■ Soccer
Cockroach stunt draws flak
Real Madrid's Ronaldo has apologized after being criticized for a goal celebration in which he and his Brazilian teammates imitated a cockroach on its back. Alaves president Dmitry Piterman had said Ronaldo, Robinho and Roberto Carlos acted "like clowns" and "spoilt kids" when they wiggled their arms and legs while lying on their backs after Ronaldo's second goal in Sunday's 3-0 league win at the Mendizorroza stadium. "It was something silly between friends and I didn't intend to offend or insult our opponent's fans. I have never done it before and I'll never do it again," Ronaldo told radio station Cadena SER yesterday. Ronaldo tempered his apology by suggesting Piterman had gone too far with criticism, especially as the former US triple jumper was photographed nude this year for an article about Alaves in Spanish magazine Interviu. "I don't see what I did as being so serious. I was only celebrating a goal," Ronaldo said. "A man who appeared naked in a magazine is not the ideal person to make judgments and call Robinho, Roberto Carlos and myself clowns." Ronaldo explained that the idea for the celebration had come from a journalist and his press officer, David Espinar, who had dared him to imitate a cockroach.
■ Athletics
Race organizer stops train
Passing freight trains disrupted the 2005 Quad Cities Marathon, prompting a race organizer to drive a truck on to the tracks to block the path of an approaching locomotive. After runners were forced to stop and wait as two trains made their way through East Moline, Illinois, on Sunday, Joe Moreno sped over to an intersection near the 35km marker and parked his truck on the railroad tracks, blocking a third train from passing. The train stopped less than a block away from Moreno's truck. Moreno says he then sat in the vehicle with the doors locked for nearly and hour and a half as several hundred runners crossed the tracks. A railroad employee tried to get Moreno to move his truck, but it wasn't until police arrived that the former East Moline mayor agreed to move the vehicle. "With every minute, I was buying time for the runners," Moreno said. Richard Stoeckly, vice president and chief operating officer of the Iowa Interstate Railroad Co, said the disruptions were the result of a ``breakdown in communication'' between race organizers and the company.
■ Soccer
Zidane ready to return
Barring "catastrophe," Zinedine Zidane said in an interview published yesterday that he will return from injury to play for France in its World Cup qualifier next month against Switzerland. The Real Madrid midfielder, who hasn't played since pulling a muscle in France's 1-0 away win at Ireland on Sept. 7, said he expects to return for the Spanish club's match against Mallorca on Sunday. "Except for a last-minute catastrophe, I will be able to play" against the Swiss, Zidane was quoted as saying by sports daily L'Equipe.
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
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