■ Soccer
Makelele completes move
Chelsea have completed the 24 million euro (US$26.2 million) transfer of French midfielder Claude Makelele from Real Madrid, the English Premiership side said yesterday on the club's Web site. The move appeared threatened on Sunday when the player's agent said the deal might not go ahead because Real were refusing to give the player his slice of the transfer fee. Real sporting director Jorge Valdano said from Madrid that Makelele had relinquished his claims to his 15 percent cut. Chelsea said the player signed under 12 hours before the Champions League qualifying deadline.
■ Soccer
Beckham admits to fight
David Beckham has said he tried to attack Alex Ferguson after the Manchester United manager kicked a boot at him in the dressing room following an FA Cup defeat last February. "I went for the gaffer," Beckham wrote in his autobiography serialized in the Sun newspaper yesterday. "I don't know if I've ever lost control like that in my life before." The England captain said he had to be restrained by team mates after Ferguson blamed him for Arsenal's second goal in United's 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford. "A couple of the lads stood up," Beckham wrote. "Suddenly it was like some mad scene out of a gangster movie with them holding me back as I tried to get to the gaffer."
■ Soccer
Rangers go top
Rangers won its fourth straight game to go top of the Scottish Premier League on Sunday, beating Dundee United 3-1 with goals from Nuno Capucho, Shota Arveladze and Mikel Arteta. Defending champion Rangers has a perfect record and a two point buffer over archrival Celtic, who beat Livingston 5-1 on Saturday off a hat trick from Henrik Larsson.
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