Soccer Capsules - Other News: Israeli club paying price for racist fans
JERUSALEM (AP) — Throughout its history, the Beitar Jerusalem football club has won 13 trophies, counted prime ministers among its fans and played in numerous European competitions. One thing the club has yet to do: Include an Arab player on its roster.
As the only major Israeli team never to integrate, Beitar Jerusalem is now under heavy pressure — particularly after a series of run-ins with local football authorities over racist behavior by its fans.
That may not be easy. Club management says its hands are tied by a hardcore base of fans who wield significant clout over personnel decisions. It has even called on police to rein in the worst offenders — an infamous group known as "La Familia."
"We are against racism and against violence and we pay a price for our fans," said Assaf Shaked, a team spokesman. "But we aren't going to bring an Arab player just to annoy the fans."
Beitar — which has won six league championships and seven cup titles in its 76-year history — has historically been strongly aligned with Israel's nationalist right wing. Its name, Beitar, comes from the Zionist youth movement that is linked to the ruling Likud Party. For decades, the team, like the Beitar movement, viewed itself as a perennial outsider while the establishment was controlled by the dovish Labor party and its offshoot in the sports world — the various Hapoel, or "workers," teams.
In 1976, Beitar finally won its first cup championship, and the following year Likud rose to power for the first time, ushering in a sea change in Israeli politics and sports. The team and its fans have since been a steady source of support for Likud politics.
A string of politicians have served as team chairman. Prime ministers with Likud roots — from Ariel Sharon to Ehud Olmert to Benjamin Netanyahu — have called themselves fans and made pilgrimages to the club's Teddy Stadium.
Beitar's fans are notoriously — and proudly — abusive toward opposing players, and routinely taunt them with racist and anti-Arab chants.
The Israeli Football Association says it has had enough. It recently ordered Beitar to play before an empty stadium and docked it two points in the standings after fans made monkey noises toward Hapoel Tel Aviv's Nigerian-born striker Toto Tamuz, a former Beitar player and fan favorite.
"Give Toto a banana!" they shouted.
League spokesman Amir Ephrat said the Beitar fans have pushed things too far, and the team has to take a tougher stand.
"This kind of extremism has to be dealt with before it expands," he said. "It has to be quashed when it is still small, because when it gets bigger it becomes a lot harder to stop."
Beitar's history of shunning Arab players has become especially noticeable in recent seasons. Arabs, who make up about 20 percent of Israel's population, now star on the Israeli national team and on every first division team besides Beitar. This year, the league's top two goal scorers are Arabs.
The league's battle with Beitar — and the team's own struggle with its rogue fans — comes as world football is cracking down on racism.
Earlier this month, a British parliamentary committee announced it would investigate racism in sports following a number of high-profile cases. Racism cases involving players and fans are being dealt with in France, Bulgaria and Spain as well.
As the Likud party has become more mainstream after years in government, the Beitar team's die-hard fans have gone the other direction.
In 2005, the "La Familia" organization was created, and it quickly became the team's loudest and most visible supporters. The fans routinely wave huge flags of the outlawed racist Kach party, whoop like monkeys when opposing black players touch the ball and chant "death to Arabs" and other racist slogans toward Arab players.
The club has been penalized numerous times for the behavior of its fans, which has included booing during a moment of silence for slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, singing songs deriding the Prophet Muhammad and physically assaulting Arab maintenance workers in stadiums.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police were responsible for security outside the stadiums and for enforcing general public order — not fan behavior.
For years, the club's Russian-Israeli owner Arkady Gaydamak refrained from intervening. In fact, he backed the group financially and glowed in their adoration. After a failed attempt to run for Jerusalem mayor, Gaydamak fled the country in 2008 amid financial scandals in Israel and Europe.
Since then, Gaydamak has drastically cut funding to the team and tried to sell it.
First it was Brazilian-American millionaire Guma Aguiar who stepped in with a $4 million investment — before he checked himself into a psychiatric hospital because of increasingly erratic behavior that included plans to rebuild the biblical Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.
Last year, a pair of American businessmen agreed to buy the club — only to back out at the last moment. The team finished the season in 11th place in the 16-team league, narrowly avoiding relegation to the second division. This year, Beitar Jerusalem has fallen even further and is currently in danger of relegation.
In this environment, the fans' anger has grown. It is now no longer aimed solely toward Arabs — but against team management as well.
Most of the ire is directed toward general manager Itzik Kornfein, a former Beitar goalkeeping great who has spoken out against racism. Fans often curse at him outside team practices. Some have even attempted to attack him physically.
Shlomi Barzel, the sports editor of Haaretz and a lifelong Beitar fan, said the radicalization of the fans reflects the weakness of team management.
"'La Familia' is a small, extreme group that numbers no more than a few hundred. The real problem is what happened to the quiet majority? There is no one countering them and the team is too weak to do anything about it," he said.
Barzel said that at the height of Gaydamak's popularity the owner tried to sign an Arab player, only to be overwhelmed by the fans' opposition.
"If he couldn't do it, no one can," he said.
The Beitar policy of shunning Arab players resurfaced last month when Maccabi Haifa striker Mohammed Ghadir said he would be willing to transfer to Beitar. Even before Beitar fans had their say, Ghadir withdrew the suggestion after Arab fans accused him of being a traitor.
"We would love to bring an Arab player on board but the conditions are not yet ripe — not as far as a player is concerned and not as far as the fans are concerned," said Shaked, the team spokesman.
He said fans need to go through "a learning process" before an Arab player could be added. He appears to be correct.
"Beitar is a team of Jews. Just like the army won't bring in a Chinese soldier, Beitar won't bring in an Arab player, because when there is a war and you have to give your all, they will run," said Shahar Darly, an-18-year-old fan. "We represent Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, the state of the Jews, not the Arabs ... if they try to bring an Arab player, we won't let them."
Mourinho under pressure after 'woeful' Barca loss
MADRID (AP) — Another loss to Barcelona has piled pressure on Jose Mourinho, with support for the Real Madrid coach ebbing after another ill-tempered and ineffective display against its biggest rival summed up by Pepe's ugly stamp on Lionel Messi's hand.
Barcelona rallied for a 2-1 Copa del Rey victory on Wednesday for its 10th victory in 13 games, and sixth win against Madrid since the Portuguese coach took over in 2010.
Mourinho's defensive tactics and use of centerback Pepe in midfield did little to stop Barcelona's attack, while his aggressive approach and lack of offensive inspiration drew jeers from the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Even daily sports paper Marca, a staunch Madrid supporter, labeled Madrid's performance "woeful" and Pepe's stamp on Messi "repugnant."
"Madrid has thrown its entire history overboard by electing this woeful style, which did not produce a single benefit," Marca columnist Santi Segurola wrote. "(Pepe's) presence in midfield represented a minuscule, almost nothing, Madrid that disappointed because Spanish football remembers a lot of (Madrid) teams with less talent that made it more difficult for Barcelona.
"This team has bought the best players the market has to offer — what for? To play like an insignificant, distasteful team."
Mourinho surprised by sticking with a defensive game plan that had failed before against Barcelona, with Ricardo Carvalho and Hamit Altintop starting in defense and Madrid's focus of disrupting Barcelona's midfield creativity led by Pepe, who came under heavy criticism from the Spanish press, with Marca calling his stamp "unacceptable."
Pepe's actions were not surprising. The Portugal defender was red carded for a tackle on Barcelona's Daniel Alves in their Champions League semifinal in April, and he was also banned for 10 games in April 2009 after lashing out at two Getafe players in a skirmish that included him stamping on the back of Javier Casquero after pushing the player to the ground, unprovoked.
"Pepe always plays fairly," Carvalho said. "Sometimes he plays to the limit but his intention is always to play the ball and to play cleanly."
Pepe's stamp on Messi, who was also violently shoved in the head by Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao during the match, characterized Madrid's inability to deal with Barcelona, as the Catalans held the ball for nearly three-quarters of the match.
"Pepe has trouble managing his aggressiveness. There's a great feeling of impotence in Madrid, which is trying all possible methods and Mourinho probably feels incapable despite all of his history of successes," Juan Carlos Cubeiro, co-author of "Mourinho vs. Guardiola: Two Methods for Achieving the Same Objective," told The Associated Press on Thursday. "Mourinho tried a very intelligent strategy by hoping to strike on the counter. He is intelligent, he knows they can't play with Barca and the only way to success is on the counter."
Cubeiro said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola's belief in team play and the fact that so many of Barcelona's players came out of its youth academy were behind the highly paid Madrid squad's inability to find a way to beat the Catalans.
"You cannot copy the collective system that Guardiola relies on. Manchester United tried, Santos tried and neither succeeded," said Cubeiro, who echoed a sentiment that is unlikely to ever be adopted by Mourinho. "Madrid play better without Cristiano Ronaldo than with him, they have more options without him, which is quite a paradox" because Mourinho called the Portugal forward his best player on Wednesday night.
Madrid leads defending champion Barcelona by five points in the league, and must first play Athletic Bilbao on Sunday before trying to overturn the first leg result on Wednesday. While Mourinho said Pepe could be punished for the stamp, there is no certainty over whether there will be any consequences to his actions in another Barcelona performance eclipsed by Madrid's transgressions.
"There are people whose job is just that, to review the play. Let's see what they do," Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said on Thursday.
"People just want to watch football, good games, good football. We don't want to talk about bad things like this, because it is bad for Spanish football and we don't really want this."
-- Paul Logothetis
Hooligans invade hospital looking for revenge
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A dozen soccer hooligans invaded the delivery room of a Buenos Aires hospital and threatened staff with guns and knives as they tried to avenge the death of a gang member killed in a fight with a rival faction, a doctor said Thursday.
Marcelo Struminger, president of the doctor's association at Santojanni Hospital, said gang members associated with the Argentina club Nueva Chicago raced through the delivery room and other parts of the hospital Wednesday looking for a rival hooligan known as "Aldo The Paraguayan."
He is believed to have been involved in the death Wednesday of Agustin Rodriguez, who was killed in a fight between his faction — known as "Los Perales," — and the rival faction "Las Antenas."
The surreal scene was captured on closed-circuit television and widely shown Thursday on national television.
The camera caught the gang members barging past limited security at the hospital, and then throwing chairs in a hospital corridor as they seemed to be searching for the rival hooligan.
"They demanded to see one person, the presumed perpetrator who was being treated for stab wounds to the abdomen," Struminger said. "The doctors were afraid, just like everyone else."
No arrests were reported in the case, which took place in a western neighborhood of Buenos Aires called "Mataderos," which translates in English as "Slaughterhouses." The neighborhood has been the traditional home of the city's meatpacking industry, and to the second-division club Nueva Chicago.
Soccer-related violence has plagued Argentina for years. Mayhem threatens many aspects of the game in the country, with police, gangs, unions and top-ranking politicians connected in a dangerous web. Matches are regularly called off every season because of fan violence — in and outside the stadium.
Riots broke out seven months ago after famed Buenos Aires club River Plate was demoted to the second division. The loss prompted rampaging fans to set fires inside the club's stadium, with firefighters using high-powered hoses to gain control.
Outside, police on horseback fought running battles with fans, who climbed razor-wire barriers, pelted police with rocks and set fire to overturned vehicles.
-- Stephen Wade
Wales hires Coleman as national team coach
LONDON (AP) — Wales began the difficult rebuilding process after the death of Gary Speed by hiring Chris Coleman as his successor as coach on Thursday.
Out of respect for Speed, who was found by his wife hanged at their home on Nov. 27 at age 42, the Football Association of Wales took its time to appoint a replacement before eventually settling on Coleman.
Capped 32 times by Wales, the 41-year-old Coleman was a close friend of Speed and played alongside the midfielder for the national team.
For that reason, Coleman said it was a "bittersweet" feeling to be handed the onerous task of carrying on Speed's impressive work from 2011, when Wales climbed from 116th to 48th in the FIFA rankings.
"I've already spoken with the FAW members this morning and I said, 'Excuse me if I don't seem that excited but I'm a little bit subdued because of the situation,'" a somber Coleman said at his presentation.
"The whole country is still shocked. I think grieving is the word. We just have to let that happen, put smiles back on people's faces and just keep on winning."
Speed lifted Welsh football out of the doldrums by adopting an attractive passing game that won the side plaudits and victories in 2011.
By finishing its Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with three wins from four games, and with players such as Tottenham winger Gareth Bale and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey in the squad, there is renewed hope Wales can qualify for a major tournament for the first time since the World Cup in 1958.
"I'd be a fool to come in here and start all over again," said Coleman, who is contracted to the FAW until the end of Wales' World Cup qualifying campaign.
"I have already said, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' I'm not here to rip everything up but I'm my own man."
Coleman, who retired at age 32 after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash, quit as coach of Larissa on Jan. 9 because of financial problems at the Greek club.
Larissa released a statement after Coleman's appointment was confirmed, saying the club was resigned to losing the Welshman despite claiming he was under contract until June.
"The chairman of Larissa FC stated publicly, and in detail, that he has done everything possible to keep Coleman," the statement read.
He had moved there in May last year as he attempted to revive his managerial career after a disappointing spell at Coventry. He had previously impressed in coaching stints at Fulham and Real Sociedad.
Coleman's first game in charge is a friendly against Costa Rica on Feb. 29 — a match organized as a tribute to Speed, who made his debut against the central American country in 1990.
-- Steve Douglas
Tough year shaping up for Brazilian club Flamengo
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil's most popular football club is facing a moment of unparalleled crisis, with top players like Ronaldinho protesting over unpaid wages and threatening to quit the team.
Ronaldinho said this week he may leave Flamengo unless he is paid what he says are five months of salaries. For the same reason, defender Alex Silva refused to travel to Bolivia for a Copa Libertadores match. And midfielder Thiago Neves already fled the team and signed with Fluminense, the club's main rival.
Although Ronaldinho traveled with the team to Bolivia for the Jan. 25 game against Real Potosi, he has said he won't play unless an agreement is reached over the 3.75 million reals ($2.1 million) he says is owed to him.
According to the contract the former Barcelona and AC Milan forward signed with Flamengo early last year, most of his wages would be paid by sports marketing group Traffic.
Ronaldinho's agent and brother, Roberto Assis Moreira, said many teams in and outside Brazil are interested in signing the 31-year-old player if he is not paid.
Meanwhile, local media reports say that Ronaldinho and coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo are barely speaking to each other after Luxemburgo reportedly found the player with a woman in a hotel in Bolivia while the entire team was supposed to be on lockdown, preparing for the upcoming match.
Rio de Janeiro's Extra newspaper said Luxemburgo demanded that Ronaldinho be released from the team because he flouted club rules, but that team executives pushed back to keep their star on the team.
Flamengo President Patricia Amorim has denied the team is facing a crisis or that it owes any back wages — but she is being torn to pieces in the Brazilian sporting press, which calls her blind for being the only person not to see the peril Flamengo is confronting.
"A lot of silliness is being said about a financial crisis. This is simply not true," Amorim said this week. "And it is important to say that no back wages are owed."
Yet within 48 hours of her comments, Fluminense said it had signed Neves.
"It is now official. Fluminense announces it has reached an agreement with Thiago Neves," the team said on its website. "Financial negotiations have been successfully concluded."
Amorim said Fluminense had been "unethical" for signing Neves at a time when Flamengo was trying to persuade him to stay on for another season.
-- Marco Sibaja
Madrid's Pepe apologizes for Messi foot stomp
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid's Pepe has apologized to Lionel Messi for stepping on the Barcelona forward's hand during this week's Copa del Rey quarterfinal, saying that it wasn't intentional.
Pepe told Real Madrid's website Thursday that "as far as the play with Leo Messi, I want to say that it was an involuntary act."
The Portuguese defender added that "even so, if Messi is offended I ask his forgiveness because I want to defend my team and club. ... It never passed through my head to cause harm to a fellow professional."
Pepe received a yellow card in the 17th minute of Madrid's 2-1 loss during Wednesday's first leg when he barged into Sergio Busquets, but referee Muniz Fernandez did not penalize him for stomping on Messi's hand when the forward was on the ground in the 68th minute.
Pepe also fell to the field in the 65th minute clutching his face after coming into contact with Cesc Fabregas, but replays showed the Barcelona midfielder made contact with his arm and chest.
Pepe's actions, as well as Madrid's defensive tactics, have been widely criticized in the Spanish media, including the Madrid-friendly sports dailies.
Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said in the post-match news conference that he hadn't seen the incident, but that it would be "punishable" if it was done on purpose.
The 28-year-old center back has collected eight yellow cards in 11 "clasico" matches and a red card in last season's Champions League semifinal with Barcelona. Pepe was suspended for 10 games in April 2009 after lashing out at two Getafe players in a skirmish that included him stamping on the back of Javier Casquero after pushing the player to the ground, unprovoked.
The second leg of the total-goals quarterfinal will be played at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium next week.
Barcelona has beaten Madrid 10 times in their last 13 meetings. This was its sixth win against Madrid since Mourinho arrived in 2010.
Kombouare says he knew PSG was going to sack him
PARIS (AP) — Former Paris Saint-Germain coach Antoine Kombouare sensed his time was up even before the club replaced him with Carlo Ancelotti.
Kombouare led PSG into first place in the French league heading into the annual winter break, but the club's rich Qatari owners wanted a more high-profile name and Ancelotti was hired as coach late last month. Speaking for the first time since leaving the club, Kombouare told sports daily l'Equipe in an interview to be published Friday that he knew the decision was coming and had prepared for it.
"I was not naive about the situation," Kombouare said in an extract from the interview on L'Equipe's website. "On the morning of the Saint-Etienne game (on Dec. 21), I got my staff together to tell them, 'Right, this is my last game.' I sensed it. I knew it. It was unavoidable."
He was taking charge of his third season at the club as the club's owners, QSI, embarked on a huge spending spree, breaking the French transfer record to sign Argentina midfielder Javier Pastore for €42 million ($60 million).
Kombouare hoped to stay for the whole season, but understands that the circumstances were against him.
"I'm not bitter, I've already turned the page," Kombouare said. "I can't accept the fact I was replaced, because I was in first place in the league, but I understand that the Qataris wanted a renowned coach."
The 48-year-old Kombouare had a volatile streak that sometimes led to heated arguments with players, but he is proud of how he handled his players despite being under intense pressure.
As well as the pressure of getting results, Kombouare had to deal with weeks of speculation regarding his position until he was finally replaced.
"That's my biggest victory. Everyone expected me to lose the plot, that I would be unable to manage the squad," Kombouare said. "But I showed that I was able to manage things, to win, and also to have an exemplary attitude."
American company to design Liverpool jerseys
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — An American company that made its reputation manufacturing equipment for Canada's two national sports will become Liverpool's equipment supplier.
Warrior Sports, an athletic apparel company based in Warren, Mich., said Thursday it signed a six-year agreement to design the team's jersey.
Liverpool is owned by Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of the Boston Red Sox, while Warrior Sports is owned by Boston-based shoe company New Balance.
"We are here to shake up the world of football and our partnership with one of the most successful club teams of all time is just the start," Warrior Sports general manager Richard Wright said in a statement.
The deal is reportedly worth 25 million pounds ($38.6 million) a year to Liverpool.
Liverpool has won 18 English league titles, but none since 1990, and five European Cups. The team's current supplier is Adidas, the German company that outfits of five of the 20 Premier League clubs. Nike and Umbro are the second-most popular designers in the league with three clubs each — Nike owns Umbro.
"Warrior Sports will bring its own unique brand and ideas to the partnership, ensuring that they can assist us at the club both on and off the field of play," Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said. "Sharing the same focus of domination and winning will be an incredibly important part of this partnership going forward."
Warrior Sports, which was founded in 1992, was taken over by New Balance in 2004. Although it is new to soccer, the company has been in the business of designing gear for lacrosse and ice hockey, the national sports of Canada.
Ancelotti wants Tevez at PSG but no deal in place
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti wants to sign Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, although the clubs have yet to reach an agreement.
After missing out on signing David Beckham from the Los Angeles Galaxy and striker Alexandre Pato from AC Milan, big-spending PSG is still in the market for a star player.
"Everyone knows we want a striker. Carlos Tevez is a great opportunity for us to have a great striker," Ancelotti said Thursday. "As of today, nothing has been done. We need to speak to the player, with Manchester City. We hope to find a good solution."
Ancelotti has not contacted Tevez or his advisers, saying only sporting director Leonardo is in a position to do so.
"I've not spoken to him on the telephone, neither him or his agent," Ancelotti said. "Leonardo deals with that."
The 27-year-old Tevez has not played for City since he refused to warm up during a Champions League game against Bayern Munich last September.
"He's a great player, in two weeks he can get back into good shape," Ancelotti said, adding that PSG is also looking at other players in case Tevez does not sign.
"If Tevez doesn't come, we have the possibility to get another striker," he said.
Since replacing Antoine Kombouare as coach late last month, Ancelotti has signed left back Maxwell from Barcelona.
Breno angers Bayern Munich bosses again
MUNICH (AP) — First it was Twitter, now it's tattoos. Bayern Munich defender Breno was on sick leave with a cold on Tuesday but instead of staying home, he went out to get two tattoos.
That came after Breno was mildly upbraided by Bayern for a post on Twitter blasting the club for being forced to play for the reserve team. Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes says it's not the right time to be tough with the Brazilian but that patience is running out with club officials.
"Of course it's very unfortunate and normally shouldn't happen," Heynckes said Thursday. "But now is not the time to put the squeeze on the lad. He is going through a very difficult time."
But Heynckes also added that the club condemned Breno's behavior and that its patience had its limits. The Brazilian arrived in Bayern in 2008 as a teenager but has not been able to establish himself.
Breno was arrested and became the target of an arson investigation after his rented villa burned down in September. Bayern paid €500,000 ($645,550) bail for his release. Bayern also obtained permission for Breno to travel abroad with the team.
Zurich makes progress on football stadium project
ZURICH (AP) — Zurich has moved closer to getting the new football stadium that was originally promised for the 2008 European Championship.
The canton (state) of Zurich says it will invest 8 million Swiss francs ($8.5 million) in a 19,000-capacity venue to be shared by city rivals FC Zurich and Grasshoppers.
The 150 million Swiss francs ($160 million) project on the site of Grasshoppers' former Hardturm home could open in 2017. Hardturm should have been developed as a Euro 2008 venue but was stalled by legal disputes and neighbors' objections.
Instead, the Letzigrund stadium traditionally used by FC Zurich — though better known for athletics — was redeveloped for the tournament. It currently hosts both clubs.
Zurich residents will vote on the project next year.
Putin: Russia may return beer for 2018 World Cup
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he'll reconsider the ban on beer at sports stadiums ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
Putin was questioned about the ban Thursday when he and FIFA President Sepp Blatter met with fans in St. Petersburg as part of commemorations of the 100th birthday of the Russian soccer federation. As president, Putin signed a 2005 law banning beer and beer advertisement at sports venues.
He told the fan who asked about lifting the ban that "when the decision was made about stadiums, it came from the best of intentions. OK, we'll return to it again and think about it."
Blatter noted that beer is popular among fans, saying "beer is like a part of life. Can you imagine holding a championship in Germany without beer?"
Haiti goalkeeper hospitalized after collision
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Haiti goalkeeper Ednie Limage was hospitalized Thursday night with a possible spinal injury after colliding with a teammate during an Olympic qualifying game against Canada.
Limage was reaching for a high ball when she struck hard by midfielder Samantha Marie-Ann Brand in the second half of Haiti's 6-0 loss. Limage fell to the ground in pain, still clutching the ball. Limage was carried off the field on a hand-held stretcher and treated near the Haiti bench for much of the second half. Then she was immobilized on a hospital stretcher and taken from the stadium.
Coach Ronald Luxieux said through a translator that the 26-year-old Limage was "suffering quite a bit" and that "it might be a spinal injury." He said he expected to have an update Friday. Limage lives in Canada and plays for the University of Moncton in New Brunswick.
AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato out 3-4 weeks
MILAN (AP) — AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato will be out for three to four weeks after the latest in a series of muscle injuries. Pato scored in extra time to give Milan a 2-1 win over Novara and put his team into the Italian Cup quarterfinals Wednesday but then exited four minutes from time grasping his left thigh.
Milan announced late Thursday that Pato has a mild left thigh muscle tear, saying he will be out "three to four weeks, barring complications."
Pato already missed the start of this season due to a muscle problem, and his entire career with Milan has been marked by similar injuries. Meanwhile, Milan announced it has signed Djamel Mesbah from Lecce and given the Algerian midfielder a contract through 2016.
Maldini appears interested in PSG position
MILAN (AP) — Former AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini appears interested in following Carlo Ancelotti and Leonardo to Paris Saint-Germain in a management or coaching capacity.
Maldini tells the Gazzetta dello Sport that while he hasn't been offered anything, "that doesn't mean it won't happen. ... I met the president and there's reciprocal respect with him, besides with Leo and Carlo."
Maldini adds, "I know what I can offer: experience, a love for this sport, a desire to dedicate myself to a serious project. But I've never asked anybody for anything."
Since retiring in 2009, Maldini says he has had informal discussions with former Milan coach Leonardo and current Rossoneri manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Footballers in England arrested for sexual assault
BRIGHTON, England (AP) — Police in England arrested six footballers on Thursday on suspicion of sexual assault in south coast town Brighton. Sussex Police said they arrested five men from Brighton and one from Dorset aged between 18 and 24.
League Championship club Brighton confirmed that five of its players were "assisting police into the investigation of an alleged offense," while third-tier side Bournemouth said one of its players was being questioned.
"All have been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and taken to different custody centers in Sussex where they will be questioned in relation to an alleged sexual assault on a woman in July last year," Sussex Police said.
Dalglish confirms interest in Teixeira
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish says the club is interested in signing Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Carlos Teixeira.
When asked whether Liverpool was close to a deal for the 19-year-old playmaker, Dalglish said Thursday "there might be something about that, yes."
Teixeira scored against Liverpool in Sporting's 3-0 win in a match in the NextGen Series — a tournament for selected youth teams across Europe in August. Teixeira, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is reported in the British media to have been the subject of a bid of 850,000 pounds ($1.3 million) by Liverpool.
Fenerbahce in talks to transfer Sow
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Fenerbahce says it is negotiating the transfer of Senegal forward Moussa Sow from Lille. Fenerbahce released a statement to Istanbul's stock exchange on Thursday without elaborating.
Turkish media reports say Fenerbahce officials have been meeting with counterparts from Lille in Paris for the past three days, trying to agree on terms for the 26-year-old Sow's transfer.
The Turkish club is embroiled in a match-fixing scandal that allegedly involved 19 league games last season. The club was barred from the Champions League and could lose the domestic league title.
Robben staying in Bayern Munich
MUNICH (AP) — Arjen Robben has once again indicated that he sees his long-term future at Bayern Munich, saying that extending his contract with the German club beyond 2013 is only a "formality."
Robben tells the Sueddeutsche newspaper in an interview released online that "Bayern is one of the best clubs" in the world.
The Dutch winger arrived in Bayern in 2009 from Real Madrid. He is one of Bayern's most important players but has been often set back by various injuries. Robben has said before that he would like to stay at Bayern.
Canada's Simpson joins Swiss club Young Boys
BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Canada midfielder Josh Simpson has joined Swiss club Young Boys on a 3½-year contract. Young Boys says the 28-year-old Simpson has joined his new teammates at a training camp in Spain during the Swiss midseason break.
The club says Simpson was a free agent after terminating his contract with Manisaspor in Turkey over unpaid wages. Simpson has played 42 internationals for Canada, including at three Gold Cups. He previously played for Millwall in England and Kaiserslautern in Germany.
Young Boys is third in the Swiss top division.
Rogers granted work permit, close to Leeds move
LEEDS, England (AP) — American winger Robbie Rogers has been granted a British work permit and will complete his move to the English second-tier club Leeds once he receives international clearance next week.
The 24-year-old Rogers, who will sign an initial 18-month contract, is available on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew.
Rogers has already played for Leeds in a behind-closed-doors exhibition against Newcastle this week. Leeds is 11th in the 24-team League Championship standings.
Kaiserslautern signs striker Wagner from Bremen
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany (AP) — Striker Sandro Wagner will be excused when his new club Kaiserslautern faces his old side Werder Bremen on Saturday in the Bundesliga.
Kaiserslautern says it has signed Wagner on loan for the rest of this and the entire next season but that it has agreed with Bremen not to use the striker in Saturday's match.
Wagner has played 34 Bundesliga games for Bayern Munich and Bremen, scoring five goals. He was eager for a transfer after getting little playing time in Bremen.
Barca B-team star Soriano to join Salzburg
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona says it has reached a tentative deal with Red Bull Salzburg for the transfer of B-team striker Jonathan Soriano. The Spanish champions said on Thursday that Soriano was traveling to Austria where the deal will be completed after he passes a medical exam.
The 26-year-old Catalan player led Spain's second division with 32 goals last season. After recovering from a knee injury at the start of this season, he scored five goals in 10 games.
Freiburg signs defender Karim Guede from Slovan
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Freiburg says is has signed defender Karim Guede from Slovan Bratislava. Guede was born in Hamburg but now has Slovak citizenship and has played four matches for Slovakia. He was once considered for Togo, but never played for the land of his mother.
Freiburg is five points from safety at the bottom of the Bundesliga. He is the fourth player to join the club during the winter break.
Bordeaux striker Modeste joins Blackburn on loan
BORDEAUX, France (AP) — Bordeaux striker Anthony Modeste has joined Blackburn on loan until the end of the season. Bordeaux announced on its website that the loan deal for Modeste does not include an option to buy him.
The 23-year-old Modeste has scored 13 league goals in 52 games for Bordeaux. Blackburn is fighting to stave relegation in the English Premier League, and is without top scorer Ayegbeni Yakubu for three games after he was shown a straight red card last weekend.
Report: Genoa fan in serious condition after clash
MILAN (AP) — A Genoa fan is reportedly in serious condition after injuring his head during a clash with police before an Italian Cup loss to Inter Milan.
The ANSA news agency reports that the 38-year-old fan — identified only as Massimo M. — was injured while a police officer attempted to calm him down outside the San Siro stadium. He was taken to the Policlinico hospital. Inter beat Genoa 2-1 to reach the quarterfinals.
Nice signs midfielder Anin from Sochaux
NICE, France (AP) — Nice has signed midfielder Kevin Anin from Sochaux on a 3½-year deal.
Nice announced the signing on its website on Thursday, without giving any financial details. Anin had two years left on his Sochaux contract. Anin had skipped training in recent weeks, with Sochaux saying it had no knowledge of his whereabouts. Anin, a ball-winning defensive midfielder, said "it's been a bit of a trek, but I'm here."
