Friedrich: Wolfsburg have confirmed the signing of Germany defender Arne Friedrich from Hertha Berlin. Hertha's relegation last season meant Friedrich, 31, became available and Wolfsburg were quick to make their move ahead of a number of clubs across Europe, who were alerted by his fine performances at the World Cup.
Griffin: Reading have completed the signing of defender Andy Griffin from Stoke for a nominal fee. The 31-year-old right-back spent the second half of last season on loan at the Madejski Stadium and has now penned a two-year contract.
Assulin: Barcelona starlet Gai Assulin is set to leave the club after his contract expired. The 19-year-old Israeli, who has been compared to Lionel Messi, has been tipped to join Tottenham in the summer. The winger has also been linked with moves to Arsenal, Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Marseille: Champions Marseille were ordered to play two matches behind closed doors by the French Football League (LFP) because of the behaviour of their fans on the final day of the season. According to the LFP, Marseille fans exploded "198 pyrotechnical devises" as they celebrated their team's championship success during the final game against Grenoble at the Velodrome Stadium on May 15.
Tamudo: Former Spain striker Raul Tamudo has left Espanyol after 13 years at the Barcelona-based club. Tamudo came through the youth ranks at Espanyol and made a total of 340 appearances for the Catalan outfit. He is also Espanyol's all-time top scorer with 129 goals.
Greening: Jonathan Greening has joined Fulham on a permanent deal following the end of his season-long loan from West Brom. Greening, 31, had one year remaining on his deal at The Hawthorns but he has chosen not to return to the Midlands despite West Brom's promotion back to the Premier League.
Ghezzal: Bari reached a deal for Siena forward Abdel Ghezzal. Ghezzal, 25, was born in France and has been at Siena since 2008, playing as either a creative midfielder or a striker.
Basket, NBA: Phil Jackson, 64, will return as Lakers coach next season, putting off retirement for at least one more year to pursue a 12th NBA title. "Count me in," Jackson said. "After two weeks of deliberation, it is time to get back to the challenge of putting together a team that can defend its title in the 2010-11 season. It'll be the last stand for me, and I hope a grand one."
American Football: Tennessee Titans backup quarter-back Chris Simms was arrested on charges of driving while impaired by drugs. Simms was stopped by police at a checkpoint in Manhattan around 1.30 a.m. Police said the 29-year-old had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes and smelled of marijuana. His wife, Danielle, who is expecting the couple's second child, was also in the car.
Cricket: Cricket Australia stood by its nomination of former prime minister John Howard to the sport's governing body, but said it would hold an emergency meeting to discuss his controversial snub. The ICC on Thursday urged Australia to find a new nominee after rejecting Howard without explanation.
Betting: Gaming revenues in the massive Chinese gambling haven of Macau fell 20 per cent in June from a record high in May as World Cup fever kept high-stakes gamblers away, an analyst said. Macau's casinos raked in about 13.6 billion Macau Patacas ($1.7 billion) in June, a 65 per cent year-on-year increase, but lower than the record-breaking 17.1 billion Patacas figure for May.
Tennis: Justine Henin ruled herself out of action for two months after picking up an elbow injury playing at Wimbledon. The seven-time Grand Slam winner suffered her injury when she fell in the first set of her fourth round loss to Belgian rival Kim Clijsters at the All England Club on Monday. The injury means she will miss the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season.