Sporting briefs

ZAPATA: Milan have completed the permanent signing of defender Cristian Zapata from Villarreal for an undisclosed fee. The Colombia international, 26, moved to San Siro on a season-long loan last summer and his performances for the Rossoneri have earned him a three-year contract in northern Italy.

NAGATOMO: Flying fullback Yuto Nagatomo was recalled to the Japan squad yesterday for the crunch 2014 World Cup qualifier against Australia next month, where victory would secure a berth in Brazil and damage the Socceroos’ hopes of joining them. A knee injury forced Nagatomo to miss Japan’s last qualifier in Jordan where the Asian champions needed only a point to claim an early place at the finals but lost 2-1 to the West Asians.

BUDUCNOST: Buducnost Podgo-rica won their first Montenegrin cup with a 1-0 defeat of Celik Niksic on Wednesday after chaotic scenes on the pitch and fan violence on the terraces. “Fighting between rival fans and dissent by Celik players broke out after the referee awarded Buducnost a penalty in the 71st minute, only to rescind his decision after an eight-minute delay,” the Montenegrin FA said.

STOICHKOV: Litex Lovech coach Hristo Stoichkov was fined 7,000 levs ($4,600) yesterday for threatening to beat up Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) president Borislav Mihaylov after his team’s 2-1 home loss to Lokomotiv Sofia. Stoichkov, 47, also said referee Georgi Yordanov had “made fun” of his players by showing them cards and not awarding them a penalty in Wednesday’s league match. Stoichkov also received a one-match touchline ban for “insulting officials in the media”.

Champions League: (Women’s final) Wolfsburg vs Lyon 1-0.