WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016 SPORTS From tragedy to triumph for Wales coach Coleman CARDIFF: For Wales manager Chris Coleman, who Born in Swansea, south Wales, on June 10, 1970, he could not sustain his initial success and was even- beginning of qualifying for Euro 2016 was to prove a has led his country to a first major tournament since Coleman was an avid Liverpool fan as a youngster tually dismissed in April 2007. watershed moment as Coleman’s introduction of a 3- 1958, the greatest triumph of his managerial career and joined Manchester City’s youth set-up, only to 5-1-1 system turned Wales into a formidable defen- sprang from his deepest tragedy. leave at the age of 17, citing homesickness. LOST PASSPORT sive unit armed with the break-neck counter-attack- Coleman, 45, only took up the job following the He returned to his hometown with Swansea City There followed varied subsequent spells with ing pace of Real Madrid star Gareth Bale. death of his close friend and former Wales team-mate and would go on to represent Crystal Palace, Spanish side Real Sociedad, Coventry City and Greek With Bale contributing seven goals, Wales took Gary Speed from an apparent suicide in November Blackburn Rovers and Fulham at centre-back, as well club Larissa, before Speed’s untimely passing opened Group B by storm, winning four points against much- 2011. Coleman described it as the “worst, worst, as winning 32 caps for Wales, before a broken leg sus- the door for him to take charge of Wales in February fancied Belgium and securing a place at a major tour- worst” day of his life and when Wales sealed their tained in a car crash forced him into early retirement 2012. The gum-chewing, perma-tanned Coleman nament for the first time since the 1958 World Cup. place at Euro 2016 last October, his thoughts quickly in October 2002. was not a universally popular appointment and Drawn alongside Russia, Slovakia and old rivals turned to Speed. Initially employed as a coach under Jean Tigana at made a slow start, with a 6-1 loss to Serbia in World England at the Euro, Coleman says that Wales will not “I will be raising a glass to my good friend Gary Fulham, he succeeded the Frenchman as manager in Cup qualifying in September 2012 prompting him to be going to France simply to make up the numbers. Speed, obviously who is no longer with us, but April 2003 and confounded expectations by leading consider walking away. There was further embarrass- “We can’t be going there thinking, ‘It’ll be nice,’” he always in my thoughts-our thoughts,” he said. the ambitious west London club to a ninth-place fin- ment for Coleman the following September, when he said. “I think we’ve got the sort of players where we “Gary Speed played his part and I’m sure he is ish in his first full season. lost his passport prior to a match in Macedonia, caus- can soak it up and on our day we can hurt anybody.” smiling tonight.” But despite establishing Fulham in the top flight, ing him to miss a pre-match training session. But the Speed would no doubt approve. — AFP Deschamps sets sights on more host nation glory PARIS: Having scaled the international football 2018 World Cup in Russia, even though he heights as a player, Didier Deschamps now has has hinted at missing the day-to-day rush of his sights set on leading France to European club management. Championship glory on home soil as coach. “I am flourishing,” he told L’Equipe recently Deschamps was captain of the French team when asked if he were still enjoying himself. that won the World Cup at home in 1998 and “I am privileged. I would like to spend more also led Les Bleus to glory at Euro 2000, so could time with my players, as would all national hardly be better placed to handle the pressure coaches, but I live very well with my duties. My and expectation that comes with being in objective is the Euro and I am focused exclu- charge of the Euro 2016 hosts. sively on that.” Schooled at Nantes under the When asked by sports daily L’Equipe if he legendary coach Jean-Claude Suaudeau, ‘DD’ felt France-also winners in 1984 — could lift the was part of the France side that famously suf- Henri Delaunay trophy for a third time in July, fered a gut-wrenching last-gasp loss to Bulgaria Deschamps said: “We will go into it with that to miss out on qualifying for the 1994 World objective. We can be humble and ambitious.” Cup in the United States. The 47-year-old who hails from Bayonne, The heartache marked a generation, with the capital of the French Basque Country and the exception of Deschamps, who recovered to very much rugby territory, has been building lift the World Cup at the Stade de France in towards the Euro climax. Exiting the 2014 1998 and then the Euro two years later. He won World Cup in Brazil at the quarter-final stage the last of his 103 caps in September 2000 and was accepted, especially as some of the per- retired from playing a year later at the age of formances were encouraging and there was just 32, bringing a premature end to a glittering none of the off-field problems that marred pre- career as a defensive midfielder. vious major tournaments for the French. But an exciting young team is now expected ‘BLESSED’ to deliver at Euro 2016. It has not been all plain Once described by Eric Cantona as a “water sailing for Deschamps, who has had to deal carrier”, he captained Marseille to Champions with a sex-tape blackmail affair involving Karim League glory in 1993 and won the trophy again MONTPELLIER: Switzerland’s players practice during a training session at the team’s training ground at the Mosson stadium in Montpellier yes- Benzema. “Nothing shocks me anymore,” he with Juventus in 1996. His coaching CV is terday, three days ahead of the beginning of the Euro 2016 European football championships. — AFP said, but he must hope the decision to drop the remarkable too, featuring a Champions League Real Madrid striker from the squad does not final appearance with Monaco in 2004 and a come back to bite the national federation. French title triumph with Marseille in 2010. Swiss football banking Nevertheless, public opinion appears to He departed OM under a cloud in 2012, back the decision and Deschamps has plenty of though, and might have done the same from other attack options. the national team until a dramatic play-off win Unless things go badly wrong, over Ukraine saw them snatch qualification for on Xhaka at Euro 2016 Deschamps will be in charge through to the the last World Cup. — AFP ZURICH: Granit Xhaka’s transfer to Arsenal for a fee key players on the Swiss side, has Albanian- the ball softly towards the keeper. Swiss TV com- reported to be about 40 million euros means there Kosovar roots. mentator Sascha Ruefer questioned if Xhaka had is pressure on the Swiss midfielder to prove his His parents were among some 300,000 missed deliberately because of his Albanian roots. worth at the European Championship finals. Kosovars who moved to Switzerland to escape the The comments were roundly rejected, with the Despite being just 23, the rising star has been territory’s brutal independence war with Serbia in team and most media dismissing any doubts capped 41 times, with former Swiss national coach the 1990s. about Xhaka’s allegiance. Ottmar Hitzfeld branding Xhaka a “young (Bastian) That has put Xhaka along with Swiss teammate But Xhaka has also played a role in fuelling Schweinsteiger,” in a widely quoted comparison to and Stoke City star Xherdan Shaqiri at the centre speculation that he may prefer to compete with the German football great. of a touchy-and sometimes xenophobic-debate in another nation’s crest on his chest. In multiple Xhaka’s performances with the Bundesliga’s the federation over the national side’s identity. media interviews, he has made clear that full Borussia Monchengladbach and previously with Countless Swiss fans simply want to see the recognition of Kosovo’s national team by FIFA Swiss club Basel made him a target for English best possible players on the pitch. could inspire him to play for the territory where Premier League clubs.Arsenal believe they have But the country, perhaps more so than some his parents were born. one of the best deals of the transfer window. other European nations, is known for anti-migrant Kosovo is not a United Nations member and Liverpool and Bayern Munich were also watching sentiment which has at times seeped into public FIFA has only cleared its team to compete in the Swiss lynchpin. Xhaka will be a key player in discussion about the football team. friendlies. Switzerland’s drive to beat low expectations and A 2012 World Cup qualifying match against Xhaka will therefore be playing for Switzerland make a run at the European Championship. Albania was a flashpoint moment. when their Euro 2016 bid starts on June 11 With Switzerland leading 2-0 in the 84th against Albania, a team that could include up to 6 FACING HIS BROTHER minute, Xhaka had what appeared to be an Swiss-born players, including Xhaka’s brother, REYKJAVIK: Liechtenstein’s Andreas Malin (L) and Martin Rechsteiner (R) vie for the o o Xhaka was born in Switzerland, but like other uncontested shot at the Albanian net, but sent Taulant.