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Home , Bacary Sagna, Fulvio Bernardini, Luciano Spalletti, Teerasil Dangda, Thomas Tuchel

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2017 SPORTS Paulinho the hero as Evergrande into last eight

KASHIMA: Ex-Tottenham Hotspur mid- injury time for an aggregate score of 2-2. Xiaoting’s last-ditch block, and Yuma range half-volley over the bar. The hosts In Kawasaki, a three-goal burst in 10 fielder Paulinho grabbed a crucial goal as But it was a major step forward for Suzuki fired just wide. Pedro Junior looked comfortable but Evergrande first-half minutes guaranteed a quarter- two-time winners Guangzhou ’s Chinese league-lead- showed skill and tenacity to open the seized back the initiative on 55 min- final spot for the hosts as they thrashed Evergrande squeaked past Kashima ers, who lifted the Asian title in 2013 and scoring on 28 minutes, when he brushed utes when Wang Shangyuan’s long Muangthong once again after last Antlers on away goals yesterday to reach 2015 but exited last year’s competition off two challenges and launched a bril- throw-in was flicked on by Gao Lin. week’s 3-1 win. the AFC Champions League quarter- at the group stage. liant shot into the top corner. Evergrande Alan’s wriggling turn-and-shot came Yu Kobayashi’s individual goal set the finals. Paulinho, the scorer in last week’s Yesterday’s other last-16 tie in , nearly hit back when Liu Jian’s full- off the near post and bounced across hosts on their way on 31 minutes, before 1-0 win in Guangzhou, scored a tap-in on Kawasaki Frontale beat ’s stretch volley rebounded off the post, the face of the goal, leaving Paulinho his cut-back found Tatsuya Hasegawa for 55 minutes and it was enough to put the Muangthong United 4-1 to complete a 7- but the most enterprising attacking play with a simple finish to make it 2-1 on Kawasaki’s second just a minute later. Chinese team through despite their 2-1 2 aggregate win and reach the quarter- remained at the other end. aggregate. Eduardo Neto’s header on 40 minutes defeat on the night. The result was cruel finals at a canter. Pedro Junior skilfully lifted a ball to Kanazaki, who came on for Leandro made it 3-0 and Brazilian for Kashima, who went ahead through Kashima’s game was much closer and his fellow Brazilian Leandro, whose vol- on the hour-mark, crashed a shot in off Rhayner got the fourth on 79 minutes, Pedro Junior’s superb strike in the first they had the best early chances when ley went straight at the goalkeeper, the bar in stoppage time but Kashima before Teerasil Dangda grabbed a late half and scored again via Mu Kanazaki in Pedro Junior was denied by Feng before Shoma Doi bundled a close- had run out of time to make a comeback. consolation for Muangthong. —AFP Man City chief slams talk of Aguero sale

LONDON: Manchester City chairman Zabaleta, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Khaldoon Al Mubarak insists reports that winger Jesus Navas and goalkeeper Willy Sergio Aguero could be sold are ridiculous Caballero. City have been linked with because the Argentine striker remains a Tottenham’s Kyle Walker and Monaco’s key player for the club. Benjamin Mendy to fill their full-back posi- Aguero lost his place in ’s tions. starting line-up following the arrival of “The manager is thinking about the Brazilian starlet Gabriel Jesus in January. squad every day and that thinking evolves The 28-year-old, who has scored 122 throughout the year to get to a final point league goals in 181 appearances since at the end of the when decisions joining from Atletico in 2011, are made,” Khaldoon said. returned to the team following an injury to “There are particular positions that are Jesus and finished the season as City’s clear. With the players exiting, full-backs - leading scorer. That has not stopped both right and left - require investment rumours about his future, with Chelsea, from our side. “Pep relies heavily on that Manchester United and Real Madrid all position and a particular requirement in linked with the star, but Khaldoon is terms of the type of players he wants for adamant Aguero is too important to lose. the role. “I’ve read a lot about the speculation on “That clearly requires some work. Pep this and it is ridiculous,” Khaldoon told knows exactly what he wants and who he City’s website yesterday. wants.” “Sergio Aguero is one of the best play- Meanwhile, Benfica goalkeeper Ederson ers in the world and we are a team that is reportedly due to arrive in Manchester aspires to win in every competition we as he closes in on a move to City. compete in. “Having Sergio Aguero as part City are still negotiating a settlement of the squad is an absolute must and has on the 23-year-old’s third-party owner- never been a doubt.” ship issues, but the club hope he will Khaldoon is hopeful Ivory Coast mid- undergo a medical. With Joe Hart, who fielder Yaya Toure will be given a new con- spent the season on loan at Torino, set to tract as his present deal expires next be sold by City, and Claudio Bravo strug- month. gling in his first season at Eastlands, “Pep has a lot of trust in him and I hope Ederson would arrive as Guardiola’s first Yaya will be with us and continue this jour- choice goalkeeper. DORTMUND: This file photo taken on May 28, 2017 shows Dortmund’s head coach Thomas Tuchel kissing the trophy at Borsigplatz ney with us,” he said. He would become Guardiola’s sec- during celebrations after winning the German Cup final (DFB Pokalfinale) in Dortmund, western Germany.—AFP Guardiola is planning a major overhaul ond close-season signing after Monaco of his squad and has already announced Bernardo Silva joined on the departures of full-backs Pablo Friday. —AFP SOCCER fires Thomas Tuchel as coach

DORTMUND: Borussia Dortmund fired Thomas and possible differences between them.” squad break-up was “risky.” Watzke said it was Tuchel as coach yesterday, three days after he led Tuchel, a former Mainz coach who followed in “ambitious.” the club to its first title in five years. The club Juergen Klopp’s footsteps by taking over in Last January, Tuchel said he wasn’t informed of issued a statement to say the 43-year-old Tuchel Dortmund in 2015, led the side to second place in Swedish forward Alexander Isak’s signing, and he was leaving with immediate effect, one year the in his first season, when questioned his side’s mentality and whether its before his contract was due to expire in 2018. Dortmund was the best runner-up in the league’s targets for the season were overambitious the fol- “This is the result of a discussion between history, and the German Cup final, where again it lowing month after a league loss to last-place Hans-Joachim Watzke (chief executive), Michael lost out to league winner Bayern Munich. Darmstadt. Zorc (sports director), Thomas Tuchel and his Tuchel initially earned praise for getting The differences really spilled into the open adviser Olaf Meinking, which took place on Dortmund out of the slump of Klopp’s final sea- after the bomb attack on the team bus in April, Tuesday,” Dortmund said. son and for re-introducing an attractive style of when Tuchel and Watzke clashed over the Dortmund thanked Tuchel and his coaching attacking play. rescheduling of the affected Champions League staff for their sporting success. Tuchel’s last game This season, after a host of off-season changes, game. in charge was the 2-1 win over Tuchel led Dortmund to third place in the Tuchel left fully fit midfielder Nuri Sahin out of in the German Cup final on Saturday. Bundesliga behind promoted Leipzig, while final- the squad for the German Cup final on Saturday, MONACO: In this file photo dated Wednesday March 15, 2017, Manchester Tuchel fell out with club officials over the ly winning the German Cup. despite ’s absence through injury. City’s manager Pep Guardiola shouts instructions during a Champions League course of an inconsistent season. Tuchel’s and Dortmund’s difficulties began Sahin’s omission upset some of his teammates, leg soccer match against Monaco at the Louis II stadium in Monaco. —AP “Dortmund as an employer will not comment long before, however, starting in January 2016 with captain Marcel Schmelzer saying he was in detail on the reasons for the separation, the when he had a spat with chief scout Sven “shocked.” result of a long process and supported by all the Mislintat, a friend of Zorc’s, over the signing of After claiming his first title on Saturday, Tuchel club boards,” the statement said. “Dortmund Spanish midfielder Oliver Torres from Atletico said he wished to fulfill his contract despite the attaches great importance to the fact that the Madrid. difficulties. “It seems to me as though the out- Roma part ways cause of the separation is by no means (just) a After the 2016 German Cup final loss to Bayern come to the talks is open,” he said. disagreement between two people. The wellbe- on penalties, he criticized the Bayern-bound Mats Dortmund evidently felt a different way. ing of the club Borussia Dortmund, which consti- Hummels, and was unhappy with Watzke when Former Borussia Moenchengladbach and with Spalletti tutes much more than just the sporting success, other key players like and Hertha Berlin coach was favored to will always be more important than individuals Ilkay Gundogan also departed. Tuchel said the take over. —AP

ROME: AS Roma said yesterday that it had work and the significant contribution he parted ways with , just two has made to the club since his return. days after the coach had guided the team “Under his stewardship this season, the looking like to Champions League football next season. team has won more points and Spalletti joined Roma for a second time scored more goals than any side in Roma’s as coach in January 2016 after a first stint history. We wish Luciano all the best for the between 2005-2009 during which time the future. a veteran at Madrid’s helm club won two and one “This club is on a constant path of growth and that will continue with the Supercoppa. This season, Roma bagged a MADRID: Only 17 months into his first head- times. He even convinced to appointment of a new coach who shares club record of 87 points in finishing second coaching job, Zinedine Zidane is one game away skip games and get some rest, something our values and philosophy and who will in Serie A, behind Juventus. But they from winning his second Champions League title unthinkable in previous seasons. continue to help us take AS Roma forward.” crashed out of the Italian Cup semi-finals at with Real Madrid. “It’s my philosophy, and I chose it because I Italian media reports that Spalletti could the hands of cross-city rivals Lazio and lost It would be an amazing feat for the former have such a good squad,” Zidane said. “It might be named coach of Inter , while the Europa League round of 16, 5-4 on France great, who also helped Madrid win its first have been different if I had other players. I did , former Roma player aggregate, to Lyon. Spanish league title in five years, as well as the what I thought it was right with these players.” and current Sassuolo coach, is the name Roma president Jim Pallotta said: “We European Super Cup and the Club World Cup. One of Madrid’s greatest players, Zidane also doing the rounds as the likely incomer in would like to place on record our sincere All that in only his second season as a coach. has a close connection with Juventus, his team’s the Italian capital. —AFP thanks to Luciano Spalletti for all of his hard “You were the best player in the world, and opponent in Saturday’s final in Cardiff. now you are simply the best coach in the world,” He played two consecutive Champions Madrid president Florentino Perez told Zidane in League finals with the Italian club, losing both a ceremony celebrating the team’s first Spanish times, including to Madrid in 1998. league title since 2012. “Thank you, Zizou, for Zidane spent five seasons in total with everything that you have given us and for every- Juventus, winning two Serie A titles before mov- thing that you are still giving us.” Zinedine Zidane ing to Madrid. The talented midfielder played The 44-year-old Zidane also helped Madrid more than 150 games with each of the clubs. win the Champions League as a player in 2002, that spectacular winner against Leverkusen in Zidane was an assistant to scoring an amazing volley in the final against the 2002 final. when the Spanish club won the 2014 title against Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow, Scotland. Zidane replaced coach Rafa Benitez with the Atletico Madrid. He then took over Madrid’s “B” “What I’ve been going through with this club team in crisis early in 2016, and he got the squad team before earning the chance with the main has been spectacular,” Zidane said. “I have the back on track and has kept it competitive ever squad. Real Madrid DNA, this is my house. No matter since. Always serene and speaking with in low On Saturday, Zidane will be trying to become what happens, I’ll always be a Real Madrid fan, it’s tones, he gained the confidence of the players the first coach to win consecutive Champions the club of my life.” with his moves both on and off the field. League titles. Madrid will look to become the first Zidane has only one year left on his contract “Zidane was my idol since I was very young, I team to win back-to-back titles since the compe- but no one expects him to be leaving anytime had a poster of him in my bedroom,” Madrid mid- tition’s new format was created in 1992-93. soon. fielder Marco Asensio said. “I’m proud to have “It’s the last game of the season, the most “I want to stay and I think that the club is also him as a coach now, and it’s amazing to be able important one,” Zidane said. “But we are going to happy with what we’ve been doing so far,” Zidane to learn from him and to follow his advice.” prepare for it just like we prepared for the other said. “That’s what really matters. Right now, I’m Zidane used several different formations and matches that we played until now. We are not TRIGORIA: Outgoing Roma coach Luciano Spalletti, right, is hugged by Roma only thinking about Saturday. We’ll see what hap- successfully resorted to rotations to keep his top going to change anything.” Sporting Director Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo during his last press conference at pens after that.” players fresh at the important moments of the He will be hoping the result from last year’s the Sports Center in Trigoria, , yesterday.—AP The Frenchman has been displaying the same season. He gave a lot of playing minutes to the final doesn’t change either, so he can add yet calm as a coach as he showed when he netted entire squad and kept them committed at all another title to his young coaching career. —AP