MAURITIUS
Zhang joins FIFA committee
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Vice President Zhang Jilong has joined the powerful FIFA executive committee, replacing Sri Lankan Vernon Manilal Fernando, who is serving an eight-year ban for unethical behavior. Zhang headed the AFC for nearly two years on an interim basis after FIFA dismissed former AFC president Mohammed bin Hammam for bribery and corruption in 2011. AFC president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain attended his first committee meeting in Mauritius on Tuesday. Fernando joined the committee in 2011, but was provisionally banned in March while the investigating arm of the ethics committee probed alleged misuse of AFC funds.
SWITZERLAND
Basel retain league title
Basel won their fourth successive Swiss Super League title on Wednesday after beating BSC Young Boys 1-0 in the penultimate game of the campaign. A penalty by Fabian Frei was enough to seal the championship in a memorable season that saw them reach the Europa League semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Chelsea. Basel, winning their 16th league title, hold a three-point lead over Grasshoppers, but have a much better goal-difference. However, Grasshoppers can be content that they deprived Basel of the domestic double after beating them in the Swiss Cup final.
ENGLAND
Hughes to lead Stoke City
Premier League Stoke City have appointed Mark Hughes as their new manager in place of his fellow Welshman Tony Pulis, who left the club by mutual consent after seven years in charge last week, the BBC reported yesterday. Former Manchester United striker Hughes was most recently employed by Queens Park Rangers, and has also had spells in charge at Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Fulham. Hughes, 49, was sacked by QPR in November last year after a miserable start to last season with his team the only club in England’s four professional divisions not to record a win.
ENGLAND
Ron Davies dies at 70
Southampton great Ron Davies, twice the leading scorer in the old First Division, died on the eve of his 71st birthday, the club’s Web site announced on Wednesday. Davies, who played 29 times for Wales, was renowned for his heading ability and famously scored four headers against Manchester United in August 1969. Southampton spent what was then a club record of ￡55,000 (US$83,362) for him before the 1966-1967 season. It was a shrewd investment, as he scored 12 goals in 10 games to finish top scorer with 37 goals. He ended his seven years there in 1973 with 134 goals in 240 appearances. His career never knew similar heights again. Davies moved to the US and coached children, but lived under financial straits — at the age of 65 he had to work on construction sites to make ends meet. However, his status at the club was summed up in the words: “The King is dead.”
SPAIN
Pellegrini likely to head City
Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini on Wednesday said that he has a verbal agreement with Manchester City to succeed Roberto Mancini. “As of today, I don’t have a signed contract. Until things have been signed, you cannot say everything is completely done,” he said in an interview with Canal Sur. However, it seems certain that Pellegrini will take charge of City after guiding Malaga to within a whisker of the Champions League semi-finals.
SSC Napoli’s Italian Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale with closest rivals Inter just one point behind. The hosts remain top with 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday, with two rounds remaining. To make matters worse for Napoli, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, struggling with an ankle injury, was forced off just minutes after the match began. Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Taiwanese e-sports veteran Lin “ET” Chia-hung yesterday successfully defended his King of Fighters XV title at this year’s Evolution Championship Series: Japan (EVO Japan), securing his second consecutive championship. Lin claimed victory with a 3-1 win over Japanese pro gamer “mok” in the grand final, repeating his earlier 3-1 win against the same opponent in the winners’ final. The 40-year-old earned a ￥1 million (US$6,897) cash prize at the two-day tournament, which drew 294 competitors. Mok, Lin’s toughest rival in the bracket, took home ￥400,000 as runner-up. Lin remains undefeated in match sets against mok in King of Fighters XV, holding a 10-0 record,
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