The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Struggling Sevilla name Emery as coach in place of Michel Posted: 14 Jan 2013 03:06 PM PST MADRID, Jan 15 – Sevilla have sacked Michel and replaced him with former Valencia and Spartak Moscow coach Unai Emery who has agreed a contract until the end of next season, the La Liga club said yesterday.
Emery will take charge of his first training session today and select the squad for tomorrow's King's Cup quarter-final first leg at Real Zaragoza. Michel was appointed in February 2012 to replace the sacked Marcelino and the 2006 and 2007 UEFA Cup winners ended the season in ninth place, failing to qualify for Europe. A 2-0 defeat at Valencia on Saturday left them mired in 12th on 22 points at the halfway point of the season and in danger of missing out on a place in continental competition again. Like many of Spain's top-flight sides who lack the earning power of dominant Real Madrid and Barcelona, Sevilla have found it difficult to balance their books and the cash they earned from playing in Europe has helped them stay competitive. Emery, 41, was dismissed by Spartak in November following a 5-1 home defeat by bitter city rivals Dynamo in the Russian Premier League derby. He left Valencia at the end of last season after leading the club to third place in La Liga and automatic qualification to the Champions League for the third year in a row. – Reuters |
| Lance Armstrong apologises to staff of cancer foundation Posted: 14 Jan 2013 02:57 PM PST  Livestrong yesterday said that the goal of its activities has never been to protect Armstrong. – Reuters pic "He had a private conversation with the staff, who have done the important work of the foundation for many years," said Livestrong Foundation spokeswoman Katherine McLane. "It was a very sincere and heartfelt expression of regret over any stress that they've suffered over the course of the last few years as a result of the media attention," she said. The apology came as Armstrong was scheduled to tape an interview with Winfrey to air on Thursday—his first interview since being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. The disgraced cyclist plans to admit in the interview to doping throughout his career, USA Today reported on Saturday. McLane declined to comment on whether Armstrong will admit to doping during the interview. "Armstrong will address the alleged doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating, and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his storied cycling career," according to a press release from Winfrey that called the event a "no-holds-barred interview." Armstrong has always vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs and has never been proven to have tested positive. But an October report from the US anti-doping body USADA cited Armstrong's involvement in what it characterised as the "most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen," involving anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, blood transfusions and other doping. Less than two weeks later, Armstrong's seven Tour de France victories were nullified and he was banned from cycling for life after the International Cycling Union ratified the USADA's sanctions against him. Armstrong, a survivor of testicular cancer, stepped down as a Livestrong board member in November. The foundation, originally called the Lance Armstrong Foundation but known informally for years as Livestrong, formally dropped Armstrong's name from its title in October. The foundation advocates for cancer survivors and their families and provides free services to help people affected by cancer cope with financial, emotional and practical challenges. Armstrong founded the organization in 1997. The foundation says it has issued 87 million of its well- known yellow bracelets to raise funds, and as a symbol of the fight against cancer. Livestrong yesterday said that the goal of its activities has never been to protect its founder. Those comments came in a statement responding to a New York Times article that said the foundation "engaged in some deals that appeared to have benefited him and his associates." For example, the article said, the foundation sold the rights to its name to a media company that hired Armstrong as its spokesman. The article also said Livestrong hired Washington lobbyists from the firm representing Armstrong in the doping case and quoted a Congressional staffer as saying the lobbying conversations involved the USADA investigation. Livestrong told the newspaper that the lobbying involved cancer issues. "While we are deeply grateful to our founder, Lance Armstrong, who no longer serves on our Board of Directors, for helping us to raise more than US$500 million (RM1.5 billion) over 15 years, it has never been the Foundation's aim in any activity, including lobbying or marketing agreements, to shield, protect or benefit him in any way," the foundation's statement said. – Reuters |
"Unai Emery is Sevilla FC's new coach for the rest of this season and one more campaign, replacing Michel, who has been sacked today due to the first team's poor run of results," Sevilla said in a statement on their | You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan