FRANCE
Perruaux, Chafni settle row
Linesman Johann Perruaux and AJ Auxerre’s Moroccan international Kamel Chafni have settled their racism dispute, Auxerre announced on Wednesday. Chafni accused Perruaux of racially abusing him in a league match on Saturday. Chafni was sent off following an altercation with Perruaux in the 55th minute of Auxerre’s 1-0 loss at Stade Brestois 29. The midfielder had to be restrained by his teammates, as well as players from Brest, and as he left the pitch, following a delay of five minutes, he told television cameras he had been the victim of racist abuse. Perraux denied the allegations. Auxerre reported late on Wednesday that the incident was “closed.” The club added: “Following the altercation ... Mr Chafni and Perruaux spoke on the telephone following an intervention by their respective advisers.”
PORTUGAL
‘Black Panther’ hospitalized
Portuguese legend Eusebio has been hospitalized with pneumonia, his former club Benfica announced on Wednesday. The 69-year-old Mozambique-born superstar — who won the Ballon d’Or in 1965 and inspired Portugal to third place in the 1966 World Cup — was taken to hospital on Monday. “Eusebio was admitted to hospital 48 hours ago suffering from symptoms compatible with a serious respiratory infection,” said Jose Roquette, the director of the hospital. “X-rays have confirmed the diagnosis as pneumonia and he has been placed under surveillance in the intensive care unit. He is stable, conscious and in good humor.” Eusebio — nicknamed the “Black Panther” — was signed aged 19 by Benfica, and they went on to win the 1962 European Cup, while he also scored 41 goals in 64 international appearances.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite