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           2019  Qatar To Relax                                                                         Seán Cox Takes Break From Treatment To

           5th,                                                                                     Watch Reds Be Crowned As European Champions
                                                                                                                    of
                                                                                                     As
                                                                                                         the
                                                                                                              city
           June  Alcohol Rules For                                                                sixth    Champions
                                                                                                   Liverpool celebrates a
           |                                                                                      League triumph for
           EXAMINER  Club World Cup                                                               lifelong Liverpool fan
                                                                                                  Jurgen Klopp’s men,
                                                                                                  Seán Cox sent his
                                                                                                  heartfelt congratulations to the club.
           IRISH                                                                                  injuries in an unprovoked attack before last year’s Champions
                                                                                                     The 54-year-old Meath man, who suffered life-changing
                                                                                                  League semi-final at Anfield, was discharged from the National
                                                                                                  Rehabilitation Hospital to his home in Dunboyne for the night
                                                                                                  to watch his beloved club beat Spurs 2-0 in the final.
                                                                                                     Sean was surrounded by his family and friends, including his
                                                                                                  wife Martina and their three children, to see his the Reds lift the
                                                                                                  trophy in Madrid.
                                                                                                     An overjoyed Seán, who has been in rehab for the past nine
                                                                                                  months and will be discharged later this month, joined his fami-
                                                                                                  ly in an emotional rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” after
                                                                                                   their victory and returned to hospital elated.
                                                                                                     Seán’s wife Martina Cox said: “On Seán’s behalf, I want to
                                                                                                   offer our heartfelt congratulations to Liverpool Football Club on
                                                                                                   winning the Champions League.
                                                                                                     "The club and its fans have taken Seán, our family and I, into
                                                                                                  their hearts since Seán’s attack last year. Nobody could be hap-
                                                                                                  pier than the Cox family for Jurgen Klopp, his players and the
                 iverpool fans have been  enjoy the tournament.        The competition took place
                 assured they will be      “I’ll give you the full opera-  from December 12-22, and a  wonderful Liverpool fans.”
            Lallowed to have a drink if  tional details later but I can say  similar schedule would have  Seán watched the game with us at home, proudly wearing a
            they head to Qatar to watch  it will be a great learning  this year’s final finishing on  signed Liverpool jersey sent to him by the club’s CEO Peter
            the Reds try to win the Club  opportunity for us, too.”  Saturday, December 21.       Moore last week.
            World Cup in December.         Liverpool earned the right  The next two editions in      “He was overjoyed when the final whistle blew and
              The ruling council of foot-  to compete in this year’s tour-  Qatar will be the last before  Liverpool were crowned champions.”
            ball’s world governing body  nament by beating Spurs in  FIFA revamps the competition    Seán will travel to the UK this summer to begin the next stage
            FIFA met in Paris on Monday  the Champions League final in  in 2021 by expanding it to 24  in his rehabilitation, focused on developing his speech, mobility
            and approved the plan to stage  Madrid on Saturday.      teams and holding it every   and cognitive functions. C
            the next two editions of the   As per the recent editions,  fourth summer in the slot cur-
            tournament in the Gulf state.  Jurgen Klopp’s men will be  rently held by the World Cup          Liverpool Defeat Spurs In Madrid
              With Qatar hosting the    competing for the title against  warm-up  event,    the      Liverpool’s excellent season came to an unforgettable conclu-
            2022 World Cup in November  the champions of world foot-  Confederations Cup.          sion as Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi fired Jurgen Klopp’s
            and December that year, it  ball’s other five confederations  It had been reported in  men to Champions League glory against Tottenham.
            represents the perfect chance  and the national champions  some quarters FIFA was not    Thousands descended on Madrid for a legacy-defining
            for organisers to test their new  from the host country.  going to bother with the Club  encounter at the end of a scarcely-believable continental cam-
            stadiums in 2019 and 2020 at   So far, the other qualifiers  World Cup before relaunching  paign, with both sides narrowly making it through the group
                                                                                                  stage and then completing jaw-dropping semi-final wins.
            the same time of year.      are   Mexico’s   Monterey,   it in 2021, but that was never  But only one could emerge triumphant at the Wanda
              It will also be a chance for  Tunisia’s  Esperance  and  the case.                  Metropolitano and Liverpool would be crowned champions of
            the Muslim country to learn  Hienghene Sport, the Oceania  The hold-up in naming a    Europe for a sixth time as Salah’s early spot-kick was followed by
            how to deal with thousands of  champions  from    New    host was caused by waiting to  a strike from semi-final hero in a 2-0 win.
            thirsty western football fans,  Caledonia. The Asian and  ensure Qatar would have two    Mauricio Pochettino’s players dropped to the deck as the red
            and vice-versa.             South American champions     finished stadiums for this   hordes went wild at full-time as Klopp ended his cup final
              Speaking to reporters in  will be decided in November.  year’s tournament, as the   hoodoo to win his first trophy as manager of the club and ease
            Paris, the chairman of Qatar   The current Qatari champi-  already  renovated  Khalifa  the hurt of missing out on the Premier League title.
            2022’s organising committee  ons are Al Sadd, whose man-  International Stadium in Doha  Champions League glory also helped put last year’s final loss
            Hassan Al Thawadi said:     ager is former Barcelona and  is being used for the World  in Kiev behind them.
                                                                                                     Then, Salah left the field in tears after a clash with Real
            “We’re looking forward to   Spain star Xavi, who recently  Athletics Championships in  Madrid’s Sergio Ramos resulted in a shoulder injury. This time
            hosting the World Cup in    took up the post.            September and will not be    his early spot-kick set Liverpool on course for glory.
            2022.                          As European champions,    ready   for   football  in      And while this all-English final was not a classic due to a mix-
              “Now we’ve got the Club   Liverpool would enter at the  December.                   ture of the heat, tension and the teams’ three-week breaks,
            World Cups in 2019 and 2020,  semi-final stage. The Reds lost  Confirmation this year’s  Liverpool fans will not care after breaking Tottenham hearts in
            so it’s exciting times for us,  1-0 to South American cham-  Club World Cup is on means  what was their first European Cup final.
            and there’s no doubt the Club  pions Sao Paulo in Yokohama  Liverpool will get the chance  Pochettino will be frustrated his side were not able to pro-
            World Cup will be an impor-  in the 2005 final, their only  to add three more pieces of sil-  duce more, although Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was
            tant test event.”           previous appearance in the   verware before the year is out.  in fine form.
              Asked if fans will be     competition in its current     They face Premier League      Returning star Harry Kane failed to make an impact, where-
            allowed to drink alcohol in the  guise.                  winners Manchester City in the  as Origi once again proved an unlikely Champions League hero
            dry state, Al Thawadi said:    Real Madrid won last year’s  Community Shield at Wembley  for the Anfield team.
            “We’ve answered that ques-  Club World Cup in the United  in early August and Europa     Almost sold last summer, his brace in the semi-final win
            tion many times but yes,    Arab Emirates, beating the   League winners Chelsea in the  against Barcelona was followed by a superbly-taken strike off the
            everyone will be welcome,   host nation’s Al Ain in the  European Super Cup in Istanbul  bench in Madrid to seal the trophy for Liverpool as Spurs fell
            everybody will be able to   final.                       on August 14. C                 short. C
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