SPORTS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013

Guangzhou target Bayern at the Club World Cup

AGADIR: China’s Evergrande next Tuesday’s first semi-final. Hamburg. “The first game will be a hard beating Chelsea in a penalty shoot-out in are out to beat African champions Al- Both Bayern and Copa Libertadores test and we should strive to win. We rep- Prague last August. Ahly in today’s quarter-finals of the Club winners Atletico Mineiro of Brazil, repre- resent China and Asia, so we will spare Having been part of the Bayern team World Cup to set up a last four clash with senting South America, have been given nothing to get a good result.” Hailed as which won the 2001 Champions League European titans Bayern Munich. The byes through to next week’s semi-finals. one of the most promising stars in title in Europe, midfielder Hasan regional champions from each of the This is Guangzhou’s first appearance at a Brazilian league, Muriqui made an imme- Salihamidzic said Guardiola’s side will FIFA regions are gathering in north Africa Club World Cup, but they have a talented diate impact on his arrival in 2010, rack- take some beating in their quest to add a to decide which is the best domestic squad including both Asia’s Player of the ing up 13 goals in 14 appearances in his first global title to their European crown. team in the world. Year and foreign player of the debut season as Guangzhou earned pro- “FC Bayern is a global brand and getting Oceania’s representatives Auckland Year in Brazil’s Muriqui with World Cup- motion to the top flight. bigger all the time,” said the 36-year-old City FC lost Wednesday’s opening play- winning coach Marcello Lippi at the The next season saw him prove equal- who retired from the game in 2012 after off match when they went down 2-1 to helm. Muriqui has set his sights on mak- ly unstoppable, notching up another 16 a season at VfL Wolfsburg. “There’s explo- host club Raja Casablanca, who now ing an impact in Morocco, but inists goals and collecting the top scorer and sive growth at Bayern, although the meet meet Mexico’s CF Monterrey today Guangzhou must focus on the African player of the year awards as his side whole set-up is perhaps still even bigger in Agadir after the Guangzhou-Al Ahly champions before coming up against clinched the league title. Bayern are at Barcelona and Real. showdown. Guangzhou were crowned Bayern. favorites to lift the Club World Cup tro- Bayern are certainly aiming to Asian champions by beating South “These are world-class teams, but we phy in Marrakech on December 21 with become as big. “Winning the Champions Korea’s FC Seoul last month and are will take our game to them,” Muriqui told the Bavarians aiming to win their second League and perhaps going on to win the eager to down Al Ahly to set up a clash .com with Bayern set to jet to Morocco piece of silverware under Pep Guardiola Club World Cup can only help them keep with German giants Bayern Munich in after today’s Bundesliga clash at home to after winning the UEFA Super Cup by growing.”— AFP

FRENCH LEAGUE PREVIEW FIFA gives $1 million aid Falcao denies injury ‘mystery’ for Philippines football

PARIS: Radamel Falcao has insisted he is happy at Monaco MANILA: FIFA will give a special $1 mil- ahead of today’s trip to Guingamp, despite continued specula- lion grant to help rebuild football facili- tion over his “mystery” injury. The Principality club have been in ties damaged in the Philippines’ deadliest fine form recently and trail leaders Paris Saint-Germain by just typhoon, the national football association two points following four successive wins. But the continuing said yesterday. “We are deeply moved by absence of record-signing Falcao, who will sit out his fourth this generous support of FIFA that shows match in a row with a hamstring problem, has seen the rumour- their solidarity and sympathy with our mill spin into overdrive. nation,” the Philippine Football On Thursday, leading sports daily L’Equipe said the Federation’s president Mariano Araneta Colombian’s continuing absence was a “mystery” and that all the said. “We are looking at rehabilitating elements needed to create a “problem” existed. But the player and constructing football facilities in himself swatted away any such suggestions. “I’m happy at provinces severely hit by Super Typhoon Monaco,” he said. “I feel bad due to all the speculation. “First of (Haiyan),” the association’s general secre- all, I want to thank (coach) Claudio Ranieri who has kept his tary Edwin Gastanes said in a statement. patience at this time, who is waiting for me to be better without Haiyan pummelled nearly 200 towns putting pressure on me. “The people close to me know full well that I feel very good at Monaco and everything is going well and cities across the central Philippines with the club.” Midfielder Jeremy Toulalan had said it was simply on November 8, killing at least 6,009 peo- BRASILIA: The Central Bank of Brazil shows a 2 Reals coin (1 US Dollar), read- a case of mischievous press speculation. “As soon as there’s a lit- ple and leaving 1,779 others missing ing “Copa do Mundo da FIFA - Brasil 2014” (FIFA World Cup - Brazil 2014). The tle thing you (the media) plunge into it,” he said. “I don’t have according to the official count, making it the impression that there’s a problem. But even if I say that, the country’s deadliest typhoon on Central Bank of Brazil will launch a series of coins January 24, 2014, in com- you’ll keep going. That’s the game. For us, there’s no problem.” record. The Philippine Football memoration of the next June-July FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014. — AFP The issue had threatened to detract from Monaco’s recent Federation said it was drawing up a list of upturn in fortunes. Earlier this month, they travelled to fellow damaged football infrastructure and facil- Philippines, a former US colony where national team, called Azkals (feral dogs), Ligue 1 new-boys Nantes on the back of one win and just five ities in the region to assess where the basketball is the number-one sport. Its which went up to 133rd in the FIFA points in their previous four games. Nantes were on a good run money should go. Football has been higher domestic profile has been attrib- rankomgs last month, up 26 places from and had they beaten Monaco, would have leapfrogged the gaining popularity in recent years in the uted to the relative success of the Filipino two years ago. — AFP Principality club into third place and the final Champions League qualification berth. But in a tight game, Mounir Obaddi scored the only goal 20 Fluminense, Vasco seek minutes from time to spark a Monaco revival. Having faced the prospect of dropping to eight points off PSG had they lost, four wins later and they are the champions’ closest challengers once again. Monaco have been flying without Falcao, although he loopholes to avoid drop was instrumental to their fine early season form when he shot to the top of the scoring charts. SAO PAULO: Fluminense could avoid relegation in the ent loophole. It wants to annul its 5-1 loss against Atletico Even without having found the net since scoring in the 1-1 Brazilian league after a rival team used a suspended player in Paranaense because of the fan violence that forced the referee draw at home to Evian more than a month ago, he is still third in the final round last weekend, marking the latest chaos to hit to stop the game and then re-start it 73 minutes later - 13 min- the charts, behind only star PSG pair Zlatan Ibrahimovic and football in the country hosting next year’s World Cup. The utes more than rules allow. The tribunal will also analyze if Edinson Cavani. The champions travel to Rennes today ahead news that an off-field ruling could alter the competition’s Brazilian Cup champion Flamengo should lose points because of which a curious dispute has sprung up after the local police result comes days after images of fan violence were broadcast of an alleged irregular use of left back Andre Santos in the last chief banned all PSG fans from entering the Ille-et-Vilaine across the world. It also comes just weeks after a crane col- round. That ruling could relegate the country’s most popular department where Rennes is located unless they have tickets lapse killed two workers and damaged part of the stadium club if Vasco is successful with its own attempt. for the game. being built for the World Cup opener in Sao Paulo. The Brazilian football federation said Portuguesa should A lawyer representing PSG fans has challenged the ruling in Brazil’s sports tribunal this week will analyze a complaint not have used midfielder Heverton in the match against court describing it as “illegal” and “a serious attack on the fun- that Portuguesa breached rules, which could cost the team Gremio on Sunday. damental liberty of coming and going”. Rennes are struggling four points and allow Fluminense to stay in the first division. The player had been suspended for two matches, but this season down in 13th place and have lost their last three Fluminense ended the tournament in the relegation zone, but Portuguesa said it was mistakenly advised by one of its away games. But they have not been beaten at home since would surpass Portuguesa in the 20-team standings if the lawyers that it was a one-game suspension. “I never said it was Nantes emerged with a 3-1 success at the end of September. PSG have demonstrated a touch of fragility recently, losing points are docked. a one-game suspension,” the lawyer Osvaldo Sestario said. “I 2-0 at Evian two weeks ago before being beaten 2-1 at Benfica Fluminense won its last match on Sunday but that was not have nearly 10 years of experience in these cases, I wouldn’t in midweek. However, coach Laurent Blanc had rested star per- enough to avoid becoming the first defending Brazilian cham- do that. I don’t know what happened, I don’t know what was formers Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Alex for that match, pion to be relegated. Four-time Brazilian champion Vasco da the mistake. I like Portuguesa a lot and I hope the club can despite Marco Verratti and Gregory van der Wiel being sus- Gama also dropped down to the second division, but it would prove that it was not at fault and that it can remain in the first pended. —AFP not benefit from Portuguesa’s punishment. division.” Portuguesa fired Sestario later Wednesday, accord- Vasco is trying to remain in the top flight through a differ- ing to GloboEsporte.com. —AP