FRANCE
Lille beat Nantes
Nolan Roux scored as Lille beat Nantes 1-0 on Friday to pull within a point of leader Paris Saint-Germain in the French league. Roux slid home a low cross from Ronny Rodelin in the 41st minute, although replays showed the Lille striker was just offside. Lille kept a sixth straight clean sheet to provisionally climb to second place, one point clear of Monaco. The result ended Nantes’ four-match winning streak. The promoted side provisionally remained in fourth place, five points off the pace.
GERMANY
Stuttgart still unbeaten
VfB Stuttgart continued their unbeaten run under new coach Thomas Schneider on Friday, climbing to sixth with a 1-1 home draw against Nuremberg, who are still looking for their first Bundesliga win of the season. Bosnia international Vedad Ibisevic converted a third-minute penalty before Nuremberg leveled three minutes later through Josip Drmic following a fine through ball from Timothy Chandler. Stuttgart, who have gone seven games without defeat since Schneider took over from Bruno Labbadia, were the better side. They hit the post through Ibrahima Traore, while Austrian Martin Harnik also missed two golden chances for the hosts in the first half. Nuremberg, with Dutch coach Gertjan Verbeek in charge for the first time, came agonizingly close when Daniel Ginczek fired wide from close range. Stuttgart have 13 points from 10 games, 10 behind leaders Bayern Munich, while third-from-bottom Nuremberg are on seven points.
SPAIN
Valladolid cruise to victory
Valladolid cruised to a 3-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano on Friday for their second win of the season through 10 rounds of the Spanish league. Valladolid’s pressure frustrated Rayo’s normally energetic attack, while their forwards took full advantage of the their few scoring opportunities. Patrick Ebert opened in the 31st minute with an inspired effort. The German midfielder controlled a lobbed pass, cut back to shed two defenders and unleashed a long left-foot strike into the far corner of the net. Striker Javi Guerra added a second goal in the 39th when Valladolid beat Rayo’s offside trap on the break. Daniel Larsson replaced Ebert at halftime and sealed the win three minutes later when he scored.
UNITED KINGDOM
Fergie could return: Wenger
Alex Ferguson could return to a job in soccer management despite his retirement at the end of last season, according to his old adversary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. “In six months we will know more about that. You cannot rule it completely out,” Wenger was quoted as saying about the former Manchester United manager by British media on Friday. “It is difficult to take a drug for 30 years and suddenly get rid of it.” Earlier this week, Ferguson published his autobiography, which included a chapter about his French rival called “Competing with Wenger.” “We have gone through some years that were a bit more difficult, but honestly, in our job, it is quite simple just to think about tomorrow or the next game, and that is it,” said Wenger, who celebrated his 64th birthday on Tuesday. Wenger, now the longest-serving manager still working in the Premier League, having joined the north London club in September 1996, had not yet read the autobiography, but added: “It looks like Ferguson had prepared his book while he was managing. I suspect he had written some of it at home at night, remembering things and thinking: ‘That goes into my book!’
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which offers Taiwanese athletes an opportunity to compete against their international peers, would be held under a new name after its organizers had earlier announced the event’s cancelation. In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association said the competition would still take place on June 6-7 at Banciao Stadium, but under the name “New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.” The event was given a new name to emphasize its local identity and conform with the international practice of naming World Athletics Tour events after cities, the association said. It said it would soon
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