A Swiss goalkeeper has threatened legal action after fans of a rival lower league team urinated in his water bottle and then taunted him when, unawares, he took a sip during a match at the weekend.
FC Muri goalkeeper Reto Felder said he had felt sick after tasting the warm contents of the bottle, which he had left near the goalpost during the 1. Liga (third tier) game at FC Baden near Zurich.
“The idea of drinking piss is simply intolerable,” the Aargauer Zeitung website quoted the 34-year-old as saying, adding that he was waiting for an analysis of video evidence before further action.
“What if next time it is something that knocks you out?,” added Felder.
Hamburg sack coach Slomka
Hamburg SV have sacked coach Mirko Slomka after the former European champions’ bad start to the Bundesliga season that has seen them drop to last place, the club said yesterday.
The 47-year-old Slomka, who took over at Hamburg in February, was informed of the decision on Monday, club officials told reporters.
Slomka was tasked with lifting them away from relegation last season but they still needed a play-off to stay up and protect their perfect record of having played in the top division every season since its creation in 1963.
PSV’s Depay suffers groin injury
Dutch international Memphis Depay faces up to two months on the sidelines after suffering a groin injury at the weekend, his club PSV Eindhoven said.
A scan on the injury suffered early in Saturday’s match at PEC Zwolle revealed a tear that will keep the 20-year-old out for a minimum of six weeks.
He will miss the Netherlands’ next Euro 2016 qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Iceland in mid-October.
Depay, top scorer in the Dutch league this season with five goals, will also sit out at least two Europa League matches.
Schalke’s Hoewedes stays behind
Schalke 04 captain Benedikt Hoe-wedes has not travelled with the team to London for their Champions League opener against Chelsea tonight, staying behind for further tests regarding a hip injury, the German club said.
Defender Hoewedes, who was injured in their 4-1 defeat by Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday and partially tore a hip tendon, may travel later to London to join the team, the club informed yesterday.
Schalke, who have had a bad start to the season having lost two of their three league games, are already without injured defenders Felipe Santana and Joel Matip.
Gervinho signs new Roma contract
Gervinho has signed a one-year contract extension with Roma, the Serie A club have announced. The Ivory Coast international’s previous deal was due to expire in June 2017.
The 27-year-old striker joined Roma from Arsenal last summer for a reported fee of €8 million.
Gervinho scored nine times in 33 league appearances in his maiden campaign in Italy’s top flight to help the Giallorossi finish runners-up to Juventus.
A statement from Roma read: “Roma announces it has extended the contract of Yao Gervais Kouassi ‘Gervinho’ for a further sporting season.
“The new contract will expire on June 30, 2018.”
Milan’s Lopez out for two weeks
Milan goalkeeper Diego Lopez will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a right thigh injury.
The former Real Madrid custodian was injured during his team’s 5-4 win at Parma on Sunday night and will miss Saturday’s Serie A clash against Juventus at the San Siro.
A statement from Milan read: “The goalkeeper has suffered a right thigh injury.
“He will be evaluated in a couple of weeks.”
Coach Filippo Inzaghi will also be without Brazilian centre-back Alex for this weekend’s match.
Alex sustained bruising to his right thigh against Parma and will undergo further tests later this week to determine the extent of the injury.
Palermo president backs Iachini
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has handed coach Giuseppe Iachini a vote of confidence despite his team’s winless start to the campaign.
The Sicilian outfit, eliminated from the Coppa Italia last month after a 3-0 defeat to Modena, lost 2-1 at Verona on Monday.
Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport reported yesterday that Iachini could be on his way out, with former Reggina manager Gianluca Atzori ready to replace him.
However, Zamparini has vehemently denied those rumours, saying: “An important national sports newspaper has this headline today: ‘Iachini under fire, Atzori ready to replace him.’
“This information is stupid and vicious.”