Pressure is on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso ahead of Champions League match against Man City
Manchester (AP): The pressure is mounting on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match with Manchester City.
Madrid has won just two of its last seven in all competitions including a 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo over the weekend.
Ahead of the City match, Alonso had to contend with reports in the Spanish media that he had lost control of the locker room.
“This is a team, and we all stand together,” he said. "In soccer, you can change perspective quickly, and we're at that point.”
Doubts over Kylian Mbappé's availability added to Alonso's concerns. The France striker trained separately to the rest of the team on Tuesday, having reportedly had issues with is left leg.
City manager Pep Guardiola sympathized with Alonso, who he coached as a player at Bayern Munich.
“Barcelona and Real Madrid are the toughest clubs to be manager of because of the environment,” he said. “It's a difficult place but he knows it — it's the reality of being here."
Other games on Wednesday include defending champion Paris Saint-Germain at Athletic Bilbao, Arsenal at Club Brugge and Italian champion Napoli at Benfica.
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BJP councillor dies by suicide after being threatened by youths following party's bypoll win
Agartala (PTI): A BJP councillor of Dharmanagar Municipal Council (DMC) in North Tripura died by suicide on Tuesday after he was allegedly threatened and humiliated by a group of youth following the saffron party's victory in the Dharmanagar bypoll, police said.
Rahul Kishore Roy, who was also the BJP's Yuva Morcha mandal president, took the extreme step a day after BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborti won the bypoll for the Dharmagar Assembly constituency by a massive margin.
Chief Minister Manik Saha expressed shock over the youth leader's death and assured an impartial inquiry into the allegations brought by the deceased’s wife, Ananya Bhattacharjee.
"I am shocked by the untimely death of Rahul Kishore Roy. May his soul rest in peace, and also offer my sympathy to the bereaved family. I also assured that an impartial inquiry will be conducted following the complaint of the deceased's wife", the CM wrote on Facebook.
Roy's wife has lodged a complaint with the local police station, holding seven persons responsible for her husband's death.
"Soon after the announcement of the results of the bypoll to the Dharmagnar Assembly bypoll, six to seven youths attacked our residence at Chandrapur at 3 pm and started hurling abuses at my husband. They also assaulted me to hand over my husband to them," she stated in the complaint.
Ananya said, "The same gang returned late at night again, attacked our house and hurled two or three bombs. They also threatened to eliminate my husband whenever he is found at Dharmanagar."
Deeply upset by the attacks and threats, my husband committed suicide by hanging from the ceiling early Tuesday morning. I urge the Officer in Charge (OC), Dharmanagar police station, to investigate against these people for justice, she said.
"Based on a specific complaint, we have registered a case, and an investigation is underway. No one has been arrested yet," SP, North Tripura, Avinash Kumar Rai said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
