BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Isak Andic, the founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, has died after suffering an accident, the company said on Saturday. He was 71.
“It is with deep regret that we announce the unexpected death of Isak Andic, our non-executive chairman and founder of Mango, in an accident that occurred this Saturday,” Mango CEO Toni Ruiz said in a statement, without providing details.
Spanish news agency EFE and other media outlets, including La Vanguardia newspaper, said Andic died following a fall while hiking near Barcelona.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez paid tribute to Andic on social media, lauding his “hard work and business vision that transformed a Spanish brand into a global fashion leader.”
Andic’s family moved from Turkey to Spain when he was young. He opened Mango’s first store in Barcelona in 1984 and over the following decades helped Mango grow into one of Europe’s leading fast fashion makers.
Mango has 2,700 stores in 120 markets around the world. It set a company record of 3.1 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in sales in 2023. It is currently expanding in the U.S. and plans to have 65 stores there by the end of 2025.
FILE - Isak Andic, the founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, arrives at the Fall-Winter 2011 Mango's fashion show in Paris Tuesday, May 17, 2011. Andic died after falling while on a hike near Barcelona, the company said on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. He was 71. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
MILAN (AP) — A week after being named Serie A coach of the month, Gian Piero Gasperini showed why he is also a contender for coach of the year again.
Gasperini’s substitutions had an immediate impact as Atalanta won at lowly Cagliari 1-0 on Saturday for a club record 10th straight league victory. That ensured Atalanta will end the weekend on top of the table.
Atalanta remained two points above second-placed Napoli, which fought back to beat Udinese 3-1.
Juventus — the only unbeaten team in Serie A — hosted bottom club Venezia later.
Atalanta struggled to break down Cagliari in the first half and had Marco Carnesecchi to thank for it not being behind at the interval. The visiting goalkeeper pulled off impressive stops, including a fantastic triple save before the break.
Gasperini was clearly not happy with his team and made three changes at halftime and Atalanta immediately improved.
The coach made another two substitutions in the 64th minute, sending on the fresh legs of Nicolò Zaniolo and Lazar Samardzic for Mario Pasalic and Charles De Ketelaere.
The duo helped to break the deadlock two minutes later. Samardzic found Raoul Bellanova on the right side of the area and he knocked it back for Zaniolo to slot into the near bottom corner from close range.
Gasperini, who has been in charge of Atalanta for eight years, was the coach of the year in 2019 and 2020. Last week, he picked up the monthly award for November.
Atalanta won the Europa League last season but has never won Serie A. It achieved its highest finish of third place three times under Gasperini.
Cagliari gave an impressive performance but remained just two points above the relegation zone.
Napoli recovered from a dismal week in which it lost the Serie A lead and went out of the Italian Cup after two straight losses — both to Lazio.
Napoli also went behind in the 22nd minute on Saturday when Udinese was awarded a penalty for a Stanislav Lobotka handball.
Alex Meret parried Florian Thauvin's spot kick but he pushed it back only to the Udinese captain, who fired the rebound into the opposite corner.
Romelu Lukaku leveled five minutes after the break after running onto Scott McTominay's throughball and holding off Lautaro Giannetti.
The Udinese defender was even more unfortunate in the 76th when he attempted to clear David Neres' shot but succeeded only in turning it into his own net. Frank Anguissa sealed the win five minutes later.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Napoli's David Neres fights for the ball with Udinese's Kingsley Ehizibue during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Napoli at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
Udinese's Florian Thauvin, right, celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Napoli at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
Udinese's Florian Thauvin, left, scores a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Napoli at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's Romelu Lukaku celebrates after scoring the 1-1 goal for his team during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Napoli at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's Romelu Lukaku celebrates after scoring the 1-1 goal for his team during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Napoli at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta's midfielder Mario Pasalic shoots at the goal during the Serie A soccer match between Cagliari Calcio and Atalanta at the Unipol Domus in Cagliari, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Gianluca Zuddas/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta's streaker Nicolò Zaniolo celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Cagliari Calcio and Atalanta at the Unipol Domus in Cagliari, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Gianluca Zuddas/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta's coach Gian Piero Gasperini shouts instructions during the Serie A soccer match between Cagliari Calcio and Atalanta at the Unipol Domus in Cagliari, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Gianluca Zuddas/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta's streaker Nicolò Zaniolo celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Cagliari Calcio and Atalanta at the Unipol Domus in Cagliari, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (Gianluca Zuddas/LaPresse via AP)
