■ENGLAND
Malouda signs new deal
Chelsea’s French international midfielder Florent Malouda signed a four-year contract extension with the FA Cup winners on Tuesday. The 29-year-old, who had two years remaining on his current contract, had been linked with a move to Italian Serie A giants AC Milan despite a generally hugely disappointing spell at Chelsea since joining from French champions Lyon in 2007. “I am staying. I have four years left on my contract,” said Malouda, whose performances improved once Guus Hiddink replaced Luis Felipe Scolari at the club earlier this year. “Every time the transfer window opens there are rumors and I hope in this one people will know what happened.” Promising English under-20 international striker Daniel Sturridge is also set to sign for Chelsea from their English Premier League rivals Manchester City it was announced on Tuesday. The 19-year-old’s present contract at City was due to terminate at the end of this month and he has turned down the offer of a new one from the big-spending club. The ultimate transfer fee for him will be decided by a tribunal, with the two clubs unable to agree on a deal. Chelsea have to pay a transfer fee as Sturridge is under 24 and as a result cannot move for nothing under the Bosman ruling.
■ITALY
Zola bags striker Jimenez
Italian champions Inter’s Chilean international striker Luis Jimenez was snapped up on loan by English Premier League side West Ham United on Tuesday. The 25-year-old — known as the Wizard and capped 20 times — is the first signing for the Hammers’ Italian manager Gianfranco Zola this summer. Jimenez — who hasn’t represented Chile for more than a year — joins on a season-long loan with a view to a possible permanent move. “I can’t promise anything, but I am going to do everything possible to do a good job for the club,” Jimenez told West Ham’s Web site. Jimenez made his name in Italy at Serie B side Ternana, where he scored 25 goals in 88 league appearances between 2002 and 2007.
■SPAIN
Messi outshines Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo may be the world’s most expensive player, but Barcelona star Lionel Messi outshines him in terms of media value, at least according to a team of Spanish researchers. The team from the University of Navarra said the Argentine had ousted the Portuguese striker as the player with the highest profile last season. However, Ronaldo remains the most expensive player, with the researchers valuing him at 82 million euros (US$115 million), less than the world record 93 million euros Real Madrid paid Manchester United for him this month. Messi was next at 80 million euros, followed by Liverpool’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres at 67 million euros.
■CHINA
Tianjin players go on strike
Tianjin Teda players went on strike on Tuesday after being asked to sign new long-term contracts with the Chinese Super League club, local media reported. The players are unhappy at being asked to sign deals of five years for younger players and two years for their more experienced teammates. The club hopes long contracts will prevent players going abroad on free transfers, as happened earlier this year when Shandong Luneng’s Zhou Haibin moved to PSV Eindhoven and Feng Xiaoting left Dalian Shide for South Korea’s Daegu FC. None of Tianjin’s Chinese players turned up for training on Tuesday after negotiations broke down.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
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