THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2016 SPORTS American values governing Premier League sackings LONDON: For the second time in a above Swansea in the table and acted for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011. elite sub-group inside the world’s richest needs to be improved and that will week, American owners of a Premier decisively last week to bring in Sam Levien subsequently sold his stake in league. They are all chasing the huge include spending money in January to League club have acted swiftly to pro- Allardyce as their new manager, after the basketball team, moving more heav- rewards available to winners, with make it happen,” he told TalkSport. tect their investment by sacking a man- British media said Swansea expressed ily into football as managing general accountancy firm Deloitte forecasting Former Palace manager Pardew had ager. While some observers questioned interest in hiring the former England partner of Major League Soccer team DC that last season’s surprise champions also expressed his satisfaction with the the strategy of firing Bob Bradley, whom boss who has become a specialist in United before forming part of the con- Leicester City, owned by Thai business- result of a “productive meeting” with his the club had hired just 85 days earlier, extracting clubs from relegation trouble. sortium that paid £110 million with part- man Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, will former owners, Harris and Blitzer, in New co-owner Jason Levien got on with the Palace also have American co-owners ner Steve Kaplan for a 68 percent con- enjoy revenues of at least £155m in the York last month before his own sacking. brutal business of directing the search in Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who trolling interest in Swansea City last July. 2016-17 financial year, regardless of this Those talks had been triggered by a for the club’s third manager of a trou- helped provide the finance for a £50 mil- season’s performances. 5-4 defeat at Swansea, which had grant- bled season. Wales boss Chris Coleman, lion ($61 million) injection into the club WORLD RICHEST LEAGUE With such sums on offer, it is no sur- ed Bradley temporary relief at Pardew’s former Manchester United winger Ryan last December, after being linked with Investment from across the Atlantic prise that English football has become expense. But little more than a month Giggs and ex-Birmingham City manager another corporate raid to secure Aston has flowed steadily into British football such a managerial killing field. Its latest later, both managers are gone. As they Gary Rowett, himself surprisingly sacked Villa, who were then owned by yet of late with six of the Premier League’s casualty, Bradley, took to the airwaves search for a new miracle worker, by the club’s Chinese owners this month, another American, Randy Lerner. 20 clubs now listed as having at least on Wednesday to vent his frustration at Swansea’s owners know they cannot are among the favourites. Harris and Blitzer know Swansea’s one American owner, with Manchester being sacked after just 11 games in afford to make another wrong decision Managerial departures ahead of Levien well, having all been part of the United (the Glazer family), Liverpool charge. “I thought discussions were because English football is now gov- January’s transfer window have become same investment group, along with the (John Henry), Arsenal (Stan Kroenke) going in the right direction. I think that erned by the bottom line. Millions of familiar. Crystal Palace sit just two places actor Will Smith, that paid $280 million and Sunderland (Ellis Short) forming an Jason and Steve understand the team dollars are riding on it. — Reuters Klopp eyes ‘special’ City clash after Liverpool sink Stoke LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Jurgen minute. Lallana equalised and Firmino’s Klopp is looking forward to pitting his fine strike just before half-time made it 2- wits against Pep Guardiola again after 1 before Liverpool ran away with the seeing the Reds fight back to beat Stoke game in the second period. The City 4-1 in the Premier League yesterday. Brazilian’s goal, his sixth of the season, The Reds moved back above Manchester came three days after he was arrested City into second place in the table, and and charged for drink driving in the cen- to within six points of leaders Chelsea, tre of Liverpool, and Klopp said there had after claiming their third consecutive win been no prospect of the player being and maintaining their unbeaten record dropped. “No because he was the best at Anfield this season. The win, secured man in training so there was no chance thanks to goals by Adam Lallana, to leave him out. No chance. He was out- Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and a standing,” he said. Giannelli Imbula own goal, set Liverpool up nicely for their New Year’s Eve home ‘WE CAN DO BETTER’ clash with City, whose manager was in There were important contributions the Anfield crowd doing a spot of scout- from Sadio Mane, who forced Imbula ing. “I’m not sure whether he watched a into turning the ball into his own net, lot of games in the last few weeks in oth- and Sturridge, who came off the bench er stadiums. That is the first sign it is a and seconds later had his first goal of special game and we are already looking the season. forward to it,” Klopp said. Captain Jordan Henderson was also The German-a direct rival of excellent, but Klopp said it was “not the Guardiola’s when the pair were in charge moment” to shower praise on individu- of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern als. “I don’t think they need it. In this Munich respectively-admitted that it can moment they are all happy about the be difficult to go to see opposition teams team performance, the result, about the in action these days because the Premier goals we scored,” he said. “If we speak League’s superstar managers risk spend- about one player we speak always about ing more time signing autographs than the past but I already think about the actually watching games. next game and hopefully we can do bet- “I respect them a lot also but I have ter.” Stoke boss Mark Hughes has still not been at their stadium this season. never won at Anfield as a manager and DUBAI: FIFA President, Gianni Infantino (L), talks with Victor Montagliani, CONCACAF President, during the Dubai international Sports confer- Maybe he just wants to watch good foot- he was left to rue defensive errors that ence at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai on Tuesday. — AFP ball,” he joked. “It’s a difficult game for contributed to his team’s downfall. “We both teams but exciting and the best deservedly took the lead. The disap- thing is it’s at Anfield. They are an out- pointment is that we allowed them back standing side and we are not too bad.” into the game just before half-time. We Infantino: ‘Necessary actions, Liverpool have won eight and drawn two went in 2-1 down feeling a little bit hard of 10 games at Anfield this season and done by,” said Hughes. have not been beaten in front of their “We made a couple of individual sanctions’ on Russian doping own fans in 23 games going back to errors again for the next two goals and it January. was very difficult to come back from that. City can therefore expect to face a Because of individual and collective DUBAI: Russia will face any “necessary matter. It will be dealt with by FIFA officials in North America is considered the most daunting task but Stoke-the last visiting errors we have been beaten by four goals actions and sanctions” after investigators world accredited laboratories ... very proba- likely host of the 2026 World Cup, having not team to win at Anfield-looked like they which is a little bit unfair on us,” added alleged that soccer players had suspicious bly in Switzerland.” staged the showpiece since 1994 in the could spring a surprise after Jonathan Hughes, whose side are without a win in drug-test samples covered up as part of a Russia was accused by McLaren of sub- United States. CONCACAF President Victor Walters put them in front in the 12th four and go to Chelsea next. — AFP wider doping scandal in the 2018 World Cup verting doping procedures at the 2014 Sochi Montagliani said a joint bid between his host nation, FIFA President Gianni Infantino Winter Olympics, with intelligence officers native Canada, the United States and Mexico said yesterday. involved in tampering with samples of remains a possible contender in the 2020 Bradley fails to revive Swansea, Five suspicious samples in the Russian Russian medal winners. vote. Montagliani does not believe Donald men’s under-17 and under-21 national teams “We will guarantee that the World Cup in Trump’s comments during the divisive U.S. a team and club in turmoil in 2013 and 2014 were exposed in emails Russia will be completely safe when it comes presidential campaign about Mexicans will released earlier this month by the World to anti-doping matters or when it comes to have any impact on the ability of the U.S. to SWANSEA: It is easy to look back on Bob van der Hoorn, Alfie Mawson and Federico Anti-Doping Agency, accompanying investi- doping cases,” Infantino said. Infantino said work with Mexico on a bid. Bradley’s 85 days as the first American Fernandez, who have all been in and out of gator Richard McLaren’s report into Russian FIFA has “quite a few more sponsors who “I think it’s pretty obvious the president- coach in the English Premier League and the team.