Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil retires at 34

Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil retires at 34
World Cup winner Mesut Ozil announced his retirement from football on March 22, 2023 after an illustrious international career with Germany and club spells with Real Madrid and Arsenal. (AFP)
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Updated 22 March 2023

Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil retires at 34

Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil retires at 34
  • Özil said injuries played a role in his decision
  • His immediate retirement brings an early end to his season with Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir

ISTANBUL: Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil, who won the World Cup in 2014, retired from soccer Wednesday at the age of 34.
Özil said injuries played a role in his decision.
“I’ve had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity,” Özil wrote on social media. “But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it’s become more and more clear that it’s time to leave the big stage of football.”
His immediate retirement brings an early end to his season with Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir, where he made only seven appearances for the team.
Özil won the Spanish league title with Real Madrid in 2012 and the FA Cup four times with Arsenal. His international career ended abruptly in 2018 when he quit the Germany squad citing “racism and disrespect.”
That followed anti-Turkish comments from German politicians and abuse from some fans toward Özil, who has Turkish heritage, amid criticism of his decision to pose for a picture with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the run-up to the 2018 World Cup.
Özil started his career in Germany with hometown club Schalke before a good spell at Werder Bremen earned him a spot on the German national team. Standout performances for Germany at the 2010 World Cup were followed by a move to Madrid. He then had an eight-year stint with Arsenal.
Özil moved to Turkish club Fenerbahce in 2021 after his relationship with Arsenal broke down. He was left out of the Arsenal squad for months before his departure following a rift with manager Mikel Arteta. The club also distanced itself from Özil for posting his support for Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China, comments which led to an Arsenal game being pulled from Chinese television.


Al-Faisaly reverse decision to withdraw from football tournament in Palestine

Al-Faisaly reverse decision to withdraw from football tournament in Palestine
Updated 30 May 2023

Al-Faisaly reverse decision to withdraw from football tournament in Palestine

Al-Faisaly reverse decision to withdraw from football tournament in Palestine
  • Tension on the pitch led to crowd trouble at the Al-Quds and Al-Karameh tournament match against rivals Al-Wehdat on Monday
  • Club’s board had released a statement on Tuesday saying the team were heading back to Amman

AMMAN: Jordanian football club Al-Faisaly have reversed their decision to withdraw from the Al-Quds and Al-Karameh tournament in Palestine after trouble had marred their derby match against fierce rivals Al-Wehdat.

Monday’s opening match of the friendly competition — which was organized by the Palestinian Football Federation — was in the final moments of a 1-1 draw when an aggressive challenge by an Al-Faisaly player on Mohammed Kahlan from Al-Wehdat led to a scuffle between members of the two teams.

Tension on the pitch spread to fans in the stands and this resulted in Al-Faisaly’s board of directors taking the decision to leave the competition and return to Amman.

Jordan’s Al-Ghad newspaper reported Al-Faisaly’s official statement as saying: “Following the unfortunate events that were witnessed at the Al-Faisaly match in the Al-Quds and Al-Karameh tournament, which was held in the sisterly state of Palestine yesterday, the board of directors of Al-Faisaly Club held today, Tuesday, a meeting at the club’s headquarters headed by the Chairman of the Board, Eng. Nidal Al-Hadid.

“The board says that the unfortunate events that occurred… resulted in tension inside the stadium, during which the club’s delegation was attacked.

“In order to preserve national unity, which is our top priority, and for the relations that bind us with the Palestinian brothers, we overlook the offense, and we reiterate that it will not undermine our national unity.

“Based on the unfortunate events that took place as a result of the poor organization during the Al-Quds and Al-Karameh match, and in order to ensure the safety of the club’s delegation, the board of directors has decided to confirm the return of the team to the capital, Amman, as soon as possible.”

Head of the Palestinian Football Federation Jibril Rajoub apologized to Al-Faisaly following the club’s statement and it appears that the Jordanian side are now prepared to abandon their plans to return home.


Spalletti confirms he’s leaving Serie A champions Napoli and taking year off

Spalletti confirms he’s leaving Serie A champions Napoli and taking year off
Updated 30 May 2023

Spalletti confirms he’s leaving Serie A champions Napoli and taking year off

Spalletti confirms he’s leaving Serie A champions Napoli and taking year off
  • In his second season at Napoli, the 64-year-old Spalletti coached the team to their first Serie A title in 33 years
  • Former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique is reportedly being considered to replace Spalletti, as is former Napoli coach Rafael Benitez

NAPLES, Italy: Luciano Spalletti has confirmed he is leaving Serie A champions Napoli and will not coach next season.

“I need to take a year off. I’m a bit tired and I want to be with my daughter Matilde,” Spalletti said on the sidelines of a transfer market symposium on Monday.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed on RAI state TV on Sunday that Spalletti requested a sabbatical year.

“He’s a free man. After 50 years in the film business, when someone comes to you and says, ‘I’ve given my all, a part of my life is ending, I still have a contract with you but I would prefer to take a sabbatical year,’ what do you do? Do you stand in his way?” De Laurentiis posed. “You’ve got to be generous in life. … He’s given a lot and I thank him for that. Now it’s only fair that he does what he wants to do.”

In his second season at Napoli, the 64-year-old Spalletti coached the team to their first Serie A title in 33 years. They won with five rounds to spare.

Spalletti still has one more match with Napoli against Sampdoria on Sunday, after which the team will be presented with the Serie A trophy — their third in club history after Diego Maradona led the team to the 1987 and 1990 titles.

Spalletti becomes the second coach in three years to leave a team that has just won the league — after Antonio Conte parted ways with Inter Milan after the 2021 title.

Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli — the man who overhauled the squad by signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kim Min-jae — is also reportedly leaving and could join rival Juventus.

The Serie A title was the one big trophy missing in Spalletti’s career after previously managing Roma and Inter Milan and winning the Russian league with Zenit St. Petersburg.

“Sometimes you leave someone you love,” Spalletti said. “A city like Naples deserves much more than the norm. … You’ve got to ask yourself if we’re still up to the task or not. And since I don’t think that will be the case, I’m taking a step back.”

Former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique is reportedly being considered to replace Spalletti, as is former Napoli coach Rafael Benitez.


Romarinho, Faisal Fajir voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week: Sofascore

Romarinho, Faisal Fajir voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week: Sofascore
Updated 30 May 2023

Romarinho, Faisal Fajir voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week: Sofascore

Romarinho, Faisal Fajir voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week: Sofascore
  • Both players were rated 8.4 for their performances by Sofascore

RIYADH: Al-Ittihad’s Brazilian forward Romarinho and Moroccan attacking midfielder Faisal Fajr of Al-Wehda have been voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week for round 29. 

Both players were rated 8.4 for their performances by Sofascore.

The team of the week included Al-Batin goalkeeper Meshaal Huriss, defenders Ahmed Hegazy and Ahmed Sharahili from Al-Ittihad, as well as Mohammad Salem from Al-Raed.

In the midfield category, Al-Hilal’s Saud Abdulhamid and Juan Pedroza from Al-Batin joined Romarinho and Fajr. 

Mohammad Al-Qahtani from Al-Hilal, Leandre Tawamba from Al-Taawoun and Igor Coronado from Al-Ittihad were all voted in the striker’s category.

Four players from Al-Ittihad made the team of the week for round 29 as they clinched the Saudi Pro League title after defeating Al-Fayhaa 3-0. 

The wait to crown the league’s top scorer goes on for another week, as Abderrazak Hamdallah at Al-Ittihad sits on 20 goals, while Odion Ighalo from Al-Hillal has 19 goals.


Mauricio Pochettino handed task of rebuilding Chelsea

Chelsea have hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager on a two-year deal with the option of another year.
Chelsea have hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager on a two-year deal with the option of another year.
Updated 29 May 2023

Mauricio Pochettino handed task of rebuilding Chelsea

Chelsea have hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager on a two-year deal with the option of another year.
  • The Argentine will take charge of a club that finished 12th in the Premier League
  • Pochettino's man-management skills will face a severe examination at Stamford Bridge

LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino is back in the Premier League with the tough task of putting the pieces back together after Chelsea's disastrous first season under their new ownership.
The Argentine will take charge of a club that finished 12th in the Premier League despite an eye-watering outlay of more than £550 million ($678 million) on new players under Todd Boehly's consortium.
Pochettino made his name in management by making the most of meagre resources at Espanyol, Southampton and particularly during a five-year stint at Tottenham.
Eighteen months at Paris Saint-Germain delivered the first silverware of the 51-year-old's career -- the Ligue 1 title and French Cup -- but he never appeared comfortable managing the egos of a star-studded squad before leaving in July 2022.
Pochettino's man-management skills will face a severe examination at Stamford Bridge as he tries to succeed where three managers have already failed under the new regime.
Thomas Tuchel, who led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021, was unceremoniously sacked by co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, of private equity firm Clearlake Capital, just seven games into this season.
At the time Chelsea sat sixth in the Premier League and few could have forseen the calamity that would follow the German's departure.
Graham Potter lasted less than seven months at Stamford Bridge, even though Chelsea paid more than £20 million to snatch the Englishman from Brighton.
Even worse was to follow as club great Frank Lampard returned as interim boss only to oversee six successive defeats in his first six matches.
All three bosses have faced the challenge of hands-on owners and a bloated squad.
Experienced defender Thiago Silva confirmed last month that the club had to extend the dressing room to accommodate a group of more than 30 players.
A major clearout is needed at the end of the season to give Pochettino a more manageable squad to work with and instill a team spirit that has been sorely lacking.
Chelsea's huge spending over the past 12 months may mean he has limited room for manoeuvre in the transfer market.
The Argentine faced a similar challenge at Tottenham, when the club punched above its weight to finish in the top four of the Premier League four times under his leadership.
The Blues' spending is under scrutiny due to financial fair play controls but much of their outlay was with one eye on the future.
Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, Carney Chukwuemeka, Noni Madueke, David Datro Fofana, Malo Gusto and Andrey Santos are all 22 or younger.
Chelsea have been ridiculed for putting some of those players on eight-year contracts, but the club's ownership are betting on Pochettino's record with young talent to prove them right.
He produced impressive results at Tottenham, helping turn young home-grown talents such as Harry Kane and Dele Alli into household names on a budget.
"I can't speak highly enough of him. He's a fantastic manager, a fantastic man," said England captain Kane, during their time together at Spurs.
"You just want to perform for him, work hard for him, win for him. He's very passionate. You can tell sometimes he wants to be out there himself, putting in tackles, running about.
"You respond to that. On nights like that, big occasions, you just want to do him justice."
Before appointing Pochettino, Spurs had only finished in the top four of English top-flight twice in 24 years.
He also inspired a run to the club's first-ever Champions League final in 2019 and Tottenham's struggles since his departure have led to a clamour from fans for his return.
Pochettino's reputation appears to be untarnished by his indifferent spell at PSG, given the French giants' struggles on and off the field this season.
Should he turn Chelsea's motley crew back into Premier League contenders, his status as one of the world's leading managers will be restored.


Tunisia carry Arab hopes into knock-out stages of 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup

Tunisia carry Arab hopes into knock-out stages of 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup
Updated 29 May 2023

Tunisia carry Arab hopes into knock-out stages of 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup

Tunisia carry Arab hopes into knock-out stages of 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup
  • Despite a 1-0 loss to Uruguay, the North African team qualified to the Round of 16 of the competition taking place in Argentina

There will be an Arab team in the knockout stages of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but Tunisia made it through by the narrowest of margins and will take on Brazil in the second round on Wednesday.

At the end of the group stage, the North Africans were the fourth of the four best third-placed teams to go through, edging out France courtesy of a slightly better goal difference after both finished on three points.

It shouldn’t have been so tense. Earlier on Sunday, Tunisia were heading for a 0-0 draw against Uruguay in Group E that would have been enough.

In the 92nd minute, however, captain Ghaith Ouahabi handled in the area and Franco Gonzalez scored the only goal of the game. While it was a deserved win for the South Americans, it was a bitter pill to swallow, not least for Ouahabi, who had been a standout in the backline. A late booking meant that the defender would miss the Brazil match, but he will be relieved that his team are not now on their way home from Argentina.

After full-time, the players had to wait for the result from Honduras and France. If Honduras won, it was all over for Tunisia, and the Central Americans took an early lead as the Europeans went down to 10 men. It looked ominous, but then France came roaring back to lead 3-1. The problem then was that if they scored one more, then they would be going through. It did not happen, but it made for a stressful few hours.

Earlier, both Uruguay and Tunisia knew that a draw would be enough for both, and the Arab team, who had sat back for the most part in the 3-0 win over Iraq three days previously before showing some clinical finishing, were always likely to employ similar methods against Uruguay. The South Americans made most of the running and had 12 attempts on goal by the half-hour, though that did not do enough to trouble the in-form Dries Arfaoui in goal.

At the break, the young Carthage Eagles were happy with the way it was going and were also starting to put the Uruguay backline under a little pressure, though Fabricio Diaz should have opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time, left unmarked at close range with just the goalkeeper to beat, but scuffed his shot. 

Uruguay’s dominance was not quite as pronounced after the break even if they did have much more of the possession and many more chances.  If there was a feeling ahead of the game that the two teams would be happy to play out a goalless draw, that was not the case as the game reached the latter stages.

Both were trying to get the goal that would give them second place and, in theory, an easier game in the next round. It almost came in the last minute of normal time as Alan Matturro headed against the bar. The offside flag had been raised but it was close.

And then Uruguay was awarded that late penalty as Ouahabi handled. After Gonzalez scored, there was just not enough time for Tunisia to come back. They just had to wait and hope that France and Honduras drew or the Europeans picked up a narrow win.

There was no such waiting for Iraq. The last time the Lions of Mesopotamia participated, they defeated England on their way to a fourth place, but this time the Arab team was as good as out at the earliest stage.

It started with a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Uruguay with the South Americans taking advantage of defensive mistakes to take control of the game. The performance against Tunisia was better, and Iraq had the better of the first half. Unfortunately, the team’s lack of cutting edge meant that chances were not taken. Tunisia gave a lesson in clinical finishing after the break and ran out 3-0 winners. That ended any realistic chances of getting out of the group.

On the face of it, a 0-0 draw with England is a decent result. The Three Lions had already secured their place in the second round but had four excellent chances before the break, including a penalty from Liam Delap that was brilliantly saved by Hussein Hassan.

This was a better performance from Iraq though and they asked questions, especially after the break, but once again the absence of a goal scorer proved costly. No goals in three games tells its own story. 

Tunisia still have another chance to write theirs.