Villa won’t join Chelsea and Torres is staying put December 14, 2011 BARCELONA manager Pep Guardiola has denied suggestions striker David Villa will join Chelsea in January. The Spain international started last weekend’s 3-1 win over Real Madrid on the substitutes’ bench and was reported to have fallen out with team-mate Lionel Messi earlier this season. But Guardiola insists the 30-year-old, who signed a four-year deal upon [...]
Indian Olympic chief steps up Dow 2012 stadium wrap row December 14, 2011 INDIA’S top Olympic official has added his voice to calls for London 2012 organisers to abandon their sponsorship with Dow Chemicals over the company’s links to the Bhopal disaster. VK Malhotra, the president of the Indian Olympic Association, spoke out ahead of today’s meeting to decide what further steps to take to demonstrate the country’s [...]
RFU coup as Wimbledonboss Ritchie named CEO December 14, 2011 ENGLAND rugby chiefs the RFU have restored some of the optimism shipped so alarmingly over recent months by appointing one of the most respected men in tennis, Wimbledon boss Ian Ritchie, as their new chief executive. Ritchie, who has held his post at the All England Lawn Tennis and Crocquet Club (AELTC) since 2005, made [...]
More test event tickets on sale December 14, 2011 OLYMPICS: Further tickets for the diving and gymnastics London 2012 test events have been made available. Seats for the January gymnastics competition at the O2 go back on sale today at 10am, while tickets for the diving, which takes place at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park in February, will be re-released on 17 [...]
All new line-up for Toro Rosso December 14, 2011 FORMULA ONE: Toro Rosso have named an all-new line-up for the 2012 season with drivers Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari replaced by youngsters Daniel Ricciardo, 22, and Jean-Eric Vergne, 21. Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost said: “This team was established to provide a first step into Formula 1 for the youngsters in the Red [...]
I’ve got no problem with Zamora, says Fulham boss December 13, 2011 FULHAM vs ODENSE BK FULHAM manager Martin Jol insists star striker Bobby Zamora still has a future at the club and has played down suggestions he has fallen out with the England international ahead of tonight’s must-win Europa League fixture against Odense. Reports of a rift between the two first surfaced in August and were [...]
Test ranking reflects England’s perfect 2011 December 13, 2011 ENGLAND started the year by winning the Ashes on Australian soil for the first time in 24 years and will end it staring down at the rest from the position of No1 in the international Test rankings. It’s been a tremendous 12 months for captain Andrew Strauss and head coach Andy Flower, but both are [...]
Spurs won’t sell Modric in January, pledges Levy December 13, 2011 TOTTENHAM chairman Daniel Levy has handed the club’s Premier League charge a boost by confirming none of their stars will be sold in January, as revealed by City A.M. last month. Spurs sit fourth after a start to the season that has exceeded expectations, but are bracing themselves for bids next month for playmaker Luka [...]
Legal big hitters lined up for BOA’s Chambers case December 13, 2011 BRITISH Olympic chiefs have hired the big-hitting barrister who helped reduce England footballer Wayne Rooney’s Euro 2012 ban in their fight to protect their controversial lifetime ban on serious doping offenders. Adam Lewis QC, of Blackstone Chambers, is part of a heavyweight legal team assembled by the British Olympic Association, who yesterday formally applied to [...]
Mata backs Lampard to regain place December 13, 2011 CHELSEA forward Juan Mata insists veteran midfielder Frank Lampard will play an integral role his side’s quest for honours this season despite having lost his place in the side. Lampard struck the winner from the penalty spot in Monday’s 2-1 win over Manchester City, which ended the Premier League leaders’ unbeaten start to the season. [...]