Ex-Pumas Quesada and Contepomi duel again as coaches of Italy and Argentina

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Ex-Pumas Quesada and Contepomi duel again as coaches of Italy and Argentina

2024-11-08 18:03 Last Updated At：18:10

Argentina comes up against an Argentine coach for the first time in test rugby on Saturday.

Gonzalo Quesada, the coach of Italy, admits he'll have mixed emotions in Udine.

Until kickoff.

“It is going to be a special day, it is true,” Quesada told Argentine daily La Nacion this week. “I am playing against the shirt I consider my own, the Pumas, and I will sing my national anthem. But at the same time I am coaching Italy, my commitment is to Italy, and I respect it 100%.”

Rugby ties between the countries run deep. Between 1880 and 1980, an estimated 15 million Italians left the country permanently, establishing Little Italys all over the world. Then their children, curious about the old country, returned, and some became Italy's greatest rugby players.

Diego Dominguez remains Italy's highest point-scorer, after two 1989 caps for the Pumas. Italy's two most capped players, Sergio Parisse and Martin Castrogiovanni, came to the country in their late teens.

Center Juan Ignacio Brex in the current squad has Argentine origins while six of the Pumas squad play professionally in Italy. Only two, however, will feature on Saturday, prop Thomas Gallo and flyhalf Tomas Albornoz, who will face 13 of their Benetton Treviso clubmates.

“Italy and Argentina are always a special match,” Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi says. “Many of our surnames or our families come from Italy. They are like brothers or cousins. We are very close. In my opinion, we speak Spanish with an Italian accent.”

Quesada and Contepomi go way back. They were Pumas backs from the late 1990s, often 10 and 12, and went to two Rugby World Cups. Quesada was established first and the highest scorer at the 1999 World Cup. Quesada eventually vied with Contepomi for the flyhalf spot and finished after the 2003 World Cup.

While Contepomi went on to a Hall of Fame career, Quesada started remaking his name in coaching. He was a specialist for the France sides which won the 2010 Six Nations Grand Slam and reached the 2011 World Cup final. He was on Mario Ledesma's 2018 Pumas staff, and coached the 2019 Jaguares to their first Super Rugby final. He remains close to many of those Jaguares who are current Pumas.

Quesada, regarded as more of a thinker, and Contepomi, considered bolder, are in their first year as national coaches, and already achieved banner seasons.

Quesada led Italy to its best Six Nations ever with wins over Scotland and Wales and a draw with France.

Contepomi guided Argentina to its best Rugby Championship ever after beating South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in one campaign for the first time.

Italy's last test was demolishing Japan 42-14 in Sapporo in July, and the side is largely intact, giving it hope of a first home win over the Pumas in 26 years.

Argentina opens its autumn tour of Europe with an almost entirely new backline, ravaged after losing the Rugby Championship decider to South Africa 48-7 in September.

Stadio Friuli, the intimate 25,000-seat modern home of soccer's Udinese, will host a rugby test for only the second time. By a quirk of fate, it fronts on to Piazzale Repubblica Argentina.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Amsterdam police say 5 hospitalized and 62 detained after attacks on Israeli soccer fans

2024-11-08 17:57 Last Updated At：18:00

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Amsterdam police said Friday that five people were hospitalized and 62 arrested after what authorities described as systematic violence by antisemitic rioters targeting Israeli fans following a soccer match.

The Dutch and Israeli leaders denounced the violence, and condemnation poured in from Jewish groups. Israel's foreign minister left on an urgent diplomatic trip to the Netherlands. Security concerns have shrouded matches with Israeli teams in multiple countries over the past year because of global tensions linked to the wars in the Middle East.

The Amsterdam police said in a post on X that they have started a major investigation into multiple violent incidents. The post did not provide further details about those injured or detained in Thursday night’s violence following the Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Authorities said extra police would patrol Amsterdam in coming days, and security will be beefed up at Jewish institutions in the city that has a large Jewish community and was home to Jewish World War II diarist Anne Frank and her family as they hid from Nazi occupiers.

Earlier, a statement issued by the Dutch capital’s municipality, police and prosecution office said that the night “was very turbulent with several incidents of violence aimed at Maccabi supporters'' after antisemitic rioters “actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them.''

It was not immediately clear when and where violence erupted after the match.

“In several places in the city, supporters were attacked. The police had to intervene several times, protect Israeli supporters and escort them to hotels. Despite the massive police presence in the city, Israeli supporters have been injured,” the Amsterdam statement said.

“This outburst of violence toward Israeli supporters is unacceptable and cannot be defended in any way. There is no excuse for the antisemitic behavior exhibited last night,” it added.

The violence erupted despite a ban on a pro-Palestinian demonstration near the soccer stadium imposed by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, who had feared that clashes would break out between protesters and supporters of the Israeli soccer club.

There were also incidents involving fans ahead of the match. Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that a Palestinian flag was ripped off a building in the center of the city and riot police blocked pro-Palestinian supporters trying to march toward the Johan Cruyff Arena stadium where the match was being played.

Israel initially ordered that two planes be sent to the Dutch capital to bring the Israelis home, but later the prime minister's office said it would work on "providing civil aviation solutions for the return of our citizens.''

A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that “the harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked," and that Netanyahu "views the horrifying incident with utmost gravity." He demanded that the Dutch government take “vigorous and swift action" against those involved.

Netanyahu's office added that he had called for increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X that he followed reports of the violence “with horror.”

“Completely unacceptable antisemitic attacks on Israelis. I am in close contact with everyone involved,” he added, saying that he had spoken to Netanyahu and “emphasized that the perpetrators will be tracked down and prosecuted. It is now quiet in the capital.”

Security issues around hosting games against visiting Israeli teams led the Belgian soccer federation to decline to stage a men’s Nations League game in September. That game against Israel was played in Hungary with no fans in the stadium.

The violence in Amsterdam will lead to a review of security at two games this month being organized by European soccer body UEFA. France plays Israel at Stade de France near Paris next Thursday in the Nations League and Maccabi Tel Aviv’s next Europa League game is scheduled in Istanbul on Nov. 28 against Besiktas.

Ajax won the Europa League match 5-0.