Conte to face sporting trial for match-fixing

Juventus coach Antonio Conte will face a sporting trial for match-fixing after an attempt to reach a plea bargain broke down on Thursday when the football federation's prosecutor demanded he be banned for 15 months.
Conte, who led Juventus to the Serie A title last season, is accused of failing to report match-fixing in two games in the 2010/11 season when he was coach of Siena, then in Serie B.
On Wednesday, the Italian football federation (FIGC) tribunal said a proposed three-month ban agreed between Conte's lawyers and the federation prosecutor Stefano Palazzi was insufficient.
It called for them to come up with a tougher penalty proposal or to go to a full sporting trial.
Frantic negotiations failed on Thursday and Juventus President Andrea Agnelli blasted the federation, accusing it of incompetence and launching an unjustified "new attack" on the club.
"It appears that the FIGC and its system of sporting justice continue to operate in complete disregard of law and equality," said Agnelli in a statement.
He said the rejection of Conte's plea bargain "is testimony to the complete inadequacy of the sporting justice system and the federation within which it operates."
"Once again, I detect an inability to interpret the requirements of today's top-level professional game."
"Having chosen to make a plea bargain in order to limit the damage of an antiquated and contradictory system of sporting justice, one is confronted with a dictatorial system that deprives the club and its employees of any right to defend themselves and their honour."
The FIGC then issued a reply defending itself.
"The FIGC and its organisations operate with integrity and within full compliance of the statutory rules which guarantee the independence and autonomy of the sporting justice," it said.
"The judgements of the president of Juventus Andrea Agnelli are not acceptable and go beyond the legitimate exercise of free speech."
The federation has said it aims to reach a verdict in the Conte case by August 10.
Juventus were stripped of the Serie A titles they won in the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons following the so-called Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.
The matches involved in the charges were between Novara and Siena in May 2011, which ended 2-2, and between Albinoleffe and Siena in the same month which ended in a 1-0 defeat for Siena.
On Wednesday, Siena had six points deducted for the forthcoming Serie A season after their plea bargain was accepted at the second attempt.
In total, 13 clubs and 45 players and training staff are facing disciplinary charges over the latest match-fixing allegations.
The "Calcioscommesse" scandal echoes earlier match-fixing cases which tarnished Italian football in the 1980s and before the 2006 World Cup.
Prosecutors believe an international gambling ring paid players to throw matches. Dozens of current and former players in teams ranging from the Serie A top division down to the lower leagues may have been involved, according to investigators.

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Bonucci could face three-and-a-half year ban

(releads with Bonucci, adds details)

ROME, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Juventus and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci could face a three-and-a-half year ban and team mate Simone Pepe one year following a request by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) prosecutor in the country's match-fixing scandal.

On the third day of a hearing into the Calcioscommesse scandal, FIGC prosecutor Stefano Palazzi also requested a two-point deduction for Bologna and demotion to the third tier for Lecce, who were relegated from Serie A last season.

Marco Di Vaio, formerly of Bologna and now with Montreal Impact, has also had a one-year ban proposed by Palazzi while several other players could face between three and four-year bans.

Bonucci and Pepe both played key roles as Juventus won Serie A last season.

Bonucci, who also helped Italy reach the Euro 2012 final, is accused of helping to fix the result of a match when he played for Bari in May 2010.

The game against Udinese ended 3-3.

Pepe, who was playing for Udinese in the same match, faces a lesser charge of failing to report the alleged fix. Both players deny wrongdoing.

The FIGC said its tribunal aimed to reach a verdict before the end of next week.

The news is likely to infuriate Juventus, already livid over the rejection of coach Antonio Conte's plea bargain of a three-month ban.

Conte, who led Juventus to the Serie A title last season, is accused of failing to report match-fixing in two games in the 2010-11 season when he was coach of Siena, then in Serie B. He will now go to a full sporting trial.

SAMPDORIA PENALISED

Earlier on Friday, former Bari defender Andrea Masiello, now with Atalanta, was banned for 26 months on Friday for his part in the latest match-fixing to hit Italian football.

Promoted Sampdoria were docked one point for the forthcoming Serie A campaign and fined 30,000 euros ($36,500) and Bari, who play in Serie B, were docked five points and fined 80,000 euros.

Former Bari team mates Alessandro Parisi, Marco Rossi and Marco Esposito were also suspended.

Parisi, who played for Torino in Serie B last season and is now a free agent, will serve a two-year ban, Rossi one year and eight months and Esposito three months and 10 days. The trio were also fined.

Attention focused on several Bari games in the 2010-11 season, when the team was still in Serie A, including one in May last year against local rivals Lecce. Bari, already relegated, lost that match 2-0 with Masiello scoring an own goal in the 80th minute.

Prosecutors believe an international gambling ring paid players to throw matches. Dozens of current and former players in teams ranging from the Serie A top division down to the lower leagues may have been involved, according to investigators.

In total, 13 clubs and 45 players and training staff are facing disciplinary charges over the latest match-fixing allegations.

The "Calcioscommesse" scandal echoes earlier match-fixing cases which tarnished Italian soccer in the 1980s and before the 2006 World Cup.

Siena had six points deducted on Thursday, a penalty which will also be applied in the 2012-13 season. ($1 = 0.8224 euros) (Reporting By Steve Scherer, writing by Gavin Jones and Brian Homewood; editing by Ed Osmond)

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Lengthy bans requested for Bonucci and Pepe

Italy's football federation (FIGC) prosecutor has asked for a three-and-a-half year ban to be imposed on Juventus and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci and one year for winger Simone Pepe over match-fixing, the federation said Friday.

Both played key roles in helping Juventus win Serie A last season.

Bonucci, who also helped Italy reach the Euro 2012 final, is accused of helping to fix the result of a match when he played for Bari in May 2010. The game against Udinese ended 3-3.

Pepe, who was playing for Udinese in the same match, faces a lesser charge of failing to report the alleged fix. Both players deny wrongdoing. The FIGC said its tribunal aims to reach a verdict before the end of next week.

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Masiello handed 26-month ban for match-fixing

Former Bari defender Andrea Masiello, now with Atalanta, was banned for 26 months on Friday for his part in the latest match-fixing to hit Italian football.

Promoted Sampdoria were docked one point for the forthcoming Serie A campaign and fined 30,000 euros and Bari, who play in Serie B, were docked five points and fined 80,000 euros.

All the suspensions were handed down after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) tribunal investigating the Calcioscommesse match-fixing scandal, the latest to hit Italian football, accepted plea bargain offers from the defendants.

Former Bari team-mates Alessandro Parisi, Marco Rossi and Marco Esposito were also suspended.

Parisi, who played for Torino in Serie B last season and is now a free agent, will serve a two-year ban, Rossi one year and eight months and Esposito three months and 10 days. The trio were also fined.

Attention focused on several Bari games in the 2010/11 season, when the team was still in Serie A, including one in May last year against local rivals Lecce. Bari, already relegated, lost that match 2-0 with Masiello scoring an own goal in the 80th minute.

Prosecutors believe an international gambling ring paid players to throw matches. Dozens of current and former players in teams ranging from the Serie A top division down to the lower leagues may have been involved, according to investigators.

The most high-profile case involves Juventus coach Antonio Conte who will go to a full sporting trial after his plea bargain offer of a three-month ban was rejected on Wednesday.

Conte, who led Juventus to the Serie A title last season, is accused of failing to report match-fixing in two games in the 2010/11 season when he was coach of Siena, then in Serie B.

Siena had six points deducted on Thursday, a penalty which will also be applied in the 2012/13 season.

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Chinese to acquire stake in Inter Milan

China Railway Construction Corp is in talks with Inter Milan to build a new stadium in Italy's financial capital in a move that would allow the Italian club to have its own home and make money out of it.
But the two sides gave conflicting versions on Thursday as to whether an agreement had been signed and whether it included China Railway buying a stake in Inter, which would be the first such investment from mainland China in a major foreign sports team.
Two sources close to the situation told Reuters that China Railway was the main partner in a deal to buy a 15 percent stake in Inter Milan for 55 million euros. One source said the stake was in exchange for building the stadium.
Inter said in a statement on its website late on Wednesday a group of Chinese investors had agreed to buy a minority stake in the club, becoming the second biggest shareholder.
The club did not name the investors and did not disclose the size of the stake, but said China Railway would help build a new stadium by 2017.
"The main aim is to build a new stadium, that's what the agreement with China Railway is really about," Massimo Moratti, chairman and owner of the 104-year-old club, said.
In a statement, China Railway said it was not included in the group of investors cited by Inter and had not held talks with the Milan club about buying a stake.
It said one of its subsidiaries "is presently in consultations with Inter Milan and relevant parties" on the construction of a stadium at the San Donato site in Milan and would make an announcement once a contract is signed.
Inter said a joint statement by the two companies was expected shortly.
One of the sources familiar with the situation said the deal envisaged more Asian investors eventually taking stakes in Inter Milan, even though the Moratti family will retain majority control.
Inter Milan and arch-rivals AC Milan, owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, use the 80,065-seat San Siro Stadium, which was completed in 1926 and is owned by the city of Milan.

EXTRA REVENUE
City ownership of stadiums is common in Italy but leaves clubs unable to modernise their grounds and make money out of facilities at them such as mega-stores and restaurants in the way Manchester United and Bayern Munich do.
"Now we must find the right location, see what can be done and in a few years' time the fans will have their own home," Moratti said.
Italy's ageing stadiums have the second-lowest attendance among the "big five" European top football leagues, with the English Premier League and Germany's Bundesliga leading the pack.
Gate receipts accounted for just 13 percent of Serie A's total 1.55 billion euro revenues in the 2010/11 season, according to consultancy Deloitte.
Inter have long dreamed of building a new stadium, following the example of Italian rival Juventus whose new 41,000-seater stadium in Turin, which cost 120 million euros, brought fans back to matches.
A spokeswoman for Milan city council said there was no decision yet on where the new Inter Milan stadium could be built.
Chinese investors, encouraged by the government, have been actively pursuing overseas assets in recent years.
Some high-profile purchases have included the takeover of cereal maker Weetabix by China Bright Food and an agreement by Dalian Wanda Group to buy the U.S. movie chain AMC Theatres, both in May.
China Railway Construction has actively pursued overseas investment this year, signing two projects in Africa with a total contract value of 9.1 billion yuan ($1.4 billion).
Investors from the Chinese mainland have been looking to buy stakes in foreign sports teams, but with little success so far. Possible targets have included The Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team and Britain's Liverpool football club.
In 2009, Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung bought Birmingham City.

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Villarreal agree to sell Valero to Fiorentina

Fiorentina have agreed to sign Villarreal's midfielder Borja Valero, the two clubs said on Wednesday.

Valero, 27, would shortly travel to Italy for a medical and to tie up the details of the move, Villarreal, who were relegated from La Liga last season, said on their website.

A club spokesman declined to confirm media reports that the deal was worth seven million euros.

An attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, Valero came through Real Madrid's youth academy before joining Real Mallorca and later had a stint at English club West Bromwich Albion. He has made one appearance for Spain.

Fiorentina, which is owned by the Della Valle family of Tod's shoemaking fame, finished 13th in Serie A last term.

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Egypt knocked out of Nations Cup qualifiers

Record winners Egypt were knocked out of Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with the rank outsiders from Central African Republic to lose 4-3 on aggregate.

The Egyptians will miss the finals for the second time in a row, representing a major setback for American coach Bob Bradley who was hired last year after they had failed to qualify for the 2012 edition.

Foxi Kethevoama put Central African Republic in front midway through the first half and the visitors equalised with a goal from Emad Moteab 13 minutes from time.

Egypt's 3-2 home defeat in Alexandria in the first leg was one of the biggest ever upsets in Nations Cup qualification.

Central African Republic are now through to the last round of qualifying for the 2013 finals in South Africa.

Thirty teams will be drawn on Thursday into 15 final round, two-legged knockout ties to be played in September and October.

The winners go to the finals in January, along with the host nation.

Egypt have won a record seven Nations Cup titles, three of them in a row in an unprecedented spell of dominance from 2006 to 2010.

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South Africa name host cities for Nations Cu

Soccer City in Johannesburg will hold the opening game and final of next year's Africa Cup of Nations finals, the South African sports minister Fikile Mbalula said on Friday as all the host cities were announced.

The rest of the 16-team tournament will be played in Durban, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth and Rustenburg, which were all venues for the 2010 World Cup.

But new stadiums built for the World Cup in Cape Town and Polokwane have been left out, it was announced at a government briefing.

Cape Town had been the only proposed venue to publicly raise objections to being asked to pay around 22 million rand ($2.85 million) for the right to host matches.

The South African Football Association needs more than 100 million rand to finance the hosting of the three-week tournament next January 19-February 10.

The controversy over the funding of the tournament has seen the announcement of the host cities delayed three times.

Mbalula provided no clarity on the solution to the funding issue, but said the government would meet with the cities soon for talks. 

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Levski beat leaders CSKA, 15 fans arrested over violence

 SOFIA, April 29 (Reuters) - Levski Sofia beat bitter city rivals CSKA 1-0 at home to end the leaders' nine-match winning streak in the Bulgarian league as police arrested 15 fans following violence at Sunday's derby.

Unmarked Portuguese midfielder Cristovao Ramos scored the winner five minutes after the break when he gave CSKA's Algeria keeper Rais M'Bolhi no chance with a precise shot from close range.

"Levski didn't outplay us in any department," CSKA coach Stoycho Mladenov told reporters. "God helped them today and that's why they won, they're very, very lucky.

"And I don't want this referee (Nikolay Yordanov) to officiate CSKA games anymore... I knew he'd create problems."

CSKA, searching for their 32nd league title, top the standings with 63 points from 26 matches followed by surprise packages Ludogorets on 58. Levski moved up to fourth on 53 points.

The heavily-policed "Eternal derby", as matches between the two most popular clubs in the Balkan country are known, has often been bad tempered with hooliganism rife.

Some 1,000 police officers were on duty to prevent public order offences before, during and after the match at the Vasil Levski national stadium. (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov, editing by Mark Meadows)   

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Team attacked in dressing room before Nigerian match

 PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria, April 29 (Reuters) - The assistant coach and a defender of visiting soccer club Ocean Boys were taken to hospital in serious condition after being attacked in the dressing room ahead of a league game with local side Sharks, officials said.

Two other team members were bruised and bloodied in the attack, they said.

“"We were in the dressing room preparing to warm-up when their fans entered and attacked us," Ocean Boys media officer Eddy Ohis said.

Officials said assistant coach Timi Akosubo and defender Anthony Nwodo were in a serious condition. The Premier League game was called off.

The attack was the latest incident in a growing spiral of violence in the professional game in the west African country, which has included attacks on referees by spectators and crowd invasions of pitches in which visiting players are targeted.

There was widespread condemnation of Sunday's incident but the Nigerian Premier League (NPL) said it was waiting for a report before commenting.

Philip Obaji of the 'Football without Violence' campaign said: "“Such a situation is unacceptable. This is an attack not only on innocent people but on the image of the NPL and we call for a full investigation and holding those responsible to account." 

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Olympiakos win Greek Cup to seal domestic double

 ATHENS, April 28 (Reuters) - Olympiakos Piraeus overcame Atromitos 2-1 to win the Greek Cup thanks to a goal from substitute David Fuster a minute from the end of extra time on Saturday as they completed a domestic double.

Algeria striker Rafik Djebbour had opened the scoring in the 29th minute for the Greek champions at the Olympic Stadium but Argentine midfielder Walter Iglesias equalised with a deflected shot 15 minutes from time.

Both sets of players ran out of steam in the extra period but with the clock ticking down Spaniard Fuster rose to head home a cross from his captain Vasilis Torosidis and send the Olympiakos fans into frenzied celebrations.

The victory ensured outgoing Olympiakos coach Ernesto Valverde could celebrate winning another trophy at the end of his second spell with the club.

Having already celebrated their 38th Super League title, Valverde's team were the overwhelming favourites and they dominated proceedings during normal time.

Djebbour was thwarted by Atromitos keeper Charles Itandje and Jean Makoun shot over the bar from edge of the area in the first 20 minutes as the Red and Whites made a confident start.

Atromitos, playing in only their second cup final after losing 3-0 to AEK Athens last season, struggled to gain possession with only a speculative effort by striker Kostas Mitroglou to show for their first half efforts.

Olympiakos were given a golden opportunity to go in front in the 24th minute after Giannis Maniatis was brought down in the penalty area but Jose Holebas fired his spot-kick wide.

Djebbour finally broke the deadlock five minutes later, rifling home Djamel Abdoun's centre after great interplay down the right flank from Vasilis Torosidis and Maniatis.

A low key second half came to life when Atromitos levelled through Iglesias strike from Dennis Epstine's left wing cross forcing the game into extra time.

After an uneventful 29 minutes Fuster rose to glance home a header that earned the spoils as Olympiakos claimed their 25th success in the competition and their 15th domestic double. 

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Argentine championship inicial results and standings

Aug 3 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Argentine championship Inicial matches on Friday Friday, August 3 Arsenal 1 Union (Santa Fe) 0 Standings P W D L F A Pts 1 Arsenal 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 Quilmes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 All Boys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Godoy Cruz 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tigre 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 San Martin (San Juan) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Atletico Rafaela 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Newell's Old Boys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 River Plate 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Independiente 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Colon (Santa Fe) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Velez Sarsfield 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Boca Juniors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Estudiantes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Racing Club 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Atletico Belgrano 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 San Lorenzo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Argentinos Juniors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lanus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 Union (Santa Fe) 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Next Fixtures (GMT): Saturday, August 4 Velez Sarsfield v Argentinos Juniors (0010) Racing Club v Atletico Rafaela (1710) Colon (Santa Fe) v Lanus (1910) Quilmes v Boca Juniors (2115) Newell's Old Boys v Independiente (2320) Sunday, August 5 Godoy Cruz v All Boys (1810) San Lorenzo v San Martin (San Juan) (2010) River Plate v Atletico Belgrano (2215) Monday, August 6 Tigre v Estudiantes (2310)

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cs-Japan beat Brazil in women's soccer quarter-finals - results

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - COVENTRY, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Japan beat Brazil 2-0 in the Olympic women's soccer quarter-finals on Friday. Results Table Japan beat Brazil 2-0 (1-0) U.S. beat New Zealand 2-0 (1-0) France beat Sweden 2-1 (2-1)

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River begin with Belgrano revenge meeting

River Plate return to the top flight of Argentine football at the weekend after the indignity playing in the second division and will immediately face the team who sent them down a little more than one year ago.

In a quirk football seems to have a habit of producing, the fixture list has paired River with Belgrano on the opening day of the season, the same team who beat them over two legs in a promotion/relegation play-off.

River's relegation sent shockwaves through the country as it was thought the Argentine Football Association (AFA) had engineered a system which made it impossible for any of the big clubs to go down.

Relegation is decided on a points-per-game average over three years, the logic being that while a big club may have one bad season, they are unlikely to have three in row.

However, beset by financial and organisational problems, River did exactly that and their woes ended with a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Cordoba-based Belgrano in the 2010-11 playoff.

Coached by Matias Almeyda and boosted by the signing of former France international David Trezeguet, who was raised in Buenos Aires, they won promotion at the first attempt last season.

Their presence means the return of the River-Boca derbies, one of the football world's great fixtures.

Boca themselves will be coming to terms with the departure of talismanic playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, who quit the club after they lost the Libertadores Cup final to Corinthians.

ONE WINNER

For the first time since 1990-91, the season will have only one single champion.

The last 21 seasons have been divided into two championships, known as the Apertura (Opening) and Clausura (Closing) with the 20 teams meeting once in each.

This time, the winners of each championship, which will be renamed 'Inicial' and 'Final', will meet in an end-of-season decider.

It is still not the same as a European league system as the team which has the most points over the whole season may not necessarily win the title. The controversial relegations system remains in place.

Despite the new format, Argentine football remains mired in problems with crowd violence, clubs in financial difficulties and the loss of promising young players to foreign clubs.

This, combined with the short championships, has led to a dramatic leveling out with smaller clubs such as Banfield, Lanus and Arsenal, the defending champions, all winning the title in the last five years.

In an attempt to clamp down on violence, the Argentine government and the AFA announced earlier this week that fans would be electronically finger-printed as they entered stadiums for some games.

The government said it would provide a database of finger prints to help identify troublemakers and keep them out of stadiums.

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Sao Paulo keeper Rogerio regains scoring knack

Sao Paulo goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni scored with a majestic free-kick in a 2-0 win over Bahia on Wednesday signalling he has regained his scoring knack after a long injury layoff.

The 39-year-old goalkeeper, who played his first game of the year last Sunday following a shoulder injury, curled the ball into the top corner early in the Copa Sudamericana tie.

It was the 104th goal of his career, widely regarded as the highest total ever scored by goalkeeper in professional football. Teenager Ademilson scored Sao Paulo's second.

The competition is the regional equivalent of UEFA's Europa League.

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Schiavi sorry for "food for rats" outburst

Boca Juniors captain Rolando Schiavi has apologised for a Twitter outburst in which he complained that the team had been served "food fit for rats" in a Venezuelan hotel.

His apology came as Argentina's most popular club arrived home two days late and at the wrong airport following a pre-season tour to Colombia and Venezuela.

"I apologise for my over-the-top and irresponsible words which were made in the heat of the moment, when I was tired," said Schiavi in a new tweet. "I regret what I wrote so I have deleted it."

Boca were supposed to leave the Venezuelan city of Puerto La Cruz on Monday night along with fellow Argentine club All Boys, but a mix-up over their chartered flight meant they only departed on Wednesday.

They were left wondering whether they would even get home in time for their opening Argentine championship match against Quilmes on Saturday.

At one point, Schiavi tweeted: "They've taken us to a fourth-rate hotel, with lots of damp, dirty sheets and food fit for rats."

Argentine media said the flight finally left on Wednesday only to be diverted to Cordoba when it reached Argentina due to fog at Buenos Aires.

It was due to fly to Buenos Aires later on Thursday.

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Sao Paulo score four on Rogerio's return

Sao Paulo celebrated the return of talismanic goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni with a 4-1 thrashing of Flamengo in the Brazilian championship on Sunday.

The 39-year-old keeper, who has scored more than 100 goals in his career from penalties and free-kicks, had been out of action since last November with a shoulder injury.

Former Brazil striker Luis Fabiano scored two of the goals for Sao Paulo, who gave Flamengo's new coach Dorival Junior plenty of food for thought in only his second game in charge.

Palmeiras dropped into the relegation zone with a 2-1 defeat at Cruzeiro which ended with their players surrounding the referee furiously protesting his decisions.

The referee left the pitch with a police escort as the Palmeiras team remonstrated over the penalty award which led to Borges giving Cruzeiro the lead before half-time. They were also livid over a disallowed goal.

Palmeiras coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Brazil to their World Cup victory in 2002, refused to talk to the media after the match.

Borges also scored Cruzeiro's second goal with Hernan Barcos pulling one back for Palmeiras, who are 18th in the 20-team table with 10 points from 13 games. The bottom four go down.

Atletico Mineiro stayed top with a goalless draw at Fluminense. They are two points clear of Vasco da Gama, who were also involved in a 0-0 draw with Internacional.

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Malaga train amid reports of unpaid wages

Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini oversaw training on Thursday amid reports the La Liga club is unable to pay his or the players' wages while their Qatari owner looks to offload his stake.
The Andalusian side's preparations for the 2012/13 season, which begins in less than three weeks, were also disrupted by separate reports that said their Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla was poised to sign for English Premier League club Arsenal.
Sports dailies Marca, As and other media all said that owner Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nassar Al-Thani - a member of the Qatar royal family - wants to sell up after only two years and is in talks with several interested parties.
"It's impossible to ignore what's going on," defender Weligton told a post-training news conference.
"There are kids who play with my son who are asking me about it, who are crying, who ask if the team is going to be relegated to Segunda B," added the Brazilian.
"It's a difficult situation to deal with after everything that has happened, the big signings, the big player presentations.
"We were all expecting more signings, more surprises, believing that the team would continue to be in fashion. But now we don't know why all this has come to an end."
Al-Thani bought the Andalusian club for 36 million euros in June 2010 and heavy investment in players helped them finish fourth last season and secure a place in the Champions League playoff round.
However, financial problems at the club have cast doubt over his commitment and he and his representatives have been conspicuous by their silence in recent weeks.

INTERNAL RESTRUCTURING
The club published a brief statement on its website later on Thursday, saying it had "started a process of internal restructuring".
This would help adapt to UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, which are designed to prevent clubs spending more than they earn.
The restructuring was aimed at "guaranteeing the self-sufficiency and sustainability" of Malaga, the statement said.
"This process, which does not mean some kind of investment by the current owners is rejected, will include some changes in the current organisation which will strengthen the club for the future," it concluded.
Cazorla did not join his team mates for training at the Rosaleda stadium, raising expectations the Spain midfielder is negotiating an exit.
Other players, including French midfielder Jeremy Toulalan, have also reportedly threatened to leave.
Weligton, who said the players had held meetings to discuss the situation and were trying to get concrete answers from the club, appeared to confirm that Cazorla was on his way.
"It's clear to us that we are about to close the sale of a player and with the money we could resolve part of the big problem that we have," he said.
"This situation cannot be maintained and we'll play with the players we end up with, with players from the youth team or whatever it takes.
"We still have confidence in the club, we know the problems there are and we know there are people trying to find solutions."

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Arbeloa extends Real Madrid contract to 2016

Real Madrid's Spanish defender Alvaro Arbeloa has agreed to extend his contract by two years to the end of the 2015/16 season, the La Liga club said on Wednesday.

"I am delighted that the club still has faith in me and I hope to be able to continue enjoying my playing career," Arbeloa said on Real's website.

"Today's players have longer careers and I hope it's not my last contract extension with Real Madrid," added the 29-year-old full-back.

Arbeloa, who was born in Spain coach Vicente del Bosque's home city of Salamanca, came through Real's youth academy before joining Deportivo Coruna and then Liverpool and returned to the Spanish capital in 2009.

He made his debut for Spain in March 2008 and turned in a solid performance at Euro 2012 to help the Iberian win a second straight European Championship to add to their World Cup triumph in 2010.

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Puyol: Barca will not rush Villa back

Barcelona striker David Villa has been given the all-clear by medical staff after recovering from a broken leg sustained in December, the La Liga club said on Tuesday.
Villa, Spain's all-time leading scorer who joined Barca from Valencia two years ago, fractured his left leg at the Club World Cup and has not played since.
The 30-year-old missed Spain's triumphant Euro 2012 campaign but has already returned to training with his club team-mates for the start of La Liga on the weekend of Aug. 18-19.
Club doctor Ramon Cugat said Villa was not quite ready to return to competitive action and still needed physiotherapy to get back to full fitness.
"David Villa is no longer in the hands of the doctors, he is now in the hands of the rehabilitators," Cugat said on Barca's website.
Captain Carles Puyol, who has himself just returned to training after knee surgery, told an earlier news conference the club would not rush Villa back before he is ready.
"He seems in good shape, full of desire, hope and intensity," Puyol said.
"What happens is that with such a long-term injury the most important thing is not to rush," he added.
Puyol, who was 34 in April, was also asked about his Barca future given that his contract expires at the end of this season. The defender said he had held talks with sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta about an extension.
"I spoke to him the other day and the issue won't be very complicated," Puyol said.
"I am excited about continuing my playing career and if the club wants me I'll stay here."
Barca play friendlies against Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Dinamo Bucharest before hosting Real Sociedad in their opening La Liga game.

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Mancini junior joins Valladolid after City exit

Having a famous and successful father is not always easy in football but Andrea Mancini is not about to let it get in the way of his ambition to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona one day.

The 19-year-old son of Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, forward Andrea is about to begin his debut season with Real Valladolid after the Italian realised his options at City were limited and agreed to join the La Liga club's B team.

"For sure it's not easy having the surname Mancini," Andrea said on the official La Liga website.

"He is Roberto and I am Andrea, he has already ended his career and I am starting mine," he added. "If I ended up being 40 percent of the player he was I would be satisfied."

Roberto Mancini's 20-year playing career as a striker included stints at Serie A sides Bologna, Lazio and Sampdoria and he made more than 700 domestic and European appearances, scoring 206 goals.

He won two Serie A titles and six Italian Cups as well as two UEFA Cups and made 36 appearances for Italy.

Andrea Mancini said it was the dream of every kid, including him, to play one day for Real or Barca and having Real coach Jose Mourinho as his boss would be a special privilege.

"I would like to play for him [Mourinho] one day," he said, adding that City's Italy striker Mario Balotelli had been full of praise for the Portuguese, who was his coach at Inter Milan.

"Balotelli told me that he is a marvellous coach, that he has a fantastic personality and way of dealing with the players."

Valladolid won promotion back to the top flight at the end of last season and Mancini said his focus was to win a place in the first team.

"For a lad of 19 the most important thing is to play and Valladolid have shown throughout their history that they are the perfect club for young people," he said.

"I have joined the youth side but I want to play for Real Valladolid in the first division.

"They told me I am starting a very important season and I should give 110 percent in training."

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Banega's Ferrari burnt to a crisp

Ever Banega's run of bad luck on the road took a bizarre new twist on Monday when the Valencia playmaker's Ferrari caught fire and burned out near the La Liga club's training ground.

The Argentina international, who has only just returned from a broken ankle sustained in February when he failed to set the handbrake in his car and it rolled over his foot, was unharmed in the latest incident, a Valencia spokesman said.

The vehicle that caught fire on Monday was a brand new Ferrari worth around 250,000 euros, the spokesman added, and pictures carried in local media showed only the front part of the car remained unscathed with the rest, including the passenger cabin, burnt to a black crisp.

The blaze seemed to have been caused by some sort of short circuit, the spokesman said. Ferrari is a high-performance sports car brand owned by Italian automaker Fiat.

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Zidane to help Madrid youth while coaching

Zinedine Zidane will shortly begin training as a football coach while at the same time helping out at Real Madrid's youth academy, the La Liga club said on Monday.

The 40-year-old former France international, who played for Real between 2001 and his retirement in 2006 and was World Player of the Year three times, has been working as a director of football with the Spanish champions since last year.

"This year he will complete his team management qualification," Real said in a statement on their website.

"That will allow him to formalise his knowledge and training which will enable him to fulfill an aspiration that he made public in the press conference at which he announced his retirement as a player in April 2006: to work with Real Madrid's youth academy," they added.

Zidane has been credited with helping Real coach Jose Mourinho get the best out of France striker Karim Benzema and he also helped convince the club to buy French defender Raphael Varane from Lens last year.

He had previously been touted as a potential France coach before fellow World Cup winner Didier Deschamps replaced another 1998 veteran, Laurent Blanc.

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Puyol given all-clear after knee surgery

Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has been given the all-clear following an operation on his right knee in May, the La Liga club said on Monday.

The 34-year-old Spain international had arthroscopic surgery and was ruled out for the final weeks of last season, meaning he missed his nation's triumphant Euro 2012 campaign in Poland and Ukraine.

The news on club captain Puyol coincided with the return to pre-season training of Barca's Spanish internationals Victor Valdes, Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

The seven passed medicals along with Puyol on Monday and will train with the rest of the squad later, Barca said on their website.

Barca play pre-season friendlies against Paris St Germain, Manchester United and Dinamo Bucharest before hosting Real Sociedad in their opening La Liga match on the weekend of August 18/19.

New signing Jordi Alba, the Spain left-back who sealed a move from Valencia in June, is still in Britain with the Olympic team, whose medal hopes were ended on Sunday when they suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Honduras.

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Pellegrini: Sale reports affecting Malaga players

Reports Malaga's Qatari owner has put the club up for sale are affecting the players but they remain focused on preparing for the La Liga season starting in three weeks, coach Manuel Pellegrini said.

Marca, As and other Spanish media reported on Saturday, without naming the source of their information, that Malaga owner Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nassar Al-Thani - a member of the Qatar royal family - wanted to sell up after only two years.
Talks have started with Albanian oil magnate Rezart Taci while another potential buyer was Qatar Investment Authority, owner of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, As said.
"We are focused on the sporting side of things but when there are so many rumours it has to have an effect, also being away from Spain," Pellegrini said at a news conference in Caracas during the club's tour of Venezuela.
"But we are calm because we have been working very well," added the Chilean.
"We'll see when we get back to Spain, see which rumours are true and which are not.
"Until there is a certain clarity about what is going on it's not good to express opinions.
"We'll be back in Spain on Tuesday and we'll see what we find there."
Al-Thani agreed to pay €36 million for the Andalusian club in June 2010 and heavy investment in players helped them finish fourth last season and secure a lucrative place in the Champions League.
However, financial problems have cast doubt over Al-Thani's commitment.
The club were banned from registering new players in January until an outstanding debt to La Liga rivals Osasuna had been settled and some players complained of delays in wage payments.
The reason for the delay in paying Osasuna was "the complexity of approving budgets and transactions with foreign entities", the club said.
Malaga's preparations for the coming season have also been disrupted by reports their best player, Spain playmaker Santi Cazorla, is poised to leave by possibly joining Arsenal in the Premier League.

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Rangers granted Scottish FA membership

Crisis club Rangers have been granted conditional membership of the Scottish FA that allows the former champions to play their League Cup first round tie at Brechin City on Sunday.

Rangers have been told to relaunch in the fourth tier after collapsing under their debt pile, breaking the stranglehold they have had with city rivals Celtic on the Scottish game for decades.

They have been replaced in the Scottish Premier League by Dundee after the Glasgow side were demoted following their financial crisis.

The new Rangers needed membership of the Scottish FA to play any competitive matches in Scotland.

A Scottish Football League (SFL), SFA and Scottish Premier League statement on Friday read:

"We are pleased to confirm that agreement has been reached on all outstanding points relating to the transfer of the Scottish FA membership between Rangers FC (In Administration), and Sevco Scotland Ltd, who will be the new owners of The Rangers Football Club.

"A conditional membership will be issued to Sevco Scotland Ltd today, allowing Sunday's Ramsdens (League) Cup tie against Brechin City to go ahead.

"Following the completion of all legal documentation, the Scottish Premier League will conduct the formal transfer of the league share between RFC (IA) and Dundee FC on no later than Friday 3rd August 2012."

Rangers, who have won the Scottish title a record 54 times, went into administration in February before a takeover last month by a consortium led by English businessman Charles Green.

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Belgian championship results and standings

Aug 3 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Belgian championship matches on Friday Friday, August 3 Lierse 0 Standard Liege 0 Standings P W D L F A Pts 1 Mons-Bergen 1 1 0 0 5 2 3 2 Mechelen 1 1 0 0 4 2 3 2 Lokeren 1 1 0 0 4 2 3 4 Club Bruges 1 1 0 0 3 1 3 5 Ghent 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 6 Zulte Waregem 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 ------------------------- 7 Racing Genk 1 0 1 0 3 3 1 7 Cercle Bruges 1 0 1 0 3 3 1 9 Anderlecht 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 9 Kortrijk 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 11 Standard Liege 2 0 1 1 0 1 1 12 Lierse 2 0 1 1 0 2 1 13 Beerschot 1 0 0 1 2 4 0 13 Charleroi 1 0 0 1 2 4 0 ------------------------- 15 Waasland-Beveren 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 16 OH Leuven 1 0 0 1 2 5 0 4-6: Championship play-off 15-16: Relegation play-off Next Fixtures (GMT): Saturday, August 4 Charleroi v Club Bruges (1600) Anderlecht v Beerschot (1800) Cercle Bruges v Kortrijk (1800) Lokeren v Mons-Bergen (1800) Waasland-Beveren v Mechelen (1800) Sunday, August 5 OH Leuven v Racing Genk (1600) Zulte Waregem v Ghent (1600)

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Romanian championship results and standings

Aug 3 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Romanian championship matches on Friday Friday, August 3 Gloria Bistrita 1 Gaz Metan Medias 1 Pandurii Targu-Jiu 3 Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt 1 Standings P W D L F A Pts 1 Pandurii Targu-Jiu 3 3 0 0 11 3 9 ------------------------- 2 Dinamo Bucharest 2 2 0 0 7 3 6 3 Steaua Bucharest 2 2 0 0 5 3 6 ------------------------- 4 Vaslui 2 1 1 0 5 2 4 ------------------------- 5 Brasov 2 1 1 0 4 3 4 6 Otelul Galati 2 1 1 0 3 2 4 7 Petrolul Ploiesti 2 1 0 1 5 3 3 8 FC Astra 2 1 0 1 5 5 3 9 Universitatea Cluj-Napoca 2 1 0 1 3 6 3 10 Rapid Bucharest 2 0 2 0 3 3 2 10 FC Viitorul Constanta 2 0 2 0 3 3 2 10 CFR Cluj 2 0 2 0 3 3 2 13 Gaz Metan Medias 3 0 2 1 2 4 2 14 Concordia Chiajna 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 ------------------------- 15 Gloria Bistrita 3 0 1 2 2 4 1 16 Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt 3 0 1 2 3 10 1 17 Turnu Severin 2 0 0 2 2 4 0 18 CSMS Iasi 2 0 0 2 3 7 0 1: Champions League preliminary round 2-3: Europa League 4: Europa League depending on domestic cup 15-18: Relegation Next Fixtures (GMT): Saturday, August 4 Turnu Severin v Concordia Chiajna (1600) Petrolul Ploiesti v Otelul Galati (1830) CFR Cluj v Vaslui (1845) Sunday, August 5 FC Viitorul Constanta v FC Astra (1600) Steaua Bucharest v Universitatea Cluj-Napoca (1830) Monday, August 6 Rapid Bucharest v CSMS Iasi (1600) Brasov v Dinamo Bucharest (1830)

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Czech championship results and standings

Aug 3 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Czech championship matches on Friday Friday, August 3 Hradec Kralove 2 Jablonec 2 Standings P W D L F A Pts 1 Jablonec 2 1 1 0 4 2 4 ------------------------- 2 Slovan Liberec 1 1 0 0 4 0 3 3 Viktoria Plzen 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 ------------------------- 4 Ceske Budejovice 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 4 Brno 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 4 Teplice 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 ------------------------- 7 Slavia Prague 1 0 1 0 3 3 1 7 Vysocina Jihlava 1 0 1 0 3 3 1 9 FK Dukla Praha 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 9 Sparta Prague 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 11 Hradec Kralove 2 0 1 1 2 5 1 12 Slovacko 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 12 Mlada Boleslav 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 12 Sigma Olomouc 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 ------------------------- 15 Banik Ostrava 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 16 Marila Pribram 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 1: Champions League preliminary round 2-3: Europa League 15-16: Relegation Next Fixtures (GMT): Saturday, August 4 Banik Ostrava v Slavia Prague (1600) Slovan Liberec v FK Dukla Praha (1600) Sunday, August 5 Mlada Boleslav v Ceske Budejovice (1500) Sigma Olomouc v Slovacko (1500) Sparta Prague v Marila Pribram (1500) Brno v Teplice (1500) Vysocina Jihlava v Viktoria Plzen (1715)

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Croatian championship results and standings

Aug 3 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Croatian championship matches on Friday Friday, August 3 Lokomotiva Zagreb 0 Osijek 0 NK Zagreb 0 Rijeka 1 Standings P W D L F A Pts 1 Lokomotiva Zagreb 3 2 1 0 3 0 7 ------------------------- 2 Slaven Belupo Koprivnica 2 2 0 0 6 1 6 3 Osijek 3 1 2 0 1 0 5 ------------------------- 4 Dinamo Zagreb 2 1 1 0 3 2 4 ------------------------- 5 Hajduk Split 2 1 1 0 1 0 4 6 Rijeka 3 1 1 1 1 2 4 7 NK Split 2 1 0 1 2 1 3 8 Zadar 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 9 Inter Zapresic 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 10 Istra 1961 2 0 1 1 1 3 1 11 Cibalia 2 0 0 2 1 5 0 ------------------------- 12 NK Zagreb 3 0 0 3 0 4 0 1: Champions League preliminary round 2-3: Europa League 4: Europa League depending on domestic cup 12: Relegation Next Fixtures (GMT): Saturday, August 4 Cibalia v Inter Zapresic (1800) Sunday, August 5 Zadar v Hajduk Split (1800) NK Split v Slaven Belupo Koprivnica (1900)

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Ukrainian championship results and standings

Aug 3 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Ukrainian championship matches on Friday Friday, August 3 Zakarpattya Uzhgorod 0 Zarja Lugansk 1 Kryvbas Kriviy Rih 0 Dynamo Kiev 1 Standings P W D L F A Pts 1 Dynamo Kiev 4 4 0 0 6 1 12 ------------------------- 2 Shakhtar Donetsk 3 3 0 0 10 1 9 ------------------------- 3 Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3 3 0 0 9 1 9 4 Zarja Lugansk 4 3 0 1 6 4 9 5 Metalist Kharkiv 3 2 1 0 4 1 7 5 Volyn Lutsk 3 2 1 0 4 1 7 ------------------------- 7 Kryvbas Kriviy Rih 4 2 0 2 2 2 6 8 Illichevets Mariupol 3 1 0 2 5 4 3 9 Vorskla Poltava 3 1 0 2 3 3 3 10 Chernomorets Odessa 3 1 0 2 3 5 3 11 Tavria Simferopol 3 1 0 2 2 4 3 12 Arsenal Kiev 3 1 0 2 3 8 3 13 Karpaty Lviv 3 0 1 2 3 9 1 14 Metalurg Zaporizhya 3 0 1 2 1 7 1 ------------------------- 15 Metalurg Donetsk 3 0 0 3 1 5 0 16 Zakarpattya Uzhgorod 4 0 0 4 4 10 0 1: Champions League / EC I 2: Champions League preliminary round 15-16: Relegation Next Fixtures (GMT): Saturday, August 4 Karpaty Lviv v Tavria Simferopol (1630) Sunday, August 5 Metalurg Zaporizhya v Illichevets Mariupol (1400) Vorskla Poltava v Chernomorets Odessa (1600) Arsenal Kiev v Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (1630) Metalurg Donetsk v Metalist Kharkiv (1800) Monday, August 6 Volyn Lutsk v Shakhtar Donetsk (1600)

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Hungarian championship results and standings

Aug 3 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Hungarian championship matches on Friday Friday, August 3 Egri FC 1 Siofok 1 Papa 0 Paks 0 Standings P W D L F A Pts 1 Debrecen 1 1 0 0 4 1 3 ------------------------- 2 Szombathelyi Haladas 1 1 0 0 4 2 3 3 MTK Hungaria 1 1 0 0 3 1 3 ------------------------- 4 Pecs 1 1 0 0 3 2 3 ------------------------- 5 Diosgyor 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 6 Honved 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 7 Papa 2 0 2 0 1 1 2 8 Kecskemeti TE 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 9 Ferencvaros 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 Fehervar 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 11 Paks 2 0 1 1 2 3 1 12 Siofok 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 13 Egri FC 2 0 1 1 3 5 1 14 Ujpest 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 ------------------------- 15 Kaposvar 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 16 Gyor ETO 1 0 0 1 1 4 0 1: Champions League preliminary round 2-3: Europa League 4: Europa League depending on domestic cup 15-16: Relegation Next Fixtures (GMT): Saturday, August 4 Kaposvar v Debrecen (1500) Gyor ETO v Szombathelyi Haladas (1700) Pecs v Ferencvaros (1845) Sunday, August 5 Ujpest v Fehervar (1330) Kecskemeti TE v MTK Hungaria (1500) Honved v Diosgyor (1630)

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Norwegian championship results and standings

Aug 3 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Norwegian championship matches on Friday Friday, August 3 FK Haugesund 4 Valerenga Oslo 2 Standings P W D L F A Pts 1 Stromsgodset IF 17 12 2 3 38 20 38 ------------------------- 2 Molde 17 10 2 5 30 19 32 3 Rosenborg Trondheim 17 7 9 1 27 15 30 ------------------------- 4 FK Haugesund 18 7 7 4 29 20 28 ------------------------- 5 Honefoss BK 17 7 6 4 19 18 27 6 Valerenga Oslo 18 7 4 7 25 26 25 7 Tromso 16 6 6 4 26 20 24 8 Viking Stavanger 17 7 3 7 20 24 24 9 Brann Bergen 17 7 2 8 31 26 23 10 Aalesund 17 5 8 4 24 20 23 11 Odd Grenland 17 6 4 7 24 28 22 12 Sogndal 17 4 7 6 17 21 19 13 Lillestrom 17 4 7 6 24 29 19 ------------------------- 14 Sandnes Ulf 16 4 5 7 19 30 17 ------------------------- 15 Fredrikstad 17 3 3 11 24 35 12 16 Stabaek 17 2 1 14 14 40 7 1: Champions League preliminary round 2-3: Europa League 4: Europa League depending on domestic cup 14: Relegation play-off 15-16: Relegation Next Fixtures (GMT): Saturday, August 4 Honefoss BK v Stromsgodset IF (1600) Molde v Sogndal (1800) Sunday, August 5 Fredrikstad v Tromso (1600) Odd Grenland v Viking Stavanger (1600) Sandnes Ulf v Lillestrom (1600) Rosenborg Trondheim v Aalesund (1800) Monday, August 6 Stabaek v Brann Bergen (1700)

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Terry requests hearing over racism charge

Chelsea captain John Terry has denied a Football Association charge of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand following their verbal exchange during a Premier League match last October.

The former England captain, who was last month found not guilty of racially abusing Ferdinand in a criminal trial at the Westminster Magistrates' Court, has requested a personal hearing.

The FA investigation into Terry began last year but was halted once it became a criminal matter. It was restarted once the court case concluded.

"John Terry has today denied an FA charge of using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour, which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race, towards Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand," said a statement on the FA website.

"The Chelsea player has requested a personal hearing, the date of which will be set in due course. During this period John Terry remains available to play for England."

Terry was stripped of the England captaincy by the FA because of the allegations which in turn triggered the resignation of manager Fabio Capello.

Terry was selected by Capello's replacement Roy Hodgson for last month's Euro 2012 tournament.

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France, U.S. and Japan into semi-finals

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The United States, chasing a third successive Olympic gold, will meet neighbours Canada in the semi-finals of the women's soccer tournament while France meet world champions Japan after all four convincingly won their quarter-finals on Friday.

Hosts Britain, whose performances have captivated huge home crowds in their first Olympics, bowed out after losing 2-0 to Canada in Coventry where Jonelle Filigno and skipper Christine Sinclair put Canada in control with goals in the first 25 minutes.

The U.S. were too strong for New Zealand, beating them 2-0 at Newcastle's St James' Park; Japan had the measure of Brazil beating them 2-0 in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, while France came from behind to beat Sweden 2-1 at Hampden Park, Glasgow.

The United States and Japan will start Monday's semis as favourites to get through to Thursday's final at Wembley in what would be a repeat of last year's World Cup final in Frankfurt, Germany which Japan won on penalties.

The U.S. will play neighbours Canada at Old Trafford on Monday while Japan and France will meet each other at Wembley.

U.S. DOMINATE

Goals in each half from Abby Wambach, her 142nd international goal, and Canadian-born substitute Sydney Leroux, gave the U.S. victory.

Wambach opened the scoring in the 27th minute when she slid in at the back post to score her fourth goal in as many games at the tournament.

They made sure of victory three minutes from time when Leroux, who played for both Canada and the U.S. in youth internationals, fired home.

U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said she was not worried her team wasted so many scoring chances.

"As long as we create chances, when you look back and see the way we played for 90 minutes, then you get confidence despite not putting the chances away."

Japan weathered a bright start by Brazil and gradually took control of the game after Yuki Ogimi scored in the 26th minute. Shinobu Ohno struck an excellent second goal high into the roof of the net with 18 minutes to play,

Coach Norio Sasaki was delighted with the performance.

"I think the players did a good job. It was our first time playing against Brazil in a major tournament and the players could have been fearful of them. But we knew their stamina would decline in the second half, so I told the players to get the ball forward quickly and it worked."

Britain's women, who attracted a record British crowd for a womens match of 70,000 when they played Brazil at Wembley on Tuesday had no answer to a superior Canada side.

"We were just not good enough tonight," said their coach Hope Powell.

"All credit to Canada, they came at us and played very well and we could not respond. But I am so proud of my team, we have become history makers and made the country proud."

France, like Britain, playing in the Olympics for the first time, avenged last year's defeat by Sweden in the third place play-off at the World Cup with two goals from set-pieces from Laura Georges and Wendie Renard at Hampden.

They cancelled out Nilla Fischer's 18th minute header for the Swedes, strong favourites for a medal before the tournament started. (Reporting by Mike Collett and Simon Evans in Miami, editing by Nigel Hunt)

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cs-Canada beat Britain in women's soccer quarter-final-results

NEWCASTLE, England, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Canada beat Britain 2-0 in an Olympic women's soccer quarter-final match on Friday. Results Table Canada beat Britain 2-0 (2-0) Japan beat Brazil 2-0 (1-0) U.S. beat New Zealand 2-0 (1-0) France beat Sweden 2-1 (2-1)

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U.S. sink New Zealand to reach semis

NEWCASTLE, England, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Goals in each half from Abby Wambach and Sydney Leroux fired the United States into the semi-finals of the Olympic women's soccer tournament with a 2-0 win over New Zealand at St. James' Park on Friday.

The U.S., three-times Olympic champions, will next face the winners of Friday's match between hosts Britain and Canada on Monday at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium.

Pia Sundhage's team will have to up their game for that encounter though after a display in which the Americans never looked in danger but were unable to put the game beyond a hard-working New Zealand until three minutes from the end of normal time when Leroux put the outcome beyond doubt.

"I was unaware I scored, I think," Leroux said.

"I'm pretty sure I blacked out. I was just going crazy and they all came round me, and Kelly (O'Hara) starting yelling, 'I'm so proud of you' and I think I almost started crying in the middle of the game."

Wambach put the U.S. ahead in the 27th minute, sliding in at the back post to convert a superb diagonal pass from Alex Morgan for her fourth goal in as many games at the tournament.

Earlier Morgan, whose light touch and intelligent movement have made her one of the outstanding players in this tournament, had missed a good chance when she rounded New Zealand keeper Jenny Bindon but placed her shot wide of the far post.

Wambach, who now has 142 international goals, had also missed a good opportunity, as Morgan was unable to reach a low cross and the ball fell to her team-mate at the back post who shot wide from close range.

The one goal advantage at the break put the pressure on New Zealand to attack in the second half but the solid U.S. defence restricted them largely to long range efforts which failed to test American keeper Hope Solo.

Morgan was upset when she went down just outside the penalty area under challenge from Bindon but the referee saw no foul to the frustration of the Californian forward.

At the other end there was a real let-off for the U.S. in the 84th minute as New Zealand's Rosie White burst into the box and went down under challenge as several U.S. defenders closed on her but the Argentine referee waved played on.

New Zealand skipper Rebecca Smith said: "It was definitely a penalty. From where I was which was quite far away, it looked like Rosie had gone past two defenders inside the box and there's only one way to bring someone down when they have passed someone. But that's football.

"But good luck to the USA. They are a quality team and I think they'll go on to win gold."

Three minutes after that, the U.S. sealed victory when substitute Leroux, on for Morgan, showed her pace and strength, bursting into the area and firing home.

(Reporting By Simon Evans, Editing by Patrick Johnston and Nigel Hunt)

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Fiorentina sign Aquilani from Liverpool

Fiorentina signed Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani from Liverpool on Friday with media reports putting the fee at seven million euros.

"Fiorentina announces the aquisition of Borja Valero Iglesias and Gonzalo Javier Rodriguez from Villarreal Club and Alberto Aquilani from Liverpool Football Club," the club said on their official website.

Italian media suggested that Liverpool will pay part of Aquilani's salary, which has been put at as much as 1.7 million euros a season.

Aquilani has had a troubled time since signing for Liverpool from AS Roma in 2009, failing to establish himself as a dominant midfield presence in a team that struggled for form.

He has been sent back twice to Italy on loan over the last two years, first to Juventus in 2010 and then to AC Milan at the start of last season.

Despite good performances for both teams, in particular during his time at Juventus, neither club took up the offer to buy him and he returns to Serie A as a member of Vincenzo's Montella's new-look Fiorentina.

The former Roma striker excited Serie A as Catania boss last season and is hoping that Aquilani can help the Tuscan outfit improve on last season where they narrowly avoided

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Petrov boosted by news of leukaemia remission

Stiliyan Petrov has been given good news in his battle with acute leukaemia after the Bulgarian international's club Aston Villa confirmed on Thursday that the disease was now in remission.

"It is with great delight that the club can confirm on behalf of our long-standing captain, Stiliyan Petrov, that Stan's acute leukaemia is in remission," a statement said on Villa's website.

"Stan would like to take this opportunity to express his deep gratitude to the medical staff who have looked after him so well since his condition was diagnosed just over four months ago.

"He also wishes to place on record again his profound sense of appreciation for the incredible outpouring of love and support he has received from Villa fans, his team-mates and colleagues at the club, as well as football fans and many more people around the world during this period."

Petrov was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in March this year after he developed a fever following a Premier League match against Arsenal.

The 33-year-old has played more than 100 times for his country and has spent the past six seasons at Aston Villa and remains captain of the club.

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Hazard tipping Chelsea to clinch more trophies

Chelsea new boy Eden Hazard is aiming to build on the club's successes of last season and bring more trophies to Stamford Bridge.
Roberto Di Matteo's side won the FA Cup and Champions League last term, thanks to victories over Liverpool and Bayern Munich respectively.
Speaking exclusively to 5football, 21-year-old Hazard explained that Chelsea's Champions League victory in Munich played a big part in his decision to move to West London from Lille, where he won the French title in 2011.
"I wanted to join Chelsea because it is a big club," Hazard said. "They won the Champions League. I want to be part of that."
"[Joining Chelsea] has been a great experience. This is a wonderful club and I want to do well with them. There is so much we can do. I think we can win a lot this season."
The Blues will be looking to retain their European crown in 2012/13, but Hazard said there are many tough obstacles standing between the West Londoners and glory at Wembley next May.
Although Chelsea overcame Spanish giants Barcelona in last season's semi-final, Hazard insisted they are still one of the teams to beat.
"There are many teams to look out for," he explained. "Barcelona has dominated the tournament recently, not to mention the need to keep an eye on the other English teams like Manchester United and Manchester City."
Hazard has been joined at Stamford Bridge by German playmaker Marko Marin and Brazilian starlet Oscar, and will also battle for a first-team spot with the likes of Juan Mata, Ramires and Frank Lampard.
But the Belgian is confident his versatility can help give him the edge in the battle for a regular place in the Chelsea side.
"I can play in the middle as an attacking midfielder or on the wings. I will play wherever the manager plays me."

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Aguero: Title-winning goal was for the fans

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has dedicated his Premier League title-winning goal to the club's supporters after capturing the crown in the final seconds on the final day of the season.
The Blues bagged their first top flight title since 1968 by coming from behind to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-2 with two goals in injury time, pipping city rivals Manchester United in the process.
City fans have endured their fair share of ups and downs over the years, seeing the club relegated to the third tier in 1998 prior to promotion via the play-offs the following year against Gillingham in dramatic circumstances.
Their 2011/12 Premier League triumph was just as spectacular, as United blew an eight-point lead with just six matches remaining before seeing the trophy prized from their grasp by City's last-gasp heroics at the Etihad Stadium.
And Aguero has exclusively told FourFourTwo that his goal and City's glory was a reward for the long-suffering Blues faithful, as well as labelling it the pinnacle of his career to date.
"It was incredible. I couldn't believe it. The crowd was cheering and my team-mates hugged me. It was amazing. It was the greatest moment in my career," he said.
"The goal and the title was for them. They suffered with us all season. Only later did I realise what we had accomplished by the way the people reacted to us winning the title. It was such a joyous moment.
"Manchester City fans have, of course, been great to me. They have given me the energy to succeed since I arrived in England."
The challenge for Roberto Mancini's men now is to retain their title as they seek a spell of dominance under Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's reign.
But the Blues will also be eyeing success in the Champions League, having performed admirably on their debut last year in a tough group which included eventual finalists Bayern Munich and Italian Cup winners Napoli.
"Repeating as champion is a priority, but so is the Champions League," said Aguero.
"I think we have the players to win the tournament. It would be the ultimate prize for us. It is something we are focused on."

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Britain stun Brazil in front of record crowd

Britain secured a remarkable 1-0 win over Olympic gold medal contenders Brazil at Wembley on Tuesday in front of the biggest crowd to watch a women's football match in the country.
The victory, thanks to Steph Houghton's brilliantly-taken second minute goal, meant Britain finished top of the group having won all three matches without conceding a goal and will now face Canada in the quarter-finals at Coventry on Friday.
Brazil also qualified for the last eight and will play world champions Japan in their last eight match in Cardiff on the same evening.
"The atmosphere was electric. We got off to a great start but had to concentrate and do the job," said Powell whose players did a lap of honour at the end.
"But all I am concentrating on now is the quarter-final with Canada. That's the only focus, but we want this to go on as long as possible."
Britain, who are emerging as real medal contenders, took the lead 90 seconds into the game when Brazil failed to clear a corner and the ball eventually fell to Houghton, who showed some superb skill to turn the defender and score from an acute angle.
Left-back Houghton also scored in the 1-0 win against New Zealand in Britain's opening game and in the 3-0 win over Cameroon.
Her goal against Brazil brought 70,584 fans to their feet - a record crowd for a women's match in Britain, beating the old record of 53,000 which was set at a women's club match 92 years ago.
It was also only 6,000 shy of the Olympic record of 76,489 set when the United States beat China in the 1996 final.
The atmosphere in the stadium was totally different to the usual one at either an England international or Cup Final and was far more relaxed, with the crowd largely appreciating the skills of both teams in a very sporting, Olympian manner.
And there was plenty to be impressed with as Brazil came back looking for an equaliser and going close when Alex Scott was forced to head against her own post after pressure from Marta and Cristiane.
Britain though, were often quicker to the ball than Brazil and should have doubled their lead after 56 minutes when Francielle tripped Eni Aluko to concede a clear penalty.
But Kelly Smith's left-footed spot-kick was a poor one, lacking pace and accuracy and Brazil keeper Andreia scrambled it away down to her left.
Brazil coach Jorge Barcellos said: "Of course I am disappointed, but we lost a match, not the title or a medal. Now we have to face Japan, they are the world champions and we have to play much much better."

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Blatter calls for Morganella ban in racism fight

Swiss player Michel Morganella, expelled from the Olympics for tweeting an insulting message about South Korea, should be banned, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Tuesday.

"I hope he has gone home," Blatter told reporters after helping to launch a new FIFA initiative with Britain's Kick It Out anti-racism campaign.

"It's embarrassing for the whole of the football family. It's embarrassing for the Olympic Games and I support the fact he has been sent home.

"The FA of Switzerland has to deal with this case and then I am sure it will be transmitted to us because it is an international match and of course he should be banned."

Swiss team chief Gian Gilli said on Monday that Morganella had "gravely insulted and violated" the dignity of South Korea after his team's 2-1 defeat a day earlier.

Blatter, speaking at Wembley before Britain's women faced Brazil in their final group match in the women's football competition, pledged FIFA's full support to battle all forms of racism in football and his sentiments were backed by English FA chairman David Bernstein.

Bernstein was speaking a day after the FA charged Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand over a comment on Twitter which referred to Chelsea's Ashley Cole as a "choc ice".

Bernstein said there would be "tough consequences" for all types of poor behaviour in the future.

"We must continue to be tough as a regulatory body on sanctioning and disciplining inappropriate behaviour," he said.

"Wherever possible we must bring incidents of discriminatory abuse to charge and all participants must know the consequences of their actions.

"This goes for the twittersphere as much as on the pitch, in the stands and in the recuitment processes across football."

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Drogba arrives to warm welcome in Shanghai

It is not money but the big challenge in an unfamiliar land that lured Didier Drogba to China, the Ivory Coast striker said on Saturday.

More than 300 fans gathered at the Shanghai airport to welcome Drogba on his much-anticipated arrival to join Chinese Super League strugglers Shanghai Shenhua.

Drogba has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the big-spending club for a reported salary of $300,000 a week, ending weeks of speculation on his future after he announced his decision to leave Champions League winners Chelsea.

"I decided to come here because when the club and the president approached me, I looked at the project and it came with ambitious ideas and he wants to... help football develop in China," Drogba told reporters after his unveiling.

"I know China is a great sports country so for me it was also a big challenge because it could have been easy for me to stay in Europe and go to another team, another big team.

"Really, I didn't come here with the idea of making a lot of money. I come here because it is a completely different challenge from what I have seen in Europe before.

"And that's the idea, there are many challenges but this one is a big one."

Drogba's arrival is the latest in a long list of high-profile names who have made the move to China in recent months.

Italian World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi is in charge of a Guangzhou Evergrande side packed full of skilful South American talent.

Drogba, who scored 157 times in 341 appearances for Chelsea making him the club's fourth all-time leading scorer, is the biggest catch of them all.

POOR RESULTS

The 34-year old striker will join former Chelsea team mate Nicolas Anelka at the club struggling at the 13th spot in the 16-club Chinese Super League. Shanghai Shenhua is coached by former Argentina boss Sergio Batista.

"The results of my new team, they are not so good, not so great. But you know, the second part of the season just started and I think we have time to make some better results and to bring the club to a better place," Drogba said.

"With my team-mates, we are going to perform as much as we can. And I came here to win the league, I am not coming here as the beginning of the retirement or something like this.

"I want people to make sure and to understand that I am here to win. I am not here to sit and relax."

The fans arrived in the early hours of the morning at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, many dressed in the club's blue jersey bearing "Drogba 11", and their hopes were also pinned on the Drogba-Anelka strike force.

"I believe that with his arrival, our results will improve significantly, because he has a good rapport with Anelka," 23-year-old Zhu Hongbo said.

"Also, we have brought in a midfield player in [Giovanni] Moreno. I think for the second half of the year, our results will improve and we can be in the top three."

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Clubless Kewell won't turn back on Socceroos

Without a club just over six weeks before Australia play their next 2014 World Cup qualifier, Harry Kewell has promised he will be ready to answer his country's call.

The former Liverpool and Leeds United forward has yet to receive a solid offer after quitting Melbourne Victory a year into his contract and targeting a return to England.

"It's very difficult," Kewell told Australia's Daily Telegraph on Sunday. "I'm twiddling my thumbs. I'm working and training but don't know what I'm doing.

"I'd love to be playing back in England to get a feel for that again," added Kewell, who has been linked with clubs such as Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and Swindon Town.

"It's just a waiting game and it's frustrating," said the 33-year-old former Galatasaray playmaker, known as much for his litany of injuries than prolific ability.

"That's my biggest problem because no one, especially in England, has seen me for four years because I've been away. When I left England I had a bad name because of all my injuries.

"But in the last four years that I have played in Galatasaray and Melbourne, I've played all the games."

Kewell was recently named Australia's greatest footballer and he promised he would not turn his back on the green and gold.

"I'm available as long as the manager wants me and as long as I'm good enough to play for Australia," he said, calling the decision to relocate "a family thing."

Kewell added: "I've had a great career [and] they always allowed me to go off and play in Turkey and in Australia and different parts of the world.

"Now I think it's time for me to let my family settle and see if I can get a club that fits around that."

Kewell, who moved to England when he was 15 and is married to an English actress, scored eight goals in his first season in the A-League and had been expected to sign another deal.

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Cahill eager to begin new Red Bulls challenge

Australian Tim Cahill, the latest international to join Major League Soccer, said on Thursday he is eager to help the New York Red Bulls win their first title now that his move from Premier League club Everton has been completed.

The 32-year-old attacking midfielder joins the MLS's Eastern Conference-leading Red Bulls as their third top paid 'designated player' alongside former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry and Mexican Rafa Marquez.

"As we have seen over the past few years, MLS has developed into a very competitive league with many talented players," Cahill said in a statement.

"I am impressed with what the Red Bulls are trying to accomplish in MLS and within American soccer and I am looking forward to this new challenge."

Cahill, who scored 68 goals in 278 games for Everton after joining the club from Millwall in 2004, also has 24 goals in 55 games for Australia and played at the last two World Cups.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but British media has reported that the transfer fee for Cahill is about one million pounds.

His wage, which as a 'designated player' is mostly from outside of the salary cap limit, will almost certainly make him one of the top earners in the league.

"He is the technical, physical presence we have been looking to add in our team and he brings a wealth of experience to our club," said Red Bulls General Manager Erik Soler.

"Tim is a proven leader both on and off the field and we believe that he can help us immediately in our quest to win the MLS Cup this season."

The deal is subject to Cahill receiving his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate.

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Bin Hammam life ban overturned by CAS

Former FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam has won his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against a life ban from all football-related activity over bribery allegations.
However, CAS said the decision did not amount to an "affirmative finding of innocence" for Bin Hammam, saying that FIFA's investigation had not been thorough enough, and that the case could be re-opened with new evidence.
FIFA said it noted the outcome "with concern" while Bin Hammam told the BBC World Service that he wanted to retire from football, saying he had seen "the ugly face" of the sport in the last year.
Qatari Bin Hammam remained suspended from the game after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which he previously headed, opened a disciplinary case against their former boss over alleged financial wrongdong earlier this week.
He was banned for 30 days, which was extended to a worldwide ban by FIFA on Wednesday.
"The CAS has upheld Bin Hammam's appeal, annulled the decision rendered by the FIFA Appeal Committee and lifted the life ban imposed on Mr Bin Hammam," the CAS statement read.
Bin Hammam, a former member of FIFA's executive committee, challenged Sepp Blatter for the presidency of football's world ruling body last year.
He withdrew his candidacy, and was then provisionally suspended, days before the June election over allegations that he had tried to buy the votes of Caribbean officials by handing them $40,000 each in brown envelopes at a meeting in Port of Spain.
Blatter was subsequently re-elected unopposed for a fourth term as FIFA president, while Bin Hammam was found guilty of breaking seven articles of FIFA's ethics code, including one on bribery.
He was banned for life and subsequently lost an appeal at FIFA. Proceedings against former CONCACAF president Jack Warner, also present at the meeting in Trinidad & Tobago, were dropped after he resigned his post.
CAS said the three-man panel voted 2-1 in Bin Hammam's favour but added that his behaviour was "not of the highest ethical standard."
"It is more likely than not that Mr. Bin Hammam was the source of the monies that were brought into Trinidad and Tobago and eventually distributed at the meeting by Mr Warner," said CAS.
"In this way, his conduct, in collaboration with and most likely induced by Mr Warner, may not have complied with the highest ethical standards that should govern the world of football and other sports," said CAS.
"This is all the more so at the elevated levels of football governance at which individuals such as Mr. Bin Hammam and Mr. Warner have operated in the past.
"The Panel therefore wishes to make clear that in applying the law, as it is required to do under the CAS Code, it is not making any sort of affirmative finding of innocence in relation to Mr Bin Hammam.
"It is a situation of 'case not proven', coupled with concern on the part of the Panel that the FIFA investigation was not complete or comprehensive enough to fill the gaps in the record."
CAS added: "In its conclusion, the Panel noted that FIFA was in the process of reforming its ethics committee and that, in the event new evidence relating to the present case was discovered, it would be possible to re-open the case, in order to complete the factual background and to establish if Mr Bin Hamman has committed any violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics."
"Frankly speaking, my wish is to quit," Bin Hammam told the World Football progamme on BBC World Service.
"I served football that long, more than 42 years, I have seen a very ugly face of the sport, envy, jealousy. I will not talk about the corruption.
"I have found myself in the last year. I have found Mohamed Bin Hammam, the man of the family, of his friends, of going back to my business. I have found peace in the last year, I wish I can continue like this."
"For me, peace and enjoyment is outside the football environment. I have one mission, one target is to clear my name, then I will say goodbye."

IMAGE PROBLEM
The decision is a further blow to FIFA, which is struggling to clean up its image after years of corruption allegations.
Last week, court documents were released which showed that former FIFA president Joao Havelange and former executive committee member Ricardo Teixeira took multi-million dollar bribes on World Cup deals in the 1990s.
Earlier this week, FIFA named two renowned crime-fighters from the United States and Germany to head the two divisions of its recently-reformed ethics committee.
FIFA said in its statement: "At FIFA level, all relevant files will now be handed over to the new FIFA Ethics Committee, which will start operating on July 25.
"The FIFA Ethics Committee will then decide based on the reports and evidence presented to it if any action is required to be taken against Mohamed Bin Hammam."

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