Dusan Vlahovic shot Juventus to the Italian Cup with the only goal in Wednesday’s final against Atalanta who were denied a first trophy in six decades. Serbia striker Vlahovic’s fourth-minute strike was enough for Juve to claim the cup for the 15th time in a largely uninspiring final in Rome. Massimiliano Allegri’s side had won just three matches since the end of January coming into the final but frustrated Atalanta from the moment Vlahovic, who also had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half, netted the only goal of the game.

Wednesday’s win ended a three-year trophy drought for Juventus, Italy’s most successful and widely-supported club who have been overshadowed by the Milan clubs and Napoli in recent seasons.

Poor performances this season have led to speculation that Allegri, who was sent off late on, will be sacked in the summer, and he hinted that his second spell as Juve coach is set to come to an end.

“If I’m gone next season, because I’ve already been sacked in the media, we’re in the Champions League and have won a trophy,” said Allegri to Mediaset.

“We’ve done everything we were supposed to do, get into the Champions League and reach a final, the boys did really well to win it.”

Atalanta were fancied to win their first major honour since winning the cup in 1963 after a fabulous season for the traditionally provincial club.

However Gian Piero Gasperini’s team couldn’t find a way through a brilliantly organised Juventus defence which stopped attack-minded Atalanta from having a single shot on target.

The closest Atalanta came to levelling was when Ademola Lookman thumped a shot off the base of the post with 10 minutes remaining.

Atalanta now turn their attentions to sealing Champions League football through Serie A and next week’s Europa League final.

The Bergamo club, who are fifth in Italy’s top flight, face Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin in their first ever European final.

“We were up against a good team who went in front straight way and defended very well. I don’t think we played badly… they didn’t do any more than we did,” said Gasperini.

Allegri sent-off

With fans expecting the Atalanta show Vlahovic put himself forward as chief party pooper when he rushed through to collect Andrea Cambiaso’s pass and smash home his 18th goal of the season.

Vlahovic has been profligate at times this season but his emphatic finish allowed Allegri to play the game he loves best, packing the defence and rebuffing Atalanta’s attacks.

Very little happened in the first half after he scored, largely thanks to Juve’s insistence that nothing happen.

Ademola Lookman went close with a deflected shot five minutes after the break but it was Vlahovic who went close to doubling Juve’s lead in the 65th minute.

The 24-year-old was fed by Federico Chiesa and then skipped past two defenders before his close-range finish was stopped by a combination of Marten de Roon and goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.

Vlahovic then thought he had made sure of the cup for Juve with 17 minutes remaining, again meeting a Cambiaso ball to glance in a perfect header, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Lookman then thwacked his effort off the woodwork and soon after Juve midfielder Fabio Miretti rattled the crossbar in one of the game’s few moments of genuine drama.

The match finished with under-pressure Allegri sent off after the coach completely lost his head with referee Fabio Maresca when a foul on Danilo wasn’t immediately given in the area as Atalanta pushed for an equaliser.

Allegri was enraged to the point that he threw his jacket and tie to the floor before ranting at officials pitchside, as Juve directors tried to pull him away, before he returned fully dressed to celebrate cup glory.

The talks at the WTO’s ministerial conference ended with no decision on key issues such as finding a permanent solution to public food stockpile and on curbing fisheries subsidies that lead to over-capacity and over-fishing, sources said. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Despite hectic discussions, WTO MC13 ends with no deals on fisheries, agriculture

The talks at the WTO’s ministerial conference ended with no decision on key issues such as finding a permanent solution to public food stockpile and on curbing fisheries subsidies that lead to over-capacity and over-fishing, sources said. However, the members agreed to further extend the moratorium on imposing import duties on e-commerce trade for two more years, they said.

Yogi Adityanath meets U.P. Governor after Delhi visit, adds fuel to buzz over Cabinet expansion before Lok Sabha polls

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday met Governor Anandiben Patel in Lucknow adding fuel to the buzz of a State Cabinet expansion in the coming days ahead of parliamentary polls. Mr. Adityanath’s visit to the Governor’s house assumes significance as he attended the crucial Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meeting in New Delhi for the parliamentary polls a few hours earlier. The party said it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to expand the Cabinet and it will be done accordingly. 

Organ failure has become a health crisis, says Union Health Minister in letter to CMs

Organ failure has become a health crisis in the country with a huge gap between available donors and patients requiring organ transplants, Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has said. 

In a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, he said to reduce the increasing demand for organs and waiting list, the people were being requested to come forward for organ donation and give hope of a new life to the people suffering from organ failure.

In major victory for labourers, Rajasthan extends urban jobs scheme to new municipal bodies

In a major victory for the villagers who lost employment opportunities after the conversion of village panchayats into urban local bodies, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan has agreed to launch the urban employment guarantee scheme in 42 newly created Municipal Councils. The decision came over the week-end after a month-long agitation at Bhim in Rajsamand district.

Unrestrained poaching plays a role in disappearance of Odisha’s leopards 

Odisha has witnessed a sharp decline in its leopard population — approximately one-fourth lost — primarily due to poaching between 2018 and 2022. The ‘Status of Leopards India’ released on Thursday presented a dismal picture of the big cat population in the State. “The leopard population in Odisha is estimated at 568, the population has significantly declined since the last countrywide estimate of 760. However, the leopard densities from both the tiger Reserves have increased significantly. This indicates the major efforts of recovery is restricted to tiger reserves,” says the leopard census. The drop of 192 leopards is estimated to be 25.26%.

Food Corporation to spend ₹15 crore in five States to buy foodgrain bags with PM Modi’s photo

In the run-up to the 2024 general election, the Central government is spending around ₹15 crore in five States, to procure bags with the logo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that would be used to distribute foodgrains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

Corporate tax cuts bringing in investments and jobs, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

The government’s decision to slash corporate tax rates in late 2019 was a well-considered move to attract investments that has made a lot of difference, and a major transition is under way in the industry-labour relationship, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday.

TSCCB officials warn about surge in IPO scams

The Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TSCSB) have warned stock market investors about a significant rise in scams targeting Initial Public Offerings (IPOs).

Biden approves military air drops of aid into Gaza after Israeli firing left more than 100 dead

U.S. President Joe Biden said March 1 that the U.S. will begin air-dropping humanitarian assistance into Gaza, a day after more than 100 Palestinians were killed during a chaotic encounter with Israeli troops.

Has Dusan Vlahovic finally found his feet at Juventus?

When Dusan Vlahovic scored his second goal against Frosinone last weekend, creating space in the box by wrong-footing his marker before producing an exquisite finish to level the game at 2-2, the official Juventus social media handle exclaimed: “Dusan!! He just can’t stop scoring can he?!” It was a sentiment the Bianconeri fans ardently agreed with. This marked a change — in both the tone and mood in Turin — from much of 2022 and 2023, when Vlahovic’s reputation as one of Europe’s hottest talents was fast eroding. Juventus had acquired the Serbian hitman’s services during the January transfer window in 2022, beating serious competition from Arsenal and forking out €80 million.