Global Pulse

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大洋洲

  • Rugby brain injury court case at risk of collapse

    Rugby brain injury court case at risk of collapse

    One of the most high-profile legal battles in sports history, a lawsuit brought by hundreds of former rugby players alleging long-term brain injury caused by inadequate safety protections from the sport’s global and national governing bodies, is currently on the edge of collapse after critical procedural failures from the claimants’ original legal team. The 561 claimants, a mix of retired professional and amateur athletes, have brought claims against five leading rugby organizations: World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU), the Rugby Football League, and the British Amateur Rugby League Association. The players allege these governing bodies breached their legal duty of care to protect athletes from avoidable head trauma, arguing the organizations knew or should have understood the risks of repeated concussions but failed to implement adequate protective policies or warn players of the long-term neurological dangers.

    The case has already dragged on for six years and cost millions of pounds in legal fees, but it now faces a devastating procedural hurdle: the presiding senior master at London’s High Court, Jeremy Cook, is currently weighing whether to dismiss 95% of the first batch of claimants over their failure to comply with a court order requiring full disclosure of all existing neurological test documentation. In his assessment of the situation, Cook clarified that the fault for the procedural failure lies entirely with the claimants’ former lead legal representative, Richard Boardman of law firm Rylands Garth, not with the former athletes themselves. Cook emphasized, “The only complaint in this case is against the way Mr Boardman has handled the material. No claimant in this case can be said in any way, shape or form to be responsible for the deficiencies in the way this case has been presented.”

    Following the procedural breakdown, the claimants voted unanimously to end their working relationship with Rylands Garth, and Boardman has formally notified the court of his intention to step down from the case. The claimants are now actively searching for new legal representation to take over the complex litigation, but it remains uncertain whether any firm will agree to take on the high-stakes, years-long case. Cook has openly expressed sympathy for the former athletes whose claims hang in the balance, drawing a parallel to the situation: “We have got three buses full of passengers going to the same destination. The first bus, the driver drives them off a cliff and the result is that they don’t get to the destination. The other two get to the destination. What of those on the first bus?”

    Many household names in British and Irish rugby are among the claimants, including England Rugby World Cup winners Steve Thompson, Mark Regan and Phil Vickery, and former Wales internationals Colin Charvis, Gavin Henson, Ryan Jones and Lee Byrne. One of the most prominent claimants is Alix Popham, a former Wales flanker who was diagnosed with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in 2020 at the age of 40. CTE is a progressive, degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head impacts and concussion episodes, and many of the claimants report living with a range of neurological conditions including early-onset dementia and CTE-related cognitive decline. Popham defended the decision to replace legal representation, noting that the “scale and complexity” of the ground-breaking case required new leadership. He added, “We hope it will help provide the momentum required to move the proceedings forward as efficiently as possible”. All five named governing bodies have denied any wrongdoing and are actively defending themselves against the claims.

  • Fires in Europe: latest developments

    Fires in Europe: latest developments

    Across the European continent, rapidly spreading and destructive wildfires have triggered emergency responses, mass displacement of residents, and renewed warnings about the accelerating impacts of human-caused climate change. New satellite data collected by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) confirms that 2024 has already seen the second-largest total area of burned land across European Union member states since systematic record-keeping began.

    A new analysis published this week by the international climate research group World Weather Attribution draws a direct line between the increasing frequency and intensity of European blazes and rising global temperatures driven by the combustion of fossil fuels including oil, coal, and gas. The study confirms that regional drought conditions across the continent have grown far more severe in recent decades, creating tinder-dry landscapes that enable wildfires to ignite and spread much faster than historical norms.

    France, one of the countries hardest hit by this year’s fire season, is facing what officials are calling the most destructive blaze of the current period. In southwestern France, a single massive wildfire in the Lege Cap-Ferret forest region has already burned through more than 10,000 hectares (approximately 25,000 acres) of land, forcing the evacuation of around 40,000 residents to safer areas. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed in an interview with Agence France-Presse that the blaze has destroyed 80 residential structures, with roughly 50 of those homes reduced to complete ruin. As of the latest update, no casualties have been reported from the fire.

    Across the entire country, 32 separate wildfires of varying intensity are still actively burning as of Friday. Nunez noted that total burned area in France since the start of the year has surpassed 50,000 hectares, a figure that is nearly three times higher than the total recorded over the same period in 2023. As the main blaze advanced on the Cap Ferret peninsula on Friday, hundreds of residents and visitors were forced to evacuate the coastal area by boat, after the fire outpaced ground evacuation routes. By early Friday, the Cap Ferret blaze had already consumed an area nearly twice the size of Manhattan, according to on-site reports.

    Neighboring Spain is also grappling with out-of-control blazes that threaten populated areas. Two large uncontained wildfires are burning less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Spanish capital of Madrid, and regional authorities warn that difficult weather conditions, particularly strong gusty winds, will hamper firefighting efforts through Friday. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has described the ongoing wildfire crisis as dramatic, noting that extreme fire conditions are impacting multiple provinces across Spain as well as regions in neighboring European countries. Sanchez confirmed that the national government has deployed every available resource to contain the blazes and protect affected communities.

  • Thousands flee wildfires in southern Europe

    Thousands flee wildfires in southern Europe

    A devastating wave of wildfires fanned by record-breaking high temperatures is sweeping across Western and Southern Europe, triggering mass evacuations, emergency declarations, and urgent requests for cross-continental assistance as blazes consume thousands of hectares of land and claim multiple lives. As of Friday, smoke from out-of-control blazes burning just 60 miles from the Spanish capital had drifted into Madrid, while thousands of tourists and local residents were evacuated by boat from a popular French Atlantic vacation peninsula, marking one of the most severe wildfire crises the region has faced in years.

  • ASX 200 plunges amid Trump’s Iran threat and soaring interest rate fears

    ASX 200 plunges amid Trump’s Iran threat and soaring interest rate fears

    A sharp downturn swept across Australia’s benchmark share index on Friday, driven by two interconnected pressures: escalating geopolitical risk from a newly revealed U.S. military threat against Iran and growing market expectations that interest rates will remain higher for longer across the globe.

    The S&P/ASX 200, Australia’s primary blue-chip index, closed down 66.70 points, or 0.75%, to settle at 8772.30, marking its worst single-day performance in July. The broader All Ordinaries index followed suit, dropping 76.60 points, or 0.85%, to end the session at 8941.50. The Australian dollar also weakened, slipping to 69.86 U.S. cents by market close.

    Seven out of the ASX’s 11 industry sectors closed in negative territory, led by steep declines in information technology, materials, and consumer discretionary stocks. The technology sector bore the brunt of the selloff: cloud accounting firm Xero fell 4.45% to $61.58, logistics software developer WiseTech Global plunged 4.64% to $30.02, and communications technology firm Codan dropped 4.13% to $39.65.

    Major mining firms also faced significant downward pressure. BHP Group declined 2.94% to $58.85, Rio Tinto fell 1.69% to $159.99, and Fortescue Metals Group closed down 1.01% at $18.57.

    The trigger for much of the market jitters was comments from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who confirmed to U.S. news outlet Axios that he was considering a “massive attack” on Iran, larger than any previous U.S. military action against the country. “I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” Trump stated, amplifying existing geopolitical instability in the Middle East that already included 13 consecutive days of strikes targeting Iran and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen.

    Commonwealth Bank sustainable and energy economist John Oh noted that the threat spooked already jittery global and domestic markets. “Although the scale of the ‘massive attack’ considered by U.S. President Trump remains unclear, any expansion of attacks to include key civilian and energy infrastructure, and the risk of subsequent Iranian retaliation, would continue to worry markets,” he explained.

    The heightened risk of regional conflict sent global crude oil prices soaring, with Brent crude jumping more than 6% to hold near $100 U.S. per barrel, its highest level since May. The oil price surge in turn stoked fears of renewed inflationary pressure, which raised expectations for further interest rate hikes from the U.S. Federal Reserve. This dynamic pushed gold prices down 2.5% to $4048 U.S. per ounce, dragging down Australian gold producers: Northern Star Resources fell 3.91% to $19.93, while Evolution Mining declined 2.42% to $11.29.

    Domestic monetary policy expectations added further downward pressure to the equity market. Australia’s 10-year government bond yield climbed back above 5%, a level last seen during the 2011 Eurozone debt crisis, as money markets priced in a higher probability of future Reserve Bank of Australia rate hikes.

    Global X strategy analyst Joseph Marassa noted that the shift in rate expectations had a notable impact on equity valuations. “It marked the ASX’s worst session of the month,” he said. “Markets will be focused on next week’s inflation print, following yesterday’s hotter-than-expected unemployment data. Market-implied odds of a rate hike next month have risen above 40 per cent, double last week’s level.”

    Even positive corporate news failed to stem the downward trend for several listed firms. Qantas Airways shares fell 1.96% to $9.99 despite the airline confirming a key milestone for its Project Sunrise initiative, which will launch non-stop Sydney-to-London flights from October 2027. Cochlear shares slipped 0.45% to $111.61 even after the hearing implant manufacturer confirmed it would retain duty-free access to the U.S. market following the conclusion of a U.S. government investigation. ASX Limited itself closed down 1.23% at $54.33 after announcing that chief financial officer Andrew Tobin, who joined the market operator in 2022, will retire from his role.

  • Eight health workers probed over ‘inappropriate’ access to AFL star’s health records

    Eight health workers probed over ‘inappropriate’ access to AFL star’s health records

    A former Australian Football League star, Tony Modra, is at the center of a growing privacy scandal after a near-fatal car crash left him recovering in a South Australian hospital, with eight hospital staff now under scrutiny for allegedly snooping on his confidential medical records.

    Modra’s life-threatening accident unfolded earlier this year near Victor Harbor, when a falling tree branch crashed straight through the windscreen of his moving vehicle. The impact left him with severe injuries that required extensive surgery and a multi-week stay at Flinders Medical Centre for intensive care and recovery. Earlier this week, the beloved former Adelaide Crows player shared a heartfelt public update, thanking the clinical team that supported his recovery and confirming he had returned home to reunite with his wife Erica and their two children, Luke and Hayley. Images shared on social media showed Modra reunited with his family just one month after his life-saving surgery, offering fans a glimpse of his ongoing recovery journey.

    But the celebratory update has been overshadowed by the revelation of an official investigation into potential privacy breaches by hospital employees. SA Health, the government body overseeing public health services in the state, has confirmed that an internal probe is actively underway, and has issued a formal apology to Modra and his family for the unnecessary distress the incident has caused.

    In an official statement, SA Health emphasized that protecting patient confidentiality and private clinical data is one of its highest priorities. “Protecting patients and their private clinical information is a matter we take extremely seriously,” the statement read. The organization noted that it maintains strict internal policies and routine auditing processes to ensure staff only access patient information when it is clinically necessary for their work. “Any staff member who has accessed information inappropriately may be subject to disciplinary processes, which may include termination of their employment,” the statement added.

    According to SA Health’s update, the potential breach was uncovered during a routine compliance audit. Three members of staff are currently facing formal investigation for allegedly gaining unauthorized access to Modra’s patient records, while a further five employees are being assessed to confirm whether their access to the files was legitimate and work-related. While SA Health has not publicly confirmed Modra’s identity as the patient in question, multiple public reports and industry sources have confirmed he is the individual at the center of the probe. SA Health added that the investigation remains ongoing, and repeated its apology to the family for the privacy violation.

    The scandal has sparked renewed conversation about patient privacy protections in South Australia’s public health system, with advocates highlighting that even high-profile patients are entitled to full confidentiality during their medical care.

  • South Korean tycoon ordered to pay $644m in divorce

    South Korean tycoon ordered to pay $644m in divorce

    One of South Korea’s most high-profile and costly divorce cases has concluded a major new chapter this week, with a revised ruling cutting the massive settlement that leading tech tycoon Chey Tae-won must pay to his ex-wife Roh Soh-yeong to $644 million.

    Chey, 65, serves as chairman of SK Group, the South Korean conglomerate that owns SK hynix, a global industry-leading memory chip manufacturer that counts AI giant Nvidia among its key clients. SK Group is widely regarded as a core pillar of South Korea’s tech-driven national economy, making the long-running legal battle over the couple’s assets a closely watched case both in business and political circles.

    The pair were married in 1988 at Seoul’s presidential Blue House, when Roh’s father Roh Tae-woo was serving as South Korea’s president. Though they share three children, the couple has lived separately for more than 15 years. Chey publicly admitted to fathering a child with another woman in 2015, and filed for divorce two years later. Formal court proceedings began in 2022 after mediation efforts failed to resolve the split.

    In 2024, the Seoul High Court issued an initial ruling ordering Chey to pay Roh a record 1.38 trillion won, equal to roughly $940 million at the time. The unprecedented size of the payout led South Korean media to label the dispute the “divorce of the century.” Chey appealed the ruling to South Korea’s Supreme Court, which sent the case back to the lower court for re-evaluation. That reconsideration resulted in Friday’s adjusted ruling, cutting the settlement to 944 billion won ($644 million). The revised ruling does not mark the end of the legal process, however: either party still has the right to appeal the new decision back to the Supreme Court for a final ruling.

    At the heart of the acrimonious dispute has been debate over the definition and valuation of the couple’s shared marital assets, primarily Chey’s multi-billion dollar controlling stake in SK Group. The 2024 lower court ruling included a 30 billion won slush fund established by Roh’s father to support SK Group’s early growth as part of Roh’s contribution to the couple’s shared assets, arguing that the fund helped grow Chey’s holdings. But last October, the Supreme Court struck down that reasoning, ruling the slush fund amounted to illegal bribes and could not be counted as a legitimate contribution to the marital estate.

    In Friday’s new ruling, the Seoul High Court upheld Roh’s entitlement to one-third of the couple’s shared assets accumulated during the marriage. The ruling noted that Chey’s SK Group shareholdings grew substantially during the marriage through his executive work, while Roh contributed to that growth through managing the household, raising the couple’s children, and carrying out public-facing duties on behalf of the conglomerate. The court also explicitly accounted for the dramatic surge in SK Group’s share value that has occurred since the couple separated, driven in large part by the global AI boom that has sent demand for SK hynix’s memory chips soaring. SK Group’s stock price has more than tripled since December 2015, when Chey’s extramarital affair became public. Chey’s current stake in the conglomerate is valued at approximately $5.5 billion based on recent public regulatory filings.

    Beyond the property settlement, the Supreme Court has already ordered Chey to pay a separate 2 billion won in alimony to Roh. Roh, 65, has built an independent career in the cultural sector, where she operates a prominent digital art museum.

  • Hundreds flee French peninsula by boat to escape wildfire

    Hundreds flee French peninsula by boat to escape wildfire

    A rapidly spreading wildfire forced the complete evacuation of France’s Cap Ferret peninsula on Friday, with more than 400 residents and vacationers escaping the blaze via a fleet of civilian and official boats. The evacuation order came as the inferno, burning just kilometers from one of France’s most famous Bordeaux wine regions, expanded to cover more than 8,000 hectares — an area roughly one and a half times the size of Manhattan. The Cap Ferret wildfire is not an isolated disaster: it is one of multiple active blazes burning across the country amid the peak summer vacation season, which has drawn thousands of tourists to the southwestern Atlantic coast. In response to the spreading flames, authorities have already ordered thousands more visitors to evacuate coastal campsites and seasonal holiday homes, as hundreds of firefighters backed by water-bombing aircraft work around the clock to contain the fire lines. As the crisis escalates beyond the capacity of national response resources, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris has activated the European Union’s civil protection mechanism to request additional firefighting support from neighboring member states. Macron warned that the wildfire situation across the country remains “very intense”, with little sign of relief in the coming days. Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) confirms that 2024 is already shaping up to be one of the worst years for wildfire activity on the continent: the total area of burned vegetation across EU countries is already the second largest recorded since systematic satellite tracking began. The unfolding disaster comes as southern Europe continues to face record-breaking summer heat waves and drought conditions, which have created tinder-dry conditions across forests and shrublands, increasing the risk of uncontrolled wildfire spread.

  • WAFCON favourites Nigeria eye World Cup slot and record prize money

    WAFCON favourites Nigeria eye World Cup slot and record prize money

    The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), the continent’s flagship biennial women’s football tournament, is set to kick off this Sunday in Morocco, with two major high-stakes rewards on offer for competing teams: direct qualification to the upcoming 2026 FIFA Women’s World Cup and a record-breaking $2 million first-place prize purse.

    This year’s edition marks a historic expansion of the tournament, growing from 12 participating nations at the previous tournament to 16 teams, all vying for continental glory. As 10-time WAFCON champions and the defending title holders, Nigeria’s Super Falcons enter the competition as the clear pre-tournament favorites, carrying the momentum of a dramatic 2022 final victory that saw them come back from a two-goal half-time deficit to beat host nation Morocco 3-2 with a late winning goal from midfielder Jennifer Echegini.

    Echegini, who plies her trade at Paris Saint-Germain, returns to the squad this year alongside the other two goal scorers from that iconic final: Canada-based forward Esther Okoronkwo and Chinese Super League attacker Folashade Ijamilusi, all hungry to add another continental title to their resumes. For the Super Falcons, the roadmap to success starts with securing one of four automatic World Cup qualification spots reserved for African semi-finalists, according to head coach Justine Madugu.

    “Our first priority is reaching the semi-finals and clinching one of four World Cup places automatically reserved for Africa,” Madugu told reporters ahead of the tournament opener. “Our second goal is to defend the trophy and bring it back to Nigeria. We know it will not be easy because every other nation wants to depose us. We have in our possession something precious that everybody else wants. However, we will remain resolute and focused and try to achieve both objectives.”

    Madugu has assembled a 25-player roster that blends veteran experience with emerging young talent, drawn from clubs across the globe ranging from Mexico and Israel to China. The squad includes just one home-based player, goalkeeper Fatima Oloko of Abia Angels, while the Super Falcons will be captained by Rasheedat Ajibade, Echegini’s PSG teammate. The team also boasts Chiamaka Nnadozie, the Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper widely recognized as the top women’s goalkeeper on the continent. One notable absence from the 2022 winning squad is defender Ashleigh Plumptre, the England-born Al-Ittihad player who has been ruled out of the tournament with an injury.

    Drawn into Group C, Nigeria will face a challenging opening round that includes strong contender Zambia, disciplined Egypt, and first-time WAFCON participants Malawi. Zambia boasts two of the most dangerous attacking players in African women’s football: Racheal Kundananji, who made headlines in 2024 when she transferred from Madrid CFF to America’s Bay FC for a then-world record transfer fee, and consistent goal scorer Barbra Banda. While Malawi enter the tournament as underdogs, they field a formidable attacking pair in the Chawinga sisters: Tabitha of Lyon and Temwa of Kansas City Current.

    Across the four groups, the tournament features a mix of continental powerhouse and rising contenders. In the 13 editions of WAFCON held since 1991, only two other nations have lifted the trophy besides Nigeria: Equatorial Guinea, which won twice, and South Africa, which claimed the 2022 title. Equatorial Guinea failed to qualify for this year’s tournament, while South Africa enters as the top seed in Group B, where they will face Tanzania, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.

    Host nation Morocco, which finished as runner-up in both of the past two WAFCON tournaments it hosted, will kick off Group A play against Algeria, Senegal and Kenya. The July 30 matchup between Morocco and Algeria is already expected to be a tense affair, carried by the long-standing strained political relations between the North African neighbors, rooted in the disputed phosphate-rich Western Sahara territory and historical border disagreements.

    Group D is rounded out by 2022 bronze medalists Ghana, three-time tournament runners-up Cameroon, and first-time qualifiers Cape Verde, who will look to replicate the incredible success of their men’s national team at the 2024 FIFA World Cup.

    A total of 34 matches will be hosted across five stadiums, with three venues in the capital city of Rabat and two in Morocco’s commercial hub Casablanca. The tournament also includes two classification matches between quarter-final losers, which will decide which African team earns a spot in the inter-continental World Cup play-offs.

  • Christian Brothers makes new sexual abuse payout proposals after pause bid

    Christian Brothers makes new sexual abuse payout proposals after pause bid

    In a dramatic policy reversal that has ended weeks of crippling uncertainty for hundreds of historical child sexual abuse survivors, trustees of the Christian Brothers have announced a landmark new compensation plan that shifts responsibility for all current and future payouts to the organization’s private school network, Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA).

    The reversal comes just weeks after the Christian Brothers triggered widespread outrage and anxiety when it requested a moratorium on all compensation payments to survivors, claiming the organization faced imminent financial insolvency that left it unable to meet outstanding abuse claims. That decision left survivors who had already won settlements or were waiting for judgements in limbo, with no guarantee they would receive the redress they had been awarded.

    Under the new proposal submitted to the Supreme Court, EREA – which manages more than 40 Catholic schools across Australia, serving a student population of over 44,000 – will take on full legal and financial liability for all existing abuse claims, all future legal proceedings, and all claims submitted through the federal National Redress Scheme. In a formal statement released Friday, Christian Brothers trustees confirmed that the two organizations had signed a binding memorandum of understanding designed to deliver a final resolution for all creditors, including abuse survivors.

    “This means that not only will current claimants with settlements or judgments be paid in full, but EREA will assume responsibility and liability for all current and future legal proceedings as well as for claims before the National Redress Scheme,” the statement read.

    EREA board chair Stephen Brown emphasized that the organization views the decision as both a moral obligation and a commitment to the long-term stability of its educational mission. “By supporting a revised scheme of arrangement we are committed to supporting those who have suffered abuse,” Brown said. “This decision will also support the long-term sustainability of the educational ministry, including more than 44,000 students entrusted to EREA’s stewardship. EREA is committed to supporting those who have suffered abuse, so today we are seeking to provide reassurance that we will step in to address future funding shortfalls.”

    The new arrangement has been broadly welcomed by Australia’s Albanese Labor Government, which harshly criticized the original pause on payments for the unnecessary distress it caused survivors. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek noted that the weeks of uncertainty between the Christian Brothers’ original announcement and the new plan have been an unneeded burden for people who already carried profound trauma from their abuse.

    “The past few weeks of uncertainty have been difficult for victim survivors of abuse in institutions run by the Christian Brothers,” Plibersek said. “They should never have been put in the position of wondering whether their claims would be met. No level of compensation can undo the profound harm experienced by victim survivors of child sexual abuse. But we know that redress – including counselling, apologies and financial compensation – can play an important role in helping survivors feel heard, believed and supported.”

  • Socceroos star allegedly tests positive for cocaine after speeding

    Socceroos star allegedly tests positive for cocaine after speeding

    A rising star of Australia’s men’s national soccer team, the Socceroos, finds himself at the center of a drug and driving scandal following two high-speed traffic stops in central Sydney that ended with an alleged positive cocaine test. Twenty-two-year-old midfielder Cristian Volpato, who recently switched his international football allegiance from Italy to Australia ahead of the latest World Cup, was first pulled over by New South Wales Police on the Anzac Bridge just after 11 p.m. local time this past Thursday.

    Law enforcement officials confirmed that Volpato was driving a BMW Coupe through a 60km/h zone at speeds between 86 and 94km/h when he was stopped. A standard roadside breath alcohol test came back negative for the 22-year-old, but officers let him go only to pull him over again less than two hours later in the same speed-restricted zone. This second stop found Volpato allegedly speeding at 109km/h, and a follow-up oral fluid test returned a positive result for the presence of cocaine.

    In immediate sanctions issued following the second stop, New South Wales Police issued Volpato a formal speeding infringement notice and suspended his international driver’s license for a six-month period, barring him from operating any vehicle within the state for the duration of the ban. Authorities confirmed they have sent a second oral fluid sample for independent laboratory testing, and that the investigation into the incident remains open as they await the confirmatory test results.

    Volpato’s career has made rapid progress in recent years: he came up through Italy’s youth international setup, only committing to represent Australia’s senior national team in May, just weeks before the Socceroos finalized their World Cup squad. He went on to feature in three of Australia’s four matches at the tournament, where the team advanced to the round of 32 before being eliminated by Egypt in a penalty shootout. At club level, Volpato has been a regular fixture for Italy’s top-flight Serie A side Sassuolo since joining the club in 2023. He notched 24 league appearances for the club during the 2024-2025 season, helping the team finish 11th in the league table.

    As of the publication of this report, BBC Sport has reached out to both Football Australia, the governing body for soccer in the country, and Sassuolo’s club management to request comment on the allegations against Volpato. Neither organization has issued a public response at this time.