www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 21 PAGE | 22 ChampionC Fury India crush Neww announces Zealand to reclaimaim retirement top ranking TUESDAY 4 OCTOBER 2016 • 3 MOHARRAM 1438 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Coach Laudrup eyes trophies in fresh start Aspire sports We are Al Rayyan’s new summit begins manager eager ambitious, to do well in AFC The Peninsula Champions League says Al Rayyan AMSTERDAM: The Aspire4Sport and The Aspire Acad- chairman emy Global Summit on Football Performance and By Rizwan Rehmat Science kicked off in Amsterdam, Netherlands yesterday. The Peninsula Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam Eric van de Burg, The Peninsula Henk Markerink, CEO of the Amsterdam ArenA and Mohamed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Acting CEO of the Aspire Zone Foundation delivered the welcome speeches at DOHA: Al Rayyan coach DOHA: Qatar Stars League (QSL) yesterday’s event which was also attended by Khalid Michael Laudrup is eager to do champions Al Rayyan will be Fahad Al Khater, Qatar’s Ambassador to the Netherlands. well in every game involving his eyeing to win as many titles as All three presenters focussed on the importance new team this season but the possible, club Chairman Sheikh of the close relationship between the Netherlands and experienced Danish manager Saoud bin Khalid Al Thani said Qatar in respect to the exchange of ideas around youth has marked one event for special yesterday. and sport development, as well as close business ties Al Rayyan Sports Club Chairman Sheikh Saoud bin Khalid Al Thani presents a team jersey to attention - the AFC Champion- The chairman was speak- and opportunities as Qatar builds towards hosting the ships League next February. their new coach Michael Laudrup during a press briefing held yesterday. ing at a press conference where 2022 FIFA World Cup and the country’s wider sport- Pictures by: Hussein Sayed Laudrup, 52, was unveiled new coach Michael Laudrup was ing ambitions. as the new coach of the cur- unveiled before the media. Eric van de Burg, Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam said: rent Qatar Stars League (QSL) It is a competition between the connection with my friends hard to beat this season. The “We are glad to have our new “It’s a privilege for the City to host the summit. The next champions at a press confer- best teams from all the coun- here. I was updated on what coach said playing against his coach. We’d like to thank him for two days are all about bringing together sports and busi- ence yesterday. tries in Asia. It is also important was happening here. You have former employers Lekhwiya will accepting our offer. He will be ness leaders from around the World. Sport is vital to The former Lekhwiya coach to us,” he said. to keep updated on what’s hap- be ‘special’. the coach. We wish him the best. helping individuals and countries.” yesterday said he is ready to hit Laudrup said Al Rayyan is pening,” he said. “Of course when we play We hope he does as well as he Henk Markerink, CEO of the Amsterdam ArenA, said the ground running with Al used to winning big trophies. “I don’t want to name names Lekhwiya, it will be special. It has done in Europe. We wish him “It’s four and a half years since Ronald De Boer intro- Rayyan, who saw their coach “This is a competitive team. but it is true that I had calls from will be against my former play- every success,” Sheikh Saud said. duced the Amsterdam ArenA to the Supreme Committee Jorge Fossati take up the reigns It can compete for all the tro- other countries - China and the ers. It’s about human relations “I would like to stress that we for Delivery and Legacy. Since then, we’re delighted of the national side a little over phies. Al Rayyan demonstrated United States. People ask (for but we are all professionals. We are starting afresh. We are ambi- to have subsequently worked with the SC on stadium 10 days ago. that last year winning the league your availability). In the end want to win whatever game we tious. We want to win all titles. I development for Qatar 2022.” “When you join a side mid- (title). It has possibilities to win,” I choose this. I say thank you play,” Laudrup said. know the probability is there (to Mohamed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Acting CEO of Aspire season it is because the team is Laudrup said. to the club for trusting me,” he In his first season in Qatar, win). Al Rayyan should be a com- Zone Foundation said: “For the last three years Aspire not doing good or probably the “It is difficult to reach the added. Laudrup helped Lekhwiya win petitive for all titles,” he said. has taken these prestigious events to renowned Euro- coach is sacked. I don’t see it top, more tough to stay there. “In football there are a lot of the QSL title in the 2014-15 sea- “We should finish with titles, pean cities among them Paris in 2014 and Berlin in (joining Al Rayyan) as the middle It is important to stay there at people calling you. I have said son when his side also bagged We are proud to have Michael Lau- 2015. Over the two days, more than a hundred Dutch of the season. I see it is as almost the top. Sometimes you win ‘no’ to them. Now I am here. I the Qatar Cup trophy. rdup as a coach. Jorge Fossati had professionals of are going to participate in the busi- beginning of the season because the league title. Sometimes you said ‘yes’,” Laudrup said about “We have a style that suits great success with this side. We ness-to-business sessions between Qatari and European we have played only two games win two cups and no league. It’s Al Rayyan’s interest to sign the me. We have to look at how the wish him best for his new begin- organizations working in the sports industry. At the same so far,” Laudrup said yesterday. important to be competing for Dane. team did before. Last year was a ning (with the national football time, the Global Summit gathers the leading experts “This is an important sea- trophies,” he said. When asked about his fresh big success in the league. I need team). I would like to come back in the field of football performance from more than son. We have the league (QSL Laudrup said he was always start with Al Rayyan, Laudrup to see the players before saying to Al Rayyan and say we are sure 60 international football clubs and federations to add title race) and then the AFC in demand as coach but he still said: “First of all we have to anything. It depends a lot of on we will do well together,” he said. another chapter to the success story of the “Aspire in the Champions League in Febru- took for time off from active remember football is a team the players’ attitude,” Laudrup When asked about renovation World Fellows” community that was started by Aspire ary. We will take step by step,” pitch duty and enjoyed his stints sport. It is not about one player said. work at Al Rayyan’s home turf, the in 2014.” the former Swansea coach said. as a TV pundit in Europe. or a coach. I think in football you When asked about his future chairman said lack of permanent Laudrup said doing well “Yeah, I’ve been working can’t promise results. You can plans, Laudrup said: “Earlier I facility was not an issue. in the AFC Champions League for different TV stations in Den- only promise effort. You look at said I would not be a coach until “It’s a temporary issue. We have remained an important target mark and London. It had been Europe there are so many teams 60. I am just 52 (laughs). I said a training pitch. We play home and Fossati names for Al Rayyan management. around the Champions League, can win Champs League and that I don’t think it would be away matches. Al Sadd allows us “In Europe, the (UEFA) the EPL season and the La Liga,” only one team wins.” right to sit here and say it would home games. This will change. Al Champions League is big for the Laudrup said. Laudrup said that the top be my last job. I take my job step Rayyan considers every pitch a squad for twin clubs. (Similarly) in Asia, the AFC “I have seen a lot of foot- four in QSL - Al Rayyan, Al Sadd, by step. You don’t know where home ground everywhere. We have Champions League is also big. ball but at the same time I kept Lekhwiya and El Jaish - will be I’d be in 2-4 years.” huge crowds following us,” he said. Cup qualifiers Al Shaqab Racing’s Ectot The Peninsula DOHA: Coach Jorge Fossati yesterday named the Qatar squad ahead of two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Korea and Syria. victorious in New York Qatar face Korea on Thursday in an away game fol- lowed by their clash against Syria in Doha on October 11. Qatar squad will fly to Korea in a private jet, QFA official said yesterday. The Peninsula Breeders’ Cup Turf to be run on 5 Fossati will lead the squad during a training ses- November at Santa Anita by winning sion today before the team flies out to Korea. It will be his first Group 1 amazingly across the closed door training session.