Perez re-elected unopposed as Real Madrid president

Madrid (AFP) – Florentino Perez has been re-elected unopposed as president of Real Madrid for a sixth term, the Spanish champions announced on Tuesday.

The 74-year-old was the only name in the running since the window for potential candidates to apply opened at the start of the month.

A club statement said: “A single candidate was validated by the electoral committee….and D. Florentino Perez Rodriguez is proclaimed president”.

Perez, the head of major construction group ACS, has already twice been re-elected unopposed, in 2013 and 2017.

He was the man behind Madrid’s star-studded ‘Galacticos’ era in his first spell in charge of the club between 2000-2006.

His latest mandate will see him at the helm until 2025.

Real Madrid face Liverpool in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at Anfield on Wednesday, leading 3-1 from the first leg as they go in search of a 14th European crown.

Where to find France vs. USWNT on US TV and streaming

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Frankfurt coach Huetter to take charge of Moenchengladbach next season

Berlin (AFP) – Austrian Adi Huetter will quit as Eintracht Frankfurt head coach at the end of the season to take charge of Bundesliga rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach, both clubs confirmed Tuesday.

After weeks of speculation, Huetter, 51, will sign a three-year contract as head coach of Gladbach, replacing Marco Rose, 44, who is leaving to take over at Borussia Dortmund for the 2021/22 season.

With six games left, fourth-placed Frankfurt are on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League next season. They have a five-point lead over fifth-placed Dortmund.

In contrast, Gladbach are eighth in Germany’s top flight, 13 points from a place in the Champions League.

By coincidence, Borussia Moenchengladbach host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Huetter informed Eintracht’s bosses on Monday, and the team on Tuesday morning, that he is leaving due to a release clause in his contract.

After “three unbelievably successful and intense years”, Huetter says he wants to finish on a high and see Frankfurt “qualify for the Champions League”.

Under Huetter, Eintracht Frankfurt made it to the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2019 and the German Cup semis last season, where they lost to eventual winners Bayern Munich.

Real Madrid skipper Ramos tests positive for coronavirus

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, who was already out of this week’s Champions League meeting with Liverpool because of a calf injury, has tested positive for Covid-19, the club announced on Tuesday.

“Our player Sergio Ramos tested positive in the last Covid-19 test he performed,” Real Madrid said in a statement. 

Ramos is the second case of coronavirus detected in the Real Madrid squad in a week. French defender Raphael Varane tested positive last Tuesday. 

Varane has not yet been given the green light to rejoin his teammates. 

Ramos injured his left calf while with Spain during the international window but he has been a vocal presence on the sidelines since.

The positive test means he has to stay away from his teammates until he tests negative. 

The 35-year-old defender is going through one of the most difficult seasons of his career — he underwent knee surgery in February and, after returning in mid-March, missed the Liga game against Celta Vigo on March 20 because of a shin injury. 

Ramos has still revealed his plans once his contract with Real Madrid expires on June 30.

China beat S.Korea in extra time to seal Tokyo Olympics spot

Suzhou (China) (AFP) – China’s women sealed a last-ditch spot at the Tokyo Olympics football Tuesday by squeezing past South Korea 4-3 on aggregate, a thrilling conclusion to a qualifying campaign dogged by coronavirus delays.

Former Paris Saint-Germain forward Wang Shuang scored the winner in extra time in front of 13,000 jubilant fans in Suzhou, after South Korea recovered from a 2-1 first-leg home deficit.

Wuhan native Wang curled the ball into the bottom corner from just outside the box in the first period of extra time to torpedo South Korea’s hopes of playing at the Olympics for the first time.

Players from both teams collapsed to the turf at the end.

For the Asian rivals it was the final chapter in a long qualifying campaign. This decider — one of two remaining berths for Tokyo — was scheduled for March last year but was postponed three times because of the coronavirus.

The virus still hung heavily over the tie. In Suzhou, the stadium announcer told the crowd to keep their masks on and social distance, while medical staff in full protective bodysuits watched from the sidelines.

China bussed fans in for the game and, decked out in red and with matching face masks, they booed the announcement of the South Korean national anthem.

South Korea, who had never reached the Olympics since women’s football was introduced in 1996, were a threat every time they attacked and silenced the home supporters when Kang Chae-rim scored on the half hour.

That made it 2-2 on aggregate but South Korea needed to score again and they did so on the stroke of half-time thanks to an own goal.

China, 15th in the FIFA rankings to South Korea’s 18th, had barely threatened but substitute Yang Man popped up to level the tie 3-3.

It was a fairytale end to China’s tortuous Olympic journey.

The team were especially affected in the early days of the coronavirus and were hailed back home as a defiant symbol against the crisis.

They were training in Wuhan, epicentre of the coronavirus, but left a day before the Chinese city went into lockdown in January last year. Match-winner Wang was stranded in Wuhan.

The team — minus Wang — were then quarantined and ended up doing exercises in the corridor of an Australian hotel, after the qualifying tournament was moved out of China.

The Tokyo 2020 Games, themselves badly upended by the coronavirus, will take place in July-August.

Springboks’ World Cup winner Jantjies joins struggling Pau

Paris (AFP) – South Africa’s Rugby World Cup winner Elton Jantjies is joining French club Pau until the end of the season, the struggling Top 14 side announced on Tuesday.

Pau are in desperate need of a playmaker following injuries to regular fly-halves Antoine Hastoy and Mike Harris.

The 30-year-old, who has played 37 times for the Springboks and was a member of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad, is set to arrive next week, the club said, after his present employer, the Lions, the Johannesburg franchise, agreed to release him straight away. 

Jantjies is expected to feature against the British and Irish Lions this summer with the first Test on July 3.

“Elton’s experience will be invaluable for the home stretch of the season,” said Pau president Bernard Pontneau. 

“He is a player who will bring confidence to the group. His arrival allows us to secure a position impacted by injuries.”

Pau, who are currently 13th in the league, host 12th-placed Bayonne on Friday, with six rounds of the regular season remaining.

The relegation play off is set for the weekend of June 11-13.

Dortmund skipper Reus revels in playing alongside ‘unique’ Haaland

Berlin (AFP) – Marco Reus is set to rekindle his blossoming partnership with Erling Braut Haaland on Wednesday as Borussia Dortmund bid to hand Manchester City another Champions League quarter-final exit.

Dortmund captain Reus, 31, is back to his best after struggling with poor form and injury this season, revelling alongside the 20-year-old Haaland.

Reus has scored in Dortmund’s last two games with Haaland, their top scorer this season with 33 goals in 34 games, providing both assists.

In nearly a decade at Dortmund, Reus has played as an attacking midfielder behind talented strikers such as Robert Lewandowski, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Paco Alcacer.

Reus is full of praise for his team-mate, who grabbed headlines earlier this season as the youngest player to score 20 Champions League goals.

“I’ve never seen anyone like Haaland at this club,” Reus told the ‘Kicker meets DAZN’ podcast.

“He’s unique and still very young. He’s developed massively over the past six to nine months.”

Reus scored what could prove to be a crucial away goal in their 2-1 first-leg defeat in Manchester when his effort, from Haaland’s brilliant pass, curled past City goalkeeper Ederson.

A 1-0 home win, or victory by at least two clear goals, on Wednesday would send Dortmund into the semis to face either holders Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain.

City remain on course for a historic quadruple of Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup successes despite a shock defeat against 10-man Leeds on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s City are desperate to reach the last four after exiting at the quarter-final stage in each of the last four seasons.   

– ‘He’s a legend here’ –

With Reus in full flow and splitting defences with his smooth passes, Dortmund can throw off their erratic Bundesliga form and play like one of Europe’s best teams.

“He is a big legend here and we need him at his best,” Haaland said of Reus in January. “He has a vision that no one else has.”

After converting Reus’ silky pass to score at home to Sevilla in the last 16, Haaland celebrated by simply lifting his captain clean off his feet.

The Norway attacker has not scored in his last six games for club and country after three blanks on international duty last month.

There are concerns Dortmund could lose Haaland, who is under contract until 2024, next season after his agent Mino Raiola held talks with Barcelona and Real Madrid.

On Tuesday, Raiola told sport1.de he has met with senior figures at Dortmund, who have made it clear they do not want to sell their top-scorer this summer.

Meanwhile on the pitch, with defences worrying about keeping an eye on Haaland, Reus has been revelling in the extra space the 20-year-old runs often provide.

“He’s become really good with the ball at his feet and with a defender at his back,” said Reus.

“That wasn’t the case when he first joined us, but his achievements and goals give him an unbelievable power that helps us.”

Reus picked up a knock following his goal in Saturday’s 3-2 win at Stuttgart after Haaland stepped over the ball and let it roll to his unmarked skipper.

After Reus limped off midway through the second-half in Stuttgart, Dortmund’s caretaker coach Edin Terzic said he is “confident” his captain will face City.

Yet Reus is one of the most injury-prone players in Germany’s top-flight.

Since 2010, Reus has suffered at least 21 injuries.

Despite making his Germany debut a decade ago, fitness issues have limited Reus to just 44 appearances for the national team.

Heartbreakingly, Reus missed Germany’s 2014 World Cup triumph after tearing ankle ligaments in the final warm-up match before the team flew to Brazil.

Dortmund wait on Reus, Hummels with Sancho to miss City clash

Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund are waiting on the fitness of Marco Reus and Mats Hummels for their Champions League quarter-final, home leg against Manchester City on Wednesday with England winger Jadon Sancho definitely ruled out.

Dortmund need to overturn last week’s 2-1 first-leg defeat in Manchester when Reus equalised for the Germans before Phil Foden’s 90th-minute winner for City.

Reus limped out of Saturday’s 3-2 win at Stuttgart, after the attacking midfielder scored for the second match in a row, while centre-back Hummels did not come out for the second half after feeling unwell.

Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said a decision on the pair will be made after seeing how they react in training.

Terzic confirmed the second leg has come too soon for Sancho who is working his way back to fitness from a leg injury.

Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji stressed the importance of Reus to the German club’s cause.

“It would be a big loss, he is our captain and played very well recently, scoring two goals,” Akanji said Tuesday.

“He knows what it takes to make it through to the next round.”

Terzic said Dortmund need “a mix of courage and patience” against City, who are bidding to reach the semi-finals after exiting in the quarters in each of the last four seasons. 

Rumours persist that Dortmund could lose 20-year-old striker Erling Braut Haaland to a big-money offer this summer.

Dortmund have made it clear they do not want to sell Haaland, who reportedly has a release clause in his contract for 75 million euros ($89 million) from 2022.

“As a coach, it’s my job to get the best out of him, not to put a price tag on him,” Terzic replied when asked what it would cost to keep Haaland.

“I have to get the best out of the team and want to advance to the next round.”

PSG captain Marquinhos out for 12 days

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain skipper Marquinhos will miss three games with a groin injury, the French champions announced on Tuesday.

The Brazil centre-back had already been ruled out of the Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich later in the day.

The 26-year-old suffered the injury during the 3-2 first leg victory in Bavaria last week.

“His return to training will take place in 12 days, depending to his recovery,” PSG said.

Marquinhos will also be sidelined for this weekend’s league game with Saint-Etienne and April 21’s French Cup last eight tie with Angers after missing last Saturday’s league win at Strasbourg.

Forward Mauro Icardi and defenders Layvin Kurzawa and Juan Bernat are also unavailable for coach Mauricio Pochettino with fitness issues.