Wouters: FC Utrecht coach Jan Wouters signed a new 12-month deal at the club despite speculation he was due to be replaced in the role by Co Adriaanse. Reports in Holland suggested Wouters was to step aside and Adriaanse brought in, but the club announced yesterday the former Holland midfielder was to extend his stay at the Stadion Galgenwaard.
Platini: UEFA president Michel Platini will visit the base of Poland’s historic Solidarity union later this month, its international envoy Andrzej Matla said. Matla said the visit was agreed after Platini expressed an interest during talks with Solidarity head Piotr Duda during the latter’s visit to UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, in February.
Wiltord: Former Arsenal striker Sylvain Wiltord announced his retirement from football, according to his current club Nantes. The 38-year-old was a member of the ‘Invincibles’ Arsenal team which went through the 2003-04 league season unbeaten. Wiltord won 92 caps for France.
Debuchy: France full-back Mathieu Debuchy has insisted his club future will be decided after Euro 2012. The 26-year-old has been linked with a move away from Lille this summer but he was adamant the speculation would not distract him. “Right now, I’m focused on the Euros. I have wishes, but we will discuss them later,” he said.
Pollitt: Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt has agreed a new one-year deal to extend his stay with the Latics into an eighth season. The 40-year-old was the club’s first Premier League signing in 2005 and, with his current deal due to expire, he has been handed an extension for a further 12 months.
Italian Super Cup: The Italian Super Cup will be played at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest on August 11. The match between league champions Juventus and Italian Cup winners Napoli will again be held in the Chinese capital, with the city’s Olympic stadium having hosted the event twice before, in 2009 and 2011.
Furth: Newly-promoted Bundesliga club Greuther Furth announced yesterday that they have signed 17-year-old Ghanaian left-back Baba Rahman from Ghana champions Asanta Kotoko. Rahman is considered to be one of the rising stars of African football and, according to Furth, was a target of other European clubs such as Chelsea and Napoli.
World Cup: Ten-man Australia scored from the penalty spot with 20 minutes left to rescue a point at home in a World Cup qualifier against in-form Japan. The draw dents Japan’s 100 per cent record in final qualifying, but they still top the five-team Group B on seven points from three games. Australia have two points from two games. The top two are guaranteed a Brazil 2014 berth.