Harsh lessons learnt in Asia will serve Xavi well in dream job at Barcelona

Barcelona said on Saturday they had named former midfielder and captain Xavi Hernandez as head coach on a contract until 2024. (Reuters/File Photo)
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Updated 06 November 2021
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Harsh lessons learnt in Asia will serve Xavi well in dream job at Barcelona

  • Despite often dominating possession, the Spanish coach’s Al-Sadd team lost out in big games, especially against Al-Nassr, because of mistakes and lack of killer touch upfront

 

LONDON: One wonders whether the Barcelona officials who were in Qatar this week to finalize the deal to take Xavi — in his words — “back home,” watched Al-Sadd’s AFC Champions League games against Al-Nassr from April.

That was when the Saudi Arabians gave the new boss of the Blaugrana quite a lesson, perhaps the most important lesson he will take to Europe from his 30-month stint in Asia.

That is, possession may be acred for one brought up on the Barcelona way, but in Asia, just as in Europe, teams are increasingly happy to let you have the ball in areas that will not hurt them.

At the outset, Xavi’s Al-Sadd seemed to be holding all the trump cards.

Picture the scene. On the one side, you had the Spaniard’s team that had just clinched the Qatar Stars League championship in stunning fashion. Not a match had been lost in the 22-game domestic season and there was a goal difference of plus-63. Al-Sadd had stars such as Santi Cazorla, Algerian goal-machine Baghdad Bounedjah and Brazilian midfielder Guilherme, as well as much of the Qatari team that won the 2019 Asian Cup.

On the other was Al-Nassr. The Saudi Arabian team are one of Asia’s biggest but, as April dawned, were running far below the gear that Al-Sadd found themselves in. The Riyadh club had mixed results at home, which led to the hiring of Mano Menezes in the days leading up to the start of the Champions League. The former Brazil boss became the third coach in less than six months. 

With the expansion of the continental tournament from 32 teams to 40 this year, only the team that finished top of each of the 10 groups was guaranteed a place in the knockout stage, along with the six-best runners-up. Al-Sadd arrived in Riyadh as favorites and on the back of a 22-match unbeaten run, while Al-Nassr had lost their previous two games.

Both teams started with disappointing draws. Al-Wehdat were playing in their first Champions League game and the Jordanians were delighted to hold Al-Nassr to a 0-0 draw. Al-Sadd needed a late strike from Yusuf Abdurisag to earn a 1-1 draw with Iran’s Foolad. Then came the first big meeting between the two.

It went 3-1 to Al-Nassr. It was practically the first game for Menezes and he chose to allow Xavi’s men to have most of the ball, but in areas that did not pose much of a threat. The Yellows looked more incisive and with the running of Ali Al-Hassan and Abdulfattah Asiri and the loitering presence of Abderrazak Hamdallah in attack, the nine-time Saudi Pro League champions proved to be a threat on the counter — too much for the vulnerable Al-Sadd defense to handle.

“I think the result is unfair,” Xavi said after the game. “We deserve more than this result and at least a draw, considering the performance shown by the players and the many opportunities we missed, and I will not comment on the referee’s decision and the incorrect penalty kick.”

Again, a good performance, with plenty of territorial control, but no end result.

Al-Sadd looked good in parts but the defense never looked quite solid enough to keep out Al-Nassr. Perhaps so much dominance at home was not the best preparation for Asia against teams that came from more competitive leagues.

“We were good in the first 25 minutes in the second half, and we scored the equalizer and we were close to scoring the second, but there were some mistakes in defense because of which we conceded the second goal,” Xavi said. “Football is about mistakes, and in a strong match like this we must not make these mistakes, which cost us the match. We must focus on the upcoming matches.”

Al-Sadd seemed to have learned from the mistakes when winning the next three games. That meant a final-day showdown with Al-Nassr, less than three weeks after the first meeting. As group leaders, the Qatari champions needed just a point to progress while the Saudis had to collect all three. It was the first time for the 2010 World Cup winner to be in this situation as a coach. 

Al-Nassr worked well to put Al-Sadd under pressure, to deny the players the time and space they were accustomed to having at home where most teams sat back and hoped not to concede. Once again, there was some uncertainty at the back and Al-Nassr pressing led to a goalkeeping howler in the first half that led to Hamdallah’s opener. From that point the Qataris were chasing the game, lost their heads a little, and Al-Nassr always looked like getting the win that they eventually got. The Saudi Arabian team went through while Al-Sadd missed out by the tightest of margins.

“This is football,” Xavi said. “We went out of the Champions League because of one goal and we did not give our best, but we were not very bad. This is football, it has victories and defeats. We must accept it.”

These are the kinds of lessons that Xavi was looking for when he came to the Middle East, the kinds of lessons that, if heeded, will stand him in good stead for Barcelona. Despite all the games the former midfield maestro won in Qatar, it may well be that the twin losses against Al-Nassr may be more influential in his coaching career in Europe.


Swiatek in first semifinal at All England Club, faces Bencic next

Updated 09 July 2025
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Swiatek in first semifinal at All England Club, faces Bencic next

  • The five-time major champion beat 19th-seeded Samsonova

LONDON: Iga Swiatek reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over 19th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova that went from a stroll to a bit of a struggle in the late stages Wednesday.

“Even though I’m in the middle of the tournament, I already got goosebumps after this win,” said Swiatek, who will face unseeded Belinda Bencic on Thursday for a spot in the final. “I’m super happy and super proud of myself.”

Bencic beat No. 7 Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2019 US Open. The other semifinal is No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka against No. 13 Amanda Anisimova; they advanced with wins Tuesday.

Swiatek is a five-time major champion, with four of those titles on the red clay of the French Open, and the other on the hard courts of the US Open. She’s also twice been a semifinalist at the hard-court Australian Open.

The grass courts of the All England Club always had given her the most trouble as a pro, even though she did claim a junior championship there in 2018. In her five appearances in the Wimbledon women’s bracket before this year, she had made it as far as the quarterfinals just once, exiting in that round in 2023.

But the 24-year-old from Poland is enjoying a career-best run on the slick surface, thanks in part to being more comfortable with the footing required.

“I, for sure, feel like I really worked hard to progress here on this surface,” Swiatek said. “So this year, I feel like I can just work with it and work with myself. I’ll just keep doing that.”

Before the start of Wimbledon, Swiatek was the runner-up in Bad Homburg, Germany, her first final at a tournament played on grass — and her first final at any event in more than a year, a drought that resulted in her falling from the No. 1 ranking and being seeded No. 8 at the All England Club.

Her rough stretch included a one-month ban last season in a doping case after an investigation determined a failed out-of-competition drug test was caused by an unintentional contamination of non-prescription medication for issues with jet lag and sleeping. On the court, a semifinal loss to Sabalenka at Roland-Garros last month ended Swiatek’s 26-match French Open winning streak.

Swiatek led by a set and 3-0 in the second against Samsonova, who was appearing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Soon, though, it was 4-all, then 5-all. But Swiatek held for a 6-5 lead, then broke to end it, and a smile spread across her face.

“I’ll just recover today, try not to celebrate too much, but already focus on the next one,” Swiatek said. “Prepare in the evening, and I’ll be ready tomorrow.”

Bencic, who at 28 is a decade older than Andreeva, is competing in her second major tournament since returning to the tour after giving birth to a daughter, Bella, in April 2024.

“I’m very proud, actually. All my career, I didn’t say it a lot to myself, but after having Bella, I really say it to myself every day,” Bencic said. “We are just enjoying life on tour with Bella, traveling. It’s been beautiful to create these memories together.”

 “ And obviously, to play great is so amazing, but for me, it’s a bonus. I’m generally just really happy to be able to play again.”


Global Champions Arabians Tour returns to the Netherlands

Updated 09 July 2025
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Global Champions Arabians Tour returns to the Netherlands

  • Total prize pool for the latest stage of the 2nd annual elite Arabian horse competition, which will take place in Valkenswaard on July 18-20, is $1.65m

DOHA: The second annual Global Champions Arabians Tour will ride into in the Netherlands on July 18.

The three-day event, at the Longines Tops International Arena in Valkenswaard, is the sixth stage of the 2025 Europe and Middle East Series, and the second European stop on the tour, after Cannes in France last month.

The total prize pool for this stage is €1.41 million ($1.65 million): €1.05 million for the championship and €360,000 for the qualifying classes. The results will also contribute to overall rankings ahead of the World Arabian Horse Championship Supreme in Doha this December.

“Returning to Valkenswaard is a true highlight of the season,” said Faleh Al-Nasr, chairperson of the Global Champions Arabians Tour.

“This stage reflects our commitment to excellence, bringing together top-tier competition, international audiences and the timeless beauty of Arabian horses in one of Europe’s premier equestrian destinations.”

Outside of the action in the arena, there will be a supporting program featuring cultural performances, special exhibitions celebrating the heritage and art of Arabian horses, and the event will conclude with what organizers say will be a memorable closing ceremony.

There will also be an exclusive shopping village showcasing a curated mix of local and international brands, artisan products, event merchandise, and gourmet food and drink.

The event begins on Friday, July 18, with an opening ceremony and qualifying classes for yearling fillies and colts, and junior fillies. Junior colts, senior mares and senior stallions will take to the arena on Saturday, July 19, and the action concludes on Sunday, July 20, with the championship competitions across all categories, followed by the closing ceremony.

After Valkenswaard, the focus shifts to the UK, where the seventh stage of the Europe and Middle East Series will take place in London from Aug. 14 to 17.


Aleksa Avramovic becomes Dubai Basketball’s second signing after EuroLeague entry

Updated 09 July 2025
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Aleksa Avramovic becomes Dubai Basketball’s second signing after EuroLeague entry

  • Dubai Basketball and 30-year-old point guard reach an agreement for the next three seasons

DUBAI: Serbian Olympic bronze medalist Aleksa Avramovic returns to the EuroLeague with Dubai Basketball after a season with CSKA Moscow, making him Dubai’s newest addition to the 2025-2026 roster following Dzanan Musa.

The point guard and Dubai Basketball have reached an agreement for the next three seasons, until June 2028. The 30-year-old, who is 1.93 metres tall, joins from CSKA Moscow, where he averaged 12.2 points and 3.4 assists in 20 minutes per game.

Avramovic played 47 EuroLeague games with Partizan Belgrade between 2022 and 2024, where he led a championship-winning campaign — clinching the 2022-2023 ABA League title. In Europe’s top competition, the Serbian guard averaged 8.3 points in 16 minutes per game. His standout performance came on Feb. 29, 2024, against Anadolu Efes, where he scored 30 points and registered a performance index rating of 32.

In the EuroCup, Avramovic appeared in 26 games between his stints with Partizan and Unicaja.

Dubai Basketball’s newest addition has played in Serbia, Italy, Spain and Russia. In his home country, he played for his hometown team, Cacak, and OKK Belgrade from 2013 to 2016. He then spent three seasons with Varese in Italy, where his development drew attention from Spain’s ACB League, signing his first season with the Spaniards in 2019. In the 2020-2021 ACB season, he was one of the league’s top performers with averages of 16.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists over 36 games.

His strong performances with Estudiantes in Madrid led to a move to Partizan, where he played from 2021 to 2024. Under coach Zeljko Obradovic, he posted regular-season ABA League averages of 10.4, 8.8, and 11.3 points per game over three seasons.

Most recently, he played the 2024-2025 season with CSKA Moscow, where he was one of the team’s key players and helped them to the VTB League title.

With the addition of Avramovic, Dubai Basketball continues to build an experienced squad ahead of their inaugural EuroLeague season. His elite-level exposure and adaptable skillset strengthen the team’s competitive edge, as the club lays the foundation for success, representing the Middle East on Europe’s biggest basketball stage.


Red Bull says longtime F1 team principal Christian Horner has been released from his duties

Updated 09 July 2025
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Red Bull says longtime F1 team principal Christian Horner has been released from his duties

  • Horner had been Red Bull team principal since it entered F1 as a full constructor in 2005
  • Red Bull did not give a reason for the decision in a statement Wednesday, but thanked Horner for his work

MILTON KEYNES, England: Red Bull says Christian Horner has been released from his role as longtime team principal of its Formula 1 team.
Red Bull did not give a reason for the decision in a statement Wednesday, but thanked Horner for his work and said he will “forever remain an important part of our team history.”
Laurent Mekies of sister team Racing Bulls will replace Horner in his role as team principal and chief executive of the racing team.


Horner had been Red Bull team principal since it entered F1 as a full constructor in 2005. He had performed his team and media duties as normal throughout the British Grand Prix last week.
Horner oversaw eight F1 drivers’ titles — four for Sebastian Vettel and four for Max Verstappen — and six constructors’ titles during his time with the team.

 

 

But McLaren has dominated this season in F1, while Red Bull’s performance has dipped, though Verstappen remains third in the standings and the team is fourth.
Horner spent much of last week fielding questions over Verstappen’s future at the team after the Dutch driver declined to commit to stay with Red Bull for 2026.
“We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s chief executive for corporate projects and investments said in a statement.
“With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”
The announcement comes more than a year after Horner was accused of misconduct toward a team employee.
An investigation conducted on behalf of the Red Bull company dismissed the allegation, as did a further investigation conducted after the employee appealed against the initial ruling, Red Bull said at the time.
Horner remained in charge of the F1 team throughout the entire process.


Cricket’s Indian Premier League value surges to $18.5 billion — report

Updated 09 July 2025
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Cricket’s Indian Premier League value surges to $18.5 billion — report

  • World’s richest cricket series top revenue earner for BCCI, generates estimated $11 billion a year for Indian economy
  • Indian Premier League’s brand value jumps 13.8 percent to $3.9 billion in past year, global investment bank Houlihan Lokey says

NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League’s business value has been estimated at $18.5 billion with reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru its wealthiest franchise, according to a report by an investment bank.

The world’s richest cricket tournament has been a top revenue earner for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and in 2020 was estimated to generate more than $11 billion a year for the Indian economy.

According to US investment bank Houlihan Lokey, which has valued several sports franchises around the world, the brand value of the 10-team T20 franchise tournament has seen a sharp rise of 13.8 percent to $3.9 billion over the past year.

Bengaluru, who along with star player Virat Kohli won their first IPL title this year, have overtaken five-time winners Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to achieve a brand value of $269 million.

Mumbai is second with $242 million, followed by Chennai at $235 million.

The Houlihan Lokey report called the IPL “a global phenomenon” that has become more than just a cricket league.

“The IPL continues to set benchmarks in sports business. Franchise valuations have soared, media rights deals have reached record highs, and brand partnerships have diversified across sectors,” Harsh Talikoti from Houlihan Lokey, said in a statement.

“The league’s ability to attract global investors and sponsors reflects its status as a premier sports property with enduring appeal.”

Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings for the title at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad in June to conclude the 18th edition of the league.

The report said the 2025 final had more than 678 million views on the official streaming platform JioHotstar, surpassing the India-Pakistan clash during the Champions Trophy in February this year.

The IPL, which is broadcast around the world and features top international stars such as Australia’s Pat Cummins and England’s Jos Buttler, mixes sport and showbusiness in a glitzy format, with a number of teams fronted by Bollywood movie superstars.

Since it launched in 2008, it has inspired a range of other franchise-based leagues in India in sports as diverse as boxing, badminton, poker and kabaddi, and spawned copycat cricket tournaments elsewhere.