La Liga: Celta Vigo held by last-placed Levante
Madrid, Feb 22: Celta Vigo was held by last-placed Levante to 1-1 at home in the Spanish league, missing a chance to move close to the Champions League qualification places. Franco Cervi put the hosts ahead in the 67th minute but Levante equalized through Roger Martí in the 82nd. Levantestayed nine points from safety. It has only two wins from 25 league matches. Celta moved to ninth place, six points from seventh-placed Real Sociedad. It has lost only one of its last nine league games. The team coached had won three straight at home, with its last loss at Balaídos Stadium against Valencia in December. (AP)
Osimhen’s late goal sees Napoli draw 1-1 at Cagliari
Rome, Feb 22: Substitute Victor Osimhen headed in a late equalizer and Napoli drew at relegation-threatened Cagliari 1-1 to move within two points of the Serie A lead. Cagliari dominated for long periods before Osimhen redirected a long cross from Mario Rui in the 87th minute. Gaston Pereiro put Cagliari ahead near the hour mark with a long, bouncing shot, after which the Sardinian club had numerous chances to add to its lead. Napoli moved level with second-placed Inter Milan – which has a game in hand – two points behind leader AC Milan. Cagliari remained in the drop zone. (AP)
Pelé extends stay in hospital following infection
Sao Paulo, Feb 22: Pelé has extended a scheduled hospital stay due to a urinary infection. The 81-year-old Pelé went in on Feb. 13 to continue treatment for his colon cancer, and days later doctors found the infection, Hospital Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo said in a statement on Monday. “His clinical conditions are stable, and his release should take place on the next few days,” the hospital said. Pelé has had chemotherapy to treat the tumor that was found during routine exams at the end of August. He was briefly put in intensive care shortly after the surgery on his colon, and has since recovered. He was discharged on Sept. 30, almost one month after being hospitalized. (AP)
Neymar expresses desire to play in US in future
Sao Paulo, Feb 22: Neymar hopes to play in the United States one day, more than he wants to return to his Brazil homeland. The 30-year-old striker recently extended his contract with Paris Saint-Germain to 2025. “I don’t know if I will play in Brazil again. I have a lot of will to play in the U.S., that I do want. At least for one season,” Neymar told podcast Fenômenos in a video posted late Sunday. “In Brazil … I don’t know. Sometimes I want it, sometimes I don’t.” The striker jokingly said he wants to play in the U.S. “because the championship is quick, so there’s four months of vacations. That’s how you can play (there) for many years.” (AP)
Liverpool’s Jota, Firmino doubtful for Cup final
LIVERPOOL, Feb 22: Liverpool strikers Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are big doubts for the English League Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said the two players had “no chance” of featuring against Leeds in the Premier League on Wednesday, with Jota nursing an ankle injury and Firmino out with a muscle problem. Klopp hasn’t ruled them out of the final at Wembley Stadium, but isn’t sounding optimistic. “It would be easy to say now, ‘No,’ but we will see,” Klopp said. (AP)
Ajax reach settlement with midfielder Nouri’s family
AMSTERDAM, Feb 22: Ajax Amsterdam has reached a financial settlement with the family of Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered severe and permanent brain damage after collapsing during a preseason friendly in 2017. The club previously acknowledged that Nouri did not get adequate medical attention after he collapsed and accepted responsibility. It announced on Monday it will pay Nouri’s family a net sum of 7.85 million euros in damages and loss of potential future earnings. The settlement brought to an end a case Nouri’s family began at the Dutch football association’s arbitration commission. Ajax has paid medical and other care costs for Nouri since 2017. Nouri was just 20 when he collapsed against Werder Bremen in Austria. (AP)
Reyna’s injury not as serious as feared, could be out 2 weeks
Dortmund, Feb 22: Borussia Dortmund forward Gio Reyna’s latest injury is not as bad as initially thought and the American could return to team training in two weeks, the club said. The 19-year-old Reyna’s first start in six months ended in tears on Sunday as he left the field amid fears of a recurrence of the right hamstring injury he sustained on Sept. 2 while playing in a World Cup qualifier for the United States. Dortmund said those fears “did not materialize after detailed diagnostics. The team doctors assume that the American will be able to take part in the team training again within 14 days.” (AP)