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Home , Pep Guardiola, Roberto Di Matteo

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016 SPORTS

Formula One: We’ll come back stronger in Japan, vows Mercedes boss

SEPANG: Mercedes are “beating them- championship in a row, as his team-mate freaky coincidence. “Our guys will get to team member. “We talked in a small Lowe. “This is one of the more difficult selves up” about Lewis Hamilton’s dra- Nico Rosberg finished third to extend his the bottom of what happened and learn group and we were all really down. Then races of the year and we approached the matic Malaysian Grand Prix engine fail- championship lead to 23 points. from it. But I want to focus on how Lewis he stood in front of the team and found weekend knowing it would be tough to ure but have vowed to come back Immediately after the race, won by responded in the aftermath. We let him the words to lift everybody and help us get a top result. And so it transpired. stronger in Japan this weekend. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, Hamilton down today and we are beating up our- recover quickly for Japan. “Lewis was well on track to secure the Team principal Toto Wolff was almost lashed out at his team, accusing them of selves about it.” Hamilton’s emotional “This is what the great drivers do, the win. We’re all absolutely devastated for lost for words after leader Hamilton’s favouring their German driver Rosberg. outburst, said Wolff, was in the heat of true champions, and I must express my him.” Lowe refuted any talk of conspiracy engine exploded 15 laps from victory “My question is to Mercedes: we have the moment. But he praised his driver respect for how he conducted himself theories. “One thing we had made a pri- Sunday at the Sepang International so many engines made for drivers, but for afterwards making peace with the today. “One of the greatest qualities of ority was to ensure an equal competition Circuit. “It’s hard to know how to sum up mine are the only ones failing this year,” team and refocusing on the next race on our group is how we come back from between the drivers,” Lowe said. a day like today,” Wolff said. “I just have 31-year-old Hamilton told BBC radio. Sunday. defeat even stronger than before. We “Unfortunately, we have failed in that no words for what happened to Lewis. Wolff admitted he did not have the will do that again now, in time for Japan objective today in brutal fashion. We feel his pain.” answer. “This is a mechanical sport, with ‘TRUE CHAMPION’ next weekend.” Mercedes technical chief “We will go away and analyse what Hamilton was close to tears after the so much technology, but sometimes you “What Lewis said, it’s completely Paddy Lowe was more forthright in happened today, aiming to arrive in dramatic retirement dealt a severe blow get blindsided by situations with no understandable. But he came back to describing what had befallen Hamilton. Japan prepared to bounce back in the to his chances of winning a third drivers’ rational explanation,” he said. “It’s a the garage and shook the hand of every “The word is ‘bollocks’ really,” said best way we can.” — AFP

West Ham boss Bilic bemoans ‘confidence-killing’ pressure LONDON: West Ham United must find a find their feet in England. Record signing way to win games to lift the “confidence- Andre Ayew faces a long spell on the side- killing” pressure on the team, manager lines after injuring his thigh in August, Slaven Bilic has said. West Ham have looked while left back Arthur Masuaku, who joined a shadow of the side that secured a place in from Olympiakos Piraeus also in August, is the Europa League after finishing seventh expected to be out till around November last season. due to ligament damage. They endured four consecutive league “All the summer signings are good play- defeats before Saturday’s 1-1 home draw ers and they will come good, at least that’s with Middlesbrough leaving the Hammers what we expect them to do,” Bilic said. in the bottom three. “They came to improve our team and “This is different pressure than last sea- some of them have played really well in son, when we were fighting for Europe. We some games, but we have to help them are not enjoying this pressure and it’s hard also to settle into a new country and new to cope with it,” Bilic told reporters. environment as soon as possible.” “You have to get out of this situation Bilic also urged West Ham to avoid over- because this pressure stops you from dependence on winger Dimitri Payet, who expressing yourself in the best-possible scored a dazzling solo equaliser against way. This pressure is a confidence killer.” Middlesbrough at the London Stadium. “This is a negative pressure and positive “We are not a one-player team, but the pressure is different. This is the one which is others have to take their lead from Dimi. I hard to cope with, but that’s why we have was pleased with our work-rate, but that’s a to get a few points and wins to come out of minimum, as we have to step up our quali- that pressure and get that burden off our ty in the last third of the pitch,” he added. back.” The Croat said the club’s summer “It doesn’t have to be a wonder goal like signings needed time before they could Dimi’s, but it has to be more.” — Reuters

Guardiola asks for patience after setback at Spurs

LONDON: advised cross into his own net. Son Heung-Min set Manchester City’s supporters it will take up up Dele Alli to sweep in Spurs’ second goal to three years for his methods to fully bear in the 37th minute and the hosts would DUSSELDORF: File photo taken on November 28, 2015 shows British Tyson Fury celebrates after the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO title bout against fruit after his side lost 2-0 at Tottenham have won with even more room to spare Ukrainian world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko in Duesseldorf, western Germany. Fury won the fight after 12 Rounds of Hotspur. had Erik Lamela not seen a penalty parried Boxing.— AFP City had avoided defeat in the first 11 by . games of Guardiola’s tenure as manager, but they were given a rude awakening at PENALTY SQUABBLE White Hart Lane on Sunday as Spurs Alli described the result as a “big state- World champion Tyson Fury trimmed their lead to a sin- ment”, while Pochettino said his team had gle point. Guardiola declared Spurs poten- been “nearly perfect”. The Argentine took tial champions afterwards, but empha- particular satisfaction from the fact Spurs makes retirement U-turn sised-as he had prior to the game-that his had prevented a Guardiola team from dom- team are at a different stage in their devel- inating possession until the latter stages. opment to ’s side. “To play a great team like Man City, you LONDON: Controversial world heavyweight Asked if Spurs were title contenders, need to do a fantastic job,” Pochettino said. champion Tyson Fury made an abrupt U-turn on Guardiola replied: “They were last season. “In theory we are a team that want to his retirement decision yesterday, tweeting: “I’m Troubled Villa sack Di Matteo Why not? The same trainer, new players. In have control always. In front was here to stay.” two, three years, my team will be better. Manchester City, who want the same as us, “Hahahaha u think you will get rid of the GYP- LONDON: was sacked by “In that sense it’s normal. In the Premier then it’s a battle on the pitch. SYKING that easy!!! I’m here to stay,” Fury wrote Aston Villa yesterday after just 12 matches in League there are many teams who can “For that I feel very pleased because our on Twitter. “#TheGreatest just shows u what the charge of the troubled Championship club. achieve that and Tottenham are one of players showed a big commitment with the Medea (sic) are like. Tut tut.” Di Matteo was hired by Villa’s new Chinese them.” He added: “They were the better philosophy. The way that we played was He added: “Soon as I get better I’ll be defend- owner Tony Xia in June and the former team. It can happen sometimes. fantastic. “It’s too early in the season to talk ing what’s mine the heavyweight thrown (sic).” Chelsea boss was expected to lead his side “We play against one team that has about aims, but it’s important to be consis- The provocative 28-year-old British brawler, into the Premier League. been together the last two or three years, tent. If we can play like this, why not be dogged by reports he failed a drugs test for Villa are playing in the second tier for the who last season were fighting until the end consistent during the whole season? cocaine, had earlier declared himself “retired” in first time since 1988 following last season’s to win the Premier League.” Guardiola, who “I know it’s a big effort, but that is how a profanity-strewn tweet. relegation, but they have struggled to show had seen his team win the first six league we want to play. It was a good example “Boxing is the saddest thing I ever took part any improvement under Di Matteo despite in, all a pile of shit,” he had written three hours games under his stewardship, acknowl- today that we want to follow and build our splashing out on several expensive new sign- Roberto Di Matteo edged that City had been unable to live project.” Son and Lamela argued over who earlier. “I’m the greatest and I’m also retired...” ings. Saturday’s woeful 2-0 defeat at Preston, with Spurs’ asphyxiating high press. should take the penalty, but Pochettino Reports by US broadcaster ESPN last week which ended with Villa booed off by their £34 million ($43 million, 38 million euros), “We knew how aggressive they are, played down the incident. “When we pre- claimed Fury had tested positive for cocaine. The furious fans, proved the final straw and 48 including Ross McCormack and Jonathan home and away, but especially at home,” pare the game, two, three, four players can British fighter recently cancelled an October hours later the Italian’s 124-day reign was Kodjia, but the highly-priced strikers have said the former Barcelona and Bayern take the ball,” he said. bout with Wladimir Klitschko to defend his WBA over. “Aston Villa Football Club has today scored just three goals between them. Munich coach. “Of course it was difficult “If it’s (the injured) Harry Kane, he’s the and WBO heavyweight belts. Contacted by AFP, parted company with manager Roberto Di Di Matteo’s reign is the shortest of any because we had problems to find the guys first, and Lamela and Sonny one, two, three. Fury’s promoters, Hennessy Sports, said they did Matteo,” a statement read. permanent Villa boss in the club’s history and when we want to find them and control our But different things can happen on the not wish to comment. Fury had been scheduled “The club decided to act following a run they are now looking for their fifth full-time game. We lost a lot of balls in positions that pitch. “Someone can say: ‘I’m confident to to earn the biggest purse of his career in a of disappointing results which has left the manager since February 2014. “A difficult were so, so dangerous. shoot the penalty.’ And it’s discussed rematch with Klitschko at the Manchester Arena team occupying 19th position in the decision 4 the board. But rather sooner than “They were one step in front of us today. between them. Always they’re allowed to after shocking the Ukrainian last November to Championship. later we’d make the decision. All need We just can say congratulations Tottenham, discuss and take the decision if two players become world champion. “The club would like to place on record its learn¬ repeat mistakes again&again,” Xia because when the opponent is better, you want to shoot. However, Fury withdrew from that date as his appreciation to Roberto for all his efforts in wrote on Twitter after the announcement. have to accept it and learn from that.” “It’s difficult, eh, from the touchline, to camp claimed he had been “declared mentally helping rebuild the squad and wish him well will take over as Villa’s care- , who struggled dur- say ‘No, no, you shoot!’ Because they’re unfit to fight”. In another tweet on Monday, Fury for the future.” taker manager while the club, already 15 ing City’s 3-3 Champions League draw at fighting, it’s impossible for them to see us said he was “getting the right help” and would Di Matteo won only one of his 11 points behind leaders Huddersfield, begin Celtic, gifted Spurs a ninth-minute lead and you’re not allowed to go into the mid- “be back even stronger than before”. Championship fixtures, while also crashing their search for a replacement during the when he inadvertently turned Danny Rose’s dle of the pitch.” —AFP ESPN reported Fury tested positive after pro- out of the League Cup against fourth tier international break. viding a urine sample to the Las Vegas-based Luton. The 46-year-old leaves with Villa lan- Former Hull boss , Ipswich Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) in guishing just two points above the relegation manager Mick McCarthy and Brentford chief Lancaster, England on September 22. Cocaine, zone in 19th place after a nine-match winless Dean Smith are among the early contenders while an illegal drug, is not banned in boxing if run. He made nine signings for a net spend of to succeed Di Matteo. — AFP taken out of competition.

DOPING HEARING Fury also posted a link to a YouTube video in which he said George Kokkalenios, an American lawyer, was “telling the truth about the corrup- tion in boxing”. The video showed Kokkalenios at the wheel of a car, talking to an unidentified per- son behind the camera and suggesting Klitschko was somehow involved in the cocaine reports about Fury. “What’s going on with Tyson is really a major travesty,” he said. “He’s getting railroaded. He’s been complete- ly railroaded by crooked people. He’s not on drugs-I know that for a fact. He’s not taking any- thing, he’s not doping. The system is corrupt and that’s it. “Klitschko, he is definitely involved in this because he’s got everyone in his pocket. I’m not saying he’s a bad man at all, but I can tell you this for a fact: his wealth carries a lot of influ- ence.” Fury, the self-styled ‘Gypsy King’, also won the IBF belt in his fight against Klitschko, but had to forfeit it after failing to fulfil a mandatory bout against Vyacheslav Glazkov. A previously scheduled rematch with Klitschko, set for July 9, was scrapped after Fury sustained an ankle injury. Following the cancel- lation of that fight, it emerged that UK Anti- : Newly-appointed head coach of Qatar league champions al-Rayyan’s football club, Doping (UKAD) had charged Fury and his cousin, Danish (2ndR) poses with his T-shirt next to the team’s manager Ali Salem Hughie, with a doping offence. The sample, tak- Afifa (L), the club’s president Sheikh Saud bin Khaled (2ndL) and the secretary general en nine months prior to Fury’s sensational victo- Abdullah al-Mutawa during a press conference yesterday in the capital Doha. Former ry over Klitschko, contained traces of the banned Barcelona and Real star Laudrup replaces Jorge Fossati, who was appointed as coach Pep Guardiola substance nandrolone.—AFP of Qatar’s national team. — AFP