Atletico out to Do to Chelsea What They Did to Liverpool
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Sports Wednesday, March 17, 2021 13 Euro 2020 still planned in 12 Atletico out to do to Chelsea cities, says UEFA’s Koch DPA what they did to Liverpool BERLIN DPA EUROPEAN football govern- BARCELONA ing body UEFA still intends to use 12 cities across the ATLETICO Madrid will try to continent for Euro 2020 this channel the same energy that summer despite the corona- saw them knock then-holders virus pandemic, according to Liverpool out of the Champi- executive committee member ons League last year when they Rainer Koch. face Chelsea on Wednesday. “The goal remains to be “We have to remember able to hold onto the mode of what we did against Liverpool the event,” Koch, a vice presi- last season,” said midfielder dent in the German federation Marcos Llorente on the club’s (DFB) told dpa. in-house media channel. The 62-year-old conceded “We showed we are capa- it was too early for “final state- ble of winning these games. ments” but “the time factor is We will really go for it and get one that makes me optimistic, the victory.” the effect of the vaccines will Atletico Madrid beat Liver- be much stronger in a couple pool 3-2 at Anfield, after extra- of weeks.” It is not clear when time, last March to reach the UEFA will make a final decision Champions League quarter-fi- almost exactly a year on from nals with a final 4-2 scoreline. the March 17, 2020, executive But this time it will be tougher committee meeting which de- because against Liverpool they layed the Euros 12 months to had beaten them 1-0 at home. June 11-July 11, 2021. In the home leg against UEFA said it would “most Chelsea (played in Bucharest probably” be in the next couple because of Spain’s ban on of weeks with president Alek- travellers entering the country sander Ceferin recently saying from the United Kingdom), a April 20 was the deadline. Atletico lost 1-0. Various reports, denied by “In the big games we have UEFA, have suggested some shown that when things take venues could be dropped or the a bad turn we can respond,” tournament hosted in one coun- added Llorente. try to limited the need to travel Atletico will need to be during the global health crisis. more positive than in the first But in Croatian media leg when coach Diego Simeone Ceferin spoke of “multiple sce- was criticized for his cautious narios” for the Euros which, approach. however, must include fans Atletico Madrid had six at games. “Every host has to across the back at times Atletico Madrid’s players take part in a training session at the club’s training ground in Majadahonda on Tuesday, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg guarantee that,” he said in a against Thomas Tuchel’s match against Chelsea. (AFP) quote confirmed by UEFA. team and strikers Luis Suarez Unlike a year ago, the de- and Joao Felix were isolated rasco and Kieran Trippier con- bled in the domestic competi- cision is not quite as clear cut in attack. tinue as wing-backs. Diego Simeone’s side were victorious at Anfield last season. They will tion dropping 11 points in their this time. The 21-year-old Portu- It will be a special night need another big performance at Stamford Bridge but the Spanish club’s last eight games and seeing their “With the halt of league guese striker started in the for Trippier, who is back on players believe they can knock Chelsea out despite a first-leg defeat. lead over second-placed Barce- competitions and European first leg and is likely to line- English soil having missed the lona reduced from 13 to just four club competitions early March up alongside Suarez again at first leg because of a 10-week points with 11 games left. 2020, it was immediately clear Stamford Bridge as Simeone ban imposed on him by the player for so long despite the the English club in Europe but interview published over the The Champions League to me that the existential dan- tries to find a way to get his Football Association (FA) for fact that he was not theirs when meant he did not miss a single weekend. His return should could distract from that title gers for clubs, leagues and na- team back in the tie. contravening their strict regu- he broke the FA betting rules. England match. steady Atletico Madrid who charge in La Liga but Simeone tional associations could only Llorente will start in mid- lations on betting. The ban was especially “It was really bad and I’ve failed to keep a clean sheet will not want to sacrifice the be avoided through acting field with Koke and Geoffrey Atletico Madrid were upset hard to take as it kept Trip- got no excuse,” Trippier told while he was out of the team. competition he is so desperate together and with solidarity,” Kondogbia while Yannick Car- that they had to be without their pier out of the game against The Times in England in an Simeone’s side have wob- to win after two losing finals. said Koch. Koch said the situation had changed compared to ear- ly 2020. “We are first and foremost ‘Stop reading’ - Tuchel pandemic-tested, today we Teen sensations Musiala, Wirtz have solutions in the form of rubbishes reports Werner tried and tested hygiene con- cepts for almost every situa- set for Germany call-ups; Hansi tion - which is not least thanks could leave Chelsea to the German task force of the DFB and DFL (German foot- DPA a situation like this, this can ball league, the first to resume Flick backs Streich as coach LONDON affect his self-confidence of last May), he said. course, but what does it help? While Koch hopes to have THOMAS Tuchel insists Timo “The clear advice from at least some fans in stadiums Werner has no cause for frus- us is don’t focus on the re- for the matches, he cautioned tration at Chelsea, dismissing sult, focus on the process, get the “prerequisite ... is that the claims the Blues striker could your decision-making right, pandemic situation allows it.” head back to Germany in the get your technique right, take Munich, Amsterdam, Baku, summer. good decisions and the ball Bilbao, Budapest, Bucharest, Werner has struck just two and the opponent’s goalkeeper Dublin, Glasgow, Copenhagen, goals in his last 26 Chelsea will do the rest. Rome, St Petersburg and Lon- appearances, with the 53-mil- “And then it’s either in or don, which has the semi-finals lion-pounds recruit struggling it’s an amazing save. and final are the host cities. with his finishing. “He can improve from But Chelsea boss Tuchel there, but there is simply no has told the 25-year-old to time to reflect on what is going stop worrying and “focus on to happen in the summer and the process” of rediscovering next year. There’s no time. Quick read his scoring touch. “In the moment I don’t see When quizzed on Tuesday why he should be frustrated. Sheffield and Bayern Munich’s German midfielder Jamal Musiala. whether there is any truth in We gave him a little time to Southampton fined rumours that Werner is un- breathe against Leeds. by FA after incident DPA Musiala had made his decision happy in west London, Tuchel “But right now, I don’t at Bramall Lane MUNICH without the promise of imme- replied: “Stop reading! Read see why he should be too diate selection. a book! “There is no book on frustrated. LONDON: Sheffield United TEENAGE sensations Jamal Wirtz, a year younger, is Timo, so read a book! For “And honestly, nobody and Southampton have been Musiala of Bayern Munich more of a surprise but the Timo, I think he has no reason here is blaming the strikers. fined 20,000 pounds (27,800 and Florian Wirtz of Bayer midfielder was left out of now to be frustrated because This is a team effort to attack dollars) each by the Football As- Leverkusen could be handed the under-21 squad for the he played an amazing match and defend, but we expect our sociation following their flare-up senior call-ups to the Germa- group stage of the European against Liverpool, maybe his guys to create more chances, at Bramall Lane. ny squad for coming World Championships at the end of best match since I arrived. to be more decisive because The clubs were charged for Cup qualifiers, coach Joachim this month. “Then he had a good match we expect the defenders to a breach of FA rule E20 after Loew said on Tuesday. Bayern Munich boss Han- against Everton with a lot of play on the highest level and tempers boiled over late on in “I think you can already si Flick, himself a candidate chances to score, which he so we also expect that of our Saints’ 2-0 win on March 6. say that we are planning to replace Loew as Germany Leverkusen’s normally is clinical enough strikers. The incident came in the first of with them both,” Loew told coach, meanwhile backed German forward and strong enough. “And then maybe all the three minutes added on when RTL/ntv. Freiburg’s Christian Streich as Florian Wirtz. (AFP) “He did not score, okay, in stuff you read will disappear.” United midfielder John Fleck Looking ahead to Euro a potential successor to Loew fouled Southampton forward 2020 delayed to this sum- on the national bench.