LONDON: A so-called European Super League was dealt a fresh blow on Saturday when Italian giant Juventus decided to rejoin the body of clubs opposing the controversial breakaway competition.
Juventus had been with Real Madrid and Barcelona in pushing for a new competition that would replace the Champions League. But it will rejoin the European Club Association of 600 teams, which has fought strongly against attempts to create a Super League.
“They are back. It is great,” ECA chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “The club has an amazing history. We are proud they are back to their family. I also call the others to be back.”
Madrid and Barcelona are now the only two clubs trying to form a proposed Super League, which has already had one failed launch after angry fan protests in 2021.
Madrid president Florentino Perez has been determined to push ahead with plans to create a breakaway, despite the majority of Europe’s leading clubs rejecting the idea. His position appeared to be strengthened in December when the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that soccer’s governing bodies UEFA and FIFA acted contrary to EU competition law by blocking attempts for a breakaway league.
Super League organizers quickly revealed plans for the new competition, which Perez described as a “great opportunity to improve European club football.”
But, crucially, he did not have the backing of many of the leading clubs, which faced a furious backlash from fans when attempting to form a breakaway in 2021.
Back then a group of 12 of Europe’s most storied clubs announced plans to create a new Super League. Proposals for the 20-team elite tournament would have seen 15 top sides protected from relegation.
Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan were part of the original breakaway group.
Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus were eventually left as the only clubs carrying on the fight before Italy’s record 36-time champion, Juventus, withdrew last year.
Al-Khelaifi, who is also president of Paris Saint-Germain, spoke after a meeting of the ECA Executive Committee in London ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final between Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
He said he wanted Madrid and Barcelona to follow Juventus’ lead, saying a Super League of two teams “doesn’t make sense.”
“They can play two teams, home and away for 20 matches?”, he said. “It is not for anyone’s interest. They are going against their (own) interests today.”
Madrid is going for a record-extending 15th European Cup when it faces Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.
“I heard yesterday they (Madrid) talked about the love story between Madrid and the Champions League. On the other hand they want to destroy the Champions League. You love or you hate. You want to destroy the thing you hate?” Al-Khelaifi said.
Al-Khelaifi said he would welcome discussion with Madrid and Barcelona about rejoining the ECA.
“It’s really important for us and for them,” he said.
Real Madrid and Barcelona’s hopes of a so-called European Super League are dealt fresh blow
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Real Madrid and Barcelona’s hopes of a so-called European Super League are dealt fresh blow
- Juventus had been with Real Madrid and Barcelona in persisting with a new competition that would replace the Champions League
European Cup-winning former Villa striker Shaw dies aged 63
“Aston Villa Football Club is deeply shocked and profoundly saddened to learn that Gary Shaw, one of our European Cup-winning heroes, has passed away,” a statement said
LONDON: Former Aston Villa striker Gary Shaw, who helped the club to their shock European Cup triumph in 1982, died on Monday aged 63.
Shaw was a member of the Villa side that won the First Division title in 1981 and then memorably stunned German giants Bayern Munich in the European Cup final 12 months later.
The forward died after recently going into hospital following a head injury suffered in a fall.
“Aston Villa Football Club is deeply shocked and profoundly saddened to learn that Gary Shaw, one of our European Cup-winning heroes, has passed away,” a statement said.
“Gary was one of our own, a talented striker who delighted supporters with his goalscoring exploits which helped fire Villa to success in the 1980s. Individual accolades would also follow for a player who was idolized by many on the terraces.
“He passed away peacefully earlier today surrounded by his family, who asked Aston Villa to release a statement on their behalf.”
Shaw’s death came on the eve of Villa’s first match in the Champions League for 41 years.
Unai Emery’s side face Young Boys in Switzerland on Tuesday and the Villa manager urged his team to win the match in tribute to Shaw.
“My condolences to the family and all the supporters at Villa,” said Emery, whose team will wear black armbands for the fixture in Bern.
“We have a memory always, in our training ground a picture of 1982 and the European Cup. He was a protagonist of that. My condolences to them.
“Yes, I think it’s sad and we can use it as motivation.”
Shaw joined Villa as an apprentice and went on to score 79 times in 213 appearances, including 20 goals in their 1981 title-winning campaign.
He was named PFA Young Player of the Year after Villa’s first English title since 1910.
Shaw scored three goals in Villa’s run to European Cup glory, including a crucial quarter-final strike against Dynamo Kiev.
Peter Withe’s winner against Bayern in Rotterdam lifted the team to previously unimaginable heights, with Birmingham-born Shaw savouring the triumph more than most.
Yet within a year of Villa’s epic victory, Shaw suffered a knee injury in a match against Nottingham Forest that curtailed his progress and ultimately saw him retire from the game after six operations.
He left the club in 1988 for spells in Denmark and Austria, before ending his career in 1992 after short stints at Walsall, Kilmarnock and Shrewsbury.
Shaw later worked as a statistical analyst and a matchday ambassador for Villa.
Tunisia's Jabeur to miss rest of year with injury
- Jabeur missed the recent US Open due to the injury
PARIS: Ons Jabeur will miss the rest of the 2024 WTA season with a shoulder injury, the Tunisian announced on Monday.
The three-time Grand Slam runner-up has struggled for form and fitness this year, slipping to 22nd in the world rankings.
Jabeur missed the recent US Open due to the injury and has not played since a heavy defeat by Naomi Osaka in Toronto in early August.
“This year has been extremely hard for me and as athletes, we know that recovery is part of the journey,” she said on social media.
“Due to my ongoing shoulder injury, my medical team and I’ve made the difficult decision to step off the tennis circuit for the rest of the season.”
The 30-year-old said she would be back on court for the start of the 2025 campaign in Australia.
Simba say goalkeeper attacked after CAF Cup match in Libya
- “It was scary. I saw Aishi being struck for no reason by a policeman and bottles and other objects hurled at our players,” said the official
- “Aishi is shaken but okay. He is receiving treatment in the changing room“
JOHANNESBURG: Aishi Manula, the goalkeeper of Tanzanian club Simba, was struck by a policeman after a stormy CAF Confederation Cup qualifier in Libya on Sunday, an official from the visiting team told AFP.
The second round, first leg against Al Ahly Tripoli ended 0-0 in a packed 45,000-seat Tripoli stadium and Simba players dashed for cover at full-time as plastic bottles were flung at them.
“It was scary. I saw Aishi being struck for no reason by a policeman and bottles and other objects hurled at our players,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
“Aishi is shaken but okay. He is receiving treatment in the changing room. I also witnessed some Ahly players attacking the referee and his assistants.”
Both clubs are regular CAF competition campaigners with Ahly making a ninth appearance in the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League and Simba a seventh.
Simba are considered potential title challengers in the Confederation Cup, which has been dominated by north African clubs with 16 titles from 21 editions.
Zamalek of Egypt are the current title-holders after edging Renaissance Berkane of Morocco on away goals in the last final.
South African coach Fadlu Davids recently took charge of the Dar es Salaam outfit after being assistant coach of Moroccan league and cup double winners Raja Casablanca last season.
Another first leg in Libya produced a thriller with Al Hilal Benghazi snatching a 3-2 victory over Al Masry of Egypt after trailing twice in the eastern city.
Salah Mohsen put Masry ahead in each half, but two goals from Mohammed al Shiteewi, either side of one from Faisal al Badri, set up an intriguing September 22 return match in Alexandria.
Dynamos of Zimbabwe look set to reach the group stage for the first time, at the third attempt, after a 1-0 win over Orapa United of Botswana in Francistown.
But the most popular club in the southern Africa nation left it late to build an aggregate lead as Valentine Kadonzvo scored with just two minutes of regular time remaining.
Zimbabwe have no international-standard stadium so Dynamos must play Orapa twice in neighboring Botswana.
Burundi outfit Rukinzo are in a similar situation to Dynamos with no suitable venue in the landlocked central African nation.
They opted to face record three-time Confederation Cup winners CS Sfaxien twice in Tunisia, and did well to restrict the home side to a 1-0 win through an early Mohamed ‘Cristo’ Dhaoui goal.
Bellingham, Tchouameni back for Madrid’s Champions League opener
- Defender Eder Militao did not train on Monday but Ancelotti said the Brazilian would also be ready for the clash
MADRID: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Monday midfielders Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni are back from injury as Los Blancos begin the defense of their Champions League trophy.
The record 15-time winners and current holders face German side Stuttgart on Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu and are boosted by the return of England international Bellingham and France’s Tchouameni.
Defender Eder Militao did not train on Monday but Ancelotti said the Brazilian would also be ready for the clash.
“Bellingham is good, just as Tchouameni is good, and Militao too for tomorrow, who didn’t train today because he needed one more day of recovery,” said Ancelotti.
“Two important players are back, but we also have the bad luck to have lost another important player (Brahim Diaz).”
Bellingham, who began the season in a deeper midfield role than in the previous campaign, suffered a calf injury in August which forced him out of four La Liga matches.
“(His return) is fantastic news, for what he brings in a football sense, as well as beyond that,” said Dani Carvajal.
“To see him in the squad again is great, we count on him.”
The midfielder was crucial last season on the way to the Wembley final where Madrid beat his former side Borussia Dortmund.
Ancelotti said his team was just as hungry to win the competition this year.
“We’re as (excited) as always, what this competition brings us, where this club has been such a protagonist for so long, and keeps being one,” added Ancelotti.
“The Champions League is special for Real Madrid, we will try to compete until the end.”
Coe among seven candidates to succeed Bach as IOC president
- Coe will face stiff opposition from, among others, Kirsty Coventry, bidding to become the first woman and African to head the IOC, and cycling boss David Lappartient
- The election will be at the IOC Session in Athens
LAUSANNE: World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe is the highest profile of the seven candidates to have declared on Monday their bid to succeed International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.
Coe will face stiff opposition from, among others, Kirsty Coventry, bidding to become the first woman and African to head the IOC, and cycling boss David Lappartient.
The election will be at the IOC Session in Athens, which runs from March 18-21 next year.
Bach, 70, is standing down after serving 12 years. The German announced at the end of the Paris Games that he would not be seeking another term.
The other four candidates include two from Asia — another continent never to have had an IOC president — Jordan’s Prince Faisal Al-Hussein and gymnastics chief Morinari Watanabe.
Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, whose father of the same name was IOC president from 1980-2001 and transformed it into a commercial powerhouse, and a surprise entrant, ski federation president Johan Eliasch, round up the candidates.
First up for the septet is presenting their respective programs to the IOC members at the turn of the year.
“The candidates will present their programs, in camera, to the full IOC membership on the occasion of a meeting to be held in Lausanne (Switzerland) in January 2025,” read a short IOC statement unveiling the candidates.
There will be a transition period post election — not something Bach enjoyed when he succeeded Jacques Rogge in 2013 — with the new president and his team assuming control in June.
