Inter: Inter will not play in next month's Birra Moretti Trophy, which would have pitted the Italy champions against Juventus and Napoli. The tournament, on August 21, has taken place annually since 1997 and has been won by Juventus five times, Inter three times and by Napoli and Udinese once each. Inter won last year's competition after beating Napoli 2-0 and Juve 1-0. It seems, new coach Jose Mourinho has requested that Inter pull out of the triangular tournament.
Coupet: France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet will sign a two-year contract today with Atletico Madrid, Olympique Lyon said. Both clubs have agreed a deal worth 1.5 million euro. Coupet, 35, won seven successive Ligue 1 titles with Lyon.
Italy: Italy will play their September 10 World Cup qualifier against Group Eight rivals Georgia at Udine's Stadio Friuli, the home of Serie A side Udinese, the Italian football federation said. The world champions start their qualification campaign for South Africa 2010 on Sept. 6 in Cyprus. Montenegro, Ireland and Bulgaria are also in Italy's group.
Odonkor: Real Betis's German international winger David Odonkor will miss the start of the new season after agreeing to undergo surgery to deal with pain in his right knee, the club radio said. "If there is no problem in the rehabilitation he should be able to reappear after two months into next season," said club doctor Tomas Calero.
Beckham: David Beckham was on the scoresheet for LA Galaxy on Friday but his fifth goal of the MLS season could not prevent his team falling to a 2-1 defeat to New England Revolution. Despite the upset, Los Angeles remain in the lead in the Western Conference with six wins and three draws from 15 games .
Ibagaza: Argentine playmaker Ariel Ibagaza will sign for Primera Liga runners-up Villarreal after leaving Real Mallorca. The 31-year-old, who returned to Mallorca in 2006 after three seasons at Atletico Madrid, said he had originally planned to see out his career with the islanders. "I had told the president I would retire here, but I received a very interesting offer that I didn't expect," he said.
Torres: Spain striker Fernando Torres paid tribute to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez for helping him become a European Championship winner. "After you score 20 (goals), Benitez is at you during the next training session and he stays on top of you all day and all week. It would have been impossible otherwise," Torres, who scored 33 goals in his first season at the club, said.
Boavista: Boavista's appeal against relegation to the second division has been rejected by the Justice Council of the Portuguese Soccer Federation. Boavista, who won the championship in 2001, were relegated in May for the alleged bribery of referees in the 2003/4 season. Champions Porto were stripped of six points for similar offences.
Horse racing: South Korea plans to suspend night-time horse racing for the first time in nearly 20 years in order to cut down on electricity usage as oil prices set record highs. "The government did not order us to make this decision but we felt the need to do this because we have a social responsibility as a public institution," an official with the state's Korea Racing Association (KRA) said. The KRA planned to have night races from mid-July through August. It will start the racing day earlier during those times in order to complete a full card before the sun sets.
Cycling: Italy's Paolo Savoldelli, the 2002 and 2005 Giro d'Italia winner, said he will retire at the end of this season. "I might end the season with the world championships time trial," the 35-year-old LPR rider said. "I've never done it. It would be beautiful to finish with a debut".
Boxing: Australian crime victims are demanding ex-heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson be barred from entering the country to take part in a professional poker tournament with retired cricketer Shane Warne. Tyson, a convicted rapist, is planning to travel to Melbourne in January for the Aussie Millions Poker Championships. "We seem to have reached a new depth of lowness. He is being brought out here to be trotted out as a celebrity, like some kind of Mother Theresa. It's an insult," Crime Victims Support Association said.