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Home , Carlo Ancelotti, David Moyes, Diego Simeone, Louis van Gaal

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2014 SPORTS United break with tradition in Moyes sacking

LONDON: By sacking as ever, the board decided that it could no in November 1986, Moyes’s job was to The emphasis now will be on finding “I think there is a way of decency manager after less than a season in longer stand by and watch Ferguson’s take command of the juggernaut that a manager with a proven track-record at with dealing with people,” he said. charge, Manchester United contravened empire crumble, regardless of the his predecessor had built. the highest level of the European game “Football managers now just get tossed the principles explicitly laid out by his instructions he had left behind. Ferguson hoped the structures he capable of undoing the damage that around, chucked about, disregarded, illustrious predecessor . Had Moyes seen out his six-year con- had put in place would allow Moyes- Moyes has inflicted. While rubbished. Decent men, good men, just Ferguson was granted a three-and-a- tract, he would have become United’s who failed to win a trophy in his 11 will take charge of the first team in the get thrown away. And that’s not just half-year grace period before winning third longest-serving post-war manager, years at Everton-to slot seamlessly into interim, the names being linked with David Moyes, that’s all the way through the first of his 38 trophies as United behind only Ferguson and United’s oth- place, thereby enabling United to main- the job on a permanent basis-Louis van football.” manager, in 1990, and he expected his er great Scottish figurehead, Matt tain a tradition of appointing promising, Gaal, , Jurgen Klopp- The move also met with disapproval successor, who he hand-picked himself, Busby. hungry, British managers. make it likely that United will appoint a from some United fans, with phrases to be shown the same patience. Instead, he became the club’s third manager hailing from outside the such as “disgraceful decision” and “knee- His instruction to United’s fans to shortest-serving manager, after Walter ‘GOOD MEN THROWN AWAY’ British Isles for the very first time. jerk reaction” dotting the BBC’s online “get behind our new manager” on a Crickmer (1931-32) and Lal Hilditch It was for these reasons that United The fear, for United’s fans, is that by message boards. rain-lashed day at last May (1926-27), overseeing only 51 matches, opted for Moyes, rather than a brash not showing Moyes the patience that But whether United have betrayed was intended as a rallying cry, but of which he won just 27. upstart such as Jose Mourinho, but the Ferguson had called for, the club risks their traditions or not, the Moyes experi- instead it became a millstone around The club’s decision to dismiss him former Everton manager’s subsequent falling into a pattern of hiring and firing ment at least means that the club’s next the club’s neck. As Moyes lurched from reflected the huge differences between failure laid bare the shortcomings in more typically associated with hated manager will not have to step directly disaster to disaster, seemingly incapable the football landscape that provided their recruitment process. As one jour- rivals Chelsea. into Ferguson’s shoes. of preventing the club from sinking into the backdrop for Ferguson’s appoint- nalist observed on Twitter: “No club Gary Neville, the former United cap- As former England striker Gary crisis, the one constant in his favour was ment and the terrain that greeted brings more/better data to tain turned media pundit, alluded to Lineker remarked on Twitter: “Always the consensus that sacking managers Moyes on his arrival last year. Whereas financial/commercial business. Yet those specific concerns when he thought the manager’s job to have at was ‘not the United way’. United had not lifted the English title for appoints manager on handshake and a lamented United’s decision to part ways Manchester United was the one after After initially showing support, how- 18 years when Ferguson was appointed nod.” with Moyes. the one after Sir Alex.”—AFP FIFA suspends Barcelona 14-month transfer ban

ZURICH: FIFA yesterday suspended a ban on Barcelona signing players while the club makes an appeal against a 14-month transfer ban. World football’s governing body, which imposed the sanction this month for breaching rules on the registration of minors, announced in a statement that the ban would be temporarily suspended allowing Barca to sign players during the summer transfer window which opens on July 1. The club welcomed the move. “FC Barcelona sees the decision announced today by the FIFA Appeal Committee to provisionally allow the cautionary measures requested in the club’s Real’s coach appeal against the sanction imposed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee as a positive step,” the club said in a statement. Ancelotti in frame for The Spanish champions are in desperate need of an overhaul in the summer transfer win- dow after a difficult season which is likely to see United job — reports them miss out on a major trophy for the first LONDON: Manchester United began their United manager Alex Ferguson will play an time in six years. search for a new manager yesterday, with active role in the search for a new head Replacements are primarily needed for goal- newspaper reports claiming that Real coach, despite having been chiefly respon- keeper Victor Valdes and club captain Carles coach Carlo Ancelotti has emerged sible for the decision to appoint Moyes. Puyol who have both announced their intention to leave the club at the end of the current cam- as a candidate to succeed David Moyes. Ferguson, who is now a United director, per- SPAIN: Barcelona’s coach Gerardo Tata Martinio, from Argentina, looks on in this file photo. —AP Several British newspapers said that sonally recommended Moyes to the club’s paign. Ancelotti was being considered for the board after announcing his retirement in Barcelona has appealed against what would Court of Arbitration for Sport would still be tion of 10 minor players. vacancy, along with Netherlands coach May last year. Moyes, 50, was sacked after a be a dramatic restriction on its operations and decided before the beginning of the next regis- Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu , who emerged as the early wretched debut campaign that saw defend- asked for the sanction to be suspended, the FIFA tration period,” said FIFA. described the ban as a “grave injustice” and favourite for the post following Moyes’s ing champions United slump to seventh statement said. Mussenden “assures that proper and ade- insisted the club intend to make moves in the sacking on Tuesday. However, whereas place in the table, denying FIFA Appeal Committee chairman Larry quate appeal proceedings will take place and, at transfer market this summer. Ancelotti, the former Chelsea manager, is them a place in next season’s Champions Mussenden agreed that the appeal meant the the same time, that all rights of the club will be There are two transfer windows in the 14 less than a year into a three-year contract at League. Long-serving Ryan ban should be suspended. Mussenden “took into respected.” month ban, one starting in July and running to Madrid, Van Gaal is scheduled to step down Giggs has been placed in interim charge of consideration the sanctions imposed against the FIFA’s disciplinary committee imposed the the start of the new Spanish season. The second from his position with Holland after this first-team affairs “until a permanent club, the complexity of the matter, the start date transfer ban on April 2 after finding Barcelona would be in January 2015. In 2010, FIFA imposed year’s World Cup. appointment can be made”, United said. of the next registration period - 1 July 2014 - and guilty of “serious” breaches of rules on under-age a similar transfer window ban against Chelsea Van Gaal, 62, has expressed an interest in The 40-year-old Welshman, who became the fact that the FIFA Appeal Committee does players. over the signing of French youngster Gael working in England and former Holland for- a member of Moyes’s coaching staff at the not seem in a position to take a decision on the It also fined the Spanish Football Association Kakuta. It was overturned after Chelsea reached ward Bryan Roy, who worked under him at beginning of the season, is expected to main issue early enough so that an eventual (RFEF) for allowing the deals. The Spanish cham- an agreement with the player’s former club Ajax, believes that he would be a perfect fit address the media for the first time since appeal of the club against its decision before the pions were given 90 days to regularise the situa- Lens.—AFP at United. “He has definitely still got the taking up his new role on Friday. hunger,” Roy, now a coach at Ajax, told the Giggs will be assisted by and Daily Mirror. “He will never turn down , both of whom kept their jobs Manchester United, believe me. I think it’s on United’s back-room staff despite having Atletico need Costa inspiration the job he really wants. And he will be a rev- been brought in by Moyes, as well as youth- elation at Manchester United.” Speaking team coach and former team-mate Nicky shortly after news of Moyes’s dismissal Butt. BARCELONA: Atletico Madrid failed to breach Chelsea’s broke on Tuesday, Ancelotti expressed sym- However, and Jimmy wall of resistance at the Calderon and they will now hope pathy for the former Everton manager. Lumsden, who were also appointed by for more from their leading marksman in the “I feel for David Moyes, but in general Moyes, have both been fired. Another of decisive return leg of their Champions League semi-final this is the life of a coach,” said the 54-year- Giggs’s former team-mates, , tie in London. old Italian, whose side play Bayern has also been drafted in to provide support. Costa’s goals have fuelled Atletico’s trophy charge both in the Champions League semi-finals yes- “It’s great to see Paul Scholes here at the domestically and in Europe this season, but against terday. Aon Training Complex today, assisting Ryan Chelsea, who are reportedly interested in signing him, the “At times things don’t go well and you Giggs, and Phil Neville,” United 25-year-old striker couldn’t find the back of the net in the are sacked. I’m sure David Moyes will look said in a message on the club’s Twitter feed goalless draw on Tuesday night. for, and find, another job.” Diego Simeone, on Wednesday. News of Moyes’s departure It has been a remarkable season for the Brazilian-born the current Atletico Madrid coach, is anoth- met with a favourable reaction on the New striker who has chosen to represent Spain and, having won er figure to have been linked with the York Stock Exchange, where United’s shares his first cap against Italy, is set for a place in their World vacancy at Old Trafford. rose six percent to their highest level since Cup squad. Meanwhile, reports claim that former Ferguson’s retirement. —AFP Costa has come out of the shadows of who left Atletico for Monaco ahead of this season and he has now hit 27 goals as Atletico lead the title race. His pace and physical strength have helped him to a fur- Forlan takes Cerezo ther seven in the Champions League but against Gary Cahill and he failed to create much space. A strong challenge early on from Terry sparked an angry into Asia’s last 16 reaction from Costa, who is well known for his short fuse, but after that the contest rarely looked like it would boil SINGAPORE: star Diego Forlan Motors in the next round. FC Seoul beat over. struck a precious winner to take his new Beijing Guoan 2-1 to set up a clash with Raul Garcia saw more of the ball in a game where club Cerezo Osaka into the AFC Champions Kawasaki Frontale, and Sanfrecce Chelsea successfully blocked the supply to the forwards League last 16 at the expense of China’s Hiroshima edged 10-man Central Coast with Koke in particular on the right unable to make much Shandong Luneng yesterday. Forlan, who is Mariners 1-0 and will next face Western of an impact. expected to figure at this year’s World Cup, Sydney Wanderers. In the South Korean Atletico had 65 percent of the possession but they grabbed the decisive goal shortly after half- capital, man-of-the-match Kang Seung-Jo couldn’t find a way to goal. “We tried different approaches, time as Cerezo won their final group game put FC Seoul ahead two minutes before the in the final 12 or 13 minutes with Gabi and Koke in the 2-1 to reach the knockout stages. break and Yoon Ju-Tae doubled their middle, Sosa and Arda on the wings, but our rivals defend- It was Forlan’s most telling contribution advantage on 56 minutes. ed well,” coach Diego Simeone told a news conference. since the ex-Manchester United, Inter Beijing’s Yu Yang pulled one back after a “The idea was to break up their defensive organisation Milan, Atletico Madrid and Internacional goalmouth scramble with two minutes but we lacked a cutting edge. We will have to see whether striker arrived in January on reported remaining, but Seoul held on to finish top this result will be good enough for us.” record wages of $5.8 million a year. of Group F with three wins from six games. Gabi did impose himself on the midfield and his work- Forlan has insisted his move to Japan They were joined by Sanfrecce rate and incisive passing will be badly missed in the return will not hurt his chances of World Cup Hiroshima, who reached the knock-outs for leg, where he is suspended. Atletico will be quietly confi- selection, and he gave Uruguay manager the first time after Tsukasa Shiotani’s free- dent, however, that they can get the result they need at Oscar Tabarez a reminder of his qualities kick on 72 minutes gave them a narrow win Stamford Bridge next Wednesday to reach the final in with his second Champions League goal. over Australia’s Central Coast Mariners. The . Brazilian forward Vagner Love had put Australian side had Brent Griffiths sent off They are a compact side and with Diego Godin and Shandong ahead from the penalty spot in for a foul on Naoki Ishihara midway Joao Miranda at the back, they are capable of resisting a lot the first half, but the Japanese visitors through the second half, before Shiotani’s of pressure, while with Chelsea having to come out of their turned the tables with two goals within dead-ball kick was deflected into the shells, Atletico can pounce on the break. “Each team has three minutes of the restart. Mariners’ net. their way of playing and we were on top but we couldn’t Yoichiro Kakitani put Cerezo level before FC Seoul and Sanfrecce’s wins settled a score,” Miranda told reporters. “At home they will have to Forlan, receiving a cross from the left, had tight Group F, in which all four teams had attack more and there is no doubt that we can surprise space on the edge of the box to thump been within just two points of each other them.” His view was echoed by team mate Diego Ribas. home an emphatic finish and secure their ahead of the final games. In Group E, “The 0-0 is not what we were wanting but it isn’t bad only away win in Group E. already qualified Pohang Steelers repelled either. The tie is still open and the game there (Stamford Cerezo’s reward is a last-16 match-up waves of attacks from Buriram United, who Bridge) is likely to be different to this one. We need to be against ’s defending champi- failed in their attempt to reach the elimina- clever and take our chances,” said the attacking midfield- ons Guangzhou Evergrande, who took their tors for the second year running. er.—Reuters place in the knock-outs on Tuesday. And the 2009 champions had the best Pohang Steelers, who topped Group E chances when, in the second half, Yoon and frustrated Thailand’s Buriram United 0- Jun-Sung’s header was brilliantly tipped 0 on Wednesday, will play fellow South onto the bar and Moon Chang-Jin had a Korean former winners Jeonbuk Hyundai goal ruled out for offside.—AFP SPAIN: Atletico’s Diego Costa gestures in this file photo. —AP