CCYCLINGYCLING | Page 2 TTENNISENNIS | Page 3 Roglic back Lucky seventh in red aft er as Zverev fi nally Vuelta summit wins at ATP scramble Cincinnati Friday, August 20, 2021 FOOTBALL Muharram 12, 1443 AH Inter’s turbulent GULF TIMES summer leaves crown up for grabs SPORT Page 4 LIGUE 1 FOCUS QOC launches Al Adaam Youth PSG bullish about Council Initiative By Sports Reporter enhancing the Olympic values, Doha team Qatar values, encouraging the local youth community to in- volve in the sport sector, making he Qatar Olympic team Qatar as a kicking-off plat- Mbappe future Committee (QOC) an- form for community participa- nounced the launch of tion, performance devotion and its pioneering initia- opening the non-offi cial reach Pochettino says Frenchman is ‘our player’; reports suggest Messi not in Brest game Ttive Al Adaam Youth Council on out channels between the QOC Wednesday. and youth category. Agencies Al Adaam Youth Council is a The council will help promot- Paris, France representative structure of all ing all the QOC’s social respon- youth in Qatar from all nation- sibility initiatives inside the lo- alities. It will be an active factor cal community, encouraging eal Madrid are not hiding their engaging in all the sport issues the QOC and its staff to develop desire to sign Kylian Mbappe and decisions-making related to creative strategies and plans, but Paris Saint-Germain coach the QOC strategies. transferring the perspectives of Mauricio Pochettino insists he This new entity will take a cen- Qatari youth about the sport is- Rcan’t imagine the France superstar play- tre stage in the planning proc- sues to the QOC, working closely ing for another club this season. esses, hosting of the sport events and co-operatively with the Mbappe is out of contract next June and boosting the social responsi- board of directors, sport federa- and his future has dominated headlines in bility eff orts of the QOC. tions, local organising commit- France and in Spain since Lionel Messi’s The main goal of Al Adaam tees, exchanging thoughts with shock move from Barcelona to Paris last Youth Council is to develop the local youth community and week. the youth’s creative initiatives stepping up youth participation In Madrid they believe Mbappe does that will help the QOC in mak- in the board activities to maxi- not want to share more of the limelight ing decisions, inscribing sport mum level. with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner. culture inside the Qatari com- A number of standards re- “Madrid are not giving up,” said the cover munity, reaching out local youth quired for nomination to the Al of sports daily AS yesterday. throughout an elite group of Adaam Youth Council have been PSG, meanwhile, want to keep the youth elements representing the defi ned. The council consists 22-year-old to complete a dream front QOC. Al Adaam Youth Coun- of 10 members representing all line with Messi and Neymar. cil will also help developing the youth in Qatar (Qataris and non- Whether Real make their move before new creative initiatives and ideas Qataris), their ages ranged from the August 31 transfer deadline remains to be integrated into the QOC’s 17 to 27 years. The membership to be seen, but Mbappe is in no rush to ex- current and upcoming processes. will be divided equally between tend his contract at the Parc des Princes. This new-born Council will the two genders, in addition Nevertheless, while Neymar and Messi spare no eff ort in performing to members from people with build up their fi tness following extended several responsibilities and tasks, special needs. Student from the summer breaks, Mbappe has played a at the top of them, promoting nominated group been approved starring role for his club at the beginning the QOC’s strategy, values, goals and selected by the QOC will take of the campaign. in the local youth community, the presidency of this council. He set up the decisive goal as PSG won Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe (right) and teammate Lionel Messi attend a training session as assistant coach Miguel D’Agostin 2-1 at Troyes on the opening weekend and (centre) looks on at the club’s training ground in Saint-Germain-en-Laye yesterday. (Below) PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino. (AFP) then created three goals as Pochettino’s team beat Strasbourg 4-2 last Saturday. game. The only conversations I have with Verratti was also part of Italy’s squad Al Gharafa Stadium to host Iraq’s “Kylian seems in good shape, he is Kylian are about football,” the Argentine which beat England in the Euro 2020 fi nal motivated and working very hard to have added. “He has a year left on his contract, on penalties at Wembley, while Di Maria Qatar 2022 Asian qualifi ers a good season. That is what we are all if he doesn’t renew it. We are happy with scored Argentina’s winner in a 1-0 vic- thinking about,” Pochettino told report- him and from what I see he is happy with tory over hosts Brazil in the Copa America The Qatar Football Association (QFA) decided to choose Al ers yesterday ahead of PSG’s trip to Brit- us too.” showpiece. Gharafa Stadium, Thani bin Jassim Stadium, to host the matches tany to play Brest today. French daily L’Equipe reported Messi Earlier yesterday, PSG manager Mauri- of the Iraqi national team in the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 World “Kylian is our player and I don’t see will not be included in today’s game, add- cio Pochettino had left open the possibil- Cup in Qatar. The QFA agreed to the request of the normal body to him being anywhere else this season.” ing that his former Barcelona teammate ity that Messi could feature against Brest play the matches of the Iraqi national team in Doha, after the AFC The speculation about his future led to Neymar has also been left out. when he declined to specify whether decided not to play the matches in Iraq at the present time, until Mbappe being jeered by some PSG sup- L’Equipe added on its website that Messi would fi nally make his debut. an inspection committee is sent in the coming days to evaluate porters before the Strasbourg game, but Italy’s Euro 2020 winning goalkeeper “He has given us so much in the last few the stadiums and sports facilities again. Iraq will face Iran in its Pochettino insisted the France World Cup Gianluigi Donnarumma has been called days,” Pochettino said of Messi. “There is second match in Group A, which will be held on the seventh of winner was taking it in his stride. up alongside compatriot Marco Verratti, a great atmosphere in the squad and he next month at Al Gharafa Stadium in Doha. (QNA) “Kylian is preparing for tomorrow’s Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria. has settled in very quickly.” PREMIER LEAGUE SPOTLIGHT Chelsea seek to add to Arsenal’s Gulf Cup federation celebrates Almoez’s career troubles in London derby QNA Doha Reuters Arsenal technical director Edu’s team mates better,” the Belgium London, England position is also vulnerable after a less striker who joined from Inter Mi- than impressive player recruitment lan said this week. he Arab Gulf Cup Football Federa- policy over the past couple of seasons. “The English game is diff erent tion celebrated the achievements rsenal’s troubled start to His judgement is again being but, for me, it’s not something new. of Almoez Ali, the Qatari national the Premier League season called into question with the club Whatever plan the coach has, I can team player, who is the fi rst player to could get worse before it apparently on the verge of paying adapt myself and help the team.” Tscore in three tournaments across three dif- gets better as they prepare around 25mn pounds ($34.23mn) Liverpool kick off the weekend ferent continents in the history of Arab and Ato host Chelsea this weekend before for Sheffi eld United goalkeeper with a home game against Burnley to- Gulf football. a trip to champions Manchester Aaron Ramsdale. morrow lunchtime while later in the The federation in a report on its offi cial City a week later. There are also reports of fric- day champions Manchester City host website said, “On this day, Almoez Ali was Optimism was not sky high tion between Arteta and club cap- Norwich City as they seek to bounce born, the beginning was from Mesaimeer amongst Arsenal’s followers in the tain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, back from their surprise opening day Sports Club, then Aspire Academy, then lead-up to the new campaign but who missed training on Wednes- defeat at Tottenham Hotspur. Lekhwiya (Al Duhail), in addition to the the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship with 6 the manner of the 2-0 defeat at day and is doubtful for Sunday’s Manchester United’s 5-1 ham- European clubs that he played for, such as goals. newcomers Brentford last week has clash with Chelsea along with fel- mering of Leeds United at Old Traf- Austrian LASK, then Cultural Deportiva In the 2019 Asian Cup, Almoez scored a made it open season on manager low forward Alexandre Lacazette. ford last weekend has prompted talk Leonesa, with whom he scored his fi rst goal. record 9 goals in one edition of the tourna- Mikel Arteta’s job prospects, the of a title assault and Ole Gunnar On April 3, 2016, he became the fi rst Qatari ment, including seven in the group stage, club’s recruitment policy and just STARK CONTRAST Solskjaer’s side will look to maintain player to score in one of the Spanish leagues, also a record.