Trabzonspor’s Salih Dursun was sent off for showing the referee a red card during his team’s 2-1 defeat by Galatasaray in a fractious Turkish league encounter on Sunday.
The flashpoint occurred in the 86th minute after referee Deniz Bitnel showed a straight red to Dursun’s team-mate Luis Cavanda for a foul inside the penalty area.
Trabzonspor’s players surrounded the official to protest and, in the resulting melee, Dursun snatched the card out of Bitnel’s hand and waved it in the official’s direction, earning himself a sending-off and reducing his team to seven men.
Forrest turns down new Celtic contract
James Forrest is on the lookout for a new club after Celtic manager Ronny Deila revealed he had rejected a new contract.
Forrest claimed in November he wanted to stay at Parkhead and was “pretty confident” a new deal would be sorted out.
But Deila now claims the Scotland international wants to try something new.
Deila said: “We offered him a contract and he has turned it down. He has told us he wishes to see what his other options are.
“I can’t see that we will go back to him with another improved deal because it was a good offer.”
Former Busby Babe Goodwin dies
Former Busby Babe Freddie Goodwin has died at the age of 82, Manchester United said.
Goodwin made 95 appearances for United between 1953 and 1960, missing the Munich air disaster because he was not selected in the travelling party.
A club statement read: “Manchester United is sad to hear of the death of former player Freddie Goodwin, a member of the club’s 1956 and 1957 title-winning squads.
“Goodwin died peacefully on 19 February 2016 at Gig Harbor in Washington in the US, following a long battle with cancer.”
Makudi banned for three months – FIFA
FIFA’s disciplinary committee has banned Worawi Makudi, former president of the Football Association of Thailand and a former member of the FIFA Executive Committee, for three months for failing to comply with an earlier suspension, FIFA said.
The body’s ethics committee in October had banned Makudi from all football activities for 90 days.
“The disciplinary committee found that Mr Makudi was still involved in FAT affairs during this period and has therefore decided to ban him from taking part in any kind of football-related activity for three months,” FIFA said.
Payet brings out Bilic’s inner poet
Slaven Bilic plays guitar, speaks several languages and is a qualified lawyer, but the West Ham manager wants to add poetry to his skills so he can wax lyrical about midfielder Dimitri Payet’s performances this season.
Payet scored twice during West Ham’s 5-1 dismantling of second-tier Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.
West Ham last won the FA Cup in 1980 and finished runners-up in 2006.
“I need some poetry lessons to describe his (Payet’s) importance to us. It is not just what he is doing with the ball. He is doing the dirty work too,” Bilic said.
“Every week I want the questions about him to continue but it is hard to describe him.”
Lazio deny plans to sell Anderson
Lazio insist comments attributed to club president Claudio Lotito concerning the possible sale of Felipe Anderson to Man. United are “devoid of any foundation”.
Reports in Italy claimed Lotito had been overheard saying he had agreed to sell the 22-year-old Brazilian playmaker to United for €60 million, but the Serie A side yesterday dismissed the rumours.
A club statement read: “In reference to statements attributed to president Claudio Lotito regarding the alleged sale of Felipe Anderson, Lazio can confirm they are devoid of any foundation.”
Cahill agrees to join Hangzhou
Australia striker Tim Cahill, who was dumped by Shanghai Shenhua last week, has signed a short-term deal with Hangzhou Greentown.
Hangzhou, who finished 11th in the CSL last year, said the 36-year-old had joined the club on a six-month deal.
“As the club’s main foreign import, looking forward to seeing a good performance from Cahill in the Chinese Super League,” the club said on its website.
“Tim Cahill good luck!”