Champions League - players.bio

Ronaldo included on Martínez’s first squad for Portugal

LISBON, Portugal: New Portugal coach Roberto Martínez included Cristiano Ronaldo in his first squad on Friday since taking over from Fernando Santos following the World Cup. The 38-year-old Ronaldo was left out of Santos’ starting lineup for Portugal’s knockout-phase games at the tournament in Qatar, including the quarterfinal loss to Morocco. Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi team Al-Nassr, can add to his international record 118 goals when Portugal plays European Championship qualifiers against Liechtenstein on March 23 and at Luxembourg three days later. “Cristiano Ronaldo is a player who is completely committed to the national team,” Martínez said. “I don’t look at age or other aspects. He has the chance to help the team and pass on his experience to other players.” Martínez made very few changes to the squad he inherited from Santos. Pepe, aged 40, was back again in defense, while Ronaldo was joined by João Félix, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva as playmakers. Martínez joined Portugal after the Spaniard ended his six-year stint with Belgium following the team’s disappointing group-stage elimination at the World Cup. Portugal’s Euro 2024 qualifying group also includes Iceland, Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Libya’s boxers recover from Qaddafi-era knockout

TRIPOLI: Omar Zlitni holds a decades-old, black-and-white photo of himself as a boxer in his prime, posing in shorts and a training vest before Libya’s then-dictator, Muammar Qaddafi, banned his beloved sport. Boxing was “in his blood,” said the 63-year-old Tripoli resident who proudly keeps the image as his phone’s wallpaper. In 1979, he was just 19 when boxing, along with wrestling and other combat sports, was banned by Qaddafi, who considered such contests a threat to his personality cult. “We were a whole group. We were going to fight in Italy. And then, suddenly, they banned it. Why?” Zlitni said, with anger clouding his usually peaceful face. “There were friendships and love; boxing was everything,” he said, adding he regretted their way of life had been taken away and that “everyone went his own way.”

‘Ice cold’ Isak puts Newcastle United back in Champions League mix

NOTTINGHAM: ‘Ice cold’ Alexander Isak’s two-goal show at Nottingham Forest catapulted Newcastle United back into the Premier League Champions League mix — but Eddie Howe admits he still thinks there’s more to come from the Sweden international.

Isak fires Newcastle to within sight of Premier League top four

NOTTINGHAM, Britain: Alexander Isak said Newcastle believe they will seal a place in next season’s Champions League after the Swede scored twice, including a stoppage time penalty, to beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 on Friday. Victory lifts the Magpies to within one point of fourth-placed Tottenham and with a game in hand to come on Spurs.