■ GERMANY
Bremen in talks with Allofs
Werder Bremen have called an emergency meeting in hopes of convincing sought-after general manager Klaus Allofs to stay at the club. The 51-year-old Allofs has been instrumental in turning the small northern club into a top team, but he alarmed Bremen by saying on Monday that he has received several offers from other clubs. Reports say they include top rivals Bayern Munich. "I cannot confirm that I will stay in Bremen. First we have to talk with each other," Allofs said. The special meeting will be held today by the club's supervisory board, which is expected to offer a sizable pay increase offer to Allofs, whose contract runs out in 2009. "We absolutely want to keep working with Allofs, even if it is the supervisory board that wraps up the contract, not the club's management," club chairman Juergen Born said on Thursday. Allofs, who took over in 1999, forms a highly regarded team with coach Thomas Schaaf. Bremen captured the Bundesliga title in 2003-2004 and have finished in the top three the past four years, making them a regular in the Champions League. Bremen's soaring popularity has threatened to eclipse Bayern in Germany.
■ ROMANIA
Teixeira joins Pandurii
Romanian club Pandurii Targu Jiu are signing a new coach and 11 players from Portugal in a desperate bid to stay in the first division. "Joaquim Teixeira agreed a two-and-a-half year deal and his main task is to avoid relegation," Pandurii Targu Jiu president Marin Condescu told reporters. Condescu said Teixeira's compatriots would be hired by Jan. 7, when the new squad will begin training for the re-start of the Romanian season in late February following a winter break. Teixeira, Pandurii's third boss this season, was on the coaching staff with Porto from 1996-1998 and the Portugal national side from 2000-2002. Pandurii, who are second from bottom, put nine players on the transfer list earlier this month.
■ BRAZIL
Gavilan deal called off
Flamengo will not sign Paraguay midfielder Diego Gavilan because he failed a physical exam on Thursday. "Flamengo's medical department recommended the club not to hire Gavilan," Flamengo said in a brief statement on their Web site. The club did not immediately release details on what type of injury prompted the cancellation. The announcement was made just moments before the 27-year-old Gavilan was to be officially introduced to fans. Flamengo had reached a one-year deal with the defender last week. A former Newcastle United and Udinese player, Gavilan played this season for Brazilian club Gremio. He is serving a 120-day suspension for punching Palmeiras midfielder Jorge Valdivia in the back during a Brazilian league match. The suspension will end in February, but the player has appealed and could be allowed to play earlier.
■ BELGIUM
Mouscron appoint Scifo
Enzo Scifo was hired as coach of Belgian club Excelsior Mouscron on Thursday. Scifo, 41, had been out of soccer for two years. As a player, the midfield playmaker helped Belgium reach the semi-finals at the 1986 World Cup -- the country's best result ever. After a playing career spent at Anderlecht, Italian clubs Inter Milan and Torino, and French teams Bordeaux and Auxerre, Scifo briefly coached Sporting Charleroi. "I had not expected a return like this," Scifo said. Mouscron fired their coach 10 days ago after disappointing results.
Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday pulled off a major upset in the DFB-Pokal by defeating defending champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in their semi-final. The third-division team came from behind after Jonathan Tah gave the visitors a 17th-minute lead. Marius Worl replied three minutes later and Maximilian Groser scored Bielefeld’s second goal just before the break. The home team looked more likely to add to that tally as the Leverkusen players looked jaded. “I’m just proud of this team,” Bielefeld coach Mitch Kniat said as most of the fans the small stadium sang around him. “No one will sleep in the city tonight.” Patrik Schick went
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have shown the team do not need star power to win trophies and with the French Ligue 1 title won with six games to spare, the French champions would look to finish the season without losing, manager Luis Enrique said on Saturday. A 1-0 victory over Angers SCO at the Parc des Princes helped PSG win their fourth straight Ligue 1 title and a record-extending 13th overall. PSG can still break Nantes’ 30-year-old record of 32 games unbeaten. Although Nantes lost one game en route to the title, no French club has ever gone an entire league
THREES KINGS: The Celtics claimed a piece of league history by setting a new record for the number of threes in a season, ending their game with 1,370 Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun on Friday combined for 65 points as the Houston Rockets halted Oklahoma City’s 11-game winning streak with a statement 125-111 victory. In a potential Western Conference finals preview, the Rockets produced a dominant all-round performance to jolt the top-seeded Thunder’s all-conquering preparations for the post-season. Green finished with 34 points from 11-of-24 shooting, while Turkish big man Sengun made 31 points as second-placed Houston improved to 51-27. Oklahoma City grabbed the lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but Houston soon knocked the Thunder out of their stride with a physical approach to move into the
RECORD WINNERS: The Catalan club, who are still in contention for a historic quadruple this season, are to face rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final Barcelona are to face rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final after Ferran Torres secured them a 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, progressing 5-4 on aggregate from the semi-final tie. Record 31-time winners Barca had the better of the clash at the Metropolitano after the wild 4-4 first-leg draw. The defeat leaves Diego Simeone’s Atletico with little to play for in the rest of the season. By contrast, the Catalans are on the hunt for a potential quadruple and are unbeaten this year, stretching their run to 21 games without defeat. Atletico were the last team to triumph
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