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Carlos Tevez: Manchester City & Juventus agree £12m deal

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Manchester City and Juventus have agreed a deal for striker Carlos Tevez to join the Italian side in a transfer worth up to £12m.
City accepted an offer of £10m that could rise by £2m with add-ons.

The Argentina international, 29, is expected in Italy on Wednesday for a medical and to discuss personal terms over a proposed three-year contract. When the fee is combined with wages and bonuses due to Tevez in the final year of his contract, City could save £27m. The two clubs reached an agreement at a meeting in London on Tuesday.

Tevez signed a five-year contract when he joined the Sky Blues in 2009 after previously playing for Manchester United. City paid his advisors – who owned his contract – a reported £25.5m fee, although some have claimed the figure was £47m. He has made 148 appearances for the club, scoring 74 goals, but the relationship with former manager Roberto Mancini soured in 2011 when he was fined and suspended following an incident in a Champions League match against Bayern Munich. City must now search for a replacement but have said they will not pay the £53m asking price for Napoli forward Edinson Cavani.

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Lions 2013: Corbisiero and Roberts likely to miss second Test

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British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland is resigned to being without prop Alex Corbisiero and centre Jamie Roberts for Saturday’s second Test against Australia.
Corbisiero is "struggling a little bit" to overcome a calf injury picked up in the first-Test victory in Brisbane.
Gatland said Roberts "is in the same boat" with a hamstring strain.

"We will see how they are on Thursday, but at this stage it is a little bit doubtful," he added.
Manu Tuilagi returned in Tuesday’s 35-0 win over Melbourne Rebels to bolster the Lions’ midfield options.
But with Ireland’s Tom Court only called up as short-term cover for Corbisiero, the Lions will ponder summoning additional reinforcements at loose-head prop, with Mako Vunipola and Ryan Grant the only fit options.

"It is something we will discuss over the next 24 hours to see if we have got enough cover in that position," Gatland said. "The medics say if he is ruled out for this weekend, he will definitely be fit for the third Test." The Lions have already summoned eight replacements – including temporary cover in Shane Williams and Court – since they left the UK, equalling the record number used on the 1980 tour to South Africa.
In all, 44 players have been involved at some stage in the eight games so far, with injury victim Gethin Jenkins the only member of the original squad not to be involved.

Lock Paul O’Connell, ruled out of the rest of the series with a fractured arm sustained in the first-Test victory in Brisbane, will remain with the squad for the remainder of the tour. "He played such an important role in that first Test, so we gave him the option to stay, and he wanted to stay," Gatland said. "I feel really sorry for Paul and it is a big loss for the squad because he was playing some of his best rugby for a long time and that combination with Alun Wyn Jones was proving to be really strong.

"But he has been around for such a long time and he has that experience and wisdom, so I am sure he will be involved in some aspect." After the disappointment of last week’s 14-12 defeat by ACT Brumbies in Canberra, Gatland was pleased by a "professional, workmanlike performance" from his midweek side as they scored five tries and kept the Rebels scoreless in Melbourne.

"I thought the back row were very good. Richie Gray had his best game on tour, Richard Hibbard carried the ball well, both nines [scrum-halves Conor Murray and Ben Youngs], were good, Sean Maitland was good, the defence was outstanding and everyone kept working hard," he said. "The pleasing thing was the spirit they displayed. That really showed how good these guys have been on and off the field on this tour, and that was demonstrated by not conceding any points.

"There is still an opportunity for people to be involved [in the remaining Tests] and there are bound to be a few more injuries between now and the final Test."But even if these guys don’t get selected for the next two Tests, they can still be proud to be part of hopefully a successful tour. That is the whole aim. These guys have been fantastic ambassadors for the four home unions, and everyone back home should be really proud of the way they have conducted themselves on and off the field."

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Lions 2013: Australia centre Pat McCabe out for rest of the year

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Lions 2013: Australia centre Pat McCabe out for rest of the year

Australia’s Pat McCabe has been ruled out for the rest of the year after suffering a recurrence of a neck injury against the British and Irish Lions.
McCabe, 25, was taken off during the hosts’ 23-21 weekend Test defeat, with medical checks showing a fracture to the bone he first damaged in November. The Brumbies centre will spend at least the next six weeks in a brace, but is hopeful he could make a playing return.

Read Bryn’s verdict on the Lions’ first Test win

"I think I’ve got plenty of games left in me," he said."It was encouraging to hear the specialists being positive both about the recovery process, but also the possibility that I could be able to return to the playing field.

"It is human nature to think the worst, but I’m in good hands medically. "We’ll see how the rehabilitation goes and take it from there. I’d obviously like to get back into it, but I’ll be taking no chances with my health either." McCabe will miss the remainder of the Lions tour, the rest of the Super Rugby season with the Brumbies, Australia’s Rugby Championship campaign against South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina, plus their end-of-season tour to Europe.

Saturday’s opening Test was the Manly-born player’s 20th cap for his country since making his international debut against Italy in 2010.
McCabe was not the only Wallabies star to pick up a series-ending injury in the bruising encounter in Brisbane, with 27-year-old wing Digby Ioane also set to miss the final two Tests against the Lions with a shoulder problem.

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/

Umpires in match fixing scandal

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Umpires at the centre of a match-fixing scandal in southern Asia have denied the allegations.

The ICC has confirmed it is investigating following a programme broadcast by India TV in which its reporters set up a sting operation.

The TV channel claimed that six umpires, including one who is a regular fixture on the international circuit, were willing to give decisions or provide inside information on the teams and playing conditions in return for illicit payments.

The ICC called on India TV "to turn over any information which can assist (our) urgent investigations into this matter.

"The ICC reiterates its zero-tolerance towards corruption whether alleged against players or officials."

Three of those named are from Sri Lanka, two are from Pakistan and the sixth is Bangladeshi Nadir Shah who is a member of the ICC’s international panel.

India TV footage appeared to show Shah, who has stood in 40 ODIs and a number of Twenty20 internationals, say he was willing to give LBW decisions on demand.

The video does not show any cash being exchanged nor did the channel broadcast any proof of the umpires delivering decisions or information.

In a statement Shah says the allegations are "absolutely rubbish".

"If I am going to fix match, I will be caught some day by the ICC. No umpire fixes matches," he said.

Pakistan umpire Nadeem Ghouri, another of those named, has also denied any involvement.

"I am surprised at these baseless allegations" he said. (I will) consult my lawyers to decide on my future course of action," he said.

source: www.skysportsnews.co.uk

Bernstein defends Hodgson

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Football Association chairman David Bernstein has defended England manager Roy Hodgson over his discussion of Rio Ferdinand’s international career on a tube train.

The England boss is reported to have told passengers on the London Underground last week that the Manchester United defender’s England career was over.

But Bernstein has sprung to Hodgson’s defence, insisting he had acted honourably and had paid the price for being prepared to interact with supporters.

"Roy Hodgson is a particularly decent guy, someone I have a huge respect for," Bernstein told Sky Sports.

"He travelled on public transport, unusual in this day and age for a high-profile person, which I think is something to be proud of.

"He spoke to fans and he got caught out with a particular word. I think it’s very sad that someone should phone the newspapers and actually in many ways he acted in an exemplary sort of a way.

"I think he should we should be very proud of someone who is prepared to speak to fans like that and I have no problem with him.

"He was sorry that he said that particular thing and he has said so and apologised to Rio. I actually I think he comes out of it extremely well. "

When asked if his public comments were disrespectful to Ferdinand, Bernstein added: "It was a slip of the tongue. I would rather focus on the general point of a high-profile person meeting the public, being out there, behaving in what I thought was a very commendable way."

source: www.skysportsnews.co.uk

St George’s Park centre of excellence in Burton to open

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St George’s Park centre of excellence in Burton to open

Football Association chairman David Bernstein has described the opening of its new centre of excellence as an "historic" day for the English game.

The £105m St George’s Park complex in Staffordshire will house all 24 England teams, from junior to senior levels.

"We have to get more players through who can be full England internationals and this is where it will happen," Bernstein told BBC Radio 5 live.

"So much work has gone into this for so long and to see it now is fantastic."

The 330-acre St George’s Park will be officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Tuesday.

England’s players are using the facility for the first time this week as they prepare for their World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland.

Aimed at raising standards of play at all levels, it will provide a centre of excellence for training coaches and for sports medicine, sports science and psychology.

Among the facilities at St George’s Park are:

"Everything at Burton is aimed at the future and rivalling the national centres that have been at the heart of the well-being of the game in superpowers such as France, Spain and the Netherlands"

– 11 outdoor pitches, five of which are floodlit and have under-soil heating.

– A full-size indoor 3G artificial pitch with a viewing gallery for up to 200 people.

– An altitude chamber to mimic a variety of playing conditions.

– An indoor 60m sprint track with equipment to measure speed and running style.

– Walls adorned with sporting slogans, such as American Olympian Jesse Owens: "A lifetime of training for just 10 seconds."

– A new Hilton hotel featuring suites named after former England players and managers.

Bernstein described the facility as "inspirational" and said it made him feel optimistic about the future of the nation’s football.

He said: "This is the pinnacle clearly – and we hope that this will be an inspiration in a number of ways.

"One of the main objects of this, possibly almost the main object, is to produce thousands of more highly-qualified coaches.

"There’s a lot more happening in English football at the moment in terms of youth development. We’re trying to move young players away from this physical side, of wanting to win too much when they’re too young.

"We want more skill-based football, kids to enjoy their football more. There’s a great deal aimed at that."

England’s senior men’s team have not won a major international tournament since the 1966 World Cup and have failed to reach a semi-final since the 1996 European Championship.

The women’s side have made three World Cup quarter-finals and twice finished runners-up in the European Championship.

David Sheepshanks, chairman of St George’s Park, said the new complex can help England close the gap on recent World Cup winners such as France and Spain.

"This is a place to inspire young people and young coaches to invest in themselves and go beyond just getting the badge," he said.

"The teachers of the game have the defining influence. We are investing in the teachers so that we can get ahead of what they are doing in France and Spain.

"This is a deliberately long-term view. Really it is the investment in coaches that is crucial and from 2020 onwards we will have winning England teams."

source: www.bbc.co.uk

Owen Coyle is sacked by Bolton Wanderers

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Owen Coyle is sacked by Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers have sacked manager Owen Coyle.

The Trotters, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are 18th in the Championship after winning only three of their 10 matches.

On Saturday they were beaten 2-1 at fellow strugglers Millwall.

Coyle, 46, took over at Bolton in January 2010, six months after guiding Burnley to promotion to the Premier League and consequently signing a contract extension at Turf Moor.

The Trotters went on to survive a relegation battle while Burnley went down.

In 2010-11 Bolton reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and finished 14th after spending much of the season in the top half of the table, but last season they were relegated, ending an 11-year spell in the top flight.

“It is the right time for a change. We set a target at the beginning of the season and want to get back on track”

In March Bolton and Coyle were widely praised for the support they gave to Fabrice Muamba, after the midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest while playing against Tottenham Hotspur.

Following relegation it was revealed the club were carrying debts of £110m, mostly owed to Isle of Man-based owner Eddie Davies.

On Saturday Coyle described the defeat at Millwall as the lowest point of his managerial career but insisted he had no intention of resigning.

However, after meeting Davies and chairman Phil Gartside on Tuesday, he parted company with the club.

In a statement on the club website , Gartside said: "Owen poured his heart and soul into the job, both on and off the pitch, and he led our club with great dignity during some very challenging times.

"It is the right time for a change. We set a target at the beginning of the season and want to get back on track.

"I would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Owen, Sandy Stewart and Steve Davis for all their hard work during their time at Bolton Wanderers."

Coyle said: "I have always been driven to act in the best interests of the club and care passionately about it.

"I had fantastic times here as a player and it has been a privilege to have held the post of manager.

"I want to thank the fans for their backing since I returned, the chairman Phil Gartside and the owner Eddie Davies for their support and friendship and the club’s staff and players for all their effort and commitment."

Academy manager Jimmy Phillips and head of academy coaching and development Sammy Lee will take joint temporary charge of the first-team squad.

Former Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is among the front-runners to replace Coyle.

Roy Keane, who guided Sunderland to promotion into the Premier League, is also regarded as a possible candidate.

source: www.bbc.co.uk

Neale: Hamilton deal close

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McLaren Managing Director Jonathon Neale says the team are close to agreeing a new deal with 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

The British team guided Hamilton’s junior career before bringing him into Formula 1 in 2007, to partner Fernando Alonso.

The 27-year-old had been linked with a move to Red Bull and Mercedes, but with Mark Webber agreeing a new deal with the World Champions and Michael Schumacher looking likely to stay on for at least another year with the Silver Arrows, options for Hamilton are limited.

“We are closer and of course we are in dialogue,” Neale told Sky Sports.

Hamilton close to new deal

“For obvious reasons I can’t speculate more at the moment. We are working very hard to find a common ground.”

When asked if a new deal was what both Hamilton and McLaren wanted Neale added: “Very much so.”

Hamilton is currently 47 points behind Alonso in the standings, but, with nine races remaining and a possible 225 points available, Neale believes Hamilton can still be triumph in 2012.

“Mathematically it is still possible, 25 points for a win and it doesn’t take much to switch those,” he added.

“We have got a quick car. Our car was in better shape than Ferrari at the last race. He is a fighter, he loves a challenge. He just needs a sniff of it and to feel that the team is behind him and pushing.

“And I think if he feels we are pushing and bring the upgrades and dealing with the issues as they arise then he will be fighting for the title at the end of the season.”

Source: www. skysports.com

Posted in F1

London 2012 was ‘biggest ever US TV event’

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NBC’s coverage of London 2012 was the “most-watched television event in US history”, the TV network has announced.

Citing Nielsen ratings figures, NBC said more than 219 million viewers watched the Games on its networks, compared to the 215 million who tuned in for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The network broadcast some 5,535 hours of Olympic coverage on TV and online.

But it drew criticism for delaying the broadcast of popular events until primetime hours.

Viewers also complained of problems with online streaming and edited versions of the opening and closing ceremonies.

Sunday’s closing ceremony – which was cut down by almost an hour and omitted such acts as Muse and Ray Davies – drew an audience of 31 million people.

Yet NBC enraged some viewers by leaving the ceremony at 23:00 local time to air a new sitcom, Animal Practice, and then half an hour of local news.

At midnight, the network returned to the ceremony to screen the eight-minute finale by The Who.

NBC was previously criticised for cutting a tribute to victims of the 7 July London bombings out of its opening ceremony coverage.

NBC paid $1.18bn (£751.3m) for the exclusive US broadcast rights to the Games.

Meanwhile, the BBC said its coverage of the Olympics was watched by 90% of the UK’s population and that 51.9 million people had watched at least 15 minutes of coverage.

BBC One controller Danny Cohen said the Games had been seen by the “largest TV audiences since the pre-digital age”.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Steven Fletcher: Wolves reject third Sunderland bid

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Wolves have rejected a third offer from Sunderland for striker Steven Fletcher.

The Championship side have previously turned down bids of £10m and £12m for the 25-year-old, and this latest offer falls short of Wolves’ £15m valuation.

Fletcher submitted a transfer request earlier this month, following Sunderland’s £12m offer.

“We want to keep our best players,” said Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey. “If our valuations are not met then they will remain at Wolves.”

Fletcher, who scored 12 goals in 26 Premier League appearances as Wolves were relegated from the top flight last season, has two years left on his Molineux contract, with an option for a third.

His former club Burnley will be due 15% of any profit Wolves make on a player they paid £7m for in 2010.

Fletcher missed Saturday’s Capital One Cup tie against Aldershot with an ankle injury and, with Wolves due to start their Championship campaign at Leeds on Saturday, Moxey is eager to bring the transfer saga to a close.

“All parties need to draw a line under this matter, which has now dragged on for more than a month,” he said.

“We need to focus on the season ahead and these disruptions to the squad’s preparations are unhelpful.

“We cannot allow this speculation to drag on indefinitely up to the closure of the transfer window.”

Sunderland are short of attacking options following the departures of Asamoah Gyan and Nicklas Bendtner, and boss Martin O’Neill has made Fletcher his prime attacking target this summer.

No Sunderland player reached double figures in goals last season, with Bendtner and Stephane Sessegnon the top-scorers with eight.

O’Neill believes Fletcher, who scored seven headers last season, will give Sunderland’s attack much-needed potency.

Fletcher has suffered Premier League relegations with Burnley and Wolves during the past three seasons, but his goals-to-games ratio is better than one in three.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk