Rangers: Rangers’ Scottish Championship clash against Cowdenbeath was postponed because of a frozen pitch at Central Park. The Fife club scheduled an inspection for 12.30pm yesterday and the surface failed the test. The club wrote on Twitter: “Unfortunately the referee has deemed the pitch un-playable at this time and as a result the match will not take place.”
Berbatov: Monaco striker Dimitar Berbatov’s second-half goal secured a 1-0 win at Lille yesterday as they moved within striking distance of the European places in Ligue 1 with a seventh consecutive clean sheet. The Bulgarian striker headed home shortly before the hour as Monaco remained fifth with 39 points from 22 games, six behind leaders Olympique Lyon, who host lowly Metz today.
Crimea: Crimea could set up its own league which would be legally compatible with UEFA, Russian Minister for Sport Vitaly Mutko said. “UEFA has suggested setting an independent Crimean structure, which would unite the existing football federations of Crimea and Sevastopol,” the head of Russian sport said. “It is likely that a Crimean football league will be set up, which will for the time be attached to UEFA.”
Commons: Kris Commons told Celtic he is not being greedy in his new contract demands amid possibly the “strangest” contract impasse he has ever been involved in. The Hoops midfielder comes to the end of his current deal in the summer and is looking for a two-year extension. However, Celtic have not yet agreed to those demands. “I have said that I don’t want to leave, this is where I belong,” he said. “I am comfortable here but everything has to be right for the club and myself.”
Congo: The Congo squad found an unlikely saviour when the team bus broke down in a forest and they were rescued by today’s African Nations Cup opponents Burkina Faso. The players were left needing to hitch a ride on the way from Bata to Ebibeyin for their final Group A game. Travelling along the same road was the Burkina Faso bus which was almost empty as their players had been put into more comfortable mini-busses for the three-hour journey. It picked up Congo’s squad and delivered them to their destination after a delay of only an hour.