AC Milan looks to stem terrible run in derby against Inter

AC Milan looks to stem terrible run in derby against Inter
AC Milan’s Tommaso Pobega celebrates with teammates Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez after scoring his side’s third goal during their Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb, at the San Siro stadium in Milan in Sep. 2022. (AP/File)
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Updated 02 February 2023

AC Milan looks to stem terrible run in derby against Inter

AC Milan looks to stem terrible run in derby against Inter
  • Milan have had a terrible start to the year, dropping from second-place and five points behind leader Napoli to fifth place and 15 behind
  • Inter, conversely, have risen to second place — albeit 13 points behind Napoli

MILAN: The dispiriting jeers turned to encouraging cheers, even though the result was still bad for AC Milan.
The fans’ quick change in attitude wasn’t exactly a surprise, however, with a derby against Inter Milan next on the Serie A schedule.
Milan have had a terrible start to the year, dropping from second-place and five points behind leader Napoli to fifth place and 15 behind. Inter, conversely, have risen to second place — albeit 13 points behind Napoli.
Milan’s last match ended up being a disastrous 5-2 loss to 16th-place Sassuolo, sparking the boos from the crowd. The defending champions have now conceded 12 goals in their past three matches, and they were also eliminated from the Italian Cup and lost to Inter in the Italian Super Cup.
The heartening display from the fans at the end of the match on Sunday was followed by a supportive visit from the team’s executives on Wednesday. Milan president Paolo Scaroni and director Paolo Maldini — a former Milan great — went to the training ground with other club directors.
They watched a practice session and then had lunch with the players.
“We have great confidence in you,” Scaroni reportedly told the players. “We feel such a strong bond with you that we want to be on the field with you.”
The Sassuolo match was Milan’s worst home result since a 6-1 loss to Juventus in 1997. It was also the first time Milan have conceded four goals in back-to-back Serie A matches.
“We’ve hit a rough patch both mentally and tactically so I’ll have to work even more on the mindset of my players to understand what they need to get over this difficult period and also try to understand the tactical issues in order to find the right remedy,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli said.
The same Milan players who were drawing compliments from around Europe for their style of play and spirit last season now look lost and simply without answers.
“We have to make the most of the fact we have a big game coming up, because big games are certainly very hard but the higher the mountain to climb, the higher the reward,” Pioli said. “We need this sort of mindset.”


UEFA to investigate Barcelona for its referee payments

UEFA to investigate Barcelona for its referee payments
Updated 23 March 2023

UEFA to investigate Barcelona for its referee payments

UEFA to investigate Barcelona for its referee payments
  • The European soccer body asked Thursday for an investigation into the matter
  • Champions League regulations in effect since April 2007 allow for clubs to be removed from European competitions if they were involved in fixing matches

GENEVA: Barcelona are facing a new legal threat from UEFA, including a possible Champions League ban, because of their payments of millions of dollars to a company linked to a Spanish refereeing official.
The European soccer body asked Thursday for an investigation into the matter, which is already being pursued by prosecutors in Spain.
Champions League regulations in effect since April 2007 allow for clubs to be removed from European competitions if they were involved in fixing matches. Further disciplinary sanctions can follow.
UEFA said Thursday it asked disciplinary inspectors to “conduct an investigation regarding a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework by FC Barcelona in connection with the so-called ‘Caso Negreira.’”
Court documents show Barcelona paid 7.3 million euros ($7.7 million) from 2001-18 to the company of José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice president of Spanish soccer’s refereeing committee.
Prosecutors in Spain have formally accused Barcelona of corruption in sports, fraudulent management and falsification of business documents. An investigating judge will decide if this will lead to charges.
No evidence has yet been published that referees or individual games were actually influenced.
Barcelona have consistently denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest, saying they paid for technical reports on referees but never tried to influence their decisions in games.
Any proof of manipulated games in the past 16 years could see UEFA exclude Barcelona from its competitions for one year and prosecute a disciplinary case.
Barcelona have a 12-point lead in the Spanish league and are almost certain to qualify for next season’s Champions League — an entry that would pay tens of millions of dollars to a club that posted record losses last year.
The burden of proof for UEFA is stated in regulations for the Champions League and other club competitions.
“If, on the basis of all the factual circumstances and information available to UEFA, UEFA concludes to its comfortable satisfaction that a club have been directly and/or indirectly involved, (since April 27, 2007), in any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level, UEFA will declare such club ineligible to participate in the competition,” the rules state.
In previous cases of suspected match-fixing, clubs including Fenerbahce, Metalist Kharkiv and Skenderbeu were banned from UEFA competitions in decisions that were upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Fenerbahce were withdrawn from the 2011-12 Champions League by the Turkish soccer federation, seeming to be under pressure from UEFA, after being implicated in manipulating games to help secure the previous season’s league domestic title. The club were later banned for two more seasons.
Former Albanian champion Skenderbeu are serving a 10-year ban after a UEFA investigation into match-fixing for betting scams, including Champions League qualifying games and Europa League group games in 2015.


Ibrahimovic gives Qatar 10/10 for World Cup organization

Ibrahimovic gives Qatar 10/10 for World Cup organization
Sweden's forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic attends press conference in Solna on March 21. AFP
Updated 23 March 2023

Ibrahimovic gives Qatar 10/10 for World Cup organization

Ibrahimovic gives Qatar 10/10 for World Cup organization
  • The 41-year-old player was responding to a journalist’s question during a press conference ahead of Sweden’s European Championship qualifier against Belgium

Riyadh: Swedish football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has given Qatar 10 out of 10 for its organization of the 2022 World Cup.

The 41-year-old player was responding to a journalist’s question during a press conference on Tuesday ahead of Sweden’s European Championship qualifier against Belgium on Friday.

Ibrahimovic, currently preparing for the game at his country’s national team camp, appeared surprised when asked about the Qatari competition as Sweden had not taken part in the tournament.

He said: “It was fantastic. As awesome as it gets. I was there for two days with the family.”

The Milan striker rated different aspects of Qatar.

“The organization: 10 points. The experience: 10 points. The match: 10 points. Crowd: 10 points. The food: 10 points. The journey: 10 points. Everything was 10 points,” he added.

Ibrahimovic, Sweden’s team captain, gave the journalist a teasing smirk before asking him if he had been looking for another answer, to which the reporter referenced alleged human rights abuses. Ibrahimovic stuck to his rating and gave it yet another “10 points.”

In a previous interview, with broadcaster SVT, about Qatar, he said: “Qatar as a country, I think it is a system that works. Are there drugs? No. Is there crime? No. Is there crime in Sweden? Yes, very much. Drugs? Yes.

“Qatar’s system works. The Swedish system? It works, but if it works 100 percent, I don’t know,” he added.

Qatar’s organization of the World Cup as the first Arab country won the praise of FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, who described the 2022 edition as the “best” in the tournament’s history.


Battle to buy Man United heats up as Qatar banker, British billionaire prepare fresh bids

Battle to buy Man United heats up as Qatar banker, British billionaire prepare fresh bids
Updated 23 March 2023

Battle to buy Man United heats up as Qatar banker, British billionaire prepare fresh bids

Battle to buy Man United heats up as Qatar banker, British billionaire prepare fresh bids

MANCHESTER, Britain: The battle to buy Manchester United heated up on Wednesday as Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe prepared to raise their bids for the 20-time English champions.
Both parties were expected to increase their initial offers after the submission deadline of 2100 GMT was extended by merchant bank Raine, which is assisting with the sale of the club, following confusion over the timing, the BBC reported.
Sky Sports also reported that Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe had been granted extensions to submit fresh bids.
The new deadline for offers has not been made clear, according to the BBC.
United’s owners, the Glazer family, have reportedly set a world record £6 billion ($7.3 billion) valuation for a sports club.
Sheikh Jassim’s bid for 100 percent control of the club promises to wipe United’s $620 million debt and invest in a new stadium and training ground, in addition to backing for the men’s and women’s teams.
A source close to Sheikh Jassim’s bid told AFP he remains confident his bid is “the best for the club, fans and local community.”
INEOS chemical company founder Ratcliffe, a boyhood United fan, has been more circumspect in his assessment, insisting he will not pay a “stupid” price in a bidding war for one of football’s most iconic clubs.
“How do you decide the price of a painting? How do you decide the price of a house? It’s not related to how much it cost to build or how much it cost to paint,” Ratcliffe told the Wall Street Journal this week.
“What you don’t want to do is pay stupid prices for things because then you regret it subsequently.”
Ratcliffe, who wants the 69 percent stake owned by the Glazer family, said his interest in United would be “purely in winning things,” calling the club a “community asset.”
Deeply unpopular with supporters since they saddled the club with debt in a £790 million leveraged takeover in 2005, the Glazers appeared ready to cash out at an enormous profit when they invited external investment in November.
However, they could yet shun the option of selling a controlling stake in the club, with other parties interested in a minority shareholding.
The initial offers from the first round of bidding last month were believed to have been worth around £4.5 billion.
That would surpass the Premier League record of £2.5 billion paid for Chelsea last year by a consortium led by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital, with a further £1.75 billion promised in investment in infrastructure and players.
Bidders are expected to hear from United next week, with another round of bidding still in play.
If one bid is vastly ahead of the others, it could be chosen to enter into a period of exclusivity, which would allow further negotiation ahead of a final sale.

Ratcliffe visited Old Trafford last Friday along with INEOS representatives, a day after a delegation from Sheikh Jassim’s group toured the club’s stadium and training ground to hold more talks as part of their due diligence.
Just months after hosting the 2022 World Cup, a successful Qatari bid would give the Gulf state pride of place in the Premier League — the world’s most-watched domestic competition.
But it would also be controversial.
Sheikh Jassim is the son of former Qatari prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, and his close links to the gulf state’s ruling elite would raise questions over another Premier League club becoming a state-backed project.
Premier League champions Manchester City’s fortunes have been transformed since a takeover from Sheikh Mansour, a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family in 2008.
In 2021, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund bought a controlling stake in Newcastle.
Amnesty International has called on the Premier League to tighten ownership rules to ensure they are “not an opportunity for more sportswashing.”
United, three-time European champions, haven’t won the Premier League since legendary boss Alex Ferguson led them to a 20th English title in his final season before retiring in 2013.
But they are enjoying a renaissance under Erik ten Hag’s management this season and ended a six-year trophy drought by lifting the League Cup last month.
 


Lyon’s Women’s Champions League title bid suffers blow after Chelsea defeat, Wolfsburg win

Lyon’s Women’s Champions League title bid suffers blow after Chelsea defeat, Wolfsburg win
Updated 23 March 2023

Lyon’s Women’s Champions League title bid suffers blow after Chelsea defeat, Wolfsburg win

Lyon’s Women’s Champions League title bid suffers blow after Chelsea defeat, Wolfsburg win
  • Since 2016, Lyon only once have failed to win the competition

LYON, France: Lyon’s chances of a seventh Women’s Champions League title in eight years were hit by losing 1-0 to Chelsea in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Guro Reiten’s winner — a curling strike in the 28th minute — puts Chelsea in control against the defending champions heading into the second leg next week at Stamford Bridge.

Since 2016, Lyon only once have failed to win the competition — in 2021, when the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by French rival Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG, which has never won the Champions League, lost 1-0 to Wolfsburg in Wednesday’s other quarterfinal first leg.

Delphine Cascarino hit the post for Lyon in the second half but the eight-time champions couldn’t find the equalizer at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

The Norway international’s goal was set up by Erin Cuthbert, who fought off Ellie Carpenter in midfield before delivering a pass into the area for Reiten’s one-timer.

Chelsea have never won the tournament. They lost to Barcelona 4-0 in the 2021 final.

In Paris, defender Dominique Janssen converted a penalty in the 62nd minute for the visitors at Parc des Princes.

The penalty was awarded to the German team after a video review determined that Elisa de Almeida handled the ball in the area — an infraction that earned the PSG defender her second yellow card and a sending off.

In Tuesday’s first legs, Bayern Munich and Barcelona won 1-0 against Arsenal and Roma, respectively.


On eve of record, Ronaldo a ‘better man’ after United ordeal

On eve of record, Ronaldo a ‘better man’ after United ordeal
Updated 23 March 2023

On eve of record, Ronaldo a ‘better man’ after United ordeal

On eve of record, Ronaldo a ‘better man’ after United ordeal
  • Ronaldo said he is motivated and enjoying his time back with Portugal’s national team after a disappointing World Cup

LISBON: Cristiano Ronaldo, on the eve of becoming the player with the most appearances with a national team in men’s soccer, said his difficult second spell with Manchester United made him a better man.

Ronaldo opened up briefly about his troubles at the English club ahead of Portugal’s match against Liechtenstein in qualifying for the European Championship on Thursday, when he is set to break the all-time record for appearances with a national team with 197.

“There is no time for regrets in this life. Even if we don’t do so well, it’s part of our life,” Ronaldo said Wednesday. “When we are at the top of the mountain, it’s hard to see what’s down here and many times I couldn’t. I feel like I’m better prepared now because I can see some things. I’m a better man now.”

The 38-year-old Ronaldo joined Saudi club Al Nassr after his contract was terminated by United following a TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners after being benched and even temporarily suspended by the club.

“I think that everything in life happens for a reason,” he said. “I’m often grateful to go through some difficult things so I can see who is really on my side. At the tough times, you see who is on your side. It wasn’t a very good phase in my life, in my career, first on a personal level and then professionally.”

Ronaldo said he is motivated and enjoying his time back with Portugal’s national team after a disappointing World Cup in which he was benched in the knockout rounds and left the field in tears after a loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals. He came off the bench in that match to tie Bader Al-Mutawa’s mark of 196 outings for Kuwait.

He is expected to break the record on Thursday as new Portugal coach Roberto Martínez said he still counts on the star forward.

“This record is special. I’ll be really proud if it happens,” Ronaldo said. “But I want to keep playing even more games, I don’t want to stop here.”

Ronaldo admitted there were doubts about his future with the national team, but that’s all in the past now.

“It was all in the balance after the World Cup,” he said. “I reflected with my family and then we came to the conclusion that it was not time to throw in the towel. I learned a lot from it and I’m very happy to be back.”