Ronaldo eyes Middle East player landmarks in personal record-breaking quest

Cristiano Ronaldo must beat records set in Iran, Kuwait to become international football’s top scorer, appearance-maker. (AFP)
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Updated 29 June 2021
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Ronaldo eyes Middle East player landmarks in personal record-breaking quest

  • Portuguese star must beat records set in Iran, Kuwait to become international football’s top scorer, appearance-maker

RIYADH: There is not much that Cristiano Ronaldo has not won, or achieved on a personal level, in his glorious career.

But the Portuguese ace will have to shoot down two records set in the Middle East if he is to become international football’s highest goal scorer and appearance-maker in the coming months and years.

It has become generally accepted that Ronaldo, 36, will, sooner rather than later, move clear of Iran’s Ali Daei at the top of the international goalscoring charts but there are two Arab stars he has to keep an eye on if he wants to take the other major international accolade.

On Friday, 48 hours before Portugal were eliminated from Euro 2020 with a 1-0 loss to Belgium in Seville, Kuwait were losing 2-0 to Bahrain in qualification for the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup in Doha.

For a proud football nation that won the 1980 Asian Cup and appeared at the 1982 World Cup, it was another disappointing result, but it was a significant game, nonetheless. That was because it saw Bader Al-Mutawa make his 185th international appearance for Kuwait to break the world record held by Ahmed Hassan of Egypt.

While the result meant that Kuwait failed to qualify for the FIFA Arab Cup, the match marked an incredible achievement for the 36-year-old.

“I couldn’t have achieved this without the support of my team-mates and everyone involved in Kuwaiti football. It is a real honor, and I am very proud to make it this far even though we lost the game,” he said.

Kuwait’s glory days may long be over, but Al-Mutawa is giving fans in the country something to cheer about.

“The only negative is that the result is not what we wanted, and we did not qualify for the tournament. But we have to look forward and keep trying to improve and this is the most important thing,” he added.

Al-Mutawa made his debut in 2003 with two goals against Singapore in qualification for the 2004 Asian Cup. He has gone on to score 54 goals for the Blues and face 44 different national teams.

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, one of his former clubs where he had a short but fruitful loan spell in 2007, were just one sender of congratulations. “Our international star has made 185 appearances in the world and congratulations on this achievement, you deserve it,” the Riyadh giants said in statement.

The Kuwaiti now leads two other Arab players. Hassan made his 184th appearance for Egypt against Togo in 2012, while Ahmed Mubarak of Oman is in third with 180 caps. That is the same number as Sergio Ramos and Al-Mutawa may have been secretly delighted with the decision by the Spanish coach not to select Ramos for the European Championships squad.

The biggest threat to Al-Mutawa’s record in the coming months is a certain Ronaldo who has scored 109 goals to equal the haul of Daei but has been going strong in the appearance rankings also.

Portugal’s loss to Belgium in the second round of Euro 2020 on Sunday was cap number 179 and he is now just six behind the Kuwaiti. Assuming that Ronaldo continues to play for his country, and the signs are that he will, then he will be in action in qualification for the 2022 World Cup.

Unfortunately, Kuwait’s loss to Bahrain will limit Al-Mutawa’s appearances as he will not take part in the Arab Cup. The Blues also failed to reach the third round of World Cup qualification.

It is ironic that while Ronaldo will be aiming to catch Al-Mutawa over the next few months, he will be looking over his shoulder at another Arab legend when it comes to international goals scored. It is only a matter of time before Ronaldo gets goal number 110, but it is debatable as to exactly how long he will hold the record because Ali Mabkhout is not far behind in terms of goals and quite some distance back in terms of years.

The UAE player has been busy for his country and finished the second round of qualification for the 2022 World Cup as top scorer with 11 goals, a haul that has taken the Al-Jazira marksman onto 76 for his country. That is now 33 goals behind Ronaldo, but the Middle Eastern based striker has time on his side. At 30, he is a full six years younger than his Juventus counterpart.

It is likely that Ronaldo will continue through qualification for Qatar and, given that Portugal should qualify then there will be quite a few games. Yet the same should be the case for the UAE. In the coming months there is the third round of qualification for the World Cup, the Arab Cup, and Gulf Cup in December, the 2023 Asian Cup and all the rest.

With a good few years left in international football, there is no reason why Mabkhout cannot keep scoring for some time to come. Ronaldo may soon hold the record for most international goals as well as appearances, but he may not hold both prizes for as long as he thinks.


England captain Buttler buoyed by return of ‘superstar’ Archer ahead of Pakistan series

Updated 6 sec ago
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England captain Buttler buoyed by return of ‘superstar’ Archer ahead of Pakistan series

  • Injuries have blighted Jofra Archer and he has not played top-level cricket for the past year
  • Buttler says he relies on Archer who has a trick up his sleeve in every cricket tournament

LONDON: England white-ball captain Jos Buttler is glad to see “proper superstar” Jofra Archer back in action following the fast bowler’s wicket-taking return to action for Sussex’s 2nd XI.

Injuries have blighted Archer’s international career and he has not played top-level cricket for the past year.

England, however, have recalled Archer for the defense of their T20 World Cup title in the United States and the West Indies next month, with the paceman also selected for the upcoming warm-up series against Pakistan.

Archer continued his build-up to the four-game series against Pakistan by turning out for Sussex’s second string on Friday.

He was parachuted into the match on day four, taking the new ball and returning figures of 1-11 in six sharp overs in Kent’s second innings at Beckenham.

The 29-year-old, previously playing domestic cricket in his native Barbados, hit home opener Ekansh Singh on the helmet and then had him caught in the slips.

Archer will join the England squad in Leeds ahead of the first Twenty20 international against Pakistan at Headingley on Wednesday.

Buttler, who returned early from the Indian Premier League to oversee England’s World Cup preparations, told Britain’s Press Association news agency: “It’s a huge encouragement for him to be back and see him ready to play.

“Everyone knows what he is capable of and the attitude he possesses. As a captain he is someone you can always turn to in a game because he always has a trick up his sleeve.

“It’s great to be able to call on him but it’s important to manage expectations. He has been out of it for a while now so we will need to look after him and realize that it might just take him a little while to be the Jofra of 2019.”

Dynamic batsman Buttler added: “He is a proper superstar but we do have to be smart with him. It’s a jump in intensity from what he’s doing now to international cricket and you can’t really replicate it.”


Slot confirms he will replace Klopp as Liverpool manager

Updated 11 min 28 sec ago
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Slot confirms he will replace Klopp as Liverpool manager

  • “There hasn’t be an official announcement yet — but I don’t think it will come as news to you that I will be coach there next season,” Slot told reporters.
  • The BBC said last month that Slot’s deal to replace Klopp was worth up to £9.4 million

THE HAGUE: Feyenoord coach Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that he would be replacing Jurgen Klopp as manager of Liverpool next season.
“There hasn’t be an official announcement yet — but I don’t think it will come as news to you that I will be coach there next season,” Slot told reporters.
The BBC said last month that Slot’s deal to replace Klopp was worth up to £9.4 million (10.9 million euros).
“The feeling that I’m leaving here is getting stronger. There are some people you don’t simply just want to shake hands with,” Slot said ahead of his last game at the club.
“At those times, it’s not about whether you have become a champion or won the cup, but more about the appreciation between people,” he added.
Slot moved to Feyenoord in 2021 after impressing in his first managerial role at AZ Alkmaar.
He led the Dutch giants to the inaugural Europa Conference League final at the end of his first season, in which they narrowly lost 1-0 to Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
Slot then delivered just a second league title in 24 years to De Kuip last season before penning a new three-year deal.
“You can see people are genuinely sorry you are leaving,” he said.
“You can say that with words, but when you see it in people’s faces, it affects me quite a lot.”
The Feyenoord club website said a farewell party was being organized at the raucous De Kuip stadium after Slot’s final game, against Excelsior.
Feyenoord have enjoyed a strong season, winning the Dutch Cup and coming second to an all-conquering PSV Eindhoven side with one game remaining.
But Slot has only lost two league games all season and noted: “If we win (on Sunday), we will have 84 points and we will be the second best Feyenoord team in club history.”
Under Slot, Feyenoord have delighted the fans in De Kuip with an attacking brand of football and the 45-year-old won praise from Klopp himself.
“I like the way his team plays football. If he is the one, I like that he wants it,” Klopp told reporters last month.
“It’s the best job in the world, best club in the world. Great job, great team, fantastic people. A really interesting job,” said Klopp.
Liverpool captain and fellow Dutchman Virgil van Dijk has also hailed Slot’s attacking mindset, saying it would suit the philosophy at Anfield.
“I think the way of playing and the philosophy he has, that he could be a Liverpool coach,” said Van Dijk.
A fan of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Slot was a slick forward as a player with a reputation as an accurate passer of the ball — so much so he has a move named after him.
The Arne Slot Pass is a slight deflection from a forward with his back to goal which splits the defense and releases a winger running off the ball.
Klopp will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of this season after a nine-year reign which brought the Champions League title in 2019 and Premier League trophy a year later.
Initially, Bayer Leverkusen boss and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso had been the favorite to succeed Klopp.
However, Alonso has committed to staying at Leverkusen after leading them to a first-ever Bundesliga title.


Zverev equals Becker record to reach Rome Open final

Updated 17 May 2024
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Zverev equals Becker record to reach Rome Open final

  • World number five Zverev battled back to see off the Chilean 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in their semifinal
  • By making Sunday’s championship match, the 27-year-old Zverev has tied Becker’s record for the most Masters finals by a German since the series began in 1990

ROME: Germany’s Alexander Zverev equalled compatriot Boris Becker’s record by reaching an 11th Masters final on Friday when he ended the Rome Open giant-killing run of Alejandro Tabilo.
World number five Zverev, who lifted the Rome trophy in 2017, battled back to see off the Chilean 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in their semifinal.
The 26-year-old Tabilo had shocked Novak Djokovic in the third round and the 32nd-ranked player showed little fear of Zverev until he began to play more passively in the second set tie-break.
Third seed Zverev then raced through the decider to make the Rome final for the third time.
“I was just hanging on in the second set. I brought my energy up. I was really just hanging on and waiting and the patience was kind of good today,” Zverev said on court.
“He hit me off the court in the first set and I did not play well at all, but he was a big reason why. He gave me no rhythm and I am happy I turned it around in the tie-break and ran away in the third set.”
In Sunday’s final, he will take on either another Chilean in Nicolas Jarry or Tommy Paul of the United States.
By making Sunday’s championship match, the 27-year-old Zverev has tied Becker’s record for the most Masters finals by a German since the series began in 1990.


Unbeaten Leverkusen facing three finals in a week, says Alonso

Updated 17 May 2024
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Unbeaten Leverkusen facing three finals in a week, says Alonso

  • Leverkusen are on a season-long unbeaten run of 50 games, already breaking a 59-year-old UEFA record
  • Alonso’s men face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by the German Cup final against second-division Kaiserslautern three days later

BERLIN: Unbeaten Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are facing three finals in one week in their bid for a treble, coach Xabi Alonso said on Friday.
Leverkusen are on a season-long unbeaten run of 50 games, already breaking a 59-year-old UEFA record.
Leverkusen can become the first ‘invincible’ team in Bundesliga history by avoiding defeat at home against Augsburg on Saturday.
Alonso’s men face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by the German Cup final against second-division Kaiserslautern three days later.
“Tomorrow is our first final,” Alonso said. “We can achieve something historic.
“To stay unbeaten in the Bundesliga — we’ll be the first team and we’ll be a part of history.”
Leverkusen will be presented with the Bundesliga trophy for the first time in their history after Saturday’s match.
Long derided as “Neverkusen” for often finishing second and never winning a top-flight crown, Leverkusen are close to a remarkable treble.
“(We are) not thinking about Wednesday (Europa League final) — we’re thinking about tomorrow and about Augsburg,” Alonso insisted.
The Spaniard, who is in his first full season as a head coach, said his players “don’t have time” to celebrate “too much” on Saturday.
“We can celebrate with our fans, but from Monday we need to be fully focused on our final week.
“They’re professional and I don’t need to tell them. We need to be intelligent.”
Alonso said star midfielder Florian Wirtz, who has not started in the league for five games, had overcome a leg injury and “can start” against Augsburg.
“There are no limitations for tomorrow. He feels much better and doesn’t have any pain.”


Messi napkin that sealed Barcelona move sells for $965,000 at auction

Updated 17 May 2024
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Messi napkin that sealed Barcelona move sells for $965,000 at auction

  • An agreement in principle to sign the-then 13-year-old Messi was written on the napkin almost 25 years ago
  • An undisclosed percentage of the sale price pays administrative fees for the online auction

LONDON: The famous napkin that linked a young Lionel Messi to Barcelona sold for $965,000 on Friday, British auction house Bonhams said.
An agreement in principle to sign the-then 13-year-old Messi was written on the napkin almost 25 years ago at a Barcelona tennis club. A more formal and detailed contract with the club followed soon after.
An undisclosed percentage of the sale price pays administrative fees for the online auction, in what’s called the buyer’s premium.
Bonhams said the auction was on behalf of Horacio Gaggioli, an agent from Messi’s home country of Argentina who was part of the deal.
The contract language, written in blue ink, was intended to reassure the teenager’s father, Jorge Messi, that the deal would go through.
Jorge Messi had threatened to take his son back to Argentina because negotiations with Barcelona had stalled.
The napkin, containing the date Dec. 14, 2000, bears the signatures of Gaggioli, another agent, Josep Maria Minguella and Barcelona’s then-sporting director, Carles Rexach, who met at a tennis club.
Rexach had asked a waiter for paper and was given a blank napkin.
The starting price was 300,000 pounds ($379,000).
Messi spent nearly two decades with Barcelona after arriving from Argentina at 13 to play in their youth squads. He made his first-team debut in 2004 and played 17 seasons with the main squad. He helped the club win every major trophy including the Champions League four times and the Spanish league 10 times.
Messi left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021. He has since joined Inter Miami.