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SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016 19 Coleman to call time on Wales job after 2018 World Cup CARDIFF: Chris Coleman, basking in the Ronaldo-inspired Portugal, said he Wales’s success has seen Coleman success in this team, I think, because his childhood friend Gary Speed, who success of Wales’s run to the Euro 2016 would have been in the job long linked with a return to club manage- they’re at a good age. But I’ll certainly was Wales’s manager at the time of his semi-finals, said Friday the upcoming enough. ment, but he dismissed that happening give everything I’ve got in this next cam- death. Five months earlier, Wales had fall- 2018 World Cup campaign will be his last “I am sure this will be my last cam- any time soon. “That will be six or seven paign. I’ll make sure they do.” en to their lowest world ranking of 117th as manager. paign whether we qualify or not (for years in the job, which is a long time. So I Coleman, whose club managerial and, despite making the worst start of The 46-year-old, who took Wales to Russia),” said Coleman, whose contract think this will be my last hit at it so I will experience had taken him from England any Wales manager with four defeats their first finals since the 1958 World Cup runs to the end of the next World Cup, give it my best shot, but I would not con- to Spain and Greece yielding little in the from his first four games, Coleman is now and then oversaw a superb campaign with his team playing their first qualifier sider going anywhere else, “ he said. way of results, only took up the role in guiding his country through its most only ended on Wednesday by a Cristiano at home to Moldova on September 5. “I want to see this through. There’s January 2012 after the tragic suicide of successful era. — AFP UEFA to publish top officials pay deals PARIS: UEFA has followed FIFA by pledg- UEFA never revealed Platini’s salary, or ing to publish details of what the president stipends and expenses that the 17 mem- and other top officials are paid for the first bers of its executive panel receive. FIFA time. The UEFA executive committee decid- executive committee members are paid a ed yesterday to create a three-member $300,000 annual stipend, plus expenses. compensation panel to “oversee matters UEFA includes salary costs in a broader linked to remuneration” of senior manage- “governing expenses” amount of 72.6 mil- ment, including the president and general lion euros ($80.2 million) in the 2014-15 secretary. financial accounts. The 55 national member The move toward financial openness fol- federations of UEFA will elect a new presi- lows world football body FIFA, which dent to replace Platini on Sept. 14 in revealed in March that former president Athens. The front-runner ahead of a July 20 Sepp Blatter was paid a basic salary of $3 deadline to enter the contest appears to be million in 2015. In previous years, Blatter Aleksander Ceferin, a lawyer who has been more than doubled his salary with bonuses president of the Slovenia football federa- from World Cup profits. tion since 2011. UEFA said in a statement that “detailed UEFA’s interim general secretary is information will be disclosed” in the annual Theodore Theodoridis, the long-time accounts published in March. deputy to Infantino, who joined the Both top UEFA posts are formally vacant Switzerland-based governing body from after outgoing president Michel Platini was the Greece football federation. banned by FIFA and former general secre- UEFA said its pay oversight panel will tary Gianni Infantino was elected FIFA pres- include its finance committee chairman, ident in February. Infantino is currently currently Marios Lefkaritis of Cyprus, a working without a contract after rejecting a member of its governance and compliance $2 million salary offer from FIFA’s compen- committee, and an independent financial sation panel. expert. — AP PARIS: France’s midfielder Paul Pogba (R) plays the ball during a training session in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, southwest of aris,P yesterday, on From back-up to Barcelona the eve of the Euro 2016 final football match between Portugal and France. — AFP for France’s Samuel Umtiti Portugal seek revenge for SAINT-DENIS: In the space of 10 giddy Lyon youth ranks and it was the confidence days, 22-year-old Samuel Umtiti has gone and accuracy of his passing that are from uncapped Lyon defender to big-mon- thought to have seduced Barcelona. ey Barcelona signing and likely France Having made his Lyon debut aged 18 in past agony against France starter in a European Championship final. January 2012, he was appointed vice-cap- Drafted in as an injury replacement, tain last season and will leave France with Umtiti was still waiting for his first appear- 131 Ligue 1 appearances under his belt. PARIS: For Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal the Euro Friday. “We are aware of our past defeats against Pogba in a friendly at the Stade de France in ance at Euro 2016 when Barcelona “He’s sure of his ability, which is impor- 2016 final today offers a golden opportunity to France, but that can give us extra strength and October 2014. But Joao Mario added: announced on June 30 that they had tant,” says France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, end a miserable record in meetings with France. motivation.” “Probability doesn’t win matches. The French agreed to sign him from Lyon for 25 million who played with Umtiti in his final season As well as having home advantage and histo- France also beat Portugal in a friendly in can believe in this, but 100 percent of euros ($26.7 million). He made his France at Lyon before joining Tottenham Hotspur. ry on their side from wins in their last two major Lisbon as recently as last September and won 2- Portuguese also believe Portugal can win and debut against Iceland three days later and “There’s confidence within the team, tournament finals on home soil, Les Bleus can 1 with goals from Karim Benzema and Paul that is what we are going to focus on.” — AFP having then impressed in the 2-0 semi-final too. This environment and confidence claim to be Portugal’s bete noire. win over Germany, Umtiti is expected to allows him to feel good and show all his France have won their last 10 meetings with line up against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal ability. the Portuguese since going down 2-0 in a friend- in today’s final. “I’m not surprised by Sam. “He’s very strong in the challenge and ly back in 1975, and their head-to-head record What he’s doing with us is what he was very good at playing the ball out from the includes victories in all three clashes at major UEFA drops doping doing before,” France coach Didier back, which marks him out. “The hardest bit competitions. Deschamps told journalists at Stade de is yet to come, but he has a good head on The first of those came at the 1984 European France on Saturday. his shoulders and that’s essential.” Championship in France, when the hosts tri- case against Sakho “He knows I have confidence in him. Born in Yaounde, the youngest of four umphed 3-2 after extra time in a dramatic semi- Some players aren’t mature at 30, some are children, Umtiti spent the first two years of final in Marseille. PARIS: UEFA on Friday dropped a doping case Liverpool website. “I am looking forward to mature at 20 — he’s in the latter category. his life in Cameroon before moving to Lyon Penalties beckoned at the Stade Velodrome against Liverpool and France international getting back in the team and playing again.” “He deserves all the praise. He has the force with his family. Despite frequent overtures when Michel Platini appeared to score a 119th- defender Mamadou Sakho, leaving him free The player was technically available for inter- of character and the force of personality from the Cameroon Football Federation- minute winner to send France through to a final to resume his career just two days before the national duty at Euro 2016, but despite play- that you need.” including approaches from one of the against Spain where they lifted the Henri Euro 2016 final. The defender, who moved to ing a key role for France these last two sea- Umtiti was only called up by Deschamps country’s greatest players, Roger Milla- Delaunay trophy for the first time. Anfield for £18 million ($25 million) in 2013, sons, Didier Deschamps left him out of the due to a calf injury sustained by Jeremy Umtiti chose to represent France at “So much sadness, frustration and disap- has 28 caps for France and had been ear- finals squad. He also missed the Europa Mathieu, who will ironically be one of his youth level. He was a member of the France pointment. Even today it is very painful to talk marked for a starting place at the champi- League final. rivals for a place alongside Gerard Pique in team that triumphed at the Under-20 about that match,” said Jaime Pacheco, who onships before the case threw his career into Normally a starter for France, in his the heart of Barcelona’s defence next sea- World Cup in 2013. played for Portugal that night, in a recent inter- jeopardy. “Following a hearing with the absence they have powered through to the son.

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