■ WALES
UEFA skeptical over plan
European soccer's governing body UEFA has expressed skepticism at controversial plans to boost Welsh involvement in the Champions League. Welsh soccer officials confirmed earlier this week that they were considering letting Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham field teams in the Welsh league while also maintaining their current positions in the English leagues. The proposals are aimed at giving Wales' top three sides a chance of reaching the qualifying stages of the Champions League at the expense of their less well-funded rivals in the Welsh league.
■ SPAIN
Mallorca tame Real Madrid
Juan Arango's second-half strike gave Real Mallorca a slender advantage after they beat Primera Liga leaders Real Madrid 2-1 at home in the first leg of their King's Cup last-16 tie on Thursday. Mallorca's Argentine striker Oscar Trejo stabbed home from close range at a corner in the 23rd minute, but two minutes later compatriot Gonzalo Higuain lashed a superb volley high into the net to level the scores. The home side had a good shout for a penalty waved away, but early in the second half Venezuelan forward Arango fired in a long range effort to put the 2003 winners back in front. Atletico Madrid may be left to rue their poor finishing after being held to a 0-0 home draw by Valladolid.
■ ENGLAND
Kitson to appear in court
Dave Kitson, striker with English Premier League side Reading, is to appear in court after he was arrested for an alleged drunk-driving offense. Kitson, 27, has been accused of failing to give a breath sample and failing to cooperate in providing a sample after being stopped by officers near his home in the village of Shinfield, near Reading, southwest of London in the early hours of Wednesday morning. A Reading Football Club spokesman said: "We can confirm that a player has been arrested in connection with a drink-driving allegation and is due to appear in court."
■ ENGLAND
Briatore lauds fair play
Renault Formula One Team boss and Queens Park Rangers co-owner Flavio Briatore has blasted the Italian soccer world and lauded the sport in Britain for its fair play and meritocracy. "Here you are on market and you play in a clean competition, where the rules have no shadowy areas," he told the Italian edition of GQ magazine when asked why he bought into an English Championship (second division) club instead of one in his homeland. "It's a challenge with only one yardstick: merit. That's why there are investors from all over the world here, while in [soccer in] Italy, there is not even one."
■ TRINIDAD
Maturana made manager
Francisco Maturana, who led Colombia to two World Cup appearances, has been selected as the new manager of Trinidad and Tobago's national team. Maturana, who coached Colombia in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, will begin leading the twin-island Caribbean country's side early next month in time for a friendly against Guadeloupe on Feb. 6, said Jack Warner, special adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. Warner told local reporters that Maturana will replace the suspended Wim Rijsbergen as the Soca Warriors manager. "I know Rijsbergen will not be back here -- since he left he has not contacted anybody. We needed the best available coach and I went for the best," Warner said.
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
A baseball team from New Taipei City won the US Pony Palomino Division World Series yesterday in Laredo, Texas, defeating the US West representative team from Azusa, California, 2-1. Ku-Pao Home Economics and Commercial High School earned the right to represent Taiwan in the Pony Palomino (17 to 18 age group) World Series after winning this year's Wang Chen-chih Cup, a competition named after Taiwanese-Japanese baseball legend Wang Chen-chih (王貞治), also known as Sadaharu Oh. In the championship game against Azusa, Ku-Pao's starting pitcher Luo Yu-yan (羅于晏) was erratic early, giving up two hits in the bottom of the first inning, followed
Taiwanese pitcher Teng Kai-wei took the mound in New York on Saturday as the starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants in his MLB season debut against the New York Mets, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing five runs. The Taiwanese right-hander struggled early, giving up three runs in the bottom of the first inning, including a three-run homer to Mets slugger Pete Alonso — his 250th career home run. However, Teng was not fazed and soon found his footing, holding the Mets scoreless in the bottom of the second and third innings. Meanwhile, Mets starter Kodai Senga of Japan made a few errors
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