■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.
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