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WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2017 SPORTS Recent rout boosts Atletico Madrid hopes MADRID: It was a match more than two Kroos, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and years ago that is keeping Atletico Madrid Ronaldo, who scored a hat trick in the first hopeful of a comeback against Real Madrid leg last week to give his team a command- in the Champions League semifinals. ing advantage going into today’s game. “It’s Atletico needs to overturn a 3-0 loss from going to be very difficult, but this is soccer,” the first leg today, but it wasn’t too long Simeone said. “Unexpected things can hap- ago that fans at the Vicente Calderon pen and we will fight until the last drop of Stadium witnessed the type of feat that can hope. We will try to do something impossi- put Atletico in the final. It was on a ble, but we are Atletico Madrid and we just Saturday afternoon in February 2015 that might be able to do it.” Atletico is trying to Atletico had one of its greatest victories avoid losing to Madrid for the fourth over Madrid, a 4-0 rout in the Spanish straight season in the Champions League. league. That was Atletico’s only win over It had heart-breaking losses in the finals in Madrid by a difference of three goals in the 2014 and 2016, and also was eliminated in last four decades, but it’s what has been the 2015 quarterfinals. giving many fans and players some hope “It’s very difficult to overturn this result ahead of the team’s difficult task at the but we will keep believing until the end Calderon. because that’s our mentality and we will be “We already beat them by four goals in playing with our fans behind us,” Atletico the Calderon, with Cristiano (Ronaldo) play- defender Stefan Savic said. Regardless of ing and all,” Atletico midfielder Jorge “Koke” the outcome, it should be an emotional Resurreccion said after the first leg. “You game for the home crowd at the Calderon. never know what’s going to happen in soc- Atletico will be playing its last European cer, just ask Paris Saint-Germain. We are game at the stadium before moving into a going to keep fighting.” The Spanish teams new venue next season. Atletico has won remain very similar to what they looked like 29 of its last 35 European games at home, in that encounter in 2015. At the time, with only two losses. It hasn’t lost in 10 Atletico was already touted as the third straight home games in European competi- MANAMA: A member of staff walks towards the building hosting the AFC, Asian Football Confederation Congress 2017, in Manama. The specter force in Spanish soccer under coach Diego tions. “The fans have always been with us in of fresh corruption scandals hangs over the annual gathering of world soccer leaders, two years after the FIFA Congress was shaken by the Simeone, and three of the goals scored on the most difficult moments and it’s not exposure of far-reaching fraud. — AP that cold day in the Spanish capital came going to be any different this time,” Niguez from players still on the team - Tiago said. “We have to give everything we have Cardoso, Saul Niguez and Antoine for them.”— AP Griezmann. FIFA’s uphill struggle to The other goal was scored by Mario Mandzukic, who now plays for Juventus. A repeat of that performance would be just Matches on TV what Atletico needs this time. It was in con- (Local Timings) regain trust, sponsors trol from the start and scored early goals to take a 2-0 lead by the 17th minute, then UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MANAMA: Even after a year under new leader- added the third not long after halftime and Atletico de Madrid v Real Madrid 21:45 ship, FIFA is still pleading with the world: Trust closed the scoring a few minutes from the beIN SPORTS HD 1 end. A 3-0 win by Atletico today would us. The message is proving as hard to sell as send the game into extra time and, possi- ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE sponsorship of the World Cup. It’s no wonder. bly, a penalty shootout. Gianni Infantino arrives at his second congress Southampton v Arsenal 21:45 Madrid had nine starters in 2015 who as FIFA president with his “crisis is over” declara- beIN SPORTS HD 2 are still on the current team, including Toni tion at last year’s gathering of soccer’s 211 nations looking remarkably outlandish. Criminal investigations are still exposing shady transac- tions. The suitability of members of the ruling council remains in doubt. Reforms intended to curb the powers of the president and restore FIFA’s credibility are being eroded. Against this backdrop, FIFA has been trying to persuade commercial backers to sign up after so many were scared off by the corruption that plagued the Sepp Blatter era. FIFA’s leadership The 24th Boeing 787 airplane purchased by Qatar Airways is photographed, during a delivery was able to start its congress week in Bahrain by ceremony in Everett, Wash. FIFA has signed up Qatar Airways as a sponsor through 2022 when trumpeting the arrival of Qatar Airways to fill the the World Cup is staged in the Gulf nation. — AP airline sponsorship category that has been emailing was banned for life by the FIFA ethics ethics investigation, and the claims against vacant for more than two years. But the deal was committee in January for involvement in unethi- Sheikh Ahmad will also be scrutinized. But the anticipated given it is the state-owned carrier of cal payments made to soccer officials. “If it’s your fate of the independent ethics officials who have the 2022 World Cup hosts. A true test of the idea, take it, give it,” Ahmad responded vaguely convicted corrupt FIFA officials is also uncertain. confidence of FIFA’s new hierarchy will come when asked about the payments today. “Ask There has been speculation that Hans-Joachim when major international corporations sign up him. Don’t ask me.” FIFA has lost two officials Eckert, the ethics judge who brought down that are not from China, Russia or Qatar - the recently following fresh American revelations Blatter, could be replaced along with ethics source of all of FIFA’s new World Cup deals in about wrongdoing. FIFA audit committee mem- investigator Cornel Borbely. recent years. New sponsors in traditional strong- ber Richard Lai, an American citizen from Guam, They must seek re-election at Thursday’s con- holds like Japan and the United States have yet pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy charges gress but FIFA has repeatedly declined to pro- to convince shareholders they should partner related to taking around $1 million in bribes vide lists of candidates to lead its judicial bodies. with a scandal-tainted organization. Many were including at least $850,000 from Kuwaiti officials. Infantino is suspected of a personal motive to MADRID: Real Madrid’s Nacho Fernandez (left) and Sergio Ramos (right) fall in front scared off in 2015 when FIFA’s reputation was The cash was to buy influence and help recruit install new ethics leadership, although he hasn’t of Isco during a training session in Madrid yesterday. Real Madrid will play against shredded by widespread bribery being exposed other Asian soccer officials prepared to take called for Eckert and Borbely to go. The former Atletico Madrid today in a Champions League semifinal, 2nd leg soccer match. —AP after high-ranking executives were arrested in bribes, Lai said in court in New York. UEFA general secretary was frustrated that he Zurich hotel raids. “We hope that more (spon- Kuwaiti powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad faced an ethics investigation last year for his use sors) will come before the end of the year,” FIFA Al Sabah was implicated in the investigation of private jets early in his presidency. The case secretary general Fatma Samoura said. “That was and, despite maintaining his innocence, he quit cast doubt over the “new era” in FIFA proclaimed Netherlands appoints a strong signal from Qatar Airways to recognize the election to regain his seat on the FIFA last year by Infantino. The old FIFA ways contin- the new leadership of FIFA is working toward Council this week. Lai is under a formal FIFA ue to seem hard to shake off.— AP restoring the image of FIFA and that there is cli- Dick Advocaat as coach mate of trust that is really here to push for more partnerships.” Trust, according to Samoura, also THE HAGUE: Dick Advocaat was appointed guaranteed a place at the World Cup. The comes through a new generation of officials Wenger determined Netherlands coach yesterday with the vastly experienced Advocaat has previously being elected to the FIFA Council. tough task of leading the struggling team coached Russia, Belgium and Serbia, as well “It’s a strong demonstration that gender to next year’s World Cup in Russia. With the as club teams including PSV Eindhoven, empowerment,” Samoura said, pointing to to retain full control Dutch national team languishing in fourth Glasgow Rangers, Zenit St Petersburg and Mahfuza Akhter of Bangladesh being elected on place in Group A, the Royal Dutch Football Sunderland. Gullit, a former Chelsea coach, Tuesday as Asia’s female representative at FIFA. It LONDON: Arsene Wenger has ruled out work- know what director of football means. Is it Association appointed Advocaat as coach captained the Netherlands to its only major was a surprise result. Moya Dodd, an outspoken ing alongside a director of football if he stays somebody who stands in the road and directs and Ruud Gullit as his assistant for the tournament success, the 1988 European critic of corruption and prominent champion of at Arsenal, saying he must have full control of play right and left? I don’t understand and I remainder of the qualifying campaign.

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