Page 31 - bon-dia-aruba-20210417

A31
sports Diasabra 17 aPriL 2021

UEFA set to approve new Champions League format next week

(AP) — UEFA is set to ap- places, worth tens of mil-
prove a new 36-team for- lions of euros (dollars), to Monday’s expected decision
mat for the Champions clubs which did not quali- on formats comes more than
League at an executive fy on merit but are ranked two years after a first ECA-
committee meeting on highly by UEFA on histori- backed proposal favoring sto-
Monday but delay deci- cal record. This season, such ried clubs was dropped amid
sions on control of the fi- a proposal could have been a strong opposition from the
nances. safety net for Liverpool and 30-nation European League
Borussia Dortmund. group and many mid-ranking
The top item on an agenda clubs.
published Friday for the However, an expected de-
meeting in Montreux, Swit- cision on March 31 stalled An elite group of clubs has
zerland, is the format of when UEFA did not accept long asked UEFA for more
UEFA club competitions last-minute demands pushed guaranteed games in the
taking effect in the 2024-25 by some wealthy clubs for Champions League, and to
season. control of commercial strat- play each other more often chester United were working ference League, which
egy and distributing billions before the knockout rounds. with financiers on a break- launches next season, should
Broad agreement on the of euros from broadcasting away league controlled by have six rounds also in the
key takeaway — adding and sponsorship deals. UEFA The new format will see clubs. 32-team standings feeding
four teams to the Cham- offered a shared venture and teams play 10 different oppo- into playoffs and a last-16
pions League, each playing keeping control of sporting nents in a schedule weighted The new formats proposal knockout bracket.
10 games instead of six in a decisions. by seeding, instead of just sees the second-tier Europa
single standings table — has UEFA signaled progress Fri- three opponents in a tradi- League expanded to eight UEFA said Friday its execu-
been in place with UEFA day on formats but not fi- tional round-robin group. rounds in the 32-team single tive committee also plans to
and Europe’s top clubs and nances after a fresh round of standings — a variation of the decide on a distribution mod-
leagues. meetings by the European A backdrop for the talks was Swiss model used in chess el for allocating prize money
Club Association board and steady leaks of reports say- tournaments. in all three competitions for
A controversial change is its own committee oversee- ing that clubs including Real the three seasons from 2021
giving two of the four new ing club competitions. Madrid, Barcelona and Man- The third-tier Europa Con- through 2024.

Unseeded players Evans and Ruud reach Monte Carlo semifinals

(AP) — A day after knock- tions. match yesterday, I felt really
ing out top-ranked Novak tired afterwards. To get back
Djokovic, unseeded Dan In the day's first match, Evans and focus, it was difficult,”
Evans beat 11th-seeded led 5-3 but Goffin won the said Evans, who has only one
David Goffin 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 next four games to take the career title. “I am proud of
to reach the Monte Carlo first set. However, the Bel- how I came back today, espe-
Masters semifinals on Fri- gian could not get a grip on cially with what happened in
day. a contest where he convert- the first set. I felt (my) con-
ed just two of his 17 break centration wasn’t great and
The British player will con- points, and his double-fault I am really happy coming
test the first Masters semi- gave Evans the second set. through.”
final of his career against
fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsit- Goffin shouted at himself af- Sunday's final could even
sipas, a French Open semi- ter wasting three break points feature two unseeded play-
finalist last year. The big- in the opening game of the ers, with Norwegian Casper
serving Greek led 7-5 against decider, but then did even Ruud knocking out 2019
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina worse when he blew four champion Fabio Fognini 6-4,
when the unseeded Spaniard break points at 4-4. 6-3.
abandoned with a thigh in- Having been let off the hook
jury. once more, Evans sensed vic- Ruud next faces either Nadal
tory and took it on his first or Rublev at the clay-court
Later Friday, 11-time cham- match point when Goffin's tournament, which was can-
pion Rafael Nadal faced forehand went wide. celed last year because of the
sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev coronavirus.
in overcast and chilly condi- “It wasn’t easy after the

Michael King starts for Yanks in series

opener against Rays

(AP) — Michael King was recalled by the New King was 1-2 with a 7.76
York Yankees to start Fri- ERA in four starts and relief
day night's series opener appearances during last year's
against the AL champion pandemic-shortened season.
Tampa Bay Rays.
Left-hander Jordan Mont-
The 25-year-old right-hand- gomery (1-0) starts for the
er allowed one hit over six Yankees on Saturday and ace
scoreless innings during a Gerrit Cole (2-0) on Sunday.
99-pitch relief appearance
against Toronto in a 3-1 loss Tampa Bay had not an-
on April 4, then was optioned nounced its pitching plans
to the alternate training site. for the series.