SPAIN
Levante issue ironic riposte
Levante UD have published a heavily ironic response to a Real Madrid statement earlier on Monday addressing reports of clashes between players and officials from the two clubs after Sunday’s La Liga match. Spanish media reported that Real defender Pepe and Levante captain Sergio Ballesteros had been involved in a confrontation near the dressing rooms and the referee referred in his match report to a clash between an official from each club that had to be broken up by security staff. Real won the game 2-1, which was played in atrocious conditions on a heavily waterlogged pitch. Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was struck in the face by David Navarro’s elbow early in the match and the blow opened a gash below his left eye and caused problems with his vision. Real published their statement at about 5pm and Levante responded with a heavy dose of irony about four hours later. The statement used almost exactly the same wording as Real’s, also referring to the “exemplary behavior” of their players and officials, and only the final part was altered.
ENGLAND
John Terry back in weeks
John Terry has suffered “no significant damage” following a scan on his right knee and he will be out for weeks rather than months, Chelsea announced on Monday. Injury cut short Terry’s return to action during the Blues’ 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday. Suspended for four domestic matches after being found guilty of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in a match last season, Terry got on the scoresheet at Stamford Bridge with a 20th-minute header. It was the former England defender’s 50th goal in all competitions for the reigning European champions, but he was forced to leave the fray fewer than 20 minutes later. Terry went down clutching his right leg after an accidental collision with Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and was carried from the field on a stretcher.
ENGLAND
Clattenburg missing again
Mark Clattenburg will miss another weekend of Premier League matches, but the outcome of the investigation into Chelsea’s complaint against the referee could be known by the end of this week. The Premier League announced on Monday its list of match officials for the next round of fixtures and for the third successive weekend Clattenburg has been omitted. The Football Association are investigating allegations from Chelsea that the 37-year-old official used a term understood to have been interpreted as racist toward John Obi Mikel during the Premier League match against Manchester United on Oct. 28. Both the FA and police, as a result of a complaint by the Society of Black Lawyers, are making inquiries.
UKRAINE
Shevchenko offered top job
Ukraine’s soccer federation chief has offered the national team coaching job to Andriy Shevchenko, who retired from playing this summer after a stellar career. The offer by Anatoliy Konkov was announced on the federation’s Web site on Monday. Shevchenko could not be reached for comment. Shevchenko played for Dynamo Kiev, AC Milan and Chelsea. He was integral in winning the 2002-2003 Champions League trophy for Milan and also captured domestic titles in Ukraine, Italy and England. He also captained Ukraine to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2006. He retired from playing after Euro 2012. He announced he was entering politics, but failed to win a seat in elections last month.
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