MILAN: Jorginho said Tuesday that the difficult work for Italy begins now as the Azzurri prepare to take to the field at home for the first time since their triumph at Euro 2020.
Roberto Mancini’s side face Bulgaria at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday in the first of three 2022 World Cup qualifiers, with fans in Florence set to welcome their summer heroes back to action.
Italy top Group C with a perfect nine points after their first three matches, but with only one guaranteed World Cup spot per group and a trip to Switzerland — who dumped France out of the Euro — coming up on Sunday Chelsea midfielder Jorginho says they need to keep on their toes.
“Now it gets difficult, as Italy are no longer a surprise team,” he told reporters.
“We’ve returned to where we belong, and everyone who comes to play against us will come with a different attitude, so we’re happy with what we’ve achieved but we need to stay humble because the moment you let your guard down bad things start to happen.”
Italy won the Euro playing an expansive style of football which combined with the more traditional dogged, resolute characteristics of the national team guided them to glory by beating some of the tournament’s toughest opposition.
Mancini has managed to combine a pool of talented midfielders, including Jorginho, to dazzling effect, with his team now 34 games unbeaten heading into the Bulgaria match.
“The manager has changed the way that national team plays, I don’t think the message has just been sent to other countries but also to the Italian people, who I think enjoyed themselves watching us,” said Jorginho.
“There are lots of team with extremely good players, but the difference with us is the unity, the group we have is what made the difference and will continue to do so.”
Winning the Euro final against England, at Wembley no less, also gave Jorginho bragging rights on his return to the Chelsea training ground, where he met up with midfield partner Mason Mount and Three Lions full-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James.
“I’ve enjoyed it loads, they didn’t enjoy it much! I have to say they welcomed me back, but thank goodness we won... I enjoyed that little period,” he said.
Jorginho was left “a bit open-mouthed” by Pele saying he was a fan of the 29-year-old after he capped a memorable three months by being named UEFA men’s player of the year last week.
It was the latest high-point of a fertile period for Brazil-born Jorginho in which as well as winning the Euro with Italy he also starred as the Blues claimed the Champions League.
He beat Chelsea teammate N’Golo Kante and Kevin De Bruyne to the prize after helping his team see off the Belgian’s team Manchester City in the final in Porto before then helping Italy to Euro glory.
Asked by one reporter if he was thinking about winning the Ballon d’Or in December, Jorginho laughed.
“There’s a few months for that decision, “he said. “I’m trying to think about now... we’ll what happens later on.”
Difficult work begins for Jorginho as Euro kings Italy restart World Cup bid
https://arab.news/z337n
Difficult work begins for Jorginho as Euro kings Italy restart World Cup bid
- Chelsea midfielder Jorginho says they need to keep on their toes
- "Now it gets difficult, as Italy are no longer a surprise team," he told reporters
Stuttgart beat Hamburg 3-0 in 1st leg of Bundesliga playoff
- The win puts Stuttgart, which finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga, on course to stay in the first division
- Hamburg, the last remaining founding member of the Bundesliga, were relegated in 2018 and have been bidding for promotion since
STUTTGART: Hamburger SV’s five-year wait to rejoin the Bundesliga looks set to continue.
Serhou Guirassy helped to put Stuttgart in a commanding position to keep their place in Germany’s top division with a 3-0 win over Hamburg on Thursday in the first leg of their playoff.
Guirassy had failed to make the most of a one-on-one chance and had a penalty saved in the first half, but the Guinea forward grabbed Stuttgart’s third goal early in the second half.
Hamburg’s task was further complicated in the 69th minute when substitute Anssi Suhonen was sent off minutes after coming on for a studs-up lunge at Josha Vagnoman’s thigh.
The win puts Stuttgart, which finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga, on course to stay in the first division before the second leg of the playoff in Hamburg on Monday. Hamburg finished third in the second division.
There was a minute’s silence before Thursday’s game in tribute to the 15-year-old player who died after a post-match brawl at an international youth tournament in Frankfurt last weekend.
Stuttgart got off to a great start with Konstantinos Mavropanos heading the opener inside the first minute.
The visitors had Daniel Heuer Fernandes to thank for keeping the score down. The Hamburg goalkeeper saved from Chris Führich, then got the better of Guirassy in a one-on-one, and also saved Guirassy’s penalty in the 27th. Two minutes later he produced another save to deflect Führich’s effort away.
Fuhrich effectively created the second goal in the 51st when he eluded two Hamburg defenders and played a perfectly weighted pass for Enzo Millot, who crossed for the unmarked Vagnoman to score.
Guirassy finally scored with a header to a corner three minutes later.
Hamburg, the last remaining founding member of the Bundesliga, were relegated in 2018 and have been bidding for promotion since. They finished fourth in 2019, 2020 and 2021 before finishing third last year for a playoff against Hertha Berlin. Hertha prevailed on that occasion.
Spanish league reaches finish with 6 teams in danger of relegation
- Valladolid are currently in 18th place, the last spot that will tumble along with already demoted Espanyol and Elche
- A victory by the team owned by former Brazil great Ronaldo would be enough to secure salvation
MADRID: Six teams are vying to avoid relegation to the second division as the Spanish league reaches its finish.
Cadiz, Getafe and Valencia each have 41 points, Almeria and Celta have 40, and Valladolid has 39 heading into the final round of games.
Valladolid are currently in 18th place, the last spot that will tumble along with already demoted Espanyol and Elche. But Valladolid have their fate in their hands because they host 14th-place Getafe on Sunday.
A victory by the team owned by former Brazil great Ronaldo would be enough to secure salvation, but a draw could do the trick depending on other results. A draw by Getafe would be enough for the modest Madrid-based club to stay up.
Cadiz, in 14th place, will play at Elche needing only a draw to ensure they survive.
Valencia, which eliminated Espanyol last weekend with a stoppage-time goal, need a draw from their trip to Real Betis, which have already secured a Europa League berth.
A draw would also suffice Almeria at Espanyol.
Celta, which have entered a nosedive in recent weeks, host champion Barcelona needing a victory to control their fate. A draw would leave them depending on other results. Fortunately for Celta, Barcelona have nothing to play for.
Nearer to the top of the standings, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao are tied on points and both wanting to clinch the Conference League berth that goes with a seventh-place finish.
Osasuna host Girona, while Bilbao are at Real Madrid.
LAST GAMES
Barcelona veterans Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who have won multiple titles between them, will play their last game for the club.
But Madrid’s game at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium could potentially be the last appearances for the pillars of their multiple Champions Leagues over the past decade.
Karim Benzema and Luka Modric, both Ballon d’Or winners, along with Toni Kroos and Marco Asensio are all on contracts that expire at the end of June. The club and players have reportedly been in talks about their futures, but nothing has officially been decided.
Australia’s Steve Smith wary of Pakistani cricketers Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi ahead of Test tour
- Pakistan will tour Australia for a three-match Test series in December 2023/January 2024
- Steve Smith describes Babar Azam as a ‘dangerous’ batter who makes big scores at decent pace
ISLAMABAD: Former Australian captain Steve Smith said in a video uploaded by Cricket Australia on Thursday that the Aussies would be wary of “dangerous” Pakistani batter Babar Azam and fiery pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, as the former world champions build the hype for Pakistan’s upcoming tour of the country in December 2023/January 2024.
Pakistan will make a trip Down Under in December 2023 to take on Australia for the Benaud-Qadir Trophy between the two sides. The three Tests – part of the third World Test Championship cycle – will be played at Perth, Melbourne and Sydney in December and January.
The tour will kick off with the first Test at Peth on December 14 and will mark the first instance of Pakistan playing a Test at the venue. The two teams will face off in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26-30 while the third and final match will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3, 2024.
Pakistan will have high hopes from its all-format skipper Azam and fiery left-handed fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi. In recent years, the two cricketers have become a mainstay in Pakistan’s national squad for all formats of the game.
Azam is currently the only batter in the world who is ranked among the top five batters in all three formats of the game. He is the number one ranked batter in ODIs and is placed at number three in the international men’s T20I rankings while in Tests, he is placed at number five. Afridi is ranked at number five in the Test bowlers’ rankings while in ODIs, he is placed at number 10.
“Babar Azam is a wonderful player,” Smith said. “The last few years he’s got better and better. He’s someone we have to look out for, he’s dangerous.”
Smith said Azam is a better who makes “big scores” and does so at a decent pace.
The Australian batter said Afridi had considerably improved as well over the years, adding that the lanky bowler’s lethal pace with swing is an added advantage.
“The ability to swing it back is obviously a big key for him,” Smith said, adding that the team would be on the lookout for Afridi’s dangerous bowling as well.
“They’re a great team to play against and their supporters are always there, cheering them on, which is great.”
Rybakina beats Czech teen to reach 3rd round at French Open, Keys loses
- The Wimbledon champion, the No. 4 seed at Roland Garros, beat 18-year-old Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen
- “I cannot say that here it’s easy for me. It’s still every match getting better and better,” Rybakina said on court
PARIS: Elena Rybakina’s comfort on clay improved as she eased into the third round at the French Open by beating another Czech teenager on Thursday.
The Wimbledon champion, the No. 4 seed at Roland Garros, beat 18-year-old Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
“I cannot say that here it’s easy for me. It’s still every match getting better and better,” Rybakina said on court. “It was a bit slippery for me today, I don’t know why.”
She ought to be feeling cosy on dirt after winning the Italian Open, but the 6-foot (1.8-meter) Kazakh is banking most of her confidence on her height advantage.
“This is my good weapon,” she said, “but, at the same time, to move on clay it’s not easy. It’s always I need more to prepare and, of course, be more patient during the rallies.”
The Australian Open runner-up hit 30 winners to Noskova’s 16, though both players had 26 unforced errors.
“I was struggling a lot on her serves,” the Moscow-born Rybakina said.
Rybakina, who beat Brenda Fruhvirtova in the first round, will next face Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain.
No. 20 Madison Keys committed a whopping 74 unforced errors in her 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 loss to fellow American player Kayla Day on Court Simonne Mathieu.
The 23-year-old Day, who won the girls’ title at the 2016 US Open, is ranked 138th and came through qualifying to make her Roland Garros main-draw debut. She beat French wild card Kristina Mladenovic in the first round.
Later, defending champion and No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek faces Claire Liu of the United States. Coco Gauff — last year’s runner-up — takes on Julia Grabher of Austria.
Top men in action include two-time major finalist Casper Ruud, No. 8 Jannik Sinner and No. 12 Frances Tiafoe.
No. 18 Alex de Minaur of Australia lost to Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3.
Koepka deserves Ryder Cup spot: McIlroy
- Those Masters and PGA results have left Koepka second in the overall US standings for the Ryder Cup team
- Rahm said in Ohio this week that where players choose to play should not affect Ryder Cup eligibility
WASHINGTON: Rory McIlroy said Wednesday that LIV Golf star Brooks Koepka has earned the right to a place on the United States’ Ryder Cup team following his PGA Championship triumph.
Koepka bagged his fifth major title at the PGA Championship earlier this month, just weeks after a second place finish at the Masters.
Those results have left Koepka second in the overall US standings for the Ryder Cup team, meaning he would normally be a shoo-in to make the American squad.
However, with the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit at loggerheads, it remains unclear whether LIV Golf players will be eligible for Ryder Cup spots.
McIlroy — one of the most vocal critics of LIV Golf — believes however that Koepka should be on the US team that will face Europe at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome in September.
“I certainly think Brooks deserves to be on the United States team,” McIlroy said Wednesday ahead of this week’s PGA Tour Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.
“I think with how he’s played, I mean, he’s second in the US standings, only played two counting events.
“I don’t know if there’s anyone else on the LIV roster that would make the team on merit and how they’re playing.
“But Brooks is definitely a guy that I think deserves to be on the US team.”
McIlroy, however, is adamant that former European Tour players who have signed for LIV — including Ryder Cup stalwarts such as Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia — should not be eligible for the tournament.
“I have different feelings about the European team and the other side and sort of how that has all transpired,” McIlroy said.
“I don’t think any of those guys should be a part of the European team.”
Europe were initially due to be captained by Sweden’s Henrik Stenson at this year’s Ryder Cup. Stenson was stripped of the captaincy however after joining LIV. He was subsequently replaced by Luke Donald.
Spanish star Garcia — Europe’s all-time leading Ryder Cup scorer with 28.5 points from 10 appearances — said recently that Donald had already told him he had “no chance” of making the European team as a captain’s pick.
That decision was greeted with dismay by Garcia’s fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm.
Rahm said in Ohio this week that where players choose to play should not affect Ryder Cup eligibility.
“It’s a little sad to me that politics have gotten in the way of such a beautiful event,” Rahm said on Tuesday.
“It’s the best Europeans against the best American, period. And whatever is going on, who is playing LIV and who is not playing LIV to me shouldn’t matter.”
Rahm added that Garcia’s exclusion from Ryder Cup contention was hard to stomach.
“I have a hard time to believe that the best player Europe has ever had, the most successful player Europe has had on the Ryder Cup isn’t fit to be on the team,” Rahm said.
“It’s unfortunate. I will miss him.”
