■ENGLAND
Venables slams Berbatov
Tottenham’s abysmal start to the season is largely due to the selfishness of striker Dimitar Berbatov, former manager Terry Venables said. Venables said that the Bulgarian star had been a “poisonous presence” at White Hart Lane as he tried to clinch a transfer deal to Manchester United. Speculation over Berbatov’s future dominated Spurs’ early matches as manager Juande Ramos wrestled with whether or not to select the striker, who eventually signed for Alex Ferguson’s outfit for £30 million (US$53 million). Spurs lie bottom of the table and Ramos is under intense pressure. But Venables believes the club’s problems stem from Berbatov. “Berbatov kept telling us he had ‘a dream.’ Well, good for you Dimi. You had a dream with a few extra noughts added to your bank balance,” he told the Sun newspaper. “But did Spurs have a dream too? You got your way but your poisonous presence at the start of the season — the brooding and the reluctance to play — has cost the club that believed in you.” Venables also said that Spurs were wrong to sell striker Robbie Keane to Liverpool before they had a replacement. “They thought they were going to get Andrei Arshavin,” Venables said. “This was a massive managerial blunder by Spurs, especially when they had allowed Keane to leave. But letting Berbatov and Keane go without having Arshavin in the bag was a boardroom blunder.”
■ENGLAND
Sven eyed foreigners
Former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson considered selecting four foreign-born players for his England squad in the wake of the failed Euro 2004 campaign David Davies, the former executive director of the Football Association said. In a Daily Mail serialization of his book FA Confidential, Davies claimed that Eriksson drew up a shortlist of Premier League imports who were uncapped by their countries and could legally be brought into the England side due to FIFA’s residence rules. The four names he suggested were Chelsea’s Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, Brazilian midfielder Edu, then of Arsenal, and French pair Steed Malbranque and Louis Saha, who played for Fulham and Manchester United respectively. None of the four ever went on to play for England, with Edu and Saha subsequently capped by their own nations.
■SOUTH AFRICA
‘Bafana Bafana’ win at last
World Cup hosts South Africa arrested a run of five matches without a win when they beat Malawi 3-0 in a friendly international at Germiston in Johannesburg on Tuesday. An experimental Bafana Bafana side, made up of home-based players, provided relief for beleaguered coach Joel Santana as Bernard Parker opened the scoring with a header in the 32nd minute and added a second 10 minutes from time. Substitute Daine Klate scored the third just before the end.
■SCOTLAND
Scots to play Argentina
Scotland will take on Argentina in a friendly at Hampden Park on Nov. 19, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) said on Tuesday. The announcement came after Argentina agreed to lower their fee for the game in Glasgow to a level which allows the SFA to put the match on and charge fans the same for tickets as they will pay for the Oct. 11 World Cup qualifier against Austria. Negotiations on a potential friendly between the two countries in July collapsed after fans canvassed by the SFA indicated they would be unwilling to pay higher ticket prices in order to bring Lionel Messi and co to Hampden.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely