NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes has moved to cool summer exit talk by insisting he is happy to stay at St James’ Park for a “long time.”
The Brazilian has been the subject of speculation after details of a buyout clause inserted in his new contract, only signed in Oct. 2023, leaked into the public domain. The Magpies’ dip in form and struggles to replicate the Champions League-qualifying campaign of 2022/23 has only added fuel to that fire. Talk of Barcelona, Real Madrid and even Premier League rivals Liverpool has followed.
However, in the aftermath of yet another eye-catching performance — this time a two-goal, match-winning show against Nottingham Forest last weekend — Guimaraes has addressed the speculation. And in a move which will bring a smile to Newcastle fans’ faces, he has expressed his desire to stay on Tyneside, citing his connection with the supporters, and the love they have shown, as his main drive.
The 26-year-old said: “Sometimes people speak a lot about me. I just speak a lot about football. I'm very happy here and I like how the fans think of me here. Let the people speak.
“I enjoy my time here. The fans have been unbelievable for me and my family. I hope this can keep going for a long time.”
Even during Newcastle’s faltering season, former Lyon man Guimaraes has been a beacon of light. He has often been asked to be the Magpies’ main defensive shield in front of a struggling back four, as well as the team’s creative spark. It has often led to Guimaraes looking stretched in the midfield three, caught between a rock and a hard place.
That all changed last weekend, though. Given licence to roam from his usual No. 6 role, Guimaraes caused havoc in more advanced areas, occupying a No. 8 slot normally taken up by youngster Lewis Miley. It was a move Eddie Howe would not regret as Guimaraes opened the scoring at the City Ground with a sumptuous trivela volley. He bagged the winner in the second half, too, pouncing a wayward Anthony Elanga pass to stroke past former Newcastle keeper Matz Sels to claim all three points. As the net bulged in front of the travelling Newcastle fans, the moment was not lost on Guimaraes, who climbed the advertising boards to rise high and put two fingers in his ears — a clear reference to the transfer talk.
“I’m very happy, it was a good game for us. I played with more freedom and felt good. It was important after the draw with Luton last week that we played very well and it was very important for us,” said Guimaraes.
“For me, we shouldn’t have given the ball away that we tried to pass. The second half we played very well. We played with the ball a lot on the night.
“For me, (the first) was a lovely goal. One of the most beautiful in my career. I dedicate this goal to the ‘Mad Dog’ (assistant coach Jason Tindall) because we worked on it in training. When I play as a six, I don’t get the chance to play forward as much so I enjoyed playing high.
“I think I can play in the six, eight and 10. I played very well with the two goals. Thank you gaffer. To be honest with you, when I saw the ball come in, I didn’t know whether to hit it with my left or right (foot) but it was a perfect finish.”
Ten points off fifth-placed Aston Villa and five behind sixth-placed Manchester United, Guimaraes’ Magpies, in 7th, find themselves a little off the pace when it comes to the race for what is likely to be a fifth Champions League place for the Premier League this season. With only 14 games remaining, Newcastle have a considerable gap to bridge, but Guimaraes remains confident in the squad around him.
He said: “We have to get European football again, and we will try for the Champions League. I know it’s difficult but definitely (we are aiming) for Europa League.
“We have been better away from home this season. We have a big game at home next week (against Bournemouth) and hopefully we can get the three points.”
Guimaraes has been earning rave reviews for his performances, whether results have come Newcastle’s way, or not. His most recent show was not lost on Magpies’ legend Alan Shearer, who remains both Newcastle United and Premier League record goalscorer.
“He was brilliant, scored two wonderful goals. His all-round performance, I thought, was magnificent,” Shearer told BBC TV show “Match of the Day.”
He added: “Everything good about Newcastle, he was at the heart of it. Whether he was keeping the ball, protecting the ball, adding that little bit of quality with his passing, his movement, his ability to find space that not many others can.
“His (first) goal was a well-worked set piece, a great ball in from (Kieran) Trippier, but that is such a difficult technique. To hit it like that, eyes on the ball watching it all the way. To get the direction and power that he did, it was an incredible goal.
“For his second goal, he’s actually a split second quicker than anyone else’s thought process. He knows exactly what Forest want to do but he's not letting them do that. Just watch the way he reacts, he’s quick and gets the ball and he’s got the ability to whip it into the corner.
“That’s why the Newcastle fans love him. He's got a great relationship with the fans and rightly so. He’s a lovely man and a very, very good footballer.”
Newcastle United face AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday at St James’ Park. The Magpies are currently without a whole host of injured and suspended players, with Sandro Tonali, Nick Pope, Callum Wilson, Joelinton, Alexander Isak, Elliot Anderson, Matt Targett, Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock all currently sidelined.
Bruno Guimaraes warns off Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool interest
https://arab.news/6r2bp
Bruno Guimaraes warns off Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool interest
- Brazil midfielder says he wants to stay at Newcastle United for ‘long time’
- Former Lyon man Guimaraes has been a beacon of light during Newcastle’s faltering season
Riyadh to host Asian qualifiers for Arena World Polo Championship for the first time
- Qualifiers will take place from April 24 to 26 at Arena Field at Nofa Equestrian Resort on the outskirts of Riyadh
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will host the Asian qualifiers for the Arena World Polo Championship finals for the first time later this month, as teams from India, Pakistan and Iran compete for a place at the tournament.
The qualifiers will take place from April 24 to 26 at Arena Field at the Nofa Equestrian Resort on the outskirts of Riyadh.
Organized by the Federation of International Polo, the AWPC will take place in the US in October and will be co-hosted by Roseland Polo Club in Crozet, Virginia, and Virginia Polo Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Amr Zidan, chairman of the Saudi Polo Federation, underlined the significance of the event, describing it as a continuation of the Kingdom’s growing reputation as a global sporting destination.
He said the tournament forms part of the Vision 2030 commitment to bring major international events to the Kingdom.
Zidan also welcomed the participating teams and expressed hope for high-level competition that would reflect the ongoing development of polo throughout Asia.
‘We played for Gaza’: How Palestine’s U-20 Women’s team went from underdogs to champions
- Shock penalty shootout win over Jordan secures first U-20 West Asian Football Federation title
AMSTERDAM: When rank outsiders secure a victory they tend, often, to be of the moral variety. If victory is achieved it rarely ends up with an outsider advancing to the final match and lifting the trophy.
On Saturday afternoon, Palestine’s U-20 Women’s team did just that. While Palestine’s senior men’s team has been punching above its weight for the past decade it has been an entirely different story for other teams in the program.
Palestine has been absolutely abject in youth football. Since gaining admission to the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA in 1998, Palestine’s men’s and women’s teams have qualified for a single youth tournament, the U-23 Asian Cup.
The gaps have only widened for female sides as other countries in the region invested in the sector, leaving Palestine far behind neighbours Lebanon and Jordan.
When the U-20 West Asian Football Federation Championship kicked off last week, not much was expected from Palestine. Jordan were seen as heavy favorites due to their home advantage and the absence of Lebanon, the only other side of note in the region.
Palestine were expected to finish above Kuwait but behind Jordan and Syria in the four-team tournament.
Preparation was anything but ideal with the team meeting only 48 hours before their first game. With football suspended throughout Palestine there was a heavy reliance on the diaspora to fill the gaps. Palestine’s squad featured players born in Sweden, Canada and the United States as well as professionals plying their trade in Chile and Egypt.
The tournament got off to the best possible start for Al-Fidai’yat, a 9-0 hammering of Kuwait set the stage, but a 3-0 loss to bitter rivals Jordan had the doubters circling the team. Many of the comments of the Palestine Football Association Facebook page were tinged with sexism while others demanded women’s football have its funding suspended.
The nature of the loss was particularly frustrating for Palestine who showed an ability to compete with their more established rivals but were undone on a series of corner kicks and set pieces.
Palestine emerged from Matchday 2 in good shape thanks to Syria’s narrower margin of victory against Kuwait. That result meant Palestine needed only a draw against the Qasioun Eagles to set up a rematch against Jordan in the final.
A goalmouth scramble after an early corner kick was finished off by Narin Abu Asfar giving Palestine the lead against Syria. They looked the better side for much of the match but a late Syrian equalizer against the run of play in the 84th minute set up a grandstand finish. A series of corner kicks in the game’s dying seconds had fans fearing the worst but Palestine’s players held their nerve and saw the game out.
A rematch against Jordan was on the cards.
Palestine’s futility at the WAFF Championship is well documented. The senior men’s team has never advanced past the group stage of the regional tournament. The senior women’s team's greatest accomplishment was a second-place finish in 2014 in a four-team tournament in which they were battered 10-0 by champions Jordan.
Palestine were not expected to put up much of a fight. After all, success in women’s football starts with investment, and Jordan has been the leading light in the region, punching above their weight in all age categories for both genders since the turn of the century.
A cagey first half under the hot Aqaba sun ended scoreless, just as it did five days earlier. Manager Ahmed Hammad went to his bench and called on Selina Ghneim to change the match.
The forward did just that, thumping home a header from Narin Abu Asfar’s corner to open the scoring.
Jordan answered through a substitute of their own, Marah Abbas, who also scored off a corner kick.
A penalty shootout was needed to settle the match, which ended 1-1. Typically, underdogs favor the lottery of the shootout, which increases their chances of victory considerably. There was just one problem for Palestine. Their goalkeeper Miraf Maarouf had broken her foot in warmups.
Any doubt as to the imperious goalkeeper’s ability to perform injured and under pressure was immediately put to rest. Maarouf dove to her right and blocked Jordan’s first two attempts giving Palestine a lead in the shootout they would not relinquish.
An embarrassing moment of confusion took place after captain Naomi Philips scored to make it 3-1 after three and a half rounds. Palestine’s players rushed on to the pitch to celebrate with Maarouf, who was imploring her teammates to clear the area because there was still a Jordanian kick to deal with.
Jordan scored to force a fifth round of kicks but Miral Kassis did not feel the pressure. The FC Masar forward had to leave the team midway through the tournament due to club commitments. She had played in Egypt less than 24 hours before and arrived in Aqaba only on the day of the final.
Her winning penalty came with a high dose of bravado, with the 19-year-old seeming to ask Celine Seif which side she wanted to be scored on.
“Forget tactics and all that. We played for Gaza. We took care of organization (to correct mistakes from the first game) but the players fought to get the win,” Omar Barakat, the team’s assistant coach, told Arab News.
Reaction from a fanbase starved of success has turned dramatically with snide and sexist comments conspicuously absent from recent comments.
“We are proud of ourselves because we play for Gaza. We play in the name of Palestine in the name of every mother that has lost her son, in the name of every martyr,” Malak Barakat told the media after the historic win.
“My message is that this is only the start and you will be hearing more from us in the future.”
Barakat might be right — she and several of her teammates have already made the jump to the senior team.
FIA president welcomes Georgia to sport’s global fight against online abuse
- Coalition embraces 10th country as sports minister signs charter during Bahrain Grand Prix weekend
DUBAI: Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, has welcomed the government of Georgia to the organization’s growing United Against Online Abuse coalition.
Georgian Minister of Sport Shalva Gogoladze formally signed the charter during a meeting with the FIA chief over the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
It becomes the 10th country to join the united and influential coalition of governments, sporting bodies and technology platforms committed to combating online harassment and hate speech across the sporting world. Members of the group work in close partnership to confront the rise of online hate and its damaging impact on mental health, participation in and integrity of sport.
During their meeting, Ben Sulayem and Gogoladze discussed the minister’s commitment to protecting athletes and safe sports, as well as his “Start to Talk” campaign on the reporting of harassment and abuse.
As part of UAOA’s work to shape effective policies and strategies to address online abuse, the campaign is looking forward to collaborating with Georgia, exchanging best practices and strengthening cooperation through evidence-sharing.
UAOA was founded by Ben Sulayem in 2022 as a new initiative by the FIA, which is the governing body for world motorsport and the federation for mobility organizations.
He said: “I am delighted to welcome the government of Georgia to the United Against Online Abuse coalition. This endorsement underscores Georgia’s leadership in recognizing online abuse as a serious threat to the future of sport. Together we are building a strong, global alliance that will deliver meaningful change and make sport a safer space for everyone.”
Gogoladze added: “Georgia is honored to stand with our international partners in the fight against online abuse in sport. Signing the United Against Online Abuse Charter reflects our unwavering commitment to promoting safety, respect, and mental wellbeing for all athletes, coaches, officials and fans. We are proud to support this global movement established by the FIA and to play our part in creating a sporting culture that thrives on safety and inclusivity, both on and off the field.”
The campaign has witnessed rapid growth in recent months and was recently awarded Peace and Sport’s prestigious Coalition for Peace award in recognition of its efforts.
To date, the coalition has welcomed endorsements from the governments of Greece, France, Slovenia, Albania, Australia, Kenya, Costa Rica, Namibia and Rwanda, alongside organizations such as the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations.
Dubai Basketball returns home with 10-game unbeaten record
- Team continues to dominate ABA League after win over Mornar-Barsko zlato of Montenegro
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball extended their winning streak to 10 games with a commanding 83-71 road win over Mornar-Barsko zlato in Round 27 of the ABA League.
The victory takes Dubai Basketball to a 22-5 record, as the team continues to assert its dominance in its debut ABA League season.
Controlling the tempo from the first quarter, Dubai Basketball set the tone early and never looked back. The team maintained a steady lead throughout the game, at one point building a 20-point advantage in the third quarter after an explosive 11-2 run. The early lead proved decisive, as Dubai expertly managed the game’s closing stages to secure another convincing result on the road.
Montenegro’s Mornar-Barsko zlato made a late push and reduced the deficit to 13 points by the final buzzer. However, Dubai’s composure and relentless work on both ends of the court ensured there would be no upset for the UAE-based team.
A standout performance from Jerry Boutsiele earned him the Man of the Match award by the ABA League. The center delivered an all-round performance, finishing with 13 points with an almost perfect free-throw record, nine rebounds, and as always, key contributions on defense.
Reflecting on the win, Boutsiele said: “We came here with the goal to stay focused and keep our momentum going. Everyone stepped up, and we all played our part, and the team dynamic has never felt better. Ten wins in a row means a lot, but we’re hungry for more. The job’s not done yet, and we look forward to giving our fans a home win soon.”
With this result, Dubai Basketball solidified its position as one of the most consistent teams in the league. The team is preparing to take on Croatian side Split for their first home game of the month on Sunday, April 20 at Coca-Cola Arena.
Mbappe leading Real Madrid comeback charge against Arsenal
- The Gunners lead 3-0 after dismantling the holders in London last week in the quarter-final first leg, leaving Madrid craving the sort of dramatic comeback the 15-time winners are renowned for
MADRID: Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid in search of Champions League glory, hoping to be on the right side of exactly the kind of magical night they need against Arsenal on Wednesday if they are to progress to the semifinals.
The Gunners lead 3-0 after dismantling the holders in London last week in the quarter-final first leg, leaving Madrid craving the sort of dramatic comeback the 15-time winners are renowned for.
Returning from a three-goal defeat would be step further than anything Los Blancos have managed so far, but that is precisely why they tried to lure Mbappe to the club for years.
The French superstar’s explosive edge gives Madrid hope of achieving what appears to be borderline impossible.
“Of course we can,” said Mbappe on his way out of the Emirates last Tuesday, heading to the team bus after Arsenal’s stunning victory.
Declan Rice struck two sublime free-kicks and Mikel Merino’s third helped Mikel Arteta’s side put one foot in the final four.
Arsenal will be fully aware the job is not yet complete, having seen Mbappe’s devastating impact against Premier League champions Manchester City earlier this season.
Mbappe netted a hat-trick against Pep Guardiola’s side in February at the Santiago Bernabeu in the play-off round, helping Madrid eliminate City 6-3 on aggregate.
The striker was sent off for a wild challenge against Alaves in La Liga on Sunday, putting his team-mates under pressure, but can make it up to them with a special performance at the Santiago Bernabeu against Arsenal.
Madrid scraped a 1-0 win and Mbappe only played 38 minutes before his dismissal, so he should be fresh for Wednesday.
Mbappe has 33 goals in 49 games across all competitions this season, matching Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally in his first season at the club.
Mbappe failed to lift the Champions League trophy with Paris Saint-Germain during his seven seasons at the club and in 2022, was on the sharp end of a spectacular Real Madrid comeback.
PSG led 1-0 from the last 16 first leg, with Mbappe on target, and he netted his second goal of the tie to give the French side the lead at the Bernabeu.
It sparked Real Madrid into life and a remarkable 17-minute Karim Benzema hat-trick turned the tie around and powered Los Blancos into the quarter-finals, on the way to lifting the trophy.
Mbappe said his treble against Man City was exactly the kind of night he was craving.
“I’ve been dreaming of moments like this since I was a kid, to play for this club and to feel what it’s like on a big night at the Bernabeu,” said the Frenchman.
“A lot of people have told me about it, but now I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and I hope we’ll have many more.”
In 2022 Madrid made a stunning comeback to beat Man City despite trailing 5-3 on aggregate in the final minutes of the semifinal second leg, progressing 6-5 in the end.
Perhaps their most important comeback came in the 2014 final against rivals Atletico, trailing 1-0 until Sergio Ramos headed home in the 93rd minute to force extra-time, with Los Blancos winning 4-1 to claim ‘La Decima’, their 10th Champions League trophy.
They also overcame a 2-0 quarter-final first leg deficit against Wolfsburg in 2016, winning the second leg 3-0 with a Ronaldo hat-trick.
Mbappe would dearly love to emulate the Portuguese forward’s feat against Arsenal.
“At the Santiago Bernabeu, comebacks are always on everyone’s lips,” said Ronaldo.
Madrid and comebacks have been synonomous since the 1980s when winger Juanito was involved in several, including the UEFA Cup semifinals in 1985.
“90 minutes at the Bernabeu is a long time,” he warned Inter Milan after the hosts won the first leg 2-0 in Italy, with Madrid going on to triumph 3-0 on their way to glory.
Mbappe came to Madrid to add to their rich history and Arsenal’s visit presents the ideal opportunity.
“We have to believe, we have to have confidence,” said coach Carlo Ancelotti last week. “Because sometimes, quite often at the Bernabeu, it happens.”
