Liverpool sack Arne Slot: club

London: Liverpool sacked head coach Arne Slot on Saturday after a disastrous defence of their Premier League title. slot-chickenroad.org

The club, who finished fifth in the season just ended, said the Dutchman, who has been at Anfield for two seasons, would "depart his role as head coach with immediate effect".

Liverpool fans turned on Slot after a number of poor performances and there was some disharmony in the dressing room, with Mohamed Salah the most outspoken.

"Liverpool FC can confirm Arne Slot is to depart his role as head coach with immediate effect and that the process to appoint a successor is under way," the club said in a statement.

It added that club bosses had decided that Liverpool needed a change of direction.

"That does not diminish the work Arne has done here, or the respect we have for him," the statement added.

"Nor is it a reflection of his talents. Rather, it is indicative of the need for a different approach.

"Arne leaves with our gratitude, with a Premier League title to his name, and with the knowledge that he and his family will always be welcomed back at Anfield."

Paris, France: Naomi Osaka continued to shine in the City of Light as she beat American teenager Iva Jovic 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, in the French Open third round on Saturday.

On Court Suzanne Lenglen, the Japanese star once again made an eye-catching entry, wearing a gold jacket and a voluminous gold train, an outfit, bracketed by pink tennis sneakers and a black sponsor's visor.

She shed the outer layers to play in another variation of her gold tennis dress, which shone in the blazing sun of the fading Paris heatwave.

After the match, Osaka refused to reveal if she had more outfits lined up in her hotel room.

"I think it's a surprise every time," she said.

The No. 16 seed continued what is already her longest Roland Garros run.

"I was a lot calmer than in my first matches," said Osaka, who has won the Australian and US Opens twice each.

"In a slam the further I get the calmer I am. It such an honour to be here. It's the furthest I have ever been here."

She will next face either women's No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or unseeded Australian Daria Kasatkina.

In a match dominated by the serve, Osaka gained the decisive break in the 10th game of the third set.

Jovic, seeded 17, opened the game with a 162kph ace, but after that, faltered when Osaka returned, finding the net twice and then hitting long on the first match point.

The players exchanged breaks early in the first set and midway through the second before both went to tiebreaks.

Osaka edged the first. Jovic, 18, raced away to win in the second.

The 28-year-old Osaka said her serve had been crucial against her young opponent.

"I am really glad it was working," said Osaka. "Against some players you need to put your serve in and she was very aggressive on my second serve,"

Scarperia e San Piero: Spain's Raul Fernandez sped to a surprise win ahead of favourites Jorge Martin and Fabio Di Giannantonio in the Italian MotoGP sprint race at Mugello on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Aprilia-Trackhouse rider started on the front row of the grid between championship leader Marco Bezzecchi and Martin and claimed the first sprint win of his career.

Aprilia's Bezzecchi was fourth ahead of defending world champion Marc Marquez of Ducati who was returning after shoulder surgery and a broken foot in a spectacular crash at the French MotoGP earlier this month.

Home hope Bezzecchi, who leads teammate Martin and Di Giannantonio in the overall standings, will start from pole for Sunday's race.

Doha, Qatar: A Qatari refereeing team has been appointed to officiate the international friendly match between Georgia and Romania on Tuesday in Tbilisi, as part of ongoing cooperation between the refereeing departments of the Qatar Football Association and its Georgian counterpart.

The officiating crew will be led by international referee Mohammed Al Mazeed, assisted by Jumaa Al Buraishid and Khalid Ayed, while Mohammed Al Shammari will serve as the fourth official.

The appointment reflects the confidence placed in Qatari match officials, who have earned a reputation for professionalism, experience and technical competence. It also underscores the continued success of Qatari referees in regional, continental and international competitions.

The selection of the Qatari crew for the friendly further highlights the commitment of the Qatari and Georgian football associations to strengthening technical cooperation and exchanging expertise in officiating, with the aim of enhancing refereeing standards and expanding the international presence of their officials.