PSG head to Barca with revenge and Messi on their minds
BARCELONA, (Reuters) - Paris St Germain travel to Barcelona for their Champions League round of 16 clash today with the French side’s unrelenting pursuit of Lionel Messi adding intrigue to a rivalry laced with recent history.
Barca’s 6-1 win over PSG in the last 16 in 2017 after losing the first leg 4-0 was among the greatest comebacks ever in the competition and led to the Paris side paying 222 million euros ($269.29 million) to prise away Neymar, the standout player that night.
Now they have set their sights on Messi, with PSG’s players, coaches and directors talking of their excitement about the prospect of bringing the Argentine to the French capital when his Barcelona contract expires in June.
Backed by the Qatari royal family, PSG are one of the few clubs that could afford Messi’s eye-watering salary, which was revealed by Spanish newspaper El Mundo last month to be the biggest in world of sport.
PSG sporting director Leonardo has said they have “a seat reserved at the table” for when Messi wishes to negotiate with new clubs should he decide to call time on his 17-year career with Barca, while winger Angel di Maria has made it clear he wants to be reunited with his Argentina team mate in Paris.
The comments have riled Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman but PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino said last week that he did not understand the fuss.
Messi, who has admitted that his attempt to leave Barca last summer led to a dip in form earlier in the current campaign, is back to his best and warmed up for the PSG game with two sensational goals in a 5-1 routing of Alaves.
“Messi is 100% committed to Barcelona and will make his decision at the end of the season. We don’t pay attention to what other clubs and players say,” Barca left back Jordi Alba said in Monday’s pre-game news conference.
“A lot has been said, there are many opinions, but the last word will be his. I hope he stays for many more years but it’s his decision and we’ll have to respect it. His mind is focused on Barca right now, you can see that in every game.”
Koeman had previously said PSG were talking up their chances of signing Messi to try and crank up the pressure on Barcelona, who will be without the injured Neymar on Tuesday, but the Dutchman was more relaxed the day before the game.
“They haven’t managed to destabilise us. I don’t know whether that was their intention or not,” he said. “But Messi belongs to Barca and I have a lot of hope he will stay here.”
West Vybz Sports Bar and Restaurant, of Tuschen Public Road, East Bank Essequibo, has thrown its support behind the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Incorporated President’s Cup.
Proprietor of the popular bar, Jai Mangal, yesterday presented a cheque to the organisers of the tournament which is set to unfold March 5 and end on March 7. Mangal expressed his satisfaction with the competition and wished the participating teams well.
He said that sports in Guyana play an important role in developing society and said that he was happy to give back to society.
Mangal thanked the organisers for the opportunity while Shelly Ramgobin, who accepted the sponsorship on behalf of the organisers, thanked the businessman for his support.
The competition, which is being held in collaboration with Guyana’s Honorary Consul to Florida, was launched recently at the Everest Cricket Club.
The entry free tournament will be played in
three categories, Open, Over-40 and Over-50 and will be played at several grounds in the city.
Teams will battle for a first prize of $500,000 in each category while the runners up will receive $100,000.
Among the teams expected to battle for supremacy are Regal All Star, Speedboat, Ariel, Wellman Masters, Fisherman Masters, Regal Masters, HS Masters, Regal Legends, Savage, Success and Trophy Stall.
The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that elections for the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) are set for Friday but an appeal was filed to set aside the decision shortly after.
In an invited comment, Attorney-at-Law Arudranauth Gossai, who is representing respondents, Roger Harper, the former President of the Georgetown Cricket Association, Davteerth Anandjit in his capacity as Secretary of the East Coast Cricket Board and Bradley Fredericks in his capacity as President of the Upper Demerara Cricket Association, told this publication that they hope to see a Court supervised elections taking place on Friday at 11.00 hours at the Demerara Cricket Club, Queenstown.
Gossai reflected briefly on the history leading up to yesterday’s ruling, going back to 2018 when an application was filed in the High Court in Demerara for elections of the executive committee of the DCB.
That decision stems from a ruling by the court on June 20, 2019 to have the elections “held no later than August 11th 2019.”
Subsequent to that order, there was a Summons for a stay of the order pending the determination of an Appeal.
As of February 1 2021, the Summons applying for the stay of the order pending the hearing and determination of the Appeal had not been heard however, the Summons was withdrawn.
Attorney-at-law, Arudranauth Gossai.
Gossai noted that because the Summons was withdrawn, there was nothing hindering the elections from taking place and since the date was past, he had applied for a new date.
He indicated that the five associations in Demerara are now expected to submit their list of delegates to the Court by February 17.
He said that the Court-supervised elections will see a Marshall calling to order the meeting and verifying the delegates.
Meanwhile, according to documents seen by Stabroek Sport, an appeal was filed asking that the decision delivered by Justice Singh extending certain time limits stipulated by the final Order be set aside and a judgment be granted reversing and/or setting aside the decision, an order that there be costs to the Appellant in the Full Court of Appeal and in the Court before and such further or other orders as may be just.
The Attorney-at-Law reasoned that now, with the Berbice Cricket Board already having a Court-supervised election in 2018, Essequibo Cricket Board having an election in conformity with the Cricket Administration Act, should the Demerara Cricket Board election this week unfold, then it would move closer to having the Guyana Cricket Board elections.
Gossai explained that following the Demerara Cricket Board elections, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., on consultation with Cricket West Indies, shall appoint a Cricket Ombudsman in accordance with Section 17 of the Cricket Administration Act and set the date for the election.