WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017 SPORTS

Ranieri hoping FA mulls retrospective Veteran Demichelis Chelsea win title bans for diving: Report rejoins Malaga

LONDON: The Football Association (FA) is considering MADRID: Argentine international Martin Demichelis rejoined Spanish La : Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is hoping fellow Italian introducing retrospective bans for players who dive, Liga side Malaga till the end of the season yesterday. Antonio Conte wins the English Premier League title with current leaders according to a media report. Diving came under the spot- Demichelis, 36, was a free agent having had his Chelsea. Ranieri led Leicester to a shock triumph in the com- contract with Espanyol rescinded last week and petition last year but they are languishing 15th in the light yet again after Hull City’s Robert Snodgrass won a spot-kick during a 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace last returns to the Andalusian side where he 20-team standings, 31 points adrift of his former enjoyed two successful years between 2011 club. “As former Chelsea coach and as an Italian sup- month and later conceded that the penalty should never have been awarded. and 2013 as Malaga reached the Champions porter, I hope that Conte can achieve the goal,” League quarter-finals in 2012/13. “Centre-back Ranieri told reporters in Florence yesterday ahead The FA will send officials to Scotland to see how the pun- ishment works there, according to the Times. “On the face Martin Demichelis will play with Malaga for the of the Italian Hall of Fame. “(Conte) came without rest of the 2016/17 season,” Malaga said in a of it, it’s a good idea. The devil is in the detail, but as a tool uproar but demonstrated that the Italian school of statement. “The Argentine player, with huge to penalise blatant simulation versus ‘did he dive or slip?’ it coaches is valid more than ever,” he added. experience at the elite level of European football, Ranieri, who led Leicester to the English title for is now being investigated,” the newspaper quoted an joins Malaga for a second time having playing the first time in their history, is contracted to the unnamed FA official as saying. “It is being discussed with more than 100 games for the club in La Liga, midlands club until 2020 but he is not sure about the SFA (Scottish Football Association) and some FA people Copa del Rey and Champions League.” Malaga his future. “I hope to remain in , I’m good here, are going up to Scotland for a meeting on how it is work- sit 14th in La Liga and Demichelis could face even though in football one day you are in the stars and ing.” Premier League managers, including Burnley’s Sean a daunting debut as they travel to face the next day in the dust, so never say never,” the 65-year- Dyche and West Bromwich Albion’s Tony Pulis, have called European champions Real Madrid old said. — Reuters for retrospective bans to eradicate diving. —Reuters on Saturday. —AFP LA eyes two-stadium opening ceremony

LOS ANGELES: 2024 Summer Olympics in But LA’s wealth of stadiums and technology Los Angeles would feature a groundbreak- mean we can think about ‘What’s next?’ ing opening ceremony using not only the instead of just asking what has been done Memorial Coliseum but also a new state-of- before,” LA 2024 chief executive Gene Sykes the-art NFL stadium. The group backing Los said. It comes after some members of the Angeles’ bid announced Monday they Los Angeles City Council expressed con- believe the plan, which would be a first for cern about too many events, in particular the Games, would attract “the largest in-sta- opening and closing ceremonies, being dium, citywide and TV audiences in Olympic moved out of the city limits. ceremonies history.” The proposed plan At a City Council ad hoc committee would feature a program at the Coliseum- meeting last month, Councilman Paul which hosted the opening and closing cere- Krekorian said moving too many Olympic monies for the 1932 and 1984 Olympics and venues outside the city limits would is located within the city limits of Los change the “value equation” of the Games Angeles-to begin the Games with a torch for the council, and in particular said he relay, live entertainment and musical per- hoped no one “was even thinking” about formances. The torch relay would then moving the opening and closing cere- make its way to Inglewood, in suburban Los monies to Inglewood. Angeles near its international airport, which The plan announced on Monday is being referred to as Los Angeles Stadium appears to be a compromise. The Coliseum even though it isn’t within the city limits. is still slated to host track and field events The formal opening ceremony would be for the Games, as it did in 1932 and 1984. held at the newer stadium, a $2.6-billion Both Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti venue that will be the home of the NFL’s and Council President Herb Wesson Rams and Chargers starting in 2019. expressed support for the split ceremony The Coliseum would host the official plan. Los Angeles is vying with Paris and closing ceremony, while Los Angeles Budapest to host the 2024 Games, with LA Ted Ligety Stadium will simultaneously host specta- and Paris widely seen as the front-runners. tors for live viewing and entertainment. The International Olympic Committee will “Hosting Olympic ceremonies across make its decision in September at a meet- two iconic stadiums has never been done. ing in Lima. — AFP Ligety, Svindal miss ski world Hartley faces Six championships with injury GENEVA: Two of skiing’s biggest stars will miss Nations fitness test next month’s world championships because of season-ending surgery. Ted Ligety of the United Jones replaces Warburton as LONDON: England captain will rugby because of several suspensions, was States and Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway - each undergo a ‘trial match’ tosday in a bid to find red-carded for swinging an arm at Sean with five career world titles - both announced in captain for Six Nations out whether he can lead the reigning Grand O’Brien just six minutes after coming on in Instagram posts on Tuesday they will now focus Slam champions into next month’s Six Northampton’s European Champions Cup on returning for next season. LONDON: Alun has replaced led Wales at the 2015 World Cup, Nations. The Northampton hooker is current- loss to Leinster on December 9 Jones, howev- Ligety’s persistent back problem has denied Warburton as Wales captain for the upcoming Six where they beat hosts England in the pool phase ly serving a six-week ban for striking. er, said the break had done Hartley good in him a chance to win a fourth straight giant Nations Championship, the Welsh before losing to South Africa in the quarter- England coach Eddie Jones has made it clear terms of his overall conditioning. slalom title. He is expected to have surgery announced yesterday. finals. Jones has previously captained Wales five he does not want the New Zealand-born “I’ve never seen Dylan look fitter. You’d imminently. “It’s an honour to select Alun Wyn as captain,” times and also led the 2013 British and Irish Lions front row playing in the Anglo-Welsh Cup want him to have been playing rugby, but “Unfortunately surgery (microdiscectomy) said Wales interim head coach as he in their series-clinching third Test win against when Hartley’s suspension expires and that he’s certainly benefited from six weeks of means my season is over and a chance to defend announced a 36-man squad for the Six Nations. Australia in place of injured tour skipper means his skipper won’t have played since strength and conditioning,” he said. my GS title again at World Champs,” Ligety wrote “His vast experience, as a player and a leader Warburton. December 9 when France arrive at “That’s probably put him in better condi- on his Instagram account early yesterday. will help drive this squad forward and I believe Several uncapped players were selected in Twickenham on February 4 for a Six Nations tion than he was for last year’s Six Nations. It’s The 32-year-old American’s five world titles he will flourish in the role. Wales’s Six Nations squad by Howley-at the helm opener. Northampton will put Hartley a combination between Northampton’s and include three in giant slalom from 2011, ‘13 and “Sam has led Wales more times than any oth- while concentrates on his role as through his paces today in a bid to replicate our staff.” England, who have won all 13 of ‘15. The next world championships will be Feb. er captain and had great success in the role, Lions coach for this year’s tour of New Zealand- the demands of an international match. their Tests since Jones took charge after the 6-19 in St. Moritz, where Ligety won in February however we want him to concentrate on his including Wasps Thomas Young and “Dylan has a game simulation, so we’ll have a 2015 World Cup, have injury doubts over sev- 2014 in the last World Cup race before the Sochi game and to be the best player he can be,” for- Leicester back Owen Williams. pretty good idea how he’s shaping up then,” eral players. But Hartley’s fellow forwards Joe Olympics. mer Wales scrum-half Howley added. Young, the son of Wasps director of rugby Jones said. Marler and could both be avail- Svindal posted a photo from a hospital bed, Warburton, who led Wales in a record 49 Tests and former Wales prop Dai Young, has been in “He’ll do a session that’s the equivalent of able for the visit of France. four days after he left Switzerland ahead of the since taking charge in 2011, has struggled with a fine form for the English club during their quest a game. A game of Test rugby is approximate- Harlequins prop Marler is recovering from classic downhill in Wengen to seek treatment on shoulder injury in recent months and doubts for domestic and European silverware so far this ly 36 minutes of ball in play. You have to run a fractured leg while lock Kruis, who plays for the right knee he seriously injured a year ago. have arisen as to whether the flanker season. Williams, set to move to Leicester’s around 120 metres per minute, that’s the English and European champions Saracens, is “Together with the medical team I took the should be guaranteed a spot in Wales’s first- English Premiership rivals Gloucester, gives Wales average speed. “It’s old school-run hard, get on course to face the French following a frac- decision to do another surgery,” Svindal wrote. choice back-row. an additional goalkicking option as well as cover up, get off the ground, run again. It will give tured cheekbone. “What they found was a meniscus that was no No such debate exists around the right of 31- at both fly-half and centre. Wales, second last year-old lock Jones, a veteran of 105 season behind champions England, us a very good indication of where Dylan is “Marler might be all right for the France longer attached to the bone.” A new setback for Tests, to a second row position. Nevertheless begin their 2017 Six Nations campaign away to and his ability to play rugby,” the Australian game, you never know. He’s down at the 34-year-old Norwegian follows a fast return Warburton was included in the Six Nations squad Italy in on February 5. coach added. “He’s got to be able to do a ses- Brighton, they have good sea air down there to form in his comeback. sion of that quality and if he can do a session so the recuperation can be quicker,” Jones announced by Howley. “I believe we have named an exciting and impressed at openside flanker experienced squad for what is going to be a of that quality he can do a game. said. “Kruis is going to be borderline for the PAINFUL “We’ll make a decision on him on today, French game. It’s just the way the cheekbone during Wales’s 2016 end-of-year Test campaign, thrilling RBS 6 Nations Championship,” said He took top-three finishes in downhill and with also staking a claim to an Howley. “There is a flavour of freshness too in the one minute after he’s done the session is.” You can have a broken cheekbone and super-G races in Val d’Isere, France, and Val because we’re going to name our squad on play the next day or you can have an opera- international place. squad, with seven uncapped players deserving Gardena, Italy. The bumpy Italian race is known their opportunity, and it will be exciting to see Friday. Hartley, whose poor disciplinary tion and it will be three or four weeks. It’s just for being physically demanding. “Ever since the record has seen him miss more than a year of how they mend.” — AFP WORLD CUP AGONY how they perform in the international set-up. “It Val Gardena downhill I’ve had a strange feeling Warburton first led Wales as a 22-year-old in is shaping up to be another great Six Nations. in my knee,” Svindal wrote. “Meniscus not June 2011 and skippered his country to the “We have the all-important carrot of Rugby attached means no function, and no function semi-finals of that year’s World Cup in New World Cup seedings on the horizon post-tourna- means every landing on a jump and every hit to Zealand only to be sent off in their narrow last- ment and that is an important target for us, the knee is painful.” four defeat by France in Auckland. especially as we welcome the world’s number Confirming he would not ski again this win- He was also Wales’ captain when they won two (England) and number four (Ireland) ranked ter, Svindal added: “Sounds familiar.. But if it can the Six Nations with a Grand Slam in 2012 and sides to the Principality Stadium over the coming be better next year, it’s more than worth it:)” again when they retained the title a year later. months.” —AFP Svindal won the last of his world titles in 2013, in downhill in Schladming, Austria. He also took a bronze in super-G behind Ligety. Ligety expects to compete next season and defend his Olympic giant slalom title at the Pyeongchang Games. “I will be back strong and fast again,” wrote Ligety, who also won Olympic gold in the com- bined at the 2006 Turin Games. Ligety started only five World Cup races this season in his return from tearing right knee ligaments in January 2016. His best finish was fifth in the sea- son-opening giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, before being slowed by the back problems. “Since Soelden, I have been dealing with severe nerve pain down my left leg that has not allowed me to ski at the level that I expect of myself,” he said. Ligety’s last race on Dec. 18 ended quickly when he skied out from a GS in Alta Badia, Italy, where he earned two of his 25 career World Cup wins. “I’ve been getting injections and trying to get it sorted out but it hasn’t really turned the corner yet,” Ligety said in Alta Badia. “Backs and : In this Saturday, July 6, 2013 file photo, British and Irish Lions’ Sam Warburton, nerve issues are not like a knee that’s cut and dry left, and , right, lift the Tom Richards Cup after their win over Australia in and you know what you need.” final match of their 3-game rugby union test match series in Sydney, Australia. Sam If Ligety, a five-time crystal globe winner as Warburton has conceded the captaincy of Wales to lock Alun Wyn Jones for the Six World Cup giant slalom champion, returns to Nations, it was announced yesterday. Warburton stepped down to get his form in order action in Soelden in October, it will be exactly after a run of injuries. — AP Dylan Hartley two years since his last victory. —AP