Arsenal manager Wenger hints at retirement after 2016-17 season
London: After 19 years at the helm, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hinted that he may leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the 2016-17 season. After leading Arsenal to the sixth FA Cup and ninth major trophy of his managerial reign earlier this year, Wenger told shareholders at the club’s annual general meeting that the current team has the ability to win what would be their first English Premier League (EPL) title since 2004. The 65-year-old is also determined to ensure that the club is in a strong position when he leaves and wants to make sure that the next manager hits the ground running.With Arsenal currently second on the EPL table, two points behind leaders Manchester City, Wenger said that his team are legitimate title contenders and that it would be his priority this season. “I think we are back in contention and we have a good chance. From January, what for me was the turning point in the history of this team, in the calendar year of 2015, we have taken more points than anybody. That means the trend is right,” he said. (IANS)
Organizers reopen Rio 2016 ticket sale
Rio de Janeiro: Tickets for next year’s Rio 2016 Olympics will be available to Brazilian residents on a first-come-first-serve basis next week, organizers said on Thursday. Online purchases can be made from 10 a.m. on Tuesday (October 20), according to Rio2016.com. The latest sales phase features all leftover tickets from the first two draws and will offer entry to sessions that were previously sold out, reported Xinhua. “These will be tickets that have been returned by fans via the official ticket resale program or by international sports organizations and sponsors,” the official Games website said. Non-Brazilian residents can buy tickets via authorized resellers in their country. (IANS)
Former Real Madrid player Raul to retire soon
Washington: Former Real Madrid player Raul is to retire next month after finishing the current North American Soccer League season, according to New York Cosmos. “When I signed for the New York Cosmos in December, I said I would evaluate how I felt towards the end of the year and assess whether I would continue to play,” Xinhua quoted Raul as saying. “My decision is to retire from playing at the end of this season. I am fully focused on finishing the season strong and helping the New York Cosmos win the NASL Championship. In the coming months I will decide the next step in my career. “Playing soccer has been part of my life for so long and the decision to retire is not an easy one but I believe it is the right time,” said Raul. (IANS)
Neymar’s father reveals United made effort to sign son from Barca
London: The father of Brazilian star striker Neymar has confirmed that Manchester United had made an attempt to sign the Barcelona forward earlier this year. According to the Guardian, Neymar Santos Sr said that the offer was no longer on the table as Barcelona had rejected it by saying that they were not selling the striker, adding that he has three more years left on his contract. The 23-year-old moved to the Catalan giants from Santos for 48 million pounds in 2013 and helped his side lift the Champions League last season. (ANI)
Justice Mudgal lauds McCullum for exposing Cairns on spot fixing
New Delhi: Retired Punjab and Haryana High Court chief justice Mukul Mudgal has praied New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum for exposing former fast bowler Cairns on spot fixing. Mudgal said McCullum’s deposition has established that match fixing is a global rather than an Asian problem. He said the International Cricket Council has laid down certain measures and would surely do something to counter match fixing. He suggested that corrupt former cricketers should be relieved of their retirement benefits if caught doing something illegal. McCullum had told a London jury that Cairns had approached him thrice to get involved in spot fixing, and said players like Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram ‘did not have the balls to do it’. (ANI)
