Koeman pledges to put Barca back on top
MADRID: Ronald Koeman said he will “fight to put Barcelona back on top” after he was officially appointed Wednesday as the Spanish club’s new coach on a two-year deal. “It’s a happy day. Everyone knows that Barca was for me. It’s my home. It’s a challenge and it won’t be easy, it will demand the best of me and I like that,” Koeman said at his unveiling at the Camp Nou. “It was a dream and this dream became a reality. We’re going to fight to put Barca back on top.”
The 57-year-old Koeman, who has been in charge of the Netherlands since 2018, replaces Quique Setien, who was sacked after the Catalans were humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday. He becomes the fifth Dutchman to coach Barca after Rinus Michels, Johan Cruyff, Louis Van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard.
Koeman said he would stick to his preferred Dutch style of possession-based football, staying true to the club’s tradition, but rowed back on suggestions the likes of Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba could all be leaving the club. “If decisions need to be made, we’ll take them,” said Koeman. “A player who is 31, 32 years old, he’s not finished. It’s all about the hunger he has to want to be at this club and give the maximum,” he said.
FIFA’S ETHICS PANEL CLEARS INFANTINO LAUSANNE: FIFA’S independent ethics committee has cleared the organisation’s president Gianni Infantino of any alleged breach of its code, world soccer’s governing body said on Wednesday.
Swiss authorities last month decided to open criminal proceedings against Infantino to look into meetings between the FIFA chief and Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber. “Based on the information available to date, no aspect of the conduct analysed constitutes a violation of the FIFA regulations,” FIFA said.
GOALKEEPER
MAITY NO MORE
MUMBAI: Former India goalkeeper Bhaskar Maity died at a Navi Mumbai hospital due to brain hemorrhage on Wednesday. Maity was 67 and is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Maity represented India against Iraq during the 1978 Asian Games at Bangkok. He played for Maharashtra from 1975-1979 in the Santosh Trophy. He also played for Mafatlal Sports Club from 1974-80 and the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers from 1981-82. After retirement, he coached RCF football team.