‘Swapping seat saved my life’
Alan Ruschel, a defender with Brazil’s Chapecoense football club who survived the aircraft crash which wiped out most of the team, says a seat swap saved his life. Crying in his first press conference since last month’s disaster, Ruschel said yesterday he would do ‘everything’ to get back on the pitch when he has recovered from his injuries. The left-back was one of just six people to emerge alive from the airliner that crashed on November 28 into a mountainside near Medellin, Colombia, where the side had been due to play the final of the Copa Sudamericana tournament.
Ruschel, 27, said he reacted to a request from club director Cadu Gaucho to change seats and move further up the aircraft. ‘I didn’t want to leave my seat right away,’ he said. However, goalkeeper Jackson Follmann also called him to move up and sit next to him. ‘Then I left the back and I went and sat by Follmann. That’s what I remember,’ he said. Follmann also survived, although he had to have a leg amputated. Seventy-one people, including most of the Chapecoense team’s players and staff, died.
Madden double extends Scunthorpe lead
Paddy Madden struck twice as League One leaders Scunthorpe returned to winning ways with the 3-0 defeat of Millwall to extend their unbeaten home run to 23 games. Scunthorpe, who moved three points clear of Sheffield United at the top, were beaten 3-2 at Rochdale last time out. Hakeeb Adelakun struck their other goal. Bury slumped to a 12th successive league defeat, 3-2 at home against Oxford United. AFC Wimbledon beat Port Vale 4-0 thanks to second-half goals from Dominic Poleon, his 12th of the season, Tom Elliott, Tyrone Barnett and Chris Robertson. Matt Lund hit a hat-trick as Rochdale twice came from behind to end their poor recent away run with a 3-2 win at Northampton.
Advertisement
Wycombe extend winning run to eight matches
Wycombe made it eight wins in a row in all competitions with a 1-0 victory against Leyton Orient in League Two. Scott Kashket was on target again to keep Gareth Ainsworth’s side in touch with the leaders. The top three all won to maintain the gap between them and the chasing pack. Plymouth won 1-0 at Accrington thanks to Craig Tanner’s 76th-minute strike, Carlisle made Yeovil’s long trip a pointless one with a 2-1 win, while third-placed Doncaster beat Grimsby 1-0, courtesy of Liam Mandeville’s third-minute curling free kick from 30 yards.
RB Leipzig replace Bayern at summit
RB Leipzig knocked Bayern Munich off the top of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win at home against Hertha Berlin. Leipzig reclaimed top spot with a convincing win at the sold-out Red Bull Arena to go three points clear at the top. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern can regain top spot today because of their superior goal difference by beating Darmstadt, ahead of Wednesday’s top-of-the-table meeting against Leipzig at the Allianz Arena. Goals either side of the break by forward Timo Werner and centre-back Willi Orban sealed Leipzig’s win.
QPR looking to bounce back against Villa
Advertisement
Marc Bircham, the Queens Park Rangers first-team coach, believes today’s visit of Aston Villa is the perfect game for his side to end their losing streak in the Championship. Wednesday’s home defeat against Derby was their fourth loss in a row. But Bircham, who returned to QPR to become new manager Ian Holloway’s right-hand man last month, was encouraged by the performance. ‘We’ve got a fantastic game to bounce back in,’ he said. ‘I think the fans are seeing that we’re giving it a right good go by playing attacking football — but we need to start scoring some goals and getting some wins, it’s as simple as that.’ Steve Bruce, the Aston Villa manager, is also looking for a response after Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Norwich, after which he accused his side of ’not putting their boots on’.
Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa, 11.45am, Sky Sports 2, ko midday
Ronaldo targets another world crown
Cristiano Ronaldo was well wrapped up in training, inset, ahead of Real Madrid’s Club World Cup final against Kashima Antlers in Yokohama today. Ronaldo, who scored in his side’s 2-0 defeat of Mexico’s Club America on Thursday, will hope to cap a week in which he was named world player of the year with his team becoming world champions for the second time in three years. Zinedine Zidane, the Real Madrid coach, will expect his side to extend their club record 36 matches without defeat, against the Japanese side. Madrid have their captain, Sergio Ramos, back for the final after the defender was rested for the America game with fatigue.
Neville comes face to face with journalists
Advertisement
Gary Neville was making headlines in the newspapers last week after his criticism of Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius brought a strong reaction from the club’s manager, Jurgen Klopp. The former Manchester United captain will join the journalists who wrote that story and many more that have made the news over the past week on the panel in a live edition of Sunday Supplement from the Etihad stadium today. Also on the panel will be Martin Samuel of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday’s Oliver Holt.
Sunday Supplement, Sky Sports 1, 9am