Sporting briefs

Bilyaletdinov: Everton’s Diniyar Bilyaletdinov will miss the final Premier League match of the season after the club’s appeal against his red card at West Brom last weekend was dismissed. The 26-year-old midfielder, also ruled out of the first two league matches of next season, was shown a straight red card for what referee Anthony Taylor deemed a high challenge on James Morrison at the Hawthorns.

Frings: Former Germany midfielder Torsten Frings is leaving Werder Bremen after not being offered a new contract by the Bundesliga club. The 34-year-old’s current deal expires in June and Frings, reportedly one of Bremen’s highest earners, told newspaper Kreiszeitung Syke that no fresh offer was forthcoming.

Banner down: The famous banner hanging from the Stretford End of Old Trafford showing the number of years since Manchester City last won a trophy has been removed. The “ticker” had reached 35 prior to City’s 1-0 FA Cup final win over Stoke but there had been some confusion about whether it would remain, even after the Blues’ weekend triumph.

Guerrero: Peru striker Paolo Guerrero, of Hamburg, is out of July’s Copa America after tearing a knee ligament. The 27-year-old Guerrero tore the medial ligaments in his left knee during Hamburg’s 1-1 draw with Borussia M’gladbach.

Seedorf: Clarence Seedorf could be heading to Brazil where Botafogo are showing interest in signing the Milan veteran whose contract with the Rossoneri runs out next month. “Botafogo are counting on the player’s desire to play and live in Rio,” Botafogo owner Mauricio Assumpao said.

Friendly: Italy will play Ireland in an international friendly in Liege, Belgium, on June 7. The Azzurri will also play Estonia, in Modena, on June for a Euro 2012 qualifier.

Papac: Rangers defender Sasa Papac has signed a one-year contract extension. The Bosnia international signed from FK Austria in 2006 and has become an integral member of the side which won a third successive SPL title this season.

The Championship: Play-off SF, 2nd leg – Cardiff vs Reading 0-3 (agg: 0-3).

Basketball: Geethu Anna Jose, who had hoped to become the first Women’s National Basketball Association player from India, failed to make the cut with any of the three clubs she tried out for. The 25-year-old, who had played previously in Australia, made a tour of tryout camps for the LA Sparks, San Antonio Silver Stars and Chicago Sky but the 6-foot-2 playmaker was not invited back by any of the squads.

Golf: France won the right to host the 2018 Ryder Cup, triumphing despite emotional appeals for the event to be awarded to Spain in tribute to Seve Ballesteros. France’s bid, which centres on Le Golf National course outside Paris, successfully beat out rival bids from venues in Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands and Spain. The 2018 event will be only the second Ryder Cup ever held on continental Europe following its staging in Valderrama, Spain in 1997, when Ballesteros master-minded a dramatic victory over the United States.

Boxing: US boxer Paul Williams, flattened for the first time in his career in a title bout last November, will make his return on July 9 against Japan’s Nobuhiro Ishida. The 29-yeart-old, 39-2 with 27 knockouts, lost a WBC middleweight title bout to Argen-tina’s Sergio Martinez six months ago and will make his return as a light-middleweight. Ishida, 23-6, is six years older than Williams at 35 but coming off a stunning upset of previously unbeaten US fighter James Kirkland.

Motor Racing: Canada’s Alex Tagliani posted the quickest lap of the day, reaching a top speed of 225.88mph during practice for the upcoming Indianapolis 500 race. The 38-year-old from Montreal beat out Kiwi Scott Dixon who placed second at 225.12mph. Graham Rahal was next at 225.071. Rahal and Dixon, who won the Indy 500 three years ago, both drive for Chip Ganassi. Rahal is also the son of Bobby Rahal who won the 1986 race. The race is scheduled for May 29.