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sports Diabierna 4 Juni 2021

Koeman to stay on as Barcelona coach for next season

(AP) — Barcelona's eman became a weak figure
doubts about Ronald Koe- "We needed this period to get within the club after not be-
man are gone. to know each other, we need- ing immediately confirmed
After taking some time ed to find solutions to what- as the coach for next season.
to analyze Koeman's per- ever disagreements we might
formance last season, have had," Laporta said. "We "We could have ended the
Barcelona announced on reached the conclusion that contract if we wanted to,"
Thursday that it will keep this is what is best for Barce- Laporta said. "He has been
the Dutch coach in charge lona and for Koeman." reinforced. We are very sat-
for another year. isfied to be able to continue
Koeman, whose extra-time this relationship. We see a
The decision was announced goal from a free kick earned coach who is very motivated
after a meeting of the club's Barcelona its first European and who already has a year
board of directors. Cup in 1992, was signed by of experience with the club.
former Barcelona president I think that he comes out of
"I'd like to announce that, Josep Bartomeu at the end it reinforced. He is the coach
after a period of reflection, of last season. The 58-year- we want."
we have decided to continue old former defender was in
with Koeman," club presi- charge for 54 matches, with Koeman arrived last season
dent Joan Laporta said. "We 34 wins, 11 losses and nine with the difficult task of re-
are very satisfied with how draws. The team scored 122 tooling a team that had gone
everything went during this goals and conceded 58 under without a trophy for the first
period. We had some very di- his command. time in over a decade. He
rect conversations. Koeman's took over not long after the
behavior was impeccable. He Laporta said there had been club's embarrassing 8-2 de-
showed that he is a great pro- no immediate talks about ex- feat to Bayern Munich in the Eric Garcia — but it remains son of former club great Jo-
fessional." tending the coach's contract quarterfinals of the Champi- unclear if he will still be able han Cruyff, will be back in
beyond next season because ons League. to count on Lionel Messi, a strategic role at the club.
Koeman has another year left the focus of the negotiations "I hope Barcelona will be a whose contract ends on June Jordi Cruyff was a player in
on his contract but Laporta was to decide whether he more competitive team, with 30. Messi had his request to Barcelona's youth teams and
had said the club was consid- would stay. a winning mentality and a leave denied last season and is the first team from 1993-96.
ering whether to keep him He dismissed the notion that style of game that is more yet to say anything about his He had been coaching Chi-
after a disappointing season Koeman only stayed because attack-minded," Laporta said. future. nese team Shenzhen since
in which Barcelona only won the club is struggling finan- Koeman will have at least two 2020. The clubs reached an
the Copa del Rey and squan- cially and can't afford to end new signings for next season agreement so he could leave
dered several chances to win his contract ahead of time. — former Manchester City Barcelona earlier had an- the Chinese team before the
the Spanish league. He said he disagrees that Ko- players Sergio Agüero and nounced that Jordi Cruyff, end of his contract.

Lewis Hamilton backs Naomi Osaka in Martin Odegaard to leave

news conference dispute Arsenal when loan deal

(AP) — Seven-time For- her first-round victory. The could have definitely handled expires
mula One champion Lew- Japanese player said on social it better, I'm sure. I hope they
is Hamilton called Thurs- media that she faced "huge will take a deep dive into it (AP) — Martin Odegaard teta said after the team's final
day for more support for waves of anxiety before I and find a better way to navi- will leave Arsenal when Premier League game of the
young athletes dealing speak to the world's media." gate in the future," Hamilton his loan deal expires at the season that he hoped to have
with media duties after said. end of June, the English given Odegaard "the hope
four-time Grand Slam Speaking ahead of the Azer- club said Thursday. and the feeling that this could
champion tennis player baijan Grand Prix, Hamilton Hamilton said he had felt be a good place for him."
Naomi Osaka withdrew was critical of the French overwhelmed by media ob- The 22-year-old Norway
from the French Open cit- Open organizers. ligations around the time he midfielder spent the second Brazil defender David Luiz
ing her mental health. joined F1 in 2007 when he half of this season on loan and Spain midfielder Dani
"The way they reacted was was 22. from Real Madrid, where he Ceballos are also leaving
Osaka withdrew from the not good with the fine and is expected to return and en- when their contracts end on
tournament on Monday after someone talking about their "When I was young, I was counter a new coach in Carlo June 30, Arsenal said. Cebal-
she was fined for refusing to personal mental health and thrown into the pit and I Ancelotti. los was on loan from Real
attend the typical post-match then being fined for it, that wasn't given any guidance or Madrid, also.
news conference following wasn't cool. I think they support. And what I do know Arsenal manager Mikel Ar-
is that, you know, when
youngsters are coming in,
they're facing the same thing
as I did. And I don't neces-
sarily know if that's the best
for them," Hamilton said.
"I think we need to be sup-
porting more and I think it
shouldn't be a case where
you're pressured.

"For example, with Naomi's
scenario, she didn't feel com-
fortable for her own personal
health not to do something.
And the backlash is ridicu-
lous."