THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 19 Germany desperate to rewrite history against Italy

EVIAN: Germany are determined to snap we drew twice 1-1 and then won 4-1 (in their tournament losing streak to Italy dat- March). The recent past since 2012 proves ing back almost half a century when the we can keep up with them but Italy are just two meet in a Euro 2016 quarter-final on like us, a tournament team. Saturday in Bordeaux, players said yester- “As for the past I don’t know what to say day. The world champions have lost to Italy if a team failed to win in the 1980s or so.” in every single tournament knockout The Germans will need a tight defence match they have played against them, against the surprisingly attack-minded starting from a 1970 World Cup semi-final. Italians but they will also have to break past They also lost the 1982 World Cup final, their solid backline that has let in just one a 2006 World Cup semi-final in Germany goal so far. Striker Mario Gomez, who has and a Euro 2012 semi-final to them. netted twice in the tournament and could The Germans, four times World Cup win- again be spearheading Germany’s attack ners like the Italians, have also met Italy on on Saturday, said the time had come to four occasions in group stages of tourna- beat Italy. “It will no doubt be an extremely ments, drawing every time and failing to tight game but I am convinced that we will record a single win over them. be the winners at the end,” Gomez said. “We “We have matured and developed but want to go further. We believe in us and we know that everything is possible,” have to show it on the pitch. I can discuss Germany’s goalkeeping coach Andreas after the final if the Euro was good for us or Koepke told reporters. “We know we have not. At the moment it is a good Euro so far to bring a top performance but we are but we have to keep it going.” —Reuters ready, ready to rewrite history.” Germany, who have won just eight of their 33 encounters against Italy since 1923, have yet to concede a goal in their Matches on TV four matches of the tournament and, after winning the 2014 World Cup, are deserved- (Local Timings) ly among the title favourites in France. Central defender Mats Hummels played UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP in the losing semi-final in Warsaw four Poland v Portugal 22:00 years ago but said he was not interested in beIN MAX 2 HD what happened in the past. beIN MAX 3 HD EN “I played only once against them (in a PARIS: Portugal’s defender Eliseu (C) and teammates take part in a training session at the team’s base camp in Marcoussis, outskirts of Paris, tournament),” he said, “In friendlies I think beIN MAX 1 HD yesterday, on the eve of the UEFA Euro 2016 quarter final football match Poland vs Portugal. — AFP Ronaldo-Lewandowski face off for Euros semis slot

MARSEILLE: Two of Europe’s most prolific parried Ronaldo’s effort. Sanches. Undoubtedly we have a big task ahead marksmen go head-to-head as Robert of us today.” Lewandowski is yet to find the net Lewandowski aims to end Cristiano Ronaldo’s LUCKY PORTUGAL in four games in France, but kept his cool to con- dreams of landing an international trophy when “We’ll always have a chance. We’ve got the vert from the spot as Poland progressed to their Poland meet Portugal in a Euro 2016 quarter- best player in the world - Ronaldo - and the likes first major quarter-final for 34 years with a 5-4 final clash today. of Nani, Quaresma and Joao Mario,” said Portugal penalty shootout win over Switzerland. Ronaldo is just one goal away from even defender Jose Fonte. “We are not worried about Robert, not at all,” more European championship history by match- Portugal were criticised for their negative said Poland assistant boss Hubert Malowiejski. ing French legend Michel Platini’s record mark of approach against Croatia as for the first time in “Of course he felt some pain after that match, nine goals in the finals. Euros history no team had a shot on target dur- but there is not even the slightest bit of doubt The Real Madrid star has already become the ing the regulation 90 minutes. he will be ready for Portugal.” first player to score in four Euros and broken the However, Fonte insists Fernando Santos’s Szczesny admitted he is unlikely to return competition record for appearances. At 31 men don’t care how they play as long as they from the injury he suffered in Poland’s opening Ronaldo is unlikely to get a better chance for make the last four. “If we have to play bad and 1-0 win over Northern Ireland after Lukasz international glory with the winners in Marseille win, I’ll do it. As a team you want to play good Fabianski’s heroics in goal against the Swiss. facing a semi-final clash against his Real Madrid football and win games but sometimes you Swansea stopper Fabianski was beaten by a teammate Gareth Bale and Wales or Belgium. can’t.” Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny sensational Xherdan Shaqiri bicycle kick as Despite a double against Hungary to save laughed off suggestions Ronaldo is not on top Poland conceded for the first time in the tour- Portugal’s blushes to sneak through the group form, but said he has also been impressed by nament, but produced a string of saves to force stage in third place, Ronaldo has yet to catch fire Bayern Munich’s 35 million euro ($38.5 million) the tie to a shootout. “I would not be able to MONTPELLIER: (LtoR) Italy’s forward Ciro Immobile, Italy’s defender Federico in France. A flat display and post-match rant recruit Renato Sanches after the 18-year-old help the team as Lukasz does at the moment, Bernardeschi Italy’s midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini, Italy’s defender Leonardo against Iceland in Portugal’s opener was fol- came off the bench to win man-of-the-match so of course I will not play against Portugal. I Bonucci and Italy’s midfielder Thiago Motta practice during a training session at the lowed by a missed penalty in a stalemate against against Croatia. will try to support the team from the bench,” team’s training ground in Montpellier yesterday, as part of the the Euro 2016 Austria. “Portugal are a great team, they are not just said Arsenal ‘keeper Szczesny. Portugal have fit- European football championship. — AFP He was also kept quiet for 117 minutes a dull Cristiano Ronaldo and some say he is not play- ness concerns over Raphael Guerreiro, Andre last 16 clash with Croatia, but his only effort on ing his best. I would still love to have him in my Gomes and Joao Moutinho, so wonder kid goal led to the breakthrough as Ricardo team,” said Szczesny. Sanches looks certain to start for the first time Poland’s ‘Bambi’ goalkeeper Quaresma headed home after Danijel Subasic “Besides Cristiano, I am impressed by Renato in the tournament. —AFP thrust into Euro limelight

WARSAW: After Poland beat Switzerland warm-up ahead of a game with to reach the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, Manchester City. Fabianski pulled a great Iceland lead revival Lukasz Fabianski let his joy show, a rarity save which cost him dear. for someone deemed too shy to be really “I take advantage of my teammates’ good. The goalkeeper roared and misfortunes,” sighed Szczesny, who spent punched his fists in the air. The 31-year- last season at Roma on loan from of the long throw old Swansea player rarely shows such Arsenal. At Euro 2016, it was his own mis- emotion. “Fabianski, or the triumph of a fortune that put Fabianski in charge. timid player,” read a splash in Poland’s Szczesny led Poland to a 1-0 win over MARSEILLE: In an era when possession is king, them score a goal from a long throw in their better deal with the throw-in which can be so Rzeczpospolita daily after Poland won on Northern Ireland in the opener but launching a long throw into the penalty area has group stage win over Austria. deadly for those who have it in the locker. penalties following a 1-1 draw on injured his thigh during the game. re-emerged as an unlikely but successful way of “These are things we will be aware of and will Delap created so many goalscoring chances Saturday. “Fab” pulled some magic saves Fabianski then shut out world cham- catching out defenders more used to teams try- prepare for, he told reporters. for his teams over the years, particularly during and only a spectacular Xherdan Shaqiri pions Germany and Ukraine in the ing to emulate Spain’s high-tempo “tiki taka” “They have already scored from a long throw- time spent at Stoke between 2007-2013, that scissors kick beat him. Shaqiri is the only remaining group games. passing game. in, so that’s a warning to us that if we don’t do there is a five-minute compilation of his best player so far to score against Poland at It is one of the weapons in the artillery of our homework and get our positional play cor- throws on Youtube. the tournament. NORMAL YOUNG MAN Iceland, creating two goals in their fairytale run rect and make the right challenges it will give One man who was not a fan, however, was “I’m not going to tell you whether this Born on April 18, 1985 in Kostrzyn nad to the quarter-finals and leaving opposition them a chance to score again.” Arsenal’s French manager Arsene Wenger, who was my best international game,” Odra, a town on the border with former managers struggling to nullify its effects despite But within minutes of going ahead through suggested scrapping throw-ins altogether in Fabianski said after helping set Poland East Germany, Fabianski started his knowing what is coming. an early penalty, England conceded from a 2008. Spain, on the other hand, who have dominat- Gunnarson throw. Iceland defender Kari Arnason “(The rule I would change would be) maybe up against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal career with Polonia Slubice. ed football over the last decade with the mes- rose above Wayne Rooney to flick the ball on to to play throw-ins by foot. Why not? I think it in Marseille on Thursday. “I just did what I At 19, he signed up with Poland’s top- merising pace and frequency of their interplay, the back post where Ragnar Sigurdsson evaded would make the game quicker,” said Wenger. was expected to do,” shrugged the man flight side Lech Poznan, where he spent a are on the plane back to Madrid after a 2-0 loss a static Kyle Walker and tapped in. “For example at Stoke, for Rory Delap it is like described by media as “reserved”, “mod- mere six months before joining Legia to Italy in the last 16. England went on to lose the match 2-1 and kicking the ball. It is a little bit of an unfair est”, “too nice”, even “Bambi”, after the Warsaw. Legia relied on Artur Boruc, but Done well, a long throw can have the pace of Hodgson resigned. France, who meet Iceland in advantage. He is using a strength that is usually fawn from the 1942 Walt Disney movie. Poland’s number three at Euro soon a cross-low and with little arc-to be flicked on to the last eight on Sunday, will be hoping they can not a strength in football.” —Reuters At times, the nicknames have turned moved to Celtic, turning Fabianski into other attackers. Goalpoachers may even be able into reproachful labels on the perpetual the first-choice keeper. knock it straight in with the added advantage number-two keeper, both in clubs and Fabianski won a title with Legia in his that there can be no offside from a throw. on the international scene. first season and was chosen as the Polish Iceland are lucky to have a specialist in the “People have always assessed me league’s top keeper twice before joining long throw- midfielder Aron Gunnarsson-who according to my behaviour off the pitch- Arsenal in July, 2007. said it was a technique he picked up playing a kind, well-behaved,” says Fabianski, who But his seven-year stint with the different sport. has managed only 33 international Gunners turned out a sour experience for “It’s all down to the technique you develop games since his debut in 2006. Fabianski who more often than not playing handball. I played for years and that is warmed the bench for Jens Lehmann, where it comes from. People can have arms SZCZESNY RIVALRY Manuel Almunia and Szczesny. twice the size of mine but its all about the way Despite playing the last six games of Fabianski scrambled a mere 78 you throw it,” Gunnarsson said. Poland’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, appearances for Arsenal, earning a Leicester City, who shocked the world of foot- Fabianski started the tournament as a “Flapianski” label from some disillu- ball by winning the Premier League this year, also had a long-throw expert in Austrian defend- number two to Wojciech Szczesny. sioned fans. In 2014, he left the Gunners er Christian Fuchs. Former Stoke City midfielder The two contestants for the Poland to start a new chapter with Swansea, Rory Delap was probably the best proponent in job also clashed at Arsenal, where where he at last became an incon- the modern era, able to reach distances of Fabianski frequently found himself shad- testable number one. around 40 metres. ed by his rival who is exactly five years The timid star is married to his sec- his junior. ondary school friend Anna, with whom INITIAL HEADER In early 2011, Fabianski looked set to he has a six-month-old son named Jan. In theory, it should be easy enough to handle. finally become Arsenal’s number one, “Fabianski is a normal young man, who is The first defender must challenge for the initial but a shoulder injury ruled him out for not seeking to become a celebrity, show header but ensure his team mates anticipate the rest of the season, barring him from off his tattoos, cars, girlfriends or a that he may lose it and track the other runners his dream for good. celebrity wife,” Rzeczpospolita wrote. looking for the flick-on. ANNECY: Iceland’s coaches Heimir Hallgrimsson (L) and Lars Lagerbaeck give a press conference, The injury was due in part to Szczesny “He is a hero of the pitch, not tabloids,” England coach Roy Hodgson identified yesterday in Annecy, four days ahead of the team’s quarter final match against France as part of who blasted a shot at Fabianski during a it added. — AFP Iceland’s strength in this area after watching the Euro 2016 European football championship. — AFP