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Klopp can lead Reds to league title: Lewandowski
LONDON: Free from the extra burden of European football, Liverpool have a strong chance to win the Premier League this season under a “ruthless” Juergen Klopp, according
LONDON: Free from the extra burden of European football, Liverpool have a strong chance to win the Premier League this season under a “ruthless” Juergen Klopp, according to Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.
Lewandowski, who worked under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, expected Liverpool to challenge Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the title race.
“Under Klopp I think they (Liverpool) will be fighting for the title this season. Pep and Manchester City will not make it easy for anybody to win the title, but Liverpool have a real chance,” Lewandowski told British media.
“Without European football it can really help them with being fresh for games and with injuries and, even though Klopp is always smiling, he is ruthless enough to take advantage of that.”
‘UNITED MUST COME BACK STRONGER’
MANCHESTER: Manchester United must avoid a repeat of last month’s performance in order to revive their Premier League campaign after the international break, midfielder Ander Herrera has said.
After the international break, United travel to Liverpool on October 17, host Turkish club Fenerbahce in the Europa League three days later before travelling to Chelsea for a league fixture on October 23.
“We lost three games in a row so we have to avoid that,” Herrera told British media. “We know we have to come back very strong. We have to play two very tough Premier League games away — Liverpool and Chelsea — and between them Fenerbahce in the Europa League. That is a very important game as well.”
FIFA EXTENDS BAN ON CHILE
ZURICH: A fresh bout of homophobic chanting from fans at a Chile match has seen FIFA extend a home stadium ban on the continental champions to three games.
In May football’s world governing body slapped Chile with a ban on playing at its Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos in Santiago for two matches over a previous charge of homophobic chanting from the terraces, forcing them to play at a different stadium.
The extra stadium ban will be served at the 2018 World Cup qualifying match home to Venezuela in March 2017.
FA CHAIRMAN TO BE GRILLED BY MPs
LONDON: Football Association (FA) chairman Greg Clarke will be quizzed by members of parliament on October 17 after last week’s newspaper allegations of corruption in the English game.
A statement from the 10-strong, cross-party parliamentary committee on Tuesday read: “Recent events have highlighted the continuing major failings in the current system of football governance in the UK, as well as internationally.
Joining Clarke in front of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee will be the FA’s director of governance and regulation Darren Bailey and the pair should expect a bruising session.
