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WA bullish Serie A game in Australia will proceed

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WA bullish Serie A game in Australia will proceed


The West Australian government remains adamant that Perth will host a Serie A match between AC Milan and Como next year, despite the cancellation of a planned fixture between Barcelona and Villarreal in the United States.

With the San Siro set to be unavailable due to the Winter Olympics, Italy’s football federation (FIGC) gave the green light for the Rossoneri to stage its Feb. 6 clash with Como in Perth in July, describing the opportunity to bring a Serie A fixture to Australia as “historic.”

UEFA “reluctantly” gave its approval for the fixture, as well as a LaLiga game between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, earlier this month. However, following widespread backlash in Spain, LaLiga announced on Tuesday that it had cancelled its planned fixture, citing the “uncertainty” generated by the protests.


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No such announcement, though, has been made on Serie A’s attempts to bring a game Down Under, and the West Australian government remains confident that the game will go ahead as planned.

“The WA Government is committed to bringing Serie A to Australia for the first time and we’re confident in the support shown by Football Australia, both teams and Serie A to date, as we await sign off from the AFC and FIFA to make this a reality,” Rita Saffioti, who serves as West Australia’s deputy premier in addition to being its minister for sport and recreation, told ESPN in a statement.

“Following the success of AC Milan’s recent visit to Perth for their preseason, we saw how successful the friendlies were for AC Milan and AS Roma, and we know that European football has a huge following in WA.”

While UEFA has given its approval for the fixture to proceed, it also requires the assent of FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation, of which Australia is a member, and local federation Football Australia, before it can be officially approved and contracts signed.

Speaking to West Australian media on Wednesday morning, Saffioti, who flew to Italy to help seal the deal to bring a game to Perth, indicated that she believed those approvals to be imminent.

“We’ve had some very supportive comments [on Tuesday] from the Italian league, so we’re very confident,” she said. “Every hour I’m checking my phone, or basically every 10 minutes I’m checking my phone.

“It should happen in the next week, next few days, but that’s why we’re waiting.”

Milan has twice previously toured West Australia in recent years, playing a friendly with Roma in 2024 and local A-League Men outfit Perth Glory earlier this year.

These visits have been part of a significant investment by the West Australian government in sport and major events. Perth is set to be one of the three host cities for next year’s Women’s Asian Cup, it will stage the return of State of Origin in the AFL, and is partnering with TKO to bring multiple UFC and WWE events to the city.

But the plan to host a Serie A game, something Como has declared is about “ensuring survival” for Serie A, has been controversial with Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot labelling the move “completely crazy.”

Football Supporters Association Australia has joined opposition to the game with Football Supporters Europe, declaring “domestic league fixtures are intrinsically linked to their home territories” and raising concerns over its potential impact on the local A-League Men’s and Women’s competitions.



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Pakistani Samina Baig makes history by skiing South Pole – SUCH TV

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Pakistani Samina Baig makes history by skiing South Pole – SUCH TV



Pakistani climber Samina Baig has successfully skied to the South Pole, marking a historic first achievement for her country. Baig, who was part of an international team arranged by Elite Exped, left Pakistan on December 2 and arrived at Union Glacier on December 6.

She completed the South Pole journey on December 14.

In a post on her Facebook page, Baig described the achievement as one of the most challenging and meaningful experiences of her life.

She highlighted that the ski journey had never been accomplished by any Pakistani before and said it was difficult to put into words.

“From standing on the summit of Mount Everest in 2013 to completing the Seven Summits, from climbing K2 and Nanga Parbat to now reaching the South Pole, this journey has taken me across the highest mountains and most remote places on Earth,” Baig wrote.

“Each step throughout the journey has instilled in me patience, resilience, and the strength of faith.

She conveyed that the journey demanded faith in the vision, maintaining dedication despite doubts, and progressing even when the way appeared unfeasible.

Baig expressed hope that her efforts would inspire others, particularly young women, to pursue their dreams.

Baig also thanked her community for financially supporting the expedition, as well as her family, team members, Nirmal Purja, and Elite Ex for their emotional support and belief in her.

“Carrying the flag of Pakistan and my Ismaili flag across mountains, continents, and polar ice has been the greatest honour of my life.

I remain grateful for every opportunity, every lesson, and every person who walked this path with me,” she said.



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MSU’s Izzo gets raise, is highest-paid in Big Ten

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MSU’s Izzo gets raise, is highest-paid in Big Ten


EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State‘s Tom Izzo is getting a $1 million raise in his five-year contract that automatically renews annually, a boost that makes him the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten with a salary of about $7.2 million.

The school said Friday that its board of trustees had approved the raise as recognition of Izzo’s “Hall of Fame legacy and demonstrates a shared commitment to achieving continued success.”

Izzo, 70, is in his 31st season with the Spartans, who are ranked ninth with an 8-1 record this season. His teams have made eight Final Four appearances and won the 2000 national championship.

The Spartans have made 27 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances after missing in each of Izzo’s first two seasons. He has a 745-303 record without a losing season.

“Coach Izzo is the ultimate Spartan — someone whose work ethic and devotion to our student-athletes, this university and the broader MSU community are unmatched,” Michigan State president Kevin M. Guskiewicz said. “We believe deeply in his ability to uphold our values, develop champions, and continue building one of college basketball’s premier programs.”

Kansas coach Bill Self has a similar contract structure. The school announced a lifetime contract for Self two years ago. His annual salary is more than $10 million. Self, who is in his 21st season with the Jayhawks, has led them to four Final Fours and two championships.



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Mike White, who coached Raiders and multiple college programs, dead at 89

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Mike White, who coached Raiders and multiple college programs, dead at 89


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Mike White, the accomplished football coach who spent time leading programs in both college and the NFL with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, has died.

White died in Newport Beach, California, at age 89.

“The Raiders Family is saddened by the passing of Mike White, former head coach of the Silver and Black and a long-time NFL and college coach and mentor,” the Raiders said in a statement. “The prayers of the entire Raider Nation are with MIke’s family at this time.”

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Head coach Mike White of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sideline as an assistant coach gestures during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium Nov. 5, 1995, in Cincinnati. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

White spent seven years coaching with the Raiders, two as their head coach from 1995-96. He previously served in a quarterbacks and offensive line coaching role.

White’s coaching career began at the ripe age of 22, when he joined the Cal Golden Bears as a defensive line coach in 1958 after being a four-sport athlete at the school in the 1950s.

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He served in that role for six years before moving on to Stanford as its offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 1964-71.

University of California, Berkeley campus

University of California, Berkeley, entrance sign on the corner of Oxford Street and Center Street at Berkeley, Calif. (iStock)

White’s time with the Golden Bears wasn’t over, though. He returned to Berkeley to lead them as their head coach from 1972–77.

White finally broke into the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 1978, where he served as the team’s offensive line coach for two years.

Then, it was back to college, this time leading the Illinois Fighting Illini from 1980-87 as head coach.

Following his time with the Raiders, White was an offensive assistant with the St. Louis Rams.

White’s coaching career spanned five decades, and he impacted many coaches and players along the way.

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“Mike was special,” Burl Toler Jr., who played for the Golden Bears from 1974-77, said of White. “He treated us like men and with a lot of respect. Mike was a very gifted and smart coach who loved Cal and loved being a coach, and he surrounded himself with a lot of like minds who instilled in us a will to succeed.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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