■BRAZIL
Adriano to take a break
Brazil and Inter striker Adriano said on Thursday he was taking a break from soccer and would rethink his career. “I’ve lost the happiness of playing,” he told reporters. “I wouldn’t like to go back to Italy, I want to live in peace here in Brazil. I wasn’t unhappy in Italy. I don’t know if I’m going to stay for one, two or thee months without playing. I’m going to rethink my career.” Adriano failed to return to Italy after last week’s World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Peru, in which he was an unused substitute. On Monday, his agent Gilmar Rinaldo said Adriano had stayed in Brazil because of a private matter and confirmed the player had spent time in the Vila Cruzeiro favela, where he was raised.
■SERBIA
Police arrest 95 in Belgrade
Police arrested 95 fans and pressed charges against 25 of them following violence at the Belgrade derby between bitter rivals Partizan and Red Star, the Serbian Interior Ministry said on Thursday. “The hooligans who face legal action have been charged with assault on police officers, violent behavior, causing general danger as well as the possession and sale of narcotics,” it said. Red Star Belgrade fans clashed with riot police before Wednesday’s match and set fire to seats in the north tier of Partizan’s stadium after the final whistle, forcing fire brigades to move in. The fixture has a history of crowd trouble dating back to times when Serbia was still a part of the former Yugoslavia.
■ENGLAND
Police drop Mourinho case
Inter boss Jose Mourinho will not face police action after allegations that he punched a supporter outside Old Trafford, police sources said on Thursday. A Manchester United fan claimed he was hit in the face by the Portuguese manager following last month’s Champions League tie between United and Inter. Mourinho, 46, was said to have clashed with a man close to the Inter team bus shortly before midnight on March 11 after his side’s 2-0 defeat. The supporter alleged common assault, although he was not thought to be seriously injured, and Greater Manchester Police approached the Old Trafford club to view CCTV footage of the area. But the case has been dropped.
■ROMANIA
Piturca gets the sack
Victor Piturca was on Thursday sacked as Romania coach after a disappointing run of results that looks to have derailed the country’s bid to appear at next year’s World Cup. “Piturca has been relieved of his post,” said Dumitru Dragomir, head of the Romanian professional soccer league. “We haven’t decided on his replacement, that will be made later on.” Romania’s most recent defeat, a 2-1 loss to Austria on April 1, dropped them to fifth place in Group 7, with only four points from five matches — effectively ending any hopes they had of qualifying for next year’s showpiece. Group 7 is being led by Serbia on 12 points, with France on 10 points, Lithuania on nine and Austria on seven.
■ENGLAND
Much interest in the Saints
The administrators running ailing English Championship side Southampton said on Thursday that 31 parties had expressed an interest in buying the club. The Saints’ parent company, Southampton Leisure Holdings, went into administration last week with reported debts of £27.5 million (US$40.5 million). The Football League is considering whether to penalize the club 10 points which would result in their almost certain relegation to the third tier of English soccer for the first time in 49 years.
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
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was