THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 SPORTS UEFA president hopeful of Stop fantasising about Back to school for Champions League U-turn Dominguez’s sacking Korean icon Park LONDON: Newly elected UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin yesterday reit- TOULON: Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal insisted yesterday that under-fire LONDON: Retired South Korean football great Park Ji-Sung is embarking on a new erated his belief that it may be possible to block planned changes to the for- coach Diego Dominguez was not in his crosshairs after a poor start to the Top 14 challenge on a top sports management course at De Montfort University (DMU) in mat of the Champions League. The European governing body announced season. The three-time former European champions, beaten in last year’s domes- Leicester, England. The 35-year-old former Manchester United midfielder-who won last month that England, Spain, Italy and Germany will each be guaranteed tic final by Parisian arch-rivals Racing 92, currently stand eighth on 11 points, with the Champions League and four Premier League titles with the club from 2005-12 — four berths for their clubs in the tournament between 2018 and 2021. The just two wins from their five outings so far. Last weekend, Toulon were hammered said he saw it as the best avenue for him to potentially pursue a career in the Korean move was criticised by smaller European nations and although it by Racing 41-30, two late tries giving a gloss to the final score of a match in which football league administration afterwards. The course-run by the Swiss Centre International d’Etude du Sport (CIES) and delivered by DMU- has been ratified by UEFA’s executive committee, Ceferin they were comprehensively outplayed for large periods. “You need to stop fanta- sising about the sacking of Diego Dominguez,” Boudjellal said of the ex-Italy fly- was last year named as Europe’s best sports management course suggested the changes may not be set in stone. When it half, with his side due to play in-form league leaders Clermont on Sunday. “Diego and the year before that claimed top spot in SportBusiness was put to him that it will be impossible to change the for- Dominguez is not a target today,” he said, adding: “If we lose 95-0, that reopens International’s world rankings. “One of my colleagues said it had mat of the Champions League before 2021, he replied: “I the debate, but that’s the case for every coach.” Boudjellal, who made his fortune been a great experience and though many players go into coach- don’t necessarily agree with you, so let’s see. “Of course from the comic book publishing business, continued: “Diego’s not under pressure. ing or management, I wanted to improve my knowledge of football it’s not good for the small and mid-size associations. But Toulon are not playing well because we don’t have the players” due to a raft of around the pitch and then perhaps work in the South Korean foot- as I told you, it was my first day yesterday. I have to check injuries. Toulon have Australian wing Drew Mitchell and South African Bryan ball league,” Park told the DMU website. Park, one of 31 foreign stu- what were pluses and minuses about that decision. “There Habana away on international duty, while the likes of captain Duane Vermeulen, dents taking the year-long course which also includes semesters in were certainly pluses and minuses and I will look on it and playmaker Matt Giteau, flanker Juanne Smith, wingers Vincent Clerc and James Milan, Italy and Neuchatel in Switzerland, said looking back on act. Everything can change.” — AFP O’Connor, and prop Jean-Charles Orioli are all out injured. — AFP his career there was one clear standout campaign. — AFP SA recall ‘rusty but ready’ Lambie JOHANNESBURG: Fit-again fly-half Patrick coaches and pundits for wholesale changes Lambie was recalled by South Africa coach amid widespread social media unhappiness Allister Coetzee yesterday for Rugby with his team selections. Championship Tests against Australia and The coach, who succeeded Heyneke New Zealand next month. The 25-year-old Meyer last April on a four-year contract, had playmaker was badly concussed during a heightened expectations of a clean-out when June Test loss to Ireland in Cape Town and he said “there would be repercussions” after returned to action only last Saturday for three straight losses. Target number one has Sharks in the Currie Cup. been Jantjies, who replaced Lambie in Cape “Rusty but ready,” was the verdict of Sharks Town but has struggled during six subse- coach and former Springboks scrum-half quent starts to replicate the form that took Robert du Preez after Lambie kicked two con- Golden Lions to the 2016 Super Rugby final. versions in less than 20 minutes on the pitch. “Flaky as a croissant,” was how one New However, Coetzee cautioned against Zealand pundit described a 26-year-old fly- assuming that Lambie would replace off-form half whose handling error led to the first All Elton Jantjies against Australia on October 1 Blacks try in a 41-13 Christchurch rout last at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria. Saturday. After a bright start to his Test career “We want to ascertain his readiness and this season, scrum-half Faf de Klerk is also confidence for international rugby or whether battling to recapture excellent Super Rugby he rather needs to play another match in the form with the Lions. There have also been Currie Cup for the Sharks,” he said. “Patrick has calls for full-back Johan Goosen, centre Juan been included in our squad so that our med- de Jongh, prop Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira ical and conditioning team can get first-hand and flankers Francois Louw and Teboho ‘Oupa’ feedback.” Mohoje to be dumped. Fullback Willie le Roux, axed after poor performances in a fortunate 2-1 series win Squad over Ireland, is also back in a 31-man squad Forwards (16): Willem Alberts, Eben comprising 16 forwards and 15 backs. Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Steven Kitshoff, Tighthead prop Julian Redelinghuys and Vincent Koch, Jaco Kriel, Francois Louw, Bongi lock Lood de Jager have recovered from Mbonambi, Oupa Mohoje, Franco Mostert, injuries and were included. Utility prop Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Julian Lourens Adriaanse is the only Springbok Redelinghuys, Adriaan Strauss (capt), Pieter- dropped from the previous squad as South Steph du Toit, Warren Whiteley Africa seek to snap a run of three consecutive Backs (15): Damian de Allende, Johan Cheick Sallah Cisse Rugby Championship losses. After a last-gasp Goosen, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, home win over Argentina, they lost away to Elton Jantjies, Juan de Jongh, Faf de Klerk, the South Americans, Australia and world Jesse Kriel, Patrick Lambie, Lionel Mapoe, champions New Zealand. Coetzee resisted Malcolm Marx, Lwazi Mvovo, Rudy Paige, calls from former Springbok players and Willie le Roux, Morne Steyn. — AFP Ivorian hero Cisse targets Tokyo 2020 after Rio gold ABIDJAN: Cheick Sallah Cisse has gone from the African nation with Ruth Gbagbi becoming the dream come true for Cisse who was born to a mod- obscurity to national hero after winning the Ivory first Ivorian women’s medallist with bronze, also in est family in the central city of Bouake. He took up Coast’s first Olympic gold, but insists his celebrity taekwondo. martial arts at the age of eight, beginning with status won’t distract him from his taekwondo title Both were honoured by Ivorian head of state shotokan, moving on to dedicate long hours to defence in Tokyo. “People look at me differently Alassane Ouattara on their return home. Cisse taekwondo despite the opposition of his father now, I’ve become a national symbol. I can’t walk in pleaded for an improvement in conditions and who wanted him to focus on his studies. the street without being recognised, I’m a star,” the training for athletes, and Ouattara promised to His passion saw him crowned African champion 23-year-old told AFP. examine what could be done. “We were support- in 2014, drawing inspiration from the Iranian teach- Cisse clinched the men’s under-80kg taekwon- ed. The Government did what it could...but we ing method “for the spirit, the strength of character do title with a dramatic last-second move in Rio need new laws passed so that athletes can live off of their fighters”. and was honoured for his exploits on his return their sports,” declared Cisse. The majority of Ivorian “I like everything they do. They highlight the home, receiving a new house and a 50 million CFA athletes train in difficult conditions and find it hard qualities of a good taekwondist namely the heart, franc (75,000 euro, $84,000) cash bonus. Before Rio, to raise funds to meet their costs. courage.” He insists that despite his new-found the Ivory Coast had only one medal to its name-the “We have talented boys and girls in taekwondo fame his feet are firmly on the ground. “The great- men’s 400m silver picked up by Gabriel Tiacoh at ... we have to help them,” insisted Cisse. “I want to est motivation (to win again) is to relive once the Los Angeles Games in 1984. That all changed tell my little brothers to believe in their dreams. again (the honours on returning home). “People when Cisse stunned third seed Lutalo Muhammad “I’ve gone from nothing to become someone, with- approach you, they congratulate you, it’s nice, of Great Britain with a four-point score right at the out any help.” touching, all this gives me strength to achieve Patrick Lambie death to win 8-6.