Barcelona president takes blame

for game delay

Barcelona President Sandro Rosell has apologised for the 45-minute delay of his team’s match against Osasuna on Saturday. With flights in Spain grounded due to a strike by air traffic controllers, the club announced on its website that the game would be postponed until yesterday, provoking a protest from Osasuna, which claimed it had received no notification of the change. Barcelona then reversed the decision and rushed to the game, arriving in time to warm up for 15 minutes before beating Osasuna 3-0. Rosell says he takes “responsibility for the events preceding Saturday’s game.”

Norway, Italy win cross-country

World Cup relays

Ola Vigen Hattestad and Anders Gloersen of Norway edged the Swedish pair of Mats Larsson and Emil Joensson by 0.2 seconds yesterday to win a men’s cross-country World Cup sprint relay. Fabio Pasini and David Hofer of Italy were one second behind in third place. Italy won the women’s sprint, with Magda Genuin and Arianna Follis combining to beat Maiken Caspersen Falla and Celine Brun-Lie of Norway by 0.9 seconds. Follis also won the individual sprint on Saturday. Daria Gaiazova and Chandra Crawford of Canada were third, 2.4 seconds behind.

Slovenia to stage 2013 European

basketball champs

Slovenia will host the 2013 European basketball championship. The board of FIBA Europe yesterday unanimously awarded the tournament to Slovenia for the first time. The tournament will take place in five venues in the summer of 2013. The dates have yet to be set. Although Slovenia was the only candidate, the bid had been in doubt since the cash-strapped government last week decided to provide only a portion of the sum required for the hosting rights. But Slovenia negotiated to make the payment in three installments every year until the tournament. France was chosen to host the women’s tournament in 2013.

Teenager Oxlade-Chamberlain

attracting Arsenal’s attention

Arsenal are rumoured to be circling for the services of Southampton’s young midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The 17-year-old midfielder became the youngest player after Theo Walcott to feature for the Saints. The youngster’s performances even saw him earn a call-up to the England Under-18 squad that took on Poland in last month. The News of the World is claiming that the Gunners’ chief scout, Steve Rowley, has seen Oxlade-Chamberlain in action, prompting speculation that the north London club could be interested in a swoop for the Portsmouth-born player. The teenager is the son of former Portsmouth and England winger Mark Chamberlain.

Barcelona trying to convince Guardiola to stay-on for another five years

Barcelona are attempting to secure coach Pep Guardiola to a long-term contract. The Daily Mail says Barca are expected to offer the 39-year-old coach an extended deal to ensure that he remains part of the Blaugrana’s long-term project, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Inter also linked with approaches for the Camp Nou coach. Barca are attempting to convince Guardiola to put his signature on a five-year deal.

Balotelli not joining Milan anytime soon

The agent of Manchester City star Mario Balotelli, Mino Raiola, has dismissed reports that the player could join Milan in the near future. The striker was recently involved in a training ground cust up with team-mate Jerome Boateng and is reportedly finding it hard to settle in at Eastlands after a big-money move from Inter this summer. “Balotelli went to City and will remain there for several years. It is impossible for him to join Milan in June, almost impossible,” he said in an interview on Telelombardia. “He went to City with a strong commitment to coach Roberto Mancini and he should thank him for his confidence. But, the fate of Mario doesn’t depend on Mancini. “Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani admires Balotelli, and liked him when he was at Inter, but I didn’t speak with Milan when Inter were selling.” Asked if the 20-year-old could ever return to the Nerazzurri, Raiola refused to rule out the possibility. “With Inter and president Massimo Moratti there are no problems,” he concluded.

England should not bid to host any further World Cup tournaments

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes that England should not bid to host any further World Cup tournaments until there are reforms within Fifa. England’s 2018 bid crashed out in the first round of voting when it received only two votes, as bid leaders later insisted that unnamed executive members had promised to vote one way but then decided to go against their word of honour. “The insult is that the bid only got two votes,” Ferguson said, according to The Scottish Sunday Express. “Once you have got committees that are impenetrable you have to get on with it. It’s possible that England won’t put in another bid until the system is changed. “My assessment was that England had a good chance because the infrastructure is good, it’s easy to travel and the stadiums are fantastic. England has the best league in Europe and has a great fan base. “What they have to do now is to hold up their heads and know they have done their best. There is no point in taking it any further now.” The United boss added: “My experience of committees tells me that one or two personalities can sway the rest. They are more powerful than the rest. It’s always been the case, whether it’s been football, politics or business. “I don’t think it’s worth having an inquest. What good can it do? England have got to move on. They know they have done their best. “Getting just two votes, though, was a real kick in the teeth.”