FOOTBALL | Page 5 TENNIS | Page 7 Brazil better ‘Like a new start’: now than in Federer battles 2014, says to win on Paulinho Stuttgart return Thursday, June 14, 2018 FOOTBALL Ramadan 29, 1439 AH US, Mexico and GULF TIMES Canada win race to host 2026 World Cup SPORT Page 2 PREVIEW RUS vs KSA 6PM Hosts Russia have point to prove in World Cup opener Two lowest-ranked teams of the tournament will face off at Luzhniki Stadium as the football extravaganza begins today AFP achieved big results in recent times,” Cheryshev is back in the squad after Moscow Putin said. more than two years out. Key stats “But we very much expect — all Saudi Arabia are returning to the fans and lovers of football in Russia — global showpiece for the fi rst time ost nation Russia are un- expect the team to play with dignity, since 2006, prompting the country’s Hosts Russia enter the World der enormous pressure to for them to show modern, interesting sports authority to strike a pact to Cup as the lowest-ranked of the perform as they head into football, and to fi ght until the end.” send players on loan to Spain to gain 32 teams participating in the today’s World Cup curtain- Cherchesov promised that every- experience at the top level. tournament as they sit 70th in Hraiser against Saudi Arabia in a con- thing will look diff erent should Rus- Fahad al-Muwallad, whose the FIFA rankings while Saudi test between the two lowest-ranked sia manage to beat Saudi Arabia. goal against Japan last September Arabia are three spots above in nations in the tournament. “The fi rst game will be the most clinched qualifi cation, was one of 67th. Stanislav Cherchesov’s side important one because it will leave its nine players involved in the agree- Russia last progressed past will walk out onto the pitch at the stamp on the entire campaign,” the ment but it was derided as a “fi asco”. the World Cup group stage in 80,000-capacity Luzhniki stadium, 54-year-old said. Muwallad, who was on loan at Le- 1986, when they were part of the the historic crucible of Russian sport, “Every player knows that he repre- vante, and winger Salem al-Dawsari, Soviet Union national team, while ranked a lowly 70th in the world, sents his country and will give every- at Villarreal, only played for a few Saudi Arabia’s sole appearance three spots below Group A rivals thing he has for the win.” minutes at the end of the season. in the last-16 came in 1994. Since Saudi Arabia, and without a victory Igor Akinfeev, Russia’s most rec- Attacking midfi elder Yahia al- then they have lost seven and in eight months. ognisable player and fi rst-choice Sheri, who went to Leganes, never drawn two of their matches in A 1-1 draw in Moscow with Turkey goalkeeper for more than a decade, played in a match. three World Cups. last week made former national team admits his teammates must take the Russia’s Igor Akinfeev takes part in a training session at Luzhniki Stadium in Mohamed al-Sahlawi, who had Saudi Arabia won two warm- goalkeeper Cherchesov the fi rst Rus- game to the opposition. Moscow yesterday. (Reuters) a three-week spell training with up matches before losing three in sian or Soviet manager to go winless “The team have to come out Manchester United, bagged a stag- a row, the last being a 2-1 defeat in seven consecutive games, four of and play,” Akinfeev said after a 1-0 matches without keeping a clean INJURY LIST gering 16 goals in qualifying, but the by World Cup holders Germany. those ending in defeat. friendly loss to Austria last month in sheet over an 11-year span, speaks Zenit St Petersburg striker Alexander 31-year-old arrives at the fi nals stuck Russia last won an interna- Russia has spent more than $13bn which Russia managed no shots on volumes about the home team’s Kokorin was lost to a serious knee in- in a nine-game scoring drought. tional match in October 2017, on preparations for the big event, target. “If they do not, the score is not chances. jury in March, adding to the absence “We are ready, we are not afraid,” when they beat South Korea 4-2 and President Vladimir Putin called going to change.” Russia have never made the knock- of defenders Georgi Dzhikiya and Saudi coach Juan Antonio Pizzi told a in a friendly. on the team to pull themselves to- Akinfeev, the Russian captain, out stage of a World Cup as an inde- Viktor Vasin. news conference. gether as they look to progress from has played more games for club and pendent nation and are desperate to Krasnodar forward Fyodor Smolov “We are planning on being the pro- PREVIOUS MEETINGS: The a section also featuring Uruguay and country than Soviet goalkeeping leg- make amends this summer. and Artem Dzyuba, loaned out to Ar- tagonists and we will try to control teams have played each other Egypt. ends Lev Yashin and Rinat Dasayev. Only South Africa, in 2010, have senal Tula in January after falling out (Russia’s) virtues, which are many. once before — in a friendly in “As far as the team are concerned, But the team’s reliance on the fallen at the group stage as hosts but with ex-Zenit coach Roberto Man- Our goal is to beat Russia. We want 1993, with Saudi Arabia winning I must acknowledge the fact that, 32-year-old, who infamously went poor form combined with a series of cini, will spearhead the attack, while to measure ourselves against the best 4-2. unfortunately, our team have not a staggering 43 Champions League injuries have left Russia in disarray. former Real Madrid winger Denis teams in the world.” Russia’s players take part in a training session at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow yesterday. (AFP) SHOCK Lopetegui sacked by Spain on eve of tournament AFP dismay at the timing of events that never tasted defeat in his 20 games in month. tonishing developments of the past two Krasnodar, Russia threaten to derail Spain’s World Cup charge as Spain boss. However, according to reports in the days could have a devastating aff ect on chances. Spain are due to face European Spanish media, the players tried to in- their chances. “The national team is the team for all champions Portugal in Sochi tomorrow tervene at the last minute to prevent Lopetegui had a short playing career pain dramatically sacked coach Spaniards and there are some decisions before taking on Iran and Morocco in Rubiales sacking Lopetegui. at both Madrid and Barcelona as a re- Julen Lopetegui yesterday and we feel obliged to take to protect some Group B. “I have spoken with the players and serve goalkeeper. appointed federation sporting values,” said Rubiales. what I can guarantee is that the players However, his coaching career had director Fernando Hierro — just “Negotiating is legitimate but it took PLAYERS SUPPORT will do everything in their power, along been far from distinguished before be- Stwo days before the team’s opening place without the RFEF being informed There were fears Lopetegui’s appoint- with the new technical team to take the ing handed the role as Spain coach af- game at the World Cup. until fi ve minutes before a press state- ment by the European champions could team as far as possible,” said Rubiales. ter a last-16 exit at Euro 2016 brought In a surprise announcement on ment was released. There has to be open up old divisions between the Real Spain and Real Madrid captain Sergio Vicente del Bosque’s eight-year reign Tuesday, Real Madrid appointed Lo- a message for all workers in the fed- Madrid and Barcelona factions in the Ramos appealed for unity between the to an end. petegui as Zinedine Zidane’s succes- eration that there is a right way to do Spain squad. fans and players. After short spells at Rayo Vallecano sor to take over after the tournament things.” For the fi rst time since 2006, there “We are the national team. We rep- and with Madrid’s youth team Real in Russia, sparking outrage at the fed- Spain later named former Madrid are more players from Madrid in a resent a badge, colours, a fanbase, a Madrid Castilla, Lopetegui enjoyed a eration and among Spanish fans at the captain Hierro as the coach for the The 50-year-old Hierro’s only real Spanish squad for a major tournament, country. The responsibility and com- successful time with Spain’s under-19s timing of the announcement. tournament in Russia. coaching experience came when he was with a six-strong Real contingent and mitment are with and for you. Yester- and under-21s. At a severely delayed press confer- “Fernando Hierro will assume in charge of second division Spanish just Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Sergio day, today and tomorrow, together,” He then spent 18 months in charge of ence at Spain’s World Cup base in coaching responsibilities at the World outfi t Oviedo for one season. Busquets from Barca, as well as Barce- tweeted Ramos. Porto but was sacked after exiting the Krasnodar, Spanish football federation Cup in Russia,” the Spanish football Lopetegui had signed a contract ex- lona legend Andres Iniesta, who ended La Roja were among the favourites to Champions League at the group stage (RFEF) chief Luis Rubiales expressed federation announced.