Looking for formulas to stop the full-throttle locomotive that is Real Madrid at the beginning of the season, Virtus de Bologna went to WiZink, another team on a roll, with a proposal as different as it was attractive.. The candidate this time looked daring, Luca Banchi's basketball was happy and aggressive, but the whites have weapons, confidence and attitude to fleece anyone. And Facundo Campazzo (38 rating, flirting with the triple-double). There are already 16 career victories and a growing feeling of impregnability. [100-74: Narration and statistics]

If the last time in the WiZink, also in the Euroleague, Barça left Chus Mateo's team at 65 points, this time the black V, which had won five in a row in Europe, conceded 100. Ways to lose. Or to win. Any challenge seems good for Real Madrid, who found the best version of Edy Tavares, the one that had barely been seen so far this year, weighed down by that respiratory infection and also by a restless summer in which he played in the World Cup with Cape Verde, an entire country on your shoulders. His connection with Campazzo, the frenetic game that the Palace likes so much, reminiscent of those first stages of lasism, brought down the Italian proposal too soon, bewildered by the gale.

Because the Virtus started with full throttle. Banchi, the coach who amazed at the World Cup with Latvia, replaced Sergio Scariolo just a few days before the start of the season. And, with the same wickers, he has strung together a compact and confident group, rescuing the stylist Marco Belinelli, still decisive at 37 years old.. In the first three minutes he scored 16 points, a wild start, aggressive defense and no complexes. But the surprise effect was not going to last long.

In the next 15 minutes, he was barely able to contribute another 15 points, when Madrid had already recomposed itself and made the rival's hands tremble, who lost balls at an alarming rate.. “Defensively impeccable,” Mateo would say. First with the dominance of Tavares, who seems to recover that joy of yesteryear, that strength that made him the king of painting.. And then with a mix of defense and the electricity that Campazzo injected upon his return from the bench. Like a demon full of energy, the Argentine made Virtus stumble with his runs, his passes, his unstoppable pace. It was a partial 25-4 in the second act to lead by 18 (51-33). Between Facu and Tavares they had scored 31 points, with five assists for the point guard and five rebounds for the center.

It had been such a forceful move that upon returning those from Bologna already seemed like a rival without much desire to fight at all.. Surrendered to the logic of the superiority of a rival who received them with three consecutive triples to put the score at +23. He had kissed the canvas and was now trying to minimize damage. The third quarter lowered the overall volume. Although everything blew up again with the return of Campazzo after Chacho's fourth and a run of 2-12 (70-58, min. 32) that gave Virtus some hope, given over to the genius of Belinelli.

To complete the task, Madrid lacked consistency, a second half with more fangs, although there was never any danger of another victory to add to a streak that few saw coming. This early excellence. The day that Llull became the fifth highest assist in the history of the Euroleague (1,341 basket passes and counting…), the whites, who accelerated again in the finishing line thanks to Yabusele, are still at the top.

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, the two best tennis players of the moment, face each other in the semifinals at the WTA Finals in Cancun and what a thrill, they are also fighting for number one in the world ranking, but the stands are half full, they are practically empty, no there is no one, really in the public there is no one. A pain for women's tennis. And at the same time the daily life of women's tennis. The failure of the Masters Cup held last week in Mexico forced the WTA to offer explanations and promise changes, but in reality it was nothing more than the confirmation of a crisis. Tennis continues to be the only sport that generates millions for its female representatives – seven of the 10 highest-paid athletes are tennis players according to Forbes – but in recent years it has suffered a progressive loss of fans.

From Roland Garros to the Mutua Madrid Open, from Wimbledon to the WTA Finals, in most major tournaments – with the exception of the US Open due to Coco Gauff's triumph – there have been seats and more seats to fill. Because?

«There are many empty stands. Please come see us. “We are giving 100% in every match and you will surely enjoy it,” Swiatek claimed before winning the tournament in Cancun and he was right: she was giving 100%.. Since the retirement of Serena Williams, the Pole has been the only player capable of dominating the circuit and the rest have come and gone. Naomi Osaka's depression, Ashleigh Barty's retirement at 25, Simona Halep's doping sanction, Angelique Kerber's motherhood, Garbiñe Muguruza's demotivation…. Many factors have come together so that the general public does not recognize the best as it did in the past.

One fact: in the quarterfinals of the last US Open there was only one player who knew what it was like to win a Grand Slam, Sabalenka. Another: in the current Top 10 there are many tennis players from small, low-weight markets, such as Poland (Swiatek), Belarus (Sabalenka), Kazakhstan (Elena Rybakina) or Tunisia (Ons Jabeur).

“It is difficult for us to fill 1,000 seats”

Everything influences, more so in countries with tradition, where the crisis is accentuated, such as in Spain. The Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville are not being a success, with free stands, although the rapid elimination of the Spanish team – this Thursday they were left without options – does not help either.. «It is difficult for us to fill 1,000 seats despite not charging for tickets. And we're still lucky. I have been to many WTA tournaments this year and in most matches the players preach in the desert, alone on the court with their coaches and the referee. It is difficult to move an audience in women's tennis,” acknowledges in conversation with EL MUNDO Xavier Ponsatí, organizer of the WTA Tour 125 Solgironés, in La Bisbal d'Empordà, one of the most important tournaments organized in the country, in only a second step. behind the Mutua Madrid Open.

As he explains, the event does not generate benefits – “we fight so that we stay at zero,” he acknowledges – and it does not receive much support either.. «The WTA is very demanding with the organizers, but it is already rectifying. Until now it required a minimum capacity of 1,000 people to be on the circuit and this year it has lowered it to 750 people because it sees that there are problems,” says Ponsatí.

Serious crisis in the offices

The WTA is precisely at the center of the problem, due to its bad decisions in the last WTA Finals and its chaos, in general.. Two rumors are flying around the organization, its bankruptcy and its merger with the men's ATP, but above all they plan changes. The current director, Steve Simon, is further threatened after statements such as those of Martina Navratilova. «It is time for new leadership and I consider that it must be a woman who is in charge. “Simon has been there for nine years and look where we have ended up,” commented the former player who supported the mutiny that the stars are preparing to demand better conditions.. The circuit leaders have already published a letter – and created a WhatsApp group – to demand larger prizes, but also more breaks to avoid injuries and disappearances like those of Osaka, Barty and Muguruza.

«They ask for the same prizes, but they do not generate the same. Unfortunately, it is the reality: people watch more men's tennis,” the vice president of the Federation of Kazakhstan, a member of the ATP, Yuri Polsky, recently fired up, with the consequent controversy.. In his argument, a fact: in recent years, the four Grand Slams have already equalized the prizes and alternated men's and women's matches, without success.. In many cases, after a match with Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz, the stands empty to watch Swiatek or Sabalenka.

“If a match is boring and I have seen some, fans may want to go to another or walk through the corridors,” declared the president of the French Tennis Federation, Gilles Moretton, during the last Roland Garros.. The players argue that their matches are not promoted enough and that they always end up scheduled at the worst hours, outside the night shift, for example, although there are also voices that point them out directly.

A single style of play

“Women's tennis has become something monotonous, young women play in the same way,” analyzed Martina Hingis, one of those stars who formed the golden era, along with Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin, Serena and Venus Williams or Maria Sharapova. Unlike yours, in recent years, a defensive style has been imposed in women's tennis, from the back of the court, with flatter and less risky shots that do not benefit the spectacle.. Swiatek is a possible exponent, but there are more, the majority.

On the horizon there are clear ones, such as the season of the American Coco Gauff, 19 years old, called to inherit the followers of Serena Williams, or the appearance of the Chinese Zheng Qinwen, 21 years old, a more necessary profile with the Peng Shuai case without resolving. But women's tennis will take time to reverse the crisis evident in the last WTA Finals, half-standing, practically empty stands, without an audience, really without an audience.

Villarreal refuses to make a decision. José Rojo Pacheta has not been able to get the team going since he arrived on the groguet bench and, although the risk for the club is evident, his dismissal is not consummated.. It seemed that a defeat against Maccabi Haifa was going to accelerate it after missing a penalty that Sorloth and Trigueros had the opportunity to take, both of them in the body of goalkeeper Kaluf, but after the 80th minute Alex Baena and the Norwegian appeared to close a comeback (1- 2) that gives an extra life to the trainer.

«We are suffering a lot, we are not enjoying it and we are too tight. We play with a lot of obligation and things that are done out of obligation…. We will work to get more right,” Pacheta admitted after the meeting.. The question is how much more time he will have.

Five points from relegation in LaLiga and with the visit to Atlético at the Metropolitano on the horizon, the defeat in the Europa League could have been the final blow of reality for the Roig family to accept that they must make a decision. The second bet since Unai Emery left is not working out as expected either. For this reason, the focus is on Marcelino García Toral, who could return to Ceramics seven years after that abrupt departure in August 2016.

The open wound between the coach and Fernando Roig was healed and both have resumed a cordial relationship. After the defeats against Granada and Athletic, with the Asturian out of Olympique de Marseille, the exchange of messages has been intense, although the negotiations had not yet taken sufficient shape.. Marcelino would like to outline a medium-term project that recovers the constants of the Submarine, which now shows an unknown image.

Detecting what has caused the equipment to break down is not easy. The exit from the Champions League forced a budget cut that caused the departure of footballers such as Pau Torres, Samu Chukwueze, Nico Jackson, Lo Celso and goalkeeper Gero Rulli. They were compensated with the signing of Sorloth and the arrival with the freedom letter of Comesaña and Denis Suárez. Except for the Norwegian, the rest have had limited minutes and physical problems. Added to this is the drop in performance of veterans like Albiol, Capoue and Parejo and the intermittent injuries of Jeremy Pino and Juan Foyth.. Gerard Moreno appears in flashes, like Álex Baena.

Added to the lack of a recognizable game idea recognized by the players themselves is a discussed physical condition.. Pacheta has not been able to activate the squad. In his 12 games he has only won four: two in the League, one against Rennes in the Europa League and another in the Cup against Chiclana. Add to that two draws and five defeats, three of which have been in the Cerámica and have provoked protests from the fans.. Athletic scored very painfully, with three goals in the first half.. The final 3-2 did not prevent Fernando Roig from having a 15-minute talk on the pitch with Raúl Albiol to understand and analyze what the locker room feels and what solutions they see.

Pacheta's proposal, like Setién's, has not fit into the squad. The Cantabrian survived last season by qualifying for the Europa League, but the credit quickly ran out. With a record of one victory and three defeats, in addition to an average of two goals conceded per game, he was dismissed taking advantage of the first LaLiga break. Not since the 18/19 season did the yellow team have such worrying goals conceded records. The defensive bleeding has not stopped and Villarreal is the third most scored team in LaLiga with 21 against, only surpassed by bottom teams Almería and Granada.

The extra life that he gained in Larnaca can be settled by Atlético next Sunday at the Metropolitano. Just before the competition break, the moments that Villarreal will use to reset failed projects.

Uncertainty surrounds Carlos Alcaraz: Will he be capable? Already in Turin, he is preparing for the ATP Finals that begin on Sunday alongside Brazilian Joao Fonseca, junior number one, and the doubt remains.. They threaten the inflammation in the plantar fascia of the left foot that left him out of the ATP 500 in Basel and the fatigue, above all, the fatigue. In the last tournaments, Shanghai and Paris, Alcaraz was exhausted, exhausted, and barely 10 days have passed. To go far in his first Masters Cup, he will need freshness. And there the unknown.

In the latest training sessions recorded for Instagram and TikTok, he looks fast – against a great talent like Fonseca – but the competition is another thing.. For the first time in several years, the eight best of the year will be in the ATP Finals, with no casualties – last season Alcaraz himself failed, for example -, and the tournament dresses brilliantly. Novak Djokovic is aiming for his seventh victory after winning in Paris, and three other candidates, Daniil Medvedev (2020), Alexander Zverev (2018 and 2021) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (2019) also know what it means to lift the last trophy of the year.

This Thursday at the Turin Olympic Palosport the group draw was held and, in some way, chance helped Alcaraz. While in the green group Djokovic will face Jannik Sinner, Tsitsipas and Holger Rune, the Spaniard's rivals in the red group will be Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Zverev. A priori, with the ranking, both quartets are similar, but Alcaraz has avoided a danger. Which? This brilliant season, with victories in Wimbledon, Indian Wells and Madrid, Godó, Queen's and Argentina, with an overall balance of 63-10, it is difficult, really difficult to find an opponent who has really committed their game. In fact, there are only four with a favorable head-to-head against the Spaniard in 2023: Djokovic (2-1), the anecdotal Fábián Marozsán (1-0) and Roman Safiullin (1-0) and… Sinner (2-1).

Plenary of Europeans

The Italian, who will also play at home – and today will sign autographs with Alcaraz at the Nike store in the center of Turin – was the great threat of the hype this Thursday and fell on the other side. After Sinner's victories in Miami or Beijing, an early confrontation against him weakened Alcaraz's options and he will wait at least until the semifinals. Medvedev is coming off setbacks in Shanghai and Paris, Zverev is not in great shape either and has not beaten the Spaniard this season and Rublev appears to be the strongest opponent.

To advance to the next round, as always happens, Alcaraz will need to overcome two of them, not an easy challenge.. Yesterday's draw was done in private, but today the classic group photos will be taken where a curiosity can be observed: the eight participants are European. As happened in 2019 and 2021, apart from the army of Americans that comes (Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton), only one continent will be represented and practically only one generation.

With Djokovic as the only thirty-year-old, the presence of Alcaraz (20 years old), Rune (20) or Sinner (22) shows that there has already been a generational change. In fact, all three of them were playing in the ATP Next Gen Finals a short time ago.. Also yesterday, in the context of the group draw, the ATP took the opportunity to announce the prizes it will award during the tournament. The 'purse' will far exceed that offered by any of the Grand Slams since the total crash to 15 million dollars and the champion could take home almost five million, the largest heel ever signed in tennis. Just for participating, Djokovic, Alcaraz and company will take home $325,500, each victory in the round robin will mean an extra $390,000 and so it adds up.

It was an open secret since his sister stopped by the Metropolitan offices at the end of October.. Natalia Simeone met with Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, CEO of Atlético de Madrid, to finalize the details of the new contract of one of the most charismatic coaches in Spanish football. “It's on the right track,” said the red and white CEO in an interview days later.

The path has reached the goal. Diego Simeone will be at Atlético de Madrid, if no one or the results prevent it, until 2027, as announced by the red and white club this Thursday. A coach whose only goal is to “give my all”, as he recently said and completed: “From the day I arrived until the day I leave”. “It is a step forward for Atlético de Madrid and also for Simeone,” said Enrique Cerezo, president of the entity.

This is the eighth contract that Diego Simeone signs at Atlético de Madrid. It is the first time that he has done so for three years and, in addition, reducing his emoluments which, until this last signing, amounted to 16.5 million net, which made him the highest paid coach in the world. As EL MUNDO has learned, the coach's new salary would be around 12 million net per season.

If he fulfills what was agreed, or even more so, if he extends “another three years later”, as Gil Marín wished, Simeone would not only surpass Miguel Muñoz, who spent almost 14 years on the Real Madrid bench, but would also celebrate 18 years as boss. from the Atlético de Madrid locker room. In these times of emergencies and results, an outrage.

Even more so if we look at the figures he has achieved since he arrived at the club on December 27, 2011, replacing Gregorio Manzano.. In these almost 12 years it has achieved eight titles: two Leagues (2013/14, 2020/21), one Copa del Rey (2012/13), two Europa Leagues (2011/12, 2017/18), two European Super Cups ( 2012, 2018) and a Spanish Super Cup (2014).

In addition to the titles, Simeone has directed 642 matches, obtaining 380 wins, 148 draws and only 115 defeats.. Last season he surpassed Luis Aragonés as the coach with the most games coached by Atlético de Madrid, 612. “He is capable of anything,” explained Enrique Cerezo.

One of the keys that has kept him on the bench of such a tempestuous club is the regularity and stability that he has provided.. Since his first full season, the Argentine coach has always qualified Atlético de Madrid for the Champions League. This represents very valuable income for a club that has established itself among the greats in Europe and that in 2019 reached second place in the UEFA ranking.

2023 historic

Perhaps the most tortuous time for the one from Buenos Aires was the one that happened before the World Cup in Qatar, last year.. Eliminated from Europe in the first phase and 13 points behind the leader before the World Cup, many voices doubted Simeone's continuity due to the team's poor performance.

In those moments of weakness in 2022, there was a player who not only challenged the coach with his attitude and his rudeness, he also conditioned the red and white parish and generated a debate around the team's play.

The Portuguese Joao Félix, still under contract with Atlético de Madrid, never got along with Simeone or the team's style of play. Despite having cost 120 million, the club's management considered it smarter to give the player to Chelsea. The separation of both paths could not have been more disparate.. While the Portuguese was sinking in the Premier, Atlético was taking off.

But the colchoneros rebuilt themselves upon their return and, although they were no longer in European competition, they managed to become the second best team in 2023 only behind Manchester City. And, although it may sound like a pipe dream for those who consider Cholo a defensive coach, he is one of the highest scorers.. Until last day, he was still leading that statistic until Girona overtook him after their defeat in Las Palmas. The Catalans have 29 goals compared to the 26 of the red and whites.

After the 6-0 defeat to Celtic on the last day of the Champions League, placing Atlético as the leader of group E, as well as the team's progress in LaLiga, despite the blot of Las Palmas, Simeone is in one of the moments sweetest in his 12 years at the club.

All you have to do is stop by any Sunday and listen to the Atlético de Madrid lineup. There is the European top scorer, the captain of France and two World champions, but the name for which the Colchonera fans vibrate the most is: Diego Pablo Simeone.