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Former UFC champion Mirab Dvalishvili was attacked by a group led by Russian fighter Osman Nurmagomedov in an Abu Dhabi hotel lobby on Wednesday, suffering head wounds and bleeding while conducting a media interview ahead of a wrestling championship scheduled for Saturday.
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Luis de la Fuente, Spain coach — responded firmly to allegations that Barcelona and national team player Lamin Yamal received special treatment or deliberately avoided the Czech Republic fixture in the European Nations League. De la Fuente stated that discussing matters without knowledge of facts represents "the most sad and regrettable things in life."Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid — delivered a message of support in Arabic to Zaher, a 13-year-old Sudanese boy who lost both legs in a 2024 drone attack in Khartoum and has since received prosthetic limbs. Junior invited the youth to visit Madrid and encouraged him to return to playing football.Robert Sanchez, Chelsea goalkeeper on loan at Como — escaped without injury from a serious car crash during a race on the Nurburgring circuit in Germany on Monday. Sanchez was driving a Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo when he struck a barrier at approximately 112 kilometers per hour during free practice; the vehicle sustained damage estimated at 350,000 euros.Mauricio Pochettino, Argentina coach — reached a preliminary verbal agreement with Manchester United to succeed Michael Carrick as head coach, according to Sky Sports. Carrick currently leads the team, and an official announcement by United is expected soon; Pochettino is managing the United States national team.Zinedine Zidane, France coach — confirmed that captain Kylian Mbappe will miss Thursday's European Nations League match against Italy due to a muscle injury. Zidane stated "we will not risk him" but indicated Mbappe may be available for Sunday's match against Turkey.Harry Kane, England captain — prepares for his 126th international appearance against Croatia on Thursday at Wembley in the European Nations League, positioning himself as his country's most-capped player. Kane, 33, won the Ballon d'Or this year and is England's all-time top scorer, approaching 100 international goals.What to Watch:
Saudi Arabia's national team faces South Korea in a friendly on Friday in Doha, the first test match since winning the Gulf Cup in October. The last Saudi victory over South Korea dates to 2005.
The AFC has rescheduled Al-Nassr versus Al-Wasl (originally set for October 26) to Sunday, December 27, 2026, at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh in the AFC Champions League Elite West zone.