23/04/2025

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | APR 23, 2025

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Devils lack killer-instinct Eriksen insists tiredness not behind Man Utd loss to Wolves C HRISTIAN ERIKSEN says Manchester United’s lack of cutting edge was to blame for Sunday’s defeat to Wolves rather than any Europa League blaming a lack of killer-instinct rather than Thursday’s exertions. “I think it was pretty easy to get over,” the experienced midfielder said. “I think obviously we changed a lot of the team from Thursday… we had our chances (on Sunday). Ű BY SIMON PEACH

BRIEFS Biles ‘not so sure’ about 2028 LA Olympics

AMERICAN gymnast Simone Biles, voted Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus Sport Awards ceremony in Madrid, said she remained uncertain about whether she would compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 28-year-old, a seven-time Olympic champion, won three gold medals in Paris last year, making a thrilling return to the Olympic stage after a long mental health break. “I’m really enjoying my time off before I decide if I want to go back to the gym and compete,” she said at yesterday’s ceremony. “A lot of people think it’s just a one-year commitment but it truly is the four years leading up to the Olympics. It’s in LA it’s back in the States, which is so exciting. But if I’m going to compete again, I’m not so sure. But I will be at the Olympics, whether it’s on the floor or in the stands.” Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, the double Olympic champion and world record holder, was named Sportsman of the Year. Duplantis, 25, took the award ahead of tennis great Novak Djokovic, Formula One world champion Max Verstappen. Boom Boom, Smriti top Wisden awards INDIA duo Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana have been crowned the world’s leading cricketers in the latest edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. Jasprit won the honour in the men’s section after a stellar 2024 when he excelled across formats and was named player of the tournament as India won the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies. “In an eventful year for Indian cricket, their success depended largely, if not entirely, on one factor: whether or not he had the ball,” the publication wrote about the 31-year-old, who is considered the best all-format bowler of his era. “Rarely has a cricketer stood out so overwhelmingly as he did in 2024.” Opener Mandhana won the women’s honour after a prolific 2024 that included five hundreds – four of them in one-day internationals. Mandhana also led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first Women’s Premier League title last year. West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran was named the “Leading T20 Player in the World”. Hedwall, Reid named vice captains EUROPEAN captain Anna Nordqvist named Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall and England’s Mel Reid as vice captains for the 2026 Solheim Cup yesterday. The biennial competition against the United States will take place from Sept. 7-13, 2026, at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. Hedwall, 35, has represented Europe at the Solheim Cup five times. This is her first selection as a vice captain. “I was so thrilled when Anna invited me to be one of her Vice Captains in 2026 as the Solheim Cup has definitely provided many of the most important moments of my career,” she said. Reid, 37, played for Europe in the Solheim Cup four times and was a vice captain in 2019 and 2024. “If the Solheim Cup is happening, I want to be there for Europe in whatever way I can contribute,” Reid said. “Some of my fondest core memories have been during a Solheim Cup week and in that European team room.”

Unfortunately, they did that.” The positives on a disappointing afternoon for United were the performances of Tyler Fredricson, 20, on his debut and Harry Amass, 18, as he made his first Old Trafford start. “I’m happy for both,” Eriksen told MUTV . “Obviously Harry has played a few games, but Tyler has trained with us a few times and performed (on Sunday). I think he’s a bright kid. “I mean, they’re both really working hard and earning their chance in the team. I think they can both be very proud of what they’ve achieved. “They look very comfortable. I hope they enjoyed it and keep the memory apart from the loss, but for their own development I think they’ll be very proud.” United return to action at Bournemouth on Sunday (9pm Malaysian time) and could start the day behind Wolves, who take on relegated Leicester the previous day buoyed by substitute Sarabia’s winner at Old Trafford. Vitor Pereira has overseen quite the turnaround at Molineux, with Sunday’s victory seeing them secure five consecutive top-flight wins for the first time since 1970.

“No matter if we played Thursday or not, I think we had enough energy to win the game and, in the end, it was just small details. We weren’t good enough in the last end.

hangover. Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils returned to action just 63 hours after Thursday’s show-stopping 5-4 extra-time quarterfinal comeback win against Lyon. United made five changes from that physically and emotionally draining Europa League encounter as Amorim admitted preparations for their semifinal against Athletic Bilbao took precedence over Premier League matters. The Portuguese’s side did well, considering, but substitute Pablo Sarabia’s freekick secured Wolves a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, w i t h Eriksen

“It is football, in a nutshell. Sometimes if you have a good game but don’t score any goals, then the opposition will always have a chance to take the lead and take the w i n .

“It’s a massive victory,” match-winner Sarabia told the Premier League. “We are very happy for this win and for me as well. Very happy for me and my team. “We are fighting every single game. We try to do our best and we are improving a lot. It was a very difficult season for us, but we are enjoying now.

“I think this team needed a change. With Vitor, something changed. The most important thing is that the players are very happy on the pitch and because of this it is possible to do the best on the pitch.” – The Independent

Christian Eriksen. – REUTERSPIC

Alexander-Arnold could snub Madrid after all

Leverkusen have ‘gentleman’s agreement’ to let Alonso go

BAYER LEVERKUSEN and their coach Xabi Alonso have a “gentleman’s agreement” that would allow the Spanish manager to leave if one of the clubs he played for during his career calls him up, the German club’s CEO Fernando Carro said yesterday. The 43-year-old former midfielder, who had a remarkable career playing for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and his childhood club Real Sociedad, has been rumored as the strongest candidate to succeed Carlo Ancelotti in the Spanish capital. The 65-year-old Italian manager’s future with Real Madrid is uncertain following their Champions League quarterfinal exit, with multiple reports suggesting he could step away from his position at the end of the season to take over the Brazilian national team’s vacant spot, which could further open the door for Alonso’s return to Madrid. The former Spanish international, who is under contract until June 2026, has done an excellent job at Bayer Leverkusen in his short managerial career. He led them to their first Bundesliga title, ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year domination, as

well as triumphs in the German Cup and DFB Supercup. “We have a gentlemen’s agreement that if any of the teams he has played for calls, we would sit down and talk and we wouldn’t put any obstacles in his way,” Carro told reporters yesterday. “(Last year) Xabi had offers from important clubs but he assured us that he would stay with us. Maybe it is a bit early to talk as the season is still ongoing. “Maybe things can happen. So we have given ourselves some time to decide… We are very calm and there is not much more to say other than that.” Carro said that Leverkusen’s relationship with Real Madrid “is excellent” but said there has been no contact whatsoever regarding Alonso from the Spanish club. “We are not naive, but the position of the coach is very important for a club and we are preparing the next season with him,” Carro said. “If at the end of the day there is interest from another club and he is interested in going to that club, we have a relationship that we would have to talk about. “Xabi’s will is important in this, he respects us a lot and we respect Xabi”. – Reuters

CLINTON MORRISON has weighed in on the speculation surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future, suggesting his zealous goal celebrations against Leicester City hint he might just remain at Liverpool. The 26-year-old made an impact off the bench at the King Power Stadium on Sunday, replacing Conor Bradley in the 71st minute. Just five minutes later, Alexander Arnold hammered home a left-footed volley and jubilantly shared the moment with away supporters, taking off his shirt as Liverpool edged closer to another Premier League title with their 1-0 victory. With Alexander-Arnold’s contract set to expire this summer and rumours of a switch to Real Madrid gathering steam, Morrison pondered whether such exuberant celebrations wouldn’t align with a player poised for departure. During an appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live , he said: “If you’re leaving a football club I don’t think you celebrate like that.” As the 2024/25 Premier League season kicked off, Alexander-Arnold was one of three Liverpool mainstays whose contracts were set to expire at the end of the campaign, alongside Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. And while both Salah and Van Dijk have recently signed new two-year deals with the Reds, Alexander-Arnold is yet to extend his own contract beyond June.

After Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Leicester, he declined to discuss his future, telling Sky Sports : “I have said all season that I am not going to speak on my situation. I am not going to go into the details. “But days like today are always special. Scoring goals, playing games, winning games, winning titles – they are special moments for me and I am glad to do my part.” Captain Van Dijk says Alexander Arnold will “always be remembered for good things” at Liverpool even if he decides to leave as a free agent. “Since I joined the club, he has been a fantastic player and there’s a lot of good things that he will always be remembered for if he decides to leave,” said Van Dijk. “Whatever may happen in the future for him, that’s something he has to resolve with himself and the family. “But he’s a Liverpool player at this point and he’s important for our team.” While Alexander-Arnold’s celebration after scoring against Leicester has been debated, especially on social media, Van Dijk says the Liverpool squad have had no inclination about the England player’s future. “At this point, we don’t know as a group what’s going to happen,” added Van Dijk. “He is already under a lot of pressure so there is no point for me to put him on the spot whatsoever.” – Express News papers/Agencies