Short Corner
Tuchel extends PSG deal
Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel has extended his deal with the French Ligue 1 champions through to June 2021, the club announced on Saturday.
The 45-year-old German took over in June 2018 and despite winning Ligue 1 has come under scrutiny after the Parisian club’s defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League last 16.
The news cuts short speculation that PSG’s Qatari owners would fire Tuchel and hire outgoing Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.
“I’m delighted to extend my contract and commitment to Paris Saint-Germain,” Tuchel said.
“I’d like to thank the chairman and the whole club for their trust in me and my staff. This only reinforces my ambition to bring this team to the very top through hard work,” he told the club website.
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Spanish police detain 23 before Copa del Rey final
Spanish police have detained 23 people in “incidents” in the southern city of Sevilla ahead of the Copa del Rey final that pits Barcelona against Valencia, they said on Saturday.
“Last night in Sevilla, police detained 23 people (who now won’t be able to go to the Copa del Rey final) and seized blunt objects during incidents in the Nervion area,” police tweeted.
Nervion houses the Sevilla FC stadium.
They added five police officers were slightly hurt.
A police spokesman could give no further details.
Local media, however, reported that those detained were members of the Boixos Nois, a group of ultra supporters of FC Barcelona.
Online sports site ElDesmarque reported they had been looking for a fight with ultra supporters of Sevilla.
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Dijon escape automatic relegation
Dijon came from behind on the last day of Ligue 1 on Friday to beat Toulouse, 2-1, and grab a lifeline that could keep them in the French top flight.
At the start of the final round, Guingamp were sure to finish last, while Dijon occupied the other direct relegation spot, one point behind Caen occupying the pace that brings a playoff against a Ligue 2 team.
Dijon needed to win but fell behind at home to a 33rd minute goal by Bafode Diakite. Naim Sliti levelled after 58 minutes. Four minutes later, Julio Tavares smashed in a close range shot that Mauro Goicoechea reached but could not stop only for the assistant referee to flag off side. Referee Mikael Lesage consulted video replay and awarded the goal.
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Ceferin defends Baku final
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has defended the decision to host the Europa League final in Baku in an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel set to be published on Saturday.
Chelsea and Arsenal are set to play in Baku on May 29, and UEFA has faced heavy criticism, both for the distance of the venue from London and over Azerbaijan’s record on human rights.
Ceferin, 51, told Der Spiegel that the final would be played in Baku because “there are people who live there who love football”.
“The human rights situation is a problem, but it is also a problem in other European states. Does that mean the fans in Baku do not deserve live football?”
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