MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2015 SPORTS The soccer man everyone wants in Europe

MADRID: He’s known as Monchi. And his In the last decade, the club based in regular on Brazil’s national team, is seen as ing on places where he knows his club will in a decisive game. We want to avoid method for evaluating soccer talent has the southern Spanish region of Andalucia one of his most successful signings - being have a competitive edge in the transfer being surprised later on,” Monchi said. Europe’s attention. Ramon Rodriguez has won eight titles: two Copa del Reys, bought for 1 million euros ($1.1 million) market. “We go looking for unknown play- “There is really no secret. We watch a lot of Verdejo, who still goes by the nickname one Spanish Supercup, one European from a small Brazilian club and sold to ers in places where we know the richer football, we travel a lot, we work hard.” from his goalkeeping days, has become Supercup, two UEFA Cups and the last two Barcelona for 30 million euros ($33.8 mil- teams won’t go because they don’t think By March or so, Monchi’s staff comes one of the most sought-after football Europa Leagues. Many label him one of lion). they will find anyone talented enough for up with a final report, with players graded directors in European soccer after revolu- the best soccer directors in the world, and “We are trying to work with a method them,” Monchi said. “We know we can’t on a scale from A to E, with A indicating tionizing Spanish club Sevilla with a scout- there is widespread talk that Europe’s top that helps us find new talent that could compete with Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, the best options. Monchi meets with ing system that helped rescue the team teams are trying to sign him. In the most benefit us on the field and also generate City, Juventus, Milan ... But we know that coaches and other officials to determine from the brink of financial collapse and recent presidential election at Barcelona, income,” the 47-year-old Monchi said. “The we can find these good players. We know the club’s strategy before starting to turned it into a perennial contender in the one of the candidates tried to draw voters biggest thing is to show our fans that this our market and we try to take advantage negotiate, and then he’s off to try to continent’s second-tiered competitions. by promising to hire Monchi if elected. is something good for the team, that it’s of it.” snatch the next player who could hopeful- Monchi is soccer’s version of Billy Tottenham and Real Madrid are among not only about making money. Nobody The first phase of the method begins in ly boost the team’s winning chances and Beane, the baseball general manager the teams that reportedly showed interest would defend this model anywhere in the August, when Monchi’s staff of about 15 finances. whose innovative methods to evaluate in talking to the gritty general manager. world if the team wasn’t winning titles.” comes up with “11 ideal players” in the top “We may not have the same economic players helped revitalize the Oakland A’s What everybody is after is the so-called There are no novel ideas in the Monchi European leagues and the lesser-known power as some other teams similar to us and whose story later became a book and “Monchi Method,” the scouting system Method, and its goal is quite simple: Find ones in Asia, South America, Africa and in Europe, like Fiorentina, Napoli, the movie, “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt. that helped Sevilla discover and profit cheap players with potential and re-sell other places across the world. Hamburg, Lyon, but we have built some- No Hollywood blockbuster is in the from players such as , Ivan them to bigger teams at a higher price. It’s By December, Monchi has a list of thing very special in the last few years, works about the bald-headed Monchi, but Rakitic, Julio Baptista, Sergio Ramos, an obvious formula for success, but not about 150 players selected for each posi- and that is our brand,” Monchi said. “When like Beane, he has his own way of doing Seydou Keita, Jesus Navas and Carlos easy to achieve with the same efficiency tion. He and his analysts start examining we approach players to come to Sevilla, things and has achieved significant suc- Bacca. as the always-upbeat Monchi. players by traveling to specific matches they know that they will be able to com- cess despite a limited budget compared Monchi is believed to have helped So what is his method? and watching videos. pete for titles, and they also immediately to the powerhouses of European soccer, Sevilla earn more than 200 million euros Monchi has put together a network of “It’s important to see how each player think about Rakitic, Alves, Keita, Ramos ... including local rivals Real Madrid and ($225 million) in transfers in the 15 years scouts and soccer specialists to watch will react when his team is winning, when They know that here they may have a Barcelona. he has been with the club. Alves, now a games in leagues around the world, focus- it’s losing, when it’s playing at home, away, future.”—AP

Cyprus keep playoff chances alive

JERUSALEM: Cyprus stunned Israel when through a Dosa Junior header from a free kick defender Jason Demetriou’s 85th minute in the 58th minute. strike secured a 2-1 victory in Group B on It silenced the already passive Israeli Saturday to leave them with a slim chance of crowd of 25,300 at Jerusalem’s Teddy Kollek qualifying for Euro 2016 via the playoffs by Stadium, but they were awoken by Nir Biton’s finishing third. equaliser, a thunderbolt from 30 metres that The Cypriot victory was achieved with crashed into the back of Antonios dogged defending, coupled by a lack of any Giorialledes’s net in the 76th. inspired play by their Israeli hosts. It was a But in their haste to find a winner and first win for the islanders in Israel in 12 meet- boost their own chances of finishing third in ings between the Mediterranean neighbors the group, the Israelis abandoned all defen- over 55 years. sive efforts and allowed Demetriou to blast After a first half in which the Israelis had home the winner from close range in the most of the possession but failed to make any 80th. Third spot is still up for grabs, with clear chances, Cyprus broke the deadlock Bosnia, who beat Wales 2-0 in occupying that position with 14 points, Israel in fourth on 13 and Cyprus fifth with 12 and all three can still secure the spot in the final round of matches Matches on TV on Tuesday. (Local Timings) , who beat Andorra 4-1 and Wales, have automatically qualified for next year’s finals in France. Cyprus coach Charalampos Euro Qualifiers 2016 Christodolou was delighted with their per- formance and the players wildly celebrated a Russia v Montenegro 19:00 famous victory as the final whistle sounded. Abu Dhabi Sport “It was an open game and both teams Sweden v Moldova 19:00 played to win. It could have gone either way Abu Dhabi Sport but we are happy to be the ones who suc- Austria v Liechtenstein 19:00 ceeded and now all three teams still have a Abu Dhabi Sport chance to clinch third spot,” Christodolou told Ukraine v Spain 21:45 a post-match news conference. His downcast Israeli counterpart Eli Abu Dhabi Sport Guttman declined to discuss his future but San Marino v Slovenia 21:45 ominously said he would “make an Abu Dhabi Sport announcement when there will be something Lithuania v England 21:45 to announce. Abu Dhabi Sport “This is one of the most disappointing Estonia v Switzerland 21:45 moments in my career. When you have a Abu Dhabi Sport chance like this and you don’t take it, you ZAGREB: Bulgaria’s Ivelin Popov (left) fights for the ball with Croatia’s Luka Modric during the Group H Euro 2016 qualifying soccer match. —AP Belarus v Macedonia 21:45 don’t deserve to even dream about finishing Abu Dhabi Sport third.. “There was no implementation of any Luxembourg v Slovakia 21:45 plan today and I take full responsibility... I have not been able to leave my mark on the Abu Dhabi Sport Croatia outclass Bulgaria team,” Guttman said.—Reuters

ZAGREB: Croatia thrashed hapless Bulgaria 3-0 ence in 1991, visit Malta in their final qualifier Ivan Perisic, the group’s top scorer, put in a Euro 2016 qualifier played behind closed while Norway travel to Italy on Tuesday. Croatia ahead inside an eerily silent stadium nor- Wales lose match, win berth doors at the Maksimir stadium on Saturday to The third-placed finishers will still have a mally known for its deafening atmosphere with remain in the hunt for an automatic Group H chance to make it through to the finals via a his fifth goal in the campaign following a fine ZENICA: Soccer history is riddled with final hurdle in 2003 in a two-legged playoff qualifying spot. two-legged playoff. “This was just one step. We through ball by Luka Modric after 88 seconds. world class players who missed out on to reach the Euros, cruelly beaten at home Fans were not allowed into the ground in have to win in Malta to make these points valu- Nikola Kalinic, replacing the injured Mario major tournaments because their national by Vadim Evseev’s strike after holding Zagreb to witness Ante Cacic’s debut as coach able,” said Cacic, who was concerned about the Mandzukic, almost doubled their lead a few min- teams were not strong enough-not so Russia in Moscow. following a racist incident in their 1-1 home weather conditions for their next match. “It will utes later, they had a goal wrongly disallowed Gareth Bale. On Saturday Wales lost the battle draw against Italy in June. Croatia also had a be 30 degrees (Celsius) in Malta, it will be tough, for offside and Bulgaria defender Georgi Terziev Bale has led Wales into their first major against Bosnia but won the qualifying war point deducted. but we are ready.” rattled his own post attempting a panicked finals in 57 years, the 2016 European cham- by securing a historic place at the finals. “It’s Saturday’s result left Croatia, who have Croatia were back on top form under Cacic, clearance. The lively Ivan Rakitic did make it 2-0 pionship in France. The Welsh, who played a dream come true,” manager Chris claimed at least a playoff spot, third with 17 who last month replaced the sacked Niko Kovac, with a low right-foot shot after playing a one- at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, clinched Coleman said. points from nine games, two behind Norway, as they bounced back from disappointing per- two with Kalinic three minutes before the break. second place in Group H with a match to “All the players from my generation, and who beat Malta 2-0, and four adrift of leaders formances in their previous two games. Kalinic then completed the scoring from close spare despite going down to their first generations before, nearly got there and it Italy, who booked a place at the finals with a 3-1 “We scored early, were more motivated than range in the 81st minute following a precise defeat, 2-0 in Bosnia, after Israel lost 2-1 at was really tough. But this group have gone win in Azerbaijan. Bulgaria and, in the end, Croatia has more quali- cross from Perisic. Croatia substitute Duje Cop home to Cyprus on Saturday. that extra yard. “They deserve everything Croatia, who have only once failed to reach ty,” he said. “With this passion, we can even go to was sent off for a reckless challenge on defender “This is right up there in my career. It they have got. From the first game to the European Championship since independ- the playoffs in good spirits.” Strahil Popov in the closing stages. —Reuters was a dream from when I was a small child tonight they have given me their all,” he to play in a major tournament. It doesn’t told . Coleman took over the stop here, we have business to do in team from former Speed, who France,” Bale said after the match in Zenica. was found dead four years ago. Real Madrid winger Bale, who scored six “Gary Speed was such a great man and a Belgium thrash Andorra 4-1 goals in the qualifiers, will enjoy the inter- great presence that I wanted to carry on his national stage denied to compatriots like work. But I couldn’t. So I decided to do my BELGIUM: Belgium secured a tick- but this time Andorra’s Ferran Pol Wilmots. European Championship for the Ryan Giggs, Mark Hughes, Ian Rush and the own thing and it has been a fantastic cam- et to Euro 2016 by thrashing made the save. “We played a very “We remained patient and first time since 2000 when they late Gary Speed. paign,” Coleman added. Andorra 4-1 with two goals in each complete and correct match, we marked them at the right moment, hosted the tournament with the Wales are usually the nearly men in Wales finish at home to the group’s bot- half, including one from Laurent circulated the ball around well created quite a few chances. Netherlands. The last time Belgium qualifying campaigns. They were denied a tom team Andorra at the Cardiff City Depoitre on his debut, to move top against an adversary who defend- Belgium, quarter-finalists at the qualified for the finals was in place at the 1978 World Cup when Stadium where there will be a party atmos- of qualifying Group B on Saturday. ed with great rigour,” added 2014 World Cup, will play at the 1984.—Reuters Scotland were controversially awarded a phere. “We always had belief from the start The Belgians can guarantee finish- penalty, even though the ball struck striker but we knew it would be a lot of hard ing first with a home win over Joe Jordan’s hand and not defender Dave work,” said captain Ashley Williams. “We Israel on Tuesday, with previous Jones. didn’t manage to do it in front of our home leaders Wales having been beaten Paul Bodin’s penalty miss against fans but when we go home now we’ll 2-0 in Bosnia but qualifying after Romania saw Welsh dreams of reaching the hopefully win that game and have a nice the Israelis lost. 1994 World Cup in the United States night after it,” the Swansea City defender “First of all I’m happy nobody’s dashed. Then Hughes’s Wales side fell at the said.—Reuters injured,” Belgium manager told state broadcaster RTBF. “Obviously, it’s been some 33 years that we last qualified for two big tournaments in a row so we’re quite happy, and I guess Belgium as well as the tournament’s next door in France.” The Belgians were in control from the start with Radja Nainggolan opening the scoring in the 19th minute. made it 2-0 with a 20-metre free kick before the break. The hosts clawed back a rare goal in the 51st minute when Ildefons Lima converted a penalty conceded by defender who had lost Andorra’s Victor Moreira and could only stop him with an inclement nudge. Belgium wrapped up the points and a place in France with a spot kick from before Depoitre scored his first interna- ZENICA: Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Mensur Mujdza (center) fights for the ball with Wales’ tional goal. Hal Robson Kanu (right) during the Euro 2016 Group B qualifying match between Hazard could have made it 5-1 ANDORRA: Belgium’s Radja Nainggolan (second left) kicks the ball to score against Andorra during the Bosnia-Herzegovina and Wales, at the Bilino Pole stadium. —AP in the 78th with another penalty Euro 2016 Group B qualifying match. —AP