United land 16m Valencia now Benzema’s on the radar June 30, 2009 MANCHESTER UNITED last night clinched the signing of Antonio Valencia – and then set their sights on completing a £51m double raid to add Karim Benzema. Ecuador winger Valencia made the switch from Wigan after putting pen-to-paper on a four-year deal believed to be worth around £16m. Now, with £80m at his disposal following the [...]
Strauss: Alcohol is not to blame June 30, 2009 CRICKET: England captain Andrew Strauss yesterday insisted all-rounder Andrew Flintoff’s latest indiscretion was not alcohol-related. Flintoff, who was famously sent home from the 2007 World Cup for a drink-fuelled pedalo expedition, missed the team bus for a visit to World War I memorial sites in Belgium on Saturday. But Strauss said Flintoff’s lapse in timekeeping [...]
England World Cup bid boost June 30, 2009 RUGBY UNION: England’s bid to host the 2015 World Cup received a major boost yesterday when it was given the backing of the tournament’s organisers. Rugby World Cup Ltd recommended England ahead of South Africa, Italy and Japan, and endorsed the latter to stage the 2019 competition. The International Rugby Board, which makes the final [...]
Raikkonen swaps F1 for rally June 30, 2009 MOTORSPORT: Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen will use a break in the Formula One season to take part in a World Rally Championship stage in his native Finland next month. Former F1 champion Raikkonen, who has raced in three non-championship rallies already this year, will test himself against title favourites Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen. The race [...]
Ace Murray set to raise the roof again for Ferrero clash June 30, 2009 ANDY MURRAY will once again have the hopes of a nation resting on his shoulders this afternoon as he goes in search of a place in the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the first time. Less than 40 hours after his gruelling fourth round clash with Stanislas Wawrinka, the British No1 steps back onto Centre Court [...]
Venus keeps her hat-trick dream alive June 30, 2009 VENUS WILLIAMS stayed on a course for a hat-trick of Women’s Singles titles, and another family affair in the final, after breezing into the semi-finals at Wimbledon. The third seed demolished Poland’s Agnieska Radwanksa in just 68 minutes to earn a last four clash with top seed Dinara Safina. Williams is looking to clinch a [...]
Eto’o could still make City switch despite Barca U-turn June 30, 2009 SAMUEL ETO’O’s agent admits the striker could yet join Manchester City – even though he has been offered a new two-year deal with Barcelona. The Champions League winners were resigned to losing the Cameroon international after mega-rich City offered £25.5m for the 28-year-old and wages in the region of £250,000 per week. But the Spanish [...]
FOOTBALL IN BRIEF June 30, 2009 Saints on the verge of collapseTHE future of Southampton FC is in serious doubt this morning after the Pinnacle Group, fronted by club legend Matt Le Tissier, pulled out of a deal to take over the cash-strapped club. Le Tissier told how the on-going row with the Football League over the League One club’s 10-point [...]
Eto’o set to snub City and stay at Barca June 29, 2009 MANCHESTER CITY’S audacious bid for Samuel Eto’o hit the buffers yesterday when the Cameroon striker indicated he would snub a world record pay packet and see out his contract at Barcelona. The Spanish club on Sunday admitted they were struggling to hold onto Eto’o in the face of a “stratospheric” £25m bid from City, who [...]
Pearce ‘hurt’ by crushing German loss June 29, 2009 GERMANY U21 (4) vs. ENGLAND U21 (0)ENGLAND Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce admitted his “hurt” after bring humbled by Germany once again. Pearce exited both Euro ‘96 and the 1990 World Cup at the hands of the Germans as a player, now he is suffering the same anguish as a coach after his side were comprehensive [...]