WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017 SPORTS Juergen Klopp’s concerns mount as Liverpool sputters ANFIELD: With his eccentricities, his pas- only six points in seven games since the hit when a team underperforms even if complacency? Are they too easy to pick ure to significantly improve Liverpool’s sion on the sidelines and his quirky com- start of the year. The Reds have dropped the players are as much to blame. off on the counterattack? defense in the three transfer windows he ments to the media, Liverpool manager to fifth place and are only a point ahead Klopp, who has been manager for 17 “What has happened here, has hap- has had at Anfield might be his biggest Juergen Klopp has quickly established of resurgent Manchester United, which months, has to take his share of the pened too often this season,” Klopp said mistake. No other team in the top eight himself as a cult figure at Anfield and a has played a game less. increasing criticism coming Liverpool’s at King Power Stadium. has conceded as many goals as Liverpool darling of English soccer in general. The 2-0 win over Tottenham two way. He doesn’t seem to have a “Plan B” if Liverpool simply wasn’t ready for (33) so far this season. Liverpool’s American owners were so weeks ago proved to be a false dawn. the team’s high-energy pressing game Leicester, despite having two weeks to Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius are sure that Klopp was the perfect man for Liverpool’s players put in one of its worst isn’t working. When Liverpool’s players prepare. The defense left space behind mistake-prone goalkeepers who have the club, they handed him a six-year con- performances of the season at Leicester: are on their game, they can blow oppo- for Vardy - one of the league’s quickest been in and out of the side, Milner isn’t a tract in July. But as another title chal- They were out-ran, out-fought and out- nents away - see, for example, how they strikers - to exploit, which is unforgiv- long-term solution at left back, and they lenge sputters in the Premier League thought. Liverpool’s squad spent some overwhelmed Tottenham and the fact able. And Liverpool didn’t match the are too weak at center back no matter and even Champions League qualifica- time at a training camp in La Manga, they scored more than four goals in a work rate of an opponent from whom who plays out of Joel Matip, Lucas, Dejan tion looks in doubt, questions are being Spain, during its recent 16-day break single game on eight occasions from there would obviously be a reaction fol- Lovren or Ragnar Klavan. asked about whether Klopp can make from competitive activity. The trip was August to December - but otherwise lowing the criticism of Leicester’s players There is no immediate threat to Liverpool - England’s biggest team in the meant to refresh the players ahead of they are easy to play against when their because of their perceived role in Klopp’s position - he is too highly late 1970s and 1980s - great again. the Premier League run-in, but it felt at intensity drops. Ranieri’s departure. “We didn’t adapt well thought of at Liverpool - but there is a And front of line is Klopp himself. times as if their heads and legs were still in the game,” Liverpool midfielder sense of deja vu at a club that hasn’t won “It’s getting more serious now. We all in Spain. “It looked like a friendly game,” COUNTERATTACK Georginio Wijnaldum said. “We were not the English league since 1990 and can- play for our futures, myself included,” a Klopp said when describing his players’ There’s also an alarming trend of loss- ready at the beginning of the game.” not compete financially with other dismayed Klopp said after Liverpool’s 3-1 sluggish reactions during Leicester’s es to lower-ranked teams. All five of And then there’s the seemingly annu- heavyweights in English soccer. loss at Leicester on Monday, its latest set- build-up to the first goal by Jamie Vardy. Liverpool’s losses al concerns about Liverpool’s defense, In the six-team race for the four back in a forgettable 2017. As the recent firing of Leicester’s title- in the league have come against which featured two midfielders - Lucas Champions League spots, two big teams The team, first-place Chelsea’s nearest winning coach, Claudio Ranieri, has teams in the bottom eight, including Leiva at center back and James Milner at will miss out. Liverpool increasingly challenger over Christmas, has earned proved, a manager will always take the four who were in the bottom five. Is it left back - against Leicester. Klopp’s fail- looks like being one of them. — AP Former FIFA official Valcke appeals 10-year soccer ban GENEVA: Former FIFA official Jerome hand man to former president Sepp Blatter Valcke has appealed to the Court of since 2007. Arbitration for Sport to overturn his 10-year His main role was overseeing the trou- ban from soccer for unethical conduct. bled preparations for the ultimately suc- The court outlined a procedural cessful 2010 and 2014 World Cups hosted timetable yesterday that should take sever- by South Africa and Brazil, respectively. al months to reach a verdict. However, the South African connection Valcke’s case will go ahead while he implicated him in a U.S. Department of remains under criminal investigation by Justice indictment which rocked FIFA, and federal prosecutors in Switzerland. He is eventually removed Blatter, when it was also an expected target witness in an published in May 2015. American federal investigation of corrup- In 2008, Valcke’s office transferred $10 tion implicating senior FIFA officials. million on behalf of South African World Valcke was fired as FIFA’s secretary gen- Cup officials to senior FIFA officials in North eral in January 2016 after being implicated and Central America. American federal in irregular World Cup ticket and broadcast prosecutors allege they were payments in a rights sales, plus expenses abuses includ- bribery conspiracy for World Cup hosting ing personal use of private flights. votes. Switzerland’s attorney general’s The FIFA ethics committee later banned office opened a case against Valcke in the French former TV presenter and mar- March 2016 “on suspicion of various acts of keting executive for 12 years, and also said criminal mismanagement.” — AP he destroyed evidence during the investi- gation. “Mr. Valcke acted against FIFA’s best interests and caused considerable financial damage to FIFA, while his private and per- Matches on TV sonal interests detracted him from his abili- (Local Timings) ty to properly perform his duties,” the ethics committee said when ruling in February SPANISH LEAGUE 2016. Valcke is now challenging a FIFA LEICESTER: Liverpool’s Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet (R) vies with Leicester City’s English striker Jamie Vardy during the English Premier League appeal committee ruling to cut the sanc- Barcelona v Sporting Gijon 21:30 football match between Leicester City and Liverpool at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on Monday. — AFP beIN SPORTS tion by two years. Though his initial appeal Osasuna v Villarreal 21:30 verdict was announced in July, he received beIN SPORTS SOCCER the written reasons from FIFA only this Celta de Vigo v RCD Espanyol 23:30 month, CAS said. Valcke has repeatedly beIN SPORTS denied wrongdoing in statements issued Real Madrid CF v Las Palmas 23:30 by his United States-based lawyers. beIN SPORTS Vardy scores twice as The FIFA ethics investigation was pro- Granada v Deportivo Alaves 23:30 voked by allegations in September 2015 beIN SPORTS that Valcke sought to profit from a black ITALIAN CUP market ticket deal for the 2014 World Cup SS Lazio v AS Roma 22:45 Leicester stun Liverpool in Brazil. The deal, with a contracted FIFA beIN SPORTS ticketing partner, later fell through and no money was paid. ENGLAND FA CUP to head in Christian Fuchs’s cross. points. Coutinho scored in the 69th minute with a FIFA was also conducting an internal Manchester City v Huddersfield 22:45 Leicester’s fans roared “3-0 to the champions” cool side-foot finish and the visitors suddenly came investigation into his conduct as right- while also chanting the name of Ranieri and it was to life, although it was too little too late for Juergen Leicester 3 easy to imagine they had been transported back to Klopp’s side who have won only once in seven last season when their team took the title by 10 league games. — Reuters Liverpool 1 Late Belotti brace LEICESTER: Leicester City returned to form in stun- ning fashion on Monday as Jamie Vardy scored twice in a 3-1 Premier League defeat of Liverpool stuns Fiorentina that lifted the champions out of the relegation zone. In their first match since manager Claudio MILAN: Italy striker Andrea Belotti made Fiorentina, who were whistled off the park Ranieri was sacked after five successive defeats in amends for missing a second-half penalty for by unhappy fans at the Artemio Franchi, remain which they failed to score a goal, Leicester pro- Torino with a late brace that secured a share of in eighth place at six points behind AC Milan, duced the kind of vibrant display that carried them the points in a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A who sit 19 points off leaders Juventus. to glory last May. Monday.