Page 32 - bon-dia-aruba-20220813

A32 sports
Diasabra 13 augustus 2022

Belgian strikers in Milan in focus as Serie A season starts

(AP) — Two Belgian strik- His formidable partnership spell at Inter and it remains to
ers are likely to be in focus with Lautaro Martínez — be seen how the 29-year-old
when the Italian league dubbed “LuLa” by the Italian Belgian will do under Inter
season starts Saturday. media — helped Inter win coach Simone Inzaghi. The
the league in 2021 for the two briefly overlapped at In-
While returning Inter Mi- first time in 11 years, shortly ter, during the last preseason
lan forward Romelu Lukaku before he left for Chelsea. before Lukaku completed his
has already shown what he move to Chelsea.
can do in Serie A, compa- “At Inter, Lukaku has re- “Romelu is a very modern
triot Charles De Ketelaere is turned home,” Martínez and total striker. He adapts to
something of an unknown said. “I’ve known Romelu for different systems,” Martínez
quantity for city rival AC Mi- years, I’m not at all surprised continued. “He can be the
lan. by his choice and his deter- reference point in a fast game
mination to return whatever directed toward the forwards,
So much so that since signing the cost, it was what he want- he can be useful in physical
for Milan at the start of the ed. battles, but he is also good
month the talented young at combining with his team-
playmaker has been peppered in a 6-1 victory. and in shooting at goal that “We’re talking about heart mates in a tactical system as
with questions on how to few others at his age have in and not just soccer. Then I with Belgium.
pronounce his name. The very next day the Europe. see him absolutely focused
21-year-old forward net- on what he wants, which is to “That is why he will adapt
Stadium announcers may ted a hat trick in the first 25 “Charles has always contin- win with the team he loves: very well to a new coach
have to quickly learn, starting minutes of a 7-1 victory over ued to grow … he knows how he will give everything to and teammates who have
at Milan’s own San Siro on Pergolettese in Milan’s final to adapt to needs mainly be- prove that he is as decisive as changed in the meanwhile. I
Saturday when the Rossoneri preseason friendly. cause of his technique. With the first time.” have no doubt about the im-
kick off their title defense time, Charles can follow in pact he will have on Inter and
against Udinese in front of a “De Ketelaere catches the the footsteps of the greats of Lukaku kicks off his second Serie A.”
sellout crowd. eye, he leaves you with your the Rossoneri tradition.” stint at Inter at newly-pro- While the Milan teams play
De Ketelaere played his first mouth open at his technical moted Lecce, the same team on Saturday, José Mourinho’s
15 minutes in a Milan jersey ability, flexibility, elegance In contrast, Lukaku has al- he faced on his first debut Roma kicks off its season on
in a friendly match against of play,” Belgium coach Ro- ready established himself in when he scored in a 4-0 win Sunday at Salernitana and
Vicenza — the day after his berto Martínez said in an in- Inter history, having scored three years ago. Juventus and Napoli play on
presentation — and twice terview with Gazzetta dello 47 goals in 72 appearances in Monday, against Sassuolo and
went close to scoring after Sport. “He has a coordina- Serie A in his two previous Antonio Conte was coach Hellas Verona, respectively.
coming on as a late substitute tion, a skill in the final pass seasons with the Nerazzurri. during Lukaku’s previous

Lionel Messi misses cut for Ballon d’Or list of nominees

(AP) – Seven-time Ballon Rodman were also named. given out the award to men and Beth Mead — who
d’Or winner Lionel Messi Among changes announced every year since 1956 and to helped England win the Eu-
was omitted from the 30- The men’s list features six in March, the award is now women each year since 2018 ropean Championship —
man list of nominees for Manchester City players: being awarded based on per- — when Hegerberg became were included.
the prestigious award on Phil Foden, Joao Cancelo, De formances over the course of the first female winner —
Friday for the first time Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Ber- a regular European season, though both were canceled France has four players on
since 2005. nardo Silva, and new signing rather than a calendar year. in 2020 because of the pan- the list: Selma Bacha, Kadidi-
Haaland (formerly Borussia A reduction in the number demic. atou Diani, Marie-Antoinette
The Argentina great edged Dortmund). of voters was among other Katoto and Wendie Renard.
out Poland striker Robert Liverpool also has six nomi- changes, with the goal of Putellas became the third
Lewandowski for the Bal- nees: Trent Alexander-Ar- streamlining the process. winner of the women’s award The other nominated wom-
lon d’Or last year but wasn’t nold, Luis Diaz, Fabinho, Voters also will no longer last year. Her Barcelona and en are Christiane Endler,
nominated this time after an Darwin Nunez, Salah and consider a player’s career ac- Spain teammate Aitana Bon- Lena Oberdorf, Asisat Os-
underwhelming first season Virgil van Dijk. complishments. mati was also nominated. hoala, Alexandra Popp and
at Paris Saint-Germain. Fridolina Rolfo.
Mané, who helped Senegal France Football magazine has Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze
The 35-year-old forward also win its first African Cup be-
won the prize in 2019 — it fore leaving Liverpool for
was not held in 2020 because Bayern Munich, is included,
of the COVID-19 pandemic. as is Bayern teammate Joshua
Neymar also missed the cut Kimmich.
this time.
Benzema leads a group of
Lewandowski, Kylian Mbap- six Real Madrid players. The
pé, Karim Benzema, Erling others are Casemiro, Thibaut
Haaland and five-time win- Courtois, Luka Modric, Vini-
ner Cristiano Ronaldo were cius Junior and new signing
all included, as were Mo- Antonio Rudiger.
hamed Salah, Sadio Mané,
Kevin De Bruyne, Harry The other nominated play-
Kane and Son Heung-min. ers are Sébastien Haller
(Ajax), Rafael Leao and Mike
Alexia Putellas, Ada Heger- Maignan (both of AC Mi-
berg, Sam Kerr and Vivianne lan), Christopher Nkunku
Miedema were on the list of (Leipzig), and Dusan Vla-
20 female nominees. United hovic (Juventus).
States players Alex Morgan, The award will be presented
Catarina Macario and Trinity on Oct. 17.