Boateng: Former Hull and Aston Villa midfielder George Boateng has joined Skoda Xanthi, the Greek club have confirmed. The 34-year-old has been linked with West Brom and Celtic this summer after his contract expired following the Tigers' relegation from the Premier League.
Rangers lose: Nathan Burns scored the only goal as Rangers lost their final Sydney Festival of Football match to AEK Athens. Despite turning in a good performance, Walter Smith's side succumbed to a 72nd-minute goal from AEK's Australian substitute Burns. It was a disappointing result for the Light Blues who had already beaten Blackburn and drawn with Sydney and left the Greek side as Festival winners.
Stam: Dutch champions FC Twente have announced the departure of their defender Ronnie Stam to Wigan for an undisclosed fee. The 26-year-old former NAC Breda player has signed a three-year contract, Twente said on their website, and leaves the Eredivisie club after two successful seasons.
Myhill: West Brom have moved to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season with the signing of Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill. The 27-year-old has penned a three-year deal at the Hawthorns, with the option of a fourth and joins for an undisclosed fee. Myhill, a Wales international, passed a medical and will now challenge Scott Carson for the number one shirt at the Baggies.
Hearts: Hearts have been hit with a record £60,000 fine by the Scottish FA after a sixth successive season of poor discipline. The Tynecastle club have been ordered to pay £50,000 within 30 days, with £10,000 suspended until January. The SFA have penalised Hearts every year since the 2004-05 campaign. Hearts were again the worst offenders in the Scottish Premier League last term, with 10 red cards and 89 cautions.
Friendlies: Hanover vs Valencia 1-2; Burnley vs Stoke 1-2; Ipswich vs West Ham 0-1; Leeds vs Wolves 3-1; Newcastle vs PSV 2-2; Norwich vs Everton 2-4; Bordeaux vs Roma 1-1; Schalke vs Hamburg 2-1; B. Munich vs Cologne 0-0 (3-1 pens).
Formula One: Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali said he is confident Brazilian driver Felipe Massa will remain with the team in the wake of the 'team orders' controversy at the German Grand Prix. Domenicali said he could not envisage Massa allowing his disappointment at not winning to interfere with his relationship with Ferrari, the team and the people. "No, no, I don't think so," he said. "No, I don't think so because we have always been very happy about Felipe. We were helping on the personal side. On the professional side, we are proud of him."
Boxing: David Haye's hopes of facing one of the Klitschko brothers before the end of the year are effectively over after the Ukrainian heavyweight champions lined up alternative opponents. After Shannon Briggs claimed he will take on WBC king Vitali, the Klitschkos revealed IBF/WBO holder Wladimir will meet former victim Samuel Peter in a re-match. Last year, Haye's negotiations over a fight with Vitali fell through and a back injury forced him out of a challenge to Wladimir.
Tennis: Victoria Azarenka snapped Marion Bartoli's eight-match win streak at the WTA Bank of the West Classic with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 quarter-final victory. Bartoli said the 18th ranked Azarenka is a rising star in the game and deserved the win. "Every single game was tough," Bartoli said. "It was hard to win some easy points because I was fighting and running so much." In another match, Maria Sharapova outlasted Russian compatriot Elena Dementieva in a marathon three setter 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
Cricket: Pakistan were set a record-breaking target of 435 to win the first Test after England declared their second innings on 262 for nine on the third day at Trent Bridge yesterday. Matt Prior was 102 not out and Steven Finn nine not out after an unbroken last-wicket stand of 49. The most any side has ever made in the fourth innings to win a Test is the 418 for seven scored by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003. Pakistan's equivalent record is the 315 for nine they scored against Australia at Karachi in 1994.