Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera on Wednesday dedicated his side’s UEFA Europa League triumph over Ajax to the victims of the deadly bomb attack in Manchester on Monday, while Juan Mata and Paul Pogba also paid tribute to those affected.
A minute’s silence was held before the game, which turned into applause, in honor of the 22 people killed and 64 injured in the blast at an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena the night before the team left for the final in Stockholm.
Goals from France international Pogba and Armenia’s Henrik Mkhitaryan in each half gave United their first European trophy since 2007-2008, and their first Europa League crown.
Photo: Reuters
“I want to dedicate the trophy to the victims,” man-of-the-match Herrera told reporters after the victory. “This is just football, but what happened on Monday was horrible. We want peace in the world and respect. This happened in Manchester, but everywhere we have to be a united world to fight for peace and to have no more attacks.
“Yesterday morning we were devastated and really sad,” the Spaniard added. “It was difficult to train yesterday, but the manager told us is that the only thing we could do is win this for them.”
A little more than 48 hours after the attack, substitute Wayne Rooney took over the captain’s arm band and raised the Europa League trophy at the Friends Arena, the stadium where Grande began her world tour back on May 8.
“Obviously, football doesn’t bring back the lives which were lost, but to try and give some happiness to the city was vital to us,” 31-year-old club captain Rooney told reporters. “I knew people who were at the concert, so it’s not easy, it’s not a nice moment — not just for Manchester, but for the whole of England and we all felt that. Then we had to go out and put a performance in to win the game.”
Rooney could not say if the game would be his last in a Manchester United shirt.
“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know,” he said. “This is a time now that I will go and spend with my family, there’s decisions I have to make and I’ll do that over the next few weeks.”
Herrera’s compatriot Mata said Monday’s shocking events in Manchester gave the win in Stockholm extra significance.
“It means a lot as it is my first European trophy with United and after what happened … it is nice to bring a trophy back for Manchester,” Mata told reporters. “It has been a really difficult week in the city of Manchester and we are happy to win for all the people that have suffered. We have won a trophy the club has never won, so we are really happy.”
Pogba, who moved to Manchester aged 16 to join United and returned last year from Juventus for a world record £89 million (US$115 million) fee, added: “We know things like this are very sad all over the world. We had to focus. Manchester — we won for them. We played for England, we played for Manchester and we played for them — the people who died.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two