MILAN: Footballers should respect the money they make and their employers, Serie A Chief Executive Luigi De Siervo said on Wednesday in response to AC Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot’s concerns over his club’s planned league match in Australia.
Italy’s Serie A have turned the unavailability of the San Siro in February due to the Winter Olympics into an opportunity for Italian football to increase international visibility, and Milan’s fixture with Como will be played in Perth.
Rabiot, currently on international duty with France, called the decision crazy when he spoke to French newspaper Le Figaro on Tuesday.
“I was surprised when I learned that AC Milan will be playing a Serie A match against Como ... in Australia,” Rabiot said.
“It’s completely crazy. But these are financial agreements to give visibility to the league, things that are beyond us.
“There’s a lot of talk about schedules and player health, but this all seems truly absurd. It’s crazy to travel so many miles for a match between two Italian teams in Australia. We have to adapt, as always.”
De Siervo, attending a Serie A assembly meeting in Rome, was asked about Rabiot’s remarks that these decisions are taken without the input of players.
“He’s right, but Rabiot forgets, like all footballers who earn millions of euros, that they are paid to carry out an activity, to play football,” De Siervo told reporters.
“He should have respect for the money he earns, complying with the wishes of his employer, Milan, who accepted and pushed for this match to be played abroad.”
UEFA, while opposed to domestic league matches being played abroad, reluctantly approved the fixture on Monday (along with a LaLiga game in Miami), saying that FIFA’s regulatory framework, still under review, lacks sufficient clarity and detail.
De Siervo, however, believes football needs to follow the example of other sports if the game is to continue to grow.
“Last year’s Tour de France started from Florence, the Giro d’Italia often begins abroad. This is done to strengthen the product, not weaken it,” he said of the cycling events.
“The NFL and NBA have been playing away from the US for years, with the concept of being a global product.
“UEFA said it was against it, but accepted the exceptional nature of this event. We believe, however, that this can be a model that the world of football, with precise rules, must follow if it is not to lose out to other sports.”
Serie A chief dismisses Rabiot concerns over Milan’s Australia fixture
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Serie A chief dismisses Rabiot concerns over Milan’s Australia fixture
- Italy’s Serie A have turned the unavailability of the San Siro in February due to the Winter Olympics into an opportunity for Italian football to increase international visibility
- Rabiot said: “It’s completely crazy”
Gulf Giants start DP World ILT20 Season 4 with 6-wicket victory over MI Emirates
- Nissanka’s 81 and Omarzai’s all-round display trump Pollard’s half-century
DUBAI: The Gulf Giants began their DP World ILT20 Season 4 campaign with a clinical six-wicket victory against the MI Emirates on Thursday.
A swashbuckling knock of 81 runs in 42 balls from Pathum Nissanka and an all-round performance from Azmatullah Omarzai proved decisive for the Giants, who broke a six-match losing streak at the Dubai International Stadium
Apart from a 78-run partnership between Nicholas Pooran (46 off 39) and half-centurion Kieron Pollard (50 off 33), the Giants were potent with the ball. Omarzai and Nuwan Thushara led with two-wicket hauls each while, in contrast, four out of five bowlers for the MI Emirates conceded at more than 10 runs an over.
In the second innings, Chris Woakes gave the Giants an early jolt with the wickets of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (6 off 3) and Gerhard Erasmus (1 off 5). Pathum Nissanka and Moeen Ali (26 off 21) steadied the ship, taking the Giants to 67 until Moeen Ali was run out.
Opening the innings, Nissanka scored briskly after a watchful start. He crossed the 50-run mark in 30 balls on the back of three fours and two sixes.
Soon after, Omarzai (39* off 16) tore into Rashid Khan, hammering a four and three sixes in a devastating 23-run over that seized control for the Giants. Nissanka extended the damage with three boundaries and a six off Chris Woakes before his dismissal in the 15th over.
Omarzai remained unbeaten as the Giants reached their target in 14.4 overs.
Asked to bat first, MI Emirates limped to 36/3 inside the powerplay courtesy of the Giants’ pace attack. Nuwan Thushara snapped up Mohammed Waseem (1 off 2) and Jonny Bairstow (11 off 13) with both batters caught and bowled. Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai cleaned up Tom Banton (6 off 8) in the third over.
Runs were hard to come by as Nicholas Pooran and Tajinder Singh (15 off 19) looked to rebuild. The pair put up a stand of 27 runs before Moeen Ali outfoxed Tajinder to leave the MI Emirates at 58/4 in 10 overs.
The innings needed impetus, and Pollard provided it in the 13th over, launching three consecutive sixes off Tabraiz Shamsi. Pooran joined the assault with a 14-run plunder off Haider Razzaq, as the duo raced to a 50-run partnership in just 36 balls. In a bid to hit his third six of the night, Pooran fell to Razzaq in the 18th over to make it 141/5.
Kieron Pollard was dismissed in the final over by Omarzai. But Romario Shepherd (18* off 6) and Rashid Khan (6* off 1) did well to help the MI Emirates post 163/6.
On the Gulf Giants’ victory, stand-in captain, Moeen Ali said: “It’s a great performance. The toss was huge. We bowled very well in the first 10 overs. They have three players who can take it away, and we held them back nicely, and then Nissanka and Omarzai were incredible. Nissanka is a brilliant player. He is one of the best in the world. He is very calm, doesn’t say much, but packs a punch. Omarzai gave us the momentum to finish the game by taking on Rashid Khan.”
MI Emirates captain Kieron Pollard said: “Losing three wickets in the powerplay, and having to rebuild, we were short in the first innings. The ball was moving around quite a bit in the first 10 overs, and we couldn’t finish it off as well as we wanted. We just need to be better in terms of execution.”
