Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak proud of his team’s achievements despite Champions League disappointment

Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, Manchester City chairman, watches the English premier league football match between Manchester City and Brighten and Hove Albion. (File/AFP)
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Updated 03 June 2021
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Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak proud of his team’s achievements despite Champions League disappointment

  • Al-Mubarak conceded that the club’s involvement in European Super League was a regrettable mistake

DUBAI: Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak has declared his pride in Pep Guardiola and his players after a season that brought two domestic trophies but ended in the 1-0 Champions League final defeat to Chelsea last Saturday.

Kai Havertz’s first-half goal meant the newly crowned English champions could not complete a historic treble, but Al-Mubarak said he was “very, very proud” of what the club achieved in a difficult season.

“When you reach the Champions League final, which is the pinnacle in football and sport, I think it’s an incredible achievement,” he said. “We’ve been working hard for so many years to get to this point. It’s about building blocks, it’s about growing and achieving our targets. And to achieve targets, you’re going to miss targets. It’s part of life, it’s part of football. You win, you lose in a final, that’s football.”

Mubarak conceded that Manchester City’s involvement in the proposed European Super League was a mistake that he regretted, one that the club has learned form.

“It was a decision based on a view, which was a mistaken view, that this will improve and strengthen our position as a club,” he said. “What it missed was an important aspect which is how the fans felt about it.

“We will learn from it, I have no doubt. Our fans appreciate the heart and spirit of everything we do.”

Despite the disappointment in Porto, the season still delivered the Premier League and Carabao Cup triumphs.

“It’s been a remarkable season by any description but it’s also the culmination of years of hard work to reach a level of consistency, a level of expectation, that this club has reached now, which is a club that will compete year in, year out,” Al-Mubarak said. “You can’t win every year, but year in, year out, we’re going to be there. For 10 years in a row, we’ve been in the Champions League, no other English team has done that. Five Premier League titles in the last 10 years.”

Ten years ago, Al-Mubarak had set a target of winning five league titles in the next decade, and he now says that it wasn’t just hyperbole.

“It’s easy to say that now, but you’ve seen it happen over the last 10 years and that conviction wasn’t based on a prayer, it was based on clarity and planning, knowledge and the people we have in this club, a clear strategy and confidence in everyone to execute on it,” he said. “And then the talent. You need all of that. In a league the best team normally wins, and I think we’ve had the best team most of the time.”

“I know Sheikh Mansoor is immensely proud. His vision, going back to 2008 and what he wanted and expected over the next 10 to 12 years, has been achieved,” Al-Mubarak added. “And as we look at the next 10 years, his vision of what he hopes to achieve, I believe we are well positioned to achieve that.”

Manchester City started the 2020-21 campaign without fans and in relatively poor form, and had lost the league title to Liverpool the previous season, which for Al-Mubarak made it far more challenging one than previous years.

“It was a hybrid of two seasons because we were in the quarter-finals of last season’s Champions League in August, and we had no break,” he said. “There was a short period with almost no pre-season. You come back and start the news season, still in the midst of the Covid period. I remember very clearly, the Lyon loss gave us a big missing feeling. Losing the Premier League to Liverpool, in the way we lost it, then losing the Champions League, we needed to be mentally very strong to recover and come back.”

“Even at the lowest point I had no doubts that we would get it right.”

This summer club legend Sergio Aguero is leaving the Etihad for Barcelona and City’s chairman is already planning to strengthen the squad ahead of next season.

“We need to constantly bring in talent, refresh and particularly when you are at a high level, at the top,” Al-Mubarak said. “Having won the league it’s not the time to sit back and be content, that would be a big mistake. This is the time to send a message that you’re committed and bring in talent, not just for the squad but for the starting 11. We lose a legend in Sergio Aguero. Very big shoes to fill but I’m confident we will find the right player, and there are other areas of the team which need investment. Not too many, it’s not about numbers, it’s about quality.”

One thing City’s management has never wavered from is their full support for Guardiola, who has now been longer at the Etihad than at any of his other previous clubs.

“His record here, seeing his work ethic and his passion, you can’t not be confident,” said Al-Mubarak. “Another thing to note with Pep is the humanity that comes with him. He’s a very special human being. I knew he was in a tough spot, at a low point, probably back in November before he signed his contract, and I look back at our meeting when we sat together, had long discussions and really had a refresh, a realignment. I saw a man that was so disappointed, in his mind, for not delivering what he felt he needed to deliver for this club, a man who had so much hunger but felt he’d let us down.

“But he hadn’t, and that’s what I needed to make clear to him. I told Sheikh Mansoor I felt we would win the league, and I said I thought we would go far in the Champions League. I didn’t know if we were going to win it, but I thought we would go far.”


Bencic downs Alexandrova to break Wimbledon 4th-round barrier

Updated 11 sec ago
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Bencic downs Alexandrova to break Wimbledon 4th-round barrier

  • Bencic, who has been knocked out in the fourth round here three times before, said she turned the tide by being more courageous

LONDON: Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal in nine attempts on Monday, dismissing 18th-seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(4) 6-4 in just under two hours on a breezy Court One.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, 28, shed tears after she finally broke the fourth-round barrier 15 months after giving birth to her daughter Bella and said she felt very proud of herself.

But she needed six match points to down 30-year-old Alexandrova, who just last month beat Bencic with the loss of only three games at the Den Bosch grasscourt tournament in the Netherlands.

Bencic, who has been knocked out in the fourth round here three times before, said she turned the tide by being more courageous.

“I think I tried to be more brave. I had more matches under my belt and it turned out better than the last time I played her,” she said.

“I always got stuck in the fourth round. It was so important for me to break through to the quarterfinals,” she added.

Alexandrova, who has also never passed the fourth round at the All England Club, blew hot and cold in the first set, dropping two service games before turning on the aggression, improving her second serve and fighting back to force a tiebreak.

But Bencic, calm and businesslike, won four points in a row in the tiebreak and sealed the set after an hour and one minute when Alexandrova sent a backhand long.

Bencic broke Alexandrova’s serve in the eighth game of the second set but was unable to capitalize when serving for the match in a mammoth eight-deuce game that lasted some 15 minutes and during which the Russian saved five match points.

But Bencic came fighting back on the Russian’s serve with a forehand winner for a sixth match point, converting it when Alexandrova put a forehand long.

The Swiss, ranked 35 but a former world number four, was one of nine mothers in the draw, but the only one to reach the fourth round. She gave birth in April last year and was back playing competitively within six months even reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open in January 2025.

“I’m really proud of myself and the whole team. We did an amazing job coming back,” she said.

“It’s amazing to share the memories together as a family. I’m enjoying it more. I juggle it like every mum does.”


Two-time EuroLeague champion Dzanan Musa signs for Dubai Basketball from Real Madrid

Updated 07 July 2025
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Two-time EuroLeague champion Dzanan Musa signs for Dubai Basketball from Real Madrid

  • Bosnian will join Dubai in a three-year contract after a title-winning campaign with Spanish giants
  • head coach Jurica Golemac is assembling a roster capable of challenging the very best in Europe

DUBAI: Dzanan Musa, one of Europe’s most sought-after shooting guards, joins Dubai Basketball on a three-year deal starting with the 2025-26 season. The two-time EuroLeague champion will join the Dubai side directly from a title-winning campaign with one of the world’s most celebrated teams, Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old Bosnian has created a name for himself with a brief stint in the NBA, followed by his immediate ascent in the EuroLeague. Speaking on his transfer to Dubai that will see him on the team until 2028, Musa commented: “Joining Dubai Basketball is an incredible opportunity and a challenge I’m fully prepared to take on. Coming off a championship season in Spain, I feel confident in what I can bring to the court, and I’m excited to help this team create history in both the EuroLeague and ABA League.

“It’s been an amazing journey to reach this stage of my career. Now being here in Dubai, ready to write a new chapter, it’s truly special,” he added. “I’m looking forward to supporting the growing basketball community here, connecting with our fans, and making them proud. I’m committed to doing whatever it takes to help this team grow and leave a lasting legacy in this city.”

Before returning to Europe, Musa spent two seasons in the NBA with the Brooklyn Nets, who selected him 29th overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft. During his time in the US, he appeared in 49 NBA games, gaining playing time alongside All-Star teammates, including NBA stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Musa also excelled in the NBA G League, where he averaged 19.5 points per game with the Long Island Nets, underlining his offensive potential.

Musa made an immediate impact since his debut, which started with Slovenian side Cedevita Olimpija, where he made his first EuroLeague appearance at just 16 years old. Following his time in the US, Dzanan joined Spanish side Rio Breogan in 2021, where he was named the Spanish league’s MVP for his standout season.

The Bosnian was quickly scouted to join Spanish giants Real Madrid at 23 years old. He became a key figure in the team’s 2022-23 EuroLeague title-winning run, contributing an average of 14.8 points and 2.7 assists per game, which led him to be selected in the All-EuroLeague First Team in his inaugural year at Madrid. Musa joins Dubai Basketball after wrapping up a successful domestic league campaign where he contributed a total of 466 points to clinch the Spanish side’s 16th league title.

Musa becomes the first signing ahead of what promises to be a historic season, not only for Dubai but for European basketball. Since the team’s inception in the 2024-25 season, Dubai Basketball has consistently made headlines by reaching milestones, setting records, and paving the way for a new era in the sport. As the club prepares for its EuroLeague debut this season, head coach Jurica Golemac is assembling a roster capable of challenging the very best in Europe.


Cricket stars confirm return to DP World ILT20 for season 4

Updated 07 July 2025
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Cricket stars confirm return to DP World ILT20 for season 4

  • Salt, Hales, Hasaranga, Powell, Curran, Ferguson, Farooqi, David, and Sikandar will take part in the UAE-based T20 league
  • DP World International League T20 season 4 will feature 6 teams across a 34-match tournament, with the final on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026

DUBAI: For the fourth consecutive season, some of the biggest T20 superstars from around the world will feature in the DP World International League T20.

England’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 winners Alex Hales, Chris Woakes, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Phil Salt and Sam Curran (Season 3 Red Belt Winner — Most Valuable Player) will again display their talent in the Gulf region’s biggest T20 tournament.

Besides the star-studded England lineup, West Indies mega stars Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Sherfane Rutherford and Shai Hope (season three Green Belt Winner — Best Batter of the Tournament) will also return to their respective franchises.

Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza and Afghanistan’s premier new-ball bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi (Season 3 White Belt Winner — Best Bowler of the Tournament) will ake part in the month-long competition. Australia’s big-hitting batter Tim David and New Zealand’s fast bowling duo Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee have also declared their availability for Season 4.  

The teams have now completed the halfway stage in the squads’ selection process for Season 4 (eight players each). The first phase for the squad selection included the retention window for players from Season 3 and the new signings window which finished on June 16 and 30, respectively.

In the second phase of the Season 4 squad selection process, the teams will complete their respective squads at the DP World ILT20 Season 4 Player Auction, with date and details to be announced in the next few days.

Defending champions Dubai Capitals have added more depth to their bowling stocks by including Season 2 White Belt Winner — Afghanistan left-arm-wrist spinner Waqar Salamkheil as a new signing (previous team MI Emirates) alongside left-arm pacers Luke Wood (previous team Desert Vipers) and Muhammad Jawadullah (previous team Sharjah Warriorz).  

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have added firepower to their batting with three explosive T20 batters Alex Hales (previous team Desert Vipers), Liam Livingstone (previous team Sharjah Warriorz) and Sherfane Rutherford (previous team Desert Vipers).

The Desert Vipers have included former ADKR opener Andries Gous as their new signing; the Season 1 and Season 3 finalists have retained the core of their Season 3 squad. Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Max Holden, Sam Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga will be rejoining the Vipers for Season 4.

Season 1 winners Gulf Giants have signed Afghanistan’s globally recognized all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who will be making his DP World ILT20 debut this season while donning the Giants kit as one of their new signings. England’s Moeen Ali (previous team Sharjah Warriorz) returns to the DP World ILT20, the T20 great will be playing for the Giants as a new signing. Dashing Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the other new Giants’ Season 4 signing.

Gurbaz’s earlier DP World ILT20 stints were with Sharjah Warriorz (Season 1), Dubai Capitals (Season 2) and Desert Vipers (Season 3).

Season 2 winners MI Emirates have added all-round strength to their squad by including the all-format all-rounder — Chris Woakes (previous team Sharjah Warriorz) as a new signing. Sri Lanka’s upcoming all-rounder Kamindu Mendis is the other MI Emirates new signing for Season 4. Mendis will be making his DP World ILT20 debut.

Sharjah Warriorz have added Sikandar Raza (previous team Dubai Capitals). The globetrotting Zimbabwean all-rounder was the Season 2 Red Belt Winner — Most Valuable Player. Sri Lanka’s star white-ball spinner Maheesh Theekshana returns to the side as a new signing. He had appeared in eight games for the Warriorz in Season 2 of the DP World ILT20.

Warriorz have also bolstered their batting prowess for Season 4 with the inclusion of Australia’s big-hitting batter Tim David as a new signing. David played for MI Emirates in Season 1 and the Gulf Giants in Season 2. USA left-arm fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar has also joined the Warriorz.

The DP World International League T20 Season 4 will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 2 — UAE National Day (Eid-Al-Etihad) with a blockbuster opening, the six-team, 34-match tournament will conclude with the final on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.

 DP World ILT20 Season 4 — players rejoining their Season 3 teams:

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine.

Desert Vipers: Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Max Holden, Sam Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga.

Dubai Capitals: Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Gulbadin Naib, Rovmann Powell and Shai Hope.

Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince and Mark Adair.

MI Emirates: AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kusal Perera, Romario Shepherd, Tom Banton and Muhammad Waseem.

Sharjah Warriorz: Johnson Charles,  Kusal Mendis, Tim Southee and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

DP World ILT20 Season 4 — new signings:

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Alex Hales, Liam Livingstone and Sherfane Rutherford.

Desert Vipers: Andries Gous.

Dubai Capitals: Luke Wood, Waqar Salamkheil and Muhammad Jawadullah.

Gulf Giants: Azmatullah Omarzai, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

MI Emirates: Chris Woakes and Kamindu Mendis.

Sharjah Warriorz: Maheesh Theekshana, Sikandar Raza, Saurabh Netravalkar and Tim David.


Wimbledon blames ‘human error’ for embarrassing line-calling glitch

Updated 07 July 2025
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Wimbledon blames ‘human error’ for embarrassing line-calling glitch

  • Officials apologize to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal after the malfunction during their fourth-round match
  • A fully automated system has replaced human line judges at Wimbledon in 2025, in line with the Australian Open and the US OpeN

LONDON: Wimbledon chiefs on Monday blamed human error for an embarrassing failure of the tournament’s electronic line-calling system.

Officials apologized to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal after the malfunction during their fourth-round match on Center Court on Sunday, which Pavlyuchenkova won in straight sets.

After an investigation, organizers admitted the technology was turned off in error on a section of the court for a game, with the mistake only becoming apparent when a shot from Britain’s Kartal that clearly missed the baseline was not called out.

Had the call been correct, it would have given Russia’s Pavlyuchenkova a 5-4 lead in the first set, but instead umpire Nico Helwerth ruled the point should be replayed, with Kartal going on to win the game.

The Russian accused the official of home bias, saying: “Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me.”

Wimbledon issued a statement on Sunday saying the system had been “deactivated in error” for one game by those operating the system.

“In that time, there were three calls not picked up by live ELC on the affected part of the court. Two of these were called by the chair umpire, who was not made aware that the system had been deactivated,” it said.

“Following the third, the chair umpire stopped the match and consulted with the review official. It was determined that the point should be replayed.

“The chair umpire followed the established process. We have apologized to the players involved.”

Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, told reporters on Monday that the system was “working optimally.”

“The issue we had was human error in terms of the tracking system having been inadvertently deactivated, and then the chair (umpire) not being made aware of the fact that it had been deactivated,” she said.

She added: “We’ve spoken to the players, we’ve apologized to them, we’ve very quickly moved into reviewing everything that had happened yesterday afternoon and putting in place the appropriate changes to the processes.”

A fully automated system has replaced human line judges at Wimbledon in 2025, in line with the Australian Open and the US Open.

But the glitch in Sunday’s fourth-round match follows concerns raised by other players about the technology, including British stars Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper.

Around 80 former line judges are employed as match assistants, with two on each court offering support to the umpire.

But Bolton said there was no need to put them back on the courts.

“The system was functional,” she said. “It had been deactivated. We didn’t need to put line judges back on the court again, we needed the system to be active.”

Automated line-calling technology has become standard across tennis, with all events on the men’s ATP Tour and many WTA tournaments using it.


Sauber’s success is an F1 anomaly as teams switch focus to 2026

Updated 07 July 2025
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Sauber’s success is an F1 anomaly as teams switch focus to 2026

  • Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg had a surprise third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday
  • It was his first podium as a driver and the team’s best finish in 13 years

SILVERSTONE, England: Sauber celebrated a rare podium finish with Champagne donated by its Formula 1 rivals. After all, this wasn’t meant to be its year.

Mercedes sent over a staffer to Sauber bearing bottles of Champagne and a message of congratulations after Nico Hulkenberg’s surprise third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. It was his first podium as a driver and the team’s best finish in 13 years.

Sauber personnel jumped and sang as the sparkling wine was sprayed around the team’s hospitality site.

Not bad for a “building year,” as Hulkenberg put it in February. Sauber was one of the teams eyeing 2026 opportunities before 2025 even began.

The biggest rule change in a generation brings smaller cars with movable front and rear wings and more electrical power. Teams who have been also-rans in 2025 have the chance to make a big step forward.

The teams eyeing a leap forward

At the halfway point of the 2025 season, Aston Martin, Williams and Sauber – to be rebranded Audi next year – all have ambitious plans for 2026.

Development work at Aston Martin’s brand-new wind tunnel across the road from the Silverstone circuit is 99 percent focused on next year’s car, team principal Andy Cowell said Friday.

It’s the first Aston Martin overseen by design great Adrian Newey, who’s created title-winning cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull over nearly 40 years in F1 and is the star signing of the team’s new era.

“He pushes the boundaries,” Cowell said. “He packages 10 things into the space where only one would normally fit.”

It’s been a quiet 2025 on track. Aston Martin had its first double points finish of the season Sunday, with Lance Stroll seventh and Fernando Alonso ninth.

At Williams, driver Alex Albon was testing out 2026 ideas in the simulator before the 2025 season began. The team has invested heavily in behind-the-scenes reforms to recapture its glory days as a serial title-winner in the 1980s and 1990s.

Turning Sauber into the Audi works team brings a new level of expectation, while General Motors joins F1 in 2026 with its Cadillac brand.

Front-runners have more to lose

Top teams in particular face a tricky question to judge when to stop developing this year’s car and go all-in on 2026.

Red Bull was the big winner from the last major changes in 2022 as Max Verstappen won four straight titles. There’s big change this time without Newey and with a new engine partnership between its Red Bull Powertrains unit and Ford.

Verstappen’s future is unclear amid speculation he could leave for Mercedes. It would be a “disaster” for Red Bull to lose him, McLaren boss Zak Brown said on Saturday.

“Sport goes in cycles,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said last week. “We’ve had two incredibly successful cycles in Formula 1, and what we want to do is build toward the next cycle.”

“Of course we want that to be with Max but we understand the pressure that there is next year, with us coming in as a new power unit manufacturer.”

The last time the rules changed, McLaren showed it’s possible to start a new F1 era slowly but evolve into a title contender. It took over two years until the breakthrough win, though.