Leipzig hire former Dortmund, Gladbach coach Marco Rose
LEIPZIG, Sep 8: Leipzig hired former Borussia Dortmund coach Marco Rose to take charge on Thursday, a day after firing Domenico Tedesco. The Bundesliga club said the 45-year-old Rose has a two-year contract to June 2024. It is also appointing a new coaching team. Tedesco was fired on Wednesday following a 4-1 home loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. It was just the latest disappointing result this season, including a 4-0 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Expectations had been high after Tedesco led Leipzig to the German Cup title last season – the young club’s first major title since it was founded by energy drink company Red Bull in 2009. (AP)
Pickford to miss England’s matches before Qatar WC
LIVERPOOL, Sep 8: England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will miss his national team’s final games before the World Cup. Pickford sustained a thigh injury in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool over the weekend, Everton said Wednesday, and is not expected to return to action until after the upcoming international break. England plays Italy and Germany in Nations League qualifiers on Sept. 23 and Sept. 26, respectively. Its first group game at the World Cup is against Iran on Nov 21. Pickford is England’s first-choice goalkeeper. (AP)
Benzema may return soon after suffering minor tendon injury
MADRID, Sep 8: Karim Benzema is not expected to be sidelined for too long as Real Madrid said Wednesday the France striker has a tendon injury and a strained muscle in his right thigh. Benzema had to be substituted in the 30th minute of Madrid’s 3-0 win at Celtic in the team’s first match in the group stage of the Champions League on Tuesday. The club said Benzema was diagnosed with “an injury to the semitendinosus tendon and a strain to the quadricep muscle in his right thigh.” Madrid did not give a timetable for Benzema’s return, saying his recovery will continue to be assessed. Spanish media said he is expected to be out for a couple of weeks. He should be able to recover in time to join France’s World Cup preparations in the upcoming international break. (AP)
EPL postpones match due to planned rail strike
LONDON, Sep 8: The Premier League has postponed Brighton’s home game against Crystal Palace on Sep 17 because of a planned rail strike. The league on Wednesday cited the ‘exceptional circumstances’ of the planned walkout of rail workers that would leave no public transportation for fans. “The Premier League has consulted with both clubs, police, the Safety Advisory Group for Brighton & Hove City Council and other relevant authorities in exploring alternative plans but all have agreed there was no other option but to postpone the fixture,” the league said in a statement. More than 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union plan to strike on Sep 15 and 17, ‘effectively shutting down the railway network, it had said, in a dispute over pay and working conditions exacerbated by a deepening cost-of-living crisis. (AP)
UEFA, police probe alleged racist chants, Nazi acts
NYON, Sep 8: UEFA and French authorities opened investigations Wednesday into claims that some Juventus fans made Nazi salutes and monkey noises during the team’s Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain. The Paris prosecutor’s office said an investigation was launched into alleged public provocation of racial hatred after police reviewed surveillance video and detained four fans. UEFA said it opened ‘a disciplinary investigation regarding allegations of discriminatory behaviour by Juventus supporters’ at the team’s 2-1 loss in Paris on Tuesday. The Italian club faces punishment including closing part or all of its stadium for a Champions League game and paying a fine. (AP)
Churchill Alemao resigns as Goa FA president
Panaji, Sep 8: Goa Football Association president Churchill Alemao on Thursday resigned from the post following a High Court order. The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court earlier in the day held that 73-year-old Alemao should immediately step down as the `sports code’ of the association bars anyone above 70 years of age from holding the post. The Salcette Football Club had moved the high court in 2019 after Alemao revoked the code. In 2019, after taking over as GFA chief, Alemao called an extraordinary general body meeting and scrapped the code. After the HC order on Thursday, Alemao handed over his resignation to GFA General Secretary Jovito Lopes, saying he respected the ruling. (PTI)