Aug. 12, 2020 Valencia woes La Liga side Valencia announced that two members of its squad and coaching staff have tested positive for COVID-19, a day after returning to 11 pre-season training, Reuters reported. Sports derby set for Hazfi Cup semis; Bergamo’s suffering still fresh in Atalanta’s minds ahead of PSG tie Spahan’s Qalenoei steps down With Juventus and Napoli both elimi- nated last week, a provincial club from the region that was at the heart of the Italy’s COVID-19 outbreak will be leading Serie A’s hopes in the Champi- ons League Final Eight. Atalanta, from the city of Bergamo, which has a population of around 120,000, will take on Paris St. Ger- main today in the match that kicks off the mini-tournament in Lisbon, Reuters reported. It will be a poignant moment. At the height of the coronavirus out- break, Bergamo’s hospitals were over- whelmed by infected people and, with morgues unable to keep up, convoys of army trucks carrying away the dead became a chilling symbol of the global pandemic. “We will play with Bergamo and for Bergamo, this will give us extra REUTERS strength,” midfielder Remo Freuler Atalanta players celebrate a goal during a 4-1 victory over Valencia in the Champions told the Eco di Bergamo newspaper. League at San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy, on February 19, 2020. “This region has suffered a lot, we know that very well in the squad and million ($67 million), according to the Gasperini arrived in 2016. this gives us extra motivation when we specialist website Transfermarkt. The 62-year-old is regarded as one of AHMAD MOEINI JAM/IRNA go onto the field. It was in the case in Qatari-backed Paris St. Germain, on Italy’s most tactically astute coaches, Persepolis and Esteghlal players battle for an aerial ball during a 2-2 draw at Azadi Stadium, Tehran, , on February 6, 2020. Serie A and it will be the case in Lis- the other hand, has been able to spend and he says he imitates others and uses bon.” lavishly on players such as the Brazil- “a little bit of everything”. Sports Desk The last time these two sides met in the back of the net in the 61st minute for In many ways, Atalanta and PSG are ian Neymar, who cost PSG a record After a best-ever fourth place finish the cup, three extra-time goals saw the Esteghlal’s second of the night. polar opposites. The Serie A side oper- €220 million (£198 million). in Serie A in 2016-17, it was widely as- ehran archrivals Persepolis and Blues claim a 3-0 victory over Perse- The defeat had further consequences ates on a relatively small budget and Atalanta is so proud of its local con- sumed the team would suffer the fate Esteghlal will square off in the polis in the quarterfinals in December for Sepahan as manager Amir Qalenoei coach Gian Piero Gasperini has molded nections that club president Antonio that usually befalls mid-ranking clubs THazfi Cup (Iranian domestic cup 2011 – their best victory in the Tehran stepped down from his role after the a successful team by bringing the best Percassi sends a replica shirt to every which stick their heads above the para- competition) semifinals. derby in the past 39 years. game. out of players who had under-achieved baby born in Bergamo’s hospitals. pet and that their best players would be sides Qalenoei’s Portuguese assistant at other clubs. Atalanta has been relegated three sold off to bigger rivals. Tractor and Naft Masjed Soleyman Qalenoei resigns Miguel Teixeira was named Sepahan’s Atalanta’s entire transfer spending times since the turn of the century, but Instead, Gasperini has taken them to will meet in the other fixture of the caretaker manager for the remainder of for the 2019-20 season was around €57 its fortunes changed dramatically after new heights. semis – set to be played on August The last spot of the last four of the the season. 25-26. competition was decided on Monday A run of disappointing results and The cup tie will be the third meeting when ’s men beat Sepa- below-par performances – two wins in of the season between the Tehran gi- han 2-0 at the Azadi Stadium to clinch seven matches following the league re- No ‘factual grounds’ for criminal proceedings: ants. a second victory over the Isfahan-based sumption in late June – have seen Sepa- A late winner by wunderkind Mehdi club in 10 days – following a 2-1 vic- han – once Persepolis’s nearest chal- Abdi gave the Reds a 1-0 league victo- tory in the league on August 1. lenger for the league title – drop to fifth FIFA chief Infantino ry last September before the two sides Skipper Voria Gafouri gave Esteghlal in the table. settled for a 2-2 draw in February. the lead deep into first-half stoppage With only two rounds of games to FIFA President Gianni Infan- and the Swiss Federal Prosecutor, It will also be a one-off occasion in time after Blues’ striker Mehdi Qaedi spare in the league Sepahan is two tino claimed there are no “factual the Office of the Swiss Attorney- the history of the two sides’ head-to- was brought down in the box by Shay- points off the third spot – and a place in grounds” for the ongoing criminal General (OAG) was conducting heads as they will battle it out in an an Mosleh. next season’s AFC Champions League proceedings against him in a letter investigations in over 20 cases in empty Azadi Stadium due the condi- kept his cool in a one-on- – and now the cup exit has put Sepah- to member federations. FIFA related matters and FIFA is tions forced by the coronavirus out- one situation with Sepahan keeper Pay- an’s place in the Asian elite clubs com- Infantino wrote to the 211 mem- a damaged party to those proceed- break. am Niazmand as his low drive found petition in doubts. bers following the opening of pro- ings,” the FIFA spokesperson said ceedings against him last month, in a statement. AFP reported. “It was therefore entirely logical He said his meetings with Swiss for the FIFA President to be meet- Attorney-General Michael Lauber ing the Swiss Federal Prosecutor. LeBron: Lakers “were in no way secret and most “Meetings or contacts between certainly not illegal” and the inves- parties and prosecutors are routine tigation against him had no “fac- during an investigation.” can’t win NBA title tual grounds”. In the comments, the spokes- “I went to these meetings with the GETTY IMAGES person stressed that the reason the most senior law officer in the coun- meetings were taking place was to try in order to offer our full support and assistance in connec- build trust with the Swiss attorney-general after years of cor- without Kuzma tion with the ongoing investigations because FIFA has an inter- ruption, with the first meeting taking place only 24 days into est and is a damaged party in these investigations,” he said. the FIFA chief’s tenure. A special prosecutor was appointed in July to investigate They also denied that the meetings took place in secret, ar- the dealings between Lauber and the head of football’s world guing transparency on FIFA’s behalf. governing body. “The meeting venues were organized by the OAG in pub- Lauber denied any wrongdoing but offered to resign after a lic places, like hotels and restaurants,” they added. Swiss court concluded he covered up meetings with Infanti- “The FIFA President did not choose the venues for the no and lied to supervisors while his office probed corruption meetings. surrounding FIFA. “All the meetings were officially scheduled well ahead of Earlier this month, FIFA revealed Infantino would not step time by the OAG and were mentioned in their calendars. down from his role as president and said “nothing remotely “There is no obligation for the FIFA president under any criminal has happened”. FIFA regulation or any law to keep minutes of any such “At the time of the meetings between the FIFA president meetings.” World Taekwondo Junior Championships

nba.com Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma (0) and LeBron James celebrate a point canceled for 2020 during an NBA victory over Nuggets in Orlando, Florida, US, on August 10, 2020. The World Taekwondo Coun- ture edition of its youth event. cil (WTC) canceled the 2020 “It is with great disappoint- LeBron James pointed to Kyle Kuzma’s form as a defining World Taekwondo Junior ment that we will not be able factor if the Los Angeles Lakers are to win the NBA title Championships due to the on- to host the World Taekwondo this year. nba.com going COVID-19 pandemic. Junior Championships in Sofia The 25-year-old displayed some steely composure on Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma (top) shoots against Nuggets during an Through a video conference, this year and we are sorry for Monday night as he drained a clutch three-pointer with 0.4 NBA game in Orlando, Florida, US, on August 10, 2020. the WTC unanimously agreed all those young athletes who seconds remaining over the seven-foot-eight wingspan of following a quiet game in the defeat to the Indiana Pacers. that the sport had to put safety have been training so hard for Bol Bol to hand the Lakers a 124-121 win over the Denver Kuzma was given a place in the starting five on Monday first and, after consultation this competition,” said World Nuggets, Sky Sports News reported. after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was ruled out of the con- with member nations, World Taekwondo president Chun- Kuzma finished the game with 25 points, six rebounds test with an ankle injury. Taekwondo Committees and gwon Choue. and three assists having shot 11 of 16 from the field and “I mean, I’m starting on most teams in this league, and national health authorities, the “However, we have always three of five from outside the arc in what was his best game everyone knows it,” Kuzma decision was made to cancel been very clear that the health since the restart. “But it just so happens that I play behind the best two the championships, insidethe- of our World Taekwondo fam- “In order for us to win a championship, he has to be our players in the NBA. You know, it doesn’t really matter to games.biz reported. GETTY IMAGES ily must come first. third-best player,” said James. me. I’m just trying to fill in my role, trying to find a niche, Committees involved included the 2022 edition instead. “After a thorough discussion with all “If I’m struggling or if AD (Anthony Davis) is struggling trying to win. That’s kind of all that matters because if we Medical and Anti-Doping Committee Dakar in Senegal was due to host the relevant parties, including medical ex- he has to be our second-best player on any given night. We don’t win, it’s bad news.” of the international taekwondo’s gov- 2022 edition, coinciding with the 2022 perts, we agreed it would not be safe to can’t win a championship if Kuz doesn’t play well.” Prior to Monday’s game, Kuzma had only landed 42.9 erning body. Youth Olympic Games. go ahead with the championships this James led the Lakers on the night with 29 points and 12 percent of his efforts from the field and 31.1 percent from Sofia in Bulgaria was set to be the However, the Games have now been year as planned. assists, while Anthony Davis also chipped in with 27 points three-point range. host of the 2020 championships on postponed to 2026 so World Taekwondo “We have no doubt that Sofia will October 14-18, but will now stage the is looking to allow the city to host a fu- host a fantastic event in 2022.”