‘Devastated’ Koscielny is ruled out of World Cup

LONDON: VETERAN French defender Laurent Koscielny is ‘devastated’ at missing out on this year’s World Cup finals after undergoing surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon, said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

The 32-year-old central defender is set to be sidelined for six months according to Wenger, bringing a sad end to his international career as he had planned to retire after the finals in Russia.

Koscielny was carried off 12 minutes into Arsenal’s Europa League semifinal second-leg defeat by Atletico Madrid last Thursday. “He is of course devastated. He will be out for six months. You will not see him before the beginning of December at best,” said Wenger.

ZIDANE CONVINCED RON WILL BE FIT FOR FINAL

BARCELONA: ZINEDINE Zidane is 150 per cent sure that Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit to face Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 26.

“What is incredible is that (Ronaldo) is walking after 48 hours and that shows his ambition, but I’m not sure if he will be available for the Villarreal game,” Zidane said on Tuesday.

“Everyone will be available for the final, I’m telling you, 150 percent. Everyone will be back, Cristiano, Isco and (Dani) Carvajal.”

CHINESE CLUB DENIES MOVE FOR INIESTA

SHANGHAI: China’s Chongqing Lifan denied making a big-money move for Andres Iniesta as Spanish media said the Barcelona captain could now be headed for Japan or Australia.

Reports in China and Spain have linked Chongqing with the 33-year-old, who is leaving Barcelona after two decades of phenomenal success. Chongqing said Iniesta wouldn’t be joining “as a player” but left the door open to future cooperation with the midfielder, who has promotional and marketing links with the city.

MANCINI CLOSER TO ITALY JOB: REPORT

MILAN: Zenit Saint Petersburg manager Roberto Mancini has reached agreement to become the

next Italy coach after accepting a pay cut to take the job, according to reports on Tuesday.

Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the 53-year-old has agreed a two-year deal worth €2 million a year which will be penned after the end of the Russian season.

FIFA FINES RUSSIA OVER RACIST CHANTS

MOSCOW: FIFA said on Tuesday it had fined the Russian Football Union 30,000 Swiss francs for racist abuse directed at French players by Russian fans during a preworld Cup friendly.

A Reuters photographer at pitch level for France’s 3-1 win

against Russia in March in St Petersburg heard monkey chants directed at French players, including when N’golo Kante came for a throw-in.

NZ WOMEN TO GET SAME PAY AS MEN

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s football body announced a new deal on Tuesday that gives the national women’s team the same pay and conditions as the men’s side, becoming one of the world’s first countries to do so.

NZ women will receive the same match payments, equal fees on image rights and a similar proportion of prize money.