BARCELONA: Xavi Hernández, the player who personified the attacking style popularized by Barcelona and Spain’s national team, is close to returning to Camp Nou as coach.
Xavi’s current employer, Qatari club Al-Sadd, said Friday that the former midfielder would be freed from his coaching contract once his release clause is paid. His current contract runs into 2023.
Barcelona declined to comment on the cost, but Spanish media reports say Xavi’s buyout clause is 5 million euros ($5.7 million).
“Xavi informed us a few days ago of his desire to go to Barcelona at this particular time, because of the critical stage his hometown club is going through, and we understand this and decided not to stand in his way,” Al-Sadd CEO Turki Al-Ali said in a posting on the club’s Twitter account. “We’ve agreed on cooperation with Barcelona in the future. Xavi is an important part of Al-Sadd’s history and we wish him success.”
Xavi is set to replace Ronald Koeman, who was fired last week following a series of losses for a club that failed to re-sign Lionel Messi. Sergi Barjuan has been coaching Barcelona since, overseeing a draw in the Spanish league and a victory in the Champions League. He will return to coaching the reserve team.
Faced with a barrage of questions about Xavi in a regular pre-match news conference, Barjuan repeated that Barcelona had yet to announce the signing of a new coach. Even so, he spoke of Saturday’s match at Celta Vigo as his last in the dugout.
“Barcelona has not made anything official, but we all hope this can be worked out,” Barjuan said. “If Xavi comes, I will be happy to help him in any way I can.”
The 41-year-old Xavi left Barcelona in 2015 after helping the club win 25 titles, including four Champions Leagues and eight Spanish leagues in 17 seasons. He was also key to Spain’s streak of titles when it won the 2010 World Cup and European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
He has been at Al-Sadd since leaving Barcelona, first as a player and then as coach.
Xavi’s vision, passing and ability to maintain the ball under pressure made him critical to leading both Barcelona and Spain’s national team to their most successful eras.
Barcelona club president Joan Laporta now hopes that, as coach, Xavi can rekindle Barcelona’s beloved attacking style based on suffocating ball possession and intricate passing moves.
But Xavi will arrive with no experience coaching in a major league and will face the same daunting challenge that led to Koeman’s downfall: Barcelona is no longer the Barcelona he left behind as a player.
The team’s depleted finances have stripped it of Messi and other top players like Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suárez, and limited it to signing free agents in the offseason.
Xavi will inherit a team that is struggling in the Spanish league and has yet to guarantee that it will get through the group stage of the Champions League.
It will also be seen if Xavi’s personal relationship with veterans Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba, all former teammates, will help or hurt him as he continues the necessary rebuild started by Koeman.
In his favor, Xavi can benefit from the work started by Koeman, who brought several young players into his starting lineup. Above all, Pedri González, who has also had a superb year with Spain, and Gavi Páez seem perfect to fit Xavi’s playing style. Striker Ansu Fati has also emerged as a possible star.
Xavi turned down the chance to coach Barcelona in January 2020 when Laporta’s predecessor fired Ernesto Valverde in the middle of the season.
“When they offered me (the job), it had barely been three months since I was coaching,” Xavi said recently. “But now it is different. I have more experience and I am learning a lot here (with Al-Sadd).”
Qatari club agrees to let Xavi become Barcelona coach
https://arab.news/5a2yw
Qatari club agrees to let Xavi become Barcelona coach
- Xavi’s current employer, Qatari club Al-Sadd, says that the former midfielder would be freed from his coaching contract once his release clause is paid
Cricket World Cup ‘stepping stone’ to building US fanbase for Olympics
- New York, Dallas and Florida will be venues for T20 World Cup to be held in June
- International Cricket Council says tournament would help sport leave a mark in US
New Delhi: Next month’s T20 World Cup will help build cricket’s profile and popularity in the United States ahead of its appearance at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the sport’s world body said.
The showpiece 20-over event will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States in June with New York, Florida and Dallas as venues.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was confident the tournament would help the sport leave a mark in a land where baseball rules.
“The fact that a World Cup has come to the US — the largest sports market in the world — that in itself has generated a lot of interest,” Chris Tetley, the ICC’s head of events, told reporters in a media roundtable on Tuesday.
“This is a key stepping stone for the promotion of the game toward 2028 and beyond in terms of providing world-class cricket for the massive existing fanbase that the sport already has in the US,” he added.
“We are trying to give them something they haven’t had on their doorstep before and maybe pique the interest of the American sports community by telling them that cricket’s actually an older sport in the US than baseball.”
T20 cricket will feature as one of five new sports at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Cricket’s only previous appearance at an Olympics was in 1900 in Paris, where a team from Great Britain defeated France.
Nassau County’s Eisenhower Park, near New York, has seen a 34,000-seater temporary stadium, with a drop-in cricket pitch, constructed.
It will host the hotly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash on June 9 among its eight scheduled World Cup games.
“We are really happy with the pitch,” said stadium manager Damian Hough.
“Everything that we have done has exceeded expectations. I can’t predict scores, that’s for the batters.
“We hope that we have got a typical T20 pitch where there is good bounce, good pace and value for shots. Obviously you want batters to play shots all around the ground.”
Hough and his team introduced drop-in pitches more than a decade ago at Adelaide Oval, where he is head curator.
But creating the stadium in Nassau County has seen different challenges, including growing the pitch in the sub-tropics of Florida before transporting it 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) north through multiple climatic zones.
Tetley said the stadium would be dismantled after the T20 extravaganza, but the “world-class facilities” would leave a lasting legacy for cricket in the United States.
Turkish Kung Fu champion slams threat to strip him over Gaza protest
- Necmettin Erbakan Akyuz, 22, says he will not ‘back down’
- Probe launched into his actions by sport’s governing body
DUBAI: Turkish Kung Fu champion Necmettin Erbakan Akyuz, who raised the Palestinian flag during a European championship contest in solidarity with Gaza, has said he stands by his decision.
Responding to the European Kung Fu Federation’s threat to strip him of his title, the 22-year-old reportedly said on Wednesday: “If I had raised the Israeli flag there instead of the Palestinian flag, the (federation) would not have imposed this penalty on me.”
Akyuz won his division in the European Kung Fu Championships held on Dec. 17, 2023, in Istanbul.
Ben Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz
— Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz (@neakyuz) April 29, 2024
Madalyaların en güzelini aldım
Mazlumların sesi olmak adına yaptığım hareketten dolayı Avrupa Federasyonu soruşturma açtı
Yaptıklarımdan dolayı pişman değilim, verilecek kararlarım nezdimde hiçbir kıymeti yoktur.
NEHİRDEN DENİZE ÖZGÜR FİLİSTİN . pic.twitter.com/Jpo8yjEnP1
As he stood on the podium, he raised the Palestinian flag and performed the Dabke, a traditional Palestinian dance.
“Opening an investigation, withdrawing the championship title, issuing sanctions and withdrawing all the world and European championships that I own … if you think that you can scare me with these things and make me back down, then you are truly fools,” he said.
Akyuz added that he did not break any rules and said the federation has “no values, no humanity, no conscience, no manhood, no honor, no dignity.”
Delighted Al-Hilal coach Jesus praises ‘extraordinary’ Abdulhamid after King’s Cup semifinal win
- The Saudi right-back scored a late winner to take his team to the final on May 31
JEDDAH: Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus has revealed his delight at his team’s 2-1 win over Al-Ittihad in the semifinals of the King’s Cup on Tuesday night, with particular praise for the “extraordinary” match-winner Saud Abdelhamid.
Brazilian forward Michael had given Al-Hilal the lead in the 25th minute at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah before Serbian teammate Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was sent off three minutes before half time.
Morocco international Abderrazak Hamdallah equalized for the reigning Saudi Pro League champions after 67 minutes, before Abdulhamid scored in the 81st minute to take his team to the King’s Cup final on May 31. They will meet the winners of Wednesday’s second semifinal between Al-Nassr and Al-Khaleej.
“Saud Abdulhamid is extraordinary. In the 90th minute he is still going at full speed,” said Jesus. “He can always improve, and I expect the best from him. Saudi players in general are open to developing tactically.”
He added: “We fought for more than 60 minutes (with the one-man) deficiency, and after conceding the equalizer we were better in transitions and controlled the match.”
The Portuguese coach has set his sights on completing a hat trick of triumphs this season.
“We have three championships this season,” Jesus added. “The league is close, we already achieved the (Saudi) Super Cup, and now we have reached the (King’s) cup final. This is a wonderful thing, and we are continuing to achieve our goals.”
He added that excluding Salman Al-Faraj from the starting lineup had been a “tactical” decision.
Maxey magic fires Sixers past Knicks, Bucks stay alive
- Maxey led the Sixers back from the brink of defeat in the fourth quarter with a late burst of scoring before dominating in overtime
- Donovan Mitchell rattled in 28 points as the Cavaliers ground out a 104-103 win over Orlando Magic
LOS ANGELES: Tyrese Maxey produced a 46-point gem as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the New York Knicks 112-106 in overtime to keep their NBA Eastern Conference playoff hopes alive on Tuesday.
Maxey led the Sixers back from the brink of defeat in the fourth quarter with a late burst of scoring before dominating in overtime to ensure a Game 6 back in Philadelphia.
The Knicks, leading the best-of-seven series 3-1 heading into Tuesday’s game, had looked poised to clinch after Jalen Brunson helped the second seeds take a six-point lead with 29 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
But Maxey drained a three-pointer from 24 feet and then hit a stunning 34-footer from the logo with nine seconds left to send a pulsating duel into overtime.
It looked as if the Knicks had reclaimed the initiative after Brunson scored five points to give New York a five-point lead before a raucous Madison Square Garden.
Yet Maxey and NBA MVP Joel Embiid had other ideas, launching a 9-0 run to give the Sixers a 106-102 advantage. New York pegged it back to 106-106 but the Sixers regrouped and pulled clear again to seal victory.
“Season on the line, we fought for 53 minutes and never gave up,” Maxey said.
“Even when we were down late guys still went out there and made plays — that was big time.”
A pumped-up Maxey could be seen roaring in defiance after helping the Sixers take the game to overtime in the fourth quarter.
“I was saying some things that my grandma probably wouldn’t like,” he said. “I’m a happy guy but I absolutely hate losing.”
Maxey’s 46-point haul included seven three-pointers while Embiid posted a triple-double of 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 rebounds.
Tobias Harris added 19 points for the Sixers while Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 14.
Brunson led New York’s scoring with 40 points while Josh Hart had 18 and O.G. Anunoby 17.
Game 6 is in Philadelphia on Thursday.
In other games, the injury-hit Milwaukee Bucks stayed afloat by beating the Indiana Pacers, winning 115-92 to extend their series to Game 6.
Milwaukee, trailing 3-1 and missing injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, looked to be heading for an early postseason exit after Indiana raced into a 31-23 first-quarter lead.
But the Bucks cut loose though in the second and third, outscoring Indiana 64-36 to take control.
Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis led Milwaukee with 29 points apiece while Malike Beasley added 18.
Tyrese Haliburton top scored for Indiana with 16 points but endured a frustrating night against a sterling Milwaukee defensive effort.
Game 6 takes place in Indiana on Thursday.
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell rattled in 28 points — including 14 in the fourth quarter — as the Cavaliers ground out a 104-103 win over the Orlando Magic to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference first round series.
Orlando had fought back from 2-0 down to level after recording emphatic wins in Games 3 and 4 in Florida.
But Cleveland dug deep to ensure they will head back to Orlando for game six on Friday with a chance of clinching the series.
“It’s not gonna be pretty but it’s the playoffs,” Mitchell said after Cleveland’s win.
“The fourth quarter — that’s what I do. But I’ve got to play better for my group.
“We’ve played well at home as a group. Now we’ve got to go down there in a hostile environment and handle our business.”
Paolo Banchero led Orlando’s scorers with 39 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Thirty years on, Brazil pays tribute to late F1 hero Ayrton Senna
- Fans of the three-time Formula One world champion are expected to flock to Senna’s grave in a cemetery in his hometown of Sao Paulo, where he was laid to rest after his tragic accident at the Imola circuit on May 1, 1994
- A wave of television programs have been aired to mark the anniversary, while an exhibition titled ‘I, Ayrton Senna da Silva — 30 years’ will open in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday
RIO DE JANEIRO: Thirty years to the day since his death following a crash that sent shockwaves around the world, Brazilians will pay homage Wednesday to Formula One superstar Ayrton Senna — a beloved symbol of national pride comparable only to compatriot Pele.
Fans of the three-time Formula One world champion are expected to flock to Senna’s grave in a cemetery in his hometown of Sao Paulo, where he was laid to rest after his tragic accident at the Imola circuit on May 1, 1994.
Some will take part in a fun-run staged on the twists and turns of the Interlagos motorsport circuit, where Senna scored two emotional Formula One victories near the end of his career in 1991 and 1993.
A wave of television programs have been aired to mark the anniversary, while an exhibition titled ‘I, Ayrton Senna da Silva — 30 years’ will open in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday after a nationwide tour.
The exhibition features an artificial intelligence-powered recreation of Senna’s voice recounting the defining moments of his turbulent life and career.
On Rio’s famous Copacabana beach, a procession of fans old and young have been stopping to take photos with a bronze sculpture of Senna, arms aloft and waving a Brazilian flag in triumph.
Among them was Joao Paulo Bertoloni, 30 — only a baby when Senna died aged 34.
“I didn’t get to see him live, but everyone was a fan of him in my family,” Bertoloni said.
“My father, my grandparents... Everyone told me about Senna. Brazil came to a standstill on Sundays when he was racing,” the business manager said.
Marilane Mattos, 66, can still vividly recall the moment she watched on television as Senna’s Williams car hurtled off the Imola track at about 190mph and plowed into a wall.
“It was horrible, it still makes me sad today,” she told AFP. “But I prefer to remember the good times. He was a simple guy like us.”
Senna’s legacy in Brazil has extended far beyond the sporting theater.
The Ayrton Senna Institute was recognized by UNESCO in 2004 for its educational projects which aim to help children from poor neighborhoods.
“Ayrton always said that if you wanted to change things you had to start with education,” Viviane Senna, Ayrton’s sister and president of the institute, said in a recent video posted on social media.
Founded six months after Senna’s death, the institute claims to have benefited some 36 million students in 3,000 Brazilian cities and towns.
For Brazilian writer Ernesto Rodrigues, author of the biography “Ayrton: The Hero Revealed,” Senna remains an important cultural figure because he “restored self-esteem to Brazilians” at a time the country was grappling with political and economic crises.
“His name is on streets throughout the country. Every time his name is mentioned, he gives Brazilians a sense of pride. His legacy has been largely preserved,” Rodrigues said.
The Brazilian government declared three days of national mourning for Senna, who died in an Italian hospital of head injuries after the crash.
A million Brazilians turned out to pay their respects in Sao Paolo, crowding the airport and lining city streets to catch a glimpse of his coffin before a private burial.
