Aguero completes Man City switch
MANCHESTER: Argentina striker Sergio Aguero completed his £38 million ($62m) move to Manchester City on Thursday and immediately set his sights on sparking a major trophy haul. The 23-year-old, who is the son-in-law of Argentina legend Diego Maradona, had already announced his move from Atletico Madrid on his Twitter account on Wednesday, but both the Spanish side and City waited until Thursday evening to confirm the deal. “My style is to fight to the death for every ball and always give 100 percent, to be concentrated, give the maximum and to score goals. I have plenty to offer,” he told the City website. “I saw City win the FA Cup last season. I am sure that in the future we will be fighting for plenty of major trophies.” Aguero is seen as the answer to City’s problems in attack, where Carlos Tevez has reiterated his desire to leave the English club. (Agencies)
Park eager to prolong United stay
HARRISON (New Jersey): South Korean star Park Ji-Sung says he is keen to stay at Manchester United for as long as possible. The 30-year-old, who retired from international duty earlier this year, has become a highly valued member of the United squad and scored in the English champions’ 4-0 defeat of the MLS All-Stars in a friendly on Wednesday. His current deal runs until the end of next season, but Park says he hopes to extend his contract after United coach Sir Alex Ferguson revealed last week that the player had been offered a two-year extension. “Why not?” Park told United’s in-house television channel, MUTV. “I keep saying I want to stay here for more years to win things at Manchester United. Hopefully, one day we will get together.” Park’s solo goal in the defeat of the All-Stars took his tally in United’s pre-season tour of the United States to three goals in four games. (Agencies)
Klinsmann hired as US soccer coach
NEW YORK: Former Germany World Cup winner and manager Juergen Klinsmann was named United States coach on Friday, the US soccer federation said. Klinsmann, who took over after Bob Bradley was sacked on Thursday, became the first foreign-born coach to lead the US since Bora Milutinovic, who was in charge from 1991 to 1995. “We are excited to have Juergen as the head coach,” said US Soccer president Sunil Gulati in a statement. “He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program.
UAE to bid for 2024 Olympics
Dubai: The Olympic committee of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Friday said it will not enter a bid for the 2020 Olympic Games, but decided the country’s bid would be better timed for 2024. The committee conducted a feasibility study into Dubai’s capability for hosting the Olympic Games, and concluded that 70 percent of the infrastructure was already in place. UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “Hosting the Olympic Games in the Middle East would be a dream come true for the entire region.” “We fully intend to place a bid once I am totally satisfied that we are prepared to host the greatest sporting event in history,” he said. (IANS)