Football - Malta ends year in 156
Malta ended the current year in 156th place in the FIFA World Rankings, according to the list published on Wednesday. This is an improvement of eight places over the previous year, although other ‘small’ European countries were classified above our national team. Cyprus (127), Luxembourg (128), Liechtenstein (132), Moldova (136) and Kazakhstan (138) all have better rankings. Only Andorra and San Marino are worse - joint in 206th place. Of the six European Championship qualifiers played this year, Malta earned only one draw and lost the other five. Malta beat the Central African Republic 2-1 and drew with Switzerland 0-0 in friendly internationals. Malta’s next opponents in a February friendly are Liechtenstein but there is a possibility that the Maltese will play hosts to Poland before the start of the Euro 2012.
Football - Hertha Berlin sign Michael Skibbe as coach
Hertha Berlin yesterday presented Michael Skibbe as their new coach and gave him a contract until the end of the 2013-14 season. Skibbe replaced Markus Babbel, who was fired on Sunday after a dispute with manager Michael Preetz. Hertha and Babbel issued a joint statement yesterday saying they had resolved their differences. Also yesterday, Hertha released Babbel’s assistant Rainer Widmayer, who coached the team in its 3-1 German Cup win over Kaiserslautern on Wednesday. Skibbe left Turkish side Eskirsehirspor to return to Germany. A former Germany assistant, he has coached Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and Galatasaray.
Football - US midfielder Jones under probe in Germany
Schalke’s American midfielder Jermaine Jones is under investigation by the German football federation (DFB) for apparently intentionally stepping on the injured foot of an opponent. Television replays showed Jones stepping on the left foot of Borussia Moenchengladbach’s star Marco Reus during a break in the German Cup match on Wednesday. Reus is playing with a specially designed shoe because of a broken toe, but still scored two goals to help Moenchengladbach win 3-1. The incident was not noticed by the referee. Jones was sent off late in the match in an unrelated incident.
Football - Levante’s top scorer Juanlu out with broken leg
Spanish club Levante will be without top scorer Juan Luis “Juanlu” Gomez for a lengthy spell after the Spanish player fractured his shin in Wednesday’s 4-1 Copa del Rey victory over Deportivo La Coruna. Juanlu rolled in agony after a hasty challenge, and medical scans revealed a fractured right fibula. Levante said Juanlu will undergo surgery today on an injury similar to Barcelona striker David Villa’s, who is expected to be out for up to five months. Juanlu has scored six goals in 14 appearances for the Valencia-based club. Levante advanced to the last 16 of the domestic cup with a 5-4 aggregate victory.
Football - Genoa fire coach Malesani, hire Marino
Genoa fired Alberto Malesani yesterday and were in the process of hiring Pasquale Marino as their new manager, marking the 10th coaching change in Serie A since August. Genoa president Enrico Preziosi made the announcement on Italy’s Sky TV, saying that Marino “is signing the contract now.” The move came a day after an embarrassing 6-1 rout by Napoli left Genoa tied for ninth with Palermo, 13 points behind co-leaders Juventus and AC Milan, heading into the winter break. “When a squad gets humiliated on the pitch there’s nothing else to do,” Preziosi said. Malesani had been hired in June, while Marino previously managed Catania, Udinese and Parma.
Football - German federation chief to leave in March
The German football federation said its president Theo Zwanziger plans to leave as early as March, clearing the way for his designated successor Wolfgang Niersbach to assume office before the European Championship. Zwanziger announced in December that he wanted to quit before his term expires in October 2013. He originally planned to step down next October, but had come under pressure to complete the handover before Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. Niersbach is the current DFB general secretary and is expected to run unopposed at a special assembly now called for 2 March.
Football - Atletico Madrid fire coach Manzano
Atletico Madrid have fired coach Gregorio Manzano following the club’s embarrassing exit from the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. The 3-1 aggregate defeat to third-tier Albacete proved to be the final straw for the club’s executive board, which reached a unanimous decision yesterday to end Manzano’s reign after less than six months. Atletico are 10th in the league, four points above the relegation zone.
Football - Wolfsburg sign Czech midfielder Jiracek
Midfielder Petr Jiracek has completed a move from Czech champion Viktoria Plzen to Wolfsburg in Germany’s Bundesliga. Plzen said the two clubs have agreed on a deal yesterday and Jiracek signed a contract until 2016. Financial details were not disclosed. Czech media reported the transfer sum could reach €4 million ($5.2 million). Jiracek has been a key player in Plzen’s first Champions League campaign this season. They finished third behind two European powerhouses — Barcelona and AC Milan — in the group stage and earned a spot in the Europa League. Jiracek also recently became a first-choice player for the Czech Republic and helped the team qualify for the 2012 European Championship.