TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015 SPORTS Platini’s hopes in doubt as Infantino to stand for presidency Sheikh Salman enters FIFA race LAUSANNE: UEFA General Secretary said UEFA. “We are delighted that complete integrity and restore all his year-old South African anti-apartheid national associations needed. Gianni Infantino dramatically Gianni has agreed to stand and he rights.” Meanwhile, Asian football chief campaigner who was once jailed along- But he appears to lack the necessary announced that he will stand in the knows that he has our full support in Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa side Nelson Mandela, serving 13 years clout, a problem also faced by David FIFA presidential election, casting his campaign to become FIFA officially announced that he had of an 18-year sentence on Robben Nakhid, the former Trinidad and Tobago doubt over the hopes of Michel Platini President.” entered the race to succeed Blatter. Island on terrorism charges. captain who once played for Swiss side as yesterday’s midnight deadline to Erstwhile favorite Platini officially The 49-year-old Bahraini royal has His non-footballing background Grasshoppers Zurich. submit bids approached. In a shock remains a contender pending an exami- been the head of the Asian Football could serve as an asset but also as a In addition, Liberian FA chief Musa development, multilingual Swiss lawyer nation of his candidacy when his ban Confederation since 2013 and is familiar handicap, given that it is the presidents Bility confirmed to AFP on Monday that Infantino, who has been UEFA’s General ends on January 5. with FIFA from his role as a vice-presi- of FIFA’s 209 member federations who he had entered the race, becoming the Secretary since 2009, entered the run- But it remains to be seen whether he dent. He previously supported Platini’s elect the president. eighth runner to replace Blatter. ning to succeed Sepp Blatter with the has now lost all support from his own bid. Other confirmed candidates include “I have officially presented my bid “full backing” of UEFA’s Executive organisation or whether Infantino is Salman said in a statement that he the Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, for the presidency of FIFA. I am very Committee, with the total number of being presented by UEFA as a Plan B in had decided to run “out of a wish to put the 39-year-old brother of Jordan’s King optimistic that I will win the presidency declared candidates standing at eight. case the former France star is prevented the international organisation back on Abdullah who was the only adversary of FIFA and I promise to bring positive And that announcement would from standing. the right track and in response to calls to Blatter at the election in May this changes,” Bility said. appear to place Platini, the UEFA presi- Another potential pitfall for Platini is by many members of the football com- year and can boast that he took the vet- FIFA’s electoral committee is set to dent who is currently serving a 90-day that FIFA’s electoral committee must munity.” However, even without eran Swiss to a second round of voting meet on Tuesday to study each bid and ban as investigations continue into a $2 judge the integrity of all candidates, Infantino’s announcement, his chances before withdrawing. the integrity of the candidates, with the million payment received from FIFA in and their evaluation could be influ- of receiving the backing of European But on that occasion he had the exception of Platini, who must wait 2011 without a written contract, in an enced by his ban. federations may not have been helped backing of UEFA, something he is likely until the end of his ban. uncomfortable position. Platini’s lawyers confirmed he had a by the fact he has been heavily criti- to have to do without this time. French One name which will be missing will “We believe that Gianni Infantino first appeal against his ban rejected on cised by human rights campaigners for former diplomat Jerome Champagne, be that of South Korean businessman has all of the qualities required to tackle Monday, but the case is still to go his role in suppressing pro-democracy 57, spent 11 years working for FIFA Chung Mong-Joon, who announced on the major challenges ahead and to lead before FIFA’s appeals committee and his demonstrations in Bahrain in 2011. between 1999 and 2010. Unlike during Monday that he was withdrawing the organisation on a path of reform to lawyers said they remained “convinced Another heavyweight candidate to his previous bid in May, he has man- because of a six-year ban imposed on restore FIFA’s integrity and credibility,” the appeals will eventually show his come forward is Tokyo Sexwale, the 62- aged to get the five signatures from him by FIFA’s ethics committtee.—AFP Mourinho, Klopp seek League Cup bounce LONDON: Besieged Chelsea manager Jose said after the Southampton game. “We can Mourinho and his Liverpool counterpart work with this performance of the team. Jurgen Klopp are both in pressing need of a “If I sit here and have to say, ‘These guys change of fortune going into this week’s are not ready for fighting,’ or what not, then League Cup fourth-round matches. Cup it would be bad news. But everybody saw holders Chelsea, dealt a fifth Premier how ready they are and that’s the most League defeat of the season at West Ham important thing.” United on Saturday, visit Stoke City on Following a dreary goalless stalemate in Tuesday, while Liverpool, who have drawn Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, all three games since Klopp’s appointment, Manchester City and Manchester United host Bournemouth the following evening. continue their League Cup campaigns on Chelsea’s 2-1 loss at Upton Park was a Wednesday. damaging affair for the league champions, United entertain second-tier with Nemanja Matic sent off and Mourinho Middlesbrough, while City welcome Crystal banished to the stands alongside assistant Palace to the Etihad Stadium. Antonio Silvino Louro, and full-back Cesar Valencia is a doubt for United after manag- Azpilicueta says that he and his team- er Louis van Gaal revealed that the right- mates are itching to make amends. sided Ecuadorian player sustained a foot “We want to play as soon as possible,” injury against City, which saw him replaced the Spaniard told Chelsea TV. “We have the by Matteo Darmian late in the game. game against Stoke. “We want to get The point earned at Old Trafford took through and our mentality has to be to City back to the top of the table above recover as quick as possible and to get into Arsenal, but Arsene Wenger’s side other- the next round on Tuesday.” wise had little to complain about following With Chelsea 11 points off the pace in a week in which they resurrected their the league and in third place in their Champions League campaign by beating Champions League group, the trip to the Bayern Munich 2-0 and then defeated Britannia Stadium offers an opportunity to Everton 2-1. sweep talk of crisis from the back pages. “It is a perfect week and it is not easy to SPAIN: Barcelona’s Luis Suarez (left) duels for the ball against Eibar’s goalkeeper Asier Riesgo during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the But Mourinho must balance pursuit of vic- have that,” said the Arsenal manager, Camp Nou stadium. —AP tory with the need to avoid over-exerting whose team visit second-tier Sheffield his players amid a sequence of six games in Wednesday. 19 days that continues this Saturday with a “The only negative is that we lost some home match against Liverpool. Klopp was players through injury during the week, but Suarez treble gives Barca appointed to great fanfare as the successor I will have to rest some players today to Brendan Rodgers, but Sunday’s 1-1 against Sheffield. I think for some players it home draw with Southampton was will be one game too many for them.” Liverpool’s third successive stalemate since Aston Villa will begin life without Tim comeback win over Eibar his arrival. Sherwood, sacked as manager on Sunday, The German will hope that the tide with a trip to Southampton, where Under- MADRID: Barcelona needed Luis Suarez to be at his A well-worked move resulted in a simple header Aderllan Santos failed to clear the ball and Jackson turns at Anfield on Wednesday and will 21 coach Kevin MacDonald will be in tem- clinical best with a hat-trick in a 3-1 comeback win at for Suarez to level in the 21st minute and Neymar Martinez pounced to put Atletico ahead in the 32nd draw encouragement from the fact that porary charge of the visitors. home to modest Eibar on Sunday which put the drove into the area and fed the Uruguayan to make minute at the Calderon. opponents Bournemouth have shipped 10 Leicester City, fifth in the Premier champions level on 21 points with arch-rivals Real it 2-1 with a low strike into the corner three minutes Belgium midfielder Carrasco weighed in with a goals in their last two outings, courtesy of League after a 1-0 win over Palace, travel to Madrid at the top of La Liga. into the second half. goal Cristiano Ronaldo would have been proud of to back-to-back 5-1 beatings at the hands of Championship side Hull City, while Everton Atletico Madrid, the only other team apart from Chances were scarce after the break until Neymar make it 2-0 five minutes later when he dashed down Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.