QATAR
Zidane headbutt on display
A statue immortalizing the headbutt delivered by French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane to Italy player Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final has gone on outdoor display in Qatar. Workers made the final touches on Friday after fixing the 5m monument, sculpted by Algerian-born French artist Adel Abdessemed, on the Doha corniche. It was bought by the Qatar Museums Authority, as the Gulf state prepares to build a massive infrastructure to host the 2022 World Cup. The Coup de Tete sculpture was previously on display outside the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
FRANCE
Bastia rout weak Lorient
SC Bastia thrashed struggling Lorient 4-1 on Friday to maintain their unbeaten home record and climb provisionally up to ninth place in Ligue 1. Midfielder Ryad Boudebouz scored in the sixth minute and hit the crossbar with a curling shot midway through the first half as Bastia dominated. The home side did not have to wait long for the second goal as Wahbi Khazri scored from the penalty spot in the 23rd after he was fouled by defender Lamine Gassama. However, midfielder Mathieu Coutadeur pulled one back for the visitors 10 minutes later with a deflected shot and striker Kevin Monnet-Paquet went close to equalizing moments later. Former Juventus midfielder Milos Krasic made it 3-1 in the 59th after running onto Gianni Bruno’s clever backheel and clipping the ball over goalkeeper Fabien Audard despite a tight angle. Ivory Coast midfielder Romaric added the fourth near the end when he headed in Boudebouz’s cross from the left.
GERMANY
Hertha, Hannover draw
Hertha BSC substitute Ronny came on with 10 minutes remaining to rescue a 1-1 draw for his side at Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga on Friday. The Brazilian midfielder blasted an unstoppable free-kick from the edge of the area with his first touch of the game, sending the ball swerving into the top left corner in the 81st minute. “Unbelievable goal,” Hertha general manager Michael Preetz said. Hannover opened the scoring against the run of play through Christian Schulz in the 23rd, when Hajime Hosogai’s attempted clearance after a corner landed straight at his feet. Hertha pushed for an equalizer after the break, but failed to create any clear opportunities until Anis Ben-Hatira struck the post in the 58th. Adrian Ramos should have scored, but shot narrowly wide, before Ronny finally produced a deserved equalizer. Hertha then had goalkeeper Thomas Kraft to thank for saving Artur Sobiech’s point-blank effort in the last minute. Hannover striker Didier Ya Konan was taken to a hospital with a severe-looking ankle injury sustained in a tussle before halftime. “It was a bitter blow for us. For the players to see that at halftime didn’t do our prospects any good in the second half,” Hannover manager Mirko Slomka said.
SPAIN
Rami suspended for insults
Valencia say they have suspended France defender Adil Rami for one week without pay for insulting his coach and teammates in a recent radio interview. Rami told Cadena Ser on Sept. 24 that manager Miroslav Djukic “wasn’t up front” with him and also criticized members of the squad. Valencia said in a statement on Friday that Rami had “repented for his statements against his coach and teammates” and that the club had “taken this into account” when deciding to punish him. Rami has not played for Valencia since the interview.
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
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB