TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 SPORTS Premier League holiday pileup of games MANCHESTER: With their six-figure weekly salaries, it’s hard,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says. “At on that day, even if it was the culture.” ing there were matches then and making plans to flashy cars, plush houses and supermodel wives and Christmas, the accumulation of matches is so high. Desailly can count himself fortunate he wasn’t go home for Christmas. “They thought they were girlfriends, sympathy is usually in short supply when You must do it with a special group with a special playing in Britain in the 1950s - in those days, getting their leg pulled in the dressing room that it comes to players in the English Premier League. mentality, enjoying the situation and forgetting you English clubs played on both Christmas Day and there were four games over Christmas,” he said, Except, maybe, over the Christmas and New Year don’t have a Christmas like the Spanish players, the Boxing Day (Dec. 26). More recently, teams in the laughing. “It’s a bit of a culture shock for some. There period. When you are sitting down to a big dinner, Italian players, the German players.” Scottish leagues played on Christmas Day in 1976. were certainly cases down the years of players get- drinking wine and spending time with the family Mourinho says he missed being part of England’s For players these days that’s no longer the case, ting Christmas hamstrings.” over the festive period, spare a thought for the likes hectic festive schedule when he left Chelsea in 2007 but it doesn’t mean Christmas Day isn’t ruined for There’s no rest for stadium staff and club officials, of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Sergio to manage first in Italy with Inter Milan and then in them. There’s often training in the morning and a either. Managers have to work overtime, too, rotat- Aguero. Spain with Real Madrid. But it certainly isn’t to every long coach journey if you are unlucky enough to be ing their squads and dealing with injuries. For fans, They’ll most likely be practicing in the freezing foreigner’s liking. playing away on Dec. 26. though, Christmas soccer is the highlight of the year. cold. Or maybe on a bus traveling the length and Take Marcel Desailly, for example. He arrived at “I remember a couple of Christmases when I was Twelve points are up for grabs in a little more than a breadth of England (and Wales for that matter). Or Chelsea from AC Milan in 1998, the year he won the at Sunderland, we had to go down to Southampton week, a frenetic period that can shape a season and stuck in a hotel room with only a TV for company. World Cup with France, and soon discovered two years in a row,” former Arsenal and Manchester provide momentum for the second half of the cam- While the top leagues across Europe shut for two Christmas would no longer be the same. City striker Niall Quinn told the AP, recalling journeys paign. “It’s unique. Generally the stadium is full and weeks or more at the end of each year, there’s no “I thought it wasn’t fair,” Desailly told The from the north of England to the very south. “I can it’s usually a brilliant occasion,” Quinn said. So who winter break for the hardy souls of the Premier Associated Press. “Christmas Day should not be a remember skidding my car on ice and having to get cares if it harms England’s chances of success in League. British soccer persists with that proud, day for football. When you believe in something, you my in-laws to get me out of a ditch so I could get to World Cups and European Championships? Who unique - some call it downright weird - tradition of shouldn’t have to do it, even for the good of the training on Christmas Day. Then I get back home cares if it causes endless family feuds, with many piling up the matches over the festive period. football and the business of football. and the coach was leaving at 3 p.m. to go down to fans preferring a trip to a match than to their in- Players at Arsenal and Chelsea, for example, will play “I was coming from a Latin country where with Southampton. Christmas was obliterated in many laws? four games in 10 days from Dec. 23-Jan 1. “It’s a peri- Christmas, all the (religious) beliefs at that moment respects.” Just sit back and enjoy the uniqueness of English od where I think only the brave can survive, because were particularly strong. There was no reason to play Quinn recalls some foreign teammates not know- soccer over Christmas. — AP Suarez signs new contract at Liverpool LONDON: Only four months after publicly sy, Liverpool supporters have remained loy- pleading to leave the club in the hope of al to their talisman. “Without doubt the joining Premier League rivals Arsenal, Luis backing I have received from the Liverpool Suarez has completed a remarkable U-turn fans has influenced my decision,” he said. “I and signed a new long-term contract at am so proud to represent them and go out Liverpool. to do my best for them every time I pull on The 26-year-old complained in August the shirt. that Liverpool had broken an agreement “We have a special relationship. They allowing him to leave after the club failed to have love for me and in return I love them qualify for the Champions League. His com- back. I will always do my best for them and plaint came shortly after Liverpool had hopefully we can achieve success together.” rejected a transfer bid from Arsenal for the Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers striker. made Suarez train alone after his outburst Liverpool stood firm however and in August but the striker returned to the Suarez began a dramatic period of rehabili- first-team squad before the start of the sea- tation. The Uruguay forward is the top scor- son. The Reds are aiming to finish in the er in the Premier League this season with 17 Premier League’s top four to qualify for the league goals in 11 starts, including a Champions League and could mount a quadruple against Norwich and a hat trick challenge for the title if the team maintains against West Brom. Tipped to shine at the its current form.”This is fantastic news for World Cup next year, his form has helped everyone associated with the club; the Liverpool climb to second in the division, team, the owners and most importantly the two points behind Arsenal. supporters,” Rodgers said. “We have some great players and the “Luis is a world-class talent and securing team is growing and improving all the time,” his services is crucial for what we are trying Suarez said. “I believe I can achieve the to achieve here. “What’s most important ambitions of winning trophies and playing and most exciting is that, at just 26 years at the very highest level with Liverpool. My old, his best years are still ahead of him and aim is to help get us there as quickly as pos- we now know we’ll be seeing him reach sible.” Suarez missed Liverpool’s first six that potential in a Liverpool shirt.” league games this season as he completed Suarez’s contract was due to expire in NEW YORK: Cam Talbot #33 of the New York Rangers makes a save in the first period as teammate Michael Del Zotto #4 defends against Zach a 10-match suspension for biting Chelsea 2016. Liverpool owner John W. Henry Parise #11 of the Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on Sunday in New York City. — AFP defender Branislav Ivanovic. It was the latest added: “We are committed to working hard in a long line of ugly incidents involving to keep our best players and this is an indi- Suarez, who was banned for eight matches cation that we are moving in the right for racially abusing Manchester United’s direction and moving at a pace that Eagles rout Bears 54-11 Patrice Evra in October 2011. impresses one of the best players in world Despite his habit for creating controver- football.” — AFP PHILADELPHIA: Knowing they have everything to chance to secure a division title because Green Bay first period during a television timeout. He was play for next week, the Philadelphia Eagles never let lost to Pittsburgh and the New York Giants eliminated replaced by Lack, who backstopped the Canucks to a up against a team with plenty on the line. Nick Foles Detroit from playoff contention. 3-2 shootout win in Chicago on Friday. Schalke keep Keller threw two touchdown passes, LeSean McCoy ran for two scores and the Eagles routed the Chicago Bears Canucks 2, Jets 1 Rangers 4, Wild 1 54-11 on Sunday night in a matchup of first-place Defenseman Chris Tanev’s third-period goal gave The New York Rangers, trying to salvage the as coach for 2014 teams with opposite stakes. Vancouver a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on a night remainder of a nine-game homestand, knocked off Instead of resting his starters for a winner-take-all the Canucks lost goaltender Roberto Luongo to a the Minnesota Wild 4-1. The win moved the Rangers BERLIN: Schalke 04 confirmed on 2012, the 43-year-old Keller has fallen game at Dallas next Sunday night, Chip Kelly didn’t groin injury.