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SPORTSFriday 4 December 2015
2nd-division sides score massive upsets in Copa del Rey
JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) —
While last season’s finalist
Athletic Bilbao started its
Copa del Rey campaign
with a win, three other top-
flight clubs lost at second-
division opponents in the
opening leg of the round of
32 on Thursday.
Bilbao earned a 2-0 win at
third-division club Linense
Real Madrid says not at fault for fielding ineligible player
Real Madrid players celebrate after Cherishev scored against Cadiz during a Copa del Rey soc-
cer match between Cadiz and Real Madrid at the Ramon de Carranza stadium in Cadiz, Spain,
Wednesday Dec. 2, 2015.
MADRID (AP) — Facing an
embarrassing bureaucratic
bungle that could cost his
club dearly, president Flo-
rentino Perez said Thursday
that Real Madrid “is not
at fault” and shouldn’t be
disqualified from the Copa
del Rey for fielding an ineli-
gible player.
Perez spoke publicly to de-
fend his club hours after
Cadiz filed an objection
to Madrid fielding Denis
Ze Roberto, 41, leads Brazilian club to another cup title
TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
SAO PAULO (AP) — Former
Brazil midfielder Ze Roberto
is celebrating another club
title back home. At age 41.
The two-time World Cup
player captained Palmei-
ras to its third Brazilian Cup
title late Wednesday, help-
ing it beat Santos 4-3 in a
penalty shootout after a
2-1 win in regulation offset
a 1-0 loss in the first leg last Striker Dudu scored in the
week.
from first-half goals by little- 23 cups, lost in last season’s
used striker Kike Sola and
defender Aymeric Laporte.
Outplayed until after half-
time, the hosts mustered
four good scoring chanc-
es in the second half, but
goalkeeper Iago Herrerin
saved its best opportunity
when Ismael Flores fired a
shot from close range with
four minutes to play.
Bilbao, second all time with
Cheryshev, who carried
over a one-game suspen-
sion from last season for ac-
cumulation of yellow cards
while playing on loan for
Villarreal.On Wednesday,
Cheryshev scored Madrid’s
first goal of the 3-1 victory at cause Cheryshev had “not
Cadiz before coach Rafa
Benitez substituted him ear-
ly in the second half. The
Russian-born winger was
suspended after earning a
third booking in last year’s
Ze Roberto converted Pal-
meiras’ first penalty in the
shootout, then goalkeeper
Fernando Prass saved one
spot kick and converted
the deciding shot to give
the traditional club its sec-
ond Brazilian Cup trophy in
the last four years.
Palmeiras had won the
tournament under the
command of Luiz Felipe
Scolari in 2012.
56th and 85th minutes at
randes. Villarreal, a semifi-
final when Barcelona won nalist last season, lost 3-2 at tier Villanovense after its tie
its record 27th cup. second-division side Hues-
Villarreal, Malaga and Eibar ca, which got a 75th-min-
will all have to fight back ute winner by Darwin Ma-
with wins in two weeks to chis. Espanyol took away
avoid early exits. a valuable goal in a 1-1
Eibar will have to tough- draw at Levante, and Las
est time overcoming a 3-0 Palmas edged Real Socie-
loss at Ponferradina, while dad 2-1 at home in clashes
Malaga’s struggles in the between first-division clubs.
league carried over to the On Wednesday, Barcelona
cup with a 2-1 loss at Mi- advanced to the round of
ferently,” Perez said. “It’s
not our fault.”
Furthermore, Perez argued
that according to the
(AP Photo/Angel Fernandez) club’s interpretation of the
competition by-laws, previ-
semifinal against eventual ous bookings are voided at
champion Barcelona. the start of the round of 32.
Perez gave two reasons Another, conflicting in-
why the sanction should terpretation reported by
not be applied. Spanish media of this by-
Perez first said the sanction law says it is intended to
was “not applicable” be- only be applied to lower-
division teams that play
been personally notified” previous rounds before the
that he was suspended. topflight teams are includ-
“Nobody told the club or ed in the round of 32.
the player, not the federa- This was the second time
tion nor Villarreal, so it was in two weeks Perez has
impossible for us to act dif- spoken to the media in
response to a club crisis.
With Benitez facing heavy
criticism following a 4-0 loss
to Barcelona, Perez pub-
licly defended his first-year
coach. It is also the sec-
ond time this season that
Perez’s club is confronted
with a embarrassing over-
sight. A late fax ruined the
Madrid’s attempt to secure
the transfer of Manchester
United goalkeeper David
de Gea at the close of the
summer transfer market.
Madrid fans’ frustration
boiled over two weeks ago
Palmeiras’ Allianz Parque, ately talked about Palmei-
but Santos forward Ricardo ras’ grandiosity, a video
Oliveira netted in the 88th that quickly went viral and
to send the game into the made sports headlines
penalty shootout. across the country.
Ze Roberto, who played “This club was going
for Brazil in the 1998 and through a difficult moment
2006 World Cups, became and today we showed ev-
a symbol of Palmeiras’ re- erybody that Palmeiras re-
surgence after the team mains a giant,” Ze Roberto
was nearly relegated in the said.
Brazilian league last year. Palmeiras is the Brazilian
In a pre-match speech to club with the most nation-
the squad in the beginning al titles — eight Brazilian
of the season, he passion- championships and now
16 with a 6-1 rout of third-
was moved ahead in the
calendar to make room for
Barcelona’s participation in
the Club World Cup.
Real Madrid, meanwhile,
faces possible disqualifica-
tion from the tournament
after fielding an ineligible
player in a 3-1 win at Cadiz.
The Spanish federation will
rule on Cadiz’s objection
on Friday.q
when Madrid lost to fierce
rival Barcelona at home,
with many calling for
Benitez and Perez to step
down.
Madrid plays its first game
at the Santiago Bernabeu
since then against Getafe
on Saturday. Garcia car-
ried over a suspension from
last season’s cup compe-
tition, and coach Ernesto
Valverde said on Wednes-
day— before Madrid’s
match— he had dropped
Garcia from his squad “be-
cause he is suspended.”
In September, the federa-
tion disqualified Osasuna
from the Copa del Rey for
fielding an ineligible player
who carried over a suspen-
sion from the previous sea-
son.
In 2001-02, a Valencia side
coached by Benitez was
disqualified from the Copa
del Rey for fielding four
players without European
passports at the same time.
Cadiz said that out of
“maximum respect for Real
Madrid and its fans,” the
third-division club would
not make any further public
statements until the federa-
tion announces its ruling. q
three Brazilian Cups. San-
tos and Corinthians are
next with nine national titles
and cups each. Corinthi-
ans won its sixth Brazilian
league title this year, while
Santos won the traditional
Sao Paulo state champion-
ship by beating Palmeiras
in a final early in the season.
Palmeiras was relegated
to the second division in
2012, the same year it won
its second Brazilian Cup title
with Scolari. q