SPORT Monday 9 July 2018 PAGEE | 18 PAGEPAGE | 24 World Cupp flop FrenchFrenc icon Spain parts waywayss HenHenryry plots his with ccoachoach councountry’st downfall Qatar showcases a glimpse of 2022 World Cup spectacle Football fans visiting Majlis Qatar, a three-tiered pop-up installation which shows what’s on offer at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Football fans in Russia attending the 2018 FIFA World Cup are getting a taste of what’s to come in four years’ time after Qatar unveiled a host of activities in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The flagship installation, Majlis Qatar, was officially opened on Saturday by Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC). TOP LEFT: Al Thawadi addressing the gathering during the inauguration ceremony. French goalkeeper Alphonse Areola reaches for the ball during a training session in Istra, Russia on Saturday, ahead of their FIFA 2018 World Cup semi-final against Belgium. REUTERS 1998, are slight favourites to go through according to most book- ST PETERSBURG: Roberto makers, but Belgium tend to step Martinez’s swashbuckling Belgium, France get set for up their game against these par- Belgium side head into Tuesday’s ticular European rivals, if history semi-final with familiar foes is anything to go by. France as the World Cup’s leading Of the 73 meetings between scorers, but their old rivals have the teams, Belgium have won 30 evolved as the tournament has mouth-watering semi-final and France 24, with 19 draws progressed and will also be full between them, although if of confidence. Belgium are to reach their first Belgium have scored 14 goals Bleus’ being written off in some morale, and they followed it up players made a sluggish start Martinez showed tactical World Cup final they will have to in five matches and were hugely quarters, but all that changed with a workman-like 2-0 win against the Samurai Blue and sud- adventure, as he pushed target do so by beating France at the impressive in their 2-1 quarter- when they faced Argentina in the over Uruguay that was impressive denly found themselves trailing man Lukaku to the wing to allow tournament for the first time. final victory over Brazil, with last 16 in what must be a leading because of how well they by two goals with time ebbing De Bruyne to operate as a ‘false France came through their Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and contender for the most exciting managed to control the game away. nine’. The strategy worked, and quarter-final unscathed, and Des- Kevin de Bruyne combining to match of the tournament. against tricky opponents. Stung into action, Martinez De Bruyne scored his first goal in champs has his entire squad to devastating effect to oust the five- Didier Deschamps tweaked Belgium faced a heart- sent on Marouane Fellaini and Russia. choose from, while Belgium are times world champions. his formation, effectively freeing stopping moment of uncertainty Nacer Chadli in the 65th minute, Tuesday’s clash in St only slightly worse off. In contrast, France sleep- up Kylian Mbappe on the right to in the first knockout round against and both were heavily involved Petersburg has all the makings of Full back Thomas Meunier is walked through the group stages, run at the Argentine defence, and Japan, when Martinez’s decision as Belgium pulled off a late a classic, with fans and viewers suspended after picking up a eking out wins over Australia and what followed was a wonderful to rest players in their final group comeback, with Chadli securing likely to be treated to the sight of second yellow card of the tour- Peru before a stultifying 0-0 draw display of attacking football that match against England almost victory with practically the last two wonderfully attacking teams nament against Brazil, with Mar- with Denmark. France won 4-3. backfired spectacularly. kick of the game. going toe-to-toe. tinez likely to bring in Yannick Their early struggles had ‘Les The victory boosted France’s Belgium’s returning first team Against Brazil in the quarters, France, world champions in Carrasco in his place. 18 SPORT MONDAY 9 JULY 2018 World Cup flop Spain parts ways with coach AP wouldn’t forgive myself,” Hierro said at the news conference MADRID: Fernando Hierro is introducing him as coach, two out as coach of Spain’s national days before the match against team after less than a month in European champion Portugal. charge and a disappointing four- “We still have a great oppor- game run at the World Cup. tunity in front of us. We have to The Spanish federation said remain positive and move yesterday that it wanted “to forward.” thank Fernando Hierro for his Later in the tournament, commitment and for assuming Hierro suggested he had stayed the responsibility of being in in contact with Lopetegui but charge of the national team said they didn’t discuss strategy. during some extraordinary “Julen has his job now, and situations.” I’ve got mine,” Hierro said after Hierro was promoted from Spain won the group by a sporting director to the top job narrow margin. two days before Spain opened “I’ve got my hands full. We’re the tournament against Portugal. not sending texts to each other. New federation president Luis We each have our own identities Rubiales was incensed that pre- and our own ideas. vious coach Julen Lopetegui had “We are friends and we agreed to take charge at Real might communicate as friends Madrid after the World Cup but we do not talk about football Mesut Ozil of Germany is seen during the 2018 FIFA World without giving the federation and tactics. Please don’t think Head Coach Cup Russia Group F match against Mexico in Moscow in this sufficient notice. that every time I have to make June, 17, 2018 file photo. Lopetegui was summarily Fernando Hierro a decision I call up Lopetegui fired on June 13 despite a 20-game of Spain gestures and ask his opinion,” he said. unbeaten streak that had made during 2018 FIFA Taking over the team with Spain one of the favorites coming World Cup Round zero notice “wasn’t a challenge. ‘Scapegoat’ Ozil into the tournament. of 16 match That’s not the way I see it,” Spain drew with Portugal against Russia in Hierro insisted. and Morocco and beat Iran 1-0 Moscow, in this “It’s a source of pride to be to win their group, then lost to July 01, 2018 file the coach of Spain. It’s a great should quit Russia on penalties after a 1-1 photo. honour.” draw in the round of 16, a match Addressing media in Madrid in which the Spanish were crit- the day after his firing, Lopetegui German team, icized for completing more than said his dismissal from the Spain 1,000 passes without producing job was the saddest day of his life since the day his mother had says father died, and called the day he offi- cially took the helm at Real the AFP enough scoring chances. national team player and Real happiest. Rubiales, who took The federation’s statement Madrid captain. over as president in May, said Hierro was promoted didn’t indicate whether Hierro He served as sporting Lopetegui and Real Madrid had BERLIN: Mesut Ozil’s father said yesterday his son should from sporting left voluntarily but said he had director when Spain won the left him no choice by refusing to quit Germany’s national squad after he was made a director to the top declined to return to his previous 2008 European Championship delay the announcement. “scapegoat” for their shock first-round defeat at the World job two days before role as sporting director. It called and the 2010 World Cup, what “The federation has its Cup. him “an extraordinary the federation called “the values and it has to maintain Ozil, 29, has come in for sharp criticism in Germany Spain opened the sportsman” and said the national national team’s greatest period.” them,” Rubiales said. after the holders crashed out in Russia, finishing bottom tournament against team “would always be his But he had never held a “It may look like a weakness of their group. Portugal. home.” major coaching job. now, but with time this will Pressure had already been mounting on the Arsenal Hierro, 50, is a former “I couldn’t have said ‘no,’ I make us stronger.” midfielder in the run-up to the tournament over a con- troversial photograph with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which sparked questions about his loyalty to Germany. On Thursday, team boss Oliver Bierhoff suggested that World Cup perhaps Germany should have considered dropping Ozil, Vida escapes ban over who has Turkish roots, after his failure to explain himself over the issue. ref gets But the midfielder’s father, Mustafa Ozil, in an pro-Ukraine celebration interview with Bild am Sonntag, said: “This statement is life ban for insolent. In my opinion, it is aimed at saving one’s own skin.” Bierhoff had backtracked on Friday, saying that he AFP “was wrong” to put Ozil under undue pressure. bribery But German Football Federation chief Reinhard Grindel MOSCOW: Croatia defender has now waded in, arguing that Ozil must go public. REUTERS Domagoj Vida escaped a FIFA His failure to speak out “has disappointed many fans, ban yesterday after posting a because they have questions and expect answers”, Grindel CAIRO: A Kenyan linesman clip dedicating his country’s told Kicker magazine in an interview to be published who had been due to offi- victory over Russia in the World Monday.