sign in sign up
<<
Home , David Beckham

SPORTS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2013

Southampton soaring after brush with abyss

LONDON: Four years after sliding into the English backed by former great Matt Le Cortese says he has no qualms about making diffi- now an England international, having scored with third tier and veering dangerously close to bank- Tissier failed with a bid to buy the club, but salva- cult decisions in the interests of the club. his first touch on his debut against Scotland in ruptcy, Southampton are riding high in fifth place tion arrived in the form of a Switzerland-based, “ think, to be honest, looking at those two sce- August. in the following a stunning trans- Germany-born entrepreneur called Markus narios, if one day I was in a similar situation again, I Central to Southampton’s success this season formation. Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Fulham Liebherr. would do it the same way again,” Cortese told the has been an asphyxiating high-pressing game that meant that the modest club from the English south Liebherr had no previous experience of working Leaders in Football conference earlier this month. has yielded a 1-0 win at and a 1-1 draw at coast have enjoyed the best start to a top-flight in football and promptly sacked head coach Mark “You have to make the decision, whether it is United, as well as a record of just three season in their 127-year existence. Wotte after buying the club, yet his arrival marked popular or unpopular.” With Cortese’s backing, goals conceded in nine league games. Not even the team that finished runners-up to a sea change at St Mary’s Stadium.A year later, Southampton have broken their transfer record “It’s enjoyable because the hunger is there, Liverpool in 1983-84 made such a searing start, Southampton won the Football League Trophy four times in a little over a year, seeing off interest which comes from the pressing and working hard,” and the achievement is rendered all the more and, after securing back-to-back promotions, they from some of Europe’s leading clubs to sign Gaston says English forward Jay Rodriguez, another former remarkable by the travails the Saints have endured returned to the Premier League in 2012. Ramirez, Victor Wanyama and £15 million ($24.1 record signing. in recent years. In April 2009, with Southampton Liebherr died after a period of illness in August million, 17.6 million euros) record-signing Dani “We all enjoy the pressing when we’re creating languishing in the second-tier Championship, the 2010, but he had installed Nicola Cortese as execu- Osvaldo, who worked with Pochettino at Espanyol. chances, but the main thing for us is keeping clean club’s parent company went into administration, tive chairman in 2009 and the Italy-born Swiss kept The club’s well-regarded academy also continues sheets.” With United reconstructing and the English triggering an automatic 10-point deduction that the club firmly on the rails. Cortese has made con- to bear fruit, with 18-year-olds and top flight in a state of flux, there are opportunities saw them relegated to League One. troversial decisions, sacking head coach Alan James Warde-Prowse the latest starlets to tumble for teams looking to upset the traditional hierarchy It was the first time they had played in the third Pardew shortly after Liebherr’s death and dismiss- off a production line that previously produced and Pochettino is not ruling out a tilt at a European division since 1960 and came just six years after ing Nigel Adkins in January 2013 despite the , and Alex Oxlade- place. “I have been saying for a couple of weeks they finished eighth in the Premier League and lost Englishman having masterminded the club’s rise Chamberlain. now that the sky is the limit,” said the Argentine, 1-0 to Arsenal in the FA Cup final. from League One. However, Adkins’s successor, Meanwhile, 31-year-old centre-forward Rickie who led Southampton to a 14th-place finish last As staff wages went unpaid, a consortium , has proven a revelation, and Lambert, who signed from Bristol Rovers in 2009, is season. “We don’t set ourselves any limits.” — AFP Simon outlasts Mahut in thriller

PARIS: Defending champion David Ferrer was pushed to three sets by Czech Lukas Rosol in his opening match at the Masters yester- day before easing into the last-16, 6-0, 2-6, 6- 3. Rosol, who is part of his country’s squad to face Serbia in the Davis Cup final on November 15, appeared to be on the receiving end of a rout before fighting back to give Ferrer a scare when he won the second set 6-2. However, the experience of the 31-year-old Grand Slam finalist proved decisive in the final David Beckham frame as Ferrer consistently put pressure on the Rosol serve and was rewarded with a third Beckham picks round tie against Frenchman Gilles Simon. The Nice native, a semi-finalist loser last here in Paris against Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz, for MLS franchise defeated Nicolas Mahut in a marathon 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3) second round matchup. LONDON: With his playing career over, for- hundred million dollars of investment to fund Simon led 4-1 in the final set before an mer England captain David Beckham has the setup costs, including putting together injury break forced upon Mahut appeared to decided his next move: starting a Major the squad of players and building a stadium. revive the taller Frenchman. However when League Soccer team in Miami. Beckham’s business partner , the conclusion went to a tie-break, it was Since leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy in the “American Idol” creator who is the driving Simon who was strongest and finally closed December, and retiring from the game after a force in franchise negotiations, will be a sig- out the longest match of the tournament for a subsequent five-month stint at Paris Saint- nificant shareholder, the person familiar with rewarding victory. Germain, Beckham has been mulling over the the situation said. Beckham is looking to sell “It was very difficult for both of us and we location for his MLS franchise. stakes in the team to other investors, and has Beckham has now made up his mind and already had expressions of interest from busi- both had problems,” said a relieved Simon. “It’s he would pay a discounted rate of $25 million nessmen globally. the last tournament of the year and we’re to start an MLS expansion team in Miami, a Beckham hopes the team to debut in ready to die out there but I’m very, very happy person with knowledge of the situation told three years, which would probably require to have won this match. “I had lots of chances The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person the franchise to initially play in an existing to win, I’m tired, I’m in pain but just very happy spoke on condition of anonymity because venue. In June, Beckham toured the Sun Life to have won,” Simon told a vibrant crowd that plans for the team aren’t being publicly dis- and Florida International University stadiums pushed the players to their limits. cussed yet. The option of becoming a team and met with Miami-Dade County Mayor Earlier on court one, big-serving American owner was included in the MLS contract Carlos Gimenez. John Isner bombarded Polish qualifier Michal Beckham signed when joining the Los University officials delivered a presenta- Przysiezny with 27 aces on the way to a 7-6 Angeles Galaxy in 2007. tion to Beckham and , presi- (7/3), 4-6, 6-3 second round win. “We know that Miami is one of the most dent and CEO of Brightstar Corp. and a mem- Awaiting the US number one is six-time passionate soccer markets in North America,” ber of the FIU Board of Trustees, explaining Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, who MLS Executive Vice President Dan the draw of a professional team in Miami. wrapped up his opening victory just after mid- Courtemanche told the AP. “We have met Before deciding on Miami as the franchise night on Tuesday, when he ended French qual- with David Beckham regarding ownership of location, Beckham explored options in other FRANCE: France’s Gilles Simon returns a shot to Nicolas Mahut during their tennis match at the ifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert’s fairytale run in ninth and final ATP World Tour Masters 1000 indoor tournament. — AFP an expansion team, and we look forward to cities, including Montreal, San Diego and straight sets. David one day owning an MLS club.” Orlando, the person said. makes his much anticipated third set injured. the first time, but also protect his eighth place There are currently 19 MLS teams, and Miami has had a tournament debut later on Wednesday against Argentina’s world number five Juan Martin ranking and a maiden appearance in the league commissioner Don Garber hopes to team before. The Miami Fusion held matches fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers, while his Del Potro takes to the centre court against English capital. expand to 24 teams by the 2020 season. A in Fort Lauderdale from 1998 to 2001, before Marin Cilic after the Croatian capped his return Canadian number one Milos Raonic faces a 20th team is already in place to begin playing shutting down because of poor attendance. long-time rival is also in action. in 2015 after Premier League club Manchester As a former Manchester United, Real The Swiss record Grand Slam holder, needs from a doping ban with a first round triumph. must-win situation in a bid to overtake City and its partner, the New York Yankees, Madrid and AC Milan , Beckham just one more victory to seal his place at next Federer’s Davis Cup partner Stanislas Gasquet, Wawrinka or Federer and gatecrash paid an expansion fee of $100 million to hopes his star power will make a team work month’s ATP World Tour Finals for the 12th Wawrinka faces a nervous match as he tries to the World Tour Finals but must get past Dutch launch New York City FC. there. straight season. close in on his place in London against qualifer Robin Haase first in the final evening The MLS still has to give Beckham the go- Beckham’s management team said it is not Standing in his way is South African Kevin Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. matchup. The powerful serving, Montenegro- ahead to make Miami the location of the fran- ready yet to make an announcement about Anderson who advanced on Tuesday when The 28-year-old from Lausanne is not only born 22-year-old, must reach the final in Paris chise. Beckham is looking to raise several Beckham’s franchise ownership option. — AP Russian veteran Mikhail Youzhny retired in the trying to finish the year inside the top ten for to have a chance to qualify. — AFP Coach Klopp commits to Dortmund

BERLIN: Coach Juergen Klopp has committed himself to bigger clubs. Dortmund have hit the bullseye with to Borussia Dortmund until at least 2018 after signing a transfers under Klopp, bringing in players such as Marco two-year contract extension yesterday with last season’s Reus, Ilkay Guendogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Champions League runners-up. replace those departing, including Shinji Kagawa, Mario Among the most sought-after coaches in Europe, Goetze and Lucas Barrios. Klopp, who joined Dortmund in 2008, led them to the Dortmund, who have seriously challenged treble Bundesliga title in 2011 and the domestic league and winners Bayern’s domestic dominance in recent sea- Cup double in 2012 before losing to German rivals sons, are a point behind them in the Bundesliga after 10 Bayern Munich in this year’s Champions League final. games and are on course to advance in the Champions Ushering in an era of exciting, attack-minded football League group with two wins out of three group match- that has won over scores of fans worldwide, Klopp’s es. arrival marked a turning-point for the 1997 Champions “We want to have the tranquility to plan the future of League winners who were on the brink of bankruptcy this wonderful club together,” said the 46-year-old for- less than 10 years ago. mer Mainz 05 player and coach. “No one needs to call until 2018,” a smiling Klopp told “Together we have written an exciting story here, KGL introduces cricket team reporters in a hastily arranged news conference in maybe the most exciting and thrilling football story of Dortmund. “We feel a lot of extraordinary trust and con- the past few years. But I do not have the feeling that I fidence in this club. This is a clear sign.” “It is an honor have to start with any final chapter yet.” for the season 2013—2014 that some international top clubs consider that we are For Dortmund, the deal is a match made in heaven doing good work here but I do not belong to those who after years in the Bundesliga wilderness. “What belongs KUWAIT: Kuwait & Gulf Link Transport Company (KGL) host- units will team up with the aim to build up sportsmanship constantly think about whether the grass is greener together should not be separated,” club CEO Hans- ed this summer, and for the first time, a Cricket Tournament and promote a spirit of coordination and friendship”. somewhere else. So thank you but no chance,” he said. Joachim Watzke told reporters. “We know what we have for its employees from the various Business Units that has Vishwanath Pichumoney, KGL Deputy CFO, added His coaching staff’s contracts were also extended. “To with this coaching team. There is no other that could extended over 3 weekends. Six (6) teams competed for the “Passion for Cricket runs very deep in the Asian community have four and a half years of secure employment in our better fit Dortmund and our football philosophy.” KGL Cricket Cup and this forum represented a good opportu- and as part of KGL’s Corporate Social Responsibility towards business is unusual but we will not go soft,” Klopp said. Klopp’s success with the team on the pitch has also nity to identify good talents from within the Group to form its employees; the company has taken this initiative to Instead we have a huge appetite to take on the tasks translated into booming financial results for the Ruhr the KGL Cricket Team expected to represent the company encourage this passion in forming the KGL Cricket Team”. at hand. We want to continue the successful path and valley club, the only publicly traded Bundesliga club. within the State of Kuwait in various National Tournaments. One of the goals of KGL’s Corporate Social Responsibility ideally make it even more successful.” Turnover topped 305 million euros for the 2012-13 The KGL Cricket Team is expected to participate in 3 main (CSR) program is to embrace responsibility for the company’s Unshaven and preferring a track suit to a three-piece season, the best financial results in the club’s history. Tournaments within Kuwait for the 2013/2014 season, main- actions through community development both internal and suit on the touchline, Klopp is a crowd favourite in “That (new deal) is a marker for the team because ly the KCA (Kuwait Cricket Association) Tournament, the TAC external. In this approach, KGL works with local communities Germany, though his emotions have landed him in trou- when we negotiate with new players then they know (Teams Association of Cricket) Tournament and the KOC to better themselves, where this type of development gener- ble, including in this season’s Champions League where with whom they will be working. That is helpful,” said (Kuwait Oil Company) Tournament. ally leads to more sustainable improvements to the social he sat out two matches for verbally attacking an official. Watzke. Dortmund shares increased in value by 0.5 Ali Barakat, Team Captain stated that “Carrying the KGL fabric. The formation of the Cricket Team will help increase He has formed one of the quickest teams on the con- percent following the news of Klopp’s contract exten- flag is a great honor for each and every player on KGL Cricket motivational levels among the Asian community within the tinent despite losing at least one key player per season sion. — Reuters Team. At this platform, players from the various business KGL Group.