■ CYPRUS
Police arrest club president
The president of league side Anorthosis has been arrested in a probe into embezzlement allegations raised by fellow board members, police said yesterday. Andreas Panteli, 48, was arrested late on Friday to help investigators with their inquiries into financial mismanagement involving 1 million euros (US$1.3 million), a Cyprus police statement said. “Police are investigating a case of forgery, distribution of forged documents, theft, obtaining money under false pretenses and trying to cover it up,” the statement said, adding that police also searched the business premises of the high-profile soccer figure. Panteli was expected to appear in court later yesterday where authorities will request that the suspect remain in custody until detectives complete their investigation. The offenses are said to have taken place between August and this month.
■ GERMANY
Pantelic hits Hertha’s winner
Marko Pantelic came off the bench to score a late winner on Friday as Hertha Berlin beat promoted FC Cologne 2-1 to provisionally rise to second place in the Bundesliga. Pantelic, easily Berlin’s highest scorer in the past two seasons, had been relegated to the bench by coach Lucien Favre. With Hertha struggling against Cologne, Pantelic came on in the 69th minute and scored in the 86th minute after earlier having a goal disallowed for a dubious offside call. Gojko Kacar put Berlin ahead in the 24th minute following a pass from Andriy Voronin. But Milivoje Novakovic headed in the equalizer shortly before halftime for his ninth goal of the season.
■ PORTUGAL
Leixoes held by Naval
Leaders Leixoes were held 1-1 at home by Naval who scored a last-gasp equalizer through Michel Simplicio in the Portuguese Premier League on Friday. The northern side remain top with 23 points from 10 matches, but second-placed Benfica, who have 21 points, can grab top spot if they beat visitors Vitoria Setubal tomorrow. Leixoes took the lead when Ze Manel tapped home a cross from the right after 73 minutes, but Brazilian substitute Simplicio equalized with a deflected shot from outside the area in stoppage time. Naval are eighth with 12 points.
■ ARGENTINA
Three fans shot in Cordoba
Three supporters suffered gunshot wounds, one seriously, after violence erupted between fans at an Argentine second division game in Cordoba, 700km north of Buenos Aires, on Thursday, police said on Friday. The shootings took place during the second half of the match between Belgrano de Cordoba and Tiro Federal de Rosario. Last weekend, two fans were shot dead as trouble flared at a first division game between Santa Fe and Buenos Aires.
■ CHILE
Marcelo Salas retires
Former Chile and Lazio striker Marcelo Salas, who scored a record 37 goals for his country, has retired at the age of 33. “I had a meeting today with Marcelo and he said he had decided not to carry on playing,” Universidad de Chile director Federico Valdes said in a television interview on Friday. “Marcelo’s last professional match was against Cobreloa the other Sunday when he scored two goals.”Salas helped Chile qualify for the 1998 World Cup, their first appearance in the finals for 16 years, and netted four goals as they reached the last 16. He then moved to Lazio where he spent three seasons and helped the Italian team win Serie A.
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
Armand Duplantis will be among the reigning Olympic champions adding star power to the world indoor championships this weekend when the Chinese city of Nanjing hosts the first major global athletics meet since the Paris Games last year. The three-day event was originally slated for 2020 and faced multiple postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Nanjing’s Sports Training Center would finally welcome more than 570 athletes for the start of the showpiece today. One of the main attractions would be pole vaulter “Mondo” Duplantis, who soared 6.27m to break the world record for a staggering 11th time in Clermont-Ferrand last
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