THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016 SPORTS United’s Martial can become a great striker: Blind LONDON: has all the matches already how much quality he men travel to face second tier side Derby Olympiakos Piraeus and a brace against “I think Olivier has a work rate for the attributes to become a great striker, his has,” Blind told the club’s website County in the fourth round of the FA Cup Liverpool in the . team which is very high. He’s not just a Manchester United team mate Daley (www.manutd.com). “If he is working that tomorrow. Giroud, 29, has netted an impressive forward, he’s always there (when we Blind has said. hard like he is now, improving and Meanwhile, ability to ‘smell’ situations 18 goals in 32 games in all competition have) free-kicks or corners against us. Following his big-money move from improving each week, then he can key to Giroud’s form - Koscielny Jan 27 for the Gunners this season and “You can see now that he smells the French side Monaco in the close season, become a really great striker. He is very (Reuters) - Olivier Giroud’s high work rate Koscielny stressed the forward gives situations well - when he needs to shoot Martial has scored eight goals in 27 quick of course, he is strong and I think and an ability to “smell” situations have much more to the team than just those quickly, or control the ball, like he did appearances for United. Blind is he is really calm in front of the goal. been key to the striker’s impressive form goals. “He’s so massive and that’s one of against Liverpool with his second goal.” impressed by the talent of the France “He has everything needed to this season, according to his Arsenal the best qualities for a striker. When he Arsenal continue their FA Cup international as well as how the 20-year- become a great striker. Now he is evolv- team mate and compatriot Laurent can play like this, with one or two touch- defence hosting second tier side old has adapted to English football. ing and performing in the training ses- Koscielny. The France international has es and staying in the box, which is where Burnley on Saturday and take on “He is a big talent, he is still young and sions, working hard on and off the pitch scored nine times in his last 11 club we want him, we can score in the air,” Southampton on Tuesday hoping to we cannot forget that. But you can see with his languages and personality, he is appearances, including a vital Koscielny told the club website improve their third position in the on the training pitch and even in the coming along really well.” Louis van Gaal’s Champions League hat-trick at (www.arsenal.com). Premier League table. — Reuters Lille punish Bordeaux to make first League Cup final

LILLE: Lille eased past an error-strewn but back-up stopper Prior performed won- Bordeaux 5-1 on Tuesday to secure their ders to deny Rony Lopes’s left-footed shot first ever appearance in a French League on 36 minutes. Cup final. Their opponents in the April 23 Lille, who had fallen at this stage in 2013 final at the Stade de France will be the win- to Saint-Etienne and last season to PSG, ner of yesterday’s semi-final between Paris wrapped up the tie as half-time Saint-Germain and Toulouse. approached. First Bordeaux defender Three-time winners Bordeaux were Ludovic Lamine Sane inadvertently put the form side going into the last four tie them back in front when he lobbed help- at Lille’s Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Willy less Prior shortly after replacing Andre Sagnol’s team arrived unbeaten in 11 Biyogo Poko. matches in all competitions after a late Then Soumoaro connected with Renato show rescued an unlikely point against Civelli’s header following a free kick to send Nantes at the weekend. Lille heading for the final. Eric Bautheac In contrast Lille had seen their recent added the fourth near the hour mark with resurgence under new coach Frederic Soufiane Boufal putting the finishing Antonetti stutter. They were dumped out of touches to a memorable night for the hosts the French Cup by fourth-tier Trelissac and in the third minute of injury time. suffered the ignominy of becoming the first Antonetti said: “This win is down to team to lose to Troyes in the league this team spirit, to generosity, to desire. term. But it was Lille who raced into a sev- Football’s a team sport and tonight every- enth minute lead when after good work by one was playing for his teammates.” Florent Balmont on the left Djibril Sidibe On Wednesday, PSG continue their crossed to Yassine Benzia who capitalised quest for a domestic treble when they on a collision between Diego Contento and meet Toulouse for the third time in just goalkeeper Jerome Prior to score from six eleven days. yards. Having already knocked Dominique On 23 minutes, Lille had the ball in the Arribage’s men out of the French Cup and back of the net again only for Sidibe’s effort beaten them in the league in the last fort- to be ruled offside. Bordeaux drew back night, PSG will be looking to complete a level ten minutes later after Lille defender quick-fire hat-trick of wins in their League Bakary Soumaoro lost possession, with Cup semi-final at the Parc des Princes. Clement Chantome arriving quickly on the Laurent Blanc’s side are going for a third scene to fire between the legs of Vincent successive League Cup success and with LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s players celebrate after winning the English League Cup semifinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Stoke Enyeama. the league title all but sealed already, they City at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Tuesday. — AP Bordeaux were without injured first can afford to focus on the three cup com- choice keeper goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso, petitions. — AFP Liverpool reach League Cup Balotelli strikes as Milan dent Alessandria Cup hopes final after penalty drama

MILAN: Mario Balotelli scored his first trap to run on to Keisuke Honda’s perfect LONDON: Keeper proved the manager Juergen Klopp who could not bare to winners, struggled to create any chance of note goal for AC Milan in over four months as ball but despite rounding Vannucchi the shootout hero as Liverpool reached the League watch as Allen’s final penalty hit the net. in the first 45 minutes with their forays into the Rossoneri put a dent in third division striker hit wide. Cup final on penalties after a gripping last-four “It was great, the atmosphere was special,” Stoke territory frequently ending with a mis- Alessandria’s Italian Cup hopes with a 1-0 When Luca Antonelli was brought second leg tie at Anfield ended 1-1 on aggregate the German told . “It was a good placed pass or a timely Stoke tackle. The visitors win in Turin on Tuesday. down by Alessandria captain Santiago on Tuesday. game for my side against a difficult side to play.” got their reward for blunting Liverpool’s attack Balotelli only returned to competition Morero as he ran in to the box, the refer- Mignolet saved twice in the shootout, includ- Liverpool will face either Everton or with a stoppage-time goal that prompted an two weeks ago having been sidelined ee pointed to the spot. ing a brilliant stop to deny Marc Muniesa in sud- Manchester City in the final on Feb. 28, with angry response from the hosts, with Arnautovic with a hernia problem since September. Balotelli stepped up to send 20-year- den death, which allowed Joe Allen to stroke Roberto Martinez’s side holding a 2-1 lead having strayed a metre offside when he stroked Alessandria borrowed Torino’s Olympic old Vannucchi the wrong way and score home the decisive spotkick and send Liverpool heading into Wednesday’s second leg. For home Bojan’s cross. Stadium for the first leg of the Cup semi his first goal since hitting the opener in a to Wembley. Stoke manager , there was little Liverpool’s Firmino rattled the outside of the but Angelo Gregucci’s men were a pale 3-2 win at Udinese on September 22. It was a fortunate end to an uncomfortable consolation to be had other than his side’s posi- post shortly after the interval, but Stoke contin- shadow of the side that had eliminated Milan dominated the second half but evening for the hosts, who were under pressure tive performance. “I thought we merited a win,” ued pile on the pressure with the hosts’ defence Palermo, Genoa and Spezia in previous it was far from impressive stuff and coach for much of the encounter which ended 1-0 to he said. “We got a win on paper-goodness looking increasingly erratic as the encounter rounds and will be hoping to do better at Sinisa Mihajlovic was openly frustrated Stoke City after extra time. Stoke took the lead knows how long it’s been since we won here- wore on. the San Siro in a week’s time. on the touchlines. Balotelli did well to in first-half stoppage time when Marko but the objective was to get to a Wembley final Stoke almost took the lead in extra time Balotelli, on loan from Liverpool, start- snatch possession on the left flank to set Arnautovic swept the ball home from an offside which we didn’t.” when substitute Marco van Ginkel bustled ed up front alongside Brazilian Luiz up Honda with an inviting cutback but position but the assistant’s flag stayed down and through and struck the outside of the post, but Adriano, making his first debut since an the Japanese midfielder’s first-timer the goal was allowed to stand. Liverpool strug- FRUITLESS VISITS the most gripping drama was reserved for the aborted move to China last week, and came off the head of a defender. gled to breakdown a resolute Stoke defence and Having not won at Anfield in any competition shootout. Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch should have put the visitors ahead before Third-choice Milan ‘keeper Cristian after neither side could add to the scoring for since 1959 with 36 fruitless visits in the interim, had his effort saved by Mignolet and Emre Can his 43rd minute strike from the spot. Abbiati was forced out to clear the dan- the remainder of the match, it went to penalties they were sharp, well-organised and the better struck the post for the hosts before Muniesa’s Balotelli scuffed a volley on a Mattia ger as Adriano Mezavilla rose to meet a and Allen’s effort gave the hosts a 6-5 win in the team for the majority of Tuesday’s tie. effort was kept out and Allen stroked home to De Sciglio cross at the near post early on cross but the hosts rarely threatened. shootout. It was a thrilling end for Liverpool Liverpool, the record eight-times League Cup seal the tie. — Reuters then was let down by his first touch Balotelli was replaced by M’Baye when clear through the middle. Niang on 70 minutes but before the Milan came close again just after the Frenchman hit the far post in the closing half hour when Andrea Pioli, who saw a minutes he was notably offside when Champagne courts Europe goal chalked off for offside late in the Pioli’s deflected shot sneaked past second half, forced Alessandria ‘keeper Vannucchi at his near post in the closing Gianmarco Vannucchi to parry with his minutes. Later, league and Cup champi- legs. Balotelli spurned another chance to ons Juventus host Inter Milan in the first support over Qatar W Cup open his account, springing the offside leg of the other semi-final. — AFP

BRUSSELS: FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne said that as head of soccer’s gov- erning body he would seek to move the 2022 Qatar World Cup from November-December to late European spring - a step that would please European associations by averting disruption of their season. The 57-year-old Frenchman also accused Swiss rival Gianni Infantino, who according to UEFA has the broad support of European nations, of abandoning the region’s soccer inter- ests in backing the change in timing of the tour- nament from traditional mid-year to avoid sear- ing Gulf summer heat. Champagne told Reuters in an interview he did not believe the graft alle- gations that have pitched FIFA into the worst cri- sis in its 112-year history meant the organisation itself was corrupt “no matter what some people might like to believe”. At the heart of the FIFA crisis is a 2010 decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. In the weeks and months leading up to the announce- ment, there were widespread allegations of Ramires vote-trading, bribery and corruption, with two BRUSSELS: FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne takes part in a press conference at FIFA executive committee members suspended the European Parliament in Brussels, yesterday. The five candidates to take over the FIFA presi- Chelsea’s Ramires joins even before the voting took place. dency from the banned Sepp Blatter stepped up the frantic hunt for votes as the campaign Both host nations deny any wrongdoing. entered the final month. — AFP China’s Jiangsu Suning ARAB WORLD AND WORLD SOCCER in timing. “It was Platini and Infantino’s role to vote-rigging are proven. “If it has to be reconsid- While criminal investigations continue into defend the interests of European football but ered, we should not vote again but apply the CHELSEA: Brazilian midfielder Ramires has memorable chipped finish over Victor Valdes the awarding of the tournaments, FIFA has they did not do it because Platini had to justify IOC (International Olympic Committee) jurispru- joined Chinese club Jiangsu Suning from in the Champions League semi-final against changed the timing to the European winter for his vote for Qatar.” dence, give the gold medal to the silver medal- Premier League champions Chelsea, becom- Barcelona in 2012. the 2022 tournament. This alters regular season Former UEFA head Michel Platini and ousted list which was the United States in the vote,” he ing the latest high-profile player to make the Jiangsu are managed by former Chelsea schedules of domestic leagues for possibly two veteran FIFA president Sepp Blatter have both said. “Then we go to Asia in 2026.” Champagne, switch to the cash-rich Super League. defender Dan Petrescu and Ramires is the lat- years. A move back to European spring would be been banned from soccer over a $2 million pay- himself a former FIFA deputy general secretary, Chelsea did not disclose the fee for the 28- est established European player to move to hugely popular around the world, not just in ment made to Platini with Blatter’s approval in faces opposition from Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein year-old in an announcement on the club China. Europe. “If I am elected president I will re-open 2011 for work concluded nine years earlier. A of Jordan, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) website (www.chelseafc.com) yesterday. AS Roma striker Gervinho completed a the issue of the dates of the tournament in Qatar total of 41 individuals and entities, including President Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, The BBC reported, however, that the move to Hebei China Fortune FC on Tuesday. because I want to defend not only the European many former FIFA officials, have been charged South African businessman and politician Tokyo Chinese side had agreed to pay about 25 mil- Other Premier League names to make the leagues, but football around the world. “I think it with corruption-related offences in the United Sexwale as well as Infantino. lion pounds ($35.8 million) for the midfielder, switch include former West Ham United, is very important to send a signal to the Arab States. The U.S. investigation is far from over and Champagne said it was now the future that who has made just seven Premier League Newcastle United and Chelsea striker Demba world today, that you are part of us, the football FIFA also faces a parallel Swiss probe. While concerned him most. “Of course FIFA is in a very starts this season. Ramires joined Chelsea in Ba, former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan civilisation, especially now.” Champagne wants the World Cup to be held in grave situation, but I believe the light will begin 2010 from Benfica and scored 34 goals in 251 and former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder He said he was appalled by both FIFA and the the Muslim world, he says it should be moved to to shine through by the end of February,” he appearances for the Blues, including his Paulinho. — Reuters European body UEFA’s agreement to the change the United States if any of the allegations of said. — Reuters