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■ SOCCER

Hitzfeld announces departure

Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said on Wednesday he will leave the club at the end of the season. The 58-year-old coach, one of two men to win European Cup titles with different clubs, ended weeks of speculation about his future after he was stung by public criticism from Bayern's management in November. Hitzfeld said he told Bayern three weeks ago he will leave when his contract runs out on June 30. He said he may coach the Swiss national team or return to a job as television commentator. "I will try for the next half year to be as successful and win as many titles as I can," Hitzfeld told the German sports news agency SID. Hitzfeld took over as Bayern coach on Feb. 1, his second stint at Germany's top club. During his first stint between 1998-2004, Hitzfeld won the 2001 Champions League title, four Bundesliga titles and the German Cup.



■ RUGBY UNION

John Smit out injured

South Africa's World Cup winning captain John Smit could be out for up to two months after injuring his right knee in training with his French club Clermont, it was revealed on Wednesday. The 29-year-old hooker did not rupture his ligaments but the club fears that scans either today or on Monday will confirm that he will miss several pivotal matches in the European Cup and the French championship in which they are presently second, two points behind leaders Toulouse. "He was injured when he was badly tackled during training on Wednesday," club manager Jean-Marc Lhermet said.



■ CRICKET

Bond to join rebel league

New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond is set to join the rebel Indian Cricket League in a deal which could earn him NZ$600,000 (US$450,000), newspapers reported yesterday. Bond, 32, has not confirmed the move but New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan indicated in an interview with Wellington's Dominion Post newspaper that his organization was aware of the bowler's impending departure. Bond's association with the Indian league, which has not been sanctioned by India's official cricket authority, means that while Bond will not be directly banned from playing for New Zealand, the national selectors will be encouraged to consider other players in his place.



■ RUGBY UNION

Dallaglio expected to retire

Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio called a news conference yesterday at which he was expected to announce his international retirement for the second time. One of the stars of England's World Cup win in 2003 who also played on the team that reached last year's final, the 35-year-old back rower initially retired in 2004 only to make a comeback in England colors two years later. His final appearance was his 85th in the World Cup final loss to South Africa at the Stade de France in October. "I believe my international career has run its course and it is time for me to step aside and make room for the young guns kicking down the door," Dallaglio was quoted as saying yesterday in the Sun. Dallaglio, who criticized England coach Brian Ashton in an autobiography published after the 2007 World Cup, plans to carry on playing for club side Wasps until the end of the current season. "What I do want to emphasize is that my decision has nothing whatsoever to do with England head coach Brian Ashton and my post-World Cup observations," Dallaglio told the Sun.



■ FOOTBALL

Dolphins appoint Ireland

Jeff Ireland, who spent the past three years as vice president of scouting for the Dallas Cowboys, was named the new general manager of the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday. Bill Parcells, the new Dolphins vice president of football operations, made the appointment just two days after firing Randy Mueller from the job following Miami's season-ending loss to Cincinnati concluded a miserable 1-15 campaign. Parcells knows Ireland from his stint as the Cowboys coach from 2003 through 2006.



■ BASKETBALL

Yi, Durant are top rookies

Milwaukee forward Yi Jianlian of China and US teen star Kevin Durant, the top contenders for National Basketball Association Rookie of the Year honors, were named on Wednesday as December's top NBA rookies. 2.12m-tall Yi, taken sixth in last June's NBA draft by the Bucks, averaged 12.1 points and 6.6 rebounds last month. For the NBA season, Yi is averaging 11 points a game, second only to Seattle's Durant among newcomers. Durant, selected second in the NBA Draft to Portland's injured big man Greg Oden, won the Western Conference rookie award for the second month in a row. He is averaging 19.7 points a game.



■ FOOTBALL

Detroit Lions fire Martz

The Detroit Lions have fired Mike Martz as offensive coordinator, Martz told the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday. The Lions finished 7-9 this season after a 6-2 start. "We fell short of what we wanted to do offensively, and I regret that," said Martz, a proponent of a wide-open passing attack who steered the St. Louis Rams into the Super Bowl in 2001 as their head coach. Martz joined the Lions offensive coordinator under head coach Rod Marinelli after he was fired by the Rams following the 2005 season. The Lions had no comment on the report. Martz said he had no regrets: "I have no anger. I'm not upset about anything. I went as far as I could there, and now it's time for me to move on."



■ ICE HOCKEY

All-Star coaches named

Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings and John Paddock of the Ottawa Senators were selected to coach the National Hockey League All-Star Game in Atlanta on Jan. 27. The league chooses its coaches based on the teams from each conference that have the top points percentages through games of Jan. 4, the midway point of the season. Babcock's Red Wings lead the Western Conference with 61 points in 40 games, and Paddock's Senators lead the Eastern Conference with 54 points in 39 games.



■ FOOTBALL

Chiefs fire coaches

The Kansas City Chiefs have fired offensive coordinator Mike Solari and three other assistant coaches following a 4-12 season. Solari, offensive line coach John Matsko, receivers coach Charlie Joiner and running backs coach James Saxon were let go on Tuesday after a season in which the Chiefs were among the worst offensive teams in the NFL. Solari, Saxon and Joiner had been on the staff of previous coach Dick Vermeil. Kansas City scored just 226 points, the worst for a 16-game season in Chiefs history, and averaged 276.8 yards in total offense, second worst in the NFL behind San Francisco. The Chiefs also managed just 1,248 yards rushing, their worst total in a non-strike year, and allowed 55 sacks, second most in team history.
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