Sports
Bale says LAFC signing is for the long haul
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AFP
Wales forward Gareth Bale on Monday said he was eager to leave his mark on Major League Soccer by helping bring a maiden championship to his new team the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and that he was not there just for the short-term.
Bale, who will captain Wales at the World Cup in Qatar this year, has signed a 12-month contract with options through to 2024 and said he already felt at home in Southern California with no plans on moving anytime soon.
British media had speculated that Bale might retire after the World Cup but he held out the prospect that he could still be leading Wales at the European Championship in 2024.
“I haven’t come here for the short term. I want to make my mark on this league and I think being here gives me the best possible chance to make it to the Euros and maybe win more,” Bale told a news conference at Banc of California Stadium.
“That’s my goal. I feel like I’m here to play a big part.”
Already sounding like a Hollywood star, Bale told reporters that he saw LAFC as “an amazing project” following his departure from LaLiga champions Real Madrid.
“It became clear to me that this was the place I wanted to be,” he added.
“It’s an incredible club they’ve created and an amazing environment for the fans. Hopefully now I can play my part and take this club to the next level and try to win a trophy.”
Bale, who turns 33 later this week, said MLS had improved considerably and could no longer be dismissed as a “retirement league” for overseas stars.
“The standard here is really increasing, it’s a lot better than people in Europe think,” he said.
“The quality is improving, the league is improving, the stadiums are improving, the teams are improving. It’s a league that’s really on the rise.”
LAFC, which launched in 2014 and boasts a star-studded ownership group and a dedicated fan base, currently sits atop the Western Conference.
“This club is new, but it feels like it has been here forever,” he said.
Bale enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with Real, winning three LaLiga titles, five Champions League crowns, three Club World Cups and the Spanish Cup, although his time at the club was marred by injuries.
In Los Angeles, he will join familiar faces including former Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini, who signed for LAFC this month after leaving Juventus.
“He’s the same as me. He wants to give everything possible to win games and trophies,” Bale said.
The Welshman will also play alongside ex-Arsenal forward Carlos Vela and former Manchester United striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez.
Bale led Wales to their first World Cup since 1958 when they beat Ukraine 1-0 in a playoff in Cardiff last month.
The MLS season will conclude before the start of the November 21-December 18 World Cup in Qatar.
Wales begin their World Cup campaign against the United States at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium on November 21.
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Tributes have poured in after the son of former Chelsea star Eddie Newton was found dead alongside his friend following a hike in the UAE, where temperatures soared to 50C.
Cassius Newton, 34, and his friend Aran Martinson, 33, were found by rescuers on July 18 after setting out on a hike in the mountainous Wadi Naqab region.
The pair, from Dorset and Essex respectively, both lived and worked in the UAE. Their bodies were discovered between 3km and 4km from their vehicle.
According to a report, Chelmsford area coroner Michelle Brown said their provisional causes of death included cardiac and respiratory arrest.
Cassius, a non-league footballer, was the son of former Chelsea midfielder and coach Eddie Newton, who spent more than a decade with the club.
His wife was in the UK when she became concerned after Cassius failed to contact her following the hike and reported him missing.
The two men had been living at a luxury resort in Ras Al Khaimah.
Tributes after desert tragedy
Tributes poured in after the deaths.
Aran’s wife described him as “incredibly driven, hardworking and ambitious”, saying he had recently begun a new chapter in his career and was excited about the future.
Blackfield & Langley Football Club paid tribute to their former player, saying: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the sad news of the passing of former player Cassius Newton; our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
National League club Eastleigh, where Cassius had previously played, said it was “deeply saddened” by his death.
Chelsea connection
Cassius’ father Eddie Newton played for Chelsea from 1990 to 2001 and famously scored in the club’s 1997 FA Cup final victory.
The former midfielder also represented Cardiff City, Birmingham City, Oxford United and Barnet.
After retiring as a player, Newton moved into coaching, working as assistant manager at MK Dons and West Brom before returning to Chelsea.
He later served as assistant manager under Roberto Di Matteo and Rafael Benítez.
(With inputs from BBC, The Sun)
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