World Cup success lifts Armenians after last year’s bitter war

Yerevan (AFP) – Armenians on Thursday were celebrating their tiny Caucasus country’s surprising lead in its 2022 World Cup qualifying group with three wins out of three, lifting their spirits after a devastating war with Azerbaijan last year.

For the first time in the country’s history, its national team on Wednesday took the sole lead in its FIFA World Cup qualifying group after wins against Liechtenstein, Iceland and Romania.

Traumatised by last year’s disastrous defeat in a war with Azerbaijan that has engulfed the country in a political crisis, Armenia’s triumphs on the football pitch have provided some semblance of relief.

“Armenians live in constant stress, we can’t overcome this state of depression,” 65-year-old football fan Khachatur Kharatyan told AFP on Thursday in the capital Yerevan.

“But our team’s victory lifted our spirits, showed that we can win even when the adversary is strong,” he said.

On Wednesday night, Armenians poured into Yerevan’s streets waving national flags to celebrate their country’s 3-2 victory over Romania in a qualifier for next year’s World Cup in Qatar. 

The win made Armenia leaders — with nine points — of Group J that also includes four-time world champion Germany.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on Facebook that the “win after defeat… is dedicated to our brothers” killed in last year’s war with Azerbaijan for the control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The war, which erupted in September and ended six weeks later claiming the lives of some 6,000 people, saw Armenia forced to cede swathes of territories to Azerbaijan.

The Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement was seen in Armenia as a national humiliation, leading Pashinyan to call snap polls in June following months of mass anti-government protests.

For some Armenians, the country’s football success could provide political lessons. 

“The guys gave us such strong energy, showed that when we are united, when we are one team, we always win,” said 29-year-old Yerevan resident Anush Serobyan. “Our people needed that lesson.”

If Armenia makes next year’s edition of the World Cup, it would be just the third former Soviet state to participate in the tournament, joining Russia and Ukraine.

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Loew faces calls to go now after Germany lose to North Macedonia

Berlin (AFP) – Four-time World Cup winners Germany’s defeat to North Macedonia sparked calls on Thursday for coach Joachim Loew to stand down instead of waiting till after this summer’s European Championship.

Goran Pandev had put North Macedonia ahead in Wednesday’s 2022 World Cup qualifier just before half-time and although Ilkay Gundogan equalised from the penalty spot early in the second half, the minnows snatched victory when Eljif Elmas scored a late winner in Duisburg.

Loew, who led Germany to glory at the 2014 World Cup but has suffered a string of poor results almost ever since, had announced last month that he will stand down after Euro 2020.

Bild, Germany’s most-read newspaper, said that decision should be reversed after the loss to the world’s 65th-ranked team.

“It’s over Jogi,” it said in its headline. “The magic that Loew conjured up during the World Cup (in 2014) has unfortunately disappeared. His achievements for German football cannot be questioned but his time has gone,” the paper said.

Loew has tried to forge a young new team without veteran stars such as Thomas Mueller and Jerome Boateng that he discarded after early Germany’s early elimination from the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Kicker magazine said the rebuilding project was not working.

“This newly formed German national team is still looking for direction and trying to find its way… both in the players’ legs and heads,” it said.

Kicker said Loew’s explanation that his players were “tired” simply “does not stand up… against opponents of that level”.

And Sport1 website said the team had “dishonoured itself”, and was particularly critical of Chelsea forward Timo Werner who missed an open goal.

“Some players are not reaching their usual level,” the website said.

The performance will only add fuel to the argument that 31-year-old Mueller, who is again in good form this season after leading Bayern Munich to victory in the 2020 Champions League, be recalled for the Euro finals this summer when Germany face a tough first-round group of reigning champions Portugal, World Cup holders France and Hungary.

The loudest calls came from Uli Hoeness, Bayern’s honorary president.

“Mueller should be in the team, he can still score goals and he can help any team in the world to get out of difficult situations,” Hoeness said.

Loew meanwhile insisted he had not lost faith in his team for the Euro — and he urged Germans not to either.

“We must not lose belief,” Loew said. “In the coming days and weeks we will check over everything once again.”

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Chinese Super League season to begin April 20

Shanghai (AFP) – The new Chinese Super League season will begin on April 20 and teams will be concentrated in two cities to help thwart the coronavirus, media said Thursday.

It will be similar to last season’s CSL, when the 16 clubs were housed in two hotels, in two locations, and kept away from the public to prevent infections.

For the new campaign, half of the teams will be stationed for the first phase in the southern city of Guangzhou and the other half in Suzhou, near Shanghai.

Fabio Cannavaro’s former champions Guangzhou will be based in their home city.

Shanghai Port, who boast the 60-million-euro Brazilian Oscar and former West Ham United striker Marko Arnautovic, will start the season in Suzhou.

Last season began behind closed doors but the new campaign is likely to see fans allowed into stadiums from the start, although not all matches will be open to supporters, Chinese media previously said.

Chinese football, which until recently had a reputation for excessive spending, is still reeling from the demise of champions Jiangsu FC.

Jiangsu defeated Cannavaro’s Guangzhou over two legs in November but just over 100 days later said it was ceasing operations after struggling owners Suning pulled the plug on the team.

Earlier this week, the Chinese Football Association threw Jiangsu out of the professional game.

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UEFA ‘considering’ allowing expanded squads for Euro 2020

Lausanne (AFP) – UEFA is weighing up the possibility of allowing teams at this year’s European Championship to name larger squads following calls by several coaches who are afraid of losing players to Covid-19, a spokesperson told AFP on Thursday.

“UEFA is considering the issue. No decision has been made yet,” a spokesperson for European football’s governing body told AFP.

The option has been prompted by calls from several coaches, notably those of Italy, Belgium and France, to prepare for teams being hit by a raft of positive coronavirus tests which could force players into isolation during the tournament.

Euro 2020 was postponed last year because of the pandemic but is due to take place this year at venues all across the continent, from June 11 to July 11.

Belgium coach Roberto Martinez this week called on UEFA to allow teams to name squads of “26 or 27 players”.

National teams have named squads of 23 players at the World Cup and European Championship ever since the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

Prior to that only 22 players were allowed in each squad at international tournaments.

“Ideally we would be able to have an extra goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward, so either 26 or 27 players in the squad,” Martinez said after Belgium beat Belarus 8-0 in a World Cup qualifier.

UEFA has already decided that teams will be allowed to make up to five substitutions in games at the Euro instead of the usual three, in line with current rules across many club competitions.

France coach Didier Deschamps believes being able to call up extra players would be a further source of protection with tiredness also a major issue in a crammed fixture calendar.

“I think it would be good if UEFA looked at expanding squads by two or three players, as long as they could all be named on the teamsheet for games,” said Deschamps, whose squad was not affected by Covid-19 cases during the latest international window.

“We have not had any positive cases but I think with fatigue and everything else it would be a good thing.”

In contrast, England manager Gareth Southgate has said he is against allowing squads to become even bigger.

“I know there’s some discussion about perhaps an extended number in the squad,” Southgate said after England beat Poland 2-1 on Wednesday.

“I’m not certain I’m behind that. I know Covid could play a part but I think there’s a skill to picking 23.

“It means you’ve got to make good decisions and important decisions and I think some of that can be lost as you get an extended group.”

A decision could be made at the next meeting of UEFA’s executive committee on April 19, when an announcement about any changes to the list of 12 host cities for the competition could also be made.

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Real Madrid president Perez calls for new club elections

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has called for new club elections to be held, the La Liga giants announced on Thursday.

The 74-year-old has been in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu since 2009 and was also president from 2000-2006, when he was best known for ushering in the ‘Galacticos’ era.

“Following on from today’s board meeting… the president has requested that the electoral board issue the call for elections for the president and board of directors,” the club said in a statement.

Perez was last reelected in 2017, when he was unopposed.

His detractors criticise a reform in the club’s statutes from 2012, which makes it harder to run for president.

Since then, any candidate must have been a Real Madrid member for at least 20 years and be able to guarantee a part of the team’s budget with their personal assets.

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Arsenal to discuss Lacazette future at end of season, says Arteta

London (AFP) – Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says Alexandre Lacazette’s future will be addressed at the end of the season, with reports of interest in the forward from a number of European clubs.

The 29-year-old Frenchman has scored in each of his past two Premier League outings, including the winner in the north London derby against Tottenham.

He is on course for his most prolific top-flight campaign since arriving from Lyon in 2017, having struck 11 times in the league ahead of Saturday’s clash with Liverpool.

Lacazette’s contract is up next year and several clubs including Serie A side Roma and Spanish team Atletico Madrid have been linked with moves for him.

“I’m always happy when people talk about our players and speculate — that means they are doing well and getting attention from other clubs,” Arteta said on Thursday.

“The situation with ‘Laca’ we will address in the summer, speak to him and just propose the future we want and that’s it. Now I just want players focused and only focused on performing and getting the best out of them for the team.”

Arsenal have been criticised in the past for handing lucrative contracts to players in the latter stages of their careers.

Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, 32, who agreed a bumper new deal in 2018, became a peripheral squad member, while 31-year-old captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struggled to impress earlier this season following an extension to his contract.

Asked about the balance between offering big contracts to senior players and having room to bring through youngsters, Arteta said: “Everything is related to where we are, how much we win and where we are playing next season.

“There are no exceptions and we all need to be clear with that and more with the context we have right now in our industry.”

Arsenal are ninth in the table, nine points adrift of the top four. Winning the Europa League appears to be their best chance of securing a Champions League return.

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