■GREECE
Greens make double swoop
Panathinaikos made a double swoop for Olympique Marseille striker Djibril Cisse and Benfica midfielder Kostas Katsouranis on Friday. “Panathinaikos has reached agreement with Djibril Cisse on a four-year contract,” the Greek club said on their Web site. No financial details were released, but media reports said Marseille would receive around 8 million euros (US$11 million) for the player, who will earn about 2.5 million euros a year. Midfielder Katsouranis, a Euro 2004 winner with Greece, has also signed a four-year deal with coach Henk ten Cate’s side. “It’s good that quality players are coming to Greece and the standard of the championship is improving,” the former AEK player told reporters. “That’s what we all want to see. Better entertainment.” Cisse, 27, was given a rapturous reception by more than 2,000 Panathinaikos fans when he arrived at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport on Thursday.
■BRAZIL
Barca swoop for Keirrison
European champions Barcelona have made a big-money offer for Palmeiras striker Keirrison. Brazilian media reported that Barcelona have bid 15 million euros (US$21 million) for the 20-year-old. “The player won’t be considered for Sunday’s [today’s] match against Santos ... and will remain out of the team until the situation is resolved,” the Sao Paulo-based club said on their official Web site on Friday. Keirrison, who was playing for Coritiba when he finished as top scorer in last year’s Brazilian championship, joined former Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo’s Palmeiras in January.
■ENGLAND
Johnson joins Liverpool
Portsmouth have confirmed the transfer of England fullback Glen Johnson to Liverpool for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said on Friday. “Glen’s a fantastic guy and it’s a great opportunity for him to join an outstanding club who can offer him Champions League football,” Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie told the club’s Web site. “We wish him all the best for next season — apart from the two games when we play Liverpool.” The 24-year-old, who has signed a four-year contract, has become an England regular under coach Fabio Capello and has 15 caps for his country. Former Chelsea player Johnson, who began his career with West Ham United, struggled to impress at Stamford Bridge and was loaned to Portsmouth in 2006. The deal was made permanent a year later.
■FRANCE
PSG, Marseille censured
Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille will play one of their next matches in an empty stadium, the French Football Federation (FFF) said on Friday. The measure, previously imposed on a suspended basis, is being enforced to penalize the two French first division teams for the repeated use of flares and smoke bombs by fans, FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes said. “The offense has been committed again, so the suspension is liable to be set aside,” he said, while conceding that other legal procedures still need to be heard.
■SPAIN
Saviola sold to Benfica
Real Madrid have agreed to sell out-of-favor striker Javier Saviola to Benfica for 5 million euros (US$7 million), the two clubs said on Friday. Argentine Saviola, 27, who has barely featured for Real in the past two seasons since joining from Barcelona, has signed a three-year deal with an option for a further season, the Portuguese club said on their Web site.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos. He is not alone. The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs. After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022
In-form teenager Mirra Andreeva on Thursday crashed out of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, after going down in straight sets to fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16. World No. 7 Andreeva, who already has two titles under her belt this season, lost 6-3, 6-2 against the 22nd-ranked Alexandrova in just over an hour. The 17-year-old Andreeva had defeated her elder sister Erika in the previous round on Wednesday, but Alexandrova quickly took control as she claimed her fourth win over a top-10 player this season. The 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in February became the youngest winner of a WTA
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