Economy minister discusses economic cooperation with German minister    Saudi Crown Prince congratulates new Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi    At UNCTAD, Saudi Arabia affirms commitment to sustainable economic transformation    Saudi justice minister, Italian counterpart agree to enhance judicial cooperation    TGA: Autonomous vehicle service beneficiaries surpass 950 in Riyadh    103 million orders delivered in Saudi Arabia in 3Q 2025    Yapı Merkezi reaffirms its commitment to Saudi Arabia with the opening of its regional headquarters in Riyadh A new step in Turkish Saudi cooperation    OMODA 4 Media Preview: Shaping the future of mobility with media and users    Belgian resistance holds up €140 billion loan for Ukraine at EU summit    Trump says he's ending trade negotiations with Canada    EU, US impose new sanctions on Russia to force ceasefire in Ukraine    Egypt joins EU funding program Horizon Europe    Riyadh Season 2025 draws 1 million visitors in 13 days    Athar Festival 2025 opens in Riyadh with record attendance, new creative streams, and Saudi-first innovations    Qatar clinch 2026 World Cup berth with 2-1 win over UAE in Doha    'India's Picasso' is breaking auction records — enraging the Hindu right    D'Angelo, Grammy Awardwinning R&B singer, dead at 51    Splash unveils new winter collection featuring Maya Diab    India players refused handshakes, says Pakistan coach    Adolescence star Owen Cooper makes Emmys history at 15    The key to happiness    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Bayern wins more silverware
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 23 - 12 - 2013

MARRAKECH — Bayern Munich swatted aside Raja Casablanca 2-0 in a one-sided Club World Cup final Saturday that did little to boost the credibility of a tournament which struggled to an anti-climax.
Morocco came to a standstill, an army of Raja fans travelled 250km to the game and King Mohamed was among the 37,000 crowd only for party-pooping Bayern to wrap it up in under half an hour.
Defender Dante and midfielder Thiago Alcantara scored the goals on a chilly evening as Bayern added to the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup titles it won last season and continued European dominance of the tournament.
European teams have won six of the last seven titles, with Brazilian side Corinthians interrupting the sequence last year, and Saturday's stroll may reinforce the view that it is little more than a pleasant excursion for them before the winter break.
Bayern scored five goals without conceding any in its two games as it added to the two Intercontinental Cup titles it won in 1976 and 2001. It emulated Manchester United, in 1999, and Inter Milan, in 2010, by winning a league, cup, Champions League and world club quadruple in the same year.
Raja, which changed coaches one week before the start of the tournament, had qualified as champion of host nation Morocco rather than of Africa and had already stunned the CONCACAF representatives Monterrey and South America's Atletico Mineiro.
But a powerful Bayern team, unbeaten in the Bundesliga since October last year, proved a bridge too far for a side which is a modest ninth in its own league.
“They were a little bit nervous because of the crowd, and the presence of his majesty the King,” Raja coach Faouzi Benzarti told reporters. “We were not very aggressive, we were a bit soft.”
His opposite number Pep Guardiola was critical of his Bayern team for not creating more chances after it had gone ahead.
Guardiola, who won the same tournament as coach of Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, said the credit lay with predecessor Jupp Heynckes who led Bayern to the treble last season. “This belongs much more to Jupp and his team than to us,” he said.
Guardiola started without a recognized striker as winger Xherdan Shaqiri replaced Mario Mandzukic.
Raja, the second team from outside Europe or South America to reach the final, was only briefly in the contest. Mouhssine Iajour fired wide from a half chance in the fifth minute and from that moment the hosts were chasing the game.
Two minutes later, Jerome Boateng headed on a corner to Dante who was left all alone in the penalty area and scored emphatically with a shot on the turn.
Raja goalkeeper Khalid Askri was tested by Thomas Mueller and David Alaba before Thiago Alcantara scored from the edge of the area after Alaba pulled the ball back.
Bayern was in almost complete control with 73 percent of possession although goalkeeper Manuel Neuer offered Raja a chance with a poor clearance in the 38th minute and Chemseddine Chtibi's effort flew just wide of the goal.
The second half was a continuation of the pattern in the first period, with Bayern again enjoying nearly all the possession and Shaqiri hit the bar.
Raja occasionally looked dangerous. Iajour forced Neuer into his first genuine save with a close-range header in the 57th and he also had to block efforts by Vivien Madibe and Badr Kachani.
Earlier, 10-man Atletico beat Asian champion Guangzhou 3-2 to finish third. Luan scored a stoppage time winner following Ronaldinho's 88th-minute red card. — Agencies


Clic here to read the story from its source.