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sports Diasabra 20 Maart 2021

Ronaldo named Serie A player of the year again

(AP) — Cristiano Ronal- cessive Serie A title. years old."
do was named the Italian
league player of the year "At the beginning it was hard Juventus forward Cristiana
on Friday for the second to play in empty stadiums, Girelli received the best fe-
successive time. but the aim was to win, and male player of the year award.
we did it," the 36-year-old
Ronaldo won the prize in Ronaldo said. Atalanta's Gian Piero Gas-
2019 after his debut season at perini took home the prize of
Juventus. The awards did not "I am happy and lucky. Per- coach of the year and his side
take place last year because of sistence, confidence, work won team of the year.
the coronavirus pandemic. ethic, passion -- those are all
the secrets that allow me to Atalanta finished third in Se-
Ronaldo scored 31 goals in keep playing. I feel motivated rie A for the second straight
33 league matches last sea- and you have to be every year, season and also reached the
son and helped Juventus to a otherwise you won't man- quarterfinals of the Champi-
record-extending ninth suc- age to win at 34, 35, 36 or 40 ons League.

UEFA to probe claims that Rangers player was racially abused

(AP) — UEFA will inves- ciplinary inspector to gather knowledges uttering an ex- just past the hour mark after
tigate claims that a player evidence after earlier saying After Thursday's game, Ger- pletive but denied it was ra- his cleat caught goalkeeper
from Scottish champi- it was awaiting reports of the rard said he fully supported cial. Ondrej Kolar in the face and
on Rangers was racially match officials. Kamara. head. Kolar left the game and
abused by a Slavia Prague "It was said in emotions, received 10 stitches.
opponent during their "Further information regard- "I know Glen and I trust him but I absolutely deny there
Europa League match. ing this investigation will 100% and it is extremely dis- was anything racist in those Kamara received a yellow
be made available in due appointing," Gerrard said. words," Kúdela said as part of card in the first half.
Rangers midfielder Glen course," UEFA said in a brief "Something needs to hap- the team's statement.
Kamara, who is Black, told statement. pen quickly, that is above me, After the incident with Ka-
manager Steven Gerrard that but 100% whatever happens The team said it was denied mara, Kúdela was shown a
Ondřej Kúdela uttered a rac- Stewart Robertson, the moving forward I stand next access to the locker room im- yellow card, as was Rangers
ist remark to him in the clos- Glasgow club's managing di- to Glen Kamara." mediately after the game, and defender Connor Goldson.
ing moments of Slavia's 2-0 rector, said earlier Friday that that Kamara threw punches
victory at Ibrox Stadium in the team refuses "to acknowl- Gerrard, whose team was at the 33-year-old defender. The Czech team advanced
Glasgow on Thursday. edge any attempt to defend, eliminated with the second- 3-1 on aggregate to the quar-
deflect or deny the abuse leg loss in the round of 16, "Ondřej Kúdela was assault- terfinals.
Kúdela approached Kamara Glen Kamara experienced described Kamara as being ed by player Kamara and hit
during a stoppage in play, last night." "devastated" by the incident. with fists in the head when The Scottish players' union
covered his mouth with both He said the Finnish player is Rangers manager Steven backed Kamara, saying the
hands and said something "UEFA will be well aware the "a cool, calm kid." Gerrard witnessed the inci- incident highlights why play-
into Kamara's right ear. The football world is watching," dent," the team said. "Even ers have been taking a knee
Rangers player reacted by Robertson added in a state- Slavia denied the allegations the UEFA representatives before games.
pointing at Kúdela, and both ment. "We expect a robust and claimed Kamara assault- who were also present on
were then separated. and unequivocal response in ed Kúdela after the game as the site of the incident were "The racist abuse received
relation to this incident. It the Czech team "was not al- shocked by this behavior." last night by Glen Kamara,
Slavia and Kúdela have de- cannot be merely 'swept un- lowed to enter the dressing added to the awful incidents
nied the allegation, with the der the carpet' — we are not room." UEFA said earlier Friday that earlier this season involving
player saying he used offen- prepared for Glen Kamara it "is aware of an incident Nir Bitton, Jonathan Afolabi
sive but not racial language. to be yet another statistic. "Slavia resolutely denies the which occurred in the tun- and Alex Dyer, simply shows
Enough is enough." disgusting accusation of one nel after the end of the match more than ever that we must
Rangers called for a "robust of the team captains Ondřej and which involved some continue to fight against the
and unequivocal" response The Rangers statement add- Kúdela of racist behavior," players of both teams." racists that attach themselves
from UEFA, which on Fri- ed that more players "have the team said in a statement to our game," said Fraser
day launched an investigation subsequently received racist, early Friday. Rangers ended the game with Wishart, chief executive of
"regarding the incidents that threatening and sickening nine men. Rangers forward Professional Footballers' As-
occurred." It appointed a dis- abuse online." Kúdela, who is white, ac- Kemar Roofe was sent off sociation Scotland.

Top seed out as Russian players fill St Petersburg semis

(AP) — Margarita Gasparyan up- in the quarterfinals, Romania’s Jaque-
set the top-seeded Ekaterina Alex- line Cristian, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, and
androva 6-2, 7-5 on Friday, when will next face Daria Kasatkina.
Russian players filled the semifi-
nals of the St. Petersburg Ladies Kasatkina also had to fight hard, com-
Trophy. ing back to beat Veronika Kudermeto-
va 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the last quarterfinal.
The 126th-ranked Gasparyan saved
three of the six break points she faced It was the first time Russia had seven
and broke Alexandrova six times for a players in the quarterfinals of a tour-
last-four clash with Vera Zvonareva. nament. The WTA Tour said the last
time seven players from one country
Zvonareva dispatched qualifier Anas- reached the last eight of a tour-level
tasia Gasanova 6-3, 6-1. event was in 1993, when seven Amer-
icans were in the Oakland quarterfi-
The fourth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetso- nals.
va rallied to beat the only non-Russian