Football - Arsenal make $80m
profit but debt rises by $62m
Arsenal made a half-year pretax profit of almost $80 million, thanks mainly to the sale of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. But the Premier League club’s debt rose by £39 million to £137 million in the six months to 30 November. Arsenal has struggled on the pitch this season, with the team highly unlikely to end a seven-year trophy drought. But the club swung back into a £49.5 million profit in the first half of its financial year, compared to a £6-million loss in the six months to 30 November, 2010. Chairman Peter Hill-Wood said “it has been something of a roller-coaster season.” Profit from the sale of players was £63 million.
Football - Ukraine hotel prices
for Euro 2012 still an issue
Officials say that curbing hotel prices in Ukraine and coordinating services in Poland are the main challenges remaining with the European Championship kicking off in little more than 100 days. Euro 2012 operations director Martin Kallen said yesterday that preparations for the tournament by both host nations are “under control,” but that very high prices in some hotels in Ukraine may give the country and the tournament a bad image. Kallen says he has held talks on the issue. In Poland, the head of the organising body, Marcin Herra, says his main concern is to ensure that transport, accommodation, information and security coordinate smoothly. Euro 2012 starts on 8 June with Poland playing Greece in Warsaw.
Football - Mexes banned for
three matches for violent conduct
Milan defender Philippe Mexes has been suspended for three games after video evidence showed he struck Juventus striker Marco Borriello in a Serie A match. The referee did not see the incident in the hotly contested encounter on Saturday, which finished 1-1 after both sides had goals wrongly disallowed. Mexes lashed out at Borriello at the start of the second half. The pair were teammates last season at Roma. The suspension imposed yesterday comes as Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns from a three-match ban for hitting Napoli defender Salvatore Aronica. Serie A leader and defending champions Milan are a point above Juventus having played a game more.
Football - Udinese’s Guidolin
voted best coach by peers
Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin was awarded the Panchina d’Oro yesterday, the prize for the best coach of last season. Guidolin was voted the winner by his fellow coaches after steering Udinese to a fourth-place finish in Serie A in the 2010-11 campaign and a spot in the Champions League, with its highest points total in the club’s history. It was the 56-year-old Guidolin’s first season back in charge at Udinese after a previous stint during the 1998-99 campaign.
Football - Rosicky ruled out
of friendly against Ireland
The Czech Republic will be without captain Tomas Rosicky in tomorrow’s friendly against Ireland because of a back injury.
Rosicky scored a goal on Sunday to help Arsenal beat north London rival Tottenham 5-2, but was ruled out of tomorrow’s match in Dublin following a medical exam after the Premier League game. The Czech football federation says coach Michal Bilek has called up Jiri Stajner of Czech club Liberec instead. Bilek will also miss Hertha Berlin defender Roman Hubnik who has a foot injury. David Limbersky of Czech champion Viktoria Plzen was included instead. The Czechs will play another warmup match against Israel on 26 May and take on Hungary on 1 June before opening its European Championship campaign against Russia on 8 June.
Football - Ferguson: Rooney,
Cleverley out for England
Wayne Rooney was ruled out of England’s international friendly against the Netherlands by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson on Sunday, robbing the national team of another striker. Rooney has a throat infection which forced him out of United’s past two matches, against Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday and Norwich in the Premier League on Sunday. “Wayne has still not recovered from his throat infection, so hopefully we’ll get him ready for next Sunday, when we have a big game at White Hart Lane (against Tottenham),” Ferguson said. The United manager also said midfielder Tom Cleverley, who has been struggling with an ankle injury, will also not be linking up with the England squad for tomorrow’s match at Wembley Stadium. Interim England coach Stuart Pearce is already preparing to be without Darren Bent after the Aston Villa striker was carried off on a stretcher with an ankle injury in the latter stages of his team’s 0-0 draw at Wigan in the Premier League. The Football Association is yet to officially rule out Rooney, Cleverley or Bent. Fraizer Campbell, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck are the remaining strikers in England’s squad.
Football - Fulham sign Mali
midfielder Mahamadou Diarra
Fulham says it has signed Mali midfielder Mahamadou Diarra, pending the completion of a British visa. The former Real Madrid midfielder has been out of contract since playing for Monaco last season. The 30-year-old Diarra has signed for Fulham until the end of the season with the option to extend the deal until 2013. Fulham is 11th in the Premier League.
Motor-Racing - Mercedes chief
says Schumacher can stay
Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says he would be interested in extending Michael Schumacher’s contract with the Mercedes Formula One team. The chief of the German automaker tells Sport-Bild magazine that Schumacher remains “an icon of the motor sports” and that if his performance and interest remain high then “continuing would surely be an attractive option.” The seven-time F1 champion is in the last season of his three-year contract. He has still to win a race since his comeback.