Madrid, May 17 (IANS) Avoiding relegation and qualifying for Europe are the two big issues remaining on the penultimate round of matches to be played in La Liga this weekend.

All of the matches are set to be played at 19:00 local time on Sunday evening, with the exception of Friday’s match between Alaves and Getafe, neither of whom have anything to play for as they sit in mid-table security with no chance of playing in Europe next year, reported Xinhua.

In the relegation battle, everything could be decided in one game, because if Las Palmas win away to Cadiz, then Cadiz will join Almeria and Granada in dropping to the second division, irrespective of what happens elsewhere.

Cadiz’s epic last-minute win away to Sevilla on Wednesday keeps them alive in the survival race, but they go into the penultimate round of matches four points behind Mallorca, five points behind Celta Vigo and six behind Rayo Vallecano and Las Palmas.

Las Palmas ended an eight-game losing run with a 2-2 draw at home to Real Betis on Thursday, but will have to show personality in front of packed stands as Cadiz look for a miracle.

The fact that head-to-head goal difference is taken into account before overall goal difference to separate teams that are level on points places extra emphasis on Las Palmas’ need to avoid defeat, and will leave the other teams all watching closely.

Rayo, Mallorca and Celta are all level on head-to-head goal difference with Cadiz, but all have a significantly better overall goal difference, meaning they would survive if they end level on points.

That means Rayo are all but assured of safety even if they lose away to FC Barcelona, where rumors over the future of coach Xavi Hernandez continue to gain strength, despite Xavi’s U-turn last month on his decision to leave at the end of the campaign.

Celta travel to already-relegated Granada, needing a win to ensure their survival, but knowing that a draw will almost certainly mean they remain in the elite next year.

Mallorca are at home to bottom side Almeria and need a win to confirm they will be in the top flight next season, irrespective of the result in Cadiz.

Betis and Real Sociedad play a game which could decide who finishes sixth and plays in next season’s Europa League and who is likely to play in the Conference League.

Real Sociedad take a one-point advantage to the Benito Villamarin Stadium, although they are without Spain international Martin Zubimendi.

Betis are unbeaten in their last six games, with four wins and two draws ahead of a vital fixture for both sides.

Villarreal also have an outside chance of finishing seventh, but their European hopes rely on them beating Real Madrid whose coach Carlo Ancelotti will continue with squad rotation to both rest key players and give time to squad members ahead of the Champions League final.

Girona look to have lost their chance of finishing second after this week’s defeat to Villarreal, and their slim options rely on their winning away to a Valencia side whose squad limitations have been exposed in an end of season with four defeats in their last five games.

Athletic Bilbao make their last home appearance of a successful season that has seen them win the Copa del Rey for the first time in 40 years and qualify for Europe. San Mames will bid an emotional ‘farewell’ to veterans Iker Muniain and Raul Garcia as Athletic entertain Sevilla, whose legend Jesus Navas announced on Thursday that he is also leaving the club at the end of the season.

–IANS

New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Portugal and Al-Nassr star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has played down his retirement plans saying he is still competitive at the highest level.

The 39-year-old is the highest goal-scorer in the international circuit with 128 goals and remains very electric on the field. In his debut season for Saudi franchise Al-Nassr, the striker has netted 48 goals across competitions.

Refuting his near-future retirement plans, Ronaldo expressed his desire to continue his career in the game.

“I feel proud to have this age and still compete at the highest level. It’s great and it gives me motivation to carry on. If you look at my career for the last 20 years, my level is high. If you are top for 20 years, it’s unbelievable. I do that and I continue to do that. For me it’s a big achievement,” Goal.com quoted him as saying on the Whoop podcast.

With 891 goals to his name, Ronaldo has the potential to take his goal tally to 1,000 to become the first player in the history of football to achieve the feat.

Ronaldo said that he has to push himself to remain at this level after lifting league titles in England, Spain, and Italy in addition to five Champions League triumphs.

“My biggest motivation is to carry on. It’s not easy to be at this level. To still push, to still motivate, to carry on, to score goals, to be in good shape, to compete with the young lions that are coming and that when they play against me, they want to show me that they are stronger and faster than me. You have to prepare very well not just physically but mentally, too. This is the challenge,” he said.

Ronaldo has the opportunity to add more silverware to his cabinet with the club and country as well in 2024 as Al-Nassr have qualified for the King Cup of Champions final while Portugal are hoping for another shot at continental triumph in this summer’s European Championship.

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Club Licensing Committee rejected the Premier 1 license of Indian Super League (ISL) clubs Jamshedpur FC, Odisha FC, Kerala Blasters and Hyderabad FC for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

The clubs were found disobeying multiple ‘A’ criteria failures, making them ineligible for AFC Club competitions and the national competitions. The clubs, however, have options to seek an exemption to participate in the National competitions by May 22.

The committee was chaired by Girija Shanker Mungali which also included Anirban Dutta (deputy chairman), Ravishankar Jayaraman, and Yash K Nayak (members) met via video conferencing on May 15.

Punjab FC was the only club to fulfil AIFF’s criteria for the process and was granted a premier 1 club license for the 2024-25 season.

Indian Super League (ISL) current champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant and ISL Cup winner Mumbai City FC along with East Bengal, FC Goa, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, NorthEast United FC and Mohammedan Sporting, the I-League champions 2023-24 who have secured promotion to the ISL 2024-25, received the license with sanctions.

“The Indian Club Licensing system is pivotal in maintaining the quality, professionalism, and infrastructure of football clubs in India. It is an annual process wherein clubs acquire the necessary license to partake in AFC and National competitions for each season. These licenses are categorised into ‘ICLS Premier 1’ for Indian Super League clubs and ‘ICLS Premier 2’ for I-League clubs,” the AIFF said in a release.

–IANS

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Liverpool, May 17 (IANS) Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has said that he “would vote for scrapping Virtual Assistant Refree (VAR)” for the simple reason that “match officials are not able to use it properly”.

Although it is believed that Liverpool wants to keep VAR, their departing manager has a different opinion because of how the Premier League has used it.

In his final pre-match press conference against Wolves at Anfield, the Liverpool manager delivered a stinging critique of the referees’ body when asked if he would vote to retain or do away with video assistant refereeing at the Premier League annual general meeting next month.

“I don’t think they are voting against VAR,” Klopp said on Friday. “I think they are voting against how VAR gets used because that is definitely not right. In the way they do it, I would vote against it because these people are not able to use it properly. I don’t think VAR is the problem but the way they use it is the problem. You cannot change the people obviously, that is clear, so I would say I would vote for scrapping VAR.”

During their 1-2 loss to Tottenham in September, Liverpool had a genuine goal disallowed, which led to the largest VAR dispute of the season. After a string of incorrect calls, Klopp feels that Wolves, his last opponents, are more deserving of sympathy. Wolves submitted the motion requesting the repeal of VAR.

“They are the most unlucky team I ever saw with VAR decisions. They were crazy against Wolves. We had a few strange ones but they are the champions of that. Unbelievable. They will be strong [on Sunday] and they want to finish on a high. We will prepare as strongly as possible,” said Klopp

“I was never the part that disturbed a good game before, but this time I will probably be the one. Standing there and pretending it will be a completely normal game, no one would believe me. It is a challenge for different reasons and I hope we can all put a really good performance on the pitch. It is much easier to celebrate afterwards if you saw a good game before.”

Klopp also admitted it will be “tough” to manage at Anfield for the final time, and he may be unable to deliver the pre-match team talk. He has declined a request from the film crew documenting his final season to record his pre-Wolves speech.

“This is a massive challenge. I have no clue how the team meeting will be. The documentary guys asked me can they film the last team meeting, which nobody has ever had, and I said no. I have no idea how that will be. Maybe Virgil (van Dijk) will do it. Somebody has to do it who will be really on fire. Can I be on fire? Probably yes, I think so, but I don’t know how I will be in the moment. It will be really strange.”

–IANS

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Brandenburg (Germany), May 17 (IANS) Tvesa Malik and amateur Avani Prashanth were the top Indians after the first day at the Amundi German Masters. The duo shot even par 72 each and were Tied-18th as the remaining five Indians in the field faced varying fortunes.

Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs carded 2-over 74 each and were T-44. However, at one time Pranavi was T-3 as she reached 2-under with the help of two eagles in her round. A triple bogey at the finish cost her dearly.

Vani Kapoor and Sneha Singh shot 3-over 75 each to be T-62 and Amandeep Drall, playing her first LET event of the season was T-79 with 4-over 76.

Germany’s Patricia Isabel Schmidt fired an opening round of 68 (-4) to lead by one shot at the end of the first day. The German star, who grew up near Stuttgart, began her first round from the 10th tee at Golf & Country Club Seddiner See with the wind in full force.

Schmidt made a double bogey on her first hole, however, she soon recovered rolling in birdies on holes 12, 17 and 18 to make the turn in 35 (-1).

The 28-year-old, who won the 2023 Belgian Ladies Open on the LET, then made three more birdies on holes one, six and eight for her 68 and leads her home tournament on four-under-par.

Two players sit in a tie for second place just one shot further back with Austria’s Emma Spitz and Swedish amateur Meja Örtengren both on three-under-par. They shot 3-under 69 each.

Three-time LET winner Försterling, who is from Berlin, had a slower start and was two-over after 10 holes but had an excellent finish with four birdies in her final six holes for a round of 70 (-2).

Tvesa had four birdies and four bogeys and Avani had the same.

Pranavi, a former Order of Merit winner on Women’s Pro Golf Tour, began on the tenth with bogeys on the 10th and the 11th, but she then eagled the Par-5 12th and the Par-5 16th. A dropped shot on 17th meant she turned in 1-under 35. After five pars from the first to the fifth, she birdied the sixth to go 2-under but dropped a shot on the seventh and then had a triple bogey on the Par-4 ninth, her closing hole.

Diksha, who was Tied-third at the event last year, had two birdies against four bogeys for her 74.

–IANS

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