MONDAY, MAY 8, 2017 SPORTS FIFA gathers in Bahrain under a fresh cloud

DOHA: Two years on from the corrup- Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, who is facing World Cup. Under current rules, the breach of FIFA statutes, which forbids Qatar Football Association’s vice-presi- tion crisis which consumed FIFA, foot- corruption allegations in the US. Kuwaiti event cannot be staged in the same another member association playing dent, was stopped at the very last ball’s governing body meets for its lat- Sheikh Ahmad has been named as a co- region more than once every 12 years. on another territory without permis- minute from standing for election for est annual Congress in Bahrain this conspirator of disgraced Guam football However, any change to this policy sion. Israel argues that FIFA rules are the FIFA council. week still far from free of suspicion. It chief Richard Lai, who recently pleaded could allow football’s emerging power, unenforceable as there is no perma- He was then banned from football was May 2015 in Switzerland, as dele- guilty to receiving nearly $1 million in China, to make a bid for the 2030 tour- nent border. for a year after being accused of not co- gates prepared for that year’s Congress, bribes from football officials wanting his nament, just eight years after its AFC operating with a FIFA corruption when plain-clothes officers pounced help to influence FIFA. Sabah’s promi- colleague, Qatar, controversially hosts AFC FINALLY VOTES enquiry. However, last month, in a rare and arrested scores of FIFA officials. The nence across sport cannot be underesti- the 2022 World Cup. But even before the FIFA Congress reversal, Mohannadi won his appeal ramifications of that are still being felt- mated, as he also heads the Association Any such move is likely to be chal- convenes, there could be controversy against the ban handed down by a FIFA with ongoing investigations in the US of National Olympic Committees, the lenged by Argentina and Uruguay in Manama.BRN On May 8, in the same ethics committee. This exoneration and Switzerland-and 24 months later Olympic Council of Asia and has other which wants to jointly host the tourna- venue, the AFC will hold its resched- though was too late for him to apply to fresh problems are emerging for the still senior sport administration posts, ment in 17 years’ time to mark the cen- uled congress to finally elect its FIFA stand for the council again. Mohannadi relatively new leadership of president including with the Asian Football tenary of the very first World Cup, Council members. This vote has been though has said he will be in Bahrain Gianni Infantino. Confederation (AFC). played in Montevideo. Another con- delayed since last September when and has been “examining” ways to run The run-up to this year’s event in Issues on FIFA’s agenda this week tentious issue is that of Israel and the AFC took just 27 minutes to aban- again for election. Another item for the Manama, on May 11, has been over- could also prove contentious. Item 16 is Palestine. The Palestine Football don their extraordinary congress in AFC to decide is whether or not to agree shadowed by the resignation from the a proposal to look at how FIFA allocates Association argues that the presence Goa. The meeting was abruptly can- to Iraq’s request to end the international FIFA council of powerbroker Sheikh its most prestigious tournament, the of six Israeli clubs on its territory is in celled after Saoud Al-Mohannadi, ban on hosting football matches.—AFP

GERMAN ROUNDUP Hamburg, Mainz in relegation danger

BERLIN: Hamburger SV and Mainz played placed Darmstadt have already been rele- out a scoreless draw yesterday, leaving gated. Freiburg was hosting Schalke in the both teams in danger of relegation with late game.—AP two rounds of the to go. Hamburg’s Christian Mathenia was the busiest of the two ‘keepers in a scrappy game of few clear-cut chances. Mathenia Matches on TV produced a good save to deny Jhon (Local Timings) Cordoba and then Yoshinori Muto from the rebound early on. A long ball put Bobby ENGLISH Wood in a good position at the other end but Mainz captain Stefan Bell cleared for a Chelsea v Middlesbrough 22:00 corner. Hamburg is the only founding beIN SPORTS HD 2 member of the league never to have been relegated. It remained in the relegation SPANISH LEAGUE PRIMERA playoff spot, while Mainz was immediately above Hamburg on goal difference. Leganes v Real Betis 21:45 Augsburg and Wolfsburg are both two beIN SPORTS HD 3 points clear, while Ingolstadt and last-

French Roundup ROME: Lazio’s midfielder (from Brazil) Felipe Anderson kicks and scores a penalty during the Italian football match Lazio vs Sampdoria at the Olympic yesterday. — AFP beat 3-2 Lazio demolish Sampdoria : With top scorer inside. With penalty-taker Lacazette going off the pitch, promising forward Maxwell off moments earlier, Fekir stepped up and Cornet showed what he could do with two shot confidently beyond goalkeeper Maxime goals as Lyon beat Nantes 3-2 in the French Dupe’s reach. Cornet nodded in from Immobile sparks rout as Lazio pile pressure on Roma league yesterday. The 20-year-old Cornet put Memphis Depay’s corner from the right to Lyon 2-1 up in the 70th minute with a pow- make it 2-1. Neither team could defend set MILAN: hit a brace as Lazio thrashed erful header and volleyed in the winner 10 pieces and - after Gillet leveled in the 75th - Sampdoria 7-3 to cut the gap on third-placed minutes later, shortly after captain Guillaume Depay headed on from another corner and Roma to five points in Serie A yesterday. A week Gillet had equalized for Nantes. The win all Cornet beat Dupe with a firm strike. Lyon after a 3-1 romp secured the bragging rights in the Ten-man Torino end but guaranteed Lyon will finish in fourth needs more goals on Thursday, when it faces Rome derby, Lazio extended their impressive end- place, but the result was harsh on a Nantes Ajax in the return leg of their Europa League of-season run of form to lead 5-1 by half-time. side that played attacking football through- semifinal. The Dutch club won 4-1 in Simone Inzaghi’s men made sure there was little Juve winning streak out. After scoring with a bullet header from a Amsterdam last week. Later, third-placed chance of a comeback from the Genoa side with corner, Gillet pointed to the team bench and was away to . Nice is still hop- Senad Lulic hitting their sixth just after the hour MILAN: Juventus’ record winning streak at did not elbow Dybala. Juventus continued to raced over to slide into the arms of coach ing to finish second and ensure direct qualifi- before Immobile completed his double 20 minutes home was ended by 10-man Torino 1-1 in an waste chances, forcing coach Massimiliano Sergio Conceicao. cation for the Champions League, while from time. enthralling Derby della Mole on Saturday. Adem Allegri to send on Higuain, whom he was rest- What a difference Conceicao has made Marseille is engaged in a close battle with Lazio’s 21st win of the campaign left the capital Ljajic’s sublime 52nd-minute free kick looked to ing for the Champions League semifinal against since taking charge in early December, with for fifth and a spot in the Europa side in fourth but Roma, and a possible Champions have given Torino a rare derby victory but Monaco on Tuesday. Higuain rescued Juve by Nantes languishing in 19th place and League. Monaco took a big step toward the League qualifying place, remain in sight with three Juventus escaped thanks to substitute Gonzalo controlling Miralem Pjanic’s pass with one morale at rock-bottom. The team is now in league title with a 3-0 win away to Nancy on games left to play. Now 11 points ahead of sixth- Higuain’s stoppage-time strike. Four minutes touch on the edge of the box and drilling into eighth place and everyone playing for each Saturday, while defending champion Paris placed AC Milan, Lazio are guaranteed at least after Torino scored, midfielder Afriyie Acquah the bottom left corner. other. The straight-talking Conceicao, a for- Saint-Germain maintained an outside Europa League football next season. “We played was sent off for a second booking. Torino coach mer Portugal winger, has instilled great chance with a 5-0 home win against Bastia. great,” said Lazio left-back Jordan Lukaku. “It wasn’t Sinisa Mihajlovic was so incensed that he NAPOLI 3, CAGLIARI 1 confidence in players who were clearly easy to produce a repeat of our derby win, but aggressively approached the fourth official and Dries Mertens marked his 30th birthday with lacking motivation. Midfielder Valentin RENNES 1, MONTPELLIER 0 every one of us put everything into this game.” referee and was dismissed as well. two goals and an assist to help Napoli move Rongier put Nantes 1-0 up in the 19th When Montpellier defender half Daniel Roma, 10 points behind leaders Juventus and “Just as I could see that he took the ball into second in Serie A, two points above Roma. minute when he beat goalkeeper Anthony Congre slipped near the halfway line, two behind Napoli, visit the later where cleanly, the fourth official should have seen it “I’ve run out of adjectives for Dries,” Napoli Lopes from the edge of the penalty area. Congolese striker Firmin Mubele took full they can expect to meet a fired-up AC Milan after too,” Mihajlovic said. “You don’t need a nuclear coach said. “Since I’ve been here Lyon equalized in the 65th when Fekir won advantage. He whipped the ball from the Rossoneri were given extra incentive in their engineer to understand it wasn’t a foul. It was he’s played in every position and he’s done so in and converted a penalty after running at Congre’s feet, sprinted down the left and bid to claim a Europa League place. Milan trail fifth- an unjustifiable mistake, even if I regret my an extraordinary way. “I’m also happy that he’s the heart of the defense. then curled in a neat finish for an 80th- placed Atalanta by six points but were buoyed reaction. But what should I have done? Give shaken off the label of a super sub. He’s starting The penalty appeared harsh on defender minute winner for 10th-placed Rennes. after the men from Bergamo were held 1-1 by him a kiss? “I asked the fourth official why he matches and showing he was right to want to Koffi Djidji, even though he appeared to Montpellier is in 15th place, six points clear Udinese. Vincenzo Montella’s side were probably didn’t help the referee. What are they doing? play more.” Mertens took less than two minutes slightly block Fekir with his arm as he cut of the relegation zone.— AP even happier by seeing city rivals Inter stretch their They don’t even have the courage to talk. The to open the scoring, getting in front of his mark- winless run to seven games after succumbing 1-0 mistake changed the match, that’s clear.” er to fire home Faouzi Ghoulam’s cross for at Genoa after a 70th-minute strike by Goran Despite a man advantage, Juventus missed Napoli’s 100th goal in all competitions. Pandev. It was Inter’s third defeat on the trot, their extending its league record to 34 successive Napoli dominated and had chances to take fifth in their past seven games and left them in sev- home wins. But it was still on the brink of an the lead, with delightful interplay between enth place, nine points behind Atalanta and with unprecedented sixth successive Serie A title. Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne, and Jose Callejon. virtually no chance of qualifying for Europe. Coach Juventus moved 10 points clear of Roma, which Marek Hamsik almost scored an astonishing Stefano Pioli rejected suggestions he could resign, needs to at least draw at AC Milan on Sunday to goal from near the halfway line as he spotted saying: “I haven’t seen anyone else before me do it, avoid handing the Bianconeri the title. There are Cagliari goalkeeper Rafael off his line, but his so I won’t.” But, with four Champions League places three rounds remaining and Roma hosts cheeky lob landed on the roof of the net as the up for grabs in Serie A as of next season, he hinted Juventus next weekend. whole stadium applauded. Mertens doubled his Inter were happy to avoid the Europa League to Torino had not won at Juventus since 1995, tally after the break, his 30th goal of the season, focus completely on securing a top-four finish next and it took a surprise lead seven minutes after and turned provider with a through ball to year. “The important thing for us is to finish this the break when Ljajic curled a free kick into the Insigne, who controlled it as he turned and lift- campaign and have clear ideas with a view to next top left corner. Torino went down to 10 men ed it into the far side of the net. Mertens and season.” when Acquah was shown a second yellow card Insigne were given standing ovations when for a sliding tackle on Mario Mandzukic, despite they were replaced in the final 15 minutes. SKRINIAR DISMISSED getting the ball. Acquah’s first booking was con- Substitute Diego Farias netted a consolation for Keita Balde has been enjoying a rich vein of sidered harsh, too, as video replays showed he Cagliari in stoppage time.— AP form, scoring twice last week in a win that ruined what was Roma icon Francesco Totti’s final derby as a player. And the Senegal international showed no DECINES-CHARPIEU: Nantes’ French midfielder Valentin Rongier challenges Lyon’s signs of letting up amid reports he is desperate to French midfielder Nabil Fekir (back) during the French L1 football match between fashion a move away from the club. After just two Lyon and Nantes at the Parc stadium yesterday. — AFP minutes, Balde fired Lazio in front from a difficult angle. Lazio goalkeeper pulled off a great double save from Milan Djuricic and Karol Linetty’s strike from the rebound, but min- Toronto down Sounders utes later Lazio had doubled their lead. Balde sprinted into the area and after being hauled down SEATTLE: scored on a penalty nant midweek victory over Orlando City at by Milan Skriniar, who was sent off for the foul, kick early in the first half as short-handed home when Giovinco scored twice. Immobile stepped up to fire the spot-kick past Toronto FC beat the Seattle Sounders 1-0 Christian Puggioni. on Saturday in a rematch of last year’s MLS FC DALLAS 3, 0 Samp looked to be on their way back when Cup final. Altidore was the best player on Maximiliano Urruti scored two goals and Bartosz Bereszynski rolled across for Linetty, the field with his side playing without star 21-year-old Jesse Gonzales had his fourth unmarked at the back post, to tap the ball past , and starters Victor shutout of the season in FC Dallas’ victory Strakosha. But Lazio netted three in succession, Vazquez and Eriq Zavaleta. Even though over Real Salt Lake. FC Dallas moved into a heading home a corner before Felipe Seattle dominated possession, Altidore and tie with Sporting Kansas City atop the Anderson beat Puggio with another penalty after Toronto had the best chances at goal and Western Conference standings and is being fouled by Vasco Regini. Lazio made it five on earned a minor bit of payback for last year’s unbeaten in its last 13 regular-season MLS the stroke of half-time when Dutch defender cup final. Altidore’s goal came in the 23rd games, dating to Sept. 10, 2016. Gonzalez Stefan De Vrij coolly placed his shot into the bot- minute after he was chopped down from tied his career high with six saves. Urruti tom corner from Lucas Biglia’s cut-back. The hosts behind by Seattle defender Roman Torres converted from the spot in the third kept the pressure on as Lulic scored their sixth on in the penalty box. Altidore calmly put his minute after Demar Phillips was called for a 65 minutes and Immobile then finished off a one- shot into the right corner of the net as handball near the endline. Matt Hedges two with Balde to beat Puggioni from a tight angle. Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei went the made it 2-0 in the 67th, and Urruti added It was the right decision as a defiant Samp reduced : Juventus’ Colombian forward is tackled by Torino’s Italian defend- opposite direction. Seattle had a 14-game another goal - his seventh of the season - in arrears with two goals from striker Fabio er Cristian Molinaro during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Torino FC at the home unbeaten end. Toronto won its the first minute of stoppage time. Real Salt Quagliarella, one from the spot, in the closing min- on May 6, 2017.—AFP fourth straight match, including a domi- Lake has lost three in a row.—AP utes.— AFP