Gulf Times 2 Saturday, April 20, 2019 FOOTBALL EUROPA LEAGUE FOCUS Ronaldo committed to Juve despite Chelsea fi ght off Champions League fl op, says Allegri AFP “Ronaldo’s arrival did not Milan give us any certainty of winning Slavia, to join the Champions League,” con- tinued Allegri. ristiano Ronaldo is com- “Barcelona play a semi-fi nal mitted to Juventus next this year for the fi rst time after season despite his bitter four years and they have (Lionel) disappointment at the Messi. Football is not just about CItalian giants Champions League individuals. fl op, coach Massimiliano Allegri “We have to put the disap- Arsenal in semis revealed yesterday. pointment of the elimination in Allegri’s injury-hit side host the Champions League behind The 2013 Europa League champions will meet Eintracht Frankfurt in the last four Fiorentina today needing just a us.” point to lift their eighth straight Injuries have hit Juve hard Serie A title, days after a shock ahead of the weekend’s clash, home 2-1 defeat to the Dutch side with Sami Khedira announc- that saw them eliminated 3-2 on ing yesterday that he is set to aggregate. have season-ending knee sur- “Cristiano is the future of Ju- gery, while Allegri revealed that ventus. He has done very well key attacker Mario Mandzukic this year and will do so next sea- could also miss the rest of the son, of course he is disappointed season. like all of us but he’s calm about “(Goalkeeper) Mattia Perin is it,” said Allegri. out until the end of the season, “Cristiano has had an ex- as is Sami Khedira and maybe traordinary season and will play Mario Mandzukic.” he said. tomorrow.” Meanwhile striker Paulo Dy- Five-time Ballon d’Or winner bala will be out for three weeks Ronaldo had been bidding for a and Douglas Costa and Jose sixth Champions League title Caceres for 10 days each, while to add to his four won with Real defender Giorgio Chiellini could Madrid and one with Manches- be back for next week’s trip to ter United. Inter Milan. The 34-year-old joined Ju- However with a 17-point lead ventus from Real last summer over Napoli Allegri’s side are al- in a 100 million-euro ($117mn) most certainties to lift their 35th deal which runs until 2022, with league title as they cement their a reported annual salary of 31mn domestic dominance despite euros. continental disappointment. He scored six of his teams’ 14 “The eighth consecutive Scu- Champions League goals this detto is a source of pride for season and has 19 so far in Se- everyone. Once it’s sealed we all rie A, four behind leading scorer have to enjoy it, it wouldn’t make Fabio Quagliarella. sense not to celebrate it.” Chelsea’s Spanish midfielder Pedro (2R) celebrates after scoring against Slavia Prague at Stamford Bridge in London on Thursday. AFP 36 minutes at the Stadio San Paris Paolo as the Gunners complet- ed a 3-0 aggregate victory over Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli. edro Rodriguez starred Petr Cech denied Jose Calle- as Chelsea withstood a jon with his legs following a rap- spirited Slavia Prague id Napoli break on the quarter- fi ghtback in a wild 4-3 hour as the Italians sought to Juventus’ Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Pvictory to qualify for the Europa overturn a two-goal defi cit from UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg match against League semi-fi nals on Thurs- the fi rst leg. Ajax Amsterdam on April 16. day, while Arsenal knocked out But Lacazette’s 30-yard drive Napoli after an assured display all but put the tie beyond Na- in Italy. poli, shortly after Aaron Ramsey Leading 1-0 from last week’s hobbled off with a hamstring Injured Ramsey could have fi rst leg in the Czech capital, injury — potentially his fi nal ap- Chelsea appeared to be cruis- pearance for Arsenal ahead of a played fi nal game for Arsenal ing towards the last four after move to Juventus in July. an early goal blitz at Stamford “We came here with ambition Naples: Aaron Ramsey could Valencia, said he didn’t know Bridge. and wanted to win and score have played his last game for whether Ramsey would play Pedro struck the opener on some goals. We did it with Laca,” Arsenal ahead of his summer again this season. fi ve minutes before an unfortu- Arsenal captain Laurent Ko- move to Juventus after limp- Ramsey, out of contract with nate Simon Deli turned into his scielny told BT Sport. ing off injured in their Europa Arsenal in June, will end an own net and Olivier Giroud add- “We kept a clean sheet, which League quarter-final, second 11-year association with the ed a third with barely quarter of is important for the confi dence. leg tie at Napoli on Thursday. Gunners after agreeing a an hour gone in London. Each game we have in front of us The Welsh midfielder looked deal with Juve reportedly Tomas Soucek pulled one is a fi nal.” to have picked up a ham- worth £400,000 ($515,000) back for Slavia on 26 minutes, Arsenal boss Unai Emery string injury half an hour into per week over four seasons. but Spain forward Pedro re- will come up against one of his the 1-0 win at the Stadio San Reduced to a bit-part player plied immediately to restore the former clubs Valencia, the 2004 Paolo after a high tackle on under Emery, Ramsey’s Blues’ three-goal lead. Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette celebrates scoring against Napoli on Thursday. UEFA Cup winners, for a spot in Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski. recent form — he has three Maurizio Sarri’s side were the fi nal. “It is a muscular injury. goals in his last seven starts made to sweat though as two we dropped our intensity after The 2013 Europa League Arena. Kostic turned home a Valencia eased through with a Normally it will be some — had helped him regain a sublime, quick-fi re goals by the break,” Giroud, who scored champions will meet Eintracht rebound on 37 minutes after Mi- 5-1 aggregate win over Villarreal weeks out for him. But we regular spot in the Arsenal Petr Sevcik just after half-time his competition-leading 10th Frankfurt in the last four after jat Gacinovic’s curling attempt in an all-Spanish aff air. have other players and we side. gave Slavia hope of an incred- goal, told BT Sport. the Germans eliminated Benfi ca cannoned back off the upright. Toni Lato and Dani Parejo can find a performance and The 28-year-old, set to follow ible comeback with 35 minutes “We started very badly in the on away goals. Rode, on loan from Borussia grabbed the goals in a 2-0 sec- rotate players,” Arsenal in the footsteps of country- still to play. Chelsea eventually second half but I’m really, really Eintracht lost 4-2 in Portugal Dortmund, hit the decisive goal ond-leg victory for Valencia manager Unai Emery told BT men John Charles and Ian saw off the threat to progress 5-3 happy because we played well in a week ago, but goals by Filip on 67 minutes as he picked out coach Marcelino against his Sport. Rush by switching England on aggregate despite an uncon- the fi rst 45 minutes and we are Kostic and former Bayern Mu- the bottom corner from the edge former club. Emery, whose side beat for Turin, had struck the vincing second-half display. in a European semi-fi nal which nich midfi elder Sebastian Rode of the area. The semi-fi nals will be played Napoli 3-0 on aggregate to opening goal in last week’s “We have been effi cient up is very important to us,” added sent the German Cup holders In Italy, Alexandre Lacazette over May 2 and 9, with this year’s set up a last-four clash with 2-0 win over Napoli. front and solid at the back but Chelsea boss Sarri. through at the Commerzbank drilled in a terrifi c free-kick on fi nal in Baku on May 29. BOTTOMLINE Social media boycott as footballers in England say ‘enough’ over racism AFP media from 9:00am (0800 GMT) The boycott is not just sea fans last week — has said he PFA message on his Instagram debilitating impact on those tar- ing tools that users can deploy London yesterday. aimed at those who use would have no hesitation in tak- account yesterday morning. geted. to moderate and fi lter content on The universal message across the platforms to air their ing his players off the pitch. “We are making a stand against “Throughout my career I have their pages by hiding or deleting the footballers’ Twitter accounts racist views but also at the “If it’s the whole stand, then racist abuse,” said a message on developed a thick skin against comments. remier League stars led used the hashtag #Enough with social media companies I would do it 100 %,” Klopp said his account. verbal abuse, justifying it as just “We will remove hate speech footballers in England the message “MAKE A STAND themselves and football after the Montenegro incidents. “We recognise that our plat- ‘part of the game’ but the time or credible threats of any kind, and Wales in a 24-hour AGAINST RACISM — A cam- authorities “But that’s too much power forms come with responsibility, has come for Twitter, Insta- and we encourage anyone who social media boycott paign by the PFA”.