Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 46

London favorite as UEFA to announce Euro 2020 hosts

GENEVA: The long wait to find out who country-or at the most two, like Austria DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach Scotland’s bid, however, could be at risk will host the 2020 European and Switzerland in 2008, or Poland and also hinted at such a solution this week, depending on the outcome of the inde- Championship-the first time the event will Ukraine in 2012 — hosted the finals. although he added he was confident pendence referendum yesterday. be held in 13 countries simultaneously- The 2020 experiment, the brainchild of Germany would be among the countries In its evaluation report published in ends today when UEFA meet in Geneva, UEFA president Michel Platini, will be a to host less high-profile matches in 2020. early September, UEFA noted that “the Switzerland. European football’s govern- one-off event however, with the 2024 situation may have to be re-assessed ing body will have to pick from 19 candi- tournament returning to the single-host ‘SPECIAL SHINE’ FOR JUBILEE should Scotland become independent of dates, stretching from Israel and Spain to format. Only Munich and London are can- Apart from the semi-finals and final, 12 the UK.” Starting with the 2016 edition in Azerbaijan and Wales. didates to host the final and semi-finals six countries will host four games each in the , the European Championship will But London’s Wembley already looks years from now. group stages and knock-out rounds. have a new format with 24 teams playing the odds-on favourite to host the semi- But German football chiefs have The candidates who submitted their a total 51 games over four weeks, com- finals and final, after German officials hint- already hinted they might leave the path bids by April 25 are: Azerbaijan (Baku), pared to 16 teams and 31 games over ed they might leave the 2020 event to free for their rivals if, in return, England Belarus (Minsk), Belgium (), three weeks as was the case until now. England and focus on a bid to host Euro backs their bid to host the Euro 2024. Bulgaria (Sofia), Denmark (Copenhagen), But with 13 hosts in 2020 — many of 2024 instead. “We discussed with them about their England (London), Germany (Munich), whom have never hosted a major football For the 60th anniversary of the not bidding for Euro 2024 and supporting Hungary (Budapest), Ireland (Dublin), tournament before-”a special shine will European Championship, first held in our bid,” German Football Federation Israel (Jerusalem), Italy (Rome), be given to this 16th jubilee edition,” 1960, UEFA decided to organise the tour- (DFB) general secretary Helmut Sandrock Macedonia (Skopje), Netherlands UEFA said. Its executive committee will nament across the whole continent. recently told Sport Bild magazine. “We (Amsterdam), Romania (), meet on Friday at 9:00 am (0700GMT) to This will be “the biggest celebration of would in return not bid for the finals pack- Russia (Saint Petersburg), Scotland deliberate and vote on the Euro 2020 European football ever,” the organisation age of 2020 and support England in a bid (Glasgow), Spain (Bilbao), hosts, which will be announced at 1:00 has already promised. In the past, a single for Euro 2028.” (Stockholm) and Wales (Cardiff). pm local time (1100 GMT).—AFP Hamburg plot league comeback

BERLIN: Former European champions Hamburg SV are plot- ting how to turn their season around after sacking coach Mirko Slomka this week and facing champions Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga tomorrow. Hamburg, who needed a relega- tion playoff to stay up last season, have only one point from three league games so far with Slomka paying the price for their bad run after seven months in charge. Reserve coach Joe Zinnbauer was named as a temporary replacement but the 44-year-old, with no previous Bundesliga coaching experience, has a mountain to climb for his first game in charge. Despite spending tens of millions of euros in the transfer window bringing in such players as Lewis Holtby, Nicolai Mueller, US international Julian Greece, Swiss Valon Behrami and signing striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga permanently follow- ing last season’s loan from Hertha Berlin, Hamburg have yet to deliver. The club has yet to score a single goal in the Bundesliga and is sitting in last place as the champions arrive in Hamburg tomorrow. “The problem is in our heads,” Zinnbauer told reporters. “It is an issue of our quality as a team and not our quality as indi- vidual players.” “That is why we have to bring emotions back into this. My concept is about dominating. I have to have the reins in my hands.” The match against Bayern, fresh from their Champions League win against Manchester City, could not have come at a more inappropriate time for the troubled northerners but Zinnbauer remained convinced it is a blessing in disguise. : Queretaro’s new footballer Ronaldo de Assis (right), better known as , is seen in this file photo. —AFP “It is a real motivation for every coach to play in front of 50,000 fans instead of 500,” he said. “No one expects us to do anything so there is nothing easier than facing Bayern at this moment.” Ronaldinho misses He has also warned his players there are no reserved spots in his squad and he made his point clear when he added sev- eral youth team players to the senior team training on Wednesday. penalty on debut “If it does not fit in the top team then I will bring players in from the under-23 team. I have no mercy in this respect,” Zinnbauer said. “We have several players in the youth team : Ronaldinho missed a Ronaldinho, a World Cup winner in after getting stuck in a traffic jam who can play in the Bundesliga one day.”—Reuters penalty on his debut for Mexican side 2002, signed for the White Roosters allegedly caused by the player’s offi- Queretaro who lost 1-0 at home to earlier this month, making Queretaro cial presentation at the Corregidora UANL on Wednesday, frustrating a an unlikely stop on a career that has stadium. packed crowd who had turned out to already taken him to Gremio, Queretaro demanded an “exem- watch the 34-year-old Brazilian. The Flamengo and Atletico Mineiro in his plary punishment” after Carlos former World Player of the Year, clear- homeland, St Germain, Trevino, a member of the PAN party, ly short of match fitness, fired his Barcelona and AC Milan. wrote the insults on his Facebook effort over the bar in the 61st minute, He was voted FIFA’s World Player page, which were later removed. having surprisingly been kept on for of the Year in 2004 and 2005, but his “I try to be tolerant but I detest the second half despite looking tired. career has been steadily going down- football...even more so because the A full house turned out to watch hill since then, his drop in form often people block the avenues and it takes the game in the Mexican Cup, known blamed on his partying lifestyle. two hours to get home...and all to see locally as the Copa MX, which fea- Last week, he was victim of a racist an ape,” he wrote. “A Brazilian but still tures teams from the top two divi- insult by a Mexican politician who an ape.” Trevino has since apologised Nicolai Mueller sions. referred to Ronaldinho as an “ape” for his outburst.—Reuters