■ENGLAND
Cesc ‘committed to Gunners’
Team captain Cesc Fabregas said on Thursday that he was fully committed to Arsenal after he criticized the Premier League club’s lack of recent silverware and said his parents would back a move to Real Madrid. Fabregas was quoted in British media reports as saying the lack of trophies over the past four years reflected the “impotence” of his team’s efforts and said “my family would understand if I signed for Real Madrid.” While not denying the comments, Fabregas sought to explain them in a statement released by Arsenal in which he acknowledged his anger with the lack of achievement. “Let me make myself absolutely crystal clear. I am wholeheartedly committed to Arsenal and my future lies with this great club. It is a fact that we have not won a trophy for four years and yes, I am angry about that, but that anger stems from the deep, deep desire I have to win things with Arsenal. I am proud to captain this team and proud to wear the shirt,” Fabregas said.
■ARGENTINA
Maradona signs bumper deal
Diego Maradona has signed a bumper contract to continue as coach of the Argentine national team. Press reports on Thursday said Maradona will earn US$1.2 million for his one-year stint as coach, which comes in at US$100,000 a month and covers the period from last November to this October. The deal means Maradona, who has worked as coach of Argentina since November but without signing a contract, will remain in the post at least until the end of the World Cup qualifiers in October. If the former World Cup winners qualify for the 2010 showpiece in South Africa Maradona’s contract is likely to be extended. The news will prove interesting reading for former Argentina coaches Daniel Passarella, Marcelo Bielsa, Jose Pekerman and Alfio Basile, who were all paid between US$40,000 and US$50,000 a month. The Argentine soccer federation justified Maradona’s bumper pay packet by highlighting the positive influence he had on the team — attracting huge crowds even for friendly matches and thus benefiting the team’s sponsors. Maradona has come in for some criticism of late, however, after Argentina slipped to fourth in the South American zone qualifying table for the 2010 World Cup.
■ITALY
Roma takeover falls through
A Swiss consortium has failed to agree to a takeover of AS Roma, the Serie A club’s main shareholder said on Thursday. Soccer agent Vinicio Fioranelli, who heads the consortium, has been talking to Roma for several weeks but shares have fallen in recent days amid media reports the deal would fall through. “Italpetroli makes clear that up to today, despite the efforts made, the conditions to continue with an evaluation of a possible deal have not been realized,” the oil storage company said in a statement.
■BRAZIL
Lopez accused of racial slur
Brazilian police are investigating an accusation that Gremio’s Argentine striker Maxi Lopez racially abused a Cruzeiro player in the semi-final of the Copa Libertadores on Thursday. In an e-mailed statement, police in Belo Horizonte said that Elicarlos Souza, who is black, is accusing Lopez, of making the racist comment. Cruzeiro, playing at home, won the game 3-1. Police took testimony from both players at a police station near the stadium. They didn’t disclose what Lopez allegedly called Elicarlos, but the Cruzeiro midfielder told reporters Lopez called him a “monkey” during the match.
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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