Football - Petric out for several weeks with hamstring injury
Hamburger SV striker Mladen Petric will be out for a few weeks after injuring his left hamstring in training yesterday. The Bundesliga club says Petric is unlikely to play in the last three matches before the winter break. But defenders Dennis Aogo and Guy Demel return from injuries to be in the squad for the match against Freiburg today.
Cycling - Eight charged in doping case in France
Eight people have been preliminary charged as part of a probe into the trafficking of doping products. The suspects spent 48 hours in custody before being released on Thursday night, the Caen prosecutor's office said yesterday. Several amateur cyclists, a doctor, a pharmacist, bodybuilders and former riders were among the people arrested. They are accused of using various performance enhancing substances including anabolic agents, EPO and growth hormone while the doctor is suspected of writing false prescriptions. The national police agency responsible for probing doping cases in France is running the operation, which focused on an alleged ring in Normandy, at the request of an investigating judge.
Football - Besiktas in talks with Valencia's Fernandes
Besiktas says it is in talks with Portuguese midfielder Manuel Fernandes with a view to signing him from Spanish side Valencia.
Besiktas made the announcement in a brief statement to the Turkish stock exchange yesterday, but gave no other details concerning the possible transfer. The statement was also posted on the club's official website. The 24-year-old Portuguese played with Everton and Benfica before moving to Valencia in 2007. Besiktas qualified for the next round of the Europa League after beating CSKA Sofia 2-1 Thursday. But it has been struggling at home and is currently sixth in the Turkish Super League.
Skiing - Alcott breaks leg in high-speed crash
British skier Chemmy Alcott has broken her leg in a high-speed crash in the final training session before the opening women's World Cup downhill race in Canada. Organizers say the 28-year-old Alcott sustained an open fracture of the tibia and fibula of her right leg after falling on a steep section of the Coaches Corner course at Lake Louise, Alberta. She was airlifted to a hospital in Banff and underwent surgery Thursday. She could be ruled out for the season. Alcott says on Twitter "insane that something that brings you so much pleasure can also bring so much pain." Alcott is Britain's leading women's skier. She finished 11th in the super-combined at the Vancouver Olympics and 13th in the downhill.
Cycling - Meares breaks 11 seconds on way to World Cup win
Anna Meares went under 11 seconds for the first time in the 200-meter sprint at the World Cup cycling series round in Melbourne, clocking 10.985 seconds in qualifying en route to a win in the final. It was the first time a female cyclist has gone under the 11-second mark in Australia. Meares qualified ahead of rivals Victorian Pendleton of Britain and China's Shuang Guo, and later beat Pendleton in the final in a time of 11.800.
Shuang suffered a suspected broken collarbone after a heavy fall in her semifinal against Pendleton. Guo badly misjudged her line, came too far down the track and clipped Pendleton's rear wheel when she tried to correct the mistake.
Football - FIFPro denounces fan harassment of Lecce player
Football's international players' union FIFPro supports the Italian Players' Association in denouncing fan harassment of Lecce defender Souleymane Diamoutene. The Mali international was surrounded by about 10 angry supporters during a training session on Thursday and abused for playing for regional rival Bari last season. Diamoutene says, "They came towards me, putting their hands on me and trying to tear off my Lecce jersey. There were no racist insults. There were only personal insults based on my past playing for Bari." FIFPro says it "strongly condemns all sorts of violence aimed at players. Players are workers and like any other worker they are entitled to carry out their profession in an atmosphere free from violence, racism or any other form of intimidation."
Football - Lyon's Pied and Vercoutre extend contracts
Striker Jeremy Pied and reserve goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre have signed new contracts through the 2013-14 season with seven-time French champion Lyon. Lyon said yesterday that the 21-year-old Pied, who has come up through the club's youth system and is considered to be one of the most promising players in France, has signed a two-year contract extension. Vercoutre joined Lyon in 2002 and extended his contract for the fifth time even though he is the team's No. 2 behind France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Football - Bielsa's resignation hurts President Pinera
The resignation of popular Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa seems to be hurting the popularity of Chile President Sebastian Pinera. Pinera's approval rating fell from 63 percent to 50 in November, which the head of a private polling company said on Friday was probably linked to Bielsa's unpopular resignation. Bielsa stepped down last month after leading Chile to its first World Cup since 1998. Bielsa resigned when Spanish businessman Jorge Segovia was elected president of the country's football federation. Bielsa had supported the incumbent Harold Mayne-Nicholls. Pinera's administration has denied it worked to unseat Mayne-Nicholls, who hired Bielsa.