Lucarelli: Veteran Napoli striker Cristiano Lucarelli will be out for six months after rupturing ligaments in his left knee, his club announced yesterday. Napoli added that the 34-year-old will undergo surgery in Rome tomorrow.
Kehl: Borussia Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl has been ruled out for two months with a hip injury. The 30-year-old former German international suffered the injury while warming up for his side’s 4-3 Europa League win over Karpaty Lviv on Thursday.
Birmingham: Birmingham City football consultant Sammy Yu has stepped down from the position after only nine months in the post, it was reported yesterday. Yu’s departure follows criticism of his role in overseeing Birmingham’s pre-season tour of China and Hong Kong, which came under fire from players for its gruelling itinerary and facilities.
Winter Olympics: Munich’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics has received a boost after a new sponsor was unveiled, raising the budget from €25 to €33 million. Lotto Bayern have joined Adidas, Lufthansa and car manufacturer BMW as partner sponsors for Munich’s bid. The Bavarian city is in competition with Annecy (France) and Pyeongchang (South Korea) for the right to host the Winter Olympics.
Golf: Corey Pavin knows Tiger Woods will want to play the maximum number of matches at the Ryder Cup, but the US captain will sit the superstar down if he thinks it’s in the best interest of the team. Pavin, discussing his final preparations for the biennial match play showdown between the US and Europe, praised Woods’ talent and team spirit. “We’ve talked about how many times he wants to play,” Pavin said. “He said, ‘I want to play five matches.’ We talked about him not playing as many, and he said, ‘Whatever’s best for the team.’”
Sailing: Australian officials cancelled a three-day yachting event on the southern island of Tasmania yesterday after a sailor died in rough conditions in the opening leg. Organisers of the 42nd Pipe Opener in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, south of Hobart, defended their decision to begin the series on Friday as weather forecasters warned of strong winds and high seas. The crewman, aged in his 50s, drowned late on Friday after being knocked overboard. His body was found around midnight washed ashore on Bruny Island.
Formula One: The Melbourne GP posted its biggest loss in five years, costing taxpayers nearly 50 million US dollars, reports said. Attendance was up at this year’s race over 2009. But costs rose after the start time was moved to the evening to suit global television audiences, and the event was in the red to the tune of 49 million dollars (46 million US). The GP is funded by the state government and has consistently lost money since Melbourne replaced Adelaide as Australia’s F1 venue in 1996.