Sporting briefs

Jarolim: Karel Jarolim has quit as Slavia Prague coach, the 2008 and 2009 Czech champions confirmed yesterday. Jarolim, 54, will provisionally be replaced by his 40-year-old assistant, Michal Petrous. Slavia have struggled this season and are just 12th in the Czech league, only one point ahead of tail-enders Zbrojovka Brno.

Barton: Preston midfielder Adam Barton has withdrawn from the Northern Ireland squad. Blackburn-born Barton, 19, wants to keep his options open. Only this week Barton was included in the 22-man squad for the first time for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Italy and Faroe Islands. However, after helping Preston beat Leeds 6-4 on Tuesday, he has had a change of heart.

Frings: Werder Bremen captain Torsten Frings is expected to be out for the next ten days after an operation for a hip injury. The 33-year-old defensive midfielder is set to skip Sunday’s Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen.

Baros: Galatasaray’s injured striker Milan Baros will not be fit in time to face Scotland in the Czech Republic’s Euro 2012 qualifier in Prague on October 8. Baros limped off the pitch with a torn thigh muscle after scoring a hat-trick against Buyuksehir in the Turkish league game on Sunday.

Balotelli: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini expects Mario Balotelli to return to the squad at the end of next month. Balotelli is sidelined with a knee injury and the striker said he would be out for eight weeks. Mancini responded: “His knee is okay. I think he may be ready at the end of October, in four to five weeks.”

Maradona: Diego Maradona has agreed to take part in a charity shoot-out on the roof of one of Moscow’s biggest department stores. The former Argentina player and coach accepted a proposal to try to hit 10 targets with 16-metre kicks. Every target will contain a prize sum of between $25,000 and €300,000.

MFA Div. III: Mdina vs Marsascala 4-0; Xghajra vs Attard 0-3.

Racing: Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year, has retired. The four-year-old filly retired after winning just two of five races this year. Co-owner Jess Jackson said it’s time to “retire our champion and reward her with a less stressful life.” The filly retires with a brilliant record of 13 wins in 19 starts and earnings of more than $3.4m. Last month, she finished second to Persistently in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga, Florida in her last start.

Formula One: The world governing body for motor racing has set the date for a final inspection of the circuit for South Korea’s first F1 race next month. Inspectors will visit the circuit on October 11, the Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO) said. The circuit has been constructed on reclaimed land by KAVO. Work is behind schedule and an inspection set for September 23 was delayed, sparking fears the track would not be finished in time for the October 24 race.

Cricket: Indian cricket bosses said that the suspended chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Lalit Modi, had been replaced, confirming the demise of one of the game’s most high-profile figures. “The IPL council chairman was appointed – ­Chirayu Amin,” BCCI president Shashank Manohar said, naming Modi’s successor. Disciplinary action against Modi over alleged corruption, tax evasion and money laundering would continue.

Tennis: US Open champion Kim Clijsters has withdrawn from next month’s China Open to recover from foot surgery. Clijsters, 27, said there was “no doubt” that she would be ready for the season-ending championships in Doha on October 26. The withdrawal of Clijsters from the China Open comes after Serena Williams pulled out of tournaments in both Tokyo and Beijing, as she continues to recover from recent surgery on her foot.