28/04/2026

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SCAN ME C HELSEA interim manager Calum McFarlane praised his players’ “charac ter” after they responded to Liam Rosenior’s sacking by beating Leeds 1-0 in the FA Cup semifinals yesterday. McFarlane took over with Chelsea in turmoil following Rosenior’s exit last Wednesday after just three months in charge. The Blues have lost their last five Premier League games without scoring in their worst run since 1912. That dismal sequence cost Rosenior his job and effectively ruined Chelsea’s hopes of qualify ing for next season’s Champions League. Rosenior’s difficult relationship with Chelsea’s stars was key to his downfall. But McFarlane, who was part of Rosenior’s backroom staff, was able to coax a more positive performance from them at Wembley. “We had to weather some storm and show a bit of character and grit while they threw everything at us. Probably the character was the most pleas ing part,” McFarlane said. “I think those lads showed how much they want to win and what they were willing to do to win a really important football game for the club.” Chelsea are back in the FA Cup final for the first

TUESDAY | APR 28, 2026

Malaysian Paper

Blues brothers McFarlane hails Chelsea ‘character’ after FA Cup semifinal win over Leeds

because I have a relationship with the players and I’ve worked with them for three or four months now,” he said. “I’ve been a part of the backroom staff, so I had a feel for what they needed psycho logically. It’s been intense.” McFarlane’s lack of managerial experience will make him the underdog when he faces Guardiola. But he has already successfully pitted his wits against the iconic City boss this season when Chelsea earned a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League in January. “You can come with a plan, but they’re an exceptional side in really good form. It’s going to be a massive challenge,” McFarlane said. “We seem to raise our level, we saw that against PSG in the Club World Cup. It’s more about the character.” – AFP

relationship with Rosenior, who dropped the Argentine midfielder for two games following his claim that he was considering leaving at the end of the season. Fernandez was back to his best against Leeds and McFarlane said: “The most impressive thing about him is that he’s a fighter. “You don’t have to have the perfect game plan in those moments; he will run and compete and that is often the deciding factor.” McFarlane started this season as coach of Chelsea’s U-21 squad, but he is now in his second spell as interim boss after briefly taking over fol lowing Enzo Maresca’s exit prior to Rosenior’s arri val. “I did it for a week before, so I kind of knew what I was stepping into. It’s easier this time

time since 2022 as they look to win the competi tion for the first time since 2018. They will face Manchester City in the show piece on May 16 and McFarlane knows victory over Pep Guardiola’s men would partially salvage Chelsea’s troubled campaign. “Relief is the correct word. We were confident going into the game. We had a good three days but you never know. We wanted to shift the momen tum; our form hasn’t been great,” he said. “We knew Leeds would think we were vulner able. We knew we were in a bit of a vulnerable place. Then we started to take control of the game. Robert Sanchez’s saves were massive for us. We haven’t kept enough clean sheets recently.” Enzo Fernandez headed Chelsea’s 23rd-min ute winner in an ironic twist after his turbulent

Sivasangari shows true grit to clinch Grasshopper Cup

brought both relief and renewed confi dence as it marked her second title of the season and served as a major booster moving forward. “I’m just very happy and very relieved that I can make it through. Last year I lost in the final and this year I won the tourna ment “This is my second title for the season and its a great confidence boost,” she said in a video shared by Professional Squash Association (PSA) on Facebook yesterday. Sivasangari will rise to World No. 5 in the PSA world rankings today, becoming the first Asian player in eight and a half years to break into the top five since her fellow countrywoman Nicol David. “Yesterday I had a long match and a big win. Satomi and I have been playing since I was nine years old, we grew up together, we’re good friends off court and it’s always tough playing each other,” she said. “We grew up playing every category together and now in the senior events. I’m happy with how we’ve grown up together on the Tour and for me I’m just relieved and happy. I’m very tired but I’m happy to be winning this title.” – Bernama/Agencies

NATIONAL squash queen S. Sivasangari produced a performance of immense character by fighting back from the brink of defeat to be crowned the Grasshopper Cup 2026 champion in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sunday night. She reaffirmed her dominance over Japan’s Satomi Watanabe, securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory (15-13, 5-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8) in a 62-minute final. Despite winning the first set, Sivasangari found herself trailing 1-2 after Watanabe took the second and third games but the Kedah-born star showed incredible resilience to sweep the final two sets and clinch the Gold-level tourna ment title. What makes Sivasangari’s victory in Zurich even more remarkable was her journey to the final just 24 hours earlier, she had endured a punishing 81-minute semifinal against Egyptian powerhouse Amina Orfi. In that match, she similarly displayed her trademark fighting spirit to win 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, marking only her win against Orfi in nine encounters. The 27-year-old said the victory

Sivasangari (front) in action against Japan’s Satomi Watanabe during the final of 2026 Grasshopper Cup in Zurich, Switzerland on Sunday.

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