■ SPAIN
Matuzalem loaned to Lazio
Real Zaragoza have agreed to loan their Brazilian midfielder Francelino Matuzalem to Italian side Lazio for one season, the Spanish club said on Friday. “Real Zaragoza have reached an agreement for the season-long loan to Lazio of Francelino Matuzalem. The player will be in Rome to sign an agreement with the Italian club,” Zaragoza said in a statement on their Web site. The 28-year-old joined Zaragoza from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk last year, but had been certain to leave after the Spanish side were relegated. Matuzalem played for Italian sides Brescia, Napoli, Parma and Piacenza before joining Shakhtar in 2004.
■ ENGLAND
Evra charged for brawl
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra and Chelsea groundsman Sam Bethell have been charged with improper conduct following a post-match brawl at Stamford Bridge last season. Evra briefly traded blows with Bethell following Chelsea’s 2-1 win over United on April 26 when members of the London club’s ground staff demanded that several United players, including the French defender, stop their warm-down on the pitch. The United players refused to leave and an angry row broke out between the stars and Chelsea stewards and ground staff. Now Evra will have to answer the FA charge, while Bethell has also been charged with using abusive language aggravated by reference to nationality-race. The FA, who took witness statements during their investigation, could hit Evra with a range of punishments, including a fine or ban.
■ GERMANY
Schweinsteiger keen to stay
Bayern Munich’s international midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on Friday said he was determined to sign a new deal with the German first division champions. The 23-year-old, who has been in negotiations with the club’s management since the end of last season, was speaking as he returned for his first training session under new coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “My first choice will be Bayern. Bayern is my home,” said Schweinsteiger, who came through the club’s youth ranks and has scored 15 goals since making his first team debut in 2002.
■ ENGLAND
Kitson signs for the Potters
Stoke City signed Reading striker Dave Kitson for a club record fee of £5.5 million (US$11 million) on Friday. Kitson agreed a three-year contract after passing a medical at the Britannia Stadium and becomes Stoke’s first signing since they won promotion to the Premier League last season. The 28-year-old scored 54 goals in 111 appearances for Reading, helping the Royals into the Premier League for the first time in their history in 2006. But relegation last season persuaded Kitson that it was time to move on. “I’m delighted to be here and I am very excited about the challenge,” he said.
■ ITALY
Clubs may be docked points
Serie A team Atalanta and Serie B club Livorno could begin next season with six-point penalties if found guilty in a match-fixing probe, Italy’s soccer federation said on Friday. The federation’s prosecutor requested the penalties in a hearing of the disciplinary commission, which is expected to rule next week. The prosecutor also requested suspensions for two players charged with attempting to fix the two league games between their teams last season. Livorno captain David Balleri and Atalanta captain Gian Paolo Bellini could be disqualified for three years and one month.
■ BASKETBALL
Nowitzki shines for Germany
Dirk Nowitzki overcame an early shooting slump to score a game-high 20 points and lead Germany past Brazil 78-65 and into the semi-finals of the Olympic basketball qualifier in Athens on Friday. Greece, Puerto Rico and Croatia also advanced to yesterday’s semis. Germany were to face Croatia and Greece were to play Puerto Rico. The semi-finals winners will qualify for the 12-team Olympic tournament, while the losers will play today for the final berth. While Nowitzki started out shooting 1-for-8, Germany kept itself in the game thanks to its outside shooting. Overall, it made 13-of-26 3-pointers to Brazil’s 3-for-19. Nowitzki is now the tournament’s top scorer, averaging 23.7 after three games.
■ ICE HOCKEY
Toews to captain Hawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are counting on youthful energy to make up for any lack of experience on the part of new captain Jonathan Toews. The National Hockey League (NHL) club on Friday made the 20-year-old Toews the third-youngest player in the history of the league to hold the title of captain. He has played 64 NHL games. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby was appointed captain of the Penguins in May last year at 19 years, 297 days, while Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier took the helm of the Lightning in March 2000 at 19 years, 330 days.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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