FIFPro awards: Spanish and European champions Barcelona and their leading players Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o swept the board in annual awards announced by the professional players union FIFPro yesterday. Ronaldinho was named FIFPro World Player of the Year for the second time in succession. 19-year-old team mate Messi was chosen as the Young Player of the Year and Eto'o was given the FIFPro Merit award. Barcelona were given the Players for Peace award for their decision to use their shirt advertising space to promote the work of the United Nastions children's agency UNICEF.
Zidane frenzy: Cash offers are flooding into the Bangladesh Football Federation from fans desperate for a brush with visiting French soccer great Zinedine Zidane. The former France captain, who retired from football after the World Cup final in July, was due to arrive in the soccer-crazy country yesterday evening. A clothing manufacturer has offered two million taka ($30,000) for Zidane if he would become a model for one of his products - a male wraparound which reaches down to the ankles. Another man offered the BFF 100,000 taka if it could get an autograph of Zidane for his child. Zidane is in Dhaka to open a new non profit-making food plant run by Grameen Bank and French food giant Danone to provide cheap, nutritious food.
Ferencvaros bankrupt: Hungary's most successful soccer club is so deep in debt that unless a major investor appears within a few weeks it may be forced to shut down, Ferencvaros chairman Zsolt Damosy said yesterday. The club's debts total 850 million forint ($4.17 million) and one of its former players has already initiated liquidation proceedings against the club, Damosy said. Ferencvaros were founded in 1899 and have played in Hungary's top division since 1901, winning 28 titles and 20 domestic cups.
Dinamo Zagreb: Croatia champions Dinamo Zagreb have appointed former Iran manager, Croat Branko Ivankovic as coach, state news agency Hina reported yesterday. Ivankovic replaces Josip Kuze, who agreed with the club management to step down earlier yesterday. Although no formal contract has been signed, Ivankovic is expected to remain in charge until mid-2008, club sources said. Dinamo top the national championship with 32 points from 13 matches, the same as rivals Hajduk Split.
Sorin: Hamburg SV's hopes of climbing out of relegation trouble have been hit by an injury to Juan Pablo Sorin, who is facing up to a month out with a thigh muscle strain. "It seems he'll be out for three or four weeks," Hamburg team doctor Oliver Dierk told reporters ahead of the club's trip to face VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga today. Sorin had to be substituted early in the second half of Saturday's 1-0 defeat away to VfL Wolfsburg.
In Italy: Serie B - Napoli 1 (Bogliacino 73) Juventus 1 (Del Piero 67).
In England: The Championship - Stoke vs Coventry 1-0.
In Scotland: Premier League - Inverness vs Aberdeen 1-1.
MFA Div. Three: Zejtun C. vs Qrendi 0-1; Sta Lucija vs Mgarr 0-1.