AS Roma chief: ‘We're hoping to spoil Mohamed Salah’s return in Liverpool showdown’

Roma’s players celebrate after overturning a three-goal defecit in a dramatic second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal match against Barcelona. AFP
Updated 25 April 2018
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AS Roma chief: ‘We're hoping to spoil Mohamed Salah’s return in Liverpool showdown’

  • The Italian club sold Salah for just £36.9 million
  • Roma CEO Umberto Gandini says Salah can be the best, but hopes for Roma progress to the final

London: Had AS Roma waited just two more months, it is likely they would have been able to prise far more than £36.9 million ($55.4 million) from Liverpool for Mohamed Salah.
With his 41 goals in a remarkable debut season at Anfield, the Egyptian has become an absolute bargain given the subsequent fees paid for Neymar, who cost Paris Saint-Germain £200 million, and even Reds playmaker Philippe Coutinho, bought by Barcelona for £142 million.
But AS Roma chief executive Umberto Gandini admits hindsight was a luxury they could not afford at that time with possible Financial Fair Play penalties requiring them to conclude a sale by the end of June — and Salah eager to test himself again in the English Premier League after previous struggles at Chelsea.
And there are no regrets, he says, despite admitting Salah is destined to be a world-beater and now stands between his former club and a place in the Champions League final.
“Momo was fantastic with us, gave us a big help on and off the pitch in many aspects,” reflected Gandini ahead of Roma’s semifinal first-leg tie at Anfield tomorrow.
“Maybe he would have been worth more had we waited, but we were in a situation where we had to do the deal in certain limits and no one could anticipate the market would go crazy as it did.
“But also I think yes, he wanted to prove something in the Premier League again. He’s a very proud person and had a lot of improvements in the two seasons with us.

“But he wanted to have another chance in the Premier League and deserved it. He was an excellent person with us, a dedicated professional and loved by all in the team and the fans. He will get a great reception when we play them.
“He’s in a situation now where he’s having a gifted season — anything he tries goes well. If I have to say he exceeded all the expectations, then yes, he’s overachieving by far.”
But Gandini is convinced Salah, 25, can get even better. During 23 years with AC Milan, where he was a director, he witnessed a trophy-laden period, including three Champions League titles, and worked with legends such as Paolo Maldini, Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka.
And Gandini told Arab News: “Momo can be at that best level. He’s proved it this season, he’s found consistency. This Liverpool team, this system is helping him blossom at the top level.
“He’s very unique. Someone like Kaka was more creative, but Momo is pretty much in the same class, wants to be one of the best in the world and deserves success.” Gandini, though, is hoping Roma can sour Salah’s reunion as the Serie A side bid to avenge a 1984 final defeat, where Liverpool upset them on penalties at their Stadio Olimpico home.
In 2005, Gandini suffered against the Reds with Milan as Liverpool famously came back from 3-0 down at halftime to claim success on spot-kicks in Istanbul.
“It’s part of the book of history,” he said. “With Milan, we had our revenge in 2007 and my account was settled. Now here’s the history of the Rome final in 1984. It’s what the club and city feels and we are now bonded for settling another account.”
Beating Barcelona by overturning a three-goal deficit in a dramatic last-eight second leg tie has certainly given the Giallorossi belief.
With Brazilian keeper Alisson — wanted by Liverpool and Real Madrid — striker Edin Dzeko and inspirational skipper Daniele De Rossi, Gandini said the squad has skill and spirit. “We have a great team of personalities and characters. De Rossi is one of the silent leaders but says the right words at the right time. For him after so long and the club it will be special to get to the final and win this trophy.
“Dzeko is a team player, fantastic. The way he played in Barcelona was a masterpiece.
“Alisson is in a class by himself in my opinion. I think he was born to be No. 1 in the world. With his calmness, quickness, dedication, he reminds me of Nelson Dida, another Brazilian I worked with at Milan. “It’s normal teams are linked, but he’s under contract and the club are not willing to let him go.”
And with plans approved for a new 55,000 stadium to be open by 2020, Roma want to keep their best players to challenge Europe’s elite.
“It’s a statement about what club president Mr.[James] Pallotta is doing with his ownership, it’s coming to fruition,” added Gandini.
“On one side we are on par with these teams, but the big, big difference is in terms of budget, to buy players and investment.
“When you look at the number of global brands in football they are concentrated on teams who are performing on the pitch. Hopefully we can grow more. We cannot be everyone’s favorite team, but can be the second favorite team.”


Saudi footballer Abdulmalik Al-Jaber shines on European stage

Updated 29 sec ago
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Saudi footballer Abdulmalik Al-Jaber shines on European stage

  • Al-Nassr star’s performances in Bosnia put him at top of list of 9 Saudi players across 7 of Europe’s football leagues
  • Faisal Al-Ghamdi played as key midfielder for Beerschot in Belgium

BEIRUT: Midfielder Abdulmalik Al-Jaber has been a guiding light among Saudi players making their mark in Europe following his impressive spell at Bosnia’s FK Zeljeznicar.

Al-Nassr announced on Monday the capture of 21-year-old Al-Jaber on a four-year contract after his strong season with FK Zeljeznicar where played 33 times, scored three goals and assisted in three more.

Al-Jaber’s performances put him at the top of a list of nine Saudi players who played across seven different European leagues last season.

Faisal Al-Ghamdi, 23, played 29 times for Belgian club Beerschot where he was a key player in midfield, scoring one goal and assisting in the creation of another.

Clubmate and forward Marwan Al-Sahafi also impressed, the 21-year-old scoring six times and making one assist across 28 games.

Mohanad Al-Saad, 21, played for Dunkerque in France and scored four goals in 15 matches — one of them against Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup semifinal, a proud moment despite the 4-2 defeat.

Saud Abdulhamid, 25, got some valuable minutes with AS Roma in Italy where he played eight matches, scoring once and making one assist. Four of his appearances were in Serie A, the top tier.

Midfielder Mohammed Al-Rashidi, 23, boasted eight appearances for Greece’s Panserraikos and a total of 184 minutes on the pitch.

Three other young players had a taste of European football. Hussain Al-Taha, 19, played three matches for Croatian side Vukovar, while Mishal Haddad, 20, appeared in two games for Vinkovci, also in Croatia. Yazan Madani, 20, played twice as left-back for Albania’s Egnatia.

With more Saudi players heading to Europe, it is clear that the future looks bright for talented footballers from the KIngdom.

These youngsters are gaining experience, growing in confidence, and helping to raise the profile of Saudi football on the international stage.


Middlesbrough sack manager Michael Carrick

Updated 6 min 50 sec ago
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Middlesbrough sack manager Michael Carrick

  • The former Manchester United midfielder had been in charge at Boro since October 2022
  • “Middlesbrough Football Club has today parted company with head coach Michael Carrick,” the club said

LONDON: Middlesbrough on Wednesday sacked manager Michael Carrick after the Championship club missed out on a play-off place during the 2024/25 season.

The former Manchester United and England midfielder, who previously had a spell as caretaker boss at Old Trafford, had been in charge at Boro since October 2022.

The 43-year-old guided Middlesbrough to the Championship play-offs in the 2022/23 season but they have missed out on the top six in the past two campaigns.

“Middlesbrough Football Club has today parted company with head coach Michael Carrick,” the club said in a statement.

“Michael’s assistants Jonathan Woodgate and Graeme Carrick have also departed the club.

“We’d like thank Michael, Jonathan, and Graeme for all their hard work and unwavering commitment. We wish them all the very best for the future.”

Middlesbrough won just one of their final six league games to finish 10th in the Championship table, four points off the play-off spots.


Arsenal in talks with Partey over new deal as Jorginho and Sterling depart

Updated 46 min 18 sec ago
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Arsenal in talks with Partey over new deal as Jorginho and Sterling depart

  • Partey’s contract is due to expire on June 30
  • The Ghana international has been with Arsenal since 2020

LONDON: Arsenal are in talks with Thomas Partey to extend the midfielder’s contract, the club said Wednesday, while confirming the departure of a slew of other players including Jorginho and Raheem Sterling.

Partey’s contract is due to expire on June 30 and Arsenal said “discussions are on-going.”

The Ghana international has been with Arsenal since 2020.

Italy midfielder Jorginho, Scotland left back Kieran Tierney, Brazilian goalkeeper Neto and Sterling — at one stage a key player for England — are among those confirmed to be leaving Arsenal.

Sterling was only on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

Arsenal have just finished second in the Premier League for the third straight season.


Pakistan clinches 14 medals at Asian Indoor Rowing Championship in Thailand

Updated 04 June 2025
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Pakistan clinches 14 medals at Asian Indoor Rowing Championship in Thailand

  • Pakistan rowing team wins 10 gold medals, three silver and one bronze
  • Championship features athletes competing on indoor rowing machines

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan bagged 14 medals, including 10 gold ones, at the recently concluded Asian Indoor Rowing Championship in Thailand, state media reported this week.

The Asian Indoor Rowing Championship was organized by the Asian Rowing Federation from May 26 to 31 in Pattaya, Thailand, to showcase the talents of indoor rowers from across Asia.

Unlike traditional rowing competitions held on water, this championship features athletes competing on indoor rowing machines, such as the Concept2 ergometer, simulating the rowing experience in a controlled environment.

“Competing against 25 countries, the Pakistani squad stunned traditional powerhouses such as India, Iran, Thailand, South Korea and Japan,” Radio Pakistan said in a report on Monday.

“Despite being a small contingent, the Pakistani rowers delivered an outstanding performance that defied expectations.”

According to a local news outlet, Pakistan won 10 gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

Key contributors included Pakistani rowers Abdul Jabbar and Muhammad Shahzad, who won one gold and one silver each.

Tayyab Iftikhar earned one silver medal and one bronze, the report added.

Radio Pakistan said the athletes received a grand welcome from the Pakistan Rowing Federation (PRF) upon their return to the country.

It highlighted that the athletes’ performance marked “a new era for rowing” in Pakistan. PRF President Hamdan Nazir and Chairman Rizwan-ul-Haq also praised the players for their outstanding achievements.


Chaabani believes debutants Berkane can win CAF Champions League

Updated 04 June 2025
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Chaabani believes debutants Berkane can win CAF Champions League

  • Chaabani, a 43-year-old Tunisian, acknowledges that competing in the Champions League will be more challenging than the Confederation Cup
  • “The Champions League is a tougher competition, with high-level opponents,” he said

JOHANNESBURG: Renaissance Berkane coach Mouin Chaabani believes the Moroccan club could go one better than CAF Champions League title-holders Pyramids and win the competition at the first attempt.

Cairo outfit Pyramids won the premier African club competition last Sunday in only their second appearance by beating South African rivals Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 on aggregate.

Berkane last month became Moroccan champions for the first time, finishing 13 points ahead of runners-up FAR Rabat.

Called the Orange Boys as they are based in the citrus-growing northeast of Morocco, Renaissance will debut in the Champions League this year.


It is a milestone for a club formed in 1938 and overshadowed for decades by Casablanca giants Raja and Wydad, both three-time African champions.

Berkane finally conquered Morocco by winning 21 of 30 matches, drawing seven, losing just two, scoring 49 goals and conceding only 14 in a championship ranked the second toughest in Africa.

While Berkane are Champions League debutants, they are no strangers to Africa having
competed in the past eight editions of the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup, winning three
finals.

They were also runners-up twice to Egyptian opponents Zamalek, losing one title decider after a penalty shootout and another on away goals.

Chaabani, a 43-year-old Tunisian, acknowledges that competing in the Champions League will be more challenging than the Confederation Cup.

“The Champions League is a tougher competition, with high-level opponents,” the coach who won back-to-back titles in the most prized African club competition with Tunis outfit Esperance told reporters.

“Thanks to repeated appearances in the Confederation Cup, I think Berkane have acquired continental experience. We have an ambitious squad capable of competing at the highest level.

“We will approach the Champions League campaign with great respect for opponents, but also with a desire to go far. Why not aim for the title?

“Our supporters can play a key role. Their unwavering backing, at home and away, has carried us through difficult times as well as joyful moments.”

The Municipal Stadium in Berkane accommodates just 15,000 spectators, and their closeness to the pitch creates what many visiting coaches have called “an intimidating atmosphere.”

Berkane won 43 of 49 home Confederation Cup matches since debuting in 2015, drew the other six, scored 113 goals and conceded only 18.

En route to the latest Confederation Cup triumph, they excelled at home, firing five goals past
Dadje of Benin and Stellenbosch of South Africa and four past CS Constantine of Algeria in the semifinals.

The Champions League is becoming increasingly competitive and unpredictable with the success of Pyramids not foreseen when the competition kicked off last August.

The Cairo club boast a prolific scorer in Congolese Fiston Mayele, whose nine goals won him the Champions League Golden Boot.

Pyramids, fellow Egyptian challengers and record 12-time African champions Al Ahly, Sundowns and Esperance of Tunisia will hope to claim the $4 million (EUR3.5 million) first prize.

Mouloudia Alger of Algeria, who are poised to qualify, and FAR were quarter-finalists last season and capable of going further this time.

Apart from the regular campaigners, there will be newcomers like Wiliete of Angola, Colombe of Cameroon and possibly Police, who need one point from two matches to become Kenyan champions.

Originally due to kick off in August, the Champions League will be delayed as the African Nations Championship (CHAN) has been rescheduled for that month.