Reading: Reading, relegated from the English Premier League on Sunday, have released six players. Wales midfielder John Oster, Ecuador defender Ulises De La Cruz and John Halls, who has been on loan at Sheffield United, are among the six who will not be offered new contracts.
Lazio: Lazio coach Delio Rossi has been given a three-game ban and the club fined 10,000 euros ($15,480) after being found guilty of trying to influence the performance of an opposing team, the Italian soccer federation said. Rossi was caught on phone taps asking club president Claudio Lotito to discuss tactics with Lecce directors in a match in April 2006. Media reports have said the issue involved whether future Lazio signing Cristian Ledesma should play for Lecce.
Milan: Cafu and Serginho will leave Milan at the end of the season, the Brazilian full backs said yesterday. Last season's European champions are letting the pair go after deciding to bring in fresh blood following a poor campaign, with Barcelona defender Gianluca Zambrotta a target. World Cup winner Cafu, 37, will return to Brazil but is unsure if he will retire. Milan captain Paolo Maldini, 39, is expected to stay at the San Siro for another season with a final decision due soon.
Fair Play: Manchester City will play in next season's UEFA Cup after England were awarded an extra spot in the competition for topping UEFA's Fair Play table. The Premier League confirmed yesterday that City, who finished the season in ninth place, would be the recipients of the extra spot after it published its own final fair play standings. Though City came only sixth in the fair play table, the five clubs in front of them had already qualified for European competition.
No resistance: Bulgarian third division side Chumerna, who blame their dashed promotion hopes to poor refereeing, will protest by offering no resistance to opponents for the rest of the season. Coach Sasho Angelov said: "Our players will stand motionless while our rivals are scoring goals. All that we'll do is to take the kick-off after every conceded goal."
Aalborg champions: Aalborg clinched the Danish championship with two matches to go on Thursday, beating Brondby at home 2-0 and opening an insurmountable eight-point lead over last year's champions, FC Copenhagen. The unheralded western Denmark team won their third title, taking advantage of Copenhagen's late season poor form.
Tennis: ATP Hamburg Masters - Federer vs Verdasco 6-3 6-3; Djokovic vs Montanes 6-2 6-3; Seppi vs Kiefer 6-3 5-7 7-5; Nadal vs Moya 6-3 6-1. WTA Rome Open - Chakvetadze bt Pironkova 6-2 3-6 6-1; Cornet w.o. S. Williams; Jankovic vs V. Williams 5-7 6-2 6-3.
In England: League One promotion play-off semi-final, second leg, Doncaster vs Southend 5-1 (Doncaster win 5-1 on agg.).