CAIRO: A commercial dispute between Mohammed Salah and football authorities in his native Egypt has been swiftly resolved following top-level political intervention, a quick turnaround that showcased the mega star power of the 25-year-old Liverpool winger.
Salah had been upset that his image is featured prominently on the outside of the national team’s plane, which was provided by official team sponsor WE. Salah has a sponsorship deal with a rival telecommunications firm, Vodafone.
Youth and Sports Minister Khaled Abdel-Aziz summoned the board members of the Egyptian Football Association for urgent talks on Sunday. Abdel-Aziz said late Sunday that he and the association have agreed to meet Salah’s demands.
“I assure everyone that we will stand by him to honor all the contracts he entered in England,” Abdel-Aziz wrote on Twitter.
In comments later made to a popular television show, he said: “Consider that all the demands made by them (Salah and his agent) are met.”
Officials with knowledge of the meeting said the order to quickly resolve the dispute came from the “highest political level.” The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
The dispute erupted six weeks before Salah leads Egypt at the World Cup, the country’s first appearance at the tournament since 1990. It also comes ahead of Wednesday’s match between Liverpool and Roma in the second leg of the Champions League semifinals, with the English team leading 5-2 from the first leg. Salah scored two goals and assisted another two at Anfield.
At the World Cup, Egypt will play in Group A against host Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
Abdel-Aziz also appeared to acknowledge that the federation was to blame for the dispute with Salah, saying it was likely that it did not have the expertise to deal with commercial issues relating to a player of his global status.
The association confirmed Abdel-Aziz’s assertion that a resolution has been reached. It tweeted that chairman Hany Abou Rida told Salah on the phone: “Anything that annoyed you will stop. What is more important to me is that you and your teammates are relaxed so that you hold our heads high in the World Cup.”
A tweet by Salah earlier on Sunday showed his frustration. Ramy Abbas, Salah’s agent, claimed separately that the federation had ignored his requests for clarifications over the issue. That triggered a massive outpouring of support on social media networks for the player.
Abbas argued that the federation and its sponsor, local advertising agency Presentation, had no right to use Salah’s image without written consent from MS Commercial, Cayman, the company that owns Salah’s image rights.
No sportsman in Egypt has ever commanded the adulation and respect Salah has enjoyed since joining Liverpool last year from Italian club Roma. With more than 40 goals this season, Salah has captivated the soccer crazy nation of about 100 million people.
Hardly a day goes by without Salah on the front pages of Egyptian newspapers. He has sent Egyptians streaming to street cafes to watch him play for Liverpool and weaning them off their passion for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. To most Egyptians, he brings them happiness and pride at a time of great economic difficulties.
“I want to thank everyone for your support today,” Salah tweeted late Sunday. “In fact, your response was extraordinary and your interaction made me very happy.”
The love is mutual.
The Arabic hashtag “I support Mohammed Salah” was widely used online, with hundreds of thousands of fans declaring their unwavering support for the player against the federation. Many of the tweets touched on politics, making references to widespread corruption and inefficiency.
When news of the resolution of the dispute broke, Salah humorously tweeted he was sorry to see “I support Mohammed Salah” hashtag go.
“Never mind about Twitter and focus on the next match (in Rome),” Egyptian comedian Mohamed Henedy tweeted in response, “and I promise you we will create a whole new Twitter for you, not just a hashtag.”
Commercial dispute showcases Mohamed Salah’s star power in Egypt
Commercial dispute showcases Mohamed Salah’s star power in Egypt
- Star forward was upset at the use of his image
- Federation moved swiftly to appease Salah to avoid World Cup fall-out
Osaka inspired by Agassi’s comeback as she embraces clay court grind
- “I’m okay playing on Court 16 if I have to anyways. The reason I came back wasn’t to play on center courts all the time, it’s because I really enjoy the game“
- Osaka beat Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-1 7-5 last week in the final of the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo
Four times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka said this year’s clay court swing feels different as she enters it with momentum, having picked up wins and confidence in the recent weeks.
Osaka beat Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-1 7-5 last week in the final of the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA 125 tournament, to win her first clay-court title at any level. It was also her first WTA title since becoming a mother in July 2023.
“I wanted to rack up experience on clay. I didn’t really have too much of an ego playing that tournament,” Osaka told reporters after defeating wild card Sara Errani 6-2 6-3 in the first round of the Italian Open on Wednesday.
“I’m okay playing on Court 16 if I have to anyways. The reason I came back wasn’t to play on center courts all the time, it’s because I really enjoy the game.”
Osaka said her decision to drop down to play in Saint-Malo was inspired by American great Andre Agassi, who rebuilt his career in the late 1990s by competing on the ATP Challenger Tour.
“I remember reading (Agassi’s) book. There was a moment where... he was saying he was flipping his own scoreboards. Someone came and yelled, ‘Image is everything!’ I would say that section of the book crossed my mind more,” she said.
The former world number one has often struggled on clay, having never gone past the third round at the French Open, where she is set to feature in the main draw later this month. Osaka plays ninth seed Paula Badosa in the Italian Open on Thursday.
“I feel like clay is very strength-reliant,” Osaka said.
“It’s something that I prioritized this year and I think it’s working. I’m going to keep pushing forward that way. I’ll let you know what happens in Roland Garros.”
Bayern’s Kompany ready to catch some z’s after Bundesliga title win
- The Belgian, in his first season at the club, said the constant preoccupation with the next match during the season did not really allow him to really enjoy the simple pleasures
BERLIN: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany wants nothing more than a good night’s sleep after his team won the Bundesliga title last week with two matches left to play.
The Belgian, in his first season at the club, said the constant preoccupation with the next match during the season did not really allow him to really enjoy the simple pleasures.
“Sleep, really sleep,” Kompany said in a club interview when asked what he was most looking forward to after the title win.
“You constantly have the pressure of the next game. You achieve something but then you have to start building for the next achievement.”
It was by no means an easy domestic season for Bayern and Kompany, with the club facing stiff competition from last year’s champions Bayer Leverkusen, who also eliminated the Bavarians in the German Cup.
Bayern were also eliminated by Italy’s Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals.
“Sometimes you have these moments with the family during the year, but then your head is somewhere else,” Kompany said.
“Now in the next few weeks I will leave some of that behind. But you can only do that after winning.”
FIFA picks 8 host cities for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil
- Infantino: From stunning beaches to cosmopolitan cities, the world will experience the energy, color and warmth that only Brazil can offer
- The host city selection process started in August of last year
SAO PAULO: Football’s international governing body has confirmed eight host cities for the 2027 Women’s World Cup to be held in Brazil.
FIFA announced the venues for the month-long tournament on Wednesday but hasn’t decided yet where the opening match and the final will take place.
All eight sites were among the 12 used for the men’s World Cup in 2014: Rio de Janeiro (Maracana Stadium), Sao Paulo (NeoQuimica Arena), Belo Horizonte (Mineirao Stadium), Brasília (Nacional Stadium), Fortaleza (Arena Castelao), Porto Alegre (Beira-Rio Stadium), Recife (Arena Pernambuco), and Salvador (Arena Fonte Nova).
“From stunning beaches to cosmopolitan cities, the world will experience the energy, color and warmth that only Brazil can offer,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
Some members of Brazil’s soccer confederation have said they want to hold the opening match at Sao Paulo and the final at the 78,000-seat Maracana, as it did in the 2014 World Cup.
Curitiba, Manaus and Natal, all venues for the men’s World Cup, were not included in the women’s tournament bid book. Belem was also left out.
The host city selection process started in August of last year. At the 2014 World Cup, players, fans and coaches criticized the choice of 12 host cities for a tournament that was widely spread across the country.
For this tournament, set for June 24-July 25, 2027, almost all host cities are either on the Brazilian coast or close to it, with the exception of the capital, Brasilia, and Belo Horizonte, two of the nation’s most populous cities.
Brazil will host the women’s tournament for the first time. Brazil is a five-time World Cup champion in men’s football but has never won the women’s global title.
PIF continues to transform women’s golf as title partner of revamped global series
- Renamed PIF Global Series comprises 5 tournaments
- $13m prize pool among highest outside of the Majors
RIYADH: Golf Saudi and the Public Investment Fund announced on Thursday a revamped global series that spans five women’s golf events on the Ladies European Tour, reinforcing the PIF’s long-term commitment to female sport.
The newly named PIF Global Series will feature the five tournaments across three continents in 2025, with each event having a novel format that features team and individual competitions.
There is a prize purse of $2 million for each of the four tournaments, among the highest in women’s golf.
The PIF Saudi Ladies International has been added to the 2025 roster of tournaments, strengthening the series’ position as a key fixture alongside the regular LET schedule and Major competitions.
The PIF Saudi Ladies International offers a prize purse of $5 million, one of the largest in women’s professional golf.
Alanoud Althonayan, head of events and sponsorships at the PIF, said the company “continues to be a catalyst for the growth of women’s sports, committed to delivering long-term transformative impact by inspiring and empowering female athletes at every level.
Noah Alireza, CEO of Golf Saudi, said: “We are humbled to have this partnership with PIF that aspires to grow the women’s game locally in Saudi Arabia and around the world.
“We have witnessed significant growth in local interest through hosting international tournaments, with over 6,000 individuals registering for our free ‘GoGolf’ lesson program.”
Alexandra Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, said: “These tournaments are well-supported by our members through their end-to-end event experiences and competitive environments.
“This partnership with PIF continues to raise the level of competition and commitment to the women’s game, to ensure our players have the best possible opportunities to develop and succeed on the world stage.”
England’s Charley Hull, Golf Saudi ambassador, said: “Golf Saudi and PIF have proven to be real game changers for women’s golf, once again backing up their commitment to creating equal opportunities and raising the bar for the players.
“I love playing either as an individual or in a team, so I can’t wait to tee it up at series events throughout the year and hopefully inspire more and more young people into golf around the world.”
The five events comprising the PIF Global Series are:
PIF Saudi Ladies International: Riyadh Golf Club, Riyadh (Event was played in February and won by world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul)
Aramco Korea Championship: New Korea Country Club, Seoul, South Korea (May 9-11)
PIF Championship: Centurion Club, London (Aug. 8-10)
Aramco Houston Championship: TBC, Houston (Sept. 5-7)
Aramco Shenzhen Championship: Mission Hills, Shenzhen, China (Nov. 6-8)
Thunder level series with 43-point rout of Nuggets
- The Thunder, who set a franchise single-game playoff scoring record, tied the best-of-seven series 1-1 ahead of Game 3 in Denver on Friday
- The Thunder tied the NBA playoff record for points in a half with 87, leading by as many as 35 before intermission
OKLAHOMA CITY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 149-106 home blowout of the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Wednesday.
The Thunder, who set a franchise single-game playoff scoring record, tied the best-of-seven series 1-1 ahead of Game 3 in Denver on Friday.
After losing on a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Game 1, the Thunder made sure the Nuggets wouldn’t have a chance to pull off another late shocker. Oklahoma City poured it on early, scoring 45 first-quarter points and stretching the lead to 24 just more than 10 minutes into the game.
The Thunder tied the NBA playoff record for points in a half with 87, leading by as many as 35 before intermission. The only other team to score 87 points in a half during the postseason was the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half of a second-round game in 1978 against the Nuggets.
Oklahoma City didn’t let up in the third quarter, stretching the advantage to 48 points heading into the fourth.
By that time, Denver star Nikola Jokic had fouled out, and the only question was how big the margin would be.
With Denver trailing by 41 points and just more than a minute remaining in the third quarter, Jokic was called for his second offensive foul in less than a minute to end his night.
After his 42-point, 22-rebound performance in Game 1, Jokic had just 17 points and eight rebounds in Game 2. He shot 6 of 16 from the field.
Gilgeous-Alexander had his night end soon after for another reason.
The Most Valuable Player favorite hit two free throws in the last second of the quarter before heading to the bench to watch the Thunder bench handle the fourth.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished 11 of 13 from the floor and hit all 11 of his free throws. He added eight assists and finished plus-51 in plus/minus.
Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams added 17 points and Chet Holmgren, who missed a pair of critical free throws just before Aaron Gordon’s Game 1 winner, finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Holmgren was 7 of 7 from the free-throw line.
Russell Westbrook led the Nuggets with 19 points, and Jamal Murray contributed 14. Gordon, who had 22 points and 14 rebounds in the series opener, finished with just 10 points (on 3-of-12 shooting) and five boards.
