ITALY
Inter deny Capello interest
Fabio Capello will not become the new coach at Inter, club president Massimo Moratti said. Capello walked out as England manager on Wednesday leading to rumors in the Italian press that he will be hired by the Nerazzurri. Inter were interested in Capello when Jose Mourinho left the job after winning the Champions League in May 2010, but England held firm then and kept Capello, whose side went on to crumble embarrassingly at the World Cup later that year in a 4-1 second-round thumping by archrivals Germany. “Press reports regarding a possible change of coach now or at the end of the season are lacking in any form of foundation,” Moratti said on Inter’s Web site. When their overtures to Capello were rebuked, Inter hired Rafael Benitez, only to fire him after less than six months in charge. Brazilian Leonardo took over for half a season, but then walked away. Inter turned to Gian Piero Gasperini, but sacked him after just four disastrous winless games. Claudio Ranieri then took over and dragged the team up the Serie A table to the edge of the Champions League positions.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Bystron banned for two years
Viktoria Plzen’s Czech defender David Bystron will not be able to compete even if selected in Euro 2012 after being banned for two years by UEFA for failing a drugs test. The 30-year-old failed the doping control after his side’s Champions League tie against Belarussian side BATE Borisov, his club announced on Thursday. His suspension will expire on Jan. 3, 2014. “We know what substance it is, but leave it up to the player to reveal its name because of the sensitive nature of this information,” Plzen manager Adolf Sadek said. According to press reports, Bystron consumed a methamphetamine in a nightclub a few days before the match at Borisov.
UNITED STATES
FedEx Field to host Brazil
The national team’s friendly against five-time World Cup champions Brazil on May 30 will be held at FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins NFL team, US Soccer said on Thursday. The May 30 fixture had been announced last month as part of Brazil’s three-match friendly tour of the US, but the venue had not been named. Brazil will face Argentina in a battle of the South American giants on June 9 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the 80,000-seater stadium that is home to Super Bowl champions the New York Giants and the New York Jets. That friendly comes a week after Argentina confront Ecuador in the fifth round of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Brazil are also scheduled to play Mexico in the US in June.
SOUTH KOREA
Coach picks ‘crisis’ squad
The new coach of the national team spoke of a “crisis” as he announced an experienced 26-man squad yesterday for the crucial World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait later this month. Arsenal striker Park Chu-young is expected to lead the line for the clash in Seoul on Feb. 29, despite barely featuring for the English Premier League side. He is one of three overseas-based players in the squad. South Korea and Lebanon are level on 10 points at the top of Asian qualifying Group B, with Kuwait in third on eight points ahead of the last round of games. With the top two in the group going into the final qualifying round, South Korea’s World Cup dream would be over if they lose to Kuwait and Lebanon draw or win away at the United Arab Emirates. “We need experienced, veteran players to come through this crisis,” coach Choi Kang-hee said.
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
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