July 6, 2020 Return on hold Xavi’s long-awaited return to Barcelona was put on hold after the Spanish legend’s decision to sign a one-year contract extension with Qatari club 11 Al Sadd, goal.com reported. Sports Iranian federation says will decide Guardiola confident City’s European ban will be overturned on virus-delayed games

said to be among the infected players in the Tehran-based side. The Blues refused to fly to Jam on Satur- day after the outcome of the tests and manag- er called off the team’s training sessions for two weeks. However, Mehdi said all reported players and staff members of the two sides will have to be retested in medical centers authorized by the Health Ministry before the Disciplin- ary Committee makes a final decision on two matches. Should the new tests confirm the two clubs’ reports, Mahdi said, their Sunday’s games will be declared postponed – other- wise it could lead to disciplinary consequenc- es for Esteghlal and Foolad. According to the instructions laid out by the federation, a league game would be post- poned only if more than a quarter of a team’s members test positive for COVID-19. The returned to action on June 24 after a nearly four-month GETTY IMAGES TASNIM suspension caused by the coronavirus out- Sports Desk Nassaji Mazandaran vs. Foolad Khuzestan break. Pep Guardiola is confident be on the field during these Liverpool the way we did and Esteghlal’s trip to Pars Jonoubi Jam, were Saturday’s fixtures saw leader Persepolis Manchester City will over- years. (was good),” said Guardio- oheil Mehdi, the head of League Or- suspended after Foolad and Esteghlal report- claim a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Shahin turn its Champions League “On July 13 we will know la, whose side thrashed the ganization’s Competitions Committee ed 16 and 13 coronavirus cases among their Bushehr at the Azadi Stadium, thanks to Me- ban. the resolution, hopefully, champion 4-0 last Thursday. Sof Iran Football Federation, said the team members respectively on Saturday. hdi Torabi’s second-half goal. City is expecting a judge- for the club – all the work- “Football is about feelings, federation’s Disciplinary Committee will de- The identities of those with a positive test Elsewhere, Tractor was back in the win- ment from the Court of Arbi- ers, players and everyone moments. Sometimes your cide on two postponed matches of the Persian result remain unknown, but Esteghlal’s skip- ning ways after an Ehsan Haj-Safi brace gave tration for Sport (CAS) over here, staff – to try to continue mood is up, sometimes it is Gulf Pro League. per Voria Ghafouri, Mohammad Daneshgar, the Tabriz-based side a 2-0 home win over its appeal against its expul- growing up as a club in the down when you face these On Sunday, two Iranian league games, Farshid Esmaeili, and Dariush Shojaeian are San’at Naft Abadan. sion from European compe- next years.” games, but we can say we titions on July 13, PA Media Amid the off-field issues, beat maybe the best team in reported. City remains involved in this the world right now. So we The club was banned from year’s Champions League can do it. Ramos again seals win for Real form spot UEFA competitions for two competition, which is now “But every game is differ- years by the European gov- due to resume in August. ent, (FA Cup opponent) Ar- erning body in February after City holds a 2-1 lead over senal play different, Madrid Sergio Ramos was Real Madrid’s tafe and Athletic provided poten- In both games, Los Blancos given the relatively kind fixtures being found guilty of breach- Real Madrid after the first leg play different. Each game you penalty hero for the second time tially tricky opponents. had to rely on late penalties. But to come, it was crucial Zidane’s es of Financial Fair Play of their last-16 tie. have to adjust the qualities. in four days as the Spanish giant side simply collected the points (FFP) regulations. There is still uncertainty “What I want is to arrive in earned a 1-0 win at Athletic Bil- in any way possible. City’s case was heard by over where the return match the best conditions possible bao. Ramos has now scored five CAS last month and the club will be played – the second to these games and after put Zinedine Zidane’s men have massive goals in the past month, have always been bullish leg will be played in Portugal mentality on the pitch. been flawless since the season’s but his work at the other end of about the potential outcome. if City is unable to host the “These games are not won restart to claim control of the title the pitch was of slight concern in City boss Guardiola said, game at the Etihad Stadium – with tactics or ideas, it is de- rice, but they were given a stern Sunday’s first half. “We are ready. I have a lot but Guardiola is determined sire. We want to do it. When test by Getafe on Thursday and The center-back was grateful of confidence and trust with to be in the best possible one team wants to do it – again had their work cut out for to an offside flag following an the people that we will be al- shape for the game. okay they can be beaten – but a time on Sunday, goal.com re- awful early slip that let in Inaki lowed to play the Champions “Every game is different it will not be easy for the op- ported. Williams, who soon profited League, because we want to but I cannot deny beating ponent.” Yet as against Getafe, Ra- from some more hopeless de- mos stepped up to net a second- fending on halfway. Eder Militao half penalty and secure all three stepped in superbly on that occa- WBC says Fury-Whyte points in Bilbao, with his latest sion and often battled Williams decisive goal coming after Dani alone. Garcia tripped Marcelo in the After a couple of tough tests could happen this year area to prompt a VAR review. in quick succession, Madrid will Madrid has not been quite as welcome the opportunity to rest stylish in its past two matches as Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos sinks a 73rd minute penalty to beat until Friday when it hosts out-of- in earlier performances, but Ge- Bilbao 1-0 in La Liga. form Deportivo Alaves. Relieved Ronaldo says he needed to score from free kick

when Torino pulled one back from a penalty in first-half stop- page time. “At a certain moment of the game, we didn’t move very well, then in the second part of the second half the teams were tired and our quality came out,” he said. He also praised Argentine playmaker Paulo Dybala who has found a new lease of life since the coronavirus stoppage. SKY SPORTS “I never had any doubts about Dybala,” he said. “It’s true he The World Boxing Council Asked if the WBC would ac- other scenarios, but the WBC’s didn’t score much in the cham- (WBC) have confirmed that cept this scenario, WBC presi- position and ruling is as I stat- pionship last year, but if you Tyson Fury’s world-title fight dent Mauricio Sulaiman told ed.” take the season two years ago, he with Dillian Whyte ‘could hap- Sky Sports, “It could happen if Matchroom Boxing pro- scored a lot. He’s just had an un- pen’ this year if Deontay Wilder they reach an agreement, and moter Eddie Hearn has sug- lucky season. decides not to challenge for the they accept that to happen. It gested that Whyte’s title “I’ve always told him what I WBC belt. could happen yes.” fight should take place before think about how he should train WBC heavyweight cham- Fury has agreed terms in Joshua-Fury, which will not and how he should play. And he pion Fury is expected face principle on a two-fight deal for be staged until mid-2021 at tells me what he thinks.” Wilder in a third fight, with an undisputed world title fight the earliest. Torino coach Moreno Longo a possible date of December with Anthony Joshua, but Sulai- “Once a promise has been was frustrated by the scoreline 19 being targeted, but Wilder man insisted the rival champi- made, it was February 2020 MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP after his team put Juventus under has remained silent following ons are unlikely to meet before then it was delayed by a year, Cristiano Ronaldo scores from free kick during a 4-1 victory over Torino at Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy, on July 4, pressure for long periods. reports that he is recuperating Whyte receives his mandatory then enough is enough,” Hearn 2020. “We played against Juventus from bicep surgery, Sky Sports WBC title shot. said. Cristiano Ronaldo confessed that effort in the 4-1 win over Torino, Year. on equal terms,” he said. “It’s News reported. “There’s so much hype, so “Whyte should take prior- he was relieved to finally score Reuters reported. “I honestly didn’t think it was a tough result given what hap- Whyte defends his WBC in- much speculation about so ity over Joshua to get the Fury from a free kick for Juventus on “I needed to score from a free (a problem) but at the end of the pened on the pitch and that cre- terim title against Alexander many different things,” Sulai- fight. Saturday, after 42 failed attempts kick to get my confidence back,” match, he came to me and said ates regret. Povetkin in the finale of Match- man said. “There’s the position “Joshua will fight Pulev in and nearly two years of trying. he said. ‘finally’,” Sarri said. “We had 17 shots on goal and room’s Fight Camp on August that’s very clear. The third fight November so won’t fight until The 35-year-old takes most Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri Sarri said that Juventus ap- put them under pressure. We 22 and the Brixton man would and then the mandatory must May, June or July of next year of the Turin side’s free kicks said he was surprised how much peared to think the game was showed great personality and we be willing to challenge Fury take place. anyway. So there’s no reason but, despite that, he had failed to the problem had been bothering easy after going 2-0 ahead in half controlled the match for long pe- before the end of the year if he “There are resources known why Whyte shouldn’t get that score from one until his curling the five-time World Player of the an hour but then got “confused” riods.” emerges victorious. in the sport that could lead to shot.”