Messi, 3 other PSG players test positive for COVID-19
PARIS, Jan 2: Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is among four players in the Paris Saint-Germain squad to have tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the team’s French Cup game on Monday night. PSG added that one staff member also had COVID-19 in a statement on Saturday night. None of them were named at that point, but in a further statement on the team’s medical news Sunday the club named Messi, left back Juan Bernat, backup goalie Sergio Rico and 19-year-old midfielder Nathan Bitumazala. PSG is playing at third-tier Vannes. Last year’s runner-up Monaco said Saturday that seven players had COVID-19 but none showed any worrying signs and are isolating. (AP)
Ligue 1 club AS Monaco fire head coach Niko Kovac
Monaco, Jan 2: Niko Kovac was fired as AS Monaco head coach, with the club lying sixth in Ligue 1 at the mid-season break. Although Monaco have won three of their past four league games, a poor start to the season and a failure to qualify for the Champions League via the August play-offs cost Kovac his job on Saturday. The 50-year-old Croatian’s side lost 3-2 on aggregate to Shakhtar Donetsk, despite leading the second leg 2-0 at halftime in Ukraine. Monaco are four points adrift of second-place Nice and third-place Marseille in the Champions League spots for next season. Kovac, who was hired in June 2020, also made a slow start with Monaco last season but then transformed the side’s fortunes to finish third behind Paris Saint-Germain and champions Lille. Reserve team coach Stephane Nado will take over in an interim role for Sunday’s French Cup game at second-tier Quevilly-Rouen. (AP)
Lille to sell forward Ikone to Italian club Fiorentina
LILLE, Jan 2: French champion Lille is selling forward Jonathan Ikone to Italian club Fiorentina. Lille said in a statement Friday that the 23-year-old France international has left to begin training with Fiorentina and will officially sign on Monday when the transfer window opens. No further details were given, but Ikone had a contract through June 2023 and the transfer was reportedly worth around 15 million euros. Ikone helped Lille qualify for the round of 16 in the Champions League, where it faces defending champion Chelsea. More effective as a winger, he scored 16 goals and provided 26 assists in 150 games. (AP)
Uruguayan football agent Juan Figer passes away, aged 87
SAO PAULO, Jan 2: Veteran Uruguayan soccer agent Juan Figer, who worked on the transfers of many soccer greats, died on Friday at age 87. His granddaughter Stephanie Figer and his agency said on Instagram that Juan Figer had “fought a lot, but did not survive a heart attack.” The short statement did not say where Figer was located. “It is with a broken heart that I inform we will end 2021 without the presence of my grandfather Juan,” said Stephanie Figer, who works at Figer’s agency in Sao Paulo. Figer’s agency said the agent was involved in several major transfers since starting in the business in 1969, including Diego Maradona, Kaká, Jurgen Klinsmann, Gary Lineker, Ruud Gullit and Socrates.
Brazil football great Ronaldo tests positive for virus
Mineirão (Brazil), Jan 2: Brazil football great Ronaldo has tested positive for COVID-19, his club Cruzeiro confirmed on Sunday. The 45-year-old has recently acquired a majority stake in the Brazilian club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, simply known as Cruzeiro. He was expected to be present at the club’s 101-year anniversary but now the former Real Madrid and Inter Milan star would not be able to attend the celebrations. “Cruzeiro reports that this Sunday morning Ronaldo Nazário tested positive for COVID-19. This makes it impossible for him to go to Belo Horizonte today, as well as his presence in the commemorative actions for the club’s anniversary,” the club tweeted on Sunday. Having played in four FIFA World Cups and won two of them for Brazil, Ronaldo was considered one of the best strikers in the world at his peak. (IANS)
Russian, Czech junior hockey teams deboarded from plane
Calgary (Canada), Jan 2: Members of the Russian and Czech Republic world junior hockey teams were removed from a New Year’s Eve flight from Calgary to Frankfurt, Germany, with fellow passengers saying the Russian squad caused a disturbance by smoking and refusing to wear masks. Calgary Police said in a statement Saturday that its Airport Unit officers responded at 5:45 p.m. Friday to reports of a disturbance on an Air Canada flight. The statement did not say who caused the disturbance or if there were any arrests, and police did not respond to requests from The Canadian Press for further information. Air Canada also had yet to respond to a request for information. The team members were heading home from the junior championships in Red Deer and Edmonton that were cancelled Wednesday because of COVID-19 outbreaks. (AP)
Government drafts plan to formulate air sports policy
New Delhi, Jan 2: The government plans to formulate a national air sports policy as well as set up an apex body for air sports. The civil aviation ministry has sought comments from the public on the draft National Air Sports Policy (NASP 2022) till January 31. The plan is to promote air sports by making it “safe, affordable, accessible, enjoyable and sustainable”, according to the ministry. The policy will cover sports like aerobatics, aeromodelling, amateur-built and experimental aircraft, ballooning, drones, skydiving and vintage aircraft. Under the policy, an Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) will be established as the apex governing body while associations for each air sport will handle day to day activities. “The vision is to make India one of the top air sports nations by 2030,” the ministry said. (PTI)