Aug. 28, 2021 Iran suffered a second consecutive defeat at the wheelchair basketball competitions of the Tokyo Paralympics, falling to a 65-41 loss to USA on 7 Friday, IRNA reported. Zenit’s Azmoun reaches Russian top-flight milestone in CSKA win Sports Desk lied 25 goals in 22 outings for Rostov, international duty, when he will lead including Champions League goals the frontline for Dragan Skocic’s side Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun reached against Atletico Madrid and Bayern as the final group phase of the 2022 a century of goals during his time at the Munich, before re-signing for Rubin World Cup Asian qualifiers kicks off Russian top-flight football by bagging Kazan in June 2017, where he got on with a home game against Syria next the winner for Zenit St. Petersburg in the score sheet on 10 more occasions. Thursday, followed by an away tie a 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow on Next for Azmoun is a return to the against Iraq five days later. Thursday. The Iranian international kept his cool to dribble past CSKA defender Jaka Bijol in the box before his shot went in off the post in the 82nd minute at the Krestovsky Stadium – Azmoun’s fifth goal of the new Russian Pre- mier Liga season. The goal marked the 58th strike in 42 appearances in Zenit outfit for Azmoun across all competitions, after the Iranian joined the Russian champion in February 2019. A former player of Irani- an club Sepahan at the youth levels, Azmoun began his career as a senior footballer when he signed for Russian club Rubin Kazan in 2013, where he netted seven goals before joining FC Rostov IRNA on loan midway through the 2014-15 campaign and seal- fc-zenit.ru Sports Desk The new minister also pledged for “full independence ing a permanent deal for the Zenit St. Petersburg striker Sardar Azmoun celebrates after scoring during a 1-0 victory over and self-efficiency of the women’s sports in Iran for the first start 2016-17 season. CSKA Moscow at the Russian Premier Liga at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Seyyed Hamid Sajjadi, an Iranian long-distance runner in time in the history of the Islamic Republic.” Azmoun remarkably tal- on August 26, 2021. the 90s, embarked on a new chapter in his career on Thurs- Holding a Ph.D. in sports planning and a faculty mem- day as the country’s minister of sports and youth, replacing ber at the Islamic Azad University, Sajjadi represented the Masoud Soltanifar. country at the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1996, setting Sajjadi, 52, earned 165 yes votes, against 108 no votes, the current 10,000m national record at the latter event in by Iranian lawmakers to become the fourth Iranian sports Atlanta. minister since the ministry was founded in 2010. A 3,000m steeplechase gold medalist at the 1991 Asian Ath- Messi’s PSG draw Guardiola’s Man City In his speech at the Iranian Parliament, the five-time letics Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sajjadi also Asian medalist said, “I spent 17 years of my life as a track holds the men’s national record in 5,000m, a feat he achieved runner, winning several medals, so I am fully aware of the at the 1995 World Athletics Championships in Sweden, as well in Champions League group stage challenges facing Iranian athletes.” as the men’s indoor 1,500m, which he set in 1989. Citing the sports among the public, Sajjadi vowed to in- Also a 1998 Asian Games silver medalist, Sajjadi worked crease the average sporting space of one meter per person in in numerous sporting positions following his retirement in the country, while the global per capita figure stands at three 2000, including the deputy for professional sports at the meters, adding, “Some 6,000 sports facilities have been Sports Organization, the former sports governing body in closed down due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country Iran, in 2009, the general manager of the Persian Gulf Pro and their owners are pinning their hopes on us [to resume League club Saipa (2008-2009), as well as being a member their work]. There also 4,000 semi-finished sports projects of the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Physi- which we will put in all our efforts to complete.” cal Education and Sport (CIGEPS). Ronaldo misses Juve training as Man City rumours rumble to numerous questions on Ronaldo’s form and mindset ahead of Sunday’s Serie A opener at Udinese. “He has always trained well and has al- ways been available. I’ve read rumours in the papers, but he’s never wanted to leave Juventus.” Italy’s top scorer last season with GETTY IMAGES The photo shows the full draw of the UEFA Champions League group stage for the 2021-22 season. 29 goals started the Udinese game on the bench. Lionel Messi’s new club Paris St Germain will play Klopp will at least have fond memories of Atletico’s ‘Disrespectful’ rumours Manchester City, managed by the Argentine’s former Metropolitano stadium after winning the 2019 title Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, after being drawn to- there against Tottenham Hotspur. Last week, Ronaldo himself rubbished gether in Champion’s League Group A on Thursday. “I laughed, to be honest, pretty loud because it is a reports of a move back to Real Madrid, call- Messi joined Qatari-owned PSG, who will also tough group obviously,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com. ing them “disrespectful” and saying that face Bundesliga side RB Leipzig and Belgium’s “We played, I don’t know how often, already stories of his departure were written with Brugge, from Barcelona this month after the Spanish against Porto, so they will be waiting for us. We have “nobody ever being concerned about trying side were unable to afford a new contract for the for- obviously a little bit of (an) open bill with Atletico, to find out the actual truth”. ward, Reuters reported. and AC Milan, a historical one obviously. Real have since had an initial bid of The draw pits two of European soccer’s wealthiest “I think our supporters should be looking forward €160 million for PSG star Kylian Mbappe teams against each other once again as they both seek to it – we do, for sure.” MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP rejected, but according to French media re- a first Champions League title, with City beating the AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli, whose club beat Cristiano Ronaldo did not train with Juven- Empoli this weekend. ports are set to make a second offer of €180 French side 4-1 on aggregate in last season’s semis. Liverpool in the 2007 final after losing memorably in tus on Friday, the Serie A giants told AFP, as If a deal is to be reached, the clock is tick- million. Abu Dhabi-owned City went on to lose the final to 2005, said it was certainly a “stimulating” group. rumours of an imminent move to Manches- ing with the transfer window set to close on That would close any route for Ronaldo Premier League rivals Chelsea, who were drawn in “Together in our group we have 15 Champions ter City gather pace. Tuesday. back to the Santiago Bernabeu, although Group H against Juventus, Zenit St Petersburg and League wins. We expected it, this is the Champions Widespread media reports said that Ron- Premier League champions City have as well as the reports of a possible move to Malmo. League and we can’t wait to start. We will try to do aldo left Juve’s Continassa training centre been widely linked with a move for the City, there have also been rumours he could City have yet to lose to PSG in the Champions important things,” he added. before the start of Friday’s session. Sky five-time Ballon d’Or winner after missing join old rival Lionel Messi in Paris to re- League but Messi has also scored more goals against Inter, Shakhtar and Real were also in the same group Sport Italia reported that the five-time Bal- out on England captain Harry Kane. place Mbappe should the Frenchman leave. them – six in six games – than any other side in the last time around with the Italian side finishing last. lon d’Or winner arrived in the morning to The fee, however, could be a problem Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 appear- competition. Barcelona were drawn in Group E with Bayern say goodbye to his teammates before leav- with the Italians believed to be wanting in ances for Manchester United early in his ca- “After the Porto, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid group, Munich, Benfica and Dynamo Kyiv. ing at around 10:45 a.m. local time (0845 the region of €25 million ($29.4 million). reer before leaving for Madrid in 2009. our group is probably the second most difficult one,” Manchester United will have another meeting GMT), AFP reported. Ronaldo, who has one year remaining on He joined Juve in 2018 after scoring a said City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain. with Spain’s Villarreal, a repeat of this year’s Euro- According to daily Gazzetta Dello Sport his contract, has also been linked with Paris remarkable 450 goals in 438 matches in a “Some of the big names in football are going to be pa League final, in Group F along with Atalanta and on Friday, a deal for superstar Ronaldo to Saint-Germain and a return to Madrid. glittering nine-year spell at the Bernabeu out. That is the magnitude of this competition.” Swiss side Young Boys.