Newcastle’s new director of football bids farewell to ‘brilliant’ Brighton

Dan Ashworth has revealed how tough a decision it was to swap the south coast for the northeast of England. (Brighton & Hove Albion)
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Updated 11 February 2022
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Newcastle’s new director of football bids farewell to ‘brilliant’ Brighton

  • Ashworth resigned from his post as technical director at the Amex Stadium last week after agreeing to take up the new role

NEWCASTLE: Dan Ashworth has issued a Brighton and Hove Albion farewell message ahead of his arrival at Newcastle United.

Arab News understands that the final details on a package to release former Football Association chief Ashworth from his Seagulls’ deal is being negotiated, with a Magpies announcement expected in due course.

Ashworth resigned from his post as technical director at the Amex Stadium last week after agreeing to take up the role of director of football in the new Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia-financed revolution at St. James’ Park.

The 50-year-old English football pioneer, regarded as the best in the business in his homeland due to his work on the England DNA project, is now on gardening leave seeing out his notice period on his Brighton deal.

And Ashworth has revealed how tough a decision it was to swap the south coast for the northeast of England.

“It was a really difficult decision. I thought about it for a long time and thought about it really seriously because I wasn’t looking for a job,” he said.

“I didn’t apply for the job, and I have been really happy at Brighton. It’s a brilliant club, it’s really well run, there’s really good people to work with and (chairman) Tony (Bloom) and (chief executive officer) Paul (Barber) run it in the right way.

“You talk sometimes about jobs having push or pull factors, there were no push factors. It was nothing like ‘if only I could change this.’ I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Brighton, living in the city and the area. The support I have had from staff and supporters, players, and everyone has been excellent.

“It’s been an incredibly tough decision. When I have left jobs before, it’s felt like the right time, or there have been push factors, but certainly that wasn’t the case here and I can only speak favorably about the club, the structure, and the people here,” he added.

It is hoped that Ashworth will start at United as soon as possible, rather than be made to work through his notice period, the exact timeframe of which is not known.

The Magpies are also hoping to name their new chief executive officer within a matter of weeks, as revealed by Arab News. Recruitment firm Nolan Partners has been conducting the selection and interview process for the role.

Ashworth, though, admitted that he had left Brighton with a “heavy heart.”

He said: “It’s been absolutely brilliant; I have loved every minute of it. I leave with a heavy heart, I genuinely do, and I will be watching the progress of the club, hoping the club go from strength-to-strength and continue the outstanding progress the club has made with Tony as chairman. So, a huge thank you to everyone, players, staff, supporters, and the city, I have had a wonderful time.”


Saudi Arabia’s Mashael Alobaidan and teammate Dani Clos win season opener of UIM E1 World Championship

Mashael Alobaidan of Saudi Arabia and Dani Clos of Spain from the Aoki Racing Team won the season opener of the UIM E1 World Cha
Updated 26 January 2025
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Saudi Arabia’s Mashael Alobaidan and teammate Dani Clos win season opener of UIM E1 World Championship

  • Aoki Racing Team, sponsored by leading DJ Steve Aoki, triumph in Jeddah race
  • UIM E1 is the world’s only all-electric power boat race circuit

JEDDAH: The Aoki Racing Team of Mashael Alobaidan from Saudi Arabia and Spain’s Dani Clos won the season opener of the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF in Jeddah on Saturday.

The event marked the start of a second season of the world’s only all-electric power boat race circuit.

E1 features top teams owned by some of the best-known celebrities in the world, including sport stars Tom Brady, Didier Drogba, and Rafael Nadal, and actor Will Smith. 

Each team has two pilots — one male, one female — driving futuristic, all-electric “RaceBirds.” 

The team backed by international DJ Steve Aoki surged to victory on the Red Sea in front of thousands of spectators.

 

 

Alobaidan and Clos finished ahead of Rafael Nadal’s Team Rafa in second place, and Virat Kohli’s Team Blue Rising, who made their first appearance on the podium in third.

Aoki pilot Alobaidan — Saudi Arabia’s first woman rally driver — said the win was the best of her career so far.

“Last year, I think we placed last or close to last,” she said. “So, it just goes to show the underdog has a chance when you have determination, passion, and love for the sport.

“We came together and we retooled everything we possibly could; we put our heart and determination into it, and just to see this all happening right here, right now, winning this one, it’s just a dream come true.”

Her teammate Clos is a former Formula 1 test driver and new to the team for the 2025 season.

Following the Jeddah event, the E1 season travels to six more stops, including Doha, Lake Como, Monaco, and Miami.


Haaland leads Man City revival to beat Chelsea

Updated 25 January 2025
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Haaland leads Man City revival to beat Chelsea

  • Josko Gvardiol levelled for Pep Guardiola’s men before Haaland showed his blend of strength
  • Marmoush was close to a perfect start to his City career when he blasted wide from Haaland’s pass after the Norwegian was picked out by a long ball from Ederson

MANCHESTER: Erling Haaland inspired a Manchester City fightback from 1-0 down to beat Chelsea 3-1 and move into the Premier League top four at the Blues’ expense on Saturday.
City recovered from a nightmare start to Abdukodir Khusanov’s debut as he gifted the visitors the opening goal, scored by Noni Madueke.
Josko Gvardiol levelled for Pep Guardiola’s men before Haaland showed his blend of strength and skill to chip in 22 minutes from time.
The Norwegian then turned provider for the in-form Phil Foden to secure City’s fourth win in five league games after just one in their previous nine.
Chelsea have won just once in their last seven Premier League games to fall to sixth and will once again reflect on the need to upgrade on goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after his positioning led to Haaland’s crucial goal.
City’s victory puts them back in pole position to qualify for next season’s Champions League, just days before they try to save themselves in this season’s competition.
The English champions must beat Club Brugge on Wednesday to reach the playoff round after collapsing from 2-0 up to lose 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.
Guardiola reacted by throwing in new signings Khusanov and Omar Marmoush for their debuts.
But that decision backfired spectacularly in the case of Khusanov inside three minutes.
The first ever Uzbek to play in the Premier League did not properly connect with an attempted header back toward his own goal and Nicolas Jackson pounced to tee up Madueke for a tap in.
Moments later Khusanov was fortunate to get away with only a yellow card for chopping down Cole Palmer.
By contrast, Marmoush was showing why only Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane had scored more Bundesliga goals than him this season prior to a £59 million ($72.6 million) move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Egyptian thought he had equalized when he pounced to fire home the rebound after Sanchez parried Ilkay Gundogan’s effort, but was flagged offside.
Gvardiol’s marauding runs from left-back were causing City’s biggest threat.
Chelsea did not heed a warning as the Croatian prodded inches wide with his left foot after storming into the box.
Just before half-time, Gvardiol had a simple task for his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
Matheus Nunes this time made the break from full-back and after he was denied by Sanchez, the ball fell for Gvardiol to roll into an empty net.
Guardiola cut his losses with Khusanov at the start of the second period. He was replaced by John Stones and City were rarely troubled thereafter at the back.
Marmoush was close to a perfect start to his City career when he blasted wide from Haaland’s pass after the Norwegian was picked out by a long ball from Ederson.
But again Chelsea did not learn their lesson. Moments later from another Ederson clearance, Haaland outmuscled Trevoh Chalobah and then chipped Sanchez, who had charged out of his goal and ended up in no man’s land.
Despite City’s struggles, Haaland has remained a reliable source of goals as he took his tally for the season to 24, six of which have come in the last six games.
And he created he third goal as his layoff sent Foden clear to slot home his sixth goal in his last four league games.


Napoli beat Juventus to continue Serie A title charge

Updated 25 January 2025
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Napoli beat Juventus to continue Serie A title charge

  • Antonio Conte’s side bounced back from Randal Kolo Muani’s strike moments from half-time in his Juve debut
  • Napoli won their seventh straight match thanks to a bullet header from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Romelu Lukaku’s 69th-minute penalty

MILAN: Napoli continued their Serie A title charge on Saturday by coming from behind to win a feverish contest with rivals Juventus 2-1 and go six points clear at the top of the pile.
Antonio Conte’s side bounced back from Randal Kolo Muani’s strike moments from half-time in his Juve debut. Napoli won their seventh straight match thanks to a bullet header from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Romelu Lukaku’s 69th-minute penalty.
Napoli are hunting a second Scudetto in three seasons and Saturday’s win, and in particular their dominant performance in the second half, was another sign that they, and not Inter Milan, are the team to beat.
Six points from clashes with Atalanta and Juve in successive weeks have kept Inter at bay with the reigning champions at lowly Lecce on Sunday hoping to halve the gap that separates Simone Inzaghi’s team from Napoli.
The roar that accompanied the hosts’ goals and the final whistle underlined the renewed belief that supporters have in their team after watching Napoli put up a dreadful defense of the Scudetto title last season.
Juve, meanwhile, are 16 points behind Napoli in fifth after falling to their first league defeat of the season, not the position expected when Thiago Motta replaced Massimiliano Allegri as coach in the summer.
Kolo Muani gave Juve a deserved half-time lead two days after finally completing his loan move to Turin from Paris Saint-Germain, where he had been frozen out by coach Luis Enrique.
He was in the right place at the right time in the 43rd minute to spin and lash home his third club goal of the season after Anguissa challenged for the ball and sent it straight to the France forward.
But Napoli were a different team after the break. After Alex Meret somehow kept out Lukaku’s close-range header the Juve goalkeeper could do nothing to stop Anguissa thumping home the leveller from Matteo Politano’s cross.
And there was only going to be one winner once Lukaku calmly rolled home his ninth Napoli goal from the spot after Scott McTominay was taken out by Manuel Locatelli.
Atalanta also stay seven points off the pace in third even though Mateo Retegui’s brace fired them to a 2-1 win at Como earlier on Saturday.
Italy striker Retegui pounced in the 56th and 70th minutes at a soaking Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia to take his league tally to 16 goals and give third-placed Atalanta their first win in Italy’s top flight in 2025.
The 25-year-old has scored five times in four games in all competitions since returning from a hamstring injury earlier this month, and his hot form is great news for Atalanta ahead of their trip to Barcelona.
Atalanta travel to Catalonia gunning for a place in the top eight of the Champions League and automatic qualification for the last 16, after thumping Sturm Graz on Tuesday.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side had to battle to victory at Como who deservedly led at the break through Nico Paz’s fantastic first-time strike but remain three points above the relegation zone in 13th place.
“It’s not easy to play so many matches so close together... we were slow in the first half but we were much better after half-time,” said Gasperini to DAZN.
Como will find it hard to pick up points between now and March. Their next five fixtures are against Bologna, Juventus, Fiorentina, Napoli and Roma.
“You need to remember that we’re Como, we’re a newly-promoted team but we’re giving a lot of big teams hard games,” said coach Cesc Fabregas.
The away side also had strikes from Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere ruled out for offside and handball, which made for a nervy final few minutes as Como pushed unsuccessfully for a leveller.


Atletico Madrid stumble in La Liga again after draw with Villarreal

Updated 25 January 2025
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Atletico Madrid stumble in La Liga again after draw with Villarreal

  • The stalemate, which came a week after a shock 1-0 loss at Leganes, left Atletico one point behind Real Madrid
  • Gerard Moreno, Villarreal’s top scorer in club history, made it 120 goals for the Yellow Submarine in the 25th minute

BARCELONA: Atletico Madrid stumbled again in their La Liga quest after being held by Villarreal to 1-1 at home on Saturday.
The stalemate, which came a week after a shock 1-0 loss at Leganes, left Atletico one point behind Real Madrid before the leader visited last-placed Valladolid.
Gerard Moreno, Villarreal’s top scorer in club history, made it 120 goals for the Yellow Submarine in the 25th minute after the striker converted a penalty he earned when fouled by Reinildo.
Gerard went close twice to adding another goal, but defender Axel Witsel did well to block or disrupt his efforts on either side of halftime.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone rested Antoine Griezmann and midfielder Rodrigo de Paul for the first half. Then he made three changes at halftime, sending on De Paul and winger Samu Lino to kickstart his sluggish attack.
The moves paid off as the hosts pressed Villarreal into their box, and Lino rammed in a 58th-minute equalizer after goalkeeper Luis Junior stopped Ángel Correa’s shot but couldn’t control the ball.
Simeone sent Griezmann on immediately after and the action stayed in Villarreal’s area except for two chances for Villarreal’s Ayoze Pérez, who replaced Gerard.
But Griezmann’s header that bounced just wide in the 86th was the closest Atletico came to snatching a winner.
“We played a good game at a very tough ground against a team with a deep bench that is fighting for the league. We are happy,” Gerard said for a Villarreal that stayed in fifth place.
Atletico are at Salzburg on Wednesday aiming to lock up a spot in the knockout rounds of the Champions League and avoid a playoff.


Kane scores as Bayern Munich go six points clear

Updated 25 January 2025
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Kane scores as Bayern Munich go six points clear

  • Kane and English compatriot Eric Dier created the opener in the 15th minute
  • Dier found Kane who drilled a low shot through the fingers of Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu

FREIBURG, Germany: Harry Kane scored as Bayern Munich won 2-1 at Freiburg on Saturday to move six points clear of Bayer Leverkusen, who threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at RB Leipzig.
Kane and English compatriot Eric Dier created the opener in the 15th minute.
Dier found Kane who drilled a low shot through the fingers of Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.
The goal was Kane’s first from open play since mid-November and his 17th in 17 league games this season.
Bayern doubled their lead after 54 minutes when Kim Min-jae outmuscled Atubolu and headed in a Joshua Kimmich corner.
Freiburg made Bayern sweat when Matthias Ginter headed in a corner with 22 minutes remaining, but the German giants held firm to bounce back from Wednesday’s surprise 3-0 Champions League loss at Feyenoord.
“We’ve played better games than that,” Kimmich told Sky Germany.
“But that is exactly what you need sometimes. We deserved to win.”
Bayern’s win means defending champions Leverkusen are now six points behind the league leaders, after they dropped points in the league for the first time since early November at Leipzig.
Florian Wirtz impressed throughout and was instrumental in Leverkusen’s opener.
The Germany midfielder shrugged off two defenders with a jink and shot against the post, with Patrik Schick well placed to tap in and put Leverkusen in front after 18 minutes.
Leverkusen’s controversial second, scored on the 36-minute mark, was also created by Wirtz.
Near the sideline, the 21-year-old won the ball from Leipzig’s David Raum, while appearing to sink his studs into the defender’s leg.
With Raum on the ground, Wirtz dribbled goalwards and cut the ball back to Aleix Garcia, who calmly slotted home.
Raum had his revenge just five minutes later, thumping in a deflected free kick off the crossbar to cut Leverkusen’s advantage.
Leipzig equalized from another set piece with five minutes remaining. Xavi Simons sent a spiralling free kick into the box which Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba turned into his own net.
In their first match since sacking coach Nuri Sahin, 10-man Borussia Dortmund also let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 at home against Werder Bremen.
Dortmund’s chances took an early hit when center-back Nico Schlotterbeck was red carded for a last-man foul after 21 minutes.
The hosts were dangerous despite the disadvantage and took the lead seven minutes later when Julian Brandt found Serhou Guirassy who headed in his eighth league goal of the season.
Dortmund looked in charge when Guirassy’s 51st-minute cross was turned into his own net by Bremen defender Marco Friedl, but Bremen levelled things up with two goals in eight minutes.
Former Dortmund midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt unleashed a rocket from outside the box before Marvin Ducksch caught the hosts napping, running in behind and scoring to level things up.
Elsewhere, Mainz continued their impressive run this season, beating Stuttgart 2-0 at home thanks to goals from Nelson Weiper and Anthony Caci.
Relegation candidates last campaign, Mainz’s win sends them sixth, one point behind Stuttgart and Leipzig and in contention for a Champions League place.
A stoppage time goal from Keven Schlotterbeck took Augsburg to a 2-1 home win over Heidenheim.
In Saturday’s late game, Borussia Moenchengladbach host last-placed Bochum.