MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2016 SPORTS Lippi to net millions as China coach: Media

BEIJING: will earn almost region of 4.5 million euros ($4.9 million)” heights, leading the side to three con- The Southern Metropolis Daily, based Lippi, who masterminded Italy to $5 million a year as China coach but will said state broadcaster CCTV on an offi- secutive Super League titles between in Guangzhou, quoted sources close to their most recent World Cup triumph in pocket far more through a tie-in with a cial social media account. But the offer 2012 and 2014. the Italian as saying that “as well as the 2006, has his work cut out in his latest football academy, state media said yes- made to the Italian also includes income He was due to work with the club CFA, the highest levels of government assignment. China, the most populous terday. from Guangzhou Evergrande’s football next season, but Evergrande announced also invited Lippi” to coach the national nation on Earth, languish a lowly 84th in The 68-year-old Italian was named academy which will pay “Lippi and his Saturday it was breaking the agreement side, a move that had “a direct bearing the FIFA world rankings-sandwiched boss of the national team by the Chinese team” 15.5 million euros annually to act so the Italian could take the reins at a on his decision”. between Kenya and Guatemala. Football Association on Saturday and as official “advisors” for the establish- national level. Improving the level of football at club They have claimed just one point has the tricky goal of steering the Asian ment, CCTV said. Lippi is committed to Guangzhou’s and national level has been a priority for from four games in the latest World Cup giant to qualify for the 2018 World Cup-a The club, which is riding high atop football academy until “the end of President Xi Jinping who, even before qualification phase and are bottom in near impossible feat given recent losses the , did not con- January 2019”, CCTV said. The CFA did taking office, underlined his ambitions Group A, which includes Iran, to Uzbekistan and war-torn Syria. firm the figure when contacted by AFP. not give details about the length of for China to qualify for the World Cup, to Uzbekistan, South Korea, Syria and Lippi’s annual salary “should be in the Lippi coached Evergrande to great Lippi’s contract. host the event and to one day win it. . —AFP

Scolari leads Guangzhou to sixth straight China title

BEIJING: Despite the hundreds of millions half of the season by Beijing Guoan and of dollars spent by a growing number of Shandong Luneng, respectively. Menezes Chinese Super League clubs in 2016, was replaced by former Bayern Munich Guangzhou Evergrande continues to domi- boss Felix Magath, while ex-Real Madrid nate, winning a sixth straight title yester- and Manchester City boss Manuel day. Luiz Felipe Scolari made it two champi- Pellegrini took over Hebei CFFC in August. onships since arriving in June 2015 as the Scolari, who has lost just three league club was held 1-1 by Yanbian Funde but games in his time in China, is one of three moved seven points clear of Jiangsu coaches in the running to be named Suning in second with two games remain- Chinese Super League coach of the year, ing. Guangzhou has dominated most of the along with Spaniard Gregorio Manzano of season, helped by Brazilian internationals Shanghai Shenhua and Henan Jianye’s Jia Paulinho, who scored against Yanbian, and Xiuquan. Ricardo Goulart, the league’s leading scorer, “I want to say thank you to the players as well as a number of top Chinese players. for their efforts and the fans for supporting “Guangzhou are a worthy champion for us so well,” said Scolari. “This win was not sure,” Mads Davidsen, assistant coach at easy. The league is getting tougher all the fourth-placed Shanghai SIPG, told The time and so it is very satisfactory to win the Associated Press. “This is the sixth title in a title once again.” row, so no doubt they are still the strongest Davidsen agrees that standards are ris- team in China.” Despite the dominance, the ing. “We now have six or seven quite equal signs are promising for the Chinese Super teams as Jiangsu, Shenhua and Hebei has League. The overall average attendance is stepped up this season,” said the Dane, set to finish close to the 25,000 mark this adding that big-spending Tianjin, promot- season, up from just over 22,000 in 2015. ed from the second tier with coach Fabio Once again, it is the highest in Asia, Cannavaro, will continue to invest in the “The fever here for football is something top tier ahead of 2017. “Tianjin will proba- I have not seen before,” Choi Yong-soo, the bly finish in the top half as they have mas- South Korean coach of Jiangsu, was quoted sive finances.” as saying by FIFA. “The stadium and the Scolari is expected to leave Guangzhou fans, it’s all huge.” at the end of the season though the CROTONE: Napoli’s Spanish midfielder Jose Maria Callejon (R) scores during the Italian football match between FC Crotone and SSC Chinese clubs such as Guangzhou, Brazilian refused to comment on his future Napoli at Ezio Scida stadium in Crotone yesterday. — AFP Jiangsu, Shanghai SIPG and Hebei CFFC on Sunday. Marcello Lippi, who led spent over $400 million in the winter trans- Guangzhou to three championships from fer window on stars such as Alex Teixeira, 2012 to 2014, had been set to return before Ramires, Jackson Martinez and Ezequiel it was announced on Saturday that the Napoli ends losing streak, Lavezzi. In the summer, Shanghai spent Italian had been appointed as the national more than $60 million on Brazilian striker team head coach. Hulk. Choi believes that all the investment The appointment was warmly received Inter lose again in Serie A will make a difference. “The infrastructure is as an up-and-down year for the national well-established and the management sys- team enters its final weeks. In March, China tem of the club is well-organized,” he said. made the third round of qualification for ROME: A visit to last-place Crotone was just what a goal even though goal-line technology showed has featured only foreign players in its starting line- “They essentially have laid out the ground- the 2018 World Cup for the first time since Napoli needed to end a three-match losing streak. that the ball wasn’t fully in. up in all nine of its matches this season. It was work for further growth. It is an indis- 2002. One point from the first four games Despite losing center forward Manolo Gabbiadini Also, French forward Cyril scored twice for Udinese’s first win since replaced putable fact that Chinese football is devel- in Group A triggered the resignation of Gao to a red card, ten-man Napoli won 2-1 yesterday to Udinese in a 3-1 win over visiting Pescara. Udinese as coach three weeks ago. — AP oping at an unprecedented pace.” Hongbo on Oct. 11. spoil Crotone’s first Serie A match in its home stadi- The season also saw a number of promi- Lippi will take control of China for the um. Jose Callejon scored 17 minutes in and Nikola nent foreign coaches depart and arrive. first time against Qatar on Nov. 15. His first Maksimovic doubled the lead in the 33rd, shortly Former AC Milan and Juventus boss activity as the national team boss was to go after Gabbiadini was sent off. Aleandro Rosi pulled Dembele late show sees Alberto Zaccheroni and ex-Brazil head and watch former club Guangzhou secure one back for Crotone in the 89th. coach Mano Menezes were fired in the first yet another title. —AP Gabbiadini was on the ground after being fouled by Gian Marco Ferrari and reacted by flick- Celtic beat Rangers ing his boot into the back of Ferrari’s leg. It was Gabbiadini’s first red card in 153 career Serie A GLASGOW: Moussa Dembele grabbed a late Dembele, who played Sinclair clean through, matches. Ferrari was shown a yellow. Both of winner as Celtic clinched a place in the but Matt Gilks raced off his line to block his Napoli’s goals were aided by poor defense. Callejon Scottish League Cup final with a 1-0 defeat of shot with his legs. Gilks breathed a sigh of redirected the ball in by the far post after a cross rivals Rangers at Glasgow’s relief when his attempted pass went straight from Dries Mertens was deflected right toward Hampden Park yesterday. to Rogic in the box, but the Australian him. Recently called up to Spain’s national team, Rangers looked a much improved side couldn’t find the target with his effort. Callejon has been involved in a league-best eight from the one hammered 5-1 at Parkhead in The Rangers keeper then redeemed him- goals this season with six goals and two assists. their last meeting with arch-rivals Celtic in self as he made a point-blank save to keep Maksimovic also scored near the far post, following August, but it was the Hoops who had the out a close-range header from Dembele. The a corner. Napoli had lost two straight in Serie A best chances, with Erik Sviatchenko’s header French striker was then lucky to avoid a book- and was also beaten by Besiktas in the Champions ruled out for a foul before Scott Sinclair ing for diving after he threw himself to the League this week. Napoli moved back into third, crashed a free-kick off the bar. ground in the hope of a penalty as referee four points behind Juventus and two behind AC The game looked to be heading for extra- Thomson kept his cards in his pocket. Milan, which beat Juve 1-0 on Saturday. time before Dembele, who grabbed a hat- Celtic had the ball in the net three minutes Promoted to the top division for the first time in trick on his Old Firm debut, added the finish- after the break when Sviatchenko headed its 106-year history, Crotone played its first three ing touch to substitute Leigh Griffiths’s cross Sinclair’s cross past Gilks but Thomson home matches 600 kilometers (375 miles) away in in the 87th minute. adjudged that the Dane had fouled Rangers Pescara while its Ezio Scida stadium was expanded Celtic will join Aberdeen in the final after defender Clint Hill in the build-up. to meet league regulations. The Calabrian club the Dons defeated Championship side Sinclair and Rogic then combined to carve remained with one point. Later, Roma can move Greenock Morton 2-0 in Saturday’s first semi- the Rangers defence open but Gilks blocked back above Milan into second with a win over visit- final. Rangers had selected full-backs Lee the English winger’s effort. ing Palermo and faces Sassuolo in an Hodson and down the right Rangers had yet to threaten Craig Emilia-Romagna derby. Here’s a look at the rest of to deal with the pace of Sinclair and Kieran Gordon’s goal but the best chance of the CAEN: Saint-Etienne’s Jordan Veretout (L) shoots to score a goal during the French L1 the action in the Italian league yesterday: Tierney, which caused them so much damage match then fell to Jason Holt when Tavernier football match between Caen (SM Caen) and Saint-Etienne (AS Saint-Etienne) yester- in their August mauling by Celtic. found him in the middle but his goal-bound day at the Michel-d’Ornano stadium in Caen, northwestern France. — AFP ATALANTA 2, 1 After a frantic start it was the Hoops who effort was well blocked by Simunovic with The crisis for first-year manager threatened first with Sinclair cutting in from McKay sending the follow-up straight into deepened with Inter’s third consecutive league the left to pick out Tom Rogic, whose deflect- the hands of the Hoops keeper. loss. Mauricio Pinilla scored the winner for Atalanta ed strike landed on the roof of the net. Only the crossbar prevented Celtic from with a penalty two minutes from time. Rangers were appealing for a penalty taking the lead in the 69th minute when Qatar announces After Davide Santon was whistled for a foul on moments later when Barrie McKay went Sinclair’s curling free-kick rattled the upright. Franck Kessie, Pinilla drilled the spot kick into the down under a challenge from Jozo Simunovic With the game heading to extra-time top left corner, leaving Samir Handanovic no but referee Craig Thomson instead booked Celtic made the breakthrough as Griffiths got ‘work-related’ World chance even though the Inter goalkeeper guessed him for simulation, much to the fury of the behind Lee Wallace and his cross for the right the right direction. Andrea Masiello had put Rangers players. was prodded home by Dembele under pres- Cup stadium death Atalanta in front with an early header and Eder A slack pass was then intercepted by sure from Rob Kiernan. — AFP equalized for Inter with a free kick after the break. DOHA: A worker on a Qatar World “A full investigation is underway to While Inter defeated Juventus in September, it’s been a difficult debut campaign in Italy for De Boer, Cup stadium site has died in the first determine the factors which con- who was hired when resigned less work-related fatality to be announced tributed to the death of one of our than two weeks before the season started. “The by organizers of the 2022 soccer tour- workers,” the Supreme Committee only thing we can do is work hard to get out of this nament that has been dogged by con- said. “The relevant authorities were situation,” De Boer said. “I want to see the squad cerns about labor conditions. immediately informed and the family have more courage with the ball. ... It’s a tough Qatar has previously reported three of the deceased have been notified. time for everyone.”Inter captain Mauro Icardi failed deaths at stadium construction sites We offer them all the necessary sup- to put a single shot on target after being punished but said they were not “work-related.” port they may need at such a difficult by the club for his comments about the team’s The tiny, gas-rich country is relying on time.” hard-core “ultra” fans in his autobiography. its large workforce of Asian laborers to Al Wakrah Stadium, which is 15 Atalanta, which extended its unbeaten streak to build stadiums and related infrastruc- kilometers south of the capital Doha, four matches, moved up to eighth while Inter dropped to 14th. ture to cope with staging soccer’s is intended to resemble the sails on a biggest tournament in the Middle traditional Qatari dhow boat and was TORINO 2, LAZIO 2 East for the first time. designed by Zaha Hadid before the Torino and Lazio remained level on points, six The Supreme Committee for architect’s death in March. The 40,000- points behind Juventus, after a draw that was deter- Delivery and Legacy, which is tasked capacity venue is due to be complet- mined with a penalty kick from Torino’s Adem Ljajic with building World Cup sites, did not ed by 2018 and host games up to the in added time.After Iago Falque put Torino ahead name the worker who died on quarterfinals at the 2022 World Cup. midway through the first half, Ciro Immobile equal- Saturday morning at Al Wakrah The emirate is expected to spend ized for Lazio against his former club in the 71st Stadium or provide his nationality. tens of billions of dollars before the with an acrobatic effort. Substitute Alessandro “It is with deep regret we announce November-December 2022 tourna- Murgia scored his first Serie A goal in the 84th for a work-related fatality on one of our ment kicks off, preparing eight new Lazio before Marco Parolo was whistled for a ques- tionable hand ball to set up Ljajic’s spot kick. projects,” the committee said on its and renovated stadiums and related Nikola Kalinic scored a hat trick and Federico website. FIFA is awaiting a report from projects such as transport links and Bernardeschi added two more goals as Fiorentina ROTTERDAM: Ajax Amsterdam’s Lasse Schone (R) fights for the ball with Feyenoord Qatari organizers. accommodation. — AP won 5-3 at Cagliari. Empoli and Chievo Verona Rotterdam’s Karim El Ahmadi during the Dutch Eredivisie football match between Feyenoord played to a 0-0 draw in which Chievo protested for Rotterdam and Ajax Amsterdam at De Kuip in Rotterdam yesterday. — AFP