Gladbach: Borussia Moenchengladbach have cemented their goalkeeping options after Christofer Heimeroth signed a new two-year contract yesterday. Heimeroth’s new deal comes a day after Gladbach signed Basle goalkeeper Yann Sommer as a replacement for the departing Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The 32-year-old’s contract was due to run out in the summer. Heimeroth joined Borussia in 2006 and has played 79 matches after mainly being used as a back-up goalkeeper.
Courtois: Thibaut Courtois’s father has denied reports that his son will join Real Madrid once his contract with Chelsea expires in 2016. Media speculation in Spain has strongly linked the Belgian goalkeeper, who is playing on loan at Atletico Madrid from Chelsea, with a move to the Bernabeu stadium. “This (rumour) is only an attempt to destabilise Atletico,” Thierry Courtois said. “But in any case, I don’t think Chelsea would let him leave in that way.”
Botev: Botev Plovdiv have been ordered to play their next home match at a neutral ground following crowd trouble in the Bulgarian league game against Lokomotiv Sofia on Saturday. The Bulgarian Football Union’s disciplinary commission also fined the Plovdiv-based club 4,000 levs ($2,800) yesterday after Lokomotiv coach Stefan Genov was hit by a plastic bottle thrown by a Botev fan. The ban will affect fourth-placed Botev’s home match against bitter city rivals Lokomotiv, who are fifth in the standings, on Saturday.
Abandoned: League leaders Fenerbahce’s match with Trabzonspor was abandoned late Monday after the Istanbul side’s players were pelted with objects thrown onto the pitch by home supporters of the Black Sea club. Supporters clashed with police in the streets of Trabzon following the match, which the referee halted in the 10th minute of added time at the end of the first half. Fenerbahce, who were winning 1-0, top the league on 51 points.
Killed: An assistant referee has died after being beaten up by spectators during a second division match in Ghana, the Ghana FA said yesterday. Kwame Andoh Kyei suffered serious injuries after he was attacked while running the line during a match between Gold Stars and Naa Joe United in Bordie on March 2. He died on Friday as a result of the injuries. Media reports said yesterday that Kyei had not been hospitalised after the beating by supporters of Gold Stars.