Football - Spanish federation
bans Mourinho for two matches
The Spanish football federation has banned Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho for two matches for using inappropriate language to address a referee during a match. Mourinho was ejected during Madrid’s 5-1 win over Murcia on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey after telling referee Jose Luis Paradas Romero to "go to hell."
Football - Chelsea’s Lampard
out for another three weeks
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will be out for another three weeks after injuring an abductor in training. Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has been without the England international since August because of hernia surgery. Lampard will miss Premier League matches against Sunderland, Birmingham, Newcastle and Everton. He will also sit out the 23 November Champions League meeting with Zilina.
Football - Agbonlahor signs
new deal with Aston Villa
Striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has agreed a new four-and-a-half-year contract at Aston Villa, tying him to the Premier League club until June 2015. The 24-year-old Agbonlahor made his debut for Villa four years ago and has since scored 54 goals for the club in all competitions. Agbonlahor, who has won three caps for England, says “I can’t really see myself playing at any other club.”
The striker has missed most of this season with calf and groin injuries but has returned to full fitness. He could start the league match against Manchester United on Saturday.
Football - Milan’s Brazilian
striker Pato out for six weeks
Milan says striker Alexandre Pato is expected to be sidelined for six weeks after injuring his left hamstring in the midweek win over Palermo. The Brazilian is the second Milan striker to be ruled out of action in two days after Filippo Inzaghi was diagnosed as needing an operation to repair torn knee ligaments. It means that Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho and Robinho are the only senior strikers available to Milan coach Massimo Allegri for the city derby against European and Italian champion Inter tomorrow. So far this season the 19-year-old Pato has scored six league goals to help Milan to the top of the Serie A.
Football - Reina says he
will not leave Liverpool in January
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina says he will not leave the club in January despite its slow start to the Premier League season. Reina was reportedly unhappy at Liverpool’s failure to compete for trophies but Reina says he has “not told the manager that I wish to leave in January.” Reina said yesterday he was “fully committed to the club.” The Spain international signed a six-year contract in April and will be only three years short of club legend Ray Clemence’s 14 seasons with the team if he honours it. Liverpool has improved to eighth place in the Premier League after a four-game unbeaten streak.
Athletics - Croatian city
Split wants 2016 Europeans
The Croatian city of Split will bid to host the 2016 European athletics championship. The city decided to join the race after hosting this year’s Continental Cup. Croatian Athletic Association chief executive Sinisa Ergotic says that the candidacy should be delivered to the European athletic federation by the end of February. Other bid cities are expected to come from Turkey, Poland, Britain and the Netherlands.
Rugby - England and Wales
stay optimistic despite setbacks
England and Wales go into today’s international matches full of optimism despite losing their opening encounters with the southern hemisphere opposition last weekend. England takes on Australia confident of controlling the scrum and at least competing in open play following an improved performance in its 26-16 loss to New Zealand, while Wales will take on South Africa with a more familiar looking set of backs than the ones that lost 25-16 to Australia. While those two Tri-Nations sides could be tested, southern hemisphere champion New Zealand should avoid an upset against Scotland. France and Italy play their first games of the month against Fiji and Argentina, respectively.
Athletics - Finnish pole vaulter
Salomaki banned for doping
Finnish pole vaulter Eemeli Salomaki has been suspended for three months after testing positive for a banned substance. Finnish Athletics says Salomaki tested positive at the Joensuu Games in August for indapamide, which is on the list of banned drugs. Salomaki said he thought the painkiller, which he bought at a drug store in Barcelona, contained indometacin, an allowed substance. The federation banned Salomaki for three months because anti-doping officials said the drug had not enhanced his performance.
Golf - Woods struggles again in Australia
Tiger Woods is in the same spot Down Under as he’s been everywhere else in the world - trying to catch up to the leaders and on the verge of becoming an also-ran. Right when it looked as though Woods was poised to give himself a chance at winning for the first time all year, he struggled in blustery conditions yesterday in the Australian Masters and wound up with a 1-over 72. That put him nine shots behind Adam Bland, who is leaving tomorrow night for the second stage of Q-school on the PGA Tour. The Australian Masters is the final title defence of the year for Woods, and he hasn’t come close in any of the others. His best finish in a title defence was a tie for 15th at the BMW Championship in Chicago.