Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/620988
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 30 DECEMBER 2015 23 Sport Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday WEATHER: Partly cloudy becoming partly to rather cloudy overnight VISIBILITY: Good WIND: West Northwest force 4 to 5, locally force 5 to 6 at first, becoming North to Northwest force 3 to 4 in the evening SEA: Moderate to rough becoming slight to moderate SWELL: Negligible Sea Temp.: 18 °C A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 White to play and mate in four moves A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Last week's solution Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. PARTLY CLOUDY 16 º C / 11 º C UV INDEX: 2 Today's Weather Chess Sudoku Pursuits Across 6. Adventurous expedition 7. Physical suffering 8. Expectant desire 9. Person who skates 10. Inactive 12. Sumptuous meal 15. Tapering mass of ice 17. Dog cry 18. Immoral habit 19. One or the other of two Down 1. Large terrestrial monkey 2. Cod-like fish 3. Being before all others 4. Bring up to date 5. Roofing item 11. Swayed to and fro 13. County in SE England 14. Gem 16. First son of Adam and Eve 17. Push with the head g7+ Kg8 Bb3 Kh7 Bf6 Ng8 Rh1+ Nh6 e8=Q++ Media campaign against Real Madrid, says Benitez UNDERPRESSURE Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez believes there is a cam- paign against him and the club and that the team is not playing as badly as is be- ing made out ahead of the La Liga game against Real Sociedad on Wednesday. Speculation has been rife in the Span- ish capital over the future of Benitez who has failed to win over many fans with his team's results and style of play this season. Real next face Real Sociedad on the back of a crushing 10-2 win over Rayo Vallecano but the result was distorted by two sendings-off for the visitors who looked strong early on and held a 2-1 lead. Although they have scored freely against the more modest sides, Real have generally been unable to beat stronger opponents and a humiliating 4-0 loss to arch-rivals Barcelona last month was particularly damaging for Benitez. Real are two points off joint leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid with 33 points from 16 games, but the Catalan side have a game in hand after playing in the Club World Cup. "There is a campaign against (presi- dent) Florentino (Perez), Real Madrid and me," Benitez told a news confer- ence on Tuesday. "Everything is criticised that can be and where not it is manipulated which anyone can see. This is particularly clear if you look at the situation from the outside... "Everything is being magnified and I have a lot of experience coaching so I know to be distracted as little as pos- sible. "I have 24 players in the squad but when I leave out one player then it is made out that it is something personal and a load of speculation is built up. The team is a lot better than people think. "My relationship with the players is infinitely better than what you read in the press. There is a communications department that keeps me informed. The team is doing some things well and others not so much." Benitez also said he was able to relax over Christmas which he spent with his family in northern England where he used to manage Liverpool, adding: "It was calm. I had a short holiday as we are playing again on the 30th. "Fortunately, the English press do not exaggerate as much and so it was relax- ing with the family and concentrating on how to beat Real Sociedad and win trophies this year." Perez has been very supportive of Be- nitez, saying in November: "Rafa Beni- tez was chosen for his professionalism, for his achievements and for his expe- rience and he has the proven ability to get the best out of this squad which has been in gradual decline since January. We understand the anger of our fans... but we feel it is the moment to con- tinue working with rigour, with calm and maximum intensity. Rafa Benitez has just started his work. Let us allow him to continue and the triumphs will surely come." Rafa Benitez