RRUGBYUGBY | Page 4 BBADMINTONADMINTON | Page 6 All Blacks to fi eld Prannoy stuns strong side for former champ fi nal World Cup Lin Dan to warm-up enter 3rd round Wednesday, August 21, 2019 FOOTBALL Dhul-Hijja 20, 1440 AH Juve gamble on Sarri GULF TIMES delivering another style of Serie A title SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL Al Sadd coach Xavi ready for QNB Stars League challenge He has already guided the Wolves to the quarters of AFC Champions League and last week won his first title as coach By Sports Reporter Doha f 20 years from now Xavi Hernandez is counted among football’s great coaches, he would be proudly reminisc- Iing about the fi rst step in that direction he took with Al Sadd of Qatar. After winning all he had hoped for as a player – the FIFA World Cup in 2010, the Euro- pean Championship in 2008 and 2012, not to speak of four Cham- pions League titles, eight La Liga crowns and the QNB Stars League – the Spaniard will lead his side Al Sadd in the fi rst match of the new league season today at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. He has already guided Al Sadd to the quarter-fi nals of the AFC Champions League and just last week won his fi rst title as coach when the Wolves beat their chief rivals in Qatar Al Duhail in the Sheikh Jassim Cup. My philosophy, which I learned while playing for Barcelona and Spain, Al Sadd coach Xavi addresses a press conference yesterday ahead of their QNB Stars League opening match against Al Wakrah. (Right) Al Wakrah coach Marquez Lopez. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil and Twitter is to have possession ‘ “Al-Wakrah is a very strong phy, which I learned while play- and always makes the difference we’re coming from the second was a success, we did a great job players missing due to injuries. of the ball. The players are applying it and I hope they team and has excellent players, ing for Barcelona and Spain, is to in attack. There are many other division and we’re facing reign- with the players and I’m happy “We’re ready to face Qatar SC. continue to learn both local and foreign. I know have possession of the ball. The excellent players in the team ing QNB Stars League champions with the response they’ve shown. We will start the competition in a — Xavi, the Al Wakrah coach (Marquez players are applying it and I hope who can create opportunities Al Sadd fi rst. We worked to pre- Now they know my style of func- new tournament. We miss some and we don’t just depend on one pare for this match with the play- tioning. We played four friendly players, but we will have 11 play- Al Sadd head coach Lopez) well; he has an off ensive they continue to learn.” style similar to Al Sadd’s. We As for the constant pressure on player.” ers physically and psychological- matches during our pre-season ers on the pitch who will do their must continue working and be Al Sadd, Xavi remarked: “Pres- Finally, he concluded by say- ly, and we hope to bring out our camp and we won three of them, best to collect full points, so that The start of his coaching jour- ready to give our best.” sure brings titles. This is what ing: “I feel satisfi ed with the best,” said Lopez. which was good. we make a strong start to the ney couldn’t have been more en- “We are going to play at our happened in the previous sea- team’s performance in attack and “We’re waiting for a diffi cult “We’ve players who were with league,” said Al Duhail coach Rui couraging but Xavi said the Qatar home stadium. We have stud- son, when we won the league. I we will continue working on it. confrontation against Al Sadd, us last season and they know Faria. Stars League would have its own ied Al Wakrah well and we hope am happy to coach this group of Baghdad won’t play (due to sus- which is a well-known team that very well what I seek from them. “We will sorely miss Luis Mar- challenges. there won’t be any surprises. players. I am a positive man and pension), and Nam Tae-hee will always achieves positive results. There’re new players in the team tin, Assim Madibo, Mohamed “We are very happy with our The start is very important in I know that pressure will help us also be unavailable due to a mus- Plus they have already played and they also know about our Moussa, Ahmed Yasser and Me- performance in the AFC Cham- the league.” to win titles, and we’re training cle injury.” three big matches (two in the strategy. There’ll some changes hdi Benatia.” pions League and the Sheikh Xavi also pointed out that all hard to achieve that.” Meanwhile, Al Wakrah coach AFC Champions League and the according to the requirements of Jassim Cup. The league is a new the teams have improved this Asked about the absence of Marquez Lopez said his side Sheikh Jassim Cup fi nal) so far.” matches and that’s normal. We TODAY’S FIXTURES tournament and Al Sadd have season, considering the new suspended striker Baghdad will be facing a tough challenge He concluded by saying his can deal with it.” 5.20pm: Al Sadd vs Al Wak- important targets to meet, as we signings and pre-season prepa- Bounedjah, the coach said: against the defending champi- players were keenly looking In the second match of the rah, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium look to win titles,” he said at his rations. “Baghdad is an unbelievable ons. ahead despite the challenges. day, Al Duhail will take on Qatar 7.30pm: Qatar Sports Club vs pre-match press conference He further said: “My philoso- player in terms of performance, “Our task is diffi cult because “Our pre-tournament camp Sports Club with several of their Al Duhail, Al Janoub Stadium ATHLETICS Mcleod confi dent of making magic happen at Doha 2019 crappy, inconsistent and made the feat all the more im- “The situation I’m in is almost need to be honest with myself out-of-character; Omar pressive is that it came one day like boot camp. We’re in a dorm and pull off the win.” McLeod’s races for the after the death of his aunt, one of and all we do is eat, sleep and On 30 September – exactly fi rst half this season were his closest relatives. train. It’s a good situation be- six weeks from today – McLeod Sessentially a refl ection of the dif- But as the season progressed, cause I want to go out there and will line up for the 110m hurdles fi culties he has faced throughout McLeod started to struggle and train, I’m eager to be around my heats at the IAAF World Athletics the year. was beaten in Nanjing, Rabat, teammates, I’m eager to listen Championships Doha 2019. Two The Jamaican has been the Stanford and London. Never be- to my coach and do whatever he days later, he hopes to be stand- stand-out performer in the fore in his professional career had tells me to do. I’m happy.” ing on the top step of the podium sprint hurdles in recent years, he suff ered four successive defeats. McLeod’s season up until now at the Khalifa International Sta- winning the world indoor and “I was going through the sea- hasn’t exactly been plain sailing, dium. Olympic gold medals in 2016 fol- son feeling unsure about a lot but the 25-year-old is relishing “Winning the world title lowed by the world title in 2017. of things: I lost my aunt, things getting back into a champion- would mean a huge deal,” he says. McLeod won 21 of his 25 races – went downhill, I was unsure of ship setting among the rest of the “I’m a championship performer, including heats – between April my situation, I was getting hurt. I world’s best. I know exactly what it takes to 2016 and May 2018, having been just didn’t think I was in the best “I’m the defending champion win a title. under the tutelage of Edrick Flo- situation to defend my (world) ti- and I’ll be up against the same “I know me so well that if I’m real for most of that period. tle and run fast,” he said. people I run with every year,” in the right situation with a coach But McLeod picked up a mid- “I had to tell myself, ‘you’re the says McLeod, who, as defending that knows what he’s doing and season injury in 2018, then later defending champion, you need champion, will have a wildcard has confi dence in me and trusts that year Floreal moved from to act like that, and you need to entry to the IAAF World Athlet- that I can get the job done and I Kentucky to take on a new coach- put yourself in the best situation ics Championships Doha 2019. have equal trust in him, then we ing role in Texas. McLeod had to to go defend that title and don’t “They’re all getting stronger can do magic, we can win what- make some changes and decided have a pity party for yourself.” Jamaica’s Omar McLeod (right) on his way to men’s 110m hurdles final at the Diamond League Birmingham and stronger.