Sporting briefs...
Equal rest: The last four teams at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland will have equal periods of rest before the semi-finals, UEFA said. This was not the case at Euro 2004 in Portugal. Portugal and Greece, who reached the Euro 2004 final, had two...
Equal rest: The last four teams at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland will have equal periods of rest before the semi-finals, UEFA said. This was not the case at Euro 2004 in Portugal. Portugal and Greece, who reached the Euro 2004 final, had two days more rest than their semi-final opponents Netherlands and Czech Republic respectively.
Guti: Real Madrid midfielder Guti says he would prefer a move to an English club if he leaves the Primera Liga side. "I am keen to start a new chapter in my life. I have always said that if I leave Real I would love to play in England. The Premier League would be ideal," Guti said. The 28-year-old made 18 starts for Real last season but, after the arrival of coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo in December, he spent more time on the bench.
Club ownership: UEFA is to launch an investigation into the ownership of some leading clubs, chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson said yesterday. On a day when Man. United fans stormed into UEFA's media briefing at the City of Manchester Stadium in protest against their club's takeover by Malcolm Glazer, Olsson also made it clear he was sensitive to possible dual ownership of clubs. Without referring directly to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and his Sibneft oil company's sponsorship deal with CSKA Moscow, Olsson said UEFA would be investigating such relationships where it was possible one man effectively owned more than one club.
Nakata: Japan's Hidetoshi Nakata was the target of rare criticism from team-mate Shunsuke Nakamura after a loss at the Confederations Cup. Nakamura accused Nakata of drifting out of position during Thursday's 2-1 defeat by Mexico prompting rumours of a rift between the players.
Valgaeren: Club Bruges have signed Belgium defender Joos Valgaeren from Celtic as a replacement for David Rozehnal who is switching to Paris SG, the Belgian champions said. Central defender Valgaeren, 29, has returned to his homeland as a free agent, signing a three-year deal with Bruges, after winning three Premier League titles and three Scottish Cups with Celtic.
Thai tournament: Premier league sides Everton, Bolton and Manchester City are to compete in a four-team tournament also featuring the Thai national side in Bangkok next month. The FA Premier League Asia Trophy will take place on July 20 and 23 in a knockout format.