VALENCIA: Spain coach Luis de la Fuente hailed his team’s “inexhaustible” supply of talent on Saturday, ahead of the Nations League quarter-final second leg clash against the Netherlands.
Euro 2024 winners Spain fought back in the 2-2 first leg draw to stay unbeaten in their last 22 competitive games, with Bournemouth center-back Dean Huijsen making his debut as a substitute in Rotterdam on Thursday and impressing.
The defender could be paired with the uncapped Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio on Sunday against the Netherlands, after Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi hurt his ankle in the first leg.
“For us, many of the (breakthrough) players are not surprising, we know the quality of the raw material we have in this country,” De la Fuente told a news conference.
“We can use players who have made history and who are great players today, with exceptional experience... (and) others who are appearing, and who will make us grow, become more competitive and a better team.
“It’s very healthy and good news for everyone because we know that we have an inexhaustible youth system.”
Spain won the Nations League under De la Fuente in 2023 and then propelled by young wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, roared to Euro 2024 victory in Germany.
De la Fuente took off Barcelona teenager Yamal in the first half of the draw with Netherlands and left Asencio out of the squad entirely.
“This is a squad with great players and we manage it like any team,” continued De la Fuente.
“There are 26 of us, we can have 23 players (in the matchday squad), Raul understood it, and is happy to be here with us and having this experience...
“I can make two exceptional starting line-ups, that’s the luck I have, and we have in this country, but not only these 26 players, we have so many more that could be here as well.”
Netherlands fans created a display in the stands for the first leg which depicted Robin van Persie’s spectacular diving header against Spain during a 5-1 with for the Dutch in the 2014 World Cup.
Asked what he would like to see at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium in response, De la Fuente was certain.
“Three nil on the scoreboard,” joked the Spain coach.
“Tomorrow our fans will be fired up, they will put a lot of pressure on and we will feel powered by a supernatural strength.”
The coach thanked Spain fans for the team’s welcome in the east coast city on Friday, as over 20,000 turned up to show their support at an open training session and donated to support renovations following the devastating floods which hit the Valencia region last October.
“I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it... it will be a historic atmosphere,” added De la Fuente.
Spain coach hails emerging talent ahead of Netherlands clash
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Spain coach hails emerging talent ahead of Netherlands clash
- The defender could be paired with the uncapped Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio on Sunday against the Netherlands
- “For us, many of the (breakthrough) players are not surprising, we know the quality of the raw material we have in this country,” De la Fuente said
Riyadh to host final of World Polo Championship Asia qualifiers
- Iran and Pakistan compete for the honor of representing Asia at the 2025 FIP Arena World Polo Championship in the United States
- First time that Saudi Arabia has hosted the Asian final in line with the Kingdom’s successful record of hosting international events across various sports
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will host the final of the 2025 Federation of International Polo (FIP) Arena World Polo Championship Asia qualifiers at the Nofa Equestrian Resort, west of Riyadh.
The highly anticipated event will run from May 8 to 9, 2025, featuring a two-legged playoff between the national teams of Pakistan and Iran, with the winner qualifying for the 2025 FIP Arena World Polo Championship in the United States.
Saudi Polo Federation CEO Faisal bin Duwaiyes said that it is the first time that Saudi Arabia has hosted the Asian final and the achievement is in line with the Kingdom’s successful record of hosting international events across various sports.
Bin Duwaiyes emphasized that preparations for the final began early in coordination with the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the Ministry of Sport, in order to ensure a successful hosting.
Bin Duwaiyes concluded by welcoming the participating delegations and expressed his hope for a strong competitive display that will showcasee the evolution of polo across Asia.
Man Utd seek to finish off Athletic Bilbao in chase for Europa glory
- United have now suffered their highest number of league defeats in a campaign for 35 years
- “Thursday is the most important game. The end of this season is very important,” Amorim said
MANCHESTER: Manchester United are preparing for the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Athletic Bilbao knowing only a calamity will prevent a likely showdown with Tottenham later this month.
Ruben Amorim’s men came away from the first leg in northern Spain last week with one foot firmly in the final, also in Bilbao, after an impressive 3-0 win.
It was an extraordinary result in a season of ceaseless turmoil at United and the club reverted to type on Sunday, crashing to their 16th Premier League loss of a miserable season at Brentford.
United have now suffered their highest number of league defeats in a campaign for 35 years.
They are 15th in the Premier League — on course for their worst finish since they were relegated in 1974, though this time they are safe from the drop.
Amorim has made no secret of his priorities for the rest of the season, making eight changes to his starting team at Brentford, naming the third-youngest side in Premier League history.
“We are losing games in the Premier League, we are fighting for the Europa League, so we need to accept that and to think about Thursday as the most important game for us,” said the Portuguese boss.
“Thursday is the most important game. The end of this season is very important.”
This season and next hang on whether United can complete the job against Athletic and go on to win the final against Tottenham or Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt, with Spurs 3-1 up after the first leg in London.
Winning the competition would not make up for a disastrous Premier League campaign but it would bring a place in the 2025/26 Champions League — a potential game-changer for United financially and for their ability to attract top players.
Former Sporting Lisbon boss Amorim admits that even though winning the Europa League is crucial, his team are not ready to balance the demands of the Premier League and the Champions League.
“We know that, but we need to win, and we need to fight to win this competition (Europa League), to give something to our fans, and to go to the Champions League,” he told Sky Sports.
“Then we will have time to prepare the team to cope with those two competitions. So, it is a dilemma, but we want to win, of course.”
Amorim has had a nightmare start to his United reign — only relegated sides Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have won fewer Premier League matches than United’s tally of six since he replaced the sacked Eric ten Hag in November.
That they are even on the brink of the Europa League final is thanks largely to inspirational captain Bruno Fernandes, who scored two goals in Bilbao in a match in which United were helped by the first-half dismissal of Athletic defender Dani Vivian.
The Portugal international’s 31 goal involvements in 32 knockout-stage appearances in the Europa League (19 goals, 12 assists), are the most of any player in the history of the competition since it was rebranded in 2009.
If Tottenham complete the job in Norway and United progress, they would compete in the sixth all-English final in the Champions League or Europa League.
Spurs themselves have had a traumatic season in the Premier League — they are one place below United with an eye-catching 19 defeats in 35 games.
But Ange Postecoglou still has the chance to make good on his claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club by collecting Tottenham’s first silverware since 2008.
If either English club go on to win the Europa League there would be six Premier League teams in next season’s Champions League.
Morocco’s Elmehdi El-Jamari set for high-stakes clash against Thailand’s Aliff at ONE Fight Night 32
Morocco’s Elmehdi El-Jamari set for high-stakes clash against Thailand’s Aliff at ONE Fight Night 32
- Among his accolades are seven Moroccan Muay Thai championships, two Arab titles, and championship belts under the K-1 and WBC banners
RIYADH: Moroccan Muay Thai standout Elmehdi El-Jamari is set to return to the ring in a thrilling strawweight clash against Thailand’s Aliff Sor Dechapan at ONE Fight Night 32, scheduled for June 7 at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
The highly anticipated bout will see El-Jamari attempt to build on his electrifying debut earlier this year, where he secured a knockout victory over Thongpoon PK Saenchai.
The 27-year-old enters the contest with a sterling professional record of 27 wins and just one loss, bolstered by a decorated career at the national and international levels.
Among his accolades are seven Moroccan Muay Thai championships, two Arab titles, and championship belts under the K-1 and WBC banners.
El-Jamari, the younger brother of fellow ONE Championship athlete Zakaria El-Jamari, is aiming to continue his rise within the division by toppling another local favorite in front of a partisan Thai crowd.
However, he faces a formidable opponent in Aliff Sor Dechapan, one of Thailand’s brightest young talents. The 21-year-old boasts a formidable 60-9 professional record, including a 7-2 run in ONE Championship, where five of his victories have come by stoppage. Aliff enters the bout riding a three-fight win streak, with two of those wins coming via first-round knockouts.
Standing 7 cm taller than his Moroccan opponent and enjoying the backing of the home crowd in Bangkok, Aliff will look to use his reach and momentum to maintain his winning form. But El-Jamari, known for his aggressive striking and well-timed combinations, has proved he can silence a Thai crowd — and will aim to do so again on fight night.
ONE Fight Night 32 will be broadcast live from Bangkok at 3 a.m. Makkah time on beIN SPORTS and via the ONE Championship’s official platform, watch.onefc.com.
Al-Faisal Al-Zubair wins Gold Cup at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch (England): Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT’s Al-Faisal Al-Zubair and teammate Jens Klingmann delivered a sensational performance to win the second of the one-hour Sprint races at the opening round of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Series at Brands Hatch in England on Sunday.
After finishing fifth in the first of the two short races, Al-Zubair and Klingmann delivered a masterclass in pit strategy to kickstart their season in the new series with outright victory in the Gold Cup category and sixth position overall in Sprint Race Two at the helm of the Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
Al-Zubair said: “Starting off doing very minimal laps in the Sprint Championship was something to get used to. Brands Hatch is such a difficult track, and we didn’t have much running time. There were a few red flags in practice. I think we did a total of 20 laps before we got into qualifying. It was not so easy.
“We started off with qualifying on the wrong foot. We finished fifth in class in the first race and then we won the second race. To jump so many people in the second stint and in the pit stop is something that we should be very happy of. It is good to get a start like this, and we can look forward to the rest of the season.”
Al-Zubair began the opening one-hour Sprint race from sixth on the Gold Cup grid but was not able to make headway through the opening laps. Arthur Rougier drove the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari to give the CSA Racing McLaren a brief lead, but Chris Lulham hit the front again in the Ferrari after the mid-race pit stop and driver change.
Klingmann took over from Al-Zubair with the sole target of moving up the field, and he managed to sneak ahead of James Kell in the CSA Racing McLaren following the driver changeovers after 23 laps.
Lulham continued to lead from Louis Prette in the Garage 59 McLaren as the opening Sprint race headed into its closing stages and on to the checkered flag. Klingmann held on to secure a fifth-place finish for the Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW after 42 laps of racing.
Race Two took place in similar cool and overcast conditions in the afternoon. Klingmann took the wheel for the first stint and quickly settled into fourth place behind the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari, the Sainteloc Racing Audi and the Tresor Attempto Racing Audi.
Full course yellows failed to prevent Klingmann from maintaining his position, but the damage was done at the driver changeover when the Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT delivered the strategy to perfection and Al-Zubair hit the front.
The Omani continued to lead from the defending champions, Sainteloc Racing, and overcame another full course yellow to win Race Two with a margin of just under three seconds to Thierry Vermeulen and Lulham in the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 after 37 laps.
Al-Zubair and Klingmann carried out free practice on Saturday morning and ran the Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW for 30 laps. The team carded a best lap of 1 minute 24.186 seconds that put them fifth of the Gold Cup runners. The Emil Frey Racing Ferrari topped the times with a tour of 1 minute 23.178 seconds.
Pre-qualifying was next on the agenda, but the Al-Manar Racing duo could only manage a best lap of 1 minute 24.720 seconds, and the bragging rights from the Gold Cup session went to the Garage 59 McLaren with a time of 1 minute 24.122 seconds.
Qualifying was split into two sessions, and Al-Zubair managed six laps in Q1. The Omani carded a best tour of 1 minute 24.626 seconds, and that put him in sixth in the stint, with Thierry Vermeulen winning Q1 for Emil Frey Racing with a lap of 1 minute 23.374 seconds.
Klingmann fared slightly better in Q2 and was classified fifth in the Gold Cup runners with a best lap of 1 minute 24.012 seconds, with Lulham winning the stint for Emil Frey Racing to claim pole position for the first of the two one-hour Sprint races.
Action in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Series continues at Zandvoort in the Netherlands on May 16-18.
India coach Gambhir wants no cricket with Pakistan
- Two-way cricket between nuclear-armed neighbors remains suspended since 2013
- They play each other only in multi-team tournaments, mostly in neutral venues
NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir personally believes the country should not play any cricket with Pakistan, not even in neutral venues, after a deadly Islamist militant attack in Indian Kashmir last month.
India struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday in response to the April 22 killing of 26 tourists in the Himalayan region.
Two-way cricket between the nuclear-armed neighbors remains suspended since 2013 and they play each other only in multi-team tournaments, mostly in neutral venues.
“My personal answer to this is absolutely no,” Gambhir said on Tuesday, hours before India launched the airstrikes, when asked for his view on India-Pakistan cricket.
“Till all this doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan.”
Any match between the arch-rivals remains a cricketing blockbuster and is declared sold out within hours after tickets go on sale.
India have dominated that rivalry in recent years but emotions still run high on either side of the border whenever the cricket-mad neighbors clash.
Pakistan’s men’s team toured India for the 50-overs World Cup in 2023 but their neighbors have not reciprocated.
India refused to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy earlier this year and played all their matches in Dubai instead.
Gambhir said he would follow whatever the Indian cricket board (BCCI) or the government decide on bilateral cricket with Pakistan.
“Ultimately, this is (the) government’s decision whether we play them or not,” Gambhir said.
“This is not up to me, it’s not in my jurisdiction. This is for BCCI and, more importantly, the government to decide whether we should play them or not.
“Whatever decision they make, we should be absolutely fine with it and not politicize it.”
Last month India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra withdrew his invitation to Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem to compete in a May 24 event in the southern city of Bengaluru following the Kashmir attack.
