Granit Xhaka: ‘My Dad’s First Few Months In Jail Were Ok, Then The Beatings Started’

 Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka pictured in Camden, north London. ‘People probably don’t expect an Arsenal player to come to Camden Lock and, basically, be a normal guy.’ Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian
Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka pictured in Camden, north London. ‘People probably don’t expect an Arsenal player to come to Camden Lock and, basically, be a normal guy.’ Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian
TT

Granit Xhaka: ‘My Dad’s First Few Months In Jail Were Ok, Then The Beatings Started’

 Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka pictured in Camden, north London. ‘People probably don’t expect an Arsenal player to come to Camden Lock and, basically, be a normal guy.’ Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian
Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka pictured in Camden, north London. ‘People probably don’t expect an Arsenal player to come to Camden Lock and, basically, be a normal guy.’ Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

It is the story that has shaped Granit Xhaka and fuelled the fires that rage inside him. The details are savage, barely comprehensible, and it is a wonder that the Arsenal midfielder can articulate them. Then again, like his father, Ragip – who spent three and a half years as a political prisoner in Yugoslavia – Xhaka is not a man who runs or hides.

“As far as I know, his first few months in jail were OK,” Xhaka says. “But then the beatings started.”

Xhaka Sr’s crime had been to take part in demonstrations against the communist central government in Belgrade. It was 1986 and he was a 22-year-old student at the university of Pristina in Kosovo, which was then an autonomous province in Yugoslavia. He would be arrested and summarily given a six-year sentence. Xhaka Sr shared a cell with four other men and he would be let out once every day – for 10 minutes.

“As his son, the story is something that touches me very deeply – it is really, really in my heart,” Xhaka says. “To describe my dad properly, you have to appreciate the full depth of it. It’s so tragic. I sometimes ask him: ‘Tell it to me again,’ but I still don’t think he has revealed all of it. There have always been silent moments where I’ve felt he has swallowed something and not spilled out the truth. Maybe it was just too much and he wanted to spare his kids all the grief.

“He was a proud Kosovarian and he thought they had a right to exist. He was standing up for their rights and they were basic democratic rights –necessities, such as being able to vote. It was not only him. There were other people arrested, including his uncle, who had been jailed a number of years earlier. He got 15 years. It was strictly political. My dad was asking: ‘Why aren’t we democrats here? We deserve to be democrats. We deserve to be heard.’”

To understand Xhaka is to understand his family; how they have suffered, how they have pulled together and worked tirelessly in order to overcome.

His guiding principles are loyalty and respect. When he commits to something or someone, he does so with body and soul – just like his father and just like his mother, Eli.

“One of the most revealing details about my parents is that they only got together three months before my dad’s arrest,” Xhaka says. “I have such an incredible respect for my mother. I have never heard of a woman being together with a man for three months – at that young age – and then waiting for him for three and a half years. My mother is just an incredible person.

“One of the strange things is we don’t know why my dad was released early from his sentence but he was let go at the same time as his uncle. None of the family knew about it until they turned up on the doorstep. My feeling is that they took a pact to go along with the prison rules, keeping their mouths shut and never causing any problems. This is why they released them because they thought: ‘There’s no problem with them any more.’ But I’m not sure about that.”

Xhaka’s parents knew that they needed a fresh start and, in 1990, they emigrated to Switzerland. Their first son, Taulant, would be born in Basel in 1991, with Granit following 18 months later. Taulant is now the key midfielder for the Swiss side Basel.

“My dad showed an incredible strength and Taulant and I have grown up with his mental strength,” Xhaka says. “We had this idol, this role model, who taught us that you have to be strong to achieve things. So we grew up very strong. It’s why on the pitch, we have this mental strength to get over things and really go for it.”

Xhaka owes everything to Switzerland, and the opportunities he was afforded there, but he cannot and will not forget his Kosovo-Albanian roots, which continue to touch him in London. During the photoshoot for this interview in Camden Town, an Albanian passer-by almost walks into the canal after he recognises Xhaka. He is thrilled when Xhaka acknowledges him in Albanian.

“I’ve found a few really nice Albanian people here,” Xhaka says. “Some of them run a car-wash and I take mine in there. We chat and, of course, it’s mainly about football. Some of them support Liverpool, some Manchester United and there are a lot of Arsenal fans. There is a lot of joking and competition.”

Xhaka lives in Barnet with his wife, Leonita, but they have found their home-from-home in Camden – one of the capital’s more eclectic neighbourhoods. They go there a couple of times each week – to browse the market, shop, eat and just chill out.

“I feel a connection to Camden that takes me back to my childhood,” Xhaka says. “When Taulant and I were kids, we had our first trip on a bus from Basel to Pristina so that we could visit our grandparents for the first time. My mum and dad had full-time jobs and, on top of that, they worked at night as office cleaners, and they saved up the money for our tickets. The bus stopped in various places and I saw all of these markets, which Camden now reminds me of. There was also the market in Basel.

“I am a very simple man, I love normality and I love normal people. I love to eat normal food. It’s how I grew up. In Camden, it’s just the atmosphere that gets me. It’s simple, it’s nice, it’s real. And it’s the people, too. I like to interact with them because they are normal and I am normal. People probably don’t expect an Arsenal player to come to Camden Lock and, basically, be a normal guy.”

Xhaka is stopped by Charles, a Nigeria-born, Arsenal-supporting Londoner and, it has to be said, his opening gambit does not sound overly friendly.

“You’re a good player, but …” Charles starts. Here we go. He goes on to argue that what Xhaka needs is a more skilful player in front of him, ideally Eden Hazard from Chelsea. “I’d much rather have him than Alexis Sánchez,” Charles adds.

In his fourth language – behind German, Albanian and French – Xhaka does not quite catch everything that Charles says and he later asks for clarification. But Xhaka is interested and engaging. He knows that everybody is a critic and there is no escaping the fact that, right now, Arsenal have plenty of them.

They lie sixth in the Premier League table, three places and four points below Tottenham Hotspur, whom they entertain in the derby at Emirates Stadium on Saturday lunchtime. Their local rivals are flying but that is not the only reason why everything has come to feel so fraught at Arsenal.

Many Arsenal fans cannot see how the club can win the title again under Arsène Wenger and with the current squad, and their misgivings erupt whenever there is a defeat. It adds up to a climate of negativity, in which the principal upside of a victory appears to be that crisis is kept at bay. How can the players perform to their maximum in such circumstances?

“We deserved to be criticised after we failed to qualify for the Champions League last season,” Xhaka says. “Normally – and certainly for me – the critics make you stronger but I believe that, for some Arsenal players, these critics are not good. They are not helping them.

“Personally, I can handle criticism, especially when it is deserved, and it’s because my dad never, ever said ‘well done’ to me. He did it on purpose so that I kept my feet on the ground. With us, it’s been a lot of little things; it’s never a big thing [that goes wrong]. After the 0-0 draw at Chelsea in September, I thought: ‘OK. We can build up from here.’ But then we see the 2-1 defeat at Watford and you start doubting yourself.”

At Vicarage Road, Xhaka was criticised for switching off for Tom Cleverley’s stoppage-time winner and, afterwards, the Watford striker Troy Deeney accused the Arsenal players of having no cojones. “I don’t know Troy Deeney personally but this has to do with respect,” Xhaka says. “If he believes we don’t have cojones, he can come to our locker room and see for himself.”

Xhaka hates to lose. When it happens, it is no exaggeration to say that he is overtaken by self-loathing. According to Leonita, it is impossible to speak to him for up to an hour after the final whistle. Do others in the Arsenal dressing room take it as personally?

“Sometimes, it’s difficult for me to come down,” Xhaka says. “I focus a lot of our defeats on myself. What did I do wrong? I never criticise my team-mates before I’ve looked at myself. I’ve been that way since I was a kid. Do I put too much pressure on myself? Definitely. And it’s getting worse as I get older. When I was younger, I never put as much thought into a defeat as I do now.”

Xhaka has polarised opinion since his arrival from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of last year. His champions laud his anticipation and the way that he reads the game, together with the range and vision of his passing. No Premier League midfielder made more successful passes than Xhaka last season and he sits third on the Opta list this time out. He was outstanding in Arsenal’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea last May, showing what can happen when he and the team click but, on the other hand, he has been criticised for reckless tackling and defensive errors.

Xhaka was sent off twice for Arsenal last season, the first for a trip on Swansea City’s Mo Barrow, when he clearly intended to take a yellow card before regrouping; the second for a lunge at Burnley’s Steven Defour. “I thought football in England was supposed to be a lot tougher,” Xhaka says.

“I accept the Burnley decision but not Swansea. I was more surprised than angry at first. I’ve always watched the Premier League and I think a lot of fouls that are whistled for today were not given in the past.”

Xhaka is a ball-playing No8 rather than a destructive No6 but the lines have sometimes been blurred with him; partly because of his full-blooded commitment and chequered disciplinary record, partly because of how the Arsenal support have yearned for a defensive midfield general. Xhaka needs to be cherished for what he is rather than lamented for what he is not.

“I’d actually describe myself as a fake No10 – in other words, a No10 that plays further back,” Xhaka says. “But I do think I’m a two-sided player. I am very confident that I have certain skills in world football but I am also a dedicated fighter.”

Xhaka can look forward to the World Cup finals at the end of the season, after Switzerland qualified with their play-off victory over Northern Ireland. The principal talking point was the terrible penalty decision that gave Switzerland the only goal of the two-leg tie and it was put to Xhaka that the controversy had taken some of the shine off the qualification.

“Who cares about that?” he says. “We were the better team over the two games. Obviously, it wasn’t a penalty but we created enough chances. When we played Manchester City before the international break, they scored with an offside goal but nobody went on about it like this. It was a mistake but you must accept it.”

Xhaka’s pragmatism extends to the visit of Tottenham. “No one has to tell us to be motivated,” he says. “It’s the game of the year and you have to win it. It’s not about beautiful football and there can be no excuses. You simply have to win.”

The Guardian Sport



Tunisia’s Jabeur Bounces Back at French Open

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 30, 2023 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur celebrates winning her first round match against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 30, 2023 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur celebrates winning her first round match against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
TT

Tunisia’s Jabeur Bounces Back at French Open

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 30, 2023 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur celebrates winning her first round match against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 30, 2023 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur celebrates winning her first round match against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Ons Jabeur got a do-over on Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open and won this time.

A year after her first-round exit, the No. 7 seed Jabeur beat Italy's Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-1 to help erase some bad memories and answer questions about a recent calf injury.

The Tunisian, a crowd favorite in Paris, smiled and expressed relief in not repeating last year's mistake, when she lost to Magda Linette of Poland.

"I’m very happy to win my first match on Philippe Chatrier — because I’ve never won here,” Jabeur said on court about the clay-court tournament's main stadium.

Now she can focus on trying to win her first major. She was runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.

The 28-year-old Jabeur has also battled injuries this season. She had knee surgery after the Australian Open, and was then sidelined with a calf injury. She had stopped playing against top-ranked Iga Swiatek at the clay-court tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, in late April and then pulled out of the Madrid Open.

“It was a very difficult period for me after Stuttgart,” said Jabeur, adding that she's beginning to find her rhythm.


Kosovo Olympic Committee Seeks IOC Disciplinary Proceedings Against Djokovic 

Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)
TT

Kosovo Olympic Committee Seeks IOC Disciplinary Proceedings Against Djokovic 

Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)

Kosovo Olympic authorities have asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to open disciplinary proceedings against Novak Djokovic, accusing the Serbian of stirring up political tension by saying "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia" at the French Open.

Djokovic wrote the message on a camera lens following his first-round win on Monday, the same day that 30 NATO peacekeeping troops were hurt in clashes with Serb protesters in the Kosovo town of Zvecan - where Djokovic's father grew up.

Serbian authorities said 52 protesters were wounded in the clashes. The violence erupted after ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo's Serb-majority area following elections that were boycotted by the Serbs.

The world number three later said he was against any kind of conflict but defended his statement and described Kosovo's situation as a "precedent".

"Novak Djokovic has yet again promoted the Serbian nationalists' propaganda and used the sport platform to do so," Ismet Krasniqi, president of Kosovo's Olympic Committee (KOK), said in a statement.

"The further post-match statements made by such a public figure without any feeling of remorse, directly result in raising the level of tension and violence between the two countries," he added, urging the IOC to investigate "by opening disciplinary proceedings against the athlete."

The IOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Tuesday, Kosovo's tennis federation said Djokovic's comments were "regrettable", accusing him of using his status as a well-known personality to stir tensions.

NATO, which has some 4,000 soldiers currently in Kosovo, will send 700 extra troops to curb violence and put another battalion on high alert as unrest has intensified.

Djokovic, who is chasing a record 23rd Grand Slam title, is set to play his second-round match later on Wednesday against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics.


Lyon’s Aouar Gets First Algeria Call-up After Switch from France

Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyonnais v Paris St Germain - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - January 9, 2022 Olympique Lyonnais' Houssem Aouar during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyonnais v Paris St Germain - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - January 9, 2022 Olympique Lyonnais' Houssem Aouar during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
TT

Lyon’s Aouar Gets First Algeria Call-up After Switch from France

Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyonnais v Paris St Germain - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - January 9, 2022 Olympique Lyonnais' Houssem Aouar during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyonnais v Paris St Germain - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - January 9, 2022 Olympique Lyonnais' Houssem Aouar during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)

Olympique Lyon's Houssem Aouar has been called up to the Algeria squad for the first time ahead of games against Uganda and Tunisia, the national football association said on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old midfielder played one game for France - a friendly against Ukraine in 2020 - before switching allegiance to Algeria, where his parents were born, in March.

Algeria play Uganda in an Africa Cup on Nations qualifier on June 18 and host Tunisia in a friendly two days later.

Algeria, Cup of Nations champions in 1990 and 2019, have already secured qualification for the Finals of the next edition in Ivory Coast next January.


Bolt Desperate for Impactful Role in Track and Field 

Athletics - Sportsman, track and field legend Usain Bolt speaks to Reuters - Hotel Westin, Mexico City, Mexico - May 30, 2023 Usain Bolt talks during an interview. (Reuters)
Athletics - Sportsman, track and field legend Usain Bolt speaks to Reuters - Hotel Westin, Mexico City, Mexico - May 30, 2023 Usain Bolt talks during an interview. (Reuters)
TT

Bolt Desperate for Impactful Role in Track and Field 

Athletics - Sportsman, track and field legend Usain Bolt speaks to Reuters - Hotel Westin, Mexico City, Mexico - May 30, 2023 Usain Bolt talks during an interview. (Reuters)
Athletics - Sportsman, track and field legend Usain Bolt speaks to Reuters - Hotel Westin, Mexico City, Mexico - May 30, 2023 Usain Bolt talks during an interview. (Reuters)

Usain Bolt said he is desperate to play a role in reviving the sport that made him a global superstar but has experienced something of a decline since his retirement six years ago.

The Jamaican, who dominated men's sprinting for nearly a decade after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said he had found plenty to do to keep himself busy but was really keen to remain involved in sport.

"I spend my time doing a lot of family things, when it comes to track and field, not as much as I would want to but I still try and stay in touch with what is going on," the 36-year-old told Reuters.

"I'm still waiting on a position from (World Athletics), I've reached out to them and let them know I would love to make a bigger impact in sports, as long as they want me to.

"We've been in talks but we'll have to wait and see what comes around."

Bolt added that he was aware his personality was a vital ingredient in the success of track and field during his era but thought he could see signs that athletes like US sprinter Noah Lyles might be starting to fill the charisma gap.

"It's going to be a process. After me, it kind of went down because of who I was as a person, and how big my personality was," added the eight-times Olympic gold medallist.

"But I think over time it will be better. I think young athletes are coming up and I see a few personalities that are needed in sport, hopefully in the upcoming years it will change.

"Hopefully I can play a part and help the sport to grow."

There was disappointment at the crowds for last year's World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, but Bolt thought that next year's Paris Olympics could be a special moment for the sport.

"Sometimes it's all about where it is, America is not the biggest track and field place," he said.

"I think Paris will be big, because it's accessible and I know Paris always has a good team and good athletes over the years. So I look forward to that."

After a decade of Bolt-inspired global dominance, Jamaica's men have failed to win a single track gold medal at the last two World Championships.

At this year's championships in Budapest, however, Bolt sees some promise of success in young sprinters Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake.

"Last year, Seville came fourth (in the 100m) so I was very impressed. Also now there's a young kid, Ackeem Blake, who is also stepping up. So I think that's a good start," the 11-times world champion said.

"Hopefully these two will motivate other youngsters to want to step up, and want to train harder and dedicate themselves."

Jamaica are still dominant in the women's sprints and Bolt said he would be keeping a close eye on compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the World Championships in August.

Fraser-Pryce, also 36, will be seeking a record-extending sixth world 100m title in Hungary, 14 years after making her debut in the global showpiece of track and field.

"I follow Shelly a lot because we came through the same era so to see her continue sprinting and coming back from having a child, that's impressive," said Bolt.


Man City's Guardiola Named LMA, Premier League Manager of the Year

31 May 2023, United Kingdom: A handout photo provided by the League Managers Association shows the winner of the Sir Alex Ferguson trophy for the LMA Manager of the Year: Pep Guardiola. (League Managers Association via PA Media/dpa)
31 May 2023, United Kingdom: A handout photo provided by the League Managers Association shows the winner of the Sir Alex Ferguson trophy for the LMA Manager of the Year: Pep Guardiola. (League Managers Association via PA Media/dpa)
TT

Man City's Guardiola Named LMA, Premier League Manager of the Year

31 May 2023, United Kingdom: A handout photo provided by the League Managers Association shows the winner of the Sir Alex Ferguson trophy for the LMA Manager of the Year: Pep Guardiola. (League Managers Association via PA Media/dpa)
31 May 2023, United Kingdom: A handout photo provided by the League Managers Association shows the winner of the Sir Alex Ferguson trophy for the LMA Manager of the Year: Pep Guardiola. (League Managers Association via PA Media/dpa)

Pep Guardiola was named the League Managers Association (LMA) and Premier League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after guiding Manchester City to the Premier League title.

Guardiola led City to their fifth league crown in six seasons and the club are set to face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday and Inter Milan in the Champions League final a week later.

"I am at an incredible football club and without all of the support that I have had throughout my time here, this would not have been possible," Guardiola said in a club statement.

Guardiola saw off competition from Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, Brighton & Hove Albion's Roberto De Zerbi, Newcastle United's Eddie Howe, Burnley's Vincent Kompany and Plymouth Argyle's Steven Schumacher to win the LMA award.


Monfils Ranks Five-Set Comeback Win at French Open as One of His Best 

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2023 France's Gael Monfils celebrates winning his first round match against Argentina's Sebastian Baez. (Reuters)
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2023 France's Gael Monfils celebrates winning his first round match against Argentina's Sebastian Baez. (Reuters)
TT

Monfils Ranks Five-Set Comeback Win at French Open as One of His Best 

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2023 France's Gael Monfils celebrates winning his first round match against Argentina's Sebastian Baez. (Reuters)
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2023 France's Gael Monfils celebrates winning his first round match against Argentina's Sebastian Baez. (Reuters)

An exhausted Gael Monfils said his epic five-set comeback victory over Sebastian Baez at the French Open on Tuesday was one of the greatest matches of his career.

The 36-year-old Frenchman was one point away from going 5-0 down in the deciding set of the near four-hour match before mounting a sensational comeback to win 3-6 6-3 7-5 1-6 7-5 under the lights at Court Philippe Chatrier.

Monfils, who reached a career-high sixth in the world in 2016, last appeared at a Grand Slam in the 2022 Australian Open quarter-finals before missing much of last season due to heel surgery.

He said Tuesday's match would live long in the memory.

"It's definitely in like top two (matches in my career)," Monfils said at his press conference after the match ended after midnight.

"Of course this one is another flavor. I'm older and (had) even less chances to win this match today. Top two, top one. It was a great atmosphere tonight."

Monfils, who lost in the second round in 2021 and is now ranked number 394, was visibly cramping at the end of the match and credited the Paris crowd for inspiring him to a victory that earned a second-round encounter with sixth seed Holger Rune.

"I'm playing full adrenaline, like honestly I asked the crowd to scream and somehow I juice up," he added. "I know on one hand I will pay and I had to hold it at the end.

"But I hope to have a good night today and tomorrow, heavy recovery. No matter what, I will be ready for him on Thursday."

He said it had been difficult getting back into court shape after the long recovery from his injury and that it took time to shake off any unease about the pain.

"At a certain age it's a bit tough when you start again, when you're back on the courts," added Monfils, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2008.

"Last week in Lyon was really good for me. Even though I was defeated, I could run. I could run without this apprehension."


Kosovo Federation Accuses Serbia’s Djokovic of Fueling Tension

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Aleksandar Kovacevic of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Aleksandar Kovacevic of the US. (Reuters)
TT

Kosovo Federation Accuses Serbia’s Djokovic of Fueling Tension

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Aleksandar Kovacevic of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2023 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Aleksandar Kovacevic of the US. (Reuters)

Kosovo's tennis federation has accused Serbia's Novak Djokovic of aggravating an already tense situation after the world number three wrote that Kosovo was "the heart of Serbia" on a camera lens following his first-round win at the French Open.

Some 30 NATO peacekeeping soldiers were injured on Monday in clashes with Serb protesters in the northern Kosovo town of Zvecan, where Djokovic's father grew up.

Serbs, who comprise a majority in Kosovo's north, have never accepted the country's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia. They still see Belgrade as their capital more than two decades after a Kosovo Albanian uprising against repressive Serbian rule. Ethnic Albanians make up more than 90% of the population of Kosovo as a whole.

Monday's clashes came as ethnic Albanian mayors took office in Serb-majority areas following elections that the Serbs had boycotted.

"Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence," 22-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic wrote in Serbian on a TV camera at the French Open in Paris.

He later explained that he was against war but he defended his statement and described Kosovo's situation as a "precedent".

"As a son of a man born in Kosovo, I feel the need to give my support to our people and to entire Serbia," he told reporters.

"My stance is clear: I am against wars, violence and any kind of conflict, as I’ve always stated publicly. I empathize with all people, but the situation with Kosovo is a precedent in international law," he said.

Kosovo tennis federation president Jeton Hadergjonaj said in a statement: "The comments made by Novak Djokovic at the end of his Roland Garros match against Aleksandar Kovacevic, his statements at the post-match press conference and his Instagram post are regrettable."

Hadergjonaj accused Djokovic of using his status as a well-known personality to stir tensions.

"Novak Djokovic was already the author of similar actions in the past. Despite a general message against violence, the statement 'Kosovo is the heart of Serbia' and further statements after the match, made by such a public figure, on the occasion of a worldwide event like the French Open, directly result in raising the level of tension between the two states, Serbia and Kosovo," the statement added.

The French tennis federation (FFT), which organizes the French Open, told Reuters that there were "no official Grand Slam rules on what players can or cannot say. The FFT will not be making any statement or taking any stance on this matter."

Neither the International Tennis Federation (ITF) nor the ATP, which manages men's professional tennis, were available for comment on Tuesday.


Who Can Stop Man City? Challengers Need Big Offseason to Set up Premier League Title Shot

Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland poses with the Premier League trophy on the pitch after the presentation following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on May 21, 2023.(AFP)
Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland poses with the Premier League trophy on the pitch after the presentation following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on May 21, 2023.(AFP)
TT

Who Can Stop Man City? Challengers Need Big Offseason to Set up Premier League Title Shot

Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland poses with the Premier League trophy on the pitch after the presentation following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on May 21, 2023.(AFP)
Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland poses with the Premier League trophy on the pitch after the presentation following the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on May 21, 2023.(AFP)

Who can stop Manchester City?

That’s the question being asked at the end of another Premier League campaign when Pep Guardiola’s team proved too strong, winning the title for a fifth time in six years.

A look at who might be best-placed to bring down City next season:

ARSENAL (2nd place)

Juggling another run at the title with the demands of playing in the Champions League looks to be Arsenal’s biggest problem. Squad depth became a growing issue at the end of this season — look at the collapse in the defensive stats following the injury to center back William Saliba, for example — and it will be even more stark when the team has to play high-level games twice a week.

Reinforcements at left back, center back and central midfield are needed, especially if Granit Xhaka leaves. However, Mikel Arteta’s squad — the youngest in the Premier League — will be better for the experience of going toe to toe with City before eventually falling short.

“We understand where the level is,” Arteta said. “If we want to be the real deal, we can’t be happy with what we have, and we have to be next season much better. I think we have some great foundations, that is true but in sport you have to prove it again.”

MAN UNITED (3rd place)

In Erik ten Hag, United appears to finally have the manager to build a longer-term project after he led the team back into the Champions League as well as into two domestic cup finals. The Dutchman will need further backing in the transfer market, though, which is why it’s crucial that the sale of the club goes through sooner rather than later. The Glazer family is currently weighing up offers from British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and others, though could yet stay in control and get external investment.

Amid the uncertainty, Ten Hag gave a warning on Sunday after United’s final league game. “The club knows if you want to play top four and compete for trophies in this league, then you have to invest,” he said. “Otherwise, you don’t have a chance, because other clubs will.”

Top of the list of requirements is a striker, with England captain Harry Kane a potential option now that he has just one year left on his Tottenham contract.

NEWCASTLE (4th place)

Newcastle has arrived and the Saudi-controlled northeast team is probably here to stay. Will this summer see the club really flex its financial muscles for the first time since the 2021 takeover, having spent sensibly rather than lavishly in the intervening 20 months?

The likes of Callum Wilson, Dan Burn, Miguel Almiron, Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock have been dependable squad members this season as Newcastle secured a return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, but they might be unsure of their futures if the ownership want to bring in some higher-profile names. Central midfield and wide forwards are areas that needs to be strengthened. The likelihood for the foreseeable future is that Man City and Newcastle will occupy two of the four Champions League qualification spots.

LIVERPOOL (5th place)

A strong end to the season saw Liverpool go unbeaten for its final 11 games and was a sign that Jurgen Klopp might have found a formula that can drive another title push. Trent Alexander-Arnold looks at home in his new hybrid defender-midfielder role, Cody Gakpo appears a natural replacement for Roberto Firmino in the deep-lying striker role and the promise of strengthening in central midfield with younger, fresher legs should address the team’s biggest weakness.

However, the big question remains: by not qualifying for the Champions League, will Liverpool be able to attract the type of quality players needed to challenge Man City? Jude Bellingham has been a long-term target, for example, but is likely to choose a team in the Champions League. Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton might prove to be a more realistic option.

CHELSEA (12th place)

Chelsea is the great unknown because who really knows what its American owners will do next? Having spent more than $600 million on players in their first two transfer windows in charge, will Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital go big again this offseason after an unacceptable 12th-place finish?

They may not even afford to do that, with the priority likely being trimming a large squad to adhere to financial regulations and give incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino a tighter group of players to work with.

Romelu Lukaku’s return from a loan spell at Inter Milan gives Chelsea another option up front, while the futures of midfielders Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are uncertain amid the rebuild.


Mauricio Pochettino Hired as Chelsea Manager to Lead Rebuild After Turbulent Season

Manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on, prior to the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, on April 30, 2019. (AP)
Manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on, prior to the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, on April 30, 2019. (AP)
TT

Mauricio Pochettino Hired as Chelsea Manager to Lead Rebuild After Turbulent Season

Manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on, prior to the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, on April 30, 2019. (AP)
Manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on, prior to the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, on April 30, 2019. (AP)

Chelsea hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager on Monday, tasking the Argentine coach with getting the best out of an expensively assembled squad that has underperformed at the start of a new era for the English club.

Pochettino will take up the role on July 1, Chelsea said, after agreeing to a two-year contract, with the club having the option of keeping him on for a further year.

It is Pochettino’s first coaching role since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in July last year and marks his return to the Premier League, where he had an impressive 5 1/2-year spell with Tottenham that included a run to the Champions League final.

Pochettino had been widely expected to take the Chelsea job, which is considered one of the most high-profile positions in European soccer.

He is the permanent successor to Graham Potter, who was fired in March after nearly seven months in charge. Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has led the team on an interim basis since then and it finished the Premier League in 12th place — in the bottom half for the first time since the 1995-96 season.

That was despite Chelsea spending around $630 million over the last two transfer windows as the club’s new American ownership — led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital — made a whirlwind start to their reign.

The unprecedented heavy spending hasn’t immediately translated into success, though, with Chelsea amassing its lowest number of points — 44 — during the Premier League era.

Pochettino has been linked with some of the biggest clubs in European soccer since leaving Tottenham in 2019, including Manchester United and Real Madrid.

He won the French title with PSG, but left last year and has been out of work until now.

“Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea well as we move forward,” Chelsea sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said in a statement. “He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate.”

Chelsea described Pochettino as a coach who is “renowned for his sides’ high-energy and eye-catching style.

“He has built a reputation for helping young players realize their full potential within a strong squad ethos,” the club said.

Lampard used his final news conference as interim manager — after the 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Sunday — to speak bluntly about what Pochettino can expect upon taking over.

Lampard said he saw immediately after taking charge that “standards collectively have dropped.”

“We are not physically competitive enough — that’s a strong opinion I have,” Lampard said. “Also, we’ll have the capability now to get the squad in the place he wants it to be. That’s going to be some work as well.

“The squad has been too big and that the biggest challenge I have found day to day is coming in and trying to work with big numbers and players who, for whatever reason, are disillusioned that they are not playing or they might be leaving. Those situations can be sorted out now — and they need to be.”

While Pochettino coached some of the world’s most high-profile players in Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at PSG, he’ll have a less celebrated squad at Chelsea that is nevertheless full of talent and mostly young, such as Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, wingers Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke, and defender Wesley Fofana.

They are among those players who joined for massive fees and on long-term deals over the past year but have lost their way amid a turbulent season at the club.

Chelsea’s appointment of Pochettino, meanwhile, will be a tough one to take for many Tottenham fans, who still idolize the former Argentina defender for briefly turning their team into one of the best in Europe.

Tottenham is currently without a permanent manager following the departure of Antonio Conte, and the outside possibility of a sentimental return for Pochettino has now been dashed.


Alcaraz, Djokovic ‘Not Otherworldly’ in French Open Wins Over Foes Making Slam Debuts

Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)
TT

Alcaraz, Djokovic ‘Not Otherworldly’ in French Open Wins Over Foes Making Slam Debuts

Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to US Aleksandar Kovacevic during their men's singles match on day two of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 29, 2023. (AFP)

You might assume that the opponents for Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the French Open’s first round would come away from their straight-set losses Monday feeling too overwhelmed by the play of the two tournament favorites.

You would be wrong.

Forget the scores and the point-by-point particulars on a windy day at Roland Garros for a moment. Of course, it turned out that No. 1-seeded Alcaraz, the reigning US Open champion, beat 159th-ranked qualifier Flavio Cobolli, a 21-year-old from Florence, Italy. And of course, it turned out that No. 3 Djokovic, a 22-time major winner, got past 114th-ranked Aleksandar Kovacevic, a 24-year-old who grew up in New York City and is now based in Florida.

And naturally, both Cobolli and Kovacevic acknowledged feeling a bit jittery at the outset of what were their Grand Slam debuts in huge arenas against a couple of elite players.

“I started in a bit of a daze,” Cobolli said after his 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 loss, “because of the emotions.”

“A couple of times there, I did look up and take it all in. I made sure of that, because this is the kind of experience I’ll definitely hold onto forever,” Kovacevic said after his 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1) loss. “It’s not the best thing in the world to get lost in the crowd. You start to really look at everyone that’s there — and that’s when the nerves hit.”

But what both of them wanted to make clear afterward was that, yes, Alcaraz and Djokovic are exceptionally talented, but, no, it did not seem to be impossible to find openings to exploit.

“It’s definitely intimidating. Watching him on TV growing up, it’s hard not to look past that and knowing what he’s accomplished. But from a tennis standpoint, it’s not otherworldly,” said Kovacevic, who was 7 when he first met Djokovic and later practiced with him during the 2021 US Open after playing college tennis at the University of Illinois.

“The things he does well, he does unbelievably well, but the ball that he hits — it’s not blowing me completely off the court, which was honestly somewhat surprising.”

Other seeded men advancing on Day 2 in Paris included No. 8 Jannik Sinner, No. 12 Frances Tiafoe, No. 14 Cam Norrie and No. 15 Borna Coric. Among the seeded women moving into the second round: No. 5 Caroline Garcia, No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia, No. 20 Madison Keys and No. 22 Donna Vekic.

Seeds on the way out included No. 10 Petra Kvitova, No. 12 Belinda Bencic and No. 16 Karolina Pliskova in the women’s bracket, along with No. 10 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 25 Botic Van de Zandschulp in the men’s.

With 14-time champion Rafael Nadal sidelined by a hip injury, Alcaraz and Djokovic are considered the favorites for the men’s title and could meet in the semifinals. If Djokovic wins the trophy, he would earn his 23rd at a Slam and break the tie for the men’s record he and Nadal currently share.

Cobolli’s first career match on the lower-level ATP Challenger Tour was a loss in qualifying against Alcaraz in Italy in August 2000. Cobolli chuckled Monday while recalling that encounter and pointing out that, while both have grown as players since then, “He’s grown more.”

“It’s impressive how he handles himself on important points. That’s one of his best qualities. His ball speed is faster than most players in this tournament. It’s so difficult to get him in trouble,” Cobolli said. “But like all of us human beings, he does have his weaker aspects.”

Which, perhaps, was why both of these contests were lopsided at the beginning — “At the start of the match,” Alcaraz said, “I felt invincible — and included a bit of intrigue down the stretch.”

Alcaraz held three match points to close things at 5-3 in the third set but couldn’t convert, then found himself at 5-all minutes later. Djokovic served to end his match at 5-4 in the third but got broken there to also sit at 5-all.

“Made me work for my victory,” Djokovic said.

In both instances, to the surprise of no one, the higher-rated player steadied himself and sealed the deal.

Before coming to Paris, the last tournament entered by both Cobolli and Kovacevic was an ATP Challenger Tour event in Turin. Cobolli made the case that the talent there was not all that different from what his first foray in a Grand Slam bracket presented.

“I don’t think there’s a ton of distance between us and them. They have something extra, so in the end, they do take home the win,” he said. “But we can play with them.”