Reports said yesterday that Juventus and Napoli will be playing the Italian Super Cup match in Doha in December.
In midweek Gazzetta dello Sport said San Siro was a likely venue and that December 23 a credible date, but yesterday the same newspaper indicated that the clubs were now leaning to-wards a foreign venture.
Juventus and Napoli apparently considered different proposals, from Italy to China, but are seen now as leaning towards Doha in Qatar, for December 22.
The Supercoppa has been played abroad before, in the United States, Tripoli and Beijing.
Green light to name son Messi
A couple have named their new-born son Messi after Argentina’s soccer captain, having been granted permission to circumvent a 45-year-old law banning the use of last names as first names.
Barcelona striker Lionel Messi may be one of the highest-profile figures in Argentina but due to a 1969 statute in the South American country, proud father Daniel Varela had to petition city authorities to be granted an exception to the law.
“We have a daughter who is five years old that we were also going to name Messi but she was a girl. At last, thanks to God, Messi arrived,” said Varela who lives with his family in General Roca in the Patagonian province of Rio Negro.
Celtic profits
Celtic made an £11.2 million pre-tax profit last season despite a significant drop in revenue.
The club’s annual accounts showed group revenue dec-reased by 14.6 per cent to £64.7 million, with some of the fall being attributed to a £100 reward to season ticket holders.
Operating expenses also fell, by 4.5 per cent to just under £60 million, to leave Celtic with almost £4 million in the bank on June 30.
Celtic chairman Ian Bankier described the results as “pleasing” and claimed it left the Scottish league champions “in a strong financial position going forward”.
Morocco trying to entice Bellarabi
Morocco are bidding to entice Bayer Leverkusen’s exciting winger Karim Bellarabi to their cause as they prepare to host next year’s African Nations Cup.
Coach Badou Ezaki met with the 24-year-old, who has played for Germany at Under-21 level but can still switch his allegiance if he applies to FIFA.
Berlin-born Bellarabi has a Moroccan father, giving him dual nationality, and has not been capped in a competitive senior match which means he can change his international allegiance.
He had a meeting with Ezaki on Thursday, the Bild newspaper reported yesterday.
Ronaldinho crows for White Roosters
Brazilian great Ronaldinho put on a Queretaro shirt for the first time on Friday and promised he would give his all to help the modest Mexican team win some silverware.
The 34-year-old forward signed for the provincial club known as Gallos Blancos (White Roosters) just before the transfer window closed last week.
“I have decided to come to Los Gallos because I believe we can do great things here,” Ronaldinho told reporters after being presented with the number 49 shirt, the jersey he wore with much success at his previous club Atletico Mineiro.
Queretaro are eighth in the Apertura first division on 10 points after three wins and a draw in seven matches.
Film adverts on Sampdoria shirts
Sampdoria’s shirts will be turned into billboards for the latest cinema releases by the club’s movie producer president Massimo Ferrero.
The club currently have no shirt sponsor so Ferrero has struck a deal with a distribution company to display film titles instead for the next three weeks.
Their shirts will be emblazoned with ‘Sin City 3D’ for today’s Serie A match against Torino.
“This is a new generation of sponsorship. We are in the era of social media and will make the most of it,” Ferrero said.
Ludogorets ease goalkeeping crisis
Champions League debutants Ludogorets have signed Canada keeper Milan Borjan to help ease a goalkeeping crisis ahead of their Group B game at Liverpool on Tuesday.
The Bulgarian champions, only the country’s second club to reach the group stages after Levski Sofia in 2006, did not disclose the length of the contract.
Ludogorets were forced to seek reinforcements after substitute keeper Ivan Cvorovic sustained a shoulder injury on Thursday.
Regular starter Vladislav Stoyanov is suspended after being sent off in the shoot-out win over Steaua Bucharest in the second leg of the play-off round.
“I hope we’ll beat Liverpool,” Borjan, 26, told reporters yesterday.