18 Wednesday, May 15, 2019 Sports Manchester City dispute report of possible Champions League ban

“Manchester City’s pub- Financial Fair Play is a The New York Times and BBC reported lished accounts are full and rule designed to make sure that investigators favour the ban should complete and a matter of legal the amount of money spent by and regulatory record. clubs on players and wages are City be proved to have violated football’s “The accusation of financial roughly equal to their commer- irregularities are entirely false, cial revenue and prize money Financial Fair Play rules and comprehensive proof of earned. this fact has been provided to City were fined £49 by DPA false” earlier this year and reit- the CFCB IC.” UEFA told dpa UEFA - £32 million of which London erated that assertion in a state- on Tuesday they don’t com- was suspended - for breach- ment after the Times report - ment on ongoing investiga- ing FFP rules in 2014, while Manchester City on Tues- later followed up by British tions. the club’s Champions League day disputed a media report media - said that Yves Leterme, The investigations are a re- squad was also reduced for the claiming UEFA investigators chairman of the investigatory sult of numerous claims made 2014-15 season. are expected to seek a one- panel of UEFA’s independent by the German magazine Der City won their fourth Pre- season Champions League ban financial control board, is ex- Spiegel, which cited leaked mier League title in eight sea- if the Premier League champi- pected to make a recommenda- documents to suggest that City sons on Sunday but have never ons are found to have breached tion this week. have violated FFP rules. won the Champions League, financial rules. Leterme, the former Bel- Der Spiegel also said City making it the top target of the The New York Times, and gian Prime Minister, has final paid £200,000 to the agent of club’s ownership. later Britain’s BBC, reported say on a submission that will England winger Jadon Sancho, The Times said it was un- that investigators favour the be made to a separate adjudica- now at Borussia Dortmund, clear when any levied ban ban should City be proved to tory board, which is expected Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola and his back-room staff pose with the Premier League when he was 14. would be enforced. have violated football’s Finan- to seek a one-season ban from trophy after their match against Brighton and Hove Albion, recently. (afp) The club has vigorously Qualification for next sea- cial Fair Play rules. Europe’s top club competition, denied wrongdoing, and its of- son’s competition begins in The European ruling body, the Times said. “The New York Times re- “The implications are that the CFCB IC process is being ficials have warned UEFA that June, putting UEFA in a race as well as the Premier League, City raised questions over port citing “people familiar either Manchester City’s good misrepresented by individuals they would mount an aggres- against time to finalise any are both investigating the club the Times report since UEFA with the case” is therefore ex- faith in the CFCB IC (Club Fi- intent on damaging the Club’s sive response to any effort to sanction, which City would over the allegations. has yet to comment on its in- tremely concerning,” the club’s nancial Control Body Investiga- reputation and its commercial bar the club from Europe’s top have the right to appeal, the City called them “entirely vestigation. statement read. tory Chamber) is misplaced or interests. Or both. club competition. newspaper added. Zverev clay-court horror show Serena withdraws continues with exit from Italian Open Zverev has had a with knee problem terrible start to the afp clay-court season, Rome withdrew losing in Madrid from the Italian Open on Tues- and Munich day with a recurring left knee injury handing sister Venus a afp walkover into the third round. A file picture of Rome In Tuesday’s statement the of the US during the Australian 23-time winner Open in Melbourne earlier this Germany’s Alexander insisted she would still be com- year. Gibbs tweeted on Monday Zverev crashed out of the Ital- peting in the later that she will miss the French ian Open on Tuesday with a this month. Open because of surgery to treat 7-5, 7-5 loss to Italian wild “I must withdraw from the salivary gland cancer. (AFP) card Matteo Berrettini in the Italian Open due to pain in my second round. left knee,” Serena said in a state- “The match that I played ment. Serena Williams in action against Nicole Gibbs of was horrendous,” said Zverev “I will miss the fans and Rebecca Peterson at the Italian US diagnosed of after the game which took 1hr competition at one of my fa- Open on Monday. (EPA-EFE) 48min on the red clay of the vourite tournaments. cancer, withdraws Foro Italico. “I’ll be concentrating on re- through to a third round meet- Zverev, the 2017 winner hab and look forward to seeing ing with either from French Open and runner-up in Rome last you all at the French Open and of Britain or American seventh year to Novak Djokovic, has next year in Rome.” seed . Agencies had a terrible start to the clay- The French Open starts on Serena -- now ranked 11th -- Los Angeles court season with the French May 26. has completed just eight match- Open starting on May 26. Serena’s withdrawal comes es this year, also withdrawing American Nicole Gibbs has The 22-year-old lost his a day after she beat Sweden’s from Indian Wells in March withdrawn from this month’s Madrid Open title last week, Italy’s Matteo Berrettini returns the ball to Germany’s Alexander Zverev during their ATP Masters match at Rebecca Peterson in straight with illness. French Open after being di- falling in the quarter-finals of the Foro Italico in Rome on Tuesday. (AFP) sets to set up a second round There are now doubts that agnosed with a rare form of both Madrid and Munich to meeting with her older sister the veteran can add to her tally cancer that was found by her Stefanos Tsitsipas and Cris- last month, and reached the sets and advance to the second Kyrios, who next plays Norwe- Venus. of Grand Slams, something dentist, reports BBC.com. tian Garin respectively. final in Munich. round. The 28-year-old Goffin gian qualifier Casper Ruud. She had been returning af- which has so far proved beyond Gibbs, 26, said she was The German has yet to Zverev started with a break won through 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 in Portgual’s Joao Sousa ter more than two months out her since returning last year af- alerted to a growth on the win a trophy this season and in the second set, but lost this 1hr 55min against the three- saved four match points in with a knee problem, in the fi- ter taking time out following the roof of her mouth, with a sub- stands 4-6 on clay this spring. advantage immediately. time Grand Slam winner to set the deciding set to battle past nal warm-up clay-court tourna- birth of her first child. sequent biopsy coming back Zverev had been seeded The 33rd-ranked Italian up a meeting with Argentine American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, ment before the French Open. Her last Grand Slam singles positive for salivary gland fourth in the final clay-court survived four break points, seventh seed Juan Martin Del 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4). Four-time Rome winner title was won at the Australian cancer. warm-up before Roland Gar- breaking the German in the Potro for a place in the third Sousa, who also trailed 1/4 Serena, 37, had eased through Open in 2017, where she was The world number 117 will ros, and was playing his first twelfth game to close 7-5 to round. in the deciding set tie-break, 6-4, 6-2 her first round match pregnant, breaking a tie with have surgery on Friday and game having received a first- the delight of the home crowd. Ninth seed Marin Cilic will play third seed Roger against Swedish qualifier Pe- Steffi Graf for the most in the said there is a “great progno- round bye. Berrettini will play Argen- beat Italian Andrea Federer in the second round. tersen. professional era. sis” for this type of cancer. Last year, Zverev reached tine Diego Schwartzman, who Basso 6-1, 7-5 as Australian Eight-time Rome win- Serena had also played Pe- Her win in Melbourne She added she hopes to the final in Rome beating eased past Yoshihito Nishioka Nick Kyrgios needed three sets ner Rafael Nadal will start his tersen in the second round at moved her one behind Austral- return for Wimbledon quali- Berrettini there in their only 6-1, 6-4 in 73 minutes. to get past Russian 12th seed tournament against Jeremy the in March be- ian Court’s record of 24 major fying in June. previous meeting. But the Belgian David Goffin ral- Daniil Medvedev. Chardy in the second round fore withdrawing with a knee singles titles. “Unfortunately I will be 33rd-ranked Italian has been lied from a set down to beat “I knew it was going to be after the Frenchman beat injury. She is a three-time French withdrawing from the re- on form capturing his second former French Open cham- tough today because I haven’t compatriot Richard Gasquet Her withdrawal sends Ve- Open winner, claiming her last mainder of the clay season ATP title on clay in Budapest pion Stan Wawrinka in three played much on clay,” said 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. nus Williams, the 1999 winner, title in Roland Garros in 2015. and will not be competing at this year’s Roland Garros,” Gibbs said on Monday. “Fortunately this form of cancer has a great prognosis Tiger Woods sets sights Roma’s ‘heart beat’ De Rossi moving on after 18 years and my surgeon is confident that surgery alone will be suf- afp place with two games to play. whenever he wants.” ficient treatment. on Olympic gold in Tokyo Rome De Rossi has spent his Rossi made 615 appear- “He even okayed me entire senior career with ances and scored 63 goals for to play an extra couple of Reuters many Olympics. That would be Captain Daniele De Rossi his hometown team coming Roma in all competitions win- tournaments these past few FARMINGDALE, New York a first for me and something will bring the curtain down on through the club’s academy ning the Coppa Italia in 2007 weeks, which served as a nice I would certainly welcome if I his 18-year career with Roma system. and 2008, and the Supercop- distraction.” Tiger Woods has collected was part of the team.” at the end of the season, the “For 18 years, Daniele has pa in 2007. The plenty of Green Jackets and Woods was battling a ca- Serie A side announced on been the beating heart of AS He took over the captain’s runs from 26 May to 9 June, Claret Jugs during his decorat- reer-threatening back injury at Tuesday. Roma’s team,” said club pres- armband from club legend while qualifying for Wimble- ed career, but there is one shiny the time and did not qualify for The 35-year-old former ident Jim Pallotta said. Francesco Totti - the one don is set to take place in late thing missing from his collec- the United States team. He is World Cup winning midfield- “We will all shed tears player ahead of him for Roma June before the tournament tion -- an Olympic gold medal. healthy again now after a 2017 er will play his final game at when he pulls on the Gial- appearances - in 2017. starts on 1 July. That is about the only big spinal fusion. home against Parma on May lorossi shirt for the last time He is also the fourth-most Gibbs said she expects a thing worth winning that Woods The 2020 Olympic golf will 26, but will not be retiring against Parma but we respect capped player for the Italian recovery period of four to six does not have, and something be played at the Kasumigaseki from professional football. his desire to prolong his national team with 117 ap- weeks but “will be doing eve- he would like to take care of at course in suburban Tokyo. “(De Rossi) plans to pur- playing career - even if, at al- pearances. rything to shave that down next year’s Tokyo Games. Each country is restricted to sue a new adventure away most 36, it will be away from The 2006 World Cup win- and get back to full health as “Would I like to play in the a maximum of four players. from Rome,” the club said in Rome. ner retired after Italy failed to soon as possible”. Olympics? Yes,” Woods said on “Getting there and making a statement. AS Roma’s Daniele De Rossi “On behalf of everyone at qualify for last year’s World She has four titles on the Tuesday during a news confer- the team is going to be the tough “It will be the end of an during a press conference Roma, I’d like to thank Dan- Cup, missing the tournament second-tier ITF circuit. Her ence at Bethpage Black ahead of part,” he said. era.” disclosing his exit from the club iele for his incredible dedica- for the first time in 60 years. best results at the majors this week’s PGA Championship. “I just know that if I play The game could be a cru- in Rome on Tuesday. (REUTERS) tion to this club and ensure De Rossi will hold a press are third-round berths at the “I’m sure I won’t get many well in the big events like I did cial one for Roma’s Champi- him that our doors will re- conference at the club’s train- 2014 US and 2017 Australian more opportunities going for- this year, things will take care of ons League ambitions next semi-finalists are sixth in Se- main open for him to return ing centre at Trigoria later on Open. ward at 43 years old to play in itself.” season as last year’s European rie A just one point off fourth to the club in a new role Tuesday.