Sports Hot News Morning April 3: Tran Thi Thanh Thuy Plays Two Final Matches in the Regular Season in Japan

Sports Hot News Morning April 3: Tran Thi Thanh Thuy Faces Japan's Top 5 Club; Olmo Attracts Interest from Three Major European Clubs...

Tran Thi Thanh Thuy and Gunma Play the Last Two Matches of the Regular Season

Page Volleyball King of Japan recently posted about matches in the Japanese National Volleyball Championship this weekend (April 4 and 5). These are the final two matches of the regular season in the SV-League before the top eight teams compete in the finals. Among them, Volleyball King mentioned the match between Tran Thi Thanh Thuy's club Gunma Green Wings and Himeji.

"Gunma officially secured a spot in the finals after defeating Yamagata in match 2 of round 21 on March 29. With two matches remaining, they have a record of 24 wins - 18 losses. This is a miraculous leap considering they finished bottom of the table last season with only 5 wins. This achievement demonstrates the coaching prowess of Head Coach Masayasu Sakamoto. Olivia Rojanski, the main attacking spearhead, delivered a superb performance with 21 attacking points in the decisive match. Although they will start the finals from the lower group, Gunma is still expected to create a major surprise," the page Volleyball King writes.

"Club Himeji currently ranks 5th (27 wins - 15 losses). They have added quality players like Rui Nonaka, Emi Fukutome, and notably the return to peak form of Camila Mingardi. Airi Miyabe is also showing significant influence in the opposite hitter position. With the squad in good form, Himeji's prospects in the finals are very bright," Volleyball King continues.

Olmo Attracts Interest from Three Major European Clubs

Barcelona is becoming the focal point of the transfer market as Dani Olmo receives attention from a series of European giants. The most prominent are Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal.

Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola, sees Olmo as a replacement for Bernardo Silva and has submitted a €100 million offer. PSG's Luis Enrique wants to reunite with the Spanish player in his new project, while Arsenal considers him suitable for their playing style.

Nevertheless, Barcelona remains determined to keep him. Olmo's contract runs until 2030 with a €580 million release clause, and the club would only consider selling if they receive a truly exceptional offer.

Italian Football Federation Seeks New Coach

After Italy's failure in the World Cup qualifiers, Coach Gennaro Gattuso faces the risk of dismissal. In this context, Pep Guardiola is surprisingly mentioned as a potential replacement, even though he still has a contract with Manchester City until 2027 and is unlikely to leave this summer.

The Italian Football Federation is actively seeking a successor. Massimiliano Allegri is the preferred choice but is unlikely due to being the coach of AC Milan.

Therefore, the race may now only be between Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte, two coaches who have previously led the Italian national team.

Salah Could Move to Saudi Arabia to Play

Mohamed Salah confirms he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, opening one of the most notable transfers of summer 2026. Despite being a club legend, Liverpool will face difficulty finding a replacement of comparable stature.

Salah's potential destination is attracting much attention, with the Saudi Pro League emerging as the top choice as negotiations have progressed positively. Additionally, clubs in Italy, Germany, and MLS are closely monitoring the situation.

Saudi authorities are pushing to complete the deal, while allowing Salah to choose his club. Al Ittihad is currently the most prominent candidate.

If he joins, Salah could become the world's highest-paid player and the new iconic face of the league.

MU Wants Arsenal's Defender

MU is accelerating plans to recruit young defender Myles Lewis-Skelly from Arsenal, viewing him as a long-term replacement for Luke Shaw. The Old Trafford side currently only has two proper left defenders: Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, with Malacia likely to leave this summer, forcing the club to seek reinforcements.

Lewis-Skelly, 19, is a product of Arsenal's academy and has debuted for the England national team. Despite extending his contract until 2030 in 2025, he faces difficulty competing for a position as Coach Mikel Arteta prefers using Riccardo Calafiori.

This young defender has not played regularly, with his last appearance on February 15 in a 4-0 win over Wigan in the FA Cup. This presents an opportunity for MU to approach and recruit him.

Barcelona President Criticizes FIFA

Barcelona President Joan Laporta publicly criticized FIFA after Raphinha suffered a hamstring injury while playing for the Brazilian national team and will be sidelined for 5 weeks. This causes him to miss crucial matches, including the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Atlético Madrid and several La Liga matches in the race with Real Madrid.

"It is infuriating when one of your best players gets injured in a friendly match between France and Brazil," Laporta stated.

"You cannot leave the decision to play or not to the players, as they are professionals who always dedicate themselves fully to the national team. But FIFA needs to schedule matches considering the most important club-level competitions. We are fighting for survival at this stage of the season. That is hard to accept, but this is also a story that has been repeated for a long time," the Barcelona president emphasized.

This is the third time this season Raphinha has suffered a recurrence of injury. His absence opens an opportunity for Marcus Rashford to secure his position, in a context where Barcelona is considering a permanent purchase.