Soccer Capsules: U.S. entrepreneur Barton still interested in Bari
ROME — Texas-based entrepreneur Tim Barton is still interested in buying Bari once the Serie A season is finished.
Barton signed a preliminary agreement in August to purchase Bari from the Matarrese family that has controlled the club for 32 years. The bid fell apart Thursday when the Matarreses rejected a delay in the takeover process.
"Due to time limitations for completing the due diligence, we were not able to continue negotiations for the purchase of A.S. Bari," Barton said in a statement Friday.
"We respect the Matarrese family’s desire to be focused on the team and do not want to cause any confusion or distractions. However, I am hopeful we can revisit negotiations when the season is over. Bari remains in my heart and I ask the fans to continue their support of the team."
Barton was bidding to become the first American to own a topflight Italian club. His JMJ Holding company specializes in buying and managing luxury properties globally. He became interested in Bari while working on the development of green energy opportunities in southern Italy.
Under a preliminary agreement signed in August, Barton was due to hand over $1.46 million by the end of September, then pay the remaining $35.1 million of the deal by the end of October.
In a note that Bari CEO Salvatore Matarrese said he received Wednesday, Barton sought a 60-day delay to complete due diligence. When the initial payment didn’t come in, the Matarrese family called the deal off, saying prolonging the negotiations could affect the team’s performance.
Back in the top flight for the first time in eight years, Bari has a respectable seven points through six rounds. The club opened with a draw at four-time defending champion Inter Milan and held AC Milan to a 0-0 draw last weekend.
Under-20 World Cup
South Korea beats USA to advance at U20 WCup
ISMAILIA, Egypt — South Korea beat the United States 3-0 to book its place in the knockout round of the Under-20 World Cup on Friday, while Germany showed its title credentials by easing past Cameroon 3-0 to finish top of its group.
Ghana drew 2-2 against Uruguay, with a goal in each half from Mohammed Rabiu and Ransford Osei, and England scored for the first time in nine games at this tournament to tie 1-1 with Uzbekistan.
But England went home along with a dispirited Cameroon team.
"They have been very disappointing, which is even more disappointing because they play in good clubs," Cameroon coach Alain Wabo said. "I don't really want to go into it. Let's just say today was one of those days."
In Wabo's scathing assessment of his team, he went as far as to say none of the Young Lions are good enough to break into the Indomitable Lions squad in the next two years.
"It's not possible. They will have to wait longer than that," he said.
Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely scored England's first goal at the under-20s since Jamie Carragher's effort 12 years ago.
South Korea scored through Kim Young-gwon, Kim Bo-kyung and Koo Ja-cheol's penalty after Italian referee Roberto Rosetti sent off Ike Opara. After each goal in Suez, the players knelt down in front of coach Hong Myung-bo.
"Our players had a strong will to win," the coach said. "We showed a better mentality than the United States."
U.S. coach Thomas Rongen did not look for excuses.
"The harsh reality is that we simply were not good enough," he said.
Germany finished with seven points and South Korea also qualified with four. Rongen hopes the United States could yet qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams. Friday's results mean Nigeria has taken one of the slots.
In Ismailia, Germany hardly broke sweat against a Cameroon side lacking in confidence and posing little threat.
Germany took the lead in the 41st minute when Richard Sukuta-Pasu headed in a free kick from the right, and Thomas Noerenberg's team added goals through Semih Aydilek and Lewis Holtby.
"There's no secret, just good organization and tactics," Germany captain Florian Jungwirth said. "I think we can win here."
Uruguay and Ghana battled through a tense first half to the incessant sound of banging drums.
Uruguay looked to have the edge in the first half, but Ghana came out strongly and took the lead after Rabiu's powerful run and shot in the 54th. Osei made it 2-0 in the 70th when he expertly turned in Abeiku Quansah's cross.
Nicolas Lodeiro smacked a shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 in the 74th. Moments later, Rabiu was sent off for a wild lunge and had to be consoled by captain Andre Ayew before trudging off with his shirt pulled over his head.
Striker Abel Hernandez made it 2-2 with a poacher's effort in injury time.
Officials from Brazil watched the match because the South American powerhouse will play Uruguay if it wins Group E.
Brazil plays Australia on Saturday, while group rival Czech Republic takes on Costa Rica.
In Group F, South Africa must beat Honduras to qualify, while Honduras needs a draw.
Hungary needs only a draw against United Arab Emirates, which has already qualified.
-- Jerome Pugmire
Distraught Tahiti goes home after U20 WCup debacle
CAIRO — Tahiti's poor showing at the Under-20 World Cup featured the tiny island conceding a tournament record of 21 goals in three games, leaving exasperated coach Lionel Charbonnier hoping that the experience won't put his players off football for life.
Tahiti exited the tournament in Egypt after its third defeat on Thursday, a 5-0 loss to Nigeria that followed 8-0 defeats to Spain and Venezuela. Tahiti, a minnow among football minnows with a population of about 180,000, was evidently out of its depth and also had four players sent off — including twin brothers Lorenzo and Alvin Tehau — against Nigeria.
"Football is very difficult in Tahiti, and these young players have to go back to their clubs," Charbonnier said. "I hope they won't stop football and pick up a surf board, because they have been training for one year to reach this level."
Charbonnier, a former goalkeeper with Auxerre and a squad member of the France team that won the 1998 World Cup when it conceded just two goals in seven games, could not contain his frustration at the way his team leaked goals.
"Especially as we based our team on defense ... That (21 goals) is what I used to let in over a whole season with Auxerre," he said. "But when you are a lot weaker than your opponent, you can use all the tactics you want, as soon as there is a one-on-one and an overlap you can't deal with it."
Charbonnier doubts whether he wants to continue coaching Tahiti, as he feels he will always be swimming against the tide.
"I have two years left on my contract, the (Tahiti football federation) president offered me four years but I don't know yet. Only professionalism interests me. Only the highest level really interests me now," he said. "What can I do? It's difficult. Everybody is quicker than us, everybody is technically better ... You can only foul, you are always late."
Although Charbonnier wants to put his own memories of the tournament "in the dustbin as quickly as possible", he says that the Tahiti football federation "must learn the lessons from it" very quickly.
"When I said we were far away from the level required for world football, I was called a liar and I was said to be getting ahead of myself," Charbonnier said. "The problem we face in Oceania is that we are all far from one another and it is very expensive to travel. They are small federations with the equivalent budget of a district team."
Without better infrastructure, there is little chance of significant improvement, Charbonnier added.
Tahiti is part of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), the smallest of six continental confederations in international football. It includes Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and other island nations like Tonga and Fiji.
Australia transferred to the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, leaving New Zealand as the largest OFC federation.
"All the federations from Oceania need to speak to each other and organize some academies for young players, and put all that together in one place, like in New Zealand for example," Charbonnier said. "Create a championship where the players have some difficult matches. Maybe that is a solution."
-- Jerome Pugmire
World Cup/Cup Qualifying
South African tribe offers base for World Cup team
PHOKENG, South Africa — At 4,000 feet above sea level, the air smelled sweetly of manure as the royal aide pointed to a soccer field as green and smooth as a billiard table.
"This," said Lerato Motaung, raising her voice above the "whisk, whisk" of sprinklers, "is our selling point."
Indeed, for the Bafokeng tribe of northern South Africa, seven relatively isolated grass practice fields at altitude offer an incredible opportunity. Tribal authorities hope the area will become a major team's base during next year's World Cup. The center will offer accommodations — now under construction — with all the amenities of a high-class hotel.
There's been speculation that the Bafokeng Sports Campus will host a big-name team such as England. Bafokeng officials aren't saying who's been checking out the grass, but say a decision will be announced in December.
The Bafokeng's dreams are fueled by underground wealth: The tribal homeland sits on the world's richest reserve of platinum and produces about 55 percent of the global output. The tribe receives royalties from Anglo Platinum, a private mining company, but leaders say they have to think ahead, beyond 2050 when platinum reserves are expected to be exhausted.
The sports center was first envisioned in 2000 as part of a long-term development strategy laid out by King Leruo Molotlegi, a 41-year-old architect and pilot with high aspirations for the 120,000 members of his tribe.
The king made education a priority, with sports as a way to fan enthusiasm for their future among the young and to build a healthy nation. The plan for the sports center was aimed at training young Bafokeng athletes and creating a base for local pro soccer and rugby teams that could one day become revenue streams. The hope was even to attract European teams to train at altitude during the offseason.
Little happened until South Africa won the World Cup bid in 2004. Then, like many dormant dreams across South Africa, the king's vision got a jolt of energy and government funding.
Ground was broken for the sports center late last year.
The Bafokeng tribal trust also owns a nearby stadium that will be among 10 across South Africa to host World Cup games. During the recent Confederations Cup, a World Cup warmup, the quality of the field at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium was praised.
"Our grass was on top of our game" during the Confederations Cup, said Tshepo Malatsi, who works at the stadium and was recently overseeing gardeners spreading fertilizer at the sports center. He promises the center will have at least one practice surface as "sophisticated and beautiful" as the stadium's by the time a team moves in.
"We're trying to make sure we create the best facility so we can draw our friends from all over the world," Malatsi said.
Steve Komphela, a veteran South African coach whose team was recently purchased by the Bafokeng trust, is excited about moving from Johannesburg to Phokeng later this year. The Platinum Stars have already started playing home games at the royal stadium, and soon will make the sports center their practice base.
"The field itself — incredible," Komphela said.
Komphela said he has heard England might snap up Phokeng.
"The English FA have done their homework," he said. "There's a question of altitude, there's a question of environment. Altitude is key."
England general manager Franco Baldini has said the Phokeng facility is "not necessarily" his team's first choice, and that it was considering a number of possibilities. He said he and head coach Fabio Capello would visit South Africa later in the year and then make a choice.
Lindsey Parry, who manages the high-performance division at the University of Pretoria's Institute of Sports Research, knows many World Cup teams are looking to base themselves on South Africa's highlands — in and around Pretoria, Johannesburg and Phokeng. His institute's Pretoria-based High Performance Centre has been approached by several teams.
The theory is that the body is conditioned to use oxygen more efficiently at higher altitudes. Parry, a triathlete as well as a sports scientist, said researchers don't yet fully understand what advantages that can give an athlete, let alone how to exploit them. Even if the science is unclear, he said, that doesn't stop athletes from talking about their theories.
"You're always trying to get an edge or create doubt in your opponent's mind," he said.
Komphela said there has never been a World Cup like the one South Africa will put on because of the range of conditions teams will face. That includes tropical Durban; Cape Town, likely to be rainy and windy during the South African winter when the games will be played; the Rustenburg-Phokeng area with its warm, dry, sunny winters; and Pretoria and Johannesburg, similar to Phokeng but usually cooler.
Phokeng, which bills itself "the most developed village" in the Bafokeng kingdom, is a 2½-hour drive through dramatic hills from Johannesburg. That separation from the skyscrapers and night clubs of South Africa's economic hub might be just what some teams want.
The sports center is bordered on one side by a sleepy highway. The entrance is through a 1970s-style motel. Stretching from the hotel pool and patio are fields, hotel-like blocks of rooms still under construction, areas set aside for clinics, therapy pools and indoor training.
Malatsi, the grounds manager, has sunk his fields behind berms of earth to provide even more seclusion.
He points beyond the construction site to hilly wilderness, all land in tribal hands.
There are lions out there, he said. But don't worry, there's also an electric fence.
-- Bonna Bryson
Boateng gets 1st Germany call-up for qualifiers
FRANKFURT — Germany coach Joachim Loew has called up newcomer Jerome Boateng, a defender from Hamburger SV, for the World Cup qualifying matches against Russia and Finland.
Boateng was a member of Germany's under-21 team that won the European Championship earlier this year and has stood out in recent weeks for Hamburg, the Bundesliga leader.
Werder Bremen's veteran midfielder Torsten Frings was again dropped from the 24-man squad that contained no surprises. Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese was called up for Hannover's Robert Enke, who is still recovering from a stomach illness. However, Rene Adler of Bayer Leverkusen is expected to be the starting goalkeeper.
Leverkusen's striker Stefan Kiessling was left out, despite his league-high five goals this season.
Boateng can play as central defender, on the flanks or as a defensive midfielder.
"He's played well in different positions for Hamburg. He left a strong impression in winning the U-21 European title and it's only logical that he now makes the next step to the national team," Loew said Friday.
Germany leads Group 4 by one point ahead of Russia with two matches remaining. Germany plays in Moscow next Saturday and than hosts Finland four days later at home in Hannover.
The Moscow match is likely to decide the winner of the group that will get an automatic spot at next year's World Cup in South Africa. Second-place teams have chance to qualify through a playoff.
The German squad will assemble Monday in Mainz to practice on artificial turf, similar to the surface that will be used in Moscow.
Iniesta, Ramos return from injury for Spain
MADRID — Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos returned from injury to be included in Spain's squad for its final two World Cup qualifying games.
Coach Vicente del Bosque called up a first-choice team for Group 5 matches at Armenia on Oct. 10 and Bosnia-Herzegovina on Oct. 14. The European champions have already qualified for next year's finals in South Africa.
Iniesta returns for the first time since February after the Barcelona midfielder missed June's Confederations Cup due to a muscle tear in his thigh. Real Madrid defender Ramos hadn't played since that World Cup warmup event due to a right heel injury and had missed Madrid's Champions League win over Marseille on Wednesday with a hamstring concern.
Del Bosque also called up Athletic Bilbao defender Andoni Iraola in place of Madrid's Alvaro Arbeloa.
Spain joined the Netherlands and England as the first European countries to qualify for 2010 following a 3-0 win over Estonia last month that saw it take the group with an insurmountable eight-point lead. Spain has won each of its eight games.
Injured Robben out of Netherlands squad
AMSTERDAM — Midfielder Orlando Engelaar has been recalled to the Netherlands squad for the friendly against Australia in Sydney after being overlooked for nearly a year by coach Bert van Marwijk.
Engelaar's PSV Eindhoven teammate Ibrahim Afellay also returns to the 22-man squad for the Oct. 10 match in Sydney after missing two internationals last month because of a groin injury, Van Marwijk said Friday.
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben misses the match after suffering a right knee injury in his club's 0-0 Champions League draw with Juventus on Wednesday.
Meanwhile PSV defender Andre Ooijer and Arsenal forward Robin van Persie could both miss the match if their pregnant partners do not give birth before the squad leaves for Sydney on Monday.
Both the Netherlands and Australia, coached by Dutchman Pim Verbeek, have already qualified for next year's World Cup in South Africa.
Rosicky to lead Czechs in last 2 qualifiers
PRAGUE — Playmaker Tomas Rosicky will lead the Czech Republic in its final two World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Northern Ireland.
Rosicky played 56 minutes in a qualifier against San Marino in September, the Arsenal midfielder's first international match since October 2007. He has been playing regularly for his club in the Premier League and the Champions League this season but has yet to play the entire 90 minutes in a game.
"We're glad he gets more and more chances to play," Czech coach Ivan Hasek said when he announced his 20-man squad Friday. "His form is on the rise."
Hasek said he has yet to decide whether Rosicky will play a full part in the matches against Poland Oct. 10 and Northern Ireland four days later in Prague.
"To play 90 minutes twice in a row is tough," Hasek said. "We'll have to discuss that with Tomas."
The Czechs are fourth in Group 3 with 12 points and remain in the hunt for a playoff spot for a berth in next year's tournament in South Africa.
Leader Slovakia has 19 points and needs a point from its Oct. 10 match against Slovenia, which is second with 14 points, to qualify for a major tournament for the first time in its history.
Northern Ireland is third in the group, also on 14 points, but played one more game.
Hasek also named three newcomers to the side. Heerenveen midfielder Michal Svec, Slavia Prague striker Adam Hlousek and Sparta Prague defender Ondrej Kusnir have all been added.
Antonin Kinsky of Russian club Saturn Ramenskoye replaced injured back-up goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny of Hertha Berlin who is out after tearing a muscle in his right thigh.
Serbia picks team for WCup qualifiers
BELGRADE, Serbia — Striker Marko Pantelic was included in the Serbia squad for its decisive last two World Cup qualifiers against Romania and Lithuania.
Pantelic missed Serbia's 1-1 home draw against France on Sept. 9 because of a lack of games before joining Ajax from Hertha Berlin.
Serbia needs a win against either Romania in Belgrade on Oct. 10 or Lithuania away four days later to directly qualify for the next year's tournament in South Africa.
Coach Radomir Antic said that "despite the respect for Romania, everything depends on us."
"We have a great chance to qualify, and we'll do everything to do it," Antic said.
Antic picked his standard defense, including Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic and Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic. But, he included only three forwards — Pantelic, Nikola Zigic and Marko Milinkovic.
"We have several midfielders who can play in the attack," Antic said.
Serbia's biggest worry are the goalkeepers, as standard starter Vladimir Stojkovic is only the third choice in his Sporting Lisbon club.
Serbia leads Group 7 with 19 points, followed by France with 15. The nine European group winners qualify for next year's tournament, and eight of the nine second-place teams advance to a playoff.
France, the 1998 World Cup champion, hosts the Faeroe Islands on Oct. 10 and Austria four days later. Austria still has a slim chance of reaching the playoffs, while Romania is out.
Bulgaria names squad to face Cyprus, Georgia
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Leicester City defender Alexander Tunchev has been recalled to the Bulgaria's squad to play World Cup qualifiers against Cyprus and Georgia.
Coach Stanimir Stoilov also added five players from CSKA Sofia to the squad on Friday, reflecting the team's strong showing in the domestic league.
Stoilov is counting on Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov to lead Bulgaria's attack along with Manchester City's Martin Petrov and Valeri Bojinov who recently moved to Parma.
Stoilov named a 21-man squad for the Oct. 10 away match against Cyprus and the match against Georgia in Sofia on Oct. 14.
Bulgaria is third in Group 8 with 11 points from eight games and needs two victories to maintain its chances of securing the runners-up spot that may give the side a chance to qualify for the World Cup via a playoff.
Italy leads the group with 20 points, and Ireland is second with 16.
Slovakia to miss striker Holosko in qualifying
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia will be without injured Besiktas striker Filip Holosko in its final two World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Poland.
Holosko broke his leg in a 2-1 Champions League loss at CSKA Moscow on Wednesday and is expected to be out for two months.
Slovakia plays Slovenia Oct. 10 in Bratislava and will travel to Poland for the final game of its qualifying campaign four days later.
Bochum midfielder Stanislav Sestak is suspended for the match against Slovenia but could be available against Poland if his broken finger is fit enough for him to play.
Slovakia leads Group 3 with 19 points, five ahead of second-place Slovenia. It only needs a draw against Slovenia to secure a spot in next year's tournament in South Africa.
Coach Vladimir Weiss also included Miroslav Karhan, Marek Sapara and Marek Cech in the named a 25-man squad, even though all three have minor injuries.
"We want nothing but a win in the game against Slovenia," Weiss said. "I believe we'll confirm our first place."
League Previews/Roundups
Ancelotti: Chelsea resolved problems after loss
LONDON — Just in time to face title rival Liverpool, Carlo Ancelotti says he has resolved Chelsea's problems following a first loss of the season to Wigan and an arduous Champions League away win in Cyprus.
That's just as well for Ancelotti, because it was Liverpool's victory at Stamford Bridge last October that ended Chelsea's 86-match unbeaten home record and sparked the slump that saw Luiz Felipe Scolari's tenure as manager being prematurely curtailed.
"When the team is not doing well we have to look and do an analysis," Ancelotti said Friday. "We did this and resolved the problems. It is normal in football. On Sunday it is a test, but we are happy to meet Liverpool in this moment."
Ancelotti, who was hired after Scolari's interim replacement Guus Hiddink left, insists he is not feeling the pressure after the 3-1 loss at Wigan and the scrappy 1-0 victory at lowly APOEL Nicosia.
Owner Roman Abramovich was at the club's training ground Friday to survey his players — and Ancelotti.
"I don't think he's worried," Ancelotti said. "I think he's happy because his team is at the top of the league and top of the Champions League group."
Chelsea is being kept off the top of the standings on goal difference by defending champion Manchester United, but enjoys a three-point lead over Liverpool.
The Reds have already lost twice in the league this season and are in need of a morale-boosting win Sunday after going down 2-0 at Fiorentina in the Champions League on Wednesday.
"Chelsea had a 100 percent record until last weekend, but I'm not really worried about them," forward Dirk Kuyt said. "If we play to the level we're capable of, we can win there again. We beat them home and away last season, so why not this year too?
"It's always a difficult game at Stamford Bridge but I believe we showed something last season by winning there. By beating both Chelsea and Man United twice in the league we proved we can beat most teams home and away."
United hosts Sunderland on Saturday and manager Alex Ferguson is amazed that Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes remain integral to the team despite being in their mid-30s.
"Paul and Ryan are defying their age. They are playing with great confidence and maturity in their game," Ferguson said. "It is refreshing to see players retaining these qualities for such a long time.
"Paul gave an incredible performance at Stoke (last Saturday). He made 78 passes in the game. Four were off target. That is phenomenal."
There is also an intense focus on the bottom of the standings this weekend. West Ham is in desperate need of its first win of the season against Fulham on Sunday to climb out of the relegation zone, while Portsmouth, which is yet to even register one point in seven attempts, is at Wolverhampton.
Also Saturday it is: Bolton vs. Tottenham, Burnley vs. Birmingham; and Hull vs. Wigan.
Also Sunday, Arsenal — six points adrift of the pacesetters with a game in hand — hosts Blackburn, and Stoke is at Everton.
-- Rob Harris
Schalke beats Frankfurt 2-0
FRANKFURT — Gerald Asamoah and Jefferson Farfan scored in the second half Friday to give Schalke a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
Asamoah came off the bench in the 58th and scored eight minutes later, heading in a free kick from Lukas Schmitz.
Eintracht was reduced to 10 men after the ejection of Pirmin Schwegler in the 86th and Jefferson Farfan earned a penalty in injury time when he was brought down by Eintracht's goalkeeper Jan Zimmermann. Farfan then scored the penalty himself.
Zimmermann had replaced the injured Oka Nikolov at the start of the second half.
"I haven't scored for so long that, it's a great feeling," said Asamoah, whose last goal was in December. "We should not start dreaming now, it was important to win at home again."
After eight games, Schalke is now one point behind Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen, who still have to play this weekend.
Elsewhere
Portsmouth owner hospitalized amid finances search
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Portsmouth owner Sulaiman al-Fahim has been hospitalized in Dubai with kidney stones as the club maintains close contact with the Premier League over its continuing financial problems.
As the United Arab Emirates businessman prepared to undergo an operation to remove the kidney stones on Friday, Pompey officials continued their efforts to secure vital finances.
"His financial advisers are working closely with the chief financial officer of the club to ensure that the 50-million-pound ($79-million) loan is dispersed over next three to four weeks," Al-Fahim's spokesman Ivo Ilic Gabara told The Associated Press.
Gabara maintained that Al-Fahim's medical condition will "not have an impact on refinancing or the management" at Portsmouth, which has opened the season with seven straight losses.
A large chunk of the loan needs to be in place in two weeks and chief executive Peter Storrie questioned whether that was possible.
"I don't know if the 30 percent of the 50 million-pound refinancing package will arrive with us in mid-October," Storrie told ESPN Soccernet. "I really don't know what will happen if that money doesn't come through. All I can tell you is, what I have seen, the documentation is in place.
"But the proof of whether it is all genuine will be if it turns up. Sulaiman says that it will, so I have to believe that it will. He believes it, so let's wait and see."
Al-Fahim's protracted takeover wasn't completed until late August when the season was already under way and under new rules approved last month, the league can intervene to help clubs in financial peril.
"The Premier League have been helpful, we've been in touch with them and work closely with them, they are keeping an eye on the situation, but I am keeping them informed," Storrie said. "They are aware of all the facts."
Uncertainty over Al Fahim's refinancing plans grew this week when players were not paid and the club's executive directors were needed to secure funding for wages owed.
The squad was promised Thursday they would receive their wages within two days, blaming a cash-flow delay caused by the recent takeover.
"We have a loan to pay the players' wages for last month," Storrie said. "If we are talking about the club being used as security ... it wouldn't surprise me."
Al-Fahim is the chief executive of Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer Hydra Properties and hosted an "Apprentice"-style Middle East reality show that pitted teams of American and British entrepreneurs against one another.
Last year, Al-Fahim helped broker the takeover of Manchester City football club by Abu Dhabi's Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
-- Barbara Surk
Keegan awarded damages from Newcastle over exit
LONDON — Newcastle will have to pay Kevin Keegan $3.2 million in compensation after the former manager successfully argued he was forced to resign when the club asked him to sanction the signing of player he’d only seen on video as a "favor" to an agent.
The Premier League’s independent arbitration panel ruled in a verdict released Friday that Keegan was unfairly forced out in September 2008 less than eight months into his second stint in charge at St. James’ Park.
The financial blow could have been greater for the club that was relegated from the Premier League in May.
Keegan claimed $13.6 million in salary and other benefits to which he would have been entitled had he seen out the remaining years of his contract, which was due to expire in June 2011. He also sought a further $26.1 million in compensation for the effect of the firing on his future earning capacity.
Keegan quit after Uruguayan midfielder Ignacio Gonzalez was brought to the club on loan on the final day of the summer transfer window against his wishes.
"I resigned because I was being asked to sanction the signing of a player in order to ‘do a favor’ for two South American agents," Keegan said in a statement. "No one at the club had seen this player play and I was asked to sign him on the basis of some clips on You Tube. This is something that I was not prepared to be associated with in any way."
Gonzalez only made two appearances for Newcastle last season before injuring his Achilles’ tendon. He has since returned to Spanish club Valencia.
The panel found that Newcastle’s conduct was a "fundamental breach" of Keegan’s contract.
Keegan has not returned to soccer since leaving Newcastle, although he has recently been hired as a TV analyst in Britain by ESPN.
-- Rob Harris
Ferguson downplays striker Owen's latest injury
LONDON — Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said Friday that Michael Owen's injury isn't as bad he first feared, but concedes playing the striker against Wolfsburg was a gamble.
Having passed a late fitness test Wednesday, Owen lasted just 20 minutes of the Champions League group stage match after aggravating a groin strain.
Ferguson expected to be without the 29-year-old for three weeks, but now believes he will be fit for the first match after the international break on Oct. 17 against Bolton.
"It's not as bad as we first thought," Ferguson said. "We are quite pleased. Obviously it is understandable we wanted to take precautions given his past history but we are quite comfortable with the situation.
"He did miss training earlier this week so maybe we should have left him out. But he wanted to play and I wanted him to play. Thankfully it is not a big problem for us."
Croat, Romanian fans detained, 10 injured
TIMISOARA, Romania — More than 100 people have been detained following violent clashes between rival supporters of Dinamo Zagreb and FC Timisoara at a Europa League match, police said Friday.
Police spokesman Andrei Emil said violence continued during Thursday's game, which Dinamo won 3-0.
Croat fans, some wearing masks and scarves covering their faces, hurled seats, firecrackers and stones during the game. Daily Gazeta Sporturilor reported Friday they shouted "Down with the Serbs!"
Serb B-92 TV reported that Timisoara fans taunted the Croats yelling "Serbia, Serbia!"
Fighting continued in downtown Timisoara after the match. The city has a large population of Serbs and is close to the Serbian border.
Emil said police detained some 117 Croats and 14 Romanians after the match. The newspaper said 10 people, including a police officer, were injured.
Police escorted Croat fans to the Hungarian border, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Timisoara after the match.
Rooney to put family before Champions League trip
LONDON — Wayne Rooney is prepared to miss Manchester United's Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow if it clashes with wife Coleen giving birth to the couple's first child.
The England striker's child is due on Oct. 24 — also Rooney's 24th birthday — which is just three days after the Manchester United is due to play in Moscow.
"Of course I want to be there for the birth of my child and if anything happens around the days of traveling then I'm sure I'll stay back and won't go. But unless that happens I will be there playing," Rooney said. "It's due a few days after. Of course it's a long way but I've got a job to go and play for United so unless anything happens then I'll be there."
The Premier League champions have won their first two group stage matches in the European competition, but the Moscow trip is set to be their biggest test.
Vojvodina sacks coach Stepanovic
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian first-division club Vojvodina Novi Sad has fired coach Dragoslav Stepanovic.
Vojvodina opened the season with three wins, but followed them up with a draw against Smederevo and losses against Belgrade rivals Partizan and Red Star.
Vojvodina president Ratko Butorovic did not immediately name a successor Friday.
Stepanovic, 61, a former Yugoslav international who also played for Eintracht Frankfurt and Manchester City, has coached numerous clubs in Germany and elsewhere. He became Vojvodina coach at the start of the season, after coaching Belgrade side Cukaricki.
Uzbek player suspended over doping violation
ZURICH — Uzbekistan defender Anzur Ismailov has been suspended from football for three months after being found guilty of a doping violation.
A sample of Ismailov's urine, taken after a World Cup qualifier against Bahrain in June, found the presence of cannabis.
