NNBABA | Page 5 CCYCLINGYCLING | Page 7 Rockets Bennett wins dominate to rainy Giro level series 1-1 stage, Yates with Warriors keeps lead Friday, May 18, 2018 FOOTBALL Ramadan 2, 1439 AH Griezmann fi res GULF TIMES Atletico Madrid to Europa triumph SPORT Page 3 RECOGNITION Al Duhail’s Msakni scoops Belmadi and Almoez complete Duhail sweep winning Best Coach and U23 best player award Player awards respectively By Sports Reporter ing excellent results at both domes- Doha tic and continental levels. Belmadi was named as the QNB Stars League’s best coach for the l Duhail’s Youssef Msakni months of February, March and was adjudged as the Best April, 2018. He has achieved a lot Player of the 2017-18 sea- in Qatar football — at both club and son at the Qatar Football country levels. Belmadi made it big AAssociation’s end-of-season awards at the regional level when he led Qa- ceremony at the Qatar National tar to the Gulf Cup triumph in 2014, Convention Center yesterday. beating Saudi Arabia in the fi nal. The Tunisian beat off the chal- Four of Lekhwiya’s league ti- lenge from teammate and South Ko- tles (2010-11, 2011-12, 2016-17 and rean playmaker Nam Tae-hee and 2017-18) came when Belmadi was at Al Sadd’s Spanish midfi eld star Xavi the helm. Hernandez. Rising star Almoez Ali beat his Du- Unsurprisingly, Al Duhail’s hail teammate Bassam al-Rawi and Djamel Belmadi bagged the award Al Sadd’s Salem al-Hajri for the Un- for the Best Coach, while Duhail’s der-23 award. Almoez is one of the Almoez Ali was named as the Best prominent players of Al Duhail even Under-23 Player. though he is only 21 years of age. He Al Duhail’s Youssef El Arabi was played an instrumental role in their presented with Mansour Muftah two title triumphs this season. Award for being the top-scorer at Almoez, who was voted as the best the QNB Stars League. The Moroc- Under-23 player last season as well, can striker scored 26 goals, one more is having an outstanding season this than his captain Msakni. time too. He scored crucial goals and Msakni was a key fi gure in Al provided many assists to El Arabi Duhail’s triumph in the QNB Stars and Youssef Msakni (25). League with an unbeaten record. The wily striker has a vital role He played the captain’s role to per- in Algerian coach Djamel Belmadi’s fection and fi nished as the second- scheme of things. He has sound best scorer in the tournament with technique and physical abilities, and 25 goals, one less than teammate El is highly talented. Arabi. Almoez is a graduate from the As- Together, they contributed 51 pire Academy in 2014. He is also an of Al Duhail’s tally of 86 goals, the important member of the Qatar Ol- most by any side. The nearest was ympic as well as national team. He Al Sadd’s 68 goals. The Tunisian at- had emerged as the best player when tacking midfi elder was named the Qatar fi nished third at the Asian best player in September, November, U-23 Championship in China early December and February and that this year. speaks volumes for his performance. El Arabi was delighted to win the Msakni missed Duhail’s trium- top-scorer award. “I’m very happy phant campaign in the Qatar Cup as that we won the QNB Stars League he was out with a cruciate ligament title with an unbeaten record. I’m injury. He was operated upon in the also happy that I could become the US last week and is recuperating. top scorer for the second successive The injury ruled him out of the next season. This would motivate me to month’s FIFA World Cup in Russia. perform well in future,” said El Arabi. Belmadi made it really big with The wily forward said Duhail Duhail this season by guiding them wants to win the Amir Cup. They to the QNB Stars League and Qatar will take on Al Rayyan in fi nal to- Cup triumphs. Belmadi held off last morrow. season’s winner Jesualdo Ferreira of “We want to win all titles — the Al Sadd and Michael Laudrup of Al Amir Cup and AFC Champions Rayyan. League. The team is very strong this The Algerian is a shrewd tactician, season as you can see from the re- Al Duhail’s Youssef El Arabi (second from left), who lifted the Mansour Muftah Award for being the top-scorer at the QNB Stars League, takes a selfie with Best U23 Player Award who has consistently been produc- sults,” he said. winner and teammate Almoez Ali (left) and Best Coach Award winner Djamel Belmadi (right) during QFA’s end-of-season awards ceremony yesterday. PICTURE: Anas Khalid SPOTLIGHT Italy great Buff on calls time on 17-year Juve career AFP Liverpool, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Turin, Italy Buff on fi le “I’d like to get out of my comfort zone and to test myself in more complicated situations that Name: Gianluigi Buff on JUVENTUS: FIFA Confederations Cup: I don’t know,” said Buff on. uventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buff on an- Date of birth: Feb. 28, 1978 Total games played: 655 Bronze medal 2013 “That’s a way of seeing what you’re made of nounced yesterday that he will leave the Age: 40 years Serie A games played: 471 and I’ve never been afraid of a challenge. Turin giants after 17 years but did not as ex- Place of birth: Carrara, Serie A (9): 2001-2002, RECORDS “I’m certainly not someone who thinks it’s pected declare the end of his playing career. Tuscany (Italy) 2002-2003, 2011-2012, Most caps for Italy: 176 right to end my career in who knows what third or JBuff on, 40, captained Juventus to a seventh fourth division. I am a competitive animal and I Height: 1.91 m (6ft 3in) 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014- Second-most appearances straight Serie A title and fourth consecutive 2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, in Serie A: 639, behind Paolo won’t be able to live or feel at ease in that situation. Italian Cup triumph this season. PLAYING CAREER 2017-2018 Maldini’s 647 “My fear was to reach the end of the Juventus “To end this adventure with two new victories TEAMS: Serie B (1): 2006-2007 Joint record for World Cup adventure as someone who people just put up was important,” the Italian told a press confer- Parma 1995-2001 Italian Cup (4): 2014-2015, appearances (5): 1998, with or a player who had lost it.” ence at the Allianz Stadium. Juventus 2001-2018 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017- 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 It was a rollercoaster season for Buff on with Italy’s most capped player with 176 appear- INTERNATIONAL: 2018 Italy failing to qualify for the World Cup fi nals ances, Buff on also confi rmed he would not play Italy 1997-2018 Italian SuperCup (5): 2002, AWARDS for the fi rst time in six decades. again for the Azzurri, ruling out an expected Caps: 176 2003, 2012, 2013, 2015 Serie A Goalkeeper of the His fi nal Champions League game ended in international farewell on June 4 in a friendly Year: 1999, 2001, 2002, another fi asco last month as he raged into the against the Netherlands. The former Parma PLAYING HONOURS INTERNATIONAL 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, night at the referee after being sent off late in a goalkeeper will make his 640th Serie A appear- PARMA: FIFA World Cup: 2006 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 semi-fi nal defeat by Real Madrid. ance against Verona tomorrow. Italian Cup (1): 1998-1999 winner UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year: Buff on is facing a UEFA ban for his verbal Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini will take over Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buff on poses for Italian SuperCup (1): 1999 European championship: 2002-03, 2016-17 abuse of English referee Michael Oliver, whom the role of captain. pictures with fans after a news conference in UEFA Cup (1): 1998-1999 2012 runner-up Runner-up Ballon d’Or: 2006 he said had “a rubbish bag for a heart”. Buff on said he would like to take more time to Turin, Italy, yesterday. (Reuters) European titles for both club and country are refl ect on his future, which could be either on or the only major ones missing from his collec- off the pitch. “What am I going to do? Saturday, “Until 15 days ago, I was sure to stop playing, esting was made to me by (Juventus) president tion, I will make a defi nite and certain decision.” tion as Juventus fi nished runners-up twice in I’m playing a match and it’s the only thing that’s but I received some exciting proposals, both on (Andrea) Agnelli.” According to the Italian press, Buff on has re- the Champions League and Italy were beaten by certain,” he continued. and off the pitch. Off the pitch the most inter- “Next week, after a few days of calm refl ec- ceived off ers from top European clubs including Spain in the 2012 European Championships. Gulf Times 2 Friday, May 18, 2018 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT FOCUS Guardiola Injured Payet left out of signs new deal at Man City France World Cup squad The Guardian Manchester City's Mendy called up despite having hardly featured for since returning from a serious knee injury ep Guardiola has signed a two-year con- AFP (Wolves/ENG) tract extension at Man- Paris Dimitri Payet (centre) is Forwards: Sadio Mane (Liverpool/ENG), chester City, taking him toP the end of the 2020-21 season.