■ENGLAND
Black Cats sign Tainio
Sunderland completed the signing of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Teemu Tainio on Wednesday, with the Finland international’s clubmate Pascal Chimbonda expected to follow shortly. The pair were on Wearside on Tuesday undergoing medicals, which 28-year-old Finland international Tainio, Sunderland’s first close season purchase, passed. Sunderland manager Roy Keane is also targeting two other Tottenham players — Steed Malbranque and Younes Kaboul — and the Black Cats boss met the pair to discuss a move to the northeast over the weekend. Keane told the club’s Web site: “I’m delighted to sign a player of Teemu’s experience and quality, he’ll be a valuable addition to our squad.”
■COLOMBIA
Ministry probes finances
A senior Colombian finance ministry official has given prosecutors a report detailing “highly suspicious” activity by the country’s professional soccer clubs that he said could be linked to money laundering. “Situations present themselves that are highly suspicious,” the official, Marion Aranguren, said during a public seminar on the issue. He said some clubs have shareholders with criminal records and some make cash transactions worth billions of pesos (millions of dollars), evading controls designed to detect money laundering. The official said on Tuesday that the Finance Ministry began to see indications of the apparent irregularities in March when it asked the teams for a list of their shareholders. “We encountered a lot of resistance” getting the information, Aranguren said.
■ITALY
Mourinho jeered by fans
New Inter coach Jose Mourinho has already started hearing whistles from the crowd and the season is more than a month away from even starting. The Portuguese disciplinarian was jeered by his new club’s fans after insisting that Inter’s training at Riscone di Brunico near Milan on Wednesday be held behind closed doors. The jeers were not very loud, but started after fans, some of whom had traveled a long way to watch their idols train, found the gates to the training ground closed. Thereafter, some fans went to great lengths to try to catch a glimpse of Inter’s training by seeking out vantage points some way from the stadium.
■ENGLAND
Hammers sign Behrami
West Ham United acquired Valon Behrami from Lazio for £5 million (US$10 million) on Wednesday and signed the Swiss midfielder to a five-year deal. The 23-year-old international can also play at right back. “It’s my dream come true to play for West Ham and play in the Premier League,” Behrami said. “At last I am able to sign. After the Euro 2008 [European] Championships I spoke to West Ham who had expressed an interest, but I had to be sure it was the right thing for everybody. I have now made my decision and am looking forward to being part of this side and playing in the English league.”
■ENGLAND
Lampard staying put: Scolari
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari insisted Frank Lampard was staying with Chelsea as reports broke that the club was set to make the midfielder Britain’s highest paid player. “Frank is staying with us. Finished,” Scolari said. He said speculation was to be expected during the transfer window, but attempted to lay the matter to rest. “I said two days ago that Frank is here with us, training and playing very well as part of our group,” he said. Lampard has reportedly been offered £150,000 a week in a five-year deal worth £39 million.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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