Jarosik joins Chelsea: Czech midfielder Jiri Jarosik said it was "a dream come true" after completing his switch to Chelsea from CSKA Moscow yesterday. The 27-year-old Czech international joined the Premier League leaders on a two-and-a-half-year contract. "I'm very happy and proud to have joined a club like Chelsea - it's like a dream come true," Jarosik said. Jarosik will not be available for Chelsea's Champions League campaign having already appeared for CSKA this season.
Forssell Returns: Finnish striker Mikael Forssell's loan to Birmingham City has been cancelled and the player has returned to Chelsea, the Midlands club said yesterday. City exercised an option to release Forssell during the January transfer window as he has been out with a knee injury since September and is not expected to be fit until April.
Blatter: FIFA head Sepp Blatter will meet President Thabo Mbeki during a two-day visit to South Africa next week, the world governing soccer body said. The trip will be Blatter's first to South Africa since it was awarded the 2010 World Cup last May. Blatter, who will be in the country on January 12 and 13, will meet Mbeki in Pretoria and will also have talks with the South African FA and the World Cup 2010 Local Organising Committee. Blatter's trip follows several meetings between FIFA and S. African officials.
Maradona resumes drug rehab: Diego Maradona returned to Cuba to continue drug addiction treatment on Wednesday after defying doctor's orders and taking a month-long Christmas break with his family in Argentina. Maradona has been undergoing treatment for his addiction to cocaine since September, five months after spending 10 days in the intensive care unit of a Buenos Aires hospital with heart and breathing problems.
Old FA Cup trophy up for auction: The trophy awarded to the winners of the FA Cup between 1896 and 1910 is being put up for auction and is expected to raise over £200,000 when it is sold in May. The trophy being auctioned by Christie's was the second awarded to the FA Cup winners after the 1872 original was stolen from a shop in Birmingham after Aston Villa won it in 1895. It was never recovered.
Blackburn: Blackburn Rovers have signed New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen. He becomes the second international captain to join Rovers in four days after the capture of South Africa's Aaron Mokoena. Nelsen signed an 18-month contract on a free transfer from US side DC United.
Rally of Dakar: Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel claimed his second successive stage victory to open a comfortable lead in the 2005 Dakar Rally yesterday. Peterhansel, winner in 2004, negotiated the 669-km seventh stage from Zouerat to Tichit in eight hours, 21 minutes, 57 seconds, 25 seconds ahead of Nasser At Attiyah in his BMW. Luc Alphand remains second overall, 21:32 minutes adrift after finishing the special stage in fourth place.
Cricket: South African beat England by 196 runs on the final day of the third test at Newlands yesterday to level the five-match series 1-1. Scores: South Africa 441 and 222-8 declared; England 163 and 304.