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Sports Friday, September 28, 2018 Germany beat Turkey for right to host Euro 2024 Germany receives 12 of the 17 votes with four for Turkey NYON: Germany will host the Euro 2024 soccer tional matches and Mesut Ozil’s deci- tournament after comfortably beating the only sion to quit the German team, citing “racism and other bidders Turkey in a two-horse contest disrespect” over his Turkish roots. yesterday. “We have amazing stadiums, fans who love Germany, which previously staged the event as football, first and foremost we have people who West Germany in 1988 and successfully held the love celebrating with other Europeans,” said for- 2006 World Cup, won the vote among UEFA’s ex- mer Germany captain Philipp Lahm, an ambassa- ecutive committee after a four-year campaign dor for the German bid. “We will organise a huge which, for the first time, featured human rights as football party in Germany.” one of the specific bid criteria. Germany plans to stage the tournament in 10 Germany received 12 of the 17 votes with four cities - Berlin, Munich, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, for Turkey and one abstention. Stuttgart, Hamburg, Duesseldorf, Cologne, Leipzig The decision, announced by UEFA President and Frankfurt. “We saw in 2006 in Germany how Aleksander Ceferin, was a bitter disappointment people came together and it was a big party. We for Turkey who have yet to stage a major football will do the best to feel the same in six years,” Ger- tournament and also failed with bids to host the many coach Joachim Loew told reporters, who re- event in 2008, 2012 and 2016. mained in his job despite his team’s unhappy “The procedure was transparent, the vote was World Cup campaign in Russia. democratic. Every democratic decision is the right “It will be a great motivation for our young decision,” Ceferin said. “I know that Germany will players because they can see that in six years’ time be fantastic hosts and that we will see a wonderful there will be a tournament at home.” tournament both on and off the pitch.” The decision came at a bad time for Turkey The tournament, featuring 24 teams, will revert which, after years of breakneck growth, is in crisis, to its conventional format of being held in a single its heavy foreign debt load increased by the Turk- host country in 2024. The Euro 2020 tournament ish lira’s 40 percent slide this year. Turkey’s human will be staged in cities around the continent to cel- rights record has also been under scrutiny since an ebrate its 60th anniversary. attempted coup in July, 2016. UEFA said in its eval- NYON: Head of Germany’s bid to host the Euro 2024 Philipp Lahm (L) and former German international The vote was a big boost for the troubled Ger- uation of the two bids, published before the vote, football player Celia Sasic pose with the UEFA trophy after the announcement of Germany elected to host man FA which has had to deal with a poor World that Turkey’s “lack of an action plan in the area of the Euro 2024 football tournament in Nyon yesterday. — AFP Cup performance, falling ticket sales for interna- human rights is a matter of concern.” —Reuters

minutes at Estadio Municipal de Butarque. Nabil Barca and Madrid El Zhar had nodded in an equaliser moments be- fore and by the end Philippe Coutinho’s sump- tuous early volley was reduced to little more winner with five minutes left. endure surprise than a footnote. It was an impressive comeback from Mau- After drawing at home to Girona on Sunday, Hazard caps rizio Sarri’s men, giving them valuable mo- albeit with 10 men, Valverde’s selection also La Liga defeats mentum ahead of Saturday’s more significant came under scrutiny, after he opted to rotate for clash between the teams at the second time in three days. Against Girona, it Chelsea win, MADRID: Barcelona conceded twice in 68 sec- Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are currently in was Coutinho, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti on onds and Real Madrid were three down at half- third place, two points behind Liverpool after the bench and just as they all had to be called time as La Liga’s two title favourites were each Spurs survive an unbeaten start to the season. “It’s a fantas- upon in the second half at the Camp Nou, so stunned by surprise defeats on Wednesday tic goal. Not only the beauty of it but for the were Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba this time. night. Barca’s 2-1 loss to relegation fighters time he scored it,” Chelsea assistant boss Gi- “Of course the coach is responsible, a losing shoot-out Leganes was the greater shock but Madrid’s anfranco Zola said of Hazard. coach always feels responsible,” Valverde said. beating was more emphatic, blown away 3-0 by “Not only is he one of the best in the “But obviously it is easy now to talk about the LONDON: Eden Hazard’s majestic solo Sevilla after a torrid 39 minutes at the Ramon Premier League, but he is one of the best rotations - in the end, matches are analysed on strike capped a thrilling Chelsea fightback in Sanchez Pizjuan. the world. He’s remarkable.” Klopp added: results - but you can’t win the league with only their 2-1 win at Liverpool, while Tottenham For both, it was their first defeat of the season “I think the first goal is offside. They eleven players.” survived a penalty shoot-out to beat Watford and for both, defensive fragility was the key fac- watched it and didn’t think it was offside. Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in the League Cup third round on Wednesday. tor, which will be a major concern with the sec- We have to take it. and then Tottenham at Wembley in the Champi- Arsenal advanced to the last 16 with a 3-1 ond round of Champions League games to come “This is good preparation for tomorrow ons League four days later but one point from win over Championship side Brentford, while next week. but we have to defend better.” Sturridge gave two of La Liga’s lesser opponents is a concern. West Ham demolished fourth-tier Maccles- By the end, Atletico Madrid, who had cruised Liverpool the lead in spectacular fashion So is the form of Pique, who was also at fault field in an 8-0 rout that ranked as their to victory over Huesca on Tuesday and play Real after 58 minutes. Naby Keita’s shot was against Girona and will almost certainly start biggest victory for 35 years. But it was the tomorrow, were the biggest winners. After a pushed out by and Sturridge against Spurs, with Umtiti suspended. drama at Anfield that stole the spotlight as stuttering start, Diego Simeone’s side will jump threw himself into an audacious scissor kick “You have to judge the whole team, not indi- Chelsea became the first team to stop Liver- above Real with a win at the Santiago Bernabeu. that flashed into the net for his third goal of viduals,” Sergio Busquets said. “There are no ex- pool winning this season. Sevilla can be a formidable opponent on their the season. cuses. We have to concede fewer goals and be Jurgen Klopp’s side had won seven con- own patch but few expected Leganes to inflict Chelsea equalised in the 79th minute as more solid. Today the league isn’t lost but we secutive matches in all competitions and the what was only Barcelona’s second league defeat Italy defender Emerson tapped in after Simon might miss these three points at the end of the Premier League leaders were on course for in 17 months. “We are in a very difficult moment Mignolet could only parry ’s season.” Real Madrid, who were just kicking off number eight when Daniel Sturridge’s bril- that was unexpected,” Barca coach Ernesto powerful header. That goal needed VAR to as Leganes closed out, could have pulled three liant effort put them ahead in the second half. Valverde said. confirm there were no Chelsea players off- points clear at the top but instead were three But Emerson Palmieri bagged Chelsea’s late Gerard Pique committed the decisive error, side, but there was no doubt about the visi- down at half-time for the first time in a league equaliser before Belgium star Hazard danced his fluffed clearance allowing Oscar Rodriguez through the Liverpool defence to notch the tors’ 85th minute winner. —AFP to score Leganes’ second goal in two incredible game since 2003, also against Sevilla. —AFP