Napoli takes control of Serie A without unsettled star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

MILAN (AP) — Without injured and unsettled star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli still took control of Serie A on Sunday.

Napoli coach Antonio Conte confirmed the previous day that Kvaratskhelia — nicknamed “Kvaradona” by the fans in homage to Diego Maradona — had asked to leave the club, with Paris Saint-Germain the likely destination.

His current teammates did not let themselves be affected by the controversy as they beat lowly Hellas Verona 2-0 to move four points clear of Inter Milan after the defending champion moved into second place earlier with a 1-0 win at Venezia.

Atalanta was third after it was held 0-0 at Udinese on Saturday. Inter has played two fewer matches than Napoli and one less than Atalanta.

Kvaratskhelia was out of Sunday’s match in Naples through injury anyway, saving Conte from perhaps a difficult choice.

Verona had beaten Napoli 3-0 in Conte's first league match in charge.

But there was no such danger this time as Napoli took the lead in the fifth minute. Giovanni Di Lorenzo played a one-two with Romelu Lukaku and then curled in a shot that hit the left post and went in off the back of Lorenzo Montipò, going down as an own-goal from the Verona goalkeeper.

Frank Anguissa should have doubled Napoli’s lead seconds later but he blazed over the bar from seven yards, falling to his feet and clutching his face after the miss.

He made up for it in the 61st minute with a spectacular goal as he cut inside from the right, played a one-two with Lukaku and then drove the ball powerfully into the near side of the net from outside the area.

Inter Milan bounced back from a demoralizing Italian Super Cup loss but it was harder than might have been expected at relegation-threatened Venezia.

Inter lost the Italian Super Cup final to city rival AC Milan in Saudi Arabia on Monday after throwing away a 2-0 lead.

It was also facing an injury crisis Sunday as several key players either could not make the trip to Venice or were only fit for a place on the bench.

Inter took the lead in the 16th minute when Lautaro Martínez showed fantastic control on a long ball over the top. His volley was parried by Filip Stankovic but Matteo Darmian turned in the rebound

Stankovic, who is the son of Inter hero Dejan and also on loan from the Nerazzurri, pulled off a number of fine saves against his parent club.

Venezia almost leveled in the 74th but United States international Gianluca Busio curled a fine attempt off the base of the far post.

Inter held on for its sixth straight away victory without conceding a goal.

Venezia remained 19th in the 20-team standings, five points from safety.

New Genoa owner Dan Sucu was in the stands to see the team beat Parma 1-0 in a relegation fight, for its first league home win of the season.

It needed a huge slice of luck as Morten Frendrup’s strike took a huge deflection off Parma defender Enrico Delprato to give Genoa the lead in the 65th minute.

Genoa moved four points above Parma and five away from the relegation zone.

Roma forward Artem Dovbyk converted a penalty with the last kick of the match, in the eighth minute of stoppage time, to snatch a 2-2 draw at Bologna.

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Roma's Artem Dovbyk scores his side's second goal during a Serie A soccer match between Bologna FC and AS Roma at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, Bologna, Italy, Sunday, January 12, 2025. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Roma's Artem Dovbyk celebrates with teammate Tommaso Baldanzi after scoring his side's second goal during a Serie A soccer match between Bologna FC and AS Roma at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, Bologna, Italy, Sunday, January 12, 2025. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Napoli's Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa reacts during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Venezia at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo//LaPresse via AP)

Napoli's Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa kicks the ball, during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Venezia at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

Napoli's Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, right, celebrates after scoring his team's second goal, with Napoli's Giovanni Di Lorenzo, during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Verona at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 12 , 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

Parma's Zion Suzuki saves a ball, during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Parma at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)

Genoa's Morten Frendrup and Mattia Bani vie for the ball with Parma's Mandela Keita, center, during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Parma at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)

Venezia's Joel Pohjanpalo and Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni vie for the ball, during the Serie A soccer match between Venezia and Inter at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium, in Venice, Italy, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Mehdi Taremi, right, and Venezia's Hans Nicolussi Caviglia in action during the Serie A soccer match between Venezia and Inter at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium, Venice, Italy, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)

Venezia's Hans Nicolussi Caviglia and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, right, in action during the Serie A soccer match between Venezia and Inter at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium, Venice, Italy, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Matteo Darmian celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Venezia and Inter at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium, Venice, Italy, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Three more Israelis held captive in the Gaza Strip are on the verge of being freed Saturday as part of a shaky ceasefire deal that requires Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.

The truce that began nearly four weeks ago had been jeopardized in recent days by a tense dispute that threatened to renew the fighting.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to remove more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has cast even more doubt on the future of the ceasefire.

But Hamas said Thursday it would move ahead with the release of more hostages after talks with Egyptian and Qatari officials. The group said the mediators had pledged to “remove all hurdles” to assure Israel would allow more tents, medical supplies and other essentials into Gaza.

It will be the sixth swap since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19. So far, 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners have been freed during the first phase of the truce.

As with previous exchanges, dozens of masked, armed Hamas fighters lined up near a stage festooned with Palestinian flags and the banners of militant factions while music blared from loudspeakers.

The militants are expected to parade the hostages before crowds and cameras onto the stage, which has been set up near a heavily damaged multistory building, before handing them over to the Red Cross. The humanitarian organization will then transport them to Israeli forces

The three hostages set to be released after more than 16 months in captivity are: Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, who is American-Israeli; and Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29, who holds Israeli and Russian citizenship.

The trio were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit communities in southern Israel during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the devastating war.

Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who had been staying with him at the time. Eitan remains in captivity.

Dekel Chen had been working outside when militants stormed the kibbutz. His wife hid in a safe room with their two daughters. She gave birth to their third daughter two months later.

Troufanov was taken hostage along with his grandmother, mother and girlfriend. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanov’s father was killed in the Oct. 7 attack.

The Hamas-linked Prisoners’ Information Office said Friday that 369 Palestinians were set to be released from Israeli prisons on Saturday. It said 36 of those were serving life sentences.

Among the most prominent Palestinian prisoners set to be released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of Marwan Barghouti, a militant leader and iconic Palestinian political figure.

Israel sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to life on charges that he dispatched suicide bombers during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He was arrested alongside Marwan Barghouti in 2002.

Of the 251 people abducted, 73 remain in Gaza, around half of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly all the remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers.

Concern has been growing about the remaining hostages’ condition, particularly after the release of three last Saturday, who emerged looking emaciated and frail.

One of them, 65-year-old Keith Siegel, said Friday in a video message addressed to Trump that his captors treated him worse as the 15-month war intensified, kicking him, spitting on him and holding him without water or light.

The ceasefire appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.

Hamas had said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble. Israel said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed.

While the immediate crisis may have been averted, the truce faces a much bigger challenge with the deal’s first phase set to conclude in early March. There have not yet been substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war.

At its height, the fighting displaced 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million. Hundreds of thousands have since returned to their homes as the ceasefire took hold, though many found only rubble, buried human remains and unexploded ordnance.

The war has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Trump’s proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has thrown the truce’s future into further doubt.

The idea has been welcomed by Israel’s government. But it has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries. Human rights groups say it could amount to a war crime under international law.

Trump has proposed that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of destroying Hamas and implementing Trump’s plan. The militant group remains in control of the territory after surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history.

Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip

Palestinians gather to attend Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians gather to attend the Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians perform Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians gather to attend Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)