Morientes: Spanish international striker Fernando Morientes has completed his €9 million transfer from Real Madrid to Liverpool after passing a medical, the Premier League club yesterday. The vastly experienced 28-year-old has signed a 3-1/2 year contract and will be presented to the media today. Subject to receiving international clearance, he could make his debut in tomorrow's Premier League game against Man. United, although he is unlikely to start the Anfield clash. Real have recalled striker Javier Portillo from his loan spell at Fiorentina to fill the gap left by the departure of Morientes.
Gravesen: Real Madrid have reached an agreement with Everton to sign Danish international midfielder Thomas Gravesen, Spanish media reported yesterday. Radio Marca said that Everton had agreed to accept €3 million for the 28-year-old who finishes his contract with the premier league club at the end of the season. They said that Gravesen would travel to Madrid today to undergo a medical and sign a three and a half-year deal with the Primera Liga club.
Anti-racism kit: The Netherlands will wear a special kit in next month's friendly against England to support Thierry Henry's racism initiative called Stand Up Speak Up. A Nike spokesman told Reuters they will sport a shirt with black and white halves plus black shorts and white socks. It will be a one-off gesture by the Dutch FA (KNVB) to back France and Arsenal striker Henry's initiative supported by Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Adriano. England host the Netherlands in a Villa Park friendly on February 9 before the teams meet again in Amsterdam in 2006.
Football For Hope: The "Football for Hope" benefit match to help victims of the Asian tsunami will be played at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium on February 15, FIFA and UEFA said yesterday. Soccer's world and European governing bodies said that one side would be led by 2004 World Player Ronaldinho, the other by European Footballer of the Year 2004 Andriy Shevchenko, with the other players involved to be named in due course. All proceeds from the match will be donated to the FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund, which has been set up jointly by FIFA and the Asian Confederation.
Robinho: Brazil's 20-year-old forward Robinho has repeated that he is staying at Santos for the time being and is not moving to Real Madrid. "I'm not interested in what people are saying," he told reporters. "I want to stay at Santos. When the time comes to leave, everyone is going to know about it. I want to help Santos in the Libertadores Cup."
Spanish Cup: Third round first legs - Valladolid vs Real Madrid 0-0.
¤ Australia's Lleyton Hewitt kept his cool on a blistering hot summer's day to reach the semi-finals of the Sydney International yesterday while his main rivals all melted. The world number three breezed into the last four of the Australian Open warm-up event with a 6-1 7-6 win over Swede Thomas Johansson to be the last remaining seed in the men's draw. Fourth seed Romanian Andrei Pavel, Spanish fifth seed Feliciano Lopez and Taylor Dent, the big-serving American seeded eighth, all succumbed to lower ranked opponents as the temperature at Sydney's Olympic tennis centre soared to 42° Celsius.