ENGLAND
Allardyce takes reins at Irons
Sam Allardyce was appointed the new manager of West Ham United yesterday. The Hammers sacked Avram Grant last month, barely an hour after the Israeli had presided over their relegation from the lucrative English Premier League. It is Allardyce’s first job since he was surprisingly sacked as manager of top-flight Blackburn Rovers in December and he becomes the boss of a club outside the Premier League for the first time in 10 years. Allardyce began as a manager with spells at Blackpool and Notts County, before making his reputation at Bolton Wanderers after taking them into the Premier League via the playoffs in 2001 and establishing them in the top tier of English soccer. He then moved to a “bigger” club when he joined Newcastle United in 2007, but the owners who appointed him sold up soon afterwards and he was sacked by Mike Ashley.
ITALY
Officials facing jail terms
Fiorentina owners Andrea and Diego Della Valle and SS Lazio president Claudio Lotito could receive custodial sentences over their role in the 2006 Calciopoli match-fixing scandal after a demand by the public prosecutor. The prosecutor recommended that the Delle Valle brothers be given two years and Lotito put behind bars for a year and 10 months. The sentences are only symbolic since in Italy all jail terms under two years are automatically suspended. Former refereeing designator Paolo Bergamo could face five years in jail, with fellow designator Pierluigi Pairetto looking at a four-and-a-half year term, if the public prosecutor gets his way. Former referee Massimo De Santis could get three years, while four other referees face sentences of up to two years and four months. Former Messina sporting director Mariano Fabiani could get three years and eight months, while Reggina president Pasquale Foti is looking at two years. AC Milan director Leonardo Meani faces a year-and-a-half jail term, with four years requested for Italian Football Federation director Innocenzo Mazzini.
SOUTH KOREA
Players, officials sign pledge
Players, coaches, referees and officials signed a rare pledge yesterday to root out corruption after a player suspected of involvement in match fixing committed suicide. K-League officials said the pledge was signed by 1,100 people after an urgent two-day meeting aimed at eradicating match fixing and other illegal activities. Players promised not to accept offers from gambling brokers and engage in any behavior affecting the outcome of games. The meeting came two weeks after the country’s top professional league was hit by a match-fixing scandal, leading to the arrests of five players and two suspected fixers. A 29-year-old midfielder for third-division team Seoul United was found hanged on Monday in an apparent suicide. In a note, he apologized for his alleged role in the scandal.
ARGENTINA
Carlos Tevez earns recall
Carlos Tevez was recalled to the Argentina national squad on Tuesday for the first time this year. The Manchester City striker has not played for his country in more than six months, but he was among 26 players named in a provisional squad for the Copa America. His inclusion came after he spoke with Argentina coach Sergio Batista at the weekend to clear the air following mixed reports about whether he had been left out because of form or for disciplinary reasons after he turned down the chance to play in a friendly against Brazil last year.
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