Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has accepted responsibility for a crushing 3-0 El Clasico defeat inspired by the mercurial Lionel Messi on Saturday that left the European champions 14 points adrift of Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
With the Argentine striker orchestrating from the front, Barcelona produced a scintillating second half performance, scoring three unanswered goals on their way to victory over their bitter rivals at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Zidane insisted Madrid will come back stronger in the new year after La Liga’s winter break and refused to concede the league to Barca.
“We are down because it is a defeat that hurts,” said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. “Madrid never give up, whatever happens. It is a difficult moment because we’ve lost by three goals. I could say we don’t deserve it, but that is football.”
Zidane took the surprise decision to start Mateo Kovacic for the first time in La Liga this season to try negate the threat of Lionel Messi as the Croatian had so successfully when Real thrashed Barca 5-1 in the Spanish Super Cup on aggregate in August. But it was to no avail as Messi dominated.
After Madrid missed a host of first-half chances, Kovacic was powerless to stop Messi wrestling control of the game as the Argentine netted from the penalty spot after Luis Suarez’s opener and then teed up Aleix Vidal for Barca’s third in stoppage time on a miserable day for the champions.
“That is football but it won’t change how I think or what I do,” added Zidane. “I am the coach and I will continue like this as long as I am here.”
A 3-0 defeat is also Zidane's heaviest since he took charge of Real nearly two years ago. However, there didn’t appear to be such a margin between the sides in the first 45 minutes as Madrid dominated. Cristiano Ronaldo miskicked with the goal at his mercy after just 10 minutes and Karim Benzema hit the post just before half-time.
Not only does the victory take Barcelona 14 points clear of Real, but it was also the first time in La Liga history that the Catalans had won three El Clasico matches in a row at the Bernabeu. Victory also extends Barca’s unbeaten run to 25 games in all competitions and sees them go nine points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid, while effectively knocking Real out of the title race.
But Valverde refused to accept he had tactically outfoxed Zidane and insisted Barca can’t celebrate taking back the title from Madrid just yet with 21 league games still to come.
“Our intention is that no one beats us,” he added when quizzed whether his side, on a 25-game unbeaten run, are capable of dropping enough points to led Madrid back into the title race.
“They pressed us very high and it forced us to play long,” he added. “We couldn’t play as we are used to. It was an open game with no side in command, but in the second-half we managed to impose our control on the game.”
And while Messi once again shone, Valverde reserved special praise for Thomas Vermaelen who contributed to another clean sheet in the absence of the injured Samuel Umtiti.
Vermaelen has been much-criticized since joining from Arsenal in 2014 for poor performances and unfortunate history of injuries. “People ask me a lot about Vermaelen as if it seems something bad is going to happen. What I see is a player who trains well, plays, well, is strong and can play with the ball.
“At times in Barcelona we want to put on the bandage before there is a wound.”
Madrid do still have a game in hand over Barca to marginally reduce the gap at the top, but it is now likely they will concentrate on becoming the first side to win three consecutive Champions League titles in more than 40 years when the competition returns in 2018.
Magic Messi downs Madrid as Zidane says Real will fight on
Magic Messi downs Madrid as Zidane says Real will fight on
Ex-Turkiye boss Terim named Al-Shabab coach
- Terim won the 2000 UEFA Cup with Galatasary
RIYADH: Former Turkiye and Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim was appointed Al-Shabab boss on Friday.
Terim, who won the 2000 UEFA Cup with the Turkish outfit, replaces Victor Pereira in charge of the sixth place team in the Saudi Pro League.
The 71-year-old’s last job was with Greece’s Panathinaikos, but he left at the end of last season.
In Saudi Arabia, Terim will overlook a squad including Belgium winger Yannick Carrasco and Italy midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura.
Terim is set to work under Al-Shabab’s director of football, former Juventus and Czech Republic midfielder Pavel Nedved.
“Having been a player with Juventus for years, he’s also done a lot as a director of football,” Terim told reporters at Istanbul airport before flying to start his new job.
“I’m very happy to be with him, I think he was a great footballer, a great name and an important symbol,” the former AC Milan and Fiorentina boss added.
Hosts Kuwait held by Qatar, Oman and UAE play out draw in Arabian Gulf Cup
- 101st-minute equalizer rescued point for Qatar
- Oman progress, UAE crash out
LONDON: Group A of the Arabian Gulf Cup came to its conclusion on Friday, with hosts Kuwait and Oman both securing the points they needed to progress to the semifinals.
Kuwait thought they had beaten their Gulf rivals with a goal from Mohammad Daham in the 74th minute of the match at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City.
But a 101st-minute equalizer from Mohammed Muntari deep into stoppage time rescued some pride for the Qataris, who crashed out of the tournament by failing to win.
In the day’s other match, Oman faced the UAE in another crucial encounter.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw, which secured Oman’s advancement to the next stage and brought the UAE’s campaign to an end.
Al-Ahli Dubai midfielder Yahya Al-Ghassani had given the Emiratis a half-time lead, but they were pegged back by an Abdulrahman Al-Mushaifri equalizer 11 minutes from the end.
The group stages of the Arabian Gulf Cup conclude on Saturday with the final matches in Group B.
Saudi Arabia need a victory against Iraq to guarantee a semifinal spot, while already-qualified Bahrain will look to make it three wins from three when they play Yemen.
Argentine FA opens new Middle East office in Dubai
- Body will now boast permanent base in region, office planned for Saudi Arabia
DUBAI: The Argentine Football Association has expanded its presence in the Middle East with the opening of a new office located in the UAE, and the current world champions are also expected to soon boast a similar presence in Saudi Arabia.
Leandro Petersen, the association’s chief commercial and marketing officer, and Pablo Diaz, head of its international relations, were in attendance at the office’s opening in Dubai.
Located at prime locations, the new offices will enable the Argentine FA to build strategic partnerships and elevate its profile both locally and regionally.
Petersen said: “The opening of a Middle East office is a huge moment for us as we look to establish a permanent presence in the region, giving us a platform to strengthen ties and enhance our current offerings.
“Naturally, having become world champions in Qatar, the Middle East is a region which means so much to not only the Argentinian Football Association, but the entire country, and we are delighted to have a base from where we can build important long-term relationships with both fans and businesses.
“This region is undoubtedly now one of the key global markets, and for us to be positioned in Dubai will open up many opportunities as we expand our presence on a global level.”
It was announced earlier this year that the Argentine FA had partnered with DUNE | 23, a leading UAE-based marketing and communications agency focused on the sport and entertainment sector.
The official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Friday at the new DUNE | 23 offices in Dubai. The event was attended by managing partners Lloyd McMillan and Jamie Hosie, who joined Argentine FA representatives to mark the occasion.
Hosie said: “We are proud to partner with the Argentinian Football Association to strengthen its presence across the region.
“Together, we aim to create dynamic events, produce engaging digital content, and unlock new commercial opportunities to ensure the Argentinian FA remains at the forefront of football in the Middle East.”
Howe hopes Newcastle have ‘moved on’ in last two seasons
- Newcastle reached the Champions League for the first time in 20 years when they qualified for last season’s competition
- Newcastle slipped to 12th place after a 4-2 defeat at Brentford on December 7, but have since rallied
LONDON: Eddie Howe hopes his current Newcastle team have “moved on” from the one which finished fourth in the Premier League two seasons ago.
The Magpies continued an impressive run of results on Thursday by beating 10-man Aston Villa 3-0 at St. James’ Park — their fourth straight win in all competitions.
Newcastle climbed to fifth in the table and within six points of second-placed Chelsea.
Newcastle reached the Champions League for the first time in 20 years when they qualified for last season’s competition.
“I’d hope we’ve moved on from that team,” Howe said.
“You can never go back in time and replicate what that team was. That team was an outstanding side...
“But you can never go back. It’s all about the future. We’ve signed some new players, the dynamic is slightly different and for me, the evolution of the team always had to be that we wanted to be better with the ball, we wanted to control the game more with the ball.”
Newcastle went ahead in just the second minute through Anthony Gordon’s strike before Villa striker Jhon Duran was controversially sent off.
Further goals from Alexander Isak — his 10th in as many league games — and Joelinton secured all three points.
Newcastle slipped to 12th place after a 4-2 defeat at Brentford on December 7, but have since rallied.
“We’re shooting for whatever we can shoot for,” Howe said when asked about Newcastle’s top-four hopes.
“We’ll take small steps, we’ll go game-by-game, but I’m really heartened by how the team is playing.”
Markram leads South Africa to 180-5 in 1st Test against Pakistan
- Aiden Markram was batting on an attractive 81 off 123 balls before Pakistan hit back with two wickets in the latter half of the first session
- Pakistan were dismissed for 211 on Day 1 after Dane Paterson grabbed his second successive five-wicket haul, Corbin Bosch claimed 4-63
CENTURION: Opening batter Aiden Markram closed in on his eighth Test century and led South Africa to 180-5 at lunch on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan on Friday.
South Africa, which needs to win one of the two Test matches against Pakistan to seal a place in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s next year, trails the visitors by 31 on a pitch tailor-made for fast bowlers.
Markram was batting on an attractive 81 off 123 balls before Pakistan hit back with two wickets in the latter half of the first session with captain Temba Bavuma (31) and David Bedingham (30) both edging behind the wickets.
Wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne was yet to score but Markram stood tall in the first session and helped South Africa score 98 runs before lunch for the loss of two wickets.
Resuming on 82-3, Markram completed his half century with an exquisite cover driven boundary off Naseem Shah and stretched the fourth-wicket stand to 70 runs with Bavuma before Pakistan got its first breakthrough.
Aamer Jamal was rewarded for his persistent length balls to Bavuma as the South African skipper finally got a thick outside edge while going for a loose drive.
Bedingham counterattacked from the onset, smashing five boundaries in his 33-ball knock and also survived when Pakistan unsuccessfully went for an lbw television review against Naseem Shah’s full pitched delivery, which television replays suggested would have missed the leg stump.
However, Naseem didn’t have to wait long as Bedingham was beaten by some extra bounce and nicked it in the first slip in the penultimate over before lunch.
Pakistan was dismissed for 211 on Day 1 after Dane Paterson (5-61) grabbed his second successive five-wicket haul and debutant Corbin Bosch claimed 4-63, which included a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket.
