Van Gaal Baffled by Fans' Criticism of Dour United
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 SPORTS Soccer schools: China’s play for World Cup glory HONG KONG/SHANGHAI: Wang Shijie, Manchester City - Beijing’s biggest Scolari, are current Asian club champi- qualifies for the tournament. For the clubs regularly visit China in their sum- 11, is a rising star among the nearly investment in the sport overseas. ons but China’s national team has a long clubs, China is a huge, still untapped mer off-season, drawing huge crowds. 3,000 students at Guangzhou The tie-up will help Abu Dhabi- way to go to World Cup glory. Even in market for fans, merchandise sales and Chinese authorities are squarely Evergrande’s huge soccer academy in owned City tap the fast-growing sports Asia, fierce rivals Japan and South Korea TV audiences. behind the drive to develop local foot- south China. He wants to join the nation- and entertainment market in the world’s have a far stronger reputation in the The country aims to grow its sports ball, providing the vital political support al team and help achieve President Xi most populous nation, and at the same game. market to 5 trillion yuan ($782 billion) by to the move. Local governments have Jinping’s dream of winning the World time give China international soccer The only time China qualified for the 2025, around a five-fold leap from its helped subsidise television licence fees Cup. knowhow, on the field and off. finals of the World Cup was in 2002, current size, and football will play a big to support local teams, while the recent In schools like this around the coun- “The Chinese government wanted to when the tournament was jointly hosted part. That’s good news for franchises Manchester City deal was led by a state- try, China is training an army of young make a statement,” said Alexander Jarvis, by South Korea and Japan. China was tapping into local media distribution backed firm. players it hopes will help the nation chairman of Blackbridge Cross Borders, dismissed at the group stage without rights, sponsorship and merchandising. Xi himself visited City’s academy last shake off its lowly place in the world’s which brokers deals between Chinese scoring a goal and conceding nine. It’s also a boon for sports-focused com- month during a trip to Britain, where he football ladder: 84th out of 209 coun- investors and European teams. Its hopes of qualifying for the 2018 panies such as adidas AG and Nike Inc. posed for a selfie with Argentinian strik- tries, just above Qatar and below teams Jarvis said he was currently working finals have been dealt a blow after a “The willingness to pay for sports isn’t er Sergio Aguero and British Prime like Jordan, Montenegro and Gabon. on six deals with Chinese firms looking goalless draw with tiny Hong Kong last limited to watching them; membership Minister David Cameron. “When I join the national team, I will to buy into clubs in Europe - including in month. at sports clubs is up, as is the amount However, corruption and player quali- do my best to help China become World England, Germany and Spain - and that There is no evidence that investing in people are willing to spend on sporting ty remain serious hurdles in Chinese Cup champions,” Wang, wearing golden- there would be even bigger Chinese football clubs overseas has contributed equipment,” said Liu Yue, a former football. A crackdown to clean up the coloured boots and a yellow jersey, told investment in 2016, usually with a to any Asian soccer team’s prowess. national football player and now a com- game has seen at least nine officials, four Reuters during a break in training at the China-based soccer school or training Businessmen from Singapore, Malaysia, mentator. judges, 13 footballers or coaches and 17 school that has 50 full-size pitches and base thrown in. Thailand, India and China all have stakes Increasingly, the way into China’s club workers jailed or punished since coaches flown in from European giant “Pretty much every football club in European clubs. football market is made easier by pro- 2009. Real Madrid. which has some type of deal with the moting the local game. “A short-term goal for China is to gain Led by Xi, an avid fan, China has Chinese will have an academy. It’s very AMBITIOUS GOALS Germany’s adidas and former Brazil a leading role in Asia,” said Fernando clearly made it a goal to become a soc- much Xi’s long-term dream of World Cup But if the investments help improve star Ronaldo have launched football Sanchez Cipitria, technical director at cer superpower. A consortium led by glory, and building the infrastructure on China’s soccer infrastructure, it could academies and England’s David the academy in Guangdong and a for- state-backed China Media Capital took a the ground is exactly what they want.” lead the way to a successful bid to host Beckham is an “ambassador” for Chinese mer player for Real Madrid. “For China to $400 million stake last week in the own- Guangzhou Evergrande, coached by the World Cup finals, sports executives football. win the World Cup it could be a long er of English Premier League champions World Cup-winning Brazilian Luiz Felipe say. The home nation automatically Premier League and other European journey.” — Reuters Lyon beaten 2-0 in final league match LYON: Lyon bid a disappointing farewell three points above to its famous stadium as it lost 2-0 to Toulouse, which lost 3-2 at home to Angers in its last Ligue 1 match at the Lorient. Bottom club Troyes picked up its Stade Gerland on Saturday. More than a second point in nine matches with a 1-1 100 former Lyon players were present at draw at Reims, but is nevertheless 12 the Stade Gerland - which has been points from safety. Lyon’s home since the club was founded Ajaccio drew 1-1 with Nantes. Lyon in 1950. was trying to end a four-match run with- The players on the pitch were booed out a victory. However, it was Angers off by their own fans after a dismal per- which took the lead in the 17th minute formance. The last competitive match at when Thomas Mangani lofted a free kick the Gerland will be on Dec. 16, against toward the far post and N’Doye rose Tours in the league cup. above the Lyon defense to head power- Cheikh N’Doye scored in each half for fully into the right side of the net. The Angers and, apart from a brief period Angers captain almost doubled his tally during which Mathieu Valbuena hit the six minutes from halftime but his header bar and Alexandre Lacazette had a goal from Gilles Sunu’s free kick went just ruled out for offside, Lyon rarely threat- past the left post. ened. Lyon seemed reinvigorated after the Angers moved second, 15 points break and Valbuena hit the bar nine min- behind runaway leader Paris Saint- utes into the second half. Lacazette also Germain and a point above Caen, which went close, as well as having an effort lost 2-1 against struggling Lille. ruled out when he and a teammate were It was Lille’s second successive win, clearly offside on Clement Grenier’s pass. after having not won in two months pri- Angers weathered the storm and all or to its surprise victory over Saint- but sealed the match nine minutes from Etienne midweek. Lille leapt out of the time when N’Doye headed Billy relegation zone and into 12th spot, Ketkeophomphone’s corner into the ahead of the rest of the weekend’s bottom right corner. Caen could have games. moved back into second but Lille FROSINONE: Frosinone’s Luca Paganini, left, vies for the ball with Chievo Verona’s Alessandro Gamberini during a Serie A soccer match in Lyon, winless in five matches in all secured a first away victory of the season Frosinone, Italy, yesterday. Chievo won 2-0. — AP competition, slipped to fifth after thanks to Yassine Benzia’s double. Benzia Monaco won 2-1 at Bastia, thanks to a opened the scoring in the 28th, finishing double from Lacina Traore. “The strength off a swift counterattack by rounding of great teams is their ability to react Caen goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre and Van Gaal baffled by fans’ and today we’re not a great team,” slotting into an empty net. Valbuena said. “We’re having catastroph- Caen defender Damien Da Silva also ic performances and even today there cleared Renato Civelli’s header off the wasn’t really much reaction. We’re at our line, while Lille could have been award- criticism of dour United lowest.” ed a penalty too for a handball by Lyon coach Hurbert Fournier said he Alaeddine Yahia at the end of the first MANCHESTER: Louis van Gaal insists he still has madness, he deserved to be sent off. But the refer- this season. is not planning on quitting, while club half. Lille did get a second shortly before the support of Manchester United’s frustrated fans ee told me he didn’t see it, which is fair enough. I “They had chances of course but we deserved a president Jean-Michel Aulas assured he the hour when Vercoutre could only despite claiming he can’t understand their plea for believe it,” Bilic said. West Ham twice hit the post point. I have nothing but praise for my players. will lead the team at least for the next push Sofiane Boufal’s lob into the path more attacking football during a dour 0-0 draw and had one-on-one chances for both Victor Moses They did magnificently,” Bilic said.