BARCELONA: Xavi Hernández on Saturday denied a slew of reports in Spanish media outlets that Barcelona’s leadership is considering firing the coach for having said that the club’s poor finances will impede it from competing with Real Madrid.
“The club has transmitted to me that I should stay calm and continue working with the same motivation and commitment. Nothing has changed,” Xavi said at a pregame news conference.
Almost all the questions he faced were about the speculation in Spain’s sports press that club president Joan Laporta was upset with Xavi for having said earlier this week that “the situation is very difficult, above all on the economic level, for us to compete with our top rivals, whether it be Real Madrid or teams in Europe.”
The media reports said Laporta is pondering a replacement for Xavi this summer.
Xavi insisted Saturday that he had heard no such thing from the club.
“I don’t know and I don’t care where that information is coming from. I have the support of the president and Deco, our sports director,” the former Barcelona midfielder said.
Neither Laporta nor the club have made any public statements about the rumors. The club said it had no comment on them when asked by The Associated Press.
Even if it Barcelona keeps Xavi on, it is still an awkward situation for a coach who just three weeks prior had reversed a previous decision made in January to leave the club this summer. In April, Xavi said that he had changed his mind after his players showed him that they believed in the team’s potential and had improved their performances.
Laporta inherited a club mired in debts of more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion), and soccer’s most expensive payroll, when he returned to run the club for a second time in 2021.
A few months later he brought back fan favorite Xavi, who had been coaching in Qatar, to lead a team rebuild following the exit of superstar Lionel Messi.
But with no cash on hand and mounting debts, Laporta had to sell off future television revenues and other club assets, which Laporta dubbed financial “levers,” to sign Robert Lewandowski and other players two seasons ago.
With those reinforcements, Xavi guided Barcelona to the Spanish league title last campaign. But Barcelona has struggled this season and will finish it without any titles.
Xavi’s words earlier this week seemed aimed at curbing the expectations of fans used to the club making significant signings in the summer.
The club’s wages still exceed the salary cap established by the Spanish league and it is more likely to sell players this off-season than bring in new talent.
Barcelona plays Rayo Vallecano on Sunday seeking a win to lock up a second-placed finish in the domestic league and secure a spot in the Spanish Super Cup.
Xavi denies reports that Barcelona’s leadership is considering firing him
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Xavi denies reports that Barcelona’s leadership is considering firing him
Queensberry top Matchroom in unique 5vs5 team boxing in Riyadh
RIYADH: Frank Warren’s Queensberry fighters were victorious in a team boxing format in Riyadh on Saturday, overcoming Matchroom’s boxers.
Queensberry’s Daniel Dubois put on the performance of this career to stop Matchroom’s Filip Hrgovic, after a nasty cut forced a stoppage.
Dubois, who continues to progress in his career, took a number of heavy blows in the early rounds. But found his feet in the middle of the bout.
Dubois called out Antony Joshua, who was ringside, for a bout in London in the fall.
Queensberry captain Hamzah Sheeraz added to victories by Nick Ball and Willy Hutchinson to give the team a massive lead.
Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and Frank Warren’s Queensberry were both confident that their fighters could be victorious with this unique boxing format at the Kingdom Arena.
Nick Ball told Arab News Sport that his victory over Raymond Ford “means the world tom me”.
“This is something that you work your whole life for and it means lot for everyone around me,” the Liverpudlian said.
Queensberry wins the prize money of $3m.
Separate from the team format, Dmitry Bivol defeated Malik Zinad, who was a last minute stand-in, for the WBA light-heavyweight title, forcing a stoppage in the sixth against the Libyan.
Upcoming:
Deontay Wilder (Matchroom) vs Zhilei Zhang (Queensberry)
Champions League final: Real Madrid seals 15th European Cup after 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund
- Victory sealed a record-extending fifth Champions League title for coach Carlo Ancelotti, his third with Madrid
LONDON: Vinicius Junior scored and sealed a record-extending 15th European Cup for Real Madrid after a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the final on Saturday.
The Brazil forward doubled Madrid’s lead in the 83rd minute at Wembley Stadium, nine minutes after Dani Carvajal headed the Spanish giant in front.
Victory sealed a record-extending fifth Champions League title for coach Carlo Ancelotti, his third with Madrid.
Meanwhile Carvajal, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Nacho have won European club soccer’s biggest prize on six occasions to equal the benchmark set by Madrid icon Paco Gento.
Dortmund paid the price for not making the most of its first half dominance when Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois pulled off a series of saves and Niclas Fullkrug hit the post.
Madrid took full advantage after the break.
Carvajal met Kroos’ corner at the near post in the 74th to power a header past Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel.
Jude Bellingham nearly doubled the lead moments later, but then turned provider when slipping in Vinicius. With just Kobel to beat, the forward fired his shot into the far corner and raced off in celebration.
Rock star Lenny Kravitz got the crowd going before kickoff with a pre-game show that included fireworks and some of his biggest hits like “Are You Gonna Go My Way.”
It was Vinicius who was dancing after his goal effectively killed off Dortmund’s hopes of pulling off one of the biggest Champions League upsets in recent memory.
For a long time, the German side looked capable of halting Madrid after dominating the chances in the first half.
Coach Edin Terzic tactically outmaneuvered Ancelotti in every department, with Madrid’s stars subdued.
Only a combination of Courtois and the frame of the goal kept the scores level at the break after the keeper twice kept Karim Adeyemi from scoring and then watched as Fullkrug’s sliding effort came back off the post.
The break clearly helped Madrid and it slowly took control in the second half.
Carvajal’s goal came straight from the training ground, with the defender heading over from one corner before eventually converting, while Vinicius put the game beyond doubt.
Saudi’s Al-Rajhi sets his sights on victory at Desafio Ruta 40 Rally in Argentina
- The second edition of the rally will run until June 7
CORDOBA: Saudi World Champion Yazeed bin Mohammed Al-Rajhi is gearing up for the second edition of the Desafio Ruta 40 Rally in Argentina, the fourth round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC), set to take place in the northwestern region of the country.
The rally will traverse the provinces of Cordoba, San Juan and La Rioja over six days from June 1-7.
Navigating alongside him will be German navigator Timo Gottschalk, his partner since the Abu Dhabi Rally 2023, both competing aboard a Toyota Hilux EVO T1U from the Overdrive Racing team based in Belgium.
This year’s routes are entirely new, including passages through Cordoba and San Juan, which are new additions to the race.
Al-Rajhi is targeting victory in this year’s Argentine leg after finishing third in the previous edition despite the challenging terrains. These routes were previously used in Dakar Rally stages when Argentina hosted the competition from 2009-2018.
The Desafio Ruta 40 Rally, which first launched in 2010 and ran for nine years before resuming in Argentina last year as part of the World Long Distance Desert Rally Championship, consists of five stages, three circular, preceded by a 17-km qualifying stage. The rally then moves westward through La Rioja, concluding with a total distance of 3,045 km. Known for its rugged and challenging terrains, the Argentine rally resembles the Dakar Rally with its varied landscapes of gravel, open sand and high dunes.
Named after Argentina’s famous Route 40, the rally will traverse the iconic road, the longest in South America and one of the longest globally, alongside Route 66 in the US.
“I’m very excited to return for the second edition of Desafio Ruta 40,” said Al-Rajhi. “The first edition was tough and full of challenges, yet we managed to secure top positions. Let’s see what awaits us this season.
“Argentina is not unfamiliar to us; I first competed here in the Dakar Rally in 2015 aboard a Toyota Hilux, with Timo as my navigator at the time,” he added.
Al-Rajhi expressed his delight at racing in Argentina, saying: “I enjoy competing here; it feels like home. I have a great fan base supporting me since 2015. The fans here are amazing, always supporting us and loving motorsport. So, we’re always happy to come racing in Argentina.”
Al-Rajhi extended special thanks to his strategic partner, Jameel for Motorsport, for their support and sponsorship in his global and regional rally endeavors.
German navigator Timo Gottschalk also revealed his optimism about the championship season, noting the upcoming challenge with Al-Rajhi.
“We face a new challenge this year; the first edition was extremely tough, yet enjoyable. We need to be cautious and hope for success in this round,” Gottschalk said.
Saudi Football Federation and Saudi National Bank renew partnership
- The official partnership includes the NSB’s sponsorship of the activities and programs of the Saudi Football Federation
- Al-Misehil added that this step opened more prospects for cooperation and partnership with the banking sector
Jeddah: A new three-year partnership deal has been struck between the Saudi Football Federation and Saudi National Bank. The deal will begin from the 2024/25 season and run until 2027.
The renewal of the exclusive and official partnership agreement was signed by President of the Saudi Football Federation Yasser bin Hassan Al-Misehal and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi National Bank Tareq Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan.
The official partnership includes the NSB’s sponsorship of the activities and programs of the Saudi Football Federation, the national teams, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, the Saudi Super Cup and the Saudi Women’s Football League.
Al-Misehil said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with the SNB and extend our long-term commitment of support for a further three years.
“We look forward to our continued work with the SNB on a range of other important programs within Saudi football.”
Al-Misehil added that this step opened more prospects for cooperation and partnership with the banking sector, especially as the Saudi National Bank was a pioneer in the sector, and the continuation of this partnership would contribute to the development of football in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Al-Sadhan said: “We are all proud to be partners of the nation in its development journey, and the renewal of the bank’s exclusive partnership as an official sponsor of Saudi football confirms the important role that the bank plays in the growth of the sports sector and supporting Saudi football to contribute to achieving excellence at the local and global levels and reaching international ranks in order to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”
Sabalenka reaches French Open last 16
- Sabalenka, a semifinalist in Paris in 2023, has made at least the last four at her past six Grand Slams
PARIS: Aryna Sabalenka overcame a sluggish start to defeat close friend Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-1 on Saturday to take her place in the last 16 of the French Open.
Former world number two Badosa led 5-3 in the first set but two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka reeled off 10 of the final 11 games to sweep into the second week for the second year in a row.
Sabalenka, a semifinalist in Paris in 2023, has made at least the last four at her past six Grand Slams and is expected to be Iga Swiatek’s chief rival in the Pole’s bid for a fourth French Open title.
