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.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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