Bak stays: Former Polish international Jacek Bak renewed his contract with Austrian league side Austria Vienna for another year. The 36-year-old defender, who will play his third season with the Viennese side, signed his contract yesterday "despite very good offers" from other clubs, Austria Vienna said. His current contract expires at the end of the season.
Wiese: The German Football Federation (DFB) opened an inquiry into the behaviour of Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese following his side's 2-0 win over Hamburg on Sunday. The DFB's disciplinary commission launched the procedure after viewing a video of Wiese celebrating with Werder fans after the final whistle. Perched on the fence separating the pitch from the terraces, the German international brandished a megaphone to join in with the home fans' chants, shouting "s*** on Hamburg!"
Perez: Florentino Perez will announce on May 14 that he intends to stand in next month's election for the next Real Madrid president, his office said yesterday. Perez, who runs one of Europe's largest construction conglomerates ACS, was Real president for six years between 2000 and 2006.
Sao Paulo: Sao Paulo, Brazilian champions for the last three years in a row, made a losing start to the defence of their crown when they lost 1-0 at Fluminense on Sunday. Midfielder Mauricio scored the winner from outside the box in the second minute. Striker Ronaldo sat out Corinthians' game as they lost 1-0 at home to Internacional on their return to the top flight after one season in the second division.
Cameroon: Cameroon have agreed to play the Ivory Coast in a friendly on June 13 to raise money for families of those killed in the stadium disaster in Abidjan. The match will be played at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium, where 19 people died in a crush as fans tried to push their way into a World Cup qualifier between the Ivorians and Malawi. FIFA have announced an extension of their investigation into the stadium disaster.
In Scotland: Division One - Airdrie vs St Johnstone 0-4. Division Two - Stirling Albion vs Queen's Park 4-0.
In Italy: Serie B - Treviso vs Vicenza 0-1.
Giro d'Italia: Alessandro Petacchi surged to victory in the third stage of the Giro d'Italia yesterday to take the race lead. The LPR sprinter, who also took Sunday's second stage, crossed the line in four hours 45 minutes and 27 seconds after the lead changed hands several times in the final minutes. The 198-kilometre mainly flat stage favoured the sprinters but Mark Cavendish dropped back and could not hang on to the pink jersey. A group of five riders had led for most of the way but were swallowed up by the peleton after 163 kms. A crash then affected a large group of riders minutes from the end.
Sailing: Michel Desjoyeaux, the winner of this year's Vendee Globe yacht race, says he hope to take part in the next Volvo round-the-world event in 2011-12. "If the conditions are right for a project that has a strong French involvement, then I'm in," he said. Desjoyeaux, 43, won the Vendee Globe in February in a record time of 84 days, his second victory in what is seen as the toughest race in the sport. But he has never won the Volvo in two attempts.
Rugby Union: Scotland scrumhalf and captain Mike Blair has been called up to the British and Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa, replacing injured Irishman Tomas O'Leary, Lions officials said. O'Leary fractured an ankle playing for Munster last month. Blair was one of three national captains not to make the initial 37-man squad, along with England's Steve Borthwick and Ryan Jones, of Wales. The Lions depart for South Africa on May 24, with their first match on May 30.
Basket, NBA: The Houston Rockets shrugged off the loss of Yao Ming to stun Los Angeles Lakers 99-87 and level their Western Conference semi-final at 2-2. The Eastern Conference semi-final between Boston and Orlando is also tied at 2-2. Houston guard Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 34 points in the shock home-court win over the Lakers as the Rockets coped admirably without Yao, who broke his left foot in Friday's loss.
Ice hockey: Russia rallied to beat Canada 2-1 and win the world championship in Berne, their second successive final victory over the same opponents. The Russians, who won last year's final 5-4 in overtime on Canadian soil to win the trophy for the first time in 15 years, survived a tense third period to frustrate their opponents again. Sweden beat the United States 4-2 to clinch the bronze medal.
In Gozo: GFA Cup semi-final - SK Victoria vs Nadur Y. 4-0.