SOCCER
Marseille agree Bielsa deal
Slumping French giants Olympique de Marseille yesterday announced that they have reached “an agreement in principle” with Marcelo Bielsa to take over as coach. The 58-year-old Argentine, who has coached Chile and Athletic Bilbao, has long been the longtime favorite to succeed caretaker boss Jose Anigo. “There is an agreement in principle with Bielsa,” Marseille president Vincent Labrune said after Sunday’s 0-0 draw with LOSC Lille Metropole. “The agreement will be submitted to the contracts department, but we can state that we are relatively confident that things will be finalized in the coming days.” Anigo took charge of the Marseille first team in December following the sacking of Elie Baup but will return at the season’s end to his primary role of sporting director. He had been involved in the search for a new coach and Bielsa, whose last job was in charge of Athletic Bilbao, was the frontrunner, having spent the last two weeks in France studying them.
SOCCER
No Barca move: Zenit boss
Zenit St Petersburg manager Andre Villas-Boas yesterday dismissed out of hand rumors linking him with Spanish giants Barcelona. “All the rumors about my negotiations with Barcelona representatives are completely groundless,” the former Chelsea, Tottenham and FC Porto coach told reporters. “I’ve signed the contract with Zenit and I’m set to stay here until its expiry date.” The 36-year-old Portuguese said he was completely focused on his work with Zenit, adding he was happy with the club’s plans to strengthen the squad. “My work with Zenit is my top priority,” Villas-Boas said. He was speaking on the back of Saturday’s 2-1 win at Anzhi Makhachkala, which kept Zenit in a one-point lead over Lokomotiv Moscow at top.
RUGBY UNION
Schwalger out with clots
Former All Blacks prop John Schwalger will be sidelined for the remainder of the Super rugby season after being diagnosed with blood clots on his lungs. Mark Hammett, who coaches Schwalger’s Wellington-based Hurricanes team, said the “scary” diagnosis was made when the two-Test All Black sought treatment for what he thought was a chest infection. Hurricanes medical staff identified the ailment and Schwalger is likely to need blood-thinning drugs as part of his ongoing treatment. Hammett said: “I’m just pleased they got it when they did. It could have been a really scary case, particularly for a tough guy like him who would have probably just soldiered on with something like that.”
CRICKET
Aussie coach joins Afghans
Afghanistan’s new cricket academy coach, Peter Anderson from Australia, has started work in Kabul, officials said yesterday, as the fast-developing team prepare for their debut at next year’s World Cup. Anderson coached Papua New Guinea for two years before joining Afghanistan, where cricket is a rare symbol of optimism in a country beset by war, corruption and poverty. “I am excited to be here,” Anderson, 52, said in a press release from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). “I hope I can make a contribution to the quality of cricket here. I will start slowly, watching, listening and learning.” Anderson played 56 first-class matches for Queensland and South Australia as a wicketkeeper, scoring 1,399 runs at an average of 17.93. “We are pleased to be welcoming a person of Peter Anderson’s caliber to head our new Afghanistan Cricket Academy,” ACB president Noor Mohammad Murad said.
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Lewis Hamilton on Thursday said there was a “racial element” to International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Mohammed ben Sulayem’s recent comments regarding drivers swearing during Formula 1 races. In an interview with motorsport.com, Ben Sulayem said: “We have to differentiate between our sport — motorsport — and rap music” when referring to drivers having a responsibility to stop swearing on the radio. “We’re not rappers, you know,” Ben Sulayem said. Responding to those remarks ahead of tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix, seven-time champion Hamilton said: “With what he said, I don’t like how he has expressed it. Saying ‘rappers’ is very stereotypical.” “If you