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Rudisha falls short of record, Cherono soars

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RUDISHA-BIRMINGHAM
NAIROBI, Kenya, August 25- Olympic champion, David Rudisha, fell just short of owning another world record whilst motoring to a commanding victory in the rarely competed men 600m race at the Birmingham Grand Prix IAAF Diamond League meeting.

World champion, Asbel Kiprop, Commonwealth titleholder, Mercy Cherono, African gold winner, Jairus Birech also scored emphatic victories as Worlds and Commonwealth crown holder, Eunice Sum was stunned in her 800m speciality.

Birmingham saw the Kenyan force bounce back with vengeance after the ignominy of failing to register victory at the preceding leg of the 14-meet Diamond League in Stockholm last Thursday.

All eyes were on the men 800m record holder and he stepped to the plate with a commanding performance where he looked to have regained some of his old front running thrust in stopping the clock at 1:13.71.

Rudisha’s run went down as one of the meeting’s three world leads (the others coming in the two mile races).

The target was Johnny Gray’s world record of 1:12.81 and the Olympics champion certainly attacked.

Eschewing pacemakers, he went through 200m in 23.25 before hitting the 400m mark between 46 and 47, bang on his predicted schedule.

The task from there was to push over the last 200 metres and that’s what he did, striding ever further away from the field around the bend to raise everyone’s expectations before he tired over the final 50 metres

“Today wasn’t so bad,” said Rudisha, who went through 600m in 1:14.30 when setting his 800m world record. “

This is my first 600m, so I guess it was difficult to judge the pace. I think I tried my best.”

It may not have been the world best everyone had hoped for, but it was still the fourth quickest of all time and less than a second off his target; not bad for a man still on the comeback trail from injury.

There may have been no record for Rudisha but there was for his fellow Kenyan Cherono, who led home a clean sweep in the women’s two miles.

Cherono tracked Ethiopian rival Genzebe Dibaba in the leading group of seven over the last four laps, then burst past the World Indoors champion and compatriot Viola Kibiwot at the top of the finishing straight to cross the line in a world-leading 9:11.49.

Kibiwot chased her to the line to record a personal best of 9:12.59 while Dibaba slipped back to fourth.

Kiprop’s finish was impressive too as he took the 62nd Emsley Carr Mile in 3:51.89, following a litany of famous names into the historic book where the event’s winners sign their names.

The world 1500m champion made it look easy when swept off the final bend to pass three men down the home straight.

Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman prevented a Kenyan sweep by hanging on for second ahead of Vincent Kibet and James Magut as 14 men broke four minutes.

Birech continued his brilliant form this summer with a solo run in the steeplechase that brought him home in 8:07.78.

It may have been much closer to eight minutes but for the 21-year-old slowed to wave at the crowd as he rounded the final bend and stopped completely at the last barrier before hitching himself over with his hand.

It didn’t make much difference to the result, however, as he had a 70-metre lead and strolled across the line to break the meeting record by almost 12 seconds.

Beijing Olympics and Osaka Worlds champion Brimin Kipruto followed him home in 8:16.61 as Kenyans filled the first seven places.

Lynsey Sharp got revenge on Sum in the women’s 800m, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist beating the woman who took gold in Glasgow with a late run in 1:59.14 and Kirani James wrapped up his season with a second Diamond League win, holding off Botswana’s Isaac Makwala in 44.59, just 0.10 outside Iwan Thomas’s 17-year-old meeting record.

Home favourite, Mo Farah, blasted to history by improving on a 36-year-old European best for two miles to bring the Birmingham Grand Prix to a rousing finish at the Alexander Stadium.

It was the last in a series of ‘non-standard’ distance bests at the Diamond League meeting.

Farah produced a solo run second mile of almost exactly four minutes to win in 8:07.85, eclipsing Steve Ovett’s 1978 mark for the non-championship event by six seconds.

-Sourced from iaaf.org


11 debutants in Williamson first Stars’ squad

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GEOFFREY-KAKATA
NAIROBI, Kenya, August 25 –New Harambee Stars head coach Bobby Williamson has named 11 new call-ups in his 28 man provisional squad for Saturday’s international friendly against Egypt in Cairo.

Defenders Shaban Odoji, Bernard Odhiambo (Nakuru All Stars), Sammy Meja (Thika United), Charles Odette (Sony Sugar), Jackson Saleh (AFC Leopards) Dennis Ng’anga (Tusker FC) and Duncan Kago (Sofapaka FC) are among the fresh faces in a squad that contains only three playing outside the country.

Tusker forward Jesse Were, John Ndirangu (All Stars), Timothy Otieno (Gor Mahia) and Gerson Likono (Chemelil Sugar) round up the list of debutants.

El-Merreikh forward Allan Wanga, Khartoum FC midfielder Anthony Akumu and South Africa based David Gateri make up the trio based outside the borders.

Notable regulars dropped from Belgian head coach Adel Amrouche’s regime include defenders Musa Mohammed (Gor), right-back James Situma (Leopards) and centre-back Jockins Atudo (Tusker).

Peter Opiyo, Francis Kahata and former MC Algiers forward Edwin Lavatsa have also been dropped.

The team is expected to report to camp Tuesday at Kasarani Sports Complex as Williamson prepares for his first match since succeeding Belgian Amrouche, who has not been formally fired after Kenya crashed out of the 2015 Afcon second round qualifiers to Lesotho.

Football Kenya Federation is yet to make the position of Amrouche, who’s one-year CAF ban was slashed to six games on appeal last weekend, clear.

The Belgian signed a five-year contract last year and FKF boss, Sam Nyamweya, denied last week that he had been fired.

SQUAD

Keepers: Jerim Onyango, Wycliffe Kasaya, Wilson Obungu. Defenders: Shaban Odoji, David Owino, Sammy Mejja, Vincent Omumbo, Aboud Omar, Charles Odette, Jackson Saleh, Dennis Odhiambo, Bernard Odhiambo. Midfielders: Dennis Ng’ang’a, Duncan Kago, Geoffrey Kataka, Brian Osumba, Humphrey Mieno, Clifton Miheso, Anthony Akumu. Forwards: David Gateri, John Ndirangu, Timothy Otieno, Allan Wanga, Gerson Likono, David King’atua, Harrison Mwedwa, Jacob Keli, Jesse Were.

Wenger: Giroud will fire in 25 goals

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GIROUD-EVERTON
LONDON, August 25- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is expecting big things from both Olivier Giroud and Yaya Sanogo this season and insists he doesn’t need another striker.

There has been talk that the Gunners may be lacking in firepower this season, and Alexis Sanchez’s performance up front in the 2-2 draw with Everton will have done nothing to dispel such notions.

Olivier Giroud came on at half-time in place of the Chilean and scored the late equaliser for his side and Wenger believes his compatriot is capable of scoring 25 goals this season.

“He scored 16 [in the Premier League last year] and he’s very convincing,” Wenger told Arsenal’s official website.

“You never have to set any limitations for any player. For me, he’s improving every year and don’t rule it out that he scores 25.”

Wenger has also backed Giroud and Sanogo to have good seasons, while also pointing to Lukas Podolski and Joel Campbell as options up front, although the latter two’s future at the club remain uncertain.

“We [also] have [Yaya] Sanogo who will be an important asset, we have Giroud, we have Lukas Podolski, we have Joel Campbell who can play centre forward.

“We have Alexis [Sanchez] and [Theo] Walcott coming back. Let’s not forget that.”

Chepng’etich wraps Kenya’s charge in gold

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ROSEFELINE-GOLD
NAIROBI, Kenya, August 25- World Youth Champion Rosefline Chepng’etich won Kenya’s second gold as Winfred Mbithe and Amos Kirui bagged silver to wrap up the country’s medal hunt at penultimate day of the second Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China on Monday.

Chepng’etich’s women 2000m steeplechase win comes a day after African Youth champion Gilbert Kwemoi brought home the first gold in the men’s 1500m as Kenya failed to improve on her 2010 outing after finishing behind arch rivals Ethiopia with six medals (2 gold, 2silver and 1 bronze) against eight (3 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze) with both nations placed 15th and 24th on the overall all standings.

Both countries will not be involved in the final day programme when relays close the track and field programme.

Chepng’etich a world junior silver medalist could not beat her lifetime best of 6:20.10 she set at the semifinal after crossing the line in 6:22.67 to ahead of Ethiopian Teklemaream Zewdinesh who took silver in 6:26.02 while Hungary’s Toth Lili scooped bronze in 6:31.92.

In the men’s corresponding race, Kirui surrendered the title that was won by Peter Mutuku in 2010, to Ethiopian Sidamo Sebisibe (5:38.42) after recording 5:40.29 for silver while Moroccan Chemlal Hicham took bronze.

Mbithe failed to emulate Kwemoi to grab the women’s 1500m silver in 4:17.91 behind Ethiopian Alemu Tesfaye who won gold in 4:17.91 as Bahrain’s Gosa Dalila clinched bronze in her personal best of 4:18.36.

In the consolation race, Geoffrey Kipng’etich finished third in the men’s 400m hurdles after clocking 52.87 behind Cotto Serrano from Puerto Rico while Iranian Shooryabi Javad dominated the event.

Anthony Kiptoo was disqualified in the men’s 800m final B as Lithuanian Mickus Benediktas won the two lap race in 1:52.48 ahead of Romanian Gheban Madalin and Djibouti’s Aden Abdi.

United agree British record fee for Di Maria

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DI-MARIA-UNITED
LONDON, August 25 – Manchester United have agreed a British record transfer fee of £59.7 million ($98 million, 75 million euros) to sign Argentina midfielder Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid according to British media reports on Monday.

Several media outlets, including the BBC, reported that United have finally sealed a deal for Di Maria after several days of negotiations with the Spanish club.

The 26-year-old was said to have been seen arriving at United’s training ground on Monday evening as he prepares to put pen to paper on a reported five-year contract worth an estimated £200,000-a-week.

Di Maria’s move to Old Trafford is expected to be completed on Tuesday and will shatter the previous British record fee of £50 million paid by Chelsea to sign Spain striker Fernando Torres from Liverpool in 2011.

United last broke the British transfer record when they paid Leeds £29.1 million for Rio Ferdinand in 2002 and the deal will also eclipse the club record £37.1 million they splashed out to sign Juan Mata from Chelsea in January.

Real manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed over the weekend that Di Maria had said goodbye to his team-mates and he was absent from the Madrid squad as they beat Cordoba on Monday.

His arrival in Manchester would be the headline deal of United’s overhaul under new manager Louis van Gaal, who has already spent a combined £72 million on England left-back Luke Shaw, Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera and Di Maria’s Argentina team-mate Marcos Rojo, who is also left-footed like him.

Assuming the transfer is finalised on schedule, Di Maria, capped 52 times, could make his debut at Burnley on Saturday as van Gaal looks to revitalise a United team still without a win after the first two games of the new Premier League campaign.

Former Benfica star Di Maria has an impressive pedigree after winning the Champions League with Real last season and the Spanish title in 2012.

He was also named on FIFA’s 10-man shortlist for the best player at the recent World Cup where Argentina reached the final, although he was unable to play in that game or the semi-final because of an injury he suffered in the quarter-final win over Belgium.

Jovetic double sinks Liverpool

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JOVETIC-LIVERFOOLS
MANCHESTER, August 25- Stevan Jovetic scored twice as champions Manchester City beat last season’s runners-up Liverpool 3-1 on Monday in the first major showdown of the new Premier League campaign.

Mario Balotelli was in the stands to watch new employers Liverpool take on former club City after completing his £16 million ($26.5 million, 20.1 million euros) move to Anfield from AC Milan, but it was another 24-year-old who took centre stage at the Etihad Stadium.

Jovetic’s debut campaign at City was spoilt by injury, but the Montenegro striker scored either side of half-time to send Manuel Pellegrini’s side towards victory over the team they pipped to last season’s title.

The only point of concern for Pellegrini was an injury to striker Edin Dzeko, who hobbled off mid-way through the second period, but his replacement, Sergio Aguero, needed only 23 seconds to score City’s third.

It was a first away loss of 2014 for Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool, who replied through a Pablo Zabaleta own goal, and left City one of only four teams to have won their first two fixtures, alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Swansea City.

The events of last season’s run-in were clearly fresh in the minds of City’s fans, who goaded visiting captain Steven Gerrard over his costly slip in Liverpool’s loss to Chelsea in April by chanting: “He’s gonna slip in a minute!”

The home supporters saw their side make the more positive start beneath steady rain at the Etihad, with Dzeko shooting wide, Zabaleta volleying over, and Yaya Toure working Simon Mignolet from 20 yards.

But Liverpool withstood the pressure, and after Gerrard had seen a long-range effort deflected wide, Joe Hart had to beat away a crisp strike from England team-mate Daniel Sturridge at his near post.

- Moreno error -

Left-back Alberto Moreno was enjoying his Liverpool debut following his move from Sevilla, but four minutes before half-time, his error allowed City to go ahead.

David Silva was unable to make anything of a throw-in from the City right, but just as Moreno looked set to clear, Jovetic darted in, nicked the ball off his toes, and drilled a low shot past Mignolet.

Sturridge had a goal ruled out for offside early in the second period, but after Moreno had alertly thwarted Dzeko and Jovetic had headed over, the hosts made it 2-0 in the 55th minute with a fine goal.

Jovetic was both creator and finisher, freeing Samir Nasri with a delicate back-heel flick and then haring into the box to meet the Frenchman’s low centre with an unerring left-foot finish.

Rodgers reacted by introducing Serbian winger Lazar Markovic for his first appearance since a £20 million switch from Benfica, but there was more woe in store for the away team.

Moments after Dzeko had limped off following a fall, Aguero scampered onto an incisive 40-yard pass from fellow substitute Jesus Navas before calmly beating Mignolet at his near post.

Zabaleta inadvertently kneed the ball into his own net in the 83rd minute after Hart had parried a header from Liverpool substitute Rickie Lambert, but by then the damage had been done.

An injury to Glen Johnson meant that Liverpool finished the game with 10 men. Aguero threatened to add to their misery in stoppage time, but his shot hit the side netting.

New Red Balotelli glad to be back

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BALOTELLI-SHIRT
MANCHESTER, August 25- Mario Balotelli said he was glad to be back in the Premier League after the controversial Italy striker completed his £16 million ($26.5 million, 20.1 million euros) move to Liverpool on Monday.

Balotelli left England in January 2013 when Manchester City sold him to AC Milan, but the 24-year-old endured a difficult time in Milan, where he was subjected to racial abuse by opposing fans.

After completing his switch to Anfield on a three-year contract worth a reported £90,000 a week, which includes an option for a further year, Balotelli conceded he had been wrong to ever leave England.

“I’m happy to be back because I left England and it was a mistake. I wanted to go to Italy, but I realised it was a mistake,” Balotelli told Liverpool’s website.

“English football is generally better. English football is beautiful.”

Liverpool did not complete the transfer in time for Balotelli to play in their 3-1 loss at City on Monday, but he attended the match and sat in the directors’ box wearing a dark top and a beanie hat.

He had earlier completed a one-on-one training session with Liverpool’s head of conditioning and fitness, Ryland Morgans, at the club’s Melwood base.

Balotelli earned a reputation as a troublemaker during his three-year stint at City, where his antics included setting fireworks off in his own house and brawling with then-coach Roberto Mancini.

Speaking before his side’s defeat at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admitted that Balotelli’s signing represented something of a gamble.

“Mario is at a stage in his career where this might be his last chance,” the Northern Irishman told Sky Sports.

“He needs to settle down and show maturity, but I have worked with loads of players like that.

“He has huge potential, but he needs to come here and be consistent and if he can do that then we have one hell of a player.

“We have strong family values and behaviour is very important here. We believe we can improve his game and consistency in his game.”

Asked what he expected from Balotelli, Rodgers joked: “Trouble!”

- Champions League ambition -

Having won the Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010, Balotelli said he wanted to repeat the feat with Liverpool on the Reds’ return to Europe’s elite club competition this season.

“I want to win another Champions League for sure, because the Champions League wasn’t all mine — I was in a team,” he added.

“I always start a competition wanting to win it. I want to take this team to the Champions League.”

Balotelli received a hostile reception from Liverpool fans during his visits to Anfield while with City, but he was given a warm welcome by supporters who gathered outside the club’s training ground to catch a glimpse of the striker.

“I didn’t expect it because whenever I played against Liverpool, the fans weren’t nice with me, but that’s normal — it’s football!” Balotelli said.

“Now that I play for Liverpool, I can see the expectation in people. They’re very happy and that makes me very happy at the same time.

“Liverpool are one of the best teams here in England. The football is very good here. It’s a great team with young players, and that’s why I came here.”

In light of Balotelli’s reputation as a troublemaker, Rodgers is believed to have asked for the player’s contract to include strict clauses about his behaviour on and off the pitch.

But the desire to land a top-class replacement for Luis Suarez, who was sold to Barcelona, persuaded Rodgers to sanction the deal for Balotelli, who won the Premier League and FA Cup during his time at City and also lifted the Italian title three times with Inter.

“This transfer represents outstanding value for the club and I think we have done a really smart piece of business here,” Rodgers told the club website.

Di Maria rush: United superstore runs out of ‘R’

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DI-MARIA-OUT
LONDON, August 26- The Manchester United superstore ran out of the letter ‘R’ with supporters clambering for an Angel Di Maria shirt.

A sign was put outside the official club store informing fans that there were no ‘R’ letters left in black print.

Di Maria is set to sign for Manchester United for a British record transfer fee of £59.7million plus-add-ons and will earn £200,000-a-week in wages.

He is expected to join up with his new United teammates at training on Thursday and the club hope to formalise his work permit and registration by 12noon Friday.

The Argentine international will have a medical on Tuesday before he is unveiled as a Manchester United signing.

The move will take United’s signing over the £160million mark for the calendar year. He will become the club’s fourth signing of the summer.

-Daily Mail


Federer tops tennis money list

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FEDERER-MONEY
NEW YORK, August 26- Roger Federer has not won a Grand Slam title this year but the 17-time Grand Slam champion topped Forbes magazine’s list of the 10 top tennis moneymakers announced Monday.

The Swiss star made $56.2 million (42.6 million euros) from July of last year through this past June, with endorsement deals from such firms as Rolex and Nike bringing the lion’s share of that total, more than $40 million (30 million euros).

At age 33, Federer owns three titles in 2014 and was a Wimbledon runner-up, dropping the final in five sets to top-ranked Novak Djokovic.

Five men and five women made this year’s list.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who won his ninth French Open crown this past June, ranked second on the list at $44.5 million (33.7 million euros) but was on the sidelines Monday as the US Open began in New York because of a wrist injury. Nadal had $30 million (22.7 million euros) in sponsor money.

Serbia’s Djokovic was third with $33.1 million (25 million euros) that included $12.1 million (9.1 million euros) in prize money.

Russian beauty Maria Sharapova was fourth overall but topped the women on the list with $24.4 million (18.5 million euros), $22 million (16.6 million euros) of it from endorsements.

China’s Li Na, who won her second Grand Slam title in January at the Australian Open, was fifth on $23.6 million with $18 million in endorsement income. She is absent from the US Open with a knee injury.

World number one Serena Williams ranked sixth on the money list with $22 million, half from prize money.

Britain’s Andy Murray, whose earnings jumped more than $4 million after he became the first British man to win the Wimbledon crown since 1936 last year, ranked seventh on $19.1 million (14.4 million in euros), with $15 million (11.3 million euros) of that from endorsements.

With his adidas contract expiring this year, a lucrative new deal with adidas or Nike could raise his total next year no matter how he fares at this year’s US Open.

Victoria Azarenka was eighth at $11.1 million (8.4 million euros), with $7.5 million (5.6 million euros) from endorsements, with Japan’s Kei Nishikori ninth on $11 million 8.3 million euros) that included $9 million (6.8 million euros) in sponsorship deals and Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki 10th on $10.8 million (8.1 million euros), $9.5 million (7.2 million euros)of that from endorsements.

Pacquiao will not waste time for Mayweather

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PACQUIAO-ALGIERI
MACAU, August 26- Manny Pacquiao and Chris Algieri are on a two-week, globe-trotting tour to promote their welterweight title fight in November, but the match the world truly wants to see looks further away than ever.

When Pacquiao met the press in Macau on Monday, questions about his elusive megafight with the undefeated American Floyd Mayweather met with a sharp response.

“Who’s that?” Pacquiao joked, when Mayweather was mentioned by reporters.

Pacquiao’s hall-of-fame trainer Freddie Roach was less jovial, conceding bluntly that the two boxing legends, both in the twilight of their glittering careers, may never be seen in the same ring.

“We can’t waste our time waiting for him,” Roach told AFP. “We’ve done everything we could to make that fight happen. It’s like, we’re available if he’s interested in it, but again we can’t sit around waiting for him.”

Eight-division world champion Pacquiao’s next date is a World Boxing Organization welterweight title defence against the undefeated WBO junior welterweight title-holder Algieri on November 23 in Macau’s Cotai Arena.

The pair were in Macau on Monday and Shanghai on Tuesday, and they will move on to promotional events in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York in the next 12 days.

In 2010, Pacquiao and Mayweather were close to agreeing a fight between the two greatest boxers of their generation, which could potentially have generated a record $300 million dollars in pay-per-view revenue.

- ‘We are willing to fight’ -

But it fell through because Mayweather was unhappy with Pacquiao’s drug-testing procedures in training.

That issue receded after Pacquiao agreed to Olympic-style testing, and the Filipino icon expressed his frustration that a Mayweather clash has still moved no closer after getting his career back on track with comprehensive victories in the past nine months over Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley.

“The possibility to fight with him, you know, the question is not for us,” Pacquiao said. “It’s for them because any time we are willing to fight, any time. I think that question belongs to them, their camp.”

The biggest hurdle that remains — and it is a huge one — is the animosity between Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank and Mayweather’s Golden Boy promotions, who have deals with rival pay-per-view networks HBO and Showtime, respectively.

Arum admitted on Monday that HBO and Showtime had to “find a way to promote and satisfy both sides from a legal basis”, before the biggest money-spinning fight in the sport’s history could be agreed.

He added the TV rivals had expressed a desire to achieve a deal, but conceded that the final decision lay with Mayweather and Golden Boy who have shown no intent of late to get around the table.

“With Showtime and HBO wanting the fight and Manny wanting the fight, there is one little step to take and that’s to see where Floyd stands,” Arum said.

Even if there were to be a sudden thawing of relations between the two camps, the earliest a fight could take place is late 2015.

- Fitting end? -

Mayweather has a rematch against Marcos Maidana next month and Pacquiao faces Algieri in November before a likely fifth blockbuster fight against Juan Manuel Marquez, who knocked out Pacquiao in 2012.

“Hopefully we can put Marquez in with Pacquiao next year,” said the 82-year-old Arum.

But the reality is that Mayweather-Pacquiao may never come to fruition. Pacquiao is due to retire at the end of his current deal with Top Rank in 2016, when the congressman from Sarangani will be 37.

Mayweather, who is already 37, has a perfect 46-0 record. Assuming Mayweather, who is also tipped to fight Britain’s Amir Khan early next year, remains unbeaten, he is unlikely to want to risk his dream of equalling Rocky Marciano’s career mark of 49-0 against ‘Pacman’ this time next year.

That just leaves one, extremely remote, possibility for the two to appear in the same ring. Should both remain unbeaten until the end of 2015, they could provide a fitting end to their careers in early 2016 by settling the argument once and for all.

A victory for Mayweather would take him to the magical 50-0 mark, a win for Pacquiao would cement his place as one of the greatest boxers not just of his own generation, but of all time.

The world wants it, Pacquiao wants it and, according to Arum, HBO and Showtime want it. The lucrative pay-day would dwarf anything the sport has seen before.

It’s a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar question. Only ‘Money’ Mayweather knows if he can be tempted give the right answer.

Gor turn to Ouna as head coach search starts

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GOR-WASEKAO
NAIROBI, Kenya, August 26- Frank Ouna takes temporally charge of Gor Mahia as the Kenyan Premier League champions start the search of the man to fill the giant boots of departed head coach, Bobby Williamson.

Club’s Secretary General Chris Omondi confirmed to Capital Sport, the designated Team Manager Ouna will be in the dugout when K’Ogalo take on limping KCB on Thursday at Nairobi’s Nyayo National stadium.

“We are meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) with the executive committee to discuss the way forward, but for now Ouna is in charge and he will be on the touchline when we play KCB,” Omondi declared.

It will not be the first time Ouna has taken the reins this season after taking charge of the KPL Top 8 clash between Gor and Tusker in Kinoru when Williamson travelled to Scotland and his assistant, Bobby Ogolla, was hospitalised.

With 11 KPL to go, K’Ogalo could once again look outside these shores to hire the next boss having abandoned the preference of local tacticians when they hired Zradvko Logarusic in 2011.

On Sunday after winning his last match against fierce rivals Sony Sugar, the Scotsman declared he will second his successor to chairman Ambrose Rachier.

“I will recommend people to the chairman and it’s up for him to select them, but we will make sure that the coach who comes is qualified, professional and capable of taking the squad forward.

“Everybody knows what Ogola is capable of and the Team Manager Ouna as well but it will be up for the chairman to decide if he will give either of them opportunity or will bring another person.

“We will make sure we provide him with the best person possible and hope he makes the right decision,” Williamson who reported to his new Harambee Stars job on Monday stated.

Ouna, a former Sofapaka Team Manager tasted defeat in his first dugout cameo as they fell to Tusker on aggregate in June.

Williamson, who replaced Croat Logarusic mid last season, led K’Ogalo to their first trophy for the first time in 18 years.

His exit was met with trepidation as Capital Sport samples some of the posts on the subject in the club’s official Face Book wall.

Joel Odero: Chris Omondi nyiswauru now that Williamson has gone before our next game is on Thursday team nitiere e luet ng’aa, wadwa ng’eyo chon…blame game okwadua bang’e. (Chris Omondi, tell us now that Williamson has left who will be in charge of the team? We don’t want blame game later).

Eugine Messo: If we are to go for a local tactician, then Frank Furo Ouna is the man to take the job, Continuity is VERY IMPORTANT at this stage. Ama Mnaonaje washika dau wa Gor Mahia?

Larky Luke Oj: Ouna ashikilie hadi end of season…..Pamzo (Sammy Omollo) chini yake.

Gor Ivans: Ouna Ashikilie hapo kwa short INSTINCT.

Willis Odembe: Frank Ouna oknyal (he can’t be)….Pamzo or Okumbi,

Michael Odock: To have continuity we need stability, am afraid Ouna can’t offer us that Stability as a coach, he might end up being puppet of fans, office and some players.
When Gor parted ways with Logarusic, we immediately hired Bobby who gave us that stability as a coach as a result we had continuity and eventually winning the League.

My take lets get somebody who commands respect from the fans, players and management, someone who has ideas and a character like Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee.

Edu okelloh: We want someone who can win us matches. I saw Frank in Kinoru last time he was standing in for Bobby n I remember how fans tried to influence his substitutions. I have my reservations…..

Well, fans can only express their opinion but the big task now lies on club officials who are yet to decide if they will hire a permanent coach or for the remaining matches of the season.

Coach in ‘testicle-pulling’ saga acquitted

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RED-CARD-BIG
MOMBASA, Kenya, August 26- An assistant coach accused of assaulting a match official rendering him impotent has been acquired by a Mombasa Law Court in Kenya on Monday.

Daudi Kajembe, a former assistant coach with lower division side Sparki Youth, was set free in the Kenyan coastal city for lack of credible evidence.

He was accused of attacking and injuring the private parts of division one referee, Martin Wekesa Shikuku on Sept. 22, 2012, allegedly impairing his child-bearing abilities when the official was about to send off a player from his team.

In a one-hour ruling read by Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate; Justice Irene Ruguru the court dismissed the charges after the prosecution’s key evidence was ruled inadmissible.

The magistrate listed four grounds in which she dismissed the case that could not sustain the charges of causing grievous bodily harm during the incident two minutes from time during the local derby between fierce rivals Sparki and Admiral at the Tudor Day Grounds.

Football Kenya Federation suspended Kajembe for life with former national team Harambee Stars head coach, Mohammed Kheri, who was acting as Technical Director for Sparki suspended for a year.

The curious case that hit international headlines saw Wekesa seek some 157,000 U.S. dollars in compensation from the country’s federation when he accused the coach of squeezing his testicles.

The team was docked six points and ordered to pay all the medical bills accruing to the injured referee until he fully recovers.

“He pulled my testicles. He actually pressed them and I was hanging on him when he was pulling me. I was crying and could not get myself out from his hands,” Wekesa told the media at the time.

“I remember Kajembe told me, raising his hand: ‘I can kill you in a minute’, and came directly to my testicles.”

Wekesa was rescued by a police officer; he further alleges that he was overcome by pain and duly transferred to a hospital.

Kajembe was arrested in January last year and charged with the offence after being released on a USD 2,265.01 (Ksh200,000).

Giroud injury scare could force striker buy

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GIROUD-EVERTON
LONDON, August 26- Arsenal fear Olivier Giroud could be ruled out for as long as three months if a second scan confirms that he has a broken ankle.

That would leave Arsène Wenger facing a race against time to sign a new striker before the transfer window shuts next Monday.

Giroud sustained the injury in the dying seconds of the 2-2 draw at Everton after scoring Arsenal’s late equaliser.

Arsenal are hoping Giroud has not sustained a fracture, but there is major concern at the Emirates that there is a break, after the Frenchman was sent for two scans.

The club are mindful of the fact that a hairline fracture to Jack Wilshere’s foot only showed up on a second scan after the initial swelling had gone down.

Giroud is definitely out of the Champions League play-off second leg against Besiktas tomorrow night and the Premier League trip to Leicester on Sunday, and there is a real concern that he could be out for a prolonged spell.

Losing Giroud for any length of time would be a blow to Wenger and will force the Arsenal manager to rethink his transfer plans ahead of the window closing.

With top-class strikers hard to find during the final week of the transfer window, Wenger may revive his interest in Queens Park Rangers’ Loïc Rémy, or even consider a short-term deal for Samuel Eto’o.

Danny Welbeck has been told that he can leave Manchester United and could also be considered.

A clause in Rémy’s QPR contract means Arsenal could sign him for £8 million, but the Frenchman’s £90,000-a-week wage demands have so far put Wenger off.

More ambitious targets would be Paris St-Germain’s Edison Cavani or Monaco’s Radamel Falcao, but both men would be very expensive.

A season-long loan deal for Falcao would cost in the region of £20 million.

Lukas Podolski is seeking a new club, with Juventus and Wolfsburg both keen to sign the German.

Wenger could be more reluctant to let him go if Giroud is out for a while, although the club could also put the £11 million fee and £100,000-a-week wages towards Rémy or a different target.

While Giroud waits on his scan results, Wenger has to plan for the Besiktas game without the France international, Mikel Arteta and suspended Aaron Ramsey.

Arteta sustained a sprained ankle in the first leg of the Besiktas tie, but he is expected to be back for the Manchester City game on Sept 13.

A successful passage into the group stages of the Champions League is likely to see Wenger attempt to sign a defensive midfielder, despite the good news on Arteta.

Arsenal are understood to have been in talks with Sporting Lisbon over William Carvalho, with a bid lined up for this week.

Sporting value Carvalho at around £28 million and are keen to secure players on loan from Arsenal as part of any deal.

Arsenal have already told winger Serge Gnabry that he can leave on loan and the club would not stand in the way of Francis Coquelin moving to Portugal.

Having seemingly lost out to Roma in their attempt to sign central defender Kostas Manolas, Arsenal may turn their attention to West Ham United’s Winston Reid.

Lampard calls time on England career

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LAMPARD-ENGLAND
LONDON, August 26- England midfielder Frank Lampard announced his retirement from international football after a career spanning 15 years on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old’s 106th and final cap for his country came on June 23 when he captained England in their final World Cup game against Costa Rica.

Lampard said in a statement released by his management company: “I have taken the decision to retire from international football.

“It has been a very tough decision for me to make which is why I have given it so much thought since the World Cup.”

His haul of international caps puts him sixth in the all-time England list behind Peter Shilton, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, who announced his England retirement last month, Bobby Moore and Ashley Cole.

Chelsea’s all-time top goalscorer left the Premier League club after 13 years last month, signing for Major League Soccer 2015 expansion side New York City FC.

He agreed a loan move with Manchester City on August 2 until the new MLS season.

In his statement Lampard said he had been “proud and honoured” and enjoyed “every minute” of wearing an England shirt.

He added: “Due to my club career now going in a different direction it is of utmost importance for me to consider my family first.

“Also, to concentrate on how I can perform consistently to the best of my abilities over my next few years in club football.

“It is now the time to move forward and I feel very confident that, with Roy Hodgson in charge, the young players that we have coming through and the changes that are being made throughout the development of the youth system in this country, we will have success in the future and a team that this country deserves.”

A representative of the youth teams up to under-21 level, the West Ham midfielder made his first appearance for the senior side in October 1999, starting the 2-1 win over Belgium at the Stadium of Light.

It took a further four years and 11 matches for him to finally score, with that effort against Croatia at Portman Road the first of 29 he would go on to score for his country.

Lampard’s best performances in an England shirt came a decade ago in Portugal, where he netted three goals in England’s run to the European Championship quarter-finals.

He earned a place in the Euro 2004 team of the tournament and that form continued in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, notching five goals as England topped Group 6.

Lampard’s 80th-minute goal against Poland securing qualification by a single point was a high point from which things soon began to go awry.

Voted England Player of the Year by fans in 2004 and 2005, he went on to miss a spot-kick as England crashed out to Portugal at the quarter-final stage of the 2006 finals in Germany.

That devastating experience was compounded when, just two years after being lauded as England’s best player, he was jeered by England supporters when he came on 20 minutes from the end of a 3-0 Euro 2008 qualifying win over Estonia.

Lampard picked himself up from that and remained an important member of the side.

MK Dons humiliate United in new low

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VAN-GAAL-DONS
MILTON KEYNES, August 26- Manchester United sank to new depths on Tuesday when they crashed out of the League Cup in the second round following a 4-0 defeat at third-division Milton Keynes Dons.

United had announced the signing of Angel di Maria from Real Madrid in a British-record £59.7 million ($98 million, 75 million euros) deal shortly before kick-off, but they were brought down to earth with a painful bump as a second-string team fell apart at Stadium MK.

Will Grigg scored either side of half-time for the League One side before substitute Benik Afobe added a brace of his own to leave a shell-shocked Louis van Gaal still searching for his first competitive win as United manager.

“It’s a matter of making errors at the wrong moment. When you see the goals against us, we made big errors in the build-up situations that you cannot make,” van Gaal told Sky Sports.

“You don’t have to forget that we have nine injuries and that we had a very young team. I have seen them trying to do their utmost best, so you cannot expect more of the players.”

Asked if he had a message for United’s fans, van Gaal said: “They have to believe in our philosophy. We are building up a team and you cannot make it in one month, not in one year.

“Of course it’s very disappointing, but I hope they shall maintain their confidence in the club and our philosophy because that philosophy takes time.”

United’s defeat mirrored what had happened on their last appearance in the second round in 1995, when they fell to third-tier York City, and means a potential path to silverware has been shut off before the end of August.

“I’m a little bit in shock, to be walking around and seeing the scoreline,” said MK Dons manager Karl Robinson.

“It’s ridiculous. It’s something that dreams are made of for these players.”

- Evans blunder -

Van Gaal made 10 changes to his starting XI, with goalkeeper David de Gea the only player to hold onto his place from Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Sunderland in the Premier League.

The visitors received an early setback when Shinji Kagawa had to go off after a clash of heads and in the 25th minute they gifted their hosts the lead.

Jonny Evans, United’s captain for the day, passed the ball straight to Ben Reeves inside his own area and the Dons number 10 squared to Grigg for a simple tap-in.

The home side were aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty early in the second half when a shot from Dean Bowditch struck Evans on the arm, but in the 63rd minute they added a second goal.

After United again conceded possession cheaply, Grigg sprayed a pass wide to Reeves, who crossed for Grigg to beat De Gea with an outrageous chested finish from 10 yards.

There was more misery to come for United, whose seventh-place finish last season was their worst since 1990.

With 20 minutes remaining, Reeves displayed his disdain for the visiting defence with a showy no-look through-ball to on-loan Arsenal striker Afobe, who held his nerve to sweep the ball past De Gea.

Belatedly, United rallied, with Adnan Januzaj hitting the post, but with six minutes left Afobe charged through three weak challenges before slamming home to complete a humiliating night for English football’s misfiring giants.

United were one of four Premier League teams to fall to lower-league opposition on Tuesday.

Promoted sides Leicester City and Burnley were both beaten 1-0 at home, with the former going down to fourth-tier Shrewsbury Town and the latter losing to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday.

West Ham United lost 5-4 on penalties at home to third-tier Sheffield United following a 1-1 draw, while West Bromwich Albion edged fourth-tier Oxford United 7-6 in a penalty shootout.

However, Newcastle United, Southampton, Swansea City and Crystal Palace all made it through to round three.


Di Maria: Real lied, I did not want to leave

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DI-MARIA-SHIRT
LONDON, August 27- New Manchester United signing Angel di Maria has sensationally claimed he did not want to leave Real Madrid, but was left no choice by the La Liga club’s board.

United signed Di Maria for a British record fee of 59.7 million pounds on Tuesday, but the winger revealed in an open letter to Madrid fans that it was not his intention to leave.

Instead, Di Maria claimed “lies” had been told when both player and club were in disputes over a new contract.

Here is the full transcript of the letter as it ran on Marca.

An open Letter from Angel di María to all the Real Madrid fans

My time at Real Madrid has come to an end. It’s impossible, in just a few lines, to put all I have gained here, but this letter is my way of explaining how I’m feeling now that I’m bidding the club farewell.

Over the four years I have had the honour of wearing this shirt, I have felt nothing but pride about everything that has happened and all I have achieved together with my teammates.

Sadly, now I have to go, but I want to make it clear that this was never my wish. I’ve always wanted to progress, as anyone else does in their job.

I went to the World Cup after winning the ‘Decima’ with the hope of getting some signal from the Club Management, but it never came.

Many things were said and many lies circulated. They always wanted to pin the idea of leaving the club on me, but that’s not how it was.

Unfortunately, my football isn’t to someone’s taste. The only thing I asked for was a fair deal. There are many things that I value and a lot of them have nothing to do with my salary.

I hope to find them at Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, with which I’m hoping to make history.

I’ve been lucky enough to share a dressing room with some fantastic players, who have been even better teammates. I think that was the key to winning the Tenth Champions League.

I want to apologise for the times I made mistakes, on or off the field. It was never my intention to do wrong by anyone. I sweated for this shirt every game as if it were the last.

There were times when things went well, and times when they didn’t, but what I can say is that I always gave it everything.

I want to thank Spain for everything it’s given me and especially for being the country where my daughter was born. And I would like to send a very special thank you to the people at the Montepríncipe hospital, who will always be in my heart.

My wife, daughter and I will be forever grateful. Also to my teammates, who always supported me, in good times and bad, to the various coaching teams I’ve worked with and also to all the people who work at the club on a daily basis, who I have a great relationship with.

I hope that Real Madrid have a great season and achieve the ambitions the club is always keen to push for.

That moment at the Bernabéu in the ‘Supercopa’ when I came onto the pitch and was greeted with such great affection from the crowd will stay with me forever.

Thank you so much. It still gives me goosebumps. I could not think of a better farewell for what turned out to, unfortunately, be my last game.

Hala Madrid! Always and forever!

“Sanchez will replace injured Giroud,” Wenger

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SANCHEZ-BENFICA
LONDON, August 28- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger backed Alexis Sanchez to prove an able deputy for the injured Olivier Giroud after the Chilean forward fired his new club into the Champions League.

Sanchez scored the only goal of the game against Besiktas at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday to earn Arsenal a 1-0 win that propelled them into the Champions League group phase for the 17th season in succession.

With Wenger revealing afterwards that Giroud could be out for up to four months after undergoing surgery on a broken tibia, it was the ideal moment for Sanchez to showcase his ability to lead the line.

Asked if Sanchez could play at centre-forward during the period of Giroud’s absence, Wenger replied: “For three or four months? He can play his whole life at centre-forward.

“I bought him to play striker, not to play only on the flanks.”

Sanchez’s goal was his first since his £30 million ($50.4 million, 37.6 million euros) move from Barcelona, but Wenger said that he did not see the 25-year-old’s strike as the first repayment on his hefty fee.

“I don’t see it like that,” said the Frenchman.

“He had a good game, not only on the technical side, but on the fighting side. He was mobile, dangerous, and showed as well he has great fighting spirit; qualities that will be very important in the Premier League.”

While Wenger admitted that he was “open” to making new signings before the transfer window closes on September 1, he said that buying players was not the solution to the injuries suffered by players such as Giroud and Mikel Arteta.

“If you want to make anybody happy, you just buy all these players,” said Wenger, who dismissed links with Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck, Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, and former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song.

“But what’s important is the performance on the football pitch and the solidarity we have shown tonight (Wednesday).

“If you look at the players we had on the bench and those who are injured, we have players. You cannot every time buy when a player’s injured.”

Asked if Monaco’s prolific Colombian striker Radamel Falcao was within Arsenal’s price range, Wenger responded succinctly: “No.”

- Bilic draws positives -

Wenger also praised England midfielder Jack Wilshere, who provided the spark of inspiration that led to Sanchez’s goal in first-half stoppage time.

“From game to game, he grows,” Wenger said. “He got some critics recently and the best response is to show on the pitch that he’s getting better and better.

“He has found a little burst back to get away from people, which he hadn’t had for a while. In the last two, three games, you see it slowly coming back.”

Wenger admitted that Wilshere had been “lucky” not to concede a penalty for sliding in from behind on Ramon Motta when the score was 0-0.

Mathieu Debuchy, who was later sent off for two bookable offences, also escaped sanction after sending Mustafa Pektemek tumbling in the box, but Besiktas coach Slaven Bilic was reluctant to discuss either incident.

The former Croatia coach watched the match from the stands after being sent off in last week’s 0-0 draw in Istanbul and when asked to comment, he replied: “You know where I sat tonight.

“You aren’t going to be angry if I refuse to answer those questions.”

Bilic admitted that the result had left him “gutted”, but he said that his side would draw encouragement from their performance over the two legs.

“I’m proud, and we’ll come out of this with positives,” he told his post-match press conference.

“We’re not just in the Europa League to participate. We’re going to do business there and we want to go very, very far.

“If we continue to play like this, with a couple more players, we can go far in the Europa League and fight in the Turkish championship, which is always a priority for this club.”

Kenya’s ‘compe’ as Mali to bid for 2017 Afcon

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MALI-ALGERIA
BAMAKO, August 28- Mali are to bid to host the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2017 after Libya pulled out of organising the event, the Malian football federation (Femafoot) said on Wednesday.

Libya withdrew following a meeting with Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou last week citing the unstable security situation in the country.

Libya previously had to give up the staging of the 2013 CAN because of the recent conflict in the country, with South Africa taking its place.

“We’ve received the political endorsement of the highest authorities in Mali to bid to host CAN 2017. Our country already has the infrastructure required for such an event,” said FemaFoot president Boubacar Diarra Baba.

Mali last hosted the tournament in 2002.

Ghana, who hosted the African football showpiece event in 2008, Algeria, Kenya and Tanzania have also expressed an interest in hosting the finals. The winning bid will be announced some time next year.

Rooney named England captain

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ROONEY-VALENCIA
LONDON, August 28- Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will take over from Steven Gerrard as England captain, manager Roy Hodgson announced during a press conference at Wembley Stadium on Thursday.

The 28-year-old forward has won 95 caps since making his debut against Australia in February 2003, scoring 40 goals, and was also named captain of United two weeks ago.

He succeeds Liverpool midfielder Gerrard, who stepped down after England’s group-phase exit at the World Cup, and will begin his tenure as permanent captain in next week’s friendly at home to Norway.

“I think Wayne’s an obvious choice and he certainly deserves it,” Hodgson told journalists.

“His commitment to the cause, his experience, the fact he’s already captained England in the past, and now he has the responsibility at Manchester United — all these factors weighed on my thought process.

“I had a long conversation with him and he’s prepared to accept the pressures that the England captaincy brings, because it’s quite important to make sure the person to whom you’re offering the captaincy is ready to take on that responsibility.”

In a statement published on the Football Association website, Rooney said: “To be named as England captain is a dream come true for me personally and of course my family. It is something that I will take massive pride in doing.

“As a kid I always loved watching a big England game on the television. Back then I had a burning ambition to play for my country. To be appointed captain is beyond my wildest dreams.

“I would obviously like to thank Roy and the coaching staff for having the belief and confidence in me to do the job.”

Hodgson made the announcement at the same time that he unveiled his squad for Wednesday’s game against Norway and England’s opening 2016 European Championship qualifier against Switzerland in Basel on September 8.

There were four uncapped players in the squad in the shape of new Arsenal defender Calum Chambers, Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose, Newcastle United midfielder Jack Colback and Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph.

Everton’s 20-year-old defender John Stones also earned a recall after being named as a standby player for the World Cup, while Tottenham winger Andros Townsend returned after missing the World Cup through injury.

It is the first squad that Hodgson has named since the World Cup and the first since 34-year-old Gerrard and fellow veteran midfielder Frank Lampard, 36, announced their international retirements.

Another long-serving player, left-back Ashley Cole, called time on his England career after being omitted from the squad for the World Cup.

Glen Johnson, Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley, Theo Walcott, Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana were among the players who missed out on a place in the 22-man squad due to injury.

England squad for friendly against Norway and opening Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland:

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Everton)

Midfielders: Jack Colback (Newcastle United), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

Platini will not take on Blatter at FIFA

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BLATTER-PLATINI
MONACO, August 28- UEFA president Michel Platini announced Thursday that he will not challenge Sepp Blatter for the leadership of football’s world body but made a new call for Blatter to stand down when his term ends.

The 59-year-old French football legend said he would concentrate on a new term as head of Europe’s governing body instead of taking on Blatter.

His decision leaves the path open for Blatter, 78, to win a fifth four-year term in charge of FIFA in an election next year.

“This is not the time, it is not my time. Not yet,” Platini told reporters.

“I thought long and hard, but never managed to convince myself during these months of reflection that I had to go to FIFA for these elections. It’s as simple as that. Once again, I have chosen to follow my heart. I have chosen football. I have chosen passion.”

Blatter said at the FIFA congress in Brazil in June that he was ready to take on a fifth four-year term in charge of the world body. He has faced opposition from European football chiefs following his statement when elected in 2011 that it would be his last term.

“I think he will be a candidate,” said Platini, while renewing criticism of the Swiss official.

“I helped him in 1998, in 2002, in 2007. In 2011 he asked me to help him. I think he will go for it in 2015, but I will not support him. I told him to his face because I think FIFA needs a breath of fresh air.”

Platini said he had challenged incumbent Lennart Johansson for the UEFA presidency in 2007 “so you can’t accuse me of being scared of Blatter.

“My debate was UEFA or FIFA. I still have respect for Blatter but he should give up his place.”

FIFA and UEFA will hold presidential elections next year. The FIFA vote will be held at its congress in Zurich on May 29.

The only declared candidate so far is Jerome Champagne, a former FIFA deputy secretary general, who has acknowledged that he has little chance of beating Blatter, who gets massive support from federations in Africa and other continents.

Platini said he told UEFA’s 54 member states of his decision at a meeting in Monaco on Thursday before making his announcement public.

“As you have seen, we are working on some very important projects at UEFA, and I still want to see them through before considering one day moving on to pastures new,” Platini said.

“I want to finish what I have started. A bit like when I was a player, and I always saw my contracts through to the end, to honour my commitments. Now is no different. I want to see my contract with UEFA through to the end.”

Platini said he had “no doubts or regrets” about his move.

“I am keener than ever to develop football in Europe ever further, and to defend with vigour the interests of European football and the European associations on the world stage.

“Whether it is the number of places given to European teams at the World Cup, defending the sovereignty of the European associations, the international match calendar or solidarity revenue: European football knows that it can count on me to be at the forefront on these issues.”

On many of these issues, Platini could find himself in conflict with Blatter in coming years.

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