Johan Neeskens dies at 73

THE HAGUE: Johan Neeskens, part of the Ajax and Netherlands teams that created “total football” in the 1970s and a key team-mate of Johan Cruyff, has died aged 73, the Dutch football federation said Monday. “With Johan Neeskens, the Dutch and international football world loses a legend,” the KNVB federation said in a statement, adding that the midfielder had died on Sunday from an unspecified illness. Neeskens was part of the Ajax team that won three straight European Cups in the early 1970s and was also a member of the ‘Clockwork Oranje’ Dutch team that reached consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978. He won 49 caps for the Netherlands. “With his characteristic tackles, sublime insight and iconic penalties, (he) will forever remain one of the leading players that Dutch football has ever produced,” said the KNVB. — AFP

Osaka pulls out of Japan Open

TOKYO: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Monday pulled out of her home Japan Open next week because of an injury that caused her to retire from the China Open in Beijing. “Due to injury, Naomi Osaka will not participate” in the WTA 250 tournament in the city of Osaka from October 14-20, the Japan Tennis Association said in a statement. The 26-year-old former world number one looked in good touch as she recorded three wins at the China Open in Beijing last week. But in her last-16 match, against eventual champion Coco Gauff, Osaka retired at the end of the second set because of a back injury. “So I locked my back up during practice earlier and honestly wasn’t sure if I could even play but I just wanted to try,” she said on social media. “Unfortunately things just got progressively worse during the match.” — AFP

Duran signs new deal

LONDON: Jhon Duran has signed a new long-term contract with Aston Villa following his stunning start to the season, the Premier League club announced on Monday. The 20-year-old, who reportedly agreed personal terms with West Ham during the summer transfer window, has agreed a deal that will keep him at Villa Park until 2030. Duran has scored six times this season including the only goal in last week’s 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, despite starting just once in all competitions. The Colombia international joined Villa in January 2023 from MLS side Chicago Fire, scoring five goals in 23 Premier League appearances last season, most as a substitute. Following last week’s win against Bayern, Villa boss Unai Emery said the player’s potential was “huge”. “Sometimes he has been impatient and I need to speak to him as a person and connect to him as a person,” he said. “As well as a player to try to let him play, putting him on the field because his talent is there and the capacity to help us.” — AFP