NNBABA | Page 3 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 7 Clippers beat Waqar wants Mavericks, to ‘stay on Nuggets edge longer’ aft er Jazz in OT light delays Wednesday, August 19, 2020 TENNIS Dhul-Hijjah 29, 1441 AH Muguruza doubtful GULF TIMES for US Open due to ankle problem SPORT Page 5 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL Koeman in talks to Flick trusts Bayern coach Barca, who sack Abidal as part of restructuring to ‘start from scratch’ Reuters Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhov- Barcelona en and Feyenoord plus Premier League sides Southampton and Bayern are favourites to lift the trophy after hammering Barcelona 8-2 in quarters Everton and La Liga’s Valencia. onald Koeman has said Later in the day, Barca decid- AFP he is in talks to leave ed to terminate the contract of Lisbon his role as Netherlands Abidal, another popular former manager in order to player, which was met with sur- Rsucceed Quique Setien as coach prise as the club had said a day ayern Munich coach Hansi Flick of Barcelona, who continued a earlier that a restructuring of trusts his side to forget their restructuring eff ort yesterday the squad would be overseen by demolition of Barcelona and by sacking sporting director Eric the Frenchman. The dismissal “start from scratch” when they Abidal. Koeman, who is revered of Abidal came a day after Set- Bface French giant-killers Lyon in today’s by Barca fans for delivering their ien was sacked after only seven Champions League semi-fi nal. Bayern fi rst European Cup, will be ex- months in charge. Abidal, a dou- marked themselves as favourites to lift pected to lead Barca’s rebuilding ble Champions League winner the trophy by hammering Barcelona 8-2 work after they were subjected to as a Barca player, had been in the in their quarter-fi nal last Friday when an 8-2 drubbing by Bayern Mu- role for over two years but has Thomas Mueller and Philippe Coutinho nich in the Champions League been let go after one of the club’s both scored twice. quarter-fi nals. worst seasons in recent memory, The shockwaves are still being felt in The Dutchman, who has in which they also surrendered Barcelona where both coach Quique Se- coached the Netherlands since the league title to Real Madrid. tien and sports director Eric Abidal have 2018, told reporters outside the He was also the target of criti- been sacked. Following that jaw-drop- national side’s headquarters yes- cism from Lionel Messi earlier ping victory, Bayern are “really hungry” terday that he wanted to coach this year, who accused his former for more success, says captain Manuel Barca but had not yet fi nalised a team mate of blaming the squad Neuer. deal. “It is only defi nite when my for Ernesto Valverde getting However, semi-fi nal opponents Lyon signature is on the document. sacked as coach last January. have punched above their weight by Until then I cannot say anything, Abidal joined Barca as a player beating Juventus and Manchester City to even if I wanted to,” Koeman said. in 2007 and became one of the reach the last four. Flick takes confi dence Koeman is fondly remembered club’s most popular players for from the “very good atmosphere” and at Barca for the role he played in enduring a battle with cancer, “enormous quality in training”. “That Johan Cruyff ’s hugely successful which forced him to undergo a gives you confi dence in the team. I’m side known as the ‘Dream Team’ liver transplant in 2012. relaxed because, I know that they’re very and for scoring the only goal “The club would publicly like focused and have big goals.” against Sampdoria in the 1992 to thank Eric Abidal for his pro- The Bayern boss warns “the game European Cup fi nal. The defend- fessionalism, commitment, ded- starts from scratch. We have to play like er later became the club’s as- ication and the close and positive we did against Barcelona. Less than 100% sistant coach before embarking nature of his relationship with all will not be enough”. His side have won on an eventful career as a head aspects of the Barca family,” the their last 20 matches in all competitions, coach, managing Dutch sides club said in a statement. securing an eighth straight Bundesliga Bayern Munich’s German forward Thomas Mueller (centre) trains with teammates at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon title and lifting the German Cup in the yesterday, on the eve of the Champions League semi-final match against Lyon. (AFP) process. Their striker Robert Lewandowski is coach Rudi Garcia. “They are very com- League from the start than we might now counts for “nothing. Our opponent the Champions League’s top-scorer this pact in defence, can run all day and are have done in the Bundesliga. We were ex- is not standing where he is for nothing,” season on 14 goals — three short of Cris- strong on the counter-attack,” he said. tremely greedy all the time.” he added. tiano Ronaldo’s record. Bayern winger “We want to reach the fi nal and beat The current crop of Bayern stars has Meanwhile, Bayern defender Benjamin Serge Gnabry, who has seven so far in the Lyon, knowing full well that it’s not that the same insatiable appetite, earning the Pavard has fully recovered from an an- competition, including four in the 7-2 easy, so we have to be on the front foot nickname ‘FC Never Satisfi ed’ by the kle injury and could be part of the squad thrashing of Tottenham away in the group from the fi rst minute.” German media. They are certainly goal against Lyon. Pavard, who had an out- stages, says they must not underestimate Defender Jerome Boateng has com- hungry. Bayern’s average of 4.33 goals per standing season as Bayern won the do- Lyon. pared the current squad to the 2013 outfi t game is a new Champions League record. mestic league and Cup double, injured “I think we were all surprised by the who landed the fi rst treble of Bundesliga, They have scored 39 goals in nine Eu- ligaments in his ankle late last month but end result (against Barcelona), but Lyon German Cup and Champions League ti- ropean games, including a 7-2 drubbing returned to fi tness quicker than expected. will be a diff erent opponent in a diff erent tles in the club’s history. “To be honest, of Tottenham and a 6-0 romp at Red “Benjamin has worked hard in the past game,” said Gnabry. “They’ve beaten Ju- I noticed from day one that something Star Belgrade. However, nothing is being days and we are all happy that he is here,” ventus and Manchester City — both those was up,” remembers Boateng of the 2013 taken for granted against Lyon. “The next Flick told a news conference. “We will teams were favourites. It looks like we’re squad. game is always the most diffi cult,” said wait for the fi nal training session tonight favourites now and we have to be careful.” “That was our big goal for the sea- Boateng despite Bayern winning their and see. He is not an option to start but an Flick knows what to expect from Lyon son. We played better in the Champions last 20 games. The thrashing of Barcelona option to be in the squad.” Ronald Koeman arrives in Barcelona yesterday. (Reuters) DUHAIL, RAYYAN TRAIN AHEAD OF KEY QNB STARS LEAGUE MATCHES Al Duhail (left) and Al Rayyan players train ahead of their final QNB Stars League matches on Friday. With just a round remaining, Duhail, with 49 points, are ahead of Rayyan by just a point – which has set up an exciting final round of matches. While Duhail are up against Al Ahli, Rayyan take on Al Wakrah. The relegation battle is also as exciting with Al Khor, Al Shahaniya, Umm Salal and Qatar Sports Club all trying to stay up. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, August 19, 2020 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT FOCUS Aouar gives Lyon Lukaku and Lautaro reason to believe in another Champions League shock lead Inter Milan to AFP After fi nishing a lowly seventh Lisbon in the curtailed Ligue 1 season, Lyon came to Lisbon for the ‘Fi- nal Eight’ knowing they had to n Houssem Aouar, Lyon have win the Champions League just a player who is both a symbol to qualify for Europe again next of their success at bringing season. Europa League fi nal through gifted young tal- That seems highly unlikely, Ient and a reason why the French but before facing City, Aouar side can hope to pull off another made clear that Lyon had not Champions League sensation come to Lisbon to make up the Lukaku’s 33-goal debut season in Italy has taken Inter back to a European final for when they meet Bayern Munich numbers. “If we are here, it is in the semi-fi nals in Lisbon today. because we want to go as far as the first time in 10 years, while Conte’s men finished the Serie A season Moussa Dembele stole the possible,” he said. Nevertheless, headlines by scoring the late ‘OL’ are punching above their AFP goals which gave Lyon a shock weight here, having been forced Cologne, Germany 3-1 win over Manchester City to adapt to a new landscape in in the quarter-fi nals, but Aouar France since the Qatari takeover was at the origin of both. The of PSG in 2011.