Established 1961 15 Sports Wednesday, July 8, 2020 Barca wake from slumber to give glimmer of hope to Setien At 33, every year for Messi is precious

MADRID: “Barcelona haven’t thrown in the tow- huddled round, hanging on the every word of their el”, read the front page of Mundo Deportivo after coach Diego Simeone. a night that offered hope to the team and a lifeline And yet the 4-1 victory over Villarreal on Sunday for their coach Quique Setien. Setien has been in gave a glimpse of what this Barca could look like charge for only three months of competitive foot- under Setien and what presumably the board were ball but looked likely to be out in the cold by next hoping for when they appointed him in January. season, following Tuesday’s draw away at Atletico Free-flowing, dynamic, confident, it was the Madrid. team’s best performance under Setien and perhaps Three draws in four games, deteriorating per- their most complete all season. Some complaints formances and unrest in the dressing room were all were answered too as Griezmann started, played stacking up against Barca’s new coach but the loud- well, scored a sensational chip and combined est alarm bell of all was rung by his captain. instinctively with Luis Suarez and Messi. Frustrated with the lack The passing was quick- of direction at the club, er and the chances more Lionel Messi halted talks regular, a welcome about extending his con- improvement after a series tract beyond 2021 and his Three of plodding displays in current plan is now to which possession too leave, said Spanish radio draws in often came at the expense station Cadena Ser. of end product. And Setien Messi’s principle griev- four games was bold, dropping Messi ance is not with Setien back into a more central but Barcelona’s board attacking position behind who, under president Griezmann and Suarez, Josep Maria Bartomeu, who was then taken off have overseen a string of political blunders off the after an hour with the result still not yet secure. BARCELONA: File photo shows Barcelona’s Spanish coach Quique Setien (R) and Barcelona’s pitch and a period of decline on it. It was a morale-boosting win that will surely Spanish defender Jordi Alba react during the Spanish League football match between FC Barcelona With presidential elections to come next year, come too late for Barca’s title bid given Madrid’s and Club Atletico de Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on June 30, 2020. —AFP Messi’s hesitation may be aimed at undermining this four-point lead and a friendly looking run-in. But it regime to accelerate change, but Setien was might renew some faith in Setien, from Bartomeu, undoubtedly caught in the crossfire. Amid the who visited his house for discussions last week, and This is a squad that needs renovating at a time the easier option then but a failing team will not chaos at Barcelona, he has increasingly looked like a from Messi, whose approval is the one that really when funds are no longer readily available while the help Bartomeu and it will not bring comfort to bystander, “a passenger” according to Antoine counts. prospect of presidential change next year would Messi either. At 33, every year for him is pre- Griezmann’s father, demonstrated all too literally by Removing Setien this summer would be another offer a new coach little long-term security. Xavi cious. Barcelona have four games left and then his lack of influence in teamtalks. admission of failure for Barca, who would have to Hernandez is waiting in the wings, with his new Al- the Champions League next month, with the Messi ignored him and his number two Eder pay compensation they cannot afford and find a Saad contract reportedly containing a break clause chance to resuscitate one of their most disap- Sarabia during one water break and the contrast replacement for a job that might prove difficult to that allows him to join his former club at any time. pointing seasons in recent memory. Setien’s was unfortunate against Atletico, whose players promote. Setien, for another season at least, would be future depends on it. —AFP

Relieved Bremen stay in Bundesliga World Cup 2022 on away goals organisers to cut BERLIN: Relieved Werder Bremen sealed their Bundesliga survival for next season on away goals staff: Sources after a dramatic 2-2 draw at second-division Heidenheim in Monday’s nerve-racking DOHA: The organisers of the 2022 World Cup relegation/promotion play-off, second-leg with the will lay off an undisclosed number of staff as gas- crucial second goal scored in added time. rich Qatar cuts costs amid the coronavirus eco- “I’m just happy and glad that we made it after all nomic downturn, several sources have told AFP. that,” said Bremen coach Florian Kohfeldt as the The job losses, which have not previously play-off finished in a 2-2 draw on aggregate. “We been reported, follow similar redundancies at were dead so many times this year, we always came state-run organisations including Qatar back,” he added after Bremen had only qualified for Petroleum and Qatar Airways. the relegation play-off on the last day of the season. The government body organising the tourna- “It’s an incredible pressure that is off us all. “Every ment, known as the Supreme Committee, directly criticism was justified, but chapeau to the boys.” employs 550 people — both Qataris and expats Bremen, who won the last of their four German — but oversees the work of tens of thousands of league titles in 2003-04, preserve their record of the contractors. “The Supreme Committee has most seasons spent in the Bundesliga by any club recently undertaken an internal exercise to while Heidenheim remain in the second tier. HEIDENHEIM: Bremen’s Kosovan midfielder Milot Rashica tries to score during the relegation second leg assess the current workforce and engaged in a “We had a great chance, we are mega disap- play-off football match between German second division Bundesliga club FC Heidenheim and First divi- budget management and operational efficiency pointed,” said Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt, son Bundesliga club Werder Bremen in Heidenheim, on July 6, 2020. —AFP exercise as part of this transition,” the organisa- whose side blew their chance of playing in the tion said in a statement to AFP Monday. Bundesliga after a goalless draw at Bremen in last The 2022 organisers did not confirm how Thursday’s first-leg. fouled Heidenheim midfielder Tobias Mohr in the crossbar and Kleindienst tapped home the many posts would be lost or what the project- “We may not have lost in either game, but you box. Kleindienst fired home the resulting penalty in rebound before both teams scored in the dramatic ed savings would be. Qataris have largely feel like a loser. “It is brutal for us now, we will need the eighth minute of added time, but it was too late. closing stages. been spared from past staff cuts at other a few days to recover.” After Heidenheim conceded Bremen made a flying start when Heidenheim Fans are not allowed in German grounds since state-controlled organisations. an own goal within just three minutes, their striker centre-back Norman Theuerkauf gifted his former the league restarted in mid-May after a two-months Tim Kleindienst equalised on 85 minutes to keep club an own goal after just three minutes. With ten hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, EXPAT EXODUS the hosts’ hopes alive. minutes gone, a long-range shot by Bremen forward there were curious scenes midway through the sec- “As a result, we have taken the decision to However, Bremen’s survival was confirmed four Milot Rashica had to be tipped over the crossbar by ond-half when a group of young people appeared make a number of positions redundant. All due minutes into added time. Replacement forward Fin the Heidenheim goalkeeper. briefly in the main stand before quickly being ush- salary and end of service benefits will be paid to Bartels beat the defence and set up Swedish It was 1-0 at the break, but Heidenheim flew out ered away. those leaving, in line with Qatari labour laws,” the defender Ludwig Augustinsson to fire home his first of the blocks in the second half and had Bremen Heidenheim, who finished third in the second divi- statement added. A source at one major engi- goal of the season and his team’s crucial second. under pressure before forcing the equaliser. With sion, had been bidding for their first Bundesliga sea- neering firm involved in the completion of one of In the dying stages, Bremen defender Theodor clock ticking down, Heidenheim drew level on 85 son, while Bremen, who finished third from bottom in seven new stadiums being built for 2022 told AFP Gebre Selassie then conceded a penalty when he minutes when midfielder Tobias Mohr clattered the Germany’s top flight, preserve their status. —AFP that some staff at the company, an SC contractor, had also been terminated. Despite the impact of coronavirus on con- extend their five-season stay in the Sunday’s 2-0 defeat against champi- managed just two goals in their last struction work, slowing progress to permit social Tension mounts in top-flight for another year. ons Liverpool. five games. distancing, officials insist preparations are ahead Bournemouth’s lack of goals has That obdurate display offered hope “We need to show fighting spirit, of schedule and 85 percent of all tournament Premier League been a huge part of their downfall, that Villa could still avoid an immedi- and we also need to have the ability infrastructure is now complete. with the starting line-up at Old ate return to the Championship, but to still make good decisions.” Officials have confirmed more than 1,100 cas- Trafford managing just eight between Smith knows they will have to be more relegation battle es of COVID-19 among workers at tournament them so far this season. ruthless to achieve that aim. West Ham projects and at least one virus death. LONDON: Tension is mounting at the “Games are running out. If we’re “I don’t want to be a valiant los- Sitting four clear of the relegation Qatar passed the milestone of 100,000 coro- bottom of the Premier League as the going to stay in the division, we’re er, we’re scrapping for points,” zone in 16th place, West Ham are in navirus cases on Monday and has one of the fight to avoid relegation heads going to have to start picking up Smith said. the best position to stay up thanks to world’s highest per capita infection rates. Of its towards a dramatic conclusion. With points,” Bournemouth winger Junior “To out-shoot Liverpool at home at their surprise 3-2 win over Chelsea 2.75 million population, 100,345 people or 3.65 just five games left, rock bottom Stanislas said. Anfield, in terms of efforts on goal, it’s last week. percent have tested positive for COVID-19. Norwich are seven points from safety “We’ll have no excuses. We can’t excellent, but we need to take our Twice blowing the lead in Almost 94,000 of those have recovered and 133 and are sliding towards the keep talking. It’s time for action. opportunities. We never found the Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Newcastle was people have died. Championship. “There’s no reason why from now quality in the final third they did.” a setback in their survival bid, but The economy of super-wealthy gas exporter Bournemouth and Aston Villa, who until the end of the season we can’t David Moyes’ side have control of Qatar has been buffeted by the global economic currently fill the remaining two places pick points up.” WATFORD their own destiny. downturn and associated energy price collapse in the relegation zone, are locked in a Saturday’s 3-0 drubbing at West Ham have now lost 24 points caused by the pandemic. four-team battle for survival with fel- ASTON VILLA Chelsea condemned Watford to a from winning positions in the Premier Qatar-based broadcaster BeIN will shed low strugglers Watford and West Ham. A wretched run of nine matches third consecutive loss, leaving them League this season, more than any around 100 jobs and cut some salaries in AFP Sport takes a closer look at the without a win has left third bottom perilously positioned one point other side. response to the virus downturn, while Qatar teams scrapping to preserve their top- Villa one point from safety. above the bottom three. But with games against Norwich, Airways will slash some pilot pay by as much as flight status: Dubious pre-season investment in Nigel Pearson’s fourth bottom Watford and Aston Villa to come, a quarter. several underwhelming signings have team have not won just their stunning their forward Michail Antonio is con- The wider Gulf is in the midst of an expat BOURNEMOUTH left Villa relying on captain Jack 3-0 success against Liverpool on fident of beating the drop. exodus as foreign workers, who make up the Thrashed 5-2 at Manchester United Grealish to inspire their survival bid. February 29. “The mindset for our next few majority of the populations in Bahrain, on Saturday, Eddie Howe’s side are in But Dean Smith’s side have lost After five years in the top-flight, games is that we want three points Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, free-fall after an eight-game winless three of their five games since the the Hornets, who face Manchester from each of them, and that’s what return home. run featuring five successive defeats. restart and still have to face City and Arsenal in their last two we believe we can get,” said Antonio, The Supreme Committee said it was transi- The second bottom Cherries, one Manchester United and Arsenal before games, could find their fate settled by whose club have not been in the tioning its focus from “constructing tournament point from safety, face Tottenham, a potential final-day shootout with Tuesday’s home clash with Norwich Championship since 2012. infrastructure” to “delivering the event opera- Leicester and Manchester City in their West Ham. and a visit to West Ham on July 17. “Now we’ve managed to show our tions”. “The organisation’s workforce needs to next three games. They could count themselves “The important thing is we under- attacking form and we are scoring transition as well,” the statement said. —AFP That sequence that will surely unfortunate not to have secured what stand our situation, that we don’t fear goals, we need to shore up our back determine whether Bournemouth can would have been a point at Anfield in it,” said Pearson, whose men have as well.” —AFP