THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015 SPORTS Atletico primed for Barca and Real slips MADRID: Last season’s Spanish champions Argentine added. Atletico Madrid will be ready to pounce “To become champions again we have again if wealthy heavyweights Barcelona to work to finish second, third and when and Real Madrid show any more signs of they (Real and Barca) get distracted win the weakness, according to coach Diego title again.” Simeone. Barca clinched the La Liga title on Once Barca’s prolific Argentina forward Sunday with a 1-0 win at Atletico, exactly a Lionel Messi, who scored the winner on year after Simeone’s side pipped them to Sunday, retired, Atletico would have an the Spanish league trophy, their first in 18 even better chance, he joked. years, with a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp. Simeone has long maintained that Atletico were able to capitalise on Barca Atletico had little chance of defending their and Real’s inconsistency in 2013-14 but title given the gulf in resources compared with one game remaining this term, are left to Real and Barca, insisting third place was fighting for third place and a berth in the a more realistic target. Champions League group stage. Atletico Despite losing top scorer Diego Costa to have 77 points in third, three ahead of Chelsea, Atletico have still put together an fourth-placed Valencia, with Sevilla a point impressive season, twice beating Real in La further adrift in fifth. Liga, including a 4-0 drubbing of their Simeone’s men face a tricky final match neighbours at the Calderon in February. on Saturday at Granada, who are 16th and However, they lost both La Liga matches fighting for the top-flight survival. “We have against Barca, were eliminated by the to prepare as a team for when Real Madrid Catalan giants from the King’s Cup and and Barcelona are not so attentive,” knocked out of the Champions League by Simeone told Spanish radio station Onda Real in the quarter-finals. Cero in a late-night interview on Tuesday. “When we said that our rivals were “Last year, they were not so focused Sevilla and Valencia we were right,” and we were able to get in the mix but Simeone said. “Until we know whether we Valencia and Sevilla are also aware of this have finished third we cannot give our- and that strengthens the league,” the selves a mark for the season.” —Reuters WEST BANK: FIFA president Joseph Blatter plays football with Palestinian children during his visit to the village of Dura Al-Qaraa, near the West Bank city of Ramallah. —AFP FIFA chief’s Mideast peace bid fails RAMALLAH: FIFA president Sepp Blatter saw his an attempt to mix politics and sport, saying such would mean a national association is playing on Mideast peace-making mission crumble yester- matters had not place within FIFA. the territory of another national association day after the Palestinians vowed to press efforts Rajoub’s remarks were a clear indication that without having received permission to do so,” he to have Israel suspended at the upcoming world Blatter’s peace efforts had failed, although the said. football congress. After months of rising ten- world football chief vowed he would not give “I had a meeting today with president Abbas sions over plans by the Palestinian Football up. and we discussed this matter and this is a big Association (PFA) to have its Israeli counterpart Blatter has spoken out against suspending question mark.” Explaining the decision to press expelled from FIFA, Blatter himself flew into the the Israeli FA, saying such a move would damage ahead with the resolution, Rajoub said that all region on Tuesday on a mission to resolve the the organisation as a whole and could set a“dan- other avenues for resolving the matters had not dispute. gerous precedent”. borne fruit and that it was up to FIFA member At issue is a Palestinian complaint over Israeli associations to decide. restrictions on the freedom of movement of its ‘NOT FOOTBALL’ Emmanuel Adebayor players and footballing officials. “If one association is not happy with the oth- NO MATCH FOR PEACE The Palestinians are also protesting the exis- er and claiming whatever they claim, and it is a “We are convinced that most FIFA members tence of five Israeli teams in settlements which political matter that cannot be solved by FIFA share our views on the situation and will support are built on land they want for a future state. The statutes... then (a suspension) would be a dan- our proposal... because racism is one of the Adebayor reveals clubs play in the third and fourth divisions. gerous precedent,” Blatter said, citing concerns greatest dangers that football faces at the pres- Blatter first met in Jerusalem with Prime that other federations in conflict zones could fol- ent time,” he said. Blatter also proposed the idea Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who pledged to low suit. of the two national teams playing a “match for suicidal thoughts take a number of steps to ease the situation. But “This is not football. That’s why I’m on a peace peace” - with Netanyahu welcoming the idea but after talks with Palestinian president Mahmud mission.” Blatter, 79, is seeking reelection at the Rajoub saying the conditions were not yet ready Abbas in Ramallah on Wednesday, it quickly upcoming FIFA Congress which begins on May for such a game. LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s Togolese In the latest 1,649-word offering-posted became clear it was not enough, with PFA chief 28 in the hope of winning a fifth term in office. “It’s a creative idea, I like it,” he told Blatter. striker Emmanuel Adebayor revealed in a in English and French-he alleged that he Jibril Rajoub saying they would not take the pro- During his talks with Abbas, Blatter told him “But we have to pave the road for that, we have candid Facebook post yesterday that he was threatened with a knife after refusing posal off the agenda for the upcoming FIFA Israel had agreed to station people at check- to prepare the environment. But this should be considered suicide over a feud with his to give Kola money to set up a car business Congress. points “to facilitate the movement of football an endgame, this should be a purpose for you family. during his time at Monaco. “We will keep the proposal on the agenda (of people” and to establish a VIP service to allow and I urge you not to give up,” he said. The 31-year-old, who has barely fea- “I was very tired and decided to go take the upcoming FIFA Congress) for sincere and players to move between the West Bank and The Palestinians say they are confident of tured for Spurs this season, also claimed a nap. I woke and a knife was held to my open discussions by the FIFA member associa- Gaza. winning support from many federations within that he had had a knife held to his throat throat,” Adebayor wrote. “As I opened my tions,” Rajoub said at a joint press conference They also agreed to create a special ID card the congress, notably those based in Africa and by his brothers, Peter-who died in July 2012 eyes, both of my brothers (Kola and Peter) with Blatter. for Palestinian players, and to set up a third-par- Asia, recalling how the Asian Football — and Kola. were there. They were shouting and they “There will be no compromising on free ty working group comprising Israeli, Palestinian Conference banned Israel in the mid-1970s. “Many times I wanted to give up,” claimed that I was wasting their time. “Peter movement of our athletes and officials.” The and FIFA representatives which would “meet Israel’s Football Association, which was recog- Adebayor wrote. “Ask my sister Iyabo was going mad and Kola was supporting Palestinians want the matter to be put to a vote monthly to analyse and monitor the situation”. nised by FIFA in 1929 during the British Adebayor how many times I have called (him). I asked them, ‘Is this the only way to at the annual FIFA Congress where it will only But he said that the question of the five set- Mandate, was admitted to the Asian Football and was ready to commit suicide. I kept solve this issue? If yes, then kill me and take pass if it gets the support three-quarters of the tlement teams had not been resolved, describ- Conference in 1954, but expelled 20 years later these stories for years. the money.’ It’s only at that moment that he 209 member federations. ing it as “a delicate problem”. “This has nothing following pressure from Arab and Muslim mem- “But if I die, no-one would know my sto- put the knife down.” Adebayor explained Israel has denounced the Palestinian move as to do with FIFA statutes but it could (do) if this bers. It was admitted to UEFA in 1994. —AFP ry, no-one would learn from it. Some peo- that he had taken to Facebook after his sib- ple say I should keep these stories private, lings spoke out about “family issues” on but someone has to sacrifice himself, some- social media. one has to talk about it.” Adebayor has been at Spurs since 2011, Injury-time penalty It is the third time this month that following previous spells with Arsenal, Adebayor has published a lengthy post on Manchester City and Real Madrid, but has Facebook about his disagreements with made only 10 appearances this season, rocks Guangzhou members of his family.