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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Soccer-Butler's Bangladeshi battlers secure historic Women's Asian Cup spot
By Chiranjit Ojha Soccer-Butler's Bangladeshi battlers secure historic Women's Asian Cup spot July 7 - Few expected Bangladesh to stamp their ticket to the Women's Asian Cup at a qualifying tournament last week after a year in which they had failed to win a game and lost some of their most experienced players. Ranked 128th in the world and 25th in Asia, the Bengal Tigresses headed to Myanmar without all-time top-scorer Sabina Khatun, who led a walk out in protest at English coach Peter Butler in February. Bangladesh defied the odds, however, by winning all three games in Yangon to top their group and secure one of only 12 spots in Australia next year, their first appearance at the continental tournament. "I'm really proud of the players ... these girls have sacrificed a lot," Butler told Reuters on Sunday, before flying to Dhaka where a large crowd gathered late at night to welcome the team home. "They were put through the mill and they have reaped the rewards." Butler, a former West Ham United midfielder who has spent two decades coaching clubs and national teams across Asia and Africa, took over in March last year. "When I came into the national team ... some of the players were picking themselves," the 58-year-old said. "There was no discipline. Unfortunately, if there's no discipline, you're really on the road to nowhere." Butler introduced a new training regimen and tried to bring through some younger talent, leading to the rebellion of a group of established players. They sent a letter to the federation calling for Butler's dismissal and accusing him of favouritism, dividing the team, making inappropriate comments about their personal lives and insulting them. "No coach likes to be accused of things that are totally unfounded and untrue," Butler said. "It was lies, more lies, and it seems like it's never going to end. It can be tedious and tiring. "I didn't have a personal agenda... at the end of the day, what I've done has been for the betterment, the good of Bangladeshi football." The rebellion fizzled out when the players signed new contracts in March, although Khatun, Sanjida Akhter and Masura Parvin have not played for the country since. 'A COMPETITIVE EDGE' Butler ploughed on with his new regimen, placing a big focus on fitness and making big demands on the players. "It had five o'clock wake-up calls, six o'clock starts, 90-minute sessions, high-tempo, high-intensity. Not easy," he said. "I think it was a defining moment of change in Bangladesh football when discipline came into the forefront where previously there was none." In a culture where seniority is highly prized, he also continued with his mission to bring younger talent through to complement the veterans. More than half of the squad he picked for last week's qualifying tournament were under 20 years old, players he said were previously not given an opportunity. "Young players bring a competitive edge... it takes people out of their comfort zones. That's what I've done, I've shaken it up," he said. Bangladesh started their Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a 7-0 win over Bahrain, but the real test for Butler's team arrived when they took on hosts Myanmar in a decisive battle for the group's single qualifying slot. Ritu Porna Chakma, one of the rebel players, scored a brace to secure a 2-1 win over Myanmar, ranked 55th in the world. Bangladesh rounded out their group games with a 7-0 win over Turkmenistan on Saturday. "Our brand of football really surprised a lot of people," Butler said. "You've got to have the belief, and I had the belief in my players." Butler, however, was not sure whether he would continue in his role, with his contract ending soon. "I don't even know if I'll be in charge going into the next tournament. I don't know what my future holds," he said. "Whether I'm there or not there is not important. I've achieved what I set out to achieve... we got there, and it's history. "I'd like to think I've helped change the women's football landscape in Bangladesh." This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Star
21-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-South Korea's K-League to lift 26-year-old ban on foreign goalkeepers
(Reuters) -K-League clubs will be allowed to register foreign players as goalkeepers for the first time in 27 years, starting with the 2026 season, the South Korean top division league said. The league banned its clubs from registering foreign players as keepers in 1999, when it had eight teams, in a bid to ensure domestic keepers get enough playing time. The K-League 1 now has 12 teams, with a second tier introduced in 2013. The decision to end the ban on foreign keepers was taken at a board meeting on Thursday, the league said in a statement on Friday. "The board said it took into consideration the fact that foreign players were restricted from registering as goalkeepers, a specialised position, resulting in excessive salary increases for domestic players compared to field players," it added. "The number of clubs has increased significantly since the time the foreign goalkeeper restriction was introduced, so even if foreign goalkeepers were allowed, domestic goalkeepers would still have enough playing time. "As a result, from 2026, the K-League will remove the stipulation that the goalkeeper must be a domestic player from the K-League's competition guidelines, which will apply to both the K-League 1 and K-League 2." (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
The Star
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Soccer-Real Madrid most valuable soccer team for fourth straight year, say Forbes
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Real Sociedad - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - May 24, 2025 General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File Photo (Reuters) -LaLiga side Real Madrid topped the list of the most valuable soccer teams in the world for the fourth year in a row with a valuation of $6.6 billion, business magazine Forbes has said. Real became the first soccer club to bring in a billion dollars in a single year after they posted a record $1.13 billion in revenue for the 2023-24 season, the magazine added in a report published on Friday. The Spanish club, the second sports team in history to hit the 10-figure threshold after National Football League side Dallas Cowboys, are the first soccer team to register one billion euros in revenue in a single season, Deloitte had said earlier this year. England's Manchester United are second in Forbes' list with a $6.6 billion valuation after generating $834 million in revenue in the 2023-24 season despite a forgettable Premier League campaign where they finished eighth. Real's LaLiga rivals Barcelona are third, valued at $5.65 billion, while Liverpool and Manchester City are fourth and fifth. Forbes named six Premier League sides among the top 10 most valuable teams with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea making the list after Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain. "Together, the 30 most valuable soccer teams are worth more than $72 billion, or an average of $2.4 billion, up 5% from 2024's record $2.26 billion," Forbes said. (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge)
The Star
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Cricket-UAE batters get shy and retiring to dodge rain threat
(Reuters) -United Arab Emirates batters retired out en masse in an effort to end their match against Qatar quickly with rain threatening to affect the Women's Twenty20 World Cup Asian qualifier in Bangkok on Friday. UAE reached 192-0 in 16 overs with captain Esha Oza making 113 off 55 balls before deciding to finish their innings early to avoid a washout. Ending an innings by declaration is not allowed in T20 Internationals, however, so every batter had to pad up and walk to the middle before retiring without facing a ball. UAE then bowled out Qatar for 29 in 11.1 overs to secure a crushing win by 163 runs and remain top of Group B. The top team from each of the three groups will compete in a final 'Super Three' round, with the top two qualifying for next year's World Cup in England and Wales. (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
