■ Soccer
Fans attack clubhouse
Scores of fans of Greek soccer club Iraklis attacked the club's headquarters in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Monday, setting fires and damaging property. The fans started a fire with petrol bombs, damaging the building's entrance, before entering the building and ransacking several offices, police said. No one was injured during the incident and no arrests were made. Iraklis supporters' groups are angry at the failure by the club's management to attract new private investors to relieve debts. Iraklis finished in 13th place last season in the 16-team league. The bottom three teams were relegated.
■ Athletics
Powell coming to Rome
World record holder Asafa Powell, who is recovering from a groin injury, has entered the 100m race at Friday's Golden Gala meet in Rome. Powell has not run the 100m since getting injured while still winning at the Jamaican championships on June 23. He withdrew from the Golden League meet in Paris last week. Yesterday, Powell was expected to anchor Jamaica's 4x100m relay team in Lausanne, Switzerland. Despite his return, Powell won't be running against Tyson Gay. Amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius is also coming to Rome. He was invited to run a 400 "B" race before making his official international debut in Sheffield, England, two days later. Pistorius runs with carbon fiber blades below both knees.
■ Soccer
Pavel Nedved may retire
Pavel Nedved may retire after negotiations with Juventus to raise his salary didn't produce any results on Monday. "I'm a little disappointed," Nedved said as he walked out of Juve's offices. "I'm going to go home and think things over." Nedved has one more season remaining on his contract but he is seeking a higher salary. "Three years ago Pavel cut his salary in half," Nedved's agent Mino Raiola told the ANSA news agency without revealing financial details. "And now he finds himself lagging behind compared to other Juventus players. If the proposal remains what it was today, Nedved will quit."
■ Soccer
Victoria Beckham on the air
Victoria Beckham insisted that she's "just a normal girl from London" who happens to be "living quite a surreal life" with her soccer star husband David and their three young boys. Americans will get to judge for themselves when her one-hour network television show, Victoria Beckham: Coming to America, is broadcast on NBC network stations from July 16. It will follow Victoria Beckham as she prepares to move from Europe to the US for her husband's July 21 debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy. "It's funny. People really get to see what I'm really like."
■ Rugby League
Roosters coach quits
Sydney Roosters coach Chris Anderson has quit after the club's 56-0 thrashing by Manly at the weekend, citing stress, chief executive Brian Canavan said yesterday. Anderson will be replaced by assistant Brad Fittler in a caretaker role as the club languishes second last in the table after winning just five of their 16 games this year. "It was a shock, I got a phone call from Chris approximately 7.30pm last night," Canavan told a Sydney radio station. "Chris has always been very honest and very straightforward and he just said he was ringing to let me know he was stepping down from the job [saying] it's a job for a younger coach."
The US’ bid for a fourth consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title came to a stunning end as they fell 1-0 to Panama after a stoppage-time goal from Cecilio Waterman on Thursday in Inglewood, California. Despite dominating possession, the US struggled to break down a resilient Panama side for long periods. Panama spent the bulk of the match defending, but pounced on a giveaway by the US before substitute forward Waterman sent a shot from the right side of the area to the bottom left corner late in stoppage time. Up next for Panama in tomorrow’s final is to be Mexico, who beat
DOMINATION: McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took the first two spots as Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen followed them Australian Oscar Piastri yesterday roared back from season-opening disappointment in his home race by winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two with championship-leading teammate Lando Norris. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint winner Lewis Hamilton fifth and sixth respectively. Piastri’s win denied Norris a third victory in a row, including last year’s Abu Dhabi season-ender, but left champions McLaren unbeaten in two races so far this year. “Mega job guys. The car was very, very lovely,” Piastri said
TO FINAL FOUR: France had 22 chances and scored two goals, while Croatia could not manage a single shot on target in 120 minutes. Les Bleus won 5-4 on penalties France on Sunday overturned a two-goal deficit to qualify for the UEFA Nations League Final Four by eliminating Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a 2-0 victory in their quarter-final second leg at the Stade de France. Dayot Upamecano scored the winning spot kick in a nail-biting shootout in which France keeper Mike Maignan made two saves, sending Les Bleus into the semi-finals against Spain. Michael Olise opened the scoring and Ousmane Dembele doubled their lead 10 minutes from time to send the tie into extra time after their 2-0 loss in Split, Croatia, on Thursday. France had a total of
BRING THE NOISE: Brazil’s Fonseca attracted a boisterous crowd that brought such dominant soccer-style energy the referee switched to Portuguese to ask for quiet Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Monday put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca’s challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest. Attendance on stadium court had been sparse throughout the day, but the Hard Rock Stadium turned into a mini-Maracana Stadium for Fonseca’s match, complete with Brazilian flags and soccer-style chanting. Fonseca brought his energetic brand of ultra-attacking tennis, but De Minaur was up to the challenge, coping with blistering forehands and a partisan crowd. Such was the dominance of Fonseca’s raucous support that the referee switched to Portuguese for his appeals for quiet. However, De