ENGLAND
Cole quits internationals
Chelsea leftback Ashley Cole announced on Sunday he was retiring from international soccer after being told he had been left out of England manager Roy Hodgson’s squad for the World Cup. “I got the call from Roy and agree England team should be about the young players,” the 33-year-old Cole told his Twitter followers. “We have a great manager and team, and I wish them only success. I will be supporting them like a true fan. Thanks to everyone for everything,” the 107-time capped Cole added ahead of Hodgson’s official squad announcement yesterday. Cole’s words indicated his failure to hold down a regular first-team spot at Chelsea this season, where he has been displaced by Spain’s Cesar Azpilicueta, had cost him his England career. His omission means that Everton’s Leighton Baines is set to be confirmed as England’s first-choice leftback, with Southampton teenager Luke Shaw providing cover for the 29-year-old.
ENGLAND
Rams grab playoff final spot
Derby County swept into the Championship playoff final as their 4-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in their semi-final second leg sealed a 6-2 aggregate victory on Sunday. Steve McClaren’s team had taken a significant step on the road to Wembley with their 2-1 win in the first leg at the Amex Stadium on Thursday last week and the Rams, bidding to return to the Premier League after a six-year absence, finished the job in ruthless fashion in front of their supporters at the iPro Stadium. Will Hughes opened the scoring in the first half, before strikes from Chris Martin, George Thorne and Jeff Hendrick after the interval capped an eye-catching display from hosts. In the final on May 24, Derby face either Queens Park Rangers or Wigan Athletic, who were due to play the second leg of their semi-final at Loftus Road in London yesterday after a goalless first leg. Kazenga LuaLua got one back for Brighton in the final moments, but they were left with a familiar feeling of frustration after losing in the semi-finals for the second consecutive year.
GERMANY
SC Paderborn 07 promoted
Modest SC Paderborn 07 were promoted to the top tier of the German Bundesliga for the first time on Sunday, as SpVgg Greuther Fuerth were forced to settle for a playoff place. Paderborn, from North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany, won 2-1 at home to VfR Aalen on the final day of the season to clinch second place behind champions Cologne, an excellent second half to the campaign seeing them finish two points clear of Fuerth. Fuerth beat SV 1916 Sandhausen 2-0, but now face a two-legged playoff against Hamburg SV. The first leg of their tie will be played on Thursday in Hamburg, with the return leg on Sunday.
RUSSIA
Anzhi drop to second tier
Anzhi Makhachkala were relegated from the Russian Premier League on Sunday, continuing the fall from grace of the one-time big-spenders who previously boasted the likes of Roberto Carlos and Samuel Eto’o among their ranks. Anzhi’s 1-0 loss to Krasnodar saw the team from the volatile Dagestan region lose their top-flight status after a miserable season in which they picked up just three wins from 29 matches. “We needed to win today, but we could not. We had a lot of chances. We now have the task of trying to get back into the Premier League next season,” Anzhi coach Gadzhi Gadzhiev said. A year ago Anzhi were on the verge of a third-placed finish in the league and dreaming of European competition.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
VALUABLE POINT: Relegation-threatened Valencia snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw at CA Osasuna thanks to a remarkable backheel volley by Umar Sadiq Barcelona on Sunday secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Sociedad to move back top of La Liga. Aritz Elustondo’s early red card gave Hansi Flick’s side a comfortable afternoon, with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the score sheet. Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to temporarily knock the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost at Real Betis Balompie. Flick was able to rotate his side a little ahead of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 visit to face SL Benfica tomorrow and still move one point above Atletico. “There were a lot of things that
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he
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