Arab Times

Esperance declared African CL winners

Forlan announces retirement

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CAIRO, Aug 7, (Agencies): Tunisian club Esperance have been declared African Champions League winners after the Confederat­ion of African Football’s disciplina­ry committee on Wednesday found opponents Wydad Casablanca guilty of abandoning the second leg of the final in May.

This reverses an earlier decision by the CAF executive committee to order a replay of the second leg, in which the Moroccan side refused to play on after a VAR controvers­y.

Both clubs had appealed to the Court of Arbitratio­n in Sport, which last week found that the CAF executive committee’s decision was wrong and ordered the case to be heard by CAF’s disciplina­ry committee.

Both clubs were also fined after a hearing in Cairo on Wednesday.

Former Uruguay striker Diego Forlan has announced his retirement, bringing to an end a 21-year career in which he played club soccer on three different continents.

Forlan, who started his career in South America with Argentine club Independie­nte, played for major European teams such as Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan before ending his career in Asia.

Forlan, 40, was also instrument­al in Uruguay’s run to the 2010 World Cup semifinals, where he was awarded the Golden Ball for best player at the tournament and finished as one of the tournament’s top scorers with five goals.

“After 21 years I made the decision to end my career as a profession­al footballer,” Forlan said in a statement.

“A beautiful stage closes full of great memories and emotions but another of new challenges will begin. Thanks to all who in one way or another accompanie­d me on this path!”

Forlan won the Premier League and FA Cup with United before moving to Spain where he helped Atletico win the Europa League in 2010 with a double in the final against Fulham.

He also led Uruguay to the Copa America title in 2011, grabbing another two goals in a final, when they beat Paraguay 3-0.

After a short stint in the Indian Super League with Mumbai City in 2016, he last played for Hong Kong Premier League side Kitchee Sports Club last year, wrapping up a career where he scored over 250 goals for club and country.

More than 40,000 Brazilian fans showed up Tuesday night to see Dani Alves join his boyhood club Sao Paulo FC.

The former Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain defender said the move aims to keep him in shape for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when he will be 39 years old.

The captain of Brazil’s title-winning Copa America team signed a contract that runs to December 2022. He left PSG on a free transfer after his contract expired in July.

Alves has lifted 40 trophies in his profession­al career and is looking for more.

“I have the dream of playing the next World Cup and I need a team that believes in me, in my history in soccer,” Alves said. “I am coming to Sao Paulo to bring results, I don’t want anyone thinking I have come to end my career. I still have many goals.”

Alves did not play in last year’s

Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves gestures to fans as he is presented as the new defender of the Sao Paulo soccer club at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Aug 6. The 36-year-old former Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain defender signed a free transfer deal to play for his

boyhood team Sao Paulo FC. (AP)

World Cup because of a knee injury. He was on Brazil’s squad for the 2010 and 2014 editions of the tournament, but in both occasions he lost his place in the starting lineup to Maicon.

Alves move to midfield to help extend his career.

Another Sao Paulo historic player, 2007 FIFA Player of the Year Kaká, handed Alves his number 10 shirt in front of excited fans who haven’t seen their club win major trophies since the 2012 Copa Sudamerica­na title.

Alves did not hide his emotion when it comes to the warm reception he has received since his arrival at Sao Paulo’s Congonhas airport.

“Today Sao Paulo did not sign a player, the club signed a fan like you all,” the defender said during Tuesday night’s presentati­on.

FC Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez appeared on Morumbi Stadium’s giant screen with messages for the veteran Brazilian.

“I want to wish you the best in this stage of your career,” Messi said. “I hope you enjoy returning to your country and playing there after so much time abroad.” Alves said he wants to play Saturday against Brazilian championsh­ip leader Santos, but club doctors are not sure whether it will be possible.

Sao Paulo is in fifth position in the Brazilian championsh­ip with 21 points in 12 matches, 11 behind the leader.

Alves has not played since Brazil’s 3-1 win over Peru in the Copa America final on July 7 at the Maracanã Stadium.

Democratic Republic of Congo coach Florent Ibenge added his name to the list of post-Africa Cup of Nations departures when he announced on Wednesday that he was leaving the job.

Ibenge, 57, had an usually long fiveyear tenure in charge of the Congolese side but his position looked tenuous after they suffered a shock defeat by rookies Madagascar on penalties in the last 16 of the tournament in Egypt last on a permanent basis on March 28.

But then, the new energy and optimism around the club faded as quickly as it arrived – United lost four of their last eight games in the Premier League, including a home defeat to already-relegated Cardiff City on the final day.

Over the last eight games, 14 clubs had better records than United, and the bare statistics don’t tell the full story of shocking performanc­es such as a 4-0 away defeat at Everton and a 1-1 draw at bottom side Huddersfie­ld.

“I think it was a mentally and physically draining season. But mentally because there were ups and downs and especially when you change manager right in the middle,” Solskjaer said.

During the pre-season tour of Asia, United’s coaching staff have looked to build the team’s fitness levels, which were below par in the latter stages of Mourinho’s reign and were blamed for a rash of injuries in the latter stage of the campaign. But the expected turnover in personnel has not been as radical as many would have expected.

England centre-back Harry Maguire has finally arrived for around 80 million pounds, a world record for a defender, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a strong addition at right-back and Dan James looks like a promising, pacy new option on the wing.

While United fans expected more new faces, they also could have imagined more players heading for the exit door – but despite constant speculatio­n over their futures forward Romelu Lukaku and midfielder Paul Pogba are still at the club for now.

Solskjaer has made no secret of his desire to bring through young players and there are signs that the new campaign could see contributi­ons from the likes of 17-year-old forward Mason Greenwood and teenage midfielder­s Tahith Chong and James Garner. The Old Trafford crowd loves nothing more than a young team that wants to attack, and that will buy Solskjaer more time as he looks to get the club back in the top-four fight.

The absence of Champions League football will also ease the burden, with the much easier early stages of the Europa League offering a chance to blood the youngsters.

But there will have to be concrete signs of progress this season. Chief executive Ed Woodward knows the club cannot linger outside the elite too long, especially with rivals Manchester City and Liverpool expected to be the frontrunne­rs again.

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