Established 1961 27 Sports Wednesday, May 23, 2018 Pellegrini targets attacking revolution at West Ham Pellegrini led City to the title in 2014 LONDON: Manuel Pellegrini has promised Gold and David Sullivan during a home in all competitions in the 2013-14 season-as to unleash an attacking revolution at West defeat against Burnley, invading the pitch crucial to his chances of ushering in a new Ham after the Chilean was named as the and throwing missiles at the directors’ box. era of success at the London Stadium. Premier League club’s new manager yester- Pellegrini hopes he can unify the club by “He is one of the world’s most respected day. Former Manchester City boss Pellegrini signing players who can implement his pre- football coaches and we look forward to left his role with Hebei China Fortune over ferred brand of football. “I think West Ham working with him,” Sullivan said. “It was the weekend and flew to London to seal his has a very good team. I know all of the play- important that we appointed someone with return to the English top-flight on a three- ers and I saw most of the games that they knowledge and experience of the Premier year contract. played last season,” Pellegrini said. League, who already has an understanding- The Hammers opted not to keep David “So I am sure that, with the players we not only of the teams and players we face- Moyes after his short-term contract ended have in this moment in the squad, and bring- but of West Ham United and our ambitions. following the final game of a Premier “Manuel brings a reputation for League season which saw West Ham pull attacking football and getting the best away from the relegation zone and finish out of his players. We believe he will 13th under the Scot. attract new talent to the London Pellegrini led City to the Premier I think West Stadium as well as improving the cur- League title in 2014, reached the rent squad.” Champions League semi-finals in 2016 Ham has a very Pellegrini coached at Villarreal, Real and also won two League Cups during his good team Madrid and Malaga in Spain. In his lone three-year spell in Manchester. Winning season at Madrid in 2009-10, Pellegrini the title with West Ham might be a bridge failed to win a trophy and was sacked too far, but the 64-year-old has set his to make way for Jose Mourinho’s arrival sights on producing an entertaining team after finishing second to Barcelona in capable of exciting fans frustrated by La Liga. their club’s struggles in recent years. ing maybe another four or five players in, we Pellegrini was in charge when Real signed “I think that West Ham had a difficult are going to have a strong team. “I am excit- , Karim Benzema and Xabi season last season and I hope that next sea- ed about this project. I know that this league Alonso, but he blamed the club’s obsession son we are going to play football that will is very good and it’s not easy to do it. “But I with superstars for stopping him building a delight the fans,” Pellegrini said. “I always think that working all together with the cohesive team. He left City in June 2016, to play attacking football and we must try to owners, the technical staff and the fans, we be succeeded by Pep Guardiola, but was reach important targets in the season.” have an important power and can think soon back in work at Hebei. Despite being SWANSEA: File photo taken on May 15, 2016 Manchester City’s Chilean manager Manuel Angry about West Ham’s move from their about reaching important targets for the under contract through to the end of 2018 Pellegrini waves to supporters after the English Premier League football match between historic Upton Park stadium to the London season.” and with a reported release clause of $7 mil- Swansea City and Manchester City at The Liberty Stadium. Pellegrini has signed a three-year Stadium two years ago, supporters launched Sullivan hailed Pellegrini’s track record lion, Hebei confirmed on Saturday that contract to become West Ham’s new manager, a statement said yesterday. — AFP furious protests against co-owners David with City-where his team scored 151 goals Pellegrini had left his role. — AFP

KIB sponsors Al-Roudan’s Ramadan indoor Iran primed for attempt to soccer tourney break group stage hoodoo HONG KONG: The stability and Sardar Azmoun, a forward in the KUWAIT: Following the success of previous pragmatism of Carlos Queiroz’s sev- mould of Iranian great Ali Daei years, Kuwait International Bank (KIB) en-year reign has firmly established whose goals were instrumental in announced its sponsorship of the 2018 Late Iran’s as Asia’s number one team, but Iran becoming the first Asian nation Abdullah Mishari Al-Roudan’s Ramadan the nation will go to the World Cup to qualify for the finals. Indoor Football Tournament. In addition to hoping to advance for the first time Azmoun is backed up by the pace sponsoring this year’s event, the Bank will also to the knockout phase. and trickery of Alireza Jahanbakhsh, participate in this annual Ramadan tournament Queiroz’s side face a daunting who goes to Russia off the back of with a team of highly-skilled, professional task after being drawn to take on an impressive season for AZ football players who will compete for the title Morocco, Spain and Portugal. Alkmaar in the Eredivisie, while as the tournament’s champions. However, Team Melli represent the Qatar-based striker Mehdi Taremi KIB’s sponsorship of this tournament comes Asian Football Confederation’s best adds another dimension to the as part of the event’s immense popularity and hope of a successful 2018 finals. attack. fan base all over the country. Accordingly, the Iran will be appearing at the Iran qualified for the World Cup tournament is one of the most highly anticipat- World Cup for a fifth time and on having conceded only twice in the ed events taking place in the sports community each of their four previous visits-in final phase and both of those goals every year, as football is considered one of the 1978, 1998, 2006 and 2014 — they came against Syria after their spot in most beloved sports amongst youth across the were unable to advance beyond the the finals had already been secured. nation and the globe. group phase. But Queiroz, who took That 2-2 draw at the Azadi On his part, Manager of the Corporate charge in April 2011, has long target- Stadium marked the first time Communications Unit at KIB, NawafNajia, Najia also added that the KIB team is now competition between players, thereby encour- ed a run that would see the country Queiroz’s team had allowed the said: “Our sponsorship of this thrilling tourna- in the lead following its victory over the aging enthusiasm, athleticism, and promoting a progress for the first time and has opposition to score in a competitive ment has definitely earned its place amongst National Guard football team. During its first sense of team spirit. Additionally, the tourna- worked hard to encourage the game since a 3-1 win over our series of Ramadan activities and initiatives. match, the KIB football team demonstrated ment is a great opportunity for employees to authorities in Iran to give him the Turkmenistan in November 2015, a This year, we are not only participating in the remarkable sportsmanship which was enjoyed improve their physical fitness, as they are tools required to achieve that goal. run stretching back 13 matches and tournament, as our support has now extended by the large crowd of fans. The Bank is cur- required to follow a strict healthy lifestyle and Queiroz’s main concern has been almost 22 months. further to sponsoring the event. Of course, this rently preparing for its next match which will diet, boosting their efficiency and productivity. the disparity in the fitness between Iran will need players such as falls in line with our role as active players in be played against Hamada Club. It is worth noting that KIB has always those in his squad playing in Iran central defender Mortez the community. As a national institution, KIB KIB remains dedicated to participating in sought to actively support national activities and those featuring overseas, with Pouralighanji and highly-rated continues to support youth participation in this tournament with its own football team. and participate in sports-related initiatives the country’s foreign-based players defensive Saeid sports activities, establishing itself through its Over the years, KIB’s football team has man- that serve youth and diverse segments of the key to hopes of success. Principal Ezatolahi to be at the top of their encompassing social responsibility program aged to time and time again achieve great local community. The Bank’s new strategic among the weapons at Queiroz’s game if they are to achieve their and its new strategic direction as a true ‘Bank results and reach the finals; all of which was direction establishes it as a partner in every disposal is Rubin Kazan striker dream. — Reuters for Life’ in many aspects.” made possible through its belief in fair, honest aspect of a person’s life.

glamorous team for the continent’s biggest prize. ‘KLOPP’S DIFFERENT’ McDermott urges “They were a good side in ‘81 but they weren’t what Perhaps Jurgen Klopp will be saying something sim- they are now,” McDermott said. “We weren’t afraid of ilar to Trent Alexander-Arnold in Kiev on Saturday them, the opposite in fact. We’d been in the final a few evening, although restraint is not quite the German’s to draw on times, knew what it was about. They were the inexperi- style. “They’re two great managers but this boy now is enced ones.” a bit different,” McDermott said. “He’s inspirational, the spirit of ‘81 Liverpool’s victory meant the European Cup sat in way he kicks every ball, makes every tackle. Paisley an English trophy cabinet for a fifth year in a row, just used to sit in the stand and watch with the chairman.” as it will be a fifth consecutive success for Spain if Real Paisley was disgruntled before kick-off, as a sponsor- MADRID: When Liverpool last beat Real Madrid to triumph on Saturday. ing mix-up meant UEFA officials came into Liverpool’s win the European Cup, Terry McDermott was the tour- changing room and told the players to cover up the nament’s top scorer and neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor ‘LONGEST WEEK OF YOUR LIFE’ Umbro badge on their kits. were even born. The 1981 final at the Liverpool had finished fifth in the league too, after “There we were, moments before the biggest game Parc des Princes in Paris, decided by ’s ending with a 1-0 win over 12th-placed Manchester in football, sticking elastoplasts on each other’s shirts,” late goal, earned Liverpool a third European crown in City, and there were eight days to wait before the final. McDermott said. “A few of the lads said, ‘I’m not doing five seasons, at around the midway point of the club’s “The build-up is unbelievable but it’s frustrating as that’ - but they said we wouldn’t be allowed to play. A most dominant era. McDermott played in all three hell,” McDermott said. “One year we even went to few of us took them off on the pitch.” finals, scoring the winner in the first, against Borussia Israel for a holiday because as the players will be find- Kennedy’s goal, an angled shot rifled into the far Monchengladbach in 1977, and finishing the last as the ing out now, it’s the longest week of your life.” Some corner, settled a scruffy match, but that did nothing joint highest scorer in the competition, on six with tickets for the match in Kiev are selling for more than to dampen Liverpool’s celebrations, which began in team-mate and Karl-Heinz 10,000 pounds each, with Real Madrid and Liverpool Paris’ Moulin Rouge and ended in St George’s Rummenigge of Bayern Munich. fans allocated just over 33,000 of the 63,000 capacity. Square in Liverpool. “We had a lot of beers and “I got a hat-trick in the first game against a Finnish Tickets in 1981 cost 90 francs, the equivalent of some of the lads went to the Moulin Rouge, most of team, Oulun Palloseura,” McDermott said, in an exclu- around 10 pounds today, but they were just as hard to Terry McDermott them didn’t get back until six or seven in the morn- sive interview with AFP. “That certainly helped.” come by. “I remember fans coming up to me in the ing,” McDermott said. “We got off the plane and Yesterday, the former box-to-box midfielder, who grew street in Liverpool and they’d ask in their Scouse there were coaches on the tarmac waiting to take us up a stone’s throw away from Liverpool’s stadi- accent, ‘have you got any spares?’” McDermott said. “A it’ he’d say,” McDermott recalled, putting on his best to St George’s Square where all the fans were wait- um, put his three trophies up for sale at a London auc- couple of the younger lads thought they were asking Durham accent. “And we did, three times.” ing. “I’ve never seen anything like it and I never will tion. They were expected to fetch around £15,000 for Spurs and had the wrong team. It’s all you’d hear So what advice would Paisley have given for facing a again.” Except, 37 years later, he hopes Liverpool’s ($20,200, 17,100 euros) each. for days.” player like Ronaldo? “Oh he wouldn’t have worried current crop can pull off a repeat. “I’ve thought about it for a while,” McDermott said. Liverpool’s players flew to France on Aer Lingus, the much about him,” McDermott said. “He would have “I don’t care about Real Madrid, I’m convinced if “My three kids are doing fine but they can put it into a team’s lucky airline, with family, friends and journalists talked about his weaknesses - ‘he never cuts inside, Liverpool play well, they’ll win,” McDermott said. house or pay off the mortgage.” The memories, howev- packed into the back. , the coach, sat at the never uses his left foot’, that sort of thing. But most of “It’s there for the winning in my opinion. It’s their er, remain of when Liverpool last played Europe’s most front. “He wasn’t much of a talker-’just go out and enjoy all he’d just make you believe you could do it.” turn.” —AFP