LONDON: Wayne Rooney is the joint-fourth highest goalscorer in the Premier League this season, one of only two players to have hit double figures 18 games in. It’s true that three of those have been penalties, and one a penalty that was saved but that he then converted on the rebound but, still, that’s a far better return than many anticipated when he returned to Everton at the beginning of the season. There have also been four assists. Rooney is playing well and, more than that, is transparently enjoying his football again.
Which has led, inevitably, to suggestions that he should never have left Manchester United. Those comments have grown ever louder as
Romelu Lukaku has struggled to impose himself on big games. Were United hasty? Would they be better off with Rooney leading the line. To which the only answer is, no, of course not. Remember the last two seasons. Remember how he seemed to slow the game down, whether playing as a forward or in midfielder. Was there a major United game Rooney imposed himself on? Not recently.
What works in one environment will not necessarily work in another. It’s obviously impossible to know how Rooney would have fared had he stayed at United but this seems like a case of a transfer that’s worked for everybody. United got him off the books and so they’re now able to perm two from Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford without all the questions and all the scrutiny that comes for any side leaving Rooney out.
Rooney, meanwhile, got to return to his boyhood club. He got to experience the acclaim of the fans of which he was once a part. If he hadn’t gone back to Everton, there would always have been a doubt in his mind as to whether his decision to leave for Old Trafford in 2004 had ever been forgiven. That doubt is there no longer. Each goal, each good performance, each bead of sweat, pays off some of whatever emotional debt was left.
He looks younger, fresher, lither. He is only 32 but he had always seemed old for his age. In part that was put down to body type — for all the doubts about his lifestyle, he could have spent as much time in the gym as Cristiano Ronaldo and still had a slightly doughy aspect — and in part the sheer weight of football he has played, yet swapping a red shirt for a blue seems to have taken the years off him. There is a freedom and a joy about his play.
Perhaps that’s down to a release of pressure – and giving up playing for England must help in that regard – or perhaps it’s more about how sides tend to set up against Everton, giving him more space. Perhaps it’s something more primal than that and returning to Everton has reminded Rooney of the joy football used to bring him. Certainly he looks happier than he has for a long time.
His goal from inside his own half against West Ham was the strike of somebody elevated by confidence: he was prepared to take the risk of looking foolish and he hit the ball with great power and accuracy. It doesn’t matter to anything other than the aesthetic, but the fact the ball faded just sufficiently to bounce over the center of goal-line felt significant. Rooney hadn’t just hit the target; he’d hit the middle of the target.
Nobody — even Rooney himself — can truly claim to know the reasons for his upturn. Form is necessarily nebulous. It comes and goes and all anybody can do is try to create the conditions to encourage form when it does flicker. But it seems likely that shift from Old Trafford has had the effect of hitting a reset button — just as returning to Monaco did for Radamel Falcao — and that without a move there wouldn’t have been the same upturn.
There’s no guarantee that a top player will thrive having taken a step back, but the fact that Rooney is having fun again is a lesson for everybody. There comes a point when struggling on at the highest level makes no sense any more, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the end. And nor does Rooney’s good form mean anything other than going back to Everton was the right decision.
Wayne Rooney enjoying a renaissance at Everton
Wayne Rooney enjoying a renaissance at Everton
South Korea expresses regret after its athletes introduced as North Korea at Olympics opening ceremony
- South Korea’s delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events
- North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes
SEOUL: South Korea expressed regret that its delegation of athletes at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday was introduced as from rival North Korea and has demanded assurances from organizers the mistake will not happen again.
As the boat carrying South Korean athletes passed on the Seine, the announcer introduced them as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” — the official name of North Korea — in French and English.
The announcer used the same introduction when the North Korean delegation passed.
South Korea’s vice minister for sports and culture, Jang Mi-ran, who was in Paris, had requested a meeting with International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach, the ministry said in a statement.
“We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering,” it said.
South Korea’s National Olympic Committee immediately referred the incident to the Games’ organizers and requested that the error will not be repeated.
South Korea’s delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events. North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes.
‘Someone wake me up,’ says Habib ahead of Alcaraz clash at Olympics
- “I was in shock when I heard,” the Texas-born player told AFP
- “Hopefully I can inspire lots of people in Lebanon“
PARIS: When Carlos Alcaraz was winning $3.5 million for lifting the Wimbledon trophy, Hady Habib was more than 5,000km away, collecting a meagre $1,350 at a low-level tournament in Canada.
Two weeks on, the 25-year-old from Lebanon now finds himself taking on the world number three in the first round at the Olympics.
“I was in shock when I heard,” the Texas-born player told AFP.
“Hopefully I can inspire lots of people in Lebanon.”
Habib, ranked a lowly 275 in the world, was only scheduled to play doubles at the Olympics alongside Benjamin Hassan.
However, following a series of injury pullouts, he moved into the singles draw as an alternate.
“The day after that, I’m drawn to be playing Carlos Alcaraz. So this has been an interesting five days for me.”
He added: “I was at the practice courts when I got the email. All happened so fast. Life can just change in an instant. You could say it’s a fairytale.”
Habib’s career has been spent on the second-tier circuit since he turned pro in 2021 after studying at university in Texas.
Now he will be the first man from Lebanon to represent his country in tennis at the Olympic Games.
The whole experience has left him starstruck.
“The first day I arrived, I was walking around a little bit lost just opening a door and going in somewhere.
“When I walked in the gym the first day, I saw Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and I was just, ‘Wow, this has to be a dream. Someone wake me up’.”
SAFF announces second season of Women’s Football Clubs Development Fund Program
- Total support fund has increased to SR60m, representing SR10m rise from previous season
- 70 women’s clubs to receive support across various leagues and tournaments
- SAFF has introduced new criteria to ensure continuous growth and professional development of women’s game
RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has announced season two of the Women’s Football Clubs Development Fund Program.
The announcement is part of the SAFF’s commitment to nurturing and promoting women’s football across the Kingdom.
For the 2024-25 season, the total support fund has increased to SR60 million ($15.99 million), representing a SR10 million rise from the previous season.
Building on the success of the inaugural season, the SAFF said the season’s program will extend its support to 70 women’s football clubs participating in various competitions, including the SAFF Women’s Premier League, SAFF Women’s First Division League, SAFF Women’s Second Division League, SAFF Women’s Cup, SAFF Women’s U17 Tournament and the Women’s Futsal Tournament.
As part of the enhanced program for the new season, SAFF has introduced new criteria to ensure the continuous growth and professional development of women’s football.
The new criteria for women’s football clubs include sponsorship criteria requiring clubs to attract sponsors; scouting criteria mandating the appointment of an official scout by clubs; medical criteria requiring clubs to appoint a doctor and issue medical reports; fan criteria encouraging increased attendance at matches; nutrition criteria requiring clubs to appoint a nutrition specialist; technology criteria mandating the use of GPS to assess player fitness levels, and women’s futsal criteria necessitating the establishment of an organizational structure, the appointment of a head coach, and the appointment of a team manager.
Lamia Bahaian, vice president of the SAFF, said: “We’ve seen incredible progress in women’s football over the past year, and the increased support fund for this season is a clear indication of our commitment to pushing even further. Our aim is to create more opportunities for women in football and build a strong foundation for the sport in Saudi Arabia.”
She continued: “With the expansion of our program, we’re not only increasing the number of participating clubs but also enhancing the quality of the teams participating in our competitions. We’re focused on providing the necessary resources and support to help our players, coaches, and teams thrive. This season promises to be an exciting chapter for women’s football, and we’re eager to see the continued growth and success of our athletes.”
Last season, significant strides were made with the hiring of 18 Saudi coaches, and 91 percent of clubs’ head coaches now hold an A coaching license. Additionally, 24 percent of clubs have coaches with a pro license, highlighting the increasing professionalization within women’s football.
Further achievements include the establishment of U17 teams by 56 percent of clubs, providing a platform for young female footballers to develop their skills.
The SAFF said 87 professional contracts were signed with Saudi players, marking a significant milestone in the development of women’s football in the Kingdom.
First positive doping test at Paris Olympics is Iraqi judoka for anabolic steroids
- Sajjad Sehen, a 28-year-old first-time Olympian, tested positive for metandienone and boldenone
PARIS: A male judoka from Iraq tested positive for two anabolic steroids at the Paris Olympics, the International Testing Agency said Friday.
Sajjad Sehen, a 28-year-old first-time Olympian, tested positive for metandienone and boldenone in a sample taken in Paris on Tuesday. He was due to compete next Tuesday.
Sehen is provisionally suspended while a disciplinary case is prosecuted, said the ITA, which oversees the games-time anti-doping program for the International Olympic Committee.
“This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity during the Olympic Games,” the agency said.
Sehen was due to compete in the men’s 81 kilogram class, starting Tuesday in the round of 32 against an opponent from Uzbekistan.
Amid downpour, Paris welcomes the world with unique Olympic opening
- Friday saw suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s flagship high-speed rail network
- Cloudy skies and forecast rains ahead of the sprawling, ambitious opening ceremony
PARIS: Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
On-and-off showers — the first rain at a Summer Olympics’ opening ceremony in more than 70 years — did not seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river in a showcase of the city’s resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s high-speed rail network.
Athletes from Saudi Arabia will be competing across four sports at the Games — athletics, equestrian, swimming and taekwondo — and you can read a guide to everything about them, their preparation and their Olympics schedule here.
Likewise, there are dozens of Arab athletes taking part in this year’s Games, you can check out Arab News’ guide to the best male competitors and female athletes representing the Middle East and North Africa.
Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials called coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines as well as the weather had dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony.
Still, crowds crammed the Seine’s banks and bridges and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway that got increasingly choppy as the weather worsened.
Undeterred from the festivities, many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas and jackets as the rain intensified, others danced and sang, and some dashed from their seats for shelter.
“I invite everybody: dream with us. Like the Olympic athletes, be inspired with the joy that only sport can give us. Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit of living in peace,” International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach said.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Olympic Games open as a jaw-dropping light show on the Eiffel Tower made up for the rain-soaked start.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane handed the torch to another legend, French Open tennis record-breaker Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard took a boat trip with Americans Serena Williams and Carl Lewis to start the torches final relay.
French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec and French judoka Teddy Riner got the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Throughout the Olympics, you can follow all the action from Paris at the designated Arab News Sport section here.
Read about the highlights below (all times BST):
22:30 - That wraps up our live coverage of the opening ceremony of what will no doubt be an exciting Olympic games in Paris.
Follow our coverage of all the action here for the next fortnight.
22:30 - A look at that magnificent Olympic cauldron. It uses light and water to mimic a fire and will remain in the Paris skyline for the next fifteen days.
22:28 - Canadian singer Celine Dion brings the show to a close as she sings on Eiffel Tower.
22:24 - France’s Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic cauldron.
22:19 - Torch-bearers are getting the flame to the destination where it will be for the duration of the games.
22:05 - Paris lights up the Eiffel Tower to welcome the Olympics
21:55 - Zinedine Zidane passes on the Olympic torch to record French Open-champion Rafael Nadal, who has just passed it to fellow tennis royalty Serena Williams. We're not too far away from the all-important moment of its lighting...
20:00 - We've had more images of the Saudi delegation, it's looking very wet in Paris this evening. But spirits remain high!
Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait have also sailed past in the athletes' parade.
19:15 - In case you missed it in all the drama, Lady Gaga performed a catchy little jazz ditty on the banks of the Seine...
18:45 - Our first glimpse of Arab delegations on the River Seine! The Saudi Arabia and Bahrain teams float past...
18:30 - We're underway!
18:15 - All smiles on the Saudi Arabia team as they prepare for their appearance at the opening ceremony!
18:00 - We're about 30 minutes from the start of the ceremony, and the crowds are beginning to build on the banks of the River Seine. Not long to go now.
17:30 - One of the highlights of the pre-Games events is the Olympic torch relay. It travels from Greece all around the world before ending its journey at the host city, in this case Paris. Watch a clip of its journey below:
17:15 - Despite the rocky start to Friday and the threat of a deluge on the French capital, the opening ceremony organizers are still in a positive mood. Which is probably just as well...
16:45 - Actress Michelle Yeoh has shared a heart-warming message about the Olympic Refugee Team, who will be representing more than 100 million displaced people worldwide.
16:35 - We're still being teased as to who will performing at the ceremony. Any predictions? Let us know at @ArabNewsSport...
16:30 - French President Emmanuel Macron has started welcoming several dozen of heads of state and government at the Elysee presidential palace. Macron’s office said the Elysee reception was “an opportunity for France to deliver a message of peace and tolerance as 10,500 athletes from around the world gather to take part in the world’s biggest event.”
About 100 world leaders, government officials and heads of international organizations are expected to attend the ceremony later on.
16:15 - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that he absolutely condemned the saboteurs who struck France's TGV high-speed train network and hoped for the quick identification of the perpetrators. You can read about the arson attack here.
16:00 - The International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has taken part in the Olympic flame relay as the Opening Ceremony nears.
15:45 - French TV shows Pharrell Williams carrying the Olympic flame atop the cathedral of Saint-Denis, on the northern outskirts of Paris.
His appearance follows superstar rapper Snoop Dogg being given the honor of carrying the flame earlier on Friday, which you can read more about below. Hopefully, he didn't drop it like it's hot...
Camping out for the opening ceremony
People arrived hours before the start of the opening ceremony along the Seine River, seeking the best spot at the viewing areas. Some brought folding chairs, books, sandwiches and water.
Monica Merino, 57, came to Paris from Madrid for the Olympics and said it would be her first time watching the opening ceremony in person.
“We have visited Paris many times, and it is very different now because it is empty of people and full of military and police,” she said.
Giannis skirts train troubles
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, selected as one of his country’s flagbearers, avoided Friday’s train issues altogether.
He left Lille on Thursday, traveling in a convoy of buses alongside players from a few other teams. A team spokesperson said multiple teams chose to travel at the same time for security purposes.
Germany’s men’s team boarded buses bound for the ceremony Friday morning, having never planned to travel by train. The plan was to then to immediately head back to Lille for Saturday’s game against Japan.
The Paris Olympics have sold a record 9.7 million tickets — but more are available
After getting off to a rocky start last year, Olympics 2024 organizers said the Paris Games have broken the record for the most number of tickets sold or allocated in the event’s history. And yet, tickets are still available.
Organizers say 9.7 million tickets were sold or allocated for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 8.7 million sold for the former and 1 million for the latter.
For Paris, a total of 10 million tickets were put on sale for the Olympics — meaning that despite the historic popularity of the sporting events and unprecedented scale of this year’s competitions, there will still be many empty seats remaining.
The total ticketing figure will, however, likely rise because tickets are still on sale for some of the 45 sports.
Snoop Dogg keeps it lit
The rapper-turned-NBC Olympics correspondent was one of the final Olympic torch bearers before the opening ceremony. He carried the flame in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.
In an interview before his leg of the relay, Snoop Dogg vowed to be on his “best behavior.”
“I’m going to be on my best athleticism. I’ll be able to breathe slow to walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face, because I realize how prestigious this event is,” he said.
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes stopped en route to Paris
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the western Atlantique line were stopped hours before the opening ceremony, rail company SNCF said.
One train was canceled, and authorities hope the other will become operational.
* With AP
