Sports FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017 43

What next for Atletico Madrid? MADRID: Despite a brave performance and a 2-1 Champions League games over the past four years is years.One of his former clubs Inter Milan, who sacked second leg victory, Atletico Madrid’s attempt to a different challenge. “The same people will be in Stefano Pioli on Tuesday, look set to launch a new overturn a 3-0 first leg deficit from their Champions the Metropolitano,” said Atletico boss Diego offensive for the Argentine, who reduced the length League semi-final against Real Madrid fell short. It is Simeone. “Their emotion and excitement is non- of his contract from 2020 to 2018 earlier this season. the fourth straight season Atletico have been negotiable. It will be their new home.” Keeping Simeone this summer is an absolute must knocked out of the competition by their local rivals. amidst the other upheaval surrounding Atletico. Here, AFP sports looks at five key issues facing Overturn transfer ban Atletico if they are to compete once more for their A smiling Simeone looked ahead to an “encour- Maintain young core first ever Champions League next season. aging” future. “That final step is still a big one and we Retaining Simeone will also make it far easier to need to keep improving,” he added. However, one hold onto a host of rising young stars. Atletico are Smooth stadium transition factor that threatens to halt Atletico’s progress is a likely to be powerless over top-scorer Antoine Wednesday’s win was inspired by a phenomenal ban preventing them from signing new players until Griezmann’s ability to leave with a number of clubs atmosphere for Atletico’s last ever European game at January. The result of the club’s appeal to reduce the willing to meet his 100 million euro ($109 million) the Vicente Calderon. After 50 years Atletico will ban to one already served transfer window will be buyout clause. However, the Frenchman has consis- swap their home by Madrid’s Manzanares river just known before the end of the season and will have a tently recognized his loyalty to Simeone for turning south of the city centre for the new 67,000 capacity huge bearing on Atletico’s ability to make the him into one of the world’s best players and only he out of town stadium to the city’s north. Doubts improvements needed to compete next season. will be able to convince Griezmann into staying for remain over whether the Wanda Metropolitano will another season. Generally Atletico’s age profile is be ready in time for the start of next season. Keep Simeone satisfied promising with (24), Jose Maria Gimenez However, even when the bricks and mortar are in Simeone himself has been the key figure in (22), Lucas Hernandez (21), Saul Niguez (22), Koke place, replacing the emotional tide with which the Atletico’s emergence from a sleeping giant to (25) and Yannick Carrasco (23) all with the prime Calderon has carried Atletico to 18 wins in 22 European power over the past five-and-a-half years of their career to come. —AFP

Chelsea hail ‘The Confather’ with title in their grasp

LONDON: How quickly affections can switch in soccer. Where once they would serenade coach Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge with an operatic flourish, now Chelsea fans have fallen headlong for another man driving them inexorably to the Premier League title. To the Bridge faithful, Mourinho’s “not spe- cial any more” now he’s pitched up at Manchester United but their embrace for coach Antonio Conte will be suffocating if he guides the Blues to a title-clinching victory at West Bromwich Albion today. As the arty canvas held by his daughter at Monday’s home victory over Middlesbrough put it, the Italian is now already enshrined as “The Confather” to a happy family of ruthless operators in blue. No wonder. Albeit a quietly charming, thoughtful figure away from the pitch, on the touchline Conte comes across as a manic, hyperactive figure making demands of his players that they dare not refuse. Win this game or else, his eyes scream. So don’t expect him to stop now. Conte has spent his time since the 3-0 drubbing of Middlesbrough trotting out his familiarly cautious mantra about hard work, fight and commitment still being needed to finish their efficient job. Just a “little step”, he warned softly, but “one that won’t be easy”. He hailed West Brom as “a really good, physical team” but, of late, the truth is that Tony Pulis’s eighth-placed side have looked anything but, having lost four of their last five games. If Chelsea win, they will have an unassailable 10-point lead over Tottenham Hotspur and will become English champions for a sixth time. A defeat or draw, MEDELLIN: Colombia’s Atletico Nacional players celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2017 though, would still leave Spurs the flimsiest of lifelines as they final match against Brazil’s Chapecoense at Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia on prepare for an emotional afternoon at White Hart Lane on May 10, 2017. — AFP Sunday against Manchester United, fittingly illustrious visitors for the last match to be played at the Lilywhites’ 118-year-old stadium. United may prove suitably distracted too with manager Atletico lift Supercup Jose Mourinho having written off their chances of a top-four fin- ish while fluttering eyes only at the Europa League. So, with United out of the equation, the fight for the third and MEDELLIN: Atletico Nacional lifted the South American our chances to make it 2-1 but they got a third and a fourth.” fourth places to guarantee Champions League football next term Supercup on Wednesday after two goals each from Andres “But we are learning and rebuilding a given the difficulties reaches a critical point. Manchester City will be in the driving seat Ibarguen and Dayro Moreno gave them a 4-1 victory on the we’ve been through we matched them for long parts of the if they beat Leicester City at the Etihad on Saturday but it looks night and 5-3 aggregate win over Brazilian side Chapecoense. match. The season is only getting started and we’ll go on from no easy task with last year’s champions belatedly reprising some It was a losing return to Medellin for a club who saw many of here.” Atletico took the lead in the first minute when keeper of their 2015-16 heroics under Craig Shakespeare’s watch. Victory its players and staff wiped out in a plane crash last November. Artur Moraes let a shot from Moreno squirm under his body. would give Pep Guardiola’s side a two-point lead over Liverpool The small club from southern Brazil were to have played Ibarguen doubled their lead on the half hour when he created after 36 games with Juergen Klopp’s men then having to negoti- Atletico in the final of the , South America’s space in a ruck of players and curled a shot into the far corner. ate a tricky visit to West Ham United on Sunday in their penulti- equivalent of the Europa League. However, their plane crashed Chapecoense came into the game in the second half and mate match. Arsenal, who beat Southampton 2-0 on Wednesday on approach to the Colombian city, killing 71 of the 77 people were unlucky not to cut the lead immediately after the restart to move three points behind Manchester City in fifth, remain on board, including all but three of the club’s players and staff. when Alexis Charales knocked a goal bound shot off the line. long shots in the top-four race as they face Stoke City on Chapecoense were later awarded the trophy and that took That miss, and another moments later from Wellington Paulista, Saturday. At the other end of the table, Sunderland may still be them into the 2017 Recopa, or Supercup, against Copa were to prove costly when Moreno made it three after 72 min- licking their wounds after already being relegated but they could Libertadores winners Atletico. Chapecoense won the first leg in utes. Ibarguen bamboozled the defense with some tricky foot- still have a huge say in who joins them and Middlesbrough in the Brazil 2-1 in April but were outclassed against a more experi- work and his cross was knocked back across goal for Moreno to second-tier Championship. With two games each left, it has come enced team playing at a packed home stadium on Wednesday. head home. Ibarguen then made it four after 80 minutes when down to a three-way battle between Hull City (34 points), “They got an early goal and that played into Atletico’s what was to be a shot turned into a perfect lob after he slipped Swansea City (35) and Crystal Palace (38) to avoid the one hands, they had the time to play the ball about,” Chapecoense at the moment of contact. Tulio de Melo got Chapecoense’s remaining relegation spot. — Reuters coach Vagner Mancini told Fox Sports after the game. “We had consolation goal eight minutes from time. — Reuters