|
BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona has been "the victim of a grave injustice" after being hit with a FIFA transfer ban, the clubs president said on Thursday as the Spanish champion vowed not to change its model for recruiting youth players. Josep Maria Bartomeu told a news conference the club has never broken any Spanish regulations in signing young talents to its famed La Masia academy, which has produced such players as Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, and Andres Iniesta. "Were victims of a grave injustice. With this decision, FIFA is penalizing a model that has worked for 35 years, it is penalizing the club. Barca is a model to follow (...) we have no intention of changing our model. "You cant touch our Masia. This model is what has allowed our club and its football to be the most successful in the last decade." Bartomeu said the club was investigating who made the initial protest about a young South Korean player that led FIFA to demand information on 33 youth players since February 2013. Barcelona continued to point fingers at FIFA and other clubs, with Bartomeu asking why "Barca is restricted by these rules and other clubs not?" and that "its not normal that all of these things happen to one club" as Barcelona has also been charged with tax fraud over its signing of Brazil striker Neymar. Asked if Real Madrid was behind the anonymous tip-off to FIFA, Bartomeu said the club was investigating: "I cant say where this points to. We are investigating documents. When we have proof, well act with total determination." Barcelona hopes for a temporary lifting of the ban as it appeals the sanction, which was brought by FIFA after it found the Catalan club guilty of repeatedly breaching transfer regulations in signing youth players from 2009-13. The club believes the regulations should be reviewed. Bartomeu said Barcelona will take the matter to civil courts if it does not see the transfer ban reversed. He added the club needed to know if the signings it had already made would be allowed, as it needed to fill squad spots at goalkeeper and centre back. . Pikul Khueanpet scored early in the second half and Kanjana Sungngoen made it 2-0 in the 65th minute of the playoff. Tuyet Dong narrowed the margin with goal four minutes from time. The win gave Thailand fifth place at the Asian Cup and the last of the continents qualifying spots for the 2015 Womens World Cup in Canada. . -- Once again, Carlos Santana was a huge hit in Kansas City. . While Minnesota takes aim at its eighth win of November, the Canadiens will try to post just their third victory in nine games this month. . As their best player continued to orchestrate his dramatic exit from the club, the Whitecaps added size and creativity at Thursdays Major League Soccer SuperDraft. . - The Mavericks built a 12-point lead with 2:50 to play, gave away all but two points of it, and still managed to hang on.SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- For nearly two months, the Philadelphia 76ers couldnt win a road game. Lately, they cant lose. Thaddeus Young scored 28 points, Evan Turner had 24 and the 76ers defeated the Sacramento Kings 113-104 on Thursday night for their third straight victory. The suddenly surging 76ers took the lead early in the second quarter and never trailed again in winning their third consecutive road game after losing the previous 13. Prior to the winning streak, Philadelphias last road win was Nov. 1 against Washington. "We were talking and we dont know when was the last time weve done that," Spencer Hawes said. "Coming out west, its something thats very hard to do." With the 76ers coming off an impressive victory Wednesday night in Denver, it might have seemed more likely the rested Kings would have more energy. Yet it was the young 76ers displaying more effort, forcing the sloppy Kings into 23 turnovers that led to 27 Philadelphia points. The 76ers had seven players in double figures against Denver and five one night later. In a foul-plagued game, the bench contributed 41 points. "We are really making an effort on the defensive end," Young said. "And on offence were sharing the ball better than we have at any stretch all season." Young had a big game at both ends of the court. He made a career-high six steals, including five in the first half, to tie the arena record. He shot 9 of 16 and had seven rebounds, four assists and zero turnovers. "Thaddeus is playing with a high level of confidence, supported by his skill set," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "Hes playing with both energy and explosiveness." Turner also enjoyed a strong overall game. He hit 11 of 22 shots and added 10 rebounds and six assists. Reserve guard Tony Wroten scored 21 points for Philadelphia, which ends its six-game road trip Saturday in Portland. Lavoy Allen and Hawes added 10 points apiece. DeMarcus Cousins scored 22 of his 33 points in the opening half for the Kings, who lost their sixth home game in a row to the 76ers. "I thought we had no energy tonight. I dont know if it had anything to do with we were playing a team with a losing record," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "They knew that the 76ers had just beaten Denver andd L.ddddddddddddA. on the road. And shoot, weve got a losing record. So I dont think that was the case. It was the matter of us not being able to find a rhythm or consistent energy tonight." Isaiah Thomas had 23 points and seven assists, and Rudy Gay scored 18 for the Kings. Jimmer Fredette had 12 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, and Derrick Williams scored 11. Cousins, who had 14 rebounds, picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter and sat out the remainder of the period. He was called for his fifth foul less than 3 minutes into the fourth. Fredette started the fourth quarter and scored 10 points in just under 4 minutes, rallying the Kings to 98-93. But the 76ers countered with nine straight points to increase their lead to 14 at the 3:56 mark, and Sacramento never threatened again. "Its a setback, but weve just got to keep moving forward," Fredette said. "We still have four home games on this homestand. We just need to come out to play and try to get the next one. Its disappointing. We have to play better, and we need more energy." Young had 11 points in the third quarter when Philadelphia added to its lead, taking a 92-77 advantage into the fourth. Thomas made a pair of 3-pointers and scored 14 for the Kings, who committed six turnovers in the third. After the Kings cut the lead to nine in the third period, the 76ers ran off nine straight points -- six by Young -- to build an 83-65 cushion. Wroten and Turner both had 13 points in the first half as the 76ers shot 50 per cent to open a 61-51 lead. Playing a physical game inside, Cousins shot 8 of 11 on free throws and scored 22 points in the opening half. NOTES: Thomas connected on a 3 early in the first quarter and has made one in 25 straight games. ... Hawes, who played his first three seasons with the Kings, was booed all game. Last season when the city was trying to keep the team in Sacramento, Hawes publicly stated he wanted the Seattle group to buy the Kings and move them. Hawes, who fouled out, grew up a Seattle SuperSonics fan. ... Kings reserve guard Marcus Thornton drew a delay of game in the first quarter. He apparently was tucking in his shirt a little too slowly for referee Danny Crawford. ... Cousins drew his NBA-leading 10th technical foul in the second quarter. ' ' '
|
