BELGIUM
Januzaj opts for Belgium
Manchester United’s teenage winger Adnan Januzaj has ended months of speculation by choosing to represent Belgium at international level, national coach Marc Wilmots revealed on Wednesday. The 19-year-old — who has been at United since he was 16 and has made several eye-catching performances this season — could have played for Albania, Turkey, Kosovo, Serbia or even England. However, his decision means he is available for selection for Belgium for this year’s World Cup finals. “I have received the official confirmation that Adnan Januzaj is available for selection for Belgium for the rest of his career!” tweeted Wilmots, who has guided Belgium to their first World Cup finals since 2002. “It is good news and I am overjoyed that a talented player is available for selection for the Red Devils.” Januzaj is of Kosovar descent, but was born in Belgium and came through the RSC Anderlecht academy before leaving for England.
ENGLAND
Reds unveil Anfield plans
Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday published plans for the redevelopment of their Anfield home that would raise the stadium’s capacity from 45,276 to about 54,000. The club plan to add 8,500 seats to the arena’s Main Stand, which would also become the new home of the memorial to the 96 Liverpool fans killed in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. Liverpool have also presented separate “outline proposals” to expand the Anfield Road stand by adding about 4,800 extra seats. The club expect to submit a planning application to Liverpool City Council at the end of the season, with a view to starting construction work on the Main Stand early next year. Liverpool have played at Anfield since their foundation in 1892.
ENGLAND
FA charges Chelsea trio
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, his assistant Rui Faria and midfielder Ramires have been charged by the Football Association (FA) over their conduct during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. The FA said Mourinho’s post-match comments “constitute improper conduct, in that they call into question the integrity of the referee.” Faria has been charged with two counts of misconduct for an alleged use of “abusive and/or insulting words” toward the fourth official and his behavior after being asked by the referee to leave the technical area. Ramires struck Sebastian Larsson with a flailing arm in an off-the-ball incident that match officials missed, but a panel of former elite referees reviewed the video evidence and “were unanimous that it was an act of violent conduct.”
GERMANY
Nuremberg sack Verbeek
Bundesliga strugglers Nuremberg announced on Wednesday they had sacked coach Gertjan Verbeek after just 184 days in charge. The decision to fire the 51-year-old Dutchman follows Sunday’s 4-1 home to defeat to Bayer 04 Leverkusen that kept the club second from bottom of the league and set to be relegated. Under-23 coach Roger Prinzen is to take over as coach on an interim basis.
CYPRUS
Supporter loses an eye
Police said a 27-year-old man has lost an eye after fans of Cyprus’ top two teams threw rocks at each other before a key championship match. Police spokesman Andreas Angelides said on Wednesday that nine fans and six police officers were also injured during the incident. The violence occurred along a highway leading to the capital Nicosia shortly before APOEL played AEL on Tuesday.
Five-time champion Novak Djokovic on Saturday tumbled out of the Indian Wells ATP Masters, falling in his first match to lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp as two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz advanced. “No excuses for a poor performance,” 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic said after 37 unforced errors in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 defeat. “It doesn’t feel great when you play this way on the court,” he said. “But congratulations to my opponent — just a bad day in the office, I guess, for me.” Djokovic is just the latest in Van de Zandschulp’s string of superstar victims. He
Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday held their nerve to beat Liverpool 4-1 on penalties and reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after their tie finished one-apiece on aggregate, while Bayern Munich saw off Bayer 04 Leverkusen to complete a 5-0 win over both legs. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha fired Barcelona into the next round as the Catalans bested SL Benfica 3-1, and Inter booked a last-eight meeting with Bayern by seeing off Feyenoord 2-1. At Anfield, Ousmane Dembele netted the only goal of the night as PSG bounced back from Liverpool’s late winner last week to force the tie to extra-time and penalties. Maligned
Taiwanese badminton player Lin Chun-yi had to settle for silver in the men’s singles at the Orleans Masters in France on Sunday after losing in the final to his French opponent. The 25-year-old Lin, ranked world No. 14, lost to Alex Lanier 13-21, 18-21 in a match that lasted 42 minutes at the Palais des Sports arena. It was the first time that the two players were facing each other in their professional careers. In the opener, Lin was slow to warm up, which gave the 20-year-old Lanier an opportunity to take an early lead with seven consecutive points. Despite
Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi on Wednesday inflicted a first-round defeat on former badminton world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen at the All England Open. Lin came out of top after a back-and-forth first game before Axelsen dominated the second, but the Dane was not able to keep that form in the decider as Lin reeled off six points in a row on the way to a 21-19, 13-21, 21-11 victory. “If I don’t play my best, everyone can win against me,” said Axelsen, the world No. 4. “Today’s opponent played a fantastic game; it was disappointing, but that is how it is.” “I just tried
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