Top European Clubs Circle As Messi Calls Time at Barcelona
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Serena Williams crashes out of tune-up meet in New York PAGE 14 THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020 Sheikh Hamad is the new Qatar Sports Club president Top European clubs TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK DOHA HE Sheikh Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani has become the new president of the Qatar Sports circle as Messi calls Club after his opposing can- didates HE Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Nasser Al Thani and Ali Al Mannai withdrew from the elections before the General Assembly meeting time at Barcelona that was held on Monday. The outgoing president HE Sheikh Hamad bin Suhaim AFP Sheikh Jassim announced Al Thani. BARCELONA during the General Assembly meeting his official withdrawal were also discussed, and the LIONEL Messi’s bombshell in support of Sheikh Hamad. election and membership af- request to leave Barcelona is The meeting, which was fairs committee was formed expected to spark a legal bat- attended by a number of mem- for the next session, consist- tle over a multi-million-dollar bers of the General Assembly, ing of five persons, headed by buy-out clause but also raises discussed many items on the Ahmed Mohammed Al Ku- the question of which club agenda, including the financial wari, and the membership of could afford him in the heat of report, during which Sheikh Mohamed Rabia Al Kuwari, the coronavirus pandemic. said that the club’s financial Mohamed Hamid Al Midfa, Messi’s priority has always position was good and there Mohamed Ali Al Kubaisi and been to be part of a “winning were no cases filed against the Talal Ali Al Mawlawi. The list project” at Camp Nou, and club in the Federation Inter- of alternate members included newly-appointed sporting nationale de Football Associa- Fahad Abdullah Al Maliki, director Ramon Planes on tion (FIFA). Khalifa bin Abdulaziz and Wednesday hailed the Argen- The members’ proposals Khaled Abdullah. tinian a “winner” the Catalan club was working hard to keep. As it stands, Messi is Barca’s record scorer and has been part of a team that has amassed four Champions League titles, 10 La Liga titles and six Copa del Rey trophies. The 33-year-old’s latest season, however, was not only devoid of trophies (for the first time since 2008), it was also defined by chaos and ended in humiliation with a 8-2 Cham- pions League quarter-final defeat by eventual champions Bayern Munich. Messi, a six-time Ballon The covers of newspapers inform on Argentinian forward Lionel Messi’s d’Or winner, has not asked for wish to leave FC Barcelona, in Barcelona, Spain on Wednesday. (AFP) a transfer to put his feet up for the final years of his career. This Guardiola, sporting director tor Planes, named in place of was “not an argument between of which his release clause is a considered move aimed at Txiki Begiristain and chief Eric Abidal a day after Quique Messi and Barca – neither de- amounts to 700 million euros Ambassador of Qatar to Malaysia His Excellency Fahd bin Mohammed bolstering his successes, and in executive Ferran Soriano, all Setien was sacked as manager serves it”. ($828 million).” Kafood hands over Qatar Football Association’s bid file to Secretary- one competition in particular. have connections with Barce- following the Bayern defeat, “We are working to make Messi joined Barcelona’s General of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the Asian foot- lona they are keen to respect. said on Wednesday that Messi’s Barca a winner. There is no youth academy at the age of 13 ball governing body’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. Champions League For PSG, whose frustra- want-away demand was “a very division within the club over and made his debut in 2004 as obsession tion in Europe has been com- important story”. Leo. Anyone who knows foot- a 17-year-old, before going on to The Champions League has parable to City’s, even if they “But our idea at the club ball wants him to stay here to score a club-record 634 goals. AFC receives become his obsession, which broke new ground by reach- is still to build a new winning win again. He’s a winner.” According to Spanish me- puts all of Europe’s super- ing last weekend’s final, Messi cycle around the best player in dia, Messi met with new man- clubs in contention and elimi- would also represent a seismic the world. We are not contem- Drastic changes ager Ronald Koeman last week Qatar’s Asian Cup nates the less intensive, or addition to the Qatari project. plating any kind of departure Barcelona are understood to and told the Dutchman he cur- more romantic, options, at A Neymar-Messi-Kylian because what we want is for believe Messi’s release clause rently saw himself “more out least for now. Mbappe front three would not Messi to stay.” expired in June, and that he than in” at the club. 2027 bid file With a reported weekly be a difficult sell. Planes added: “You have remains under contract until Koeman has vowed to salary of nearly one million Staying at Barcelona re- to have enormous respect the end of the 2021 season. “fightto put Barca back on TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK mitted their expressions of euros, those able both to af- mains a possibility, however, for what Messi is and for his “In principle, this clause top” and said at his unveiling KUALA LUMPUR interest by the June 30, 2020 ford Messi, and convince him, particularly if under-pressure history. I think the future is expired on June 10, but the he was hopeful Messi would deadline. may only be Paris Saint-Ger- president Josep Maria Bar- positive. I am an optimist. unusual nature of this season remain at the club for several HIS Excellency Fahd bin Mo- The AFC Executive Com- main and Manchester City, tomeu decides to resign. But We need experienced players, disrupted by the coronavirus more years. hammed Kafood, Ambassa- mittee had earlier agreed to with Inter Milan a third, more despite calls from fans and ri- like Leo Messi... We are put- opened the way for Messi to The Lisbon loss to Bayern, dor of Qatar to Malaysia, on provide future hosts for the distant option. val candidates, there is no sug- ting every effort into ensuring ask to be released from his Barca’s heaviest in Europe, Wednesday delivered Qatar AFC Asian Cup, beginning City would appear favour- gestion yet that Bartomeu is that the relationship between contract now,” wrote Marca exposed an ageing team that Football Association’s bid file to with the 2027 edition, with ites but the club have always considering his position. Barca and Messi will continue. newspaper. Messi repeatedly had said was host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. more preparation time ahead trodden carefully around the We are working internally to “It’s the first step towards simply not good enough as his Secretary-General of the of the event as part of the prospect of Messi. Their sport- ‘New winning cycle’ convince Leo.” opening negotiations over relations with the club hierar- Asian Football Confederation AFC’s continued commitment ing staff, including coach Pep Bartomeu’s new sporting direc- Planes stressed that there his departure, on the basis chy grew increasingly strained. (AFC) welcomed the Qatar towards strengthening its ambassador at the football competitions. headquarters of the Asian The last edition of the AFC football body in Kuala Lumpur Asian Cup in the UAE sig- to officially submit the neces- nalled a major shift for football Goals, records, trophies: Glittering Lionel Messi career sary bidding documentation. in Asia after the tournament Qatar, the reigning cham- broke all digital media en- AFP cluded Javier Mascherano and An- goals in a season and scoring 73 pions of the AFC Asian Cup gagement and TV viewership BARCELONA gel di Maria, later described it as his in all competitions, breaking Gerd after clinching their maiden records, following the widely most cherished title. But Barcelona Muller’s European record of 67. crown in the United Arab acclaimed decision to expand LIONEL Messi was the teenage may never have allowed him to play Among the highlights, Messi be- Emirates in 2019, are aiming Asia’s flagship competition prodigy who blossomed into Barce- if not for the intervention of newly came the first player to plunder five to be the first Asian country to from 16 to 24 national teams. lona’s record scorer and is still oper- appointed coach Pep Guardiola, goals in one Champions League game, stage the Continent’s premier China PR, who were con- ating at the highest level at 33. who won Olympic gold with Spain in the 7-1 hammering of Bayer Lev- national team competition for firmed as hosts for the up- After announcing he wants to in 1992. erkusen. However, the season ended the third time having hosted coming AFC Asian Cup 2023 leave the Catalan club, AFP Sport The Olympic title remain’s Mes- badly for Barca as the title-holders lost previously in 1988 and 2011. at the AFC Extraordinary examines the career highlights of si’s biggest achievement with Ar- in the Champions League semi-finals Four other AFC Member Congress in Paris, France in one of football’s all-time greats. gentina, despite being their all-time to Chelsea, and were beaten to the La Associations have also indi- June 2019, will be looking to top-scorer with 70 goals. Liga title by Real Madrid. cated their intentions to host build upon the legacy of the Barca academy Asia’s crown jewel including last edition in the UAE and Messi, from Rosario in Argentina, Ballon d’Or Goals, goals, goals the All India Football Federa- setting the benchmark for was a diminutive 13-year-old and Messi eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi was just 24 when he broke tion, Football Federation Is- the 2027 edition.