World Sports
UAE To Host Club World Cup In Early 2022
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host this season’s Club World Cup in early 2022, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.
Japan was originally scheduled to stage the tournament in December this year but withdrew last month due to the Covid-19 situation in the country.
“It was decided (at the Fifa Council meeting) that the Club World Cup 2021 will be played in early 2022, the precise dates are still to be defined, but the hosts after the withdrawal of Japan because of the pandemic, the hosts will be the UAE…” said Infantino.
The UAE has staged the tournament four times before — in 2009, 2010, 2017 and 2018.
Fifa last year chose Japan as host for a traditional seven-club event after an expanded 24-team tournament, originally scheduled for China in June 2021, was delayed due to the pandemic.
The annual competition brings together the champions from the six global confederations as well as the host nation’s league winners.
In other sports news, Fifa has disclosed it will try to find a consensus on hosting the World Cup every two years in time for a virtual global summit on 20 December, Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.
The president of world football’s governing body told a press conference that there were sharply different opinions on the idea stemming from different global regions.
Infantino said he thought it was possible to reach a common position.
“That must be our main objective: to reach a consensus,” he said.
He stressed that so far, Fifa had not asked countries whether or not they agreed with the proposals but had simply presented them to trigger discussion.
“I do believe we can reach a consensus because what I’ve said from the beginning is that we’re going to change things only if we are completely convinced that it will be beneficial for everybody,” said Infantino.
He also suggested the days of one country hosting a World Cup on its own were numbered.
The World Cup has been played every four years, apart from cancellations during World War II, since the inaugural edition in 1930.
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Source: GhArticles.com
World Sports
Real Madrid Stun Manchester City With Historic Comeback
Manchester City suffered one of the most remarkable Champions League collapses as Real Madrid came back from the abyss to set up a final showdown with Liverpool.
City were two goals ahead on aggregate going into the 90th minute after Riyad Mahrez’s strike had added to their 4-3 first-leg win last week.
And then Rodrygo happened.
The Brazilian substitute turned home Karim Benzema’s left-wing ball from close range in the final minute – with Real’s very first shot on target.
And 90 seconds later he levelled the tie with a header into the top corner after Marco Asensio flicked on Dani Carvajal’s cross.
That sent an already rowdy Bernabeu into absolute euphoria.
City, who thought they were going through to a second consecutive all-English Champions League final, were shell-shocked.
Both sides had chances to win the tie before the full-time whistle. Ederson denied Rodrygo a quick-fire hat-trick and then an unmarked Phil Foden fired over inside the box.
And so to extra time the game went – and it was Real who got the decisive goal in maybe the greatest Champions League semi-final ever.
Real Madrid Stun Manchester City With Historic Comeback
Benzema beat Ruben Dias to a loose ball in the box and was brought down by the City defender. He stepped up to take the penalty himself and scored his 43rd goal of the season. There is no doubt it is the most important.
Real’s Thibaut Courtois, who was by far the busier keeper, tipped away Foden’s header with Fernandinho inches away from scoring the rebound – but City could not find a goal to send it to penalties.
That sets up a repeat of the most memorable Champions League final of recent years, when Real beat Liverpool 3-1 in 2018.
For City and manager Pep Guardiola now, the Premier League title – they sit one point above Liverpool with four games to go – is their only target.
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World Sports
They Killed Me Second Time In 4 Months – Mino Raiola Finally Breaks Silence Amidst Death Rumor
The prominent football agent Mino Raiola has tweeted to say he is alive, in response to multiple reports in Italy and then rehashed across other European media outlets that he had died.
The Italy-born Dutch national, one of football’s most powerful and high-earning agents, tweeted: “Current health status for the ones wondering: pissed off second time in 4 months they kill me. Seem also able to ressuscitate [sic].”
Current health status for the ones wondering: pissed off second time in 4 months they kill me. Seem also able to ressuscitate.
— Mino Raiola (@MinoRaiola) April 28, 2022
His statement came after Dr Alberto Zangrillo from San Raffaele hospital in Milan told the news agency Ansa: “I’m outraged by the phone calls from pseudo-journalists speculating on the life of a man who is fighting to survive.”
Raiola, whose clients include Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is understood to have been living with a serious illness since January.
A tweet from Raiola’s official account in January said he had undergone medical checks requiring anaesthesia, but that he had not had emergency surgery.
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World Sports
BREAKING NEWS: Mino Raiola Dies At Age 54
Mino Raiola has passed away aged 54 following an illness.
The Italian was one of the biggest football agents in the world, representing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Erling Haalandf, Marco Verratti, Moise Kean, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Mario Balotelli any more more high-profile figures.
The news was announced by reporters in Italy on Thursday.
Raiola played a role in many big-money transfers during his successful career, such as Pogba’s record-breaking move from Juventus to Manchester United in the summer of 2016.
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Source: GhArticles.com