing its mind. (AP)
Wales’ football team mulling name change after WC
CARDIFF, Nov 1: Wales’ football team is considering a name change after the World Cup. The Welsh football federation wants to call its teams “Cymru” – the Welsh name for Wales – at international level to reflect what it is called domestically. Talks will ramp up after the upcoming tournament in Qatar, when Wales will appear at a World Cup for the first time since 1958. “The team should always be called Cymru – that’s what we call it here,” said Noel Mooney, chief executive at the Football Association of Wales. “Our view at the moment is that domestically we’re clearly called Cymru. That’s what we call our national teams. If you look at our website, how we talk about ourselves, we are very much Cymru. “Internationally we feel we have a bit more work to do yet. So we are going to this World Cup as Wales. But I think 2023 will be a year when we have a good discussion with all the different stakeholders.” (AP)
Danish football raises money for Qatar’s migrant labour
Copenhagen, Nov 1: Thousands of goals scored in Danish soccer in November will raise money for migrant workers who helped build World Cup projects in Qatar, Denmark’s soccer federation. It is the latest show of support for workers in Qatar from Denmark, whose national team will wear specially toned-down World Cup jerseys including a black option to honor those who died in the past decade. Every goal scored in Denmark in November – from grass roots games to the top-tier Superliga – will earn 10 kroner (about $1.30) donated by soccer authorities. The Danish federation said there were 55,000 goals in November 2021. An equivalent number this year would raise about $73,000. (AP)