‘Class of 92': Singapore property developer Rowsley Ltd is paying 29 million pounds for a 75 per cent stake in a soccer-themed hotel and restaurant business founded by former Manchester United players including Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville. Rowsley will buy the stake from Singapore billionaire Peter Lim – owner of Valencia soccer club – Neville, Giggs and former team-mates Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes. The players are known as the “Class of 92”, a reference to their emergence in the Manchester United youth team of the early 1990s.
Carroll: West Ham’s Andy Carroll is “injury-free” but will not be fit for the Hammers’ Premier League clash with his former club Liverpool tomorrow, although he could feature against his other former club, Newcastle United, on Sept. 14. “Today Andy Carroll is going to train with us and he’s improving. He’s injury-free, it’s only a matter of fitness now to get him back,” West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said yesterday.
Barton: Joey Barton, the former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder, has joined second-tier Burnley. Barton, 32, had been without a club since being released by fellow Championship side Queens Park Rangers in the summer. He signed a one-year contract at Burnley, who were relegated from the Premier League, alongside his old team, last season.
Martin: Marvin Martin still has a future at Lille, according to club president Michel Seydoux. The midfielder became the club’s record signing when he arrived from Sochaux in 2012, tasked with filling the creative void left by Eden Hazard’s departure to Chelsea. Seydoux told L’Equipe: “It has not been a success, either for us or the player, but that does not mean we have to get rid of him soon.”
Extradition: An Argentine judge has suspended the extradition of Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, who are wanted by the United States as part of the FIFA graft investigation that has rocked world soccer over the last three months. Hugo Jinkis, 70, and his son Mariano, 40, are among the current and former FIFA officials and corporate executives indicted on racketeering charges. Judge Claudio Bonadio suspended their extradition process for 30 days while he asks US prosecutors to provide more information about the accusations.
UEFA Futsal Cup
Group B qualifiers: Encamp vs Luxol St Andrew’s 3-5; Gentofte vs Pescara 0-3.
UEFA Europa League – play-offs
| Played yesterday | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Agg |
| Athletic Bilbao (Spain) vs Zilina (Slovakia) | 2-3 | 1-0 | *3-3 |
| (Athletic Bilbao win on away goals rule) | |||
| AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) vs Astra Giurgiu (Romania) | 2-3 | 2-0 | 4-3 |
| Belenenses (Portugal) vs Altach (Austria) | 1-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| Borussia Dortmund (Germany) vs Odds (Norway) | 4-3 | 7-2 | 11-5 |
| Brondby (Denmark) vs PAOK (Greece) | 0-5 | 1-1 | 1-6 |
| FC Midtjylland (Denmark) vs Southampton (England) | 1-1 | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Fenerbahce (Turkey) vs Atromitos (Greece) | 1-0 | 3-0 | 4-0 |
| Hajduk Split (Croatia) vs Liberec (Czech Republic) | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-2 |
| HJK Helsinki (Finland) vs Krasnodar (Russia) | 1-5 | 0-0 | 1-5 |
| Jablonec (Czech Republic) vs Ajax (Netherlands) | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| Kairat (Kazakhstan) vs Bordeaux (France) | 0-1 | 2-1 | *2-2 |
| (Bordeaux win on away goals rule) | |||
| Legia Warsaw (Poland) vs Zorya (Ukraine) | 1-0 | 3-2 | 4-2 |
| Panathinaikos (Greece) vs Qabala (Azerbaijan) | 0-0 | 2-2 | *2-2 |
| (Qabala win on away goals rule) | |||
| Qarabag (Azerbaijan) vs Young Boys (Switzerland) | 1-0 | 3-0 | 4-0 |
| Rosenborg (Norway) vs Steaua Bucharest (Romania) | 3-0 | 0-1 | 3-1 |
| Rubin Kazan (Russia) vs Rabotnicki (Macedonia) | 1-1 | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Saint Etienne (France) vs Milsami (Moldova) | 1-1 | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Salzburg (Austria) vs Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) | 0-2 | 2-0 | *2-2 |
| (Dinamo Minsk win 3-2 on penalties) | |||
| Standard Liege (Belgium) vs Molde (Norway) | 0-2 | 3-1 | *3-3 |
| (Molde win on away goals rule) | |||
| Thun (Switzerland) vs Sparta Prague (Czech Rep.) | 1-3 | 3-3 | 4-6 |
| Videoton (Hungary) vs Lech Poznan (Poland) | 0-3 | 0-1 | 0-4 |
| Vojvodina (Serbia) vs Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic) | 0-3 | 0-2 | 0-5 |