LA LIGA
Suarez had post-bite blues
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez on Tuesday said he was “very depressed” after the FIFA World Cup biting incident that saw him banned from all soccer activities for four months. Following an appeal hearing last week, Suarez can now train with new club Barcelona and play friendlies, before making his competitive return at the end of October. “I prefer not to look backward,” the former Liverpool man said as he was presented to media at the Camp Nou. “I didn’t want to do anything and I was very depressed,” Suarez said of his state of mind after the biting incident involving Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. “I decided that all I could do was accept reality and say sorry.” Suarez, who was banned for seven matches in 2010 after biting a PSV Eindhoven player while at Ajax, has talked to specialists about his behavior. “I say to fans, don’t worry, because I won’t do that anymore,” he vowed.
PRIMEIRA LIGA
Sporting swap Rojo for Nani
Sporting have agreed to sell Argentina leftback Marcos Rojo to Manchester United, while Nani will move the other way to join the Portuguese side on loan. Sporting said in a statement to Portugal’s Market Securities Commission that the Premier League side would pay 20 million euros (US$26.64 million) for the 24-year-old and the Lisbon club would not pay anything for the one-year loan of Nani. If Rojo is sold on in the future for more than 23 million euros, Sporting will get 20 percent of that fee, it added. Rojo had an excellent FIFA World Cup in Brazil, part of an Argentina defense that conceded only four goals in seven games. Nani, 27, will return to the club he left seven years ago to join United. He had a disappointing last season with United and also underperformed for Portugal at the World Cup.
CUP OF NATIONS
Guinea to play in Morocco
Guinea are to play their home Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo in Morocco, after they were forced to move the tie to a neutral venue following the Ebola outbreak in west Africa. The Group E qualifier will be played in Casablanca on Sept. 5, the Confederation of African Football said on Tuesday. The federation banned Guinea and Sierra Leone from hosting international matches until the middle of next month and the latter are still looking for a venue for their home qualifiers. Sierra Leone’s request to use Accra, the capital of Ghana, has yet to be granted, leaving them in limbo as they prepare for the start of the qualifying group phase for next January’s finals in Morocco. Sierra Leone play their first Group D qualifier away in the Ivory Coast, but then host the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sept. 10.
SERIE A
‘Region racism’ rules eased
Derogatory chanting against regions of Italy will be treated less severely than racial discrimination this season, the Italian Football Federation decided on Monday. The federation’s executive committee voted to change the disciplinary code and exclude so-called “territorial discrimination” from the list of offenses punishable with partial or full stadium closures for a first violation. Instead, it has been listed alongside offenses punishable with fines. Under pressure from FIFA and UEFA, Italy last season imposed tougher sanctions for racially insulting behavior by fans. However, the rule’s inclusion of territorial discrimination sparked a rebellion by fans. Last year, Inter supporters started a campaign inciting all fans to break rules simultaneously so there would be an entire weekend of games played behind closed doors.
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play on Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena last night. “Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our
TWO IN A WEEK: Despite an undefeated start to the year playing alongside Jiang Xinyu of China, Wu Fang-hsien is to play the Australian Open with a Russian partner Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday triumphed at the Hobart International, winning the women’s doubles title at the US$275,094 outdoor hard-court tournament, while McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in the women’s singles. Fourth-ranked Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China took 1 hour, 15 minutes to defeat Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) at the Hobart International Tennis Centre, their second title in a week. Wu and Jiang on Sunday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US. Their winning ways continued in Australia as they stretched
EL CLASSICO: La Liga champions Real Madrid would face Barcelona in the Super Cup final tomorrow. Barca secured their final spot after a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Wednesday Real Madrid would chase a record-equaling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real are to play Barcelona for the trophy tomorrow after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barca a 2-0 win over
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