■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
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
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
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
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