DUBAI: In Europe, the Champions League is the ultimate prize. Merely participating in it, or even just qualifying for its playoff stages, has come to be seen as an achievement in itself.
Ever since the competition replaced the old European Cup at the start of the 1992-93 season, it has changed Europe’s football landscape.
Finishing in “Champions League places” has replaced winning trophies as the target for all but the most elite of clubs. In South America, winning the Copa Libertadores has always been, and remains, the be-all-and-end-all for all top clubs.
And even in Africa, the CAF Champions League gets the blood going like no other competition.
And then there is Asia. While there is no doubting that the AFC Champions League remains the premier continental competition, one in which top regional teams such as Al-Hilal and Al-Ain continue to perform credibly, there exists an underlying, inexplicable apathy from West Asian clubs toward the tournament.
Perhaps it is born out of an inferiority complex to East Asia teams.
The first three seasons of AFC Champions League were claimed by Al Ain (2002-03) and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad (2004, 2005). Since then, however, no team from West Asia has lifted the trophy in 12 attempts.
Early indications are that this will not change in 2018.
The performances of Middle Eastern and Gulf teams in the competition so far have been poor to say the least.
Emirati clubs in particular have fared adequately at best, and dismally at worst. Al-Wahda and Al-Wasl are respectively bottom of their groups, having failed to collect a single point between them. Al-Ain are third in Group D after three draws. Domestic champions Al-Jazira, having faced Real Madrid in the Club World Cup semifinal, are in the best position of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) teams, in second place — and a qualification spot — in Group A.
Of the two Saudi teams, Al-Ahli lead Al-Jazira by three points after two wins and a draw. Al-Hilal, a team that prides itself as the most decorated in Asian football, have struggled and are currently bottom of Group D, a point behind Al-Ain, the team they eliminated in last year’s quarterfinals.
Indeed, Al-Hilal’s loss to Al-Esteghlal last month cost Ramon Diaz his job at the club that still leads the Saudi league table. That the two Saudi teams that finished third and fourth in the 2016-17 league table, Al-Nassr and two-time winners Al-Ittihad, were barred from this year’s competition for logistical reasons, has hardly helped.
Only Qatari clubs have exceeded expectations, with Al-Duhail leading their group, while traditional rivals Al-Sadd and Al-Rayyan sit second in their respective groups.
While the prestige of being champions of Asia is craved, the financial rewards ($4 million for the winners) and television money pale into insignificance when compared with the pots of gold on offer on other continents, and even compared to the salaries the Gulf clubs pay to their highest earning foreign players.
For that reason, among many others, the guarantee of domestic glory takes priority for some clubs over the remote possibility of continental glory against the powerhouses of the East.
And for some, other carrots are often dangled.
Last year, Al-Jazira all but abandoned the pursuit of Champions League progress in favor of securing the AGL title and the certainty of taking part in the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup.
Al-Ain, seemingly running away with the Emirati league title, might not have a similarly modest outlook, but will surely already be eyeing potential once-in-a-lifetime clashes against Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Manchester City next November in Abu Dhabi.
Rightly or wrongly, but somewhat understandably, the prospect of sharing a stage with Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is a far more mouthwatering one than another quarterfinal or semifinal against familiar regional opposition.
And that raises perhaps the most existential issue with the current AFC Champions League format. Familiarity has bred, if not contempt, then certainly boredom.
Every new edition of the AFC Champions League increasingly throws up groups consisting of teams from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Iran and Uzbekistan. More often than not, those teams are the same as previous years, and the match-ups are repeats of recent seasons.
Lack of participation from countries like Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait and Iraq, owing to licensing issues, no doubt adds to the sense of ennui and lack of eclecticism around the competition’s West Asia half.
It might be too early to write off the Arab teams halfway through the group stage of this year’s AFC Champions League. But the trend of recent seasons does not offer too much encouragement either.
The continent’s most coveted prize is in danger of losing its shine in western Asia.
Middle East clubs have fallen out of love with the AFC Champions League
Middle East clubs have fallen out of love with the AFC Champions League
James Harden breaks tie with Ray Allen, moves to No. 2 on NBA’s career 3-point list
- The Los Angeles Clippers guard connected on the 2,974th 3-pointer of his career Sunday night
INGLEWOOD, California: James Harden now stands alone at No. 2 in 3-pointers.
The Los Angeles Clippers guard connected on the 2,974th 3-pointer of his career Sunday night and broke a tie with Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen for the No. 2 spot on the NBA’s list.
“It’s an unbelievable accomplishment and just a testament to the work that I’ve been putting in,” Harden said. “As I get older and chip away at an unbelievable career, you start to accomplish things like that and I don’t ever want to take it for granted.”
Harden’s history-making shot came from the right wing with 6:09 left in the first quarter in a 116-105 victory over the Utah Jazz. The only player ahead of Harden on the list is Golden State’s Stephen Curry at 3,782.
Curry and the Warriors are in Southern California to face the Clippers on Monday.
“I’m one of the most confident guys we have in this league, but no, I probably won’t catch Steph, and I don’t think anybody will, honestly,” Harden said.
Harden was 2 of 8 from 3-point range and finished with 20 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.
Allen needed 1,300 games to make his 2,973 3-pointers. Harden passed him in 1,086 games.
“Both of those guys,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said last week, “are extraordinary shooters.”
Harden is one of three players in NBA history to have 300 3-pointers in a season. He made 378 in 2018-19; the other players on that list are Curry (who has done it five times, including an NBA-record 402 in 2015-16) and Klay Thompson (who made 301 in 2022-23).
“To be a scorer at all three levels and to be second all-time in 3-pointers made is crazy,” Lue said after the game. “And a lot of tough 3s: off the dribble, step backs, pocket 3s, pulling up off the dribble on pick and rolls.
“Just to see what he has accomplished from a two-guard to the transition to point guard, his whole career has been great.”
Harden also is 15th on the NBA’s career list in points and 13th in assists. The only other player who ranks in the top 15 in scoring, assists and 3-pointers — appearing on all three lists — is LeBron James, the league’s career scoring leader who is fourth in assists and eighth in 3-pointers.
Allen passed Reggie Miller for No. 1 on the 3-pointers list during the 2010-11 season and held the record for more than a decade. Curry passed Allen during the 2021-22 season.
‘Gracias, Rafa’: Rafael Nadal will head into retirement after Spain hosts the Davis Cup
- When Nadal explained last month that the Davis Cup would be it for him, he spoke in happy terms about his more than two decades in the sport
- He becomes the second member of the so-called Big Three of men’s tennis to retire
MALAGA, Spain: Rafael Nadal’s impending retirement will loom over the Davis Cup Final 8 from the moment it begins Tuesday in southern Spain.
If that weren’t already obvious, just glance at the banner measuring 28,000 square feet (2,600 square meters) — about half the size of a football field — that wraps around the soccer stadium across the street from the arena hosting the tennis. The blue sign, visible from the highway leaving Malaga’s airport, is marked with large white letters that read, “GRACIAS, RAFA.” Between those two words is an image of Nadal toting a tennis racket in his left hand while wearing one of his trademark sleeveless shirts and his just-as-ever-present headband.
He is shown with his back to the world, walking away, symbolizing the 38-year-old Spaniard’s goodbye to the sport after a remarkable career.
“It’s going to be very exciting for everyone,” said tournament director Feliciano Lopez, a former player who faced Nadal 14 times on tour as an opponent in singles and also was his Davis Cup teammate. “Very emotional, at the same time.”
That sentiment likely applies to Nadal’s fans, other players, his family — his wife and their son have attended practice — and, quite understandably, the 22-time Grand Slam champion himself as Tuesday approaches. That’s when Spain face the Netherlands on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena.
“It’s amazing that it might be the last match that Nadal plays,” Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis said Sunday, “and we hope to give him a nice ‘Adios.’”
Nadal had hip surgery in June 2023 and missed nearly all of that season. He dealt with a new hip muscle problem this year and an abdominal injury, part of a long series of issues that contributed to his body feeling like what he described as “a jungle” in May after losing in the first round of the French Open, the clay-court Slam he’s won a record 14 times.
That was his only Grand Slam appearance all year; Nadal played a total of just 23 official singles matches over the past two seasons combined. That includes going 12-7 in 2024. His last real matches came at the Olympics in early August, when he lost in the second round of singles to Novak Djokovic and in the quarterfinals of doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
Spain’s captain, David Ferrer, the 2013 French Open runner-up to Nadal, has not yet told the world how he will employ the star in Malaga.
Could be for singles, although Nadal said he’ll step aside if he doesn’t think he can win. Could be in doubles with his 21-year-old heir apparent, Alcaraz, in a renewal of their “Nadalcaraz” partnership. Could be both. If Spain gets past the Netherlands, it would face Germany or Canada in the semifinals on Friday.
“I really want him to retire with a title,” Alcaraz said.
Thursday’s quarterfinals feature the US against Australia, and defending champion Italy — whose roster features No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner — against Argentina. The winners of those matchups will meet in the semifinals on Saturday; the championship will be decided Sunday.
When Nadal explained last month that the Davis Cup would be it for him, he spoke in happy terms about his more than two decades in the sport.
“Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true,” he said.
He becomes the second member of the so-called Big Three of men’s tennis to retire.
Roger Federer announced his departure in 2022 — teaming with Nadal in doubles at the Laver Cup, then crying alongside his longtime rival and, eventually, friend — while Djokovic is still near the top of the game.
Djokovic’s Serbia did not qualify for the Davis Cup quarterfinals, but he wrote on social media that he would be on hand in Malaga. Who knows who else might show up in the sellout crowd of 9,200 on Tuesday, not just from the world of tennis, and not just athletes from other sports, but other celebrities, as well?
“I don’t know if we’re going to have seats for everyone,” Lopez said. “Everyone wants to be there for his farewell.”
There will be plenty of folks tuning in on TV from afar, including other tennis players, of course.
“I’m going to watch it. I’m going to enjoy it,” said 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who lost to Nadal in two Grand Slam finals. “It’s a big moment for the sport, because he did so much for the sport.”
Harry Kane sparks England rout against Ireland and Nations League promotion
- England won their group on goal difference ahead of second-placed Greece, who beat Finland 2-0
- After five wins from six games, Carsley will now return to his permanent role as head coach of England’s under 21s
- Erling Haaland leads the Nations League scoring charts after hitting a hat trick in Norway’s 5-0 win against Kazakhastan in Group B3
LONDON: Harry Kane’s 69th international goal sparked a second-half scoring spree that fired England back to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League on Sunday.
In temporary head coach Lee Carsley’s final game in charge, a 5-0 win against Ireland secured promotion and ensured England will be back among Europe’s leading nations in the next edition of the competition.
“I wanted the England team to be exciting to watch and attacking,” Carsley said. “I see them do it day in, day out on the training ground. And now we’ve seen it (on the field).”
England won their group on goal difference ahead of second-placed Greece, who beat Finland 2-0.
Kane’s 53rd-minute penalty at Wembley was a record-extending goal for his country after Liam Scales brought down Jude Bellingham in the box and was sent off for a second yellow card offense.
Within five minutes England were 3-0 up through Anthony Gordon in the 55th and Conor Gallagher in the 58th.
Substitute Jarrod Bowen made an immediate impact, scoring with his first touch in the 75th and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, making his debut, headed in another four minutes later.
“A really important win for us,” Kane said. “It was a tough first half, but we came out second half with a lot more energy and we finished it off.”
England, who are set to welcome new head coach Thomas Tuchel in January, needed to match Greece’s result to top Group B2.
Anastasios Bakasetas had put Greece ahead in the 52nd in Finland, with Kane’s England opener coming a minute later.
Christos Tzolis scored the second for Greece, which faces a playoff to try to win promotion.
After five wins from six games, Carsley will now return to his permanent role as head coach of England’s under 21s. Tuchel begins in January and will lead the campaign to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
He should have plenty of options when he selects his first squad after Carsley handed debuts to eight players during his short reign.
In his final game, Gordon, Gallagher, Bowen and Harwood-Bellis all scored their first senior goals for England.
“Lee has achieved the main objective from the six fixtures this autumn: securing promotion back to the top tier of the Nations League,” English Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham said. “The players have really enjoyed working with Lee and his team – they have made a real impact in their interim roles.”
Rabiot double
Adrien Rabiot scored two goals as France beat Italy 3-1 to win Group A2.
Both teams had already secured their places in the quarterfinals before the match in Milan, but France needed to win by at least two goals to take top spot.
“It’s been a while since we’ve played a match like that, fighting all together,” Rabiot told French television channel TF1. “The aggressiveness that we showed, our team spirit, that should all be highlighted. That is the real face of the France team.”
Rabiot headed the visitors in front just inside two minutes.
France shocked San Siro into silence in the 33rd when Lucas Digne curled in a magnificent free kick from 25 yards that went into the top left corner via the underside of the bar and Guglielmo Vicario. It went down as an own-goal from the Italy goalkeeper, who was a late replacement after Gianluigi Donnarumma fell ill with a stomach bug.
Italy pulled a goal back two minutes later when Andrea Cambiaso volleyed past Mike Maignan.
But Rabiot grabbed his second in the 65th with another header — the sixth goal in a row Italy has conceded from set plays.
While the match had started with the Italy fans booing the French anthem, it finished with France supporters proudly singing the same song in triumph.
It was the first time Italy had lost a home game by two or more goals since 1983, according to soccer statistician Opta.
Also in the group, No. 6-ranked Belgium fell to a surprise 1-0 loss against Israel, ranked 81st. Yarden Shua’s goal settled the game, which was held in Budapest, Hungary, in the 86th. Israel were relegated to League B despite the win.
Belgium must now face a playoff to try to avoid relegation.
Haaland hat trick
Erling Haaland leads the Nations League scoring charts after hitting a hat trick in Norway’s 5-0 win against Kazakhastan in Group B3.
The Manchester City striker took his total to seven goals and is two clear of Viktor Gyokeres, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benjamin Sesko, who are all tied on five.
Norway were promoted to the top tier, ahead of second-place Austria, who drew 1-1 with Slovenia.
Nelly Korda rallies in Florida for her seventh LPGA win of the year
- Korda now has won four times this year when trailing going into the final round
BELLEAIR, Florida: Nelly Korda was back to competition for the first time in nearly two months and didn’t miss a beat. She ran off five straight birdies on the back nine to stage another Sunday comeback, closing with a 3-under 67 to win The Annika for her seventh LPGA Tour title this year.
Korda had a rough start and said she didn’t have many happy thoughts when she made the turn at 2 over for the day, two shots behind Charley Hull. Starting with a birdie on No. 11, she made five in a row on her way to a three-shot victory.
The only big surprise was seeing her younger brother, Sebastian, who has been charting his own career in tennis that kept him from seeing his sister win until Sunday at Pelican Golf Club.
Korda, who earlier this year tied an LPGA record with five straight victories, became the first player to win seven times in a season since Yani Tseng in 2011. No other American had won seven times in a season since Beth Daniel in 1990.
Korda now has won four times this year when trailing going into the final round.
Hull, going for a wire-to-wire win, simply couldn’t keep up with Korda’s birdie blitz. Coming off her first win worldwide two weeks ago in Saudi Arabia, Hull closed with a 1-over 71 and tied for second with LPGA rookie Jin Hee Im (68) and Weiwei Zhang (70).
Zhang moved up 24 spots to No. 82 in the Race to CME Globe to keep her card for next year. The top 60 advance to the CME Group Tour Championship next week in Naples, where the winner gets $4 million. Carlota Ciganda moved up three places to secure the final spot.
Korda last played Sept. 22 in Ohio. She was planning to play twice during the Asian swing until a minor neck injury kept her at home. She was eager to get back in time to play Pelican, where she had won two of the previous three years.
“After taking some time off with an injury, it feels great to be back out here,” Korda said. “Nothing like being in the hunt, the adrenaline feeling on the back nine, and being in contention. I love it so much.”
The victory puts her over $4 million for the year, and she can nearly match that with a win next week at Tiburon Golf Club. The ranking does not matter for the season finale — all 60 players have the same shot at one of the biggest prizes in women’s sports.
Sinner beats Fritz to win ATP Finals and add another big title with his doping case still pending
- Sinner won his first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open in 2024 and had already clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking
TURIN, Italy: Top-ranked Jannik Sinner added another big title to his tremendous year, beating US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday for the ATP Finals trophy before his home fans — and before a final verdict is reached in his doping case.
Sinner won his first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open in 2024 and had already clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking.
“It’s the first title in Italy and it means so much to me,” said Sinner, who also won the Next Gen ATP Finals — an event for the top under-20 players — in Milan in 2019. “It’s something very, very, very special.”
Sinner, however, has off-court issues after he tested positive in two separate drug tests in March. A decision to clear him of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September. A final ruling is expected from the Court of Arbitration for Sport early next year.
Sinner’s explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.
Sinner maintained his recent mastery over Fritz, having also beaten the American in the US Open final in September and in the group stage this week at the elite event for the year’s top eight players.
By sweeping all five of his matches en route to the trophy, Sinner earned $4.8 million — the largest winner’s prize on the men’s tour.
Sinner became the first Italian to win the finals and he went one step further than last year, when he lost the championship match to Novak Djokovic, who withdrew this time. And he did so without dropping a set – which was last accomplished by Ivan Lendl in 1986.
“I just tried to understand whatever works best for each opponent,” Sinner said. “It was a very high-level tournament from my side. At times, I couldn’t play better.”
The crowd inside Inalpi Arena included multiple clusters of fans wearing orange — a tribute to Sinner’s red- and orange-colored hair, and how he once ate carrots during a match. There were orange carrot costumes, orange wigs, orange hats, jackets and plenty of other orange items, too.
Some fans even had carrots in their mouths.
The crowd broke into its customary chant of “Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner” when Sinner produced a drop-shot winner to break for a 4-3 lead in the first set.
Sinner faced a break point while serving for the first set but saved it with a big serve out wide that Fritz couldn’t return. Then he served an ace — his 10th of the set — to close it out.
Another break by Sinner early in the second and the match was virtually over.
Sinner extended his winning streak to 11 matches. He’s won 26 of his last 27 matches and ends the ATP season with eight titles and an overall record of 70-6.
Fritz was attempting to become the event’s first American champion since Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi in the title match 25 years ago.
Still, Fritz will rise to a career-high No. 4 in the rankings on Monday after beating No. 2 Alexander Zverev in a third-set tiebreaker in the semifinals on Saturday. That will make him the highest-ranked American man since Andy Roddick was No. 4 in August 2007.
It’s the latest in a series of achievements for Fritz, whose run in New York made him the first American man to reach a Grand Slam singles final since Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009.
At the start of the week, Fritz told The Associated Press that his “career has always been a very steady progression and just improving a little bit each year.”
Both Sinner and Fritz will conclude their seasons representing defending champion Italy and the United States, respectively, in the Davis Cup finals, which start Tuesday in Malaga, Spain.
The German duo of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz beat Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) to win the doubles title.
