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SOCCER

Legend Scolari retires in triumphant style

Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Brazil to its last World Cup title in 2002 and took Portugal to the final of the European Championship in 2004, confirmed his retirement as a club coach on Sunday.

The 74-year-old Brazilian made his farewell after Athletico Paranaense's 3-0 home win on Sunday against Botafogo in the final round of the Brazilian championship. That victory secured Athletico sixth spot and a place in next year's Copa Libertadores.

"This has been my life. I end this chapter very well," an emotional Scolari said after the match.

Scolari said he expects to return to Athletico next year in an executive position but that he will no longer be in charge of a team.

Scolari, whose former clubs include Chelsea, has been talking about ending his coaching career since August.

As well as his World Cup title with Brazil, Scolari's Portugal was beaten by Greece in the final of Euro 2004.A career low point came when Germany humiliated tournament host Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup.

Saudis pull player from squad over doping case

Saudi Arabia winger Fahad al-Muwallad was pulled from the World Cup squad on Sunday less than 48 hours after being selected because of an ongoing doping case.

The Saudis' coach, Herve Renard, replaced al-Muwallad from his 26-man squad for the tournament in Qatar "as a precaution", the team said on its Twitter account.

The Saudi Arabian Anti-Doping Committee said in May it suspended the player for 18 months over his positive test in February for the doping substance Furosemide. It is a diuretic that has a long-established use in sports doping as a masking agent to hide the presence of other drugs.

Saudi media reports said the 28-year-old al-Muwallad's ban had been cut which cleared him for selection to play in Qatar, in what would have been his second World Cup.

The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed Sunday it had intervened in the case before the Saudi squad was selected.

Napoli in firm control after year's final games

Only AC Milan will end the year less than 10 points behind runaway Serie A leader Napoli.

An own-goal in stoppage time saw Milan snatch a 2-1 win at home to Fiorentina on Sunday to remain eight points adrift of Napoli, which beat Udinese 3-2 the previous day.

The other four teams in the top six were playing each other in the final round before the Italian league pauses for the World Cup and the traditional winter break. It resumes Jan 4.

Juventus beat Lazio 3-0 to move above the Roman side into third, 10 points behind Napoli. Lazio and Inter Milan are a point further back after Inter came from behind to win 3-2 at sixth-place Atalanta.

It was a sixth straight league win without conceding a goal for Juventus, which has soared back up the table after a dreadful start to the season.

GOLF

Korda regains No 1 spot after victory in Florida

Nelly Korda fired seven birdies in a six-under 64 on Sunday to seize victory at the LPGA Pelican Women's Championship in Belleair, Florida and return to the top of the world rankings.

The American's storming last round saw her defend the title she won last year and lift her first trophy of what has been a tough 2022.

Korda missed much of the first half of the season because of a blood clot in her arm that required surgery. She had taken the last five weeks off after missing back-to-back cuts at the NW Arkansas Championship and the Ascendant LPGA in Texas.

"Honestly, amazing," said Korda, who rises from fourth in the world to supplant Thai teenager Atthaya Thitikul atop the rankings. "There have been more downs than ups this year, and I think that's what makes this so much sweeter to me."

It will be Korda's third stint atop the rankings, her two previous runs there totaling 29 weeks.

TENNIS

Rafa struggles to shake off rust at ATP Finals

Rafael Nadal said he was slow and rusty as he suffered a disastrous start to his bid to win the ATP Finals for the first time after crashing to a 7-6 (3), 6-1 defeat to Taylor Fritz on Sunday.

"It's about time," the 36-year-old said. "I have less time than him to do what I want to do on the ball. I felt that everything was going so fast."

The year-ending Finals is the only major trophy missing from tennis icon Nadal's list of honors but his straight-sets loss means he will struggle to emerge from the round-robin stage.

He probably needs to win both his remaining matches against Green Group opponents Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime if he is to make the semifinals.

Nadal, who had not played on the tour since the US Open in September, said he is struggling to rediscover his best form after recent injuries.

"Normally I try to come back in lower events," Nadal said. "Normally you don't need to play at your top to win a couple of matches. Then if you made that happen, when you face the top players, you are more ready."

Agencies