Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/833901
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 7 JUNE 2017 20 Sport SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL Spalletti says happy to be new Inter coach after leaving Roma LUCIANO Spalletti said yes- terday he was happy to be the new coach of Inter Milan as he prepared to f ly out to Chi- na to finalise a deal with the club's owners. Spalletti led AS Roma to second place in Serie A this season but left last week af- ter deciding not to renew his contract. Since then, he had been widely expected to take over at Inter Milan, who finished the season under interim coach Stefano Vecchi. "It's all done because we've shaken hands," he told re- porters at Milan airport. "I'm one of those old fashioned types who does things with a shake of the hand. I'm happy to be the new coach of Inter." Inter have been under Chi- nese ownership since June last year when electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd bought a near- ly 70 percent share for 270 million euros (£235.3 mil- lion). However, they have had a turbulent first year. Roberto Mancini resigned two weeks before the start of last season and was replaced by Frank de Boer, who him- self was sacked after 85 days. His replacement, Stefano Pioli, was himself fired last month after a seven-match winless run. There was no official com- ment from the club yesterday. Luciano Spalletti Inter mourn Giuliano Sarti FORMER Grande Inter goal- keeper Giuliano Sarti has sadly passed away at the age of 83. Sarti kept goal for the Ner- azzurri during one of the club's most successful peri- ods, as the team put together by president Angelo Moratti and coach Helenio Herrera put Inter firmly on the world football map in the 1960s. One of Italy's great keep- ers, Sarti won two European Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and two league titles in a five-year spell at the club. Giuliano passed away to- day, surrounded by his loved ones. The thoughts of every- one at F.C. Internazionale go out to him and his family at this difficult time. FIFA 'in contact' with Qatar over 2022 World Cup FOOTBALL'S governing body FIFA said on Monday it was in "regular contact" with the organising committee of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, though it did not comment directly on the diplomatic situation involving the Gulf State. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and others severed ties with Qa- tar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism and opening up the worst rift in years among some of the most powerful states in the Arab world. FIFA said in an emailed statement that it was "in regular contact with the Qa- tar 2022 Local Organising Committee and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy handling matters re- lating to the 2022 FIFA World Cup." "We have no further com- ments for the time being," it added. Qatar's local World Cup or- ganising committee and the Asian Football Confedera- tion (AFC,) which organises international matches in the region, both declined to com- ment. The influential German Football Association (DFB), whose team are the world champions, said it would dis- cuss the matter with the Ger- man government. "We will discuss the new, complex political situation in the region and specifically in Qatar with the federal gov- ernment," DFB President Re- inhard Grindel said in a state- ment. "In such matters we will of course be in very close con- tact with (European football's governing body) UEFA. "There are still five years to go before the World Cup starts. During this time prior- ity should be given to political solutions rather than threats of boycott," added Grindel, who is also a FIFA Council member. "But one thing is clear. The football community world- wide should agree that ... ma- jor tournaments should not be played in countries that actively support terror." Qatar's national team are still involved in the qualify- ing competition for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and are bottom of their group with four points from seven games, with matches against South Korea, Syria, and China still to play. There is a very remote chance they could still finish third in the group and qualify for a playoff match against the team that finishes third in the other Asian qualifying group, with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE among potential op- ponents. The 2022 World Cup is the centrepiece of a carefully crafted strategy to project Qatar on to the global stage via sport. The diplomatic row could impact its preparations. In the lead-up to the tourna- ment, the country is sched- uled to host multiple events across many different sports, aimed at improving infra- structure and expertise. This year it is organising 72 events, 39 of which will be in- ternational competitions. It has already hosted the 10th Artistic Gymnastics World Cup and an IAAF Dia- mond League athletics meet- ing, and a FINA Swimming World Cup is scheduled for September. Swimming governing body FINA did not respond to re- quests for a comment on Monday as to whether it would still go ahead. Top-level modern pentath- lon, sailing, squash and show jumping are also scheduled for later in the year when tem- peratures cool. The Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar