An air bridge set up between Morocco and Qatar for the supporters of the Atlas Lions
The national company Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has decided to operate nearly 30 special flights between Casablanca and Doha on Tuesday and Wednesday in order to transport Moroccan supporters for the semi-final of the World Cup against France (Wednesday, 8 p.m.).
“To allow the many Moroccans wishing to support the national team in its epic and to experience the emotion of the semi-final of the World Cup (…), Royal Air Maroc has set up a real air bridge between Casablanca and Doha,” said an RAM statement released on Monday.
“A historic qualification, a historic device”, boasts the airline: nearly 30 flights will be provided by “jumbo jets” on the eve and the day of the match between Mohammed V airport in Casablanca, the most populous city in the kingdom, and Doha.
>>> More info on the airlift here
“We want more”, launches the Croatian coach before challenging Argentina
Zlatko Dalic, Croatia coach, at a press conference: “We are in the four best teams in the world. It is an extraordinary success for Croatia, to achieve this in two consecutive World Cups. But we want more, even if we play the great Argentina, led by Messi. They have more pressure than us. I am optimistic by nature. I have confidence in my players, in their qualities and in their strength of character. To repeat such a feat four years after with a new team, it’s incredible, a great success. If we win tomorrow, it will be the biggest game in our history. I couldn’t imagine guiding Croatia in two World Cups and making a final and at the less a semi-final, I thought it was reserved for others. But I took my chance and I’m happy to have had this chance. I’m proud of what we did, of Croatia and my players. Being the coach of Croatia was one of my dreams, but I couldn’t dream of what i is currently happening.”
Scaloni says Argentina ‘respects all opponents’
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni assured Monday that he and his team respect the Netherlands “like all their opponents” after the incidents that marked the quarter-final of the World Cup between the two teams on Friday.
“The other day’s match was played as it was supposed to be played, both for Argentina and for the Netherlands. That’s football. There are times when you attack, others where you defend and there can be discussions, but there is a referee,” Scaloni said.
“Everyone has to know how to win and know how to lose. We lost against Saudi Arabia and we stayed calm. We won the Copa America in Brazil and there were very beautiful images with Messi, Neymar, Paredes.. .”, he added.
“I don’t agree with this idea that we can’t win. I totally reject it, it’s very far from the truth. We respect the Netherlands, as we respect Croatia and all our opponents,” Scaloni said again.
>> All info here.
Argentina-Netherlands: “Messi insulted Weghorst much more before the interview”, says the journalist who carried out the interview
The scene marked this World Cup. Asked by the Argentine newspaper Olé, Esteban Edul, journalist for TyC Sports and author of this interview, told the backstage of this altercation.
“After the game, they were all bickering in the locker room, and not just Messi. Van Dijk was falling out with Otamendi. It looked like a Lanus-Banfield or a Newell’s-Central, but it had more mouth because they were world stars, describes Edul. Messi’s anger was mainly about the penalty shootout, when the Dutch tried to hinder the Argentines. The 19 (Weghorst) was waiting in the tunnel, he approaches Messi and asks him for his shirt. It was from there that Leo started to heat up, the Dutch player didn’t understand, he stopped and Messi was insulting him, he was insulting him much more before the start of the interview in which he was a little calmer. Leo didn’t calculate me at any time during the interview. He was so hot that he didn’t look at me and didn’t listen to my questions. I asked him about his amazing pass for Molina and he told me about van Gaal, Fifa… I couldn’t question him. we were on the air, I said to him: ‘Quiet Leo’ because there were a lot of people from FIFA and you never know what can happen.”
Turpin and Frappart dismissed from the World Cup, the England-France referee kept
The FIFA Referees Committee has decided on the officials who will continue their adventure during this World Cup in Qatar. Logically, the French referees Clément Turpin and Stéphanie Frappart are dismissed because of the course of the Blues. It is the same for the Spaniard Antonio Mateu Lahoz, in charge of the boiling quarter-final between Argentina and the Netherlands.
On the other hand, the disputed referee of England-France, the Brazilian Wilton Sampaio, is well among the retained. We should know this Monday the name of the central referee for the semi-final between France and Morocco. That of the other semi-final, Argentina-Croatia, has already been revealed: it is the Italian Daniele Orsato.
Harit arrived in Doha and appears with Saïss
OM player Amine Harit arrived in Qatar to support the Moroccan team, which challenges France on Wednesday in the semi-finals of the World Cup. Affected in the ligaments of the left knee on November 13 against Monaco (2-3 victory), he had seen his dream of participating in the World Cup with the Atlas Lions go up in smoke.
On an Instagram post by Moroccan captain Romain Saïss, we see Harit alongside his teammate. “My brother finally among us. This adventure is also yours, we don’t forget your blood”.
“The best team of the evening is out”, plague Bellingham after the defeat against France
Jude Bellingham (19) can not digest the elimination of England against France (2-1) in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Like Belgian players after the half of 2018, he believes that “the best team has come out”.
“This one will be painful for a very long time, launches the midfielder. The best team of the evening came out, sometimes it’s football. Anyway, I’m so proud of the efforts, the fight and the performances of my teammates throughout the tournament. Thanks also to the fans for the love and support over the last few weeks, please stay with us even in this difficult time as we use this experience to continue to grow as a team for future tournaments. Keep the faith, our time will come.”
Death of a second journalist during the World Cup
A second journalist died while monitoring the World Cup in Qatar. Qatari photographer Khalid al-Misslam died “suddenly” this weekend, reports the Gulf Times, which explains that the circumstances of his death have not yet been established. His death comes a few hours after that of American journalist Grant Wahl (48), which occurred on Friday during the quarter-final between Argentina and the Netherlands. The latter had explained, at the start of the World Cup, to have been briefly detained by the security services for having worn a rainbow t-shirt.
The program for the semi-finals
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
8 p.m.: Argentina – Croatia (TF1, beIN Sports)
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
8 p.m.: France – Morocco (TF1, beIN Sports)
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Welcome to our live to find all the information before the semi-finals of the World Cup on Tuesday (Croatia-Argentina, 8 p.m.), then Wednesday (France-Morocco, 8 p.m.).