Pep sounds alarm as Real loom
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has sounded the alarm bells ahead of next week’s Champions League semifinal at Real Madrid after back-to-back defeats in the Bundesliga. “If we play like we have done in the last three league games, we won’t be reaching any finals,” said Guardiola as Bayern bid to reach their fourth Champions League final in five years. The 43-year-old is encountering his first difficult period at Bayern and was more animated and self-critical than usual in Tuesday’s press conference, 24 hours before Bayern’s German Cup semifinal at home to second-division Kaiserslautern. Since winning the Bundesliga title three weeks ago with a record seven matches to spare, Bayern have won one of their last five games, including back-to-back league defeats at Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund, who romped to a 3-0 win in Munich on Saturday. Bayern are bidding to repeat last season’s treble of Champions League, German Cup and Bundesliga titles, but Guardiola admits he is bemused by the sudden drop in form.
Beckham’s stadium plans face growing opposition
David Beckham’s ambitions of seeing his new Miami football team playing at an eye-catching state-of-the-art stadium at the city’s port are facing growing local opposition. An influential group striving to safeguard “the long-term success of the port” has issued an open letter railing against the former England football star’s stadium plans, saying thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in investment could be at risk. “We support a soccer franchise in Miami wholeheartedly and there are several suitable sites that would benefit tremendously from a stadium. However, Port Miami is not one of them,” Miami Seaport Alliance said in its letter. “We cannot support locating a stadium at Port Miami due to the risks it would pose to jobs, cruise and cargo operations, and the port’s promising future.” The alliance, which counts cruise lines and cargo carriers among its members, added: “Even the hint of a disruptive, non-port operation – such as a stadium – could put thousands of jobs at risk.”
FIFA and UEFA mark 25th Hillsborough anniversary
The world governing body FIFA and Europe’s UEFA on Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy in which 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives. FIFA said that its president Joseph Blatter has sent a letter to the Football Association, saying: “I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the 96 who so tragically lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster. “It is above all important to honour and remember the innocent victims of 15 April 1989.” UEFA president Michel Platini said in a statement: “The thoughts of UEFA and the European football family remain with the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy, 25 years ago.” The 96 died on April 15, 1989, at Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield at the FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The game was abandoned after six minutes. FIFA said that the flags of all member associations at its Zurich headquarters were flown at half-mast Tuesday. Liverpool were conducting their annual memorial service at Anfield Tuesday.
Man City, PSG face FFP sanctions
Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain both face substantial punishments for failing to comply with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, British newspaper the Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday. The paper said that City faced a “huge” penalty for breaching the regulations, which were introduced by European governing body UEFA to prevent clubs from spending beyond their means. According to the paper, French champions PSG will also be penalised by UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), which was due to meet for the first time on Tuesday and Wednesday. A central tenet of FFP is that clubs were forbidden from making losses of over €45 million (RM180m) during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, with exceptions for certain forms of expenditure. Each bankrolled by mega-rich owners from the Middle East, City and PSG both spent heavily on new players during that period. City’s outlay helped them to win the Premier League title in 2012, while PSG claimed the Ligue 1 crown the following season.
Villa suspend backroom pair
Aston Villa announced on Tuesday they had suspended assistant manager Ian Culverhouse and head of football operations Gary Karsa, without providing further explanation. “The club can confirm that Gordon Cowans and Shay Given have been temporarily promoted to assist manager Paul Lambert and his first-team coaching staff,” read a statement on the club website. “The club can also confirm in response to media speculation that Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa have been suspended pending an internal investigation.” Manager Paul Lambert said he was looking forward to working alongside former Villa players Cowans and Given ahead of Saturday’s home game with Southampton, but did not comment on the suspensions of Culverhouse and Karsa. “I’m delighted to have Gordon and Shay to assist me in preparing the team for Saturday, which is what the whole group is focused on,” he said in the statement. Villa are currently 14th in the Premier League, four points above the relegation places with five games to play.
Minnows aim to “kick it like Dortmund” at Bayern
German Cup giant-killers Kaiserslautern aim to take a leaf out of Borussia Dortmund’s book when they bid to claim a shock semifinal win at holders Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Dortmund stunned Bayern 3-0 at Munich’s Allianz Arena in the league last Saturday as the European champions suffered their first Bundesliga defeat at home since October 2012. Second division Kaiserslautern, who earned an upset quarterfinal victory at Champions League side Bayer Leverkusen and beat Hertha Berlin in the second round, have not won in Munich for 17 years. “‘Kick it like Dortmund’ and everything will be OK. If only it was that simple,” said Kaiserslautern coach Kosta Runjaic when asked if Dortmund’s victory in Munich gave cause for hope. “We have to be realistic. Bayern are the best side in the world, they are powerful and the game is theirs to lose. We have only a minimal chance, but we will try to take it.”
Ronaldo out of Cup final, Ancelotti confirms
World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed. The Portuguese star has missed Real’s last three games due to the problem and Ancelotti said he didn’t want to risk him with their Champions League semifinal, first leg against Bayern Munich just a week away. “Cristiano is not available because we don’t want to take risks and we have other very important games to come this season,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. However, Madrid have lost only once in 10 games without Ronaldo so far this season and Ancelotti believes the likes of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Angel di Maria can compensate for the loss of the former Manchester United man.
Toure out for ‘up to two weeks’
Premier League title contenders Manchester City expect to be without influential midfielder Yaya Toure for around two weeks due to a leg muscle injury, manager Manuel Pellegrini revealed on Tuesday. “Yaya has a muscle injury. We will see with the doctor how many days,” Pellegrini told a press conference. “Maybe it is not so hard as we thought at the beginning, but I think he needs at least 10 days or two weeks to recover.” One of City’s outstanding performers this season, Toure appeared to sustain the injury as he shot at goal in the early stages of his side’s 3-2 loss at Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday. News of his unavailability arrives at an untimely moment for Pellegrini, whose side are currently seven points behind league leaders Liverpool with two games in hand. Toure, 30, stands to miss the forthcoming home matches against Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion, as well as the trip to Crystal Palace on April 27.
No offer from United for Kroos
Treble winners Bayern Munich have received no offer from Manchester United for Germany midfielder Toni Kroos, club spokesman Markus Hoerwick said Tuesday. Hoerwick made the statement at a news conference after British daily The Guardian reported that the Premier League champions United are offering Kroos £260,000 (RM1.3m) a week for a move to Old Trafford. United’s interest in the 24-year-old defensive midfielder has long been reported, and manager David Moyes needs to strengthen the team in summer after a poor Premier League campaign in which they will not qualify for the next Champions League. Kroos, who played in both games as Munich knocked United out in the Champions League quarterfinals last week, has a contract at the Bundesliga top club until 2015. He is the only Bayern star who has not renewed his deal, saying he will decide in summer. “They (club officials) are doing everything to make him stay. It is up to Toni … We would like to keep him,” coach Pep Guardiola said Tuesday. “We will see at the end of the season. Manchester United will have to talk to the club.”