Sports

ROME — AS Roma supporters may be looking ahead to Barcelona’s Champions League visit with some trepidation and coach Rudi Garcia certainly does not seem to be bursting with optimism.

Roma have finished second in Serie A for the last two seasons but still there is still a clear gap between themselves and Europe’s top clubs, despite the addition of Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah.

Barcelona’s visit to the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, which kicks off their Champions League title defence, comes just under a year after Roma lost 7-1 at home to Bayern Munich in the same competition.

The Bavarians sliced through the Roma defence almost at will as they scored five goals in a bewildering half hour spell in the first half.

Roma went on to finish third in the group after taking one point in two games off Manchester City, while domestically they have come up short in matches against Juventus, with three defeats in their last four league meetings,

With that in mind, Garcia has already made it clear that he would be happy to finish second in a group that also includes Champions League regulars Bayer Leverkusen and Belarus champions BATE Borisov.

“The target in the Champions League is to get past the group stage and to the Round of 16,” Garcia said in an interview last week with Radio Monte Carlo. “Behind Barcelona, it is an open group.”

There was just a hint of optimism when he said: “Everybody is convinced that they will get 18 points, so that implies getting six off us, but sometimes miracles happen in football.

“We’ve got nothing to lose and we’ve got to do all we can to upset the odds.”

The match takes Barcelona coach Luis Enrique back to the club where he spent an unimpressive season in 2011/12, when Roma were clearly in transition.

The two sides last met 13 years ago, again in the Champions League second group stage, when they drew 1-1 in Barcelona and Roma won the return 3-0 with Luis Enrique in the Barcelona side.

Incredibly, there is one playing survivor from those games — Roma playmaker Francesco Totti who will turn 39 at the end of the month.

“I want to win at least one title with my captain, Francesco Totti,” said Garcia. “I don’t know if Totti or the Pope are more important in Rome, but I can certainly say that for Francesco, the Roma shirt is like a second stint.

“He’s an extraordinary player, on and off the field, and we are just pacing him in training, but he never asks for any special favours.”

German champions Bayern Munich will be stepping on the gas against Olympiakos in their Champions League group stage opener in Piraeus on Wednesday, hoping to kick off their European campaign with a performance worthy of a title contender.

Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, in his third season in charge and still chasing his first European crown with the Germans, was unhappy with his team’s last-gasp 2-1 win over Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, pledging for a quicker, more focused game against the Greek champions.

The Bavarians needed an 90th minute penalty from Thomas Mueller, a controversial decision that referee Knut Kircher admitted later was a mistake, to edge past their opponents and maintain a perfect start to the season.

“We cannot allow that to happen,” said forward Robert Lewandowski. “It will not be an easy game in Greece and the atmosphere there is fiery. We have to play very well from the start and not from the 46th minute as we did against Augsburg.

“We need to step more on the gas,” the Polish striker said, with Bayern also due to play Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal in Group F.

Bayern, who won the last of their five European Cups in 2013, will be without wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.

Douglas Costa, in fine form since joining them in the close season, is again expected to start on the left, with teenager Kingsley Coman also an option after the talented Frenchman came on as a substitute for his Bayern debut against Augsburg.

Central defenders Medhi Benatia and Holger Badstuber will also miss the game through injury with Javi Martinez likely to be included in the squad after recovering from a year-long ligament injury.

The Spanish holding midfielder was an unused substitute against Augsburg.

“We should learn our lessons from the Augsburg match because that should not happen,” said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm. “We need to be able to turn on the switch.”

Bayern’s big name absences mean little for Olympiakos, who are well aware of the monumental task ahead.

“I do not think we should talk too much about the players missing because it makes no difference. There is so much quality in their squad,” said Olympiakos defender Omar Elabdellaoui.

The Greek titleholders, who have won their last six home fixtures in the Champions League, have also reinforced their squad, bringing in experienced former Argentina midfielder Esteban Cambiasso.

They are also on an 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions stretching back to April, which also included three wins out of three games in the Greek league this season.

“We need to focus on our work. We believe we can get something out of it because if you don’t believe then you have already lost even before the game,” said Elabdellaoui.

Out-of-sorts Chelsea have a golden opportunity to restore battered self-confidence when they face Maccabi Tel Aviv in their opening Champions League Group G match on Wednesday.

The Premier League champions slumped to their fourth defeat in six games when they lost 3-1 at Everton on Saturday.

Manager Jose Mourinho said he was under no pressure after the match but, according to media reports, he swore at Everton counterpart Roberto Martinez after being made to wait for his post-match news conference.

Earlier, Mourinho admitted the poor run of results were the worst of his career, but added he was the man to lead Chelsea out of their hole.

ZURICH/NEW YORK — The Swiss attorney general’s office will investigate a contract for media rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, two Swiss law enforcement officials said over the weekend.

The inquiry follows a television news report asserting that FIFA sold the rights for rates far below market to a Caribbean football organisation, whose leader then resold them for much more.

The interest by Swiss prosecutors, who are already investigating how FIFA awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar, expands the scrutiny facing FIFA and its president, Sepp Blatter, along with Jack Warner, former head of the Caribbean football federation.

Warner is under indictment in the United States for an alleged bribery scheme relating to other football media rights in the Americas. Blatter faces no charges. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

The latest inquiry involves a 2005 contract to televise the 2010 and 2014 World Cups in parts of the Caribbean.

Swiss broadcaster SRF reported on Friday that FIFA signed over the media rights to the Caribbean Football Union for $600,000, but that Warner, head of the CFU at the time, then transferred the rights to his own company and resold them in a deal worth between $15 million and $20 million.

SRF posted excerpts of the contract on its website showing that Blatter and Warner signed it themselves.

A spokeswoman for US prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York did not respond to a request for comment on whether American authorities, who are running their own sweeping investigation of alleged corruption in football, would join Swiss law enforcement in looking at the contract.

A US lawyer for Warner declined to comment, and the Caribbean Football Union did not respond to an after-hours request for comment on Sunday. An attorney for Blatter referred to a statement issued by FIFA on Saturday.

In its statement, the organisation said the agreement with the Caribbean group promised FIFA much more than the up-front fee, and that FIFA was to receive half of any profits related to subcontracting the rights.

If FIFA was due to receive substantially more than the upfront payment, that could undercut any argument that the fee paid was substantially below market value.

FIFA also said it terminated the contract in 2011 after the Caribbean football organisation failed to meet its financial obligations or follow subcontracting requirements.

Blatter has not been accused of wrongdoing by Swiss or US authorities. Among the issues the FBI is examining is Blatter’s stewardship of FIFA, sources have said.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the SRF report, and neither the broadcaster nor FIFA have made the full contract available. It remained unclear how much Warner might have made from the deal or whether the Caribbean football federation breached the contract as alleged by FIFA. Reuters also couldn’t determine whether the contract’s terms stipulated that FIFA ultimately would collect much more than the up-front fee.

World football was thrown into turmoil in May when US prosecutors disclosed an indictment of nine football officials, including several from FIFA, and five sports marketing executives. Authorities charged them, including Warner, with wire fraud and money-laundering involving more than $150 million.

Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber and US Attorney General Loretta Lynch are due to speak about their FIFA investigations on Monday at a news conference in Zurich.

Warner, who left organised football in 2011, has said in the past that he had evidence he was gifted World Cup television rights in his region a number of times, including for the 2010 and 2014 events, in return for securing votes for Blatter’s campaigns for FIFA president. He said the money made from media rights was used “to develop Caribbean football”.

FIFA has dismissed Warner’s claims as false and said that television rights had nothing do with Blatter’s election campaigns.

Since his indictment in May, Warner has remained in Trinidad and vowed to resist US efforts to bring him to New York to face charges.

AMMAN —– Jordan’s national basketball squad headed to the Philippines on Monday for a final training camp and friendlies as teams prepare for the tipoff of the 28th FIBA Asia Championship in China starting September 23.

Jordan ended a four nation friendly in China where the squad lost the final match 76-65 to the Chinese Olympic team. In the earlier round Jordan beat China 72-70, Palestine 95-55 and the UAE 101-72.

The squad is expected to be joined by stars Zaid Abbas and Sam Daghlas, who were both playing abroad and were not part of the line-up in the past two years.

During summer, the team had an inconsistent training agenda and only managed to play two friendlies against Palestine prior to its departure.

Due to financial constraints crippling the Jordan Basketball Federation (JBF), Jordan declined to participate at the William Jones Tournament and the King Abdullah Cup was cancelled.

Participation at the EXPO event was not deemed technically needed with no top tier teams competing, but the JBF went ahead after all other options were exhausted and after managing to secure partial coverage of participation costs.

The Kingdom clinched one of three qualifying slots to the event after they beat Iraq 86-71, lost to Lebanon 92-74 and beat Palestine 92-76 and took runner-up spot after they beat Syria 80-69 at the West Asian Basketball Association Championship earlier this summer.

Lebanon took top spot but it was the qualification of Palestine, for the first time ever, that was historic following its 70-62 win over Iraq. 

Host China and 2014 FIBA Asia Cup champion Iran automatically qualified to the event which qualifies the winner to represent Asia at the 2016 Summer Olympics basketball tournament.

In the preliminary round, the sixteen teams will play in four groups of four with the top three teams advancing to the second round where the qualifying teams from groups A and B shall form Group E, while those from Groups C and D shall form Group F. The teams shall play the teams from the group they had not faced before. The top four teams from each group would proceed to the final round. The champion will qualify to the 2016 Summer Olympics. The runner-up, third and fourth place will qualify to the Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Jordan will play in Group C alongside China, South Korea and Singapore and the top three teams will move to Round 2 to join the top three from Group D which includes Taiwan, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Qatar.

Group A includes Iran, Japan, India, Malaysia, and Group B has the Philippines, Hong Kong, Kuwait and Palestine.

Although the men’s basketball team reached the World Championship in 2010 — and it was the only Jordanian team to actually reach a world championship in a team sport alongside the Junior team in 1995 — official support for Jordan’s second most popular sport is seen as below par by most observers, leading to a decline in the game locally and less competitive advantage on the regional scene.

AMMAN — The Jordanian women’s national football team was defeated by host Myanmar 2-0 on Monday in Round 2 qualifiers for the 2016 Summer Olympics football tournament.

The Kingdom will play Taiwan on September 16, Thailand on September 18 and Vietnam on September 20 following which only the top team from this round will move to Round 3 to play the top five seeded teams — Japan, Australia, South and North Korea and China.

Only the top two will qualify to represent Asia at the Olympic Games.

AMMAN — The U-23 national team got a tough draw at the 2nd Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship, which also serves as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Jordan will play against Australia, the UAE and Vietnam in Group D in the 2nd edition of the 16-team competition set for Qatar January 12-30, 2016.

Group A includes Qatar, Iran, Syria and China.

Group B includes Saudi Arabia, Japan, North Korea and Thailand.

Group C includes Iraq, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

The top two from each group will move to the quarters and the top three of the 16-team competition will qualify to represent the continent at the Olympic Games.

The Kingdom moved to the U-23 championship after it topped Group B qualifiers in Amman as Jordan held Kuwait 3-3, beat Kyrgyzstan 4-0 and Pakistan 5-0 to advance. 

In the inaugural edition, the U-23 team impressed observers when it beat South Korea to take bronze at the AFC U-22 Championship (now renamed the AFC U-23 Championship) as Iraq beat Saudi Arabia to take the title.

Coach Jamal Abu Abed described the draw as “tough”. He added a serious effort was needed to counter the team’s aim of qualifying to the Olympic Games adding that the mere effort of regrouping the line-up was complicated with the national team’s and clubs agendas taking precedence.

“ The AFC U-23 Championship serves as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. We need the support of all concerned so that a full line-up of recalled players attend practice when regrouped,” underlined Abu Abed.

Last week, Jordan was drawn in Group A for the upcoming inaugural West Asian Championship kicking off on September 30 where Jordan will play alongside hosts Qatar, Palestine and Yemen. Iran Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are in Group B while the UAE, Oman, and Syria in Group C. The top team from each group will move on to round 2 alongside the best second placed team.

The draw might have served Jordan making up for an otherwise modest preparation period hampered with no training camps and serious friendlies. Abu Abed noted the Asian and Olympic agenda ahead needed competitive playing experience underlining that the U-23 team squad did not have enough high level friendlies, and a four-nation friendly in Slovakia was cancelled after clubs did not release U-23 players to join training citing the local agenda. 

Jordan’s U-23 squad represented Jordan at the Asian Games where it made it to the quarter-finals despite a bumpy preparation period amid the busy agenda of the national team as well as local clubs. Jordan beat UAE 1-0, India 2-0 and Kyrgyzstan 2-0 in extra time before losing 2-0 to Thailand in the quarters.

AMMAN — The Jordanian women’s national football team plays host Myanmar on Monday in Round 2 qualifiers for the 2016 Summer Olympics football tournament.

After an easy path in the previous round when Jordan topped Asian Group B qualifiers beating Uzbekistan 2-0, Hong Kong 1-0 and Palestine 6-0 to move to Round 2, the task ahead is tough.

The Kingdom will play other group leaders Taiwan on September 16, Thailand on September 18 and Vietnam on September 20, following which only the top team from this round will move to Round 3 to play the top five seeded teams — Japan, Australia,South Korea, North Korea and China.

Only the top two will qualify to represent Asia at the Olympic Games. Jordan is now 53rd in the latest FIFA World Rankings leading all Arab teams at 11th in the Asian continent. Coach Khader Eid noted players were upbeat but “the task of clinching a berth from some of the best teams in East Asia was not easy”. 

AMMAN — Jordan’s tennis players and fans were treated to a fun filled weekend getting to watch and play with professional tennis players in Jordan for the first time.

It will surely be a day to remember especially for young players ages 5 and up. On the other side of the net was legendary French star multiple Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce!

Players got a chance to play and get some tips before receiving their medals on Saturday from Pierce, a French champion, turned pro at the age of 14, who went to win four Grand Slam titles, including the 1995 Singles Australian Open, the 2000 Singles French Open, the 2000 doubles French Open, and the 2005 mixed doubles Wimbledon title.

In the festival’s closing match on Saturday, Finnish tennis star Jarkko Nieminen and Tunisian tennis champion Malek Jaziri played an exhibition match capping an action packed week for tennis players of all ages.

Watched by a capacity crowd of parents, players, ex-players and tennis fans, Jaziri beat Nieminen 2-6, 6-3, 7-4. Former World No. 13, Finland’s most celebrated tennis star Nieminen won two ATP singles titles and three doubles titles and reached the quarter finals in the 2005 US Open, the 2006 Wimbledon Championships and the 2008 Australian Open.

He has beaten former World No. 1 tennis legend Andre Agassi and current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. He represented Finland in three separate Olympic games between 2004 and 2012 and he is the first and only Finnish player to have an ATP singles title.

Jaziri has competed in all four Grand Slam events in his career. In 2015, he reached the Round 3 of the Australian Open and came close to beating the legendary Roger Federer in a tight three-set match at the Dubai Open. Jaziri is the first male Tunisian player to reach the semifinals of an ATP event at the 2012 Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

Tennis Academy President Khalid Naffa noted his academy’s mission was to create a dynamic and professional environment for young and aspiring Jordanian tennis players to thrive and eventually compete on the global tennis stage.

Hosting international events like the 2015 Lexus Tennis Festival undoubtedly gives players the chance “to be exposed to the highest levels of the game and most importantly, to instil in them a belief that they too can one day become champions”, added Naffa.

The 2015 Lexus Tennis Festival attracted more than 200 local tennis players from across the country, competing in 14 different tournaments throughout the eight-day festival.

AMMAN — Mohammed Tayseer on Friday captured the Jordan Speed Test Championship title after winning the fourth round of the Kumho Speed Test event with the participation of 65 drivers.

Tayseer leads with 80 points after clocking 1m12.89s.

“I am really thrilled and excited to win the fourth round. The competition was really tough especially since we have drivers from Oman, Lebanon and Palestine,” Tayseer said.

“I developed a strategy which proved to be effective in several events and it worked today too. I thank Jordan Motorsports for their effort in making the rounds so exciting for both drivers and fans,” he added.

Yazan Qatan (1m16.18s) came in second place, followed by Jad Nabas (1m17.44s).

Lina Hadidi took the Women’s Cup and Islam Abu Sareyeh from Palestine took the Fastest Palestinian Cup. Oman’s Mazen Shebani took the Fastest Foreigner Cup.

Othman Nassef, Jordan Motorsports CEO said that everything went well and according to the plan.

“We saw a lot of excitement today and we are happy that all drivers had the opportunity to prove that they can develop their skills and improve their driving. The event was not easy at all but this is auto sports at its best,” he said.

“We are focusing now on the next big event and that is Jordan Rally in October and we hope that everything will go well,” he added. 

MANCHESTER — If HRH Prince Ali is to beat Michel Platini in the race to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president he knows he will have to be prepared to fight for the job — and all the indications are that he has taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

In May, Prince Ali politely — some might say meekly — conceded after winning 73 of the 209 votes available in the first round, allowing Blatter to secure a fifth term.

It was a thoughtful gesture from the 39-year-old prince, saving his allies from the very public act of defying Blatter for the second time in a day at the ballot box.

That election was simply about whether FIFA’s congress was ready to ditch Blatter — something that never looked likely.

This time there will be very a different question facing delegates — who do they want to lead the reforms of FIFA and re-shape the organisation as it looks to leave its corruption crises behind?

As it stands, if the prince is to win, he has to persuade FIFA’s voters that not only he is a credible figure but he has to turn them away from current front-runner Platini, the UEFA president.

It is a task that looks extremely difficult for the prince. The bulk of his 73 votes in May came from Europe, but with Platini standing, that electoral constituency has slipped away from him.

“I was not brought up to walk away in the face of a tough fight. Nor have I been brought up to walk away from what I believe in or take the easy way out,” the prince said as he announced his candidature on Wednesday.

It was a speech that, tellingly, was liberally laced with tough talk — in what was a clear effort to send the message that no punches will be pulled in the fight with Platini.

“I had the courage to fight for change when others were afraid. They didn’t have the guts to run, but I did,” said Prince Ali, when referring to May’s vote, one of several not so disguised digs at Platini.

“We all face daily burdens. We must all overcome difficult challenges. Be it the fight to feed our families or the fight to stand up for what we believe in,” he added.

Special forces

A wrestler in his youth, the prince spent part of his education at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and served in the Jordanian Special Forces where he practised free-fall parachuting.

But what is firing him up for battle in this campaign is clearly a sense of having been betrayed by Platini.

During an interview at the Soccerex global convention in Manchester on Monday, the prince was careful not to make any personal attacks on Platini, focusing instead on labelling him a “protege” of Blatter.

When launching his campaign speech, however, he made it clear that he feels he was manipulated by Platini.

“I conceded that election not because I was not the best candidate, but because others were using me to make room for themselves,” Prince Ali said.

“Ever since President Blatter promised his resignation just a few days later, they have been scrambling to secure the job for themselves,” he added.

“I will not be a pawn for others. I cannot leave the field that I have cleared, only to allow a flawed system to continue.

“I am my own man, with my own beliefs. They are beliefs formed from my own experiences. I am free of influence and free of manipulation.”

It was impressive rhetoric which at the very least raised the prospect of a genuine battle for votes in FIFA — as opposed to the previous electoral practices which relied on deal-making behind closed doors, rather than public debate.

But with the leaders of his own Asian Football Confederation having thrown their weight behind the former France international, the odds are certainly stacked against the prince.

He needs to persuade national associations in Asia to ignore their leader’s wishes and to get the former Blatter loyalists in Africa and the Caribbean to back a man who a few months ago was standing against their candidate.

The prince may have been the stalking horse, used to challenge and ultimately weaken Blatter’s power-base.

But now he needs to prove that he is the thoroughbred that can take FIFA over the many hurdles that it faces.

AMMAN — The 2015 Lexus Tennis Festival concludes Friday but not before tennis enthusiasts get a chance to saviour professional calibre tennis right in the capital for the first time ever.

Finnish tennis star Jarkko Nieminen and Tunisian tennis champion Malek Jaziri have joined legendary French star and multiple Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce, for two days of great tennis and family fun.

Following an action packed week for tennis players of all ages, players and fans booked a date with ATP Tour professional players at The Tennis Academy Amman where Nieminen and Jaziri, will compete in both doubles and singles matches. Nieminen and Jaziri will partner two top Jordanian players for a doubles exhibition match before going head to head on Friday in the final exhibition match, the first time ever for these two tennis champions to meet on court.

Tennis enthusiasts and especially the avid young players will have a chance to meet up with Pierce on the closing day starting at 3:00pm on Friday. 

Pierce, a French champion, turned pro at the age of 14 and won four Grand Slam titles, including the 1995 Singles Australian Open, the 2000 Singles French Open, the 2000 doubles French Open, and the 2005 mixed doubles Wimbledon title.

Former World No. 13, Nieminen is Finland’s most celebrated tennis star. Throughout his career, he won two ATP singles titles and three doubles titles. He reached the quarter-finals in the 2005 US Open, the 2006 Wimbledon Championships and the 2008 Australian Open.

He has beaten former World No. 1 tennis legend Andre Agassi and current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. He represented Finland in three separate Olympic games between 2004 and 2012 and he is the first and only Finnish player to have an ATP singles title.

Better known as “Jazz”, Jaziri has competed in all four Grand Slam events in his career. In 2015, he reached the Round 3 of the Australian Open and came close to beating the legendary Roger Federer in a tight three-set match at the Dubai Open. Jaziri is the first male Tunisian player to reach the semi-finals of an ATP event at the 2012 Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

“We are thrilled to host Mary Pierce, Nieminen and Jaziri at our academy,” said Tennis Academy President Khalid Naffa commenting on “hosting tennis champions of this calibre in Jordan”. 

He added that his academy’s mission is to create a dynamic and professional environment for young and aspiring Jordanian tennis players to thrive and eventually compete on the global tennis stage.

Essential to this mission is to host international events like the 2015 Lexus Tennis Festival, so that “kids can be exposed to the highest levels of the game and most importantly, to instil in them a belief that they too can one day become champions”, added Naffa.

The 2015 Lexus Tennis Festival has attracted more than 200 local tennis players from across the country, competing in 14 different tournaments throughout the 8-day festival.