The big story: Mario Pasalic scores the winning penalty
AC Milan lifted the Italian Super Cup for the first time in five years with a 4-3 shootout victory over Juventus at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Friday.
Mario Pasalic scored the winning penalty with Milan’s fifth spot-kick after 17-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had denied Paulo Dybala earlier.
Giorgio Chiellini gave Juventus the lead in the 18th minute, but Giacomo Bonaventura headed in 20 minutes later to take AC Milan on level terms and take the game into extra-time.
Other top stories
- Wayne Rooney is reportedly in line to be offered a £700,000-a-week deal to head for China next summer. Two Chinese Super League clubs – Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao and Beijing Guoan – are said to be pursuing the Manchester United player, who is no longer a guaranteed starter for his club.
- Sam Allardyce on Friday was confirmed as new Crystal Palace manager. He has agreed on a contract through to 2019 worth £2.5 million (Rs 21 crore) a year to mark a return to football management after an ill-fated 67-day stint as England manager. Allardyce replaces Alan Pardew at Palace, who have lost eight of their last 10 games and are looking to escape the relegation zone.
- Pep Guardiola has said that Manchester City will not spend huge sums in the January transfer window. “I’m happy with what we have, I have confidence in the players,” the City manager said. “I’m not saying we won’t do anything in the window, you never know what might happen in a week or two, but at the moment we have no plans for a major signing. We can work with what we have and if we finish the season with these players that will be good.”
- Jose Mourinho has questioned the Premier League’s fixture policy during the festive period that sees Manchester United play more games in fewer days than the likes of Chelsea. United host Sunderland on Boxing Day, Middlesbrough on New Year’s Eve and travel to West Ham on January 2. Chelsea host Bournemouth and Stoke City on the first two corresponding days, but then wait until January 4 for the short trip to Tottenham Hotspur. “The busy period is for some clubs, not for everyone, because [if] you analyse there is no congestion for them. The fixtures are chosen to give some rest for some and create problems for others,” Mourinho said.
- Chelsea on Friday announced the transfer of Oscar to Shanghai SIPG. The 25-year-old midfielder will join the Chinese Super League side at the beginning of the January. Oscar leaves Chelsea after a four-and-a-half-year stint at Stamford Bridge. The deal is reportedly worth £52 million (Rs 433 crore), with Oscar set to earn £400,000 (Rs 3.3 crore) a week.
- The Premier League has ruled that Chelsea did not break any rules in failing to report allegations of historical sexual abuse made in 2014 by their former player Gary Johnson. Johnson had spoken out about the abuse, claiming that he was given a £50,000 (Rs 41.6 lakh) by the club to stay mum on the matter.
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