BANGKOK: Penganjuran kejohanan bola sepak bertaraf dunia mungkin bakal direalisasikan selepas negara-negara anggota ASEAN bersetuju untuk membida penganjurannya pada tahun 2034.
Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berkata agak mustahil untuk kejohanan itu direalisasikan sekiranya tiada kesepakatan bersama dalam kalangan negara anggota ASEAN.
“Ia hadir dari lima negara. Tidak mungkin jika satu negara (jadi tuan rumah) akan dapat peluang untuk menganjurkannya.
“Tapi jika ASEAN bersama, kita mungkin boleh menjadi tuan rumah bersama. Pastinya, kejohanan boleh dilangsungkan di negara-negara ASEAN seperti apa yang dilakukan oleh Jepun dan Korea Selatan sebelum ini,” katanya pada sidang media bersama media Malaysia pasca Sidang Kemuncak ASEAN Ke-34 di sini, pada Ahad.
Pada sebelah petang Ahad, Pengerusi ASEAN 2019 yang juga Perdana Menteri Thailand, Jen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha mengumumkan bahawa para pemimpin ASEAN telah menyatakan sokongan supaya bidaan dilakukan dalam merealisasikan ASEAN sebagai tuan rumah Piala Dunia FIFA 2034.
“Saya ingin memaklumkan kepada rakyat ASEAN yang hari ini, para pemimpin menyokong hasrat untuk membangunkan satu usaha bersama untuk menjadi ASEAN sebagai tuan rumah Piala Dunia FIFA pada tahun 2034.
“Dalam hal ini, saya ingin menjemput semua rakyat ASEAN untuk bersama-sama menyokong Persatuan Bola Sepak Negara-Negara Anggota ASEAN dengan tujuan untuk merealisasikan impian ini bersama-sama,” katanya.
Perkara itu diusulkan kepada 10 pemimpin negara anggota ASEAN itu pada sesi pemukikan sidang kemuncak tersebut yang berlangsung pagi tadi.
Sebelum ini, Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, sewaktu menjadi Ahli Jawatankuasa Eksekutif FIFA, berkata badan induk dari tiga negara Asia Tenggara iaitu Indonesia, Thailand dan Vietnam sudah menyatakan hasrat bersepakat membida menjadi tuan rumah Piala Dunia pada tahun berkenaan.
Baginda yang juga bekas Presiden Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia (FAM) turut merasakan ia bukan satu masalah jika Malaysia menyokong hasrat menjadi tuan rumah bersama kejohanan bola sepak terbesar itu.
SALVADOR – Kabar yang mengatakan megabintang Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Neymar Jr, bakal kembali ke Barcelona di bursa transfer musim panas 2019 semakin terdengar. Melihat isu tersebut, rekan Neymar di Tim Nasional (Timnas) Brasil, yakni Filipe Luis, pun menyambut baik kabar itu.
Luis merasa Neymar yang sekarang tidak terlihat bahagia. Sangat berbeda bila dibandingkan ketika dirinya melihat Neymar saat masih berseragam Barcelona. Jadi, Luis percaya bila Neymar benar-benar kembali ke Barcelona, ia yakin pemain tersebut akan kembali terlihat bahagia.
“Saya tidak tahu apakah Neymar akan pergi ke Barcelona atau tidak, karena saya belum membicarakan hal itu dengannya. Akan tetapi, bila itu benar-benar terjadi, maka akan menjadi sesuatu hal yang sangat besar di bursa transfer musim ini,” kata Luis, mengutip dari Marca, Senin (24/6/2019).
“Saya sangat menantikan Neymar kembali ke Barcelona, karena di sana dia terlihat sangat bahagia. Dia sangat menikmati momen ketika di Barca. Dia harus segera mengembalikan senyuman dan kebahagian itu lagi,” tambah pemain Atletico Madrid itu.
Apabila nantinya Neymar jadi kembali ke Barcelona, tentu akan menyusahkan Luis sebagai bek dari Atletico. Namun, tampaknya ia tak memperdulikan hal itu sama sekali. Ia hanya ingin melihat rekan senegaranya itu kembali mendapatkan kebahagian. Karena dengan kembali merasa senang, Luis percaya hal itu juga bisa membantu Neymar tampil lebih baik lagi bersama Brasil.
The reliable CatRadio have this evening outlandishly claimed that Barcelona will attempt to coax both Neymar and Antoine Griezmann to the club this summer.
In this piece, we took a look at how the La Liga champions could line up next season, with two of world football’s most gifted attackers added to the Blaugrana’s already star-studded frontline.
PSG struggles
Following 4 trophy-laden seasons at the Camp Nou, Brazilian superstar Neymar made the move to PSG in the summer of 2017, for a world-record 222 million Euro fee.
Barcelona quickly moved to replace the Selecao star, snapping up Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for a fee with the potential to rise to almost 150 million Euro.
However, to say that both moves have since proven somewhat underwhelming would be putting it lightly.
While Neymar has absolutely dazzled when fit and firing at the Parc des Princes, a pair of long-term injury problems have seen the 27-year-old confined to the sidelines when PSG have needed him most in each of his two seasons in Paris.
Neymar during the UEFA Champions League Group C match between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
In addition, rumours of dressing room unrest have been rampant, with PSG’s shock collapse at the hands of Manchester United in the Champions League’s last-16 this past season having no doubt seen Thomas Tuchel’s fractious, ego-rampant squad pushed further apart.
Barcelona return?
And such problems have since led to mounting murmurs in the media over recent weeks, suggesting that Neymar could yet depart the Parc des Princes this summer.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have been increasingly-touted as a possible landing spot.
Reports emerging from Spain of late have suggested that Neymar has set his sights firmly on a return to the Camp Nou, with the fleet-footed wide-man said to be desperate to reunite with close friends Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
As such, despite reports of a possible Camp Nou return for Neymar having initially been widely dismissed, such a transfer coming to fruition this summer now does not appear beyond the realms of reality.
Griezmann confirms Atleti departure
The case of Antoine Griezmann, on the other hand, appeared, until recently, to be far more straightforward.
On the back of 5 hugely-successful years on the books of Atletico madrid, Griezmann announced his intention to depart the Wanda Metropolitano last month.
After Atleti released a surprise statement, revealing that their star man had informed the club’s board that he would seek pastures new this summer, Griezmann himself provided a full explanation for his decision in a parting video:
Barcelona links
As such, Griezmann’s announcement has since led to inevitable speculation surrounding where the World Cup winner is set to end up next.
Atleti’s La Liga rivals Barcelona have been the club by far the most persistently-tipped as a potential destination, with it having initially been viewed as a near formality that the Blaugrana would simply activate Griezmann’s 125 million Euro release clause.
The weeks since, though, have surprisingly seen claims begin to mount that Barca could yet pass on the French attacker, amid squad unrest over his potential arrival.
And Blaugrana president Josep Maria Bartomeu poured further cold water on the links between the Spanish champions and Griezmann earlier this week, when he insisted that negotiations between the parties had not yet even begun:
‘We’ve always said it. We’ve never spoken to him. There’s nothing. We’re already seeing how the market is growing these days and weeks.’
This comes despite Atletico CEO Gil Marin having suggested just days before that the Rojiblancos’ crown jewel has long had an agreement in place to make the move to Catalunya:
‘I know exactly where he’s going to play. I’ve known since March. In Barcelona.’
Neymar & Griezmann to Barca?
As per the latest update emerging from Spain this evening, though, Griezmann need not fret over the possibility of his dream Camp Nou switch falling through.
This comes amid claims that Barcelona have incredibly decided to pursue BOTH the World Cup winner and Neymar this summer.
The outlandish statement comes courtesy of Cat Radio, regarded as highly-reliable when it comes to the transfer dealings of the Blaugrana.
Such a pair of moves would presumably have to be offset by a number of departures from Ernesto Valverde’s squad, though.
The likes of Samuel Umtiti, Nelson Semedo, Ivan Rakitic, Philippe Coutinho, Malcom and Ousmane Dembele have all been tipped for Camp Nou exits already this summer.
Philippe Coutinho appears the most likely to move on, with Frenkie de Jong’s arrival, along with the emergence of Carles Alena, also throwing Rakitic’s future into serious doubt.
The arrivals of either or both of Neymar and Griezmann, meanwhile, would no doubt see Malcom’s time with Barca come to a close.
Umtiti, on the other hand, appears increasingly likely to stay put, following Barca’s alleged dropping of their interest in Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt.
Barcelona’s options
With all of this in mind, below, we take a closer look at how the potential additions of Neymar and Griezmann to Ernesto Valverde’s squad would affect Barca’s line-up for next season.
A number of options are showcased, with Coutinho, Rakitic and Malcom omitted from all potential XI’s.
Luis Suarez is included in just one line-up, with it highly unlikely that Valverde would opt for a side consisting of all of the Uruguayan, Griezmann, Messi and Neymar at once.
As such, with Suarez’s form over the course of the 2018/19 campaign having been erratic at best, and the former Liverpool man now 32, it appears likely that he would stand as the odd man out in a star-studded Blaugrana front-line next season.
Dembele is also only named in one XI, due to the possibility of the Frenchman being sold, or even included as a makeweight in a deal for Neymar.
KUALA LUMPUR: Pasukan ragbi lelaki negara mengalami kekalahan teruk 71-0 di tangan pasukan di tangga ke-24 dunia, Hong Kong dalam perlawanan akhir Kejohanan Ragbi Asia 2019 Divisyen Premier di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil malam tadi.
Selepas mempamerkan persembahan baik di samping memperolehi mata bonus pertama dalam tempat teratas ARC sebelum ini, pasukan negara bagaimanapun gagal menyaingi kekuatan pasukan lawan sepanjang perlawanan.
Dalam perlawanan malam tadi, Ketua Jurulatih Kebangsaan yang juga bekas pemain All Black, Brad Mika terpaksa membuat satu pertukaran dengan Ketua Pasukan K. Dinvesvaran kembali ke kelabnya di Jepun, dan diganti dengan Timoci Vunimoku di barisan kedua.
Selepas menewaskan Malaysia 20-24 di gelanggang sendiri, Hong Kong mempamerkan aksi mantap di separuh masa pertama dan kedua permainan semasa mereka mendahului 33-0 dengan empat try, tiga menerusi conversion yang berjaya dan satu penalty try sebelum rehat.
Pasukan juara bertahan itu kemudiannya memperoleh 38 mata lagi menerusi enam try dan empat conversions yang berjaya dalam tempoh masa perlawanan berbaki 40 minit untuk memperoleh kejayaan memenangi mata bonus ketiga mereka berturut-turut.
Hong Kong akan menjadi tuan rumah kepada pasukan lawan dari Korea Selatan Sabtu nanti dalam perlawanan akhir liga, dalam merintis laluan mereka untuk mengekalkan kedudukan mereka sebagai juara.
Nasib pasukan ragbi negara sama ada akan kekal dalam Divisyen Premier ARC tahun depan akan hanya diketahui selepas Piala Dunia Ragbi 2019 (RWC) di Jepun September ini.
Sementara itu, bercakap kepada pemberita selepas perlawanan, ketua pasukan negara Marc Le berkata ia adalah perlawanan yang sukar, namun pasukan negara telah memberikan yang terbaik.
“Ia perlawanan yang sukar hari ini. Hong Kong membawa pasukan yang berbeza kali ini, membuat persiapan mantap, dan bermain dengan baik, tapi apapun saya amat berbangga dengan pemain-pemain kita.
MADRID – Baru-baru ini salah satu Dewan Direksi Real Madrid, Jeronimo Farre, berbicara mengenai bintang Barcelona, Lionel Messi. Tepatnya ia membicarakan alasan mengapa sampai saat ini Los Blancos –julukan Madrid– belum juga mendaratkan pemain asal Argentina tersebut ke Santiago Bernabeu.
Sebagaimana diketahui, Madrid adalah tim yang gemar sekali membeli pemain-pemain bintang. Bahkan, mereka mau membeli beberapa pemain hebat dari rival abadinya sekali pun. Sebut saja seperti Luis Figo dan Josep Samitier, pemain yang pernah dibeli Madrid dari Barcelona.
Jadi bukanlah hal yang baru bila sewaktu-waktu Madrid tertarik membeli pemain hebat Barcelona. Lalu Farre pun akhirnya diberikan pertanyaan, mengapa sampai saat ini Madrid belum juga membeli Messi? Salah satu petinggi Madrid itu pun mengatakan alasannya karena klubnya tersebut memang belum memiliki keinginan untuk mendatangkan Messi ke Santiago Bernabeu.
Selain karena belum kepikiran, Farre juga merasa Messi tampaknya tak terlalu dibutuhkan di Madrid. Terutama ketika masa di mana Madrid sedang diperkuat oleh Cristiano Ronaldo. Jadi, Farre merasa untuk apa membeli Messi jika di timnya sudah memiliki pemain hebat seperti Ronaldo.
“Apabila Messi belum bermain di Madrid, itu mungkin karena kami belum ingin mewujudkannya. Hal itu karena dia mungkin saja belum layak atau memang tak terjangkau oleh kami,” jelas Farre, dikutip dari Marca, Minggu (23/6/2019).
“Di sisi lain, kami pun sudah memiliki Cristiano Ronaldo saat itu. Madrid pun sudah sangat menikmati jasa dan bakat pemain tersebut selama sembilan musim,” tukasnya.
Arsenal ‘optimistic’ of signing Celtic’s Kieran Tierney
The BBC’s David Ornstein has confirmed on Saturday evening that Arsenal are in the hunt to sign Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney.
According to Ornstein, Arsenal are optimistic of completing a deal for 22-year-old Tierney. He wrote:
Arsenal have had an opening bid of £15m for Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney rejected.
But there is optimism an agreement will be reached between the clubs, while personal terms for the 22-year-old Scotland international shouldn’t be a problem.
As reported elsewhere Arsenal have had an opening bid of £15m for Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney rejected – but there is optimism an agreement will be reached between the clubs, while personal terms for the 22-year-old Scotland international shouldn’t be a problem #AFC#CelticFC
Atletico try to tempt Arsenal into selling Bellerin
Atletico Madrid are reportedly prepared to include Spanish winger Vitolo in any deal to sign Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin.
Atletico have been linked with several moves during the current transfer window.
Joao Felix is reportedly close to a move which could cost a total of £107million.
The Spanish club have also already signed Marcos Llorente.
Now, they’re being linked with a move for Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin.
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 16: Hector Bellerin of Arsenal receives medical treatment during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Arsenal FC at St Mary’s Stadium on December 16, 2018 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Vitolo to the Emirates?
According to the Telegraph, Atletico Madrid are interested in signing the right-back and are willing to include Vitolo in any deal.
Vitolo played under Unai Emery during the pairs time at Sevilla where they won three Europa League trophies.
According to the report, ‘Despite the fact he is still recovering from a knee injury, Bellerin has emerged as one of Atletico’s summer targets, with manager Diego Simeone keen to bolster his defence with a new right-back.’
The Arsenal full-back has been out with an injury since January and it’s been suggested that he won’t be ready for next season.
However, that hasn’t stopped Atletico from looking to sign him.
The Telegraph’s report continues by explaining ‘the Gunners are unlikely to have dropped their £50million valuation of Bellerin this summer and may well not want to sell him at all, but Atletico are prepared to test the water by offering Emery the chance to link up with Vitolo again.’
Vitolo scored 28 goals and assisted 44 during his time at Sevilla and was particularly impressive under Emery.
