Friday 43 Sports Friday, February 9, 2018 Man United profit weighed down by higher wage bills PSG, Man City’s financial muscle ‘good for the game’

LONDON: English soccer club Manchester shaking up the game and threatening the domi- United said its core quarterly earnings dipped nance of Spanish giants Real Madrid and because of rising wages for its players after its Barcelona. president Javier Tebas has return to the Champions League. United, whose threatened to denounce the two teams, backed leading players include and David de by the royal families of Qatar and Abu Dhabi re- Gea, are currently second in the 20-team English spectively, to the European Union for their fi- Premier League and have reached the last 16 of nancing methods, comparing PSG’s the Champions League, Europe’s elite club com- record-smashing 222 million euro ($272 million) petition. “Our solid business model has allowed signing of Jr. to “peeing off the diving us to invest in the future of the club with the ex- board”. PSG also beat Barca and Madrid to the tension of Jose Mourinho’s contract as manager signature of French teenage sensation Kylian and the acquisition of Alexis Sanchez,” Execu- Mbappe, who joined the Paris club last year and tive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward said. will become the second most expensive player Manager Mourinho last month extended his behind Neymar when he completes his move contract until 2020, while Sanchez moved from from AS Monaco in June for 180 million euros. Arsenal. The club’s adjusted earnings before in- “Madrid and Barcelona wanted Kylian, but PSG terest, tax, depreciation and amortization for the have the muscle to keep him at a French club and three months to December 31 slipped to 67.8 I think the transfer happened for sporting rea- million pounds ($94.9 million) from 69 million sons and not financial ones, and that’s something pounds a year ago. Revenue increased 3.8 per- new in this new European order,” Emery told cent to 163.9 million pounds in the period-the Spanish newspaper in an interview pub- second quarter of its 2017-18 financial year. lished yesterday. However, salary expenses for the quarter “The (traditional) clubs see their kingdom came in 9.4 percent higher at 69.9 million under threat (from PSG) and (Manchester) City, pounds on player salary uplifts due to participa- who are a team with new-found financial capac- tion in the Champions League. Controlled by the ity. I think this is good for football, that there are American Glazer family, United have won the these new teams. Everyone should be grateful.” MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho leaves the pitch at English league title a record 20 times. Last sea- PSG have an 11-point lead at the top of the end of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United in Man- son, United won the League Cup, as well as Eu- and play faltering European and Spanish cham- chester, north west England. — AFP rope’s second-tier Europa League competition, pions Real Madrid in a blockbuster Champions securing a slot in the cash-rich Champions League encounter next week. League for the current season. Emery thanked the club’s owner Nasser Al- ways remember this with Real Madrid, the sign- cial capacity in France,” Emery added. “I think Paris St Germain coach Unai Emery believes Khelaifi for allowing them to follow Barca and ing of , Cristiano Ronaldo, James that’s good for this country, which should be the soccer world should be grateful to the nou- Real’s example in breaking the bank to sign Rodriguez. And Barca did it, too, paying Rivaldo’s grateful to the investment from Qatar for making veau riche clubs like his and Manchester City for players who are among the world’s best. “I al- release clause, and we are now seeing this finan- sure the best players come here.”— Agencies

changes to the side that blew a two-goal lead to Fekir sees Lyon lose 3-2 to 10-man Monaco at the weekend, and it was Cornet who made the most of his opportu- nity by giving them a 13th-minute lead. The 21- into French Cup year-old latched onto Bertrand Traore’s pass, and with Lecomte anticipating a cross, he fired home inside the near post with a clever first-time effort quarter-finals to score his fourth goal of the season. But Montpellier levelled just nine minutes later, PARIS: Nabil Fekir’s penalty helped Lyon beat as 19-year-old Paris Saint-Germain loanee Ikone Montpellier 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the French met Paul Lasne’s cutback to hammer into the top Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2012. corner. It took Lyon less than five minutes to move Maxwel Cornet caught home goalkeeper Ben- back in front, though, as Mendes clumsily bundled jamin Lecomte by surprise to give the visitors an over Fekir in the area, with the attacking early lead, only for Jonathan Ikone to quickly lash picking himself up to slot in from the penalty spot. in an equalizer. But Fekir grabbed his 20th goal of Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes had to make a the season with a 27th-minute spot-kick which couple of good saves in the second half, while proved to be the winner, leaving Montpellier spurned an excellent chance at coach Michel Der Zakarian fuming after Fekir was the other end, but the away side held on with rel- adjudged to have been fouled by Pedro Mendes. ative ease. “The penalty? Often big teams are rewarded or Earlier on Wednesday, Caen edged out Ligue favored,” the Armenian said. “When Paris, Mar- 1’s bottom club Metz on penalties after a 2-2 draw, seille, Monaco or Lyon cry, referees whistle penal- while third-tier Chambly ended fourth-division ties for them. We’ve had situations, (but) we outfit Granville’s run and Lens beat top-flight side haven’t had a penalty since the beginning of the Troyes. Paris Saint-Germain continued their bid season.” Lyon move into the last eight for the first for a fourth straight title as Angel Di Maria scored time since winning the trophy for a fifth time six a hat-trick in Tuesday’s 4-1 win at Sochaux. Mar- years ago, bouncing back from back-to-back seille are also through after Kostas Mitroglou and MONTPELLIER: Montpellier’s French forward Jonathan Ikone (left) vies with Lyon’s French league defeats that have seen them slip to fourth Lucas Ocampos both scored trebles in a 9-0 midfielder Lucas Tousart during the French Cup round of 8 football match Montpellier vs in Ligue 1. Coach Bruno Genesio made five thumping of second-tier Bourg-en-Bresse.— AFP Lyon on February 7, 2018. — AFP