Banned: Inverness defender Josh Meekings is set to miss the Scottish Cup final after being offered a retrospective ban for handling Leigh Griffiths’ goal-bound header. Scottish A compliance officer Tony McGlennan has issued a ‘notice of complaint’ to Meekings, whose transgression was missed by the six match officials on duty at Hampden on Sunday when Caley Thistle beat Celtic 3-2.
Mandzukic: Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic is still bruised from a physical Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid but is expected to be fit for the return at the Bernabeu today, said coach Diego Simeone. “We had a training session yesterday with two groups where we were making changes and he was fine,” Simeone said.
Ze Maria: Relegation-threatened Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt have sacked Brazilian coach Ze Maria for the second time in a week. Former Brazil defender Ze Maria was fired on Wednesday after a poor run, only to be reinstated the next day after flamboyant Ceahlaul owner Angelo Massone decided “give the coaching staff another chance.” But the 41-year-old former Inter and Parma right back, capped 25 times by Brazil, angered Massone again after Ceahlaul were beaten 2-0 by mid-table FC Botosani on Saturday.
Charity: Each goal scored and penalty saved during the Copa America will be worth $10,000 to the Scholas charity backed by the Vatican for social projects in Latin America. The “Goals for Scholas” accord by which the charity will receive $10,000 for every goal and saved penalty was signed by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) in the presence of Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Dispute: Indonesia’s National Sports Committee (KONI) has offered to liaise between the government and the soccer association to end a bitter feud that led to the suspension of the latter last week. On Friday, the sports ministry sanctioned the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) after it continued to ignore a recommendation to bar two clubs from competing in the domestic league because of ownership concerns. “(PSSI officials) asked me approach the government as the PSSI is a member of KONI,” chairman Tono Suratman said.