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Established 1961 15 Sports Wednesday, April 11, 2018 Bayern Munich wary of ‘last dice roll’ for Sevilla Lewandowski is just one yellow card from a ban

MUNICH: Arjen Robben says Bayern Munich can take expects Sevilla to attack from the first whistle in Munich. nothing for granted against Sevilla in today’s home quar- “They will certainly go on the offensive,” said Heynckes. ter-final after the Spaniards already dumped Manchester “If you lose 2-1 at home, you have to take the initiative- United out of the Champions League. and that is certainly what Sevilla will do. “They have to Bayern have one foot take risks and score two in a seventh European goals in our stadium. semi-final in nine years “They are a team who after earning a 2-1 away press really well, but we win at Sevilla in last know what we can do. week’s first leg. However, ‘We need to “We’re in a good mood, Sevilla have already given we’re hungry and our big a clear demonstration of be careful,’ goal is to reach the semi- how dangerous they are finals.” The Bavarian giants away from home in warned Robben have been merciless Europe. After a goalless recently at the Allianz draw in Seville in the last Arena, demolishing both 16, they dumped Jose Hamburg and Borussia Mourinho’s United out Dortmund 6-0 in the last with a 2-1 win at Old two home games. Trafford last month with French striker Wissam Ben Heynckes is wary of the return of Ever Banega- Yedder netting both goals. Robben warns Bayern must be the “heart” of the Sevilla team-with the Argentinian play- on their guard, especially given their history of elimination maker back from suspension. With one eye on a potential by Spanish teams in the knock-out phases in each of the semi-final, Bayern’s stars must be careful. Top-scorer MUNICH: Sevilla’s Argentinian defender Gabriel Mercado (L) and Sevilla’s midfielder Roque Mesa (R) react last four seasons. , who has netted 35 goals in 39 games during the final team training at the stadium in Munich, southern Germany, yesterday, on the eve of the UEFA “We need to be careful,” warned Robben. “It’s the last for Bayern this , is just one yellow card from a ban. Champions League quarter-final second football match between Bayern Munich and Sevilla. — AFP roll of the dice for Sevilla and they will give it their all. The same applies to Franck Ribery, , “Everyone is talking about the semis, but if we win, then Corentin Tolisso, Jerome Boateng and Sebastian Rudy. we can talk about that. Heynckes said Boateng is fit despite a bruised foot. The in training after a back injury, and midfielder Arturo Vidal, Vigo on Saturday. Pressure is mounting on head coach “A 2-1 win away from home is always great, but it’s not Germany centre-back picked up the knock when Bayern who has a knock, are unlikely to play. Bayern have reason Vincenzo Montella after some ropey defending at Vigo. the same as 5-0 against Besiktas (in the last 16). “They were confirmed champions for the sixth for optimism about going into the draw for the semi-finals “The impossible things might become possible if you (Sevilla) did brilliantly in Manchester and we know we straight season with a 4-1 win at Augsburg on Saturday. on Friday. Sevilla are winless in their four games since win- believe-and I still believe,” said Montella ahead of the have to perform.” Bayern head coach However, Heynckes said both left-back , back ning at Old Trafford and crashed to a 4-0 league defeat at Munich match. —AFP

PSG seem set to bet on Japan coach unproven Tuchel vows to build

PARIS: Thomas Tuchel is not a big-name coach, he has on ‘world-class’ won few trophies and has never managed a squad of stars, but French and German media agree that he will probably technique succeed at Paris Saint-Germain. The German website SportBuzzer reports that the 44- year-old Bavarian has already signed a two-year contract. In France, the sports daily L’Equipe quibbled over the TOKYO: details, saying it is “premature to say the deal is signed” Japan’s newly but “it’s only a question of timing”, probably at the end of appointed the season. national football Emery appears to be merely biding his time in the PSG manager Akira hotseat after the crushing elimination from the Champions Nishino said League at the hands of Real Madrid. Tuchel’s modest yesterday the playing career peaked early with a handful of matches for Blue Samurai Stuttgart Kickers in the German second division in 1992- have world- 93. He went on to coach Mainz and , class technique winning the German Cup after succeeding the highly suc- and vowed to cessful Jurgen Klopp. Tuchel was recommended to the build on their camp of emir Tamim ben Hamad al Thani by the Qatari organised play- consul to Germany, L’Equipe reported. He would be the ing style ahead first German to lead PSG. of the World Tuchel has been without a club since his tumultuous Thomas Tuchel Cup. departure from Dortmund in May 2017 after a series of Japan public disagreements with the club’s chief executive. appointed the Bayern Munich tapped up Tuchel recently as a possible Akira Nishino successor to 72-year-old Jupp Heynckes, who insists he 63-year-old international and . But Tuchel of experience handling a squad of stars. Tuchel had Pierre- veteran coach on will not stay. But Tuchel “was already signed with a club,” reportedly had difficulties with veteran players he wanted Emerick Aubameyang, a star with a big ego in Dortmund Monday after said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. This inter- to phase out. This profile as a tactician and demanding, who is now at Arsenal, but PSG has a dressing room full of est from big clubs shows Tuchel’s standing despite his lack even authoritarian, coach calls to mind who divas. ’s entourage reportedly pushed for Luis sensationally dumping Vahid Halilhodzic only two of trophies. That German Cup run included a 3-2 victory works at Manchester City for the Emiratis, the great Enrique, the former Barcelona coach who won the months before the tournament in Russia. “(Japan) over Bayern Munich in a crazy semifinal. regional rivals of the Qataris, and is poised to add the Champions League with the Brazilian in his team in 2015. have had a lot of world-class aspects in terms of He also led Dortmund to second behind Bayern in the title to his collection of titles. Meanwhile veterans such as , and the Italian technique,” Nishino told reporters in his first pub- Bundesliga in 2016. Tuchel is famed for his passion for , have let it be known that they lic remarks since the appointment. “The team can tactics. Niko Kovac, who manages , the DRESSING ROOM OF DIVAS favoured the return of , who managed the compete in a well-organised, disciplined way,” losing team in last year’s German Cup final, called Tuchel a Guardiola has won the Champions League. Tuchel has Paris club from 2011 to 2013. SportsBuzzer says Tuchel is Nishino said. “It is so important to build that “chorus master” and praised his “genius for playing differ- never progressed beyond the last eight of the trophy already working on what he needs to do at PSG. But his- strength,” he said, adding: “We will not seek what ent systems week after week.” PSG’s owners most covet. Emery arrived in Paris with tory suggests he won’t have much time to show he can do we don’t have but further improve what we have Tuchel also has a reputation for man management, three Europa League titles but remains the man responsi- better than who took PSG to the Champions been building.” Nishino will have only 70 days especially with younger players, and attracted attention at ble for the “Remontada” when PSG blew a 4-0 lead League quarter-finals in 2015 and 2016 and was fired in with the Blue Samurai before they play their first Dortmund for the spectacular way he developed such ris- against Barcelona, losing the second leg 6-1 last March. June 2016. For PSG, Tuchel represents another long-odds ing stars as Ousmane Dembele, now at Barcelona, US match against Colombia in a tough World Cup One reason offered for Emery’s difficulties in Paris is a lack bet, but the prize, for both sides, remains huge. — AFP pool that also includes Poland and Senegal. Nishino boasts an impressive array of domestic silverware and masterminded one of Japanese stardom. Shouts go up as someone scores a goal on the football’s proudest moments: beating a Brazil side Veteran Argentine concrete court. The scout smiles, and stops his reverie to containing Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos 1-0 at the point something out about one of the young players. “You 1996 Atlanta Olympics. A former international saw that other guy, the little blonde fella? He’s got some- midfielder who won 12 caps for his country, scout on the thing. But we have to explain to him how to stand back and play faster.” Maddoni proudly describes his club as “a Nishino is best known for his stint at the helm of seedbed that never runs out. But still, even the most gifted Gamba Osaka, which he steered to the team’s first lookout for have to learn.” Asian Club Championship in 2008. This earned them the biggest match in their his- LYNX EYED tory, a World Club Cup semi-final clash with a the new Messi With thick-framed reading glasses that emphasize his powerful Manchester United side featuring eyes, his gray hair combed straight back, Maddoni has Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Wayne been an ever present figure on the sidelines of the Parque Rooney, which they lost in a 5-3 thriller. The tour- BUENOS AIRES: Ramon Maddoni points to a skinny, and Boca Juniors childrens’ division teams for the past 24 nament in Russia will be the sixth successive swirling orange-shirted figure on the field, jinking one way, years. He says he was hired in person by the club’s then- World Cup appearance by the Blue Samurai, who then the other, a ball at his feet: “Look at this kid, he’s a president, Mauricio Macri, now Argentina’s head of state. made it to the last 16 in 2002 when Japan co-host- ‘fenomeno’.” Parque is his home, where he is greeted each day like Ramon Maddoni Maddoni is in the business of discovering the latest ed the tournament with South Korea and again in one of the soccer Gods he has created. Arms reach out to 2010. — AFP ‘fenomeno’, the next Messi, a new Maradona-players that enfold him in a brotherly hug every step of the way into quicken the pulse of the soccer-mad Argentine public. As the club complex. He pauses on the side of the concrete glamor of Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, but, by night falls on Club Sociale Parque on the outskirts of court, where the little long-haired boy with the orange some counts, it has turned out at least 40 international Buenos Aires, youngsters aged 6-12 patter up and down shirt dribbles past three other boys in green shirts and stars nonetheless. on concrete courts, the ball skidding between their quick- thumps the ball into the net. Maddoni admits he gets a kick out of watching how the moving feet. Parents crowd around the door of the com- raw talent he discovers can eventually be sold for stratos- plex waiting to pick up their children from the academy SCHOOL OF CHAMPIONS pheric transfer fees. “I saw (former Barcelona and Villareal Matches on TV where Maddoni puts them through their paces. His work, the work of seeing a spark of talent in a star Juan) Riquelme at the age of eight. I went to Fuerte (Local Timings) Founded 70 years ago, Parque represents the heart and youngster and turning it into a sporting gem, “saved my Apache for Tevez. The transfer cost 20,000 pesos ($900)!” soul of it’s lower middle class neighborhood, the same tal- life, at 37, when I was suffering depression because I was Former Manchester United and Juventus star Tevez has ent factory that produced Maradona and a host of other going through a divorce”. It made him quit poker and bet- cost a total of $97 million in transfer fees in his career, and UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE stars of world soccer. ting on horse races, and, in some way, turned him into a a one-year stint with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua Real Madrid v Juventus 21:45 A 77-year-old legend among talent scouts, Maddoni is hunter. What saved him was a conversation he had with reportedly made him the world’s highest-paid player on a beIN SPORTS HD 1 head scout at Parque and the Boca Juniors club’s childrens the father of another Argentine star, Sergio “Checho” weekly salary of $899,000. Maddoni says the secret to his division. He likes to recite the list of his “finds”-a long Batista, a member of the 1986 World Cup winning team, success at turning up soccer gold time after time is simple: string of names familiar to fans of the game the world who convinced him to be a scout for the club. “I realize immediately if a kid is good, or not. By the way he Bayern Munich v Sevilla 21:45 over: Carlos Tevez, Juan Riquelme, Fernando Redondo and He left his work as a meat buyer and took up coaching turns, how he moves with the ball.” Maddoni passes down a Esteban Cambiasso are among the more than 100 stars kids full-time, starting at Argentinos Juniors, Maradona’s corridor where the walls are crammed with the jerseys his beIN SPORTS HD 2 that he has discovered and set on the path of international first club. Then he came to Boca. It may not have the players have gifted him. —AFP

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