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Home , Edwin van der Sar, Frank de Boer, Ronald Koeman, Stefan de Vrij

Sports Wednesday, October 7, 2020 13 Qatar’s safety measures & health protocols at AFC CL hailed

AFC the FIFA World Cup 2022. Doha Dr. Abdul Wahab Al Mu- sleh, advisor to the minister The frontliners and all those of Public Health of Qatar on involved in the successful Sports Affairs, said hosting the staging of the AFC Champions AFC Champions League (West) League (West), which ended was a huge learning curve. on Saturday in Qatar, have “Hosting this AFC tourna- been praised for ensuring the ment gives us an assurance safety and health of players that the country is ready for all and staff. international sporting events. The Asian Football Con- It gives us a boost to our un- federation (AFC) had worked derstandings and experience. with the Qatar Authorities to Even if there is a pandemic or establish the best possible en- any other major incidents, the vironment for the safe return country is capable of manag- of Asian Football. ing it successfully,” he said. To achieve this, strict pro- The return of the AFC tocols and health regulations Champions League (West) were put in place for the AFC aptly celebrated the medical Champions League (West) workers where the stadiums since it restarted on Septem- The frontline health staff, Qatar Ministry of Public Health, the Qatar Football Association, and all those involved in the successful staging of the AFC Champions League (West), which were dressed with the slogan ber 14 and a total of 8,563 ended on Saturday in Qatar, have been praised for ensuring the safety and health of the players and staff. The AFC Champions League esnsured the safe return of Asian football. – #FootballForHeroes – to Polymerase Chain Reaction pay tribute to the healthcare (PCR) for COVID-19 testing and officials during the dura- In addition, players, officials cure bubbles that were created tion (QFA) and Supreme Com- (SC) which shows the country’s professionals who continue to were conducted on players tion of the competition. and staff were placed in bio-se- by the Qatar Football Associa- mittee for Delivery & Legacy readiness as it prepares to host combat the pandemic. Ooredoo Cup defies virus crisis to flex financial muscle AFP the effect of relegation or not London qualifying for Europe. “The impact of that alone The spectre of empty stands could be even greater than the and uncertainty over future amounts we are seeing spent broadcast and commercial by clubs on an individual basis contracts failed to halt the this summer.” Premier League’s arms race The huge transfer fees do as clubs again splashed out not even take into account the more than £1 billion in the extra financial commitments transfer window. some clubs have taken on in English top-flight clubs terms of salaries -- committed to deals worth a moved to Tottenham on loan reported £1.2 billion ($1.5 from Real Madrid and Edin- billion), the lowest spend for son Cavani joined Manchester a summer transfer window United on a free transfer. since 2015. Further financial pres- However, the impact of sure comes from the British the coronavirus pandemic was government, which wants the Ahmed Hamoudan (13th minute), and Tiago Bezerra (52nd and 76th more marked when it came to Premier League to help out minutes) scored for Al Sailiya in the win against Al Duhail in the player sales as Europe’s other clubs further down the foot- Round 2 match of Group A of Ooredoo Cup at the Qatar SC Stadium major leagues tightened their ball pyramid who rely on gate on Tuesday. belts. receipts. Outgoings of around £400 No rescue package has yet million mean the £800 mil- been agreed but failure to do Al Sailiya prevail lion net spend is the second- Paris Saint-Germain’s Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani has joined Manchester United Manchester United so would risk another PR dis- highest on record in a single on a free transfer. (AFP) aster for the Premier League. window. Liverpool and Tottenham “The sensible way to look Barca’s bleak outlook current campaign, with more have been thrashed 7-2 by As- backtracked after initially over Al Duhail 3-1 at it was that maybe the trans- In stark contrast to the of the season played behind ton Villa, while Manchester planning to use government fer market is not going to be as Premier League’s investment, closed doors. City and Manchester United funds to furlough non-playing Tribune News Network play, but Al Sailiya maintained buoyant as in previous years,” transfer spending in , Meanwhile spending in Se- have been humiliated at home staff earlier this year. Doha the momentum. John Purcell of football finance and the Bundesliga rie A fell by over half a billion by two sides that finished out- And Arsenal faced a back- The Peregrines scored a specialists Vysyble told AFP. shrank dramatically. euros compared to the 2019 side the top four last season -- lash after it was reported that Al Sailiya defeated Al Du- second time when Tiago came “What we’ve ended up with Far from going for a new summer window, despite Ju- Leicester and Tottenham. the man who played club mas- hail 3-1 in the second clash of up with a diving header off is actually the second-highest Galactico, Real Madrid did not ventus’ 60 million-euro dead- “It’s no secret that the Pre- cot Gunnersaurus had been Group A of the 2020-21 sea- a corner kick. Tiago was at it net spend total for a summer make a single signing. line day deal for Italy winger mier League is getting increas- released as part of cost-cutting son Ooredoo Cup at the Qatar again in the 67th minute, but window ever. Barcelona’s dire financial Federico Chiesa and Napoli ingly competitive. We used to measures on the same day the SC Stadium on Tuesday. this time he headed a Belhadj “When clubs are doing figures for the 2019/20 season splashing up to 80 million eu- talk about the big four, now club paid £45 million to sign Ahmed Hamoudan (13th free-kick against the left post. these deals it tends to be a low show why they spent most of ros on Nigeria striker Victor we talk about the big six,” said Thomas Partey from Atletico minute), and Tiago Bezerra But the Brazilian, who switched down-payment and then the the summer trying to get the Osimhen, according to daily Chris Winn, football finance Madrid. (52nd and 76th minutes) from Al Khor ahead of the start rest of the amount that needs big salaries of Luis Suarez, Gazzetta Dello Sport. expert at the UCFB Global In- On the field, the Premier scored for Al Sailiya. of this season, was not to be de- to be paid is back-ended. and Ivan Rakitic However, the competi- stitute of Sport. League has defied the Covid Eduardo Rodriguez nied and was on target in the “That suggests to us that, off their books. All three were tion for lucrative Champions “As things are getting more gloom with unpredictable (Dudu) had given Al Duhail 76th minute, capitalising on a firstly, the clubs are thinking sold for nominal fees. League places and the battle to and more competitive, especial- goalfests taking the eye off an early lead by scoring in the defensive lapse at the rival goal. this Covid situation is not go- The Catalan giants saw remain in the top flight is driv- ly in this environment where empty backdrops. third minute. ing to last forever. Secondly, it revenue fall by an estimated ing the need to spend in the seemingly anything is possible, Now it is betting on that Al Sailiya, who had lost Al Wakrah beat Al Khor 2-1 is forcing the clubs to stack up 203 million euros last season Premier League. the last thing that clubs want to product to sustain revenues big-time (1-5) to Al Khor in the their risk exposure a little bit and expect at least a further Just a month into the new be worrying about beyond the even in a global economic opening round, had reinforced Al Wakrah scored a 2-1 win further down the track.” 60 million euro drop for the season, champions Liverpool uncertainty of the pandemic is crisis. their squad ahead of the new over Al Khor in their Round 2 season. match at the Al Arabi Stadium. It was the first match of Al Khor took the lead reigning QNB Stars League through Ahmed Hassan Al champions Al Duhail, who Mohannadi in the 26th min- De Boer facing challenges ahead of Dutch debut have just parted ways with ute, while Cristian Ceballos their Moroccan Walid (38th minute) and Moham- AFP Ajax graduates Donny de Regragui by mutual consent, ed Benyettou (47th minute) Beek and , and in the tournament as their fix- scored for Al Wakrah. swashbuckling Lyon forward ture against Al Sadd in Round Possession was almost begins his . 1 was postponed owing to both even, but Al Wakrah had the reign as Netherlands coach They were tipped to go teams campaigns in the 2020 last laugh as they rallied from on Wednesday hoping to con- deep at Euro 2020 before the AFC Champions League. the deficit to script an impor- tinue the revival of an excit- tournament was postponed Al Duhail opened the scor- tant victory. The Blue Wave ing Dutch team following the for a year following the arrival ing through Dudu in the very had played out a 1-1 draw with departure of previous coach of the coronavirus pandemic. third minute, with Ali Afif do- Qatar SC in the opening round. for Barcelona. However De Boer said that he ing the spadework along the left The result was a blow to Al His team take on Mexico is not simply going to replicate flank before crossing the ball Khor, who had beaten Al Sail- in a friendly before two UEFA his predecessor’s work, saying for the Brazilian to shoot home. iya 5-1 in Round 1 of 2020-21 Nations League clashes with “I’m not going to be a Koeman Al Sailiya equalised through Ooredoo Cup. Italy and Bosnia & Herzegovi- 2.0. I have my own approach”. Ahmed Hammoudan in the Al Wakrah now have four na provide the first of a num- 13th minute as he placed the points, while Al Khor stood ber of challenges facing him in Win over the dressing room ball in with an opportunistic on three. his daunting new job. De Boer’s recent seasons in The Netherlands’ coach Frank de Boer (right) talks to his players during the training of the Dutch national strike past goalkeeper Ahmed Ahmed Hassan found the the dugout have been uncon- team in Zeist on Monday ahead of friendly against Mexico. They will then will meet Bosnia and Herzego- Gamal and three defenders target off a pass from Anas Continue Koeman’s work vincing to say the least. He vina and Italy in the Nations League. (AFP) after latching on to a through Ahmed. Ceballos helped Al Koeman has laid the ground- was recently sacked by Major pass from Nadir Belhadj. Wakrah draw parity with help work for De Boer, revitalising League Soccer team Atlanta dia, several leading players in League A, Group 1 matches en generation’ of players that Though Al Duhail con- from Murad Naji as the teams a moribund ‘Oranje’ team and United, the same fate he suf- the Netherlands squad wanted with Bosnia and Italy in the included , trolled the game early, Al took the breather with the giving them a flamboyant style fered at both Crystal Palace or even Henk Nations League, two tough , Arjen Rob- Sailiya gradually grew into it. score tied 1-1. of play that harks back to the and Inter . ten Cate, who has spent the last tests that will offer an indica- ben and Belhadjs beaming shot from Soon after resumption, golden days of Dutch football. He returns home in the five years managing in the Gulf. tion as to whether he is up to reached the World Cup final distance around the half-hour Benyettou, one of the top scor- After missing out on Euro hope of recovering the touch “That’s not true,” said - the job. in South Africa. mark, that flew over the bar, ers in the 2019-20 QNB Stars 2016 and the World Cup in he had at boyhood club Ajax tain Van Dijk. “The federation De Boer sees some simi- best spoke of it. League, found the target, with Russia two years later the which allowed him to become obviously asked some of the World Cup 2022 triumph? larities between that genera- Dudu then sent a free-kick Omar Ali giving the assist. Netherlands are once again a the first manager to win four players their opinion, but there De Boer is ambitious and has tion and the current crop of over the horizontal on the Al Khor had a good chance team that count, largely thanks straight titles. was never any veto on De Boer.” stated that he wants to win the players. “We need to be am- stroke of half-time. to equalise in the 80th min- to new Barca boss Koeman However his reputation World Cup in Qatar in 2022. bitious with that quality of Al Duhail replaced goal- ute, but substitute Hamad and a talented team featur- took such a hit following his Nations League He was one of Bert van player,” he said. keeper Gamal with Ahmed Su- Al Mohannadi’s header flew ing the likes of largely miserable spells abroad The Mexico friendly gives De Marwijk’s assistants between That ambition begins fiyan soon after resumption of over the bar. and in defence, that, according to Dutch me- Boer a dry run ahead of the 2008 and 2010, when a ‘gold- against the Mexicans.