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Leicester owner 'like a dad' to me, says match-winner Mahrez

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Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez said Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was “like a dad to me” after dedicating his match-winning goal against Tottenham to the Leicester owner killed in Saturday’s helicopter crash.

Mahrez, who played 179 times for the Foxes between 2014 and 2018, said he found it difficult to sleep before Monday’s game after Mr Vichai and four others died in the crash outside the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

“It has been very, very difficult for me,” Mahrez told Sky Sports.

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“The boss was very special to me. I spent four and a half years there and have many memories with him.

“He was such a good person and had a big heart. It was heart-breaking and shocking for me to hear this news and for all of the other people who died with him. I am with Leicester and the family of the victims.”

Mahrez joined Leicester in 2014 and was named PFA Player of the Season in the Foxes’ remarkable title-winning season in 2015-16 before leaving for Manchester City in July.

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Mahrez scored the only goal in Manchester City’s win at Wembley and celebrated by pointing to the sky in memory of the man who was in charge of Leicester throughout his time at the club.

“When I scored I put my hands in the sky for him,” said Mahrez. “He did a lot for me and Leicester and it is difficult to speak about.”

The Algeria international said he did not consider missing the game at Wembley, despite struggling to sleep since Saturday.

“I always wanted to play,” he added. “I know he would have wanted me to play. He was passionate about football. It was difficult, I kept thinking about him.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described the past few days as “a tough moment” for Mahrez, who moved from Leicester for £60m.

“He knew the owner well,” said Guardiola. “For all of the Leicester family it’s tough but here Riyad was very focused and he did a great job.”

Obituary: Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha – the ‘humble, generous, private enigma’

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BBC Sport – Football

Leicester owner 'like a dad' to me, says match-winner Mahrez was originally published on 365 Football

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Man Utd must play 'like Federer' on Swiss artificial pitch

BBC coverage

How to follow:

Listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website

BBC Sport – Football

Man Utd must play 'like Federer' on Swiss artificial pitch was originally published on 365 Football

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'Like holding a child in your arms' - Maradona's 'rebirth' in new Mexico job

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona says his new job as manager of a Mexican second-division club is a “rebirth” after years of battling drug addiction, alcoholism and obesity.

The choice though of Dorados in Sinaloa state, home to one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels, surprised some.

He said the task ahead of him at Dorados will be “like carrying an elephant on our shoulders.”

The club are currently 13th in Mexico’s second division, the Liga Ascenso.

The team are without a win in the opening six games of the league.

Despite this, Maradona said he would coach in an attacking manner, similar to how he played.

“We are going to look to win games, as I do not like to play defensive football,” Maradona told his first press conference.

He also acknowledged some of his past struggles. “I had a lot of missteps in my life. I assume this responsibility like someone who holds a child in their arms,” he said.

“When I took [drugs] … It made me go backwards, it was a step back, and what football players have to do is go forward.”

The former Barcelona and Napoli forward previously managed UAE teams Al-Fujairah and Al-Wasl, along with the Argentina national team from 2008 to 2010.

“I am here to work. I am here to give my heart like I did in Fujairah, where I drove 300 kilometres a day to work,” Maradona said.

Although local media reported that residents of the wealthy neighbourhood where Maradona hopes to live have blocked his move, Dorados fans were largely supportive.

“We trust you, Diego. Here we don’t criticise, we only admire,” one fan’s sign said.

Mexico was the scene of Maradona’s finest moment as a player, when he led his country to the 1986 World Cup title.

But he said had not come to the club to reminisce. “We are not here for a stroll, we didn’t come on vacation, we came to work… It will be great to win together, it will be great to win together,” he said.

BBC Sport – Football

'Like holding a child in your arms' – Maradona's 'rebirth' in new Mexico job was originally published on 365 Football

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'Like a beach' - La Liga investigates Valladolid pitch for Barca game

La Liga has opened an investigation into Real Valladolid’s “deplorable” pitch following their defeat by Barcelona on Saturday.

Players had to replace clumps of turf that became dislodged during the Spanish champions’ 1-0 win at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla.

The pitch was relaid on Tuesday and began to tear up early in the game.

“There were areas that seemed more like a beach,” said Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets.

“It’s incredible that no-one from La Liga felt they should come and check the grass. You can’t play on that.”

Dembele scores winner as Barcelona get late VAR reprieve

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said: “It was deplorable.

“I hope those in charge get their house in order and fix this, because it was lamentable.”

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La Liga issued a statement after the game to confirm it is investigating why the pitch “did not meet the minimum conditions demanded by the competition”.

Real Valladolid are playing in La Liga for the first time since 2013-14 after winning promotion via the play-offs last season.

Manager Sergio Gonzalez said the club had done “everything they could” to get the pitch ready.

“We were the last team to get promoted and we’ve had issues getting the pitch ready on time,” he said.

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BBC Sport – Football

'Like a beach' – La Liga investigates Valladolid pitch for Barca game was originally published on 365 Football

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Rangers crash bus 'like a rollercoaster'

A Rangers supporters’ bus which crashed, killing a fan, felt like a “rollercoaster” as it entered a roundabout, a court has heard.

Philip Storrie, 53, from Kirkconnel, Dumfriesshire, was giving evidence at the trial of bus driver Callum Phillips, 49, from Dalbeattie.

Mr Phillips denies killing 39-year-old Ryan Baird by dangerous driving.

He is alleged to have caused the bus to crash at the Crossroads Roundabout, near Kilmarnock, on 1 October 2016.

Mr Baird, from Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, died as he and 36 fellow Rangers fans from the Nith Valley Supporters’ Club were travelling to Glasgow for a home match against Partick Thistle.

He was trapped in the wreckage after the bus collided with a lamp post and rolled over onto its side.

In evidence, Mr Storrie, a rail worker, told the High Court in Glasgow that he heard someone say “Whoa” about 100 yards from the roundabout.

‘No brakes’

He added: “It became apparent to me we were approaching it too fast. I said the bus is going to cowp here.”

Prosecutor Richard Goddard asked Mr Storrie: “What did you do,” and he replied: “There was a window and I braced myself against it. We came round the roundabout like a rollercoaster fashion. The bus rocked to the left and to the right.”

After the bus crashed, Mr Storrie clambered out and saw Mr Baird lying half in and half out of the vehicle.

He added: “I tried to get a pulse and there was no pulse.”

He said paramedics then took over.

Meat factory worker Samuel Nesbit, 62, told the court that seconds before the crash he heard Mr Phillips shout, “No brakes, no brakes.”

Former HGV driver Mr Nesbit, from Dumfriesshire, was sitting three rows behind the driver.

He said: “Maybe about 50 yards from the roundabout the driver was standing up, holding on to the steering wheel and shouting ‘no brakes, no brakes.'”

Asked about the manner of Mr Phillips’ driving during the journey, he replied: “It was fast.”

‘Far too fast’

When asked about Mr Phillips’ approach to the roundabout, he replied: “It was far too fast.”

Mr Nesbit said that after the crash it was chaos in the bus, with people shouting and swearing and a number of people covered in blood. He said it was “hectic”.

Mr Goddard asked: “During the course of the journey, the driver went round seven roundabouts, stopped to pick up passengers and stopped at temporary traffic lights just three quarters of a mile from the crash site. Did there appear to be any problem with the brakes on those occasions?”

Mr Nesbit replied: “No.”

Defence counsel Simon Gilbride asked Mr Nesbit: ‘Did it look as if Mr Phillips was pumping the brakes, did he seem quite panicked?”, to which he replied: “Well, I think so yes.”

John Campbell, 69, from Sanquhar, told the jury he was sitting at the back of the bus when it crashed.

“I was knocked over by someone else,” he said. “I finished up on top of the man who died.”

Bus speed

Caitlin Hamilton, 23, from Sanquhar, said she was driving between 60 and 63mph heading towards the Crossroads Roundabout and thought the bus must be doing 70mph.

She said the bus crashed minutes later.

She wept as she told the court she only realised it was the supporters’ bus when she saw someone she recognised climb out of it.

The court heard that Ms Hamilton’s car caught up with the bus which was stopped at temporary traffic lights about a mile from the Crossroads Roundabout, before the line of traffic moved off.

She told the jury: “I was two or three cars behind the bus. I remember saying to my mum ‘that bus is going far too fast. I cannae catch up.’ At that point I was doing 60 to 63mph. I just thought to myself it was not going to make it round that roundabout. It was just going far too fast.”

Defence counsel Simon Gilbride asked Ms Hamilton: “You have given an estimation of the speed you say the bus was doing, could you be mistaken about that,” and she replied: “no.”

The court has heard that the speed limit for busses on the A76 is 50mph.

The trial before judge Lady Stacey continues.

BBC Sport – Scottish

Rangers crash bus 'like a rollercoaster' was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

Gareth Bale: Real Madrid star welcomed 'like a God' in China - Giggs

China Cup: China v Wales Venue: Guangxi Sports Center, Nanning Date: Thursday, 22 March Kick-off: 11:35 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC One Wales, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app, plus live text commentary.

Gareth Bale is ready to star in the China Cup after being welcomed to China like a “god”, according to Wales manager Ryan Giggs.

The Real Madrid forward trained on Tuesday just four hours after travelling almost 7,500 miles from Spain to China.

Bale will play some part in Thursday’s match against China, having been greeted by hordes of fans on his arrival in Nanning.

“He’s used to that,” said Giggs.

“It’s the same when Becks [David Beckham] came into the [Manchester United] team. He took the limelight away from me.

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“Gareth would have been out here in the Far East plenty of times with Real Madrid.

“Huge teams like United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, the players are used to the adulation they get especially in this part of the world because footballers are treated like gods.”

Thursday’s opening match of the China Cup will be Giggs’ first in charge of Wales since succeeding Chris Coleman as manager.

Having once been the most expensive footballer in the world, Bale’s profile was one of the reasons why Wales were invited to take part in the friendly tournament.

It has been reported the amount of money Wales receive for their participation in China could depend on Bale’s involvement.

China PR v Wales [1]

Bale will ‘always be important’ to Real Madrid – Zidane[2]

Giggs nervous ahead of China Cup opener[3]

Asked if financial implications could have a bearing on whether the 28-year-old could feature or not, Giggs said: “Yeah, of course.”

The former Manchester United winger then added: “It’s about all the players and getting feedback from them, how they feel… whether we should start players, give players a half, give players an hour, constantly monitoring them.

“We are able to use six subs so I will probably use all of them because a lot of players have played a lot of football and there are other players who need minutes as well.”

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Bale is a hugely influential figure for Wales, sitting second in the country’s all-time scoring charts with 26 goals, two behind Ian Rush.

The former Tottenham player has been hampered by injury this season but scored after coming on as a substitute for Real in Sunday’s 6-3 win over Girona.[4]

Although Real have a Champions League quarter-final against Juventus on 3 April, manager Zinedine Zidane has not given Giggs any specific instructions about how much Bale is allowed to play during Wales’ two friendly fixtures in China.

“No, it’s important the relationship with all the clubs. I’ve not spoken to Zidane, but I’ve spoken to Gareth,” said Giggs.

“I’ve been in contact with him all the last few months regularly. I’m not stupid because it’s an important part of the season.

“Any risks…stupid risks I won’t be taking. But also it’s my first game and I want to get my best team out there.”

References

^ China PR v Wales (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Bale will ‘always be important’ to Real Madrid – Zidane (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Giggs nervous ahead of China Cup opener (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Sunday’s 6-3 win over Girona. (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

Gareth Bale: Real Madrid star welcomed 'like a God' in China – Giggs was originally published on 365 Football