THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015 SPORTS Platini vindicated by expanded European Championship LONDON: It was much derided when likes of San Marino, Estonia and the competition has opened up. The As it stands, Wales are on course to tion ended now, Wales would be among announced but UEFA’s decision to Lithuania, but there is another side to fact many more countries now have take part in their first major finals since the finalists as would Iceland, who are a expand the Euro 2016 championship to the argument with far more meaningful hope has lifted their game. their sole appearance at the World Cup point behind the Czech Republic at the 24 teams has revitalised the qualifying matches being played because there are “European football is now of such a in Sweden in 1958. top of Group A-but five ahead of the competition with a host of countries more slots available. high quality that we do have 24 very In the past great Welsh players such Netherlands. daring to dream of making it to a major It is now nearly seven years since good teams who deserve a place in the as Ian Rush and Ryan Giggs missed out The closest Iceland have come to a tournament, often for the first time. UEFA president Michel Platini finals, why should they be deprived? on major finals as did current manager major finals was reaching the playoffs At the halfway stage, countries such announced the expansion of the finals “It is still tough for them to qualify, Chris Coleman, whose unbeaten side for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when a Wales, Iceland, Northern Ireland, from 16 teams, and faced heavy criti- but this is part of what UEFA does- are second on goal difference to they lost to Croatia. Albania and Norway, who have either cism that he had destroyed the “perfect develop football throughout Europe- Belgium with 11 points at the top of Slovakia, three points clear of hold- never qualified for a major finals or been format” and that by having 24, almost and this is one way of doing it.” Group B. Wales do boast Gareth Bale of ers Spain in Group C, are also relishing absent for years, are all in contention for half of UEFA’s members, the tournament Under the new format, the winners Real Madrid, the world’s most expensive the competition and are currently a place in France next year. At the same would be devalued. and runners-up from the nine qualifying player, as well as the influential Aaron heading for their first European finals time traditional powers such a Italy, But he now has good reason to groups plus the best third-placed team- Ramsey of Arsenal and Coleman since they began playing as an inde- Germany, Netherlands, and holders defend the decision, initially instigated with the results against the sixth-placed believes if they take another nine points pendent nation from 1996. Slovakia did Spain have all dropped points, while by his former general secretary, David team discarded-comprise 19 direct from the remaining 15 available they appear in the World Cup in 2010, but a only England and Slovakia hold 100 per- Taylor of Scotland, who died last year. qualifiers along with automatically- should qualify. combination of their continuing good cent records with five matches played “David must be credited for this and qualified hosts France. The eight “I played in Welsh teams in 1994 and form, and the restructuring of the com- and five to come. it is just a shame he did not live long remaining third-placed teams will con- 2004 where we nearly did it and now we petition, could mean their long wait to The English FA, for example, might enough to see it happen,” Platini said. test two-legged playoffs to determine have the opportunity to go a step fur- sit at Europe’s top table will come to an have been less than happy to play the “He was right because look at the way the last four qualifiers. ther,” he said. If the qualifying competi- end. —Reuters Portugal suffer home defeat LISBON: A second-half sending off for Centre back Gege grabbed the second Andre Pinto capped a miserable evening with an expert far-post finish after a free for a second-string Portugal side, who were kick from Cape Verde captain Heldon had beaten 2-0 at home by African minnows reached him through a forest of legs. Cape Verde in a friendly on Tuesday. The match, which was in aid of the vic- Portugal fielded none of the players that tims of last November’s volcanic eruption beat Serbia in Euro 2016 qualifying on on the Cape Verdian island of Fogo, went Sunday and were undone by two first-half from bad to worse for Portugal when Pinto goals scored within six minutes of each received a red card for a foul following an other. audacious piece of skill by Heldon. Odair Fortes opened the scoring for A mass of second-half substitutions by Cape Verde after 37 minutes in fortuitous both sides interrupted the game’s flow, but fashion as his right-wing cross appeared to the team from the tiny African archipelago catch the wind and flew over Anthony held on comfortably to record a memo- Lopes in the Portugal goal. rable victory. —Reuters Queiroz’s Iran reign ends with Sweden loss STOCKHOLM: Carlos Queiroz’s reign as Iran The coach said he had been told he had manager ended with a 3-1 defeat away to not met “the minimum requirements” for Sweden in a friendly on Tuesday but the success laid down by the sports ministry. Portuguese coach did not go quietly as he He said the humiliation and undermining delivered some stinging criticism of his of his position left him with only one employers. Iranian media began reporting option but that he was leaving with his on March 20 that Queiroz would leave the head held high. job, which he took in April 2011, following international friendlies against Chile and VERY PROUD Sweden following a bust-up with the coun- “The most important thing is that, after try’s sporting authorities. four years, I feel very honoured and very TURIN: England’s Andros Townsend (second left) scores during the international friendly soccer match against Italy. —AP Despite pleas from fans and players for proud of coaching this team and these Queiroz to stay, he confirmed at a post- players,” Queiroz said. match news conference that his time was “They have been fantastic, outstanding- up. “There is a difference of opinion inside the commitment, the attitude, the dedica- Townsend rescues England the federation. There are almost two feder- tion to the national team. I must say that I ations, with two different opinions,” the 62- never saw and I never worked with such a TURIN: England substitute Andros Townsend paced match. We let the win slide through our minutes after the break Eder, whose late goal had year-old former Portugal and Real Madrid group of players. They deliver so much and fired home a superb late goal to earn a 1-1 draw fingers but Townsend scored a fantastic goal.” salvaged a 2-2 draw away to Bulgaria in Italy’s coach said. they receive so little.” against Italy in a fiercely contested international Antonio Conte’s side dominated the first half Euro 2016 qualifier on Saturday, almost put the “But when one of the parties think that Queiroz also thanked the Iran fans-many friendly in Turin on Tuesday. by pressing when England had possession and hosts 2-0 ahead but his shot was brilliantly par- they have the right to come in your face of whom packed out the Friends Arena in Townsend struck in the 79th minute by rifling quickly attacking with crisp, short passes once ried with one hand by Hart. and humiliate you, offend you, treat you Stockholm, making it seem more like a an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi they won the ball. Marco Parolo had the first Italy could not sustain the pressure, though, without respect-me, my players, my staff- home game in Tehran than an away game Buffon from 20 metres to give England a effort on goal after 10 minutes with a rising shot and Roy Hodgson’s side began to take control that is not acceptable.” in Sweden-for their support during his time deserved result at the Juvetus stadium. from 30 metres that England goalkeeper Joe Hart with Rooney testing Buffon with a fierce strike Queiroz led Iran to last year’s World Cup in charge. Italy had taken the lead on the half-hour deflected over the bar. England were not given after 72 minutes. Townsend, who came off the in Brazil, where his team put in some “I have never received so much love, so through Graziano Pelle’s deft header after time to catch their breath as the Italians kept on bench nine minutes earlier for Fabian Delph, decent performances despite finishing bot- much attention, so much affection as I have defender Giorgio Chiellini waltzed around Phil attacking and defender Phil Jagielka had to be then popped up with his third goal in seven tom of the group with one point, and in received from the Iranian fans,” he said. Jones and provided a precise cross from the left. alert seven minutes later to foil Brazilian-born appearances for for England, whose run of seven September the Portuguese extended his “I really want to express my deep grati- It was Pelle’s second goal in his three appear- Eder who would otherwise have had an easy tap- straight wins since last year’s World Cup was deal until 2018.