IT’S GREAT TO WIN THE $9 MILLION but I just don’t want to lose to him and give him the satisfaction because the bragging rights are what is going to be even “worse than the money,”

IN THE END WE COULD HAVE WON BY MORE GOALS, if you look SPORTS at the penalty they didn’t give Messi,” said Barca . 08 1 2 February 2020 Referee rested after Barca's controversial win at Betis LONDON: referee Jose Maria down Carles Alena. Sanchez Martinez has not been “How can that not be a second allocated a game next weekend yellow for Sergi Roberto’s foul on by the Spanish football federation Alena?” asked Betis coach Rubi. following his officiating of the “Barcelona should have been left fixture between and with 10 men, there’s no doubt about Barcelona on Sunday in which he it.”Real Betis’s vice-president Jose angered both teams. Miguel Lopez Catalan also criticised The Spanish champions won the officials after the game. “We are 3-2 at the Benito Villamarin in a indignant and angry because once thrilling match the official seemed again refereeing has hurt Betis and to lose control of, sending off it has not been fair,” he said. Clement Lenglet and Nabil Fekir Barcelona had complaints too, but not dismissing Sergi Roberto or with Messi pulled back in the area awarding a penalty. at the end but Sanchez Martinez Fekir was sent off for two did not point to the spot. bookings in the space of a few “In the end we could have won seconds, one for a foul and the by more goals, if you look at the other for dissent. Lenglet followed penalty they didn’t give Messi,” but Betis were angry that Sergi said Barca midfielder Frenkie de Roberto, who had already been Jong. “It was clear, they pushed booked, was let off after scything him over.”

INDIA SUFFER ODI CLEAN SWEEP IN NEW ZEALAND

WELLINGTON: India suffered a ODIs slip away. New Zealand. Leg-spinner Yuz- ures, with Kohli out for nine. His fourth wicket came when rare series whitewash as New Openers Henry Nicholls and vendra Chahals was the pick of In- Still, Rahul looked set to steer Shardul Thakur sent a full toss Zealand posted a five-wicket win Martin Guptill gave the Black dia's bowlers, taking three for 47. India to a huge total before Black straight to de Grandhomme, and in the third and final one-day in- Caps a flying start with 80 and Earlier, Rahul boosted India's Caps paceman Hamish Bennett the bowler was unlucky not to ternational at Mount Maunganui 66 respectively before Colin de hopes with his fourth ODI centu- slowed the scoring with a late get another when Navdeep Saini on Tuesday. Grandhomme saw them home ry, bringing up the landmark off flurry of wickets. almost edged the next delivery A KL Rahul century was not when he bludgeoned 58 off 28 104 balls, before departing on 112. Rahul had a life on 64 when onto his stumps. enough to save the tourists, who balls.The hosts finished on 300 He was supported by a gritty Mitchell Santner's throw at the The focus now turns to Test scored a respectable 296 for sev- for five, reaching India's target 62 from Shreyas Iyer but most of stumps went wide and the bats- cricket, with the first of two five- en after losing the toss and being with 17 balls to spare, despite a India's batters failed to live up to man made the most of it to score day matches scheduled to begin asked to bat. mid-innings wobble. captain Virat Kohli's pre-match his fourth ODI century, bringing in Wellington on February 21. But the Black Caps, stung by It is the first time India have exhortation to play positively and up the landmark off 104 balls, in- The results of both matches ICC introduces a 5-0 whitewash in the recent been whitewashed in a bilat- post a big total. cluding nine fours and one six. will count toward the inaugural Twenty20 series, were deter- eral ODI series of three or more Prithvi Shaw and Manish Pan- Bennett dismissed Rahul for ICC World Test Championship, in mined not to let the chance of a matches since 1989 and the only dey both reached the 40s but no 112 and then snared Manish Pan- which India are runaway leaders front foot no ball retaliatory clean sweep in the time it has ever happened against other batters made double fig- dey for 42 off his next ball. at the top of the ladder. technology

LONDON : The on-field umpires 4717 balls were bowled and 13 no have been instructed not to call any balls (0.28% of deliveries) were Pele depressed, front foot no balls unless advised to called. All deliveries were judged do so by the third umpire accurately.Geoff Allardice, ICC Gen- Front foot no ball technology will eral Manager Cricket said: “Cricket reclusive because of be used in a major tournament for has an excellent track record of the first time at the International introducing technology to support Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 the decision making of our match poor health: son World Cup in Australia later this officials and I’m confident that this month. The decision to use this sys- technology will reduce the small Pele, the pride of Brazilian tem was made after successful tri- number of front foot no ball er- football and the only player to als conducted recently in both India rors at the ICC Women’s T20 World win three World Cups (1958, and the West Indies. Cup.” 1962 and 1970), is considered The third umpire will monitor “No balls are difficult for umpires by many to be the greatest foot- the front foot landing position after to call accurately, and even though baller of all time. each ball and communicate to the the percentage of deliveries that He has been in and out of hospital in recent years for var- ious health issues. He never fully recovered from one of his hip operations, leaving him dependent on a walker, Edinho said. "He's doing a bit better than when he was in a wheelchair recently, but he still has a hard LONDON : Football legend Pele time getting around," said Ed- is experiencing "a kind of de- inho, 49. pression" and barely leaves Pele's public appearances home anymore because health have grown increasingly rare problems have left him unable with age. Last April he trav- Saudi giants Al Hilal cruise past to walk normally, his son said eled to Paris for a promotional in an interview published Mon- appearance with French rising day. star Kylian Mbappe, but had to Iran's Shahr Khodro "He's pretty fragile in terms be hospitalized shortly after of his mobility... and that makes for kidney problems. LONDON : Andre Carrillo and ing a string of some good saves in Carrillo turn provider in the 69th him suffer a kind of depression," In 2014, he was placed in Bafetimbi Gomis were on target their Group B clash. minute as he received al-Dawsari's Edinho said of his 79-year-old intensive care for dialysis after as Saudi giants Al Hilal began the Just when it appeared the dead- pass inside the box and squared for on-field umpire if the delivery was are no balls is low, it is important father, who has had a series of contracting a severe urinary defence of their Asian Champions lock would continue into the second Gomis and the Frenchman, who was a no ball. The on-field umpires have to call them correctly. Since we health problems in recent years. infection. League title with a 2-0 victory over half, Shahr Khodro, who are mak- the top-scorer in the tournament been instructed not to call any front first trialed this concept in the ODI "Just imagine, he's the 'King,' The Brazilian great, whose Iran's Shahr Khodro on Monday. ing their Champions League debut, last year, scored from just three foot no balls unless advised to do so series between England and Paki- he was always such an impos- real name is Edson Arantes Al Hilal's superiority was never in caved in to the pressure. yards with a simple tap-in. by the third umpire, although they stan in 2016 the technology has ing figure, and now he can't do Nascimento, has only one doubt as they controlled proceed- Italian international Sebastian Shahr Khodro could have pulled will be responsible for calling all improved significantly, enabling us walk normally. He gets very shy, kidney, after a broken rib dur- ings from the start at the Zabeel Sta- Giovinco cut in from the left and one back but Al Hilal goalkeeper other types of no ball on the field. to introduce it cost-effectively, and very embarrassed about that," ing a match forced doctors to dium in Dubai. passed for Salem al-Dawsari, who Abdullah al-Mayouf made a fine The technology was recently tri- with minimum impact on the flow his son said in an interview remove the other. He has also But the Saudis struggled to breach in turn set up Carrillo neatly and the save three minutes from time to aled across 12 games, during which of the game.” published on the sports news suffered a series of hip prob- the Shahr Khodro defence, with Peruvian made no mistake with his thwart a powerful shot from Milad site Globoesporte.com. lems. goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati produc- half-volley. Sarlak.

LONDON : Cristiano Ronaldo and players against Napoli in the other it's something we have to resolve," Zlatan Ibrahimovic are set to go last-four first leg on Wednesday. Sarri said after the loss to Verona. head-to-head in Thursday's Italian Gennaro Gattuso's Napoli, despite "Right now we have a difference Cup semi-final, first leg between Ju- their current slump, ousted holders in performance between home and Ronaldo, ventus and AC Milan at the San Siro. Lazio in the quarter-finals. away." Both Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic "There's a new king in town," a ju- Juventus are bidding to reclaim the scored at the weekend in defeats as bilant Lukaku wrote on Twitter after trophy which they held for four sea- Juventus fell 2-1 at Hellas Verona, scoring the fourth for Inter in sons until losing to eventual runners- Ibrahimovic while AC Milan threw away a two- Sunday's derby. up Atalanta in the quarters last year. goal lead in a 4-2 defeat by city rivals "We run this town." Antonio Conte's Inter are the only Inter. The Belgian was replying to Ibra- one of the four semi-finalists to win "It wasn't the result we wanted," himovic's pre-derby post saying that in Serie A at the weekend, with Na- set for Italian said the 35-year-old Ronaldo despite "lions don't compare themselves to poli crashing to a 3-2 defeat by lowly becoming the first Juventus player to humans". Lecce. score in 10 successive league games, Ibrahimovic, 38, has scored three ond-half strikes. Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri has Inter's victory lifted them ahead of just one game short of the Serie A goals since returning to Milan last "I showed that I can still make a reason to be worried by his side's Juventus on goal difference at the top Cup clash record. month. difference, even at 38," he said. away form, with the defending Serie of the table, as they target their first The five-time Ballon d'Or winner The Swede headed in the second But Inter striker Romelu Lukaku A champions having lost their last Scudetto since 2010. has scored 23 goals in all competi- goal on Sunday after setting up the will be looking to upstage the two two games on the road. The second-leg ties will take place tions this season. first, but Inter hit back with four sec- other former Manchester United "I hope that someone will help me, on March 4 and 5.