Brazil’s Dani Alves downplays World Cup injury fears
Mexico City, Sep 30: Veteran defender Dani Alves has moved to ease fears that a knee injury could dash his hopes of going to the FIFA World Cup with Brazil. Alves was ruled out of Pumas’ last match of the Mexican Liga MX regular season against Juarez on Saturday after suffering suspected ligament damage while training. “Dani Alves will not be (available) due to an injury to the medial collateral ligament of his right knee, which is still under evaluation by the club’s medical team,” Pumas said in a statement on Thursday. The right-back has previously made public his desire to be a part of Brazil’s squad for the World Cup. (IANS)
Portuguese coach suspended after harassment accusations
LISBON, Sep 30: Portuguese football club Famalicão suspended the coach of its women’s team on Friday after a leading newspaper in Portugal published accusations of verbal sexual harassment by him of his players at a previous club. Famalicão said that “in view” of the report published by Público newspaper that it was suspending coach Miguel Afonso “until the truth of the facts is ascertained.” The alleged verbal harassment of players, some of which were 19 years old at the time, reportedly took place while Afonso coached fellow Portuguese club Rio Ave during the 2020-21 season. Público said that it had contacted Afonso but he declined to comment on the accusations. (AP)
Former El Salvador football chief sentenced in bribery case
NEW YORK, Sep 30: The former president of El Salvador’s football federation was sentenced on Thursday to 16 months in prison in the long-running FIFA corruption scandal. Reynaldo Vasquez, 66, told a judge in federal court in Brooklyn that he felt “great shame” over his role in a bribery scheme that involved media and marketing rights for games played by the Salvadoran national football team. At the same time, Vasquez sought to cast himself as a minor participant. Salvadoran authorities arrested Vasquez at the end of 2015 as part of an international roundup of top officials of FIFA. (AP)