Mourinho: Inter coach Jose Mourinho has criticised Chelsea predecessor Claudio Ranieri after the Juventus boss said he did not need to win to feel secure, unlike the Portuguese. "I've won a lot in my career," Mourinho told Italian media. "He has won a Super Cup and another little cup. Probably he needs to change mentality but maybe he is too old to do it."
Mido returns: Egypt have recalled Middlesbrough forward Mido to their squad for this month's friendly against Sudan in Khartoum after an absence of almost a year. But coach Hassan Shehata has left out Hamburg SV striker Mohamed Zidan for the Aug. 20 match, which serves as a warm-up for their World Cup qualifier against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa in early September. Zidan was suspended by the Egypt FA after he said he was injured and unavailable for four World Cup qualifiers in June.
Dudu: CSKA Moscow have sold Brazilian midfielder Dudu to Greek champions Olympiakos for six million euros, the Russian premier league club said. Dudu, 25, is the third Brazilian to leave the Moscow club in the last month. English Premier League side Manchester City paid a club record £18 million to sign striker Jo in July before playmaker Daniel Carvalho was loaned to his former club Internacional for the rest of the year last week.
Udinese: Italian Serie A club Udinese have signed 22-year-old CSKA Sofia defender Nikola Vujadinovic, the Bulgarian champions said yesterday without giving any details on the length of contract or fee. CSKA lost their place in the Champions League over debts to the state and creditors and have been forced to sell top players including Bulgaria internationals Alexandar Tunchev and Velizar Dimitrov and Romania's Florentin Petre.
Senegal: Senegal coach Lamine Ndiaye has been given a brief contract extension for two more World Cup qualifiers, the Senegal sports ministry said yesterday. Ndiaye, who took over during January's African Nations Cup finals, will be in charge for qualifiers against Algeria and the Gambia in September and October.
Bougherra: New Rangers signing Madjid Bougherra has been named in a 22-man squad by Algeria for a friendly international against the United Arab Emirates later this month in France. Coach Rabah Saadane has called up the utility defender for the Aug. 20 match, which is a warm up before a key World Cup qualifier against Senegal in September.
Friendlies: Valerenga vs Liverpool 1-4; Trabzonspor vs Wolfsburg 2-3; Levski Sofia vs Werder Bremen 0-0; Bayern Munich vs Inter 0-1; Southampton vs Stoke 2-3; Darlington vs Middlesbrough 0-5.
IOC Athletes Commission: Namibian sprinter Frankie Fredericks has been elected chairman of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athletes Commission. Fredericks, who won silver in 100 metres and 200 metres at both the 1992 Games in Barcelona and Atlanta in 1996, replaced Sergei Bubka, the Ukrainian pole vaulter. The 40-year-old Fredericks became a member of the IOC in 2004 after retiring from competition.
Medal returned: US Olympic champion Michael Johnson has returned his 4x400m Sydney 2000 Olympics gold medal to the IOC after his then team-mate Antonio Pettigrew admitted to doping, the IOC said. Johnson, who has won four other Olympic golds, had said he would return it after Pettigrew's court testimony in May.
Cycling: Cyclist Vladimir Gusev will not compete in the Beijing Olympics after his Astana team fired him last month on suspicion of doping, the head of Russia's cycling federation said yesterday. Gusev, 25, was scheduled to compete in the individual time trial on Aug. 13 and had been tipped for a medal.