15 Sports Thursday, November 12, 2020 FA chairman Clarke quits after ‘colored footballers’ remark English FA chairman apologizes over offensive remark LONDON: Greg Clarke has resigned as English ment the FA staid: “Greg Clarke is deeply apolo- as he claimed too. The casual sexism of saying Football Association chairman hours after referring getic for the language he used to reference mem- ‘girls’ do not like balls hit at them hard, is stagger- to “colored footballers” during questions from bers of the ethnic minority community during the ing from anyone, let alone the leader of our national members of parliament on Tuesday. The 63-year- select committee hearing today. “He acknowledged game. It is completely unacceptable. old was widely criticized after making a series of that using the term ‘colored’ is not appropriate and “I was particularly concerned by the use of lazy inappropriate comments while taking questions wholeheartedly apologized during the hearing.” racist stereotypes about South Asians and their from members of the Digital, Culture, Media & However, Conservative MP Julian Knight, who supposed career preferences. It reflects similar lazy Sport (DCMS) select committee. chairs the DCMS committee, questioned the FA’s stereotypes I have heard has been spouted at club Clarke was forced to apologize for using the record on the matter. academy level. “That kind of attitude may well par- term “colored” in reference to black footballers on “It’s right that Greg Clarke apologized before tially explain why South Asians are statistically the Tuesday - prompting a senior lawmaker to ques- the committee,” he tweeted. “However, this isn’t the most under-represented ethnic minority on the tion the body’s commitment to diversity. Clarke first time that the @FA has come to grief over these pitch.” On Monday, the FA gave an update on its was giving evidence to the House of Commons issues. It makes us question their commitment to three-year equality, diversity and inclusion strate- Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee diversity.” When asked by another member of the gy, launched in 2018. “In Pursuit of Progress” aims (DCMS) on the future of English football. The 63- committee, Kevin Brennan, about whether he to promote equality and increase the diversity of LONDON: A video grab from footage broadcast by the year-old, who is a vice-president of world govern- wished to withdraw the use of the word “colored” those playing, officiating, coaching, leading and UK Parliament’s Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) ing body FIFA, also attracted criticism for suggest- in one of his earlier answers, Clarke apologized and governing English football. shows FA Chairman Greg Clarke giving evidence ing the lack of professional players in England said the American use of the phrase “people of col- Anton Ferdinand, who was at the centre of a remotely to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from a South Asian background was due to “differ- or” was the reason for his mistake. Anti-discrimina- racism storm during his career when he suffered Committee in London. -—AFP ent career interests”, comparing the situation to tion organization Kick It Out accused Clarke of abuse from former England and Chelsea captain the IT department at the FA. peddling “lazy racist stereotypes”. John Terry, said Clarke’s reference was “unac- Clarke also described being gay as a “life Sanjay Bhandari, Kick It Out executive chair, ceptable”. Terry was cleared of a criminal charge diversity campaign but it’s important the chair- choice” when quizzed over the lack of openly gay said: “His use of outdated language to describe of racial abuse of Ferdinand during a match in man Greg Clarke knows using the term ‘colored male players in England and said that young girls Black and Asian people as ‘coloured’ is from 2011, but he was subsequently banned and fined footballers’ to reference people of ethnicity is were often put off playing the game because they decades ago and should remain consigned to the by the FA. Ferdinand tweeted: “I appreciate that unacceptable!!!! Clearly education is needed at did not want to be hit hard by footballs. In a state- dustbin of history. “Being gay is not a ‘life choice’ the @FA are doing some good work with their all levels.” — Agencies

Africa roundup: Salah pleads for unity; Egypt face key qualifiers Injuries pile up amid JOHANNESBURG: Liverpool star has been rewarded for outstanding Mohamed Salah has pleaded for Egyptian Premier League form last European football’s national team unity as Egypt prepare season with a call-up for the qualifiers to tackle Togo at home and away in against Togo. He finished second with never-ending schedule crucial Africa Cup of Nations quali- 14 goals in the Golden Boot race fiers. The forward admitted in a BeIN behind veteran Abdallah el Said of Sport TV interview he was concerned Pyramids, who scored three more. El PARIS: A meeting of the Netherlands and about possible tension between CAF Said is also in the squad as the Spain would normally be something to savor, a Champions League finalists Al Ahly Pharaohs try to put behind them a glamour match-up between two of the great and Zamalek, with each club having poor start in which they drew with names of European football, but it and this six stars in the squad. “I do not want Kenya and the Comoros. week’s other international friendlies are a nui- there to be any tension between the sance to coaches of Europe’s top clubs con- players before or during the national South Africa cerned about the physical toll a packed calen- team camp,” said the two-time African Forward Bradley Grobler admits he dar is taking on players. The game in Footballer of the Year. has “not done enough for my country” Amsterdam is one of a host of matches on Cairo clubs Ahly and Zamalek have and hopes to rectify the situation Wednesday before a double-header of UEFA been fierce rivals for 109 years and when South Africa face Group C min- Nations League fixtures as European national before the coronavirus pandemic nows Sao Tome e Principe in Durban teams pack in three games in a week. drew capacity crowds wherever they and Port Elizabeth. “I have unfinished Despite this being a shortened season MANCHESTER: Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah (center) battles with because of the coronavirus pandemic, this is played. Record seven-time African business,” stressed the SuperSport Manchester City’s Portuguese defender Ruben Dias (left) and Manchester City’s champions Egypt only drew their first United star, who has been unable to the third international break since September Spanish midfielder Rodri during the English Premier League football match between and the demands on elite players are becoming two matches in Group G to lie third in translate good domestic form into a Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. — AFP a section also including Kenya and the permanent Bafana Bafana (The Boys) too much for many. “We are going to kill the Comoros, and which they were starting place. Sao Tome have ceded players,” complained Paris Saint-Germain expected to dominate. Both matches matchday 4 home advantage to South Tajouri for New York City and they es against Guinea-Bissau has risen to coach Thomas Tuchel recently. “We have no against Togo will be staged behind Africa in return for funds to cover are among 15 foreign-based five with defenders Ousseynou Ba and time for recuperation, not enough time to pre- closed doors because of COVID-19 travel and accommodation costs. Libyans chosen. Originally sched- Saliou Ciss and midfielder Idrissa pare. Without preparation, everything is fragile. with the first in Cairo Saturday and uled for Rades on the outskirts of Gueye injured. Famara Diedhiou was It is not an excuse, it’s the truth.” As it happens, the return match in Lome Tuesday. Libya Tunis because of the security situa- the first to pull out, after testing posi- PSG were missing eight first-team regulars Here, AFP Sport rounds up Cup of New national coach Ali el tion in Libya, the Mediterranean tive for the coronavirus, and fellow against Rennes last weekend, including Neymar Nations news ahead of matchdays 3 Margini has named two American Knights ‘home’ match has been forward Keita Balde then withdrew and Kylian Mbappe, and lost three more to and 4 with qualifiers spread over sev- Major League Soccer players in a switched to Cairo. injured. Coach Aliou Cisse has added injury during the match. en consecutive days from Wednesday. 25-man squad for Group J matches four players for the matches in Thies At least in France, and in many European against Equatorial Guinea. Defender Senegal and Bissau, including midfielder Alpha leagues, teams are permitted to make five sub- Egypt Muhammad al Munir plays for Los The number of withdrawals from Dionkou from the Manchester City stitutions during games instead of three. That is ENPPI forward Mohamed Sherif Angeles FC and forward Ismail al- the Senegal squad for Group I match- under-23 side. — AFP not the case in the Premier League, but there are now growing calls for England to fall in line. By late October, the specialist website lion). Now, we have two elite referees, Premier Injuries had reported 78 muscle Referees and from a budget of over 20 million injuries over the first five rounds of matches in pounds.” England, a 42 percent increase on the same VAR not good FIFA, in fact, only allow three “elite” stage last season. In Spain, Pedro Luis Ripoll, a referees from each individual country. doctor and founder of a specialist sports injury enough “It is run like an old boys’ club now,” clinic, told newspaper ABC there had also been Hackett added. There is no accounta- 78 muscle injuries in the first 50 days of the LEEDS: Error-prone Premier League bility... These guys are not amateurs, Spanish season. referees are not good enough, VAR they are getting six-figure wages - you technology is not fit for purpose and have to deliver. “They are producing Players ‘are not machines’ the game has “lost the plot” over better referees in Europe. You get three “Footballers need to be looked after. They handball, former English referees chief or four key refereeing errors per week- still have two legs, two lungs and two hands. Keith Hackett has said. A number of end in the Premier League now, and They are not machines,” said Sevilla coach VAR (Video Assistant Referee) rulings even two or three in one game. The Julen Lopetegui. Injuries are an occupational were disputed last weekend as Leeds standard is not good enough.” During hazard but it is the mounting number of muscle United’s Patrick Bamford had a goal his time in charge of the PGMOL, problems that is of greatest concern, and ruled out for a T-shirt sleeve offside, Hackett was instrumental in the intro- demands will only increase in the weeks ahead. DALIAN: Shijiazhuang Ever Bright’s Cao Xuan (center) heads the ball during the Chinese while penalties were given for hand- duction of goal-line technology in the The Premier League will pack in nine rounds Super League football match (CSL) between Shijiazhuang Ever Bright and Wuhan Zall ball against Liverpool and Premier League. VAR was brought into of matches between November 21 and January in Dalian in China’s northeastern Liaoning province yesterday. — AFP Wolverhampton Wanderers that were the league last season, but it remains 2. Teams involved in Europe will have a further criticised by pundits. unpopular with some English top-flight three games in that period, and there are also Hackett, a Premier League referee managers and fans alike. the League Cup quarter-finals. “The teams with tral Chinese city when the coron- until 1994, believes that while VAR Hackett believes VAR to have many international (club) football are in the toughest Wuhan survive avirus emerged there late last year, needs to be examined, officials on the flaws but its drawbacks start with the period ever, because October is like the usual should have taken the lead after only pitch need to look at themselves too. technology itself, which he says does December, November is like a usual December, China relegation five minutes in front of a sparse “The standard of refereeing has fallen,” not help officials as much as it should. and December is still like a December! And crowd in Dalian but Brazilian Leo Hackett, who was the general manager “We got VAR wrong from the word January will not be much different,” said decider but still Baptistao headed against the bar. of the Professional Game Match go,” Hackett added. “With goal-line Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Elsewhere, Wuhan deservedly went ahead in the Officials Board (PGMOL), the body technology, for accuracy and speed of France will play seven rounds of games in under 15th minute when the 26-year-old responsible for match officials in decision, cameras around each goal five weeks before the end of December, and in danger of drop Kouassi lashed in from close range. England, said in an interview. “When I are operating at 500 frames per sec- Germany is effectively doing away with its However, Shijiazhuang grew into ran the PGMOL we were delivering 10 ond. With VAR, the technology is cherished winter break. SHANGHAI: Jean Evrard Kouassi hit the game and made it 1-1 in the 54th or more world class referees on a operating at 50 frames per second. a late winner as Wuhan Zall, the foot- minute when Brazilian Matheus Leite budget of five million pounds ($6.6 mil- That is not enough. — Reuters Friendlies shoe-horned in ball team from ground zero of the Nascimento stabbed in. In a nervy France coach Didier Deschamps has this coronavirus pandemic, survived a game of few chances, Kouassi missed week been extolling the virtues of reducing the do-or-die relegation scrap in the from another close-range rebound number of clubs in Ligue 1 from 20 to 18, which Chinese Super League yesterday. before making no mistake with four would give clubs more breathing space. However, they are still in grave dan- minutes left of normal time. The first Meanwhile he is preparing his team for three ger of going down and must now leg had ended in a 0-0 stalemate. games in seven days, including Wednesday’s face a two-legged tie against The CSL title will be decided today friendly against Finland. The decision to go Zhejiang Energy Greentown, who when Fabio Cannavaro’s reigning ahead with the Nations League has been criti- finished second in China’s second champions Guangzhou Evergrande cized at a time of travel restrictions and with division, to stay in the CSL. face Jiangsu Suning in the second leg concerns international get-togethers could Ivorian winger Kouassi was of the championship final. The first facilitate the spread of COVID-19. Yet extra Wuhan’s hero, hitting a brace in a 2-1 leg was 0-0. The CSL started in July, friendlies are shoe-horned in after being post- win over Shijiazhuang Ever Bright to five months late and in two secure poned earlier this year during the firstwave of condemn them to the drop. Wuhan “bubbles” in Dalian and Suzhou, the virus. — AFP Zall, who were locked out of the cen- because of the coronavirus. — AFP