31/05/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | MAY 31, 2025

30

We’ll be back, says City chairman Khaldoon

MANCHESTER CITY chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has conceded the club were not “aggressive” enough in the transfer market last summer. City endured a disappointing 2024-25 campaign by their high standards, failing to mount a strong defence of their Premier League title and exiting the Champions League before the last 16. Khaldoon now accepts the club should have done more to strengthen the squad before the campaign. The £30.8 million (RM170m) signing Savinho and the return of veteran Ilkay Gundogan were the only major incoming deals last summer, while key forward Julian Alvarez was among

those to depart. Speaking in his annual end-of-season interview, Khaldoon told the club’s website: “This year is another year where I think when I look back, last year, we probably should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do. “We didn’t do that and that ended up costing us this year.” City’s underwhelming start to the season forced them to enter the transfer market in January and hastily bring in Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez at a combined cost of more than £172 million (RM946m). The squad regeneration will continue this

year, with the club hoping to make additions before the start of the Club World Cup. City’s first match in that tournament is on June 18. Khaldoon said: “We already started that rebuild of this team in January. Normally we like to do our business in the summer and, only in case of emergency, a special need that comes up, do we actually go and do business in January. “That’s been our MO at least for the last seven or eight years – but this January we had to act.” He added: “That’s four players in January, and that gives you an idea of what’s coming this summer because we will continue. “We have clearly identified who exactly are the targets, in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two

option. “And we’ll go about our business and it will be very clear, very swift. And our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.” City’s disappointments this term included defeat in the FA Cup final, leaving the Community Shield as their only silverware from the campaign. Khaldoon said:“We will be back. This season is a season that’s now behind us. Today is a new day. We start working and preparing for next season. “We will take all the good things and the not so good things from this season and learn from it and improve from it and get better.” – The Independent

Standing tall Donnarumma has proved that his goalkeeping kind are still in fashion

Antony

Ű BY RICHARD JOLLY

There is already a case he is the most influential. There were the semifinal saves from Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Martin Od e g a a r d preventing a n

In the quarterfinal second leg, as Aston Villa rocked PSG, he denied Marcus Rashford, Youri Tielemans and Marco Asensio. At Liverpool, there were the

great goalkeeping. Even in the seminal semifinal between Inter and Barcelona, a 13-goal extravaganza, Yann Sommer was arguably the man of the tie, making 14 saves across the two legs. Which, the traditionalists would say, is what goalkeepers are paid to do. Except there was a shift in the job description which left Donnarumma looking like a dinosaur. The footballing goalkeeper became the must-have for any manager with a philosophy; they wanted the 11th outfield player, the goalkeeper who started the build-up. Indeed, there has been a suspicion that Luis Enrique would prefer more of a passer than Donnarumma. And his pass completion rate for long passes compares unfavourably to those of virtually every other goalkeeper of an elite side. But the goalkeeping goalkeeper has staged his comeback. Donnarumma still has a weakness against crosses, a factor in the goals when Arsenal beat PSG 2-0 in October’s group game, but he can be an inspired shot-stopper. He may be better suited to an age when goalkeepers were simply expected to save shots. But the saves he does make could leave him a European champion for both country and club. – The Independent

F OR a man out of time, it might again be the right time. Gianluigi Donnarumma has felt football’s youngest anachronism, the type of player who had fallen out of fashion. Now he stands 90 minutes – or, given, his skill set, perhaps 120 and a penalty shootout – from a second achievement that would be out of keeping with the modern footballing world. If Paris Saint-Germain win

shootout saves from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones. It was a tie of great goalkeeping. It has

Arsenal comeback a n d

Antony’s future in limbo

following a brilliant first-leg stop from Leandro Trossard.

been a Champions League of

the Champions League tomorrow (3am), their often tragicomic quest to conquer Europe would suddenly bring fulfilment. The 1.95m shot

Gianluigi Donnarumma. – REUTERSPIC

MANCHESTER UNITED’S on-loan winger Antony has been left pondering his future after a bittersweet end to his stint with Real Betis with a crushing 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Conference League final. Despite seizing an early advantage at Wroclaw Stadium, Betis were ultimately undone by a rampant Chelsea side who staged a stunning second-half revival, netting four goals in a devastating 25 minute spell. Antony’s dream of capping off his loan spell with silverware was dashed after having played a pivotal role in Betis’ journey to the final, contributing four goals and three assists across eight knockout fixtures. The Brazilian, who moved to Betis in January without a buy option in the deal, made a significant impact during his time in Spain, notching nine goals and five assists in 26 outings. The La Liga club have expressed their desire to secure his services permanently when the summer window opens. Yet, as the transfer market gears up to open this Sunday, Antony confessed to CBS Sports that his future remains uncertain, even though he has relished his time in Seville. “I don’t what will happen in the future, only God knows. My work is playing and I’m doing that well. “I have a lot of affection for Betis, for everyone but I have a contract with Man United and I don’t know what’s going to happen. “Now I will go to the national team and then on holiday then we will see what happens in the future. “I’m very happy here, everyone knows that but I have a contract.” According to the Manchester Evening News , United are keen on offloading three players during the summer transfer window with Antony being one they’re looking to sell permanently. It’s believed he could be let go for £32.5 million (RM179m). – Express Newspapers

stopper can seem the giant figure for the huge occasion.

Rewind four years ago and his penalty saves from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka enabled Italy to win Euro 2020, a feat rendered more extraordinary as it was surrounded by the failure to even qualify for the preceding or following World Cup, while the Azzurri still have not played a World Cup knockout game since 2006. Donnarumma was named the player of Euro 2020. If PSG prevail against Internazionale, there is a strong case for the Italian to see off the competing claim of teammate Ousmane Dembele to take the award for the Champions League’s finest performer this season.

Diallo says ‘no regrets’ for showing middle finger to fans MANCHESTER UNITED winger Amad Diallo says he has no regrets after appearing to make an obscene gesture towards supporters in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, alleging it was in response to insults about his mother. “I shouldn’t have reacted like that but I don’t regret what I did. We had a great time in Malaysia with good people.”

acknowledges the importance of tours such as this for him and the players to connect with United’s worldwide fanbase, there is clearly a big part of him that just wants this season to be over. “We want to give something to the fans, but it’s hard in this moment – we just want to turn the page and improve next season,” he said at a press conference on Thursday. “We cannot hide that it is really tough in this moment for us not to close the season, but if there is one thing that is really important in this club it is that we need to face our fans in this moment, and we need to give something to our fans around the world.” – The Independent

Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim insists he and his Manchester United players are desperate to “turn the page” on a disappointing campaign. United were booed off in defeat to an Asean All-Stars team in Malaysia on Wednesday, a week on from losing the Europa League final to Tottenham and missing out on a Champions League spot as a result. The Red Devils finished 15th in the Premier League, marking their worst season in 51 years. The club will earn £8 million (RM44m) from this trip to Asia and while Amorim

Footage shared on social media appeared to show Amad raising his middle finger outside the team’s hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The club told the BBC the gesture was in response to “serious personal abuse” the Ivorian had suffered, with the player seeking to explain what had happened in a post on his X account. “I have respect for people but not for the one who insults my mom,” he wrote.