Raheem Sterling: Manchester City ‘deserve’ Champions League glory

Raheem Sterling: Manchester City ‘deserve’ Champions League glory
Manchester City players celebrate winning the English FA Cup final football match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley stadium, in London, on June 3, 2023. ( (Photo by Adrian Dennis/AFP)
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Updated 06 June 2023
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Raheem Sterling: Manchester City ‘deserve’ Champions League glory

Raheem Sterling: Manchester City ‘deserve’ Champions League glory
  • Chelsea star says his former club has everything it takes to finally get over the line against Inter Milan on Saturday

Raheem Sterling has backed former club Manchester City to round off their impressive campaign by achieving a historic Treble.

The Etihad outfit face Inter Milan in Saturday’s Champions League final, having already tasted Premier League and FA Cup success.

Sterling spent seven years at City, winning the league four times, and lifting the FA Cup and League Cup.

But the Champions League eluded the England winger and his team, with defeat to Chelsea — his current club — in 2021 the closest they came.

Manchester United are the only other English club to have achieved the Treble, back in 1999, and Sterling told Arab News exclusively: “I hope City do it.

“They’re a club that’s been fighting for the Champions League from my time there for many years and I think they are a club that deserves it.

“The quality that they have, they have been unlucky in previous years.

They’ve got the Premier League (and FA Cup) now and hopefully they can actually get the Champions League and finish it all off.”

The 28-year-old, who scored 131 goals for City — including 24 in the Champions League — before leaving for Chelsea last summer, added: “For me, it’s been the same at this club. First season I was there until now, it’s about consistency.

“For me, they are the best team — they’ve been the best for the last five, six years.

“I knew when I was leaving City, I knew they would be challenging or winning titles. They’re a great club, they’re the example for everyone in the Premier League.”

City have been contenders for European club football’s biggest prize since 2016 when they reached the semifinals under Manuel Pellegrini, but lost 1-0 on aggregate in the semis to Real Madrid.

Heartbreak has since followed for Pep Guardiola’s team, including a 2019 quarter-final tie with Tottenham Hotspur where Sterling had a dramatic injury-time goal disallowed by VAR.

It would have proved the winner, but Spurs instead went through on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate scoreline.

In last season’s semifinals, City conceded two goals in the 90th minute as Real Madrid forced extra time and then snatched a 5-4 aggregate success.

“They have had unlucky times in the past, but now they have got the luck and that’s all they needed,” added Sterling of City’s bid for a first European Cup.

“When we lost the final two years ago, it was hard but that’s gone, it’s in the past now. Hopefully they get across the line this time. Now they’ve got the big one to come and I believe they will do it.”


Nervy Arsenal extend Premier League lead, Burnley score five

Nervy Arsenal extend Premier League lead, Burnley score five
Updated 58 min 51 sec ago
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Nervy Arsenal extend Premier League lead, Burnley score five

Nervy Arsenal extend Premier League lead, Burnley score five
  • Bukayo Saka opened the scoring and Arsenal doubled their lead when Oleksandr Zinchenko cut the ball back for Martin Odegaard
  • The home side came agonizingly close to a third goal when Gabriel Martinelli cannoned a shot off the post toward the end of the first half

LONDON: Arsenal survived a late scare against Wolves on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League as Burnley lifted themselves off the bottom with a 5-0 trouncing of 10-man Sheffield United.
The big win for Vincent Kompany’s men briefly sent Everton to the foot of the table but Sean Dyche’s team beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the evening kick-off to edge clear.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, brimming with confidence after their 6-0 hammering of Lens in the Champions League in midweek, raced into a 2-0 lead at the Emirates within 13 minutes.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring and Arsenal doubled their lead when Oleksandr Zinchenko cut the ball back for Martin Odegaard, who picked out the bottom corner as they threatened to run riot.
The home side came agonizingly close to a third goal when Gabriel Martinelli cannoned a shot off the post toward the end of the first half.
But they failed to put the game to bed and were made to sweat when Wolves forward Matheus Cunha found the top corner in the 86th minute to set up a tense finale.
Despite the wobble, Arsenal, last year’s runners-up, held on to win 2-1 and notch their 10th win in 14 league games, which moves them four points clear of champions Manchester City, who host Tottenham on Sunday.
“I can only praise the players,” said Arteta.
“They were excellent. We played against a really good side and generated so much and conceded almost nothing. The scoreline should have been very different. We were very unlucky because we hit the post three times I think.
“At the end we made an error close to the goal — in the Premier League you get punished big time for that. Then it’s game on. Overall I’m really happy with how we performed again.”
At the other end of the table, Burnley put five goals past Sheffield United at Turf Moor.
Jay Rodriguez fired the home side ahead with just 15 seconds on the clock — the fastest goal of the season so far.
Jacob Bruun Larsen extended their lead and Sheffield United’s task was made almost impossible when Oli McBurnie received a second yellow card shortly before the break.
Zeki Amdouni made it 3-0 in the 73rd minute, with Luca Koleosho and Josh Brownhill also finding the net as the floodgates opened.
Paul Heckingbottom’s men are now bottom — stuck on just a single win and they have now conceded five goals or more on three occasions this season.
But Burnley are just two points from safety after only their second win of the season — and Kompany said he hoped the three points would be a launch pad.
“I think the guys have deserved it,” he told the BBC. “They have performed well for a while. This league is brutal.
“I haven’t felt the nerves (from the team). I could barely contain them, they were raring to go. The frustration of last week (conceding two late goals against West Ham) didn’t turn into negativity. It turned into ‘we’ll show people’.”
Luton, just outside the drop zone, sank to a 3-1 defeat at Brentford, with Neal Maupay, Ben Mee and Shandon Baptiste on target for the Bees.
Everton, hit last month with a swingeing 10-point deduction for breaking Premier League financial rules, against which they have appealed, are above Burnley on goal difference.
Dwight McNeil broke the deadlock midway through the second half, smashing the ball into the top corner, as Everton secured a third consecutive away win.
In the late match, Newcastle face Manchester United at St. James’ Park, where a win for either side would lift them to fifth place in the table at the expense of Tottenham.


Euro 2024 draw ceremony interrupted by noises in German concert hall in claimed social media prank

Euro 2024 draw ceremony interrupted by noises in German concert hall in claimed social media prank
Updated 02 December 2023
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Euro 2024 draw ceremony interrupted by noises in German concert hall in claimed social media prank

Euro 2024 draw ceremony interrupted by noises in German concert hall in claimed social media prank
  • The interruption, which seemed to sound like sexual noises, was clearly heard for several minutes
  • A British prankster claimed credit on social media for the stunt

HAMBURG, Germany: The draw ceremony for the European Championship in men’s soccer was disrupted by unexplained noises that competed for attention with the team names being read out on stage on Saturday.
The interruption, which seemed to sound like sexual noises, was clearly heard for several minutes on the ceremony broadcast from a concert hall in Hamburg.
A British prankster claimed credit on social media for the stunt and posted footage of himself making cell phone calls to activate a ring tone in the venue which has excellent accoustics.
UEFA director of competitions Giorgio Marchetti noted the noise in his commentary before continuing with the draw for the last five places for lower-ranked teams in the 24-nation tournament lineup. The sound continued sporadically until the draw was completed.
Similar noises disrupted a BBC live broadcast of an English soccer game in January between Wolverhampton and Liverpool. It turned out to be a prank use of a mobile phone next to the studio.
Euro 2024 is being played in 10 Germany cities from June 14 to July 14.


Pakistan Cricket Board drops ex-captain Salman Butt from selection panel after backlash

Pakistan Cricket Board drops ex-captain Salman Butt from selection panel after backlash
Updated 02 December 2023
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Pakistan Cricket Board drops ex-captain Salman Butt from selection panel after backlash

Pakistan Cricket Board drops ex-captain Salman Butt from selection panel after backlash
  • The PCB announced the appointment of Butt as consultant to Pakistan chief selector on Friday
  • The 39-year-old was sentenced to prison in 2011 in a spot-fixing scandal, banned for 10 years

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has dropped ex-cricketer Salman Butt from its panel of consultants for team selection, Chief Selector Wahab Riaz announced Saturday, following backlash over Butt's appointment. 

The PCB announced the appointment of Butt along with Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum as consultants to Riaz on Friday, amid a reshuffle in the national side and the board’s management.  

Pakistanis took to social media and strongly criticized the PCB for the appointment of Butt, who was sent to prison in 2011 and banned from playing for 10 years for his part in a conspiracy to bowl deliberate no-balls during a 2010 Test match against England at Lord's. 

Speaking at a press conference at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, Riaz said it was his decision to appoint Butt his consultant as he understood cricket. 

"Salman Butt's name has now been withdrawn," he said, adding that there was no pressure from anyone. 

"I took the decision to make Salman Butt a consultant. Now, I am also taking the decision to remove Salman Butt." 

Butt represented Pakistan in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is. He made 5,209 runs spanning the three formats with 11 international centuries. He was in the T20 World Cup winning squad in 2009. 

His appointment came as part of a reshuffle that began amid Pakistan's poor show at the World Cup that saw the national side crashing out of the showpiece tournament even before the semi-final stage. Pakistan finished fifth in the 10-team World Cup tournament that culminated last month, with Australia lifting the trophy for a record sixth time. 

Following below-par performance of the team, Babar Azam resigned from the captaincy in all formats and Shan Masood was made test captain. Shaheen Afridi was appointed as skipper of T20 side.  

Riaz was appointed Pakistan’s chief selector last month, after Inzamam-ul-Haq stepped down in October following allegations of a conflict of interests, while former captain Mohammad Hafeez was named as team director, who will also be the head coach of the team on the twin tours of Australia and New Zealand. 

The PCB last month also appointed former international players Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal as bowling coaches for the national team. 


Italy and Spain drawn together in Euro 2024 group stage

Italy and Spain drawn together in Euro 2024 group stage
Updated 02 December 2023
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Italy and Spain drawn together in Euro 2024 group stage

Italy and Spain drawn together in Euro 2024 group stage
  • Much-fancied England will meet Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia Hosts
  • Germany take on Scotland in the tournament’s opening game on June 14 in Munich

HAMBURG, Germany: Reigning champions Italy were placed in the same group as Spain in Saturday’s draw for Euro 2024, while France will come up against the Netherlands.
Much-fancied England will meet Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia, with hosts Germany taking on Scotland in the tournament’s opening game on June 14 in Munich.
Italy, who beat England on penalties at Wembley in the final of the last European Championship in 2021, and Spain will also face Croatia and Albania in Group B.
Spain, victors over Italy in the final of Euro 2012, will take on 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia in their opening match in Berlin on June 15.
The meeting of France, the 2022 World Cup runners-up, and the Netherlands will be the other heavyweight tie of the opening phase.
They were in the same section in qualifying, with France winning both encounters. The two nations are in Group D along with Austria and a play-off winner, which will be one of Poland, Wales, Finland or Estonia.
England, in contrast, will have few complaints about their opponents in Group C, although a Denmark side ranked 19th in the world were arguably the team to avoid from the second pot of seeds.
Gareth Southgate’s team, considered the favorites along with France for the tournament, will take on Serbia in their opening game in Gelsenkirchen on June 16.
Scotland, who famously lost to Brazil in the opening match of the 1998 World Cup, will again have the honor of featuring in the tournament’s curtain-raiser when they meet Germany to start in Group A.
Hungary and Switzerland complete that section, which could be one of the most evenly-matched.
Euro 2016 winners Portugal were drawn in Group F with Turkiye, the Czech Republic and a play-off winner from either Greece, Georgia, Luxembourg or Kazakhstan.
Belgium are in Group E alongside Slovakia, Romania and the winner of the other play-off path, which will be Israel, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Ukraine.
The month-long Euro will conclude with the final in Berlin on July 14.
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the last 16, along with the four best third-placed sides.


Medal tally reaches 369 on 9th day of Saudi Games 2023

Medal tally reaches 369 on 9th day of Saudi Games 2023
Updated 02 December 2023
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Medal tally reaches 369 on 9th day of Saudi Games 2023

Medal tally reaches 369 on 9th day of Saudi Games 2023
  • Prince Fahd bin Jalawi crowns athletics champions
  • Princess Delayel crowns Al-Nassr with basketball gold

RIYADH: Two athletes from the Al-Riyadh club won two gold medals in the track and field competitions on the ninth day of the Saudi Games 2023 on Friday.
Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s vice president and the games’ director, awarded Al-Riyadh’s Hani Al-Nakhli a gold medal in the men’s paralympic discus throw and his club-mate athlete Nadha Al-Humaydani the gold medal of the paralympic shot put.
Abdulrahim Al-Sheikh, head of the Saudi Paralympic Athletics Federation, attended the medal presentation ceremony at Al-Riyadh Club. Prince Fahd bin Jalawi also attended the wrestling and goalball paralympic medal ceremonies.
Meanwhile, Al-Riyadh’s Sultan Al-Hebshi won the silver medal in the paralympic discus throw ahead of Jazan’s Haidar Salamh, who won the bronze.
Sarah Al-Jumaah from Al-Riyadh secured the silver in the women’s shot put ahead of Al-Sharqiya’s Mohrah Al-Enez, who took the bronze.
Drift champions crowned:
Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, crowned the winners of the drift competition, which concluded on Friday at the Dirab Field.
Zakaria Silwan won gold, Bader Al-Shurayhi silver, and Khaled Al-Zayed bronze.
Al-Nassr crowned winners of 3x3 men’s basketball:
Princess Delayel bint Nahar Al-Saud, the Saudi Games’ deputy director, presented the gold medal to the Al-Nassr basketball team after they won the 3x3 men’s basketball competition at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex’s fan zone.
Al-Nassr defeated Al-Hilal 16-11, while Al-Safa club clinched the bronze medal after winning against Al-Salam 19-11.
Mudhar Club won the youth category’s gold medal after winning 21-12 against Al-Hilal, who took the silver, while Al-Khowildiah won the bronze.
Prince Fahd, Princess Delayel in the fan zone:
Prince Fahd and Princess Delayel attended the lively fan zone of the Saudi Games, which attracted a large gathering on Friday. Spectators enjoyed watching the Riyadh Derby, featuring Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, on large screens amid various engaging activities.
Al-Baha win goalball gold:
Ilgar Rahimov, president of the International Blind Sports Federation, awarded the winners in goalball on Friday at the Paralympic Hall of the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex. The Al-Baha team won the gold medal after winning 9-8 against Riyadh, which took the silver. Al-Qassim Club clinched the bronze with a 7-2 victory against Al-Hasa.
Olwani wins long jump:
Al-Ittihad’s Hamoudali Olwani topped the men’s long jump competition ahead of silver-medal winner Al-Hilal’s Ahmad Marzouq. Third came Al-Ahli’s Ahmed Obaid.
In the men’s discus throw, Mohammed Tolu from Al-Hilal took the gold while Osama Al-Aqili and Abu Bakr Zakaria won the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Al-Hilal win 3000m steeplechase:
In the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase, the gold medal was awarded to Al-Hilal’s Raid Al-Jadaani, who came first ahead of Qilwah’s Ali Al-Shahrani and Al-Shabab’s Khalid Hazazi, respectively.
In the men’s 400m final, Al-Ahli’s Mazen Al-Yasen won the gold while Al-Shabab’s Yousef Masrahi and Qilwah’s Ismaeel Al-Subiani won the silver and bronze, respectively.
Malam wins gold at 100m:
Heba Malam from AlUla claimed the women’s 100-meter gold medal ahead of silver medalist Lujain Al-Humaid from Al-Safa. Yasmin Al-Dabbagh of Al-Ahli won the bronze.
In the youth category, Al-Adalah’s Lujain Hamdan came in first ahead of Noor Al-Jandan from Al-Khaleej and Bedoor Al-Herz from Al-Khaleej who came second and third.
Al-Wehda win gold in 60kg wrestling:
The Saudi Wrestling Federation’s President Fahad Al-Faraj awarded the gold medal of the 60kg Greco-Roman wrestling to Al-Wehda’s Munther Jandu. Meshal Al-Jayzani from Al-Nassr and Al-Wedha’s Rayan Hawsawi and Haitham Barahmah were presented the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Wrestling champions:
In wrestling’s 70kg category, Al-Wedha’s Ahmed Barahmah bagged the gold medal after a 5-3 victory against Turki Al-Harthi, who took the silver. Al-Raed’s Mansur Zelmukanov and Al-Wedhi’s Abdulmajeed Ahmed won the bronze.
Meanwhile, in the 80kg category, Al-Nahdah’s Mohammed Abdelaal came in first after a 6-1 win against Al-Wedha’s Hassan Barnawi. Third place went to Al-Ettifaq’s Abdullah Al-Dossary and Al-Shabab’s Hassan Al-Harthi.
Al-Hilal’s Reda El-Maghraby took the 90kg gold medal while the silver was handed to Mahmoud Hawsawi from Al-Ahli. Al-Wehda’s athletes Ammar Hawsawi and Sanad Al-Sibyani shared bronze.
In the above-90kg category, Ohod’s Mohammed El-Ghazaly clinched the gold ahead of Al-Wedha’s Ghazi bin Bakr. Al-Ahli’s Mohammed Al-Mashyakhi and Al-Wehda’s Ibrahim Fallatah shared the bronze.
Saudi Gymnastics Federation president crowns the winners:
Suleiman Al-Jasser, president of the Saudi Gymnastics Federation, presented the medals to winners of the men’s pole vault in gymnastics. Al-Ibtisam’s Jaffar Al-Sayigh clinched the gold medal while Al-Ittihad’s Abdulaziz Al-Johani and Al-Safa’s Hasan Al-Sheef won the silver and bronze.
In the men’s parallel bar, Al-Ittihad’s Nasser Al-Samiri came in first ahead of Al-Ibtisam’s Habeb Aswailah and Al-Ittihad’s Manaf Al-Amri, who ranked second and third, respectively.
In the horizontal bar, Al-Ibtisam’s Ali Al-Mobireek won the gold while Al-Ittihad’s Abdulkarim Al-Mur won silver ahead of third-placed Al-Khowildiah’s Haidar Al-Jaroudi.
Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr women qualify to futsal semifinals:
The women’s futsal semifinals feature Al-Nassr against Al-Hilal and Al-Shabab against Al-Qadisiyah on Sunday. The group stage concluded on Friday at Al-Nassr Club after Al-Suqor defeated Al-Nawras 2-0 and Al-Hilal beat Al-Qadisiyah 13-0. The United Eagles thrashed the Golden Eagles 7-4 and Al-Shabab won against Al-Nassr 2-1.
Men’s basketball:
The men’s basketball competition kicked off Saturday in the Green Hall of the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex. The five-day event started with Al-Hilal beating Al-Salam 85-58, while Al-Safa won against Al-Khaleej 78-64 and Al-Wehda beat Al-Khowildiah 45-36.
Men’s futsal semifinals:
Al-Nassr Club hosted the men’s futsal semifinals, in which Al-Nassr eliminated Al-Ettifaq in the penalty shootout 5-4 after tying 4-4. Al-Riyadh were scheduled to face Al-Qadisiyah.