17/05/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | MAY 17, 2025

/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

ON TELEGRAM m RAM

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De Bruyne seeks fitting farewell

Palace go for glory

H ISTORY beckons for Crystal Palace at Wembley in today’s (11.30pm Malaysian time) FA Cup final as Manchester City have one final shot at avoiding a rare trophyless season under Pep Guardiola. Twice FA Cup runners-up, Palace have never won a major trophy in their 119-year history. The Eagles sense this may finally be their time up against a City side far from their former glories of Guardiola’s trophy-laden reign. Palace warmed up for the Wembley showpiece by cruising to a 2-0 win at Tottenham last weekend to equal their record of 49 Premier League points with two games of the season to spare. The south London club finished in the top 10 for the first time in the Premier League era last season after just a few months under Oliver Glasner. Another top half finish looks unlikely, but progress has continued under the Austrian thanks to their FA Cup heroics, including a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Champions

… as Man City seek FA Cup salvation at Wembley

KEVIN DE BRUYNE can add another honour to his haul as Manchester City’s most decorated player of all time with a fitting farewell in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. The Belgian’s trophy-littered decade in Manchester will come to an end at the conclusion of the Premier League season. But Wembley’s showpiece is the 33 year-old’s final chance to lift silverware at the club where he grew into one of world’s best players. A six-time Premier League winner, De Bruyne could add a third FA Cup to his five League Cups and 2023 Champions League win with City. He has expressed his “surprise” that City did not seek to extend his stay, filled with the belief that he can still perform at the highest level. De Bruyne rolled back the years when City rallied from 2-0 down to thrash Palace 5-2 just last month with a goal and an assist. City will be hoping for more of the same to give him a fitting farewell and save some face from a season to forget for Pep Guardiola’s men. After an unprecedented run of four consecutive Premier League titles, City are 18 points adrift of champions Liverpool and embroiled in a battle just to finish in the top five to secure a place in next season’s Champions League. De Bruyne’s decline has played a factor in City’s downturn. Of his 108 goals and 177 assists for the club in 419 appearances, only six and eight respectively have come this season. Guardiola has appeared almost apologetic for overlooking De Bruyne at times this season as he searched for solutions to fill the gaps in City’s ageing midfield. “The gratitude I have, we have, is huge,” said Guardiola. “Kevin is the player in the history of the club with the most titles and that defines what Kevin has done with us.” A giant mural of De Bruyne alongside his trophy haul as a City player was unveiled in Manchester city centre on Thursday. Guardiola has suggested a statue outside the club’s Etihad Stadium is also just a matter of time. But after a decade most characterised by a relentless thirst to keep on winning, the most fitting tribute would be for De Bruyne to go out with another medal around his neck. “The whole team only has one thought and that’s to try and get the trophy and to make the day special for Kevin,” said City midfielder Mateo Kovacic. “For what he’s done, he deserves to leave like a champion which he obviously is. “He is a massive figure in City’s success, and he will be remembered as one of the best.” – AFP

League quarterfinalists Aston Villa in the last four. Eberechi Eze is the main man for City to fear with five goals in his last four games. But he is one of just four England internationals that reached the final of Euro 2024 likely to start for Palace today alongside Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton. “It means everything,” said Eze on the prospect of delivering the club’s first taste of silverware. “We know what it means to the fans, to the club. We’re going to give everything that we’ve got to put ourselves in the best position. “We’re confident. We know that we’ve just got to do what we do and be the best version of ourselves and we’ve got the chance of beating any team.” Victory would also secure entry to one of Europe’s major club competitions for the first time in Palace’s history with a place in the

Europa League at stake. City’s laboured display in drawing a blank at bottom-of-the-table Southampton last weekend gave Palace even more reason to believe. However, Guardiola’s men are unbeaten in 10 games, including a 5-2 demolition of Palace in the Premier League last month despite falling 2-0 behind. City’s fightback at the Etihad Stadium that day was sparked by Kevin De Bruyne rolling back the years. The Belgian has just three games left as a City player after a glorious decade in Manchester and will be aiming to add one more to his 14 major honours with the club. “He has had an incredible time at Manchester City,” said City’s top scorer Erling Haaland. “It is ridiculous how many trophies he has won. Hopefully he will get one more trophy.” – AFP

Rashford won’t accept pay cut to leave Devils

Ű BY MIGUEL DELANEY

and is only willing to go to a club in the Champions League. Villa, who could yet qualify for next season’s Champions League by beating Manchester

Rashford’s wages. That could leave United facing the same issues this summer, as the 27-year-old’s contract runs until 2028, and it currently appears highly unlikely that he will again feature in any side managed by Ruben Amorim. As it stands, Rashford is planning on returning to pre season training at Carrington at the start of July. There remains a belief that a move is best for all parties, especially with United’s own PSR concerns and the aim to totally overhaul the squad. Another loan deal has not been ruled out, but Rashford is

reluctant to join a club in London. The forward enjoyed such a resurgence at Villa, with four goals and six assists in 17 games, that he was recalled to the England squad by Thomas Tuchel. He has missed the last three games due to a hamstring injury, though, and may well have played his last game for the club as he is set to miss this morning’s match against Tottenham and

MARCUS RASHFORD is available for £40 million (RM220m) from Manchester United this summer, but Aston Villa do not have first option on the forward.

Villa are open to making the move permanent after a successful loan spell since January, but there are no clauses to stop other clubs stealing in to strike a deal. Any suitor would nevertheless need to match Rashford’s £315,000-a-week (RM1.7m) wages, as sources close to the player state he would not be willing to countenance a pay cut,

United on the final day of the season, a r e understood to currently be covering 75% of

his loan terms mean he is ineligible for the final game of the season away to Manchester United. – The Independent

Aston Villa’s Marcus Rashford (left). – REUTERSPIC

SIDENETTING

Selles took over in December. The 41-year-old Spaniard is the third manager sacked by Hull owner Acun Ilicali in the last 12 months, with the northern club now starting their search for a fifth permanent boss since the Turkish media tycoon took control in early 2022.“Following a thorough review of football operations after a challenging campaign, the club feels a change in leadership is necessary to move the team forward in line with our ambitions,” said a Hull statement. Hull went into the final day of the season in the bottom three but a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth kept

them in the Championship, the division below the elite Premier League, with Selles winning

forward increased his income by US$15m (RM68m) through off-field endorsements as well as lucrative sponsorship deals backed by his large social media followers: 939 million in total as of May. Meanwhile Argentine Lionel Messi dropped to fifth place with US$135m (RM608m) – the same as last year – having moved to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, as well as continuing to receive high-profile endorsements from Adidas and Apple. French striker Karim Benzema, who plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad, is eighth with earnings of US$104m (RM468m).

Hull sack coach despite Championship survival

nine of his 27 league games in charge. Ronaldo tops Forbes’ rich list

HULL announced yesterday they have sacked head coach Ruben Selles after less than six months in charge despite avoiding relegation from English football’s second division. The Tigers preserved their place in the Championship on the final day of the season on goal difference, having been bottom when

CRISTIANO RONALDO topped Forbes’list of the world’s highest-paid athletes for the third consecutive year and the fifth time in his career. Following his move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, Ronaldo’s estimated total earnings are around US$275m (RM1.3b). The Portuguese