FIFA
Two under house arrest
Two Argentine businessmen arrested last week in a sweeping probe of alleged corruption at FIFA were placed under house arrest on Wednesday pending a decision on extraditing them to the US. Father and son sports marketing executives Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, the owners of the company Full Play, are among the 14 people indicted by the US in its investigation into graft at the heart of world soccer’s governing body. Judge Claudio Bonadio rejected their request to be released and granted them house arrest with bail payments of 4 million pesos (US$440,000) for Hugo Jinkis and 8 million pesos for Mariano. The duo handed themselves in to authorities in Buenos Aires on Thursday last week. An Argentine-Italian businessman indicted in the case, Alejandro Burzaco, turned himself in two days earlier in Italy and is also under house arrest outside Milan. All three executives are accused of bribing top soccer officials to win the rights to lucrative broadcast deals.
TURKEY
Eto’o to sign for Antalyspor
Former Cameroon international striker Samuel Eto’o is set to join newly promoted Turkish side Antalyaspor from UC Sampdoria of Italy, the Turkish club said on Wednesday. Antalyaspor finished fifth in the Turkish first division, but won promotion to the Super Lig after winning the playoffs. Clearly intent on making an impact in the Super Lig, Antalyaspor sent a private jet to Italy with executives to negotiate with Eto’o and then fly him back to Turkey. “An agreement has been reached in principle with the footballer Samuel Eto’o,” Antalyaspor said in a statement, adding that the plane flying him to Turkey would land in Istanbul on Wednesday evening. Financial details have not yet been disclosed. Turkey is the latest stop in Eto’o’s eclectic career, which has seen him perform for the likes of Barcelona, Inter and Chelsea. He also played between 2011 and 2013 for Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, before the owner pulled the plug on its ambitions. He had signed for Sampdoria earlier this year. Antalyaspor coach Yusuf Simsek described the transfer of Eto’o as “very good and very useful.”
RUSSIA
Coach stays ‘for the moment’
Under fire national team coach Fabio Capello will remain in his job “for the moment,” his bosses said on Wednesday, although his fate could be sealed within the next two weeks. The former England, Real Madrid and AC Milan coach took over the national team in July 2012, but he has come under pressure after a series of poor results left their qualification for Euro 2016 in trouble. “Fabio Capello has not been sacked. For the moment, he remains in charge,” Russia Football Union (RFU) president Nikita Simonian said. “We are going to talk to Mr Capello to see whether he leaves or stays in charge of the team.” Those talks are expected to take place within the next two weeks. RFU executive committee member Sergey Anokhin said it was vital that a less expensive compensation package be negotiated with Capello, who is believed to be entitled to 21.4 million euros (US$23.96 million) if his contract is canceled. “Very soon, this farce is going to end. We will find an agreement with Mr Capello for a reduction in the amount,” Anokhin said. “I am convinced that even he no longer wants to work with the team.” On Monday, billionaire Alisher Usmanov announced that he had lent the RFU 300 million rubles (US$5.49 million) to pay Capello’s salary. With just eight points, Russia trail second-placed Sweden by four points with only the top two going to Euro 2016 automatically.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
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