Milovan Rajevac sacked by Thailand following 4-1 Asian Cup defeat to India


Steve Luckings
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Milovan Rajevac has become the first managerial casualty of the 2019 Asian Cup after Thailand parted ways with the Serb following Sunday's 4-1 drubbing to India.

Two goals from the prolific Sunil Chhetri and one each from Anirudh Thapa and Jeje Lalpekhlua with just a Teerasil Dangda goal in reply saw the Thais' Group A campaign get off to an awful start at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Rajevac took charge of Thailand in April 2017 after spells with both Qatar and Algeria. He also famously guided Ghana to the last eight of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

He was already under pressure going into the tournament after Thailand failed to defend their Asean Football Federation Championship title in December, has paid for the heavy defeat with his job.

"I hereby announce the suspension of Milovan Rajevac's contract as coach of Thailand's national team," Football Association of Thailand President Somyot Poompanmoung said in a statement.

Thailand, appearing for the first time since co-hosting the Asian Cup in 2007, have now won just one of 21 games at the continent's showcase competition.

“The result [against India] is not what is expected of the Thai national team and that our supporters deserve," he added.

“Like all Thai football fans across the country, I am also disappointed with the result. But as the President of the Football Association, I cannot stand still with this problem."

Rajevac's assistant, Sirisak Yodyardthai, has been put in interim charge of Thailand, who are bottom of Group A and play Bahrain on Thursday.

India, playing at their first Asian Cup since 2011, top the group with three points ahead of Bahrain and hosts UAE tied on a point apiece.

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Read more on 2019 Asian Cup:

Khamis Esmail: Nerves played a part in UAE's flat opening to Asian Cup

Ahmed Khalil: UAE must take positives from draw with Bahrain in Asian Cup opener

Zaccheroni confident UAE will be better against India after flat start to Asian Cup

Download: Get your 2019 Asian Cup wallchart

In pictures: 2019 Asian Cup gets under way with opening ceremony

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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

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Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)

Flyweight (women)

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Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)

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Match is on BeIN Sports

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4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
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5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
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5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Ejaaby, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson

6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
Winner: Storyboard, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
Winner: Grand Dauphin, Gerald Mosse, Ahmed Al Shemaili

8.05pm: Handicap (T); Dh190,000; 1,800m
Winner: Good Trip, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe