Neres doubles gives Napoli the Italian Super Cup with victory over Bologna

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — David Neres scored in each half for Napoli as the reigning Serie A champion won the Italian Super Cup for a third time on Monday, beating Bologna 2-0 in Saudi Arabia.

The teams met in Riyadh to decide a tournament played between the winners and runners-up of last season’s league and cup competitions.

Neres' 39th-minute opener was a worthy cup winner, his superb left foot shot from 25 meters out curling into the far corner and giving an outstretched Federico Ravaglia no chance in the Bologna goal.

His second showed a different side to his attacking talents, as, with nearly an hour gone, he took advantage of a slack pass from Ravaglia and dispossessed John Lucumi before dinking the ball over the prostrate keeper.

It was the second time the former Ajax and Sao Paulo winger has bagged a brace for Napoli since joining the club from Benfica in August 2024.

The win marked Napoli’s third triumph in the competition, following wins in 1990 and 2014. Antonio Conte’s side has won seven of its last nine competitive games.

It sits in third place in Serie A, one point behind AC Milan and two points behind leader Inter Milan.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Bologna's Jens Odgaard, right, and Napoli's Amir Rrahmani vie for the ball during the Italian Super Cup final soccer match between Napoli and Bologna in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Bologna's goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia, center, saves the ball during the Italian Super Cup final soccer match between Napoli and Bologna in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Bologna's goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia, left, saves the ball during the Italian Super Cup final soccer match between Napoli and Bologna in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Napoli's David Neres, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring during the Italian Super Cup final soccer match between Napoli and Bologna in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri

Napoli's David Neres, center, celebrates after scoring during the Italian Super Cup final soccer match between Napoli and Bologna in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)