France start post-Griezmann era amid Mbappe controversy

Kylian Mbappé is absent, nursing a minor thigh injury in Madrid, ahead of Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium while France's leadership is scarce. (AFP/File)
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Updated 12 December 2024
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France start post-Griezmann era amid Mbappe controversy

  • Deschamps insisted that Real Madrid are Mbappé’s employer, not the French Football Federation, and he took the best option to avoid putting the striker in a delicate position
  • “I know very well that he’s not going to go against his club,” Deschamps said

PARIS: Antoine Griezmann has retired from France duty. Kylian Mbappe is absent, nursing a minor thigh injury in Madrid.

Ahead of Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium, France’s leadership is scarce.

“The lack of experience doesn’t help,” France coach Didier Deschamps admitted this week.

Mbappe is France’s usual captain while Griezmann, who surprisingly announced the end of his international career last month, was the vice-captain. Together, they led France to the 2018 World Cup title and were Deschamps’ most influential players in recent years.

Deschamps has yet to announce who will wear the captain’s armband for the upcoming matches.

“The end of Antoine’s international career and Kylian’s absence, that leaves room,” Deschamps said. “The group is obviously younger, with less experience.”

For sure, the armband won’t be going to veteran midfielder N’Golo Kanté. He was left out of the squad because of an adductor injury. Neither will experienced defender Dayot Upamecano, who has 27 caps for France but had to withdraw from the squad with a right thigh injury.

Deschamps said he will choose among players who are capable of taking on the responsibility of captaincy, without it altering their behavior, or diminishing their level of performance.

Following a mediocre European Championship where they reached the semifinals without playing well, France are in need of good and convincing results. Their previous Nations League matches were not entirely reassuring — defeat to Italy followed by a win against Belgium.

Italy have a three-point lead over France and Belgium in their group after two rounds. France play Israel on Thursday and travel to Belgium four days later.

Mbappe, who has 48 goals for France, failed to score against Italy and Belgium and Deschamps later said he had not been his usual self during the international break.

After the Real Madrid forward went on as a substitute in Real Madrid’s 1-0 loss at Lille last week, his omission from Deschamp’s squad came as a surprise. And that surprise turned into controversy when the Tricolors captain started a Spanish league game for Madrid following his omission from the France squad, amid sharp criticism from fans.

Deschamps insisted that Real Madrid are Mbappe’s employer, not the French Football Federation, and he took the best option to avoid putting the striker in a delicate position.

“I know very well that he’s not going to go against his club,” Deschamps said. “You have to do what’s in the player’s best interests without putting him in difficulty.”

Deschamps is hoping his rejuvenated squad will bring an extra dose of enthusiasm that has been lacking in France’s previous outings.

“You have to channel everything,” he said. “There is an emotional aspect, managing the emotions will be important.”

Asked for his views on what makes a good leader, Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté said, “It’s something you are born with.”

Konaté added he was “saddened” by Griezmann’s decision to retire. “He was a typical example of a leader.”

Now that the way is clear for someone to take his place, Konaté said he could see himself taking over and mentioned the names of goalkeeper Mike Maignan, defender Jules Koundé and Aurélien Tchouaméni as possible new leaders.

“A leader,” Konaté said, “has to be there when things go wrong.”


Canelo and Crawford clash at intense face-off in New York

Updated 22 June 2025
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Canelo and Crawford clash at intense face-off in New York

  • Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the GEA and President of Saudi Boxing Federation, addressed crowd at Jevits Center

NEW YORK: A packed Fanatics Fest crowd at Jevits Center in New York witnessed the second leg of the global media tour ahead of the blockbuster Riyadh Season fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford, the two best pound for pound fighters in the world, on Sept. 13 in Las Vegas.

Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation, addressed the crowd after being introduced to the stage by legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer, before UFC CEO Dana White stepped up to oversee the press conference ahead of the fight of the century between the two biggest fighters of the modern era for the undisputed super middleweight title.

White announced the performance bonus for the highly-anticipated fight, being broadcast exclusively live on Netflix, will be “over six figures”, before staging an intense face off which led to Canelo and Crawford having to be separated by their teams.

Speaking at the press conference, reigning champion Canelo said: "He (Crawford) is one of the great fighters in the last years, obviously that is why he is a champion. My brother, Turki Alalshikh, thank you so much for this fight, we are here and I think it is a good fight for the fans."

In response, Crawford, a four-division and two-weight undisputed champion, said: "I'm hunting him. That's it. I'm hunting everything that he has got, and I am going to take it come September 13th. I am very confident. This is my time."

The global media tour will conclude on Friday, June 27 in Las Vegas, before the two fighters return to the same city for the main event in September.


Spain’s Alcaraz crowned king of Queen’s for second time

Updated 22 June 2025
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Spain’s Alcaraz crowned king of Queen’s for second time

  • World No. 2 has now collected 5 trophies this year; Spanish star warms up for Wimbledon

LONDON: Carlos Alcaraz clinched his second Queen’s Club title as the world No. 2 warmed up for Wimbledon with a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 win against Jiri Lehecka in Sunday’s final.

Alcaraz blasted 33 winners and 18 aces to subdue the gritty Czech world No. 30 in two hours and 10 minutes in west London.

Having won titles on clay at the French Open, Rome and Monte Carlo, as well as the hard courts of Rotterdam, Alcaraz has now collected five trophies in 2025.

The 22-year-old has not lost since the Barcelona final against Holger Rune on April 20 and is enjoying the longest winning streak of his career with 18 successive victories.

Top seeded Alcaraz is just the second Spanish man to win Queen’s twice after Feliciano Lopez, who lifted the trophy in 2017 and 2019.

For a player raised on the clay courts of Spain, Alcaraz has developed into a formidable force on grass.

The former world No. 1 signaled his emergence on the surface by winning Queen’s in 2023.

He clinched the Wimbledon title for the first time just weeks later and defended his All England Club crown last year.

Alcaraz, who has an 11-1 career record at Queen’s, will start his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title on June 30.

After his semifinal win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday, Alcaraz fired an ominous message to his Wimbledon rivals, warning that his “grass-court mode” had been activated.

And on the evidence of his relentless display against the obdurate Lehecka, he is in no mood to surrender his All England Club crown.

Playing his first tournament since his epic French Open victory against Jannik Sinner two weeks ago, Alcaraz’s march to the Queen’s showpiece made it five consecutive finals for the Spaniard.

In contrast, Lehecka was playing in his first grass-court final after a shock win against British star Jack Draper in the last four.

The 23-year-old was the first Czech in the Queen’s final since Ivan Lendl in 1990.

Lehecka had come from a set down to stun Alcaraz in the Qatar Open quarterfinals in February.

But there would be no repeat of that upset on the lawns of Barons Court.

In his second Queen’s final, Alcaraz had an early chance to break in the fifth game of the first set.

Lehecka thundered down an ace to get out of trouble of that occasion.

But the five-time Grand Slam champion matched Lehecka’s serve blow for blow, dropping just one point in his first four service games.

Alcaraz’s piercing ground-strokes increased the pressure and Lehecka finally cracked in the 11th game when a badly timed double-fault gifted the first break to the Spaniard.

Alcaraz served out the set in typically ruthless fashion, but Lehecka refused to surrender without a fight.

A tight second set stayed on serve all the way through to the tie-break and, for once, Alcaraz stumbled with a key double-fault, allowing Lehecka to level the match.

Alcaraz was unfazed, breaking for a 3-1 lead in the deciding set when Lehecka netted an off-balance forehand.

Alcaraz had the finish line in sight and he wrapped up his latest title triumph with a flurry of searing winners.


Fluminense top Ulsan in Club World Cup clash

Updated 22 June 2025
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Fluminense top Ulsan in Club World Cup clash

  • Freytes’ winner came 17 minutes after teammate Nonato leveled during a contest where the lead twice changed hands

NEW JERSEY: Juan Freytes put Fluminense in front in the 83rd minute and Keno’s second half stoppage time header sealed a 4-2 victory over UIsan HD in an engrossing Group F contest in East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday evening.

Freytes’ winner — his first goal for the Brazilian club — came 17 minutes after teammate Nonato leveled during a contest where the lead twice changed hands.

John Arias also scored from an early free kick as Fluminense (1-0-1, 4 points) moved even on points and goal difference with Dortmund (1-0-1, 4 points) at the FIFA Club World Cup, ahead of their group finale against Malmelodi Sundowns (1-1-0, 3 points) on Wednesday.

Jinhyun Lee and Um Won-Sang scored for Ulsan (0-2-0, 0 points), which was eliminated with the result.

Freytes put Fluminense in front for good after the South Koreans failed to clear a corner, dispatching a composed finish inside the right post after receiving German Cano’s tidy pass.

Nine minutes later, Keno’s header of Arias’ cross against a clearly fatigued Ulsan defense sealed the victory.

Ulsan struck twice inside the final 10 minutes of the first half to turn an early deficit into a halftime lead before Fluminense leveled at 2-all through Nonato in the 66th minute.

After a flowing move from the Brazilians, Keno’s cross from the left was only partially cleared, and Nonato delivered a composed finish inside the right post from about 15 yards out.

Late in the first half, Lee leveled for Ulsan in the 37th minute on an exceptional counter attack. Darijan Bojanic’s initial pass from just beyond his own box sprung Won-Sang down the right. Won Sang’s low cross rolled all the way across the box and beyond goalkeeper Fabio’s dive before Lee met it on the opposite flank. From a tight angle, Lee delivered an excellent first-touch finish into an open goal.

Meanwhile, River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo was confident he could still field a team capable of defeating Inter Milan in his side’s final Group E game despite losing several players due to suspension.

Gallardo saw Kevin Castano sent off in the latter stages of the 0-0 draw at the Rose Bowl with Monterrey, while yellow cards for Enzo Perez and Giuliano Galoppo mean the pair will also miss the meeting with the Italians on Wednesday in Seattle.

River Plate are one of South America’s most successful clubs, winning the Copa Libertadores on four occasions as well as the Intercontinental Cup in 1986.

Their draw with Monterrey means the Argentinians are level on four points with Inter Milan in Group E. The two teams are due to face off in their final group game on Wednesday.

Monterrey are third in the standings, two points behind Inter and River Plate, and a win over already-eliminated Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan could see the Mexican side climb into the qualification berths for the knockout rounds.

River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo said: “We have some players that we’re going to be missing. We, of course, had some yellow cards and there are several players who won’t be able to play in the next game, so we will have to see how we organize that.

“But I see the glass as half full because, if you look at the scores, every club, every team has had its problems. It was hard for Inter to win, it was hard for Monterrey too, so for our third game we’re going to go with the best we have and we’re going to be optimistic.


Yildiz stars as Juventus beat Wydad at Club World Cup

Updated 22 June 2025
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Yildiz stars as Juventus beat Wydad at Club World Cup

  • Having already defeated Emirati side Al Ain 5-0 in their opening match, Juve have scored nine goals

PHILADELPHIA: Kenan Yildiz scored two goals and had a hand in another as Juventus beat Wydad Casablanca 4-1 at the Club World Cup on Sunday to close in on a place in the last 16.

The Turkish international forward was unlucky not to be credited with Juve’s early opener which went down as an own goal by Abdelmounaim Boutouil.

However, there was no doubt that Yildiz was the scorer of the second with a tremendous strike from outside the box.

Thembinkosi Lorch pulled one back for Wydad before the break, but Yildiz got his second of the afternoon on 69 minutes before a late Dusan Vlahovic penalty sealed the victory for the Italian side.

Having already defeated Emirati side Al Ain 5-0 in their opening match, Juve have scored nine goals and have the maximum six points after two outings in Group G.

Their qualification for the knockout phase will be assured if group rivals Manchester City avoid defeat against Al Ain later.

That puts Igor Tudor’s Juve in an excellent position with a final group game to come on Thursday against City in Orlando.

Moroccan giants Wydad, meanwhile, are eliminated with this defeat following a 2-0 loss at the hands of City in their first outing.

Yildiz, the 20-year-old German-born winger, was among the scorers against Al Ain and he was the star of the show here in front of 31,975 fans at Lincoln Financial Field.

Juve, who finished fourth in Serie A in the campaign just finished, went with an unchanged starting line-up meaning the likes of Vlahovic and Manuel Locatelli began the game on the bench.

Prolific against Al Ain, they wasted no time in putting the team that finished third in the Moroccan league to the sword.

The opening goal came on six minutes as Khephren Thuram teed up Yildiz and his shot beat goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid with the aid of a slight deflection off Boutouil.

It was 2-0 on 16 minutes via a superb effort, as Andrea Cambiaso went on a piercing run in from the left before laying the ball off for Yildiz to smash in a shot on the half-volley into the top corner.

Wydad quickly pulled one back as veteran Nordin Amrabat’s fine pass in behind the defense released South African winger Lorch to control and clip a shot past the goalkeeper.

Yet Juventus were well on top and Cambiaso hit the post just prior to the hour mark before Randal Kolo Muani somehow failed to turn in Lloyd Kelly’s ball across the face of goal.

Their third goal did arrive just after the midway point in the second half when France forward Kolo Muani collected possession on the left and then slipped in Yildiz who finished into the corner.

It was his third goal at the tournament so far, and his 12th in all competitions since the season began.

Yildiz had been withdrawn before the fourth goal arrived in stoppage time, substitute Vlahovic stroking in a spot-kick awarded after he had been hauled down by Guilherme Ferreira.


EuroLeague welcomes Dubai Basketball for 2025-26 season

Updated 22 June 2025
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EuroLeague welcomes Dubai Basketball for 2025-26 season

  • Team set to join 1 of world’s most prestigious leagues on 5-year contract starting in September
  • UAE-based team to compete in 2 European leagues next season — ABA League, EuroLeague

DUBAI: EuroLeague announced its expansion from 18 to 20 teams in late May, and Dubai Basketball have now been confirmed as one of the two new teams to secure a coveted spot for the 2025-26 season.

Dubai Basketball enjoyed a historic debut season in the ABA League, reaching the playoff semifinals before being halted by European powerhouse Partizan. Although their campaign ended short of the final, finishing in third overall, the season laid a strong foundation for what promises to be a defining second season for the club.

Abdulla Saeed Juma Al-Naboodah, chairman and founder of Dubai Basketball, said: “I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the leadership of Dubai and the Dubai Sports Council for their unwavering support. Their vision and commitment have been instrumental in making the success of Dubai Basketball possible.”

And, coached by Jurica Golemac, Dubai Basketball are now set to make their EuroLeague debut in 2025-26, going head-to-head with some of the most celebrated basketball teams in what is widely recognized as one of the toughest leagues in the world.

Facing the likes of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, and reigning champions Fenerbahce, Dubai Basketball will bring top-tier European basketball to the Coca-Cola Arena from September to June.

Dejan Kamenjasevic, the co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Dubai Basketball, said: “Dubai Basketball is not an instant project; it has taken us years to reach the point we are at today. But it brings me great pride to say that this team is an instant success.

“Credit goes to our coaches, players and all Dubai Basketball employees, who worked hard to convert this dream to a reality. Now, with EuroLeague ahead, we have even more to show.

“We’re building something this city has never seen before, and we’re excited to make history while growing the Dubai Basketball family.”

Dubai Basketball attracted nearly 80,000 fans to the Coca-Cola Arena in their first season, paving the way for a new era for the sport in the region.

As the only Middle Eastern team represented in the ABA League last season, Dubai had something to prove from day one. Backed by a passionate and growing fan base, the club continue to be fueled by the belief and support of the community.

The side have firmly established themselves as top contenders in European basketball. With a seasoned coach who brings both professional playing experience and leadership at the highest levels of European basketball, and a talented roster including players fresh from the NBA and the EuroLeague, the team’s story is just beginning.

All home games will continue to be held at the Coca-Cola Arena, which boasts a capacity of 15,000 in its basketball format.

As the club enter the longest season in EuroLeague history, they will welcome Europe’s strongest teams to the heart of the city — marking a major milestone for basketball in the UAE and the entire region.