Barca forward Suarez back in training before Cup final
Barcelona
forward Luis Suarez has returned to training with his team mates,
suggesting he will be able to play a part in Saturday's King's Cup final
against Athletic Bilbao after two weeks out with a hamstring problem.
The
Uruguay international sustained the injury in the Champions League
semi-final, second leg at Bayern Munich and missed Barca's final two La
Liga games, including the 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid when they secured a
fifth title in seven years.
"All the available players from the
first team trained," Barca said on their website (www.fcbarcelona.es) on
Wednesday. "Luis Suarez worked with them without yet being given the
medical all clear."
Barca are chasing a treble of titles and
after hosting Bilbao at the Nou Camp, when they will bid for a
record-extending 27th domestic cup crown, they take on Juventus in the
Champions League final in Berlin on June 6.
The Catalan giants are the only Spanish club to have won the treble, achieving the feat under Pep Guardiola in 2008-09.
Suarez
had a slow start at Barca after his ban for biting an opponent at the
World Cup expired at the end of October but has been in impressive form
since the turn of the year.
The 28-year-old has scored 24 goals
in 41 appearances in all competitions this season and has also laid on
16 assists, developing a fine understanding with fellow South American
forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Six soccer officials were arrested in Zurich on Wednesday and detained
pending extradition to the United States over suspected corruption at
soccer's governing body FIFA, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FCOJ)
said in a statement.
The New York Times said they were
high-ranking FIFA officials and were in Switzerland for the FIFA
Congress where incumbent Sepp Blatter faces a challenge from Jordan's
Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein in a presidential election on Friday.
"The US authorities suspect them of having received bribes totalling in the USD millions," said the statement.
"The
arrest warrants were issued further to a request by the US authorities.
The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York is
investigating these individuals on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes
and kick-backs between the early 1990s and the present day.
"The
bribery suspects -- representatives of sports media and sports
promotion firms -- are alleged to have been involved in schemes to make
payments to the soccer officials -- delegates of FIFA and other
functionaries of FIFA sub-organizations -- totaling more than $100
million.
"In return, it is believed that they received media,
marketing, and sponsorship rights in connection with soccer tournaments
in Latin America.
"According to the US request, these crimes were agreed and prepared in the US, and payments were carried out via US banks.
The statement said the detainees would be questioned by Zurich police regarded the U.S. request.
"A
simplified procedure will apply for wanted persons who agree to their
immediate extradition. The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) can
immediately approve their extradition to the US and order its execution.
"However,
if a wanted person opposes their extradition, the FOJ will invite the
US to submit a formal extradition request within the deadline of 40 days
specified in the bilateral extradition treaty."
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) warned against jumping to conclusions following the arrest of its former president Jose Maria Marin in connection with a major corruption scandal on Wednesday. The CBF admitted in a statement from Rio de Janeiro that the allegations were serious, but abstained from "any judgment that condemns or declares anyone innocent" before the courts do. Marin was CBF president till last month. He was repeatedly linked to corruption allegations and the misappropriation of public funds in the 1970s and 1980s. "The CBF's new leadership, active since April 16, 2015, stresses its commitment to truth and transparency," the statement said. In Zurich, CBF president Marco Polo del Nero said he knew nothing of the allegations against his predecessor and said he heard of the arrest through Marin's wife. "I have to assess what has happened. I need to know [Marin's] behaviour, I have no idea," Del Nero said. US officials are investigating among others the deal between the CBF and US sportswear giant Nike, but Del Nero dismissed that contract as something that happened "in 2000 or who knows when." At the time, the CBF was led by Ricardo Teixeira, who led the confederation 1989-12 and stepped down amid previous corruption allegations. Del Nero did admit that the arrest hurts the CBF's image. "Of course it's not good, it's awful, but we need to know what has happened," he said.
BT Sport has agreed a deal to broadcast every play-off game from this season's Scottish Premiership live across the UK.
The channel, which already broadcasts league games from Scotland, will show all six games under the new format, which was introduced last season.
The teams finishing third and fourth in the second-tier Scottish Championship will play a two-legged quarter final, before the winner plays the team which finishes second in the Championship in a two-legged semi-final. The victor will take on the 11th placed finisher in the Premiership for a place in next season's top-tier.
The presence of Rangers, currently third in the Scottish Championship table, in the play-offs is likely to increase interest in this year's end-of-season fixtures. Neil Doncaster, SPFL chief executive, said: "We're delighted this exclusive deal with BT Sport allows us to move our live TV coverage on to another level. Last season the final was broadcast live but for this season we will see all six Scottish Premiership Play-Off matches live on BT Sport.
BBC Alba, a Gaelic-language service, will broadcast both legs of the Championship play-off final, while BBC Scotland will have television highlights and live radio commentary of the Premiership play-offs.
Honda's double MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez underwent surgery on
Saturday after fracturing the little finger on his left hand in a
training accident while riding a dirt bike in Spain.
Honda said
in a statement that the 22-year-old's participation in his home Spanish
Grand Prix in Jerez next week had not been ruled out.
Marquez is
fifth in the championship with 36 points after three races, with
Yamaha's Valentino Rossi leading on 66 points thanks to two victories.
Honda
said the rider, who broke his leg in a crash before the start of last
season while training on a dirt track bike, went to hospital in
Barcelona on Saturday morning and a subsequent X-ray showed the
fracture.
"We decided to treat the injury, as we would in the
case of any other patient, by fixing a titanium plate to his finger,"
said doctor Xavier Mir.
"This will allow us to initiate functional recovery after 24 hours and give him a chance of racing at Jerez."
Marquez's
Repsol Honda team already have Spaniard Dani Pedrosa out of action
after surgery to fix an arm problem, with Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama
standing in for him.
New
Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven remained on course for a record-breaking
season after Juergen Locadia scored a last-minute winner to secure a 3-2
triumph at Excelsior Rotterdam on Saturday.
PSV, who secured the
championship last weekend, have now tied the club record of 27
victories in a season and can also break their record haul of 85 points.
Saturday's
win put them on 82 points with two matches to go. It also stretched to
15 points their lead over second-placed Ajax Amsterdam who visit PEC
Zwolle on Sunday.
Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay also
scored as PSV, who had Nicolas Isimat-Mirin sent off in the second half,
came back from a goal down.
Depay now has 21 goals this season, two more than team mate Luuk de Jong in the race to finish as the league's leading marksman.
Defeat
for Excelsior left them one place above the relegation playoff zone
after Heracles Almelo moved above them with a 3-1 victory at NAC Breda
who remain third from bottom.
A 2-0 home defeat for second from
bottom Go Ahead Eagles against Utrecht means relegation is almost
certain for them. Frenchman Sebastien Haller netted both goals.
Heerenveen were held to a 1-1 home draw by Willem II Tilburg in Saturday's other encounter.
German soccer champions Bayern Munich have extended their kit supply deal with Adidas until 2030.
The
Bundesliga club and the German sportswear giant have agreed a ten-year
extension to their existing deal, which runs until 2020. Adidas will
continue to supply Bayern with matchday and training wear, and create
replica merchandise for supporters.
According to reports,
Adidas will commit €900 million (US$990 million) across its new term.
The Herzogenrauch-based company holds an 8.33 per cent stake in the
club, while outgoing Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer is a Bayern
vice chairman.
Adidas senior director of public relations
Oliver Brüggen said: "With this extension of the contract until 2030
Adidas will continue its long partnership with FC Bayern München.
"We
will focus even more closely in future on partnerships with selected
top clubs and associations in international football and with young
emerging players."
Bayern Munich, who have already
clinched a third consecutive German title and will face Barcelona in the
semi-finals of the Uefa Champions League, missed out on the chance of a
second treble in three years when they were beaten on penalties in the
semi-final of the DFB Pokal by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
England's Football Association (FA) is reportedly set to sign a three-year title sponsorship deal with Emirates for the FA Cup.
According to several media outlets in the UK, including the Guardian and the Daily Mail, Dubai-based carrier will pay UK£10 million (US$15.38 million) a season to rebrand the world's oldest soccer competition as the Emirates FA Cup. It will be the first time the cup has had a title sponsor, although it has had exclusive presenting partnerships with the likes of E.On and Littlewoods and was known as the Axa-Sponsored FA Cup from 1998 to 2002.
The FA, which is believed to be discussing a provisional agreement at a board meeting today, has so far denied claims that a deal has been completed. It released a statement that discussions are ongoing with 'a number of parties'. The FA Cup has been without a lead sponsor this season for the first time since 2006, when it was backed by a group of brands under a different commercial structure. Budweiser ended its presenting sponsorship of the competition when its UK£9 million (US$19.34 million) a year contract expired at the end of last season, and has since returned as an official beer partner.
Holders Arsenal will play Aston Villa in this year's FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on 30th May
According to reports in France, French
soccer club LOSC Lille will sign a sponsorship deal with New Balance to
replace Nike as their official kit supplier.
Lille's
deal with US sports manufacturer Nike expires in June 2016 and it is
thought the Ligue 1 side would favour signing a kit deal with another
American supplier. Reports suggest a deal with New Balance would be at
least six years in length.
If Lille confirm an agreement
with New Balance, it would mark the American sportswear brand's debut in
French soccer's top flight.
Lille would be joining a
host of other soccer clubs to have penned kit supply deals with New
Balance, which re-branded from Warrior Sports in 2014. These include the
likes of Liverpool FC, Celtic FC and FC Porto, in addition to the Costa
Rica and Panama national soccer teams.
Lille play at the ultra-modern Stade Pierre-Mauroy stadium and are currently eighth in the Ligue 1 table.
The Football Association (FA), the governing body of soccer in
England, has agreed a four-year deal with collectible sticker and
trading card company Panini.
The partnership will see
members of the England national soccer team appear in their official kit
in Panini sticker-book collections for the first time since Uefa Euro
1996.
The FA will create a 'swap shop' in the family
enclosure of Wembley Stadium where fans can complete their collections,
and experience the latest Panini products.
The England
team will feature in a range of products sold across the world,
featuring global stars such as Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Jack Wilshere.
The first collectable series, following the team on their quest to
qualify for UEFA Euro 2016 in France, will be distributed globally and
will appeal to England fans everywhere.
In addition to
traditional football stickers and trading cards, Panini's expansion in
other product areas will bring the addition of an array of other
merchandise, including 3D collectables, digital and multi-media format
collections.
Stuart Turner, the commercial director of
The FA, said: "As The FA continues to make significant moves on an
international scale, the aligned global plans and expansion is a perfect
fit. Working with Panini following their recent successes at the Fifa
World Cup in 2014 is a particularly exciting opportunity for The FA.
"As
the governing body of football, this partnership will enable The FA to
invest in developing more opportunities for people of all ages to play
at the grassroots as well as connecting fans with their England heroes -
whether first-time or seasoned collectors."
Peter
Warsop, the Panini group licensing director, added: "Panini is dedicated
to its collectors and their aspirations to get authentic and official
products; The FA agreement completes an important piece of the jigsaw in
that as well as the official tournament rights, for such things as Euro
2016, England joins other federations to ensure 100 per cent
authenticity."
Panini was founded in 1961 and now distributes to more than 120 countries.
FC Barcelona star Neymar has signed a deal to become the face - and mouth - of Listerine across Brazil.
The
23-year old will appear in national advertising campaigns over the next
two years, after striking the deal with parent company Johnson &
Johnson's Brazil division. Neymar announced the news on his Facebook
page.
"We bet on Neymar for his charisma and [ability] to
be an amplifier, contributing to the brand's growth," said Ronaldo Art,
Johnson & Johnson Brazil's consumer manager.
Listerine joins a roster of Neymar partners which includes Volkswagen, Claro, Panasonic, PokerStars, Nike and Rexona.
Once
his FC Barcelona commitments are complete this season, Neymar is
expected to play for Brazil in June's Copa America, which will take
place in Chile.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini hailed his team's spirit and
belief after Saturday's 3-2 win over Aston Villa and said those
qualities had been lacking in recent Premier League games.
The
champions let slip a two-goal lead, given them by Sergio Aguero and
Aleksandar Kolarov, as Villa pegged the hosts back with second-half
strikes from Tom Cleverley and Carlos Sanchez.
Fernandinho then
stabbed home the winner in the 89th minute to save City's blushes and
help them leapfrog Arsenal and Manchester United into second place.
It
was a cruel blow for Villa, who had enjoyed the lion's share of
possession, and Pellegrini said it was the result and not the
performance that mattered.
"Today we didn't play as well but we
had the spirit and fight to win in the last five minutes despite their
late equaliser," the Chilean told the BBC.
"The results are
always more important than the performances but I think we normally play
well. Today we showed the spirit and the belief that perhaps we have
not had in other games when we have had more possession.
"I was not satisfied with the way we played today but sometimes you need different things to win games." http://www.goalzz.com
Lewis Hamilton is still the richest sportsman in Britain with a
fortune of £88m but Wayne Rooney has overtaken Jenson Button to sit
second in the 2015 Sunday Times Sport Rich List.
Formula 1 champion Hamilton, 30, lives as a tax exile in Monaco and his wealth has increased by £20m since last year.
Manchester United and England captain Rooney's overall wealth is up by £12m to £72m, £1m ahead of F1 driver Button.
Tennis player Andy Murray is now fourth with amassed earnings valued at £48m.
The 27-year-old Scot, who was a
2015 Australian Open finalist,
overtook QPR defender Rio Ferdinand, whose earnings total £44m.
Next is Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who is valued at £42m and will leave Merseyside to
join LA Galaxy
at the end of the season.
Rooney, 29, is set to join former Manchester United
midfielder and ex-England captain David Beckham as the only British
footballer to amass a fortune of more than £100m.
In seventh, basketballer
Luol Deng,
30, is the highest-placed Briton based in the United States.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is the richest manager in
Britain with a fortune of £40m, £2m ahead of Arsenal boss Arsene
Wenger,
who he faces on Sunday
in the Premier League.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, 25, has amassed £10m in the last year after success in the
Open Championship
and the
US PGA Championship
to also take his earnings to £38m.
He is tied in 10th with Wenger, Manchester United assistant manager Ryan Giggs and veteran golfer Sir Nick Faldo.
Here's an interesting one... Fleetwood Town, who have
enjoyed a momentous Bournemouth-style rise of their own (going from
North West Counties to League One in a decade), have announced a
"partnership" with Uzbekistan Premier League side Lokomotiv Tashkent.
The deal, which will see the clubs co-operate in commercial activities, reports the Blackpool Gazette, could see Uzbek players visiting the UK to train with Fleetwood - and vice versa.
Fleetwood are expected to travel to Tashkent on a pre-season tour next summer.http://www.bbc.com
Christian Benteke's agent
says there has no been interest in his client and that the in-form
Belgium striker is only focused on his Aston Villa career.
Getty ImagesBenteke
has been in sparkling form since Tim Sherwood became Villa manager in
February, scoring nine goals in his last eight appearances after
managing only three until then for previous boss Paul Lambert.That form has led to speculation that Liverpool and Manchester United might make a bid for the frontman.But
Benteke's agent Eris Kismet told Sky Sports News: "At the moment, there
is no interest. Every player and staff member is concentrated on
avoiding relegation, anything else is just a distraction."http://www.bbc.com
Bournemouth look certain to reach the top flight for the first time in
their 125-year history after Monday's 3-0 win over Bolton all but
completed a remarkable rise from football's abyss to the top of the
game.
The seaside club, whose 11,700-capacity Goldsands
Stadium will be the smallest in Premier League history, began 2008-09 on
minus-17 points in League Two because of administration and now are set
to celebrate their place in football's top tier.
Chairman Jeff Mostyn said promotion
for a club who were 24 hours from liquidation in 2008 "would be the
greatest fairytale since Hans Christian Andersen wrote his last one",
but is he right?
BBC Sport takes a look at some of the other clubs to
have overcome the odds and whether their experiences give hope to the
Cherries next season.
http://www.bbc.com
Sporting Lokeren are "hoping for a miracle" after Belgian defender
Gregory Mertens collapsed on the pitch with a heart-related illness.
He is in a critical condition after being given CPR in the first half of Monday's reserve-team game with Genk.
The 24-year-old is in an induced coma in a Genk hospital on a life support machine.
"Sporting Lokeren sympathises with the family and hopes for a positive outcome," read a club statement.
The Jupiler Pro League club say that the exact nature of Mertens' heart condition has yet to be established.
They added that Mertens passed all the pre-season
health tests required by Europe's football governing body Uefa and was
judged to be one of the fittest players at the club.
A former Belgium Under-21 international, Mertens joined
Lokeren in the summer from Cercle Brugge, and has played in 15 league
games this term, as well as against Hull City in the Europa League in
August.
Monday's game was postponed while Mertens was being treated.
Chelsea keeper
Thibaut Courtois
and Everton striker
Romelu Lukaku,
both Belgium internationals, have tweeted their support for Mertens, saying: "Keep fighting Gregory".
And the former Chelsea midfielder
Kevin De Bruyne tweeted:
"Incredibly bad news. Keep fighting Gregory."
http://www.bbc.com
Real Madrid's Gareth Bale is on course to play in next week's Champions League semi-final first leg against Juventus.
The forward, 25, has been out for 10 days with a calf injury but is expected to resume full training this week.
The Welshman hopes to play a part in Saturday's La Liga match at Sevilla.
"Gareth is doing work on his own and will do the same
tomorrow," Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday. "If all goes
well, then he will begin to train with the team again on Thursday."
Ancelotti, whose side entertain relegation-threatened
Almeria on Wednesday, also hopes to welcome back Karim Benzema for next
Tuesday's first leg in Turin.
The France striker was injured in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final
against Atletico Madrid
earlier this month and is expected to be back in training on Sunday.
Bale and Benzema's likely returns will boost Real ahead of what Ancelotti described as a "life and death" period.
Aside from their European commitments, Real are also
battling Barcelona for the Spanish title and trail the league leaders by
two points with five games to play.
"We have a tough calendar, the matches are very
difficult. But we have confidence we can play well because the team is
in good shape, it's fresh and can compete in all the games," he said.
"It's a time of the season when all the games are life and death for every team."
Wales also have a crunch match at the end of the season
against Euro 2016 Group B rivals Belgium on 12 June at Cardiff City
Stadium.
Both countries are unbeaten with Belgium top on goal difference, halfway through the qualifiers.
Bale is seen as vital to Welsh hopes of qualifying for the finals in France, scoring twice in his country's
3-0 win against Israel
in March
England's Football Association (FA) is reportedly set to sign a three-year title sponsorship deal with Emirates for the FA Cup.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini hailed his team's spirit and
belief after Saturday's 3-2 win over Aston Villa and said those
qualities had been lacking in recent Premier League games.
Getty ImagesBenteke
has been in sparkling form since Tim Sherwood became Villa manager in
February, scoring nine goals in his last eight appearances after
managing only three until then for previous boss Paul Lambert.That form has led to speculation that Liverpool and Manchester United might make a bid for the frontman.But
Benteke's agent Eris Kismet told Sky Sports News: "At the moment, there
is no interest. Every player and staff member is concentrated on
avoiding relegation, anything else is just a distraction."http://www.bbc.com
