SPORT Wednesday 19 December 2018 PAGE | 07 PAGE | 09 ‘Stronger, faster’ Mendis, Mathews Pacquiao turns defy New Zealand 40 with lavish with epic stand birthday bash on day four Team Qatar gear up for friendlies, Asian Cup Qatar’s national football team players in action during a preparatory camp at the Al Sadd Sutadium on Monday. Coach Felix Sanchez is finalising the team’s preparations for the AFC Asian Cup, which will be held from January 5 to February 1 in the UAE. The Al Annabi will play friendlies against Jordan (December 23), Kyrgyzstan (December 25), Algeria (December 27) and Iran (December 31) in Doha before they leave for UAE for the Continental showpiece. RIGHT: Coach Sanchez gestures during the training session. Man United sack Mourinho A new caretaker AFP JOSE MOURINHO FACTFILE world record fee of £89m in 2016 have MANCHESTER floundered under his authoritarian stew- manager will ardship. Indeed it was his deteriorating be appointed Manchester United sacked manager Jose Birth date: January 26, 1963 relationship with World Cup-winning mid- until the end Mourinho yesterday after the club’s worst Birth place: Setubal, Portugal fielder Pogba -- one of many to feel the of the current start to a season in nearly three decades. Nationality: Portuguese lash of his tongue in public -- that sym- season, while the Mourinho, 55, became increasingly bolised the decline at the club under him. Coaching career club conducts spiky in his last few months at Old Sporting Portugal (POR) 1992-1994*, FC Porto (POR) 1994-1996*, FC Barcelona (ESP) Mourinho questioned his attitude Trafford, lashing out at the board’s transfer while the player hit back with open crit- a thorough 1996-2000**, Benfica (POR) 2000-2001, Uniao Leiria (POR) 2001-2002, FC Porto policy and turning his fire on his squad, icismc s of o the t e tactics, tact cs, culminating cu at g in him recruitment especially record signing Paul Pogba. (POR) Jan 2002-2004), Chelsea (ENG) 2004-Sept 2007,07, Inter Milan (ITA)(ITA) 2008-2010),2008-2010), kickingkicking hishis heelsheels on thethe benchbench duringduring the processprp ocess fforor a nenew,w, His constant complaints about the Real Madrid (ESP) 2010-2013, Chelsea (2013-Dec 2015),5), Manchester United (E(ENG)NG) LiverpoolLiverpool debacledebaacle on Sunday.Sundayy. full-timefulll -ttime manager,manager, players’ lack of desire had an impact on 2016-Dec 2018 TheThe manager’manager’ss ovoverallerall PrPremieremier a clubclc ubu statementstatemem nt the pitch, culminating in the 3-1 defeat by LeagueLeeaggueu ppointsoints hhahaulull ooff 1711766 sissinceinnce * deputy to Bobby Robson said.saaidi . Premier League leaders Liverpool on ** deputy to Robson for first season (until 1997) then ddeputyeputy to Louis van GaalGaal (until(until hishis appointmentappointment by UnitedUnited Sunday which left United 19 points behind 2000) laggedllaagggede behindbehind City,City, Liv-Liv- their opponents. erpool,eerpooll, TottenhamToT ttenhaam andand Mourinho’s sacking comes just two- ChelseaChelsea duringdurir ngg thethhe samesame and-a-half years into his tenure and three COACHING HONOURS: period.perir odd. years and a day since Chelsea sacked him With FC Porto: Portuguese champions 2003, 2004; Portuguese CupCup 20032003,, UEFA CCupup just months after he had guided them to (2003), Champions League 2004 the title. With Chelsea (first spell as manager): English championsions 2005,2005, 2006,2006, FA CupCup 2002007,7, The club’s worst start in the league League Cup 2005, 2007 since 1990 means even Mourinho’s ambition of finishing in the top four and With Inter Milan: Italian champions 2009, 2010, Italianian CupCup 202010,10, CChampionshampions a Champions League qualification spot is League 2010 in danger. With Real Madrid: Despite United reaching the Cham- Spanish champions 2012. Copa del Rey Cup 2011 pions League knockout stages, where they With Chelsea (2nd spell): English champions 2015, Leagueeague Cup 20152015 face an intimidating last-16 tie with Paris With Manchester United: Europa League 2017, Leaguegue CupCup 20201717 Saint-Germain, a combination of poor results, dressing-room discord and crit- icism of the board proved potent factors in the decision to dismiss the Portuguese Mourinho’s sacking comes just two-and-a-halfnd-a-hhaalff manager. years into his tenure and three years anandd a ddadayay A United source said that Mourinho since Chelsea sacked him just monthss afterafter hhe ehe had been supported in his efforts to sign had guided them to the title. players and described reports of player power at the club as being key to the His constant complaints about the sacking as wide of the mark. United will reportedly have to pay players’ lack of desire had an impact Mourinho £22.5m ($28.5m) -- as the club on the pitch, culminating in the are still in the Champions League -- to 3-1 defeat by Premier League sever the ties. leaders Liverpool on Sunday which “Manchester United announces that left United 19 points behind their manager Jose Mourinho has left the club opponents. with immediate effect,” a club statement said. “The club would like to thank Jose for Argentinian is also former Manchester has beenen cham-cham- his work during his time at Manchester United midfielder Gary Neville’s favoured pions of EngEnglandland 2200 United and to wish him success in the option. times, neighbourseighbours Man-Man- future. “They need someone who meets the chester City’sCity’s dominancedoominnaanccee “A new caretaker manager will be three key principles of that football club: over themem inin thethhe leagueleaagug e hashhas appointed until the end of the current the promotion of youth, entertaining hurt. season, while the club conducts a thorough football and to win football matches,” The woundwound wentwwent eveneven deeperdeeper forforr recruitment process for a new, full-time Neville told Sky Sports News. Mourinhoho asas CityCityy aareree managedmaannagedd byby PepPPeep manager.” “People suggest he (Pochettino) hasn’t Guardiola,la, whowho gotgoot thethee betterbetteer of himhimm whenwheh n In the longer term former Real Madrid won a trophy yet at Tottenham but with he was in chargecharrgge atat BarcelonaBaBarcelona andanand coach Zinedine Zidane has been linked to a net spend of minus £29m or something Mourinhoho waswas atat RealRReal Madrid.Maadrid. the club as has his fellow 1998 World Cup- over the last four years, I’m not sure he Despitepite hishis protestationsprootestaatiiono s to thethehe con-con- winning team-mate Laurent Blanc, who could have done more. trary, thehe UnitedUnited boardbboard gavegaavev MourinhoMourir nho played for United. Tottenham Hotspur “I do think he is the person who is the plenty off moneymoney to compete.como petee. manager Mauricio Pochettino is also outstanding candidate.” Top-quality-quality plplayersayyere s susuchch aass BeBelgianelgian strongly tipped. Mourinho’s reign had started well striker RRomeluomelu LLukakuukakku -- wwhoho hhee peper-r- One bookmaker makes Pochettino the enough with the League Cup and the suaded too snubsnuub ChelseaChelsea andand comecome too UnitedUnited Jose Mourinho early favourite and the 46-year-old Europa League trophies but for a club that for £75mm in 20172017 -- aandnd PogbaPogba forfor a thenthen 08 SPORT WEDNESDAY 19 DECEMBER 2018 SCOREBOARD Australian fast bowler Mitchell AUSTRALIA, 1st innings 326 Starc takes a selfie with fans INDIA, 1st innings 283 during day five of the second AUSTRALIA, 2nd innings 243 INDIA, 2nd innings cricket match against India in KL Rahul b Starc ...............................................0 Perth yesterday. M. Vijay b Lyon ...............................................20 C. Pujara c Paine b Hazlewood ......................4 V. Kohli c Khawaja b Lyon ..............................17 A. Rahane c Head b Hazlewood .................. 30 H. Vihari c Harris b Starc ...............................28 R. Pant c Handscomb b Lyon .......................30 U. Yadav c and b Starc .....................................2 I. Sharma c Paine b Cummins ........................0 M. Shami not out ..............................................0 J. Bumrah c and b Cummins ...........................0 Extras (b6, w3) ...............................................9 Total (all out, 56 overs) .....................140 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Rahul), 2-13 (Pujara), 3-48 (Kohli), 4-55 (Vijay), 5-98 (Rahane), 6-119 (Vi- hari), 7-137 (Pant), 8-139 (Yadav), 9-140 (Shar- ma), 10-140 (Bumrah) Australia level Bowling: Starc 17-3-46-3 (1w), Hazlewood 11-3-24-2, Cummins 9-0-25-2 (2w), Lyon 19-3- 39-3 Australia won by 146 runs Series level 1-1 series against India with I’m relieved per- sonally. It’s been 146-run victory hard work -- the first two Tests of this series have AP bowlers. It was sweet revenge for wickets for just three runs. the match.The tourists will regret and more helpful.” been really tough. PERTH hosts Australia after a nail-biting It was Australia’s first win their gamble at the selection table, It was a tempestuous contest We’ve got some 31-run defeat in the series-opener since March 5 in Durban - before playing without a specialist at times with both skippers at the inexperienced Australia cleaned up India’s lower played at Adelaide Oval and the damaging ball-tampering spinner in the absence of the centre of the tension with several order with a barrage of hostile ensured captain Tim Paine his first scandal in South Africa that rocked injured Ravichandran Ashwin. heated exchanges conjuring players in terms bowling before lunch on the fifth win in five tests as skipper. the nation. Speedster Umesh Yadav was images of ill-feeling from previous of Test matches day to secure a series-levelling, “As a group we’re relieved, it’s Without suspended former preferred over spinning all- series between the cricketing played. To get confidence-boosting 146-run been hard work,” Paine told captain and vice-captain, Steve rounder Ravindra Jadeja, but superpowers. a win like that victory in the second test reporters. Smith and David Warner, Aus- struggled with match figures of “Nothing compared to 2014,” yesterday.